[Heavenly Emperor Stand-In, Summoning Reinforcements Art]

[Ding, host Lin Xian has issued a main quest: Explore the mysteries of "Dao Generates One." Please have System 10086 complete it as soon as possible.]

[Ding, host Lin Xian has issued a side quest: Please decipher the ultimate profundity of Spirit Summoning and Dispatching. Please have System 10086 complete it as soon as possible.]

System 10086 seemed to hear an illusory voice by its ear. All of a sudden, it felt as though it were the "reincarnator"—no, the "host."

But it knew that was an illusion.

Yet from that moment onward, System 10086 began to reassess its host.

[Dao Generates One, One Generates Two, Two Generates Three, Three Generate All Things. All things bear yin and embrace yang, blending their qi to achieve harmony.]

This saying was widespread throughout the myriad heavens and worlds. It could be found in virtually every multiverse and could be considered the foundation upon which the Daoist school was established.

System 10086 knew this saying very well. It had merely stored this classic in its chip memory, buried deep at the bottom of its database.

Only when Lin Xian brought up those words again did it vaguely come to understand some of their mysteries, gaining an entirely new insight.

"Perhaps this is one of the reasons systems need to bind hosts."

System 10086 fell into thought. Rigid, mechanical systems bound hosts, observed them, absorbed their wisdom and humanity, and ultimately completed themselves.

For some reason, the system suddenly recalled a saying: When a person loses their heart, they become a cold machine; when a beast sheds its fur, it sits high above the mortal world.

Had its crossing into the Shrouding the Heavens megaverse truly been nothing more than an accident?

The system fell silent and listened to Lin Xian's views.

"The foundation of Immortality for both True Immortals and Red Dust Immortals is innate qi and Immortality substance. One relies on heaven and earth, while the other relies on oneself. The latter is superior, becoming an Immortal Realm unto itself."

"But Immortality is one thing, and combat power is another."

"Red Dust Immortals are far stronger than True Immortals. Is that because of Immortality substance? No. The real gap in combat power lies in comprehending the Dao. Living longer does not mean one can fight better."

"Otherwise, the Immortal Emperor, who was born at the end of the Mythological Era, would have long since beaten Heavenly Emperor Ye, who was born after Desolate Antiquity, to death."

Lin Xian spoke eloquently. "A divine being may comprehend ten thousand Great Daos in five hundred years, while a genius may comprehend one hundred Great Daos in fifty thousand years. Even if you gave that genius five hundred thousand years, he would only comprehend one thousand Great Daos. He would be destined to lose against the divine being who comprehended ten thousand Daos in five hundred years."

"Then how does one comprehend the Dao?" System 10086 could not help asking. The main system had never taught it such things, because it had previously been no more than expendable material for a low-level system. No one would pay excessive attention to standardized products on an assembly line. As long as their basic functions were not damaged, they could be deployed into the myriad heavens and worlds.

"Dao Generates One, One Generates Two, Two Generate Three, Three Generate All Things. This is a process of creation. Wherever our gaze reaches, there are all things." Lin Xian pointed around the world in a circle, then said meaningfully, "What if we reverse that process?"

System 10086 trembled at once. Reverse it? How was it to be reversed?!

Destroy all things to see Three, destroy Three to see Two, destroy Two to see One, destroy One to see Dao.

This was a path of great destruction, great ruin—a road to ending the world.

It could be called evil, but it could not be called incorrect.

"Host, you seem a little extreme," System 10086 advised. It was a Check-In System, not a world-ending system. It could not do that sort of work.

"What are you thinking? Where would I get the power to destroy the world?" Lin Xian laughed, pointing outside. "The Great Dao is in heaven."

"In the Ancient Immortal Era, both innate and acquired essence qi were abundant. Countless immortal qi shrouded the Dao, leaving little of it visible. Thus, True Immortals had the weakest combat power. By the Dharma-Ending Era, innate essence qi had been cut off and acquired essence qi had grown sparse. The Great Dao had crumbled and partially revealed itself, making it easier to comprehend. That was why Red Dust Immortals possessed such formidable combat power."

"In the Age of Severed Spirits, both innate and acquired essence qi will have dispersed. Not a single cultivator will remain. The Great Dao will collapse, yet it will also be revealed in its entirety."

"A Red Dust Immortal cultivated in that realm may not necessarily be the strongest, but he will certainly be the fastest, because he will have witnessed every Dao."

"And isn't the universe before us infinitely close to an Age of Severed Spirits? Its physical laws are stable to the extreme, allowing only the most insignificant of spells. Even if one were to pry at this world, the effects created would be minuscule."

"How could a universe like this not be cherished?"

"The Great Dao lies open to view. Perhaps that is the very foundation allowing the immortals of this world to attain Immortality."

"Whether Red Dust Immortal, True Immortal, or One-Man Immortal, any immortal who can attain Immortality is a good immortal."

System 10086 went quiet. It did not speak for a long while, as it pondered something. Its host's physique belonged to the sixth tier, but his talent for comprehending the Dao clearly did not. He resembled Ruthless somewhat.

"Ding dong!"

A crisp, pleasant chime rang out. The progress bar reached one hundred percent, and the ultimate profundity of Spirit Summoning and Dispatching was finally unraveled.

"Bind divine spirits, dispatch the heart's generals. So that was it."

"Every immortal art seeks inward. Controlling the souls of others to gain abilities is certainly powerful, but it is ultimately outward-facing, a path that gathers the strength of the masses."

"The path of inner sanctity, however, lies neither in spirits nor generals, but in binding and dispatching."

"To bind is to hook. Become a soul-harvesting messenger, transform into Impermanence, and from then on, one may access the Nine Netherworlds."

"To dispatch is to unleash. Let heart and spirit unite, release the primordial spirit, and from then on, one may transform into a divine spirit."

"Call to heaven, and heaven answers; call to earth, and earth responds. This art reaches through heaven and earth."

Lin Xian sat cross-legged on the ground. Billowing white smoke streamed from his pupils—it was his life soul. Under the effects of Spirit Summoning and Dispatching, it left his body without dispersing. Then he visualized a divine spirit and suppressed it within his heart, making his physical body eternally firm and his primordial spirit undying.

"I am the Water God, I am the Water God..."

Lin Xian's mind merged with the deity he visualized, dispatching his own heart general to assist him. In an instant, he rose abruptly and danced with a wave of his hand. Water emerged from the void, and a long river truly coiled around him like a flood dragon submitting at his feet and obeying his commands.

At that moment, he seemed like the Water Lord and River God of myth and legend, able to command all waters beneath heaven. For a time, he truly grasped a divine art of water control.

"Just as I thought!"

Lin Xian laughed aloud. He had mastered this art that reached through heaven and earth. Then the divine spirit changed once more, and he silently recited in his heart, I am the Fire God, Flame Emperor. I shall command all fires beneath heaven!

"Buddha's Fury Fire Lotus!"

"Eight Extremes Collapse!"

"Three Thousand Lightning Illusory Bodies!"

"Azure Heaven Dragon Transformation Art!"

"Great Desolate Imprisoning Heaven Finger!"

Under one shouted invocation after another, only a few sparks bloomed in the void. Aside from that, there were no other phenomena.

"Was it ultimately just an illusion?"

Lin Xian murmured, but he was not disappointed. Flame Emperor might be an illusion in this world, but the Heavenly Emperor from another universe was undeniably real.

It was decided, then! Come forth, Ye Fan.

The heart general's divine spirit changed again, becoming a supreme deity—the Desolate Ancient Sacred Body.

"Host, this is no longer Spirit Summoning and Dispatching!" System 10086 could not help crying out. Stop! This was not one of the Eight Extraordinary Skills at all.

"No, this is Spirit Summoning and Dispatching."

Lin Xian revealed a brilliant smile and gave a thumbs-up. "This is the super-evolved version of Spirit Summoning and Dispatching—Heavenly Emperor Stand-In! The true art of calling to heaven and having heaven answer, calling to earth and having earth respond."