Chapter Fifty-Three: The Mystery of the Dao De Jing

Chen Yi did not wish for any unstable factors to linger within his soul. The soul was a fragile thing; the slightest misstep could reduce him to ashes, utterly erasing him from this world. He had yet to experience enough of life’s joys and was unwilling to vanish from existence because of such a fate.

As Chen Yi’s consciousness delved into the azure radiance, an expression of sudden enlightenment appeared on his face. From the information contained within the blue light, Chen Yi realized that this very glow had been created by himself—it was, in fact, Chen Yi who had saved his own life this time.

He owed all of this to the Dao De Jing. The azure glow was the power of thought generated each time he recited the Dao De Jing. In essence, the blue radiance was the Dao De Jing itself—a mysterious scripture from another dimension, possessing unfathomable and miraculous power.

Whenever Chen Yi recited the Dao De Jing, using its mystical power to cultivate and elevate his abilities, the scripture absorbed the force of his recitations, gradually manifesting as a tangible presence within his soul. This was much like monks in a temple, who strike the wooden fish and chant the sutras, giving their faith to the Buddha in hopes of attaining enlightenment, while the deity in turn forges a golden body from the power of their devotion.

Through countless recitations, the Dao De Jing gradually took form, quietly residing within Chen Yi’s soul, coexisting with him in harmony. If not for this invasion by the Heart Demon, Chen Yi would never have discovered its presence.

At first, the Dao De Jing had no desire to reveal itself. Having only just solidified its entity, its strength remained feeble; should it expend too much energy, it would have to start gathering power anew. However, when the Heart Demon invaded Chen Yi’s body and threatened to devour his soul entirely, the Dao De Jing could no longer remain passive. If the Heart Demon consumed Chen Yi’s soul, it too would dissipate, for its existence depended on his recitations. Without Chen Yi, there would be no one left to chant the scripture, and it would not last much longer.

Thus, the Dao De Jing was forced to consume its limited power to destroy the Heart Demon. Having depleted itself, it fell into slumber within Chen Yi’s soul; otherwise, with its abilities, Chen Yi would never have noticed its existence.

Understanding the origin of the azure glow, Chen Yi felt the heavy weight in his heart finally lifted. The presence of this blue radiance within his soul might not be a misfortune after all.

The blue glow was, in truth, the Dao De Jing itself. Born of Chen Yi, it existed in a symbiotic relationship with him and would never harm him—instead, it would protect him, for its fate was bound to his. Should harm befall Chen Yi, the Dao De Jing would fare no better.

It possessed miraculous power. As long as the attack did not surpass the limits of the mortal realm, whether it be a soul assault or an attempt to possess him like the Heart Demon attempted, the Dao De Jing would utterly annihilate the threat. This dramatically enhanced Chen Yi’s soul defenses.

With the Dao De Jing as his guardian, his soul was now as secure as an iron fortress. Chen Yi would never again need to fear soul attacks or invasions like that of the Heart Demon.

After his soul’s breakthrough, Chen Yi noticed his spiritual sense had grown stronger. Previously, he could only scan a kilometer around him—comparable to an early Foundation Establishment cultivator. Now, his spiritual sense extended a hundred kilometers, rivaling the peak of Foundation Establishment. This was truly astonishing.

However, upon reflection, this was only natural. Spiritual sense was the external manifestation of the soul; they were essentially one and the same. With his soul reaching the strength of the Core Formation stage, his spiritual sense should be equally formidable.

Yet, his physical body was too weak to withstand the full power of a Core Formation cultivator’s spiritual sense—he could only handle the peak of Foundation Establishment. The majority of his spiritual sense had to be withdrawn, lying dormant within his spiritual sea, waiting for his body to grow stronger.

The next morning, Chen Yi sat cross-legged on his bed. Although a night’s cultivation had not brought a significant breakthrough, he clearly felt a slight improvement in his abilities. The effect of the Dao De Jing was indeed extraordinary.

For a cultivator of his level, even the smallest advance was exceedingly difficult—unless one possessed immense talent or cultivated in seclusion for ages. For someone like Chen Yi, of average talent and without access to rare treasures, to make progress after a single night’s cultivation was nothing short of miraculous.

This advancement was entirely thanks to the Dao De Jing, which could enhance his cultivation speed and transform his average aptitude into that of a peerless prodigy.

If the outside world learned of the Dao De Jing’s powers, they would surely stop at nothing to seize it.

Checking the time, Chen Yi saw it was still early. He hurried to the sect’s dining hall, his energy nearly depleted after a night of cultivation and his stomach growling with hunger. He needed to replenish himself.

Moreover, he intended to prepare extra food for his journey into the Tianlong Mountains. As his cultivation had not yet reached Foundation Establishment, he could not subsist on spiritual energy alone and would need plenty of provisions.

Once he had eaten his fill, Chen Yi set out for the place he had agreed to meet Fu Aoxuan the previous day.

Approaching a mountain near the Five Elements Sect, he saw three figures atop the summit, enveloped in swirling purple mist, suspended in midair as they absorbed the dawn’s violet energy from the eastern sky. They exuded an ethereal, mysterious aura.

Anyone from Chen Yi’s previous life would surely mistake them for immortals.

These three, who seemed like celestial beings, were Fu Aoxuan and his two brothers. Eager to obtain a treasure from the Elephant Tribe, they had arrived early and, finding Chen Yi absent, used the time to absorb the morning’s spiritual energy and enhance their cultivation.

The path of cultivation was like rowing against the current—one must advance or be swept back. Fu Aoxuan and his brothers understood this deeply, never missing an opportunity to improve, not even for a moment.

Chen Yi admired them for this diligence. Since awakening his past life’s memories and obtaining the Dao De Jing, his own cultivation had lost its previous rigor. Witnessing the brothers’ dedication, he felt a pang of shame.