Chapter 2348: Enlightenment
On the Saint Sealing Mountain, Chu Chunqiu, Lin Feng, and the Ice-Sealing Saint Emperor stood there calmly. The ancient mountain before them seemed to emanate a powerful aura of the Heavenly Dao, so clear and distinct.
The Ice-Sealing Saint Emperor glanced at Chu Chunqiu and Lin Feng, then smiled and said, "Thank you both. If not for you, I fear I would never have understood until now. The Heavenly Dao is ethereal, originally illusory. Seeking it yields nothing; following it yields results. I am one with it, following the Heavenly Dao, and thus can naturally sense its intent. After so many years, I have finally achieved great enlightenment. It seems the Saint Realm is truly within reach."
Having said this, the Ice-Sealing Saint Emperor sat cross-legged right before the Saint Sealing Mountain, as if he no longer needed Saint Fortune to comprehend the Saint Realm. By following Heaven and accepting fate, he would gain the recognition of the Heavenly Dao and transcend to sainthood.
"Follow the Heavenly Dao?" Lin Feng murmured to himself. What was following, and what was defying? He was incompatible with the outside world, at odds with the Heavenly Dao. He created his own world, where he was the master. In his world, he should be the Heavenly Dao.
"The Heavenly Dao deceives people; how can one follow it?" Chu Chunqiu muttered. His gaze was icy cold, his pupils staring at the sky like terrifying demonic eyes, as if trying to pierce through the Saint Sealing Mountain before him. He would not follow; he would defy. The Heavenly Dao deceived people; he would not be deceived by it.
The Ice-Sealing Saint Emperor, Lin Feng, and Chu Chunqiu—three people, three different insights. Who would gain the Heavenly Dao and become a saint?
In the distance, many people looked toward the Saint Sealing Mountain. To them, it seemed like an illusory, non-existent space. No matter how powerful they were, they could not step into it. But the Ice-Sealing Saint Emperor and the other two had truly vanished from their side and arrived before the Saint Sealing Mountain. Was it really a matter of insufficient insight?
"The Ice-Sealing Saint Emperor is cultivating now. I'm afraid he has sensed the Saint Realm. Perhaps he is not far from it," someone said.
"This time the Saint Sealing Domain has opened. I wonder how many will become saints."
Those powerful Saint Emperors, even knowing the Saint Realm was close at hand, could not reach it. It was a matter of enlightenment. If one's insight was insufficient, no matter how strong their will, it was useless.
Lin Feng stood before the Saint Sealing Mountain, his eyes closed. It was already the fifth day. At this moment, he sank into his own world, very quiet. Last time, when he was besieged by a powerful expert in the Black Wind Tomb Valley, his understanding of the world had deepened by another level. However, the evolution was still insufficient. His power of dominion could be even stronger.
At this moment, inside Lin Feng's world, his phantom appeared. Above the heavens, wind and clouds gathered. The power of dominion seemed to control everything. The Heavenly Dao—what was the Heavenly Dao? As the master of the world, could he establish his own Heavenly Dao?
Martial artists comprehend the Heavenly Dao and achieve saintly methods. That was their insight into the Heavenly Dao, surpassing the scope of the Dao and reaching a deeper level of power. If Lin Feng's cultivation path was different from others, but he still wanted to possess powerful combat strength, he clearly needed to forge his own Heavenly Dao order.
"The Heavenly Dao is ethereal yet real, true and false, illusory and real." Lin Feng's phantom flickered and vanished in an instant. Soon, he arrived at a city—a city in his world. Over the years, Lin Feng's Martial Soul world had evolved many regions, and many cities had taken the form of a world in its infancy.
Lin Feng stood before the Saint Sealing Mountain, simultaneously comprehending his own world. This was his cultivation method. The Ice-Sealing Saint Emperor was following the Heavenly Dao, while Chu Chunqiu believed the Heavenly Dao deceived people.
Time passed, mountains and rivers changed. In the Saint Sealing Domain, the number of powerful experts gradually decreased over the years. Many had left the Saint Sealing Mountain. The map in the sky had long since disappeared. In a certain direction of the Saint Sealing Mountain, within a fire region, Qiong Tian sat there. Around Qiong Tian, many experts from the Flame Temple gathered, turning this area into a sea of flames.
Previously, the Flame Temple had seized a Saint Fortune. The Flame Temple decided to give that Saint Fortune to Qiong Tian. The others cultivated beside him, hoping to borrow his aura and gain some insight, maximizing the value of the Saint Fortune.
As for the Saint Fortune seized by the Earth Temple, it was given to Chi Lian Shan. Qiong Tian and Chi Lian Shan were Limit Saint Emperor figures. They had the highest probability of breaking through with the help of the Saint Fortune. Even if others were reluctant, they ultimately made this decision to avoid internal discord within the temples. On the side of the Fate Temple, they had also seized a Saint Fortune. Now, they were all cultivating with the help of the Saint Fortune. However, entering the Saint Realm was by no means an overnight matter. Thus, a few years passed, and the Saint Sealing Domain became extremely quiet, but still, no one had become a saint.
However, on this day, in the cave dwelling where Qiong Tian was, a terrifying aura suddenly burst forth, extremely powerful. This aura spread wildly, soon covering the entire Saint Sealing Domain, incredibly strong.
The people around Qiong Tian opened their eyes, their gazes sharp and piercing.
"Breakthrough!" Their eyes turned toward Qiong Tian in the sea of flames. The aura of a saint—so intense. Qiong Tian was about to step into the Saint Realm.
"Someone is about to break through!" At that moment, a roar shook the earth, echoing through the entire void of heaven and earth, lingering for a long time. From another direction, another saintly aura spread out, terrifying to the extreme.
"Another breakthrough. Two saints!" The hearts of the crowd trembled. The Saint Sealing Domain opened once every thousand years, and each time, at least three saints appeared. Now, it seemed two saints were about to emerge. That terrifying aura was incredibly powerful.
Qiong Tian's entire body was bathed in flames. He opened his eyes, and instantly, the wind and clouds between heaven and earth seemed to surge, transforming into flames. He stood up, slowly floating into the air. His image seemed to involuntarily grow taller, as if, if he wished, he could pluck stars from the sky.
"Such powerful strength. This is it." Qiong Tian reached out and pointed into the void. In an instant, a hole seemed to appear in the sky. That mysterious power seemed to borrow the might of the Heavenly Dao, its strength immeasurable. When the finger disappeared, a trail of black fire remained in the void, extremely terrifying.
This was the majesty of a saint—a finger piercing the heavens. His gaze looked into the distance. His flame eyes burned fiercely, his aura terrifying. The Evil God of the Ancient Realm Clan had killed Qiong Hai Ya right in front of him back then. Now, blood debts must be repaid in blood.
The Flame Temple could not openly suppress them, but now that he had stepped from the Saint Emperor Realm into the Saint Realm, carrying overwhelming power to sweep through the Ancient Realm Clan, who would dare to speak against him?
"Let's go!" Qiong Tian strode forward, heading out of the Saint Sealing Domain. For some reason, this time the Saint Sealing Domain had not closed for so long.
"Qiong Tian, when we return to the Flame Temple, the master will surely be very happy. You have entered the Saint Realm at such a young age," a powerful expert said with a smile.
Qiong Tian's expression was cold and fierce, causing the speaker's heart to tremble slightly. When the other looked at him, he felt as if he could not bear that gaze and couldn't help but lower his head slightly. Such was the majesty of a saint. Qiong Tian had achieved the Dao in one morning and become a saint. His entire demeanor had changed, carrying the saintly might. Between the two of them, there was now a chasm.
"Before returning to the Flame Temple, let's go to the Ancient Realm Clan first," Qiong Tian said coldly.
"Go to the Ancient Realm Clan?" the saintly expert asked.
"Yes, to kill people." Qiong Tian's body exuded a murderous intent, terrifying to the extreme. Soon, his figure turned into a streak of light and left this place.
After they left, a bare-chested figure slowly rose into the air. It was Chi Lian Shan.
"Going to the Ancient Realm Clan? Let's see if your saintly power is stronger, or mine." Chi Lian Shan spoke, then he too strode forward and left this place. It seemed he was also heading to the Ancient Realm Clan.
They did not know that Lin Feng was not actually in the Ancient Realm Clan. He was still before the Saint Sealing Mountain.
At this moment, the Ice-Sealing Saint Emperor beside Lin Feng had already opened his eyes, a smile on his face. He glanced at Chu Chunqiu and Lin Feng beside him, his gaze flickering. It was Chu Chunqiu and Lin Feng who had given him a spark of insight, allowing him the opportunity for sudden enlightenment. Now, he had finally become a saint. Up to this moment, he had not obtained a Saint Fortune, yet he had still entered the Saint Realm. Chu Chunqiu and Lin Feng, however, seemed to still be immersed in their own insights.
On Chu Chunqiu's body, there was a terrifying demonic might. As he opened his mouth and inhaled, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth seemed to all return to him. Above the sky, a terrifying black hole vortex appeared. He wanted to devour everything. The Heavenly Dao deceived people; he would defy Heaven, devour Heaven, and transcend everything. This was his path of cultivation.
Inside Lin Feng's world, the power of dominion was growing stronger and stronger. It was no longer so wild and domineering, but gentle and casual. In front of Lin Feng, there was an ancient tree. Lin Feng moved his mind, and instantly, on the ancient tree, the leaves were emerald green and lush, the branches flourishing. Then, they turned yellow and fell to the ground. Finally, it became winter, frozen and withered, as if the four seasons were changing.
"Is this the power of dominion?" Lin Feng looked ahead. Dominion was the mastery of everything. The path of dominion represented the Heavenly Dao, capable of determining any power. Could he achieve this?