Chapter 2423: General's Tomb

If a disciple of a sect possesses exceptional talent and profound fortune, then one day this person will eventually surpass all fellow disciples, and even the sect master and grand elder.

On that day, the sect will be unable to offer him any help and might even become a burden. The cultivation methods passed down by the sect will also have been cultivated to their peak, and no one will be able to guide him further.

This person knows that in an extremely distant place, there exists another sect far more powerful than their own, possessing richer cultivation resources and more profound cultivation techniques…

Different people might make different choices.

Some would not hesitate to leave their sect and join that powerful sect, to pursue the Great Dao in a broader world.

Others would choose to stay and painstakingly lead their sect to grow into one that can rival the powerful sect.

The latter choice should be much more difficult than the former. But what if the path to that powerful sect is fraught with thorns, and even if the sect produces many talented individuals, only a handful ultimately succeed in making their way there?

Qin Sang was unsure whether the mighty cultivators of the Spirit Realm had found ascension too difficult and were forced onto the Mahayana path, or if someone had already taken that step and seen the promising future of the Mahayana path.

Regardless, Qingyuan's words offered Qin Sang a whole new perspective on the relationship between cultivators and the Great Thousand Worlds.

Nothing in the world is eternal. Living beings experience birth, aging, sickness, and death. The Great Thousand Worlds also undergo formation, dwelling, decay, and emptiness. Is there an essential difference between the Great Thousand Worlds and living beings?

Life is fleeting. The instinct of living beings is to reproduce. And even from the perspective of the Lesser Vehicle path, ascending cultivators might be seeds birthed by the Great Thousand Worlds. When everything in the Great Thousand Worlds eventually becomes silent and desolate, these seeds might still carry the hope of the Great Thousand Worlds and continue to grow.

If a tree, a yellow talisman, or a stone can nurture spirits, cultivate to become immortals, and change the fate of death, then why can't the Great Thousand Worlds abide eternally? If living beings can cultivate and become immortals, why can't the Great Thousand Worlds?

A phrase suddenly flashed through Qin Sang's mind: "Is the Immortal Realm inherently distinct?"

This leads to an ultimate question: What lies beyond the cosmos?

Consider the countless stars in the night sky. According to True Immortal Ning, each star is a Great Thousand World.

The Great Thousand Worlds are nurseries for the Lesser Thousand Worlds, and this universe nurtures the Great Thousand Worlds.

If the Immortal Realm is a higher-level universe above this one, then the so-called Mahayana path might be a delusion.

If the Immortal Realm is merely one of countless stars, having grown from an ordinary Great Thousand World, perhaps simply because it was born earlier and progressed further, standing out among countless Great Thousand Worlds.

The more Qin Sang thought, the more his head throbbed. This question could probably only be answered by ascended cultivators. He hadn't even left the Great Thousand Worlds himself, let alone comprehend the boundless cosmos…

Qingyuan waited quietly beside him for Qin Sang to digest this information.

Before long, Qin Sang sighed, "Thank you, Fellow Daoist, for dispelling my confusion. This has been truly eye-opening, but it has also raised even more questions."

As the saying goes, "Heaven and Earth are impartial; they treat all beings as straw dogs."

Whether humans or demons, ghosts, and monsters, or mountains, rocks, and vegetation, all are members of the Spirit Realm, without distinction.

Qin Sang reflected on his own actions. To cultivate the Mahayana Dao of Slaughter and protect Qingyangzhi, he had slaughtered the vast army sent by King Lu to suppress them. From the perspective of the Spirit Realm, this might not have been beneficial. Presumably, no Great Dao can benefit everyone; even the deities of the Divine Dao can only protect one side.

If he truly embarks on the Mahayana Dao of Slaughter, how should he act to remain true to his original intention and still benefit the Spirit Realm?

Qingyuan chuckled, "Not only are you puzzled, Daoist, but many things still have no definitive conclusion to this day. This is why those fellow Daoists have been debating ceaselessly. You must know that the most irreconcilable conflict in the world is the 'Dao dispute' – it can be said to be the source of all strife and killing in the cultivation world. Cultivators of the Lesser Vehicle Dao merely contend for face, cultivation opportunities, and elixirs or treasures, spending most of their time in arduous cultivation in their caves. However, once a Dao dispute arises within the Mahayana Dao, it will exclude everything else, becoming a matter of 'you or I,' completely eradicating the enemy's lineage. It could be a never-ending war affecting an entire realm, with terrifying consequences!"

Upon hearing this, Qin Sang's heart immediately turned cold.

This was not difficult to understand. If an ambitious divine master emerged in the Divine Dao, seeking to transform the Spirit Realm into a world of the Divine Dao, all other Dao lineages, whether Mahayana or Lesser Vehicle, would be excluded. Whether they were reclusive or worldly, they would be drawn into the Dao dispute until the Spirit Realm was completely transformed into a divine realm!

Of course, no matter which Dao lineage, it would be extremely difficult to eradicate other lineages. The outcome would likely be similar to mortal nations, with multiple states coexisting.

But that would also entail ceaseless warfare. This would not be like mortal wars; wars between cultivators could devastate heaven and earth!

A more likely outcome is that the Spirit Realm would be ravaged by war, and, before the Divine Dao could become dominant, it would already have entered 'decay and emptiness' prematurely.

Qingyuan continued, "Someone proposed an ideal state: to view the Spirit Realm as a nation, where within a single nation, there are rulers, ministers, assistants, and envoys; there are kings, nobles, generals, and prime ministers, but also scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants – none are dispensable! Just like the Three Thousand Great Daos, since these Daos exist, they must have their reasons. Why must it be a life-or-death struggle?"

Qin Sang's eyes lit up. "Is this why the Great Zhou has always existed?"

Among the various races in the Spirit Realm, humanity is the strongest.

Ostensibly, humanity collectively reveres the Zhou King. The Eight Heavenly Provinces encompass over ninety percent of the human population. Apart from the Western Regions' Buddhist Land, all sects and factions are subjects of the Great Zhou.

If various forces can reach a consensus in the imperial court, it will become the general trend of the world, an unstoppable torrent!

Of course, this is the most ideal scenario.

Can a Dao dispute truly be resolved with mere words?

The worst-case scenario is the fragmentation of the Great Zhou, with beacon fires rising everywhere!

Qingyuan nodded. "This is just one aspect. Even if everyone is willing to compromise, a problem must first be resolved: Who will be the ruler, and who will be the minister? As far as I know, various Dao lineages have long been developing in secret and have already gained momentum. For example, Yanzhou and Kanzhou are deeply influenced by Buddhism and Daoism. Several commanderies in the southwestern Genzhou have been transformed into mechanical cities by the Mohists. And in the southeastern Zhenzhou, divine temples stand in abundance, and the Divine Dao flourishes…”

At this point, Qingyuan glanced at Qin Sang.

Qin Sang knew he was referring to the Dao Court. Having returned to the Great Thousand World, it certainly wouldn't be content with obscurity; it was merely biding its time.

"Currently, the Zhou King's position is still relatively stable, and he can still keep them contained within their respective provinces…" Qingyuan paused, then sighed softly, "I only hope that the debates in the imperial court can yield a result."

Qingyuan's wish was probably also the wish of everyone under heaven.

Qin Sang had successively visited four of the Eight Heavenly Provinces. All were under the rule of the Great Zhou. With standardized tracks for carriages and common written characters, their appearances were largely similar. Those forces, at least on the surface, had to show some deference to the Great Zhou.

So, undercurrents had long been stirring within the Eight Heavenly Provinces, perhaps merely awaiting a certain opportune moment.

Beyond the Great Zhou, there were also foreign races.

Beyond the Spirit Realm, there was also the Demon Realm.

The weakening of the realm barrier and the impending demonic catastrophe were further undeniable factors.

"This world is truly on the verge of chaos!" Qin Sang murmured, immediately feeling a sense of urgency.

These matters were too heavy. Qingyuan waited for Qin Sang to digest this information, then spoke of some interesting anecdotes to lighten the mood. "Due to everyone's understanding of the Spirit Realm, there is also another perspective on heavenly tribulations."

"Oh?" Qin Sang showed interest.

"Why do Nascent Soul and Soul Transformation cultivators face the Four-Nine Heavenly Tribulation, Void Refining and Body Integration cultivators face the Six-Nine Heavenly Tribulation, while Mahayana cultivators experience the Formless Tribulation?" Qingyuan first posed a question in return, then answered himself: "If we cultivators are all like fruits or roots on a tree, then the nutrients a large tree can provide are limited. The Four-Nine and Six-Nine Heavenly Tribulations are the Spirit Realm's way of selecting the fullest fruits and strongest roots, eliminating the inferior and supplying nutrients to the most talented few. Whether they ascend to the Immortal Realm to propagate the Spirit Realm, or stay behind to lead the Spirit Realm's ascent, only they will not waste nutrients and hold the most promise."

"Removing impurities, preserving the essence."

Qin Sang unconsciously uttered these four words. This perspective treated the Spirit Realm as an entity with its own will and preferences.

"Perhaps this is a rule governing the Great Thousand Worlds," Qingyuan said.

"But," Qin Sang found it hard to imagine what a Spirit Realm with a world-will would be like, and pressed on, "How then do you explain the Formless Tribulation?"

"Daoist, having endured the Six-Nine Heavenly Tribulation, you must know that when cultivators undergo the Six-Nine Heavenly Tribulation, it draws forth outer-realm celestial demons…"

Before Qingyuan could finish, Qin Sang suddenly understood much.

"Perhaps the cosmos does not wish for strong cultivators to emerge from the Great Thousand Worlds, breaking through the rules of formation, dwelling, decay, and emptiness. From the Six-Nine Heavenly Tribulation onwards, the cosmos can already exert influence over the Great Thousand Worlds' heavenly tribulations… After cultivators break through to the Mahayana stage, the Spirit Realm shifts from tempering them to protecting them, yet it cannot completely shield them from the cosmos's influence. This influence accumulates and only erupts at a certain point, hence, the Mahayana Tribulation is formless and timeless…”

Qingyuan's words aligned with Qin Sang's thoughts. Once those principles were understood, these were not difficult to comprehend.

As they were speaking, Qin Sang suddenly noticed a glimmer of light appearing in the deep darkness ahead.

Activating the clam pearl in his hand, he realized they were already nearing the deepest part of the clam shell. Even the shadow of Great Sage Guizang was nowhere to be seen, having been left far behind.

"We're almost there," Qin Sang said.

They concluded their conversation. Qingyuan fixed his gaze on the light source ahead.

The light was very faint, almost invisible to the naked eye. It was like a faint blue ripple, resembling water under moonlight.

"Hmm? Interesting…"

Qingyuan seemed to have discovered something.

"What do you see, Fellow Daoist? Isn't that the Rivers and Mountains Scroll?" Qin Sang asked directly.

During this time, Qingyuan had answered so many of his questions that Qin Sang's wariness had greatly diminished. Of course, if Qingyuan intended him harm, no amount of caution from Qin Sang would be effective.

"It doesn't look like the work of the Painting Saint. It seems related to the Black Tortoise race. Could the Black Tortoise Saint Race have left behind some contingency?"

Qingyuan pondered for a moment, then suddenly sped up his evasion technique.

Qin Sang felt the distance between himself and the light rapidly closing. An expanse of water gradually appeared in his vision. The water surface before them was unusually calm and waveless, just like the outside Guixu's water surface; he even thought it was another Guixu.

However, the water here appeared even more ethereal and light than the light itself.

Qin Sang's expression shifted slightly. He had been talking with Qingyuan just now, neglecting some things. Upon seeing this water surface, the eerie sensation he had felt at the entrance suddenly became much more pronounced.

What was here that could evoke such an eerie feeling?

This was not a good sign. However, with Qingyuan beside him, Qin Sang felt no worry and quietly observed Qingyuan's actions.

Qingyuan stopped at the edge of the water surface. Gazing at the boundless water, he fell into contemplation.

"Could this be the burial ground of the Black Tortoise Saint Race?" Qin Sang mused internally. It was so eerie here that he couldn't help but associate it with a graveyard. If he could unearth a few Black Tortoise corpses from here, it would be a huge gain.

Suddenly, Qingyuan raised his head and stared intently at a spot on the water.

Then Qin Sang also saw it: some light silhouettes appeared there. These light silhouettes moved underwater, resembling a school of fish.

"They really are fish!"

Qin Sang exclaimed in surprise.

This school of fish was extremely agile. As they swam in the water, they actually appeared to be living creatures, yet their movement did not disturb the tranquility here, nor did any aura emanate from them.

"Hmm?"

Hearing Qin Sang's soft exclamation, Qingyuan looked over. "Have you seen these fish before, Daoist?"

"They seem to be a kind of… Star Spirit!"

Qin Sang couldn't sense any aura from the school of fish. Yet for some reason, these fish gave him a feeling extremely similar to the Star Spirits he had previously obtained. His intuition told him they might be Star Spirits!

"Star Spirits…"

Qingyuan asked Qin Sang for a detailed account of how he obtained the Star Spirits in the Black Tortoise Seven Mansions. After a moment of thought, he suddenly asked, "Are these Star Spirits useful to you, Daoist?"

Qin Sang hesitated for a moment, then nodded without explaining.

Qingyuan said, "It seems there are quite a few Star Spirits here. Since they are useful, I will help you collect some later. I can't let you risk your life with me for nothing. However, we can't touch them yet…"

In the past, Qin Sang might have exchanged polite pleasantries, but not now.

Having learned about the world's grand trends from Qingyuan, Qin Sang felt an increasing sense of urgency. His current cultivation level was too low; he had to break through to Body Integration before the world descended into chaos. The more Star Spirits he had, the faster his cultivation speed, and the sooner he could achieve a breakthrough!

Before his words had fully faded, Qingyuan, who was about to step onto the water, suddenly stopped.

Noticing Qingyuan's expression, Qin Sang's heart immediately tightened. Was there some hidden danger here?

"What else have you discovered, Fellow Daoist?" Qin Sang fully activated his spirit eyes, but he could only see the boundless water surface and a school of carefree swimming fish.

"Not here," Qingyuan raised his head. His gaze deepened, seemingly piercing through the clam shell and the Guixu, seeing an unknown place. "Over there, hmm, it should be the Arctic Ice Plains that Daoist mentioned…"

He stared intently in that direction. After a moment of silence, his eyes shifted slightly, and finally, he exclaimed, "So that's it! I didn't expect the General's Tomb to be here too!"

The Arctic Ice Plains.

At this very moment, the surroundings of the ice and snow vortex were already unrecognizable. Countless icebergs and snowfields had been swallowed by the vortex.

This ice and snow vortex had become a colossal beast in the ice plains, a gluttonous taotie, frantically feeding, devouring everything around it. Its body continuously expanded as it fed, seemingly without end.

Terrifying winds and snow raged across the land. Several blurry figures had surrounded this colossal beast.