Above the Great Dao-Chapter 1472 - 684: Heaven and Earth Return Heart

Shao Guang's expression slightly darkened, and he sighed: "The paths are different, and we can't plan together. Chen Shi, I once met someone similar to you."

Chen Shi stepped towards the interior of the Guiyuan World and said, "There are people like me in this world? Senior Brother, this way."

Shao Guang followed him, and the two walked side by side.

Shao Guang said, "Two hundred years ago, Senior Brother Fan Xiao took me on a training trip, and we met a young Immortal in the Eastern Continent, much like you. This person was exceptionally talented, with extraordinary Daoist skills and Divine Skills. Although he came from a poor family, he was elegant in speech and courteous in dealing with others. Senior Brother Fan Xiao admired him greatly and even considered taking him as a disciple on behalf of our master. However, after interacting with him, we found that his ideas were vastly different from ours."

They walked neither slow nor fast, but their speed was brisk, moving away from several boats docked at the coast.

On the boats were the last residents of the Guiyuan World.

Luo Yu was taking care of them, comforting these frightened people.

"That young Immortal was also very dissatisfied with the Heavenly Court. We thought we were like-minded and wanted to bring him into the Immortal Court. But after he learned about the Immortal Court, he bluntly said that the Immortal Court was no different from the Heavenly Court, and that the governance of the Immortal Court was just maintaining the status quo. Early Ascended Immortals still held all the resources in the world, leaving no place for the later Ascended Immortals."

Shao Guang continued, "His thoughts were the same as yours, believing that the Immortal Court's overthrow of the Heavenly Court, with countless Immortals dying for the Immortal Court, was merely a power game among the upper echelons of the Earth Immortal Realm, changing nothing. Senior Brother asked him, 'What do you think should be done to change all this?'"

He paused and did not continue.

Chen Shi's gaze swept over the Guiyuan World, seeing nothing but desolation, with yellow sand everywhere, broken mountains, and dry seas. This world seemed like sugarcane chewed dry and spat out, its Spiritual Energy almost entirely absorbed by the Primordial Worm.

Chen Shi asked, "What did he say?"

Shao Guang said, "He said that to change, cultivators must be provided with an alternative path, not to confine themselves to a Dao Realm. When territory is confined to a Dao Realm, the common people within become beasts of burden for the cultivators, enslaved by them. Future cultivators will find no way out, no different from the Heavenly Court."

Chen Shi looked at the devastated Guiyuan World and said, "He's absolutely right."

Shao Guang said, "Senior Brother Fan Xiao asked him how to create an alternative path. He said that if one could practice Inner Refining, opening a Dao Realm within one's body and validating it with the external Heaven and Earth Great Dao, Harmonization could occur, verifying whether one's Daoist Skill is flawed. Moreover, Inner Refining Dao Realm doesn't occupy the external Heaven and Earth, so many Immortals would not encroach on others' living space. Late-arriving Immortals could also Harmonize and Ascend without having no place to establish themselves."

Chen Shi's eyes lit up, saying, "He's absolutely right! Opening a Dao Realm within and refining the Dao inside, using the body as the boundary of the Dao Realm, externally connected to the Heaven and Earth, and verifying Harmonization, can indeed solve the current problems of the Earth Immortal Realm!"

He couldn't help but think of Zhong Wuwang, who also opened a Dao Realm within and practiced Inner Refining!

Shao Guang looked at his face and smiled: "Junior Brother Chen, your expression is just like that young man's back then. He was also so excited, telling Senior Brother Fan Xiao and me that he was exploring this path of Inner Refining Dao Realm and had some clues. We all admired him greatly."

Chen Shi's heart moved slightly, and as if driven by a ghost, he glanced at the distant Zhong Wuwang with a peculiar gaze, looking at Zhong Wuwang as if he were a rare treasure.

At this moment, Zhong Wuwang and others were flying toward the skies, pursuing the flesh of the Primordial Worm.

"That young man is about to die." Chen Shi withdrew his gaze and said.

"How do you know?" 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Shao Guang was quite surprised, glancing at him and seeing that he did not answer, so he continued, "You're right to guess, he's indeed dead. Not long after, Senior Brother and I left the Eastern Continent. On the way, Senior Brother made an excuse to leave for a while, returned without a word. Later, I secretly returned to the Eastern Continent to search for that young Immortal, only to find he had been dead for many years, exactly during the time when Senior Brother made an excuse."

He sighed and said, "I asked Senior Brother about it; he said that this person must die. Paths are different, and we should have parted ways, but his abilities were too strong, and he might have indeed created a path of Inner Refining Dao Realm. At that time, he would be an enemy of the Immortal Court!"

He chuckled self-deprecatingly: "I never understood why that young man was considered an enemy of the Immortal Court, why he had to die. Later, when I gained power and countless Immortals called me Prince Shao Guang, I understood."

He understood where his status came from.

If all Immortals in the Earth Immortal Realm practiced Inner Refining Dao Realm, needing no refuge, his master would be just a respected elder, not the supreme Immortal Emperor controlling vast resources of the Earth Immortal Realm. And he, the disciple of the Immortal Emperor, would not have so many people respectfully calling him 'Prince'!

Inner Refining Dao Realm would ruin his future!

The Immortal Court and Heavenly Court compete for legitimacy, and after seizing legitimacy, he can obtain more resources and gain higher status!

But if that young Immortal from the Eastern Continent gained power, he would get nothing and might even see his status plummet!

Now, Chen Shi harbors the same thoughts as that young Immortal.

"Back then, it was Senior Brother who killed that young Immortal; now it's my turn," he silently thought.

The two reached the center of the Guiyuan World, still filled with the Evil Dao of the Primordial Worm, the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth already corrupted by the Evil Dao. Even if the residents of Guiyuan World returned, they would still undergo Evil Transformation and become Evil Spirits.