Sect Master’s Immortal Journey

Meng Zhang's greatest hope now is to break through to the Primordial Spirit realm as soon as possible. While this goal seems within reach, it is actually still quite distant. If he could have a large amount of Heavenly Dao Merit bestowed upon him at this time, it would undoubtedly have a tremendous effect on his breakthrough to the Primordial Spirit realm.

The so-called Heavenly Dao Merit is, in fact, the mysterious power bestowed by the Heavenly Dao as a reward for making significant contributions to this world. Obtaining Heavenly Dao Merit is extremely rare and elusive. Many cultivators who are aware of the situation have spent a lot of time but accumulated only a small amount of Heavenly Dao Merit.

The last time Meng Zhang was in the Deadly Sea of Sand, he killed the Demonic Cultivator Ye Feifan and offended a powerful demon from the Devil Domain, which earned him a portion of Heavenly Dao Merit. This Heavenly Dao Merit played a significant role in his Heavenly Secret Technique's cultivation, helping to eliminate many hidden dangers. The miraculous nature of Heavenly Dao Merit is indescribable in words; it can turn the impossible into possible and even to some extent, change certain rules of heaven and earth.

Meng Zhang, who is currently at a crucial stage of his cultivation journey, naturally desires it greatly. In the past, he had spent a lot of time pursuing Heavenly Dao Merit, but despite killing Ghost Cultivators, Demonic Cultivators, extraterritorial Barbarian Clans, and numerous demons in the Grand Crossing Cultivation Circle, he did not sense any significant influx of Heavenly Dao Merit.

Now, Xu Mengying presents Heavenly Dao Merit to tempt Meng Zhang. While he is tempted, he also feels skeptical. Firstly, Heavenly Dao Merit is something that can be encountered but not sought after. No matter how capable Xu Mengying may be, relying on such a thing might not be dependable. Secondly, since they know about the existence and magical effects of Heavenly Dao Merit, Meng Zhang would certainly keep it strictly confidential if given the chance to obtain it and wouldn't easily share it with others.

Seeing Meng Zhang's eyes filled with both desire and doubt, Xu Mengying smiles wryly. If it weren't absolutely necessary and if she could find help elsewhere, she wouldn't have come to seek Meng Zhang's assistance. She doesn't directly answer Meng Zhang's doubts but mentions that what she's about to disclose involves the top-secret of Yellow Lotus Sect. She hopes that Meng Zhang will make a Heart Demon vow to keep this matter confidential, regardless of whether he agrees to help or not.

After some consideration, Meng Zhang agrees. In front of Xu Mengying, he swears a Heart Demon vow not to disclose this matter. Only then does Xu Mengying let out a sigh of relief and slowly begins to explain everything.

To provide a detailed explanation, we must go back hundreds of years. At that time, Yellow Lotus Sect's Cult Master, Xu Huanshan, had not disappeared yet, and Yellow Lotus Sect had not split into factions. During that era, Yellow Lotus Sect had not only one Primordial Spirit True Monarch but also numerous Gold Core Daoist Masters and countless cultivators. In terms of strength, Yellow Lotus Sect was the third major force in the Jiuqu League, second only to the Azure Origin Sect and a truly formidable presence, surpassing the Primordial Spirit forces like the Four Seas Commercial Firm and Beast King Mountain. Xu Huanshan himself was a renowned expert in the Jiuqu League and the first cultivator in the history of Yellow Lotus Sect to reach the late stage of Primordial Spirit cultivation. Having reached this stage, Xu Huanshan encountered the same problem as True Monarch Tian Zhu from the past: his cultivation path had reached its limit, and there seemed to be no way forward.

Yellow Lotus Sect, despite being classified as a Primordial Spirit sect, was only slightly better than those bottom-tier sects within the Primordial Spirit category. Whether in terms of sect heritage or foundation, it was not exceptional.

Actually, not only Xu Huanshan of Yellow Lotus Sect but even the two giants of the Jiuqu League, Azure Origin Sect, and Jade Sword Sect, after reaching the Primordial Spirit late stage, also lost the ability to continue advancing.

Looking further, in the south, within the Three Sects Alliance, and in the west, within the Grand Crossing Cultivation Circle, cultivators at the Primordial Spirit late stage are already the most powerful cultivators, and there are no existences with higher Cultivation Base realms.

Even in the Middle-Earth Continent, where the cultivation civilization is most developed within the Grand Dust World, apart from a few Holy Land Sects, there are few great powers at the Return to Emptiness realm. As far as Meng Zhang knows, even the Taiyi Sect at its peak didn't seem to have a great power at the Return to Emptiness realm.

A great power at the Return to Emptiness realm is the strongest in the Grand Dust World, occupying the pinnacle of this world. The Cultivation World is ever-changing, and fortunes are unpredictable. Even a powerful sect like the Taiyi Sect from the past, if it encounters a calamity, might perish without much ability to protect itself.

However, an influence with a great power at the Return to Emptiness realm is different; as long as the Return to Emptiness great power exists, that influence is unlikely to perish. The reason those Holy Land Sects can pass down their legacies for thousands of years and forever remain at the top of the entire Cultivation World is, to a significant extent, because they have had a Return to Emptiness great power overseeing them.

A Return to Emptiness great power is the one who rules the world in the Grand Dust World and the pillar that determines the fate and direction of the entire Cultivation World. Which Primordial Spirit True Monarch in the Cultivation World wouldn't want to become a Return to Emptiness great power?

However, achieving the level of a Return to Emptiness great power is extremely difficult. Even for the cultivators of the Holy Land Sects, it is incredibly arduous, and among them, at most, only one or two may reach the Return to Emptiness realm.

In reality, after most Primordial Spirit True Monarchs reach the Primordial Spirit late stage in the Cultivation World, they find themselves at an impasse and have to resign themselves to their fate. Many cultivators at the Primordial Spirit late stage focus their efforts on managing their sects or clans. They use various means to leave behind their heritage, hoping it will perpetuate for eternity.

Not to mention Xu Huanshan, who comes from a small sect in a remote area, even the Primordial Spirit True Monarchs from those major sects and big clans of the Middle-Earth Continent dare not easily covet the realm of Return to Emptiness.

Both Xu Huanshan and figures like True Monarch Tian Zhu were considered outliers among the Primordial Spirit True Monarchs. Some might call it ambition and lofty aspirations, while others might see it as being naive and inexperienced.

For the sake of his own path, Xu Huanshan abandoned his duties as the Cult Master of Yellow Lotus Sect and left everything behind to embark on the path of seeking the Dao. Of course, when he left Yellow Lotus Sect, he did not intend never to return, nor did he expect to part ways permanently with his fellow sect members.

Before leaving, he made many arrangements within the sect, believing that he would return in a few decades or maybe a hundred years. However, after Xu Huanshan left Yellow Lotus Sect, he never returned. Many of the arrangements he made before leaving became invalidated due to a series of unforeseen circumstances, partly caused by the interference of other forces within the Jiuqu League.

A too-powerful Yellow Lotus Sect seemed to be against the interests of others. With Yellow Lotus Sect losing its head, it began to splinter internally and steadily weakened. Xu Huanshan, in a sense, became the scapegoat for the decline of Yellow Lotus Sect and faced many complaints from later generations.

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