Chapter 2

The Dao Meridian is the foundation of cultivation.

This "Dao" is not the Dao of the Daoist school, but the Dao of the Great Way. Regardless of whether it is the cultivators of Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism, military strategy, Mohism, or any other school, they all must manifest the Dao Meridian as the first step in their cultivation.

In ancient times, so-called cultivation seeds were those who naturally manifested the Dao Meridian. However, the human race does not determine one's life by innate talent, and the Meridian-Opening Pill is one of the methods to solve the problem of cultivation potential.

By borrowing the power of the pill, the Dao Meridian in the human body is manifested. It can also stimulate the vitality of heaven and earth, nourishing the physical body. The feedback of qi and blood then nurtures the Dao Essence, thus embarking on the path of cultivation.

Compared to the instruments destroyed by explosions like those of Zuo Guanglie, the Meridian-Opening Pill should not be considered precious.

But for this beggar, who is trapped in a dead end, this is the only key to unlocking the treasure of the human body.

Throughout history, the only thing as difficult as death is to beg for divine grace when one's life is at its end!

Now, the beggar has grasped his key of hope.

He is so devout.

With trembling hands, he held the jade bottle, and with quivering lips, he aligned them with the bottle's mouth and tilted his head to pour it down!

Beside him is the silent dilapidated temple, in the distance are the corpses of the beggars, and at his side are the shattered remains of flesh and bone.

At this moment, the sunset is fading, and the clouds are dispersing. Corpses lie in the field, and the sick beggar swallows the pill.

The Meridian-Opening Pill rolls onto his tongue, transforming into a warm stream that flows down his throat and then disperses into his limbs and every part of his body.

The beggar closes his eyes slightly, and at this moment, countless scenes flow through his mind.

He practiced diligently through the cold and heat, and trained with the sword in spring and autumn.

He pursued great bandits and fought fierce outlaws.

In the end, he descended from the West Mountain, alone and with a single sword, covered in blood.

This earned him a Meridian-Opening Pill.

How many years did he spend to approach the world of the extraordinary?

He exerted all his strength, struggled tirelessly, and how did he reach this point?

His mother died early, and his father, who later fell ill, almost exhausted the last bit of wealth in the family.

He was alone, and he was his own support.

He competed in a thousand-mile race to enter the Dao Academy, and in the fiercely competitive outer academy, he finally grasped the key to the extraordinary for the first time.

But soon after...

It was poisoning and an ambush.

He fought for his life, breaking through a path to survival, and to avoid being hunted, he mixed in with the beggars.

He originally intended to wait for an opportunity, but his body could no longer hold on.

He grew weaker and weaker, and finally, he could only lie helplessly on a pile of straw, awaiting death.

He dragged his sick body to search the battlefield, driven by a heart that refused to give up, and unexpectedly found a Meridian-Opening Pill!

Why would a powerful being like Zuo Guanglie carry a Meridian-Opening Pill? This reason has been lost with his legendary end, and no one knows.

But the beggar's story has thus continued to a new chapter.

Fate is unpredictable, nothing more so.

The beggar focuses his mind, feeling the indescribable changes in his body.

He feels the warm power emanating from every corner of his body, "swimming" through his body in a way he cannot understand, ultimately converging on his spine.

This process is slow and clear.

After an unknown amount of time, a faint power rises from the coccyx, moving up the spine. This feeling is like a worm swimming upstream in a river.

This process is difficult, but the warm power from various parts of his body continuously supports it... the "little worm" finally completes its long journey, penetrating the spine, and surging to the top of his head!

A miracle has occurred.

He feels as if he sees light within his body.

Warmth bursts from his limbs, every part of his flesh.

He no longer feels cold, no longer feels weak, no longer feels pain.

The Dao Meridian has manifested, and vitality nourishes.

The beggar opens his eyes, his gaze sharp and clear.

He feels a surge of strength, and he has finally taken control of his fate again!

His Dao Meridian has manifested, and although the true spirit of the Dao Meridian is just a lowly earthworm, it means he can officially step onto the path of the extraordinary.

Flying through the air, diving into the earth, entering the azure sky, these are no longer distant dreams!

One day, Gong Yang Bai, Mo Jing Yu, and even Zuo Guanglie and Li Yi... the things these renowned figures can do, he can do too!

...

The beggar stands up, gazing at the pile of shattered flesh at his feet.

Life gazes upon death, the beginning connects to the end.

He buried Zuo Guanglie and the beggars outside the dilapidated temple. Despite the initial manifestation of his Dao Meridian and his newfound energy, it took him until midnight to finish.

This might be a trivial matter, but it is a principle he practices.

Although the beggars chose to abandon him when danger came, they did not leave him to die in the wilderness during his previous days of near-death. Although they could not provide medical care, they at least gave him a few sips of water.

For these reasons, he should ensure they are buried properly, so they do not suffer in this life and remain homeless in the next.

People believe that only by being buried can one find peace. In the vast, compassionate embrace of the earth, the souls of the dead can rest.

Finally, the beggar stands before Zuo Guanglie's grave.

"The one who buried you is not an unknown person, from Qinghe County, Fenglin City, Zhuang State..." Under the moonlight, the beggar stands before the small grave, dirty and muddy, but with a straight back and a calm demeanor, saying his name: "Jiang Wang."

Before the tiger has its stripes, it has the spirit to eat cattle.

"You did not die in an unknown place; this place is called Huizhen Temple. Although the damaged plaque is hard to read and it is not well-known, it will surely become known to the world because of you!"

After saying these words, Jiang Wang bows deeply and sincerely: "May your soul rest in peace."

This bow is not only for the Meridian-Opening Pill left by Zuo Guanglie but also for the compassion, integrity, and bravery he displayed.

A person like Zuo Guanglie deserves any respect.

Tonight is a full moon, and the bright moonlight shines on the new grave.

It seems as if a gentle breeze stirs in the darkness.

Jiang Wang sees silver light floating out of Zuo Guanglie's grave, slowly rising in the moonlight, converging into a small, silver crescent moon. It floats above the new grave, within Jiang Wang's reach, appearing mysterious and noble.

"This is..."

Jiang Wang's mind is clear.

He extends his hand and grabs the silver crescent moon.

His vision goes dark.

In the almost endless darkness, a gentle voice resonates. This voice seems to contain the profound truths of heaven and earth, and hearing it brings clarity and enlightenment.

"Welcome, Master of the Dongzhen Xufu Blessed Land!"

In the next moment, a point of light appears, followed by countless points of light.

The countless lights obscure the view, and when Jiang Wang regains his vision, he sees a brilliant river of stars surging in the vast darkness!

Before the river of stars stands a youth.

This youth has bright eyes, a high and straight nose, and a gentle expression that seems to lack any aggression, with only a slightly pursed lip showing a hint of stubbornness. He wears a Daoist robe of unknown material, with no other adornments.

Jiang Wang is stunned.

Because this youth is himself. Although the clothing is different and he looks cleaner and fresher than his current state, how could he mistake himself?

And he is looking at himself from a perspective he cannot yet understand, in a non-visual sense.

"Insufficient Dao Essence feedback, the 19th level of the Dao Platform is sealed."

The gentle voice echoes again in the vast starry sky.

"The 18th level of the Dao Platform is sealed."

...

"The 2nd level of the Dao Platform is sealed."

Each time this sentence appears, the star river dims a bit.

Jiang Wang tries to understand what he is observing, and then he hears:

"The 3rd Rank Sword Platform is sealed."

"The 4th Rank Sword Platform is sealed."

This continues until "The 8th Rank Sword Platform is sealed," and then stops.

Jiang Wang does not understand the significance, but it seems related to his weak power. The "Master of the Dongzhen Xufu Blessed Land" should be Zuo Guanglie, not him.

At the same time, he notices a line of text floating in his field of vision, which he has never seen before.

This text is completely different from the Zhuang State script he has learned, and it is very unfamiliar to him, yet he clearly perceives its meaning.

"Merit: 1,850 points."

As Jiang Wang ponders, the "himself" he is "seeing" takes a step forward and merges with him.

This process is so short that it can almost be ignored. Jiang Wang moves his limbs, and everything feels natural. In this mysterious world, he finally has a tangible form in some sense.

In the next moment, the stars in the vast void suddenly surge, and the entire brilliant star river rushes toward him!

He is submerged in the star river.

Time seems to lose its meaning. When Jiang Wang regains his senses, he appears in a space filled with ethereal energy, and many pieces of information flow through his mind.

This is the world of the Tai Xu Illusion, and the Dongzhen Xufu Blessed Land he is in is enveloped within this world.

The silver crescent moon he grabbed is called the Void Key, the key to entering this place. It uses the power of the moon to pull the host's spiritual consciousness into the Tai Xu Illusion.

In this place, everything is simulated, except that it does not harm the host's physical body in the real world. Everything else is identical to reality.

The Dao Platform is the place for deducing cultivation techniques and Daoist arts, and the cost of deduction is "merit."

The Sword Platform is specifically used for traversing the Tai Xu Illusion to spar and compete with other cultivators.

"Merit" is primarily generated from battles. In battles of the same rank, victory adds merit, and defeat deducts merit. Challenging higher ranks has corresponding bonuses.

In addition, there are other methods. For example, corresponding blessed lands regularly produce "merit."

Among the 72 blessed lands, the lowest-ranked Donghai Mountain Blessed Land produces 100 points of merit per month. For the lower 36 blessed lands, each level up adds 10 points of merit. For the upper 36 blessed lands, each level up adds 100 points of merit.

The Dongzhen Xufu Blessed Land, which Zuo Guanglie occupied, ranks 23rd and produces 1,850 points of merit per month.

This is Jiang Wang's current resource.

Although he does not yet understand its specific effects, Jiang Wang can already hear his heart beating intensely.

This place... this place!

This world of the star river seems to hold great secrets.

Just the manifestation of the Dao Platform and the Sword Platform opens up a vast and stirring world.

Cultivating in the blessed land, sparring in the star river, how grand and expansive!

Before today, Jiang Wang had never even heard of its name.

His emotions surge, and it is not until he casts his gaze on a sundial shadow and sees the following words:

The owner of the blessed land will, in 15 days, face the challenge of the 24th Qingyu Altar Master.

Failure will result in demotion.

The five characters are as black as ink, each weighing a thousand catties.