Cultivation: When you take things to the extreme-Chapter 759 - 476: The Big Picture

The entry of the Cave Heaven into the world heralds a resurgence of hidden currents and schemes.

Caught in the eye of the vortex, Xu Yang found a rare moment of tranquility, meticulously taking inventory of his spoils.

The battle had yielded him a rich bounty.

Among the captives was the Garuda King and a Golden-Winged Peng, both Three Calamities Divine Spirits.

There were also several Garuda Generals. Though few in number, with Cultivations typically ranging between the Seventh Realm Integration and the Eighth Realm Great Vehicle, along with other members of the Garuda Clan from the Fourth and Fifth Realms, and those undergoing Nascent Soul to Spirit Transformation, all were valuable captives.

In the current situation, they were an exceedingly precious labor force.

Xu Yang had already planned their disposal. The Garuda possessed the Phoenix Bloodline and an Innate Divine Ability like the Pure Azure Glazed Flame, granting them considerable advantages in Alchemy and Artifact Crafting.

He had now placed Garuda King Weide inside the Nine Dragons Earth Fire Furnace, uplifting its quality. Whether in Alchemy or Artifact Crafting, it would be like divine aid, making the task of crafting Seventh Tier items trivial for a Three Calamities Divine Spirit–even Eighth Order Superior Grade Immortal Spirit items weren’t difficult.

But a single Nine Dragons Earth Fire Furnace was far from enough. With the vastness of the Wandao School and the many disciples engaged in Alchemy and Artifact Crafting, one furnace could never satisfy the demand. Thus, Xu Yang planned to place those Garuda Generals into the furnace too.

With their Seventh and Eighth Realm Cultivation, their contribution to Alchemy and Artifact Crafting would be significant.

The remaining Garuda from the Fourth and Fifth Realms needn’t be confined within the furnace. They could serve as "Fire-Tending Novices"—reeducated through labor, their sins purged, they might be received into the Academy, becoming a force of their own.

With the aid of the Garuda Clan, the Wandao School’s Pill Refining and Artifact Crafting enterprises would surely advance further, seizing benefits, enhancing strength, developing steadily, growing larger and more powerful...

In short, the future was boundless with tremendous potential!

This was the value of the captives, and there were also the spoils of material goods.

As a Cave Heaven Secret Realm, the Garuda Clan, although at the bottom of the hierarchy, was quite valuable.

Over the years, Xu Yang had strategized over the land, subduing countless Blessed Lands and exterminating a number of the Cave Heavens’ Taoist from factions like Beiming’s Longteng, reaping considerable rewards. Otherwise, he could not have assembled an Immortal Spirit Mech Armor of the Superior Grade level like the "Broken War God."

But that was as far as it went. As rich as those Cave Heaven Taoists were, their resources were limited. Xu Yang had only managed to gather one Broken War God and, with the collective power of the world, forged the Nine Rites Xuanyuan. He hadn’t the resources to craft other Immortal Spirit Instruments like the "Ground-Departing Flame Light Banner."

Now the situation was different. Being a Cave Heaven Secret Realm, the Garuda Clan’s wealth far surpassed that of any Taoist successor. The high-order Spiritual Objects at their disposal were more than sufficient for him to craft the Ground-Departing Flame Light Banner and various Immortal Artifacts of the Earth Immortal Realm.

While this world had Immortal Artifacts too, those of the Earth Immortal Realm were clearly superior, given they came with complementary Divine Power. Unlike in this world, where Xu Yang had yet to procure the fundamental laws of the great Cave Heavens, the Immortals, Buddhas, Gods, and Demons, using their Immortal Artifacts felt somewhat strenuous.

Thus, for the foreseeable future, the Immortal Spirit Mech Armor of the Wandao School would have to utilize the core of the Earth Immortal Realm’s Immortal Artifacts, until Xu Yang managed to secure the fundamental laws of the major Cave Heavens, enabling him to wield the Immortal Artifacts of this world with ease.

Apart from materials for crafting Immortal Artifacts like the Ground-Departing Flame Light Banner, the Garuda Secret Realm also contained many ready-to-use Spiritual Objects, which could either be assimilated internally or placed in the Academy Treasury for all to vie for and exchange.

Indeed, without windfalls, neither horse can grow fat, nor man rich. After assimilating the Garuda Secret Realm’s spoils, the Wandao School’s strength was sure to rise at least one more step.

And this was just the beginning. More Cave Heavens, more secret realms were about to merge with the world, like mountains of gold waiting to be mined.

Of course, the prerequisite is that you have the strength to mine them!

Xu Yang’s strength primarily consisted of two aspects: his personal Cultivation and the Wandao School.

There’s no need to elaborate on the latter, which is still in its developmental stage. Discounting those distrustful Cave Heaven Successors with their varying intentions, the highest Cultivation among the core disciples is merely at the Return to Void stage. There isn’t even one at Integration, let alone Mahayana.

Return to Void Cultivators, even when controlling Mecha, are only comparable to Integration. Facing those Cave Heavens and Secret Realms controlled by Immortals, Buddhas, Gods, and Demons, they can at best serve as support, unable to become the main force or relieve him of his burdens.

Therefore, for now, the Wandao School still relies on him, the Taoist Master, to personally forge its destiny.

Fortunately, as the Taoist Master, he has proven quite capable!

Five hundred years of Immortal Martial Dual Cultivation have brought him into the Eighth Realm, Divine Martial Mahayana.

Even from Xu Yang’s current perspective, his rate of progression seems rather exaggerated.

It is worth noting that his body, like those of his former selves in previous cycles of the dream butterfly, had terrible aptitude, lacking even a Spiritual Root. His cultivation was entirely dependent on external aids, yet he still managed to enter the Eight Realms within five hundred years through Immortal Martial Dual Cultivation.

This was indeed beyond comprehension.

In comparison, those Cave Heaven Successors with Tao Body Immortal Wombs, despite the support of Sect potential and the merits of Slaughtering Demons, the strongest among them barely managed to enter Integration, as with Yuzhao.

The gap is clear when comparing the two.

Needless to say, such is the treatment of the "Master of Fate" that even though he invested all the Heavenly Dao merits he gained into Xuanyuan, his Cultivation still thundered ahead, far outstripping others.

But this wasn’t enough!

As the Honored Wandao, with the aid of Heavenly Mechanics Methods, he, a being of the Mahayana tier, could contend against Calamity Immortals. If he deployed the Nine Ceremony Sword Formation, he could even force the retreat of Nine Tribulations True Immortals like the Emperor of the North Pole and Eastern Victory from the Eastern Victory Heavenly Court.

But that was only forcing a retreat.

His current limit was to force back True Immortals; it was out of his reach to slay them. On the contrary, should a True Immortal decide to grapple with him for life or death at all costs, Xu Yang might face the risk of being forced back or even perishing.

There was no helping it, given the divide between the mortal and the immortal, the gap between the tiers. Although Heavenly Mechanics Methods and Skill Characteristics were formidable, they couldn’t wholly bridge that vast chasm—at present, he didn’t have the capability to slay True Immortals.

Yet, in a world teeming with hidden dragons and crouching tigers, not to mention the enigmatic Celestial Immortals and Earth Immortals, there were thousands upon thousands of True Immortals to consider. Including Calamity Immortals, their number was unfathomable, forming various Divine System conglomerates.

Even though Xu Yang currently held command of the situation, he still faced considerable pressure from these Divine System groups.

None who have become Immortal Gods were simple; currently succumbing to his encroachment was merely the result of compelling circumstances forcing temporary tolerance. Once the situation turned, or when the time was ripe, they would decisively return to the mundane world.

Then it would be a time for avenging grievances and settling scores.

What to do?

His only option was to cheat the system!

Once he entered the Tribulation Realm and achieved True Immortality, all these difficulties would not necessarily dissipate, but they could be considerably mitigated.

How can one advance into the Tribulation Realm?

Currently, the only reliance is on merits.

Now that Xuanyuan has succeeded and the Nine Rites are about to emerge, the focus of merit can be shifted, invested into the elevation of cultivation.

With the power of merit, within a thousand years, one should hope to break through Mahayana and become a Calamity Immortal, and before the return of the Earth and Heavenly Immortals, maintain that position of being "invincible under the heavens."

It’s just unknown if they would allow him that time.

...

All under the heavens turbulence rises, dark currents surge from all directions.

In another Cave Heaven Secret Realm, another Golden Palace Temple.

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"Weide, this fool, to actually be enslaved by those Mysterious Gate Immortals, has not only lost all face for our Garuda Clan but also damaged the majesty of the Supreme Lord, deserving death a thousand times over, deserving death a thousand times!"

On the throne, furious words thunder, it was a venerable god, with the appearance of an eagle-headed human body, very similar to the aforementioned Weide.

It was none other than the Garuda King—Daman!

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The Garuda Clan has four great kings: Weide, Dashen, Daman, Ruyi.

Among the four kings, Weide was the youngest and the weakest, merely a divine spirit of the Three Realms.

And now this Daman, the Garuda King, his cultivation has reached the juncture of Six Calamities, second only to Ruyi, the eldest among the four great kings.

One could see this divine spirit of Six Calamities, with full fury on his face, berating Weide’s actions from his throne, causing a Garuda with the cultivation of the fifth cycle to lie prostrate on the ground, shaking uncontrollably, daring not to utter a word.

"Hmph!"

After venting his anger, he snorted coldly, turning to the Garuda below: "This involves the face of our entire Garuda Clan. As the eldest amongst the Garuda kings, shouldn’t Ruyi take the initiative to wash away this disgrace?"

"Replying to King Daman!"

The Garuda prostrated on the ground, forehead tightly against the floor, spoke with utmost respect, "King Ruyi is in arduous cultivation but is also aware of the mortal affairs and has thus sent me to convey his message, asking you and King Dashen not to act rashly. The power of those Mysterious Gate Immortals is too formidable, only true gods could contend with them."

"Hmph!"

Hearing the emissary’s words, Daman snorted coldly but didn’t make a rebuttal.

Of the four Garuda kings, "King Ruyi" was the oldest, with the highest cultivation and the strongest power, a divine spirit of Seven Calamities, followed by him, Daman of Six Calamities, then Dashen of Four Calamities, and Weide of Three Calamities.

As a divine spirit of Seven Calamities, Ruyi was extremely powerful, but he had many concerns; not to mention the Mundane Tribulation, Daman himself only felt he had a sixty percent certainty of success. Since Ruyi was more powerful than him and faced even greater Tribulations, it was feared he only had a fifty percent chance of overcoming this Mundane Tribulation.

Fifty percent chance, a toss-up, where the risks need no further mention.

Therefore, Ruyi had been diligently cultivating in seclusion, preparing to face the Heavenly Tribulation.

Now with this turn of events, as the eldest Garuda King, he indeed should stand up.

But sometimes, the more something is expected, the harder it is to carry out.

Like now, Ruyi didn’t want to step forward because the risk was too great.

Don’t talk about being short-sighted and unconcerned with the bigger picture; sometimes having far-reaching vision isn’t necessarily a good thing.

Because that far-reaching vision can conflict with immediate interests, safety, and even personal well-being.

Who doesn’t know that the Wandao School is growing stronger step by step?

Who doesn’t know that those three people are slowly devouring the various Great Cavern Heavens?

But knowing that, so what? Do they want me to, for the sake of long-term development and the overall situation’s safety, face those three in a life-or-death battle as I’m undergoing my Tribulation?

Who do you think you are, the Supreme Lord Vishnu?

We are all Garuda kings, with different levels of cultivation and strengths, but our statuses are equal. You can’t control me, and I can’t control you. Why should I risk everything and be the one to "consider the bigger picture"?

Moreover, given the strength displayed by those three, we divine spirits of the Calamity Realm might not necessarily be able to defeat them.

So...

"Ruyi truly possesses great wisdom. Let’s settle the matter as such. Inform Dashen to adapt as needed, and not become the next Weide. As for me... I shall also undertake painstaking cultivation. You may leave."

Daman spoke with calm, deciding the outcome.

"Yes!"

The emissary, upon hearing this, dared not say more, agreeing and then retreated from the Golden Hall.

The Wandao School, looking to break the Cave Heavens, Dashen of Four Calamities, also received a decree from those three people, at a critical juncture, uncertain of what to do.

Regarding this, Ruyi remained unmoved and Daman could not help, only asking him to be cautious in his actions, to adapt to circumstances.

The three Supreme Lords sleep in the Great Freedom Heaven, unaware of when they might awaken. With everyone not belonging to a collective authority, fighting on their own, naturally couldn’t offer help.

One can only hope that some true god would take a long view, consider the overall situation, and stand up to take charge of the bigger picture.