The true essence of survival was adaptation.
Adapting to society, adapting to the world, adapting to the universe.
To live better, one changed oneself.
The despicable disguised themselves as noble.
Morals and rules placed shackles upon everyone; to survive, one had to adapt.
Qi Yuan's Supreme Ultimate Principle was Absolute Adaptation.
"Yet adaptation... is not what I desire."
"Just to adapt, must I endure scoldings from Horned Sis without talking back?"
"If a mighty Great Ultimate Principle expert comes into my home to steal steamed buns, must I merely cower under the bed, shivering?"
"If the strong preach twisted logic to lecture me, must I simply swallow it?"
"The world is neither fair nor square—if, to survive, I can only adapt and become just one of the bustling masses..."
"This is definitely not my Dao!"
"Absolute Adaptation... and Innate, Sole, and Cycle!"
There were four categories of Supreme Ultimate Principles in total.
Absolute Adaptation was one, but what about the rest?
After all, there was no rule in this world stating that a living being could only comprehend a single Supreme Ultimate Principle.
Qi Yuan held the Blood Ascension Comprehension Pills and swallowed a few more.
His brain once again grew clear and energized.
In ancient times, when a donkey turning a millstone stopped, it was whipped.
In modern times, when a corporate worker grew weary, they bought themselves coffee.
The Blood Ascension Comprehension Pill served a purpose similar to coffee: refreshing the mind, clearing the thoughts, and making the brain spin faster.
"Innate..."
"Congenitally... deficient!"
Qi Yuan could not yet comprehend the Innate Dao.
Or rather, the Innate Dao placed far too much emphasis on pedigree and bloodline.
Qi Yuan was just an ordinary native of Blue Star, plagued by frequent illnesses and misfortunes. Where would he get any special constitution or noble background?
As for the Devouring Primordial Physique and the Myriad Dao Martial God he gained later, in Qi Yuan's eyes, those were acquired after birth.
Having grown up on Blue Star nurtured on the saying, "Are kings, generals, and ministers born into nobility?", Qi Yuan didn't feel that any bloodline was inherently superior.
In personhood, all people were equal.
"Sole..."
Qi Yuan raised an eyebrow.
"If I walk the path of Sole, I shall be the Sole Great Sun!"
From the moment Ten Suns Hovered in the Sky and provoked that figure from Taihuang Palace, Qi Yuan's Sole Ultimate Principle had already been determined.
He would not only seize the Great Sun's Venerable Position, but also rob him of his Supreme Ultimate Principle.
"So, that only leaves the Dao of Cycle!"
"Cycle... what is a cycle?"
Qi Yuan fell into deep contemplation.
Meanwhile, in the outside world, many gazes fell upon Qi Yuan.
Heavenly Venerable Wusheng narrowed his eyes, a trace of curiosity in his expression. "His Supreme Ultimate Principle has already been engraved; why does he still sit here rigidly?"
Although the Moluo Clan had no Great Ultimate Principle powerhouse, as long as Mochi was willing, the Black Demon Abyss would certainly accept him and welcome his return.
For Heavenly Venerable Mochi to remain lying before the Wall of Ultimate Principle was truly surprising.
"Could it be he wants to perceive another one?" the Great Ultimate Principle expert from Taihuang Palace laughed.
Of course, it was merely a joke.
The Sixth Heaven had never had such a precedent.
In fact, even for ordinary-grade ultimate principles, comprehending two was exceptionally rare.
Or rather, they could be counted on one's fingers.
"Since Heavenly Venerable Mochi has comprehended a Supreme Ultimate Principle, he should also be brought into the affair of the Linya Molt," a Great Ultimate Principle expert spoke up.
The other Grand Sovereigns nodded.
Comprehending a Supreme Ultimate Principle almost guaranteed that, barring premature death, one was destined to become a Great Ultimate Principle expert.
Heavenly Venerable Wusheng murmured softly, "Once he finishes, this old man shall invite him personally."
After the Ultimate Principle Dao Discussion Conference concluded, these Great Ultimate Principle powerhouses would gather to announce the matter of the Linya Molt.
Originally, the Moluo Clan lacked a Great Ultimate Principle expert and was thus unqualified to know of this.
With Mochi, however, everything was different.
"The Linya Molt... who knows how many stars will fall this time," sighed the Third Elder of the Black Demon Abyss, casting a glance toward the Astral Realm.
The Linya Molt was a tribulation.
In this tribulation, even Great Ultimate Principle experts could perish if they entered the fray.
"Who knows what this Heavenly Venerable Mochi is thinking. If he weren't still lying there, this Ultimate Principle Dao Discussion Conference would be over," a Great Ultimate Principle expert from Guiyu Heaven drawled lazily.
Normally, according to the schedule, the conference should have drawn to a close.
The Yang God Heavenly Venerables of the Ultimate Principle Society would clear the grounds, sending away all Yang Gods who had failed to comprehend an ultimate principle.
Yet Heavenly Venerable Mochi was still comprehending.
Having comprehended a Supreme Ultimate Principle, he lingered, and the Ultimate Principle Society naturally wouldn't play the villain and chase him away.
Thus, thanks to Qi Yuan, those Yang God Heavenly Venerables who had not yet grasped an ultimate principle gained extra time and a few more chances.
"Show Mochi some respect. In the future, he will be our... senior," the figure from Taihuang Palace said placidly.
Hearing this, the hearts of the Great Ultimate Principle experts present chilled slightly.
It was true.
Even between Great Ultimate Principle experts, there were tiers.
Those who comprehended Supreme Ultimate Principles were the true kings.
"This ugly freak actually looks kinda delicate and pretty from a certain angle... blech... why did he turn around?!" Horned Sis remarked exaggeratedly.
She was, of course, transmitting her voice to Qi Yuan's Divine Infant.
Reckless though she was by nature, she knew what could be spoken aloud and what could not.
"Aren't you afraid I'll report you to him?" Qi Yuan's Divine Infant said indifferently.
"Afraid of what? An upright shadow fears no crooked light! Besides... hasn't he not become a Great Ultimate Principle expert yet? Even if he does, someone at that realm stooping to bicker with me would be totally beneath him."
With that, Horned Sis stopped transmitting her voice.
"I'd really love to know what the mighty and imposing Lord Mochi is thinking. If even a scrap of the Dao he contemplates were to leak, it would probably suffice for a humble girl like me to cultivate for ten thousand years."
Speaking out loud naturally required a different demeanor; Ziyuan Daxue even pinched her voice into a sweet, slightly affected tone.
However, no one paid attention to her voice; many eyes remained fixed upon Heavenly Venerable Mochi, their thoughts churning.
"The Moluo Clan is actually gaining another Great Ultimate Principle expert who comprehended a Supreme Ultimate Principle!" Heavenly Venerable Shenxue's face looked exceedingly grim.
Heavenly Venerable Motong had killed his granddaughter; he had just forged a blood feud with the Moluo Clan and agreed to a duel against Motong.
Originally, he merely harbored misgivings toward the Moluo Clan, but did not fear them.
Without a Great Ultimate Principle expert, the Moluo Clan could never hope to slay him.
Now things were different: the Moluo Clan was gaining a Great Ultimate Principle expert, as was the Black Demon Abyss.
He felt immense pressure.
*It seems... I must heed Heavenly Venerable Da Le and join Guiyu Heaven; otherwise... I won't be able to contend with the Moluo Clan at all!* Heavenly Venerable Shenxue thought to himself.
In a few days, he would strike alongside Heavenly Venerable Da Le to slay Blood Robe, offering it as a pledge of allegiance to join Guiyu Heaven.
At this moment, Qi Yuan lay on the bed, his brow furrowed.
"What exactly is a cycle?"
"A Möbius strip with no front or back?"
"An Ouroboros symbolizing infinite recursion?"
"Or perhaps... reincarnation?"
"Yet even reincarnation cannot make the world adapt to me!"
Qi Yuan's brain spun frantically.
Memories from Blue Star and experiences from his current life flashed through his mind continuously.
Sun and moon, yin and yang, the reincarnation of heaven and earth, Bagua and Taiji, the turnings of life and death...
Sunrise and sunset, rising and falling tides, entropy increase and decrease, energy gain and loss.
He seemed to cycle through every conceivable concept related to cycles.
"These... though touching on cycles, what does the fluctuation of entropy have to do with me losing an argument to Horned Sis?"
"They seem like cycles, yet they still cannot change the overall situation; I would still have to adapt..."
"Cycle... ceaseless renewal, inextricably bound, bound... guan..."
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck Qi Yuan's mind.
"'Guan-guan cry the ospreys'?"
"No!"
"Who says a cycle must be the rotation of yin and yang or unending reincarnation?"
At this moment, Qi Yuan felt he was indulging in grand narratives again.
His framework had been too vast, which led to the ultimate principle of Absolute Adaptation.
Yet Absolute Adaptation was, to some extent, also a shackle for Qi Yuan.
Therefore, to break through this constraint, he couldn't resort to grand narratives this time.
Then...
"My Ultimate Principle of Cycle is..."
"Do As One Pleases!"
At this instant, Qi Yuan attained enlightenment.
Was 'Do As One Pleases' not a cycle?
When playing idiom solitaire, the moment 'Do As One Pleases' was uttered, it looped endlessly back into itself. Even if the Great Dao eroded into oblivion, the cycle would never end!
It was comparable to an infinitely repeating decimal.
"Do as one pleases, do as one pleases, do as one pleases... Isn't this an infinite cycle?"
"Absolute Adaptation demands adapting to the world—that goes against my true heart!"
"Therefore, I shall do as I please!"
In this instant, Qi Yuan enlightened.
So his Ultimate Principle of Cycle was named 'Do As One Pleases.'
At this moment, atop the Wall of Ultimate Principle, a purple light abruptly blazed forth with astonishing radiance.
The Great Ultimate Principle powerhouses who had been chatting froze in astonishment.
"Purple qi..." Heavenly Venerable Wusheng inhaled sharply, a look of profound shock overtaking his face.
"How is this possible?!" A Great Ultimate Principle expert's jaw dropped.
"Heavenly Venerable Mochi... he comprehended another Supreme Ultimate Principle?" Heavenly Venerable Yuehua's voice trembled.
Not far away, on Hei Jian's originally refined face, a look of astonished disbelief surfaced for the first time.
"A second Supreme Ultimate Principle?!"
He had left the Wall of Ultimate Principle not long ago, so he knew all too well how difficult it was to comprehend a Supreme Ultimate Principle.
After comprehending his first Supreme Ultimate Principle, he had also attempted to comprehend another.
Yet before the Wall of Ultimate Principle, all he saw was total chaos, his thoughts turning to mush.
To put this difficulty in Blue Star terms, it was like handing an African primary school student an advanced calculus problem written in oracle bone script and expecting them to solve it.
Thus, he had calmly departed to stabilize his ultimate principle.
"This Mochi... how did this old man never notice his extraordinary talent before?" The Third Elder of the Black Demon Abyss had an expression of sheer amazement, his heart reeling.
This was witnessing history.
"No wonder the Moluo Clan has been reluctant to pay tribute recently," Hei Jian said quietly, calming his emotions.
Even though Mochi had comprehended two Supreme Ultimate Principles—an unprecedented feat—Hei Jian remained confident that his own Supreme Ultimate Principle would sweep across the Sixth Heaven.
Every Great Ultimate Principle powerhouse who grasped a Supreme Ultimate Principle possessed such an invincible heart.
If one lost their invincible heart, it would no longer be worthy of being called a Supreme Ultimate Principle.
In fact, the grade of a Supreme Ultimate Principle might even drop.
Of course, in the entire history of the Sixth Heaven, such an occurrence had only happened once.
"This Heavenly Venerable Mochi... is an anomaly!" the Third Elder of the Black Demon Abyss remarked, a bleak edge to his voice.
He didn't know whether this was a blessing or a curse.
After all, the relationship between the Moluo Clan and the Black Demon Abyss was far from ordinary.
On the other side, Horned Sis's mouth hung wide open, her mind rattled. Only after a long silence did she say, "I admit, I judged a book by its cover."
Heavenly Venerable Mochi comprehending one Supreme Ultimate Principle had already been enough to shock every cultivator.
Now he had comprehended a second. Had there ever been a precedent for this in the Sixth Heaven?
Heavenly Venerable Wusheng's expression shifted several times before he finally said, "This... is a first in the Sixth Heaven. This Linya Molt... seems destined for many variables."
The Great Ultimate Principle expert from Taihuang Palace narrowed his eyes, looking toward Mochi with a heightened trace of wariness.
Yet remembering something, he regained his confidence once more.
"The Moluo Clan shares close ties with Taihuang Palace. It appears that in this Linya Molt, our Taihuang Palace may emerge as the victor," the Great Ultimate Principle expert from Taihuang Palace remarked nonchalantly.
The Great Ultimate Principle experts present looked at Mochi, speaking no further.
Heavenly Venerable Yuehua's expression was especially unsightly.
Moon Goddess Palace had been clashing with the Moluo Clan in the Demonic Abyss, reaping considerable gains recently. Yet compared to the Moluo Clan producing a Yang God who had comprehended two Supreme Ultimate Principles, those spoils were utterly trivial.
She lowered her head, lost in thought.
All manner of secret messages were being relayed back to the ancestors of clans and great factions.
After all, a single person comprehending two Supreme Ultimate Principles was truly unprecedented.
After an unknown duration, Qi Yuan, who had been lying in bed, finally got up.
Seeing this, Heavenly Venerable Wusheng shrank his colossal form, transforming into a kindly old immortal, and landed beside Qi Yuan. "Congratulations, Fellow Daoist, on comprehending two Supreme Ultimate Principles and attuning to the supreme Dao!"
Heavenly Venerable Wusheng was a founding elder of the Ultimate Principle Society, holding an exalted status, yet before Qi Yuan, he assumed a very humble posture.
"Sigh, what a pity my talent is so low that I only comprehended two Supreme Ultimate Principles. Whenever my cultivation realm improves, I'll come back to comprehend the remaining two," Qi Yuan said earnestly.
Right now, he was only at the Purple Mansion Realm.
At the Purple Mansion Realm, comprehending two Supreme Ultimate Principles was already pushing his limits.
If he comprehended any more, Qi Yuan feared his head would explode.
Hearing this, Heavenly Venerable Wusheng froze.
He never expected such a reply.
After all, comprehending one was already excruciatingly difficult, and comprehending two was unheard of. Yet this man spoke of comprehending the rest?
Nevertheless, he chuckled and said, "Then I congratulate Fellow Daoist in advance on fulfilling your wish."
Saying so, he swiftly added, "Fellow Daoist has just comprehended Supreme Ultimate Principles, which have not yet stabilized. The Moluo Clan has no Great Ultimate Principle powerhouse and cannot assist you in steadying them. Would Fellow Daoist be willing to bring the Moluo Clan into our Ultimate Principle Society? Several elders of our Ultimate Principle Society will personally stabilize the ultimate principles for you!"
Supreme Ultimate Principles were sacred and mysterious. Even for a typical Yang God, once comprehended, it was extremely difficult to stabilize and engrave them onto their flesh and soul. This required other Great Ultimate Principle experts to lend a hand, shortening the required time. This was why, immediately after comprehending and engraving his Supreme Ultimate Principle, Hei Jian had left at once so the Third Elder of the Black Demon Abyss could stabilize it for him. Now, Heavenly Venerable Wusheng directly extended an invitation.
"Hey, your Ultimate Principle Society is crossing the line! The Moluo Clan shares the same origin as our Black Demon Abyss; he ought to return to us!" The Third Elder of the Black Demon Abyss rushed forward at this moment, an anxious look on his face.
At any other time, he might have worried that Mochi's return would usurp their roost. But with the Linya Molt imminent, every shred of formidable combat power had to be seized. Hei Jian did not object to this either.
"Why not come to my Taihuang Palace?" The Great Ultimate Principle expert from Taihuang Palace also stepped forward, extending an olive branch.
"Come to my White Dragon Abyss!" a Great Ultimate Principle expert from the White Dragon Abyss called out.
Hearing this, the Great Ultimate Principle experts present showed shocked looks. While invitations from the other factions were understandable—since they had Great Ultimate Principle powerhouses who commanded Supreme Ultimate Principles and didn't fear Mochi taking over their nest—the White Dragon Abyss possessed no such powerhouse.
"No thanks. I'm used to wandering freely and don't care to be tied down," Qi Yuan refused outright. After all, joining these factions would definitely require signing numerous agreements. Furthermore, once he revealed that his enemy was that certain someone from Taihuang Palace, endless wrangling would surely ensue.
Hearing this, the Great Ultimate Principle experts present were slightly surprised, while others nodded in understanding, saying no more.
"Since Fellow Daoist is unwilling, we will not force you. There will be a small gathering tomorrow evening, and we hope Fellow Daoist will attend. Farewell." Heavenly Venerable Wusheng handed an invitation to Heavenly Venerable Mochi, then vanished.
He certainly hadn't just given up; he needed to return and discuss with the other elders how best to recruit Heavenly Venerable Mochi into the Ultimate Principle Society.
The other Great Ultimate Principle experts offered their congratulations one after another before departing in succession. Soon, Qi Yuan was the only one remaining where he stood.
Suddenly, he turned his gaze toward Ziyuan Daxue, his eyes turning sharply piercing. "Hey, being ugly isn't a crime. How can you go judging people by their looks?"
Pinned under that gaze, Ziyuan Daxue's heart clenched, and her face went pale.
Seeing this, Qi Yuan felt rather smug. Comprehending a Supreme Ultimate Principle was indeed useful—even Horned Sis no longer dared to quarrel with him.
"Stop judging people by their appearance. Everyone is equal." Having said that, Qi Yuan vanished into thin air as well.
Ziyuan Daxue stood blankly where she was, her nerves tightly wound, cold sweat soaking her camisole tank top. Just a moment ago, she had genuinely felt on the brink of death.
*Why did that Mochi feel somewhat familiar to me?*
*And... Blood Robe, did you rat me out?!!*
Chapter 446