Starting With Chaos Physique

Chapter 5 Heavenly Dao Mirror, Bodhi Mirror Technique

“Heavenly Dao Mirror?”

Gu Changsheng asked in confusion. He indeed felt no danger but rather a warm sensation, like a spring breeze.

Quickly, he was drawn by the mirror’s influence.

Threads of blazing immortal light erupted from his body in an instant.

The force of his blood and qi transformed into a vast, prison-like ocean, creating an oppressive atmosphere that made many members of the Gu Family feel suffocated and astonished.

Some younger Family members even suspected that if they got too close, they would be torn into blood mist by the sheer force of his blood and qi.

It was terrifying.

The man in gray robes smiled and explained, “The Heavenly Dao Mirror records the extreme limits of the Three Thousand Dao Realms. When one gains recognition from the Heavenly Dao through it, they are rewarded with the rules of the Heavenly Dao.”

“However, only three of these mirrors remain in the Immortal Realm. Apart from this one for the Body Realm, the others are for the Qi Sea Realm and one other realm. Changsheng, for you to be recognized by this mirror signifies that you’ve broken the ancient extreme limit of the Body Realm.”

Over the past three years, the man had witnessed Gu Changsheng’s achievements.

Rather than being restrained by his immense and seemingly hollow power, Gu Changsheng had instead used extraordinary perseverance to integrate it into his foundation.

Thus, his gaze was filled with satisfaction and comfort.

“So that’s how it is. But Ancestor, I’m more curious about the person who previously held the record for the extreme limit of the Body Realm,” Gu Changsheng asked with curiosity.

Eighty million catties of force—this was 800 times greater than the 108,000 catties of an ordinary Body Realm cultivator’s perfection.

He had reached this level entirely due to his relentless training over the past three years and his naturally terrifying cultivation base.

The man in gray robes wore a complicated expression and said, “That person was a monster who trained in the Body Realm for tens of thousands of years, forcibly breaking through the shackles of mortality to reach the extreme limit. Later generations referred to him as the ‘Ascetic Emperor.’”

He shook his head afterward, as though unwilling to dwell on the subject.

“Let’s see what reward you’ve received,” the man said.

As his words fell, ripples spread across the surface of the Heavenly Dao Mirror in the void.

Then, an ancient, unadorned page shrouded in hazy brilliance descended from the mirror and landed in Gu Changsheng’s hands.

Seeing this, many elders of the Gu Family were filled with envy.

Such a reward was no less valuable than their Family’s supreme techniques.

Of course, this wasn’t to say the Gu Family’s immortal techniques were weak.

“Bodhi Mirror Technique?” Gu Changsheng murmured softly.

This turned out to be a secret technique for spiritual visualization, capable of maintaining the mind in a state of perfect flawlessness.

It strengthened the spirit, illuminated the origin, and discerned flaws.

It could even imprint the life mark of an opponent, using it to gain clarity of one’s self.

At the same time, profound and vast scripture, each word imbued with a sense of Zen, resounded in Gu Changsheng’s ears.

In a trance, he saw a bodhi seed take root, sprout, and grow into a towering tree.

Beneath the bodhi tree, a Bodhisattva smiled, the Buddha plucked a flower, and Arhats meditated.

Zen-like melodies enveloped him like a gentle rain.

Bodhi originally has no tree, the mirror is not a stand.*

[*A Zen verse expressing the idea that ultimate truth is beyond physical forms or constructs, often used to illustrate enlightenment’s formless nature.]

His entire state of mind underwent a dramatic transformation.

Transcendent and detached, he seemed to stand outside the world.

Even the faint arrogance he had felt due to his extraordinary beginnings instantly transformed into a calm and steady demeanor.

His mental state reached a higher level.

Immediately afterward, within the deep and dark sea of his consciousness, a golden radiance suddenly emerged.

It was like a blazing sun driving away all darkness.

Soon, this golden light took root and grew into a bodhi tree, shedding golden rain. Beneath it, a figure slowly condensed.

Though only three years old in appearance, this figure resembled a young immortal emperor.

His features were distinct, and his eyes shone brightly.

It was Gu Changsheng himself.

“With a single thought, the true spirit appears; with a single thought, the primordial spirit forms; with a single thought, the soul palace is built…” Sensing the transformation in Gu Changsheng, the man in gray robes couldn’t help but reveal a trace of astonishment.

Condensing the primordial spirit and achieving the true spirit was a level that could only be reached in the Soul Palace Realm.

Yet, unexpectedly, Gu Changsheng had already established the Soul Palace just after breaking through the Body Realm.

…

At the same time, when the Heavenly Dao Mirror appeared above the Gu Family, a terrifying resonance of the Great Dao erupted across the entire Nansheng Dao Realm.

Countless cultivators raised their heads in shock, seeing radiant light and endless auspicious phenomena in the sky.

Qilins leaped, Vermilion Birds soared, and Azure Dragons extended their claws…

All cultivators felt a light and ethereal sensation, and their cultivation bases began to increase inexplicably.

An elderly man who was meditating opened his eyes wide in joy.

“What has happened? The entire Nansheng Dao Realm is receiving the favor of the Heavenly Dao, and even I am benefiting!”

“This commotion comes from the Gu Family. Could it be that someone has broken through and gained recognition from the Heavenly Dao?”

“It’s very likely. Three years ago, there were terrifying anomalies. Perhaps that monster from the Gu Family has achieved something incredible.”

Speculation ran wild, and the gazes toward the Gu Family grew more reverent and awestruck.

Meanwhile, ancient beings from other Realms also noticed the disturbance.

Vast divine senses swept across the heavens, pausing at the boundary of this Immortal Realm in speechless shock.

“Hiss!”

“The ancient extreme limit of the Body Realm… has been broken!”

“The monster born in the Gu Family three years ago… truly seems to be a Chaos Physique! Without such a physique, these terrifying phenomena would be impossible.”

“A great era of competition is coming, and the Boundless Sea will soon appear. It’s a pity that such a prodigy didn’t emerge within our Dao traditions. All their peers will become stepping stones in the future,” a shadowy figure hidden in the endless void murmured, their eyes like two blood-red suns.

“What? Planning to eliminate them before they rise? Don’t forget, that one from the Gu Family is still at their peak! We won’t join you!” another voice sneered, clearly wary of the Gu Family’s power.

…