Her eyes were pitch-black, like a pool so deep that its bottom could never be seen. Gan Ruoxu felt as though his entire being was being drawn into an endless abyss, immersed in boundless darkness, where only distant, faint glimmers of brilliance could be vaguely perceived.
This was a true universe, yet Gan Ruoxu sensed it was also his inner spiritual realm. Every thought, every willpower, was buried in the darkness, isolated from one another, unable to illuminate or penetrate.
At that moment, he noticed a hazy, chaotic seed emerging from the depths of the darkness—exactly like the one in his mind. Slowly, it transformed, becoming a Daoist figure who seemed to contain all things yet was reduced to a single point. The figure’s appearance, aura, and presence were identical to that of the green-robed Daoist in the center of the Three Pure Ones within the Jade Void Palace.
Without knowing why, Gan Ruoxu spontaneously formed a thought:
“This is Yuan Shi Daoist!”
As Yuan Shi appeared, heaven and earth were created. Boundless light erupted, illuminating the endless darkness. Gan Ruoxu’s spiritual sea surfaced—though veiled in mist, golden glimmers could now be seen within.
Once the heart is illuminated, darkness shall never return!
Above this spiritual sea, Yuan Shi Daoist sat cross-legged with eyes closed, indifferent to what was above or below, front or back. Both hands formed seals—one purely Yang, brimming with vitality, and the other utterly Yin, exuding the aura of death. Beneath him swirled the elements of earth, fire, wind, and water, bearing ancient inscriptions that appeared to be some kind of forbidden technique.
At the sight of this scene, Gan Ruoxu naturally withdrew from his meditation and opened his eyes. The old Daoist beside him was astonished to see one of his eyes white with a black pupil, and the other black with a white pupil, continuously alternating, as if manifesting the Taiji of Yin and Yang.
The transformation ceased. Gan Ruoxu looked at his hands. His left palm revealed a hint of darkness, while his right seemed veiled in pure white light. Then, as his thoughts shifted, both vanished.
“Congratulations, Disciple Gan, on receiving the Heavenly Venerable’s blessing—your supernatural ability has just begun to form!” The old Daoist’s face flushed with joy.
The greatest benefit of the “Divine Communication Technique” compared to other cultivation methods was its rapid progress. It was essentially a shortcut—abandoning most physical refinement to focus solely on spiritual cultivation, drawing closer to the “guardian deity.” A year of practice could surpass several years of another’s effort. Previously, Gan Ruoxu had been an ordinary youth, his spirit strong but not yet capable of affecting reality. Now, after establishing a spiritual connection with the deity, he had ascended in an instant, gaining supernatural power.
Of course, the “Divine Communication Technique” still required cultivation. In the future, he would need to enhance his spiritual strength; otherwise, he would be unable to deepen his communion, gain more power to strengthen his body and expand his abilities. Further advancement would require careful attention to his every word and deed, aligning them with the characteristics of the corresponding deity or cosmic authority to increase resonance and prepare for divine descent.
Gan Ruoxu spent a moment contemplating his newfound power before rising to his feet with a smile. “Thank you, Master, for your guidance. Might I ask how I should address you?”
The elderly Daoist, with white hair and beard, stroked his beard and replied cheerfully, “This old Daoist is named Sun Qian. Disciple Gan may simply call me Master Sun.”
He then, unable to hide his curiosity, asked in a low voice, “Disciple Gan, did you sense the Heavenly Venerable just now? How does it differ from the deity statue on the altar?”
Since the advent of the Divine Rank Chart, one method involved visualizing the deity based on the statue’s image, transforming the supernatural seed into the deity’s form. Another method involved glimpsing a true aspect of the deity during communion, which could then be used to refine the statue’s image, making it more authentic. However, the Three Pure Ones had never descended or revealed themselves, so no one had ever sensed them. Thus, the statues remained traditional and unchanged, with unknown differences from the real beings.
—Not all divine forms could be perceived during visualization. Some were completely invisible, while others merely displayed corresponding attributes, such as various types of thunder or flames.
Gan Ruoxu nodded. “The Heavenly Venerable I saw differed from the statue. One was a green-robed Daoist, the other an indescribable, marvelous Yuan Shi Daoist…”
“Please, Disciple Gan, write down the details or even draw it for me. I shall submit it to the Grand Visionary to revise the Heavenly Venerable’s statue.” For a Daoist, the opportunity to assist Yuan Shi Tianzun was an immense honor and a rare chance, and Sun Qian naturally did not wish to miss it.
Gan Ruoxu had no objection, but suddenly recalled something. “I heard the Heavenly Venerable’s honorific has changed to ‘Yuqing Zixu Gaomiao Taishang Yuanhuang Da Daojun.'”
“Very well, I shall include that too,” Sun Qian said with a beaming smile.
The night passed without further incident. Gan Ruoxu and Wu Ju continued their journey toward the capital. Within two days, they arrived at the great river dividing north and south.
The river surged with rolling waves. A large ship was already docked at the shore, waiting for this special group.
“Please, Disciple Gan,” said the county official in charge, pointing toward the ship.
Gan Ruoxu had just been meditating on “Yuan Shi Tianzun,” familiarizing himself with his supernatural ability and contemplating the function of the forbidden technique beneath Yuan Shi’s form. He was still somewhat dazed and did not speak much, stepping onto the deck silently with the group.
Suddenly, the river split open, and a figure shot forth, wielding a long sword that radiated a brilliant blue light, aimed directly at Gan Ruoxu.
The figure exuded a majestic aura, with water swirling around him, forming scales like those of a local dragon king. With a single strike, he summoned raging winds and waves, nearly capsizing the ship. The experts sent by the Daoist Academy, including Sun Qian, instinctively focused on self-preservation, reacting a moment too late. They could only watch helplessly as the blue sword light slashed toward Gan Ruoxu.
Unaccustomed to such a confrontation, Gan Ruoxu, though possessing supernatural power, was slow to react. His heart was filled with terror, his pupils reflecting only the bluish sword glow.
At that moment, Wu Ju beside him suddenly let out a scream of utmost fear. Waves surged around them, lifting the ship and hurling it aside, narrowly avoiding the strike.
The ship swayed. Gan Ruoxu regained his senses. With a flip of his left hand, he aimed at the dragon-like figure.
A flash of dark light emanated from his palm. The assassin suddenly lost all vitality, like a stone sinking into the sea, and plummeted straight down with a splash.
With a single strike, this clearly formidable assassin was defeated? Sun Qian, Wu Ju, and others stared blankly at the turbulent river.
Though the Dragon King was only of the fifth rank, the power drawn from communion varied among individuals. Higher divine rank did not necessarily mean greater strength—it required accumulated communion over time. The assassin had clearly been a strong opponent, yet against Gan Ruoxu’s effortless supernatural ability, he had not even managed the slightest resistance before perishing!
What terrifying supernatural power!
No wonder Yuan Shi Tianzun, known as Yuqing Zixu Gaomiao Taishang Yuanhuang Da Daojun, was so revered!
“Master Sun, please retrieve the assassin’s body,” Gan Ruoxu inhaled deeply, suppressing his lingering fear.
Still shaken by the supernatural display, the old Daoist Sun Qian obeyed without hesitation, as if facing the Grand Abbot himself. He quickly communicated with his guardian deity, the “Mao Ri Xing Guan,” and used his supernatural ability to locate the assassin’s corpse.
Soon, the assassin—dressed in a sharkskin outfit—was pulled from the river, lifeless and devoid of vitality.
As Sun Qian and the county official prepared to search the body for clues, Gan Ruoxu suddenly ordered, “Seal the corpse.”
“Seal a corpse?” Both Sun Qian and the county official were puzzled. But seeing Gan Ruoxu’s determined gaze and recalling the earlier supernatural feat, they complied.
Once the sealing was complete, Gan Ruoxu flipped his right palm. Pure white light poured forth, and suddenly, the assassin’s life force surged back. He let out a pained groan, crying out, “Kill me already!”
This was the cry he had been unable to utter in his final moments.
Had the dead been resurrected? Could Gan Ruoxu truly bring back the dead? Was this the supreme supernatural power granted by Yuan Shi Tianzun? Sun Qian, Wu Ju, and others stood with mouths agape, eyes filled with disbelief. Yet the truth lay before them.
No wonder deities like Zhenwu Dadi and Ziwu Xingzhu wielded such immense influence, inspiring devotion. It turned out that supernatural abilities inherently differed in power. If even these high-ranking beings were like this, how much more so for Yuan Shi Tianzun—the supreme and foremost among all?
Gan Ruoxu had just officially used the Yin-Yang Seal for the first time. Unaccustomed to it, his mind buzzed with dizziness. He said, “Master Sun, County Official Zhang, you may interrogate the assassin. I need to rest for a while.”
“Yes, Disciple Gan!” The tone of Sun Qian and the county official now carried clear reverence.
Accompanied by Wu Ju, Gan Ruoxu entered the cabin and sincerely said, “Thank you just now. If not for you, I wouldn’t have had time to use my supernatural ability.”
“Oh, it was nothing. I was just scared and used my ability randomly,” Wu Ju chuckled awkwardly.
“But your supernatural power is really strong. You managed to wrest control of the river from that assassin,” Gan Ruoxu suddenly asked curiously.
Wu Ju’s expression shifted slightly, then he lowered his voice. “It was all thanks to a family heirloom.”
As he spoke, he pulled out a sharp spike glowing faintly blue, its tip piercing the senses, though the base bore clear signs of a break.
At the sight of the spike, Gan Ruoxu felt as though Yuan Shi Daoist in his mind had opened his eyes, illuminating the entire world. Instinctively, he blurted out, “A broken tine from the Nine-Toothed Rake?”
Hmm, how did I know about the “Nine-Toothed Rake”?
Wu Ju nodded slightly. “My ancestors once had a devotee of Marshal Tianpeng. Later, they obtained a formation technique that could enhance communion with their guardian deity and open a channel to receive bestowed artifacts.”
Normally, communion only granted power and supernatural abilities. To receive blessings like pills, weapons, or treasures required additional methods.
“After many attempts, our ancestors finally succeeded, but the artifact bestowed was only this broken spike,” Wu Ju said with a smile. “Besides controlling water, it doesn’t seem to have much other use.”
Gan Ruoxu’s thoughts stirred, as if a question had arisen: “When you meditate, have you ever seen the image of Marshal Tianpeng?”
“No. Either I see a river of blazing stars or a burning fireball in the water,” Wu Ju added, “Just like my ancestors before me.”
Gan Ruoxu’s thoughts calmed, feeling his earlier reaction had been strangely out of character. Yet he did not dwell on it, considering it natural.
At this moment, Wu Ju lowered his voice again. “Brother Gan, let me show you that formation technique. Let’s see what treasures Yuan Shi Tianzun might grant you.”
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