Discussing the Hunyuan, Analyzing the Various Paths

After leaving the stifling, eerie atmosphere of Purple Cloud Palace, Xuan Wazi, Tongtian, Nuwa, and Red Cloud once more arrived at that remote meteor belt in the Primordial World's starry sky. A restriction formed from the aura of the Chaos Bead sealed off the inside from the outside, ensuring absolute secrecy for this discussion of the Dao.

As before, Xuan Wazi brought out that pot of spiritual tea brewed with Laurel Divine Branch and Innate Enlightenment Tea Leaves. Its fragrance curled through the air, Dao resonance spread in every direction, and the slight unrest in the four of their hearts following the upheaval at Purple Cloud Palace was swiftly soothed.

"Three fellow Daoists," Xuan Wazi spoke first, breaking the silence, "Tongtian's question at Purple Cloud Palace was like a stone shattering the heavens. I imagine it stirred much thought in all your hearts as well. Today, let us set aside what the Dao Ancestor said and begin solely from our own Daos. Let us discuss the Hunyuan and the Quasi-Saint, as well as the various methods of attaining the Dao—what is superior, what is inferior, and where the road ahead lies."

Tongtian immediately took up the thread, his tone carrying a trace of excitement and sharpness. "Exactly! When I heard of the method of severing the Three Corpses, I found it profound, yet it always felt constraining. To entrust one's good, evil, and obsessions to external objects is, in the end, to fall into the lesser path and lose one's true self! It is far inferior to the path of the Primordial Golden Immortal—pure and refined, crossing the sea of suffering by one's own strength and reaching the other shore directly. That is truly satisfying!"

Nuwa took a small sip of spiritual tea, her voice clear and melodious. "The path taught by the Dao Ancestor proceeds step by step and relies upon spiritual treasures, so it appears secure. Yet as I comprehend the Laws of Creation, I deeply feel that the wonder of creation lies in freedom from all restraint, in flashes of inspiration. If one relies on external objects in every matter and follows rules rigidly, I fear one may lose the true essence of creation. Perhaps the Hunyuan path better accords with the origin of creation." Clearly, she too had begun to harbor doubts about the method of severing the Three Corpses.

Red Cloud scratched his head and said somewhat helplessly, "I have not thought so deeply about it. I simply feel that severing the Three Corpses sounds troublesome. One must understand one's heart and perceive one's nature, then seek Innate Spiritual Treasures that match oneself. I have long been used to drifting like idle clouds and wild cranes, and my fortune is not particularly profound. I fear I would have difficulty gathering them all—it gives me a headache just thinking about it. Other than severing the Three Corpses and that elusive Hunyuan, is there any other path to take?"

Seeing that the atmosphere had reached the right point, Xuan Wazi smiled faintly and began systematically laying out the several mainstream methods of attaining the Dao that he knew.

"Fellow Daoists, in my humble view, there are roughly four methods of attaining the Dao currently circulating through—or feasible within—the Primordial World."

"The first is the method of severing the Three Corpses passed down by Dao Ancestor Hongjun." Xuan Wazi named the method first. "One uses Innate Spiritual Treasures to house one's Three Corpses of good, evil, and obsession, severing them one by one. Once the three corpses merge into one, one may become a Heavenly Dao Sage. Its advantage is that the Dao Ancestor's experience has come before us, and the path is clear. If one can find treasures of the same origin and proceed step by step, attaining Sagehood is relatively 'secure.' However, its drawbacks are also apparent to you all: it depends upon external objects, binds the true self, and merging the Three Corpses is harder than climbing to heaven. It cannot be achieved without immense fortune. Even if one succeeds, one is still constrained by the Heavenly Dao—one becomes a 'Heavenly Dao Sage' and cannot attain great freedom."

This was the path chosen by Laozi, Yuanshi, and even the several hundred newly advanced Quasi-Saints in Purple Cloud Palace. The four fell silent, clearly already harboring reservations toward this method.

"The second is the Dao of Merit." Xuan Wazi continued, "One performs great merit for Heaven and Earth, earns the Heavenly Dao's recognition, receives boundless merit, and forcibly raises one's cultivation through the power of merit to condense a Sage position." He looked toward Nuwa. "Fellow Daoist Nuwa may have an opportunity to perform great merit in the future. If you choose this method, you could become a Sage on the spot."

Nuwa's beautiful eyes flickered. Clearly tempted, she nevertheless continued listening patiently.

Then Xuan Wazi shifted the subject. "However, the Dao of Merit may seem like a shortcut, but it is actually the weakest of all paths! First, its combat power is the weakest. One possesses only a Sage position, without the corresponding comprehension of the Great Dao or foundation of divine abilities. Second, one is most deeply constrained by the Heavenly Dao, nearly bound to it entirely. Every word and action must follow Heaven's will; one may be called a 'puppet' of the Heavenly Dao. Though it is said that as long as the Heavenly Dao does not perish, Sages shall not die, every resurrection through reliance on the Heavenly Dao weakens one's independence by another degree, until one completely loses oneself and remains forever beneath the Heavenly Dao. Such Sages are merely tools for the Heavenly Dao to shepherd all living beings. How could they speak of carefree freedom?"

Nuwa's delicate body trembled slightly, and a flash of fear passed through her eyes. She pursued creation and yearned for freedom. If becoming a Sage only turned her into a puppet, it was absolutely not what she wanted.

"The third is attaining the Dao through Incense and Vow Power." Xuan Wazi introduced a relatively unfamiliar method. "Gather the faith and wishes of all living beings, forge divinity with that power, and so long as faith does not cease, the divine position shall not fall. This method is quite popular in certain worlds, but in the Primordial World... its hidden dangers are immense. The thoughts of living beings are chaotic, faith changes easily, and one may easily suffer backlash from faith. Moreover, like the Dao of Merit, one is constrained by believers and cannot transcend them. It is not the righteous path."

Red Cloud hurriedly shook his head. "That will not do, that will not do. It is far too unstable and does not suit my temperament."

"Then lastly comes what Fellow Daoist Tongtian yearns for: the Dao of Strength!" Xuan Wazi raised his voice, carrying a trace of fervor. "This is the oldest method, and also the most difficult! Rely on no external objects, sever not oneself, borrow no merit, gather no incense. Rely only upon one's supreme mana, powerful physical body, and ultimate comprehension of one's own Great Dao to forcibly shatter the shackles of Heaven and Earth and attain the Primordial Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal! Father God Pangu followed this path, seeking to attain the supreme realm of the Hunyuan Wuji Golden Immortal. Though he ultimately exhausted his strength, perished, and failed to attain the Dao, the mighty power with which he opened the Primordial World is beyond all doubt!"

Divine light flared in Tongtian's eyes, and even his breathing grew hurried. This was the true supreme Great Dao in his heart!

"Once the Dao of Strength succeeds, one's strength can be called foremost among all Sages. One is carefree and unfettered, beyond the jurisdiction of the Heavenly Dao—truly transcendent!" Xuan Wazi affirmed. Yet his tone then became solemn. "However, its difficulty is likewise the greatest. One requires supreme innate foundations, peerless cultivation methods, immense perseverance, vast resources, and an indispensable trace of luck. Since ancient times, many have attempted it, but those who succeeded... none have yet been heard of. Even Father God Pangu, mighty as he was, fell short at the final moment of attaining the Hunyuan Wuji Golden Immortal."

Tongtian clenched his fists. There was not the slightest fear on his face, only resolve. "Difficult? Good! The more difficult, the better! If everyone could succeed, what meaning would there be in it? I shall walk this most difficult road! Even if I fail as Father God did, I shall have no regrets!"

Xuan Wazi gave Tongtian an approving glance, then put forth an even more novel—indeed, somewhat shocking—idea.

"Beyond these four methods, through my recent comprehension, I have also thought of another possibility. It may be called—the Dao of Worlds!"

"The Dao of Worlds?" Tongtian, Nuwa, and Red Cloud were all startled. This concept was exceedingly novel to them.

"Indeed!" Xuan Wazi explained. "It is to open a true greater world within one's own body, or in the chaos outside it! Not an ordinary Blessed Land, but a complete world possessing full laws, capable of independently evolving living beings and even giving birth to its own 'Heavenly Dao'! At that time, the creator would be the master of that world. So long as the world remains undying, its ruler shall not perish! With the power of an entire world feeding back into oneself, one's status might even surpass that of a Heavenly Dao Sage, reaching a realm truly equal to the Heavenly Dao of the Primordial World—or even transcending it!"

The notion was too grand, leaving all three stunned and deep in thought.

Tongtian was the first to react. Excitement gleamed in his eyes as he pressed, "Does Fellow Daoist mean Demon Ancestor Luohu? His final remnant soul forcibly opened the Heavenly Demon Realm and attained the Hunyuan through a world! Since Demon Ancestor Luohu opened the Heavenly Demon Realm and attained the Dao with merely a trace of remnant soul and the origin of an Innate God and Devil, could we not open a complete world while uninjured? Once it awakens its Heavenly Dao, could we then use it to transcend?"

Xuan Wazi nodded, then shook his head. "Fellow Daoist Tongtian can draw inferences from one instance to another—your mind is sharp. Luohu may indeed be considered a pioneer of this path, but his was an incomplete version. Had Luohu possessed his complete true body, used slaughter to enter the Dao, and opened the Heavenly Demon Realm, then he could have gone anywhere in this Primordial World. Unfortunately, Luohu was but a wisp of remnant soul, forcibly opening a world with a trace of Devil God origin. The world was incomplete, and Luohu would be trapped forever within the Heavenly Demon Realm. Otherwise, why would Luohu have uttered that Great Dao curse at the end: 'The Dao rises one foot, the demon rises ten'? Luohu fell one move short, and his path had already been severed.

Xuan Wazi then continued, "Yet attaining the Dao through a complete world is extraordinarily difficult to carry out!"

He analyzed it in detail. "First, opening a world is not as simple as opening a space. One must possess an extremely deep understanding of chaos and laws, and one must endure the backlash of opening Heaven and Earth. It cannot be done without the Great Dao of Strength or foundations of equal rank."

"Second, opening a world requires a core. Just as the Primordial World has the Solar Star and Lunar Star, a world must also possess a core to sustain its operation—perhaps a source of ultimate yang akin to the sun, or some other rare wonder containing boundless energy."

"Third, and most importantly, the world needs living beings. It must independently evolve the embryonic forms of the three paths of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity before it can be called a complete world. Only then will its feedback power be sufficient to help one transcend. Otherwise, it is merely a silent, lifeless space and offers no benefit to attaining the Dao."

Xuan Wazi concluded, "The path of worlds is theoretically feasible, and its potential is immense. But it contains too many obstacles, places exceedingly high demands upon its creator, consumes an immense amount of time, and is filled with countless uncertainties. Perhaps it may serve as an aid or a long-term goal, but to seek attainment of the Dao through it in the short term—difficult, difficult, difficult!"

He laid out the advantages, disadvantages, difficulty, and prospects of the various methods of attaining the Dao with absolute clarity before the three of them.

Tongtian sank into deep thought, his gaze wavering between the Dao of Strength and the Dao of Worlds. Clearly, both of these domineering and arduous paths deeply attracted him.

Nuwa had completely abandoned any thoughts of the Dao of Merit. Her gaze turned deeper toward her own Laws of Creation as she considered whether she could use them as a foundation to forge a unique path to the Hunyuan.

Red Cloud, meanwhile, was left dizzy by what he had heard. Every road seemed covered in thorns, and the way ahead felt increasingly unclear. He felt that he would need to act with even greater caution.

Seeing the different expressions on their faces, Xuan Wazi knew that the purpose of this discussion of the Dao had been achieved. He had successfully planted vigilance toward the method of severing the Three Corpses in their hearts, ignited their yearning for the path of the Hunyuan, and broadened their horizons.

[Ding! Successfully guided key figures to deeply analyze the various methods of attaining the Dao, shaking their absolute confidence in Mystical Sect orthodoxy. Deeply conforms to the behavior of 'Not Being a Person' (spreading heretical ideas). Reward: Divine Ability 'Great Dao Admonition' (incomplete), which can slightly enhance the persuasiveness of speech and the infectious power of Dao resonance.]

Xuan Wazi chuckled inwardly and raised his teacup. "Three fellow Daoists, the Great Dao stretches endlessly, and the road ahead has become somewhat clearer. As for how you choose, you must carefully weigh it according to your own circumstances. Let today's discussion of the Dao end here."

Tongtian, Nuwa, and Red Cloud all rose solemnly and gave Xuan Wazi a deep bow. "Many thanks, Fellow Daoist, for pointing us through the fog!"

This discussion of the Dao was of immense significance to them, and might even alter the fate of their future Dao paths. And all of it had begun with Xuan Wazi's instigation as a "Not Being a Person brat" within Purple Cloud Palace, followed by this utterly unreserved analysis.