Understanding One's Own Dao

Da Luo Golden Immortal: To break through to the Da Luo Golden Immortal realm, one must first understand one's own Dao from the laws one has comprehended. Once one understands one's own Dao and develops and perfects it to a certain degree, one can transform the Taiyi Dao Fruit into a Da Luo Dao Fruit.

Afterward, using the Da Luo Dao Fruit to nurture one's innate true spirit can transform it into an indestructible innate true spirit. Then, by imprinting one's Dao upon Heaven and Earth, consolidating one's timeline, and transcending the river of time, one can break through to the Da Luo Golden Immortal realm.

The cultivation of a Da Luo Golden Immortal was, in truth, the continual comprehension of laws and Great Daos, developing and perfecting one's own Dao.

Primordial Golden Immortal: His inheritance contained little regarding the Primordial Golden Immortal realm, only the name of this realm. The same was true for the Primordial Da Luo Golden Immortal.

"I have already fully comprehended fifty laws, comprehended several hundred laws to the minor or major achievement stage, and gained an initial grasp of all three thousand laws. I have already nurtured my Taiyi Dao Fruit to its limit."

"Continuing to study laws and comprehend more of them will not greatly benefit my cultivation. Besides, how could the efficiency of a Taiyi Golden Immortal comprehending laws compare to that of a Da Luo Golden Immortal?"

"So, what matters most to me now is not comprehending more laws, but understanding my own Dao. Then I must perfect my own Dao, transform my Taiyi Dao Fruit into a Da Luo Dao Fruit, and break through to the Da Luo Golden Immortal realm."

"But how am I supposed to understand my own Dao? What is my Dao? Yin-Yang? Or the Five Elements? Must I continue delving into Yin-Yang and the Five Elements, comprehending the Dao of Yin-Yang and the Dao of the Five Elements?"

"No, that's not right. Even if I continue studying Yin-Yang and the Five Elements and comprehend the Great Dao of Yin-Yang or the Great Dao of the Five Elements, that would not be my own Dao. It would be the Dao of Heaven and Earth."

After pondering for a long time, Yuan Yan still found it difficult to gain understanding.

But then, inspiration suddenly struck Yuan Yan. He thought of the Daos of the many great experts of the Primordial World, as well as the Daos he had read about in some fantasy novels, and faint realizations gradually arose in his heart.

Hongjun and Rahu had unknown origins, but their Daos were undoubtedly the Immortal Dao and the Demonic Dao. They were both philosophies and systems of cultivation, through which they expounded and developed their understanding of everything in the world.

The Ancestral Dragon's true form was the Primordial Nine-Clawed Golden Dragon, and his Dao was the Dao of Dragons. This was both a philosophy and the Dao of a race, through which he expounded and developed his understanding of everything in the world.

Nuwa was born of innate lesser yin qi, while Fuxi was born of innate lesser yang qi, yet their Daos were Creation and the Eight Trigrams respectively. Although the Primordial World already possessed the Great Dao of Creation and the Great Dao of the Eight Trigrams, they had surely forged their own Daos. They likely used Creation and the Eight Trigrams respectively to expound and develop their understanding of everything in the world.

For instance, the Yellow River was a river, the Milky Way was a river, and the river of time and river of fate were also rivers. Different beings had different understandings of rivers. Thus, even if they all followed the Dao of Rivers, they would each be different.

There were also the Dao of the Sword, Dao of the Saber, Dao of the Spear, Dao of the Zither... in fantasy novels. These took an object as one's Dao, using an item to expound and develop one's understanding of everything in the world.

From this, it could be seen that there was no single way to forge one's own Dao. There were countless possibilities. It could be a philosophy, a cultivation system, an object, or a Dao that already existed between Heaven and Earth... The crucial point was to expound and develop one's understanding of everything in the world.

"Then what should my Dao be?"

"A philosophy? Such as Confucianism, Legalism, Mohism, red... Or a system of cultivation, such as the Martial Dao or Divine Dao... Or an object, such as a saber, spear, or sword... Or perhaps a Dao that already exists in Heaven and Earth, such as Yin-Yang, the Five Elements, reincarnation, or chaos..."

After pondering and deducing for a long time, several ideas gradually formed in Yuan Yan's mind.

First, his Dao could be Yin-Yang. He could use Yin-Yang to expound his understanding of everything in the world and express his philosophy. Life and death were Yin-Yang, the Five Elements were Yin-Yang, withering and flourishing were Yin-Yang... All oppositions and restraints, mutual roots and functions, waxing and waning balance, and mutual transformation were Yin-Yang.

Second, his Dao could be reincarnation. He could use reincarnation to expound his understanding of everything in the world and express his philosophy. What was reincarnation? Cycles! Everything in the world existed within cycles. On the small scale, flowers blooming and falling, life and death, withering and flourishing; on the middle scale, the birth and destruction of universes; on the grand scale, the cycle of existence and nonexistence.

Third, the Dao of Worlds. He could create a world, develop it according to his ideas, and let it carry his understanding of everything in the world and his philosophy.

Fourth, the Dao of the Mind. The mind was infinitely vast. I think, therefore I am. Everything came from the mind. He could use the mind to expound and develop his understanding of everything in the world.

Of these four different Daos, the first suited his innate origins best. If he followed this Dao, his cultivation progress would likely be the fastest.

The second Dao was also highly compatible with his innate origins. Moreover, he might be able to use it in the future to scheme for the Six Paths of Reincarnation in the Primordial World and attain the Dao through it. However, it also carried immense risks. The Six Paths of Reincarnation might be a reserved domain Pangu had left behind for Houtu and the Witch Clan.

The third Dao was also highly compatible with his innate origins, but its future was equally uncertain. He might achieve nothing even after countless eons, or it might allow him to transcend.

The fourth Dao seemed powerful, but it was far too incompatible with his innate origins. He had comprehended too few related laws, so he simply could not follow this Dao now. To make it work, he would first need to comprehend the relevant laws.

"Which Dao should I choose?" Yuan Yan hesitated inwardly.

After only an instant of hesitation, Yuan Yan abandoned the fourth Dao first. If he truly chose this path, he might fall far behind the foremost innate sacred beings of his generation. If he truly fell too far behind, what would he have to contend with them for the opportunity to attain the Dao?

This is so hard to choose! If I could choose them all, I wouldn't have to struggle over it! Yuan Yan thought.

"Wait, choose them all?" Yuan Yan's eyes lit up. "Can I forge three different Daos at once? And if I do, what would happen? I should be invincible among those of the same realm!"

Of course, everything had its advantages and disadvantages. Forging three different Daos at once would indeed make him invincible among those of the same realm, but the time required would likely far exceed that needed to forge only one Dao.

However, if he did not make the three different Daos advance side by side, but instead made one primary and two supplementary, then although he would no longer possess the foundation to be invincible among those of the same realm, the time required should be comparable to forging only one Dao.

As for whether doing so would cause other problems, he had a vague feeling that it would not.

Moreover, he remembered that Tongtian's Daos included not only Cutting Heaven, but also the sword and formations. Yuanshi's Daos included not only Expounding Heaven, but also artifacts...

They had all forged several different Daos at once. Though one Dao was most likely primary while the others were supplementary, no problems had arisen. Why would he have any problems?

With that thought, Yuan Yan immediately made up his mind. He would forge three different Daos at once. In the future, once he had accumulated enough foundation, he could even forge the Dao of the Mind as well.

As for whether the multiple Daos would advance side by side, or one Dao would be primary while the others were supplementary—and which Dao would be primary while the rest were supplementary—that would depend on future fortune.

Having made his decision, Yuan Yan continued maintaining his original form and remained connected to the Primordial Gourd Vine. He continued nurturing the Myriad Dao Primordial Gourd and allowing the Primordial Gourd Vine to absorb innate spiritual qi, Dao rhymes, and spiritual opportunities to restore its innate origins. At the same time, he immersed all his thoughts into the creation and development of his own Daos.