The Ancestral God, the Far Ancestor, the Holy Venerable, and Emperor Ming Xun stared at one another. Eliminate the Immortal from the other shore and give Emperor Mingdao a push?
The Ancestral God probed cautiously, "Could it be you're planning to shove us old brothers straight into a fire pit instead?"
The Far Ancestor nodded in vigorous agreement.
Xu Ying burst out laughing. "What reason do we have to fear an Immortal from the other shore? We have three at the Immortal realm: the Far Ancestor, Ming Xun, and the Ancestral God. Then there's half an Immortal realm in the Holy Venerable. Add humble me to the mix—once I break through and attain the Dao in the Supreme realm, I'll count for half an Immortal too. Can't the lot of us join hands and take down a single Immortal True King from the other shore?"
"No, we can't," the Ancestral God replied, shaking his head. "We have spent years trying to decipher the immortal cultivation technique inscribed on the Emerald Rock thrown down by Dao Lord Xuhuang, and we still haven't deciphered it in full. We haven't even cracked a single complete immortal technique, let alone face an Immortal from the other shore in the flesh. There is absolutely no way to win this battle."
When Xu Ying studied the techniques of the other shore acquired by the dragon race, he could grasp the general idea of one in a matter of days and soon form a cave abyss. A true immortal method from the other shore, however, was practically a vast cultivation system in its own right, demanding that the greatest masters of the Earth Immortal Realm exhaust their wisdom simply to study it.
From that alone, one could glimpse the immense power of the Immortal realm.
Yet Xu Ying was brimming with confidence. He smiled and said, "A True King from the other shore is made of flesh and blood just like us; he isn't necessarily stronger. He merely holds an advantage in his cultivation techniques. In physical strength, his body may not surpass Lord Dragon. In magic power, he may not surpass the Ancestral God. In combat awareness, he may not match the Holy Venerable. And on top of that, there are Emperor Ming Xun and me!"
The Far Ancestor Dragon instantly felt greatly encouraged. "Put that way, victory really doesn't seem impossible."
Emperor Ming Xun remarked, "Faith alone won't suffice to overcome an Immortal. As Dao Ancestor Xu mentioned earlier regarding a new structure for runes and Dao patterns, I believe that must take precedence. Only by completing that new structure first can we hope to slay this Immortal True King."
Xu Ying said, "The Mortal Realm was cloaked in darkness, its Great Dao non-existent, yet humans survived and thrived there. Ultimately, through the strength of those mortals, the Heavenly Dao of the Mortal Realm was restarted. In the Heavenly Immortal Realm, beneath the ground buried in Dao ash, immortal plants have also clung stubbornly to life, keeping the Heavenly Dao alive and resisting the Emerald Rock's influence. If we can master both forms of Heavenly Dao, we can refine our runes, Dao patterns, or dragon patterns to establish an entirely new framework for the Great Dao."
The Heavenly Dao of both the Mortal Realm and the Heavenly Immortal Realm could resist the influence brought by the other shore's Heavenly Dao via the Emerald Rocks. If they used this Heavenly Dao as a foundation to refine their runes, while they still might not match the Li script of the other shore, three Emerald Rocks would never again be able to wipe out the Three Realms!
Moreover, if they improved the runes and strengthened the underlying framework, their own cultivation and prowess would grow stronger, granting them far greater certainty when confronting visitors from the other shore!
All eyes fell on the Ancestral God. At present, only he had mastered the Heavenly Dao of both the Mortal and Heavenly Immortal Realms. Whether their Dao patterns, runes, and dragon patterns could advance further depended entirely on whether they could thoroughly analyze him.
The Ancestral God chuckled. "Fellow Daoists, shouldn't we seek out a quiet place?"
Emperor Ming Xun said, "I know of an ancient city nearby, buried beneath the earth."
Xu Ying said, "Let us head there first and make sure we fathom the Ancestral God's Heavenly Dao to the utmost!"
Emperor Ming Xun immediately unleashed a surge of mist from around him, taking everyone deep into the earth. They plunged through a thousand li of thick Dao ash, searching for that ancient dragon immortal city.
Before long, they arrived inside. Emperor Ming Xun's own Heavenly Dao was not powerful enough to fully turn the Dao ash back into the Heavenly Dao of heaven and earth; the moment he relaxed, the Great Dao reverted to Dao ash.
Yet as the Ancestral God released his aura, the Great Dao of heaven and earth all around sprang back to life.
Many great experts of the dragon race had once lived in this ancient city. Each had summoned their Dao realm to withstand the corruption and erosion of the Emerald Rock, only for their Dao realms to fossilize into Dao ash in the end.
Now, however, as the Ancestral God restored the local Great Dao, those magnificent Dao realms revived alongside it, forming layers of the All Heavens inverted over the dragon city like domes.
The dragon city regained its former splendor, looking as though it had returned to those glorious bygone days tens of millions of years ago.
Yet the city stood empty. The dragons who had perished would never return.
Settling into the dragon city, the Ancestral God revealed his vast true primordial spirit, freely allowing them to study it. He was the primordial spirit of the universe, an innate deity, the embodiment of the Heavenly Dao of the Three Realms. But if asked to set down the Heavenly Dao in writing himself, he could not do it.
The Dao cannot be spoken.
Any Dao that can be put into words is not the true Dao.
Likewise, he could not study himself.
Only by having Xu Ying, the Holy Venerable, and the others study the Heavenly Dao contained within him and translate it into the most fundamental architecture of runes and Dao patterns could they advance the evolution of the Great Dao's framework.
At first, they each studied independently before gathering to compare their findings, only to discover that they had pursued vastly different directions.
The Far Ancestor Dragon and Emperor Ming Xun followed the methodology of dragon patterns, while the Holy Venerable adhered to runes.
Xu Ying's knowledge was the most eclectic of all. Having learned a bit of Dao patterns, runes, and dragon patterns alike, he simply used whichever came most handily while deciphering.
As for Princess Mingman, though she had tried to study the Ancestral God as well, she soon realized that her foundation was far too shallow. She gave up entirely and went off to cultivate on her own.
The Far Ancestor was the most erudite, Emperor Ming Xun was an emperor of the Immortal realm, and the Holy Venerable was the most widely learned man of the current era. Yet when it came to the Heavenly Dao, none of the three could rival Xu Ying.
Xu Ying was the one who had researched the Heavenly Dao most thoroughly. Back when he underwent tribulations in the Mortal Realm, he had endured countless rounds of Purple Firmament Tribulation Thunder, using them to study the Heavenly Dao of the Three Realms. He had even unlocked many profound mysteries of the other shore's Heavenly Dao through the process.
Studying the Ancestral God now was familiar, well-trodden ground for him.
Though his learning was the most eclectic, his progress was the swiftest, and he quickly organized the new Heavenly Dao of both the Heavenly Immortal and Mortal Realms.
Seeing that the Far Ancestor, Emperor Ming Xun, and the Holy Venerable were still hard at work, Xu Ying inscribed the various Heavenly Dao runes, Dao patterns, and dragon patterns he had compiled into midair, contemplating them one by one.
Suddenly, he emeraldized his own body and unleashed Dao weeping, attempting to corrode those runes, Dao patterns, and dragon patterns.
Yet the markings floating in the air remained completely motionless, never decaying into Dao ash.
A look of satisfaction crossed Xu Ying's face. He muttered to himself, "The Heavenly Dao of the Heavenly Immortal and Mortal Realms can indeed withstand the Heavenly Dao brought by the Emerald Rock. The runes, Dao patterns, and dragon patterns derived from these two realms' Heavenly Dao are enough to resist the Emerald Rock's invasion and avoid being emeraldized. With this, Emperor Mingdao should be able to make up his mind, shouldn't he?"
Roused by the Dao weeping, the Far Ancestor, Emperor Ming Xun, and the Holy Venerable came over to inspect the runes Xu Ying had inscribed. Seeing this, Xu Ying made separate transcriptions using runes and dragon patterns respectively.
The three examined them closely, cross-referencing with the Ancestral God. After a long while, each pointed out a few errors and gaps, offering corrections.
Though Xu Ying's attainments in the Heavenly Dao surpassed theirs by far, the three possessed immense breadth of learning. Where Xu Ying's comprehension fell short or where the Heavenly Dao remained incomplete, they were able to fill in the missing pieces.
Each pondered the new Heavenly Dao, attempting to shift their personal Dao methods into the new architecture.
Xu Ying, however, sat down, cupping his chin in his hands as he stared blankly at the three Heavenly Dao frameworks in the air. After a moment, he stood up and rewrote a separate framework composed entirely of Dao patterns.
Then he sat back down, chin resting in his hands, gazing dumbly at all four frameworks.
These four frameworks were: the dragon pattern Heavenly Dao framework, the Dao pattern Heavenly Dao framework, the rune Heavenly Dao framework, and the mixed framework of dragon patterns, Dao patterns, and runes that Xu Ying had transcribed initially.
Having finished her cultivation, Princess Mingman jogged over in high spirits. Seeing Xu Ying's eyes darting back and forth across the four frameworks with an increasingly puzzled expression, she giggled. "Little Master, what's wrong?"
Xu Ying said, "Even though we've grasped a more profound Heavenly Dao and perfected the runes, Dao patterns, and dragon patterns, I can't shake the feeling that doing this is still wrong. We haven't found the true essence of the Dao."
Princess Mingman did not quite understand, but followed his train of thought. "Then what is the essence of the Dao?"
Xu Ying said, "The essence of the Dao should be expressible through a single type of rune—or a single dragon pattern, or Dao pattern."
With a shift of his thought, a branching, twig-like texture flew out. "Take the Great Dao framework of the other shore, for instance. It uses this most fundamental Li script, arranged in different combinations to create distinct Dao methods and divine powers. At its root, the Li framework began with only a single initial form."
Princess Mingman stared at that branching texture, astonishment filling her heart. Could such simple Li script really have produced the myriad Dao methods and glorious civilization of the other shore?
"Yet our immortal runes, Dao patterns, and the dragon race's dragon patterns have far too many fundamental strokes. They are nowhere near as simple and concise as those of the other shore,"
Xu Ying said. "Therefore, I believe that if the Great Dao can be expressed through Dao patterns, and also through runes, and also through dragon patterns, then none of these representations capture the true Dao. There must exist a single, unique form of expression!"
His eyes gleamed as he continued, "This form of expression must be exceedingly concise, unexpectedly simple—even simpler than the Li framework of the other shore!"
Xu Ying stood before the four writing methods, examining and scrutinizing them to uncover what they held in common. He was searching for something foundational—foundational enough to constitute all four architectures!
His mind raced at incredible speed. He forgot both himself and the world around him, seeing only those dancing patterns before his eyes. Runes, Dao patterns, and dragon patterns endlessly split and recombined in the air, joining in unbelievable configurations as they explored every possibility.
Those leaping symbols resembled dancing figures executing different divine powers and moves, accompanied by the ceaseless, resonant hum of bizarre voices of the Great Dao.
"Little Master?" Princess Mingman stepped in front of him, waving a hand before his eyes.
The instant her hand was about to touch Xu Ying, an invisible wave of colossal force struck her. With a tremendous boom, Princess Mingman was hurled into the Dao ash hundreds of li away, leaving only her feet sticking out.
Xu Ying remained entirely oblivious, lost in his contemplation of the marvelous textures.
The Far Ancestor Dragon, Former Emperor Ming Xun, the Holy Venerable, and the Ancestral God were jolted by the loud blast and looked over. Former Emperor Ming Xun quickly flew across the distance and pulled his granddaughter from the Dao ash. Finding that she had merely been knocked unconscious without serious injury, he let out a sigh of relief.
Carrying Mingman back, he saw the Far Ancestor, the Holy Venerable, and the Ancestral God either studying Xu Ying or watching the patterns floating in midair.
Puzzled, the Big Dragon muttered, "Strange. What on earth is Ah Ying doing? These frameworks only require mastering one. Is he trying to cultivate all three?"
The Ancestral God shook his head. "The dragon pattern, Dao pattern, and rune frameworks are comparable in power. Cultivating all three simultaneously won't increase the might of one's Dao methods; it will only delay one's cultivation progress. It isn't worth the cost."
Just as he said this, an overpowering aura of a true dragon surged from within Xu Ying's body. Right before their eyes, he transformed into a true dragon!
The Far Ancestor Dragon's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "After being brothers for so many years, it turns out you're one of my descendants... Wait, no, no! This isn't my bloodline! Ah Ying, are you a Far Ancestor too?!"
Emperor Ming Xun was equally astonished and uncertain. He also sensed the aura of a Far Ancestor inside Xu Ying. It differed from the Big Dragon's aura, yet it undeniably belonged to a primordial ancestor!
The true dragon Xu Ying had become twisted and soared through the air, executing various Dao methods of the new Heavenly Dao. Even the Far Ancestor Dragon could not help nodding repeatedly, marvelling at how ingenious it was.
"Let me test the mettle of his bloodline!"
Emperor Ming Xun leapt into the air and launched an attack at Xu Ying. Xu Ying's eyes were vacant and unfocused, yet sensing the approaching danger, he reflexively unleashed various Dao methods to parry Emperor Ming Xun's assault.
Emperor Ming Xun was secretly shocked. Xu Ying had actually fended off his divine powers! Although he hadn't used his full strength, his strikes were nonetheless formidable.
For Xu Ying to block these attacks proved that his cultivation and power had grown noticeably since slaying Young Master Hongbo!
"Is this the power of the new Heavenly Dao?"
Unable to hide his excitement, Emperor Ming Xun gradually increased the force of his strikes. To his surprise, Xu Ying continued to hold his ground, showing him just how powerful the modified dragon patterns truly were!
"Ming Xun, if you keep attacking, you're very likely to hurt him!" the Ancestral God called out.
Just as Ming Xun prepared to withdraw, Xu Ying's form shifted again. From a dragon, he changed into a demon, morphing into a three-legged golden crow! Resembling the purest royal blood of the demon gods, he wielded the new Heavenly Dao methods using Dao patterns as his foundation!
He fought like a genuine golden crow, his moves shifting unpredictably, as if a Golden Crow Demon Emperor had descended upon the world.
Everyone was stunned. The Holy Venerable soared up and called out, "Let me test his new Heavenly Dao!"
Seeing this, Emperor Ming Xun immediately pulled back. The Holy Venerable engaged Xu Ying, only to find him deploying Dao pattern methods and meeting him with the bearing of a Demon Emperor!
After exchanging several rounds, the Holy Venerable, using the new Heavenly Dao methods he had comprehended, could only suppress Xu Ying slightly without ever securing a decisive advantage, leaving him secretly shaken.
After trading dozens of blows, Xu Ying shifted back into human form. Now grounded in immortal runes, he unleashed the new Heavenly Dao methods and struck toward the Holy Venerable.
"My turn!" The Far Ancestor Dragon was itching for a fight.
The Holy Venerable promptly withdrew. The Far Ancestor Dragon charged Xu Ying, his dragon-headed, human-bodied frame packed with colossal muscle. Each of his punches and kicks carried the power to shake heaven and earth, forcing Xu Ying into a steady retreat.
The Holy Venerable, Emperor Ming Xun, and the Ancestral God stood side by side, their expressions grave. The Ancestral God murmured, "Runes, Dao patterns, and dragon patterns—he switches between the three systems without the slightest friction. How did he cultivate this? Have either of you mastered even one?"
Emperor Ming Xun shook his head. "I have yet to fully comprehend the new Heavenly Dao of dragon patterns."
The Holy Venerable said, "I have not reached mastery either."
The Ancestral God looked at Xu Ying locked in battle with the Big Dragon. "Yet he wields them effortlessly. Something must have happened to him..."
Just as he spoke, Dao light burst around Xu Ying, and the Great Dao hummed as cave abysses manifested one after another, rooted in the void and brimming with surging Dao power!
"He's about to attain the Dao!"
The Ancestral God's eyes lit up, and he shouted, "Let us lend him a hand!"
The three charged forward at once, joining the Big Dragon to besiege Xu Ying, though none used their full strength.
At this moment, Xu Ying was immersed in a miraculous state of enlightenment. He didn't care in the slightest about whether he was attaining the Supreme realm; his mind and body were wholly devoted to uncovering the fundamental source shared by the three patterns. The greater the pressure the Far Ancestor, the Ancestral God, and the others exerted upon him, the closer he drew to that very source!
To the Far Ancestor and the Ancestral God, however, Xu Ying was fiercely resisting them, clearly seeking to use their pressure to force a breakthrough.
"Put more into it!" the Far Ancestor Dragon roared.
The group raised their power. The Great Dao around Xu Ying began to churn almost to a boil. Rays of colored light burst from his body, imprinting themselves onto the cave abysses. As if a critical barrier had been breached, the cave abysses suddenly expanded, drinking in the void's energy as his Dao power climbed continuously!
Simultaneously, Xu Ying's cultivation skyrocketed. Yet another profound mystery of the Great Dao crashed into him, shattering his enlightenment.
Xu Ying blinked in bewilderment and stopped abruptly, halting his attacks on the group.
"Wasn't I pondering that single, ultimate pattern? How did I suddenly attain the Supreme realm?"
Chapter 700