Yinshan Record

Chapter 468 Questioning with a Clear conscience and ascending to the heavens (Part 2)

The Yin Heaven Secret Scroll of Zhou Jue moved accordingly, and Su Che gathered his magical power, pouring it all into the Yin Mountain Cave Netherworld Treasure Scroll. At this moment, without Yu Lizi's prompting, Su Che also gained enlightenment within the Nine Heavens.

He needs to prove something.

At this moment, with the combined forces of heaven and earth pressing down upon him, he must prove to this world that he has the foundation to stand proudly above the Nine Heavens.

Heaven and earth are inherently emotionless and spiritless, yet at this moment they seem like an examiner.

What Su Che needed to do was prove his Dao, prove that his Dao was strong enough to survive under the pressure and suppression of the primordial energy of heaven and earth.

This test was originally something only great cultivators who had reached the Void Step realm could unleash their magical power upon, but thanks to the Ruomu tree, a spiritual root of heaven and earth, which was integrated into the Yinshan Cave Netherworld Treasure Scroll, Su Che naturally had the capital to stand out in this world.

A faint, mysterious aura unfolded, and countless fluorescent lights rose around Su Che, as if countless wandering souls had entrusted everything to the Yinshan Cave Netherworld Treasure Scroll.

This is precisely the virtue of Houtu that Su Che has come to understand most deeply.

Embracing all and resonating with it, Su Che's aura circulated around him, carving out a small "world" amidst the oppressive energy of the second Heavenly Gang.

Although it was only a small area around his body, it already had the rudiments of a domain, and with the appearance of Ruomu, this domain became clearer and clearer.

Based on the virtue of the earth, connecting the roots of life and death, the Yinshan Cave Netherworld Treasure Talisman emits a radiant light, with palace miniatures appearing and disappearing around him, and countless Yin spirits appearing and disappearing within his mysterious energy, while his body is the master of Xuan Yin Tai Yin.

Its majestic and imposing presence aligns with the laws of Heaven.

Su Che arranged himself calmly, unfolding his insights one by one within the primordial energy of heaven and earth.

Yu Lizi nodded slightly.

It seems that besides those messy things, my disciple has also achieved some merit in cultivation.

Of course, there were no shortage of other adventures during my absence.

Su Che's mind was clear. If he continued to stay in this second Heavenly Gang, it would probably not be long before the rudiments of the realm would be formed under the heavy pressure of the heaven and earth's energy.

To be able to manipulate the realm without having condensed the elixir is probably an unprecedented wonder.

Of course, there are still too many artificial elements in this realm, but it is a genuine and authentic realm.

As Su Che was thinking this, Yu Lizi had no intention of helping him achieve this supernatural power. Instead, he directly activated Ziyun and pulled it up to the third level of the Heavenly Gang.

As the overwhelming force of the天地元气 (heaven and earth energy) pressed down, Su Che felt as if his newly formed domain was like an earthen dam encountering a flood, instantly being washed away beyond recognition.

Under the oppressive force of the primordial energy, only Ruomu, connected to the Yinshan Cave Netherworld Treasure Scroll, managed to release a wisp of clear light, preventing Su Che from being reduced to nothingness under the onslaught of this primordial energy.

Yu Lizi still made a move.

This True Man Huang Tiandao merely released a wisp of divine thought, and thus created a tranquil haven within the third layer of Heavenly Gang.

The previously raging and unparalleled primordial energy around Ziyun returned to its submissive state, becoming peaceful and docile, showing no trace of its previous ferocity.

"If you achieve a realm at this time, it will limit your future path and way of life. If you want to make progress in the future, you will have to destroy it yourself."

Yu Lizi said calmly, "Cultivation is like climbing a building. You must ascend steadily, one floor at a time. You are naturally intelligent and close to the Great Dao. Although your progress is rapid, you lack a solid foundation. You must be more careful as you go further. Never become arrogant and think that you are a peerless genius, or you will regret it sooner or later."

Su Che listened attentively to his teacher's earnest words.

Under the pressure of the primordial energy of heaven and earth, the Black Emperor's techniques he had learned from the Yin-Yang Dharma King, including the Nine Netherworld Reincarnation Technique, the Viper Shadow Seal, and many other sword techniques, were all rendered useless in the face of life and death. In the end, it was the Yinshan Cave Netherworld Treasure Record that served as his foundation.

This is the difference between the foundation of the Dao and supernatural powers.

He himself controlled countless beings with the Shadow Imprint of the Serpent, and might be able to borrow a trace of power when the mighty force of heaven and earth was bestowed upon him.
If the Nine Heavens are like this, then the Heavenly Tribulations to come will likely follow the same principle.

The solid foundation that Yu Lizi speaks of refers to obtaining one's own Dao foundation.

Su Che had witnessed his mentor's effortless ascension to immortality before the Lord of the End of Dharma, and thus understood even more clearly the significance of a profound Dao foundation for cultivators. These Nine Heavens were not only the necessary path to the Yellow Heaven Dao Sect, but also Yu Lizi's teachings to him—a true example of teaching by example. Now that Yu Lizi had completely mastered the Purple Cloud, Su Che felt no different from those on the ground.

Zi Yun broke through the third level of the Heavenly Gang Realm and directly entered the fourth, fifth, and sixth levels, ascending layer by layer. Su Che also saw an even more magnificent scene.

If the first three Heavenly Gangs were merely an invasion of the primordial energy of heaven and earth, with a scene no different from the sky above, then after entering the middle three Heavenly Gangs, Su Che witnessed that this realm of heaven was different from what he had imagined.

If we follow the blue planet of my previous life, the atmosphere above the sky is layered, the air is getting thinner and colder, and the activity of high-energy particles is getting stronger and stronger.

Finally, little by little, it entered the sky.

The three celestial layers in the middle of this realm are filled with endless illusions. The clouds bloom with seven colors of light. Among the clouds of various colors such as red, blue, and black, there seem to be endless caves, with reclusive immortals, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, ferocious beasts and ancient gods, and lights of thousands of homes.

The reclusive immortals, practicing the Great Dao together, were unrestrained and free-spirited, their expressions radiating a transcendent air.

When Buddhas and Bodhisattvas preach the Dharma, their words are filled with heavenly eloquence, and their speech is full of compassion, joy, and equanimity.

The ferocious ancient god roared menacingly, its malevolent aura surging in all directions, as if the surrounding area had been transported back to the primordial era.

The lights of thousands of homes cast shadows, reflecting the myriad aspects of human life; one glance reveals no one's location.

Various creatures lingered and wandered around, making it impossible for Su Che to distinguish between the real and the fake.

However, there was no sign of life or the flow of power within; there were only various scenes, in which a hidden murderous intent lurked.

“Cultivators call these three layers of celestial energy ‘tribulation clouds,’ believing that heavenly tribulations are brewing within them. The living beings, gods, and even flowers, trees, and plants within them are all illusions, yet they are also incredibly real,” Yu Lizi said. “Many cultivators who have reached the Void Step stage lose their way and fall into these tribulation clouds, making it difficult for them to ascend again.”

Su Che felt something.

The first three Heavenly Barriers test a cultivator's strength, whether they can withstand the onslaught of the天地元气 (Heaven and Earth's primordial energy), and whether their domain is stable. The latter three Heavenly Barriers, however, require cultivators to possess first-rate supernatural powers and magical treasures.

Without these two things, there would be no need to travel to the outer void; one would likely have already perished and attained immortality.

A journey beyond the heavens may seem carefree, but it is truly fraught with danger at every turn.

How difficult is the path of spiritual practice?

Yu Lizi urged the purple clouds to gently pass through the three layers of tribulation clouds, and finally arrived at the location of the last three layers of heavenly energy.

The feeling here was very familiar to Su Che.

Because this is what he imagines space should look like.

Silence, cold, and emptiness.

I can vaguely sense the changes in the laws of heaven and earth, but this place seems to be clearly separated from the outside world.

A certain innate wisdom within my mind reminded me that if I continued forward, I would no longer be in this world.

In this cold and empty space, Su Che could also sense many other things.

Thousands of demonic shadows seemed to be right beside me, yet also seemed to be in the infinite distance.

"These last three celestial barriers are the final protection that heaven and earth offer us. Extraterrestrial demons cannot survive here, but once you leave, you will become their target. There are countless kinds of demons, and their allegiance is unpredictable. Even a slight thought can be exploited by them."

Yu Lizi said to Su Che, "Of course, what you should be looking at most right now is the world behind you."

Su Che turned around and saw a scene he would never forget.

That was a picture of a planet collapsing.

(End of this chapter)