Endless possibilities lay arrayed, flowing, branching and branching again; the branches of branches branched yet again, cycling thus without end, never identical, reaching straight to the end of infinity.
And all of it, unified... became a ring.
An embrace.
A... serpent's coil.
[Just like this.]
The Tianyuan Heavenly Dao's voice sounded: [The fire kindled by intelligent life radiates infinite light, and the will of the world encircles that light, which represents boundless chaotic possibilities, forging it into its own scales, its own body. This is the 'World-Bearing Scales,' the 'Light Embracing Light.']
"...Was my enlightenment truly enlightenment?"
An Jing opened his eyes, awakening from endless possibilities. He softly asked, "In that future, the 'Phase-Controlled Explosive Array' Huo Qing used when he self-destructed had many similarities to the 'Nirvana Foundation' I designed for the Grotto-Heaven Method. One could even say that I most likely told him about it—or that he drew inspiration from me."
"And on the timeline I'm in, I likewise used the 'Wither-Flourish Explosive Fist,' derived from 'Vegetation Wither-Flourish Returning Flame and Earth,' to deal with the Holy Demon's avatar."
"This isn't a coincidence."
[You can think of it this way.]
Tianyuan answered: [They are all your wisdom. But enlightenment is indeed the convergence of the wisdom of infinitely many versions of you across infinite parallel spacetime—and you have drawn out the most refined parts among them.]
An Jing let out a long breath.
He could understand the Heavenly Dao's perspective now.
The Heavenly Dao was without feeling. In Its eyes, everyone was the same, because it could see every person's infinite possibilities, infinite futures and pasts, causes and karmic sins. Thus, the Heavenly Dao loved everyone—and with equal impartiality, loved no one.
And every possibility was a necessity.
But in his world, Huo Qing was still alive. That