C9 What Kind of Dao Is This?
With just one look, Duan Tongxuan was overcome with a shudder that coursed through his entire being.
In a fleeting moment, he felt himself drawn into the profound essence of the calligraphy before him. The atmosphere was serene and otherworldly, suspending him midair as if he and the space around him had become one.
Then, he sensed a sliver of profound truth. It was this very insight that sparked a revelation, making everything seem suddenly clear.
"The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao."
Duan Tongxuan's eyes snapped open, revealing a web of dense red veins.
Boom!
A formidable presence erupted, darkening the skies, as a cascade of multicolored radiance descended.
It was a celestial phenomenon!
Sun Zhong, filled with elation, shielded Duan Rou.
"Miss, the Master has... broken through..."
Duan Rou was momentarily dumbfounded.
Her father had been stalled at the Nascent Soul Stage for countless years, and even Duan Tongxuan himself had resigned to the belief that this was his peak.
But now, he had transcended!
In that moment, the image of Jee Faang, exuding an air of distinction, resurfaced in her mind.
A true master! A master indeed!
The spectacle of Duan Tongxuan's breakthrough radiated spectacularly, its presence felt for miles around. Many members of the Duan family, who had already descended the mountain, couldn't contain their astonishment.
"The Patriarch... has broken through!"
"The heavens have not forsaken the Duan family! With this breakthrough, we still have a chance!"
"Now that the Patriarch has reached the Transcendence Stage, we have the strength to go all out."
Cultivation Levels: Qi Cultivation Stage, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core Stage, Nascent Soul Stage, Transcendence Stage, Divine Stage, Integration Stage, Tribulation Passing Stage, Great Perfection Stage...
While the Nascent Soul Stage is formidable, the Transcendence Stage is akin to that of a sovereign.
In the journey of cultivation, it's a rarity to ascend beyond the Nascent Soul Stage, with many spending their lives unable to reach the Transcendence Stage.
Duan Tongxuan, now a powerhouse of the Transcendence Stage, felt the overwhelming surge of true qi within him. Holding Jee Faang's brush and ink, his hand began to tremble with the magnitude of his newfound power.
What kind of master was this?
The brushwork was imbued with the Spirit of the Tao. Could it be that this individual was a master at the Tribulation Passing Stage?
Fate had allowed Duan Rou to encounter such a formidable expert. Truly, this was a stroke of luck for the Duan family.
Duan Tongxuan's eyes drifted toward the horizon.
"Duan Tonglee, I... am ready to fight!"
...
The moon crested the treetops as night descended, and a figure dropped from the heavens, landing in the Duan family's courtyard.
"Hahahaha! Duan Tongxuan, I've underestimated you. To think you could break through under these circumstances! How fascinating!"
Duan Tonglee... he had arrived!
Clad in a long black robe, only his ghastly pale face was visible. He wielded a blood-red sword that exuded a sense of dread.
"The Duan family does not welcome you."
Duan Tongxuan was already standing by Duan Tonglee's side, as if he had been there all along.
Boom!
Duan Tonglee let out a cold snort, extending his sword as a wave of sword energy burst forth, heading straight for Duan Tongxuan.
As the sword energy neared, Duan Tongxuan vanished in an instant.
Boom!
In the courtyard, the family's guardian stone sculpture was pulverized by the sword energy.
The sword energy was vibrant, and the Genuine Qi flowed ceaselessly. Duan Tongxuan, having evaded the strike, grew solemn.
Duan Tonglee's skill was even greater than he had anticipated.
Duan Tonglee let out a sinister laugh. "Even with your breakthrough, you're still doomed."
Duan Tongxuan's gaze sharpened as he formed a hand seal with his right hand.
"Ascend to the heavens, vanish from the earth!"
A sword shot forth, cleaving the air.
The two wasted no more words, clashing fiercely in combat.
Duan Tongxuan's sword glowed a brilliant silver-white, slicing through the darkness with razor-sharp precision.
Duan Tonglee's sword radiated an eerie purple-red hue, flickering unpredictably, savage as a rabid dog. Duan Tongxuan quickly found himself on the back foot.
"Duan Tongxuan, you severed my left hand once. As recompense, today I will annihilate your entire clan, hehe…"
After he finished speaking, a surge of Spiritual Energy caused the pressure around him to intensify suddenly.
Even the grass and trees nearby could sense the overwhelming force.
"Devil's Fury!"
In a flash, the environment was bathed in a sinister purple-black hue, resembling a blood-soaked hell.
Puff!
Duan Tongxuan could no longer withstand it and coughed up a mouthful of blood.
As his knees thudded heavily to the ground, the drawing he was holding tumbled out of his arms.
"Duan Tongxuan, you cur... Haha... Haha!"
Amidst a burst of haughty laughter, Duan Tongxuan let out a sigh.
"If only I had two more days to grasp the two layers of Spirit of The Tao in these characters, I wouldn't have been utterly defeated..."
"The Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, where only the demonic is most formidable. I've been on the demonic path for half a year and have already reached the Out-of-Body stage. What other Dao on earth can rival the demonic path?"
Duan Tonglee's eyes scanned the Dao De Jing lying open nearby.
What was that?!
In a moment, a torrent of Spirit of The Tao rushed into his consciousness, plunging him into an alternate realm.
The Dao flowed naturally, following the heart's desires...
Puff.
Duan Tonglee expelled another mouthful of blood.
His path was one of tyranny and ruthlessness, a Dao that oppressed all of heaven.
Yet, the Dao of the Dao De Jing was the natural way of the Dao.
The two paths were in stark contrast, but the Spirit of The Tao from the Dao De Jing actually surpassed the demonic path.
For a brief moment, his spirit wavered, and he spat out blood.
"This is a false Dao?! It's impossible for the Xuan Sect to be this powerful, impossible, impossible!"
