Chapter Ninety-Three: The Pure Essence of Water Yin

"Strange. Since this man calls himself the White Dragon, why is he not of the dragon clan? Looking at his cultivation, he is at least an early Great Golden Immortal!"

Qingxu had considerable understanding of the dragon race, and with the cultivation of this divine avatar, he could easily discern what lay beneath the surface beneath the Primordial Sage realm. At a glance, he saw that this White Dragon Daoist was not of the dragon clan, though the restrained aura of water around him marked him as a cultivator of the watery tribes.

"White Dragon Daoist, I am deeply grateful for your righteous intervention. But this Magnetic Yuan fiend is an early Great Golden Immortal, and in such haste I fear that even our combined strength may not be enough to subdue it!"

"What you say is only natural, fellow Daoist. My cultivation is no more than early Great Golden Immortal, scarcely different from your own. But my origin is unique: I am the essence of a single strand of primal water. I am precisely suited to restraining the fiend's icy counterattack of the magnetic yuan, and I can also freeze its spirit."

The White Dragon Daoist spoke with complete assurance, without the slightest concealment. He stated his origin so openly; such bearing was beyond the reach of ordinary men. One must know that the Primeval Wasteland was fraught with danger. Once an enemy learned one's origin, the consequences were grave. Worse still, some could learn a foe's name and title, then unleash curses and vile sorcery to scatter soul and spirit alike, so malicious and so difficult to guard against.

"The essence of a single strand of primal water?"

Even though Qingxu had considered many possibilities, he had never imagined that this White Dragon Daoist had transformed from such an essence. It was simply too inconceivable. What was meant by primal? It was the water-element essence that arose before heaven and earth were opened, before the boundless Primeval Wasteland was born, when chaos gave rise to the five elements. Its value needed no further explanation.

"I fear White Dragon Daoist is not merely a transformation from the essence of primal water!"

"Hahaha, fellow Daoist has keen eyes. I am impressed. To be honest, I am the transformation of an ancient water dragon vein combined with the primal water essence. Alas! It took me endless ages to take form, and I was even denied the chance to attend the great gathering at the Purple Cloud Palace. To this day I am still only at the early Great Golden Immortal stage, which makes me a laughingstock in your eyes, no doubt."

The White Dragon spoke with broad-minded ease, regretting only a little that he could not enter the Purple Cloud Palace to hear the supreme Dao.

"Fellow Daoist need not be modest. With such profound foundations, there are probably few in the Primeval Wasteland who can compare. Your future is boundless. You have only been accumulating strength in silence; one day you may yet soar to the heavens."

This flattery was not entirely false. Leaving aside the primal water essence, that ancient water dragon vein was no ordinary thing; it was a marvel of heaven and earth. One must know that the first generation of dragon experts, such as the Ancestral Dragon, Azure Dragon, Dark Dragon, and Primal Dragon, all transformed by harmonizing with ancient water and earth dragon veins that formed from a portion of Pangu's body.

In ancient times, at the beginning of Pangu's creation, forty-nine water and earth dragon veins were born within the Primeval Wasteland. Any being that absorbed one would immediately gain tremendous fortune, and the path to proving the Great Unity Dao was almost clear as a road.

"If I am to receive such auspicious words from you, then I must indeed be grateful. For now, let us first deal with this Magnetic Yuan fiend!"

"Well said!"

When the White Dragon Daoist finished speaking, he cast the white jade ruyi in his hand. Then he rubbed his palms together, and a crystalline radiance shot forth between his hands, surging into the spinning white jade ruyi in midair. The ruyi seemed to be a sponge, instantly drinking in the radiance, and in an instant it turned translucent, like a jade scepter of ice. Its coldness remained sealed within, not dispersing. A single glance at it seemed enough to freeze a person's very soul.

"This White Dragon Daoist may only be at the early Great Golden Immortal stage, but his divine powers are vast, his magic power deep and abundant, and his true body is formidable. He may well be able to contend with an expert at the peak of Great Golden Immortal. He is by no means someone I can oppose. If he harbors ill intent, would I not be at his mercy?"

Fear. Deep fear arose in Qingxu's heart. On the surface, the White Dragon Daoist seemed a man of integrity and honor, but as the saying goes, one cannot be too cautious of others. Especially strangers. How could a person one had never met offer such kindness without reason?

"If it were Red Cloud Patriarch, perhaps there would still be some possibility. But I have never even heard of this White Dragon Daoist in either his past or present life. Such an extraordinary origin, yet so unknown and uncelebrated, is highly unusual indeed!"

As if he knew what Qingxu was thinking, the White Dragon Daoist, while continuing his spell, cast him a somewhat meaningful glance, but said nothing.

"Heart-Penetrating Insight?"

Qingxu was suddenly startled. He thought of one of the six great divine abilities, Heart-Penetrating Insight, a wondrous art that could perceive another's innermost thoughts. Yet this ability had its limits. First, if one of lower cultivation used it to spy on someone stronger, not only would it be useless, but the backlash would be severe. Second, if discovered, it would be taken as a great insult, and the two parties would become mortal enemies. As for the third limitation: each use, whether successful or not, incurred losses to both hidden virtue and manifest virtue, and thus had some influence on one's path. Still, Qingxu and the White Dragon were both early Great Golden Immortals. Though the other was an ancient expert with deep foundations, his realm was not so much higher than Qingxu's. In such circumstances, if Heart-Penetrating Insight were used, it would be impossible not to detect it.

"Perhaps I was thinking too much. After all, this is a being born at the very beginning of antiquity. With such long years behind him, he would naturally be worldly and perceptive, able to read expressions and gauge feelings with ease."

Having come to this understanding, Qingxu also turned his attention to the White Dragon's spellcasting.

Indeed, he was transformed from a single strand of primal water essence. The White Dragon Daoist's comprehension of the way of water had already reached a staggering level. Every gesture and movement carried its own water-like Dao charm. If a mortal cultivator of water techniques were to witness him casting, it would not be impossible for that person to rise through the clouds and become an immortal on the spot.

Only at this moment did Qingxu truly understand how vast the difference was between himself and those ancient experts. Even when cultivation realms were the same, their understanding of the Dao was beyond his reach.

When a cultivator's comprehension of the Dao reaches a certain realm, even decay can be turned into wonder in their hands. A single withered blade of grass may surpass divine weapons and sharp edges; without relying on magic power, it may still possess heaven-shattering and earth-splitting might. It is like a mortal being able to exert the strength of an immortal: though not an immortal, it surpasses one.

The Dao was indeed wondrous. Unfathomable, indescribable; once understood, it could not even be passed on.

Immortals are within the Dao, divine powers and magic power are within the Dao. One might even say that all things, whether visible or invisible, exist within the Dao. The Dao encompasses everything, contains all creation, and is everywhere. Compared with the Dao, nothing else has any value. Saints are nothing but a joke, and perhaps even Hongjun has only just begun to enter the gate.

"Alas! Since the ancient ages of chaos and primordial obscurity, those pursuing the Dao have been as numerous as fish crossing a river, yet even those who achieve the faintest trace are rarer than phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. Even this White Dragon Daoist is still far, far from the mere skin of the Dao."

These truths were enough to dampen any cultivator's passion for the path, but Qingxu took no mind of it. If others could walk the Long March step by step, then what in this world was truly impossible? If one lacked even this resolve, then one might as well not cultivate at all.

"No matter how rough, how treacherous, how thorn-covered the road of the Dao may be, I shall hold my lampstaff high and press forward with all my strength. Since ancient times, those with will have succeeded in the end. As long as I do not give up, there is hope. Heaven has given me such a chance to cross into this world; I must never waste it."

Qingxu's Dao heart had never been so firm. From a glimpse of the whole through a single detail, one could see the rest. The White Dragon's Dao charm shook him to the core. For the first time, he truly felt the greatness and allure of the Dao, that fearless, moth-to-flame devotion, as though a tiny ant had suddenly beheld the vastness of the cosmos.