Chapter 986 – Opening the Gate of Opening

…

…

…

After Saint’s Will was swallowed up by the Magic Cube, Lin Ming studied it all day to no avail. Finally, he gave up on his investigation and started to perceive the jade slips Fairy Feng had left him.

In this jade slip, the Concept that was narrated was the third Concept of Fire – Creation.

When things reached the extreme they would turn around. What lay behind annihilation was creation.

𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

The explanations Fair Feng gave for the Law of Creation had no text; they were nearly all explained with images. Between every two images was a spell. One had to comprehend the previous image to be able to look at the next one.

The first image was that of a blue lotus. The blue lotus grew on top of a flaming red rock, and lava surged all around. The rock was heated to a terrifying degree and it looked like a hell of heat. But the blue lotus that grew above the red rock was actually filled with vibrant life, jade blue and luscious.

“Blue lotus, Blue Lotus Domain.” Lin Ming knew that some extremely talented geniuses who understood the Concept of Creation to the highest degree could form the Blue Lotus Domain. This was one of the many kinds of phenomena.

A domain would form a self-contained space. As long as someone entered, they would be suppressed by the Laws of the domain. In order to break through the domain, a martial artist had to use a brute force that was several times what was needed to form it. This was extremely advantageous when facing enemies.

When Lin Ming fought Huo Yanguang, Huo Yanguang had used the Blue lotus Domain. Unfortunately, the rank of the Blue Lotus Domain was far inferior to that of grandmist space. The Blue Lotus Domain was directly suppressed by Lin Ming’s grandmist space, and it simply hadn’t been able to have any effect in the battle.

Even so, the Blue Lotus Domain was extremely valuable; even Lin Ming was attracted to it. Lin Miong could jump ranks to fight geniuses of the Divine Realm right now, and a major reason for this was his grandmist space. If he could add on the Blue Lotus Domain and superimpose the two great domains together, the suppressive effect on the enemy would be even better.

Lin Ming quickly entered a trance-like state as he observed this mysterious picture. This picture no longer seemed like just a picture, but appeared as though it were reality instead. The billowing flames, the raging lava, the blue lotus that could grow in such an incompatible environment, all of it seemed to contain the highest truths of the Heavenly Dao.

The Fire Laws jade slip that Fairy Feng had created didn’t have any explanations, but every single image contained endless riddles. If one’s perception was lacking, they would only feel inexplicably confused upon reading through Fairy Feng’s jade slip. They would only feel as if they were looking at a pretty picture, much less being able to comprehend the Concept of Fire from within it.

Time passed, day after day. Lin Ming sat in his training chamber meditating without moving.

His comprehension of the Fire Laws constantly grew. Every time he managed to comprehend just a little bit more, the young flame leaf on the Heretical God Sprout would have more traces of Laws textured onto it.

These textures were little tiny totems that gathered in a circle. Although it was different from Fairy Feng’s blue lotus image, it still carried with it a similar charm. But these tiny totems were sleeker and more mystical than the blue lotus image.

When Lin Ming was at Timeworn Phoenix City, he realized that every time he comprehended the Fire Laws, every little bit of understanding he gained would form a corresponding dao pattern totem on the Heretical God Sprout’s leaves. These totems were enigmatic and contained the truths of the Great Dao. However, with Lin Ming’s current boundary, it was simply far too difficult for him to be enlightened on them.

“The Heretical God Sprout is my cultivation method, but it is still an external force. I cannot completely depend on the Heretical God Sprout to absorb the Fire Laws; I must comprehend them on my own. Otherwise, I fear that I’ll encounter a bottleneck once I reach a higher boundary.

Using the Heretical God Sprout to swallow the Fire Laws, then study them from there was a short cut. But those were the Heretical God Sprout’s Laws. Lin Ming could use them, but he didn’t understand the truths behind them. For making his foundation solid, this was far inferior to comprehending them himself.

Lin Ming spent his following days meditating on Fairy Feng’s jade slip. One day, a flame suddenly lit up in front of Lin Ming, followed by Fairy Feng’s voice. “Lin Ming, I’ve finished concocting the pills. Come to Fengxian Palace and be ready to open the Gate of Opening!”

Lin Ming suddenly woke up from his contemplative state. He looked at a time glass in the corner of the chamber and saw that ten days had passed. In ten days, Lin Ming still wasn’t able to fully understand the first image Fairy Feng had recorded, but she was actually able to create the body transformation spirit pills.

This was the advantage of having a great master. If Lin Ming tried to refine these pills, it was unknown just how long it would take him.

Lin Ming rose up and turned into a stream of light that flew away. A moment later he arrived at Fengxian Palace and found Fairy Feng waiting for him within the grand hall.

“Disciple Lin greets honorable master.”

“Mm,” Fairy Feng nodded. She flung out her hand and a wood spirit jade box flew toward Lin Ming. He received the box and opened it. Within were two spirit pills; one white and one black.

“Ying Yang Good Fortune Pills!” Lin Ming recognized this pair of pills. Pills were also divided into grades just like magic tools. These Yin Yang Good Fortune Pills were excellent saint level pills, equal to top grade saint artifacts. Although these were pills, their value could not be compared with magic tools. For instance, these Yin Yang Good Fortune Pills Fairy Feng had concocted required numerous medicinal herbs over 100,000 years old. In order to collect all these medicinal materials, it was unknown just how long it would take.

“I didn’t think you would recognize these pills. Do you know how to take these Yin Yang Good Fortune Pills?”

“I do.”

“Good. With your status as a lower realms martial artist, for you to have such an understanding toward the pills of the Divine Realm, you must’ve obtained alchemical technique records from some ancient ruins in the Sky Spill Continent. Well done. Although we cultivate martial arts, we still need to have one or two sub-skills that we can practice to temper our soul,” Fairy Feng casually said. She stood up, “Follow me. You will take the Yin Yang Good Fortune Pills in my seclusion chamber and open the Gate of Opening. After you do that, the potential of your mind will develop further, and at the same time more of the power hidden within the Gate of Pain will be released. Your physical strength will double!”

Within body transformation’s Eight Inner Hidden Gates, the gate that increased strength the most was the Gate of Pain. However, after the Gate of Pain opened, this eruption of strength would continue; it wouldn’t happen just once. With every one of the next four gates that were opened, more strength would be released until the opening of the Eight Inner Hidden Gates reached completion. At that time, one would have the supernatural strength of tens of millions of jins. When that strength was combined with some body transformation type martial skills, the physical might one could bring out of their abilities would reach a terrifying degree.

“Yes, honorable master.” Lin Ming respectfully said. He followed Fairy Feng to her seclusion chamber.

“Lin Ming, the Gate of Opening is located within the brain. The brain is the most mysterious part of the human body. Any type of training that involves the brain will have great dangers involved. When you open the Gate of Opening, you will face illusions beyond compare. Guard your mind and your heart, otherwise you will lose yourself. Moreover, when you open the Gate of Opening, there are differences in how much you can open. The better you protect your mind, the more thoroughly the Gate of Opening will open and the more your mind and spiritual sea will develop. On the other hand, if you cannot guard your mind, the Gate of Opening will only open to a small degree, and the increase to your perception and soul force will also be limited.”

Fairy Feng earnestly warned Lin Ming. In truth, Lin Ming was also aware of this. Within the Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians, there were records of when some body transformation martial artists underwent the process of opening the Gate of Opening. Sometimes, their heart demons would emerge and the illusions would seep into their mind. They would lose themselves, falling into madness and never recovering.

Some didn’t open the Gate of Opening thoroughly. This would cause extremely limited growth to their spiritual sea and perception, making it difficult to continue on in the future.

Lin Ming didn’t immediately start to open the Gate of Opening. He first sat in meditation, lighting incense and settling his heart for an incense stick of time. This ceremony didn’t seem to have an important role, but it was actually a method used to regulate the body and mind to the optimal condition. Through doing all of this, Lin Ming would be able to eliminate all the distracting thoughts from his mind and completely focus on the task at hand. The Gate of Opening was located in the brain. Opening the Gate of Opening was equal to expanding his spiritual sea. He had to be careful lest he make even the slightest mistake.

Fairy Feng nodded as she saw Lin Ming’s patient actions.

After completing these ceremonies, Lin Ming opened his eyes. He placed the Yin Yang Good Fortune Pills in his hands. His left hand held the White Yang Pill and his right the Black Yin Pill. He entered into the ethereal martial intent state, formed a seal and placed the two pills between his eyebrows. But at this time, a strange scene occurred. The two Yin and Yang pills fused together, forming into a yin yang circle that slowly revolved. It faintly contained the Laws of Yin Yang and the truths of the world.

This was the mystery of the Yin Yang Good Fortune Pills. These pills were not used for swallowing, but for placing between the eyebrows where they would fuse together and form a yin yang circle. This yin yang circle would fuse together with the martial artist and directly open up one’s mind.

The yin yang circle spun faster and faster, finally attaching onto the point between Lin Ming’s eyebrows until it completely turned to energy. It melted into his skin and slowly fused into his mind. Lin Ming felt his head shake. It was as if a vast starry expanse had appeared within his mind.

Infinity gave birth to primal chaos, and primal chaos gave birth to the twins, named yin yang energy. This yin yang energy was the basis of the world. When Lin Ming fused the yin yang circle into his mind, he felt as if a world appeared. Starlight, sunlight, moonlight, all the lights of the sky rushed into his mind. It was extremely overwhelming.

In that moment, Lin Ming felt as if his mind was like a universe, endless and infinite. It was like he was able to swim around this boundless space, shuttling with the starlight to far off distances even as the light shined upon himself.

With just a thought, he could travel a trillion miles in the blink of an eye. All of existence within the universe was grasped in his hands. He traveled through the heavens, the sole immortal ruler of 10,000 realms!

The peak of martial arts? Was this what the peak of martial arts felt like?

This thought suddenly flashed through Lin Ming’s mind. The peak of martial arts was his ultimate pursuit. As he was opening the Gate of Opening, he briefly felt as if he had reached that point, as if he had climbed onto the peak of all martial arts.

No, this was wrong!

This was an illusion! This endlessly broad universe was a maze of his mind. If he lost himself in this illusion, his consciousness would be lost forever, exiled for eternity and never able to return.

Lin Ming was stricken, a cold sweat streaming down his body!

Almost every martial artist had a heart demon. It could be a shame that they could never forget, an irreconcilable blood hatred, something they loved to deeply, something they feared too much, or even something they pursued with all their heart; anything could become one’s heart demon!

When Lin Ming was at the Sky Fortune Kingdom and he sat upon the Seven Profound Martial House’s sea jade platform, his heart demon was Lan Yunyue; that was passion. He had long since rid himself of that hindrance. But now, his pursuit of the peak of all martial arts had the potential to become his heart demon!