Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

A plume of smoke rocketed into the air, blanketing the sky.

A few moments later, the smoke faded.

Tang Jie was now standing atop the summit of Water Moon Peak.

The last explosion had made the monkey completely lose it. It had never imagined that Tang Jie would bring this kind of powerful weapon into the paradise.

But Heavenbane Lightning Pearls really weren’t banned, for the Water Moon Paradise primarily forbade bringing in items which could temporarily boost one’s power, like medicines and talismans, and also materials for formations.

The Water Moon Paradise’s goal was improvement, and there was no problem if the items a cultivator brought were related to cultivation. The problem arose if the items were used to fight back against the Water Moon Paradise.

For the vast majority of people, the key was to improve oneself in a limited time so that one could get to the summit. Things like the Heavenbane Lightning Pearl were of no help in climbing the mountain.

Most importantly, experience was to receive guidance and grow from it.

The Basking Moon Sect wasn’t the Heavenly Extinction Sect, and the Water Moon Paradise wasn’t a battlefield or some noisy market. In the last 1800 years, no one had ever brought in a Heavenbane Lightning Pearl, so no one had ever thought about banning them.

Of course, after this incident, Heavenbane Lightning Pearls were definitely going to be banned, but before then, if it wasn’t banned, it wasn’t banned, and nobody could do anything to Tang Jie.

The monkey was utterly speechless. It could only grunt at Tang Jie, “Good, very good, actually bringing such a thing into the paradise. Now tell me the truth: how many more Heavenbane Lightning Pearls do you have?”

Tang Jie replied, “None. I just had the one. If I had any more, I would definitely give them to Senior.”

“I suppose you have some tact,” the monkey grunted, and fell silent.

He had gotten twenty-some pearls from Peng Yaolong and the others, and after all the tough battles he had been through, he had only this one left. But he had never imagined that he would use it in his own sect, and he felt very embarrassed in front of the monkey.

As he spoke, he looked around at the summit.

It was a gorgeous sight, lush spirit trees growing all around.

Heaven Incense Trees, Jade Sandalwood, Redberry Trees, and various other rare spirit trees grew in a forest, like an Immortal garden. Some of them even bore luscious fruit, each one a treasure.

This summit was actually sunken inward, and in the center of the summit was a small lake. Tang Jie knew that this was the Moonlight Pond.

A mist churned above the Moonlight Pond as if water was steaming, but the mist lingered rather than drifting away. If one stood next to the lake, one would feel like one was in a fairyland amidst the clouds.

But the learned knew that this meant something else.

“A Spirit Lake!” Tang Jie blurted out.

What he was seeing was clearly the evaporation of spiritual energy.

Spiritual liquid did not actually exist in the world, and when it was exposed to the world, it would immediately evaporate into spiritual energy and dissipate. However, the Basking Moon Sect had used some method to not only condense spiritual energy into spiritual liquid, but also maintain it in that state, turning the Moonlight Pond into a giant Spirit Lake.

The concentration of spiritual energy in the Water Moon Paradise was around twenty times greater than it was in the outside world, and this Moonlight Pond which had spiritual energy condensed into liquid was concentrated to an even more extreme degree.

At that moment, Tang Jie finally understood why the monkey wanted him to get to the summit before his spiritual body reached greater attainment.

Only here.

Only here, in the middle of the Spirit Lake, could completing his spiritual body have the maximum effect.

Sure enough, the monkey laughed and said, “Yes, this is a Spirit Lake! Although you cheated, in the end, you still managed to get here. Since you’re here, according to the rules of the Basking Moon Sect, you have the right to cultivate in this Spirit Lake. You got here much earlier than I expected. You still have several dozen days left, enough for you to achieve a Heavenly Spirit Law Body.”

‘Achieve a Heavenly Spirit Law Body’?

Tang Jie grew excited at the prospect.

The Heavenly Spirit Law Body was another refinement of the spiritual body, with an even higher ability to merge one’s body with the spiritual energy of the world. The boosts to one’s cultivation and combat power were both better, and one’s future path would also broaden. Comparing it to an ordinary spiritual body was like comparing a nine-cycle Jade Gate to a one-cycle Jade Gate.

Tang Jie had never planned to get a Heavenly Spirit Law Body, for he knew that this was far too distant for him to have a chance at it.

Unexpectedly, that chance had come today.

After hearing the monkey say this, Tang Jie readied to enter the lake.

“Hold on,” the monkey said.

Ten-some fruits drifted out of the distance.

These fruits of all colors and scents dropped into Tang Jie’s hands.

The monkey explained, “These are your rewards for climbing to the summit. It’s not anything to be confused about. If you were allowed to make the choice yourself, you definitely wouldn’t know which items could help you achieve a law body. Hmph, if that Ming Yekong hadn’t asked me to take care of you, I wouldn’t have bothered. Really, you used a Heavenbane Lightning Pearl, and I have to take care of you! It’s infuriating.”

“So it was Master Ming…” Tang Jie was rather moved.

Knowing that it was on the request of Ming Yekong, he decided that there was no problem with the fruits and hastily ate them.

He then took off his clothes and jumped into the lake.

As spiritual liquid wrapped around his body, Tang Jie felt so comfortable that he wanted to moan.

The restless medicinal power inside him began to spread throughout his body.

The monkey’s voice resounded in his ear. “Don’t waste time and start cultivating. If you have the free time, it won’t do you any harm to take a stroll around the bottom of the lake.”

Tang Jie turned serious, and he began to meditate and circulate his mantra. As he began to absorb the spiritual liquid, his body sank straight to the bottom of the lake.

Completely surrounded by spiritual liquid, Tang Jie cultivated to his heart’s content.

Unlike with that pitiful amount of spiritual energy he had to extract from the world, which he even had to filter out impurities from, Tang Jie could simply skip the process of extraction. It was like he was surrounded by treasure that he could pick up off the ground.

The newborn spiritual body began to greedily absorb nutrients and grow.

Time silently passed.

Tang Jie didn’t know how long he cultivated, only that his spiritual body was growing stronger and stronger, drawing close to greater attainment.

He then recalled the monkey’s words. It seemed like there was some other secret at the bottom of the lake.

That vertical eye on the center of his forehead slowly opened and began to look around.

Around him, spiritual liquid slowly flowed, and there appeared to be nothing at the bottom of the lake.

As he was wondering what the monkey had been talking about, he suddenly sensed that there was a light in front of him.

Tang Jie focused his vision, but for some reason, he was unable to make it out clearly.

Tang Jie decided to just stand up and walk toward the light. As he walked, the spiritual liquid lake parted of its own accord.

When Tang Jie reached the center of the light, he found that it was a rock.

It was a crescent-shaped white stone, lying at the bottom of the lake and giving off a faint light.

The light wasn’t vivid, but it was extremely piercing.

The intensity of the light Tang Jie had seen from a great distance was the same as when he drew close.

Lightly stroking it, Tang Jie found that his hand passed through it, as if the stone didn’t actually exist.

Tang Jie was slightly surprised. He drew back his hand and saw that the stone was still sitting on the lake bottom, exuding its glow.

No matter what method Tang Jie used, he couldn’t touch this moon stone.

Tang Jie knew that this was probably the ultimate secret of the summit.

Thus, he decided to sit down and cultivate next to the moon stone, improving his spiritual body.

In truth, Tang Jie didn’t actually know how one improved a Heavenly Spirit Law Body or how much he had to cultivate until he achieved one.

He could only focus on cultivating and try to perfect everything he could.

But as he was tempering his body, Tang Jie couldn’t help but doubt himself. Could relying purely on spiritual liquid allow one to achieve a law body?

If he remembered correctly, the farther a cultivator went, the less they relied on spiritual energy. On many occasions, what held them back wasn’t spiritual energy, but everything besides spiritual energy.

It was just that the only thing a cultivator could control was spiritual energy.

But could spiritual liquid allow one to do anything?

Tang Jie didn’t believe it.

But the monkey didn’t say anything, and Tang Jie had never heard of any method to forge a Heavenly Spirit Law Body, so he could only try and find his own path.

While pondering this problem, Tang Jie didn’t forget to keep an eye on that white crescent moon stone.

Just like before, it was quietly lying there, letting no one touch it.

Today, Tang Jie was still cultivating.

He could sense that his spiritual body was getting closer and closer to greater attainment.

If a 25-year-old body was considered greater attainment, then Tang Jie’s body was 24 and a half years old.

For this reason, Tang Jie felt like he was missing something.

His intuition told him that if he broke through like this, he would never attain a Heavenly Spirit Law Body. At best, his spiritual body would be purer than most.

There had to be some other problem that needed to be resolved.

As he was thinking, Tang Jie suddenly felt like that stone next to him had moved.

It was a strange feeling.

Tang Jie didn’t see it with his own eyes, yet he still felt like the stone had moved. But when he opened his eyes, he couldn’t tell if anything had changed, and it wasn’t like he could touch it.

Helpless, Tang Jie could only close his eyes and extend his senses.

Finally, he sensed the stone moving.

This time, Tang Jie was able to clearly sense that the stone was like a heart, pulsing once before falling silent.

Tang Jie cracked a smile.

So that was how it was?

He finally understood.

Sitting at the lake bottom, Tang Jie stopped looking at the stone and instead sensed the stone with his mind. At the same time, his heartbeat slowed until it matched that of the stone, only pulsing every once in a while.

Initially, Tang Jie was unable to match pace with the stone. The stone would always pulse first before Tang Jie followed.

But gradually, Tang Jie managed to grasp the tempo, and his heartbeat synchronized with the crescent moon stone.

Thus, a beat began to pulse through the Moonlight Pond.

Thump!

Thump!

Thump!

Thump!

The sound grew louder and louder, heavier and heavier, gradually building to a thunderous rumble.

The Agriculture Hall disciples looked up in shock, not realizing what was going on.

The monkey muttered, “So he managed to find the clue? Hyahya, he truly is a kid with potential. Now let’s see if he can grasp the key.”

A rumbling resounded through the Water Moon Paradise.

Tang Jie sat at the bottom of the lake, completely immersed in matching his heartbeat with the stone.

He could sense that each heartbeat brought him a little closer to the stone.

But no matter how close he got, there seemed to be some membrane between them, preventing him from actually touching it.

Thus, he could only wait, resonating with the moon stone without knowing what to do next.

The days went by, but Tang Jie couldn’t grasp that final step. Meanwhile, his spiritual body drew closer and closer to greater attainment.

Was he still going to fail?

Tang Jie inwardly sighed.

He was basically sure now that when his spiritual body reached greater attainment, he would lose his last opportunity.

At this moment, an image appeared in his mind.

An image of a majestic mountain.

This mountain was so tall that it was like a sword rising from the earth to pierce the heavens.

Tang Jie was in the clouds, looking up at this mountain.

He saw that there was a woman on the mountain, standing on the summit with her back to him.

He couldn’t see her face, only her graceful figure.

Just by standing there, looking up toward the heavens, she seemed like the only thing in the world.

Tang Jie silently watched from afar.

Dark clouds began to gather above the mountain, forming a giant vortex that was so low that it felt like one could reach out and touch it.

The woman continued to look up at the sky. Suddenly, her sleeves extended, stirring up a hurricane.

Then the woman flew into the sky, straight into the vortex, and disappeared without a trace.

And then, the entire world collapsed.

“Agh!” Tang Jie shouted as his eyes flew open, a ray of light emerging from the center of his forehead.

His body trembled as he blurted out, “The Dream Pearl Lady painting!”

He hadn’t expected to see the Dream Pearl Lady painting here.

But when he saw that image, he suddenly understood.

He opened his eyes and looked at the crescent moon stone. “When the Water Moon Celestial Sovereign found his way to the Moonlight Pond of the Zephyr Mountains, he saw the golden roseclouds engulfing the moon and was inspired, using his divine connection to scoop the moon out of the water and let it bask within the light. He then questioned his heart, comprehended the Dao, broke through the domain barrier, and ascended. Later on, his descendants took up his legacy and established the Basking Moon Sect. The Basking Moon refers to a sort of realm where illusion is turned into reality, wherein one comprehends the Origin Heart and the principles of the heavens… I see, I understand now.”

He looked down.

He stopped thinking about the stone, instead linking his mind to the world at his feet.

Amidst the thunderous heartbeats, his mind descended into the earth, and his entire person gradually merged with it.

At this moment, the heartbeat disappeared.

Tang Jie felt like he was standing amidst the world, as if he had become the Water Moon Paradise.

By standing here, he could see all living things. He could see the Agriculture Hall disciples tending to the crops, could sense all the plants growing. With a single thought, he could even control those spirit plants. Of course, he had no plans to do such a thing. One who became one with the Heavenly Dao did not lightly meddle in the operations of the world, going with its flow rather than fighting against it.

The world became small and confined in his eyes, and Tang Jie felt like he was getting bigger and bigger.

The Water Moon Paradise soon became like a speck of dust. Tang Jie was in the void, the entire world before him, and he was suddenly gripped by a sense of immense grandeur.

But this sense of grandeur had barely sprouted in his heart before a laugh shattered it. “Oh my, you actually managed to do it?”

Looking around, he saw that a monkey had appeared.

The monkey held its hands behind its back and was lying on its back in the void. When it saw Tang Jie, it chuckled and said, “How did it feel to merge with the world?”

Tang Jie quickly replied, “It was wonderful. It turned out that the principle to comprehending the Dao was already contained in the legends of the sect. It’s just that while our ancestor could go from illusion to reality, we juniors can only go from reality to illusion.”

The monkey grunted. “You were only able to accomplish the transition from illusion to reality thanks to the moon stone’s power. When you can go from reality to illusion and merge with the world, then you’ve taken a small step toward cultivating the Violet Jade Mantra.”

“‘The Violet Jade Mantra’?” Tang Jie was startled. “This is the Violet Jade Mantra?”

“What did you think it was? Or did you think that looking at the Violet Jade Mantra was enough to understand? You frog in a well!” The monkey smirked. “The Violet Jade Mantra is broad and profound, not something you can casually grasp. The things outside are just used to create the foundation. It is the Moonlight Pond that contains the essence of the Violet Jade Mantra. Alas, this mantra can only be experienced, not transmitted through words, and only those who reach the summit have that opportunity.”

“I see.” But Tang Jie knew that he was able to comprehend the secret of merging the body with the world not because of what he had learned, but because of that Dream Pearl Lady painting.

While Mei Huaping’s method of turning illusion into reality wasn’t as majestic as the Water Moon Celestial Sovereign’s merging of the body with the world, there were some similarities on a more subtle level. This was most likely due to the Dream Pearl Lady painting.

Tang Jie had never been able to understand this painting, but now, he completely understood it.

This painting portrayed none other than the secret of merging the body with the world.

Merging the body with the world was an opportunity to enter the Dao.

The Dao was separated into comprehending the Dao, entering the Dao, and controlling the Dao.

A Dao comprehender needed only to understand and comprehend.

One who entered the Dao needed to place their body in the Great Dao, which was many times more profound than comprehending the Dao.

The title of Celestial Sovereign hinged on one’s ability to enter the Dao.

Those who couldn’t reach this level and had only comprehended one or two Daos couldn’t possibly be called sovereigns. And even though Tang Jie had comprehended so many Daos, even if he comprehended all Twelve Great Daos, he still couldn’t be called a Celestial Sovereign. This was all because he had only comprehended, and that difference was immense.

The Water Moon Celestial Sovereign’s merging of the body with the world gave one a chance to enter the Dao, so its value was unimaginable.

Of course, there were levels to this. The Water Moon Celestial Sovereign had turned illusion into reality, scooping the moon out of the Moonlight Pond and subsequently breaking through the domain barrier, transcending as a Violet Palace cultivator. This was evidence of how profound his method had been.

As for Tang Jie, he had needed the moon stone’s power to just barely force himself into an illusion.

As for the moon stone, it had been left behind by the Water Moon Celestial Sovereign when he scooped the moon out of the water.

It was created through a Divine Connection and existed between reality and illusion. It could not be passed down through words, only experienced, and because of the many years it had spent in the Water Moon Paradise, it had become the heart of the paradise.

This was why Tang Jie couldn’t touch it, only be guided by it to understand the insights of his predecessor.

Tang Jie couldn’t help but emotionally sigh after understanding all that had happened.

The monkey said, “Since you understand, you have attained the Heavenly Spirit Law Body. Celestial Heart will no longer pose any barrier to you. But the Immortal path is long, and what you have comprehended gives you only a momentary advantage. On this long journey, you must continue to diligently work hard!”

Tang Jie respectfully said, “This disciple will remember!”

The monkey waved its hand, and the illusion disappeared. Tang Jie returned to the bottom of the lake.

A moment later, a pillar of light erupted from his body, surging to the heavens.

Greater-attainment spiritual body!

It seems like Tang Jie has done just about everything he can do in the paradise. This trip was seemingly a great success.