NABC Chapter 2061 True Immovability, Anchoring the Past and Present
Chapter 2061 True Immovability, Anchoring the Past and Present
Chapter 2061 True Immovability, Anchoring the Past and Present
A little over a month is but a fleeting moment for practitioners who often go into seclusion for years or even decades.
Many newly initiated disciples may still be familiarizing themselves with the sect environment, learning basic skills, and preparing for their first sect mission during this time.
Chen Fei, however, had already made a leap forward. This contrast left many disciples who had been cultivating diligently for years but were still stuck at the fifteenth level with extremely mixed feelings.
Chen Fei remained calm in the face of the various gazes directed at him. Cao Feiyu, on the other hand, glanced around indifferently, releasing a slight, invisible pressure befitting a powerful figure from the Tai Cang Realm, which immediately caused all the disciples to lower their heads, no longer daring to look directly at him.
"Let's go in." Cao Feiyu said to Chen Fei, and then led him into the tall and magnificent main gate of the Sutra Repository.
The interior of the Scripture Pavilion is much larger than it appears from the outside, which is clearly due to the use of a spatial expansion array.
The main hall on the first floor was extremely spacious, lined with countless tall bookshelves, densely packed with various forms of media such as jade slips, books, and leather scrolls. Many disciples moved among them, some reading quietly, others exchanging hushed conversations, the atmosphere solemn and focused.
Cao Feiyu did not linger on the first floor or the second floor, but led Chen Fei directly up the spiral staircase on one side to the third floor of the Sutra Repository.
"The first two floors of the Scripture Pavilion contain cultivation techniques, secret arts, and various miscellaneous knowledge below the sixteenth level," Cao Feiyu explained. "Only the third floor of this Scripture Pavilion is dedicated to storing cultivation techniques and secret arts of the Tai Cang Realm."
Stepping into the third floor, the space is equally spacious, but compared to the bustling atmosphere of the lower two floors, it is much quieter, with an ancient scholarly air and a faint Taoist charm permeating the air.
Rows of equally tall bookshelves, but made of a darker, more antique-looking material, were neatly arranged. Each bookshelf held hundreds of jade slips.
These jade slips vary in size, shape, and color. Some are crystal clear, some are dull and lackluster, and some are surrounded by a faint halo. But without exception, they all exude an aura of Daoist charm.
The number of jade slips collected here is probably in the thousands. And each jade slip contains a cultivation method or secret technique that can be cultivated to at least the late stage of the Tai Cang Realm, or even higher.
Moreover, those who have only cultivated to the late stage of the Tai Cang Realm must have extremely special advantages, otherwise it would be difficult for them to enter the Scripture Pavilion.
"No wonder it's one of the 108 sects..." Chen Fei thought to himself.
This is the foundation of a major sect, a treasure trove of knowledge accumulated over countless years.
At this moment, on the third floor of the Sutra Repository, many figures were quietly browsing. Some stood in front of the bookshelves with their eyes closed, trying to grasp the outline within the jade slips; some held a jade slip in deep thought; and others whispered among themselves.
The entire third floor is permeated with an atmosphere of thirst for knowledge and power.
“Junior Brother Chen.” Cao Feiyu led Chen Fei to a relatively quiet corner, turned around, and looked at him earnestly.
"Have you decided how you plan to cultivate next?" Cao Feiyu's voice was gentle, carrying the concern and guidance of a senior. "Will you continue cultivating the array path, which you excel at, to supplement your combat power with arrays, or..."
She paused briefly, her expression turning serious: "Spend some time first cultivating other techniques to solidify your foundation and make up for the shortcomings brought about by the Heavenly Origin Technique, and then proceed with array cultivation or other aspects of cultivation?"
This is a very realistic choice.
Although Cao Feiyu mentioned the 49th of the Heavenly Cycle, nothing in the universe is absolute.
However, as her senior sister and someone who genuinely cares about Chen Fei's future, Cao Feiyu's true intention is undoubtedly to let Chen Fei temporarily put aside his pursuit of rapid cultivation and spend some time patiently cultivating a proper sixteenth-level technique.
Even though this process may be difficult, and your strength may temporarily decline due to conflicts in cultivation methods, in the long run, this is the right choice to truly solidify your foundation and pave the way for your future path.
Instead of hastily pursuing cultivation of the flawed 16th-order Heavenly Origin Technique for the sake of advancement, which would be tantamount to drinking poison to quench thirst and completely ruin one's future.
Cao Feiyu's eyes were filled with anticipation and a hint of barely perceptible worry as she quietly awaited Chen Fei's answer. This choice would largely determine how far Chen Fei could go in the Tai Cang Realm in the future.
Faced with Cao Feiyu's concerned and expectant gaze, Chen Fei did not directly answer his choice. He hesitated for a moment, then steered the conversation back to the area that had been on his mind more recently.
"Sister..."
Chen Fei raised his eyes and looked at Cao Feiyu, "You said on the way that even a Dao Domain forged with the Heavenly Origin Technique can be changed. I wonder what that method is?"
Given the widely acknowledged weakness of his own Dao Domain, Chen Fei naturally needed to figure out all possible countermeasures. This was not only to conceal it, but also to understand the wisdom and thought processes of cultivators in this world.
"Alright, let me explain these methods to you first, so you can have a comprehensive understanding before making any plans." Cao Feiyu nodded.
"The first method is the simplest and most direct."
Cao Feiyu extended a slender finger, "Then I will equip you with a mid-grade Tai Cang Divine Weapon, or even a high-grade Tai Cang Divine Weapon."
"The Tai Cang Divine Weapon not only incorporates rare spiritual materials, but more importantly, the refiner's understanding of one or more rules and Daoist principles is sealed into it during the forging process, giving it a certain Daoist domain characteristic."
"A high-grade Tai Cang Divine Weapon can provide powerful rule power and Dao domain support."
Cao Feiyu looked at Chen Fei, "This is also the most common way for many Tai Cang Realm cultivators who have cultivated the Heavenly Origin Technique but whose Dao Domain is relatively weak to make up for it. By relying on the advantage of powerful divine weapons, they can level the gap in Dao Domain in battle, or even surpass it."
Chen Fei nodded; he was familiar with this method. He had already learned about this approach of using external aids to replenish one's health when he chose the Heavenly Origin Technique in Tianhai City.
The advantages are obvious: as long as you can obtain a suitable and powerful divine weapon, your combat power can be improved immediately.
However, the drawbacks are equally prominent: high-grade Tai Cang divine weapons are priceless, and ordinary Tai Cang realm cultivators do not have the background or financial resources to acquire them.
“The second method…” Cao Feiyu extended her second finger, “is that you, junior brother, need to switch to the path of puppetry or the path of beast taming.”
"Puppets and beast taming?" Chen Fei raised an eyebrow.
"Yes."
Cao Feiyu nodded and explained, "This is perhaps one of the few unorthodox paths that is less affected by the strength of one's own Dao Domain."
"The Way of Puppetry and the Way of Beast Taming rely more on the strength and number of puppets or spirit beasts themselves in combat, and have a relatively low direct dependence on the cultivator's own Dao Domain."
"Of course, the combat strength of the Tai Cang Realm ultimately depends on the Dao Domain. If your own Dao Domain is too weak, then the enhancement that the puppet can receive in battle will be limited. When facing an opponent with a strong Dao Domain, you will still need to rely on a sufficient number of puppets or pets."
"However, there are other potential problems with these two paths. For example, with the path of beast taming, if the demon beast you raise has great potential and its Dao Domain becomes too strong in the future, you will need to be constantly on guard against whether it will turn against its master."
After listening to Cao Feiyu's introduction, Chen Fei nodded.
This is a typical example of compensating for quality with quantity, which is a direction worth considering for Chen Fei.
He already had experience in crafting and manipulating puppets. If he could craft more powerful puppets to keep by his side, they could indeed be used to fill in when it was inconvenient to reveal his true strength. This would allow him to conceal his power while still demonstrating considerable combat effectiveness.
"As for the third method..."
Cao Feiyu extended her third finger, a special glint in her eyes, "It is the array technique that you are currently proficient in, Junior Brother."
"Array Dao?" Chen Fei's eyes flickered slightly. Aren't arrays completely influenced by the Dao Domain?
"The Dao of Formations relies heavily on the Dao Domain to provide a stable foundation and power guidance. However, the sect's library contains a very special classic of formations: the Eternal Void Formation Classic."
Cao Feiyu's voice carried a hint of solemnity: "The array principles and techniques recorded in this array manual can, to a certain extent, avoid the disadvantages of direct confrontation with the Dao Domain."
"Can we avoid it?" A glint flashed in Chen Fei's eyes.
The arrangement and operation of the formation, and the manipulation of the power of heaven and earth, are all closely related to the space in which it is located, that is, the Dao Domain. How can it be avoided?
"Yes, but this technique is extremely difficult to comprehend."
Cao Feiyu frankly stated, "Moreover, cultivating this array alone is not enough; it needs to be cultivated in conjunction with another secret manual that specializes in cultivating the soul, the Undying True Light Mirror. Only by complementing each other can one possibly set up a mysterious array that is not easily affected by the opponent's Dao Domain."
Without another word, Cao Feiyu led Chen Fei through the numerous bookshelves. She was very familiar with the area and soon arrived at one of the sections.
Cao Feiyu stopped in front of a dark gold bookshelf labeled "Heavenly Array - Profound Mystery," and reached out to precisely take one from a row of gray-white jade slips.
The jade slip was cool to the touch, and its surface had very faint ripples that seemed to indicate the passage of time.
"This is the jade slip outlining the Eternal Void Time Array Scripture." Cao Feiyu gently handed the jade slip to Chen Fei. "Take a look at the outline first, and you will understand its mystery and difficulty."
"Thank you, senior sister."
Chen Fei took the jade slip, and couldn't help but feel a little curious. What kind of formation was it that Cao Feiyu recommended so highly and claimed could avoid the problem of the Dao Domain?
Chen Fei spared a sliver of his attention to probe into the jade slip.
In an instant, a message filled with ancient vastness and an indescribable ethereal and illusory aura flowed into his heart.
The formation is not on this shore, nor on the other shore, nor in the air, but it spans the past and present.
Those who seize heaven and earth merely steal a moment's opportunity; my formation draws upon the power of eternity to suppress an eternal enemy!
This is the opening of the outline.
These few words, however, exude a magnificent aura and unparalleled confidence that transcends time and space, looking down upon the past and present. It's as if the one who set up the formation is no longer a mere cultivator, but an being capable of traversing the river of time and extracting power from the past and future.
Chen Fei's attention was involuntarily drawn in, and he continued reading.
The jade slip contained little information, only an outline and a core concept, but it was enough to stir one's heart.
The core concept of this Eternal Time and Space Array Manual, in short, is to overturn the traditional approach to array deployment. It no longer involves directly setting up arrays in the current battlefield space to clash head-on with the opponent's Dao Domain.
Instead, various subarrays, serving as seeds and nodes, are arranged using special methods in the depths of the void where no one can find them, or even in a certain moment in the past, or in a certain possibility in the future.
When facing an enemy, the strategist does not directly set up the main formation in the present moment. Instead, through special guidance and connection, they borrow power directly from the sub-formations buried in the void, the past, and the future, and manifest attack and defense in the present moment.
In this way, the direct confrontation with the opponent in the current space's Dao Domain is fundamentally avoided.
There is no need to worry about falling behind in the battle of Dao Domains, which would prevent one's formation from drawing upon the power of heaven and earth. This is a true strategy of avoiding the strong and attacking the weak.
However, while the concept is simple to talk about, its implementation is incredibly difficult.
Leaving aside the ethereal concept of planting formations in the past and future, simply planting them in the unknown void is already a difficult problem to solve.
What is the void that no one can know?
Your own Dao Domain is not as strong as your opponent's, and your mastery of space may not be as deep. How can you guarantee that when you borrow the power of the sub-array from the void, the energy fluctuations and connections that transcend time and space will not be keenly detected by your opponent?
And trace back in reverse, directly find the sub-array you buried deep in the void, and destroy it?
Once the sub-array is destroyed, not only will the power of the array be greatly reduced, but the caster himself may also suffer a backlash due to his spiritual connection with the sub-array.
This array manual places terrifyingly high demands on a cultivator's spatial perception, comprehension of time, array formation skills, and most importantly, the strength and stability of their divine soul.
A moment later, Chen Fei slowly opened his eyes, his gaze flickering slightly.
The philosophy behind this array formation manual is completely different from the traditional array formations he has learned and understood, opening a completely new door.
Despite the unprecedented difficulties described, these were not problems for Chen Fei.
“I have seen this jade slip outline before.”
Looking at Chen Fei's changing gaze, Cao Feiyu chuckled softly, "It's difficult, isn't it? Therefore, cultivating the Undying True Light Mirror that complements it is an indispensable part."
"Without a powerful and stable soul that can anchor itself and see into the void and even time, one might not even be able to get started with this array."
"Thank you for your guidance, Senior Sister." Chen Fei cupped his hands in thanks, and he also developed a strong interest in the Undying True Light Mirror.
"Come with me."
Cao Feiyu gestured for Chen Fei to follow, and led him to another adjacent bookshelf labeled "Divine Soul - Secrets". She took out a jade slip from a row of pale gold slips and handed it to Chen Fei.
"This is the outline jade slip of the Immortal True Suchness Mirror."
Chen Fei nodded and accepted the jade slip.
The jade slip was warm to the touch and carried a strange power that calmed the mind. He closed his eyes again and probed it with his divine sense.
The divine light shines brightly, illuminating the void. True reality remains unmoved, anchoring the past and present!
Those who cultivate this mirror can travel through eternity in a single thought, and their spirit can be divided into three lifetimes. Even if time and space backfire on them, their true nature will never perish, and their spiritual light will shine forever!
A moment later, Chen Fei looked up, his eyes filled with even greater shock than before.
The contents of this jade slip outline are also incredibly vast.
A single thought can traverse eternity; a single god can be divided into three lifetimes!
Regardless of whether this is an exaggeration or not, judging from the outline alone, this is a secret method for cultivating the strength and refinement of the divine soul, and it involves the mysteries of the divine soul touching time.
It aligns perfectly with the concept of the Eternal Time Array, and could even be said to be a key tailor-made for it.
Without this powerful divine soul technique that can anchor oneself and project divine thoughts into the past and future, it is impossible to safely perform the profound techniques involving time and space in the Eternal Time and Space Array Scripture.
“At Tianzhen Peak, disciples from all generations have attempted to cultivate these two techniques.”
Seeing Chen Fei's shocked expression, Cao Feiyu smiled and continued, "However, at present, only one true disciple of their peak, Luo Qizhang, has achieved something in these two techniques."
"Many disciples are unable to comprehend the profound mysteries of the Eternal Void Time Array Scripture, or are unable to effectively combine the two. However, the Undying True Suchness Spiritual Light Mirror, even if one only enters into it, is of great benefit to the condensation and stabilization of the soul and perception. It is an excellent secret method for training the soul."
Therefore, even without cultivating the Eternal Void Time Array Scripture, there are quite a few disciples who cultivate this manual alone.
Chen Fei nodded. Without a doubt, if these two techniques could be successfully cultivated, it would indeed be considered a new path in the art of formations, opening up an unprecedented way.
"However, these two techniques are essentially unconventional and ingenious, a way to compensate for one's inferior Dao Domain. If one already possesses a powerful Dao Domain, then using such profound formations involving space and time..."
Cao Feiyu didn't finish her sentence, but Chen Fei already understood completely.
A powerful Dao Domain can provide a more stable anchor point, stronger power transmission, and greater resistance to backlash for this kind of formation that transcends time and space.
At that time, this formation will no longer be a trick, but a true weapon of destruction.
"The Dao Domain of the Tai Cang Realm will always be the strongest driving force and the foundation of all power," Cao Feiyu concluded.
Chen Fei held two jade slips in his hands, standing in the vast library, his gaze shifting.
"Besides practicing these two techniques, which can help you avoid the drawbacks of the Heavenly Origin Technique to some extent..."
Cao Feiyu paused slightly, and the smile on her face gradually faded. "There is an even more fundamental method, which is to convert the Heavenly Emperor's Origin Book of the Ancient Heavenly Court."
Chen Fei's heart skipped a beat; this was the second time he had heard the name of this cultivation technique.
"It is said that this book is the fundamental law created by the Heavenly Emperor, the ruler of the ancient Heavenly Court. It points directly to the origin of chaos and can transform all tangible and intangible forces for one's own use. If one can obtain this law, not only can one completely make up for the shortcomings of the Heavenly Origin Technique, but one can even turn misfortune into blessing and forge an unparalleled foundation."
However, Cao Feiyu's tone then shifted, filled with deep regret: "But this technique was destroyed with the collapse of the ancient Heavenly Court. Its whereabouts are now unknown, and whether it even truly exists is only known through some extremely ancient and incomplete records and legends."
Cao Feiyu looked at Chen Fei, her gaze becoming clear and solemn again: "These are the main methods I know of that can avoid or make up for the drawbacks of the Heavenly Origin Technique without having to rebuild it."
"but……"
Cao Feiyu frankly stated, "The difficulty of achieving all of these is immense. External divine weapons are incredibly expensive, the path of puppetry and beast taming is arduous and dependent on external objects, the spacetime array is profound and difficult, and the ancient Heavenly Emperor's method is even more ethereal and elusive."
On the contrary…
Cao Feiyu's voice became earnest, "While we have just broken through and our foundation is not yet completely bound to the Heavenly Origin Technique, spending some time and effort to switch to cultivating other more orthodox sixteenth-order techniques is the most time-saving, labor-saving, and safest choice."
"Junior Brother Chen,"
Cao Feiyu looked at Chen Fei one last time and said earnestly, "It concerns your future path, you yourself... need to think about it carefully!"
(End of this chapter)