107: Chapter 108 Sealing the Monument, No Return

"This 'infection' usually has no downsides; instead, it makes your cultivation smooth, making you feel like the Great Dao is within reach."

"But when you reach the Peak of the Purple Mansion and touch the threshold of the Guizang Realm, you will vaguely feel that the Great Dao is distant and endless."

"In the Guizang Realm, this feeling becomes even more pronounced! It's like... clearly knowing the road is beneath your feet, but the goal it sets for you is the sun in the sky—visible but unreachable."

"This is the drawback of the dao transmission stele's Cultivation Techniques. It paints a beautiful picture for you that is ultimately unrealistic. Want to achieve a Breakthrough? Relying on your own comprehension is as difficult as ascending to heaven!"

Shen Moyan heard this and felt a chill run from his spine to the top of his head.

The so-called Twisted Immortal Path—no wonder it was called the Twisted Immortal Path!

Someone had long been waiting on the mountain, and that person was the one who established the origin dao preaching stele!

"Could those old foxes in the Holy Court not know this?"

"They know it all too well! So, they simply brought the matter into the open and established the All Heavens Department."

"You want to go to the Lower Realm planes to find Opportunities? Fine! I'll give you the channels, I'll give you support, and even give you a legal identity!"

"But the condition is—"

True Person Linglong's voice mimicked an official tone: "When Holy Cultivators descend to the Lower Realm, they shall proclaim the heavenly might of the Holy Court and incorporate the lands beyond civilization into the Mountain and Sea!"

"To put it bluntly, it's conquest! Aggression!" True Person Linglong sneered.

"You go to scavenge Dao Rhyme, and while you're at it, conquer that plane and plant the flag of the Holy Court!"

"This way, you gain practical benefits and Breakthrough your Bottleneck, while the Holy Court gains territory, expands its sphere of influence, and absorbs new plane Origins and Luck."

"Even the unique Dao Rhyme rules of the conquered plane will be slowly assimilated and finally incorporated into the dao transmission stele's 'database,' supplementing those unfeasible theoretical Cultivation Techniques..."

"Tsk tsk, killing multiple birds with one stone. It's a perfect cycle!"

In this way, batch after batch of Cultivators who felt their Bottlenecks, for the sake of their own Dao paths, rushed one after another toward countless Lower Realm planes, becoming the vanguards of the Holy Court's territorial expansion.

The Holy Court's territory grew like a rolling snowball, and its prestige naturally became more and more imposing.

And the dao transmission stele, as the source of the Dao, became increasingly authoritative because it absorbed the nutrients of countless planes. Its ability to 'infect' subsequent Cultivators grew stronger... those ethereal Cultivation Techniques on the dao transmission stele also became feasible Dao methods as Dao Rhyme accumulated, no longer just flights of fancy!

"The Holy Court is growing, the Cultivators are growing, the dao transmission stele is growing, and even the Mountain and Sea is growing!"

"The existence who created the origin dao preaching stele is truly a Genius! Fellow Daoist Shen, wouldn't you agree?" True Person Linglong smiled, a smile that seemed somewhat eerie to Shen Moyan.

Shen Moyan was speechless for a long time, cold sweat seeping from his forehead.

This wasn't a simple cultivation System.

This was a massive machine of aggression that used the Dao path as bait and all living beings as chess pieces!

The dao transmission stele was the core engine of this machine and its ultimate shackles.

The Holy Court was the dispatch center, and the countless Purple Mansion and Guizang Cultivators eager for a Breakthrough were the continuous fuel and expanding tentacles of this machine!

This massive machine of aggression reached out toward the boundless Major Thousand Worlds.

Constantly encroaching upon and annexing other planes!

"...The demonic dao prevails... the Immortal Dao is dead..."

"Is cultivation doomed?"

Shen Moyan murmured to himself.

It seemed the doubts hidden in his heart finally had an answer.

Why the Xuanhuang Emperor Lord left the Great World of Mountains and Seas.

It was because after millions of years, the Holy Court and the origin dao preaching stele had already grown to a certain scale.

Even without His protection, the entire Great World of Mountains and Seas would continue to grow wildly, using the worlds of other planes as nutrients!

Truly terrifying.

"Shanhai seals the stele, no return..."

"No return..."

That line of poetry seemed to be saying that after sealing the stele, the entire Shanhai Realm could no longer turn back.

Following this line of thought and looking toward the Four Imperial Immortal Lords perched high in the clouds.

What Shen Moyan saw was no longer the radiance illuminating the world, but the security System maintaining a precision machine of aggression!

[Three Lives Wangchuan Immortal Lord] was a human resources and experience recovery System.

On the surface, He governed Reincarnation and established the Underworld, allowing Cultivators to hope for Reincarnation and Rebirth with their memories intact, reducing the risk of their Dao paths being cut short and giving all beings chance after chance, appearing infinitely merciful.

In essence, however, it was to reduce training costs.

If an experienced Purple Mansion Cultivator was reincarnated, it was much faster and cheaper than training a Qi Gathering Cultivator from scratch.

This was the ultimate utilization of talent, greatly shortening the production cycle of high-end combat power.

Furthermore, Cultivators who enjoyed the benefits of Reincarnation were more deeply bound to the interests of the Holy Court and were more inclined to maintain the existing order, as they were the greatest beneficiaries of this System.

Resistance meant potentially losing the eligibility for Rebirth.

Moreover, this move also dispelled the ultimate fear of death.

He made Cultivators realize that death was no longer the end, strengthening their resolve to fight to the death when they fell in other planes.

Those from Immortal Lineages who were reborn and lurked as undercover agents in the Holy Court might also experience a reversal in their thinking, giving up their undercover roles to join the Holy Court for greater benefits.

And [Immortal Lord Wanbao Fuyuan] was the economic and logistical support System of this machine.

On the surface, He established the Wanbao Net, standardized transactions, and ensured circulation to make resource allocation more efficient, appearing to benefit all beings.

In essence, He controlled the economic lifeline, the core trading platform, and the pricing power, throttling the throats of all Cultivators' cultivation.

Spirit Stones, merit points, fuyuan points... these were all rewards driving Cultivators to serve the Holy Court.

A clear value System and trading platform greatly stimulated Cultivators to acquire resources, turning the entire cultivation world into a massive "market" creating value for the Holy Court.

And the recently ascended [Nine Songs Wenchang Immortal Lord] was the ideology and knowledge management System.

On the surface, He created the Nine Songs Net, using literature to carry the Dao, educating all beings, eliminating illiteracy, popularizing knowledge, and enlightening the people.

In essence, however, it was to unify thought!

To make all Cultivators accept the same knowledge System and values from a young age, such as loyalty to the Holy Court, recognition of the dao transmission stele, and recognition of the Twisted Immortal Path.

This was the Foundation for maintaining the cohesion of the massive Holy Court.

If one couldn't understand the Cultivation Techniques, how could they cultivate?

By practicing the Cultivation Techniques of the Holy Court System, they would naturally find it easier to identify with the Holy Court.

Moreover, the Nine Songs Net was the official mouthpiece; what was the "Righteous Path," what was "heresy," what was "worthy of praise," and what "needed to be criticized" were all defined by it.

It could also effectively guide public opinion, smear opponents, and beautify conquest.

Through comments on the Nine Songs Net and the completion of tasks, and by establishing the Nine Mysterious Official Ranks, it could also efficiently screen talent and identify dissidents.

"What a Holy Court, what a four sovereigns!"

Shen Moyan murmured to himself, feeling a bone-chilling cold.

Among the four sovereigns, only the [Liangyi Yin-Yang Immortal Lord] was unfamiliar to him.

But without saying more, Shen Moyan had essentially figured out the rules of the game of this Shanhai Holy Court.

Liangyi Yin-Yang must also be for this machine of aggression of the Shanhai Holy Court, maintaining the world and balancing the internal affairs.

"Twisted Immortal Path, what a Twisted Immortal Path..."

Every Cultivator, from the moment they ignorantly accepted the Legacy of the dao transmission stele, was already a screw in this machine.

Those with good talent might become more precise gears, and those with great strength might become the drill bits for territorial expansion.

But in essence, they were all contributing their strength to the operation and growth of this machine.

The so-called cultivation for longevity and the pursuit of the Great Dao were more like a carefully designed incentive mechanism in front of this machine.

"Then the Holy Court's attitude toward the [Star River Brightening Fate Controller] can also be explained."

Shen Moyan's eyes grew solemn.

The Star River Brightening Fate Controller drew a sword for all living beings, which was in direct opposition to the Holy Court that committed aggression everywhere.

It was an almost irreconcilable conflict.