"Congratulations, fellow Daoist, on glimpsing fate and attaining the True Spirit."
One after another, the cultivators offered their congratulations.
The True Spirit Realm (真灵境) marked an entirely new level of existence. No one could afford to disregard it—not even beings as mighty as the Longevity Dao Lord and his peers. While all present were incredibly powerful, they were still within the scope of the True Spirit Realm, not yet beyond it. In that sense, they now stood on equal footing with Yi Tianxing.
To respect Yi Tianxing was also to respect themselves.
"Congratulations indeed. But remember, the True Spirit Realm is not to be taken lightly.
Every step forward must be cautious—cautious upon cautious. Fishing out the Heaven Soul and condensing the Rod of Destiny is only the beginning.
If you fail to hook your soul-fish, the rod itself may collapse.You'll lose everything and be forced to gather Fate Power all over again to form a new Rod of Destiny.
One surge, then decline. By the third attempt, the River of Fate will bind the soul too deeply.The chances of condensing a True Spirit after that drop to almost zero."
Zhuang Zhou smiled as he spoke, clearly valuing Yi Tianxing and offering this key warning at such a pivotal stage.
For the sake of the human race, such losses should be avoided at all costs. If preventable, they must be.
"Thank you, Senior, for your guidance."Yi Tianxing bowed and nodded in thanks.
"This gathering now has a new member.I'm sure all of you have already sensed it: the ruler of the first imperial dynasty of this age—the Great Yi Emperor, Emperor Yi Tianxing.
His deeds are known far and wide. Having him join us today is a cause for celebration."
The Longevity Dao Lord beamed with joy. His attitude toward Yi Tianxing had always been welcoming, and he clearly viewed his arrival as a tremendous asset.
"You honor me, seniors. I have only achieved a few small things. Compared to you all, I'm still far behind."Yi Tianxing replied with a modest smile, his words tinged with humility.
After all, every person present was a figure of great renown—true paragons of their era.
"There's no need for such modesty.
The last epoch was the last epoch. This one belongs to the present.
In this age, your cultivation and achievements earn our respect.
There's no need to call us seniors. Just call us fellow Daoists.
This isn't a place bound by hierarchy. We come together to share Dao, exchange insights, and grow through mutual understanding."Pure Yang Zhenren said with a laugh.
"Indeed. All of us have reincarnated into our second lives.
We've each chosen a different path from our original selves.
The purpose? To forge new Dao Fruits—new realizations.
Then, when the time is right, we can merge the two Dao Fruits, allowing our main bodies to break past their current limits."
The Longevity Dao Lord explained further.
Yi Tianxing's eyes lit up. A sharp glint of understanding flickered in them as countless thoughts collided in his mind.
He now grasped the true significance of the Second Life to these ancient cultivators.
Their main bodies had already forged a Dao Fruit—but by cultivating a second path in a reincarnated second self, they could forge a new Dao Fruit.
Since both Dao Fruits shared the same origin, they could be fused.
If successful, the merger would transform the Dao itself, potentially breaking long-standing bottlenecks and achieving a realm never before attained.
For beings of their level, the fusion of worlds had given them a once-in-an-era chance—a cosmic do-over.
Only at the dawn of this era could they split their Primordial Spirits and reincarnate to live again, to start over, to correct past mistakes and pursue the path they truly desired.
It was an opportunity beyond compare.
"Exactly. Each of us walks a new path.
Take me, for instance—my original body followed the Golden Core path, cultivating the Pure Yang Dao Fruit.
But in this life, I've chosen to become a pure sword cultivator, abandoning all prior Pure Yang techniques.
I seek one thing only: a sword that breaks ten thousand laws."
Pure Yang Zhenren could now be more accurately called Pure Yang Sword Immortal.
Though renowned for his swordplay in the past, he had never walked the true sword path—he'd only used the sword as a tool. Now, he was walking it in full.
The Longevity Dao Lord's original body—Zhen Yuanzi—had followed the Earth Immortal Dao, forming the Earth Dao Fruit. But this time, he pursued the Longevity Dao, aiming for true eternal life and indestructibility.
Their former lives gave them a solid start, but the deeper they ventured, the more they needed fresh insight and wisdom to evolve their new paths.
When the Longevity Dao Lord shared his Long Life Dao, the Dao sounds contained such profound truths that they had inspired all present—including Yi Tianxing, who had broken through to the True Spirit Realm on the spot.
The effects were clear.
"Back when I killed Bodhi Daoist... I must have made a mortal enemy. I must not take this lightly in the future."
Yi Tianxing's thoughts briefly turned inward.
Now that he understood the value of the Second Life, he realized just how deep that enmity ran. It was no exaggeration to call it a blood feud.
Still, there was no point in worrying—when the time came, he would adapt as needed.
"Very well. The Dao discussion continues. Who would like to speak next?"The Longevity Dao Lord asked.
"Let me go."Xiaoyao Daoist chuckled.
He immediately began his discourse. As the Dao Sound flowed forth, a cloud of Auspicious Qi appeared above his head.
Within the cloud, a butterfly fluttered gracefully through a series of emerging and collapsing worlds.
This was the Cloud of Dream Realms (诸天幻梦庆云)—a manifestation of his chosen path.
This life, Xiaoyao Daoist pursued the True Dream Dao, cultivating techniques like Butterfly Dream Arts and Dreamproof Cultivation.
The path of attaining Dao through dreams was mysterious and alluring. Everyone listening was soon entranced, as if caught within a wondrous dreamscape.
Yi Tianxing also fell into deep meditation, reaping immeasurable benefit.
One by one, each cultivator took turns sharing their Dao.
Each path was unique, but all were rooted in their former Dao Fruits, forming a connection that allowed mutual evolution and synergy.
Time lost all meaning as they shared their paths.
No one asked Yi Tianxing to speak. They all knew he had just broken through and was attending for the first time, so this was a gesture of respect.
"Alright. That concludes this round of Dao discussions.
Since Emperor Yi just broke through, let's save his lecture for the next gathering.
In fact—why not have Emperor Yi host the next one?"The Longevity Dao Lord proposed with a smile.
"Great idea! The Great Yi Dynasty is legendary for its splendor.
Just make sure you prepare lots of good wine!I heard that even Du Kang, the god of wine, resides in your dynasty.
When the time comes, you'd better not hold back on the Du Kang Immortal Brew."Pure Yang Sword Immortal grinned, eyes gleaming and clearly drooling a bit at the thought.
"Of course. As long as you're all willing to come, there will be as much Du Kang Brew as you like.I won't let anyone go home disappointed."Yi Tianxing replied without hesitation. He could already tell:This was their way of welcoming him into the circle.
The invitation to host the next gathering meant recognition—and with it, status and opportunity.
"Now that the Dao discussion is over, let's move on to exchanging resources.
If anyone has needs or offers, speak up. Trades are voluntary.
No force, no coercion. As the current host, I'll start things off."The Longevity Dao Lord declared.
"This item was discovered in a forbidden zone—Eternal Rotwood (朽木).
Though it looks decayed, it's undying and imperishable.
It's a rare material for building Dao Platforms.
I have some to share."
As he spoke, a twisted old branch appeared in his hand.