Simulated immortality allows me to calculate talent stats.

You severed your memories of what lay beyond the gates of Taiyuan Palace.

Let's bring our thoughts back to the present moment and continue our conversation.

With such a high rank and immense power, would the Human Emperor allow the most widely practiced cultivation system in the mortal realm to fall into the hands of Confucianism, Buddhism, or Taoism?

Certainly not.

Even now, with Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism still existing in the mortal realm, the immortal sects are still able to establish themselves in some place.

This is already an act of leniency by the Human Emperor, and perhaps it is also the result of a power struggle between the heavens and the human world.

[Confucianism, in particular, has almost become subservient to the Great Cang Dynasty.]

[Entering the court as an official, one must bow one's head and submit to the emperor.]

In the Imperial Academy in the capital, the position of Dean was merely a figurehead held by the Emperor.

The most gifted Confucian scholars all became true disciples of the emperor.

Therefore, martial arts now encompass 90% of cultivators in the human world.

[Then it's not hard to guess who created this path of cultivation.]

The Human Emperor established a cultivation system with realms, and also restricted high-level combatants from remaining in the mortal realm.

[It has created the most stable and secure order for humanity.]

[This establishes the foundation for the Great Cang royal family's ten-thousand-year inheritance.]

The deeper you ponder, the more terrifying the Human Emperor becomes.

This power is beyond imagination; it is enough to make the heavens retreat and sign a pact with the rules of heaven and earth.

[Xu Kun, who was squatting to the side, had a faint glint in his emerald eyes after hearing about the Human Emperor's inherited martial arts.]

His eyes appeared empty and distant.

[It seems she's recalling something.]

【"Meow~"

He raised his paw and scratched his face in frustration.

I almost remembered it, but I could see it yet couldn't grasp it.

[You noticed Xu Kun's unusual behavior earlier, and seeing this, you prioritized extracting more valuable information from the old Taoist priest.]

"Master, even if the Human Emperor established the martial arts path, the Dao Ancestors, Sages, Buddhas, and Immortal Venerables each have their own systems of inheritance."

"But it also charts a path for all beings to cultivate themselves, leading them directly to the highest view."

Why is it said that one's level of attainment is a limitation?

The old Taoist priest looked at you strangely and sighed softly.

"Yujing, I thought you understood me, but I didn't expect you to. Sigh..."

"Uh... Master, do I understand?"

You were taken aback, and began to doubt yourself. Did you really think you should understand the old Taoist priest and realize that limitations stemmed from one's level of attainment?

The old Taoist priest lowered his head dejectedly.

But you saw, in the firelight, an uncontrollable upward curve to the corners of his mouth.

[He immediately frowned in displeasure.]

"Master, are you playing a trick on me?"

The old Taoist priest couldn't hold back any longer and burst into laughter, waving his hands repeatedly.

[Then he toned down his unserious demeanor.]

"Yujing, I wasn't joking. I thought you would understand."

You tilted your head slightly, your tied-up dark hair swaying.

"Why don't you tell us?"

The old Taoist priest picked up another roast chicken, munching on it as he spoke.

"The cultivation system and cultivation realms are clearly visible paths, ladders to climb step by step."

"But it also means that once you embark on this journey, you can only go up along this route."

"Once it deviates..."

"They will plummet into deep space, never to return."

He had a chicken foot in his mouth, and as he spoke, the chicken foot waved up and down.

"Jade Stillness, therefore, for almost all cultivators, a higher realm is a coveted stepping stone."

"But as for talent, comprehension, intelligence, magnanimity, courage, and willpower..."

"Those who all consider themselves no less than the ancient sages, comparable to the First Ancestor, and attempt to surpass the workings of nature."

【"realm!"】

"It's a restriction!"

After hearing the old Taoist's explanation, your expression froze slightly, and your eyes revealed shock.

The old Taoist priest is very pleased with your appearance.

He is one of the few people he was referring to.

But what you said next almost made him choke on a chicken bone.

["So, Master, do you intend to surpass the Dao Ancestor, claim sole supremacy over the Dao Palace, and commit the traitorous act of betraying your master and destroying your ancestors?"]

【puff!】

The old Taoist priest spat out a chicken bone and glared at you irritably: "What do you mean by betraying your master and ancestors? When did I ever say I was going to betray my master and ancestors?!"

You shrugged.

The old Taoist priest rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"That's not the point. The point is that for some people, systems and levels of understanding are limitations."

"They were confined to a single path, losing their innate vitality."

You nodded: "So, Master, you haven't achieved Dao Integration and entered the Seventh Realm according to the Dao Mansion system."

She looked up, her gaze fixed intently on him.

"Now that you possess unparalleled strength in the mortal realm, yet haven't reached the seventh realm of Dao Integration, have you already forged your own unique path?"

The more you speak, the more deeply moved I become.

[You understand how powerful the old Taoist is; even that day he wielded the power of thunder and defied the heavens.]

You're just expressing your feelings.

But now, the old Taoist priest may have transcended the Taoist system and forged his own path.

This isn't a question of strength anymore; it's a complete and utterly incomprehensible void.

[Like in martial arts, what is the effect of tempering the body at each level, and what kind of combat power does one possess?]

Even without entering the country, one can generally understand the situation from the system.

Even a seventh-realm celestial being transcends worldly understanding, their essential dimension elevates.

However, those with broad knowledge can still explain the reasons behind celestial phenomena and other such phenomena, even without practicing cultivation.

[And having broken free from the constraints and shackles of the cultivation system...]

That is truly all unknown.

"That's right."

The old Taoist priest proudly admits, "I enjoy your awe."

"Master, I want to learn!"

You immediately and eagerly placed the prepared pheasant on the grill, looking every bit the respectful teacher.

The old Taoist priest curled his lip.

"Learn? If you learn my way, how is that any different from following the way of martial arts?"

【"Um……"】

You've heard it; it seems to be so.

The old master's breakthrough lies in breaking free from the constraints of the existing system and finding his own unique path.

If you were to switch your focus, it would be similar to switching from martial arts to Confucianism, Buddhism, or Taoism.

Once you understood this, your eager expression vanished, and you even turned the roast chicken absentmindedly.

"Master, there are still differences."

"Oh? Tell me about it?"

"Following the path of martial arts, at least you can walk steadily. But if you switch to your path, who knows what lies ahead? What if you find yourself in a huge pit along the way?"

[I thought you had some profound insights, but instead you uttered malicious curses.]

[He was so angry that he started blowing his beard and glared.]

[You immediately hand him the slightly charred roast chicken to stop him.]

"So, Master, what realm are you currently in? And what is your title?"

Today, from this old Taoist priest, you have learned of a far more unconventional path of cultivation.

[It's about breaking free from the existing system, exploring one's own path, and forging a completely new path.]

The old Taoist priest sat upright before the campfire, his black robe billowing wildly amidst an invisible aura.

Holding a roast chicken, his composure remained undiminished.

[Boom!!]

The invisible forces of energy caused celestial disturbances.

"I, an old Taoist, am at the Eighth Realm..."

"A terrestrial deity!"