Chapter 38

But the Great Dao is everywhere, and it remains possible to cross the barrier of the Heavenly Dao and touch the supreme origin of the Great Dao.

This is the challenge and opportunity of the Path of the Great Dao and the Path of the Heavenly Dao.

What a dilemma of choice!

Within the Heavenly Dao, the power of the Three Thousand Great Dao Laws is already contained, like a guiding path.

By keeping one's original heart, one can draw the essence of the Innate Great Dao from the Heavenly Dao.

Yet the difficulty involved far exceeds imagination—at least ten times greater.

For beings below the Primordial Grand Unity, this is nearly impossible.

Monsters like Tai Ming, who established their own Great Dao at the Taiyi Realm, need no further mention.

But thankfully, though the Great Dao is hard to comprehend, the Heavenly Dao has already emerged and formally governs the Primordial World.

For those who have achieved nothing in the Great Dao, they can fully comprehend from the Heavenly Dao.

Moreover, compared to the Great Dao, comprehending the Heavenly Dao is far easier.

The Heavenly Dao seems complex, but it has internal laws to follow.

As long as one finds these laws, rapid progress is possible.

Even for Top Supreme Experts who have reached a certain level, they can create a method that directly leads to the Heavenly Dao.

This method allows the comprehension of the Heavenly Dao to be like a baptism, enabling step-by-step rapid growth.

However, in doing so, the hope of attaining the Dao that Cang Li Shi gave to All Beings is completely cut off.

For most gods who roamed the Primordial World in the Archaic Era, the emergence of the Heavenly Dao has brought great changes.

As described by "The Way of Heaven takes from the abundant to supplement the deficient,"

the Heavenly Dao chooses All Beings, not the strongest few.

For the myriad races of the New Generation, the emergence of the Heavenly Dao is even more significant.

They lack the Great Dao foundation of the Archaic Era gods, but the Heavenly Dao's emergence compensates for this deficiency.

Whether in understanding the Dao or the intangible restrictions after the Heavenly Dao's emergence, the Primordial World grows increasingly prosperous.

Though the Great Dao appears immensely powerful, achieving success in it is far more difficult.

The emergence of the Heavenly Dao makes laws followable, and the threshold for enlightenment grows lower.

Yet for the Top Supreme Experts truly standing at the pinnacle of the Primordial World, these changes impose little restriction.

Figures like Dao Lord Hongjun and Demon Ancestor Rahu, as Top Supreme Experts, have long established their own Great Dao foundations—whether Heavenly Dao or Great Dao, both are merely manifestations of the Dao.

For those stuck in the middle, with no achievement in either the Great Dao or the Heavenly Dao, the restrictions of the Heavenly Dao are undoubtedly a denial of their Dao path and heart.

Such a blow is immense!

No matter how the world changes, "Dao"

remains the core of cultivation in the Primordial World, and Dao seekers constantly pursue its traces to ascend.

The emergence of the Heavenly Dao has completely altered the future development of the Primordial World.

Since the Heavenly Dao's birth over Three Thousand Yuan Hui ago, the originally manifest Heavenly Dao has gradually merged into the Primordial World, like precise gears controlled by the Heavenly Dao's operation.

But this matter is not yet finished.

With the rebirth of the Heavenly Dao, it must reassess the merit and Karma of the Primordial Gods, thereby rewarding or eliminating a batch of Primordial Beings to display the Heavenly Dao's authority.

The descent of merit was like a fine drizzle; after three days, all Primordial Beings received endless nourishment from Heavenly Dao Merit.

Many beings thus elevated their realms, and quite a few of the New Generation directly leaped to the level of Grand Unity Venerable God, becoming new Heavenly Dao Grand Unity existences.

The Innate Divine Beings of the Realm of the Nine Heavens also received merit rewards, but they chose to store it rather than use it to enhance their cultivation.

Notably, Demon Ancestor Rahu, who was expected to be burdened with Karma, received far more merit than ordinary Innate Divine Beings.

This scene stirred discontent among the Innate Divine Beings.

However, with the descent of Heavenly Dao Karma, most of Rahu's merit instantly dissipated, and endless Heavenly Punishment descended across the Primordial World.

Hidden destroyers were found by the Heavenly Dao and subjected to the Baptism of Heavenly Punishment.

If they survived the Heavenly Punishment, all Karma was cleared; if not, they perished and repaid the world.

At this moment, the deterrent power of Heavenly Punishment was imprinted into the instincts of all Primordial Beings.

Yet the focus was not here; the gods of the Realm of the Nine Heavens were drawn to another shocking change—Tai Ming began to emit a terrifying aura.

Around him, the Divine Ring of the Self Great Dao nurtured twelve thousand nine hundred and sixty Innate Dao Fruits like stars, along with eighty-four million nascent Innate Dao Fruit forms.

Around Tai Ming, countless Postnatal Great Dao Fruits dotted the space like a sea of sand.

At the Taiyi Great Perfection realm, he bore his own limit, with two phenomena appearing behind him—the Space-Time River and the River of Fate entwined.

Many Innate Divine Beings sensed that he was about to break through to Grand Unity.

Dao Lord Hongjun and other Primordial Gods marveled at Tai Ming's profound foundation, while the Five Directions Divine Race discussed it, placing high hopes on him.

Rahu did not hide his appreciation.

The Heavenly Dao now descended its merits and karmic retribution upon Tai Ming.

As the founder of the Ghost Dao, the one who ended the Western Great War, and bearer of countless other titles, he quietly prepared for his breakthrough.

A torrent of Heavenly Dao Merit, vast beyond measure, descended upon Tai Ming.

On a scale second only to the merits bestowed by the Heavenly Dao upon ancient beings like Dao Lord Hongjun, it was unprecedented.

Under the gaze of the gods, they expected Tai Ming to break through, but a new change occurred on his person instead.

In an instant, a resonant hum echoed through the sky, and a divine radiance, both in harmony with Tai Ming yet utterly distinct, shot heavenward.

Boundless Primordial Profound Yellow Qi enshrouded Tai Ming, rendering him supremely sacred.

The void of the Realm of the Nine Heavens churned violently as two intertwined yet opposing Powers of the Great Dao manifested.

Then, an illusory world, nearly identical to the Primordial World, began to take shape.

The gods were astonished to find another pantheon of deities within it, staring back at them with equal surprise.

This bizarre sight immediately shook the gods.

They exclaimed in shock: "How can this be? An Innate Divine Being is emerging from within Tai Ming?"

"This is a brand-new Postnatal Great Dao woven from the Daos of Reality and Illusion, turning illusion into reality—truly beyond comprehension."

"What kind of existence is this, born with such a miraculous Postnatal Great Dao?"

Faced with this scene, even the gods found it baffling.

Especially the fact that it was happening to Tai Ming made it all the more unbelievable.

The junior Tai Ming always revealed stunning miracles beyond expectation.

Never before had there been a precedent of one Innate Divine Being being born within another.

Among the gods present, only the Heart of the Earthly Path hidden within Tai Ming and his split-soul incarnation Jiang Chen had some inkling.

"It's Shen Ji!"

Indeed, it was Shen Ji, who had come to the Primordial World alongside Tai Ming.

Long before Tai Ming rose to prominence, they had together absorbed the Ancestral Qi of the Innate Great Dao Origin from the Beast Emperor of Reincarnation.

Thus, Shen Ji became a new kind of Innate Divine Being, born in tandem with Tai Ming.

Later, Tai Ming channeled the Netherworld's merit he had obtained into Shen Ji, putting him into a dormant, gestating state.

It wasn't until Tai Ming became the Chosen of Destiny, ended the Western Great War, and stabilized the chaotic order that he once again gained vast Great Dao Merit.

After setting aside a Primordial Violet Qi and a seed of the Primordial Origin of the Profound Yellow Great Dao, this merit also nourished Shen Ji, elevating him directly from a high-level Innate Divine Being to a top-tier one.

Now, as Tai Ming received the Heavenly Dao Merit, Shen Ji could draw upon it and was about to be born.

Though the Heavenly Dao Merit was priceless, Tai Ming sensed Shen Ji's imminent emergence and unhesitatingly yielded it to him.

With Shen Ji's arrival, Tai Ming unexpectedly awakened a new Postnatal Great Dao—the Virtual Great Dao.

This Dao, centered on reality and illusion, was born from Shen Ji's immense computational power combined with Tai Ming's mastery of virtual reality techniques.

The two Innate Dao Fruits Tai Ming had comprehended within the Innate Great Dao provided the foundation for Shen Ji's Virtual Great Dao.

Due to Shen Ji's birth, Tai Ming temporarily set aside his plans to break through to Grand Unity.

With a crisp sound, Shen Ji expressed gratitude to Tai Ming and vowed to aid him in the future.

Tai Ming felt deeply gratified, genuinely happy for Shen Ji's growth, and was both amazed and relieved by the Virtual Great Dao born with him.

Shen Ji declared he would always accompany Tai Ming.

Then, Shen Ji revealed his true plan to Tai Ming: to create a virtual world, connect the Primordial Beings, and provide a ladder for Dao Seekers.

His goal was to manifest an omnipresent Virtual Primordial, integrating it into the Heaven, Earth, and Human Daos.

After careful deliberation, Shen Ji chose the Virtual Great Dao to realize his grand vision.

Under the watch of the gods, Shen Ji emerged through the Virtual Great Dao, vowing to usher in a new era for the Primordial World.

No matter where Tai Ming went in the future, Shen Ji would remain by his side.

Shen Ji believed that only thus could he best assist his elder brother, Tai Ming.

Shen Ji's Virtual Great Dao was born for Tai Ming.

The meaning Tai Ming held for Shen Ji had been deeply etched into Shen Ji's instincts since the two became one.

Even after Shen Ji entered the Primordial World as a top-tier Innate Divine Being, this instinct persisted.

This thought within Shen Ji was entirely a heartfelt, voluntary impulse.

Thus, Shen Ji's actions shocked all the Primordial Gods.

They never expected a newly born top-tier Innate Divine Being to go this far for another.

Shen Ji's scheme needed no concealment; the gods could deduce his intent with ease.

This only deepened their envy—such selfless trust and devotion were beyond even their power to possess.

The gods could not fathom what charm Tai Ming held to earn such unwavering faith from Shen Ji.

They couldn't help but feel jealousy stir within them.

At the same time, as Shen Ji's Dao proclamation resounded, the previously hidden Supreme Dao manifested once more, transforming into a Dao Dharma Eye that descended like the Heavenly Dao itself.

Its gaze converged upon Shen Ji, causing the Virtual Primordial World to grow increasingly solid under his guidance, nearly indistinguishable from the true Primordial World.

Then, a grand Dao Sound echoed through the void, proclaiming Shen Ji as the master of the Virtual Primordial World and bestowing upon him the Dao name Tai Xu.

At this moment, it was as if two Primordial Worlds were overlapping, and Shen Ji merged into the Virtual Primordial World, becoming a unique lifeform—an existence akin to the Heavenly Dao.

All living beings and Gods of the Primordial World could sense this transformation.

With but a single thought, they could enter the Virtual Primordial World that Shen Ji had created.

In the blink of an eye, the Gods discovered countless benefits and terrors within the Virtual Primordial World.

Beyond Buzhou, formed by the Pangu Clan, the hidden foundations of all major powers in the Primordial World were laid bare without obstruction, including the guardian arrays meant to block probing.

Shen Ji (Tai Xu), now incarnated as the will of the Virtual Primordial World, naturally possessed unimpeded vision.

Though the Gods' expressions soured at the exposure of their secrets, Tai Ming's mind avatar timely manifested at the critical moment and established the Dao Covenant.

Tai Ming sincerely apologized to the Gods, explaining it was an unintentional oversight.

He swore by the Dao in the name of the Ghost Ancestor Tai Ming that the various factions within the virtual world would still govern themselves, and that he and Shen Ji would never rashly pry or disclose anything.

At the same time, he discovered that the Virtual Primordial World had certain flaws—beings at the Grand Unity level could directly influence living creatures in the real world.

Thus, he and Shen Ji decided to temporarily seal the Virtual Primordial World, dividing it into layers: one for those above Grand Unity and one for those below, each with their own Virtual Primordial World.