Volume 1, Chapter 17: Emerging from Seclusion, Setting Out for the Lunar Star

After all, the thirty-six Sea-Calming Divine Pearls as a set were akin to the Four Sword of Exorcising Immortals combined with the Exorcising Immortal Formation Diagram, or like gathering the Five Primordial Directional Flags together—equivalent to a primordial treasure of the highest order.

“Now it’s time to go to the Moon Star.”

Having cultivated the Twelve Heavens, Lin Yang was ready to emerge from seclusion. He planned to make a journey to the Moon Star next.

He had already visited the Sun Star, so it made no sense to skip the Moon Star.

Moreover, if time permitted, Lin Yang intended to traverse the major stars scattered across the starry expanse to see if he might encounter any auspicious opportunities.

In the vast primordial cosmos, countless stars were born and died ceaselessly. At every moment, stars emerged and others perished.

Yet, some stars were eternal.

For instance, the Sun Star and Moon Star, formed from the eyes of Pangu, the three hundred and sixty-five major stars, and the fourteen thousand eight hundred minor stars.

These celestial bodies were indelible. Should they be destroyed, they would immediately provoke the backlash of the Dao of Heaven and Earth, inflicting infinite karmic retribution.

At the same time, the Sun Star, Moon Star, the three hundred and sixty-five major stars, and the fourteen thousand eight hundred minor stars formed the backbone of the Great Celestial Array of the Heavenly Cycle.

All other stars were but branches and leaves.

In other words, these stars were the very foundation of the primordial cosmos. Whoever controlled these tens of thousands of stars effectively controlled the entire primordial starry sky.

Lin Yang harbored no such grand ambition but wished to witness the mysteries of these stars, hoping they might benefit his cultivation.

At Lin Yang’s current realm, the next step was to become a Primordial Golden Immortal.

As mentioned before, reaching this level required condensing one’s own Dao.

However, this step could not be achieved by secluded cultivation alone.

It demanded broadened horizons and the comprehension of ever more universal laws. Ultimately, one must take Heaven and Earth’s nature as teacher, using myriad Dao principles as reference, to carve out a path uniquely one’s own.

Lin Yang had already grasped quite a few laws, primarily the laws of Creation and Fire.

Among them, he took the Law of Creation as his foundation, pursuing the path of Creation Dao cultivation.

In later eras, Hongjun, in the Purple Cloud Palace, lectured thrice on the methods of Dao attainment, stating there were three ways: attaining Dao by force, by severing the Three Corpses, and by merit.

But the myriad Dao methods in the world far exceeded these. Although the saying went “three thousand great Daos,” it was but a vague expression.

In truth, the Dao was infinite and inexhaustible. As such, the methods of Dao attainment were naturally not limited to three.

Even three thousand methods would be insufficient—the three methods Hongjun mentioned merely pointed the world’s people toward three paths.

Moreover, these three paths bore much of Hongjun’s ill intent, resulting in only six sages emerging in the later primordial era, all of whom attained Dao by merit.

Dao by merit was the weakest of the three methods, and the sages who achieved it were naturally the weakest.

Given the subsequent changes in the primordial world, Lin Yang would never believe that Hongjun did not interfere.

That said, there were boundless methods to attain Dao, each differing by individual circumstances, origins, and opportunities.

What suited one person might number in the thousands, or be scant.

Before reaching that stage, no one could say for certain.

Even Lin Yang was not yet clear on which method he should use to attain Dao.

Nonetheless, deepening his accumulation before that was undoubtedly the right course.

After withdrawing the formation, Lin Yang gathered the Twelve Heavens and the Chaos Gourd, then flew directly toward the Moon Star.

The Moon Star and the Sun Star were entirely different celestial bodies, as their attributes were completely opposite.

One was a star of utmost Yang, the other of utmost Yin.

The closer Lin Yang approached the Moon Star, the more intense the cold became.

Nearby stars were often covered in ice and snow, thick layers of ice clinging to their surfaces.

On the way, Lin Yang also gathered many heavenly materials with the attribute of icy cold, the most common being the Moon Yin Mystic Ice.

This Moon Yin Mystic Ice was akin to the Solar Divine Pearls Lin Yang had previously acquired.

The Solar Divine Pearls condensed the boundless solar true fire.

The Moon Yin Mystic Ice was formed from the condensed power of the Moon Yin.

Thus, Lin Yang traveled steadily, stopping and starting, and finally arrived at the Moon Star by day’s end.

Stepping onto the Moon Star, the cold was terrifyingly severe.

When Lin Yang had first reached the Sun Star, his body—being the innate spiritual root of the Gourd Vines—felt extremely uncomfortable.

Only after comprehending the Fire Dao law from the Nine-Headed Ancient Poison Dragon and mastering the Fire Dao did he gradually adapt.

Now, facing the Moon Yin power, discomfort returned.

“Yang alone cannot be born, Yin alone cannot grow. Looks like I’ll need to comprehend the Dao of Yin and Yang when I have time,” Lin Yang murmured.

He then manifested the Twelve Heavens, lowering streams of Dao power to shield himself against the chill.

He began to admire the scenery of the Moon Star.

Much like the Sun Star, where primordial fire spirits such as poison dragons, fire crows, and fire jiaos abounded, the Moon Star was home to many Yin creatures—ice toads, snow rabbits, and the like—bounding about everywhere.

Though wary of Lin Yang, these little creatures watched him from afar.

Lin Yang paid them no mind but hoped to encounter a formidable being like the Nine-Headed Ancient Poison Dragon—perhaps to gain a few new companions.

He also pondered: on the Sun Star there were the Fusang tree, Emperor Jun, Taiyi, as well as the River Diagram, Luo Shu, and the Chaos Bell.

What about the Moon Star?

What treasures did it hold?

Xi He and Chang Xi? The Moon Laurel tree? And what else?

In later legends, Emperor Jun was accompanied by the River Diagram and Luo Shu, Taiyi by the Chaos Bell.

But why were the accompanying treasures of Xi He and Chang Xi never mentioned?

Lin Yang recalled a legend of an even more ancient Moon deity than Xi He and Chang Xi—the Moonlight Spirit, Wang Shu.

“At this time, could Wang Shu still be alive?” Lin Yang thought silently.

Indeed, it was because of such considerations that, after his fierce battle with the Dragon Emperor while not at peak condition, Lin Yang had refrained from immediately coming to the Moon Star, choosing instead to wait until restored.

Collecting his thoughts, Lin Yang ventured deeper into the Moon Star.

Sure enough, the heavenly materials and treasures grew even more abundant, especially the Moon Yin Mystic Ice, which he gathered relentlessly.

He cut the Moon Yin Mystic Ice into neat pieces and stored them carefully.

Beyond the Mystic Ice, there were even rarer Moon Yin Mystic Jades.

Precious and scarce, Lin Yang collected each one, intending to use them later to forge treasures.

Having obtained the Creation Cauldron—a supreme artifact capable of refining innate spiritual treasures—he naturally developed a penchant for collecting.

Previously, when encountering some heavenly materials on the road, he might have discarded those of lesser quality, deeming them unworthy.

Now, no matter the quality, if it was a heavenly material or treasure, Lin Yang collected it without exception, even if unused, simply to keep it as part of his collection.