Chapter 400 - 288: Illuminating the 5 Domains, Wielding Yin to Traverse Yang

"...After that, he will debate the Dao with the current leader of Eight Sceneries Palace..."

Gu Changling marveled, "Infinite phenomena, layered upon one another... no wonder he is directly catching up to Crown Prince Mingcang."

It had only been fifty-eight short years, yet he was about to gather the Five Virtues, perfect the Five Elements, and ascend to the Golden Position.

Looking back across the five thousand years of the Yanfu Vast Land, when it came to the sheer speed of his cultivation progress and the rapid growth of his Dao Power, there was likely no one who could rival him.

Qu Liu’er said softly, "For the Daoist, I’m afraid that’s still not enough.

"If one does not become a True Monarch, everything else is meaningless."

Gu Changling replied with complex emotions, "Only by unifying the Eight Sects and swallowing up their destiny like a whale will he have the qualifications to stand before Ji Fuyao."

***

The Void was dark and sunken.

The moment Jiang Yi stepped inside, that Foundation Establishment Realm surged with rolling crimson light, resembling a torrential sea of fire. Countless golden flowers scattered across the sky—brilliant, magnificent, and unimaginably beautiful.

Clouds and rosy mists unfurled inch by inch beneath his feet like an endless sea of auspicious vapors rising majestically, spreading over hundreds of thousands of miles with overwhelming momentum.

"That guy surnamed Jiang is here again!"

"He always puts on such a grand show, as if he’s terrified people won’t know it’s him!"

"The petty scoundrels of the Demon Dao always love these flashy but useless tricks to dress themselves up..."

Within the Foundation Establishment Realm, all the True Masters couldn’t help but stare at Jiang Yi, who was draped in a brilliant golden Magical Robe and wore a Lotus Crown. The Daoist of the Innate Sect stood with his robes fluttering in the wind, his handsome and spirited figure ascending higher step by step.

"Comparing oneself to others will only drive one mad!"

"A Foundation Establishment True Master capable of heading to the higher reaches of the Void to seek an audience with a Daoist Monarch..."

"The Daoist of a major sect, possessing Perfection in the Five Techniques... he is absolutely a guaranteed seed to become a True Monarch."

"Heh, is the Shao Yang position so easily attained? Would the Immortal Dao ever allow it?"

"Watch your words, watch your words! Daoist Jiang is notoriously petty..."

Within the Foundation Establishment Realm, streams of Divine Sense crisscrossed as many True Masters seemingly whispered and gossiped among themselves.

For the next two years, across the Yanfu Vast Land and the four great worlds... everyone’s eyes would be on one person!

***

Jiang Yi ascended step by step, stepping into the depths of the Void. This place was ethereal and distant, completely isolated from the mortal world. Even those who had become True Monarchs were relegated to the space below, unable to climb this high.

"Greetings, Ancestral Master."

Jiang Yi bowed and stood quietly.

Before long, a colossal phantom pierced through the heavy layers of chaos. It resembled a deep, dark vortex, swallowing endless constellations and stars.

The vast universe seemed to rumble and tremble under this magnificent Qi Mechanism. It made Jiang Yi feel as if he were trapped in a raging tide, with waves tens of millions of feet high crashing down on him over and over.

If not for his majestic Dao Power and firm Dao Foundation allowing him to endure the scouring of the Ancestral Master’s Qi Mechanism, he would have likely been thrown into dizzying disarray, making a total fool of himself.

The current governing Ancestral Master of the Innate Sect, Daoist Monarch Xianyou Mingxuan, tried his best to rein in his Qi Mechanism. He transformed into a gray-robed Daoist sitting cross-legged in the void, a rare smile appearing on his face.

"Very good, very good! Only fifty-eight years, and you’ve already developed such phenomena... wait a moment!"

The gray-robed Daoist abruptly paused. His smile faded as he raised a hand, pointing a finger out into the dark, obscure void.

In that exceedingly brief instant, it was as if Yin and Yang were eclipsing and heaven and earth were collapsing, erupting with a terrifying sound.

"Ancestral Master... are you in the middle of a Magical Combat?"

Jiang Yi focused his spirit and looked over. Faintly, he could see a piece of land shattering into oblivion, leaving almost no intact soil behind.

"The next Celestial Observation and Foundation Establishment Purple Extreme Emperor Heaven Assembly is right before our eyes. The Daoist Monarchs from various Celestial Universes can no longer restrain themselves; they are emerging one after another," the gray-robed Daoist spoke in a flat tone. "Many old enemies who have kept their heads down in the past are now revealing their traces. It’s the perfect opportunity for this humble Daoist to settle karma with them."

Celestial Observation and Foundation Establishment?

Jiang Yi remembered Miss Xiaoqiao mentioning that the Ten Thousand Heavens Daoist Monarchs would all rush to the Yanfu Vast Land to set foot upon the hidden Central Yellow Continent. It could truly be called a grand festival of the Infinite Cosmos!

"In two years, the highly anticipated sixty-year limit for Shao Yang will come to an end," the gray-robed Daoist asked. "Does the Daoist have any plans?"

Jiang Yi replied in a deep voice, "Naturally, I intend to follow the example of True Monarch Yu and engage in a battle with Ji Fuyao."

Seeing Jiang Yi answer without a second thought, the gray-robed Daoist raised an eyebrow, a look of appreciation crossing his face.

He then asked, "How confident are you of victory?"

Jiang Yi summoned the Celestial Book to check. The question of who would win in a battle between him and Ji Fuyao was something he asked the book at regular intervals. Not only did it allow him to judge whether his Merit had progressed based on the odds of victory, but it also gave him a clear bottom line in his heart, helping him understand the gap between them.

"Twenty-five percent," Jiang Yi said.

The gray-robed Daoist asked softly, "Would the Daoist consider changing your mind? You carry the destiny of the Innate Sect on your shoulders. If something goes wrong, the Eight Peaks will be implicated as well.

"Perfecting the Five Elements to obtain the Five Virtues... Throughout the ages of the Yanfu Vast Land, the number of those who could achieve such a profound Dao Foundation can be counted on two hands.

"If you do not seek Shao Yang and steer clear of Tai Yang, I can guarantee your ascension to True Monarch, which would also preserve the destiny of the Innate Sect."

The Ancestral Master still loved offering choices to test people.

"This disciple already possesses a theory on seeking the Golden Position. I am fiercely determined to obtain Shao Yang, and my heart will not waver." Jiang Yi bowed again, his words ringing out with resounding force. "Tai Yang is the absolute manifestation—it cannot be hidden, it cannot be concealed, it cannot be weakened, and it cannot be moved.

"Ji Fuyao has been invincible for five thousand years, securely establishing Tai Yang as the primary manifested position of this era.

"This disciple wishes to use Shao Yang to shake it, thereby strengthening our Demon Dao."

The gray-robed Daoist’s expression turned slightly solemn. The Daoist he had chosen truly knew exactly how to cater to his desires. By saying this, Jiang Yi was not only expressing his firm resolve in seeking the Dao but also declaring his stance: he was completely unified with the Innate Sect—sharing in its glory and its ruin—and he was permanently tying himself to the Demon Dao of the Nanzhan Continent.

Jiang Yi continued, "This disciple believes that Ji Fuyao wishes to become the unprecedented Emperor of the Immortal Dao, reigning supreme throughout the ages.

"Therefore, his primary undertaking must be ’illuminating the Five Domains’."

Jiang Yi had consumed endless heavenly materials and earthly treasures, repeatedly using the Celestial Book for divination until he had practically stripped Tai Yang bare of its secrets.

"Because of this, he slaughtered dragons and exterminated phoenixes in the Demon Dao, clipping their crests and shearing their feathers. Because of this, he destroyed the temples of the Buddhist Dao and enslaved its monks. Because of this, he banished the Five Elements of our Demon Dao, separating its surface from its core...

"The root of everything is simply his ambition to suppress the Five Domains and illuminate the Vast Land.

"Achieving such a grand undertaking is enough to let Tai Yang hang high in the zenith, unchanging for all eternity."

The gray-robed Daoist looked at Jiang Yi, his eyes revealing admiration. "Your wisdom, Daoist, is not inferior to that of Yu Shenxiu.

"Indeed, the Immortal Dao marshaled the full strength of the Dongsheng Continent to uplift White Jade City.

"Their goal was exactly to let Ji Fuyao rule supreme, so that Tai Yang could exist eternally and remain forever unparalleled."

Jiang Yi calmed his Heart Spirit. Meeting with the Ancestral Master felt just like facing a rigorous academic defense. Only by winning the approval of Daoist Monarch Xianyou Mingxuan would he have a chance to get the Eight Sects of the Demon Dao on his side.

"May I ask, what exactly is the Daoist’s theory on seeking the Golden Position?" the gray-robed Daoist inquired.

Currently, Jiang Yi faced two great hurdles in his pursuit of Shao Yang. First, the Golden Position of Shao Yang had been shattered and was currently suppressed by White Jade City, completely immobilized. Unless a successor could match Yu Shenxiu and cause the Golden Position to reassemble, it would be extremely difficult to even sense it.

Second, if Jiang Yi actually accomplished this and became the next Yu Shenxiu, Ji Fuyao would sense the rejuvenation of Shao Yang and come riding the sun to patrol the heavens.

"This disciple pondered long and hard and derived an eight-word principle. I humbly request the Ancestral Master’s guidance." Jiang Yi appeared supremely confident. After all, this was the result given by the Celestial Book only after it had utterly devoured an entire Jiuku Continent.

"Wield Yin to cross Yang, conceal before manifesting!"