Stepping out of the cave dwelling, Fang Tianchi's heart surged with emotion. After two thousand years of cultivation, he was about to set foot on the battlefield to fight the Ink Clan. He resolved inwardly that he must not fail the Dao Master's great kindness and must not bring shame upon the Dao Academy's reputation.
He suddenly remembered that the answer he had come seeking hadn't actually been given by the Dao Master. Was the Small World's transformation from ethereal to corporeal truly caused by the World Tree?
But soon, he chuckled and shook his head. There was no point dwelling on it now. After that long conversation with the Dao Master, he had vaguely grasped the direction his future should take. All he had to do was press forward along that path and he would grow stronger quickly.
That wasn't even mentioning the many generous gifts the Dao Master had bestowed upon him.
Hua Qingsi was still waiting in the outer chamber. Fang Tianchi walked up to her and clasped his fists. "Thank you for your trouble, Grand Steward."
Hua Qingsi smiled and shook her head. "Think nothing of it."
"May I ask, Grand Steward — which Great Domain battlefield am I to be sent to?"
Hua Qingsi replied, "There's no rush. Before that, there's actually something I'd like to ask you."
"Please, Grand Steward, go ahead."
"The Palace Master… that is, your Dao Master has mastered three Great Daos throughout his life. The first is the Dao of Space, the second is the Dao of Time, and the third is the Dao of the Spear. You should be aware of this."
Fang Tianchi nodded. This was common knowledge throughout the entire Void World — anyone with even a modicum of cultivation knew about it. Within the Void World, the Daoscopic traces of these three Great Daos were extraordinarily rich.
"Have you cultivated any of these three Daos?" Hua Qingsi asked.
Fang Tianchi replied, "All of them."
Hua Qingsi was taken aback. "All three?"
Over the years, she had interacted with many disciples who hailed from the Void Dojo. Among them, at least one in ten had achieved notable attainment in one of these three Daos, and a rare few had dabbled in two.
But cultivating all three? She had never seen that before. Fang Tianchi was the first.
No wonder the Palace Master had been willing to see him even while recuperating from injuries. It seemed the Palace Master held this Fang Tianchi in high regard indeed.
"Then do you know just how high your attainment is in these three Daos?"
Fang Tianchi hesitated slightly, unsure how to answer.
Hua Qingsi pressed her lips together in a smile. "Never mind — come with me." She recognized this as a question not easily answered.
So saying, she led the way forward. Fang Tianchi followed close behind.
Before long, the two arrived at a secluded area behind Lingxiao Palace's rear mountain. Before them stood three palaces in a row. Fang Tianchi focused his gaze and could vaguely feel some profound, mysterious power ebbing and flowing within each of the three structures.
Hua Qingsi explained, "These are secret realms the Palace Master set aside specifically for disciples from the Void Dojo. Each corresponds to one of the three Daos — the Dao of Space, the Dao of Time, and the Dao of the Spear. Anyone who has inherited his insights into these three Great Daos may enter and cultivate within. They also serve as a means of testing your level of Dao comprehension."
Fang Tianchi's eyes lit up at this. Secret realms left behind by the Dao Master — these were clearly invaluable treasures. Cultivating within them would surely bring great benefits.
"Testing Dao comprehension?"
Hua Qingsi nodded. "The cultivation of the Great Dao is boundless. Previously, there were no standards or concrete metrics for measuring one's attainment in their chosen Dao. The Palace Master created a system for classifying the levels, and it has since been widely accepted by most people."
Fang Tianchi grew interested. "What is this system?"
Hua Qingsi explained, "The system follows the Nine Grades of Open Heaven and comprises nine tiers. The first tier is the lowest, the ninth the highest. In order, they are: Touching the Surface, Glimpsing the Path, Entering the Hall, Wielding with Ease, Comprehensive Understanding, Standing Above the Rest, Unrivaled Skill, Pinnacle of Mastery, and Shaking the Ages. Generally speaking, anyone who can condense a Dao Seal with their own Great Dao has at least reached the Glimpsing the Path tier. If one then successfully advances to Open Heaven, they would be approximately at the Entering the Hall tier."
Fang Tianchi silently did the math and felt a jolt of astonishment. Condensing a Dao Seal was only the second tier, and advancing to Open Heaven was merely the third. He couldn't help but wonder — just how far had the Dao Master walked along these three Daos, and what tier did he stand at?
Moreover, these tiers only grew more profound the higher one climbed, and the insights required were correspondingly more difficult to attain.
"The three secret realms correspond to the three Daos. Each has its own trials. Clearing one trial represents one tier. Your limits determine your level of Dao comprehension," Hua Qingsi continued.
Fang Tianchi nodded in understanding. "This disciple comprehends."
"Which secret realm would you like to attempt first?" Hua Qingsi looked at him.
Fang Tianchi answered, "The Secret Realm of Space."
Hua Qingsi pointed to the great hall on the far left. "This is the Secret Realm of Space. Go on in — I'll wait out here."
Fang Tianchi bowed and strode into the hall. Hua Qingsi stood quietly outside, waiting.
When Yang Kai had created these three secret realms here back in the day, this particular hall had been constructed by Lingxiao Palace later on. Over the years, many disciples from the Void Dojo had come here to train, all of them beneficiaries of Yang Kai's legacy — individuals who had achieved some level of attainment in one of those three Daos.
Even certain disciples of the Dragon and Phoenix Clans had taken an interest in the Secret Realms of Time and Space.