Cao Yusheng watched Ying Hao warily. At this point, he felt there was no need to keep pretending.
"It seems I really can't afford to look down on the heroes of the world!"
Cao Yusheng was filled with emotion. He had already thought highly enough of Ying Hao, and could even faintly see the shadow of Emperor Zun in him.
But now, it seemed he had still underestimated Ying Hao!
It made sense, too. He had forcibly achieved the Dao in an era when even the descendant of the Human Emperor could not become an emperor.
This was something even Emperor Zun had failed to accomplish back then!
However, he was confident in his own methods. Even a Great Emperor should not have been able to see through his identity.
How had Ying Hao found out?
"The first Heavenly Venerate of the Mythological Era, Emperor Zun's master, the founder of the Underworld, Nether Venerate, and the former Origin Emperor!"
Since he was going to discuss the Dao with Cao Yusheng, Ying Hao simply exposed his identity outright.
As far as he knew, Cao Yusheng severed his memories after every reincarnation, starting over from scratch each time.
If he missed this opportunity, he would have to wait through endless years before he could discuss the Dao with Cao Yusheng again.
Cao Yusheng looked utterly hopeless. The last trace of hope in his heart vanished at this moment.
That's it! Ying Hao had made his identity completely clear!
There were some things that even the Supreme Beings of the same era did not know, yet Ying Hao seemed to understand everything perfectly.
"Good! Since you wish to discuss the Dao, then this Venerate will discuss it with you properly!"
Cao Yusheng's expression turned solemn. Though he possessed no cultivation at all, at this moment, he still exuded an unparalleled bearing.
Throughout the endless years of the past and present, there had been far too many extraordinarily talented people, most of whom had faded away into the river of time.
Lingbao Heavenly Venerate had been one example, and Emperor Zun another. Each had reached the pinnacle in a certain field.
But time was merciless. If one could not continue transforming amid the mortal world, one would ultimately be no more than a passing guest in the journey of life.
Though Ying Hao was astonishingly talented as well, after the passage of endless years, perhaps all that would remain of him was a pile of yellow earth.
Only now did he truly regard Ying Hao as a fellow Daoist, believing that he might be able to attain immortality.
"May I ask, fellow Daoist, why can't one attain immortality?" Ying Hao asked.
He actually knew the reason, but he had only glimpsed it through a fog, while Cao Yusheng had experienced it personally.
From the distant Chaotic Ancient Era to the Mythological Era and then the Primordial Era, Cao Yusheng had lived through endless years.
"Before the Chaotic Ancient Era, one could still attain immortality without becoming an immortal, but afterward, the laws of Heaven and Earth underwent a tremendous change."
According to Cao Yusheng, besides the changes in the laws of Heaven and Earth, the incompleteness of Heaven and Earth was also an important reason why immortality was impossible.
Otherwise, as peak experts of the human realm, Great Emperors could not possibly have lifespans of only a little over ten thousand years.
"Heaven and Earth are incomplete. Since the external world cannot be changed, one can only seek the answer within oneself?" Ying Hao fell into contemplation.
Perhaps this was the significance of the path of transforming into a Mortal World Immortal, as well as the foundation of the cultivation method of the Human Body Secret Realm.
As far as he knew, the cultivation method of the Human Body Secret Realm originated from Desolate Heaven Emperor. It was the unparalleled technique Desolate Heaven Emperor had created by making the self a seed.
This cultivation method regarded the self as a miniature world, constantly excavating its own potential and opening the "doors" within.
Once one cultivated to profound realms, one no longer needed to rely on the external world, and could even stand shoulder to shoulder with the great universe—or surpass it.
In other words, no matter how the external world changed, one could continue transforming simply by excavating one's own potential.
Before Cao Yusheng could answer, Ying Hao spoke again. "I understand now. Heaven and Earth have an end, but the potential of the human body is infinite!"
The universe he inhabited was vast, but it still had boundaries. Even the Immortal Domain, vast and boundless as it was, still had an edge.
Beyond the Immortal Domain lay the incomparably vast Sea of Worlds, and above the Sea of Worlds was the boundless Above the Heavens.
Every world had its own rules. If one relied on the external world for cultivation, how could one break free from the limitations of Heaven and Earth?
From this perspective, Desolate Heaven Emperor was truly heaven-defying. He deserved to be called an unparalleled expert who had shaken the ages and stood supreme throughout eternity.
It seemed that his knowledge in the past had been far too shallow. He had never comprehended the essence of the cultivation method of the Human Body Secret Realm.
Transforming into an immortal amid the mortal world was actually the process of constantly excavating the potential of the human body.
Only now did he suddenly realize that the road had always been beneath his feet. Why seek anything else?
At this moment, countless insights surged through his mind, and he felt incomparably clear and transparent from head to toe.
He understood!
From the moment he had embarked on the path of cultivation, he had actually already been on the road.
If he had not cultivated diligently, perfected his Sun God Physique, and entered the realm of Alternative Dao Achievement,
even if he had obtained the system's reward and fused with the Golden Crow Bloodline, could he have forcibly achieved the Dao?
The answer was no!
A towering building rose from level ground. Without the foundation he had laid before, how could he have made further progress after reaching the limit?
It seemed that he absolutely could not place all his hopes on the system!
The self was the foundation. Only when he himself was strong enough could the system's rewards possibly help him.
Moreover, no matter what kind of system reward it was, in the end it still had to fuse with him and be put to use by him.
Looking back now, his luck had actually been excellent. He had unexpectedly encountered the Golden Crow Clan and obtained the Golden Crow Bloodline.
He already possessed the Sun God Physique, which was highly compatible with the Golden Crow Bloodline. That was why he had been able to fuse with it so smoothly.
Furthermore, the Golden Crow Bloodline complemented the Sun God Physique. Only then had his physique transformed into the Sacred Sun Physique.
The system was auxiliary, while the self was primary. Constantly transforming amid the mortal world—this was the road he would walk from now on!
Having comprehended his own path, his thoughts flowed freely, and he felt incomparably clear and transparent throughout his entire body.
Cao Yusheng stared at Ying Hao in stunned disbelief. What had he just said?
Hadn't he merely explained that because Heaven and Earth were incomplete, even someone as powerful as a Great Emperor could not attain immortality?
Not only had Ying Hao been able to draw inferences from one example, he had even achieved enlightenment in an instant?
Could the words he had spoken really have such an effect? Why had he never known it himself?
Looking at Ying Hao now, that vague illusion of seeing Emperor Zun grew even stronger.
No way! No way!
Could another expert like Emperor Zun really appear in this world?
What kind of monstrous genius had he accidentally encountered upon awakening this time?
At this thought, he could not help feeling somewhat desperate. It seemed that this lifetime would be difficult for him.
His reincarnations in the mortal world were not merely about surviving a single lifetime. He had to reach the pinnacle.
Ideally, he would prove the Dao and become an Emperor. Only then would a reincarnated lifetime be considered complete.
But Ying Hao had appeared in this lifetime, forcibly achieving the Dao in an era when it was impossible. How could he still prove the Dao and become an Emperor?
It seemed that at most, he could only achieve the Dao by an alternative path this lifetime, barely counting it as complete.
"Thank you, fellow Daoist, for discussing the Dao with me. I have benefited immensely! It would be discourteous not to reciprocate. Please listen to my Dao!"
Ying Hao began expounding the Dao, explaining his own path without reservation and showing no fear that Cao Yusheng would pry into his secrets.
As a Great Emperor expounded the Dao, profound Dao tones resounded throughout Heaven and Earth. Heavenly flowers cascaded from above, golden lotuses surged from the ground, and one wondrous phenomenon after another appeared.
The more Cao Yusheng listened, the more shocked he became. Watching Ying Hao shine like the sun itself, he sank into deep contemplation.
The person before him was definitely not the next Emperor Zun, but the one and only Haotian the Great Emperor!
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