“This method is called ‘Severing the Three Corpses.’”
Lu Xuan did not conceal it. Having reached his realm, he no longer feared the covetous eyes of others. Moreover, this method was so profound that none but those with great perseverance, great wisdom, and great fortune could even begin to enter its threshold.
With a thought, the illusory forms of the three corpses behind him grew slightly clearer.
This allowed Wuzhong and the Six Paths to more truly sense the Dao韵 of goodness, evil, and self contained within.
“The good corpse governs life and presides over teaching, transformation, and protection; the evil corpse governs destruction and oversees conquest and the breaking of obstacles; the self corpse stands transcendent, determining the root of the true self.”
Lu Xuan briefly expounded upon its core essence.
“To sever the three corpses is not to extinguish one’s nature, but to illuminate the mind and perceive one’s true nature, harmonizing yin and yang in pursuit of Hunyuan.”
Immortal King Wuzhong listened with brilliance flickering repeatedly in his eyes. He held dominion over time and karma, and thus felt most deeply the portions of this method that involved severing karmic fate and clarifying the true self. It offered tremendous inspiration for perfecting his own Dao of “Wuzhong.”
The Six Paths Reincarnation Immortal King’s body trembled slightly. He controlled reincarnation and possessed an extremely deep understanding of the souls, spirits, and essential thoughts of living beings.
This division of the three corpses—good, evil, and self—was practically revealing to him the ultimate blueprint of the spiritual composition of all beings beneath reincarnation!
If he could comprehend it, his Six Paths Reincarnation might become even more complete, perhaps even evolving into a true “reincarnation of the mind”!
“Marvelous! Marvelous beyond words!”
Immortal King Wuzhong clapped his hands in praise. “Fellow Daoist, this method points directly to the source of the Great Dao. For us Immortal Kings, it opens up an entirely new path ahead!”
The Six Paths Reincarnation Immortal King also took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart, and said in a deep voice,
“This method… may it be passed on? My Primordial Ancient Realm is willing to pay any price.”
The several quasi-Immortal Kings of the Ancient Realm behind him had burning gazes. They had long been trapped at their bottlenecks. Hearing that this method could illuminate the mind, reveal one’s true nature, and increase the chance of breaking through, how could they not be moved?
Lu Xuan looked at them and said calmly,
“A method cannot be transmitted lightly, nor is it something everyone can cultivate. Those whose temperament is insufficient, if they forcefully cultivate this method, will suffer an imbalance between good and evil and instead be devoured by it. The annihilation of both body and spirit would be nothing unusual.”
His tone then shifted.
“However, the Primordial Ancient Realm, my clan, and our allies have fought together against the darkness, and our bond is not shallow. I can promise to grant the Ancient Realm three places for comprehension. The two of you may select those whose temperament, foundation, and comprehension are all superior. They may come to the outer Dao field of my Ancient Solar Cave and sense the Dao韵 of the Three Corpses. Whether they gain anything will depend on their own fortune. As for the complete method, once I have thoroughly perfected it and the time is ripe, perhaps I may discuss the Dao with the two of you, exchange insights, and mutually verify the Great Dao.”
He had displayed generosity, established a threshold, and maintained the initiative.
Three places were enough to express goodwill, yet would not cause the method to leak out easily.
A discussion of the Dao with figures on the level of Wuzhong and the Six Paths was the truly more valuable exchange.
Wuzhong and the Six Paths looked at each other, and both saw satisfaction in the other’s eyes.
This outcome was already better than they had expected. After all, if such a heaven-defying method were granted too easily, it would instead seem improper.
“In that case, many thanks, Fellow Daoist Donghuang!”
Immortal King Wuzhong thanked him solemnly.
“The Ancient Realm will remember this favor.”
The Six Paths Reincarnation Immortal King also nodded.
A high-level meeting concerning the future structure of the myriad heavens thus came to an end amid a harmonious atmosphere.
And the name of the method “Severing the Three Corpses” also departed with the envoy delegation of the Primordial Ancient Realm.
It officially began to spread within the highest circles, drawing even more invisible attention and undercurrents.
Everyone realized that Donghuang Lu Xuan was not only a giant with unmatched combat strength, but also a Dao Ancestor capable of influencing the cultivation history of all ages!
The era that belonged to him was descending upon the myriad heavens at an unprecedented speed.
The visit of the Primordial Ancient Realm’s envoy delegation was like a stone cast into a seemingly tranquil lake. Though the ripples were not violent, they spread far and deep.
The name of the method “Severing the Three Corpses” officially circulated among the top forces of the myriad heavens.
Donghuang Lu Xuan’s bearing as a “Dao Ancestor” had begun to reveal itself, and the Golden Crow clan land where he resided had, imperceptibly, become the center of attention for ten thousand Daos.
Within the chaos palace, Lu Xuan was not shaken by the attention of the outside world.
He knew full well that the method had only just been established and still needed its foundation solidified. More importantly, he needed this method to truly blossom and bear fruit within the Golden Crow clan.
With a slight movement of his thoughts, the self corpse seated cross-legged opposite him transformed into a ray of clear radiance and merged into his body, bringing him into an even more empty, lucid, and limpid state of deduction.
The good corpse continued to manifest its peaceful Dao韵 outside, subtly improving the state of mind and comprehension of the clansmen.
The evil corpse lay dormant within the Chaos Bell, constantly tempering its power of attack and conquest, guarding this pure land.
His gaze turned toward the seven most outstanding quasi-Immortal Kings within the clan.
“Lu Huang, Lu Yan, Lu Yu, Lu Xuan… the seven of you may enter the core of the Ancient Solar Cave and, beneath the shroud of the chaos Dao韵, comprehend the method of the ‘Three Corpses.’”
The vast Dao voice entered the hearts of the seven quasi-Immortal Kings, causing their entire bodies to tremble as irrepressible excitement and yearning erupted in their eyes.
They had waited for this moment far, far too long!
Seven resplendent golden rainbows, like seven miniature suns, impatiently plunged into the depths of the Ancient Solar Cave that had burned for all eternity.
Here, there was now not only the purest and most extreme solar origin, but also the dense chaos qi and Three Corpses Dao韵 left behind by Lu Xuan, forming a unique sacred land of Dao comprehension.
Lu Xuan did not directly transmit the specific method. Instead, he used the Dao韵 of his own three corpses as a guide.
It was as if three utterly different yet ultimately source-returning paths were reflected within the heart-lakes of the seven:
What Lu Huang sensed was the transcendent and commanding power of the self corpse, guiding him to examine his “attachment to self” as the leader of the clan, as well as his excessive reliance on “stability.”
What ignited in Lu Yan’s heart was the destructive will contained within the evil corpse—the will to burn the myriad heavens to ash and annihilate all methods. This accorded with his innate nature.
Yet it also warned him that he needed to control this power, rather than be devoured by it.
Lu Yu, meanwhile, was enveloped by the compassion and protective Dao韵 of the good corpse. It soothed the impatience born from his sharp ambition and guided him to ponder the responsibility behind power.
As for Lu Xuan and the other four, each sensed the Three Corpses Dao韵 that best matched their own temperament—some inclined toward good, some toward evil, and some faced the self directly.
They did not immediately begin “severing the corpses.” Instead, they immersed themselves in that mysterious Dao韵.
They reexamined their own hearts and sorted through their own Dao and thoughts.
This was a tempering of their foundations, a baptism of their temperaments.
Time flowed within the cave. Though only an instant passed in the outside world, they seemed to have experienced the interrogations of a thousand, a hundred lives of reincarnation. Their auras were at times violent, at times peaceful, at times confused, and at times resolute.
In the span of a snap of the fingers, tens of thousands of years drifted by.
The Golden Crow clan land remained enveloped in auspiciousness and unfathomable Dao韵.
Within the Ancient Solar Cave, the seclusion of those seven Golden Crow quasi-Immortal Kings still continued. Their auras were at times like erupting volcanoes, and at times like silent abysses. Clearly, all of them were at a critical stage of severing the corpses.
Their connection with the outside world was nearly cut off.
On this day, a familiar warship of chaos stone and World Tree branches once again tore through the void and arrived. The emissaries of the Primordial Ancient Realm had come.