Chapter 389 280: Six Seats Below the Throne

The celestial light was brilliant, like a midday sun hanging high in the sky.

Jiang Yi stood there, gazing out at the myriad manifestations of Spiritual Energy that stretched for thousands upon thousands of miles.

The five Dharma Bodies were like towering, majestic mountains. They stood sentinel in the center, supporting the four cardinal directions and faintly suffusing the space with a balanced Spiritual Aura.

'A True Monarch's cultivation is so profound it's impossible to fathom.'

Jiang Yi gazed upward, sighing with heartfelt admiration.

He had always prided himself on his extraordinary Dao Wisdom. Yet, standing before the True Monarch's Dharma Body—a creation refined to Perfection, flawless, and seamlessly integrated with Divine Techniques—he couldn't help but feel as insignificant as a drop in the ocean.

Moreover, Yu Shenxiu had based his Cultivation on the [Five Elements], attained the [Five Virtues], and used a Dao Fruit to ascend to the Golden Position.

This supreme level of Cultivation—unprecedented in the past and likely unrepeatable in the future—was simply off the charts!

'My only recourse now is to beg the Celestial Book...'

Jiang Yi smiled nonchalantly, sat down cross-legged on the spot, and rested his chin in his hand.

He focused on a single one, his gaze fixed on the towering figure draped in infinite True Fire, wearing a sky-encompassing crown, robed in crimson light, and bearing the Seal of the Three Courts.

'The aspect of Fire Virtue... [Covered Lamp Fire]... It uses wood for its wick and water for its oil, replenishing Yin and Yang to illuminate the world. What an exquisite Dharma Nature! It condenses inch by inch, like polished jade, like the light of a flawless gem.'

A look of fascination flashed in Jiang Yi's eyes. Any other Foundation Establishment True Master would likely not have been able to watch with such rapt attention.

But his advantage lay in his exceptional Dao Wisdom, allowing him to grasp its true essence more deeply.

After a short while, Jiang Yi came to his senses and summoned the golden paper.

"I beg the Celestial Book..."

He entered into what seemed like a discourse on the Dao with the Celestial Book. Through a continuous series of questions and answers, he carefully contemplated and meticulously studied the profound principles of the [Covered Lamp Fire] that Yu Shenxiu had actualized.

After a moment, Jiang Yi seemed to hit a wall, as if barred from entry. His brow furrowed deeply.

He thought to himself:

'Perfecting the [Five Elements] gives rise to the [Five Virtues]. Glorious accomplishments then manifest as a Dao Fruit.

If I don't want to follow True Monarch Yu's old path, I'll have to seek a Five Virtues Dao Fruit myself and forge my own Dharma Nature... This road is truly difficult to walk.'

His expression unchanging, Jiang Yi raised a hand, drawing forth Spiritual Materials and Resources. He fed them without reservation into the Celestial Book, which seemed a bottomless pit, and continued to ask his questions.

Now that he had opened this [Yang Qi Taiyin Heaven], he would no longer lack for Spiritual Objects, making it much more convenient to petition the Celestial Book.

Line after line of small, tadpole-like characters danced into existence, glowing brilliantly before dimming and dissipating.

Within this realm, the passage of time went unnoticed.

By the time Jiang Yi opened his eyes again, more than a month had passed.

He considered the matter. 'There are six types of [Fire Virtue].

They are [Celestial Fire], [Covered Lamp Fire], [Thunder Fire], [Mountain Fire], [Mountain Peak Fire], and [Furnace Fire].

Of these, [Celestial Fire] was already actualized by Yu Shenxiu. Knowing the disposition of that Shaoyang True Monarch, he's likely still clinging to that Dao Fruit, making it extremely difficult for anyone else to pursue.

"[Covered Lamp Fire], [Sword Edge Gold], [Jianxia Shui], [Cypress Wood], [Roof Earth]... no wonder people hate him."

Jiang Yi chuckled to himself. Once that Shaoyang True Monarch had claimed a Dao Fruit and ascended to a Golden Position, it became nearly impossible for anyone else to get their hands on it.

In this way, the path of cultivation becomes narrower and narrower. Future generations receive no blessings from their predecessors, so it's only natural they can't help but grumble.

'He really lives up to his reputation as the Nanzhan Continent's truest [Demon Dao] True Monarch.

If this were ancient times, he'd absolutely deserve the title 'Innate Demon Seed'.'

Jiang Yi suppressed his stray thoughts. Since [Covered Lamp Fire] was not an option, he would have to choose from the other Fire Virtue Dao Fruits.

"I beg the Celestial Book, show me the current status of the Fire Virtue Dao Fruits. Taking my own cultivation into account, give me the most compatible answer."

Tadpole-like characters appeared one after another. As the Spiritual Materials and Resources vanished into nothingness, the golden paper began to hum.

"[Thunder Fire] is the fire of lightning. It requires the power of wind, water, and thunder to manifest, meaning one must be proficient in the Wind Technique, Water Technique, and Thunder Technique.

As the saying goes: Thunder Fire is a wisp of brilliant light, a command from the nine heavens, a flash like a golden serpent. It needs wind and thunder to achieve its transformations.

It has now been claimed by the [Shenxiao Thunder City], making it difficult to pursue."

Jiang Yi shook his head. All the myriad Thunder Techniques in the Yanfu Vast Land originated from the [Thunder Core].

Furthermore, the Wind Technique itself relied on the Thunder Technique.

It was impossible for the [Thunder Fire] Dao Fruit to escape the grasp of the [Immortal Dao].

'Someone else might have had a slim chance, but I used [Inverted Suspension] to wound True Monarch Yingyuan Sijie, which greatly damaged the symbolic concept of the [Thunder Core].

If I dared to cultivate a Thunder Technique now, I'd probably get struck by lightning every single day.'

Jiang Yi's gaze narrowed, falling upon [Furnace Fire].

"Fire hidden within a furnace needs wood to be kindled, is countered by water, and is aided by wind.

[Furnace Fire] can use firewood to manifest its intensity. It takes heaven and earth as its furnace and the qi of Yin and Yang to smelt the myriad things, greatly benefiting one's Cultivation.

Throughout history, many disciples of True Inheritance and Daoists from the Ancestral Sects have sought to attain [Furnace Fire] to perfect their five techniques and complete their Cultivation path."

A look of regret appeared in Jiang Yi's eyes. For a fire-arts prodigy like himself, one who had even achieved the Combined Refining of Bingding, obtaining the [Furnace Fire] would have been no difficult task.

'Precisely because this Dao Fruit is so highly sought-after, it was long ago claimed by the [Immortal Dao].

I hear it was a successor from the Eight Sceneries Palace... A step too late. A true pity.'

According to the Celestial Book, the [Furnace Fire] had been claimed sixty years ago by an Immortal Cultivator from the Eight Sceneries Palace, who was now on the verge of becoming a [Fire Virtue] True Monarch.

'The remaining Dao Fruits each have their own difficulties.

Take [Mountain Fire], for instance. It is the light of the sun as it is about to set, its energy is receding, its form is on the verge of being hidden. It is about concealment and withdrawal.

This Dao Fruit resides beneath the [Tai Yang] Golden Position, so it's naturally not something I can touch.'

Jiang Yi shook his head and shifted his gaze to [Mountain Peak Fire]:

'Fire that illuminates the Celestial Gate, its light is supreme. It uses the mountain to hide its form—bright within, dark without, hidden from view... It, too, relies on the [Tai Yang] for its existence.

If I were to make a move on either of these two Dao Fruits, I would never be able to hide it from Ji Fuyao.'

Having eliminated five of the six great Dao Fruits of [Fire Virtue], Jiang Yi was left with no other choice: only [Celestial Fire] remained.

His brow furrowed slightly. He didn't understand why the Celestial Book had determined that the Fire Virtue Dao Fruit he had the best chance of obtaining was, unexpectedly, [Celestial Fire].

'Everyone knows that [Celestial Fire] refers to the [Tai Yang] itself. How could I possibly obtain that?'

Jiang Yi's accumulated knowledge of Daoist theory far surpassed that of an ordinary Foundation Establishment True Master.

He naturally understood that Celestial Fire warms the lands, illuminates the cosmos, and possesses a Fire Attribute that naturally flares upward. Its variations were endless.

For this very reason, of the six great Dao Fruits under the [Fire Virtue] position, [Celestial Fire] was the most difficult to achieve through Cultivation.

The Celestial Book hummed and trembled as dense clusters of tadpole-like characters surged forth.

A moment later, a trace of joy appeared on Jiang Yi's face, and he clapped his hands in a moment of sudden realization.

"So that's how it is!" he exclaimed. "The Celestial Book... is truly miraculous! I doubt even a True Monarch could fully comprehend the principles at play here!"

Jiang Yi shot to his feet, a plan already forming in his mind.

'The so-called [Celestial Fire] has two forms. One is Wu Wu, representing the [Yang De] of the [Tai Yang]. This Yang De is brilliant, illuminating the sky, and is a fire of pure yang.

The other is Ji Wei, representing the [Yin De] of the [Tai Yin]. This Yin De is gentle, spilling silver light upon the earth, and is a fire of pure yin.

The [Tai Yang]'s dominion over yang is not absolute; the [Shao Yang] also possesses Yang De.

And with Lady Xuan'nv hiding in Fengdu—she cultivates the [Tai Yin], so she can certainly share a portion of her Yin De with me.

Unexpectedly, [Celestial Fire] is the Dao Fruit I am most likely to obtain.'