"Where does the Dao power in the void come from?"
This question truly stumped Xu Ying.
When cultivators cultivated, they needed to open or summon cave abysses. Relying on Xu Ying's method of opening cave abysses, the Three Realms had broken free from the fate of being harvested. As long as one cultivated the New Dao and attained a certain level of cultivation, one could open a cave abyss in the void. Immortal spiritual qi gathered within a cave abyss, condensing into immortal mountains.
From higher-grade cave abysses, what surged forth was Dao power.
In this manner, the dilemma of insufficient immortal spiritual qi and Dao power within the universe was resolved, allowing cultivators to advance to higher realms far more swiftly.
For this very reason, Xu Ying had become the New Dao's Dao Ancestor in the Three Realms!
Yet even though he was a Dao Ancestor and had founded the method to open cave abysses, he had never truly pondered the question of where the Dao power within the void originated.
Not only him, but other universes such as the other shore, Tianjing, and the Spirit Realm had also developed methods of opening cave abysses to enhance their cultivators' strength, rather than merely drawing upon their native universes' immortal spiritual qi and Dao power.
Coincidentally, cultivators across all these universes had embarked upon the path of opening cave abysses.
Yet neither the cultivators nor the Dao Ancestors of those universes seemed ever to have wondered: why would immortal spiritual qi, or the Dao power of various Great Daos, surge forth from the void of a cave abyss?
"Weiyang, have you discovered something?" Xu Ying inquired.
Yuan Weiyang raised her hand gently, and a fiery cave abyss materialized, blazing with raging immortal fire. Taking Xu Ying's hand, she flew toward the immortal flames and said with a smile, "I think the void might not be completely empty. The void might generate energy, generate Great Daos. Perhaps the void itself is the very essence of the Dao!"
These words bordered on heresy, defying all common knowledge.
Since antiquity, countless people had expounded on the essence of the Dao. Those who cultivated Chaos believed Chaos was the essence of the Dao; those who cultivated Hongmeng believed Hongmeng was the source of all things and the true essence. Some even believed Nirvanic Extinction was the Dao's final end!
Yet no one had ever proposed that the void was the essence of the Dao.
This was because the void was utterly empty. Even if a Great Dao entered the void, it would be nihilated until nothing remained.
If not even the Great Daos of heaven and earth could survive within the void, how could it possibly be the essence of the Dao?
Holding his hand, Yuan Weiyang drifted with him through the sea of fire, passing through layer upon layer of immortal flames. As they ventured deeper into the flame cave abyss, the fire grew increasingly intense and pure.
Suddenly, as if passing through some peculiar barrier, they transitioned from the flames into an ocean.
Swimming through the waters like fish, Xu Ying was filled with astonishment. A moment ago, he and Yuan Weiyang had clearly been inside a fiery cave abyss, so why had they abruptly entered a cave abyss of water?
How the transition had occurred was something even he, a Hongmeng Dao Master, had failed to discern!
"The void is non-being—not the non-being of Wuji, but true nothingness."
Yuan Weiyang led him toward the deepest reaches of this cave abyss. The deeper they went, the closer they drew to the void. She said, "Non-being is simultaneously being. Boundless non-being and boundless being are two sides of the same coin. In boundless non-being, being is born from nothingness; in boundless being, non-being is born from existence, devouring being."
Xu Ying only half-understood her interpretation of the void, but he followed her deeper into the cave abyss.
When they reached the end of this cave abyss and entered the void, they suddenly crossed into yet another cave abyss.
This one was a Five Elements cave abyss, containing the five Daos of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, filled with diverse and wondrous Five Elements immortal mountains and Five Elements qi.
"Being is replete with attributes: water and fire, the Five Elements, the Nine Palaces, the Nine Innate Daos. But non-being has no attributes. When the energy within the void is endowed with attributes, it becomes being."
Holding Xu Ying's hand, she drifted gracefully forward, passing through the Five Elements qi before suddenly entering a stretch of void. Crossing that void, they abruptly arrived inside a Creation cave abyss.
Within that Creation cave abyss, a colossal divine being sat upon Xuandu Jade Capital Mountain. A look of astonishment crossed his face, and he turned to watch the two fly past him.
"It's Xuhuang's creation body!"
Bewilderment surfaced on Xu Ying's face as well. He glanced back at Xuhuang, but Yuan Weiyang pulled him onward at high speed.
"Wait, this isn't Weiyang's cave abyss!"
Thoroughly bewildered, Xu Ying murmured, "How are you able to enter someone else's cave abyss?"
Yuan Weiyang turned back with a radiant smile. "Over these years of studying the Dao of the Void, I have increasingly felt the boundless being within the void. In my Dao heart, the boundary between being and non-being has grown ever more blurred. Being can be non-being, and non-being can be being. It is precisely because of non-being that being can exist. Cave abysses are simply wells dug into the void to draw energy. When we traverse the void and enter these wells, what is so strange about that?"
Following her through successive tiers of the void, Xu Ying entered Dao Ancestor Yuqing's Wuji cave abyss. Dao Ancestor Yuqing was in the midst of comprehending the subtleties of Wuji when he suddenly opened his eyes to find the two flying past him, his face filled with shock.
Next, they entered the Ancestor of Earth Immortals' cave abyss, where the Ginseng Fruit Tree at Wuzhuang Temple radiated brilliant light, connecting to the Great Daos of heaven and earth. Opening his eyes, the Ancestor of Earth Immortals smiled. "Fellow Daoists, care to join me for tea?"
Xu Ying voiced his thanks, yet re-entered the void alongside Yuan Weiyang.
Along the way, Yuan Weiyang led him diving into one cave abyss after another. They were pursued by the Demon Ancestor's Primordial Spirit and witnessed Daoist Taiqing refining elixir pills. At Mount Sumeru, they encountered great Buddhas stationed in the void; astonished beyond measure, the Buddhas turned their heads one after another to gaze at them.
Xu Ying offered an apology. "Weiyang and I are comprehending the mysteries of the void. Forgive us for disturbing your cultivation!"
The Buddhas watched them depart. The Ancestor Buddha rushed over upon hearing the news, only to find the two had already vanished into the void without a trace.
The Ancestor Buddha said in amazement, "Have they comprehended the mystery of emptiness and non-being?"
Yuan Weiyang led Xu Ying as they traversed one cave abyss after another, guiding him to discover the profound mysteries of how the void's energy transformed into different forms of Dao power. Witnessing all this, Xu Ying could not help but become captivated by the wonders of the void.
Never before had he realized the void was so wondrous, or that the energy within the void was so extraordinary.
Yuan Weiyang's discourse on being and non-being was an eye-opening revelation for him.
Suddenly, Yuan Weiyang took his hand and leaped, piercing through multiple tiers of the void. In the next breath, the two surpassed the thirty-six tiers of the void and continued flying outward!
Xu Ying felt a sudden jolt of alarm, sensing the terrifying dread of Great Daos tearing apart, yet Yuan Weiyang did not stop. She pulled him forward in a mighty leap.
All at once, Xu Ying felt as though he had vaulted beyond the void boundary of the Three Realms universe, arriving at the void elevation of the Chaos Sea!
"Husband, look!"
Yuan Weiyang pointed downward, smiling. "This is the true nature of cave abysses!"
Xu Ying focused his gaze, his mind trembling. Below, the Three Realms were held within reality by multiple tiers of the void, each tier far vaster than the Three Realms themselves!
Meanwhile, the cave abysses of the cultivators in the Three Realms resembled wells of various sizes plunged into the void, drawing up its energy.
As these wells rotated, the cultivators' divine consciousnesses created matter within the void, utilizing its energy to form immortal mountains.
It was the cultivators' comprehension of the Dao that allowed energy to be endowed with distinct attributes as they opened cave abysses and drew upon the void.
In other words, the Daos acquired variety!
Xu Ying's mind buzzed as many of his long-held, established notions crumbled away.
An existence who had attained Dao Master like him could hardly have his Dao heart shaken, nor would he easily alter his perceptions. Yet the spectacle Yuan Weiyang revealed to him was truly staggering!
Yuan Weiyang looked at him eagerly, longing for his praise of her discovery.
All these years, she had devoted herself entirely to studying the void, neglecting her study and comprehension of other Great Daos. Many had failed to understand why she would investigate such an obscure path among the three thousand Great Daos, yet she had relished it, thoroughly immersed in its pursuit.
Even when Xuhuang and others returned from the other shore, opening Dao arenas to impart supreme techniques from the other shore, she had not attended the lectures.
Disliking social interaction, she had delved into the Dao of the Void alone for so long; only before Xu Ying did she speak and smile freely, and she deeply yearned for the approval of the one she loved.
After a long silence, Xu Ying murmured, "Weiyang, you are incredible. This may not be the secret of the Great Daos, but it is certainly the secret of the void. You might have uncovered the source of the Dao tides! This is simply miraculous..."
"The Dao tides?" Yuan Weiyang looked puzzled.
His spirits lifted, Xu Ying recounted the Dao tide that had occurred in the Tianjing universe, adding, "I suspect the Dao tides might be a curious reaction in the void of the Chaos Sea that drains a universe of its energy!"
His eyes flickered as he continued, "It isn't that the Great Daos of heaven and earth dissipate and cease to exist; rather, the energy of those Great Daos is drained away! The Great Daos of heaven and earth remain, but stripped of all power! Thus, rather than calling it a Dao tide, it would be more accurate to call it a Void tide!"
Yuan Weiyang blinked. "You mean the Great Daos emerge during the formation of a universe, inherently lacking energy, and only acquire power because the void endows them with it. Is that right?"
Xu Ying clapped his hands firmly, smiling. "Precisely!"
Yuan Weiyang continued, "Universes drift within the Chaos Sea, and the energy of the Great Daos in each universe is largely consistent, fluctuating only slightly to create differences in strength between the same Daos. Yet occasionally a phenomenon occurs where the void ceases to endow energy and abruptly drains it away, causing a Dao tide!"
Xu Ying's eyes gleamed. "I suspect the same. I believe a Void tide renders the Great Daos powerless, creating an energy vacuum, which caused all cultivators in Tianjing—including Dao Masters—to lose their power. Even a terrifying existence like the Dao Venerable was helpless against it."
"Then where do Void tides come from?" Yuan Weiyang asked.
Xu Ying was equally baffled. A Void tide was a phenomenon, but what caused it?
"Still, Weiyang, this discovery of yours resolves a major dilemma for me!"
Unable to contain his excitement, Xu Ying laughed. "I had been pondering how to integrate the Dao of the Void with the Nine Innate Daos. Before, I only considered how to incorporate the Dao of the Void among them to make it part of my bodily Hongyuan! Now I understand: why must I integrate it? The void has no need to blend in—empowerment from the void is the key!"
The problem that had plagued him for centuries suddenly unraveled, and Xu Ying couldn't help bursting into laughter.
"This is accommodating without assimilating! The void and the Nine Daos are not merged; they run alongside each other, complementing one another! I am finally about to step beyond the Nine Innate Daos! Weiyang, taking this step means going where no one has gone before!"
He was wildly thrilled, yet also deeply apprehensive.
This was uncharted territory, signifying great achievement, but also immense difficulty.
If he set foot upon this path, he would have no predecessors to learn from!
Because no one walked ahead of him.
He would be the predecessor!
A predecessor might venture far, or perish along the way!
Yuan Weiyang was delighted for him as well, saying with a smile, "I was never able to help you much before, but now I finally have. Staying here too long is bad for your body. Let's return and talk further."
Noticing that he was being nihilated at an accelerating rate that was growing difficult to bear, Xu Ying nodded hastily.
Leaving the multiple tiers of the void, the two shared in their joy while delving into the Dao of the Void. Xu Ying aimed to elevate his mastery of the void, while Yuan Weiyang aimed to use void empowerment to grasp the Nine Innate Daos herself.
As the one-month deadline approached, Xu Ying and Yuan Weiyang also began shaping the Void Realm within the Three Realms to prepare for the Void Assembly.
***
The other shore.
The peace talks between Dao Master Taiyi and Dao Master Lin convened as scheduled. At this time, the other shore was peaceful, with myriad matters awaiting revival, and countless eyes watched the outcome of the negotiations.
The other shore's calamitous destiny had also subsided, with no killing tribulations arising; it seemed everything would pass, heralding a brighter future.
Dao Master Taiyi arrived at Hushan Pavilion alongside numerous Dao Masters, and Dao Master Tongtian came in person as well. Lin Chuanting welcomed them, and both sides spoke frankly within Hushan Pavilion, discussing the affairs of the realm.
The talks proceeded with extraordinary smoothness. Dao Master Lin voluntarily entered seclusion, relinquishing all authority and handing over the innate numinous treasures under his control, solely to pursue the Dao.
Dao Master Taiyi was thoroughly surprised, but with Dao Master Lin proving so cooperative, he could hardly pursue a path of total annihilation, resulting in satisfaction for all.
Dao Master Lin surrendered the more than three hundred innate numinous treasures under his command, and Hushan Pavilion withdrew from Daoji Heaven, relocating to the mortal realm.
With everything waiting to be rebuilt, and having suffered catastrophic casualties from the calamitous destiny, Dao Master Taiyi issued an edict regarding the New Sacred Clan. It granted them a measure of authority, allowing more young powerhouses from the myriad universes to enter the other shore and become part of the New Sacred Clan.
Upon arriving at the other shore, the New Sacred Clan was permitted to study and comprehend Dao methods and Dao scenes freely, and to open cave abysses at will.
If any could become a Dao Master on the other shore, they would be recognized as an other shore Dao Master on equal footing with the others, bestowed innate numinous treasures, and permitted to establish an order and manor in Daoji Heaven!
However, this edict met with fierce opposition from many Dao Masters, who argued that the arrival of the New Sacred Clan would inevitably encroach upon the living space of the Old Sacred Clan.
Now Taiyi had even opened the Dao Master realm to them; in the future, the Old Sacred Clan might not even retain a share of the Dao Master seats!
The Dao Masters sought out Taiyi repeatedly, protesting with heated words to demand the revocation of the edict, nearly coming to blows.
"If this continues, the true Sacred Clan will become a minority on the other shore, while the New Sacred Clan becomes the majority! The other shore's ruin will be just around the corner!"
With the Luotian Seal in one hand, Taiyi suppressed all the Dao Masters and reasoned earnestly, "Less than thirty percent of the other shore's population remains, and everything has been reduced to ruins. We need people to rebuild the other shore; otherwise, it will decline. When the other shore is strong, the myriad universes are lambs to the slaughter; if the other shore falls, the myriad universes will turn into hungry wolves, devouring us piece by piece!
"The New Sacred Clan edict serves first to select the elites of the myriad universes to fill our vacancies and rebuild the other shore, and second to weaken those universes! Besides, we are the ones setting the rules, not them! Once the other shore flourishes again, rescinding the edict will take nothing more than a word!
"Gentlemen, you must understand my painstaking intentions!"
Taiyi continued to implement the edict. Although it remained in effect, it inflicted severe damage on the interests of the various Dao Masters, whose discontent only deepened.
Even so, the other shore recovered at a visible pace. Countless members of the New Sacred Clan crossed the Chaos Sea aboard emerald rock multi-decked vessels to rebuild the other shore and restore its lands.
Dao Master Taiyi felt a measure of gratification, but suddenly remembered something: "Xu Ying left the other shore long ago, and before departing, he urged me to meet Dao Master Haining and ask about his views on the calamitous destiny. Preoccupied with affairs lately, I forgot all about it."
He hurried to find Hainingzi, only to discover Gong Jiexuan and her companions packing their belongings, preparing to set off for Tianjing.
"Though we became Dao Masters on the other shore, we remain people of Tianjing at our core. Now that Tianjing is empty, we must return,"
Gong Jiexuan said to Dao Master Taiyi. "After we leave, Brother Dao, you must remain vigilant against Lin Chuanting, lest all your efforts come to naught."
Dao Master Taiyi expressed his thanks and explained the reason for his visit.
Hainingzi said, "The other shore's calamitous destiny has merely fallen dormant for now; it has not been eradicated. It could erupt again at any moment."
A chill ran through Dao Master Taiyi's heart. "Is there a solution?"
Hainingzi cast him a glance. "Karma gives rise to calamitous destiny. Had Jiangningzi still been alive, there might have been a way: he could have unraveled the other shore's karma, and I could have dissolved the calamitous destiny. But Jiangningzi is dead, and I am powerless on my own."
Taiyi gave his thanks and watched them depart, a bold idea suddenly taking root in his mind.
*If the other shore wishes to prevent the calamitous destiny from rising again, it must repay heaven and earth's karma as much as possible! And the greatest karma lies with the Dao Masters!*
Exhaling a breath of turbid air, he thought silently, *At the Qionghua Island gathering one hundred and twenty million years ago, I should have slaughtered every future Dao Master. But doing so now is still not too late.*
Chapter 884