How come the celestial technique I stole is so powerful?!

"The Three Realms are not just any Taoist Temple! It is a Spirit Tomb!" Lu Yun said, "Millions of years ago, Heaven, Earth, and Humanity competed for the Tao. If a hero of the Human Clan perished, their heroic spirit would join the Three Realms. Have you seen the pavilions and towers outside? They are the Heroic Spirit Tomb built for the billions of heroic spirits."

Thousand Miles of Heroic Spirit Land.

Billions of Heroic Spirit Tombs.

The pavilions and towers are incredibly magnificent. They were originally the Heroic Spirit Tombs built for the Human Clan's billions of heroic spirits millions of years ago.

"Heroic Spirits... are they the true foundation of the Three Realms' calamity breaker?" Lin Xiaosu asked.

"Yes! But when a civilization is on the brink of extinction, how could the heroic spirits tolerate it? Once the billions of heroic spirits emerge, no matter the disaster, it would return to dust and earth. Alas, today there are no more heroic spirits, only empty Spirit Tombs remain. How can the Three Realms rescue the human world and continue the flame of Human Tao?"

"The heroic spirits... did they die in battle?" Lin Xiaosu's heart tightened.

Lu Yun said, "A million years ago, the last Human Emperor Kun sacrificed himself to the Tao, severing the Heavenly and sealing the Earthly Tao, leaving an unprecedented glorious era for Humanity. However, later generations did not honor Emperor Kun's merits. Instead, they vilified him as a demon, slandering heroic spirits who fought with him as accomplices of the Demon Path. All steles were smashed, all histories destroyed. Since then, no one remembers the heroic spirits of the Three Realms. Heroic spirits root in faith; without faith, their spirit self-destructs! You speak of dying in battle... they would rather wish to die in battle, but alas, they died without fighting, hah... how ironic?"

His laughter was excessively loud, yet filled with mockery.

Lin Xiaosu sighed deeply, "To destroy a people, first destroy their history; to erase their history, slander heroes as thieves. Eventually, they will meet retribution."

Taoist Lu Yun also let out a long sigh, "Who doesn't say so? To destroy heroic spirits and sever the faith is akin to digging one's own grave. In the Post-Kun Emperor era, when faith was lost, morality diminished. A thousand years of chaos ensued, and the Human Clan deteriorated to unprecedented decline. The flame of Humanity lay dormant for a full million years, nearly extinguished, until five thousand years ago, this spark reignited..."

"Taoist, this flame now faces storm and tempest again."

"Indeed, through the ages, the flame is hard to continue. Success comes from humanity, as does failure. To dig one's own pit is to bear one's own consequences..." Lu Yun picked up the solitary lamp behind him and slowly turned around.

"Wait!"

Lu Yun stopped.

But did not turn back.

"Taoist, some say: this great calamity is not a dead end; there is a resolution!"

Lu Yun faintly smiled, "When great calamity befalls the world, who among humanity doesn't hold some hope? The claim of a non-dead end, a solution - you probably hear it every day, but... how to solve it?"

"The Three-character Bone Book Human Volume!"

"Three-character Bone Book Human Volume!" Lu Yun suddenly turned his head, "You actually know of the Three-character Bone Book Human Volume?"

His expression showed signs of astonishment.

Lin Xiaosu's heart skipped a beat, "Can the Three-character Bone Book Human Volume truly resolve this calamity?"

"The Three-character Bone Book Human Volume is divided into three sections: the first is 'Spirit', the second 'Heart', and the last 'Lamp'. The 'Spirit' section is about communication with heroic spirits, the original technique our Three Realms used to engage heroic spirits in the past..." Taoist Lu Yun spoke with a trace of excitement, yet his eyes gradually dimmed, "But, today it is impossible! The Three Realms have no more heroic spirits; even if there is spirit communication, there are no spirits to communicate with, isn't it futile?"

"Taoist, the Three Realms lack spirits, but what about the outside world? Is there no spirit outside?"

Lu Yun looked up, his face was a storm of expressions...

Lin Xiaosu met his vacant, lifeless eyes and slowly said, "In the land of Daxia, this civilization was built by countless ancestors. Fourteen billion countrymen are not those who blur right and wrong of the Post-Kun Emperor era. They remember and are grateful to the heroic spirits. If heroic spirits know the national crisis has returned, on the East Sea shore, above the South Sea, throughout the vast mountains and rivers, they will certainly respond to the national crisis once more!"

The oil lamp in Lu Yun's hand gently flickered, "If they hear of the national crisis and go forth to die together, it is yet another path of impassioned song... young man, perhaps this is indeed a new door!"

Lin Xiaosu was overjoyed, "Taoist, does this not solve the problem of lacking spirits to communicate with?"

"With available spirits, it is still like fishing for the moon in the water," Lu Yun said, "The Three-character Bone Book Human Volume was lost after Emperor Kun sacrificed himself for the Tao. Countless cultivation experts have spent thousands or even millions of years but could not find it. How could we hope to find it?"

"Taoist, someone entrusted me to deliver a message to you!" Lin Xiaosu said.

"Who?"

"The orphan of the Ancient Array Sect, Gu Jian Youchen!"

"Orphan of the Array Sect, Gu Jian Youchen?" Lu Yun frowned slightly, "I once knew a person, but his name wasn't four characters, it was three; he was called Gu Jianchen!"

"That's him! Back then, he loved the sword and detested arrays, so he changed his name to Jian Wuchen. After the Array Sect sacrificed itself for the array, he returned to his homeland, restored the ancestral surname, and took the name Gu Jian Youchen!"

"Gu Jian Youchen! This guy..." Lu Yun said, "What did he say?"

"He said... the Three-character Bone Book Human Volume is at the Heavenly Abyss!"

"Heavenly Abyss?" Lu Yun was shaken entirely, "Why is he so certain?"

"I don't know, but I believe he wouldn't speak frivolously," Lin Xiaosu said, "He said, he doesn't know where the Heavenly Abyss is either, only you know, Taoist. This is the real reason I came to the Three Realms today, hoping the Taoist can guide me, help me enter the Heavenly Abyss!"

"The Heavenly Abyss cannot be found in the secular world, yet I can send you in," Lu Yun said, "However, young man, your cultivation now is not sufficient to enter the Heavenly Abyss; you must at least break into Observing Heaven to have a slim chance of entering the Heavenly Abyss and surviving."

Lin Xiaosu was frozen...

Once again facing a dead end.

To enter the Heavenly Abyss, one must be at Observing Heaven level.

To hell with the Observing Heaven of his ancestors.

My path is blocked, even a great power like Gu Jian Youchen declared it unsolvable, what can I do?

"Are you caught in a dead end?" Lu Yun asked.

"Taoist's insight, my Observing Heaven... is indeed impossible," Lin Xiaosu admitted frankly.

Lu Yun laughed, "The esteemed seniors on the cultivation path all say you cannot enter?"

"Yes!"

"They are wrong! All entirely wrong!"

Lin Xiaosu's heart suddenly raced, doubling in speed.

What in heaven's name does this mean?

The Saintess Qian Ling of ancient great power, Gu Jian Youchen of Otherworldly great power, they all proclaimed he could not enter Observing Heaven, yet Lu Yun said they were wrong!

Lu Yun said, "They follow the cultivation path, they study under the Heavenly Tao system, under which, remnants of Heavenly Tao cannot glimpse heaven; indeed, it's an iron rule. From their perspective, you cannot enter Observing Heaven, and they are right. However, young man... you're not walking the Heavenly Tao!"

Lin Xiaosu lightly licked his lips, still unclear on the meaning.

Lu Yun said, "Eight stars of Heavenly Tao, one star of Human Path, unity of heaven and man, who says it's impossible to observe the heavens?"

Eight stars of Heavenly Tao, one star of Human Path, nine stars shining in the sky?

In Lin Xiaosu's eyes, light flickered...

Lu Yun added a sentence: "Do you know why Emperor Kun in the past became the hero of the Human Path? Just because he was like you, on the eve of nine stars observing the heavens, he sacrificed one star for his beloved, to make up for the tears of the Human Path, achieving unity of heaven and man, hence unable to part from the earthly smoke, becoming the human emperor for all ages."

Lin Xiaosu lifted his gaze suddenly: "Tears of Human Path, how can one obtain them?"

Lu Yun raised his finger: "Above are thirteen Human Emperor steles, beneath are thirty-three levels of the Human Emperor Path, spanning three zhang, three chi, three cun! Three zhang in front of the stele can perceive the 'Way of the Human World', three chi can receive the 'Tears of Human Path', three cun can obtain the 'Emperor's Qi'. Young man, this is an extraordinary opportunity that is hard to find in ages, if you can gain the Emperor's Qi, you will possess the might of the emperor, can enter the Heavenly Tao's view, receiving abundant favors, your cultivation path will consist of endless opportunities."

Lin Xiaosu raised his gaze, staring at the thirty-three levels of the Human Emperor Path in front of him.

The Human Emperor Path, although only thirty-three levels, is based on bluestone, extending beneath the Underworld, reaching above the firmament, deep and heavy.

His heart, at this moment, was unprecedentedly calm.

Path to observing the heavens.

A once severed road.

Those on the top tier of cultivation, seeing the highest and furthest, all made a judgment for him, that in his lifetime, he could not observe the heavens.

Only due to the iron rule of cultivation: sky fragmented, Tao deficient, cannot observe the heavens.

This was the step he took in revealing humanity at that time, resulting in this consequence.

Abandoning a drop of Heavenly Star Tears, to save the beloved, thus he put an end to his cultivation road...

He never regretted, even if this matter were repeated a million times, he would still make this choice!

Yet, he deeply regretted this result.

Unable to enter into observing the heavens, his cultivation road was cut off halfway, facing the overarching force of the heavens, how could he, a mere tiny ant, speak of change?

But now, ascending to the Three Realms, the severed road has a chance to reopen.

Lu Yun told him, from the standpoint of the cultivation path, everyone's judgment was correct.

Because that was the iron rule of the Heavenly Tao.

However, the path he walked was not purely the "Heavenly Tao Path", he had already made a choice, the same choice he once told the Blue Demon, that moved the Blue Demon to the point of nearly being willing to "give oneself up": I don't want to be a god on the cultivation path, I choose to be a human!

Heavenly Tao occupies eight, Human Path occupies one, all returns to origin, unity of heaven and man!

This drop of tears from the Human Path.

Will construct a bridge reaching the heavens on this dead end.

The road is there, underfoot!

This road is also the one that the legendary human emperor, Emperor Kun, once walked...

Lin Xiaosu took a step forward…

In front of him, light and shadows flowed.

He seemed to return to the foot of Old Tashan.

Country lanes, a bouncing silhouette, mother chasing behind, calling out with care, back then, mother was still young.

Time flies, stars shift.

Mother grew old slowly in the wind and frost of time.

He also grew step by step with the wandering of time.

What an unblemished period was that?

What a regular and warm little mountain village was that?

Yet, as he passed the ten level steps, the wind and clouds of heaven and earth changed...

He heard the rumbling cannon fire in his ears, history's winds and clouds unfolded before him, adulthood is not just the path of childhood countryside, adulthood should know the road underfoot.

The current peace, ancestors laid it with white bones.

The Da Xia's mountains and rivers of ten thousand miles, are rebirths from the fire of the battlefield.

The smoke of war, countless white bones, the resounding military horn seemed to awaken all his passion.

Another ten level steps passed.

Before him appeared temporary peace again, skyscrapers, modern cities, changing day by day, time is serene and good.

Yet, peace is always transient.

The clouds moved in the sky, countless cultivators came flying through the air.

The earth cracked, the city turned into ruins.

Walking across this ruin, his heart was like being gripped tightly by an invisible force, a tender voice sounded beside his ear: "Brother, what do you want to be when you grow up?"

"Sister, we can never grow up…"

Familiar Mandarin, familiar country tones.

As if happening in a distant space-time, yet also as if happening in the near future.

The future of this world, the future of Da Xia, is just like this.

Heaven and earth overturned, all beings mourned together, vultures gnawed on skeletal remains, parks turned into graveyards, today's serene time good turns into the desolation of the end of days, children struggled forward in the ruins, no one could see the future.

This is his country, this is his home, this is his compatriots...

A tear dropped from Lin Xiaosu's eye!