Chapter 126: The Great Dao Heavenly Venerable and Seeking Emptiness Through Reduction

The Heavenly Emperor fused the Three Thousand Great Daos into one, the Heavens returned to one, and his majesty and power reflected across the Heavens and Myriad Worlds, causing countless powerful existences to feel unprecedented pressure and vigilance.

These existences were all peak powerhouses of their respective Worlds, and their gazes revealed wariness and curiosity toward this unknown power.

But more of them, after a fleeting thought, simply forgot about the Heavenly Emperor.

Unknowable, invisible, indescribable.

For the ordinary living beings of the Heavens and Myriad Worlds, they were not even qualified to perceive the birth of the Heavenly Emperor and the Great Dao Heavenly Court.

Yet they were already receiving its reflection and influence at every moment.

The Heavenly Emperor returned to the Thirty-Three Heavens of the Heavenly Court with the Sages of the Heavenly Court, his momentum like a rainbow, shaking all directions with his might.

He stood above the Thirty-Three Heavens, looked down upon all living beings, and spoke to the Sages: "Today, I wish to open an altar to preach the Dao, to teach the method beyond the Saint."

Once these words were spoken, the Sages were all invigorated.

The method beyond the Saint—this was the supreme Dao they had long dreamed of.

Now that the Heavenly Emperor was about to point out the direction for them, how could they not be extremely excited?

Thus, the Sages respectfully bowed to the Heavenly Emperor and said in unison: "Many thanks, Your Majesty, for imparting the Law."

The Law is not easily imparted, but the Heavenly Emperor's willingness to share the path beyond the Saint with the Sages was enough to show his breadth of mind and wisdom.

In the past, Dao Ancestor Hongjun preached in the Purple Heaven Palace, pointing out the path of the Saint for all living beings; although it was mixed with many schemes, it could not be denied that Dao Ancestor Hongjun's preaching indeed brought great help to all living beings.

Back then, Liuer Mihou presumptuously used his divine abilities to steal the Dao Ancestor's preaching and teaching, and paid the price.

The Sage's Dao, the Dao beyond the Saint—how precious were they?

Now, the Heavenly Emperor's preaching would lead the Sages toward a brand-new realm.

They knew deeply that the path beyond the Saint was not easily obtained, but as long as they had the Heavenly Emperor's guidance, they had hope for a breakthrough.

This was no different from pointing out a bright lamp in the Darkness, guiding their path forward.

Thus, the Sages gathered their focus and calmed their spirits, preparing to listen to the Heavenly Emperor's teachings.

"The Dao that can be told is not the eternal Dao."

The Heavenly Emperor began to slowly recount the mysteries beyond the Saint, his voice like the sound of nature, echoing between the Thirty-Three Heavens.

The Sages listened, entranced, as if they were situated in a brand-new World.

The Heavenly Emperor finally elaborated on the path beyond the Saint.

"I believe that above the Saint is the the Heavenly Dao Realm, and above the the Heavenly Dao is the Great Dao Realm."

"And there are strong and weak among Saints; I have divided the strength of Saints into Nine Heavens."

Hearing the Heavenly Emperor's words, the Sages finally had a sudden realization.

What exactly was the realm beyond the Saint?

The Sages only had a vague concept, including the strength between Saints, of which they only had a vague idea.

Now they finally understood completely: above the Saint is the the Heavenly Dao Realm, and above the the Heavenly Dao is the Great Dao Realm.

There are strong and weak among Saints; for example, Taiqing Laozi and Tongtian Jiaozhu are considered powerful among Saints.

But exactly how strong, the Saints themselves did not understand.

The Sages' long-held thought was that there were differences in strength among Saints, but the differences were not large.

For example, the Western Two Sages are considered weak among Saints, but they did not feel that they were inferior to the other Saints.

But now that the Heavenly Emperor had divided Saints into Nine Heavens, this gap was finally completely distinguished.

Take the Sages of the current Heavenly Court as an example.

The most powerful, without a doubt, are Mother Thick Earth and Mother Nuwa.

Mother Thick Earth is now at the Great Perfection of the Ninth Heaven of the Saint, having stepped into the Half-step Heavenly Dao realm.

As long as she is given time, she will soon be able to accumulate enough Qi Luck to break through to the the Heavenly Dao Realm.

Following closely behind is Mother Nuwa, who has also embarked on the path of reflecting the Heavens and Myriad Worlds.

Therefore, she has also accumulated a lot of merit and Qi Luck, and is now at the strength of the Eighth Heaven of the Saint.

Then come Taiqing Laozi and Tongtian Jiaozhu, who possess the strength of the Sixth Heaven of the Saint.

Yuanshi Tianzun possesses the strength of the Fifth Heaven of the Saint.

Next are the newly born Saints; the three Sage Emperors of the Human Race possess the strength of the Third Heaven of the Saint.

Because the three Sage Emperors of the Human Race cultivate the Sage Emperor Path and are related to the Human Race, they already possessed the strength of the Third Heaven of the Saint just after breaking through.

And the future cultivation path of the three Sage Emperors of the Human Race is actually similar to Mother Nuwa's.

They all need the Human Race, relying on the Human Dao Trend, the Humanity Torrent, and Human Dao Fortune to enhance their own strength.

As for the Great Immortal Zhenyuan and Ancestor Minghe, they are currently only at the strength of the Second Heaven of the Saint; they have only just attained the Saint Dao.

Unlike the three Sage Emperors of the Human Race, the three Sage Emperors of the Human Race had a deficiency in the Sage Emperor Path due to the Human Dao Fortune at that time.

Their own existence was equivalent to the level of a half-step Saint.

As for the weakest in realm, naturally, there is no one else but the Western Two Sages.

The current Jieyin Daoren and Zhunti Daoren are only at the realm of the First Heaven of the Saint.

What hinders them is still the Three Thousand Great Grand Vows; as Loan Sages, before they repay the Three Thousand Great Grand Vows, their realms will not improve at all.

Of course, as they repay the Three Thousand Great Grand Vows, at that time their own strength might even leap to become existences of the Fifth Heaven of the Saint or the Ninth Heaven of the Saint.

Do not look at Jieyin Daoren and Zhunti Daoren as only being at the realm of the First Heaven of the Saint now, but regardless, they are veteran Saints.

They can exert strength far exceeding their own realm.

The Heavenly Emperor preached, and the Sages each clarified their own strength.

At this very moment, the Sages were all rejoicing at having joined the Heavenly Court, for example, Taiqing Laozi.

It is precisely because of joining the Heavenly Court that they now have the opportunity to glimpse the mysteries beyond the Saint.

All previous schemes were for the sake of breaking through, and now the Heavenly Emperor has pointed out the path for them.

Jieyin Daoren and Zhunti Daoren were, for a time, plunged into a state of embarrassment; as veteran Saints, they were not as powerful as the newly born Saint realm.

Jieyin Daoren and Zhunti Daoren did not feel much about this; while they were glad to have joined the Heavenly Court, there was also a deep regret in their hearts.

Why did they only choose to join the Heavenly Court now?

Especially for Jieyin Daoren, back then Zhunti Daoren had already advised Jieyin Daoren to join the Heavenly Court, but it was Zhunti Daoren who had insisted otherwise, so in the end they did not join the Heavenly Court and missed too many opportunities.

Now that they were members of the Heavenly Court, they could only perform well, striving to let the Heavenly Emperor see their loyalty, provide them with more guidance, and allow them to preach.

The Heavenly Emperor continued to speak, "I believe the path above the Saint realm is divided into two: one is Mythical Da Luo, and the other is Acting by Reduction to Seek Emptiness."

In the endless void, the Heavenly Emperor's voice echoed, as if piercing through the barriers of Time and Space, reaching directly into the depths of every listener's soul.

His words were as brilliant as the stars, leading the Saints to explore those unknown mysteries.

Mythical Da Luo, Acting by Reduction to Seek Emptiness.

These short eight characters were deafening, making the eyes of the Saints grow brighter and brighter.

"Mythical Da Luo is to use endless power to forge the supreme, transcend all laws, and stand above the heavens."

The Heavenly Emperor's voice was filled with majesty and solemnity, as if he were painting a magnificent scroll for all living beings.

"On this path, you will need to absorb all the energy in the universe, smelt the endless laws between heaven and earth, the weirdness of the heavens, and gather countless Time and Space lines, Causality lines, and Fate lines, so that the heavens become one. Only then can you achieve the realm of Mythical Da Luo. However, this path is full of countless hardships and obstacles, and every step requires paying a huge price."

The Heavenly Emperor paused slightly, as if allowing the Saints to digest this shocking information.

A light of wisdom flickered in his deep eyes, as if he were gazing into the souls of the Saints.

"The so-called Mythical Da Luo, once proven, is proven forever; to transcend all laws is to achieve that 'One'."

Insight into the origin, direct entry into the Great Dao.

Once proven, proven forever; omniscient and omnipotent.

Eternally carefree, undying and indestructible.

The highest of the heavens, the only one in the myriad Worlds.

Transcending all Time and Space and Fate, eternally free in all Time and Space.

No matter where one is, one is supreme.

One can roam the heavens, invert Causality, reverse the long river of the World, and manipulate Fate and Causality.

Heaven and earth may decay, but the myriad Worlds remain indestructible.

The true self is unique, reflecting the universe.

Indescribable and ineffable, transcending all that is tangible and intangible.

This is Mythical Da Luo.

The Heavenly Emperor put forward the concept of Mythical Da Luo and told every Saint in the Heavenly Court.

As for how to walk toward Mythical Da Luo, that requires them to comprehend it themselves.

The realm of Mythical Da Luo is inherently ineffable, and the path walked by every Mythical Da Luo is different.

Hearing the Heavenly Emperor expound on the realm of Mythical Da Luo, the Saints felt only endless shock.

The path of seeking the Dao is long; it turns out that a Saint is merely a traveler.

Before Mythical Da Luo, the Saint realm seems so insignificant.

The Saints, especially those Heavenly Dao Saints, realized that their path had been wrong from the start.

By fusing with the Grand Primordial Purple Vapor, the Heavenly Dao opened a back door, and they attained the Dao and became Saints ahead of time.

But it was precisely because of this that they took a wrong turn.

Perhaps this is the reason why they have been trapped in the Saint realm all along and cannot see the path ahead at all.

From the very beginning, they took a wrong turn.

Now they must straighten out their own path and return to the Great Dao.

The Saints fell into deep thought, while the Heavenly Emperor continued to expound on the other path.

"And Acting by Reduction to Seek Emptiness is a completely different path."

The Heavenly Emperor continued to speak, "It requires you to abandon yourself; by constantly performing subtraction, you will gradually approach that endless Nothingness and eventually merge into it."

"This path seems simple, but it is actually even more difficult. Because it requires you to have enough courage to face the fear of losing everything. At the same time, you also need to have enough wisdom to understand the mysteries contained within that endless Nothingness."

The Heavenly Emperor's words were like a bolt of lightning, illuminating the souls of all living beings.

"Acting by Reduction to Seek Emptiness ultimately reaches a realm of 'Nothingness', becoming an existence between the tangible and the intangible, and finally attaining the Dao Fruit."

The so-called Acting by Reduction to Seek Emptiness means handing over one's own cultivation techniques, Dao Fruit, and Causality to others, cultivating one or more existences capable of replacing oneself.

When Acting by Reduction to Seek Emptiness is complete, it is transcendence.

Reaching a realm that cannot be fathomed, cannot be described, cannot be discussed; to speak of it is to be wrong, and to think of it is to be mistaken.

Opening heaven and earth can be fathomed, the Destruction of the heavens can be imagined, and reversing Time and Space can be fantasized.

But for the transcendent who has realized Acting by Reduction to Seek Emptiness, one cannot.

No matter how hard one tries, one cannot understand, cannot harm the transcendent of Acting by Reduction to Seek Emptiness, nor can one see their true selves.

Omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent.

One does not even need to follow logic; any contradiction can hold true simultaneously for the transcendent of Acting by Reduction to Seek Emptiness.

Hearing what the Heavenly Emperor said, the Saints fell into deep thought once again.

Whether it was Mythical Da Luo or Acting by Reduction to Seek Emptiness, it was the first time the Saints had heard of them.

Acting by Reduction to Seek Emptiness and attaining the Dao Fruit is relative to Mythical Da Luo.

How does one achieve Acting by Reduction to Seek Emptiness?

In fact, the ultimate goal is to create contradictions and harvest a Dao Fruit that is "wrong the moment it is spoken, and mistaken the moment it is thought."

That is to say, if you say it is round, it is not round; if you say it is square, it is not square.

If you say it exists, it does not exist.

If you say he does not exist, he exists.

The most important thing about Acting by Reduction to Seek Emptiness is creating contradictions.

What is Acting by Reduction to Seek Emptiness?

Simply put, it is creating an alt, or even multiple alts, and giving them everything you have—titles, cultivation arts, and even all the Causality and Fate upon the timeline—letting them replace you, replace your existence, and replace your Causality.

As these alts replace more, you possess less.

When these alts have replaced every version of yourself born since the creation of the world, a contradiction emerges.

Once the first contradiction is established, it becomes a Dao Fruit that is "wrong the moment it is spoken, and erroneous the moment it is thought of."

Acting by Reduction to Seek Emptiness ultimately exists between existence and non-existence, transcending reality and Nothingness.

If Mythical Da Luo is becoming the sole "One" of the heavens.

Then Acting by Reduction to Seek Emptiness is becoming that "Nothingness."

Mythical Da Luo requires the heavens to be unified, merging the lines of Causality and Fate into one.

Whereas Acting by Reduction to Seek Emptiness requires constantly subtracting the lines of Causality and Fate to become Nothingness.

These are two completely opposite paths, but their ultimate goal points to the same thing: transcendence.

Hearing the two methods of breakthrough taught by the Heavenly Emperor, all the Saints fell into deep contemplation.

The Heavenly Emperor did not give them too much time.

He continued, "These two paths each have their own strengths and weaknesses, and there is no distinction of superiority or inferiority. Which one you choose depends entirely on your own hearts."

"Whether becoming the 'One' or becoming 'Nothingness,' one requires unprecedented firmness."

The Heavenly Emperor's voice was filled with firmness and resolve, "Only through unremitting pursuit can one finally transcend above the Great Dao; the path of seeking the Dao has always been this way—if you do not advance, you retreat."

As the Heavenly Emperor's words fell, an invisible power surged.

It was the deep-seated longing and pursuit within the hearts of all the Saints; whether they were the powerful choosing Mythical Da Luo or the wise choosing Acting by Reduction to Seek Emptiness, they would all continue to move forward on their own paths, exploring those unknown mysteries.

"One" or "Nothingness"?

For the Saints, this is a question that now lies before them, requiring an immediate choice.

The Saints bowed respectfully to the Heavenly Emperor and said, "We thank the Heavenly Emperor for his guidance."

(End of this chapter)