Chapter 253: Unsettled Dao Heart
Within the Xianxian Holy Land, surging Qi continuously howled through the gloomy sky, chaotic and disordered.
Below, Chen Luo, a direct disciple of the Chen Clan, was meditating in the bamboo forest between the three mountains, comprehending the Dao and breaking through his Realm.
From the time he entered the Xianxian Holy Land until now, autumn has passed, spring has come, and summer is approaching. This direct disciple of the Chen Clan has already advanced from the Rongdao Realm to the Yingtian Realm, and the Aura around him has become even more powerful, appearing completely different from when he first arrived.
This is the profundity of the Xianxian Holy Land; a year here truly equates to ten years of cultivation, not an exaggeration.
However, at this moment, Chen Luo, who was in meditation, suddenly showed a look of pain, and the Mystic Light surrounding his body violently dispersed.
After a long time, Chen Luo opened his eyes. After a series of frantic gasps, his heart felt cold, and the hair at his temples beneath his jade crown was soaked with sweat.
Since entering the Holy Land to comprehend the Dao, his cultivation progress had been remarkably fast.
Although among the cultivators of the Qingyun World, the Master Jian of Lingjian Mountain was the fastest to break through.
But among all other direct disciples, Chen Luo reaching this Realm at his age was already considered exceptional.
However, as he broke through to Yingtian, the Qi within his body began to wildly surge, unable to calm down, and his mind was filled with chaotic thoughts, like demonic whispers, constantly disturbing his Dao Heart.
These were not his own chaotic thoughts, but rather came from the Heavenly Dao.
To be precise, whenever he sensed the Heavenly Dao, a large amount of cold, chaotic thoughts would come, a situation Chen Luo had never encountered before.
One must know that the Xianxian Holy Land is a place of Dao transmission, the closest place between humans and Heaven. The Heavenly Dao observed from here should be the most clear and pure Law, not so mottled.
“Could it be that I cultivated incorrectly?”
“No, the path I am following is the same path taken by all the ancestors of my Chen Clan, step by step, so how could it be wrong?”
After gasping for a moment, Chen Luo felt as if his entire body was enveloped by a cold Aura, clinging to his skin like a layer of cold, sticky, and icy oil that wouldn't go away, so he looked up at the sky.
He clearly remembered that when he entered the Xianxian Holy Land, the sky was consistently clear and bright, with a gentle spring breeze.
But now, dark clouds hung low, surrounding everything.
And a few days ago, demonic winds surged within the Holy Land, constantly rushing towards the southeast.
That was where the Mystic Light Gate opened, the place they passed through when they arrived.
Chen Luo’s mind was in Chaos, his Dao Heart mottled, and he was powerless to think. He could only get up and ascend the mountain, arriving at the cliff of North Mountain among the three mountains.
Chen Xi was sitting cross-legged there, wearing a blue and white embroidered cross-collared dress, her hair in two buns, and a cinnabar mole between her brows, perfectly complementing her snow-white skin.
Although this place was not the center of the Holy Land, it was still infinitely profound. This direct Saintess was also attempting to break through her Realm here, still just a step away.
Hearing footsteps approaching, Chen Xi slowly opened her eyes and looked at her Junior Brother.
“Has your Realm stabilized?”
“Sister, I always feel that my Dao Heart cannot be at peace, as if it’s been affected by something.”
Upon hearing this, Chen Xi’s brows couldn't help but furrow slightly.
In fact, she felt the same as Chen Luo, also sensing that some change seemed to have occurred within the Xianxian Holy Land. She couldn't pinpoint what it was, but there was always a feeling of unease, as if her heart was suspended in the air, causing her cultivation to stagnate.
As the two were speaking, a surge of air suddenly rose from the valley.
This airflow carried a wave of heat, rushing into the surrounding forest, making the green leaves on the mountain rustle loudly as it swept up the mountain.
Upon sensing this Aura, the siblings paused slightly. Before they could react, an incredibly powerful Aura suddenly shot up from the foot of the South Mountain opposite them, like the morning light bursting forth, filling the entire valley with a roar of a tiger and a cry of a Dragon.
In an instant, Chen Xi, who was sitting on the ground, instinctively placed her hands on her knees, and Chen Luo also clenched his fists, the muscles in his back beginning to bunch up.
Both of them felt an immense pressure coming with the scorching heatwave, ascending along the mountain ridge, making them feel somewhat breathless.
Seeing this, the two couldn't help but exchange glances.
They naturally knew the source of this powerful Qi, because since entering the Xianxian Holy Land, this was already the second time.
The first time occurred not long after they had just entered this place. At that time, the entire valley was filled with the man’s humming sounds, which made Chen Xi feel restless and flustered.
And what followed was also this scorching heatwave, as if a red sun was rising from the valley.
However, that time, the two only felt a vague sense of tension, but now they were under immense pressure, needing to actively balance it with Qi.
That feeling was not oppressive power. To be precise, it was more like sensing that a colossal beast, capable of devouring mountains and rivers, was lurking in this valley.
Chen Xi turned her head to look at her Junior Brother and noticed his deeply furrowed brows and the surging Spiritual Qi around him.
Her Junior Brother had already entered the Yingtian Realm some time ago, already at a different Realm level, but even so, he still had to actively resist this feeling.
The cultivation path in the Qingyun World had always been fixed; what Aura should be present at what Realm.
But what the man in the mountain had brought them over the past six months was something completely beyond their comprehension.
“Is he still in the Tong Xuan Realm?”
“Still in the Tong Xuan Realm, he hasn’t tried to break through at all,” Chen Luo couldn’t help but say.
As the two siblings were talking, a figure in white appeared from the valley, and when they saw this figure, the complexity in their eyes deepened.
Because compared to the towering Aura that gave the illusion of a sky-devouring beast, Ji You, who walked out at this moment, was tall and thin, looking more like a frail scholar.
Especially when his Aura was restrained, there was nothing discernible about him that seemed terrifying.
Ji You stood at the foot of the South Mountain, slightly clenching his fists. A surge of Qi began to clash within his body, and his entire body’s blood Qi seemed to be roaring.
It had been over half a year, and he had been constantly Body Refining. After a long period, he had successively overcome two hurdles, and now the strength of his Physical Body was far greater than before.
He had always believed that since comprehending the Dao could be cultivated independently of the Physical Body, then Body Refining could also continue to ascend independently of the Realm. It seemed he was right.
But the question was, if the focus of Dao comprehension cultivation was Ascension, then what was the focus of Body Refining cultivation? He was still unclear.
The arrogant one will surely regret not having stubbornly delayed earlier. Now, his Physical Body has become stronger.
Ji You let out a long breath, then dispersed the Qi. Then, with a slight push of his foot, his fierce figure shot through the forest and landed by a small river, following its flow downstream.
Downstream of the small river was a clear lake. He had been cultivating here for a long time and had already explored this place thoroughly.
Upon reaching the lake, Ji You leaped in, immersing himself.
His Body Refining this time lasted an extremely long time, and his entire body felt sticky. Plunging into the lake now, he immediately felt a refreshing coolness.
After washing himself, he came ashore from the lake, dried his clothes with Spiritual Qi, and looked up at the sky, his brows slightly furrowed.
Since some time ago, the Aura of the Xianxian Holy Land seemed to be constantly changing, especially the Laws of the four elements of wind and rain, as if they were constantly colliding, causing a chill to permeate this world.
Although he had never performed a Heaven-Human induction, he also felt a sense of awkwardness. In his opinion, this was not normal; rather, there was something amiss.
After a long period of thought, Ji You slowly closed his eyes, and his golden Divine Thought began to soar into the sky.
He had always been afraid of being unable to suppress his Realm, being influenced by obsession, and falling into the Evil Path. But the anomaly in the Xianxian Holy Land had lasted for so long that he still couldn't suppress his curiosity.
And as his Divine Thought continuously soared into the sky, a chilling sensation instantly struck him.
The Heavenly Dao surged turbulently, distorted and blurry, and beneath it, an inexplicable Aura came from the southwest, constantly fluttering.
Just then, footsteps approached one after another.
The Chen Clan siblings, Chai Ze from Tianshu Academy, Yan Shujing and Yan Rui from Lingjian Mountain, as well as Jiang Chenfeng from Asked the Dao Sect and Huo Hong from Mountain and Sea Pavilion, also arrived successively.
As they approached, they all couldn't help but look at Ji You, and upon discovering that he was still in the Tong Xuan Realm, their expressions couldn't help but become strange.
Although the Xianxian Holy Land was vast, chance encounters were common.
As early as a few months ago, some people had said that Ji You's Realm seemed to have been stagnating.
Although only Chen Luo, the direct disciple of the Chen Clan, had successfully broken through among those present, the Aura of the others had almost reached their respective bottlenecks.
However, Ji You's Realm was like stagnant water, with no difference from before he entered, which was puzzling.
One must know that Ji You was the most prominent figure at the Heavenly Dao Conference.
And when he entered the Xianxian Holy Land, countless people were discussing that he would likely enter the Sky Soaring Realm after coming out, yet they never expected him to not even enter the Integration Dao Realm. However, everyone only looked for a few breaths, then turned their gaze to the west, or more precisely, the southwest.
The unusual movements in the Xianxian Holy Land had been going on for a long time, and they, who cultivated the Dao every day, naturally felt it.
"What exactly is that place? Why does it have such an inexplicable Aura?"
"Don't we have a map?"
"The map is not complete; it doesn't mark where the southwest direction is."
The map provided by the Master Jian was indeed incomplete, with only about half of the area marked.
Chai Ze thought for a long time before speaking: "That should be the Human Race's original ancestral land."
"Ancestral land?"
"The ancestral land carries the Human Race's Luck and was Sealed within the Xianxian Holy Land. It is said that the Heavenly Dao Origin is located there, and a few years ago, there were rumors that it contained the Legacy of the Sages."
"So that's how it is."
"This place is inherently fragile. Our current location is relatively stable, but further southwest, it becomes even more fragile. I think this is also why the map doesn't mark its location."
The reason the Xianxian Holy Land was Sealed by the Sages was because it was almost shattered.
Before the alchemists remedied it with alchemy, some areas even had fractured space. Chai Ze said that the southwest direction was even worse; a slight misstep could lead to dismemberment, and even if one avoided that, their Divine Soul might be shattered by the might of the Heavenly Dao.
Therefore, this area was, in fact, a forbidden zone for them.
Indeed, some people had entered it in earlier years, but after severe consequences occurred, fewer people had ideas about it.
Moreover, things like the Heavenly Dao Origin and the Legacy of the Sages were merely rumors that had never been verified, naturally deterring people.
For example, Chen Luo and Chen Xi had already obtained direct disciple positions, so such risks were unnecessary for them. Others also strived for stability and were not interested in such high-risk matters.
Ji You looked at Chai Ze at this moment and softly asked, "Since it's the Human Race's ancestral land, why would this Aura suddenly become so inexplicable?"
Chai Ze glanced at him upon hearing this: "That world itself is not stable. Perhaps this unusual movement is normal. I guess it's already stormy outside."
"?"
"The Origin power is inherently connected to the entire Qingyun World, but it was Sealed by the Sages with great magic. The Laws here are chaotic,
and the outside world will also be affected."
"With such gloomy winds, how can it still be called a Holy Land?"
"Yin and Yang are inherently Laws of the Heavenly Dao. All things in the world are like this: there is black and white, light and dark. Junior Brother, you have not yet entered the Integration Dao Realm, so perhaps your understanding of this is not yet thorough."
Upon hearing this, Ji You's mouth couldn't help but twitch slightly.
Damn it, he was being looked down upon.
Chai Ze's tone was as if a vocational high school student had accidentally stumbled into a university student gathering and asked a question that university students would find idiotic.
After chatting for a while in the grass sea outside the mountain forest, everyone dispersed and returned.
After all, for them, either there was an Immortal Sect to inherit or a Family to take over, and cultivating the Dao remained the top priority.
Many of them were already in the breakthrough stage and would not be distracted by minor matters, wasting time here.
Only Ji You, after contemplating for a long time, stepped towards the southwest and then began to wander.
The so-called Human Race ancestral land and Heavenly Dao Origin were just vague concepts. Ji You didn't know their exact location, but he was very curious about the malevolent presence that his Divine Thought had sensed.
For several days afterward, the Prodigies who were cultivating the Dao in the Xianxian Holy Land couldn't help but frown frequently.
As they had felt before, the distracting thoughts in their minds grew, and their Dao Heart, far from being clear, even began to become somewhat turbid.
Chai Ze was also at a crucial stage of the Sky Soaring Realm, but after several days of cultivating the Dao, he became somewhat irritable and his heart was filled with rage.
Cultivating the Dao requires eliminating the seven emotions and six desires, and greed is one of them.
Before entering, many people had the mindset of staying as long as they could, but now they felt a sense of unease.
Especially some people who were in the process of breaking through felt their Dao Heart becoming increasingly heavy.
The first to leave was Yan Shujing, the direct disciple of Xuanjian Peak. The Dao of the Sword emphasizes clarity, and she knew she couldn't stay any longer.
Next to leave were the twin direct disciples of the Chen Clan. Chen Luo had already broken through, and Chen Xi was also stepping over the threshold. If staying here was more detrimental than beneficial, it was no longer a good option for them.
Most of those who remained had lower statuses than them and clung to the opportunity, unwilling to let go.
But as time slowly passed, they also began to struggle, especially after realizing that their Dao cultivation could not advance, and their Dao Heart became increasingly unfamiliar, they knew it was time to leave.
However, people tend to comfort themselves; if they can't be better than the best, they can at least be better than the worst.
For example, Ji You was the best placebo in their hearts.
Because even if they were stuck at the edge of a breakthrough, they would always break through after leaving, which was much better than entering and leaving the same.
Before leaving, they had also communicated.
Since they hadn't seen Ji You for many days, they all concluded that he must have already left. After all, if one couldn't break through, staying near the Heavenly Dao was useless.
However, what they didn't know was that Ji You had already been continuously delving deeper into the southwest.
From the grass sea to the mountain forest and back to the grass sea, he had now entered a vast wild forest, with towering giant trees accompanied by dense fog,
as if all crowded together, making it impossible for Divine Thought to extend very far.
The malevolent presence he had felt earlier had receded, and he could no longer sense it.
At this moment, Ji You stopped in a dense forest and looked at a bent green blade of grass.
He could now be certain that someone had entered before. What exactly they did was unknown, but the Aura of the Xianxian Holy Land had become strange during that period.
Therefore, that chilling Aura should also have appeared as a result.
The reason Ji You was so concerned about this Aura was that he sensed a familiar scent from it, which reminded him of his time in Qi Ridge.
Many things happened back then: Ascended demon-people, missing infants, but with the thunderous Divine Lightning, everything seemed to die down, with no further developments.
Everything was attributed to the Zheng Family; those who needed to be held accountable were, and those who wanted benefits received them, and then nothing else ever happened.
But in fact, that incident left many unanswered questions, such as where the carriage that left from the back mountain of Qi Ridge went, as there was no news of it afterward.
Ji You had always been sensitive about this matter, which was why he had pursued it all the way here.
However, after searching for several days in this place, he found nothing at all.
He had heard people say before that there was a Legacy of the Sages and some Origin power in the Holy Land, but no one had ever found it for so many years, indicating that the place was not easy to find.
Ji You was silent for a moment, then emerged from the dense forest and couldn't help but glance outside.
At this moment, the Xianxian Holy Land still retained a chaotic Aura, but after releasing his Divine Thought, he could no longer sense any living beings.
It seemed that those Prodigies had already left while he was searching the mountain forest.
Hopefully, it was just as Chai Ze said, that the sudden change in Aura was merely the normal state of the Xianxian Holy Land due to its extreme fragility.
Hopefully, someone simply had a selfish motive, found the so-called Origin ancestral land, gained benefits, and quietly left.
Ji You's brows furrowed slightly at this moment, and he suddenly felt a distracting thought begin to rise.
He had previously suppressed his Heavenly-Human sensing because he couldn't question his Dao Heart. Now that his Divine Thought had soared, the Heavenly-Human sensing reconnected, and some opportunities became uncontrollable.
Ji You reined in his Aura, then walked towards the northeast. As the jade token at his waist flashed with light, he appeared in the valley where he had arrived.
At this moment, a light rain drizzled in the valley, accompanied by rumbling thunder constantly echoing in his ears.