Beyond the Limits of Heaven and Earth's Rules—Could Such a Dao Truly Exist in This World?

Chen Changqing met the old ancestor's gaze and answered unhurriedly, "One word—comprehension!"

"Use your own comprehension to glimpse the source of the Great Dao!"

"If you can successfully comprehend a divine ability, then even an ordinary mortal can possess the power to move mountains, fill seas, or even cleave heaven and earth apart."

Chen Changqing paused slightly before continuing, "Of course, the more powerful the divine ability, the harsher its requirements for comprehension."

"If one's comprehension is lacking, one may spend an entire lifetime without grasping even a single divine ability!"

"But for those with peerless comprehension, grasping multiple divine abilities is no difficult task."

At this point—

Chen Changqing could not help sighing inwardly.

The reason he had been able to comprehend the Immortality Divine Ability so easily was precisely because of the terrifying comprehension accumulated over a million years.

Without that prerequisite, no matter how high his original talent had been, he could never have glimpsed the secret of longevity in such a short time.

Yet when Chen Haotian and the others heard those words, they felt something entirely different.

Comprehension?

Was that really the only requirement?

Hehehe... They possessed the bloodline of the Undying Imperial Clan and were the Chen Family's hidden foundation. How could their innate talent and comprehension possibly be poor?

"Good lad..."

Chen Haotian drew a deep breath. His eyes were filled with admiration and pride as he looked at Chen Changqing. "The old ancestor truly did not misjudge you!"

He seized Chen Changqing's arm and laughed. "Quick, quick, quick! Explain it to this old ancestor in detail! How exactly does one begin with this Divine Ability Method? How does one cultivate it? What are the crucial points? What are the taboos...?"

At this moment, Chen Haotian no longer possessed even a trace of the imposing dignity of a peerless Quasi-Emperor Realm expert. He was clearly a student thirsting for knowledge, his face written all over with a desire for "knowledge."

Behind him, Chen Lingfeng and the Chen Family's hidden foundation experts wore the same expressions. Great Sage Realm and Saint King Realm powerhouses all stretched out their necks, afraid they might miss even a single word.

Seeing this, Chen Changqing could not help laughing.

Could it be that the old ancestors thought comprehending a divine ability was easy?

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Chen Changqing swept his gaze over the Chen Family members and gave a few light coughs before continuing:

"This Divine Ability Method is neither difficult nor simple."

"There is no specific cultivation method. The key lies in a single word: comprehension!"

"I trust you all know the cultivation path of the Great Desolate Realm better than anyone."

"Beginning from the Body Tempering Realm, every advancement in cultivation is inseparable from the spiritual energy of heaven and earth."

"One consumes spiritual pills and precious medicines, draws spiritual energy into the body, then uses that spiritual energy as a medium to communicate with the laws of heaven and earth. One harmonizes with those laws, ultimately drawing upon their power to temper oneself and nourish oneself in return."

"At its core, this path is one of borrowing."

"Borrowing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth as a bridge, borrowing the laws of heaven and earth as weapons."

Chen Lingfeng and the others nodded one after another. This was the orthodox cultivation path passed down through the Great Desolate Realm for countless epochs. They had cultivated it since childhood and could not have been more familiar with it.

"The advantage of this path is that its difficulty is relatively low," Chen Changqing continued. "So long as one proceeds step by step, advances in proper order, and has sufficient resources piled up, one can gradually increase one's strength."

"However, this path has one fatal flaw."

"Cultivators themselves will forever remain bound by the laws of heaven and earth."

"If the laws of heaven and earth are complete, then a cultivator's Dao methods will be complete. If the laws of heaven and earth are flawed, then a cultivator's Dao methods will likewise become incomplete."

At that, Chen Changqing raised his head to look at the heavens.

"For instance, our Great Desolate Realm suffered damage to its rules of heaven and earth because of an Epoch War long ago. In a single era, it can only permit one Great Emperor to attain the Dao, and even a Great Emperor's lifespan is merely several tens of thousands of years!"

"Even after attaining the Dao and becoming a Great Emperor, one still cannot escape heaven and earth's shackles. One must still be carved away by the years."

As soon as those words fell, everyone present changed expression slightly.

They were all cultivators, and no one understood the implications of those words more deeply than they did.

"The Divine Ability Method is different!"

"This method may also be called the Dao Enlightenment Method."

"It does not borrow the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, nor does it borrow the laws of heaven and earth. Instead, it uses one's own comprehension to directly glimpse the secrets of the Great Dao's source."

"Once one successfully comprehends the Dao, it is equivalent to possessing a Dao that belongs solely to oneself!"

"Thus, when using divine abilities, there is no need to rely on the spiritual energy of this world, nor will one be constrained by this world's rules!"

"Even if this world's heaven and earth collapse, your Dao will still remain wholly your own."

After Chen Changqing finished speaking—

The entire Chen Clan Ancestral Land once again fell into a deathly silence. Everyone stood frozen in place.

Even Chen Haotian, the old ancestor at the Quasi-Emperor Realm, frowned tightly as he listened.

"Directly... comprehend the Great Dao?"

He muttered to himself, his voice filled with incredulous confusion. "It sounds simple, but the Great Dao is intangible and elusive... How is one supposed to comprehend it?"

That was also the question in the hearts of every Chen Family expert present.

That was right!

Directly comprehending the Great Dao sounded easy enough, but what was the Great Dao?

Where was the Great Dao?

How was one supposed to comprehend it?

Where should one even begin?

A Saint King Realm hidden foundation expert could not help speaking up. "Ancestor Changqing, this junior has cultivated for tens of thousands of years and understands one truth: even a Destiny Emperor can only come into contact with the core rules of a world after fusing with the 'Heavenly Heart Imprint.' And the Heavenly Heart Imprint is the condensed form of a world's laws of heaven and earth."

He paused, his tone brimming with confusion. "According to your explanation, Ancestor, wouldn't this Divine Ability Method be equivalent to directly bypassing the laws of heaven and earth and grasping the power of the Great Dao itself?"

"This... this is far too fantastical, isn't it?"

Another Clan Elder could not help echoing him. "Indeed. If we cannot even perceive the laws of heaven and earth, how are we supposed to comprehend the source of the Great Dao?"

Although Family Head Chen Lingfeng said nothing, his tightly furrowed brows had already explained everything.

The Divine Ability Method was equivalent to "skipping levels"!

It directly crossed over the entire cultivation system, leaping from "borrowing the laws of heaven and earth" to "grasping the source of the Great Dao."

It was like someone who had never touched a sword suddenly becoming the supreme master of the Sword Dao.

To be honest, they could not believe in something so fantastical.

But—

The scene of Chen Changqing bestowing vitality with a single finger was still vivid in their minds, leaving them with no choice but to admit that the "Divine Ability Method" was real!

Chen Changqing took in everyone's reactions, the corners of his lips lifting faintly.

"Fantastical?"

He chuckled and shook his head.

In truth, without the comprehension accumulated over a million years, even with his Chaos Body, he likely would not have been able to comprehend the "Divine Ability Method."

Therefore, it was only natural that Chen Haotian and the others could not yet understand this method of attaining the Dao.

It seems I still need to think of a way to guide them a little...

Comprehending the Dao could only be done through one's own understanding, but external factors could still provide assistance.

For example, listening to a mighty senior expound the Dao could grant one insights and benefit one's Dao comprehension.

Or one could use external items such as treasures that enhanced comprehension, like Dao Enlightenment Tea.

With that thought—

Chen Changqing smiled faintly and said, "Ancestor, there is no need for you to worry."

"Next, I will hold a Dao exposition in the Chen Family. Perhaps you may gain some insight from it!"

"A Dao exposition?"

"Good, good, good. Do whatever you wish."

Chen Haotian's eyes gleamed. His instincts told him that this would be an opportunity for the entire Chen Family to defy fate and rewrite their destiny!

It was at that moment—

Family Head Chen Lingfeng stepped forward and cupped his hands toward Chen Changqing in salute, his respectful manner carrying a perfectly timed hint of opportunism.

"Ancestor Changqing."

"Today happens to be the Chen Family's once-in-a-century Sequence Ranking Battle. The clan's disciples have gathered there, from direct-line prodigies to branch-family rising talents. Even most of the clan elders are present."

"If you were to go there and expound the Dao now, the younger generation would be able to witness a legend such as yourself, while the entire clan would also have the chance to hear your ancestral teachings."

After saying that—

Chen Lingfeng paused, then added another sentence. The anticipation in his tone was nearly overflowing. "What does Ancestor think?"