Invincible Starts From Dao Fruit

Chen Jichuan and Xiao Lan were both decisive and swift in their actions.

Once they settled on leaving, they moved quickly.

Before departure, Chen Jichuan secretly collected the Dual-element Immortal Spider he had been rearing in the stars.

As for the 'Five Minerals Essence' and 'Dual-element Five-element Miasma' that the spider had refined over thirty-six years, they had long been harvested by Chen Jichuan, saved for future refinement into the 'Dual Element Pearl.'

Thirty-six years' worth of output could roughly produce one and a half Dual Element Pearls.

That's a modest profit of fifty to sixty thousand Spirit Crystals.

Though it's not as lucrative as Chen Jichuan's typical earnings, it required neither effort nor trouble, making it incredibly convenient.

...

"Fellow Daoist, you sure have luck everywhere you go, encountering 'Five Minerals Essence' and 'Dual-element Five-element Miasma.' What a coincidence."

Xiao Lan twirled two pieces of essence between her fingers, looking at Chen Jichuan with playful mockery in her eyes.

Thirty years ago, she had brought up the 'Dual-element Immortal Spider' at Magic Sound Mountain, which Chen Jichuan adamantly denied owning. Now here he was, caught red-handed.

"I've always had good fortune."

"Fairy Xiao must be amused."

Chen Jichuan's thick skin made him indifferent.

Since he'd placed the Dual-element Immortal Spider in this star, he no longer thought to keep it a secret from Xiao Lan.

Their dealings had included even transactions involving the 'Pure Yang Immortal Lotus.' The insignificant matter of the Dual-element Immortal Spider was nothing to her.

Indeed, this small sum of money was beneath Xiao Lan's notice.

Chen Jichuan hadn't been entirely truthful regarding the spider.

Similarly, Xiao Lan maintained her own schemes regarding Exotic Fire and ancient relics.

It balanced out.

Neither reproached the other.

In short, the two seemingly mutual benefactors, each hiding selfish intentions, managed to interact in a strangely harmonious atmosphere.

...

Everything was packed and ready.

Thirty-six years later.

Chen Jichuan and Xiao Lan once again set out, bound for the ancient relics, and incidentally to collect the Exotic Fire.

...

"Thirty-six years."

"One year traveling."

"Altogether, Senior Brothers Galaxy and Zhenwu have been in the starry skies for 272 years. Who knows if they've reached Magic Sound Mountain yet."

On the road, Chen Jichuan thought of the two ancestral masters, Galaxy and Zhenwu.

They had entered the starry skies 112 years before him, but Chen Jichuan had overtaken them, arriving at Magic Sound Mountain in just 57 years.

He stayed there for 66 years, yet the two masters remained absent.

Now, 37 more years had passed, and their whereabouts remained unknown.

Chen Jichuan had good relations with the two masters, and, lacking trusted friends in the starry skies, they were his closest companions.

In the vast expanse of the universe.

Chen Jichuan couldn't help but worry about them.

"Their lives are safe, but the distances are too great."

"Could they have lost their way and failed to find Magic Sound Mountain?"

Chen Jichuan quietly performed divination, faintly calculating that the two were still alive. Yet in the boundless cosmos, losing one's direction was an utterly terrifying predicament.

"Once this mission is concluded, I'll return to Magic Sound Mountain for another visit."

"If they haven't arrived, I'll set out to find them."

Chen Jichuan had mastered Najia Divination Method, excelling in calculations. Even if he couldn't pinpoint their exact location, he could determine their approximate direction without much error.

Through successive narrowing of the scope, he would eventually find them.

Pondering this, Chen Jichuan realized his itinerary was quite full.

He needed to locate the two masters.

He had to return to Wuhe Star.

At present, he was still en route to investigate the ancient relic, uncertain of when he would even make it back to Magic Sound Mountain.

"Step by step, then."

Chen Jichuan focused his thoughts, pushing distractions aside, urging movement with 'Walking Technique' while quietly cultivating on the side.

During the journey.

Xiao Lan began describing the ancient relic to Chen Jichuan in even greater detail—

Time passed.

Ten years went by.

At last, they reached the two Exotic Fires Xiao Lan had spoken of!

...

An abandoned star, riddled with meteor craters.

Xiao Lan landed on the star.

Chen Jichuan followed closely behind.

On this planet, the two traversed it in flight. Chen Jichuan surveyed the scenery, finding it utterly lifeless.

Clearly, this was not a habitable world; its Spiritual Energy was similarly scarce.

Yet in such an environment lay precious Exotic Fires.

"The universe truly holds immeasurable wonders."

Chen Jichuan marveled inwardly.

Trailing Xiao Lan, he felt a budding anticipation.

The contents of the ancient relic aside, just the 'Sea Heart Flame' and 'Stone Fire' within offered significant upgrades to his 'Daluo Heavenly Fire.'

Upon refining these flames, not only would their power greatly amplify, they would also contribute substantially to his cultivation and comprehension of the Vermilion Bird Glaze Scripture.

"Gathering the Five Elements Exotic Fire will allow me to form the 'Five Elements True Fire.'

"Collecting the 'Stone Fire,' 'Sky Fire,' and 'Wood Fire' will enable the formation of the 'Samadhi True Fire.'

"These are the top-tier True Fires within 'Daluo Heavenly Fire,' possessing immeasurable power and boundless utility!"

Chen Jichuan was filled with anticipation.

The two continued their flight.

Upon entering the star, it wasn't long before the scenery ahead abruptly transformed. Gone were the monotonous desolation and crater-laden landscape, replaced by an immense stretch of ruins.

Broken walls and shattered remains lay everywhere.

A scene of utter devastation.

"This place——"

Chen Jichuan swept his Divine Sense across, but the feedback continued to show the barren, cratered terrain, identical to other areas of the star.

What his eyes saw.

What his Divine Sense felt.

The discrepancy between the two left him amazed.

"This is what I mentioned during our travels—the ancestral grounds of the 'Sumeru Immortal Sect,' which fell countless millennia ago, leaving only these ruins."

"The materials used to construct the sect's buildings inherently mask Divine Sense detection."

"Coupled with their alignment with formations, it's impossible for Divine Sense to pick up on it until you're physically nearby."

Xiao Lan stood by, explaining to Chen Jichuan.

"Truly remarkable."

Chen Jichuan nodded in agreement.

He had already used Insight Skill to investigate, uncovering the underlying mysteries.

It was largely consistent with Xiao Lan's explanation and what she'd mentioned earlier during their journey.

Sumeru Immortal Sect.

This was the ancient relic they sought this time.

An elite Immortal Sect from countless millennia past that, after its demise, had left only this ruin behind.

According to Xiao Lan, she had scoured records at Magic Sound Mountain but found no trace of the Sumeru Immortal Sect.

This suggested one of two possibilities—

Either the Sumeru Immortal Sect was considered taboo in the cosmic expanse, erased from records following its downfall.

Or its history was simply too ancient, its traces obliterated throughout the vast ages of the cosmos.

Xiao Lan leaned toward the latter hypothesis.

Chen Jichuan had doubted initially, but seeing these dilapidated ruins confirmed it for him.

"Everywhere are marks of time."

Chen Jichuan gazed around. Subjected to countless millennia of wind and rain, the mountain gates no longer bore the splendor of their prime.

Most structures had crumbled.

Yet the materials used to build the gates had not entirely decayed, and the formations guarding them continued to operate resolutely and stubbornly.

Against ordinary Divinity Transformation cultivators, they could easily hold their own.

"The Sumeru Immortal Sect is still protected by formations."

"That formation is intricate and boundlessly complex; even absent a controller, it remains extremely perilous. Anyone entering the formation is involuntarily pulled into different Sumeru worlds to endure trials and tribulations before they can emerge."

Xiao Lan continued to explain while guiding Chen Jichuan deeper into the ruins.

They passed over one mountain.

The surrounding scenery instantly shifted.

From the former ruins, the world suddenly turned upside down. Chen Jichuan found himself within, facing a central shrouded mountain, around which stretched seven seas and seven layered mountains. Beyond the seven layered mountains lay one sea, and beyond the sea stood Iron Surrounding Mountain.

Four continents surrounded the eighth sea.

The sun and moon hung high, illuminating all below.

"Nine mountains."

"Eight seas."

"Four states."

"Sun and moon."

Chen Jichuan took a cursory glance, recalling many records and realizing, "This is Sumeru World!"

Buddha speaks of three thousand worlds.

A thousand such worlds centered on Sumeru Mountain comprise a small world system.

A thousand small world systems form a middle world system.

A thousand middle world systems combine to form a great world system.

A thousand great world systems constitute the three thousand worlds.

"Sumeru as a domain."

"It contains three thousand."

Chen Jichuan swept his gaze across the formation with Insight Skill—

[Formation: Small Sumeru Right and Left Nine Palace Immortal Formation]

[Grade: Fifth-order]

[Description: Once the foremost grand formation within the Vast Expanse of Stars, held by the Sumeru Immortal Sect. It encompasses the mysteries of Sumeru; in a single thought, three thousand worlds arise. Infinite and boundless, without beginning or end, its cycles of formation, existence, destruction, and emptiness perpetuate endlessly. Strange and perilous, its intricacy is profound and ever-changing. Entering without understanding its depths means total domination within, surrendering fate at the mercy of its powers.]

...

"Fifth-order formation."

"Small Sumeru Right and Left Nine Palace Immortal Formation!"

Chen Jichuan's Insight revealed it all, sparking excitement in his eyes.

A fifth-order formation.

By definition, capable of countering Fifth-order Great Powers.

Its classification was simple and direct, yet highly practical.

First-order Qi Refinement.

Second-order Enlightenment.

Third-order Divinity Transformation.

Divinity Transformation cultivators could already traverse the starry skies bodily, moving mountains, turning seas, and grasping stars and moons.

But then, what of Fourth-order?

What of Fifth-order?

Inconceivable!

And the 'Small Sumeru Right and Left Nine Palace Immortal Formation,' as a fifth-order formation, could display extraordinary mysteries even among Fifth-order Great Powers.

Its prowess was apparent.

Similar to Magic itself.

Ordinary low-level Magic, in the hands of Divinity Transformation cultivators, could yield extraordinary power.

But this was reliant on the cultivator's cultivation.

Such techniques might suffice for impressing lower-level cultivators, but against equal-tier opponents, could one still dare?

Formations followed the same principle, possibly even more pronounced.

Numerous low-level formations displayed their intricacy solely at lower levels.

Take First-order formations.

Effective against Qi Refining cultivators with ease.

But if confronted with Second-order True Persons, even a formation master would find their influence limited by the formation's restricted complexity.

Thus, using a First-order formation to challenge a Second-order True Person was essentially futile.

However, what of the 'Small Sumeru Right and Left Nine Palace Immortal Formation'?

"This is a fifth-order formation!"

"It holds its ground even amidst Fifth-order Great Powers."

"Applied to Third-order Divinity Transformation cultivators, it becomes utterly exceptional."

The effectiveness of a formation revolved around several factors—

The formation setter and master's expertise was one factor.

The cultivation level of the formation master was another.

And the grade of the formation itself was crucial.

"Formation grade."

"Formation mastery."

"Formation master cultivation."

These jointly defined the potency of any given formation.

With equivalent cultivation levels.

With equivalent mastery.

The disparity between a Third-order formation and hosting a Fifth-order formation required no explanation.

...