Dao Equaling the Heavens
Chapter 97 - 84: Breaking Through the Fourth Level Dao Foundation

Chapter 97: Chapter 84: Breaking Through the Fourth Level Dao Foundation

Returning to his room, Gu Wen sat cross-legged in meditation, tallying Ao Tang’s little treasury, a total of thirty-one various types of top-grade pills.

There were originally some low-quality pills that came with it, but Ao Tang didn’t care for such inferior products, so he sold them all after refinishing them.

Grabbing a handful of pills, he stuffed them directly into his mouth. The Heavenly Marrow poured down like rain, and the medicinal properties swept through his meridians like a torrent. Fortunately, Gu Wen was no longer at the Second Level of Yuqing Daoji, so consuming pills containing decades’ worth of Heavenly Marrow didn’t overwhelm him.

But unlike directly consuming Spiritual Medicines, these top-grade pills actually slowly propelled the realm of his Daoji.

"No wonder they need to be refined into pills."

Gu Wen thought, and with a single intent, the overwhelming medicinal strength surged toward one of the Five Spirit Forms, the Vermilion Bird, like floodwaters. The Vermilion Bird Spirit Form started to converge towards the yet incomplete Primordial Spirit, while the already positioned Azure Dragon also tugged at the Vermilion Bird.

One percent, two percent, three percent....

Meanwhile, the amount of Heavenly Marrow needed for the Vermilion Bird to merge into the Primordial Spirit continuously decreased.

"If others can speed up their cultivation by taking pills, there’s no reason I can’t. And as my Daoji realm progresses, it will, in turn, affect the Heavenly Marrow, reducing the amount needed for a certain Spirit Form."

Gu Wen thought up to this point and suddenly felt a moment of clarity, almost wishing he could bury his head in the bag.

Lord Emperor, I eat eat eat!

Quickly, all the top-grade pills were consumed, and the medicinal strength wreaked havoc inside Gu Wen, accelerating the progress of the Vermilion Bird Spirit Form, jumping from less than ten percent to twenty percent.

But it was painful!

The medicinal strength expanded his meridians, and though it was not dangerous, the pain was inevitable.

"Hiss!"

Gu Wen’s skin began to turn beet red, then suddenly, he felt a burst of coolness on his forehead, a familiar force soothing the agitated medicinal strength.

"You, oh you, why did you eat them all at once."

The helpless voice of Yu Hua entered his ears. She watched Gu Wen, his face red with effort as he strenuously refined the medicinal strength, and her smile grew softer.

Although only at the Third Level of Yuqing Daoji, he still desperately wanted to help, and he was stubborn about it too.

"I’ll help you smooth it out, but next time you take pills, don’t be so hasty."

Gu Wen was in meditation and couldn’t reply, but with Yu Hua’s help, his speed of refining medicinal strength went to another level.

The night passed without words, and by the time Gu Wen opened his eyes again, it was already daylight. Yu Hua was nowhere to be seen in the room, and the noise of the early morning market came from outside.

The Vermilion Bird Spirit Form had integrated eighty percent into the Primordial Spirit, and only ten years’ worth of Heavenly Marrow was needed for it to merge with the Divine Soul.

Looking inward at his Fate Diagram and Heavenly Marrow, he felt an unprecedented fullness.

[Heavenly Marrow seventy-two years]

Gu Wen didn’t hesitate to pour it in......Fourth Level of Yuqing Daoji!

The Fifth Level of Yuqing Sword Skill needed forty years of Heavenly Marrow, which could significantly enhance the Sword Heart, but since he already had the Flame Spear for offensive capabilities, it didn’t greatly improve Gu Wen’s combat strength. At least there was no qualitative leap, it just diversified his methods.

But for the Fourth Level of Yuqing Daoji, only fifty years of Heavenly Marrow were needed, and his strength could climb another level. With the Third Level fulfilled, this equaled the power of the Seventh Level. He could hold his own against any True Monarch who hadn’t even fulfilled the First Level.

Gu Wen believed that geniuses would always be the minority, and even fewer could perfect the Perfect Method.

The Heavenly Marrow blazed like fire, and consuming fifty years of it, the Fourth Level of Yuqing Daoji was fulfilled in an instant.

In the time of a breath, as though naturally taking its course, there were subtle changes in Gu Wen’s aura, and a different splendor appeared in his eyes.

The Divine Soul grew stronger, and the Primordial Spirit was about to be completed. The enhancement from the Fourth Level of Yuqing Daoji was to the Divine Soul, but due to the heavenly constraints, it could only be trapped within the body.

With this in mind, Gu Wen paid even more attention to the Mixed Element Primordial Spirit described in the Perfect Method at the fulfilled Fourth Level of Yuqing Daoji: wandering by day undaunted by the sun, traveling by night without belonging to the yin, akin to living people.

Could you project the Divine Soul out of the body at Immortal Land? Might the golden phantom that was similar to Lord Emperor’s avatar also be a projection of the Divine Soul?

Gu Wen collected his thoughts, closed his eyes, and consolidated his realm. He also took advantage of the remaining medicinal strength to integrate the Vermilion Bird Spirit Form into his Primordial Spirit without using any Heavenly Marrow.

As his cultivation advanced, the speed of perfecting the Perfect Method also increased. It was like rolling a snowball down a hill. Perhaps it wasn’t getting increasingly difficult further on; rather, the more powerful one became, the more resources one could obtain.

For example, Gu Wen now had the capital to glimpse into the thousand-pound Spiritual Objects of the five major families by the Luo River. Assuming those three True Monarchs were all inferior, then this Luo River would belong to Lord Emperor.

He emerged from meditation only by the following afternoon.

Upon looking inward again, his cultivation was at Fourth Level of Yuqing Daoji, Third Level fully fulfilled, the Azure Dragon and Vermilion Bird Spirit Forms had integrated into his Primordial Spirit, with the remaining three Spirit Forms yet to return.

Moreover, due to the Fourth Level of Yuqing Daoji, fulfilling the Fourth Level only required one hundred years of Heavenly Marrow. Gu Wen also discovered that, to ascend directly to the Fifth Level of Yuqing Daoji, he would only need one hundred years of Heavenly Marrow, but according to the Perfect Method, completing the Daoji was the hardest.

It was like laying a foundation—if you reinforce and perfect it one level at a time, it’s simple, but if you’ve already built the second level and then want to reinforce, it becomes difficult.

[Heavenly Marrow twenty-seven years]

Bang-bang-bang!

The door was knocked on, and the voice of the inn’s servant came through.

"Young Master, someone downstairs is looking for you, and they’ve been waiting for a day and a night."

Gu Wen walked down from the inn and saw a man and a woman.

The man had fair and clean features with standard white robes, his hair tied up high with a jade crown, a common graceful jade gentleman style among cultivators.

Gu Wen felt that he was still not as notable as Xiao Yunyi, who at least had some distinct qualities, cold as a sword, recognized at a glance as a log.

Cultivation shaping one’s appearance meant there were too many handsome faces; even more were dressed like a genteel jade gentleman.

Even Gu Wen, who never bothered with self-care, saw his own rugged attractiveness rise gradually, and although not quite a dashing figure, at least possessed decent facial features as a solid foundation.

The man stood up and bowed with his hands folded in front: "I am Hee Huan, ranked ninth on the people’s list."

"Gu Wen." Gu Wen returned the bow, then turned to look at the other person.

The woman... not as attractive as Yu Hua.

Gu Wen simply passed over her after a glance, noting she might be pretty, but just a beautiful skeleton, at best.

Lu Chan’s smiling face stiffened.

"Fellow Daoist, long time no see."

"Who are you?"

"Lu Chan..."

"Your sister?"

Gu Wen followed up with her words, looking her up and down, assessing her height of about 1.5 meters and struggling to associate it with the glamorous reflection from his memory.

How could this not look like a little brat? Could it be that some old monster had a surge in cultivation and rejuvenated?

His voice seemed fine.

Realization dawned on him, and he said, "So it’s Fellow Daoist Lu. Have you recently advanced in your cultivation and rejuvenated?"

Lu Chan’s veins popped with anger as she desperately suppressed her fury, forcing a smile, she said, "I’ve come today to discuss a matter with Fellow Daoist. Have you heard about the thousand catties of Spiritual Medicine from the Luo River?"

"I have heard something about it," Gu Wen nodded in response.

"Do you have any interest? Of the five big families in Luo River, the Wang family is one we have supported, but now they’ve grown wings and are somewhat insubordinate."

Lu Chan’s voice carried a chill, and a hint of murderous intent flickered in her beautiful eyes.

At that moment, Hee Huan spoke, "I am here for this matter too; my Sect has supported the Rong family, and they too have become disobedient."

Gu Wen looked thoughtful and asked, "Doesn’t your Major Sect have any means of control?"

Isn’t this just a local rebellion against the Emperor?

"Our sect factions are different; we have different backers than those behind them. Normally we could live in harmony. But this time with the thousand catties of Spiritual Medicine, they’re not planning to share any of it. So, we plan to join forces. We’ve heard that Fellow Daoist fought Xiao Yunyi to a draw, and we want to invite you to share the Spiritual Medicine."

Hee Huan explained and revealed their purpose.

Gu Wen immediately understood; it all boiled down to the pursuit of benefit.

"Then you plan to ally with an outsider like me, can your backing Sects agree to this?"

"If the Sect agreed, a True Monarch would have intervened on our behalf," Lu Chan sneered, "It’s precisely because they don’t agree that we’re taking matters into our own hands."

Hee Huan also stated, "The Sect promised me half of the reward, but having helped the Rong family many times before, half isn’t enough. If the Sect won’t give it, I’ll take it myself."

The style of Demon Path cultivators is unmasked and capricious, valuing strength above all.

"Fellow Daoist, if you assist me, I’ll give you three-tenths of the Spiritual Medicine."

Lu Chan then slammed the table and coldly said, "A dog that bites cannot be spared. Fellow Daoist, help me annihilate the Wang family completely, and I’ll give you eighty percent. These old fools dare to suppress me with a bunch of yokels, intending to cut off my cultivation. Today I kill the dogs, tomorrow them too."

Hiss...

Gu Wen respected them more, finding them to his liking.

Is this what Demon Path cultivators are like? Daoist Gu likes!

Gu Wen sat down, took a sip of tea, and with a peaceful smile in their puzzled gazes said, "Why not wipe out all five of the Luo River families, clean them out entirely?"

He couldn’t do it alone, but combined with two Demon Path geniuses, and by calling upon Hee Huan and Murong to assist, it might just be possible.

Upstairs.

Sensing what was happening below, Ao Tang tugged at the corner of his mouth and looked up to ask Yu Hua, "Is this really okay?"

Yu Hua asked back, puzzled, "Struggling over the chance to become Immortal in the Immortal Land, the strongest prevails. What’s wrong with that?"

Ao Tang looked exasperated and said, "No, it’s just that this kid acts more like the Demon Path than the actual Demon Path."