Ying Hao had been observing the Daoist Heavenly Venerate's corpse all this time, while Cao Yusheng took the initiative to speak, explaining what had happened.
The Daoist Heavenly Venerate's corpse wore an indescribable expression. At times it seemed confused, and at others shocked, unable to recover for a long while.
Ying Hao continued observing the Daoist Heavenly Venerate and discovered that although the Daoist Heavenly Venerate had been reborn, he was not completely ignorant.
Some memories still remained within the Daoist Heavenly Venerate's body, and his newly born will was constantly digesting them.
"The Daoist Heavenly Venerate couldn't possibly have made no preparations at all!" Ying Hao thought to himself.
Having chosen the path of awakening a corpse's spirit and placing his hopes on the Immortal Ascension Path, the Daoist Heavenly Venerate couldn't possibly have made no preparations.
In his view, awakening a corpse's spirit could, to some extent, be considered living out a second lifetime, though it was also somewhat different.
Although he possessed no cultivation and had to start over from scratch, that did not mean he had to begin cultivating anew.
At the very least, his physical body was still at the Great Emperor level. Saying that it was imperishable through countless tribulations and unharmed by Emperor weapons would not be an exaggeration.
Moreover, the instincts existing within his physical body would not be completely erased. They would be an extraordinary aid on the path of cultivation.
If that were not the case, Cao Yusheng could not possibly have reached, at the very least, the level of Alternative Dao Achievement in every reincarnation.
In other words, after the Daoist Heavenly Venerate's corpse awakened its spirit and he embarked on the path of cultivation once more, there was a high probability that he could cultivate to the level of Alternative Dao Achievement.
Those walking the path of transforming into a Mortal World Immortal would undergo a transformation each time they lived out another lifetime.
What made him curious was whether the Daoist Heavenly Venerate's corpse would undergo a new transformation as his cultivation continued to improve.
Moreover, during the process of growing again, would the will born within the Daoist Heavenly Venerate's corpse awaken the memories of his previous life?
Or perhaps awakening a corpse's spirit meant complete rebirth, causing him to walk down an entirely different path?
Regardless, the Daoist Heavenly Venerate's corpse awakening its spirit and giving birth to a new will was undoubtedly an excellent subject of study.
"Past events are already like passing clouds. From now on, I am Laozi!"
The Daoist Heavenly Venerate's corpse remained silent for a long while. In the end, a trace of enlightenment appeared on his face, and his voice was filled with relief.
After severing the past, the Emperor Qi within Laozi instantly withdrew. His entire person became simple and natural, completely turning into an ordinary mortal.
"Congratulations on your rebirth, fellow Daoist! This place is a rare sacred land of cultivation. You may as well cultivate here for a while longer!" Ying Hao said.
By awakening the Daoist Heavenly Venerate ahead of time, he had more or less disrupted the Daoist Heavenly Venerate's plans, but this might also be a new opportunity.
Laozi's expression was calm, and he nodded. With a Great Emperor personally inviting him, this was no longer something he could refuse.
For the sake of the system quest, Ying Hao had to keep Laozi here for at least a day. He did not waste words and immediately began discussing the Dao with Laozi.
Of course, although it was called discussing the Dao, Ying Hao was mainly the one expounding it, while Laozi and Cao Yusheng listened silently.
A day later, the system notification rang in Ying Hao's mind right on schedule.
"Ding! Congratulations, host, on completing the quest. The quest reward has been issued. Please claim it yourself!"
"Ding! Host discussed the Dao with one of the three corpses of the Grand Pure Sage and achieved the accomplishment 'Watched by a Sage.' Reward: 'Dao De Jing'!"
A faint smile unconsciously appeared at the corners of Ying Hao's mouth. Just as he had expected, discussing the Dao with Laozi had indeed allowed him to achieve the accomplishment.
The profound Daoist sounds slowly ceased. Laozi bowed to Ying Hao. A Great Emperor personally expounding the Dao was simply too great a favor.
"When you reach the peak, fellow Daoist, you may come to the Ziwei Star Domain," Ying Hao said meaningfully.
Afterward, he returned to the land of ascension and sat cross-legged beside the Immortal Pool. He first claimed the World Creation Insight.
All of a sudden, a familiar sensation surged into his heart. Once again, he saw the scene of the Great God Pangu creating the heavens and earth.
The scene appeared exactly the same, yet it gave him completely different insights.
Clearly, the two Heaven-Opening Marks were different. The laws of heaven and earth and the profound truths of the Great Dao contained within them were also different.
However, the two Heaven-Opening Marks complemented each other. Some things he had previously been unable to comprehend suddenly became clear at this moment.
Within the Immortal Pool, the Heavenly Dao Record trembled and burst forth with immense Immortal Light, forming a mysterious resonance with Ying Hao.
A vast world slowly emerged from the Heavenly Dao Record. Yin and yang intertwined, surging ceaselessly.
Faintly, one could see the vast world undergoing strange changes. The Great Dao interwove into endless runes, dazzling beyond compare.
No one knew how much time passed. Ying Hao slowly opened his eyes, and a sharp glint flashed across them.
The Heavenly Dao Record returned to calm and sank into the Immortal Pool once more. The Fortune within the Ninety-Nine Dragon Mountains continued gathering inside it.
"What I've comprehended now is less than one ten-thousandth, but it has already benefited me immensely!"
How precious was the Heaven-Opening Mark? Even a Sage had to study it carefully, let alone him in his current state.
With his current strength, comprehending the Heaven-Opening Mark was truly too difficult. At most, he could only comprehend some of its superficial aspects.
But that was already enough. Whether for his own transformation or for the evolution of the Heavenly Dao Record, it would provide tremendous help.
After silently digesting what he had gained and restoring his composure, Ying Hao finally claimed the other system reward.
"The Dao that can be spoken is not the eternal Dao; the name that can be named is not the eternal name."
Profound Daoist sounds resounded in his mind, and Ying Hao unconsciously sank into a wondrous state, unable to extricate himself.
No one knew how much time passed. The profound Daoist sounds slowly dispersed, and only then did Ying Hao slowly open his eyes, a trace of shock flashing across his face.
The "Dao De Jing" was not a cultivation method. Rather, it was a classic written by the Grand Pure Sage that pointed directly to the true origin of the Great Dao.
Every character seemed to contain the fundamental principles of heaven and earth. Each character was an ancient scripture worthy of being studied persistently.
However, having suddenly obtained the "Dao De Jing," directly comprehending its true meaning was simply impossible.
The same was true for Ying Hao. He could understand every character, but when he tried to comprehend its true meaning, he instantly felt completely bewildered.
Yet he had not gained nothing. The descriptions of yin and yang in the "Dao De Jing" instantly gave him the feeling of having suddenly seen the light.
"The Dao gives birth to One, One gives birth to Two, Two gives birth to Three, and Three gives birth to all things!"
"All things carry yin and embrace yang; through the blending of qi, harmony is achieved!"
"Yin and yang are what is called the Dao. As they decline, they decline further; as they flourish, they flourish further!"
Ying Hao had already been comprehending yin and yang. He had even given birth to a trace of Taiyin within the sun, embarking on the path of transforming extreme yang into extreme yin.
After listening to the "Dao De Jing," he gained a deeper understanding of yin and yang, and the Taiyin power within his body grew stronger as a result.
This was only the beginning. If he continued comprehending it persistently, he would surely have a great chance of transforming extreme yang into extreme yin.
Moreover, to his delight, after comprehending the "Dao De Jing," he gained some new insights into the Heaven-Opening Mark.
Comprehending the Heaven-Opening Mark also helped him comprehend the "Dao De Jing." The two processes complemented each other.
He suddenly gained an epiphany. A Golden Light Grand Dao lay before him, one that was enough to let him transform amid the mortal world.
"Ding! Congratulations, host, on completing the quest. The reward has been issued. Please claim it yourself!"
Before he knew it, Ying Hao had already stayed in Kunlun Mountain for a month, and thus completed another quest.
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