Chapter 915 : The Dao of Birth and Heaven

"We understand."

Everyone nodded repeatedly, their expressions turning solemn and reverent.

Seeing this, Eldrin Chen gave a slight wave of his sleeve and spoke calmly, "Since that is the case, let us begin."

As his words fell, he pointed a finger into the void with a flick of his sleeve, conjuring a shimmering, ethereal light.

The assembly looked up to see the illusory radiance continuously evolving within the emptiness, slowly taking shape from a vague, embryonic form until it finally coalesced into the figure of an infant.

Taibai Jiang furrowed his brow, unable to suppress a murmur, "This is..."

"This is depicting the moment of a mortal's birth." Xuan Qingyi uttered softly, then frowned and whispered to himself, "What profound meaning does the Senior intend with this act?"

Simultaneously, the scene in the void continued to evolve, detail by detail, until it showed the fetus emerging from the womb.

Only after completing this step did Eldrin Chen begin to explain in a measured tone, "Young friends, do you know what the process from conception to birth represents for a mortal?"

The listeners were momentarily taken aback. Taibai Jiang was the first to speak, "A person's life begins with the nurturing of a single spark of True Spirit [the fundamental, immortal essence of a soul], which then descends into the world through the mother's womb." Immerse yourself in the complete world at audio-novel . com.

"Thus, the process of gestation is the Human Dao [the Way of Humanity], and this is the true Great Dao."

Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod and spoke with a smile, "The gestation of humanity is not only the Human Dao, but also the legendary Heavenly Dao [the Way of Heaven]."

"This..."

The crowd wore expressions of astonishment. Xuan Qingyi could not help but ask, "Senior, please enlighten us. Why is the Human Dao related to the Heavenly Dao?"

Eldrin Chen did not answer directly. Instead, he extended his hand once more, pointing into the void and conjuring another wisp of ethereal spiritual light.

That light blossomed, transforming into a hazy, primordial world, a scene reminiscent of the very dawn of creation.

"The senior is now manifesting the ancient vista from the time of World Creation!"

The assembly murmured, their hearts filled with bewilderment, yet in the next instant, they felt as if a great bell had been struck against their very souls.

Within that misty, nascent world at the beginning of time, upon a desolate and silent earth, the first flickers of nascent vitality took form.

As the heavens and earth continued their eternal cycle, those strands of vitality evolved into grasses, trees, bamboo, and stone; they gave rise to the birds of the air and the beasts of the land, and ultimately, they gave birth to 'humankind'.

Soren the Heart-Seer swiftly attained a profound understanding and could not help but voice his realization: "Heaven and Earth nurture all living beings; all living beings are born of Heaven and Earth."

"Be it the Human Race or the Demonic Tribe, all myriad spirits of our Purple Realm are children of the Violet Heaven and Earth."

"Heaven and Earth are the parents who nurture us. The path we walk is the necessary course that aligns with the natural transformations of Heaven."

"Therefore, the Human Dao [the Way of Humanity] is the Heavenly Dao [the Way of Heaven]."

"Indeed." Everyone nodded in agreement. Taibai Jiang could not help but remark, "So the path of cultivation is one of following Heaven's will, not defying it."

Only after everyone had gained some insight did Eldrin Chen nod in approval.

He then placed the manifested infant within the cosmos and began to expound, "Now that you understand the Human Dao is the Heavenly Dao, you may continue to listen to this discourse on the Dao of Heaven and Humanity."

"*Hum*—"

As Eldrin Chen's words faded, he pointed a finger once more.

The infant began to grow, maturing bit by bit. Simultaneously, Eldrin Chen continued his eloquent narration: "Our path of cultivation is not so different from the gestation of a fetus."

"In this humble work's view, the six realms of a mortal's cultivation path can, in truth, be categorized into three distinct processes."

"The so-called Qi Refinement, Foundation Establishment, and Core Formation realms are as numerous as the sands of the Ganges," Eldrin Chen murmured, his voice low. "They are akin to countless grains of sand, striving with all their might to gather the Qi [the vital energy that flows through all living things] of heaven and earth, seeking to draw upon the mother's essence to gestate an embryo."

Eldrin Chen then channeled his Mana to manifest a vision. Within it, a tiny figure could be seen amidst the cosmos, drawing upon the myriad Spiritual Object resources of heaven and earth, gradually cultivating its way to the Nascent Soul Realm.

Upon reaching this stage, Eldrin Chen spoke once more, his words resonating with the Great Dao [the fundamental principle or path of the universe]: "The Nascent Soul Realm signifies the embryo's successful gestation, marking the crossing of the threshold from being mere grains of sand."

"Though still insignificant, it can now barely catch the eye of the Heaven and Earth Will [the collective consciousness and intent of the cosmos]."

Within that celestial vision, the tiny figure's cultivation advanced unceasingly. It finally summoned its Heaven and Earth Souls [the spiritual essences representing one's connection to the cosmos] to their rightful places, undergoing a metamorphosis into a Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator], and nurturing a wisp of Pure Yang Power [the power of unadulterated, primordial Yang energy]. Discover more cultivation stories at AUDIO-NOVEL.COM.

Only then did Eldrin Chen continue, stating: "And once it transforms into a Pure Yang Nascent Soul, for the Violet Heaven and Earth [a primordial realm of profound spiritual energy], it becomes akin to an infant within its womb."

"Though the journey to be fully born is still long, it can now be considered, however tenuously, a child of heaven and earth, worthy of receiving the favor of cosmic fortune."

Witnessing this, the many Dao Lord [masters of profound Daoist principles] upon the Firmament [the highest celestial realm] nodded in unison.

Maris the Sea Steader stroked his long beard, unable to hold back his words: "No wonder cultivators of the Purple Realm [a high-level spiritual plane], upon merely breaking through to the Primordial Spirit realm, can almost always find an opportunity for Pure Yang [the state of pure, primordial Yang energy] within a single Millennium [a cosmic cycle of one thousand years]."

"So our path of cultivation is, in truth, one of aligning with the heavens, not defying them."

Below in the assembly hall, Peng the Roc Scion furrowed his brow and could not help but ask, "If our path is one of alignment, why then do the myriad tribulations descend upon us?"

"Because the resources of heaven and earth are finite."

Eldrin Chen stated decisively, then began to elaborate: "Just as a mortal mother carries her child for ten months, the Purple Realm [a grand and glorious major world] could never sustain an infinite number of Immortal [beings who have ascended to immortality]."

At this point, Eldrin Chen's expression turned profoundly solemn. "The resources consumed by a single cultivator, progressing from Qi Refinement [the initial stage of refining one's vital energy], Foundation Establishment [the stage of establishing one's cultivation foundation], Golden Core [the stage of forming a golden core of power], Nascent Soul [the stage of nurturing an infant soul], Primordial Spirit [the stage of manifesting one's primordial spirit], and finally to the realm of Immortality, are beyond imagination."

"For a magnificent major world like the Purple Realm, producing even one Immortal every ten thousand years might drain its vital essence."

"As for weaker minor worlds, it's likely that not a single soul could achieve immortality even over hundreds of thousands, or even a million years."

Eldrin Chen continued his explanation, then sighed. "It is precisely for this reason that after achieving immortality, an Immortal can remain in the Purple Realm for no more than a single Millennium [a period of one thousand years]."

"It is akin to a fetus carried for ten months. If it lingers too long within its mother's womb, not only might the mother's body fail to bear it, but both might perish together."

Hearing this, the assembly gained a moment of profound understanding, feeling as if their horizons had been vastly expanded.

Above the Nine Firmaments, the Lord of the Southern Sea Glazed Palace took a deep breath, then nodded and said, "Perhaps what Fellow Daoist Eldrin has said is indeed true. Our tribulations may very well stem from this."

"Since the Heavens and Earth cannot allow all to ascend to immortality, they can only descend various trials and tribulations to test us, selecting the most exceptional of their children."

"Thus, it is not only a trial for us, but also a means to choose those with the greatest certainty of achieving immortality."

"Indeed, indeed."

The Violet Firmament Dao Lord also nodded, stroking his long beard with a sigh. "No wonder the Immortal of successive generations from the Purple Realm, after their ascension, would employ various means to repay their Violet Karma."

"We are all children of Heaven and Earth, and an Immortal is a beloved child nurtured by them, nourished since youth by the boundless resources the cosmos provides for cultivation."

"If one does not ascend, it matters not. But to ascend is to depart the Purple Realm, carrying away an immeasurable amount of its primordial essence."

"Such immense grace and karma, even an Immortal must pay a tremendous price to repay it in full." This chapter is part of a larger work available at audio-novel . com.