Zhang Fan walked to the end of the great hall and stood before a stone statue nine zhang tall. From the statue, it was evident that it depicted a middle-aged man with a handsome, chiseled face. He was clad in a white stone robe, and between his brows, a diamond-shaped black mark pulsed like a black hole, seemingly capable of devouring all things.
Even as a mere stone effigy, when it stood there, it felt like the center of the entire world, exuding an aura of detached transcendence.
Zhang Fan looked up at the statue, sensing the power of dao emanating from it. A sense of familiarity washed over him, distant memories stirring in his mind. His gaze grew distant, and he murmured, "A supreme master of the Dark Dao has also fallen. I wonder what he went through?"
Luo Xiaoxiao also walked over, her gaze fixed on the statue before her. The rules of the Dark Dao within her stirred, wanting to break free from her body.
The rules of dao she had cultivated within herself were subtly losing control, filling Luo Xiaoxiao with astonishment.
"Do you want to try?" Zhang Fan glanced at Luo Xiaoxiao, asking with a light smile.
"They all say this is the statue of the founder of the Great Luo Realm. For hundreds of thousands of years, only a select few have been able to resonate with its dao and enter its inner space. Yet, no one has been able to fully comprehend it. I wish to try," Luo Xiaoxiao replied.
"Mm," Zhang Fan nodded. "From what I know, he also cultivated the Dark Dao. You are a naturally born Dark God Physique, which suits you very well."
"Does Master also wish to try?" Luo Xiaoxiao asked curiously.
Although Zhang Fan was only at the Nascent Soul stage, in Luo Xiaoxiao's heart, she believed there was nothing her master couldn't accomplish.
Zhang Fan mused for a moment before speaking, "While it holds no significance for me, I am indeed curious. What was this former lord of the Great Luo Realm truly seeking? Was it merely to find a successor and pass down his dao?"
Luo Xiaoxiao hadn't considered such profound questions. She had come to the Great Luo Realm simply to acquire cultivation resources for rapid advancement. Reaching her current stage had already far exceeded her expectations. Hearing her master's words, she could only shake her head in confusion.
Zhang Fan smiled. "This is indeed not something you need to worry about at this moment. You try first. Cultivators of the Dark Dao are already rare, and encountering one who mastered it is even rarer. This is your fortuitous encounter."
Luo Xiaoxiao nodded and sat down cross-legged. The rules of the Dark Dao within her golden Nascent Soul surged. As she circulated her cultivation technique, a torrent of Dark Dao rules burst forth, beginning to manifest her dao technique.
At this moment, all the cultivators in the great hall had made their choices and were practicing their dao techniques, hoping to resonate with the statue's dao.
The dao cultivated by cultivators at the Soul Transformation stage was fundamentally different from that of the Nascent Soul stage.
For a Nascent Soul cultivator to break through to the Soul Transformation stage, they must merge their dao with their soul, constantly strengthening it. Once fully fused, all their dao techniques would condense within their nascent spirit, which would then be called the Primordial Spirit.
When the Primordial Spirit successfully passed the Soul Transformation Tribulation, it would become a truly immortal Primordial Spirit, marking the true entry into the Soul Transformation stage.
After entering the Soul Transformation stage, without the limitations of the Nascent Soul, cultivators could more easily comprehend the laws of heaven and earth. Their Primordial Spirits could also comprehend and cultivate various dao techniques, so the Soul Transformation stage was no longer restricted to cultivating only one dao.
However, most Nascent Soul cultivators, after reaching the Soul Transformation stage, would primarily focus on the dao through which they broke through, supplementing it with the comprehension of other daos. Only a very small number of exceptionally talented cultivators dared to cultivate multiple daos simultaneously.
...
Vast amounts of Dark Dao rules flowed out from Luo Xiaoxiao's body like rivers, permeating the surroundings. She focused her mind, and the Dark Dao rules coalesced from scattered energy into a massive sword of darkness – her cultivated dao technique.
Using the sword to wield the dao, its edge sharp and piercing, it lunged towards the black mark between the statue's brows, intending to break it open.
However, the black mark was like a black hole, seeming to devour everything. As Luo Xiaoxiao manipulated the dark sword, even before it approached, she felt a powerful force violently tearing at it. After a prolonged stalemate, Luo Xiaoxiao could no longer resist this force. The dark sword was torn to shreds, dissolving into a sky full of Dark Dao rules.
"Pfft!"
A mouthful of blood sprayed out. Luo Xiaoxiao's face turned ashen, and her normally star-like eyes lost their luster, filled with desolation. She lowered her head and whispered, "I'm sorry, Master. I failed."
Zhang Fan shook his head. "The path of cultivation is never easy. If you give up after one failure, no matter how high your talent, you will achieve little."
"Look at them. In terms of talent, every one of them is inferior to you. Yet, have you seen any of them give up?"
Luo Xiaoxiao turned her head and saw that the other thirty-odd human cultivators were all sitting cross-legged before the statues, diligently comprehending and practicing. Even after failing repeatedly and suffering injuries from backlash, their determined gazes remained unchanged.
"Do you know why they are all trying so hard?"
"Because they all understand clearly that among countless Nascent Soul cultivators, over ninety-nine percent will never reach the Soul Transformation stage. This might be the closest they will ever get to it in this life, so they dare not give up, even if it costs them half their lives."
"Take one step forward, and your Primordial Spirit becomes immortal, allowing you to roam the myriad domains of the starry sky at will."
"Take one step back, and you will never reach Soul Transformation, ultimately perishing under the pressure of heavenly tribulations."
"Even Cang Lan Ming Yue, who is considered the foremost of the younger generation in the Wu Shan star domain and enjoys boundless prestige, achieved his current strength through countless efforts and the cultivation of his sect. Yet, facing the hurdle of Soul Transformation, he knows it remains an extremely arduous path."
Luo Xiaoxiao was also an exceptionally intelligent person. Zhang Fan's words gradually firmed her dispirited gaze. She sat down cross-legged again, condensing another massive sword of darkness. However, just like last time, the condensed dark sword began to tremble precariously under the powerful tearing force of the black mark, on the verge of shattering.
Luo Xiaoxiao's small body trembled. Recalling her master's words, her conviction grew stronger. From within her golden Nascent Soul, another stream of Dark Dao rules surged, condensing onto the dark sword.
As the dark sword drew closer to the black mark, the tearing force intensified. Seeing that the time was right, Zhang Fan finally spoke, "The Dark Dao is not merely about ceaseless devouring and destruction. It can devour all things, yet it can also embrace all things. When light arrives, I shall naturally recede..."
Upon hearing Zhang Fan's words, Luo Xiaoxiao, who had been struggling to resist, seemed to gain enlightenment. The already precarious dark sword, under her control, transformed into a dark lotus. The dark lotus spun incessantly, slowly approaching the black mark. The immense tearing force did not harm the dark lotus; instead, it accelerated its rotation, making its might even more formidable.
Boom!
The moment the dark lotus touched the black mark, it rapidly shrank, transforming into a black shadow that merged into the black mark.
"Success!"
Luo Xiaoxiao sensed the internal space of the statue. She too transformed into a streak of light and flew into the statue.
The interior space of the statue was not what Luo Xiaoxiao had imagined. Upon entering, she was enveloped by an intense light. In the far distance, a figure seemed to be present. Luo Xiaoxiao tried to use her magic power to fly towards it, only to find that she had no magic power within her. In this space, she had reverted to being an ordinary person. Thus, she could only walk forward step by step.
The world, initially filled with light, gradually dimmed with each step Luo Xiaoxiao took. As she continued to advance, the entire world was eventually shrouded in darkness. After experiencing light turning to darkness, Luo Xiaoxiao finally reached the person. She looked up at the towering figure, which was identical to the statue. His face was handsome, but his smile was exceptionally gentle, making one feel as if basking in a spring breeze.