Refining the Mountains and Rivers

Qin Yu did not fully understand what elder apprentice brother was talking about. However, if there was one thing that he could be certain of, it would be that the Great Dao had a spirit!

He had shattered his Great Dao twice. Although he quickly reformed it again, dying and being revived continuously was definitely not a nice feeling.

Would the Great Dao Spirit have an opinion on his actions? Since True Saints could lose control of their Great Dao and receive a backlash from it, it meant that the Great Dao Spirit had an attitude.

At this point, Qin Yu could confirm that the mysterious being in time and space had been giving him a reminder…actually, the mysterious being must have felt something from the Great Dao in Qin Yu. There might have been something wrong with it!

As soon as this thought crossed his mind, Qin Yu's heart clenched. It would be a lie to say that he was not affected by this.

Nonsense, even the Darkness Ruler had suffered a terrible ending after the Great Dao backlash. Qin Yu had personally witnessed what happened.

The entire palace had been drenched with rotten flesh and blood, and Qin Yu had to clean everything up with the Inextinguishable Flame.

He did not want himself to face such a pitiful ending in the future.

He would not even want there to be a slight possibility for it!

Breathing in deeply, Qin Yu controlled his emotions and maintained a calm exterior. He drummed his fingers against the table and said, "Elder apprentice brother, I walk the True God Path and it is abnormal for me to have a Great Dao. I am not familiar with it; can you give me some pointers?"

Elder apprentice brother was an intelligent man. Despite Qin Yu's calm exterior, elder apprentice brother could make a few deductions from the questions he asked.

He frowned slightly as he stared at Qin Yu. However, he did not expose Qin Yu. Since junior-apprentice brother was not willing to explain, he must have reasons for it.

Right as this point, elder apprentice brother thought of how Qin Yu shattered his Great Dao twice in such a short period of time. He instantly reached a conclusion on why Qin Yu was acting this way. This…everything had a price to pay and junior-apprentice brother could not escape from that either!

"As I mentioned, I just formed my Great Dao and am not too familiar with it. I can only tell you some guesses I have." This concerned Qin Yu's safety and elder apprentice brother wore a stern look as he slowly explained. He tried to be as specific as possible to avoid any miscommunications and misconceptions.

"Firstly, once cultivators cross the Sea of Bitterness, their refined Great Dao enables them to reach the shore. We possess the Great Dao but we cannot control its refinement…mm, more accurately, we can only be accepted by the Great Dao.

"You will need to experience it for yourself. For instance, when I refined my Great Dao, I felt like I was not able to control it much. The process of refining the Great Dao felt like a replica of something, and this something seemed almost like the world that we lived in.

"The world's Great Dao runs through all corners of the world and exists in every living being. We cannot fully understand and control it, but as True Saints, we are probably a copy of a portion of the world's Great Dao…we are like a shadow."

Elder apprentice brother stood up and paced back and forth as he frowned. His face was slightly pale. It seemed like this little explanation had taken a large toll on him. Even his breathing was heavier.

He paused for a while. Then, as though he was confirming something with himself, he nodded, "That's right. This is it. The world's Great Dao is like a blueprint. When cultivators create a copy of it during the refinement of their Great Dao, we create a copy of a part of the world's Great Dao. As such, we are not exactly shadows of it…it is like we took a part of the shadow of the world's Great Dao and integrated it into our Great Dao. This is why it has a spirit."

Elder apprentice brother's face was pale and his eyes looked tired. He observed Qin Yu's guilty expression and said, "I became a Saint not long ago so I only have a basic understanding of things. Junior-apprentice brother, if there are things you still don't understand, you will have to slowly explore and understand it yourself."

What elder apprentice brother said was difficult to understand. In particular, the linkage between the Great Dao, its shadow, and its spirit was confusing enough for ordinary cultivators.

However, Qin Yu was not ordinary. He knew the Shadow of the Abyss and also knew Feature who was missing. Naturally, he could understand the hidden meaning behind this.

The Shadow of the Abyss had a consciousness that allowed it to live many years. It was known as 'Old Turtle' when it was with Qin Yu. Feature was a mysterious but powerful illusion. She had looked like she was alive but she disappeared with no trace.

Qin Yu felt a chill down his spine. Because he knew that even shadows could have spirits, he felt that this matter might be more complicated than he imagined.

The Great Dao of a True Saint was possibly a shadow of the world's Great Dao. It was no wonder that even a True Saint wouldn't be able to do anything against its backlash. He would only end up as a pitiful being that died in a grotesque manner.

The more powerful he became, the more he learned and the deeper his admiration for the laws of the world became.

A True Saint was powerful but his cultivation was only a replica of the portion of the world's Great Dao. This was how a True Saint obtained his power.

A Ruler was a level higher than a True Saint. However, from this angle, it only meant that a Ruler was better at copying the world.

How would a Ruler or a True Saint compare to the world's Great Dao?

The backlash of a Great Dao could come from the spirit hidden in the shadow of the world's Great Dao…even if it was just a shadow, it was a shadow of the World's Great Dao. After meeting Old Turtle and Feature, Qin Yu did not dare to look down on this.

A shadow was also an illusion of the world. A person might eventually be able to match up to it, but Qin Yu knew that he could not do so now.

In other words, if the backlash of the Great Dao occurred, he would probably not be able to withstand it.

His heart clenched and his expression hardened. Elder apprentice brother stood opposite him and hesitated before continuing, "Junior-apprentice brother, since you now have an understanding of the Great Dao, do be careful in the future. Take your time to heal to ensure that things don't go awry."

Qin Yu knew that elder apprentice brother must have sensed something amiss. He smiled bitterly, "I am afraid it is too late."

The mysterious being would not have given him a word of advice out of nowhere. Since that being mentioned the Great Dao, it must have already sensed the start of a conflict.

Qin Yu could not sense it yet!

He had doubts about his Great Dao previously but could he still not sense the subtle changes in him? However, after he learned about the world's Great Dao shadow, Qin Yu was no longer confident. Who knew how scary the shadow of the world was? It could probably hide itself completely and prevent cultivators from sensing its existence.

A flicker of nervousness crossed elder apprentice brother's face, but before he spoke, Qin Yu waved his hand to cut him off, "Elder apprentice brother, don't worry. I have a few clues but there is nothing wrong with me now. I asked you about this today to learn about it so as to avoid being caught off guard in the future."

He hesitated before smiling, "Originally, I wanted to take your place and help support Peachy's life. However, there is something amiss with my Great Dao and I can't take the risk. Sorry to trouble you, but please continue to take care of Peachy."

In a stern voice, elder apprentice brother reassured, "You don't have to make this request. I owe Master a lot. If he did not save me in the past, I would have died already. Peachy is Master's only daughter. Now that he is gone, I am more than willing to help her."

Qin Yu felt as ease as he took in elder apprentice brother's words. He was thoroughly sincere and he was not exaggerating. After some hesitation, Qin Yu flipped his hand and took out a fruit. This was what he obtained from Wind Saint back in Bounded Zero Place. It could help in the refinement of Great Dao.

Qin Yu's Great Dao was formed with the furnace and he did not need to interfere in the process. Since there was no room for him, the fruit was completely useless to him.

Even if the fruit was useful to him, Qin Yu would not waste it…he had shattered his Great Dao twice before and the fruit would only increase the power of his sword strike from sacrificing his Great Dao. That would be the end of it.

Giving it to elder apprentice brother to help him with his Great Dao was much more appropriate.

"Elder apprentice brother, I don't have something fully appropriate, but this fruit will be helpful for your Great Dao. Please accept this as a token of my thanks."

Elder apprentice brother glanced at the serious expression Qin Yu wore. He smiled and shook his head helplessly, "Thank you junior-apprentice brother."

Qin Yu stood up and cupped his hands together respectfully, "I still have a few questions about the Great Dao and I will leave the Peach Garden to seek out some answers."

He smiled bitterly, "I realize that I am really busy these days. I don't even have a second of spare time."

Elder apprentice brother coughed lightly, "Junior-apprentice brother, are you trying to tell me that responsibility comes with strength?"

Qin Yu was startled. He had not expected elder apprentice brother to joke with him. More importantly, this embarrassing thought did cross his mind.

"Hahaha!" Elder apprentice brother burst out into laughter. He patted Qin Yu's shoulder and said, "Our junior brothers and sisters in the Peach Garden will be focused on cultivation. Once you settle things on your side, let's gather together and celebrate. We can also take it as a celebration for the Peach Garden regaining its power!"

Qin Yu cupped his hands together, "Of course!"

He turned and left. Outside, he encountered White Phoenix who curiously asked him about his conversation with elder apprentice brother. Qin Yu dismissed him quickly with a very brief explanation about how he sought elder apprentice brother's advice for some of his questions. White Phoenix then proceeded to summon a portal gate for Qin Yu.

White Phoenix wore a strange look on his face as he stood outside elder apprentice brother's courtyard. He smiled bitterly. If he could ask elder apprentice brother these questions, why would he rush after Qin Yu for an explanation when he went out?

I would also really like to know about the shattering of the Great Dao and its refinement! Ahhhh!

…..

If she had offended a powerful cultivator unintentionally, she would be very anxious not knowing when the cultivator would take revenge.

However, if the cultivator grew stronger and stronger such that he surpassed all boundaries to travel the world, she would not be that afraid.

The difference in statuses between them was too great. With his current status, why would he bother to find her and enact petty revenge?

This could roughly summarize what Dragini had been concerned about these days. She lay comfortably on a soft couch, twirling her own tail as she snoozed with her eyes closed.

Great events had shaken the Vast Brightness World easily and no one wanted to provoke the Dragon Saint. Dragini was from the dragon bloodline and hence, her days had been peaceful.

She smiled lightly as she thought of something. This smile was casual but also a prideful smile. After all, this event had been her most memorable experience. Even if she had not thought of this previously, she could not help feeling proud of herself. Hehe…who else in the Vast Brightness World had survived after infuriating Qin Yu?

Just look at the facts. The Nether Saint and all the other powerful cultivators who came after him were dead after they provoked Qin Yu. He was famous for killing Saints, and this reputation was well deserved. Qin Yu might be as powerful as a Ruler now.

Dragini was someone who offended him, and this did not happen just once. Yet she was still alive and well!

How would anyone dare to compare to her?

However, Dragini was still in disbelief. The insignificant Peach Garden disciple at the East Sea banquet back then was her companion. He became so accomplished in such a short period of time.

Every time she thought of this, she wondered if she was dreaming.

Such exciting thoughts chased her sleepiness away. Dragini yawned and stretched lazily.

Perhaps because she was in the inner palace, she was dressed very casually. Her shirt was half buttoned down her chest, revealing the skin around her waist. At this moment, there was also a sensual smell around her tail as she swayed it.

Qin Yu never expected to see this seductive scene as he stepped into the hall. Instantly, his expression turned awkward.

He had locked onto Dragini's aura when he headed directly for the East Sea. He wanted to avoid scaring the old Dragon Saint by heading to the East Sea Palace with her escorting him.

After all, Qin Yu also knew about his reputation for killing Saints. After killing multiple of them, including Zhou Saint and Lin Saint, it was only natural for the Dragon Saint to be afraid of him coming to the East Sea unannounced.

And not to forget…cough cough, Qin Yu was in his bad books from stealing the East Sea Sword from him together with the Spring Master in the past.

Of course, the other reason was that there was a stable pathway from the Peach Garden to Dragini's palace and it was easy for Qin Yu to come here.

"Cough!"

Dragini's expression instantly changed and her eyes widened as she yelled, "Who is it?"

Her aura was icy cold but in the next moment, she turned as white as a sheet when she saw her visitor. She could not help trembling in fear.

Him! It is him!

Dragini would never forget his appearance. She would even recognize him if he turned into ashes.

Qin Yu came without any warning. He had barged into the inner palace without a sound.

He obviously came for a reason!

Horrific thoughts like how he was here to seek revenge flooded her mind and caused her heart to clench.

That's it. It is over!

Her father was not here. Even if he was, he would not be able to take on Qin Yu.

No one would be able to save her today!

Sadness overflowed in her heart and Dragini burst out into tears. Her cries of despair caused Qin Yu to feel even more awkward.

She was utterly distressed and her tears flowed down like a waterfall. Qin Yu instantly knew that he had frightened her.

Things in the past were to be forgotten. Why would he bother fighting it out with a little girl?

However, he thought about it carefully and realized that he must have scared her senseless by barging into her inner palace unannounced.

"Stop crying!"

The moment he said this, Dragini's cries became even more intense. I am about to die but you won't even allow me to cry? You are too mean!

Qin Yu stared upwards and only saw the boundless sea ahead. Feeling helpless, he rubbed his eyebrows and said, "If you continue crying, I will change my mind and really attack you."

Dragini's held back her sobs and stared at Qin Yu in disbelief as big teardrops threatened to fall from her eyes.

She stared at him in annoyance and Qin Yu scoffed, "Why would I sneak around if I wanted to kill you? Hurry up and sort out your clothes. You are bringing me to the East Sea Palace!"