Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather

Chapter 1865: Chapter 1121: Life and Death Dao, Half-step Enlightenment (Part 2)

In the quiet room, Yang Zhenshan still sat cross-legged on the reed mat, his eyes tightly closed, his expression calm, his breath peaceful without any fluctuations.

If one didn’t know he was there, anyone entering the quiet room might overlook his presence.

And just like that, he sat for ten years, his mind completely immersed in Dao Intent, unable to extricate himself.

Time quietly flowed, unable to leave the slightest mark on him.

Another three years passed.

At last, there was a subtle change in the aura around him.

”Do not boast in prosperity, nor lament in decline, for this is the normalcy of life and death.”

”Observe how grass and trees wither once a year, understanding life and death are not beginnings or ends, but cycles.”

”Not seeking immortality, but seeking freedom from life and death; not avoiding demise, but avoiding being lost in ignorance. The Dao lies within life and death, not outside of them.”

”Forgetting life and death, journeying with the Dao, this is called immortality.”

Yang Zhenshan’s mind was filled with profoundly mysterious Dao Intent, slowly grasping and understanding these truths.

He long had his own insights into Dao Intent, and found some rules that suited him.

Currently, he is meditating on the control of vitality, but its essence remains the Dao of Life and Death.

He perceives the Dao of Life and Death through the control of vitality, seeking places where it aligns with the Path of Life and Death.

He contemplates his understanding of the Dao of Life and Death, recalling his previous insights on the Path of Life and Death, verifying them against each other.

”The Dao has no beginning nor end, objects have life and death. Life is not the beginning, death is not the end, akin to a circle without border, like the changing of the four seasons. Those who understand beginnings and endings do not rejoice in life, nor resent death, conforming to natural change and journeying with the Dao. Even heaven and earth cannot endure forever, let alone humans. Only by existing together with the Dao can one achieve eternity.”

”Whether the Path of Life and Death or the control of vitality, their essence is the Dao of Life and Death!”

”Life and death are traces of the Dao; the Dao is the root of life and death. Maintaining unity and forgetting duality, seeing the Dao forgets life and death. Uniting the heart with the Dao, governing life and death with it, though residing in life’s cycles, it feels like being in the land of nowhere. This is the Dao of Life and Death, also the Dao of Longevity.”

In an instant, Yang Zhenshan seemed to grasp something, with countless spiritual lights emerging in his sea of consciousness.

Suddenly, behind him, the Life and Death Tai Chi Diagram reappeared, the green and gray Yin Yang Fish slowly rotating, emitting the aura of prosperity and decline.

But soon, there were some different changes in the Tai Chi Diagram.

The green light slowly faded away, pure white brilliance continuously spread, gradually assimilating the green light, more precisely, integrating it.

The gray grew denser, transforming from gray-white to pitch-black, the aura of the Tai Chi Diagram became more obscure, more profound, and more unreachable.

Simultaneously, Yang Zhenshan’s aura underwent a change, rippling from tranquil stillness to dispersing subtle waves, not intensely but containing a fearsome power none dared to gaze upon directly.

The thin waves echoed in the quiet room, and after a moment, these waves broke through the array within the quiet room, spreading outward.

The array couldn’t block the waves emanating from him, extending from the quiet room to the entire Longevity Hall, then to the entire Immortal Palace, reaching every corner of the Life Realm Immortal Palace.

These waves were not strong, very subtle, most people were unaware of these inexplicable waves, but some sensed the anomaly.

In Spirit Deer Palace, Yue Yao raised her head in amazement, feeling somewhat puzzled by this unusual ripple.

”What is this?”

”Strange!”

She reached out, trying to catch something, but strands of Spiritual Energy brushed past her fingertips, catching nothing.

Within Qingniu Palace, the Green Bull Demon King awoke from his slumber, his face full of confusion.

”What happened?”

He looked at the Cultivation Ball in his arms, glanced around, still wearing a bewildered face.

Inside Wuzhen Taoist Palace, while transforming into a Divine General, Xuanzhen likewise looked towards the sky with curiosity, sensing an unusual aura ripple, yet it was so hidden, he suspected whether he sensed it wrongly.

A few Golden Core cultivators noticed it, but none could determine what this aura ripple was or where it originated, so they only pondered for a short while before dismissing it, as the ripple caused no impact.

However, they didn’t know that at this moment, their every move was presented within Yang Zhenshan’s sea of consciousness.

Yang Zhenshan’s Divine Soul was already connected with the Twelve Golden Crystal Lotus, an invisible yet mysterious Dao Intent infected the Twelve Golden Crystal Lotus, allowing Yang Zhenshan to perceive the entire Life Realm Immortal Palace.

Just like from a god’s perspective, he overlooked the whole Life Realm Immortal Palace.

All life and Yin Souls within the Life Realm Immortal Palace presented themselves within his mind.

”Is this entering the Dao?”

Yang Zhenshan felt this experience was very novel.

”Uniting the heart with the Dao, governing life and death with it, journeying with the Dao, this is called immortality. So, this is it!”

His heart trembled with excitement, his Divine Soul rejoicing with cheers.

The Twelve Golden Crystal Lotus seemed to cheer and tremble as well.

The Life Realm Immortal Palace seemed to cheer and tremble too.

A faint glow adorned the sky, interwoven with sunlight, this was the joy from the Life Realm Immortal Palace.

”It’s a pity it’s only a half-step into the Dao!”

Yang Zhenshan’s mouth unconsciously curled up.

A half-step into the Dao is still entering the Dao!

He unexpectedly stepped from a small success of Dao Intent to the level of enlightenment, touching the threshold of entry.

This step surpassed the great success of Dao Intent and Dao Intent perfection, simply beyond his imagination.

And all of this was brought about by the Evergreen Bamboo Staff, a longevity artifact.

Within the Evergreen Bamboo Staff is contained the divine skills and Dao Intent for the control of vitality, its essence is still the Dao of Life and Death, and this Dao of Life and Death perfectly matches Yang Zhenshan’s Path of Prosperity and Decay.

Originally, Yang Zhenshan excelled more in the Path of Void, but now the Dao of Life and Death unexpectedly prevailed, greatly surprising him, far exceeding his expectations.

In the quiet room, Yang Zhenshan exhaled heavily, slowly opening his eyes.

His pupils were one black and one white, the white bright, the black profound, but they did not feel strange; rather, they were filled with harmony.

That is life and death, also yin and yang, certainly associated with prosperity and decay.

The Path of Prosperity and Decay has ascended to the Dao of Life and Death, and Yang Zhenshan has reached the half-step enlightenment level through the Dao of Life and Death.

However, his cultivation remains at the Golden Core Middle Stage, but his Divine Soul realm has reached the peak of the Golden Core Stage. Though he may still not compare to those veteran half-step enlightened powers, most Golden Core Peak beings likely aren’t his match.

The Dao of Life and Death, controlling life and death, not only can manage his own life and death, but he can also govern others’.

Its capabilities don’t differ much from his previous divine skills of prosperity and decay, merely the consumption of lifespan by Yang Zhenshan will greatly decrease during its enactment.

Simultaneously, due to his understanding of the Dao of Life and Death, he has become more sensitive to vitality, life, death, Yin Souls, and such.

All that pertains to life and death can no longer escape his perception.

Yang Zhenshan lightly brushed the Evergreen Bamboo Staff before him, smiling as he whispered, ”This is the artifact of longevity!”

He attained enlightenment through the Evergreen Bamboo Staff, and it too would ascend because of him.

Ascending from a special kind of spiritual artifact to become a spiritual treasure.

A spiritual artifact is a special existence, between a spiritual artifact and a spiritual treasure, lacking an artifact spirit, it doesn’t surpass a spiritual treasure; yet, it is composed of Heaven and Earth Dao Intent, thus possessing immense power.

Others wishing to wield it must pay a huge price, namely their lifespan.

Yang Zhenshan borrowed the Evergreen Bamboo Staff’s entry into the Dao, comprehending the Dao of Life and Death, meanwhile the staff gained resources from the Dao of Life and Death, freeing itself from the restraints of Heaven and Earth Great Dao, ascending as a spiritual treasure.

Though this might diminish the staff’s power, it allows Yang Zhenshan to use the Evergreen Bamboo Staff as he pleases.

”But is it suitable for this to be a staff? I’m still young, a staff doesn’t suit me!”

Yang Zhenshan lifted the bamboo staff, chuckled, grabbed the end of the staff, and flicked it lightly.

Instantly, the bamboo staff shortened considerably, reduced to about two feet, the head of the dragon spat out a cluster of threads, transforming the staff into a horsetail whisk.

Yang Zhenshan draped the whisk over his arm, the white threads dangling to his knees.

”You’re indeed clever!”

The new artifact spirit was still tender, but extraordinarily fortunate.