Chapter 959 - 683: Dao Embryo

A flick of the finger, thirty years have passed.

Great Snow Temple, Lecture Plaza.

Tens of thousands of monks sat cross-legged in silence beneath the plaza, calming their hearts and listening intently to the teachings.

Atop the high platform stood a young monk.

With distinct eyebrows and eyes, red lips, white teeth, his aura was pure and ethereal, exuding a transcendent Zen rhyme.

It was none other than Chen Sheng, who had long shed the skin of a red snake and solidified his human form.

Suspended between his brows was a transparent relic, its luminous glow rippling gently, as dazzling Buddhist light surged from it, transforming into countless Sanskrit scripts that spiraled and floated, scattering in all directions.

Chen Sheng’s voice was gentle and warm, unhurried and steady, each word striking deep into the hearts of the monks:

"When beings cling to forms, they fall into reincarnation; when the heart is unburdened, it attains rebirth..."

Using the relic to derive teachings, he broke down the complex and obscure mysteries of the Buddhist sect in a clear and distinct manner.

The monks below listened, entranced, many of them experiencing sudden enlightenment, a faint Buddhist light emanating from their entire bodies, their cultivation subtly advancing.

After the time of an incense stick.

Chen Sheng slowly clasped his hands together, the luminous glow of the relic between his brows retracted, silently retreating into his Dantian.

"Today’s lecture concludes here. Please return to your cells and cultivate diligently."

Before his words fell, his figure gradually became transparent, dissipating like a fleeting illusion, disappearing into the depths of the ancient temple’s corridors and woods.

It wasn’t until his figure completely vanished that the monks awoke from their trance, exclamations of admiration erupting loudly.

"Master Wuchen has been in the temple for just thirty years and already solidified his position in the Great Master’s realm!"

"Truly remarkable!"

"The foundation of his Buddhist teachings is profound and restrained, unfathomable, worthy of being the foremost monk below the Arhat Venerable!"

"At this rate, in a few years, he will surely attain Arhat fruition!"

"It was surely Miao Shan Master’s discerning eye to accept such a naturally gifted Buddhist disciple!"

On one side of the crowd, the Formless Mendicant stood quietly, wearing a faint smile.

Hearing the crowd’s praises, there was a trace of pride hidden in his eyes, for he was the one who brought Wuchen back to the Great Snow Temple.

...

In the main hall of the Mahavira Hall, the inner chamber.

Miao Shan Arhat sat on a meditation cushion, surrounded by a warm and solemn Buddhist light, with an abundant Zen intent.

Chen Sheng walked in slowly, hands clasped together, bowed in salute, his manners impeccable, his mind clear and untroubled.

Miao Shan raised his eyes to look at his disciple, his gaze full of gratification and satisfaction.

Thirty years passed in the blink of an eye.

The once young disciple was now the leading master of the Great Snow Temple, second only to him, with a progress in cultivation far exceeding expectations.

Miao Shan’s voice was steady and deep as he spoke slowly:

"I have watched your cultivation closely. It won’t be long before you break through the bounds of your realm and attain Arhat fruition."

Chen Sheng raised his eyes, his expression calm, his tone firm:

"I estimate that within three years, the relic will reach perfection, and I will achieve Arhat status."

Miao Shan’s approval grew even stronger in his heart, knowing well that his disciple was not a reincarnation of a Buddhist Arhat, but rather someone who had returned from an outside path.

Without the intrinsic foundation of Buddhist reincarnation, relying solely on diligent cultivation in this life, reaching this step in thirty years, such talent and comprehension are rare in this world.

"Good! A splendid three years!"

Miao Shan praised loudly, his smile genuine:

"When you achieve Arhat fruition, I will personally go to Spirit Mountain to invite the Great Brahma Bodhisattva to witness and bless your Dao Fruit."

"Once you attain Arhat fruition, proceed to Spirit Mountain for further study. It will greatly benefit your future cultivation."

Chen Sheng nodded slightly.

This was already the orthodox practice of Spirit Mountain—to attain the Arhat position allowed one to enter Spirit Mountain for advanced training and draw from the most supreme Buddhist lineage.

He pondered silently in his heart:

I am now cultivating the "Void Rebirth Mind Sutra," belonging to the [Void Sun] Arhat Technique, able to condense the divine technique [Rebirth Wheel].

If I wish to cultivate a second and third Arhat divine technique and strive for the Bodhisattva fruition, I still need to gather the remaining Arhat Techniques of the [Void Sun] lineage to complete my own Dao path.

...

Bidding farewell to his master, Chen Sheng returned to his secluded and serene meditation courtyard.

The courtyard’s barrier was self-contained, impervious to wind and snow, while inside the meditation room, the fragrance of incense swirled, tranquil and dust-free.

He sat cross-legged on the cushion, his eyes lightly closed, instantly entering meditation.

In the next moment, a translucent and radiant Buddhist relic, glowing with countless colors, slowly emerged from his Dantian, its Buddhist light layer upon layer, vast and flawless.

Chen Sheng’s heart and spirit remained calm as he quietly explored the path of cultivation, comparing the nature of this world with his past experiences.

"The Buddhist sect cultivates relics, while the Daoist sect condenses Dao Foundations..."

"The two systems seem different but in reality follow the same principle, self-evolving a blueprint of the innate Great Dao, forming the foundation of one’s cultivation."

"Compared to the Spirit Realm I once dwelt in, while the Lingyao Realm is constrained by longevity, the difficulty of cultivation is reduced by more than a step."

In the Qi Refining Realm, spiritual apertures naturally gather Dao Rhyme.

In the Dao Foundation Realm, there are existing Great Dao blueprints to follow, step by step, with a clear path—a shortcut provided by heaven and earth.

"Rapid advancement is certainly convenient, but the foundation tends to be unstable compared to cultivators in the Spirit Realm, who rely on long years to self-realize and reverse the Dao to break ice, far richer in essence."

Chen Sheng primarily cultivated the Taiyin Great Dao, though not specializing in the sun attribute; his own Dao conduct was profound, giving him a wide breadth of understanding.

In this life, even cultivating the [Void Sun] technique, he was still at ease.

"For this realm’s Purple Mansion cultivators, with fixed paths, it is genuinely uncertain if they can switch to other Daos after reincarnation."

Thoughts flowed, and he reflected on his fortune.

"The first-grade Seven Treasure Brahma Void True Qi bestowed by my master back then still continually refines the essence of the relic to this day."

"According to my calculations, when the relic is fully perfected in three years, my foundation will almost rival the fifteenth layer of Void Refining in the Spirit Realm..."

"By then, initiating the Arhat certification and empowerment ceremony will make the path to Dao absolutely foolproof."

Comparing with his past life, he gently shook his head:

"In my previous incarnation, I only had fourth-grade True Qi to lay the foundation, even with a perfect Dao Foundation, comparable to the tenth layer of Void Refining."

"If not for relying on my own Taiyin Dao conduct to forcibly stabilize, aiming for the Purple Mansion Realm was almost hopeless."

...

Thirty years of dedicated cultivation, with an exhaustive study of the Great Snow Temple’s secret manuals.

Chen Sheng had long comprehended the world’s structure and lineage origins of the Lingyao Realm.

"In this world, only the Buddhist and Daoist lineages hold orthodoxy, while thousands of other sects are deemed as side paths."

"The dividing line between orthodoxy and side paths has never lain in the strength of techniques, but in the foundational pedigree—whether they have birthed Dao Embryo or Supreme-level figures."

Chen Sheng’s gaze was deep as he saw the essence:

"The Spirit Mountain Buddhist clan boasts the Day Residence’s four Golden Position heritage techniques solely because the Luminous Mountain’s world lord once held the four-day golden positions, radiating the ten directions’ dimensions, known as the [Great Sun Buddha]."

"I had even heard of this name in another dimension—the Divine Land Continent."

"Conversely, the Taiyi Profound Sect’s Dao Embryo ancestor, honored as [Taiyi Clear Micro Dao Ancestor], held sway over the four water-related golden positions, governing all water’s Dao movements, though relatively low-key, for I had not heard of his name in the Divine Land Continent."

...

It was precisely due to these two presences that in this dimension, the fortune of the sun and water paths prospered unmatched.

Cultivators within the same realm naturally had an advantage in the sun and water attributes over other paths, with techniques of the same rank empowered by orthodox momentum, their power greatly magnified.

Even the chance of successfully obtaining the Dao far exceeded that of the side paths!!

As his thoughts extended, Chen Sheng’s heart was filled with a deep curiosity:

"The Taiyin Fuwei Xianjun of my past knowledge spanned both Vulnerable Moon and Kuimu golden positions, possessing supreme power to shake dimensions with mere dual position empowerment."

"Great Sun Buddha and Taiyi Dao Ancestor, holding four golden positions, their cultivation must have long ascended to True Immortal."

"I do not know how these two perished?"

The world lord of Luminous Mountain being called the Past Buddha implicitly carried the meaning of fallen disappearance...

Coupled with Chen Sheng’s past scrutiny through the dimensional eye across the Sea of Dimensions, confirming the truth long ago.

With the [Void Sun] golden position suspended vacant and no supreme being to guard it, though the four water golden positions had True Monarchs stationed, no single individual could oversee all four.

Chen Sheng pondered deeply:

"Additionally, the two Dao Embryo-level formidable beings in the Lingyao Realm focus on wielding a single-attribute golden position."

"Why did the Taiyin Immortal Monarch govern the moon and wood attribute golden positions? Could it be that his path deviated?"