Chapter 172

Chapter 172: The Path of Immortality

Ye Xu seemed to gain some insight.

Immortals represented a designation for formidable figures, much like how cultivators stepping from the Divine Catastrophe stage into the Divine God realm were revered as gods.

Of course, this was also because the Heavenly Emperor forged the Immortal Realm, dividing the heavens and earth into two tiers: the upper immortal plane and the lower mortal plane.

With keen interest, Ye Xu watched the Duobao Daoist without interrupting his remarks.

Inwardly, he speculated about Duobao Daoist’s origins.

The matter was far too ancient—even the Dao King, who once had connections to the Immortal Realm, knew nothing of it. Yet Duobao Daoist possessed this knowledge. Clearly, his background was extraordinary.

Moreover, Duobao Daoist’s techniques originated from the Gate of All Mysteries.

Anyone capable of glimpsing the Gate of All Mysteries and comprehending its secrets would inevitably achieve greatness.

Beside them, Ye Xian’er and Yang Xuanzhan were thoroughly bewildered.

Ye Xu and Duobao Daoist hadn’t shielded the duo, allowing every word of their conversation to reach Ye Xian’er and Yang Xuanzhan. Yet, their comprehension remained far too limited to grasp any of it.

They merely understood that Ye Xu and Duobao Daoist were debating immortality and the Dao.

The very subject sounded profound beyond measure.

"Bald Senior, why did you stop?"

Ye Xian’er eagerly refilled Duobao Daoist’s teacup. "Drink up first, then keep going!"

"Alright."

Duobao Daoist glanced at Ye Xian’er and smiled.

This girl was clever and quick-witted, her innate talent exceptional—her bone structure rivaled even Nangong Zhandao’s. Alas, she lacked Nangong Zhandao’s immense fortune.

Duobao Daoist sipped his tea, moistening his throat.

"In this humble Daoist’s view, ‘immortal’ is merely a title. Although divided into realms like true immortal, Immortal King, Immortal Venerable, and Immortal Emperor—ultimately, it all stems from comprehending the Dao."

Duobao Daoist spoke confidently.

As he discussed, he simultaneously observed Ye Xu’s expression, hoping to detect any subtle reaction.

Yet Ye Xu remained impassive, showing neither interest nor surprise.

This heightened Duobao Daoist’s unease.

The secrets he revealed—matters fundamental to the Immortal Realm itself—were unknown even to most Immortal Kings in the upper world.

Such explosive truths stirred no reaction in Ye Xu. What unfathomable origins did this man possess?

To Duobao Daoist’s knowledge, only a handful of beings across both realms could remain so unmoved—individuals who traversed the upper and lower worlds freely.

But why would entities of that stature bother with mortal affairs? Let alone establish a business within the mortal realm?

Yang Xuanzhan trembled with excitement.

In his past life, he knew only of the Great Emperor realm and the Emperor Venerable realm as the peak of the lower world.

Their ultimate goal? Ascend to the upper realm.

At this moment, Yang Xuanzhan finally understood the levels of the immortal path.

So above true immortals, there existed so many realms.

The Great Dao is boundless.

The ancients truly did not deceive us.

"The Daoist friend hit the nail on the head."

Ye Xu smiled. "In all realms, Great Emperors are already revered figures, but they know not that the emperor realm is merely a starting point."

"So-called ‘attaining the Dao’ is nothing more than grasping and mastering it."

"The Emperor Venerable Realm marks true completion of the Dao."

This was the secret recorded within the Creation Heart Sutra.

The Great Emperor realm was also known as the Dao Inquiry realm or the Dao Attainment realm.

The Emperor Venerable Realm represented the Dao Completion realm.

Achieving the Great Dao granted eternal longevity. Yet even the Great Dao would decay one day.

Thus, some explored the realm of the Eternal Great Dao.

This is what defined an immortal.

Only when the Great Dao became eternal and attained longevity matching heaven and earth could one be called an immortal.

"So it’s this complex."

Ye Xian’er muttered under her breath.

Having witnessed Yuan Daokong attaining the Dao and becoming an emperor back at the Dao Sect, she hadn’t truly comprehended its profundity until hearing Ye Xu’s words.

"No wonder there’s the saying ‘attain the Dao to become an emperor’."

Ye Xian’er suddenly grasped its meaning.

"Well said."

Duobao Daoist nodded with a smile. "It seems Master has studied this deeply too."

"Naturally."

Ye Xu sighed. "Aren’t we cultivators merely exploring footsteps left by predecessors?"

"Quite so."

Duobao Daoist’s voice carried a trace of sorrow.

"Bald Mister, Xian’er will pour tea for you."

Ye Xian’er interjected timely, her clear voice like pearls falling upon a jade plate, lifting Duobao Daoist’s spirits slightly.

"Many thanks, little benefactor."

Duobao Daoist replied gently.

Ye Xu smiled faintly.

Though Ye Xian’er was mischievous and often silently criticized him, she also had her endearing moments of being sweet and delightful.

"Daoist friend, I would like to hear your esteemed opinion," Ye Xu said with a smile.

The Eternal Great Dao belonged only to the True Immortal Realm.

Moreover, Duobao Daoist had just mentioned that above the true immortal lay the Immortal King, Immortal Venerable, and Immortal Emperor realms.

Evidently, that was not the ultimate destination of the Dao.

Ye Xu’s Creation Heart Sutra currently only contained techniques up to the Emperor Venerable Realm. He remained utterly ignorant of the mysteries of the Immortal Dao and could only try to gather information from Duobao Daoist’s words.

Of course, if Duobao Daoist proved unwilling to elaborate, Ye Xu wouldn’t press further.

After all, as long as he had sufficient heavenly secrets points, he could simply exchange them for the subsequent chapters of the Creation Heart Sutra.

"You are too modest, Daoist friend."

"Today is rare luck to encounter a fellow Daoist, so this unworthy Daoist will speak a few more words. If there are any inaccuracies, I ask the Master to correct them," Duobao Daoist replied with a chuckle.

In this long life, Duobao Daoist had endured countless hardships and witnessed innumerable talents, heroes, and great powers, yet very few were worthy of being addressed by him as "Daoist friend."

His shift to this form of address signified his acknowledgment of Ye Xu’s status.

At the very least, in Duobao Daoist’s mind, the two of them existed on an equal level.

"The Immortal Dao is vast and boundless," Duobao Daoist recounted deliberately.

Attaining the Eternal Great Dao, becoming as enduring as heaven itself, was merely the first step on the path of the Immortal Dao.

Very few managed to reach this stage.

Even across the countless beings of the Upper Realm, few achieved this realm.

"So, how many people are in the current Immortal Realm?" Ye Xian’er suddenly blurted out, struck by an odd thought.

"Those who ascend from the cultivation world naturally propagate in the Upper Realm; the majority of the Immortal Realm consists of mortals. As for the exact population?"

"It must certainly be less than the Lower Realms," Duobao Daoist explained patiently, showing no trace of impatience.

"Don’t cause trouble," Ye Xu said. "One more interruption, and you’ll be confined."

Ye Xian’er gave a light huff.

Duobao Daoist couldn’t help but chuckle.

"Although the Great Dao endures eternally, it is not immune to destruction."

A trace of reminiscence surfaced in his eyes. "This unworthy Daoist witnessed numerous true immortals being subdued in the Upper Realm. Even boasting an existence as long as heaven, they ultimately could not withstand man-made calamity."

"Ascending to the Immortal King realm, however, signifies the Great Dao remains unbroken."

Hearing this, Ye Xu felt a slight stir within.

Previously, Meng Feixian had tasked him with gathering information about the Upper Realm’s Da Meng Clan. That Amitabha Immortal King had been imprisoned within the immortal prison, enduring infernal torment daily for countless years, yet never eradicated.

Reflecting on it now, this surely embodied the essence of the Immortal King realm—the unbroken Great Dao ensuring the primordial spirit remains undying.

Unfortunately, even after cultivating to such an exalted realm, he could not escape the fate of being suppressed.

"‘Great Dao remains unbroken’ is merely a relative statement," Ye Xu solemnly asserted. "If it were absolute, how else could even the mighty Central Heavenly Court have collapsed? How could so many immortal path experts have turned to dust and gone?"

Duobao Daoist observed Ye Xu with impassive expression.

"Only those Innate Divine Beings were truly bestowed with extraordinary gifts," Ye Xu sighed thoughtfully.

"Merely a pack of parasites!" Upon mentioning the Innate deities and demons, Duobao Daoist suddenly snorted coldly.

Ye Xu’s gaze flickered with surprise.

"The Innate deities and demons cling stubbornly to tradition, incapable of innovation. Though they were born already having achieved Dao’s destruction-resistance, they could hardly advance a single step further in their entire existence."

Duobao Daoist snorted contemptuously, a trace of disdain in his voice. He seemed stirred by some troubling thought, anger flashing in his eyes. "They will eventually face Their reckoning!"

Ye Xu felt a profound tremor in his mind. The Innate deities and demons had emerged even before the creation of the heavens, lofty and supreme. The universe’s very first epoch was formed by Their hand; all divine clans and the demon clan were but descendants of these Innate deities and demons. This was the measure of how vast the power of the Innate deities and demons truly was.

But then the Heavenly Emperor had emerged, uniting countless clans, forcibly suppressing the Innate deities and demons, establishing the Central Heavenly Court, ending the era of their reign. From this alone, one could envision the sheer, overwhelming power of the Heavenly Emperor.

"There is truth in that," Ye Xu nodded. Though he didn’t fully grasp it himself, he could only concur.

In truth, acquiring such knowledge was within his capabilities, yet the heavenly secrets points it demanded would likely amount to an astronomical, unbearable cost. To glean this information free of charge from Duobao Daoist himself? Ye Xu certainly wouldn’t let such an opportunity slip away.

"This poor daoist lost his composure," Duobao Daoist clasped his hands in apology.

"Daoist friend, you need not apologize to me," Ye Xu said with a mild smile. "The Innate deities and demons seized authority over heaven and earth, making them adversaries all may rightfully strike down. We postnatal beings, as their natural, born enemies – I understand your sentiment well."

Duobao Daoist’s pupils slightly contracted. Finally, a piece of truly useful information: the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion was a postnatal being. If he truly was a postnatal being, then part of the figures he had previously suspected could now be ruled out.

"Forgive this poor daoist’s audacious question," he ventured. "Dare I inquire… have you attained the end of the Great Dao?"