Cyclic Verification of the Nine Daos

"Is cyclic verification of the nine Daos really that difficult?" Xu Ying asked, puzzled. Just as Luo Taizong was about to speak, he snapped his mouth shut. Before him, an expanse of chaotic qi surged around Xu Ying like a boundless ocean, subsequently transforming into Hongmeng purple qi. From the Hongmeng grew the spiritual roots of a Dao tree, giving birth to the Hongyuan of the Three Realms. In mere moments, the Hongyuan underwent the transformations of Wuji and the Five Tais, returning into the hunyuan of ten thousand Daos. Immediately, myriad Daos sprang forth, Samsara emerged, Karma tangled, Calamitous Destiny surfaced, and Slaughter flared. In the end, all returned to Nirvanic Extinction, turning back into chaotic qi. This was none other than cyclic verification of the nine Daos! The very cyclic verification of the nine Daos that he had yearned for but never attained! Luo Taizong stood dumbfounded. Cyclic verification of the nine Daos sounded simple enough in theory, yet it had stumped countless individuals because of its single most critical aspect: the cyclic verification itself. The reason it was called "cyclic verification" was not merely cultivating the Nine Innate Daos, nor was it merely cycling through the nine Daos. Rather, one had to deduce one Great Dao from another, continuing down the line until all nine Great Daos were derived, forming a vast, complete cycle. Deriving Hongmeng from Taiyi, and then deriving Taiyi back from Hongmeng, such that the resulting Taiyi was entirely identical to the original without the slightest discrepancy—thus verifying the perfection of one's Great Dao of Taiyi—only that could truly be called cyclic verification. In his view, Xu Ying's cyclic verification was far from perfect; it had not been deduced from a single Great Dao and still bore the shadows of other people's cultivation arts. And yet, against all odds, Xu Ying had actually accomplished cyclic verification of the nine Daos! Xu Ying reined in his cultivation technique and said, "Even I could cultivate cyclic verification of the nine Daos. As the existence who enlightened both Tianjing and the other shore, what reason could the Dao Venerable possibly have for being unable to achieve it?" Luo Taizong replied coldly, "Because he is stupider than you." Xu Ying was both surprised and delighted. "You think so too?" Luo Taizong snorted and said, "The path you take is not true cyclic verification of the nine Daos, but an opportunistic shortcut. True cyclic verification of the nine Daos requires using any one of the nine Great Daos to deduce the other eight, and then returning to the origin without the slightest flaw. Clearly, you cannot do that." Xu Ying said petulantly, "Yet I still achieved cyclic verification of the nine Daos." Hearing this, Luo Taizong glared with wide eyes, but after a moment, he let out a dejected sigh. Indeed, the method Xu Ying used was not the orthodox way of cyclic verification of the nine Daos, yet he had achieved cyclic verification nonetheless! This baffled him completely. "There is something strange about your cyclic verification of the nine Daos. There must be some hidden mystery!" Luo Taizong declared. As brilliant as he was, he could never have anticipated that Xu Ying used post-celestial Daos to govern the innate, thereby uniting the nine Daos into one and forging a grand unification. Luo Taizong paced back and forth. No matter how much he pondered, he still could not understand how Xu Ying had achieved cyclic verification of the nine Daos. He could only set the matter aside and say, "To reach your level is already extraordinary. But the Dao Venerable cannot achieve cyclic verification of the nine Daos. If he could, he would be free of calamities and tribulations. Why would he need to shift the calamitous destiny onto my other shore?" Xu Ying froze, forced to admit there was truth in his words. "Even within the Dao Alliance, those who have truly mastered cyclic verification of the nine Daos are few and far between. Xu Ying, you and Zhangsun Shenghai have both strayed off course in your cultivation. In the future, you will both need to rectify your arts and verify whether you took a wrong path." Luo Taizong glanced at Dao Master Taiyi, finding the staid old man's appearance utterly distasteful, and said, "Taiyi, you haven't even crossed the threshold. You aren't even equal to your two disciples." Originally, he had thought Taiyi had mastered the Nine Innate Daos and traveled back to the past to sever Dao Master Luo's legs. But after interacting with Taiyi a few times, he discovered that this old man was just as he had remembered him: not particularly clever. He appreciated clever people and found their countenances pleasing. Staid figures like Dao Master Taiyi, however, looked detestable in his eyes. Yet Taiyi remained unflappable, unfazed by his insult. "The three Dao Masters—Hua, Lin, and Luo—had starting points that were far too low, following the Daos of Force, Spirit, and Soul. While the three of them possess immense talent, attempting to comprehend the Nine Innate Daos from such a lowly baseline is simply too difficult." Luo Taizong shifted the topic and continued, "As for Cenxi, Wuxi, and the others from Tianjing, they, like Taiyi, possess limited talent. If they can thoroughly master the Great Daos they cultivate, that is already good enough. Only Dao Master Tongtian is truly remarkable—to think he grasped it without a teacher, walking upon the correct path to comprehending cyclic verification of the nine Daos." He was full of praise for Dao Master Tongtian, remarking, "If I still had a Dao Alliance Token, I would certainly give him another!" Xu Ying and Taiyi also held Dao Master Tongtian in immense admiration. Years ago, when Dao Master Tongtian arrived at the other shore, he achieved immortality and attained Grand Dao Lord in a very short span. Afterward, he challenged Taiyi and defeated him. Though Taiyi lost, he was completely convinced and harbored only admiration, without a shred of resentment. "Across the boundless universe of the other shore, Dao Master Tongtian may well be the only one to achieve cyclic verification of the nine Daos," Luo Taizong said. "Given time, his achievements may even surpass mine. Yet he may not necessarily survive the trial of the other shore's calamitous destiny. If he cannot cross it, only death awaits." Critiquing everyone present and absent, he added, "As for the Dao Venerable, he has defected from the Dao Alliance for too long; his Dao arts have long fallen behind. Furthermore, the Heavenly Daos of the other shore have not yet fully recovered, so his cultivation and strength have not reached their peak. Therefore, in a battle against me, his defeat is certain!" Dao Master Taiyi said, "Brother Dao, why not take a safer approach? Resolve the calamitous destiny and slaughter tribulation of the other shore first, and then confront the Dao Venerable?" Luo Taizong laughed. "He challenged me; how could I shrink back? If I were to back down, wouldn't that be conceding inferiority to him? I must meet the challenge; I cannot flee! Besides..." His gaze was deep and dark, as if embers danced in his eyes. "The Dao Venerable is the true culprit behind the other shore's calamitous destiny! Getting rid of him and returning Tianjing's calamitous destiny to them is the only correct way to resolve it!" The fire in his eyes burned even hotter as he said to Dao Master Taiyi, "Taiyi, you believe eliminating the three Dao Masters can dissolve the calamitous destiny of the other shore, yet you do not realize you are climbing a tree to catch fish! Only eradicating the Dao Venerable and leveling Tianjing can truly dispel the calamitous destiny!" Knowing he could not persuade him to join forces, Dao Master Taiyi said, "In that case, I can only wish Brother Dao a swift victory. Taiyi takes his leave." He turned and began to leave. "Taiyi!" Luo Taizong called out. Dao Master Taiyi paused in his tracks and turned back with a look of confusion. Luo Taizong hesitated for a brief moment before smiling. "You are quite foolish, yet quite charming. If I fail to save the other shore, I will do my best to win as much time for you as possible." Taiyi's heart shook slightly. He bowed deeply toward him. "Thank you, Your Majesty!" Luo Taizong waved his hand and chuckled. "The era of ancient gods has long ceased to exist, and the ancient gods are all dead. Whence comes 'Your Majesty'? Go on, and await my good news." Dao Master Taiyi rose and departed. Luo Taizong glanced at Xu Ying and said in annoyance, "Why haven't you left yet?" Xu Ying smiled and said, "I have a favor to ask of Your Majesty. I have a friend who, like Your Majesty, is also a universal primordial spirit. Later, through a stroke of fortune, He ran off to Tianjing and became Tianjing's universal primordial spirit. Then He ran off to the other shore and became the other shore's universal primordial spirit..." Luo Taizong asked in surprise, "You mean that ancient god? He has quite some backbone—facing my imposing aura with His meager ability, He remained calm and unruffled. Although He seized my Heavenly Daos, I admire Him quite a bit. What about Him?" "Backbone?" Xu Ying was stunned, recalling the young Ancestral God's arrogant and swaggering display before Luo Taizong. Could that have been what Luo Taizong called 'backbone'? "Your Majesty, this humble subject would like to ask Your Majesty to check whether the Dao Venerable did anything fishy to my friend," Xu Ying said cautiously. Luo Taizong gave a slight nod. "Send Him in." Xu Ying hurried out of the Pantheon, called for the Ancestral God, and returned inside with Him. Luo Taizong scrutinized the Ancestral God closely. Seeing how nervous He was, with His "backbone" drastically diminished compared to before, Luo Taizong felt slightly displeased. After a moment of inspection, he said, "The Dao Venerable hasn't tampered with Him. However, while he didn't do anything to Him, this Fellow Daoist has undergone no systematic cultivation. He possesses immense power in vain, having no idea how to wield it." Xu Ying became even more respectful. "Your Majesty is also an ancient god. Could you perhaps offer some guidance to your junior?" Luo Taizong glanced at him and waved his hand. "That depends on His fortune. I will remain here over the next few days to tend to my injuries. Let Him stay outside the hall; how much He learns is up to Him. However, if He wishes to achieve greatness, He must sever Himself—sever all of His past and start from scratch. It will depend on whether He has that kind of courage." Xu Ying was both surprised and delighted. He promptly thanked him, took the Ancestral God by the arm, and walked out. The ancient god Luo Taizong sat outside the Pantheon. Xu Ying arranged for the Ancestral God to study under him, but the ancient god Luo Taizong glanced at Xu Ying and said, "My skills are not for you to learn." Xu Ying could only say to the Ancestral God, "I am staying in Tianjue City. Once you have finished learning, come find me there. Whatever you do, do not return to Tianjing. Bear that well in mind." The Ancestral God smiled. "Understood." Xu Ying did not go back inside the hall to disturb Luo Taizong. Taking his leave from the ancient god Luo Taizong, the ancient god Luo Taizong smiled and asked, "Fellow Daoist Xu, for the sake of our bond today, could you spare my son a sliver of hope for survival?" Xu Ying hesitated for a moment, then bowed. "Rest assured, Brother Dao. I will remember the favor of today." The ancient god Luo Taizong waved his hand. Xu Ying turned and left. Pondering the flaws Luo Taizong had pointed out, he continued circulating the cyclic verification of the nine Daos, verifying the Nine Innate Daos again and again. Even before besieging Luo Taizong, he had already realized that something was amiss with his cyclic verification of the nine Daos. When he started verifying the other innate Daos beginning from the Great Dao of Nirvanic Extinction, by the time he deduced Nirvanic Extinction from the Dao of Slaughter, he found that the Great Dao of Nirvanic Extinction he derived was not entirely identical to the Nirvanic Extinction he had started with. Later, when he conducted the cyclic verification starting from the Great Dao of Taiyi, he found that the Great Dao of Taiyi obtained after a full cycle was likewise inconsistent with the initial Great Dao of Taiyi. Previously, he had never known the reason. Only after this conversation with Luo Taizong did he understand why. Luo Taizong himself had not achieved cyclic verification of the nine Daos, so naturally he could not guide him on how to resolve this phenomenon. Thus, Xu Ying performed cyclic verification over and over again, continuously refining his various Daos. On the outside he appeared normal, yet within his body, the various Daos flowed ceaselessly, rectifying the shortcomings of each Dao round after round. As the nine Daos circulated, his mastery over the nine Great Daos steadily rose, gradually converging toward the same level. "Cyclic verification of the nine Daos is somewhat similar to the self-sufficiency of one's nature. Yet unlike the self-sufficiency of one's nature, it requires constant cultivation. The ultimate goal of cyclic verification of the nine Daos is merely to attain that state of inherent self-sufficiency!" Xu Ying could not help but become lost in thought, and suddenly an idea surfaced. "Is cyclic verification of the nine Daos truly the correct method? The powerhouses of the Dao Alliance all strive to reach the realm of cyclic verification of the nine Daos, using it as the foundation to break through to the next realm. But what if... cyclic verification of the nine Daos is wrong?" Once this thought arose, it could no longer be suppressed. "Why must it be cyclic verification of nine Daos? Why can't it be cyclic verification of ten Daos? Why can't it be cyclic verification of eleven Daos? Why can't it be that no verification is needed at all, and I myself form an independent, self-contained system?" Without realizing it, he sank into deep meditation. Though his feet never stopped walking toward Tianjue City, and though the nine innate Great Daos continued to cycle relentlessly within his body, his spirit had wandered far beyond. He did not even know when he had returned to Tianjue City. When Qingxuan, Jiu Zeng, and the others exchanged greetings and spoke to him, Xu Ying answered each in turn. When Gong Jiexuan walked up to greet him with a bright smile, Xu Ying smiled and returned her courtesy. Seeing this, Qingxuan pulled the Holy Venerable aside and said, "Yuanyu, Dao Ancestor Xu's state isn't right. I fear he has had another epiphany and his spirit is wandering." The Holy Venerable sized up Xu Ying from head to toe and shook his head. "He looks just like he always does. There is no way his spirit is wandering in enlightenment!" Qingxuan said, "Right now, he has let his subconscious take over his body. Whether dealing with people, handling affairs, or discussing Dao arts, it is all being done by his subconscious." Gong Jiexuan also sensed that something seemed off with Xu Ying. She studied him carefully, but Xu Ying appeared completely normal, with no discernible difference. When she asked Xu Ying about the cyclic verification of the nine Daos, Xu Ying answered fluently, offering ingenious insights at every turn that left her in awe of his genius. The more they talked, the better they hit it off, even going so far as to spar and demonstrate Dao arts. After several exchanges with Xu Ying, Gong Jiexuan was struck with boundless admiration at the evolutions of his Dao arts. Spending time with him, she unknowingly felt admiration stirring in her heart. Before long, that admiration quietly turned into romantic affection, causing her to shudder inwardly: 'How could I develop feelings for an outsider?' Yet after spending these days together, she was captivated by Xu Ying's vast erudition and remarkable talents. She thought to herself, 'Apart from Father, he is the most knowledgeable and enlightened. If I could forge a good marriage with him, this life would not be in vain.' Watching the young man and woman grow increasingly intimate in their demeanor, Qingxuan and the Holy Venerable could not help exchanging looks. "Should we remind Lady Gong that the one inside Dao Ancestor Xu is merely his subconscious, not his true self?" Qingxuan asked. The Holy Venerable blinked and chuckled. "Why remind her? This is far more amusing." However, Dao Master Wuxi, who accompanied Gong Jiexuan, caught their words. Startled, he observed Xu Ying closely and indeed found something fishy beneath the surface. He quickly informed Gong Jiexuan. Upon hearing this, Gong Jiexuan was both mortified and exasperated. "The one being intimate with me all these days wasn't Master Xu, but a subconscious left behind in his physical shell?!" How could she have ever experienced such a thing? Without even bidding farewell, she fled in a hurry. Several months later, Dongxuanzi and his party returned to Tianjing. Seeing them, Consort Bi Niangniang was utterly astonished and asked, "Fellow Daoists, why have you returned from the other shore? Could it be that Luo Taizong's strength is so formidable that it forced you back?" Dongxuanzi smiled and said, "Niangniang, Luo Taizong possesses formidable might, and his battle with the Dao Venerable is imminent. We felt compelled to come and offer our assistance." Consort Bi Niangniang said, "You are most thoughtful." Dongxuanzi asked, "Where is the Dao Venerable? We shall pay our respects to him first." At that moment, the Dao Venerable's voice rang out: "Fellow Daoists, I have already arrived." Everyone looked over to see the Dao Venerable, still in the guise of a youth in yellow robes, strolling unhurriedly toward them. The crowd hastened to salute him. The Dao Venerable returned the courtesy and smiled. "My victory over Luo Taizong is already well in hand; I had not expected it would still disturb you all. Fellow Daoists, you bear weighty responsibilities, so please return to the other shore." Cenxi smiled and asked, "Does the Dao Venerable have ten-tenths certainty?" The Dao Venerable smiled faintly and said leisurely, "Though not ten-tenths, eight or nine tenths is certainly there. Fellow Daoists, return quickly." Hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and prepared to return to the other shore. Dongxuan smiled and said, "Dao Venerable, I would like to inquire about the Great Dao of Nirvanic Extinction. Has the Dao Venerable's Great Dao of Nirvanic Extinction already reached the Dao Master realm?"