Chapter 52: The Path of Invincibility, the Way of Invincibility!

“Merit?”
Houtu considered for a moment and replied, “If one day you were to perish, and the power of chaos within you flowed back to nourish the desolate earth, then it is indeed possible you would receive some merit. However, since you would already be dead, how could you possibly accept the power of Heavenly Merit?”
“What? Only after death can one gain merit?”
Di Cang finally understood and could only sigh inwardly.
In other words, cultivating the Heavenly Way or the Great Dao—these are merely paths one may choose!
Such choices only affect one’s potential for future cultivation; they do not influence merit or karmic burden!
...
Houtu used her own primordial essence to condense the “Divine Heartfire of the Earth.” She then gathered many innate spirit herbs and, right there in the void, began to refine an elixir. Soon, a single “Houtu Golden Pellet” was completed before Di Cang’s eyes.
Houtu said, “This Houtu Golden Pellet is derived by evolving the Dragon Transformation Golden Pellet you obtained. It was originally yours, so you should already know its effects!”
“However!”
Houtu smiled and continued, “Now that you intend to break through with the Houtu Golden Pellet, I must warn you!”
Afterward, Ancestor Houtu explained to him in detail the advantages and disadvantages of consuming the Houtu Golden Pellet.
According to the research of the Twelve Ancestor Gods,
The Twelve Ancestor Gods’ Golden Pellets possess incredibly potent medicinal power, capable of greatly enhancing a cultivator’s potential and helping them break through bottlenecks at the peak of the Golden God Realm.
But they also have a major flaw!
Like the Dragon Transformation Golden Pellet, the Ancestor Gods’ Golden Pellet uses the essence blood of a certain Primordial Chaos God or Demon as the main ingredient. The various precious herbs serve to amplify the power and spirituality of that essence blood.
Thus,
When the Ancestor Gods’ Golden Pellet is perfected, the medicinal power it generates is, in fact, the enhanced and even sublimated power of the Ancestor’s essence blood.
While one may use this essence blood to awaken the Ancestor’s bloodline and the Great Dao within oneself,
If one consumes the Ancestor Gods’ Golden Pellet, one will henceforth tread the path of the Ancestor’s cultivation.
Unless one is as supremely gifted as Houtu, able to derive the Dao of Life and Death from the virtue of earth, eight or nine out of ten will be confined to the path of the Ancestor’s cultivation!
“In this way—”

Houtu said, “If you cultivate by your own effort, no matter what path you choose or what direction you take, it is a road you carve for yourself!”
“But if you break through by relying on this method, you are, in effect, limiting your future!”
“Of course!”
Houtu smiled, “The Great Dao is unfathomable; even among the Twelve Ancestor Gods, how many can dare claim they will attain the Great Dao and its fruits?”
“For the vast majority of innate gods and demons, the choice before them is not of overwhelming significance.”
“But most importantly, though I am the Ancestor of Earth, I will not attain the Dao through the virtue of earth. This is also why I intend to pass on to you the Earthly Dao, so you may advance further!”
“Cang!”
Houtu continued, “Now that you understand all this, what is your decision?”
Di Cang pondered briefly, but without the slightest hesitation, he chose to consume the “Houtu Golden Pellet.”
For he cultivated the Dao of Strength, which embraces myriad paths; the Way of Houtu was but one among them. Thus, Di Cang reasoned that stepping onto Houtu’s path through the pellet was not out of the question!
At worst, he could later seek other pellets, or rely on diligent cultivation to let the other Daos catch up!
...
The first time Di Cang swallowed the Houtu Golden Pellet, he immediately felt a fragrant, golden liquid surge from his abdomen to every bone and limb, resonating with his innate bloodline.
The Houtu Golden Pellet, with Houtu’s essence blood as the core, was augmented by many rare spirit herbs, amplifying the power and spirituality of her essence blood.
Thus,
When the Houtu Golden Pellet was perfected, its medicinal power was the enhanced and sublimated Houtu essence blood.
Di Cang distinctly felt the power of the pellet suffuse his limbs, endlessly tempering his body, making his flesh more formidable and awe-inspiring.
At the same time,
A most mysterious power merged with his own bloodline, granting his body the strength of Houtu’s blood as well.
With the power of the Houtu Golden Pellet, even an ordinary human—without Pangu’s blood—could, with the blessing of Houtu’s bloodline, transform and gain its strength. How much more so for Di Cang?
Within him, the original blood of Houtu blazed with dazzling radiance, resonating with the divine blood power from the pellet. Instantly, the will of Houtu within the pellet released boundless light. Relying on just a sliver of that will, and through Di Cang’s body, a “Dharma Aspect” communicating with the Earthly Dao manifested at his periphery. As it moved, heaven and earth responded in kind.
Di Cang immediately sensed that, though his body remained in the desolate world, through the power of his bloodline, he beheld the illusory realm of chaos!
Endless chaotic power surged from every direction, perfectly merging with every drop of divine blood in his body. The laws he had painstakingly refined, the innate Dao patterns—at this moment, all were inscribed with a strand of chaotic energy!

The chaotic energy merged with Di Cang, inscribing itself into the innate Dao patterns within him, gathering their power together, circulating and transforming, faintly forming a flower of the Dao of Chaos—only to collapse in an instant!
...
Who knows how much time passed!
Di Cang awoke from his state of enlightenment.
He had failed!
He did not break through in one leap to the Supreme Celestial Demon Realm, and remained at the peak of the Golden God Realm.
However, chaotic energy now swirled around his body—he clearly possessed, at least in part, the ability to sense the Great Dao!

“Cang, you have not broken through?”
Suddenly,
Houtu condensed her divine power into a sacred eye, which pierced to the heart of the matter.
With the means of the Ancestor Houtu, in only an instant she perceived the many issues within Di Cang’s body.
Houtu said gravely, “Cang, within you, the bloodlines are intertwined, the types of innate Dao patterns are many and complex. If, at this moment, you were to arbitrarily choose one bloodline’s power and use chaotic energy to inscribe it, you could break through swiftly and without issue.”
“But!”
Houtu continued, “You possess the blood of all Twelve Ancestor Gods. If you break through, you will certainly want to cultivate all twelve bloodlines together, inscribing the innate Dao patterns derived from each into your Supreme Dao Fruit’s chaotic energy. In that case, your breakthrough will be most arduous!”
“From what I see, if you wish to be unrestrained and break through in an instant, you must combine the power of all Twelve Ancestor Gods—that is, rely on the power of a full set of Ancestor Gods’ Golden Pellets to aid your next step forward!”
“The Ancestor’s insight is as sharp as a torch!”
Di Cang respectfully replied, “Each of the Twelve Ancestor God’s paths is invincible on its own, but I believe that only by combining all twelve into one can a truly invincible path be forged!”
“Excellent, excellent!”
Ancestor Houtu smiled, “Cang, you indeed possess extraordinary vision and understanding. If I were in your place, bearing the bloodline of all Twelve Ancestor Gods, how would I choose to break through?”
“I would make the same choice as you!”