All the world knew that the Daodejing was authored by Laozi.
It was divided into two parts, upper and lower, comprising eighty-one chapters.
Yet what they did not know was this:
The true Daodejing, in its complete edition, held a total of one hundred and eight chapters.
And the true essence of this scripture lay within those remaining twenty-seven chapters. Embodying the Great Dao of the universe, it was the foremost visualization method under heaven!
A so-called visualization method meant that after thoroughly studying and reciting the scripture's meanings, one felt inspired in one's heart, visualizing the things of heaven and earth to comprehend various truths.
Upon this foundation, one sought a path toward the leap of life itself.
If an ordinary visualization method was akin to holding a lantern in hand that illuminated only a small section of the road ahead, requiring one to tread with extreme caution so as not to stray during the process of evolution...
...then the complete Daodejing was equivalent to directly raising a radiant sun over this evolutionary road, while concurrently opening an incomparably broad and grand thoroughfare that granted absolute clarity of purpose.
No matter how one walked, one could never go wrong.
This was the sheer power of the world's foremost visualization method—incomparable and peerless.
"The last mighty figure to possess the complete Daodejing relied on it to become invincible in the world and traverse outer space. Yet rumor has it that even after meditating on it for years, that mighty figure had only barely scratched the surface, never truly grasping its entirety. I wonder how long it will take me now that I'm bolstered by a billionfold talent."
Gazing at the ancient tome in his hands, Lu Yuan fell into deep thought.
In his memories, that mighty figure had been hailed as possessing peerless talent, a paragon of the era.
If Lu Yuan had not successfully fused with the Ancient Bodhi Tree and received the blessing of a billionfold talent, he would not have chosen to bring it out now.
Because it was simply too difficult, demanding extraordinarily high comprehension; otherwise, forcibly reading it could easily backfire.
At this moment, Lu Yuan held the complete Daodejing in his hands.
He flipped it open directly.
One character after another appeared before his eyes.
However, these characters were inscribed in oracle bone script, and he recognized virtually none of them.
Yet since it was a visualization method, one merely needed to visualize its artistic conception and conceptual essence, rather than rigorously reading every single character.
Besides, blessed with a billionfold talent, whether Lu Yuan recognized the characters or not posed no issue whatsoever.
He started from the very first chapter, proceeding with immense care. Not a single character escaped his attention as he savored each one, his mind tranquil and still.
Without realizing it, his thoughts settled completely into silence, forgetting the passage of time.
Only when he turned the final page did he gradually come back to his senses.
At that moment, however, Lu Yuan's eyes held an odd expression.
It was not that he had failed to understand; rather, he had understood every single part, completely committing it to memory until it was deeply etched into his mind.
Checking the time, merely three days had passed.
Three days.
He had accomplished in three days what had taken that mighty figure years.
"Could it be fake? No, that can't be. The most crucial part of a visualization method is comprehension and insight. Perhaps that is where the real difficulty lies." Lu Yuan felt it was too easy—so easy it seemed unbelievable. He figured memorizing the text might not be the hard part.
Without delay, he put away the ancient book and closed his eyes.
The Daodejing expounded upon the Great Dao of heaven and earth, the ultimate principles of the cosmos.
Thus, what he needed to do was harmonize with the words, envisioning a universe in his mind to observe its underlying laws.
And the instant he settled his mind, he immediately discovered that everything around him had transformed once more.
Lu Yuan saw himself seemingly seated amidst the river of stars. Before him lay brilliant galaxy upon galaxy, and within those endless star systems, massive celestial bodies rotated in the cosmos, constantly forming and dissolving.
In the distance, a supernova exploded, collapsing into a black hole that swallowed everything, while an asteroid burst with terrifying heat, as though undergoing rebirth.
The scene was breathtakingly radiant, as if he were witnessing the rise and fall of the stars and the orbital trajectories of the cosmos.
Everything was vividly distinct, unfolding right before his eyes.
Dazzling stars of various hues radiated multifaceted glows, breathing vitality and life into the desolate cosmos and embodying endless profound truths.
This was a tapestry of boundless immensity, depicting the ultimate secrets of all creation!
And Lu Yuan roamed within it, like a witness observing the beginning and end of all things.
Rumble!
Stars fractured and collapsed, letting out roaring booms.
Swaths of starlight surged endlessly into his body.
In this moment, Lu Yuan could clearly sense that the longer he visualized, the stronger his power grew.
Within his body, it felt as though an entire universe was taking shape.
Thump!
In the next moment, Lu Yuan snapped his eyes open, panting heavily as cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
Yet when he inspected his internal condition, he could not help but be shaken.
From that single brief experience, he had leaped straight from Rank Eight of the Initial Realm to Rank Nine! The power within him surged restlessly, the blood coursing through his veins like a terrifying torrent. His vital energy churned, as if a true dragon were about to burst forth from his body.
His physical constitution had ascended to an entirely new height.
And inside his mind, the innate spirit that represented his soul shone with a golden radiance far more dazzling than before.
Its form was also noticeably larger and more robust.
Body and soul had both undergone a metamorphosis at this very moment!
"The Daodejing is the premier visualization method for elevating the soul and tempering the body. Does this mean... I have successfully grasped it?"
Lu Yuan was astounded. How long had it even been? A supreme art that even mighty figures struggled to fathom for years, and he had virtually mastered it in such a short span of time.
Was it a fluke?
No!
It was the billionfold talent. Under its blessing, his aptitude had reached a terrifying degree.
At this moment, Lu Yuan was amazed not only by his own talent, but also by the sheer marvel of the complete Daodejing. A single visualization session had elevated both his physical body and his cultivation realm. A speed like this was something he had never even heard of in his past life.
It was simply unheard of, like something out of mythology.
If he persisted in this visualization year in and year out, the supreme majesty of shaking stars with brute strength, communicating with gods through the soul, and treading across stellar domains would be well within his reach.
Originally, he had still harbored worries about whether the divine artifacts he collected were truly as potent as the legends claimed.
Now, not only were they genuine, but they surpassed all expectations.
The path to the supreme summit was definitely no mere pipe dream—it was entirely viable!
"If I can bring out the true efficacy of every divine artifact, just how strong will I be when I emerge from seclusion?"
Involuntarily, Lu Yuan turned his gaze toward the remaining nine divine artifacts. Admittedly, not all of them were meant to increase his strength, fuel continuous evolution, or unlock human potential, but there were more than enough that did.
Visualizing the universe just now had indeed yielded him immense benefits.
Yet it had simultaneously placed a heavy strain on his soul, leading him to deduce that practicing this visualization method consumed soul power.
Although he could hold on, he felt there was no need to rush. There would be plenty of time in the future; there was no hurry to accomplish everything at once.
What mattered was elevating his strength another step in the short term.
After all, Lu Yuan was now merely a step away from the second realm—the Awakening Realm!
After a brief moment of thought, he locked his gaze onto another divine artifact.
The Eleven-Tier Blood Pagoda.
Fused into the body, it could render the internal organs as impervious as divine gold, indestructible!
At present, Lu Yuan's outer physique was exceptionally powerful—impervious to bullets and unbothered even by small explosives—yet his internal organs remained relatively vulnerable. If someone possessed a specialized method to strike his viscera directly, it would be virtually impossible to defend against.
Yet if he fused with the pagoda, he could attain the fabled state of inner and outer unity.
Moreover, there was another point: a special power was stored within the Eleven-Tier Blood Pagoda.
With its aid, he could break through directly into the Awakening Realm.
No sooner thought than done.
Lu Yuan took a deep breath, placed it before himself, and began at once!
Chapter 29