Karma

The Fate Dao Ancestor did not rush Yaoguang, waiting with immense patience instead. For the outcome was already foreordained. Under the power of fate, Yaoguang's ultimate choice was destined not to waver in the slightest. After reflecting with a sigh for a moment, Yaoguang said no more, turning his gaze back to look seriously upon his entire life. Whatever the case, this was how his life had unfolded. Along the way, he had witnessed sights that many could never hope to see in a lifetime, attaining a breadth of existence that ordinary mortals could never fathom. In that respect, he ought to thank the Fate Dao Ancestor. To that end, even though he knew full well his ultimate fate was to serve as Fate's pawn in a final showdown against the Nine Rulers, his worldview and values would still compel him to see it through. This, too, aligned perfectly with Fate's design. Whether in his attitude toward the Nine Cauldrons Sect, the Cangwu Realm, or Beihai Star, every choice proved that he was never someone utterly devoid of moral principles. And a person with moral principles would naturally abide by moral constraints, willingly accepting his role as a chess piece to repay the gifts bestowed upon him throughout this life. And yet... In the end, he could not resist asking, "I want to know—do you have a backup plan? If I were to irresponsibly abandon everything right now, cast aside the moral shackles imposed on me by the outside world, and choose outright to stand with the Hunyuan Realm, dragging you, the Fate Dao Ancestor who plotted my life, down with me in mutual destruction even at the cost of my life... did you leave behind any countermeasures?" "I believe in the influence a life forged by fate exerts on one's ultimate choice," the Fate Dao Ancestor answered. "So, you don't believe any accident could occur? Nor do you believe you could make a mistake?" Yaoguang pressed. "Accidents and mistakes would be a denial of my very existence," the Fate Dao Ancestor replied calmly with precision. "Therefore, I do not believe in accidents, nor do I believe in mistakes." Hearing this, Yaoguang sank into deep thought for a long while. Finally, he said, "I understand." Then, he added, "The reason you are so certain there will be no mistake is that I am not your final fallback. By that reasoning, your true trump cards..." He paused. "...are the Void Dao Ancestor and the Time Dao Ancestor—and perhaps, the Karma Dao Ancestor as well." His gaze turned back to the Chaos World of his true body, sensing the ceaseless evolution of the Three Thousand Grand Daos. Through the evolution of the Three Thousand Grand Daos within the Chaos World, he had already come to understand: the Dao Ancestors of the Three Thousand Grand Daos were one thing, while the Three Thousand Grand Daos themselves were another. The death of a Dao Ancestor was not true death, but a descent into slumber. For the Three Thousand Grand Daos that constituted the world still existed. As long as the Three Thousand Grand Daos of the original world remained, a Dao Ancestor could never truly die. When the day came that the Ancient Immortal Realm resumed normal operation, and the powers of the Grand Daos once occupied by various Immortal Kings, Immortal Venerables, immortals, and Dao Integration cultivators reconverged, the fallen Dao Ancestors would awaken from their slumber once more. And now, setting aside the Grand Dao of Karma, virtually the entirety of the Grand Dao of the Void and the Grand Dao of Time was concentrated within him. In other words... "The true meaning of my existence is to safeguard the power of the Void Dao Ancestor and the Time Dao Ancestor? If I truly refused to stand with the Ancient Immortal Realm and confront the Nine Rulers, would you forcibly awaken the Void Dao Ancestor and Time Dao Ancestor, allowing Them to be reborn within my body?" Yaoguang said. How They would be reborn... He could already "see" it. He directed a portion of his consciousness toward the Void "dao fruit" and the Time "dao fruit." When these two dao fruits displayed the characteristics of a "Dao Lord," he should have guessed it. A Dao Lord was a Dao Ancestor. Beyond flowering and bearing fruit, the glazed treasure tree possessed another form: nurturing a Dao Ancestor from within a dao fruit. Just as the two Dao Ancestors had once nurtured him. Karma, at this moment, formed a perfect closed loop. This was the arrangement of fate. "So even if I do go and confront the Nine Rulers, victory or defeat doesn't matter. What matters is that I die," Yaoguang said. This was his truly destined end. If he fought the Nine Rulers to the bitter end, clawing through near-certain death to achieve final victory, the Time Dao Ancestor and Void Dao Ancestor would revive within him. If he proved no match for the Nine Rulers and was slain by their combined might, his power would return to the Time Dao Ancestor and Void Dao Ancestor, and They would still revive through him. Just like seeds absorbing the nutrients of his demise to sprout anew into vigorous life. Yaoguang let out a long sigh. All along, he had obsessively sought personal safety and environmental security, yet in the end, it was inevitably an illusion. The Fate Dao Ancestor did not answer Yaoguang's remark, saying only, "All the gifts of fate have already been secretly priced." And now, having enjoyed fate's gifts, it was time for him to pay the price. Only after quite a while did Yaoguang pull himself out of this melancholy. "Actually, I realized long ago that I was a pawn," he murmured under his breath. He said it to the Fate Dao Ancestor, but also to himself. The only thing that surprised him was that he had such a strong emotional reaction. He had thought he could calmly accept his identity as a "pawn," watching the spectacle like an idle onlooker, thoroughly enjoying the performances of the Lord of Yuanxi and the Fate Dao Ancestor. He hadn't expected... that when the drama landed on himself, it would still sting a little. Unfortunately, the calculations of man cannot surpass the designs of heaven. He did not know what the original plan of the Void Dao Ancestor and Time Dao Ancestor had been. Yet one thing he knew for certain: their plan had encountered an accident right from the very beginning. Namely... An accident had occurred while nurturing "him." Why had it taken the Time Dao Ancestor and Void Dao Ancestor 3.3 million years to nurture him? That, too, was because of him! Gradually, Yaoguang calmed his thoughts. He looked toward the Fate Dao Ancestor. "What has a beginning must have an end. It is time for the curtain to fall on this grand play." Yaoguang bowed slightly. "In gratitude to the Fate Dao Ancestor—and perhaps also the Karma Dao Ancestor, the Void Dao Ancestor, and the Time Dao Ancestor—for gifting me this life, I shall do everything in my power to fulfill my duty as the protagonist and stage the ultimate battle before the curtain drops!" "Win or lose, the world will remember the name 'Yaoguang,'" the Fate Dao Ancestor responded. Yaoguang smiled faintly. With a flicker of his figure, he ceased his assault on the Gate of Fate. Seeing this, the Lord of Yuanxi could not help expressing admiration. "You truly had arrangements prepared long ago. The protagonist on your side has taken the stage." The Fate Dao Ancestor gave a slight nod. "In that case..." The Lord of Yuanxi turned His gaze toward the Nine Rulers. He directly laid bare the current state between Himself and the Fate Dao Ancestor. Only this time, He subtly altered His wording. Rather than revealing the tacit understanding between Himself and the Fate Dao Ancestor, He said, "Due to the withdrawal of the spirituality of all living beings, I, who was supposed to devour the Fate Dao Ancestor, now face being devoured by Him instead. Once I fail, you will never defeat the Fate Dao Ancestor! For from the very beginning, Yuxiao... or rather, Yaoguang, has been standing on the Fate Dao Ancestor's side!" He expounded, "Everything he has done up to now was a feint to advance by retreating, driving internal division among us as we squabbled over interests! If you think you can reap the spoils after the Fate Dao Ancestor and I cripple each other, you are gravely mistaken." Hearing the words of the Lord of Yuanxi, the expressions of the Lord of Creation, the Lord of Tianyuan, the Lord of Shenluo, and the others shifted slightly. The moment Yaoguang stopped shaking the Gate of Fate, they had sensed something amiss. It was only because they needed the Fate Dao Ancestor's power to deal with the Lord of Yuanxi that they had held their tongues. Now, hearing the Lord of Yuanxi's explanation... "Yuxiao, what are you doing?!" the Lord of Creation barked in a heavy voice. "What am I doing?" Yaoguang smiled. "You don't intend to let me become the tenth Ruler, do you?" "Just because of that?" The spiritual fluctuations emanating from the Lord of Creation bristled with displeasure. "I promised you that once the Ancient Immortal Realm was destroyed, I would..." "The tenth Ruler... but whether it would be the mere title of a Ruler or the true substance of one, who can say? From what I can see, your conduct has been far too petty. It's hard for me not to be suspicious," Yaoguang said. "Yuxiao, what do you mean by this? Are you saying you intend to betray the Nine Great Groups? Betray the Hunyuan Realm?" A trace of chill emanated from the Lord of Creation. "Enough. In any case, the Gate of Fate has already been destabilized and worn down for ten thousand years; the breakthrough from zero to one was accomplished long ago. Going forward, having his assistance or not hardly matters. Since he wants to betray our Nine Great Groups and betray the Hunyuan Realm, let us grant his wish," the Lord of Tianyuan chimed in. Immediately after, he looked toward the Lord of Creation. "He is your subordinate. Will you clean house yourself, or shall I do it for you?" "I will do it," the Lord of Creation said indifferently, then turned toward Yaoguang. "Yuxiao, this was your own choice..." "Don't call me Yuxiao. Call me Yaoguang." As Yaoguang spoke, he seemed to recall something and smiled. "Although 'Yaoguang' is also just a part of my life, for now, I still walk the world under this identity." He paused. "As for the Yuxiao you want..." With a wave of his hand, a figure was cast forth. It was none other than Immortal King Yuxiao, whom Yaoguang had brought out during his last entry into the Chaos World. As Yaoguang's mastery over the Grand Dao of the Soul, the Grand Dao of Illusion, and other Daos deepened, Immortal King Yuxiao had sunk deeper and deeper, failing to break free for a full fifty thousand years. Now, as Yaoguang tossed Immortal King Yuxiao out, the Immortal King finally stirred awake in a daze. Though he seemed somewhat unable to distinguish reality from illusion, facing a Ruler like the Lord of Creation, he reacted at once, cupping his hands in salute. "Great Ruler." Then, with a hint of fanaticism, he asked, "Have the esteemed Rulers come to aid me in ascending to the seat of a Ruler?" At his side, Yaoguang helpfully provided a timely reminder. "In the Great Dream of a Thousand Years I constructed for him, not only did he become Chairman of the Creation Group and achieve illustrious merits, but I also informed him of your promise to make me the tenth Ruler." "Hm?!" Only now did Immortal King Yuxiao notice Yaoguang, his expression instantly contorting. "You?! Why are you here?! Weren't you already killed by me?!" Immediately afterward, he sensed his own power... The might that once made him hailed as the foremost Immortal King of the Ancient Immortal Realm, power rivaling even a Ruler, had plummeted precipitously, reverting him to a plain, unremarkable Dao Sovereign! "I..." This transformation finally made Immortal King Yuxiao realize the truth! "I was trapped in an illusion?!" An illusion constructed by Yaoguang for fifty thousand years, from which he had never managed to break free?!