He paused, as if to organize his thoughts, then continued in a tone tinged with emotion:
"From ancient times to the present, only a mere twelve cultivators in all of the Void Profound Heaven have ever earned the title of ’Daoist Master,’ and our Three Elements Sect has produced three of them. Besides our founder, Yunxiao Daoist Master, and the aforementioned Daoist Master Yun He, there was another—an individual of such breathtaking talent that he could be called utterly peerless in the history of the Void Profound Heaven."
"This ancestor called himself the ’Cloud Cliff Guest’ and left no real name behind. Thus, later generations honored him with the title—Yunya Daoist Master."
Something clicked in Chen Yu’s mind; he had a vague inkling of what was coming.
Hong Changtian seemed to have read his mind. He nodded and said, "That’s right. Yunya Daoist Master was not content with merely comprehending the Taichu Primordial Sword Dao, the Great Dao of Heaven."
His tone grew complex, filled with profound admiration. "He even publicly declared that he found the Taichu Primordial Sword Dao to be too extreme. He believed its edge was too exposed and that it disrupted the harmony of the heavens. While it was the epitome of hardness and sharpness, it was not the end of the Dao, nor was it the only true path."
"This declaration sent the world into an uproar. The Taichu Primordial Sword Dao had been left by Yunxiao Daoist Master and was acknowledged as the supreme Sword Dao. For Yunya Daoist Master to say such a thing was tantamount to questioning the founding ancestor. However, by that time, he had already reached the Golden Core realm and was even recognized as the reigning Daoist Master of the Taichu Primordial Sword Dao. His power was unmatched in the world; no one could compare."
"Therefore, despite the many objections people held in their hearts, no one dared to challenge him to his face."
"For the next several decades, this world-shocking Yunya Daoist Master vanished as if into thin air. He disappeared completely from everyone’s sight and senses. No one knew his whereabouts, nor whether he was alive or dead."
"Until..." Hong Changtian paused. "Until the day he reappeared, at which point he had already merged with the Great Dao and ascended."
"After his ascension, he left behind only three Wordless Celestial Books in the sect’s forbidden grounds."
"These three celestial books represent the three paths of Heaven, Earth, and Man. The one representing Heaven is the Taichu Primordial Sword Dao. The other two represent Earth—the Dao of the Profound Earth—and Man—the True Art of Primordial Unity."
"Only then did our sect possess a complete inheritance of the Three Foundations—Heaven, Earth, and Man. And it is because of this that we became known as the Three Elements Sect."
"One person comprehended and left behind three supreme Great Daos, each leading directly to ascension?" Chen Yu asked, astonished.
Hong Changtian’s face was filled with awe. "That’s right. One man, mastering three Daos, reaching the pinnacle in all of them before merging with the Great Dao and ascending. Because of this, Yunya Ancestor Master is revered by posterity as the ’First of the Void Profound Heaven.’ Such breathtaking talent... truly unparalleled in all of history."
"It is a pity, however..." He shook his head. "Since Yunya Daoist Master, no descendant of our sect has ever been able to walk even one of these paths to its very end and attain the rank of Daoist Master, let alone comprehend all three."
"Succeeding generations of sages poured their heart and soul into this, but they were only able to build upon Daoist Master Yun He’s Taichu Sword Attraction Skill. By imitating its principles, they created The Earthen Foundation Establishment Tome, which corresponds to the Great Dao of Earth, and The Primordial Qi Absorption Manual, which corresponds to the Great Dao of Man."
He gestured to the other two ancient tomes in his hands. "Though they aren’t as renowned as the Taichu Sword Attraction Skill, they are also supreme methods that lead directly to the Golden Core Path. Each has its own profundities and is by no means inferior."
Hong Changtian pushed the two books toward Chen Yu. "Daoist Friend Chen, now that you have joined our Three Elements Sect, you are qualified to choose one of these three Great Daos as your future foundational path. This is a monumental decision that concerns the very bedrock of your cultivation journey, so you must be exceedingly careful. You may remain here to contemplate them in peace. I will not disturb you."
"If you have any questions, feel free to come find me at any time."
With that, he patted Chen Yu’s shoulder and turned to depart, leaving Chen Yu alone in the tranquil space filled with ancient tomes and arrays.
Chen Yu stood within the ancient wooden pavilion, gazing at the three tomes floating before him. They emanated a profound and ancient Dao Rhyme, and he was lost in thought.
’Is it actually possible for me to cultivate all three of these Foundation Establishment techniques at the same time?’