A journey of survival starting from Zhetian

Chapter 712 The Dao Shadow Beyond the Kingdom

After a moment of contemplation, Xiong Mo released his senses outward from [Nanshan].

Like a wisp of wind, it disperses into the Realm of Truth, flowing into the boundless fragments of cosmic light, comparing various natural phenomena with the illusory Dao fruit he has cultivated.

Towering mountains, winding rivers, highlands and plateaus, canyons and basins, vast oceans, blazing stars, icy black holes, dazzling planets, magnificent galaxies, the boundless universe, the limitless heavens, and the supreme realm of truth.
Within the myriad realms, every "Dao" and "Dharma" that can find its place has been encompassed within all the illusory Dao fruits he has comprehended, almost all-encompassing and all-merging. The "myriad realms" now constructed within his body, except for the [Real Realm] which still appears somewhat illusory, are no different from the normal Other Shore.

This understanding of the "Tao" is the foundation upon which he was able to possess multiple illusory Tao fruits in advance, based on the essence of the Creation Realm and the power of the pseudo-Other Shore.

Xiong Mo murmured, "In all the myriad realms, I have already comprehended everything I could. Why can't I perfect the Dao Fruit of the End?"

"Could it be that the current era is so unique that it does not allow illusory Dao Fruits of the final stage to appear in the present timeline of the [Real World] before the end of the world?"

The current state of the "One World" is quite special. The Primordial Celestial Venerable, who symbolizes the "cause of all fruits," the Moral Celestial Venerable, who symbolizes the "foundation of existence," and the Spiritual Treasure Celestial Venerable, who symbolizes the "end of all things," have all transcended. Only three divine weapons from the other shore, which are essentially half a Dao fruit and have their own eternal cycle, remain, barely maintaining the existence of the current era.

This means that the "past" has become an illusion, it does not exist, and the "future" has also become empty, it is nothing and pale.

Only now, due to the exalted status of the Real World, the suppression by numerous powerful beings of creation, and Xiong Mo himself being transformed into half of the "foundation of existence," does it appear real and authentic.

In terms of the "foundation of the world," the entire "world of the first generation" is already incomplete.

If we follow this logic, before the final tribulation arrives, the illusory Dao fruits of the ultimate realm are utterly empty and indeed cannot exist.

Because, from the current point in time, the "final catastrophe" does not exist. Even the end of an era is deduced by many creations through various traces and past experiences.

"Therefore, the most likely reason is the first one: the time for enlightenment has not yet come."

"Then I should now seek out great supernatural beings like the Great Egret, and make the most of this period that is approaching the end of the era. While I'm at it, I should also take a look at the numerous shortcuts."

"Wait. A shortcut?!"

Xiong Mo stood up instantly, his expression undergoing a dramatic change, as he thought of another overlooked possibility.

Those on the other shore, as long as they have not completed the process of reducing emptiness and have not attained the Dao fruit and transcended, no matter how perfect the "myriad worlds" within their bodies are, will not have a place close to the Dao, and the beings within them will at most have perfected creation.

Aside from seeking emptiness through reduction, neither the "place of near-the-path," nor the perfection of the "myriad worlds" within the body, nor the strength of the beings within the "myriad worlds" within the body, are things that the other shore seekers would care about.

However, all the myriad realms within the "One World" – whether it be the Realm of Truth, the places near the Dao, or the countless fragments of cosmic light derived from the Realm of Truth – are all its components.

"After the end of the old era, in the chaotic state before the new era, was the time when the Primordial Celestial Venerable created the world. All the heavens and myriad realms were created by this Heavenly Venerable in response to the Dao. Therefore, from the perspective of cause and effect, all the places that are close to the Dao were created by this Celestial Venerable."

"Therefore, my current path to enlightenment is not perfect, and the causes of the various fruits that I have created are also incomplete. By the same token, the path to continued existence is also incomplete, and the foundation for its continued existence is still quite lacking."

“I used two problematic illusory Dao fruits and symbols to deduce the final Dao fruit and ‘the end of all things.’ The result I obtained was naturally flawed. It is impossible to obtain a perfect result like the final calamity that will come at the end of this era.”

"What I lack now are places that are close to the Dao. Not the kind of formations I create myself, like [Nanshan]. But the kind of places that are naturally existing, created by the Primordial Celestial Venerable in response to the Dao."

Xiong Mo's eyes grew brighter.

Although he wasn't sure if it was the "shortcut," why not give it a try?

"However, even for someone like me with pseudo-Other Shore power and perfected creation, comprehending all the 'shortcuts' is a terrifying undertaking."
-
Inside a palace filled with flames and the essence of the sun.

The Fire Emperor sat on a throne, looking down at the dozens of powerful cultivators below him who had not yet reached the pinnacle of their cultivation, a trace of sorrow appearing in his eyes.

He sighed, "You are all great masters who have comprehended some of the true meaning of Yin and Yang, yet you cannot even obtain the recognition of the Taiji Diagram, a projection of your own existence?"

"The projections of the otherworldly treasures of the Real World and all the fragments of cosmic light have either already found their own owners or have been completely annihilated by various supernatural powers. This is the only way to communicate with the true form of the otherworldly treasures through these things."

A powerful being with a winged fire serpent phantom appearing behind him bowed slightly to the Fire Emperor and explained with a hint of helplessness, "Your Majesty, it's not that we haven't tried hard enough, but rather that we really don't have much understanding of the great Dao of Yin-Yang balance."

Holding a flamethrower, a tall, bare-chested man with various Dao patterns engraved on his body, said in a deep voice, "Indeed, the illusory Dao that we cultivate is mostly inclined towards destruction and annihilation."

"If one wishes to divide the Way of Fire into two polarities, balance Yin and Yang, and create life and death in a mere few million years, as Your Majesty has done, it is impossible."

"And if one wants to achieve the perfection of the illusory Great Dao like His Majesty, one must defeat many enemies and firmly grasp the power in one's hands."

The other powerful beings of creation remained silent, but almost all the beings of creation in the hall nodded silently.

What the Winged Fire Saint and the Great Fire Witch said almost perfectly describes their current situation.

As followers of His Majesty the Fire Emperor, their path from the legendary realm has been biased towards slaughter, and this has become even more so after advancing to the Creation Realm and cultivating the Illusory Great Dao.

They can fight against weaker beings at the Perfected Creation stage, and even gain a slight advantage with their combat abilities. However, it would be difficult to ask them to do delicate tasks such as balancing Yin and Yang and shaping the world.

It's not that I can't do it, but that I can't do it as easily as those great masters of creation who cultivate the paths of "water," "wood," "earth," "vitality," "life," and "shaping."

The most essential element for communicating with the Tai Chi diagram, this priceless treasure from the other shore, is undoubtedly the ability to balance all things in heaven and earth, regulate earth, water, wind, and fire, and harmonize the yin and yang of all heavens.

Otherwise, even if one manages to seize the projection of the Tai Chi diagram, there's not much chance that the original entity will be recognized.

The phantom behind the Great Sage of Winged Fire swayed slightly, and wisps of sparks flew from his nostrils. "Your Majesty, the most suitable one for us is not the Taiji Diagram of the Celestial Venerable of Morality, but the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation of the Celestial Venerable of Spiritual Treasure."

"We are not proficient in maintaining heaven and earth, but as for how to destroy heaven and earth, how to destroy a large fragment of cosmic light, every one of you here can be ranked among the top 100 in this world. Even many who have achieved perfect creation are not as good as us."

The Fire Emperor looked at the dozens of subordinates before him, each radiating a destructive divine intent, and couldn't help but rub his forehead. How could he not know that for these powerful beings who were not skilled in "mediation," the [Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation], as a symbol of "destruction," "end," "slaughter," and "death," was the most suitable?

However, this set of divine weapons that once accompanied Lingbao Tianzun has never even produced a single projection of another self in the world. If a corresponding projection of another self were to be found by legend or by some unexpected twist of fate, it would vanish into nothingness the moment it became known.

If it tries to obstruct, tries to control, or attempts to communicate with its true self through the projection of the [Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation], the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Qi will surely fly in from nowhere.

Those with great supernatural powers either suffered damage to their origins or were injured by the Dao, their illusory Dao severely affected. As for the legendary great beings, there was one, if we count, who was completely wiped out, leaving not even ashes.

In comparison, the Taiji Diagram, which followed the Celestial Venerable of Morality in the past and can encompass all things in heaven and earth and the Great Dao of all heavens, is already the most suitable for them.

If it were the Pangu Banner of the Primordial Celestial Venerable, a divine artifact for the creation of the world, even those of us who are not skilled in creating great supernatural beings would not have even the slightest hope.

The Fire Emperor sighed again and again, "You all know very well that the three Celestial Venerables have disappeared and their whereabouts are unknown. Even things that can directly prove their existence, such as the Qingwei Heaven, the Yuyu Heaven, and the Da Chi Heaven, have vanished without a trace. If there is no opportunity to ascend to the other shore and reopen the myriad worlds after the final calamity, then there will be no next era."

"But if we can gain the approval of the supreme beings of the other shore who followed the three Heavenly Venerables in the past and enter the 'Myriad Realms' within their bodies, then there is hope of continuing to exist."

"This is a matter of life and death!"

The Great Shaman Huilu remained unmoved, his tone slightly indifferent, "If we cannot gain recognition, then His Majesty can attain enlightenment and usher in the next era."

The burly man bowed slightly to the emperor on the throne, saying, "Millions of years have passed. With Your Majesty's accumulated knowledge, you must have already solved many of the difficulties in attaining enlightenment. Reaching the other shore should be a piece of cake for you."

"If His Majesty gives the order, we will continue to follow. Thinking too much will only wear down our Dao heart and hinder our progress in the illusory Dao."

The Great Sage of Winged Fire immediately nodded, "Indeed, we will follow His Majesty's command."

The other great powers of creation all agreed.

"That's right, we should follow His Majesty. Haven't we all done the same thing over these many eras?"

"I came from the mortal realm, witnessed the legends, and became a creation. For more than three eras, I have followed Your Majesty, stood behind you, and awaited your command."

"."

The Fire Emperor remained calm and composed, but he had no confidence whatsoever.

As a born master of creation and divine power, he has reincarnated countless times throughout the myriad realms with countless thoughts. Over eight eras, he has now perfected the eight illusory paths.

Moreover, apart from the accompanying Fire Path, the other seven are all acquired paths opened up by Himself, firmly holding all authority.

Such a profound foundation places it among the most outstanding among all those who have achieved perfect fortune.

But attaining enlightenment on the other side is different; the problems involved are far too great.

Other fates may be unknown, but as one of the organizers of that attempt to land, wouldn't the Fire Emperor be aware of the problems involved?
It's normal that the Water Emperor failed to reach the shore. After all, the first person to attain enlightenment on the other side of the path can only rely on deduction. No living being knows what they will encounter during the process of attaining enlightenment.

Even the three Celestial Venerables who have already disappeared probably wouldn't know all the details of attaining the other shore, since these three were born to attain the other shore, and they didn't need to attain that realm.

Through the Water King's failed sermon, they deduced numerous doubts and difficulties, and successfully determined the importance of "returning to the past" and "possessing the future".

The Wood Emperor was able to perfect his own path to enlightenment in a short time and use the method of "possessing the future" to traverse the river of time and destiny, reaching the end of the era. The remaining three emperors also put in a lot of effort and paid a heavy price.

Therefore, it is terrifying that the Wood Emperor failed to attain the other shore, or rather, that after successfully attaining the other shore, he did not return and instead perished in an unknown place tens of thousands of years later.

Before the Wood Emperor attained the other shore, the Fire Emperor's mastery and cultivation in time were only one step away from the top three who had achieved perfect creation. Now, after so many years, these deficiencies have definitely been made up, and he has even surpassed them.

His subordinates were right; He could attain enlightenment at any time. However, the unknown after the appearance of the four visions of the afterlife was what made him hesitate.

Without figuring out what happened to the Wood Emperor after he successfully reached the other shore, no one dared to pursue the path to enlightenment.

Back then, the Great Eagle used the method of time and space to transmit its own voice and some information to all the heavens and myriad worlds, hoping that some who "couldn't wait" and "couldn't wait" to achieve perfect fortune would grit their teeth and learn from the Wood Emperor to prove the other shore again, thereby deduce the existence of the unknown.

Unfortunately, like the Fire Emperor and the others, none of them, who had accumulated the foundation of several eras and truly had the hope of reaching the other shore of perfect creation, were fooled.

On the contrary, some powerful beings who had recently obtained the treasure of the Other Shore, the projection of their own self, and thus achieved a certain fortune, rushed forward in a hurry.

As a result, of the nearly one hundred who achieved perfect enlightenment, only a few attained the first type of otherworldly phenomenon, and subsequently perished in the process of attaining enlightenment.

The rest vanished without a trace, like a dream.

The Fire Emperor murmured to himself, "And the Heavenly Venerable of [Nanshan] seems to have already surpassed the limit of the perfection of creation in his understanding of 'Dao'. He can transform a creation site into a place that is similar to 'a place close to Dao', but I still haven't seen him make any preparations to attain the other shore of Dao."

"Does he know something?"

"Ok?"

At this moment, the Fire Emperor raised his head and looked beyond his own kingdom.

There, a figure dressed in a dark yellow Taoist robe was looking towards his own location.

(End of this chapter)