Chapter 2284. The Third Ancestor revealed a ‘you know’ expression.

Lin Moyu's heart trembled, and he whispered, "You knew about it through the red silk scarf, didn't you?"

The Third Ancestor said, "That red silk scarf was bought from me by the girl Hanyu. Now that it is in your hands, there is no need for me to say more, is there?"

At this point, there was no need to say anything more. Everyone here was intelligent; you understood, and I understood.

Lin Moyu accepted the Cold Water Ice Crystal, "Then this junior thanks the Third Ancestor."

The Third Ancestor chuckled, "How about you return the great dao longevity pill to me?"

Lin Moyu put on a blank expression, "What pill are you talking about?"

Chapter 2828. Quota for the Origin Secret Realm.

Lin Moyu feigned complete ignorance. No matter what the Third Ancestor asked, the bottom line was that he had no intention of returning the great dao longevity pill.

However, when Lin Moyu tried to probe about the uses of the great dao longevity pill, the Third Ancestor kept his mouth shut and refused to say a single word.

Lin Moyu didn't care. If you won't say it, fine. I'll just ask Lu Fengyao later; she will definitely tell me.

After the two sly foxes chatted for a while longer, Lin Moyu took his leave.

Not long after Lin Moyu returned to his courtyard, Lu Fengyao came to find him.

Accompanying Lu Fengyao was Saintess Xianlian.

Lin Moyu wasn't surprised that Lu Fengyao had come, but he hadn't expected Saintess Xianlian to be with her.

Lu Fengyao looked Lin Moyu up and down, "Hmm, it looks like you've recovered quite well."

Lin Moyu smiled and began buttering her up, "It's all thanks to the pill Sister Feng Yao gave me that I was able to recover so quickly."

Lu Fengyao looked puzzled, "Didn't it have no effect at the time?"

Lin Moyu replied, "Perhaps it was because my injuries were quite complex, so the pill took a while to take effect. It only started working when the Third Ancestor treated me later. Without that pill, I couldn't have recovered so quickly."

Lu Fengyao seemed to believe him, "That must be it. The great dao longevity pill is a divine pill refined personally by the Third Ancestor. Its effects are incredible; it can save anyone as long as they still have a breath left."

"It's just a pity that this pill is extremely difficult to refine, primarily because the materials are so hard to find. The Third Ancestor has only managed to refine a few over all this time."

Lin Moyu chimed in, "A pill this good is naturally difficult to refine. Besides healing, it must have other uses, right?"

From Lu Fengyao's words, Lin Moyu already knew that the primary function of the great dao longevity pill was healing injuries.

However, it wouldn't be so precious if it were only for healing. Furthermore, judging by the name of the pill, it seemed to have other functions as well.

Lu Fengyao said, "In addition to healing, the great dao longevity pill can also extend one's lifespan. A single pill can grant an additional ten thousand years."

Lin Moyu murmured, "No wonder it's called the great dao longevity pill. So it can also extend one's lifespan; that is truly miraculous."

He finally understood why the great dao longevity pill was so precious.

It could not only heal injuries but also extend one's lifespan by a full ten thousand years. No wonder it dared to bear such a name.

Saintess Xianlian, who was standing to the side, must have already known the effects of the great dao longevity pill, as she showed no signs of surprise.

Seeing that Lin Moyu was safe and sound, Lu Fengyao was completely relieved.

Lu Fengyao said, "Since you're fine now, would you like to join us for a gathering in three days?"

Lin Moyu asked curiously, "Didn't we just finish the Heavenly Pride Tournament?"

Lu Fengyao replied, "The Heavenly Pride Tournament was organized by the ancestors. The gathering I'm talking about is one we're organizing privately. There won't be many participants—just about a dozen people or so."

A dozen people. Lin Moyu estimated that these would be the top ten finishers from the Heavenly Pride Tournament. In other words, the contemporary successors of the Lufeng Chamber of Commerce and the nine top forces. Thinking about it further, this was a gathering for the future upper echelons of the human race.

Lin Moyu realized this instantly and said, "I shouldn't be qualified to attend, right?"

Lu Fengyao glared at him, "Whether you're qualified or not is up to me."

When the young lady's temper flared, who in Shang City—aside from the Third Ancestor—would dare to disobey her?

At this moment, Saintess Xianlian spoke up, "Our gathering is private, so there aren't really any formalities. Besides, our purpose isn't just to gather; there is something else to do afterward."

Lin Moyu caught the underlying meaning in Saintess Xianlian's words: the event after the gathering was the real highlight.

Lin Moyu wasn't in a hurry to ask; he waited for them to continue.

Lu Fengyao said, "After the gathering, we are going to an Origin Secret Realm. However, the quota is limited; only six people can enter that Origin Secret Realm. Another purpose of our gathering is to decide which six people will go."

Lin Moyu was a bit confused. Based on the rankings from the Heavenly Pride Tournament, the top six prodigies would be the most likely to receive the entry spots. Yet, judging by Lu Fengyao's demeanor, it seemed she could enter as well.

Lu Fengyao noticed Lin Moyu's gaze and couldn't help but glare at him, "What, little brother? Do you think your sister isn't qualified to enter?"

Lin Moyu immediately replied, "How could that be? Sister Feng Yao is naturally qualified."

Saintess Xianlian explained, "This Origin Secret Realm belongs to the Lufeng Chamber of Commerce."

Lin Moyu understood. Since it was the Lufeng Chamber of Commerce's Origin Secret Realm, Lu Fengyao, as the eldest young lady of the Lufeng Chamber of Commerce, naturally had the qualification to enter.

Lu Fengyao said, "Actually, it can't really be considered ours alone. The Chamber of Commerce only manages it on behalf of everyone; the Origin Secret Realm is actually jointly owned by us."

The "we" Lu Fengyao referred to meant the Lufeng Chamber of Commerce and the nine top forces. These ten parties were currently the strongest forces in the human race.

Lin Moyu's eyes were filled with thought, "In that case, this Origin Secret Realm has existed for quite a long time. However, this doesn't seem to have anything to do with me; I'm not qualified to enter."

Lu Fengyao said, "That's what I wanted to talk to you about. We intend to give one of the spots to you."

Lin Moyu let out an "ah," feigning a look of great surprise.

Saintess Xianlian said, "We have indeed explored this Origin Secret Realm many times, but we haven't gained much. During this trip to the God-Slaughtering Sect, your abilities, Fellow Daoist Lin, left us all in awe; we feel far inferior to you. That is why we discussed it and decided to offer one of the spots to you. Perhaps with you accompanying us, we can gain more."

Saintess Xianlian didn't beat around the bush and made their intentions perfectly clear.

The ones who had discussed this were Lu Fengyao, Saintess Xianlian, Dongfang Wuwen, and Saint Son Tianhuan. The top three finishers of this Heavenly Pride Tournament had all agreed, and Lu Fengyao had also agreed. Of the six spots, the four of them were basically already confirmed. If they gave one spot to Lin Moyu, there would only be one spot left in the end. Furthermore, Lin Moyu would have to displace someone else.

Lin Moyu asked, "It's not a big problem for me, but what about the person who originally obtained the spot…"

Lu Fengyao waved her hand, cutting Lin Moyu off. She said with great bravado, "Just give them enough compensation."

The subtext was clear: I may not have much else, but I certainly have plenty of money.

Lin Moyu couldn't help but chuckle. This was practically forced buying and selling. The other party was a prodigy, a contemporary Saint Son after all—was doing this really okay?

Saintess Xianlian said, "It's good that Fellow Daoist Lin agrees; we will handle the subsequent matters."

Lu Fengyao said, "The gathering will be in ten days. Little brother, just stay here and recover well. Don't go wandering around outside; I'll come to pick you up when the time comes."

The two of them sang the same tune, giving Lin Moyu absolutely no chance to refuse.

After the two left, Lin Moyu muttered to himself, "This is practically forcing my hand; they don't care at all if I want to go or not. An Origin Secret Realm that the ancestors aren't interested in, jointly managed by several forces—it's probably being used as a training ground for the prodigies. The danger shouldn't be high; the ancestors have likely already checked it out nine times out of ten. Since that's the case, there's no harm in going to take a look."

He began to organize and ponder the information he had obtained in the God-Slaughtering Sect. The information contained the direction for his future progress, and some preparations could be started now. For instance, regarding his soul—his soul was already at the Dao Venerable 3rd Realm and possessed the qualifications to condense a Dao Pattern.

Chapter 2829. The Correct Path and the Wrong Path.

For prehistoric practitioners, their cultivation methods before the Dao Venerable Realm were not significantly different from those of the present day, and the paths they took were basically the same. Even if there were minor differences, they had no impact on the overall path of cultivation.

However, after the Dao Venerable Realm, the prehistoric cultivation methods and the current cultivation methods diverged into two paths that barely intersected. Apart from the names of the realms being the same, there were fundamental differences between them.

Lin Moyu spent a day conducting a detailed comparison of the two cultivation methods. In the end, he determined that the prehistoric cultivation method was the only true path leading to the Great Dao.

In the prehistoric cultivation method, every step was related to the Great Dao, making it more worthy of the title "Dao Venerable." The term "Dao Venerable" did not mean the supreme being within the Great Dao.

In the eyes of the practitioners of that time, the Dao Venerable Realm referred to the supreme among those who pursued the Great Dao. Among the countless practitioners seeking the Great Dao, the Dao Venerable Realm was the highest realm.

One step further was the Great Dao Realm. The Great Dao Realm referred to those existences who had already sought the Great Dao, had already attained the Dao, and had truly entered the Great Dao; compared to the Dao Venerable Realm, it was on an entirely different level.

After understanding the meaning of the Dao Venerable Realm, Lin Moyu finally understood which path was the correct one.

In the current cultivation system, every time one ascended a stage in the Dao Venerable Realm, the connection with the Great Dao was not very tight. The Dao True Body could be considered the closest connection between them.

As for the Dao Pattern, it did exist, but it didn't serve any real function. The Dao Pattern was more of a symbol, representing the level of one's cultivation realm.

However, in the prehistoric cultivation method, the Dao Pattern was the closest connection between the practitioner and the Great Dao. Why did Dao Patterns appear? It was the Great Dao's recognition of the practitioner, a marker on the practitioner's path of pursuit.

Practitioners were supposed to comprehend the Dao Pattern, use the Dao Pattern to perceive the Great Dao, and ultimately merge into the Great Dao, breaking through the Dao Venerable limit to step into the Dao Venerable Realm.

In Lin Moyu's view, the cultivation method that utilized Dao Patterns was like a broad avenue that could lead directly to the Great Dao. Conversely, with the current cultivation method, one would reach the end only to discover that they were still separated from the Great Dao by a sea of fire.

This sea of fire wasn't impossible to cross, but after crossing it, one would be covered in wounds and their foundation would be damaged. In the end, while they might be able to enter the Great Dao Realm, they would find it impossible to make any progress within it.

Fortunately, this path that had gone astray could still be corrected. However, those ancestors had little time left and no longer had the luxury of taking the long way around. Their only choices were to leap across or to stay where they were and wait for death.

The longer one lived, the less one wanted to die. Lin Moyu believed that those ancestors would definitely choose to leap across. They might fantasize that as long as they entered the Great Dao Realm and attained eternal life, everything else would be trivial. They didn't realize that eternal life was not truly being immortal.

Lin Moyu felt grateful to the Third Ancestor in his heart. This trip to the God-Slaughtering Sect had allowed him to know how to walk his future path, ensuring he wouldn't go astray from the very beginning.

He also understood why his soul had produced a Dao Pattern after entering the Dao Venerable Realm. It was the Great Dao's recognition of him. Unfortunately, he hadn't known how to utilize that Dao Pattern at the time, but fortunately, it wasn't too late.

His true cultivation realm hadn't yet reached the Dao Venerable Realm; his path hadn't truly begun. What he needed to do now was to prepare for his future path. The more thoroughly he prepared, the broader his future path would be. Many prehistoric practitioners had already begun to make preparations for themselves while they were still in the Heavenly Venerable Realm.