Chapter 291: Defying Heaven Technique_2
Zhou Yi couldn't help but say, "Wish Power Beads, truly a defiance of the heavens!"
In both the Nine Continents and the Dongsheng Divine Continent, Spirit Roots are randomly bestowed by the heavens.
Perhaps the heavens don't allow for the solidification of social classes, providing all beings a sliver of hope, or perhaps the Cultivation World isn't strong enough, with ascension to the Immortal Realm enabling a change in one's talent. In any case, the iron rule of the "Spirit Root" cannot be broken by anyone.
Wish Power Beads, to some extent, have changed the rules.
In the future, those born to immortals will just need to please the old ancestors, and even if they have poor talents, they will be able to transform into Heavenly Spiritual Roots by seizing Spiritual Objects.
Pei Yuanzhou sighed, "Luckily, it requires Superior Spiritual Objects and hundreds of years to nurture, as well as the consumption of a vast amount of incense and wish power. Otherwise, wouldn't the Dongsheng Divine Continent turn into a realm ruled by families?"
"Indeed, wouldn't that be even more terrifying?"
Zhou Yi shook his head slightly. If the barriers weren't high, it might be difficult to monopolize such power, but since changing one's foundation is not something low-level cultivators can achieve, it, in fact, further solidifies the class structure of the Cultivation World.
Not to mention poor Loose Cultivators, even small sects can't ensure their inheritance, only to watch helplessly as the lofty major sects and clans continue to flourish endlessly.
"Such matters are beyond our control," he said.
Gu Xiao said with a smile, "Moreover, our sect is watched over by ancestors from the Immortal Realm, even if the Cultivation World changes in any way, no human immortal would dare to make our sect a private asset of their family!"
The people in the hall unanimously agreed, taking great pride in their ancestors from the Immortal Realm.
Even if they are Loose Cultivators when the time for ascension comes, there is always a place for them within the Immortal Realm's sect!
"Perhaps it's so..."
Zhou Yi's heart was filled with concern, and he became cautious towards the Wish Power Beads.
The Incense Flame Deification Technique will lead to the solidification of the Cultivation World. Regardless of who wins or loses, it will eventually cultivate True Gods in the future, and the method of changing the basis of one's talent will ensure that the descendants of True Gods will remain True Gods.
A completely solidified world, where the lower ranks are in despair, is bound to breed disaster!
"These are matters for the great leaders within the sects to consider. I am but a mere Nascent Soul, without any real say in such things. Even if the Dongsheng Divine Continent were to fall into ruin, it's not as if it hasn't happened before; I would just find a new place."
"Besides, with me in the sect, the lineage will not be severed!"
Zhou Yi was continuously thinking about the sect's Scripture Pavilion. If he could take it with him, it would direct him straight towards the path of ascension.
Since everyone had received their share of benefits, the banquet lost its appeal. After a few more days of merriment, everyone bid farewell and returned to their retreats for cultivation.
The path of immortality is lonely, not the carefree existence mortals imagine it to be!
For instance, a Nascent Soul Daoist may live for over a thousand years, but most of those years are spent in seclusion, refining oneself, or gathering Spiritual Objects for Alchemy or Artifact Refining; the years truly spent in feasting and enjoyment do not exceed two or three hundred.
On the contrary, those who have reached an impasse on their path and have decided to give up, living in resignation, seem to have particularly pleasant lives!
...
Half a year later.
Qingyun Mountain.
Zhou Yi returned from the celebration and issued his first Mountain God's Order.
All temples housing Mountain Gods and River Lords were to add statues of the Yellow Bull God, symbolizing perseverance, dedication, and loyalty, for the people under his jurisdiction to worship.
The gods had no objections. For ten years, Zhou Yi had paid them no attention, and this neglectful, lax attitude made them feel somewhat uneasy. Now that he had a request, it actually brought comfort.
The God of Black Mountain, Xu Zhixian, suggested, "Sir, the meanings represented by the Yellow Bull God might be too rare..."
A rare divine office would lead to fewer worshippers, and naturally, the incense and wish power would be weak.
"That's not an issue, I am not in a hurry," Zhou Yi said. "The Wish Power Beads condensed by this god statue must be pure and flawless. There will be no promise of reward, no protection granted. They should only contain the attributes of those who voluntarily recognize and worship him."
The divine Object was an Innate Spirit Root, one of the rarities in the world.
After the Yellow Bull transformed, its path to immortality was as smooth as a broad road, and absolutely no malevolent or grudging thoughts were to be allowed to taint it.
Among the fifteen million people under the rule of Qingyun Mountain, even without any promise of reward, there were still many who would come to offer incense and worship. The Wish Power Beads that condensed were indeed pure, with the rare impurities mostly being the worshippers' expectations for their descendants.
Another half year passed in the blink of an eye.
Discover stories with empire
Kunlun Cave Heaven.
During the voyage at sea, the spatial treasure bead left by Yuan Ling and the Tiger Emperor had fully integrated into this space.
From an original area of a hundred or so zhang, it expanded to over three hundred zhang, increasing the area nearly tenfold.
The Spirit Ginseng baby opened up more spiritual fields, planting seeds of Spiritual Medicine, tending to them daily with great care. Without the need to consume lifespan to accelerate their growth, quite a few had already grown to two or three thousand years in medicinal age.
The bamboo grove in front of the Daoist temple was planted with Qing Jing Spirit Bamboos purely for admiration, and after four to five thousand years, each had become a rare spiritual object, whereas the bamboos planted in the Mountain God Temple were merely descendants of bamboos.
Or perhaps, the spiritual wine stored in the cellar, sealed away with secret techniques for thousands of years, had turned into a paste, with each pot worth a fortune.
What divine skills, what ancient scriptures, time is truly the most precious treasure!
Zhou Yi entered the Cave Heaven, landed before the divine tree, and muttered to himself.
"Oh, Bull Child, the poor Daoist has no choice but to do this. With the growth of the divine tree, it's almost impossible for you to transform. Although the Wish Power Beads come with future troubles, reciting Taoist scriptures often should eventually preserve your true self!"
While speaking, he executed the Jade Dew Art, consuming a thousand years of lifespan to condense a drop of juice that looked like glaze and jadeite.
Buzz buzz buzz!
The divine tree trembled lightly, emitting feelings of joy and happiness.
As Creation Dew Drops entered the trunk, the sounds became crisper, and a child-like murmur seemed to whisper in Zhou Yi's ear.
"Just how much of my lifespan have I spent to hasten the maturity of the divine tree? I cast spells at least three to four times a day; by now it's been roughly five thousand seven hundred years... by this count... over ten million years!"
Zhou Yi's eyes were deep, concluding from this that the tree's age must be at least ten thousand years.
The exact age would only be known after the Yellow Bull transformed; firstly, because an Innate Spirit Root is difficult to judge, and secondly, as the tree's age increased, the effectiveness of the Creation Dew became increasingly lower.
"No, that's wrong. The tree itself has been grown for nearly six thousand years, and as the age of the tree increases, the Creation Divine Skills nearly fail to work. In the end, what I rely on is still the Longevity Dao Fruit."
Zhou Yi took out a Wish Power Bead from his sleeve. It was crystal clear, almost completely transparent, and only when the Soul-seeing Spell was performed could one see a few traces of incense wish power drifting inside.
"I don't know how many Wish Power Beads will be needed. If it really doesn't work out, I'll ask elder brother Gu to do me a favor and erect a statue of the Yellow Bull God in the City God Temple. At worst, I'll exchange the Wish Power Beads one by one."
Zhou Yi performed the Soul Condensing Technique, unlocking the seal of the Wish Power Bead, immediately releasing a rich aroma of incense.
Mana circulated, guiding the incense power into the divine tree.
In the core of the divine tree, there was a bundle of green energy, the consciousness that had formed over time.
At this moment, the consciousness was even more pure than a child's, almost like a blank slate, intermingled with strands of Soul Shards, remnants of the shattered soul of the Yellow Bull.
In the beginning, it occupied most of the consciousness energy mass, but as the tree's age grew, it was now not even a match for one per cent. Even though the Yellow Bull had numerous memories and a Golden Core origin, it was no match for the self-consciousness of the divine tree on its own turf.
At this moment.
The incense wish power merged into the consciousness mass, continuously strengthening the Yellow Bull's remnant soul.
The divine tree itself was unaware of what incense wish power was, yet it knew it was something valuable, instinctively wanting to share the benefit, but then it heard Zhou Yi's reprimanding voice.
For thousands of years, sustained lifespan cultivation had fostered a deep bond, and the divine tree regarded Zhou Yi as a father. Hearing his voice, it immediately gave up on the wish power and obediently watched the Yellow Bull's soul grow stronger.
After a long time.
The Wish Power Bead was consumed to depletion, and the Yellow Bull's remnant soul had grown by a factor of eleven.
"Judging by this ratio, it would take at least ten thousand Wish Power Beads to allow the remnant soul to fully take over the consciousness of the divine tree and become a new soul with the memories and personality of the Yellow Bull."
"Qingyun Mountain produces just over ten each year; it would take a millennium or so, which is not too long!"
Zhou Yi gently stroked the purple surface of the divine tree, naturally etched with Xuan Miao patterns, whose copy could help one comprehend the way of Qi Refinement.
It must be one of the earliest methods of Immortal cultivation, inefficient and less powerful than modern practices, but its direct approach to refining "Qi" helped Zhou Yi see the true path clearly!
The Spirit Ginseng child finished tending to the spiritual fields, carrying a hoe over, looking up at the divine tree reaching skyward, and asked with a pout.
"Immortal Master, when will the divine tree branch out?"
"Soon,"
Zhou Yi said with a smile: "At most a thousand years, at least a few hundred. When the time comes, I'll reward you with a branch."
Upon hearing this, the Spirit Ginseng child was ecstatic, bouncing and dancing around, "I've been waiting so long for this day!"
Zhou Yi said with a smile, "Bull Child is coming back soon, do you still remember it?"
"Bull Child? The Yellow Bull!"
After thinking hard for a while, the Spirit Ginseng child delved into memories from a very, very long time ago before remembering the times spent with the Yellow Bull, back when it loved to sit atop the bull's head and gaze into the distance. It then suddenly asked.
"Immortal Master, if I die one day in the future, would you also spend thousands of years to revive me?"
Zhou Yi gently patted the top of the Spirit Ginseng child's head, the few green leaves quivering, his expression solemn and his tone firm.
"Of course. Even if I have to search from the skies to the yellow springs, I will bring you back to life!"