Chapter 39: Because The Heavenly Dao Does Not Approve
As the dragon rambled on, Ming Zhaoshuang listened while idly drawing on the drawing paper with her writing brush.
Upon hearing this, she felt the story of Saint Feng He was increasingly familiar—wasn’t this a female version of the Dragon-like Arrogant Protagonist?
Such a magnificent life, no wonder the dragon was so surprised that she didn’t know the story of Saint Feng He.
After all, to reach the point where people worshiped her while still alive was equivalent to leading an era in the cultivation world.
It was an exceptionally brilliant era that made people yearn for it.
At this moment, Ming Zhaoshuang couldn’t help but ask a crucial question:
“Then why, of all the ascenders in the past ten thousand years, was it not her, but her husband, Ao Tian?”
Could it be that this male version of the Dragon-like Arrogant Protagonist was even more of a Dragon-like Arrogant Protagonist than the female version?
The dragon said, “Because the Heavenly Dao did not approve.”
Ming Zhaoshuang asked, “And why is that?”
The dragon continued, “Back then, her strength had already far surpassed Dragon King Ao Tian—every spar between them, she won. The occasional times Ao Tian won were merely… marital playfulness.”
“Therefore, almost everyone thought she would be the first to ascend between the two of them. But she waited for over three hundred years, and the lightning tribulation for her tribulation crossing was long overdue. Instead, Ao Tian repeatedly suppressed his cultivation, wishing for his heavenly thunder to come a little later.”
“Finally, one day, Ao Tian could no longer suppress his cultivation and ascended first. At this moment, Feng He could no longer endure it, forcibly broke through her restrictions, drew down the heavenly thunder, and intended to ascend by brute force.”
Ming Zhaoshuang saw the golden light in the dragon’s eyes recede and roughly understood Feng He’s fate.
The writing brush in her hand paused, and she said:
“Like you, she was not approved by the Heavenly Dao and ultimately died under the heavenly thunder.”
“She was much more formidable than me.”
The dragon chuckled self-deprecatingly and said:
“She withstood over three hundred heavenly thunders, while I only endured over two hundred, yet I dared to think I could be like her and defy the Heavenly Dao.”
Didn’t he also wait for over a thousand years without receiving that tribulation crossing heavenly thunder, which was why he forcefully broke through?
“On the day of her tribulation crossing, a thousand people bowed, ten thousand beasts submitted, wind and rain swept across the sky, obscuring the sun.”
“It even drew the Heavenly Dao itself. She fought it for over a hundred days, never conceding defeat, never retreating—but human strength cannot reach the heavens. She still lost, lost completely, to the point of her soul scattering and all possibility of tribulation crossing vanishing.”
“And the Dragon King, who had just ascended, seeing her dead, actually tore out his divine bones and abandoned his immortal path, vanishing into the cosmos.”
“So the people of the Dragon Domain speculate that because of this, the Dragon King angered the Heavenly Dao, resulting in no ascenders in the entire cultivation world for over ten thousand years. Even if someone received the favor of heaven and waited for the descent of the Ascension Thunder Tribulation, no one could withstand the 108 bolts of Nirvana Heavenly Thunder, cultivate divine bones, and become a true immortal.”
After speaking, the dragon paused for a moment and said:
“However, the Dragon King’s story of dying for love is considered a secret within the Dragon Race; not many other races know about it.”
Ming Zhaoshuang’s throat moved. She thought that if other races knew about this, the Dragon Race would not be so revered now.
After all, it was because he offended the Heavenly Dao that all Six Realms were unable to ascend.
She poured a cup of water and held it to the dragon’s mouth, asking:
“Wasn’t she also a sword cultivator? She should have been able to ascend as well.”
The dragon took a sip and retorted:
“Since the cultivation world began to keep records, apart from the Dragon Race and the Phoenix Race, have you ever seen any other Human, Demon, Devil, or Underworld Race who excelled in swordsmanship while also being able to cultivate other arts?”
“Her ability to cultivate Beast Taming Arts while also being a sword cultivator was itself an act of defying heaven. Perhaps the Heavenly Dao was displeased because of this, and that’s why it didn’t allow her to ascend.”
Ming Zhaoshuang understood: the sin of cultivating other arts was doubled, and cultivating other arts in addition to swordsmanship was doubly sinful.
But this made no sense, because historically, within the cultivation world, Feng He was the only one who dual-cultivated.
However, to her knowledge, the Male Protagonist of this book, Qin Feilong, not only dual-cultivated but also tri-cultivated, which could be considered thrice as sinful.
Yet, he still became the first ascender in over ten thousand years with the help of the Heavenly Dao.
This means that dual-cultivation was not the reason Feng He was not recognized by the Heavenly Dao.
Then what about Xiao Bai? Why was he not recognized by the Heavenly Dao?
Ming Zhaoshuang vaguely felt that within this book, named 《Dragon Soars Over Nine Heavens》, something was looking back at her from behind a hazy veil, casting a hopeful gaze.
Speaking of which, the dragon seemed to recall something, his golden eyes looking at her with a hint of scrutiny:
“Speaking of which, Feng He Du Xian was very similar to you. Neither of you had the Innate Spiritual Sacred Body, yet you both intuitively mastered Beast Taming. It seems you only learned Talisman Drawing today, and you even drew talismans of Talisman Saint Wei Shuo.”
“Wei Shuo died early, living only fifteen hundred years. There are not many talismans left now, and the designs of these talismans are only something Great Experts in the Upper Cultivation World could draw. Ordinary people wouldn’t even understand them.”
“Yet, you were able to draw one after just a glance. Although the effect is pitifully small, such talent is something Rim of Dusk would eagerly compete for.”
Rim of Dusk, Ming Zhaoshuang knew, was the sect where the original owner later resided in the original book.
It was renowned as one of the three reclusive sects in the Upper Cultivation World, alongside Penglai Immortal Island and Lapis Lazuli Azure Sea. Its main practitioners were Talisman Masters, and it was considered a holy land for them.
Ming Zhaoshuang continued to draw with her writing brush, saying, “I don’t know either. I just drew it casually, and it turned out like this.”
The dragon looked at her and said, “If you are not afraid of not being able to ascend due to practicing Talisman Arts, then you could choose Talisman and Sword Dual Cultivation.”
Ming Zhaoshuang’s eyes drooped slightly, and she dipped her writing brush in ink, sketching on the drawing paper, saying casually:
“If one fears, how can there be the Great Dao? If the Heavenly Dao rejects me because of this, then there is no need to revere it as the Heavenly Dao; its approval is something that can be discarded at any time.”
The dragon was startled by her words and said:
“Feng He Du Xian was like you when she was alive, even more arrogant than you.
“When she forcibly ascended, it enraged the Heavenly Dao. During the battle, despite the immense disparity in strength, even though she was shattered into pieces, Feng He Du Xian only replied sixteen words to the Heavenly Dao—’Feng He rises, obeying destiny. If heaven does not comply, I shall defy it.'”
“Because of these sixteen words, almost everyone in the cultivation world knew of her accomplishments and mourned her passing. But also because of these sixteen words, the Heavenly Dao no longer allowed the world to erect shrines or burn incense for her. All temples dedicated to her were struck down by heavenly thunder.”
“At that time, many of her divine statues stood alongside those of the other Five Sages. People had proposed to the Five Sages to ‘kick’ her out to avoid the Heavenly Dao’s punishment.”
But not a single one of the Five Sages agreed, all stating that they were a collective. If one were removed, then none should remain.
They even demanded that those who had previously built separate temples for them must now also have ‘Feng He’ as a person, and one must pay homage to ‘Feng He’ before paying homage to them, otherwise they would not acknowledge the people in that temple as their own.
Ming Zhaoshuang sighed upon hearing this:
“Look at this. A person who could command the respect and admiration of three armies, a person whom all living beings erected shrines to worship, a person whom friends would go through fire and water for, still could not ascend. This clearly shows that the Heavenly Dao is not a good thing.”
“Then should I give up my beloved Talisman Arts for his meager intentions?”
But as she spoke, Ming Zhaoshuang couldn’t help but worry. If the Heavenly Dao was so terrible, her path of cultivation would likely become more difficult.
Fortunately, she would only meet it at the moment of tribulation crossing and ascension. At that time, she would learn from Feng He and do the same.
Indeed, compared to the ascenders of the cultivation world in previous years, although they were also adorned with merits and powerful beyond compare, none had ever been as young and promising, influential, and even capable of fighting the Heavenly Dao as Feng He Du Xian.
Yet, even so, Feng He was still not recognized by the Heavenly Dao and could not achieve ascension.
