Eternal Swordmaster
Chapter 648 - 643: Choosing Merits One

Chapter 648: Chapter 643: Choosing Merits One

"Set aside those chaotic divine skills and techniques," Lin Xin said, "only by returning to the source can one grasp the foundation of the Great Dao."

Suddenly, Dragon Serpent raised his hand and pointed at Lin Xin’s brow from afar.

Hum!!

Numerous cultivation techniques and decrees flooded into Lin Xin’s mind.

They were not miscellaneous ones, but rather, all were the subsequent cultivation techniques of the Green Yuan Decision.

Starting from the fifth rank all the way to the advancement to the sixth rank, all were present, a complete set of scrolls. On top of that, there were many annotations and notes made by Dragon Serpent himself, including his views, cautions, and epiphanies.

"I’m not much of a teacher, so these are all the techniques up to the sixth rank for you to study carefully," Dragon Serpent said, lifting his hand and pointing once more.

Lin Xin’s head tilted slightly back as a new set of information surged into his mind.

’I possess three techniques and six laws, and you may choose any one to form the foundation for your Great Dao. The three techniques are killing techniques, while the six laws are spell methods and divine skills, each capable of proving the Great Dao.’

After that, chunks of new information continuously emerged in Lin Xin’s mind. They were all powerful divine techniques based on the Green Yuan Decision.

’Devouring Sky Shooting Sun Technique,’ ’Earth Fire Primordial Technique,’ ’Sun-Forging Technique.’

’Fire Cloud Technique,’ ’Soul-Cleaving Slaughter Technique,’ ’Cave Heaven Technique,’ ’Mysterious Yin Technique,’ ’Higher Green Yuan Alchemy Method,’ ’Nine Dragons Sacred Technique.’

Just by giving them a cursory look, Lin Xin felt that each contained countless profound principles and encompassed all phenomena, interpreting the universe from various different perspectives.

"These three techniques and six arts are nine supreme skills painstakingly collected over ten thousand years by your teacher. Each is incredibly powerful, leading directly to the Heavenly Immortal Great Dao. Do not underestimate them," Dragon Serpent said solemnly.

"Disciple understands," Lin Xin nodded seriously.

Upon closer examination, most of these three techniques and six arts were fire-attributed cultivation methods, all centered around the Green Yuan Decision, harnessing various powers to refine oneself.

Dragon Serpent had transferred a portion of each technique into Lin Xin’s mind, including the introduction and overall concept.

"You can take your time to choose when you go back. I’ll always be in the Deep Fire Palace, just come to find me when you’ve made your choice," Dragon Serpent said with a smile.

"Next, I shall explain to you what the Earth Immortal Great Dao is."

He stretched out his hand and drew in midair, and instantly, a ring of green energy rose into the air, spreading out from in front of him.

"Please enlighten me, Honored Master," Lin Xin said urgently.

"The Earth Immortal Great Dao is divided into five realms, twelve layers.

The first realm — Dust Condensation.

The second realm — Origin Earth.

The third realm — Cause of Life.

The fourth realm — Candle of Fate.

The fifth realm — Boundlessness.

The first four realms each have three layers: entry, mastery, and perfection. The final realm, Boundlessness, isn’t mandatory to achieve before ascending to become a Heavenly Immortal or a saint."

Dragon Serpent explained.

"The Earth Immortal Great Dao is divided into so many stages?"

Lin Xin was slightly surprised.

Dragon Serpent chuckled. With rolling green energy in his hand, two emerald-colored fruits shaped like apples appeared and fell into his palms.

"Earth Immortals, as the name implies, achieve immortality through the earth. We beings of wisdom, no matter how powerful, are just individual entities. We all have an upper limit that’s unbreakable. Thus, ancient beings of great power tried to dissipate themselves and become one with all things. This is the origin of what we call Earth Immortals."

"Becoming one with all things?"

"Exactly."

Dragon Serpent handed the fruits to Lin Xin.

"These are the fruits that I’ve grown."

Lin Xin noticed that Dragon Serpent emphasized the word ’I.’

"You’re right, it’s a fruit tree that I became, bearing these Bi Lin fruits," Dragon Serpent admitted with a nod.

"Many scholars once proposed a theory, that of the collective consciousness, which is most suitable to explain the Earth Immortal Great Dao.

What we do is to divide ourselves into countless parts and integrate into a land, and then elevate everything as a whole, unshackling ourselves from innate restrictions, using the earth as our foundation step by step till we attain immortality and transcend."

With this explanation, Lin Xin immediately understood.

"So, the path you will take in the future will first require you to well cultivate your Taoist soldier, to get used to the many divided selves, which will provide a better foundation when you differentiate into multitudes later on.

Meanwhile, the Taoist soldiers that you cultivate will also become a protective force when you are at your weakest after separation. Whether you’re cultivating the foundational land or intending to do something else, you will be powerless, and you can only rely on your Taoist soldiers."

Dragon Serpent said with profound meaning.

"That’s why we train many strong Taoist soldiers before reaching the fifth rank."

"Disciple understands..."

Lin Xin nodded earnestly.

"In our Green Lake Mountain lineage, the main body of Taoist soldiers are primarily of the lush green type, but that is just the standard."

Dragon Serpent flipped his hand, and suddenly there appeared a tiny seed that changed between red and blue halos.

"This is the unique Vacant Yang Phoenix Cry Seed from the Mystery-Less Cave of Suspended Pure Mountain. As my disciple, each one of you is bestowed with one.

It’s a signature Taoist soldier of my Dragon Serpent lineage. Take this to cultivate.

This Taoist soldier differs from others. Once planted, regardless of your cultivation level, it will grow into a Blood Dragon Child. Its combat strength is equivalent to a fifth rank in perfection, capable of defending you. However, since you did not cultivate it yourself, it cannot aid your cultivation. Remember not to become dependent on it."

Dragon Serpent offered a Taoist soldier seed nurtured to the fifth rank as if it were nothing.

What is a teacher? This is a teacher!

Lin Xin, who had been worried about not being able to afford a Taoist seed, was now relieved to receive a sixth rank Taoist soldier seed.

In his heart, he couldn’t help but feel that the treatment in Qing Shan Realm paled in comparison. He took the seed with a much more solemn expression.

"Come, let’s go have a look at the Blood Dragon Child nurtured by your fellow disciple," Dragon Serpent continued.

With a sweep of his sleeve, a flurry of lights flashed before the two of them.

When it stopped,

they were already inside a huge cave.

Countless pointy stalactites hung tightly clustered from the cave ceiling.

The surrounding walls glinted with blood-red, gigantic symbols from afar.

The two hovered in midair, with steaming, dark red magma bubbling beneath their feet.

"Master, Junior Brother, have you arrived?"

A tall Magma Giant stood up from the magma.

"I brought your Junior Brother to see the Blood Dragon Child," the Dragon Serpent said aloud.

Magma Demon Oro nodded and clapped his hands together.

Suddenly, magma burst forth, revealing a burly man dressed in black full-body armor with a helmet, his armor intricately and delicately patterned.

The man’s eyes were pitch black, devoid of white, slightly unsettling to behold.

He held a sword in one hand and a shield in the other. Both were made of black metal, thick and sturdy.

"This is the Blood Dragon Child. Unless torn to shreds, he can quickly heal his wounds and has the strength of one dragon," Oro explained.

"So Junior Brother also received a Taoist Soldier Seed? This thing is hard to enhance. It’s already a Fifth-Rank Taoist Soldier. The Blood Dragon Child I nurtured isn’t much different from what other senior brothers have nurtured. Cultivation’s foundation is the Taoist Soldier, but in the end, one must cultivate it themselves.

The gift from our Honored Master is ultimately just for self-protection," he said.

"Senior Brother is right," Lin Xin acknowledged.

"Alright, communicate more with your Senior Brother, and once you’ve chosen a suitable Taoist Art, you can come to the Deep Fire Palace to find me."

"Yes."

Dragon Serpent turned and vanished.

Lin Xin slowly descended, standing on the magma alongside Oro.

"Junior Brother’s physical body is also extremely strong," Oro remarked, somewhat surprised.

Normally, members of the Human Race who cultivate, if they don’t have a Protective Aura, would scarcely be able to touch magma directly like this.

"I practiced some Body Cultivation Techniques in the past, Senior Brother is too kind," Lin Xin said with a smile.

"I practice the Fire Cloud Technique. The other two seniors, the Eldest Senior Brother practices the Cave Heaven Technique, and Senior Sister practices the Earth Fire Primordial Technique," Oro shared, leading several shorter flame humanoids with Lin Xin toward the depths of the Cave.

After walking for a while, they arrived at a sweltering black pavilion.

The pavilion floated above the magma, beneath it a large slab of black rock.

Oro walked up and sat down.

Lin Xin followed and sat down as well.

"Bring some fire source fruits."

"Yes, King."

Several flame humanoids quickly served up a plate of withered fruits, emitting black smoke.

They placed it in front of Lin Xin.

"I know you’re not used to eating these, but it would be impolite not to offer some hospitality to Junior Brother," Oro said, grinning.

His flames were so bright that anyone who saw him would feel a stab of pain in their eyes.

"Which layer of the Green Yuan Decision has Senior Brother reached?" Lin Xin asked casually, picking up a black fruit.

"I take the Green Yuan Decision as the foundation and merge myriad Cultivation Techniques into the Fire Cloud Technique, and now I have metamorphosed thirty-six times. The Green Yuan Decision has already reached Fifth-Rank Perfection. I’m just a step away from the Sixth Rank of the Great Dao.

But it’s this step that has stalled me for three thousand years..." Oro sighed, his lava flow seemingly slowing down a bit.

Lin Xin was astonished.

"Three thousand years... Has Senior Brother really stayed in the Dragon Serpent Realm for three thousand years?"

"Hehe, it seems Junior Brother is unaware," Magma Demon Oro shook his head. "The path of an Earth Immortal, like that of a Human Immortal, starts from the beginning, ascending from low to high. It seems like just one level, but in truth, it’s similar to the time as a Human Immortal.

A Human Immortal starts by initially generating Inner Qi, then enters the Innate stage, steps into Qi Cultivation, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, and finally reaches the Polar Region to become a Human Immortal.

From Inner Qi to the Polar Region Human Immortal, the whole stage is collectively known as the Human Immortal path."

"Does that mean the Earth Immortal path is the same?" Lin Xin asked in return.

"Exactly," Oro said, knowing that the master had brought this Junior Brother here for him to enlighten on some of these basic concepts.

"The Earth Immortal path starts with Dust Condensation, and one ascends step by step, also an extremely lengthy process. Thus, within the six ranks of Earth Immortals, the disparity in strength can be as vast as heaven and earth, similar to the huge gap between the Golden Core and Foundation Establishment stages of Human Immortals."

"I’ve learned a lot," Lin Xin said, suddenly understanding.

"As you should."

Oro patted the table confidently.

"Talking too much is not as good as us having a bout to see to what extent Junior Brother has reached," he suggested.

"Then please enlighten me, Senior Brother," Lin Xin gladly agreed.

In some respects, he too was a combat fanatic, having practically turned actual combat and slaughter into instinct. For him, fighting was as simple as eating and drinking.

Both men rose and stood apart on the surface of a nearby river of magma, facing each other down.

"I will start by exerting force from the Third Level of the Fifth Rank. If you can’t hold on, Junior Brother must not be stubborn," the Magma Giant expressed some concern. After all, even though the Junior Brother had advanced to the Fifth Rank of Pureblood breakthrough into the Void Realm, firstly, the breakthrough had been too recent, and secondly, his own natural mana as a natural-born Primordial Magma Demon God was formidable. Any Spell Method he released would be several times more powerful than that of an average cultivator.

He didn’t want to cause accidental harm.

"Don’t worry, Senior Brother," Lin Xin assured him.

Lin Xin wanted to see for himself just how much difference there was between himself and a Fifth-Rank Perfection.

Suppressing his Attributes, he tried his best to stimulate the sword Forms using purely the Green Yuan Decision.

Sss!

Sss!

Both of them almost simultaneously entered their maxed Polar Regions. Everything around them suddenly became rigid and still.