Chapter 3198: Lesser Yin
Within the celestial layers, there existed both the cultivation method of the Immovable Wisdom King Fist and the experiential insights of the *Wisdom King Sutra*. The Chaotic Divine Light and Chaotic Rules that constructed these celestial layers were akin to the Great Venerable's legacy itself. With each layer absorbed, both Zhang Ruochen and Chi Yao's cultivation bases increased dramatically.
Such an opportunity could only be left behind by a Heavenly Venerable.
Zhang Ruochen discovered a pattern: to enter each new celestial layer, he first had to thoroughly comprehend the insights of the Immovable Wisdom King Fist and the *Wisdom King Sutra*. Only then could he absorb the Chaotic Divine Light and Chaotic Rules.
Moreover, whoever between him and Chi Yao succeeded in comprehending first would absorb the vast majority of that layer's Chaotic Divine Light and Chaotic Rules.
The one who succeeded later could only absorb less than a third of the quantity.
In terms of cultivation difficulty, the Immovable Wisdom King Fist, being a Heavenly Venerable divine ability, was clearly harder. Under normal circumstances, only beings at the All Heavens level would devote all their energy to comprehending a Heavenly Venerable's divine ability, in order to enhance their combat power.
Just like Void Heaven comprehending Sword Twenty-Four!
Comprehending the *Wisdom King Sutra*, however, was a gradual process, progressing from the shallow to the deep.
Nevertheless, Zhang Ruochen, who simultaneously possessed the Heart of Truth, the Wuji Divine Dao, and one-tenth of the Origin Essence, did not fall behind Chi Yao in cultivation speed. In fact, he was often in the lead.
The further one progressed in cultivating the Immovable Wisdom King Fist, the harder it became, and the more time it consumed. It was no longer possible to break through eight realms in a single year as at the beginning.
To cultivate the sixteenth layer of fist intent, Zhang Ruochen spent a full millennium in the seventeenth floor of the Sword Pavilion before succeeding.
The seventeenth layer of fist intent took even longer, requiring three thousand years of cultivation.
During the roughly six thousand years of cultivation on the seventeenth floor of the Sword Pavilion, the divine Qi and life energy that radiated from Zhang Ruochen caused oases to appear one after another on the originally barren land.
Of course, these oases were only distributed within a territory of a hundred thousand miles in radius. Compared to the hundreds of millions of miles of land on the seventeenth floor, they were merely specks of dust.
Zhang Ruochen sat cross-legged, the Taiji Yin-Yang Diagram covering a hundred thousand miles, but the most condensed area was only eighteen zhang in radius.
Within that eighteen zhang, black and white were clearly distinguished, space was stable, and rules were dense.
Sixty-eight human-shaped phantom shadows stood around his body, each one appearing to be an independent entity, practicing fist techniques. Countless fist path rules flowed around the figures.
The Immovable Wisdom King Fist was different from the *Wordless Sword Manual*.
Each sword in the *Wordless Sword Manual* possessed a different sword intent, growing stronger, focusing on the comprehension of heaven and earth, experiencing the infinite changes of the universe.
The first layer of the Immovable Wisdom King Fist had only four types of fist intent.
The second layer, building upon the first, added four more, reaching eight types.
The third layer added another four, reaching twelve types.
...
Although it seemed that only four types were added per layer, integrating these four new fist intents with the original ones to achieve a qualitative and quantitative transformation was as difficult as ascending to heaven.
The Sword Ancestor created the *Wordless Sword Manual* by sensing the infinity of heaven and earth, hence the sword path had infinite changes and infinite power.
It was a process of gradually comprehending stronger sword paths from the universe of heaven and earth.
He was the founder of the sword path!
Moreover, the Sword Ancestor's desire to transmit the Dao far surpassed everything else. Therefore, he organized the profound sword manual into various sword intents, from simple to complex, from easy to difficult, making it easier for sword cultivators to get started.
The Immovable Wisdom King Fist took a different path, pursuing the infinity of human strength, using a powerful physical body to resist heaven and earth.
The fist was the strongest divine artifact.
Therefore, before cultivating each layer of fist technique, one had to first cultivate the physical body. Only when the physical body was strong enough could one bear the higher-level fist techniques, thereby breaking the shackles of heaven and earth.
Heaven and earth were water, and man was the fish within.
Fist techniques were the fins and tail, allowing the fish to break through the water and travel swiftly, or giving the fish the power to overturn rivers and seas.
However, the Great Venerable clearly did not have the same strong desire to transmit the Dao as the Sword Ancestor. He simply split the Immovable Wisdom King Fist into parts, making it easier to cultivate.
Yet the cultivation difficulty remained immense.
Even ordinary gods might not be able to comprehend the four types of fist intent of the first layer. Without a divine body, one simply could not withstand the explosive power of the first layer's four fist intents.
The threshold was too high!
The *Wordless Sword Manual* and the Immovable Wisdom King Fist were the ultimate manifestations of the Sword Ancestor's and the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable's cultivation attainments transformed into offensive power. Their philosophies of creation were completely different. What they shared was that they were both still within heaven and earth, unable to transcend.
Zhang Ruochen's cultivation of the Wuji Divine Dao, however, held the opportunity for transcendence.
Perhaps in the future, he could stand on the shoulders of giants, gather the strengths of various schools, and achieve his own supreme Dao, reaching a height unprecedented in history.
But for now, he could only stand at the foot of the mountain, gazing at the majesty of the two divine mountains that were the Sword Ancestor and the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable.
"Whoosh!"
The Earth Cauldron flew out, suspending itself in a position opposite the Lesser Yang.
In an instant, the Origin Rules within heaven and earth surged like a tidal wave towards the Earth Cauldron.
Inside Zhang Ruochen's body, Origin Rules and fist path rules twisted together, rushing towards the Earth Cauldron. Yin-attributed divine Qi converged rapidly at the Earth Cauldron's location, condensing into a vast divine sea.
This divine sea, like the Wuding Divine Sea in the universe, was infinitely vast, mysterious, and distant, yet it was suppressed by the Taiji Yin-Yang Diagram within a square inch, positioned opposite the mountain-shaped Lesser Yang.
The Taiji Yin-Yang Diagram slowly revolved. Lesser Yang and Lesser Yin, one mountain and one sea, were like the two poles of the universe.
And Zhang Ruochen sat at the center of heaven and earth, controlling the balance of Yin and Yang, his entire being filled with Dao charm. Opening his eyes, two star seas appeared in his pupils, constantly expanding and constantly annihilating.
Standing up, Zhang Ruochen came to the fifteenth floor of the Sword Pavilion.
Over the years, Chi Yao had already cultivated Sword Fifteen!
She floated in mid-air, her brows tightly shut, her jade feet stepping on a sea of Chaotic Divine Qi. Strands of her long hair flowed with nine-colored radiance, and above her head, fourteen celestial layers had condensed.
Like a sacred heavenly maiden, she was of ultimate beauty, noble and flawless.
The fourteen celestial layers were like real palaces, with fourteen vast worlds faintly visible within.
The moment Zhang Ruochen appeared, Chi Yao opened her eyes, retracted all the celestial layers into her body, and drifted down to the ground. Her gauze was like butterfly wings, her body untouched by dust.
"Have you condensed the Lesser Yin?" she asked, her red lips glistening.
Zhang Ruochen smiled and nodded, but then shook his head. "The cultivation time was too short. The fist path is still lacking. For now, I can only use the Earth Cauldron as the foundation to condense a false Lesser Yin. Although it's false, the Yin and Yang Qi have finally achieved balance."
Chi Yao said, "You need to cultivate the Immovable Wisdom King Fist to the eighteenth layer?"
"To complete the eighteenth layer, without ten thousand years, it's absolutely impossible." Zhang Ruochen changed the subject. "However, now that I can use the Earth Cauldron to freely condense a false Lesser Yin, it shows that I am not far from condensing a true one. Perhaps, if I seize some fist path essence, I can succeed."
Given the current chaotic and sensitive situation, where was there time for Zhang Ruochen to cultivate for another ten thousand years? Even using the Sundial would not work.
Xuanyuan Lian had already sent messages three times, urging Zhang Ruochen to rush to the second Starry Sky Defense Line.
Yu Ling Shen had sent over a dozen distress signals to the Kunlun Realm.
Even Bai Qinger had communicated with Zhang Ruochen several times through dreams, indicating that Xinghuantian was also in crisis.
During the time he and Chi Yao had been in seclusion cultivating on Wang Shan, over eighty years had passed in the outside world. The universe was undergoing rapid changes, with major events occurring frequently.
In just over eighty years, it felt as if eight eons had passed. Many cultivators had fallen, many forces had been wiped out, the seas had changed, and mulberry fields had turned to dust. It was hard to believe.
Zhang Ruochen could no longer continue his secluded cultivation. The time had come when he had to emerge.
Chi Yao asked, "A small amount of fist path essence is useless to you. You would need at least to be a Fist Path Envoy. Back then, Xuanyuan Lian killed Bula Zhenjun, who ranked ninth in the fist path. He must have seized his fist path essence."
"My relationship with Xuanyuan Lian is purely cooperative. Asking him for fist path essence would definitely cost me several times the price. It's not a worthwhile deal. Besides, he is too shrewd. He would inevitably use this to deduce some secrets of my Wuji Divine Dao. Who knows if we will be friends or foes in the future?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Chi Yao understood. Zhang Ruochen was the foremost talent of the current era, and Xuanyuan Lian was the son of the Heavenly Venerable. Both were proud individuals. Their relationship could only be one of cooperation. Neither would stoop to beg the other.
Just as Zhang Ruochen had messaged Xuanyuan Lian to deal with Xuan Yi, the condition was to help him eradicate the Quantity Organization.
When asking Xuanyuan Lian to save Chi Xingtian, Zhang Ruochen had not been the least bit humble, even resorting to threats.
That was how it was between men. Neither would bow their head to the other.
But Chi Yao dared to assert that if the person in Xuanyuan Lian's position were Xuanyuan Qing, Zhang Ruochen would not be nearly as stubborn.
Chi Yao said, "So, what is your plan?"
"Fist Path Tenth, Xue Changjin." Zhang Ruochen said.
Chi Yao was not surprised, having expected this. "Do you need my help? Xue Changjin is one of the top experts in Fengdu's rules. Not only is he tenth in the fist path, but he is also ninth in divine soul. He is by no means an easy opponent."
The weight of being ninth in divine soul was several times greater than being tenth in the fist path. It represented having the ninth strongest divine soul below the Infinite Realm.
With Chi Yao's current cultivation, combined with Zangjin Baihu, their combat power far surpassed an ordinary Grand Void pinnacle. Even Fengdu Ghost City, she would dare to follow Zhang Ruochen and storm it.
"Give me your hand." Zhang Ruochen said.
A hint of confusion appeared on Chi Yao's beautiful face, but she slowly extended her hand.
Zhang Ruochen grasped her hand, and instantly, Origin Divine Light burst forth between their two hands, scorching hot and bright.
Moments later, one-tenth of the Origin Essence returned to Chi Yao's body.
Chi Yao was puzzled.
Before she could speak, Zhang Ruochen said, "Origin Essence is no longer of much use to me. But if you become the Origin Lord God, you can unleash even greater power alongside Zangjin Baihu. I must go to Fengdu Ghost City, but you cannot come. You have a more important task!"
"You mean the Ancient Desolate Ruins City?" Chi Yao asked.
Zhang Ruochen nodded. "When I return from Fengdu's rules, I will begin my attack on the Quantity Organization. Xuanyuan Lian has been planning for eighty years, and now is the time to close the net. But I cannot entrust my life entirely to him. The Ancient Desolate Ruins City is a vast force. I hope they can become my hidden trump card, a power kept in the shadows, ready to be deployed at a critical moment."