NOVEL WEB Chapter 23 - Cultivation is Too Hard, So I Pin My Hopes on Hongmeng Purple Qi for a Breakthrough
Chapter 23: Cultivation is Too Hard, So I Pin My Hopes on Hongmeng Purple Qi for a Breakthrough
“Such a small change didn’t yield results?” Xia Tian mused as he scanned the Gate to the Primordial World within his mind. The gate remained dormant, showing no signs of condensing Hongmeng Purple Qi or any other significant treasures. Although rescuing the Nine Golden Crows had altered the flow of history in the Primordial World, the change was insufficient to influence the gate profoundly.
Xia Tian was not disheartened. His gaze swept across the vast lands of the Primordial World as he pondered his next move, “If Father ascends to Sagehood, that would undoubtedly shake the very fabric of this world and bring about changes significant enough to condense Hongmeng Purple Qi.”
Xia Tian firmly believed that his father, Emperor Jun, ascending to Sagehood would be a momentous event that would reshape the history of the Primordial World. Such an achievement would be unparalleled, bringing immense power and stability to the Yao Clan and the Heavenly Court.
However, this was no simple task. Even with the aid of a Hongmeng Purple Qi, the process required extensive time and effort. Emperor Jun’s sanctification was a long-term goal that Xia Tian could not directly influence in the short term.
As Xia Tian reflected, he considered another pivotal event: the impending ambush of Redcloud (Hongyun). His uncle, Donghuang Taiyi, was already leading a campaign to eliminate Redcloud.
[Redcloud (红云, Hóngyún): A significant figure in Chinese mythology, often associated with altruism and a tragic fate. His possession of Hongmeng Purple Qi makes him a target of contention.]
“Even if Redcloud survives, the historical impact wouldn’t be substantial,” Xia Tian reasoned. “The core players are the Wu, Yao, and Human Clans. Changing their trajectories would have the most profound effects on history.”
Moreover, Xia Tian was wary of meddling in matters involving Redcloud’s Hongmeng Purple Qi, as it likely bore traces of Hongjun’s influence. Intervening recklessly could attract unwanted attention from the enigmatic Dao Ancestor.
Additionally, Redcloud’s fate was intertwined with the Heavenly Court, given Kunpeng’s history of enmity over a lost Sage position. Helping Redcloud would neither benefit Xia Tian nor align with his interests.
Reflecting on the narrative of the Primordial World, Xia Tian recalled a grim chapter: the Yao Clan’s discovery that human souls could suppress the Wu Clan. This revelation led to a large-scale massacre of humans to forge the Slaughter Wu Sword.
[Slaughter Wu Sword (屠巫剑, Tú Wū Jiàn): A mythical weapon forged by the Yao Clan, utilising human souls to counter the Wu Clan, symbolising the brutality of their conflict.]
“This cannot be allowed to happen,” Xia Tian resolved. As the declared Holy Master of the Human Clan, allowing such a tragedy would irreparably damage his standing and undermine his influence over the humans. Preventing the massacre would alter history and safeguard his position.
To monitor the situation closely, Xia Tian descended from the Heavenly Court to the Human Clan. Avoiding the public eye, he established a new Dao Field at Mount Shouyang, the site where Laozi attained Sagehood. Naming it the Yuanyang Dao Field, he adopted the title Yuanyang Daoist and began cultivating there, all while keeping a watchful eye on the interactions between the Human and Yao Clans.
[The Yuanyang Dao Field (鸳鸯道场), often referred to in Chinese mythology, Daoist philosophy, and xianxia (immortal cultivation) literature, is a concept or location that symbolizes balance, harmony, and union within the Daoist cosmological framework. The name evokes the metaphor of Yuanyang (鸳鸯), which are mandarin ducks often associated with eternal love, duality, and complementary forces.]
[Mount Shouyang (首阳山, Shǒu Yáng Shān): A sacred site in Chinese mythology, associated with Laozi’s attainment of Sagehood and revered for its spiritual energy.]
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Time flowed like a river. Three thousand years passed quietly. Within his grand hall at Mount Shouyang, Yuanyang Daoist—Xia Tian—sat in deep meditation. Golden radiance rippled around him, forming intricate patterns of laws that stretched infinitely, creating a breathtakingly vast ocean of principles. His presence exuded the majesty of an entire universe, immovable and eternal.
With a deep sigh, Xia Tian opened his eyes, his voice tinged with frustration. “The path of the Dao is arduous and unending. Though I strive ceaselessly, progress remains elusive.”
Despite three millennia of rigorous cultivation, Xia Tian remained at the peak of the Golden Immortal stage. The gap between his current level and the Innate Dao Lord realm seemed insurmountable. “Even with my talents, breaking through to the Innate Dao Lord stage feels impossibly difficult,” he lamented.
Xia Tian’s lineage, as a son of Emperor Jun, endowed him with extraordinary potential, but it paled in comparison to the prodigious talents of beings like Emperor Jun, Donghuang Taiyi, or the Three Pure Ones. Such entities were born as Innate Dao Lords or even Half-Step Daluo, their paths to higher realms unhindered by mortal limitations.
Based on his current trajectory, Xia Tian estimated that he would need to accumulate power for several more epochs—perhaps until the Journey to the West calamity—to achieve the breakthrough to Innate Dao Lord.
With the Wu and Yao Clans embroiled in their epochal conflict, the Primordial World stood on the brink of upheaval. Xia Tian knew the importance of patience and perseverance. “The journey is long and filled with trials,” he reminded himself. “But with the Gate to the Primordial World in my possession, I shall find a way to ascend.”
For now, he would bide his time, ensuring that both the Human Clan and the Primordial World remained stable under his vigilant gaze.