Using Five Elements to Replenish Four Symbols, Proving the Dao Through Laws?

Within the chaos, streams of energy surged and roiled without end. At times, water, fire, wind, and lightning burst forth; at others, clear and turbid currents suddenly appeared, rumbling loudly.

Yet amid that vast desolation stood an ancient, unadorned palace: Zixiao Palace. It remained utterly still, allowing the chaotic energies to scour over it as though it had existed since time immemorial and would continue to exist forever.

Inside Zixiao Palace, just as Dao Xuan had expected, a pair of eyes was silently observing his every move.

Hongjun, the Dao Ancestor and the Primordial World's sole Saint, had witnessed all of Dao Xuan's actions.

There was no doubt that Dao Xuan's identity as an enormous variable had now been confirmed.

Yet Hongjun still did not make a move.

That was because Hongjun himself was puzzled. Why had Dao Xuan become a variable? And what exactly was he doing with all these actions?

Hongjun had deduced from the Heavenly Dao that Dao Xuan had become a variable starting from when he encountered Penglai, Yingzhou, and Abbot, the three immortal islands formed from fragments of chaos.

However, what sort of opportunity Dao Xuan had obtained on those islands was something even the Heavenly Dao did not know.

The Primordial World was vast and held countless secrets. Though the Heavenly Dao stood high above all and governed the rules of the entire world, it was not omniscient or omnipotent.

It was, in the end, merely a certain kind of rule!

But while the Heavenly Dao was a rule, Hongjun was not. As long as Dao Xuan did not defy Heaven, the Heavenly Dao would not interfere too much.

Hongjun, however, could interfere. After all, he had yet to undergo Dao Integration! He was still himself, still a Saint.

A being possessing the most formidable strength beneath the heavens.

Of course, that was only because the strongest one had already left. Otherwise, he would still be second in the world.

Hongjun recalled that fellow who had suppressed him so thoroughly not long ago. His teeth itched with irritation, yet he could only feel helpless.

The Space Demon God was still the Space Demon God. Even though Hongjun had received an immense opportunity in this life and gained the favor of the Great Desolate Heavenly Dao, becoming its spokesperson,

and could draw upon the power of the Great Desolate Heavenly Dao against enemies after becoming a Saint, he still could not contend with the Space Demon God.

Because at the Space Demon God's level, sheer power no longer mattered much.

What mattered was the "Dao." The Space Demon God's "Dao" surpassed his own, even surpassing the "Heavenly Dao."

Even if he possessed a vast pile of supreme treasures, they would be useless!

Unless, one day, he too could transcend the Great Desolate Heavenly Dao and walk farther along the realm of the "Dao."

But—

Would such a day ever come?

At that moment, a different light finally flashed through Hongjun's eyes.

But it soon returned to stillness.

He continued watching that "junior" walking upon Sumeru Mountain.

"Dao Xuan..."

Hongjun softly repeated the name. "Could it be that you obtained that fellow Yang Mei's inheritance on the Three Immortal Islands? Is that why you know of Law-Proving Dao and are walking the same path of Law-Proving Dao as Yang Mei?"

Hongjun felt that this was highly possible. Yang Mei's whereabouts within the Primordial World had always been exceedingly mysterious.

Moreover, unlike the present, when the Great Desolate Heavenly Dao had already emerged, the Heavenly Dao had not yet appeared in that earlier era, and the Great Dao had overseen the Primordial World in its stead.

Therefore, even the Heavenly Dao had not recorded the slightest trace of Yang Mei's whereabouts.

Based on the few times Yang Mei had appeared in the Primordial World in the past, Hongjun could only conclude that Yang Mei had most likely lived somewhere upon the Eastern Sea.

But whether it was the Three Immortal Islands was difficult to say.

Yet the more Hongjun considered it, the more likely it seemed. Otherwise, how could Dao Xuan have become such a variable?

By nature, Dao Xuan was merely a Supreme-Grade Innate Spiritual Root that had attained the Dao.

Even if he had fortunately awakened his intelligence, escaped the confines of being a spiritual root, and been able to cultivate and comprehend the Dao, he should not have achieved what he had today.

But if Dao Xuan had inherited Yang Mei's legacy, then everything made sense.

The question now was, what exactly was Dao Xuan trying to do? And Yang Mei—he had left when he left, so why had he also left behind his inheritance and created such a great variable? What was his intention?

"The Innate Banana Tree is a Four Symbols Spirit Root and cultivates Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind. Yet according to my observations, Dao Xuan is searching for Five-Element Spiritual Roots?" Hongjun thought.

There were many Five-Element Spiritual Roots in the Primordial World. Yet obtaining even one or two of them was already an immense opportunity.

No one could gather all Innate Spiritual Roots upon themselves.

Even Hongjun himself could not accomplish that with the abilities of a Saint.

Of course, obtaining every spiritual root was impossible, but obtaining some of them was still possible.

Not to mention that, as things stood, Dao Xuan merely sought a portion of the branches from powerful beings who possessed the relevant spiritual roots.

That was achievable.

And according to Hongjun's deductions, Dao Xuan was currently searching for Five-Element Spiritual Roots. Of the three great spiritual roots he had obtained from Dijun and Taiyi, the Moon Laurel Tree and Fusang Tree were likely his targets.

The Starfruit Tree, on the other hand, was probably only incidental.

Thus, Dao Xuan had at the very least already acquired the Water, Fire, and Earth aspects among the Five-Element Spiritual Roots.

Only Metal and Wood remained!

His current trip west to seek Jieyin and Zhunti was for Metal!

"Interesting, interesting. Could it be that he intends to use the origins of the Innate Five-Element Spiritual Roots—Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—to replenish his Four Symbols Origin?"

Hongjun seemed to have reached some understanding.

In cultivating the Great Dao, one's foundation was extremely important. Even those born humble would often seek every possible way to improve their foundation as their cultivation rose.

Did not even Yang Mei, despite possessing the indestructible cultivation of the Space Demon God from his previous life, choose the Hollow Willow Tree, a top-tier Innate Spiritual Root, as the foundation of his Dao body in this life?

Thus, viewed this way, Dao Xuan's desire to gather the Innate Five Elements to replenish his Four Symbols Origin and transform his foundation was entirely reasonable.

After all, the Primordial World had so many Innate Five-Element Spiritual Roots, while among spiritual roots with Four Symbols attributes, as far as Hongjun knew, Dao Xuan's Innate Banana Tree might well be the only one.

So, unable to replenish himself with his own kind, he could only seek the Five Elements, which were closest to the Four Symbols and easiest to obtain.

Everything suddenly became clear.

At this thought, an involuntary smile appeared at the corner of Hongjun's lips, as though he had already seen through Dao Xuan.

"If that is all, then I would not be opposed to lending you a hand and allowing you to become the second Hunyuan Daluo Golden Immortal in the Primordial World."

Hongjun watched Dao Xuan's figure and murmured to himself, pondering, "After all, I need a variable!"

Yes, Hongjun needed a variable like Dao Xuan.

As mentioned before, the Heavenly Dao contained both constants and variables. Without variables, even the Heavenly Dao would gradually perish.

And Hongjun? He needed variables even more than the Heavenly Dao did.

He would soon undergo Dao Integration. Afterward, what Hongjun feared most was whether he could still awaken, whether the awakened Hongjun would still be himself,

and whether, after awakening, he could one day separate himself from the Heavenly Dao again and transcend it.

These were things that constants could not give him. Only variables could—variables like Dao Xuan.

Large enough, yet still within his control. Not so large that they would spiral out of control!

Meanwhile, upon Sumeru Mountain, Dao Xuan was climbing step by step when an inexplicable strange sensation suddenly arose in his heart.

He abruptly stopped walking.