Upon hearing Mister Black Cloud’s words, Chen Chaoyan was clearly stunned.
After some hesitation, she asked softly, “Senior, is this choice also a test? A test of the mind and will…”
Zhang Dongyun almost laughed.
This was indeed his way of adding some twists and turns to Chen Chaoyan’s path of seeking the Dao.
However, the poor little girl’s decision would not affect the final outcome.
Zhang Dongyun did not answer Chen Chaoyan’s question and instead merely looked at her.
Chen Chaoyan scratched her head. “Then please help me, Senior. I wish to give it a try at His Majesty’s side.”
“Very well.” The old man in black got up and walked out.
Black mists scattered and swept the two of them, bringing them outside the Great Ming Palace.
Zhang Dongyun was playing second fiddle to it.
Mister Black Cloud’s projection greeted outside the palace. “Your Majesty, a daughter of the Chen clan, Chaoyan, is exceptionally gifted and has good qualifications. She is very suitable for Daoist cultivation and is seeking Chang’an’s guidance.
“I do not dare to decide on this. May Your Majesty decide on this.”
Chen Chaoyan stayed outside the palace honestly, waiting for the mysterious Fortress Lord to decide her fate.
Suddenly, darkness surrounded her.
She could see nothing.
She could hear nothing.
She could touch nothing.
She was just in an empty space.
“Is this a test to see if I can remain calm?” the young girl mumbled to herself, unflustered.
Then she realized she could not even hear her own voice.
The extreme silence and darkness could almost drive anyone crazy.
But Chen Chaoyan was calm.
She waited for a while but did not hear any instructions from the Chang’an Fortress Lord or Mister Black Cloud.
Thus, the young girl started meditating peacefully.
In the darkness, Chen Chaoyan was unsure whether time was passing as fast as the outside world.
She got up after about one hour based on her calculations.
The young girl moved her body and practiced fist moves in the darkness.
Although she was not suitable for martial arts and was prepared to switch to Daoism, she had not read any Daoist canons and only knew some of her clan’s Martial Dao. She was simply practicing to pass the time.
After practicing for an hour, she then meditated for another hour.
Time flew by as she repeated the cycle.
Chen Chaoyan was always calm and enjoyed herself.
She eventually went to sleep in peace.
When she woke up, she stretched her body and touched her abdomen.
I don’t feel hungry…
In other words, time was not passing the same as in reality.
She would have been so hungry after such a long time in reality…
At the thought of that, the young girl suddenly felt her saliva at the bottom of her tongue.
She was not hungry, but her cravings were aroused.
Then her eyes suddenly lit up.
She was seemingly trying to verify that everything was illusory.
She did not need to adjust to the change in light and darkness.
She found herself inside a simple but vast palace instead of being outside the Great Ming Palace.
Mister Black Cloud was still standing respectfully by the side.
A figure sat on the throne above her.
Light covered his face, making it hard to see.
He was sitting there and placed his hands together in front of him with his ring and little fingers interlocked while the tips of his middle fingers, index fingers, and thumbs were touching each other.
“Well done.” A clear majestic voice sounded.
Chen Chaoyan returned to her senses and shivered before quickly bowing. “Chen…”
She was used to calling herself a descendant of the Chen clan, but as soon as she uttered that, she suddenly changed her words. “Chen Chaoyan, a citizen of Chang’an, greets Your Majesty!”
The figure above said calmly, “You may rise.”
The young girl heaved a sigh of relief, stood up, and looked down at her feet.
At that moment, she suddenly felt warmth in front of her.
Chen Chaoyan summoned the courage to look up.
Then she saw a Dao scroll floating before her with the words ‘Supreme Clarity Divine Heaven Precious Record’.
“Black Cloud, you are responsible for guiding her cultivation. I will test her every month.”
“I will obey Your Majesty’s orders,” Mister Black Cloud answered.
Chen Chaoyan was delighted and bowed. “Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty.”
Even though she did not know what was powerful about the Supreme Clarity Divine Heaven Precious Record, a Daoist canon bestowed by the Chang’an Fortress Lord would be extraordinary, right?
“Go on,” the figure above said.
Chen Chaoyan then found herself back outside the Great Ming Palace and holding the Supreme Clarity Divine Heaven Precious Record in her hands.
Mister Black Cloud at the side said calmly, “You can’t pass it on to anyone else. No one can look at it, nor can it end up in anyone’s hands besides yours. Do you understand?”
Chen Chaoyan composed herself. “I understand.”
Mister Black Cloud nodded. “Be diligent. If you fail to pass His Majesty’s test a month later, His Majesty will take back the first volume of the Supreme Clarity Divine Heaven Precious Record.”
The young girl held the Dao scroll and replied happily, “I will do my best and will never be lazy.”
“Very good.” Mister Black Cloud nodded slightly. “If your cultivation progresses fast enough, His Majesty will naturally bestow you the next few Dao canons later.”
Chen Chaoyan bowed to the old man in black. “I am grateful for your guidance, Senior.”
“Since His Majesty has instructed me, I will guide you well. You have earned this by passing the test, so you don’t need to thank me.”
Mister Black Cloud said calmly, “Every month after His Majesty’s test, you have the opportunity to ask His Majesty for advice. This is both a test and an opportunity for you. You should prepare well and treasure it. Do you understand?”
Chen Chaoyan took a deep breath. “I understand. Thank you for your advice, Senior.”
Holding the Dao scroll in her arms, she was so excited and eager that she wished she could start reading it and trying it out right away.
When she returned home, the Chen clan members were delighted when they heard what had happened.
This not only meant that Chen Chaoyan, a genius in Daoist spells, would not be buried, but it also meant that someone from the Chen clan had managed to get close to the center of Chang’an.
Chen Chaoyan was happy for her clan, but at the same time, she also felt very attracted to the Supreme Clarity Divine Heaven Precious Record.
As it turned out, for her, cultivating the Daoist Dharmic formulation was just like being a fish in the water.
When she first started, she needed to consult Mister Black Cloud from time to time.
Later on, she could enlighten herself with the Daoist canon as her cultivation progressed rapidly.
The first realm of the Martial Dao was the Body Tempering realm, while the first realm of Daoist cultivation was called ‘Sensing’.
It was mainly about Daoist cultivators sensing the flow of their own essence Qi and the spiritual energy of nature outside.
This juncture was the foundation of Daoist cultivation.
Unsuitable cultivators would never succeed in their entire lives.
Suitable cultivators would soon be rewarded after some guidance.
In contrast, Chen Chaoyan was almost born beyond this realm.
She did not have this thought before.
Now that she had formally stepped into Daoist cultivation, with a single thought from her, she reached this juncture easily.
However, compared to improving blood in the first realm of the Martial Dao, raising strength, speed, and reaction to allow for clear judgment, the first realm of Daoist cultivation was more profound.
If a cultivator was fighting with a human being, their senses were more sensitive than normal people.
Minor improvements were seen in other aspects. In terms of combat, first-realm Daoist cultivators could not cast any Dharma spells.
They also could not refine their own talismans and could only use low-level Dharma artifacts or talismans from others.
At the second realm, Qi Formation, Daoist cultivators were slightly better at combat.
Daoist cultivators at this realm could create their own talismans and seal their spells in the talismans beforehand.
More importantly, they had greater sensitivity. They could look within themselves, see their souls, refine their essence into Qi, and inspire and refine spiritual energy into Dharmic powers.
The first realm of Daoist cultivation was more like the threshold of selection, while the second realm was the actual entry point.
Chen Chaoyan broke through to this realm very quickly.
The advantages of a Pure Yang Immortal Soul in Daoist cultivation were plentiful.
It’s basically comparable to the advantages of the spirit jade fetus for Martial Dao cultivation… Zhang Dongyun, who was observing from the side, nodded to himself.
The next hurdle for Chen Chaoyan was the third realm, Foundation Establishment.
When Daoist cultivators reached this realm, they could use their Dharmic powers to regulate their spiritual energy with the help of nature, cast Dharma spells, and refine their own Dharma artifacts.
The Forgotten Truth Temple disciple whom the three members of the Cold Mountain Sect had captured was at this realm.
Further up, the fourth realm of Daoism was Furnace.
At this realm, cultivators prepared for core formation.
The souls of cultivators would condense and could temporarily leave their bodies.
At the same time, their Dharmic powers would grow, and they could ride mists and briefly glide through the air, which was different in principle but similar to the fourth realm of the Martial Dao on the surface.
As for Xie Zhao, the first successor of the Forgotten Truth Temple, he was at the fifth realm of the Daoist cultivation, Golden Core.
After a Daoist cultivator formed a golden core, their Dharmic powers grew further and became highly condensed.
At this realm, they could ride the mists and clouds and fly freely in the air like someone of the Flying General realm.
Their speed might not be as violent and fierce as a Flying General when flying in a straight line, but they were agile in descending, ascending, and changing directions.
A Daoist cultivator at the Furnace realm could have their soul out of their body. When their soul was out of their body, they could use it for cultivation, but the soul could not be far from the physical body and could not cast Dharma spells.
A fifth-realm cultivator would form a golden core and hide it in their soul, which could make the soul more condensed. Outside the body, it could not only travel far from the body, but the cultivator could also use their soul to cast Dharma spells.
The power of directly casting Dharma spells with the soul was more powerful, and its regulation of spiritual energy was faster and more convenient. But the soul was more prone to injuries without the protection of the physical body.
Therefore, most of the time, the souls of fifth-realm Daoist cultivators such as Xie Zhao would only be out of their bodies for cultivation and not to fight directly against their enemies.
When Xie Zhao tried to break out of the fortress, if his soul had been out of his body and he had used the True Nightmare Spell, the old man of the Chen clan, who was at the fifth realm of the Martial Dao and blocking him, would have been fraught with grim possibilities and have his mind suppressed on the spot.
But on the other hand, given the opponent’s Martial Dao power with his blood as strong as a furnace, a single palm could also directly destroy Xie Zhao’s soul.
Zhang Dongyun quietly observed Chen Chaoyan’s cultivation. Her progress was as clear as a flame.
Through instructing her, Zhang Dongyun gained a deeper understanding of Daoist cultivation and slowly shifted the system’s blessings to his own understanding.
Meanwhile, he re-grasped his Martial Dao cultivation.
During this period, he had focused most of his energy on the fortress’s construction, which somewhat slowed down his cultivation.
Now that the fortress’s development was gradually on the right track, Fortress Lord Zhang regained focus on his cultivation.
After a few days, Zhang Dongyun, who was in cultivation, suddenly felt a slight movement in his heart.
Another group of people had approached Chang’an.
The person leading the group was a familiar face.
The Thunderclap Sect’s Elder Wu Qiong with several Thunderclap Sect members stopped outside the fortress gates and saluted. “Wu Qiong of the Thunderclap Sect seeks an audience with the Chang’an Fortress Lord and Mister Black Cloud.”
Zhang Dongyun frowned while sitting in the Great Ming Palace. “It’s accurate.”