Chapter 544: The Great Dao Is Utterly Simple! Green Lotus Ultimate!

Beyond the void, swaying starlight surrounded Wang Sheng's Primordial Spirit once more traversed the boundless stars. By the time he came back to his senses, the ancient battlefield had already flashed past, and his Primordial Spirit had plunged into a sea of clouds.

It returned to him—to his Heavenly Abode.

It's back?

Wang Sheng opened his eyes, revealing a gaze that appeared somewhat vacant. The scenes that his Primordial Spirit had borne rapidly returned to his Heavenly Abode and his Dao Body.

His Primordial Spirit had left the body. He met Ziwei, roamed in Chaos, saw the false spirit and the true spirit turning into a vast river, and even saw a green lotus, from which he had bitten off a small part of the root and stem.

All kinds of scenes surged into his mind, sometimes clear, sometimes blurred, like a dream. He subconsciously raised a hand to touch his cheek, only to realize that he had already grown a full beard.

Hoarsely, he murmured, "How long has it been?"

The answer crossed his mind.

Twenty-eight years.

Only twenty-eight Earth years had passed since he had entered absolute seclusion, making him breathe a sigh of relief. He had not missed the time to meet Yaoyun.

After steadying his mind, Wang Sheng immediately examined his Primordial Spirit. The seven-colored Dawnlight he had swallowed slowly flowed out of it, transforming into a ribbon that looked like the spiral arm of a galaxy. Gradually, the Dawnlight merged into the clouds within his Heavenly Abode and quickly transformed into a pool of water, quietly waiting for him to draw upon it.

The half-severed lotus root that the Primordial Spirit had been holding had bizarrely vanished. Frantically searching through his body, he found it drifting up and down within the vortex of his qi sea. He did not know whether to laugh or to cry.

Wang Sheng calmed down once more and simultaneously began to comprehend the undying true spirit and his memory of the green lotus.

The "barrier" of the True Immortal Realm had already completely disappeared. Wang Sheng's aura rose swiftly as he stepped forward into a new realm as easily as walking through an open door.

Immortal light boiled in his qi sea. Starlight drifted throughout his Dao Body, and a golden palace reappeared amid the clouds of his Heavenly Abode. Inside the great palace, a divine statue that looked like Wang Sheng slowly took shape. Continuous internal booms erupted the moment it was complete.

His immortal power underwent a rapid yet orderly transformation, causing traces of cyan to unexpectedly appear amid his milky-white Pure Yang Immortal Mantra. Thunder rumbled, and light flickered throughout his quiet chamber in the Xinghai Sect.

Outside the arrays that enveloped his small courtyard, the primal qi of heaven and earth from all across the sect surged toward him. They formed seven-colored vortices, poured straight into the arrays below, and flooded into his meditation room.

Thirty-six qi vortices appeared around him, absorbing all the incoming primal qi and assisting his immortal power in completing its advancement.

Wang Sheng was doing all of this subconsciously, though. Nearly all of his focus remained on the lingering image of the green lotus. It felt as natural as breathing, like a quiet harmony with the Great Dao itself. Governed by its own rhythms of ebb and flow, the cycle seemed endless.

His breakthrough to the True Immortal Realm took an entire month. Fortunately, the Xinghai Sect's great qi-gathering formation was extremely effective, and no other True Immortal or Heavenly Immortal was attempting a breakthrough at the same time. Primal qi flowed toward him uninterrupted.

At the end of his breakthrough, lightning and thunder filled the air above the pavilion, followed by waves of ethereal music. Many sect members rushed over to congratulate him for breaking past the True Immortal "barrier" after twenty-eight years, but they swiftly discovered that the pavilion remained completely silent.

He showed no intention of leaving seclusion.

Breaking through to the True Immortal Realm normally exhausted all the insights that a cultivator had previously accumulated. However, though rare, some could gain new insights immediately after the breakthrough.

The sect members could only disperse.

Reaching the True Immortal Realm after twenty-eight years of absolute seclusion was not particularly astonishing in terms of speed. Even so, Wang Sheng was a sword cultivator who had comprehended the sword heart. This advancement of his was still a small boost to the Xinghai Sect's overall strength.

It was a joyous event that was certainly worth celebrating, but Lishang quickly forbade sect members and disciples from discussing the matter openly.

The taller the tree, the stronger the wind that tested it. With that in mind, the Xinghai Sect had decided to shelter Wang Sheng. They planned to let him grow stronger in the shadows, far from envious eyes, until he could truly become their foundation.

Unfortunately, secrets had a way of slipping through the tightest cracks, especially within the Xinghai Sect.

The news spread quickly. "Pi Kachew," the Xinghai Sect's young elder who had once fought Li Tianyao despite only being a Primordial Immortal at the time, had officially become a True Immortal.

Spurred on by those with their own agendas, a storm of rumors soon swept through the sects. Among the claims, some alleged that Wang Sheng was about to challenge Li Tianyao again, that the Xinghai Sect's sect master was going to marry his daughter to him, and that he would guide those who joined the Xinghai Sect in the Dao of the Sword.

Naturally, the rumors soon reached the three young ladies—

ahem—

the three young, disguised men living quietly in Xinghai City.

Hearing the news delighted them. After all, though they knew that he had been in seclusion to reach the True Immortal Realm, they had been unable to contact him for twenty-eight years.

Shi Qianzhang ran into the courtyard and shouted toward the sky, "True Immortal? Awesome! Brother Sheng is awesome!"

On the contrary, Huai Jing and Liu Yunzhi sensed the danger hidden in the rumors.

Liu Yunzhi frowned. "The Xinghai Sect is far weaker than the Celestial Wind Sect. Last time we talked to him, Fei Yu mentioned that the Xinghai Sect is under tremendous pressure from top to bottom. Does he want the Xinghai Sect to come into conflict with the Celestial Wind Sect?"

Huai Jing pondered briefly. "

Amitabha.

I doubt it. Fei Yu wouldn't scheme like that against the Xinghai Sect. After all, for as long as he keeps growing stronger and gaining more authority within the sect, he'll sooner or later be able to smoothly use it as a shell.

"If anything, he'd sooner find a way to provoke a great war between the Fengli Sect and the Celestial Wind Sect, allowing the Xinghai Sect to recover, preserve its strength, and accumulate power. That aligns better with his plans for the sect."

Liu Yunzhi frowned. "What can we do to help?"

Huai Jing smiled and sighed. "Let's not act rashly. We're still too weak. I have been cultivating with all my effort for the past several decades, yet even with insights from my previous life to assist me, I'm only as strong as an Ascended Immortal right now.

"Give me another hundred years, and I should be able to contend with True Immortals. Another three hundred, and I could exhaust all the power of my golden body to go straight to the Celestial Wind Sect and raid their home.

"Meanwhile, you and Qianzhang cultivated step by step. Even though you had plenty of Immortal Stones and gained many benefits in the Small Immortal Realm, you have only just reached the edge of the Tribulation realm. It would be better to cultivate steadily. Once I can contend with a Heavenly Immortal using my golden body, we will coordinate with Fei Yu. There will be much more room to maneuver then."

Liu Yunzhi smiled bitterly. "Alright then. We'll follow your orders, Lord Arhat."

Huai Jing patted his bald head. "Hey, don't mock me. I'm using the remaining blessings of my previous life, yet I'm dragging so far behind Fei Yu. It's actually quite awkward."

Out in the courtyard, Shi Qianzhang continued to cheer, "

Hehehe!

Brother Sheng is amazing!"

Liu Yunzhi thought for a moment. "I'll go out and find out more about the news first. Otherwise, I will never feel at ease."

Huai Jing reminded, "Remember to change clothes."

Liu Yunzhi nodded calmly. "

Mm

."

He no longer found it strange to change outfits before going out. What he found strange now was his acceptance of it.

The trio's deduction wasn't wrong. Despite his best efforts, though, Liu Yunzhi's inquiries yielded nothing of use.

After all, Wang Sheng was still in seclusion. He could not counter those spreading the rumors. Yao Xingzi and Lishang had discussed the matter, but they decided to remain on standby and wait for further changes.

The Xinghai Sect had only just begun to show some improvement over the past few decades. The two people at the helm felt as though they were treading on thin ice.

Linyuan also frequently left the scripture repository and returned to his small courtyard, watching the neighboring courtyard closely. He truly wished that Wang Sheng would leave seclusion sooner.

At this time, no one among the cultivators of the thirteen qi planets could have imagined what Wang Sheng was comprehending.

After breaking through to the True Immortal Realm, his Heavenly Abode resembled a small world. Mountains and waters appeared within it. Layers of clouds filled every corner, making the place appear both illusory and real.

𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Above the clouds stood a divine palace that honored him.

His Primordial Spirit sat cross-legged in front of the palace. Before it lay a green lotus pond containing a faint phantasm of a green lotus. It had become translucent and could vanish at any time.

Seemingly in a daze, it watched the pond quietly.

Wang Sheng's immortal power, now a mix of cyan and white, surged mightily through every part of his Dao Body, yet the four great sword intents within him remained deeply still.

***

Another five years passed.

Before the divine palace, the lotus pond finally dissipated. The Primordial Spirit suddenly stood up. With a casual gesture, a sword phantasm with but a faint outline appeared in its hand.

Not only was it not one of Wang Sheng's four sword intents, but it didn't even seem to belong to him. Still, his Primordial Spirit now held it in its hand.

His Primordial Spirit began to move. It appeared to be walking casually, but its steps curved and twisted, tracing a path that resembled lotus petals.

Upon returning to the starting point, his Primordial Spirit and the sword phantasm in its hand shone brilliantly. It suddenly began to swing the sword at an extreme speed. The techniques changed unpredictably, making them seem random, yet they contained the ultimate principles of the Great Dao.

Chants echoed from all directions. A slowly rotating lotus pedestal appeared under the Primordial Spirit. Holding the faint sword phantasm, it leaped and shifted. Within the Heavenly Abode, clouds churned, and immortal light swayed.

The sword art had no fixed pattern. Wang Sheng simply wielded it at will. At times, its techniques extended to the heavens and caused the sky to collapse. At times, they were gentle and supple, like a hand brushing across lotus petals.

After a round, his Primordial Spirit stopped and stood still. Confused and contemplating, it lowered its head to look at the faint sword phantasm in its hand.

Wang Sheng seemed to have gained some understanding, yet he also seemed to have understood nothing at all.

Through his Primordial Spirit, he practiced the chaotic techniques again. They were slightly different from before. He then went for a third round, then another.

Wang Sheng had no idea how many times he had practiced the sword art in his Heavenly Abode. By the time his Primordial Spirit felt deeply exhausted, the sword art's thousand chaotic techniques had been reduced to only nine. Even then, he still found it unnecessarily complex.

The Great Dao was utterly simple. These nine sword techniques were not.

Wang Sheng's Primordial Spirit sat down in quiet contemplation once more.

***

Another twelve years passed.

In the meditation room, Wang Sheng suddenly opened his eyes. His Dao Body, which contained immense immortal power, floated straight upward.

His eyes reflected two gray phantasms unleashing a sword art. Now, it only had one technique.

Wang Sheng opened his right hand and grasped a wooden sword that was only three

cun

long. An unknown sword intent then surged forth in his chest. His fingers pinched the tiny wooden sword as he danced lightly.

Though the sword technique required only one move, it seemed to have thousands of variations.

He altered his stance, causing dozens of phantasms to form around him. Each held a sword and mirrored his movements. As he lifted his sword upward, all the phantasms condensed into thirty-six strands of sword radiance, which then took the shape of a green lotus flower.

With only a gentle rotation, it silently destroyed the meditation room.

The green lotus rose and shot into the sky, instantly shattering the defensive array around the courtyard. Within the lotus petals, a trace of a sword phantasm bloomed.

The Xinghai Sect's defensive array thundered as it flickered violently. More than ten mountain peaks trembled and shook.

A trace of Dao Rhythm spread outward, causing many cultivators to tremble in fear.

Wang Sheng, the one who started it all, stood with his hands behind his back in the leveled courtyard. With a calm expression, he raised his head and gazed at the sky where the lotus had disappeared.

Hopefully... I don't have to pay for the damages.