The so-called Shentong is a kind of rule-based ability that cultivators awaken after they have chosen their Fruit Position and Dao Path.
To put it simply, if the 108 Dao Paths are the 108 job slots the Heavenly Dao has assigned to cultivators in the Kongxuan Realm, then Shentong is the unique privilege that comes with obtaining the position.
Among them, the Shentong of Tiangang Dao Path leans towards the Dao itself—comparable to a programmer who can directly rewrite the underlying code.
Meanwhile, the Shentong of Disha Dao Path leans more towards techniques, like a system administrator’s special privileges—they can manipulate the rules but have difficulty altering or reshaping them from the ground up.
Yet, because each cultivator’s temperament, their cultivation methods, and their environments are all different,
Even two cultivators who walk the same Dao Path, have the same realm, and possess identical strength may still awaken very different Shentong abilities.
It’s just like how a bowl of grains can be cooked as rice, ground into flour, or made into buns, dumplings, steamed bread, noodles…
And then there are those geniuses who use that flour to make flour bombs.
So even if it’s the same Shentong, the end result can be worlds apart.
At this moment inside the Virtuous Merit Hall of Xu Ling Sect, Duan Xueyan was still smiling as she held the blushing Lu Li close.
However, her movements had become a bit more restrained than before; from the previous tight embrace, she now had just one arm draped over Lu Li’s shoulder.
As for her other hand, it seemed to rest casually on his hand, but in reality, her fingertips contained a hidden spiritual force, as if probing his physical condition.
Then, she leaned in close to Lu Li’s ear, her breath fragrant as orchids, her voice laced with affection and concern, subtly avoiding the ears of the Sect Disciples.
“Sigh~ Alright, alright, your Senior Sister will stop teasing you now.”
“Let’s talk business. Junior Brother, since you’re back this time, isn’t it about time to start your Core Formation?”
Duan Xueyan’s fingertips gently tapped on Lu Li’s hand.
“Master Duanqing is about to ascend, and the burden of the Tian Yi Gui Dao Path will eventually fall on your shoulders.”
“So the Fruit Positions left for you are none other than Tian Yi Gui, Dibing Sha, and Da Kui Dou.”
“But, you see…”
Duan Xueyan’s tone suddenly shifted, her beautiful eyes flashing with shrewdness.
“The Shentong of Tiangang Dao Path indeed has limitless potential, and the Shentong of Tian Yi Gui in particular is even more about controlling fate and creation, and involves the threads of karma and destiny.”
“It’s said that even overturning heaven and earth would be nothing more than a flick of the finger for Tian Yi Gui’s Shentong…”
“But those are all abilities that come into play much later.
Not to mention you, a small cultivator about to form your Core—even those in the Nascent Soul or Spirit Severing realms might not be able to fully utilize such Shentong.”
“True, the earlier you lay your foundation and plan ahead, the better it is to secure a Fruit Position.”
“But when it comes to actual combat early on, the great Shentong of Tiangang Fruit Position may not be as practical as the more direct, mountain-moving and sea-filling powers of the Disha Fruit Positions.”
“So, Junior Brother, if you choose Tian Yi Gui, I’m afraid you’ll suffer a disadvantage in duels…”
As Duan Xueyan spoke, she closely observed the expressions on Lu Li’s face, her fingertips unconsciously rubbing the fabric of his Daoist robe as she continued softly:
“On the other hand, the two Disha Dao Paths subordinate to Tian Yi Gui have clear advantages early on.”
“For instance, Dibing Sha, whose Shentong is Tongyou, allowing communication with the Yin-Yang realms and control over life and death, commanding spirits and summoning souls, and even the ability to nurture the Five Mad Ghost Soldiers. Such power can greatly boost your combat strength from the very beginning.”
“In the later stages, you could even become lord of the Youming Underworld, controlling the mysteries of life and death in the Kongxuan Realm—a truly practical path.”
At this, Duan Xueyan paused for a moment, then raised her other hand rather casually, as if guiding the invisible currents around them.
“Or take Da Kui Dou—its Shentong is Shendu, enabling you to command the spirits of mountains and rivers, appoint Local Land Gods, and even cultivate with the aid of Royal Destiny. You could even influence the flow of earth veins to a certain extent, harnessing the momentum of heaven and earth to confront your foes.”
“Junior Brother Lu, you yourself are both a sword cultivator and an expert in formations. If you could pair the Shendu Shentong with your formation techniques, your power would increase many times over. You could act as Heaven’s enforcer, purging evil and safeguarding your post at Duanqing Peak.”
After finishing, Duan Xueyan pulled away a little, but both hands still rested on Lu Li’s shoulders, her gaze unusually serious as she looked into his eyes.
“So… my good Junior Brother, have you made up your mind about what to choose?”
“Will you take up the Tian Yi Gui Dao Path, endure in the early stages for the sake of an unlimited future? Or will you prioritize survival and fame, choosing Dibing Sha or Da Kui Dou for powerful Shentong that offer immediate combat ability? These three Dao Paths each have their own unique characteristics!”
“Your choice is closely tied to your future path, so you must consider carefully.”
Duan Xueyan’s words brushed gently against Lu Li’s heart like feathers, laying out the pros and cons and, in the end, returning the right to choose back to him.
She seemed to feel that the mood was getting too serious, so she half-joked to the Lu Li in her arms.
“Hehe… Junior Brother, if you don’t want to choose any of these, if you find Master Duanqing’s Heartless Dao too difficult, you could always switch to our Xiaoyao Peak’s Dao Path~”
“Listen, our Xiaoyao Peak’s Zhonghuang Qi Fruit Position hasn’t produced a mighty Daoist in a thousand years. If you want to switch to Zhonghuang Qi, now’s the perfect time.”
“Our Zhonghuang Qi lineage’s Upside-down Yin-Yang is also a top-tier divine path in this world!”
“And even if you don’t want Zhonghuang Qi, the Disha Fruit Positions under it—Shooting Celestial Wolf and Breaking a Thousand Armies—offer the peerless Shentong of Dan Mountain and Forbidden Waters.”
“By the way, Senior Sister here cultivates Breaking a Thousand Armies. If you chose Shooting Celestial Wolf, the two of us could dual cultivate and complement each other~”
As she spoke, Duan Xueyan mischievously licked her glistening lips.
Seeing this, Lu Li immediately leaped away in fright, like a mouse encountering a cat.
Meanwhile, Gong Shangyu and Gu Qingying, who had been crouching by the doorway, exchanged a knowing smile after witnessing this scene, then nodded in unison.
Their eyes were filled with sudden understanding: at last, they had found the reason for their master’s aversion to women.
Faced with a Senior Sister who clearly harbored improper intentions toward him, Lu Li immediately declared with conviction:
“Hehe~ Thank you for your concern, Senior Sister, but I’ve already decided on my Dao Path~”
Lu Li wasn’t making excuses—he really was a Reincarnator who knew the plot in advance, and thanks to his experience playing the Game in his previous life, he had long ago settled on a path.
Though the Shentong of the Disha Dao Path were powerful, the competition among its cultivators was incredibly fierce.
In fact, if you ran into someone like Feng Lingshuang, who, in order to complete her own Dao Foundation and Fruit Position, would hunt down cultivators on corresponding Dao Paths to supplement her own foundation, then choosing a Disha Fruit Position could become a deadly risk.
So, from the moment he reincarnated, Lu Li had decided to cultivate the Tiangang Dao Path.
After all, with the disciple-acceptance system, his cultivation would rise effortlessly!
And besides, in his previous life while playing the Game, he had developed a whole set of powerful techniques based on the world-altering Shentong of the Tian Yi Gui Dao Path.
Thus, from the very beginning, Lu Li had already decided to condense a Tian Yi Gui Golden Core, walk the same Dao Path and attain the same Fruit Position as his master, and, once his master ascended, to succeed him.
Of course… according to the original Game plot, there was also a high chance that his master would simply pass away, leaving the position of Tian Yi Gui vacant…
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