Dao Equaling the Heavens
Chapter 156 - 124 Heavenly Spring Mountain Ends, The Beginning of the Great Battle

Chapter 156: Chapter 124 Heavenly Spring Mountain Ends, The Beginning of the Great Battle

Five days remained until the end of the secret realm on Heavenly Spring Mountain.

[Emperor’s Nectar for two hundred and thirty-five years]

Gu Wen absorbed the Emperor’s Nectar without distraction, looking inward at his Qi Sea. A golden river flowed within, surrounded by the dharma forms of a red dragon and a jade sword, both constantly emanating faint thoughts of desire.

Though not living beings, these forms had, by relying on Gu Wen, obtained a certain level of spirituality and had an innate response to things beneficial to them.

However, Gu Wen naturally would not oblige them, as he had other uses for these substances.

[Life-saving Pearl, can withstand attacks from the Mahayana Realm one thousand two hundred times, full-force attacks from Dao Realm Venerables twelve times]

A year’s worth of Emperor’s Nectar could increase the Life-saving Pearl’s resistance to Mahayana-level attacks by ten times, and ten years’ worth could resist an attack from a Dao Realm Heavenly Venerate level once.

[Longevity Stone, every fifty years increases incubation by one percent]

This was the Gu family’s ancestral Divine Beast. If it could successfully be born, a Divine Beast with Innate Divine Power would greatly aid him. Moreover, Yu Hua had said that the Divine Skills of these Innate Gods were extremely powerful and miraculous, achieving effects unattainable by Cultivator Divine Skills.

For example, Ao Tang’s Divine Skill of instantly traversing thousands of miles was something even a great power of the Heavenly Venerate level would find hard to catch up with.

What Gu Wen needed now was strength, but not a rapid increase in strength.

The need for strength stemmed from the numerous enemies he faced, and the reason for avoiding a rapid increase was that such a quick boost would be hard to manifest effectively in a short time. Even if the dharma form grew by a hundred feet in one day, or even reached the three hundred feet of the Jade Sword Buddha, it still wouldn’t be enough to defeat those Venerables.

Gu Wen preferred to guard his own life, not to be a drag, hence the cultivation of the Life-saving Pearl and the gestation of the Innate Divine Beast provided greater gains than improving his dharma form.

"The Divine Beast can be stabilized before incubation; arrange the Life-saving Pearl first."

With a thought, fifty years’ worth of Emperor’s Nectar surged in.

[Life-saving Pearl, can withstand attacks from the Mahayana Realm one thousand seven hundred times, full-force attacks from Dao Realm Venerables seventeen times]

[Emperor’s Nectar for one hundred eighty years]

"Red Dust."

A voice interrupted Gu Wen, who opened his eyes to see Chi Yu Zi walking toward him, standing three steps away on the water’s surface, looking down from above.

At that moment, Gu Wen was soaking in the water, looking up, directly viewing the other’s chin, a truly level perspective.

"What’s wrong?"

"Come down with me to collect spiritual swords; use your True Sword Dao as my forging fee."

"Alright."

Gu Wen nodded in agreement, then they both descended again, bringing the number in the seventh layer to thirteen people.

Nearly everyone had gathered here, as they all discovered opportunities better than taking a bit of water from the Sword Pond on the seventh layer.

The seventh layer had a stream flowing down from the eighth.

As soon as they reached the seventh layer, several gazes were immediately cast their way, but they were used to it; the strong always attracted the spotlight. Within Heavenly Spring Mountain, the small group led by Gu Wen was the absolute authority. Chi Yu Zi swaggered off with most of the spiritual swords, and the rest could only seethe in silence.

Where there are people, there are ranks; true equality does not exist in this world.

Moreover, the Cultivation World respects the strong. They might be Sword Dao geniuses, but Chi Yu Zi and Gu Wen were even stronger talents. If they couldn’t grasp primary and secondary distinctions, then power would teach them how to bend their knees.

But today’s atmosphere was odd; Gu Wen noticed the usual enthusiasm was missing.

"Something’s strange."

"Our dear Fellow Daoist is not so welcome today~"

Chi Yu Zi delightfully gloated, "You always like to owe favors. You never refuse others’ eager kindness, always promising to repay their grace in the future. Well, now you’ve been figured out."

What she least understood about Gu Wen’s actions was his tendency to incur debts of gratitude; other talents were all ’you’re not worthy to be my brother’, whereas he was ’Gu feels an instant connection’.

Thick-skinned, he referred to them affectionately as Fellow Daoists.

This indeed attracted everyone; for Sword Dao geniuses, befriending a talent who had mastered the True Sword Dao was incredibly appealing. And Gu Wen was not the type to take advantage without giving back, he never hesitated to demonstrate the True Sword Dao for others to learn.

It was akin to ’I’ve been through the rain, so I’ll hold an umbrella for those who follow’.

Thus, from the whole of Heavenly Spring Mountain, the seventeen surviving talents had each sponsored Gu Wen with a Sword Spirit or an equivalent Spiritual Medicine or treasure.

[Heavenly Marrow for one hundred years]

This was the result of Gu Wen’s efforts during this period, purely from sponsorship fees, fifty years’ worth of Heavenly Marrow had been collected.

"Something’s off, I’m not just freeloading; there must be an issue."

Gu Wen pondered; he didn’t believe he had been figured out.

Because there was no deception in his actions; favors were indeed favors, but repayment wasn’t immediate. These geniuses were shrewd; to them, this was an investment.

Perhaps Gu Wen would disappear from the Dao one day, but if he didn’t, he would inevitably become a Venerable, garnering them the favor of a Venerable.

As soon as the two stepped onto the seventh layer, seven or eight people approached.

"Fellow Daoist Red Dust, we have a request."

Chi Yu Zi crossed her arms, watching the spectacle; Gu Wen remained composed, speaking warmly, "May I know what my Fellow Daoists need?"

"This... this..."

The crowd hesitated for a long time, Gu Wen already somewhat understood what they wanted.

It must have been the elders outside who had contacted them, instructing them to stay away from him, and they likely wanted to reclaim the items they had previously given.

Sword Spirits are precious; if used properly, they are equivalent to a top-grade Spiritual Treasure or even a Taoist Soldier. Although they were heirs of Major Sects, the sect’s treasures were not freely handed out to them.