329: Entering Cangwu Taoist Temple

Time passed by quickly on the journey, and three months had gone by without realizing it.

“Thump, thump, thump!”

On this day, a knocking sound from outside the door awakened Xu Yuan, who was cultivating with his eyes closed in the ship’s cabin. He opened his eyes, a divine light flashed, and a smile appeared on his face.

After three months of secluded cultivation, his strength had advanced further. He had comprehended 50% of the Sword Dao. Three months ago, he was a top-tier Emperor Realm expert who had comprehended 30% of the Dao. In just three short months, he had reached the level of a peerless Emperor Realm expert. This level of cultivation was enough to become an Earth-Grade student.

With nine more months, he was confident he could become a Supreme Emperor Realm expert before the enrollment ceremony based on his own comprehension. If he were to use the methods left by Xu Qing, let alone the Emperor Realm, he could easily enter the Dao Lord Realm.

However, doing so would be too astonishing.

He still needed to leverage the Dao Academy's power to enter that Secret Realm, so before that, he had to Cultivate step by step.

Opening the door, it was Wang Yanan, who had a smiling expression.

“Young Master Yuan, we have already entered the Azure Firmament Ancient Realm. Brother Zi said we will reach the Dao Academy in another five days.”

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan pushed open the window and looked outside. He felt that the surrounding Chaotic Spiritual Energy was incredibly vast, much denser than in other Heavenly Realms. In fact, this Heavenly Realm made Xu Yuan feel it was more suitable for comprehending the Dao.

Because this Heaven and Earth had already formed its own unique phenomena, subtly giving off a sense of being uniquely blessed.

Xu Yuan muttered to himself, “Is this the Azure Firmament Ancient Realm? Because an Immortal Dao Lord is stationed here, the entire Ancient Realm has formed a Supreme aura. One can imagine how strong the prodigies here must be if they can Cultivate in such a place?”

There was a difference between Heavenly Realms, and this difference came from the Immortal Dao Lord. A Heavenly Realm where an Immortal Dao Lord resided would, due to the Immortal Dao Lord's presence, subtly alter the Dragon Veins of that Heavenly Realm during cultivation.

The most obvious change was that this Heavenly Realm was imprinted with Immortal Grade Dao Marks. These Immortal Dao Marks could only be produced by a Dao Lord. Dao Lord experts who Cultivate in such a place year-round would increase their chances of Breaking Through to the Dao Lord Realm.

Therefore, such a Heavenly Realm could also be called an Ancient Realm in the Ancient Land of Dao.

Similarly, for beings below the Dao Lord Realm, such a place was simply a blessed land, because the power of the Great Dao was stronger, leading to prodigies with the same talent achieving greater accomplishments than those in other Heavenly Realms when cultivating here.

Compared to the Lower Realm, it was like the difference between clouds and mud, simply incomparable.

“No wonder Brother Zi said that the prodigies of the Ancient Realm are extremely arrogant and often stronger than those from other regions. Growing up in such a blessed land, the prodigies from other places are like country bumpkins in their eyes.”

Xu Yuan exclaimed.

At the same time, other Lower Realm prodigies also sensed the difference between the Ancient Realm and other Heavenly Realms.

After being reminded by Zi Yanhuan, these prodigies also understood that their former status as prodigies would become extremely ordinary after arriving at the Ancient Land of Dao.

They might not even be able to become outer disciples of the Cangwu Dao Academy.

The harsh reality made them enter intense cultivation during these three months, attempting to improve their strength in the year leading up to the enrollment ceremony, lest they be unable to become students and only live in mediocrity, becoming the lowest stratum of the Ancient Land of Dao.

Three months had passed, greatly advancing their cultivation. This was because these individuals were not lacking in talent; they were merely limited by the Lower Realm, thus progressing slower than Upper Realm prodigies.

Now that they had arrived at the Ancient Land of Dao, they would naturally experience a rapid increase. However, once they adapted to cultivation in the Ancient Land of Dao, their cultivation momentum would gradually slow down.

Xu Yuan gazed at the scenery outside the window, his eyes slightly narrowed, a hint of anticipation and fervor emerging within them.

“Cangwu Dao Academy... I'm truly looking forward to it...”

Five days passed in a flash. As they went deeper, the Heaven and Earth were not only filled with Chaotic Spiritual Energy, but also Chaotic Origin Qi and Chaotic Profound Qi began to grow denser.

Ahead, majestic ancient divine mountains appeared. Amidst the mist-shrouded ancient divine mountains, Dao patterns were faintly visible, connecting with each other to form a massive barrier radiating Supreme Power.

Under the barrier, immortal palaces and towering structures were vaguely visible, filled with various Heaven and Earth energies in a ethereal manner.

As the treasure ship approached, they quickly arrived before the barrier. An invisible light wave rippled out, as if to ascertain their identities. Upon contact with the identity token of the old man holding a staff, the barrier tore open a crack.

Then the treasure ship entered the rift and stepped into the Heaven and Earth within the barrier.

Boom!

The moment Xu Yuan and the others stepped into the barrier's Heaven and Earth, a golden light enveloped the treasure ship. They immediately felt an endless surge of Chaotic Spiritual Energy, gently pouring into their Physical Bodies, washing away the Impurities within them repeatedly.

This situation occurred to all the Lower Realm Martial Artists, and they were all immersed in this cleansing.

“This is a method arranged by the Old Ancestor. Any being below the Dao Lord Realm entering the Dao Academy for the first time will receive a baptism that will help you wash away the Impurities from your Physical Body!”

“The treasure ships around you are all new students from various places. These are your formidable rivals!”

The old man with the staff spoke slowly. He was not in a hurry, just waiting quietly.

And those Lower Realm Martial Artists were already immersed in the energy baptism.

In just a moment, Xu Yuan emerged from this cleansing. Immediately after, all the Xu Family members also stopped the energy cleansing.

“Indeed!”

The old man with the staff and the other two Elders exchanged glances, their expressions gleaming.

Clearly, Xu Yuan's Physical Body was very pure, essentially not needing the Dao Academy's initial baptism. Remembering the Xu Family's strength, they found it quite normal, as the Xu Family's foundation already far surpassed that of ordinary first-rate powers!

Xu Yuan surveyed the surroundings, realizing they were currently on a massive platform. The entire platform was formed by a powerful being who had cut off half of a divine mountain.

On the platform, there were also dozens of identical treasure ships, similarly enveloped in golden light, clearly containing beings entering the Dao Academy for the first time.

In this entire Heaven and Earth, the Chaotic Spiritual Energy was so dense it couldn't be dissolved. Standing here, even someone with the worst talent could achieve the Emperor Realm.

Moreover, because of the Immortal existence in the Dao Academy, this Heaven and Earth had a sense of Heaven and Earth harmony and affinity with the Great Dao. Xu Yuan only felt the Sword Dao within him subtly stirring, as if on the verge of a Breakthrough.

His gaze left the platform, and what greeted his eyes was a massive mountain gate. Beside the mountain gate stood a colossal stele, on which the words “Cangwu” were written in a vigorous calligraphic style, with Dao runes faintly flowing, imbued with a mysterious Dao rhythm.

Xu Yuan glanced at it, feeling that this enormous mountain gate led to a path of special white jade steps, extending towards another, higher ancient divine mountain. Below this divine mountain, there were numerous immortal palaces and pavilions. Within them, flood Dragons roared, sacred Phoenixes soared, and countless rare Emperor-Grade medicinal herbs from the Lower Realm were abundant.

From this alone, one could see how astonishing the Dao Academy's foundation was. Having stood since ancient times, the Dao Academy had accumulated too much foundation.

“Young Master Xu, this is the Dao Academy. The divine mountain before us is called Yunhai Peak, one of the thirty-six peaks of the outer academy, used to house servants and guards.”

“Because the new student enrollment ceremony is imminent, Yunhai Peak is quite lively now!”

The old man with the staff introduced with a chuckle.

Although the Xu Family was not in the Upper Realm, their strength alone made them the most powerful first-rate power below the Supreme Power. For such a power, even though he was an Elder of the Dao Academy's inner sect, he was nothing compared to the Xu Family.

Furthermore, in the Xu Family, they had received the Xu Family's kindness, allowing them to read Dao scriptures. Therefore, he felt a sense of closeness to Xu Yuan.