: Different Paths, Similar Outcomes

Author: Gu Zhenren

Date: 2024-12-10

The Stone-Centric Monster originated from a ten-thousand-year earth essence and initially possessed no supernatural powers.

The "Stone-Forged Earth Treasure" divine ability was attained only after it devoured a fragment of the Treasure-Dividing Rock and underwent prolonged cultivation over time.

This was no easy feat!

Beings like earth or fire essences find it far more difficult to enter the path of cultivation compared to demon beasts or spiritual plants.

They must accumulate experience for at least ten thousand years before even having the possibility to embark on this path.

For instance, the ten-thousand-year fire essence in Fire Persimmon Mountain barely touched the edge of cultivation by absorbing the spiritual energy dispersed after the demise of cultivators. Such opportunities are exceedingly rare for ordinary earth or fire essences.

The Treasure-Dividing Rock is one of the legendary earth-element merit treasures.

As a poem attests:

*Gray-white rock seems devoid of light,*

*Yet within, treasure aura illuminates all sides.*

*Billions of merits deeply accumulate,*

*Amassed potential bursts forth in response to heavenly signs.*

The Stone-Centric Monster attempted to break through its bottleneck at the Nascent Soul stage to advance to the Divine Transformation level.

Its failure caused the Stone-Forged Earth Treasure divine ability to persist—a rather unexpected outcome.

However, precisely because this ability continued to radiate its power, it was as if a master was constantly demonstrating their most prized technique.

This provided Ning Zhuo with an invaluable opportunity to observe and learn.

Most cultivators faced with this chance could only watch helplessly, unable to grasp it.

Only those with a certain level of earth-element attainment could possibly seize it.

Ning Zhuo's mastery of the five elements was profound, granting him the qualification to learn.

Prior to this, while healing Sun Lingtong, he gained significant inspiration from Zhang Zhongyi.

If Zhang Zhongyi could use silver needles and threads to perform "suspended pulse diagnosis," building a bridge to help an outsider like Ning Zhuo perceive the principles of petrification,

Then Ning Zhuo could naturally achieve the same effect using his divine ability "Thread of Life" and his mechanical staff heads.

Compared to medical arts, Ning Zhuo was more skilled in mechanical arts. These staff heads could be seen as thicker versions of silver needles.

Moreover, his divine ability "Thread of Life" could establish a far more mystical connection, far superior to the threads formed by Zhang Zhongyi's mana.

It must be said that Ning Zhuo was quite adept at learning.

He seized this opportunity and mastered a new divine ability.

"Just as I expected!"

"Since I can decipher most enlightenment diagrams related to the five elements, naturally, I can also comprehend related divine abilities."

In Ning Zhuo's divine sea dantian, the divine ability of Stone-Forged Earth Treasure was gradually taking shape.

Unlike the lotus form of "Thread of Life," the form of Stone-Forged Earth Treasure was a simple stone sphere.

The stone sphere was unadorned, quite similar to the current form of the Stone-Centric Monster.

As Ning Zhuo deepened his mastery of this ability, the stone sphere gradually expanded.

Ning Zhuo had a faint intuition—when he fully mastered the Stone-Forged Earth Treasure divine ability, its complete form would be a perfectly round, ancient-looking stone sphere.

A sense of joy welled up within him.

"I mastered the 'Thread of Life' ability through repeated explorations of the Lava Fairy Palace and continuous accumulation."

"This time, by a stroke of luck, I might achieve full mastery of the Stone-Forged Earth Treasure ability in one go!"

Ning Zhuo's mind sank deeper, immersing itself in the principles contained within the Stone-Forged Earth Treasure divine ability.

"Earth, burial, foundation, accumulation, quantitative change, qualitative change, the carving of time... sedimentation, continuous sedimentation."

Ning Zhuo didn't just learn; he applied his knowledge as he went.

Using his mechanical staff heads and the "Thread of Life," he channeled mana, expended mental energy, and continuously pried open the tight defenses of the Stone-Centric Monster's remains.

If the stone sphere were compared to a multi-layered treasure chest with locks, then Sun and Ning's earlier use of pickaxes to chisel the sphere was like violently breaking the chest's outer shell.

The inner defenses couldn't be brute-forced unless their attacks reached the Nascent Soul level.

Even if Ning Zhuo risked backlash and used the Great Serpent Scythe, the commotion from brute force would surely be enormous.

They would have to set up concealment arrays in advance, a process that would be quite troublesome.

Ning Zhuo's current actions were like studying the lock's structure and crafting a specific key.

As Ning Zhuo gradually mastered the Stone-Forged Earth Treasure divine ability, the impact of his "key" became increasingly evident.

Finally, a qualitative change occurred at a certain moment.

Sun Lingtong struck with his pickaxe and successfully broke through the inner layer of the stone sphere.

"We did it, we succeeded!" Sun Lingtong was thrilled.

He swung his pickaxe repeatedly, his speed so fast it almost formed a blur.

He chiseled down large amounts of treasure materials and stuffed them directly into his embrace.

Sun Lingtong worked furiously until he was panting and exhausted.

The difficulty of extraction remained high, and his mana, mental energy, and physical strength were heavily depleted. Sun Lingtong's cultivation method focused on the upper dantian, with limited improvement to his physique.

During a break, Sun Lingtong glanced back at Ning Zhuo.

He couldn't help but sigh with emotion: "It's working, it's working."

"Under my guidance, Little Zhuo is becoming more and more outstanding."

"He will surely become even more remarkable in the future!"

Sun Lingtong couldn't resist dreaming about the future.

With Ning Zhuo's profound mastery of the five elements, most obstacles related to the five elements in this world would be破解 by him.

"If my brother Little Zhuo and I join forces, we might become famous across the land with our grand thefts."

"Wow! The future is truly something to look forward to."

Just the thought of it excited Sun Lingtong.

Ning Zhuo ultimately didn't succeed in one attempt; he had to stop midway.

Intense fatigue enveloped his body and mind, and his condition deteriorated severely.

In his divine sea upper dantian, the dense, mirror-like thoughts had almost completely dissipated.

The essence blood in his lower dantian was also significantly depleted, as it sustained the operation of his mental faculties.

The mana in his middle dantian was the least consumed, even though Ning Zhuo had been continuously channeling mana through the "Thread of Life."

Ning Zhuo retreated into the Ten-Thousand-Mile Roaming Dragon.

He entered the cultivation chamber, took out a meditation mat, and sat down cross-legged.

He pulled out handfuls of spiritual food, stuffing them into his mouth to replenish his state through meditation.

First, he boosted his essence blood reserves, then used the Five Elements Qi Rhythm Art to replenish his mana.

The final step, the Mirror Platform Spirit Communication Art, was crucial.

Ning Zhuo took out the Heart-Calming Bell. As the bell chimed softly, he immediately sank into a deep meditative state.

In his divine sea, a large number of mirror-like thoughts rapidly generated.

At this moment, the Mirror Platform Spirit Communication Art demonstrated the value of a top-tier technique!

Only a top-tier divine sea technique could so swiftly create specific thoughts.

Ning Zhuo still felt it wasn't enough.

"If the Spirit-Concealing Willow were with me, comprehending the Stone-Forged Earth Treasure divine ability would be much easier and faster."

In the Southern Bean Kingdom, within the Valley of Ten Thousand Medicines.

In the forbidden area of the valley, many willow branches of the Spirit-Concealing Willow suddenly trembled.

Under the willow tree, Hua Guzi, who was bending over to fertilize it, straightened up in confusion and looked at the Spirit-Concealing Willow.

She activated a detection spell but found nothing unusual.

"But I definitely felt the Spirit-Concealing Willow shiver just now. What's going on?"

At that moment, a passage opened in the formation, and a young woman in a light yellow dress walked in.

It was Lin Shanshan, the young lady of the Ten-Thousand-Medicines Sect.

"Why are you here again?" Hua Guzi's expression darkened upon seeing Lin Shanshan, her hostility unmistakable and overflowing.

Lin Shanshan smiled: "This is my sect's important site. Of course, I need to inspect it regularly."

Hua Guzi sneered: "You just want to reminisce about someone through objects. Hmph, Young Master Ning Zhuo entrusted me with caring for the Spirit-Concealing Willow before he left. Step aside!"

"No wonder the Spirit-Concealing Willow shivered just now—it must dislike you."

Hua Guzi then went to the nearby earth spring.

The ten-thousand-year water essence, which had taken the form of swimming fish in the pond, startled and immediately dissipated, blending into the water.

Hua Guzi pointed at the spring: "These two ten-thousand-year water essences also belong to Young Master Ning Zhuo. See, you scared them apart too."

"Come here less often!"

Lin Shanshan smiled even more brightly.

She immediately caught the underlying meaning in Hua Guzi's words—that the Spirit-Concealing Willow and the ten-thousand-year water essences belonged to Ning Zhuo and had nothing to do with Lin Shanshan, implying that Ning Zhuo himself also had nothing to do with Lin Shanshan.

Lin Shanshan felt a surge of anger and retorted with words that made Hua Guzi grit her teeth: "Young Master Ning Zhuo and I are close friends. We practiced martial arts together, so naturally, I'll also look after his belongings."

Hua Guzi sneered: "Practiced martial arts? How impressive. I've also sparred with Young Master Ning Zhuo."

Lin Shanshan smiled: "But I was the first. Even Han Zhou came after me. If I hadn't been confined and temporarily lost my freedom while helping Young Master Ning Zhuo, how could it have been Han Zhou's or your turn?"

Hua Guzi's face turned as dark as water, and she gritted her teeth: "It seems Miss Lin is quite skilled in martial practice. How about a spar between us?"

Lin Shanshan's smile widened, her tone icy: "What if I make you cry?"

"Gugu gu..." Hua Guzi threw her head back and laughed in frustration.

She abruptly stopped laughing and glared at Lin Shanshan: "Come on, let's go to the practice field now!"

The two female cultivators immediately left the valley's forbidden area and headed angrily to the practice field.

Thousand Peaks Forest.

Ten-Thousand-Mile Roaming Dragon.

Ning Zhuo quickly recovered and flew out to see the stone sphere again.

Sun Lingtong had been chiseling away, drenched in sweat.

He had harvested countless treasure materials, their value incalculable. The more Sun Lingtong worked, the more motivated he became; the more exhausted he felt, the more worthwhile it seemed!

Seeing Ning Zhuo emerge, Sun Lingtong immediately asked: "Little Zhuo, the further we go, the harder it is to chisel—it's almost impossible. How much longer until you completely resolve this defense?"

Ning Zhuo replied: "Boss, I've roughly mastered about thirty percent of the Stone-Forged Earth Treasure divine ability. This next round of comprehension should push it to sixty percent."

Sun Lingtong giggled and nodded repeatedly: "Good, good! This progress exceeds my expectations—it's quite remarkable."

But Ning Zhuo showed no pride: "Sigh, if only I had a profound level in body cultivation."

"Then the 'Innate Earth-Nurturing Fetal Breath Great Method' wouldn't stump me."

Sun Lingtong said: "I've gained quite some insights into this technique over the past few days."

"Fetal breath, on the surface, means breathing without the mouth or nose, as if in the womb. The mouth and nose are merely gateways for breath; the dantian is the source of qi, where sages begin, where the true one is stored—hence the term 'fetal breath.'"

"But in reality, fetal breath aims to achieve a state of no-thought and non-action in mind and life."

"'Fetal' refers to the root, the origin; great stability—unmoving, unshaken, without worry or fear, without thought or concept, like an infant in the mother's womb."

"'Breath' means settling, cessation; when spirit and qi return to the root and thoughts cease, the mind不动念, without coming or going, without entering or exiting, naturally abiding. When the mind abides without movement, that is fetal breath."

Sun Lingtong then discussed petrification.

"Why does my petrified body, aided by the Fetal Breath Spiritual Boat, have such a potent body-refining effect?"

"Precisely because the petrified body恰好契合了 the state of great stability—unmoving, unshaken, without worry or fear, without thought or concept, without entering or exiting."

"The Stone-Forged Earth Treasure divine ability uses the earth to nurture treasures. The Fetal Breath Great Method turns the cultivator into a fetus, nourished by heaven and earth. Though they seem different, they achieve similar results through different means."

"Therefore, when combined, they produce a wondrous synergy."

Sun Lingtong's comprehension was on par with Ning Zhuo's.

Over the past few days, to help Ning Zhuo burn the Fetal Breath Spiritual Boat faster, he had been fully dedicated to comprehending the "Innate Earth-Nurturing Fetal Breath Great Method."

Unexpectedly, this effort to help another ended up greatly enhancing his own physical foundation.

Upon hearing Sun Lingtong's insights, Ning Zhuo realized that Sun Lingtong's comprehension of the "Innate Earth-Nurturing Fetal Breath Great Method" far surpassed his own, even though Sun Lingtong wasn't a body cultivator.

But upon reflection, Ning Zhuo understood.

Sun Lingtong came from the Empty Gate, possessing the Mark of Emptiness. His understanding of the path of emptiness was deep, closely resembling the state in the Fetal Breath Great Method. The cessation of thoughts and the mind's stillness, without coming or going, without entering or exiting, could roughly be understood as emptying the mind.

Ning Zhuo: "Boss, I'll need to seek more guidance from you on this scripture."

Sun Lingtong: "Hey, talking like that makes us sound distant. Once I fully comprehend it and confirm there are no errors, I'll teach you everything!"

The two exchanged a smile and got back to work.

With Ning Zhuo's assistance, Sun Lingtong felt the stone sphere's defenses become much looser.

He dug with great enthusiasm.

Gradually, he felt it becoming hard to dig again.

Sun Lingtong looked back at Ning Zhuo and saw him with closed eyes and a slight frown.

Sun Lingtong thought to himself: "It seems that the more complete the mastery of the divine ability, the higher the learning difficulty!"

"But this definitely won't stump Little Zhuo." Sun Lingtong had far more confidence in Ning Zhuo than Ning Zhuo had in himself.

For the moment, however, Sun Lingtong found himself with nothing to do.

The medicinal mud smeared on his body gradually dried, and the exposed skin rapidly petrified, much faster than before.

Sun Lingtong giggled, unbothered.

With a successful treatment method, these Dao injuries had become nourishment for his physical foundation!

Seeing the stone skin on his body, Sun Lingtong suddenly paused, a bold idea popping into his clever head.

Unlike Ning Zhuo, who always considered things repeatedly and复盘, Sun Lingtong acted on his thoughts immediately.

He chuckled, directly moving the Fetal Breath Spiritual Boat out of the mechanical roaming dragon.

He placed the Fetal Breath Spiritual Boat against the surface of the stone sphere and then lay down inside the boat.

Stone skin gradually formed, quickly covering the Fetal Breath Spiritual Boat.

The boat trembled, revealing the complete text of the "Innate Earth-Nurturing Fetal Breath Great Method."

Just as when Ning Zhuo had burned it before, this time, the Fetal Breath Spiritual Boat, to protect itself, activated its full power and entered a fetal breath state.

Sun Lingtong benefited from this, as heaven and earth's essence energy poured into his body, and his physical constitution soared!

This unorthodox method was explosively efficient—hundreds of times more effective than the orthodox approach!

"Awesome, so awesome."

"If this continues, I can even pass as a body cultivator, haha."

Sun Lingtong, having grasped much of the "Innate Earth-Nurturing Fetal Breath Great Method," suppressed his joy and entered a state of empty mind.

This aligned even more with the Fetal Breath Great Method, and the heaven and earth essence pouring into him was like a floodgate opening!

Scenes and memories flooded into Sun Lingtong's heart.

He was taken aback.

These scenes and memories came from the Stone-Centric Monster!

"By using his corpse for fetal breath, and with his Dao消散 and the stone sphere returning to being part of heaven and earth,"

"While I gain stone skin and heaven and earth's nourishment, I also incidentally received the residual memories of the Stone-Centric Monster."

After a moment's thought, Sun Lingtong understood the reason.

"Fascinating, truly fascinating!"

The cultivation perspective of a ten-thousand-year earth essence provided him with a rare and curious spectacle.

Meanwhile, outside the Heavenly Pillar Giant Tree, several figures gradually appeared.

The Heart-Devil Cave Master, the Blood Shadow Cave Master, and the Ink Abyss Cave Master!

"Great Cave Master, the formation has been inspected and ensured to be flawless," the Heart-Devil Cave Master said respectfully.

The Ink Abyss Cave Master, Lu Hongtu, was the great cave master of the Six Caves Sect, its highest leader.

"Once this formation is activated, earth遁 and void traversal will be strictly forbidden. If the Stone-Centric Monster agrees to emerge, that's wise of him."

"If not, he'll learn the hard way."

Lu Hongtu's aura was vast, his expression stern and resolute.

With a great battle imminent, he needed to rally all forces to counter the expeditionary army of the Two Pillars Kingdom.

The Nascent Soul-level Stone-Centric Monster, native to the Thousand Peaks Forest, was a