The Flowing Thunder River spanned boundlessly across the starry space, crisscrossing in such complex patterns that it was hard to distinguish the main stream from its tributaries, just as one might struggle to navigate the tangled roots of a tree. The Breaking Sky sailed through it, as insignificant as a speck of dust.

At this moment, inside a storeroom aboard the Breaking Sky, Luo Xiu was seated cross-legged, quietly and earnestly watching Zuo Qianhuang, who sat opposite him. Earlier, Luo Xiu had been seeking guidance from Zuo Qianhuang about the Dao Jade.

Though Zuo Qianhuang couldn't be considered exceptionally knowledgeable, as a cultivator of the Second Realm of Dao Jade himself, he was experienced enough to clarify a few things for Luo Xiu.

"First, we need to start with what Divine Skills are," Zuo Qianhuang began. "Does Mister Asura know what Divine Skills are?"

Luo Xiu thought for a moment before replying, "Divine Skills are essentially a type of Taoist Art, one that stands above both 'Taoist Arts' and 'Demon Art.' Humans and demons alike can comprehend and learn them if they have the affinity for it."

Zuo Qianhuang nodded. "That's correct, but it's not the whole picture."

Luo Xiu raised a hand humbly. "Please enlighten me."

"As you said, Divine Skills are fundamentally a type of Taoist Art," Zuo Qianhuang explained. "However, a Taoist Art can only be called a 'Divine Skill' after it has been passed down through many generations, refined and perfected numerous times, and has acquired Dao Marks."

Luo Xiu asked, "What are Dao Marks?"

"The Dao cannot be spoken of, only experienced," Zuo Qianhuang replied. "It's like… when you're comprehending a Divine Skill, you'll feel some indescribably mysterious traces. Those are the so-called Dao Marks."

He paused, then continued, "The so-called 'sacrificing a Divine Skill to refine a Dao Jade' involves integrating the Divine Skill you've comprehended with heaven and earth, thereby clarifying the Dao Marks. Finally, you match those clarified Dao Marks to the complex pathways of your own meridians and imprint them within, creating a world of your own. Only then can a Dao Jade be formed."

"You must understand that the meridians in the human body are as intricate and countless as the cosmos, capable of corresponding to all things in the universe."

Luo Xiu pondered these words, feeling as though he both understood and didn't.

Zuo Qianhuang added, "Furthermore, Dao Jades vary in quality. The higher the grade, the more substantial the refined Dao Jade is."

"How does the quality of a Dao Jade impact the cultivator?" Luo Xiu asked.

Zuo Qianhuang mulled it over. "Well… it has an impact, and yet it doesn't. A superior Divine Skill can naturally overwhelm an inferior one. It's like you wielding a Divine Sword while your opponent holds a wooden sword—that's the disparity. However, looking at it from another angle, if your cultivation is higher than your opponent's, you can defeat them even if you only have a wooden sword and they wield a Divine Sword."

Upon hearing this, an expression of sudden realization dawned on Luo Xiu's face.

"I understand now… There isn't really a difference in quality. It all depends on how you use it and the strength of your own cultivation."

Zuo Qianhuang nodded. "Exactly. A Divine Skill used by a Gathering Spirit Realm cultivator, no matter how advanced, is still weaker than a common Taoist Art casually used by an Emperor Realm Cultivator."

"Of course," he continued, "sacrificing a Divine Skill to refine a Dao Jade is merely laying the groundwork for entering the Emperor Realm. You could say the Dao Jade Realm is a transitional stage between 'human' and 'sage.'"

"How many Dao Jades must one refine to enter the Emperor Realm?" Luo Xiu asked.

Zuo Qianhuang looked at him intently. "In truth, one is enough. You can even do it with none at all."

Luo Xiu frowned slightly. "Why is that?"

"Since ancient times, innumerable cultivators have reached the Immortal Realm, as common as cabbages," Zuo Qianhuang said with a sigh. "But those who truly ascend to the Emperor Realm are few and far between. It's said that if even one out of a thousand Immortal Realm cultivators manages to step into the Emperor Realm, that's already considered a high probability."

Luo Xiu was astonished. "One in a thousand is considered high?"

"And the number of Dao Jades you possess determines your chance of success," Zuo Qianhuang explained. "For instance, if you have one Dao Jade, your chance of successfully entering the Emperor Realm is over one percent. With two Dao Jades, it's over two percent. Of course, you can try to break through the threshold to the Emperor Realm without any Dao Jades, but the chance of success is meager—almost less than one percent."

Hearing this, Luo Xiu couldn't help but recall what Xia Chan had once told him: Dao Jade is the key to the gate of the Emperor Realm. Now it seemed that was indeed the case.

"How many Dao Jades can a cultivator possess at most?" Luo Xiu inquired.

"Theoretically, up to nine," Zuo Qianhuang replied. "However, to my knowledge, cultivators who have reached Dao Jade Five are already exceedingly rare, and those at Dao Jade Six are the stuff of legends. As for anyone above Dao Jade Six, I've never even heard of them. They're probably rarer than Emperor Realm experts. Of course, this might just be my limited knowledge. After all, I'm just a wanderer of the Tianhe, and what I've seen and heard isn't very broad."

"Moreover, I've heard that if one reaches the Sixth Realm of Dao Jade, they possess strength rivaling a Profound Emperor, even without entering the Emperor Realm. And if you manage to reach the Sixth Realm of Dao Jade and then choose to attempt breaking through to the Emperor Realm, your chances of success rise to about ten percent. Even so, those who possess six Dao Jades don't dare to gamble on that ten percent chance, so they remain stagnant."

Luo Xiu fell silent, seriously digesting Zuo Qianhuang's words.

Zuo Qianhuang smiled. "Take me, for example. I'm currently at the Second Realm of Dao Jade. I could try to break through to the Emperor Realm at any time, but I only have a two percent chance of success… I don't dare to bet on that two percent. If I succeed, I'll become an Emperor Realm expert and soar to new heights. But if I fail, I'll die and my path will vanish. Everything will be for naught. Perhaps only when my lifespan is about to run out will I dare to risk it all for that two percent chance."

Luo Xiu suggested, "Before your lifespan runs out, you could search for more Divine Skills and refine more Dao Jades to increase your chances."

"Actually, that's what most Dao Jade experts think," Zuo Qianhuang said. "But Divine Skills are incredibly rare. Even if someone manages to procure eight or nine of them, it's still very difficult to refine more Dao Jades. The more you have, the harder they are to refine, and it can even become life-threatening."

…

A long while later, Zuo Qianhuang left the storage room, leaving Luo Xiu alone.

After a brief hesitation, Luo Xiu decided to give it a try.

The first Dao Jade… I'll sacrifice the Heavenly Vermilion Sword of Ten Thousand Prisons.

I wonder what it will be like when I cultivate Reaper's Art to the Dao Jade Realm.

I bet not even Tuof, its creator, could have imagined this.

…

With that thought, Luo Xiu closed his eyes and soon entered the state of Unity of Heaven and Man. He had been able to enter this state easily since he was a teenager. It was the optimal state for cultivation.

He then attempted to merge the Heavenly Vermilion Sword of Ten Thousand Prisons with the universe, just as Zuo Qianhuang had described. For Luo Xiu, this process wasn't difficult. Soon, he clearly sensed a pattern within the Void.

The pattern was composed of many curved and straight lines, resembling a mysterious totem, yet it also looked like the scribbles of a three-year-old. It seemed orderly, yet it was chaotic; it appeared chaotic, yet it concealed an inherent order.

These were precisely what Zuo Qianhuang had described—the clarified Dao Marks.

The Dao Marks of the Heavenly Vermilion Sword of Ten thousand Prisons!

But just as Zuo Qianhuang said… the Dao cannot be spoken of, only experienced.

A long while later, Luo Xiu began to introspect with his Divine Sense, trying to align the pattern-like Dao Marks with the meridians in his body. He quickly found a corresponding pattern within his meridians.

The network of human meridians truly contains the ultimate truths of the cosmos. I can't believe the Dao Marks actually correspond to them.

Next is the imprinting.

Imprinting the Dao Marks onto the corresponding meridians was what was referred to as 'sacrifice.'

Luo Xiu completed the initial steps smoothly. However, he struggled with this final step for a long time, unable to complete it.

PFFT—!

Suddenly, Luo Xiu's body trembled. He spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed.

How… how could this happen?

Hua Muyan appeared, asking with concern, "Master, what's wrong?"

Luo Xiu weakly replied, "To refine a Dao Jade… I have to give up my original cultivation. Otherwise, it will conflict with Reaper's Art."

…

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