53 Dao Insight Immortal
"Next up is..." Walking through the mossy forest path, Zhou Tiandi examined the map crafted from parchment, his brows furrowing in thought. "Azure Shore city, huh?"
"The farming couple mentioned that the city is under the dominion of three major powers— the Fan family, the Azure Sky sect, and the Ning family." As he recollected the conversations with the local villagers, a faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "And then there's the Xuan Faction, controlling a significant portion of the area's wealth."
Azure Shore city, nestled along the coastline, offered stunning views of nature's beauty along with diverse forms of entertainment. Yet, Zhou Tiandi's visit wasn't for sightseeing but at the behest of his teacher, Huang Ziyi.
'But why did he instruct me to travel on foot?' Zhou Tiandi couldn't help but ponder this.
Huang Ziyi had been quite adamant about this particular matter. While it left him puzzled, he had some degree of trust in his strange teacher's intentions.
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Arriving at the city gates located in the northeastern part of Azure Shore, Zhou Tiandi was surprised to find fewer people entering the city than he had anticipated. However, as he ventured further into the city, his perception quickly changed.
Standing on an elevated platform with stairs leading down, Zhou Tiandi was treated to a breathtaking sight.
To the north, the city was adorned with cliffs made of gleaming white marble, their surfaces glistening in the brilliant sunlight. Various pagodas and magnificent structures adorned this part of the city.
In the city's heart lay an inland body of water, connected to the vast oceans by a narrow stream. At the center of this pristine body of water stood a grand palace, resplendent in shades of gold and red, towering above all of Azure Shore city.
Turning south, Zhou Tiandi discovered a bustling hub of shops and crowded markets. The city's residents and visitors went about their daily lives, creating a vibrant and lively atmosphere.
Finally, at the southern edge of the city, he could see the crystal-clear coast, where the azure waters met the shore.
"Surprisingly beautiful..." Zhou Tiandi couldn't help but be taken in by the sight.
As an elder in his sect, located deep in the continent's central regios, he had seldom ventured to coastal regions.
This visit offered him a fresh perspective, and he found himself considering the possibility of returning in the future.
"A second visit might not be all that bad..." he mused as he continued to explore Azure Shore city.
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Zhou Tiandi had been wandering through the residential area of Azure Shore city, sampling various foods along the way.
He couldn't help but notice the lackluster taste and strange combinations in the dishes he tried, leading to an unpleasant aftertaste, perhaps due to his heightened senses as an immortal, he found mortal cuisine less than pleasant.
As an immortal who had transcended the need for sustenance, Zhou Tiandi had long forsaken food. However, the city's culinary offerings seemed to have sparked an unusual thought in him.
'Maybe I should learn how to cook...' he mused, entertaining the idea of mastering the culinary arts. Such idle thoughts were a rarity for him, during his time as an immortal.
Despite his thoughts, Zhou Tiandi continued on his path through the bustling streets of the city, where he had spent the fourth year of his journey.
Azure Shore was a peculiar place in the countryside, characterized by a lower density of spiritual qi, yet it surprisingly housed multiple immortal realm experts.
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Reaching the center of the city, Zhou Tiandi stood still, his gaze fixed upon the city lord's manor, a grand structure adorned with vibrant red and gold hues, situated at the heart of the city and surrounded by the azure, crystalline waters. His golden eyes gleamed with an odd intensity.
"It's about time I looked for the 'core' of this strange city," Zhou Tiandi muttered with a determined and mysterious aura, hinting at his intention to unravel the mysteries of Azure Shore city.
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"Hmm..." Following the interwoven aura of gold and indigo, Zhou Tiandi walked through the resplendent hallways of the city lord's manors, undeterred by the many servants he crossed by,
"The strongest aura is coming from the top floor, that should be the city lord at the Essence Infusion Stage (2nd Immortal Realm), Two stages below me..."
After a momentary pause, he shook his head dismissively, and continued to follow the golden-azure aura, "Let's avoid any needless conflict for now."
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Within the lush treasury of the city lord, Zhou Tiandi was surrounded by heaps and mountains of priceless artifacts, treasures, and immortal stones. However, he paid them no heed, driven by a different purpose.
Following the distinct aura that brought him here, he arrived before a strange object. It resembled an eye with vertically split pupils, exuding an indigo and gold glow.
"Huh?" Zhou Tiandi muttered in surprise.
"This... could it be? A dragon's eye? And one from a true dragon, at that!" His fingers trembled in excitement at the possibility.
However, he soon collected himself, knowing the importance of caution. With a deep breath, he inspected the dragon eye for any hidden traps or dangers.
As he scrutinized the surroundings, his gaze fell upon an unassuming book.
It had scrappy, aged leather, yellowed pages, and washed-away writing, making it appear entirely ordinary.
What bewildered Zhou Tiandi was the complete absence of any scent of karma. It seemed untouched, unsullied, as if it had never been created, read, or even touched by anyone.
In a word, it was unnatural.
Zhou Tiandi had learned to use "scent" as a medium to sense fate, a technique passed down by his teacher, Huang Ziyi. This made the book's pristine state all the more perplexing.
"Let's take it away for now..." Zhou Tiandi decided. He took the unassuming book and departed from the treasury, leaving behind the world of wealth and treasures.
In the days that followed, the book remained an enigma in his thoughts.
Zhou Tiandi didn't know that this unassuming book would lead to something far more 'significant' than he could have imagined.
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High atop the tallest mountain on the vast continent, a solitary cultivator sat cross-legged on a rocky outcrop.
His long, flowing robes billowed in the mountain breeze as he closed his eyes, seeking harmony with the world around him.
The air was crisp and invigorating, carrying with it the scent of pine and the distant sounds of a rushing river.
As he meditated, the sun cast its golden rays from the western horizon, painting the sky in brilliant shades of orange and red.
On the opposite side of the heavens, the moon had already begun its ascent, its soft, silvery glow gradually overcoming the fading daylight.
His senses were attuned to the celestial bodies, and he felt a profound connection to the ever-shifting balance between the sun and the moon.
It was a balance as old as time itself, a dance of opposing forces—the yang of the sun and the yin of the moon.
As this happened, it became clear that this harmonious interplay of light and darkness, heat and coolness, was not just a cosmic spectacle but a reflection of one of the fundamental law of the world—the law of Yin and Yang.
Surrounding Zhou Tiandi, half of the vegetation bloomed like small suns, their radiant blossoms, while the other half darkened like the night skies forming a perfect Taiji symbol.
This mysterious phenomenon wasn't unique to this location; it manifested throughout a significant portion of the vast continent.
It was known as the Dao manifestation, appearing after one had proven their Dao by undergoing the inner devil tribulation and reaching the fifth stage of the second major step of cultivation, Dao insight immortal stage.
Or more commonly known as Dao title immortal, since when one reaches this realm they recieve a title in recognition to their Dao.
With a serene smile on his face, Zhou Tiandi opened his eyes and watched as the sun and moon continued their journey through the sky.
As he gazed, his perception deepened, and he began to see faint threads of fate stretching out in all directions.
These threads connected him to many different places, some nearby and some impossibly distant.
Most of these threads were incredibly faint, like fragile spider silk, barely visible even to his heightened senses.
They represented the myriad karmic connections that his life held.
Some threads were thicker and more pronounced, indicating stronger ties and significant events, others incredibly faint, indicating the short interactions he made in the past five years.
The threads of fate were not fixed or absolute but were constantly in flux, influenced by his choices and actions, as well as the choices of others.
They were not a predetermined destiny but a complex tapestry of possibilities waiting to be woven.
Amid this awe-inspiring display, Zhou Tiandi turned to find an old man with a long, flowing white beard, dressed in pure white robes. Showing respect, Zhou Tiandi clasped his hands and lowered his head in greeting.
The old man, however, simply smiled and nodded.
After a few words, the old man fragmented into countless shards of light, dissipating like shattered glass.
This was the last time Zhou Tiandi saw the Great Dao sage.
