Chapter 369 - 261: Mass Ascension, Imparting the Dao in a Dream

Si Jiancan shattered the void and feathered into an immortal, shaking the entire world.

From then on, the world’s greatest masters would hold an Assembly of Spirit Refinement and Dao Ascension every ten years, inviting the most talented of the younger generation to discourse on the Dao and advance the study of martial arts together.

The four great sacred lands also opened their gates wide, recruiting disciples from far and wide.

Masters from all corners of the martial world flocked to these events, and the entire pugilistic scene bustled with activity.

...

...

On this day, Jiang Yi was seated cross-legged in the Water Moon Grotto Heaven. The Spiritual Aura here was decent, conducive to nurturing his Cultivation Furnace, and made it a suitable place to hide.

A brilliant radiance suffused the air around him, and auspicious mists billowed, faintly reflecting a crimson hue that resembled a sea of flames.

Had he not condensed a supreme-grade True Qi, one with the wondrous ability to appear and vanish in a flash, he would have long ago been forced to shatter the void and ascend to the Spirit Realm.

’Yao Yun truly understands my intentions. Not only did she bring the "Dao" character back to the capital for people to use in their spiritual refinement and comprehension, but she also made thousands of copies and spread them throughout the world.’

Jiang Yi’s eyes opened and closed, a divine light flashing within them like the cycling of the sun and moon as he looked down upon all of mortal life.

The slightest stir in the world below was as clear to him as the lines on his own palm.

He simultaneously consolidated his [Myriad-Chariot Imperial Law Dao Foundation] while keeping an eye on the goings-on in the mortal world.

He lifted his gaze slightly, and faint, candle-like glimmers of light rose one after another, flickering and swaying.

’The amount of Dao Material in the mortal world is ultimately insufficient. Those who can condense the "Flowing Through the Six Voids Qi" are few and far between.’

Jiang Yi felt a touch of regret. Thirty years had passed in the blink of an eye. Aside from Si Jiancan, who had shattered the void long ago, only a mere handful of people like Yao Yun, Xiao Feibai, and Xu Zhu had reached this realm.

If this were in the Yanfu Vast Land, all he would need to do is send down a single Talisman Decree and establish an Inner Sect, or even a Branch Sect.

In an instant, thousands upon thousands of "Dao Material" would surge forward, one after another, to support his Dao Foundation and solidify his Cultivation.

’For the Lower Cultivators, an Opportunity like this is a heaven-sent stroke of fortune they could only dream of.’

Jiang Yi’s expression grew inscrutable. He recalled his days in the Qianji Sect, remembering how Liu Huan’s father had toiled for a True Master of the Innate Sect just to earn a single Talisman Decree and establish his own family’s enterprise.

Even a Dao Material fit for an Ancestral Sect carried such prestige, to say nothing of a Daoist like myself, who is in line to be chosen as a Crown Prince and inherit the great enterprise.

’At my level, even someone from an Inner Sect is likely unqualified to support my Dao Foundation. They’d have to pull all sorts of strings just for the chance.’

Jiang Yi smiled faintly. The Ding Fire smoldering in his eyes illuminated endless hidden thoughts, and the inner voices of countless people surged toward him like a tide.

’Flowing through the six voids, using all things as method, means to command the powers of heaven and earth with one’s own body.’

’But the forces of wind and thunder, of mountain and lake, are in constant turmoil. How can a mere body of flesh and blood maintain balance among them?’

Inside the Imperial Palace of the Great Enterprise, Yao Yun sat with her eyes closed, deep in thought.

The enormous[Dao]character had long been seared into her heart, practically fused with her very spirit. She spent her days and nights comprehending its essence.

In terms of martial attainment alone, the empress was infinitely close to shattering the void, with only the final step remaining.

’Si Jiancan abandoned his physical body, sought life in death, and by a stroke of luck, grasped that single thread of vitality to achieve the ultimate sublimation and become Feathered.’

’That method is far too perilous. It is not for me.’

Yao Yun had ascended the throne as empress, and her martial arts style was majestic and orthodox. A life-or-death gamble like Si Jiancan’s was naturally unacceptable to her.

’From the[Dao]character, Mister Yan took the "wind aspect" and comprehended the "Art of Riding the Wind."’

’The monk Xu Zhu of Lingjiu Palace comprehended the "earth aspect" and cultivated the Great Vajra Body.’

’As for Liuyun, his greed was too great. He wanted to grasp everything at once, but ended up with nothing, his progress stalling completely.’

Yao Yun stared at the flame of a palace lantern, her gaze distant, her Heart Spirit wandering.

’If I shatter the void and ascend, will I be able to meet the Upper God?’

For some reason, the Empress of the Great Enterprise’s thoughts were scattered tonight, her mind racing and untamed.

A moment later, she rested her cheek on her hand, closed her eyes, and drifted into a deep sleep.

’Her aspirations are quite high.’

After Jiang Yi advanced to Foundation Establishment, his mastery of the Fire Element progressed by leaps and bounds. The Bing and Ding Fire achieved Perfection on their own, and their profound mysteries were greatly enhanced.

With just a casual flicker of his Ding Fire, he could reflect all of a person’s innermost thoughts. With a simple "hook," he could make their thoughts and desires stir against their will.

Never mind Lower Cultivators being unable to resist it; even a fellow Foundation Establishment True Master would be momentarily dazed under the influence of this Ding Fire.

’She is indeed a malleable talent. Very well, I shall grant her wish.’

Jiang Yi chuckled. He and Yao Yun had long shared a karmic bond. Now, she was willing to abandon her empire, insistent on pursuing the Dao and shattering the void.

There was no harm in helping her succeed.

With a flicker of his will, Jiang Yi sent out a wisp of his divine sense, personally transmitting the *Flowing Through the Six Voids Art*—a technique containing the profound mysteries of the Dao Foundation—directly to Yao Yun.

In the Yanfu Vast Land, the *Flowing Through the Six Voids Art* was considered a top-tier, First Grade Qi Cultivation method.

Without the backing of a Branch Sect, one could forget about ever glimpsing its true profundities.

...

...

The crow flew and the rabbit scurried, the moon set and the sun rose. In the blink of an eye, another ten years passed.

Clad in plain black robes, Xiao Feibai stepped into Ziwei Hall. He bowed slightly, his voice aged and weary.

"Your Majesty, do you truly intend to shatter the void and depart, to become Feathered?"

"As the saying goes, a nation cannot be without a ruler for a single day. The Great Enterprise may seem prosperous now, but that is only because Your Majesty is at its helm."

"Once Your Majesty ascends, the empire will surely be plunged into turmoil."

Yao Yun sat upon the golden dragon throne. Around her, great vortexes of energy were born and died, expanding and contracting, forming a tangible domain.

"Chancellor Xiao, I understand all that you have said. But in this life, one seeks only a single truth. All else is but an illusion."

Xiao Feibai fell silent.

As her most trusted minister, he knew better than anyone the depth of Her Majesty’s obsession with seeking the Dao, ascending, and gaining an audience with the Upper God.

"But the Sheji and the Ancestral Temples cannot be cast aside so lightly. The people of this land have waited so long and endured so much to finally see this era of peace and prosperity..."

The corners of Yao Yun’s lips curled up slightly. She spoke softly.

"My lands, the foundation of the Great Enterprise... if you wish to take them, Chancellor Xiao, they are yours for the taking."

Had any other court official heard these words, it would have struck them like a bolt from the blue.

Never in history had a monarch been so willing to give away their ancestral enterprise.

But Xiao Feibai knew full well that Her Majesty was not testing him. She truly placed no value on the mortal world.

He heaved a long sigh and prostrated himself on the floor.

"I dare to ask that Your Majesty wait a little longer. Allow me to select a Crown Prince from the imperial clan to inherit the throne."

Yao Yun nodded gently.

"I leave it all to your judgment, Chancellor Xiao."

The Empress of the Great Enterprise paused for a moment before asking,

"Everyone in the martial world knows you were a late bloomer, Chancellor Xiao. You achieved enlightenment on your own and created the *Forgetful Celestial Book*, a work that rivals the legacies of the sacred lands. A talent like that is not in any way inferior to Si Jiancan’s."

"Now, with the[Dao]character before you, ascension is within your grasp. Do you truly have no desire for it?"

A bitter look crossed Xiao Feibai’s face. He shook his head and replied,

"Throughout history, people have only known that a Grandmaster of Spirit Refinement who obtains an immortal opportunity can shatter the void and ascend. But what lies beyond the void? What manner of beings are the ’Upper Immortals’? No one knows."

"I am old. I no longer harbor such ambitions. I only wish to do what I can to protect this fragile peace."

Yao Yun said no more. Everyone has their own path; there was no need to force the issue.

Besides, with Xiao Feibai’s commitment, the Great Enterprise would suffer less turmoil after her ascension.

"I hereby name you Lord Regent. All great matters of the court are for you to decide."

Yao Yun ordered coolly, then added,

"On the fifteenth day of the first month, Mister Yan of Zhixuan Temple, the monk Xu Zhu of Lingjiu Palace, and several other Grandmasters of Spirit Refinement whose lifespans are at an end will all ascend together."

Xiao Feibai nodded in acknowledgment.

After this, he feared, there would be few masters of the Twelve Changes of the Mortal Realm left in the martial world.