Chapter Sixty-Seven: The Dragon Soars Across Nine Heavens, Seeking the True Path

Page 1/3

To enter the Demon Sect is to gain a chance at life.
To refuse is to face annihilation by the heavenly mandate.
“Heaven itself is forcing me into the demon path!” Ji Feichen, stubborn by nature, was unwilling to submit at this moment.
“Is it my wish to enter the Demon Sect?” Ji Feichen held firm to his resolve, immediately declaring a second vow: “The heavenly mandate is impartial, my own virtue and vice are innate. Yet humanity possesses spirit, distinguishing right from wrong. I dare not claim to be a true good man, but I have my own principles. Should I act against my conscience, commit evil wantonly, I shall never attain the Great Dao in this life.”
Ji Feichen had crossed into this world; the teachings of his previous life and what he learned in Xuan Zheng Continent greatly differed, shaping his concept of good and evil into something distinct from others. But the cultivation of the Dao is the cultivation of the heart, to understand what one truly seeks.
With this vow, Ji Feichen severed the karmic ties binding him to the Demon Sect. A trace of coldness appeared in his eyes: “The karma of the Demon Sect, I will surely cut off in days to come. The grievances with the Yin Nether Sect will be resolved through the matter of Uncle Hei Chi’s ascension.”
“Hereafter, I shall be a free wandering cultivator, untouched by the karma of immortals or demons.”
He actively broke the connection, refusing to use the Demon Sect’s blood oath as his Dao fruit vow. Water-light and waves completely leapt from the Demon Sect, a pool of clear water fell outside the Taiji Diagram, quickly dispersing.
Though Ji Feichen felt relieved, his Dao fruit was swiftly crushed by the force of heaven and earth, his soul nearly turned to ashes.
Majestic heavenly might—how could it tolerate an outsider crossing into this realm?
The drought demoness witnessed this with astonishment, vaguely sensing the truth. Before she could speak, Ji Feichen uttered his third vow.
“Vital energy is the foundation of the Great Dao. I cultivate the way of vital energy, refining the true method of the Dao. One day, I shall open the gate of the Dao and transmit my lineage of Qi refinement.”
In those days, under certain influences, the methods of Qi refinement gradually declined. Those who did not cultivate the way of purity and turbidity were increasingly suppressed. Yet the emergence of the drought demoness was a heavenly sign—the moment for the Qi refinement lineage to resolve its karma with the two paths of purity and turbidity.
Ji Feichen had long suspected this when cultivating the Qi refinement methods. Thus, he used his Dao fruit vow to inherit the karma of Qi refiners, determined to help them end their karma and thereby gather great fortune.
The drought demoness, Feng Qianli, and other wandering immortal cultivators, along with remnant ancient Dao traditions such as Chongxu Dao, each released a strand of fortune. These converged upon Ji Feichen like a great river, burying his Dao fruit in the azure waters.
Next, Ji Feichen looked toward the lingering Dao aura left by the elders of Cloud Sky Pavilion in the distance: “I have cultivated the methods of Cloud Sky Pavilion; in future days, I will help restore its lineage. If your spirits are undimmed, may I borrow Cloud Sky Pavilion’s fortune!”
With that, a yin-yang dragon whisker flew from Ji Feichen’s brow, bowing at a distance.
The dragon whisker transformed into a treasure fan, splitting yin and yang, aligning with the dual principles, radiating brilliant light, purple aura like smoke.
The sacred land of the demon race preserved many imprints of Cloud Sky Pavilion’s elders. Even within the obscure heavenly mandate, there were Dao fruits of Cloud Sky Pavilion’s earth immortals; some places still retained descendants of the Pavilion. Now Ji Feichen was to bear the karma and transmit its legacy anew. Instantly, five-colored clouds surged forth.
The clouds and azure waters blocked the backlash of the heavenly mandate, boundless fortune allowed Ji Feichen to stabilize his Dao fruit, securely settling into the celestial canopy.
Simultaneously, twenty-four Azure Tide Pearls rolled nimbly, ceaselessly emitting mysterious yellow merit into the heavenly mandate, counteracting calamity. These twenty-four pearls concealed spiritual mysteries, matching the twenty-four heavens of the mysterious Dao. An ink-black dragon scale embedded in Ji Feichen’s chest, another black mysterious dragon summoned vast heavenly waters to flood the mandate.
This mysterious dragon, wielding immense power, contained the force of the heavenly mandate, vaguely revealing an immortal Dao fruit. In an instant, it suppressed the heavenly punishment, earning Ji Feichen recognition from this realm’s mandate.
Tu Shan emerged from his cultivation site, suddenly witnessing a soaring dragon rise to the heavens, opening its maw to devour the thunderclouds above.

Page 2/3

The dragon soared through the nine heavens, swallowing clouds and breathing mist, then transformed back into human form atop the clouds.
Ji Feichen had refined the divine body of the dragon, fully merging the “Supreme Cloud Dragon Jade Blossom True Solution” and the “Profound Fiend Demon Dragon Canon” into his own method and Dao fruit.
“A divine dragon’s body—has this fellow broken through as well?” Tu Shan stepped forward to congratulate Ji Feichen. Ji Feichen managed a weary smile: “A narrow escape, nearly perished under heavenly wrath.” Yet, having survived the ordeal and embedded his Dao fruit within the heavenly mandate, Ji Feichen now comprehended the karmic tides of heaven and earth, discerning the grand trends.
He and Tu Shan went together to pay respects to Lady Chen, Ji Feichen pondering silently: “By inheriting the karma and fortune of the Qi refinement lineage, I will inevitably offend certain powers. I can only hope to cultivate successfully, to preserve myself and transmit the Qi refinement tradition.”
First came the rise of the demon race, followed by the resurgence of the Qi refinement lineage. If the Three Palaces’ sacred lands remain oblivious, what face would they have to rule the Xuanmen?
Elder Liuwei of Tai Xiao Palace suddenly sensed something amiss: “The Taiji Diagram is changing? The rise and fall of Xuan Zheng Continent has always been dominated by the immortal and demon paths. But now…” The Taiji Diagram appeared unstable. Beneath it, fortune scattered, with many wandering immortals’ fortunes converging.
“Lady Chen and Chongxu Dao are among them. Could it be that the past is to be reckoned with?” Elder attempted to decipher the heavenly secrets, but a blast of fire interrupted him. A wandering expert whose strength rivaled the immortals, whose cultivation matched Liuwei, broke his attempt.
Feng Qianli stood atop Phoenix Slope, gazing toward Tai Xiao Palace: “When you established the two paths of purity and turbidity, did you foresee today? At last, someone wishes to resolve the karma of the Qi refinement lineage—this cannot be easily ruined.”
He looked at the boy cultivating at the foot of the mountain. Under his guidance, Bi Rong was comprehending the “Phoenix Heaven Art.”
Muttering to himself, Feng Qianli sorted the heavenly secrets: “Just now, the fortune of many ancient cultivators converged; most flowed from my junior sister. Could this person be related to her? She broke her tribulation in the Demon Suppressing Tower, perhaps also connected to him.”
Others acted similarly; even Elder Peng felt a sudden insight: “Signs of the Qi refinement lineage’s revival? No, merely the resolution of karma. If this time the ancient cultivators are not vindicated, if no new opportunity is found, they will ultimately be suppressed again by the two Xuan Yuan paths.”
Ji Feichen broke through to human immortal; the drought demoness sensed the convergence of karma upon him, sighed, and drew Ji Feichen aside for a private conversation.
“You have incorporated the karma of the Qi refinement lineage into yourself—do you understand what you must face?”
“Only the Three Palaces’ Dao realms and the heirs of the sacred lands.”
“Not just them. The current order of purity, turbidity, immortals and demons is settled. Aside from the Three Palaces, the Blood Sea reaps the greatest benefit. To resolve the Qi refinement lineage’s karma, you must confront the Four Sacred Lands. Each is backed by immortals. If you fail to become an immortal before the next killing tribulation, how will you contend with them?”
“I imagine that you wandering cultivators will assist me?”
“Hmph!” The demoness sneered, “We wandering cultivators do not follow the purity or turbidity methods, so we are a branch of the ancient tradition. But our connections are sparse, none yielding to others, and our lineages differ, each accustomed to solitary freedom. If you wish to rally us against the two Xuan Yuan paths, I do not object, for I must resolve my karma with Tai Xiao Palace, but what of the others? What will you use to unite them? How will you restore the Qi refinement lineage? Tu Shan has vowed to revive the demon path, with the demon race’s sacred land as his foundation. He is surely guided by other earth immortals, else how could he find the sacred land?”
Indeed, compared to Tu Shan, Ji Feichen was empty-handed—how would he resolve the karma?
“A thousand-year calamity—there’s little point in discussing much now.” Ji Feichen remained calm: “The urgent matter is to sever ties with the Demon Sect and establish a lineage for Cloud Sky Pavilion. I sense my connection with Cloud Sky Pavilion is deeper than imagined.”
The Moon Sun Garden Ji Feichen obtained at the southern border, upon careful calculation, appeared linked to Cloud Sky Pavilion.
“The Freeflow Assembly of wandering cultivators shall temporarily act as successors of Cloud Sky Pavilion. I trust that even if the Three Palaces dislike it, they will not send immortals to hunt us. When the time comes, may you lend your aid.”
The drought demoness nodded: “Within three hundred years, should you attain earth immortal, I will recruit two earth immortals to support you. Remember, though the ancient Qi refinement lineage declined for many reasons, you are not alone.”

Page 3/3

Indeed, like traditions such as Chongxu Dao, they still await a chance to revive their lineage.
“But such matters are far off; you should first stabilize your realm and resolve the ailments within you.” The demoness cast Ji Feichen a meaningful glance, then sent him off to meditate.
Ji Feichen’s heart trembled in silence—he knew what she meant. The body he currently inhabited was not his original flesh, so his soul and body could not truly harmonize. At the human immortal stage, this was not a pressing issue, but as he advanced, the problem would gradually manifest.
Returning to the bamboo cave, the black-and-white panda rolled about beside the spirit bamboo. After refining some vital energy, it chewed another bamboo leaf.
Ji Feichen picked up the panda: “I took one of your fortunes; someday I’ll find a yin-yang spirit item to help you cultivate into a human immortal. Our acquaintance shall not be in vain.”
The panda, puzzled, licked Ji Feichen’s fingers with its tiny tongue, occasionally sniffing at him.
Ji Feichen looked to the spirit bamboo nearby, its leaves nearly gone.
Originally, this spirit bamboo would become the panda’s companion treasure upon its birth. The nine bamboo grains and forty-nine leaves were its initial sustenance. Consuming them together would allow the panda to become a human immortal.
But now, Ji Feichen had consumed the bamboo grains; the panda had only forty-nine leaves to stabilize its foundation, still a step away from human immortal.
Thus, Ji Feichen resolved to find a yin-yang treasure for it in the future, to make amends for his actions.
After playing with the panda and waiting for it to fall asleep, Ji Feichen quietly opened his collar, gazing at the dragon scale embedded in his chest.
The ink-black dragon scale had fully fused with Ji Feichen, becoming part of his body. When Ji Feichen transformed into dragon form, the scale automatically covered the reverse scale, doubling its defense compared to ordinary dragons. Moreover, the patterns on the scale, Ji Feichen was gradually able to comprehend—they resembled the script found on the Nine Clouds Profound Crystal Plate, all exclusive true texts of the divine dragon’s Dao.
“The dragon scale contains a method for cultivating profound water.” Ji Feichen mused. He had many methods at hand, but after attaining a human immortal Dao fruit, he understood deeply that only those suited to his Dao fruit were best.
“Therefore, I must merge all I have learned, forming a method unique to myself. And I must find a way to resolve the mismatch between soul and body.”
Holding the Azure Tide Pearls, Ji Feichen swallowed them as internal elixirs one by one.
The twenty-four pearls corresponded to the twenty-four energies, not only of the heavenly mandate but also of the human realm. Twenty-four strands of azure radiance entered his body, dispersing throughout. Heart, lungs, throat, crown—all covered by the pearls, layers of azure light radiating from within.
Ji Feichen touched his fingertip, releasing another water-light equal to Weak Water—the Three Lights Divine Water!
“In future, when I travel as Qinghong, I will use the Three Lights Divine Water. If I travel as a demon cultivator, I’ll use the Nine Nether Weak Water. Moreover, Ji Feichen has an elder brother—why not let Qinghong take his place?”
The elder is of the Xuanmen, the younger of the Demon Sect—then a grand drama may be staged by their own hands.