Beyond Heavenly Dipper

Beyond Heavenly Dipper...

Inside the Mo Residence, when Mo Qingcheng heard her grandfather's intention to find a teacher for her, she couldn't help but interject in a hushed voice, "Granddad, I want to travel the world."

Mo Qingcheng's initial plan was that, once the storm in Chu had subsided, she and Qin Wentian would journey together through the Grand Xia Empire.

"You don't know what's best for you," scolded Old Mo, causing Mo Qingcheng to bow her head, avoiding his gaze. Old man Mo held an exceedingly high status within the Mo Clan. Even her father, Mo Tianlin, wouldn't dare to express any reluctance when it came to Old Mo's wishes.

Normally, he wouldn't meddle in the clan's daily affairs, but once he made a decision, no one could sway him.

"Travel the world? You're just at the initial Yuanfu Realm, and you possess such beauty. Do you comprehend how perilous it is to wander the world? You lack the strength to protect yourself adequately. Moreover, even I must exercise extreme caution when venturing into that vast world out there. Otherwise, I'd have perished long ago, buried in some unknown corner far from home," Old Mo continued his admonishment. "Young Master Hua has kindly offered to introduce a teacher for you. What more could you desire? In the future, when you join a formidable sect, wouldn't it be better to cultivate alongside your Senior and Junior Martial Brothers rather than wander the world?"

"But..." Mo Qingcheng persisted.

"Qingcheng," Mo Tianlin interrupted, his heart heavy with sorrow. He understood his daughter's feelings. Qin Wentian was undeniably exceptional, and if he could truly resolve the brewing storm in the Royal Capital, he wouldn't object to their union. However, since Old Man Mo now sought to secure a bright future for Qingcheng through a skilled teacher, matters of the heart could temporarily be set aside.

Old Man Mo turned his gaze towards Qin Wentian, clearly deducing the reason for his granddaughter's unusual behavior.

"Dear girl, you've never ventured beyond the world you know, so it's natural that you're unaware of how vast and boundless it is out there. In the eyes of the Grand Xia Empire, Chu is nothing more than a speck of dust. Even an ordinary Heavenly Dipper Sovereign from the Grand Xia Empire could easily crush Chu, not to mention the other supreme experts from transcendent powers."

Old Mo had always cherished his granddaughter, and thus, his tone softened as he continued, "In Chu, your talent is truly remarkable. That's why Granddad doesn't want to stifle your potential. By any chance, do you understand what the Mandates of Martial Daos are?"

"I've heard Granddad talk about it before. The Mandates of Martial Daos are realized through profound insights and an understanding of the myriad Astral Souls. Each Mandate wields tremendous power and greatly benefits cultivators at the Yuanfu Realm, facilitating their advancement to higher Yuanfu levels," Mo Qingcheng replied in a hushed tone.

"You're correct. The countless Mandates are as diverse as the various types of Astral Souls. There's the Mandate of Wind, Mandate of Lightning, Mandate of Fire, Mandate of Blood, and many more. Every level of insight attained results in variations of the primary Mandate. Furthermore, there are four Boundaries for each level of insight when it comes to comprehending Mandates: the Initial Boundary, Advanced Boundary, Transformation Boundary, and the ultimate Perfection Boundary."

"For instance, with the Mandate of Force, the first level of insight is Strength. In the Initial Boundary, your attack power is doubled; Advanced Boundary, quadrupled; Transformation Boundary, octupled; and Perfection Boundary, over tenfold. Imagine this: for those who comprehend all the way to the Perfection Boundary of the first level of insight, their attack power is enhanced by more than ten times! Can you fathom if any opponent could withstand even a single blow?"

Old Man Mo explained passionately, while Qin Wentian listened intently. Mandates of Martial Daos, the Mandate of Force—it seemed like the insight he had gained earlier was related to this.

"After Stellar Martial Cultivators break through to the Yuanfu Realm, their path becomes even more arduous, especially as they strive to reach the Heavenly Dipper Realm. That's a monumental milestone. Moreover, reaching the Heavenly Dipper Realm demands not only an astronomical quantity of cultivation resources but also a deeper understanding of their respective Mandates. Cultivators must comprehend the second level of insights in their Mandates to attain the Heavenly Dipper Realm."

"Father, what do you mean by second-level insights?" Mo Tianlin was equally captivated by the revelation. Previously, Old Man Mo hadn't shared this knowledge with him because he himself had not comprehended any insights.

"First-level insights, in any Martial Dao Mandate, serve as the foundation—an unalterable base. When a cultivator gains second-level insights, the Mandate undergoes a personal transformation specific to that cultivator. For instance, even if two cultivators both comprehend the first-level insight of the Mandate of Force, Strength, their Mandates will diverge once they grasp the second-level insights. Furthermore, I've heard that beyond second-level insights are third-level insights. At this stage, cultivators can manifest heavenly constellations. These legendary figures stand a whole realm above Heavenly Dipper Sovereigns and are known as Celestial Phenomenon Ascendants."

Old Man Mo's gaze brimmed with admiration and hope. He yearned to one day ascend to the ranks of the legendary Ascendants.

The Celestial Phenomenon realm lay beyond the Heavenly Dipper Realm. Despite his many years of wandering the world, Old Man Mo had yet to witness the extent of power a Celestial Phenomenon Ascendant could unleash.

Imagine a powerhouse who excelled in the Mandate of Blood, conjuring their Celestial Constellations. The result might be the transformation of millions upon millions of people into pools of blood. Such power was so vast and terrifying that it bordered on incomprehensible.

"The Celestial Phenomenon Realm..." Qin Wentian whispered, his mind drifting to the statue he had encountered in the Dark Forest and the supreme experts who surrounded the Qin Heavenly Divine Sect. They were undoubtedly Celestial Phenomenon Ascendants. But how had they been so easily defeated by his father, that infuriating old man? What level of power had that wily old fogey reached back then? Was he at the pinnacle of the Celestial Phenomenon Realm or even beyond that?

Manifesting celestial constellations with a mere thought. The concept was truly mind-boggling.

"Father, what Boundary of the first-level insight have you reached with your Mandate?" Mo Tianlin inquired.

"Regrettably, after all these years, I've only reached the Transformation Boundary of the first level insight. Out of my three Astral Souls, I've only grasped one Mandate at the first level. Yet, even so, I was already deemed the most formidable cultivator below the Heavenly Dipper Realm, effortlessly reigning over Chu," Old Man Mo spoke with a touch of pride in his voice. He then turned his gaze towards Mo Qingcheng and continued, "Qingcheng, you should understand my point now. This world is truly vast, and broadening your horizons is crucial. Joining an established sect is the most prudent path. With guidance, you'll save yourself a lot of time and avoid wandering aimlessly, only to discover that your chosen paths were misguided."

Mo Tianlin wore an expression of amazement. His father had reached the Transformation Boundary of the first level insight. It was no wonder everyone in Chu feared him. It seemed that wandering the world indeed had its advantages.

"Senior, it doesn't necessarily mean that one must join an established sect to comprehend a Martial Mandate," Qin Wentian stated quietly. To him, besides having a teacher, one's success in comprehending insights also depended greatly on innate talent and, of course, a fair amount of luck. His own experience with the statue in the Dark Forest, which had enabled him to grasp the first level of the Mandate of Force, Strength, was a testament to this.

Old Man Mo furrowed his brows, somewhat unhappy with Qin Wentian's remark. "What do you know? How many Yuanfu Cultivators have comprehended Mandates in Chu? I, too, had a fortuitous encounter and only comprehended my Mandate when I reached the 6th level of Yuanfu. It took me decades to reach the Transformation Boundary. Do you comprehend how extraordinarily challenging it is for cultivators to grasp a Mandate?"

"Meanwhile, Young Master Hua comprehended his Mandate over a year ago when he reached the 4th level of Yuanfu. This is the stark contrast between having a strong background and guidance compared to not," Old Man Mo remarked with an icy tone, "Sometimes, the most ignorant are also the most outspoken."

Observing Old Man Mo's stern demeanor, Qin Wentian realized that his earlier words had clearly angered him. Consequently, he chose to remain silent. Displaying his Mandate at this moment would be like a direct challenge to Old Man Mo and would only escalate the situation, creating more misunderstandings between them. This was something Qin Wentian wished to avoid.

"You're wise, Senior," Qin Wentian replied with a bitter smile in his heart. However, the lecture he had just received was highly enlightening. He now understood that comprehending Mandates not only increased one's power but also paved the way to reaching the Heavenly Dipper Realm. No wonder Gongyang Hong had advised him to concentrate on understanding his Astral Souls back then.

Currently, he had only comprehended the Mandate of Force from his Heavenly Hammer Astral Soul. The constellations from which he had condensed his second and third Astral Souls were no less formidable than the Heavenly Hammer Constellation. If he could gain more insights from both of them, he could become even stronger.

"It's always wise to be humble, young man. You may leave now," Old Man Mo said with a clear intention in his words.

Qin Wentian was briefly taken aback but quickly regained his composure. He bowed respectfully and said, "I shall take my leave, Senior."

"I will escort him out then," Mo Qingcheng declared, disregarding Old Man Mo's objections, and left with Qin Wentian. Her actions left Old Man Mo so furious that his eyeballs seemed ready to pop out, and his face turned an unhealthy shade of green. He muttered to himself, "I'm sorry, that girl has been spoiled by me."

Hua Xiaoyun, however, remained unperturbed. He responded with nonchalance, "No need to worry. If her talent matches your description, I'll introduce a Heavenly Dipper Sovereign to be her teacher and even provide her with an opportunity to join one of the transcendent powers within the Nine Continents."

Old Man Mo chuckled, "I'll have to thank you for that." He couldn't help but appreciate Hua Xiaoyun's magnanimity. The difference between him and the ignorant Qin Wentian was like night and day.

In reality, Old Man Mo had already formed opinions about both Hua Xiaoyun and Qin Wentian in his heart. Clearly, he favored Hua Xiaoyun more, as he believed that Qin Wentian's appearance had caused Mo Qingcheng's behavior to deviate from his plans for her. So, regardless of how humble Qin Wentian acted, Old Man Mo had already formed a fixed perception of him as an 'ignorant' youth.

Mo Qingcheng and Qin Wentian strolled through the Mo Clan's grounds. Mo Qingcheng leaned against Qin Wentian, taking his hand and whispering, "Wentian, that's how my granddad usually behaves. Don't let it bother you, okay?"

Qin Wentian smiled and replied, "I understand. There's no need to explain to me." As the strongest Yuanfu Cultivator in Chu, Old Man Mo's pride was understandable. Given Qin Wentian's experiences and perspectives from traveling around the Grand Xia Empire, he couldn't hold anyone from Chu in particularly high regard.

"Then you're not allowed to get angry," Mo Qingcheng mischievously teased, sticking out her tongue.

"Of course not," Qin Wentian agreed with a smile. He wasn't one to hold grudges.

"Hey, cut it out with the public display of affection," Nolan, who was following them, teased. Mo Qingcheng rolled her eyes but didn't respond. She had already accepted Qin Wentian as her other half and didn't care what others thought.

Nolan laughed, "If I were as capable as you, I'd find my own handsome guy too."

Mo Qingcheng teased her back, "How can I compare to Chu's number one beauty? Besides, I don't have a line of suitors chasing after me like you do."

As the three of them left the Mo Clan, they noticed someone waiting outside. Qin Wentian was surprised to see this person and couldn't help but smile.

"Long time no see," Immortal Drunken Wine greeted with a laugh, his ever-present wine gourd in hand.

Qin Wentian asked, "You're looking for me?"

Immortal Drunken Wine winked at Mo Qingcheng, causing her cheeks to turn red, and said, "Yes, why so surprised? Everyone in Chu knows you're at the Mo Clan. What are you doing here? Coming to propose marriage?"

Qin Wentian chuckled, "Not so fast." His response held a promise of a future proposal. Mo Qingcheng's face lit up with a radiant smile upon hearing his words.

Immortal Drunken Wine laughed, "Are you free to have a drink with me? Someone wants to meet you."

Qin Wentian readily agreed, intrigued by who could command Immortal Drunken Wine's attention to act as an intermediary.