"There must be a true heritage to these Daos! A true heritage that transcends Dao Masters, transcends Dao Venerables!"
Xu Ying remained in this forbidden zone, carefully studying the divine power brandings left behind by Emperor Haotian. When he had first arrived at the other shore, he had entered this very forbidden zone, comprehending Emperor Haotian's divine power here—the Firmament of Divine Powers.
To this day, the Firmament of Divine Powers remained one of his most formidable divine powers.
Returning to this place now, when he looked at these divine powers again, he no longer saw mere divine powers, but the Great Daos themselves. He observed the Daos woven within the structure of these divine powers, noting the depth and potency of each Dao's power.
"The depth of power in each of these Daos is virtually identical. It seems that back then, Emperor Haotian had already realized the principle that within Taiyi, one's nature is self-sufficient. If only he had lived until today..."
Xu Ying sighed. A peerless genius of a generation, brilliantly unrivaled, yet cut down prematurely on the other shore after all.
The other shore no longer tolerated such geniuses.
Steeling his resolve, he delved into the brandings left by Emperor Haotian; perhaps the secret lay hidden within them.
—
No sooner had Grand Dao Lord Taiyi stepped out of Tianjue City than a chariot came speeding after him in hot pursuit.
This chariot was none other than Dao Master Luo's carriage, driven by Taishi at blistering speed.
Man and carriage moved with astonishing swiftness, tearing through the void one after the other. Before long, they flew past the continent of the other shore and out into outer space.
Just as the chariot prepared to close the distance, Grand Dao Lord Taiyi ahead suddenly ceased fleeing and came to a halt, standing motionless.
The carriage halted as well. The curtain lifted, and Dao Master Luo looked outside.
Tianchengzi strolled forward, entering his line of sight.
Dao Master Luo raised a brow. At that moment, another Dao Master appeared in his view—a hulking figure with imposing, sinewy muscles, wreathed in swirls of dark mist.
"Ming King Lingyan."
Dao Master Luo's expression remained serene. "A mere Lingyan, coupled with a mere Tiancheng and a Taiyi who has yet to become a Dao Master, are nowhere near my match."
Just then, another Dao Master entered his sight—a woman clad in a white dress. Dao Master Luo's expression shifted slightly. "Sacred King Xuannü! Was this ancient god awakened by Xu Ying, or by Taiyi?"
Dao Master Qixian of Baling approached slowly, exuding an overbearingly domineering aura. In bygone days, he too had been an exceptionally mighty figure, though unfortunately slain by Dao Master Luo.
Then, another six or seven figures of Dao Masters came into Dao Master Luo's view.
Though Dao Master Luo had felt a flicker of alarm at first, he suddenly calmed down and sneered, "A pack of clay chickens and pottery dogs. Taiyi, do you really think that by using yourself as bait to lure me here, I walked into your ambush? How do you know I wasn't the one ambushing you?"
Dao Master Qixian of Baling suddenly raised his hand, and a rounded stone hammer tens of thousands of times larger than the carriage plummeted from the heavens, smashing the carriage into fine powder with a thundering crash!
Yet when the stone hammer reached three feet above Dao Master Luo's head, it could descend no further. Dao Master Luo sat upon an azure lotus platform. The azure lotus swayed slightly, overflowing with spiritual radiance that held up the massive stone hammer.
Dao Master Luo looked around at the circle and chuckled. "Fellow Daoists, back then you were defeated by my hand, and today you remain my defeated foes. Even if you join forces, you will still fall before me."
"Not necessarily," the white-clad Sacred King Xuannü spoke softly. "Back then, Fellow Daoist Luo picked us off one by one, but today we arrive together."
Ming King Lingyan sneered, "Back then, Fellow Daoist Luo, Fellow Daoist Hua, and Fellow Daoist Lin employed stratagems to provoke internal strife among us before picking us off one by one. Today, united in heart and purpose, the wheel of fortune may well turn—and today might just be the day you are buried here."
Dao Master Luo replied indifferently, "You have been dead for so long, whereas I have cultivated for more than a hundred million years longer than you. Surely you cannot be blind to the gulf between us? Furthermore, I govern a grand chiliocosm of universes, and the Daos of these universes have all been thoroughly comprehended by me. Seeking to oppose me is nothing short of courting death."
His aura erupted violently. In an instant, the Dao of the Soul of the entire universe of the other shore was mobilized by him, blessing his body!
At this moment, Dao Master Luo's aura grew unimaginably profound, as though the souls of countless living beings from antiquity to the present were gathered upon him, rendering his soul supremely formidable—so much so that even the most majestic ancient gods could not hold a candle to him!
In the next instant, visions of a grand chiliocosm of universes surfaced behind Dao Master Luo. The countless universes under the dominion of the other shore had their Daos of the Soul fully summoned by him as well!
The primordial spirits of Tianchengzi, Ming King Lingyan, and the others trembled violently, their souls nearly ripped out from their primordial spirits to fall under Dao Master Luo's control!
The Dao Master Luo of today was simply too terrifying. Even though they were sovereigns of the Great Daos, facing Dao Master Luo instilled in them a sense of insurmountable defeat!
Grand Dao Lord Taiyi suddenly spoke up, "Brother Luo also possesses many innate numinous treasures. The innate numinous treasures of the grand chiliocosm of universes were divided among Hua, Luo, and Lin. With these treasures in hand, Brother Luo is naturally invincible."
Dao Master Luo smiled faintly and said softly, "Taiyi, you were a person of noble bearing; why stoop to playing the bandit?"
Grand Dao Lord Taiyi said, "Unfortunately, we invited that entity this time, who happens to counter you perfectly."
Dao Master Luo's heart skipped a beat. "Which entity?"
Grand Dao Lord Taiyi smiled slightly and said, "The very one who left you paralyzed for one hundred and twenty million years, whose Dao injury could never heal."
Dao Master Luo's face fell instantly. He had been investigating who had paralyzed him all along, but at the same time, he held immense dread toward that person.
Anyone capable of paralyzing him could undoubtedly take his life as well!
"So, Brother Luo, when clashing with us, you must take utmost care not to get hurt," Taiyi said with a gentle smile. "If you suffer a Dao injury, that fellow Daoist might strike from the past at any moment and slay you outright."
Dao Master Luo's expression changed drastically. At that very moment, Tianchengzi, Ming King Lingyan, Dao Master Qixian, Sacred King Xuannü, and the other Dao Master-level entities—ten in total—struck out in unison toward Dao Master Luo!
Hard-pressed to consider anything else, Dao Master Luo shifted his will. The void behind him instantly collapsed, and one grand, overpoweringly potent innate numinous treasure after another emerged, radiating piercing spiritual light as they surged forth!
Terrified of being wounded, he had no choice but to activate these innate numinous treasures to bombard the ten Dao Master-level beings!
*If I kill them with the numinous treasures, I won't have to risk injury!*
No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than Sacred King Xuannü stamped her foot. In an instant, icy cold Qi congealed space-time, briefly freezing even the void connecting Dao Master Luo to the grand chiliocosm of universes!
His connection with the innate numinous treasures was also slightly hindered.
Having attained the Dao Master realm as an innate deity, this woman possessed the power to freeze all things—even the Great Daos themselves—making her terrifyingly formidable.
Immediately following that, Tianchengzi inverted space-time, stretching the distance between Dao Master Luo and his innate numinous treasures continuously. While the treasures appeared intimately close to Dao Master Luo, in truth they were unimaginably distant!
In the very next instant, Dao Master Qixian charged forward, seized the Myriad Phenomena Chart, and pulled back without delay.
Ming King Lingyan clasped the Heaven-Containing Pillar and tore through the void!
Tianchengzi clamped down on the Jade Emperor Gourd, Grand Dao Lord Taiyi swept away the Luotian Dao Tree, and Sacred King Xuannü snatched the Chaos Chessboard. The remaining five Dao Masters also each grabbed an innate numinous treasure, fleeing far into the distance without a single word of discussion!
Tianchengzi slashed a hand forward, cleaving space-time open. The group plunged inside and vanished without a trace in a howling rush!
Dao Master Luo froze in astonishment, followed by an explosion of rage.
"These bastards! They weren't trying to besiege me—they came to rob me!"
He was beside himself with fury. Taiyi had calculated every step, even bringing up the name of the one who had paralyzed him, all to force him into unleashing as many innate numinous treasures as possible so they could seize the chance to rob him.
Though he was a Dao Master, summoning so many innate numinous treasures at once, immense though their power might be, imposed a heavy burden on him, making it impossible to control them with perfect ease.
And the moment his control faltered, it provided these scoundrels an opening to exploit.
"Taiyi, Xuannü, plotting against an unprepared soul like me—scheming against a cripple! Shameless wretches!" Dao Master Luo cursed incessantly.
After leading the heist against Dao Master Luo and evading his pursuit, Grand Dao Lord Taiyi and the group were guided out of space-time by Tianchengzi, arriving at the edge of the Chaos Sea.
Each suppressed the restless thrashing of their captured innate numinous treasures, ensuring Dao Master Luo could not exploit any opening.
"Placing these treasures into the Chaos Sea to be nourished and cleansed can wash away Dao Master Luo's brandings within them," Grand Dao Lord Taiyi said. "Only after they are cleansed can we refine them for ourselves."
Sacred King Xuannü asked curiously, "Fellow Daoist Taiyi, how do you know such things?"
"I have several disciples who washed treasures this way," Taiyi replied, his expression unchanged. "Let us head into the Chaos Sea first, wash these treasures clean, and spend a few decades refining them. Next time we step forward to rescue the other fellow Daoists, I fear it will not be so easy, but require a bloody battle."
The others nodded in agreement and walked toward the Chaos Sea.
—
Xu Ying was completely lost in thought within the forbidden zone. By the time he finished studying all the brandings, more than ten years had flown by unnoticed.
He walked out of the forbidden zone and returned to Tianjue City.
His primordial spirit was still guarding Tianjue City. Vast and immense, it sat presiding over the void. Seen from afar, Xu Ying's primordial spirit was incomparably towering, yet it occupied no space in the physical world; when approached, it appeared just as vast as from a distance, without evoking any sensation of spatial displacement.
This was merely a subtle application of the void.
Tianjue City had now gotten onto the right track. Rarely did anyone come to cause trouble in Tianjue City, for all troublemakers had been beaten to death.
Nor did anyone outside bully the disciples of the Taiyi Dao Sect, for all who dared mistreat Taiyi's pupils had also been beaten to death.
At present, Tianjue City seemed to have become a pure land independent of the world; though the killing tribulations raged ever fiercer outside, they never reached this place.
The Taiyi Dao Sect steadily grew, flourishing more and more.
Upon his return, Xu Ying did not recall his primordial spirit, but continued sitting beneath it, uttering not a single word to anyone who came to see him.
Qingxuan, the Holy Venerable, Jiu Zeng, and the others intended to ask about his gains, but Xu Ying kept his focus drawn inward, ignoring them completely.
The crowd had no choice but to act as though Xu Ying had never returned, busying themselves with their own affairs.
Decades slipped by unnoticed like this. Gradually, the disciples of the Taiyi Dao Sect discovered that cultivating near Xu Ying seemed to accelerate their progress.
All manner of wondrous and gorgeous Dao images manifested around Xu Ying, captivating and mesmerizing. Many disciples of the Taiyi Dao Sect flocked to the area, cultivating and meditating in his vicinity.
After several more decades, Xu Ying still sat motionless, and the Dao images evoked around him had transformed into dazzling landscapes of the Great Daos.
One day, Qingxuan suddenly noticed that within the Great Dao of Taiyi wielded by Xu Ying's primordial spirit, the three hundred and fifty heavenly and earthly Daos comprising it had attained the exact same depth of cultivation.
Qingxuan was taken aback. Rubbing his eyes, he confirmed that their cultivation was indeed equally profound, with not a sliver of difference between them!
"Has he comprehended the true essence of Taiyi?"
A century had passed, and Xu Ying had finally grasped the true heritage: within Taiyi, one's nature is self-sufficient.
A look of anticipation showed on Qingxuan's face. Over the years, Xu Ying had left behind his primordial spirit to guard Tianjue City alongside them. Although no battles had broken out in the city, Tianjue City had likewise become a thorn in the side of everyone on the other shore.
"However much peace Tianjue City enjoys now is how ferocious the assault it must bear in the future," Qingxuan murmured softly. "The other two Grand Dao Lords, the three Dao Masters, and those vengeful Tianjing people will never allow a genuine pure land to exist on the other shore."
Yet, to his surprise, Xu Ying still did not awaken, remaining seated before his primordial spirit in quiet contemplation.
"Qingxuan, what is he comprehending?" The Holy Venerable walked over and inquired.
Qingxuan shook his head; he had no idea why Xu Ying had not awakened either.
"That monkey has been sitting beside Xu Ying for many years as well," the Holy Venerable said, looking toward Daoist Wukong beside Xu Ying.
Qingxuan said, "Daoist Wukong is an anomaly in the Taiyi Dao Sect who cultivates the Taishang Dao. He has never learned the Great Dao of Taiyi. However, the path he treads is the same as the Great Dao of Taiyi—absorbing other Daos. He may have comprehended something remarkable from Dao Ancestor Xu."
He paused and added, "Yuan Yu, prepare well. The reason Dao Ancestor Xu remains in seclusion is likely because he knows a violent storm is brewing. Even someone as powerful as he works this hard, which speaks volumes of the danger ahead. Neither you nor I must drag him down."
The Holy Venerable sneered, "You may boast the glorious feat of pioneering realms, but when it comes to step-by-step cultivation, you are inferior to me."
Qingxuan remained indolent, seemingly unconcerned about cultivation. Yet when the Holy Venerable observed him in secret, he saw that the rascal was always cultivating on the sly, working harder than anyone else, leaving him secretly unnerved.
In the one hundred and thirty-second year of Xu Ying entering enlightenment, Qi of Chaos suddenly descended from the heavens, draping over Tianjue City like a colossal waterfall, accompanied by the Dao voice of Chaos chiming like a bell.
For ten thousand li around Tianjue City, all could witness this spectacle, marvelling at the wonder.
Yet within Tianjue City, the view was clearer still. The disciples of the Taiyi Dao Sect could see the three hundred and fifty Daos within Xu Ying's Great Dao of Taiyi continually merging into Chaos, transforming into the Dao of Chaos.
Before long, however, they drifted back out from Chaos.
Another forty years later, Hongmeng Qi appeared over Tianjue City, arriving from the void in ten thousand li of purple Qi, presenting a magnificent sight.
The disciples of the Taiyi Dao Sect once again beheld the spectacle of myriad Daos taking refuge in the Dao of Hongmeng, leaving them clicking their tongues in wonder.
Thirty-six years later, Tianjue City seemed enveloped within an enormous Hongyuan, everything in the surroundings feeling exceedingly distant and ethereal.
They watched the spectacle of myriad Daos taking refuge in the Great Dao of Wuji.
Thirty years later, rings of reincarnation—some bright, some dark, some clear, some turbid—crisscrossed one another, enveloping Tianjue City between immense rings of reincarnation.
As reincarnation turned, Daos of space-time, gods and demons, life and death, yin and yang, the five elements, the nine palaces, the eight trigrams, and more continually transformed within reincarnation.
Another thirty years later, Tianjue City was enveloped within an immense Karma Golden Wheel, and Xu Ying's three hundred and fifty heavenly and earthly Daos transformed into Daos within karma.
Yet another thirty years passed, and the disciples of the Taiyi Dao Sect witnessed the wondrous spectacle of various Daos collapsing, turning into the Dao of Slaughter.
Thirty years after that, Hongyuans of Nirvanic Extinction slowly spun around Tianjue City.
Most within the Taiyi Dao Sect did not understand the profound significance of these occurrences, but Qingxuan understood clearly in his heart.
"Dao Ancestor Xu has applied the true heritage that 'one's nature is self-sufficient' to the Nine Innate Daos. Once his refinement of the Dao of Nirvanic Extinction succeeds, it will be time for him to emerge from seclusion."
He thought silently to himself, *Just how terrifyingly powerful will Dao Ancestor Xu be by then?*
Chapter 835