He Mu stood alone in the void of the universe, ten thousand Daos surging around him.
His terrifying vital energy roared like a True Dragon, rushing through his Heavenly Venerable Dao Body. His unparalleled strength far surpassed what he had possessed before, even giving him the illusion that he could create or destroy the universe with a raise of his hand.
He Mu could feel that this newly born Dao body was stronger than ever, far beyond what he had possessed in his first life.
He wanted to test the extent of his strength after his transformation. But he had already made an agreement with Flying Immortal, and it would hardly be appropriate to trouble the Forbidden Zones before their Forbidden Zone Supremes emerged of their own accord.
And apart from those self-severed beings slumbering in the Forbidden Zones, who in the vast universe could fight him?
With no other choice, He Mu could only set that thought aside for now and first sort out the various worldly affairs before him.
Since the Wuliang Dao Wheel had sensed that he had begun his second life and come to him, He Mu ought to return to the Wuliang Dao and make some arrangements.
Likewise, since his emergence had caused such a tremendous stir, the myriad races of the universe would likely come to pay their respects. When that happened, he would inevitably have to expound on the Dao.
With that thought, He Mu took a step, and an endless golden avenue instantly unfolded beneath his feet, stretching toward the Ziwei Ancient Star Domain.
Ziwei Ancient Star, Southern Region of the Divine Continent, the Wuliang Dao.
After returning, He Mu first met the sect's many members and disciples, then once again stationed the Wuliang Dao Wheel to safeguard the sect's foundations.
Afterward, He Mu received the living beings who came to pay their respects and expounded on the Dao for seven times seven days-a full forty-nine days.
Once the discourse ended, He Mu remained seated cross-legged in the Central Heavenly Palace, contemplating the path he would take next.
Earlier, when he transformed into his second life, the addition of the power of faith had shown He Mu more possibilities.
Without experiencing it firsthand, one could never fully understand how mighty that power was. Any description in words would be far too pale.
Yet that Dao resonance, which almost reached the realm of immortality, held immense allure for any expert at the pinnacle of the Dao.
At the same time, however, He Mu felt a faint unease.
It was said that faith was poisonous, and that was indeed true. Its power was far too enticing, and it was an external force besides. There was no telling whether it might harbor hidden dangers.
But after turning the matter over in his mind, He Mu ultimately still intended to use it as a means of beginning his third life.
After all, he now had two Immortal Medicines in hand, giving him some assurance that he could begin his third life. Even if something truly went wrong, it would not be beyond remedy.
Besides, the worst outcome would merely be abandoning the path of faith altogether.
What was more, he was still a long way from actually beginning his transformation and entering his third life. This life had only just begun.
Thus, he was not particularly anxious to settle on his next path right now.
At the same time, He Mu thought that perhaps he could first emulate the Undying Heavenly Emperor and Amitabha Great Emperor of later ages, creating a Divine Self Body from faith to facilitate some experiments on the road to longevity.
In the future, he could even command his Divine Self Body to preside over the universe and govern the heavens in his stead.
That way, He Mu himself would be completely freed, no longer needing to handle everything personally.
At that thought, He Mu immediately felt that forging a Divine Self Body was eminently feasible-and very necessary.
He needed to find time to carefully consider how to forge a Divine Self from faith, so that he could create a Divine Self Body as soon as possible. His true body could then pursue the truths of the Great Dao, rather than constantly having to consider all the trifles of the mortal world. The duties of a Heavenly Venerable could very well be entrusted to his Divine Self.
After carefully considering his cultivation path and the forging of a Divine Self, He Mu's thoughts turned to another major matter.
In his previous life, shortly after attaining the Dao, He Mu had encountered a mysterious black mist in a place sealed by Heavenly Venerable Lingbao. It had successfully escaped his grasp, becoming a grave menace thereafter.
And that black mist had certainly lived up to its reputation as a menace. Later, it had sent a demonic shadow to attack him, sparking a great battle with He Mu that had sent considerable ripples throughout the universe.
After winning that battle, however, He Mu discovered that it had not been the black mist's true body, but the Spiritually Awakened Immortal Corpse that had once fought Heavenly Venerable Lingbao.
Thinking of it that way, the black mist had likely merely possessed the Immortal Corpse during that ancient battle with Heavenly Venerable Lingbao as well.
What Heavenly Venerable Lingbao had extinguished should have been all the vitality of the Spiritually Awakened Immortal Corpse. The black mist, meanwhile, had seized the opportunity to survive, then stirred up wind and clouds again in this era.
Thus, the true enemy remained hidden behind the scenes, like a venomous snake waiting for its chance to strike a heavy blow against He Mu, its mortal enemy.
What troubled He Mu most was that the black mist seemed to be connected to the Eerie Clan beyond the universe. If that was true, it would surely become a grave threat to this world and even the Heavens Above. It absolutely could not be left unchecked.
After all, the Eerie Clan was fundamentally different from the Heavens Above-a truly unparalleled enemy with whom there was not the slightest possibility of peace.
Even Desolate Heavenly Emperor was currently fighting bloody battles on the Plateau's front lines to protect the peace of the Myriad Heavens and Worlds.
And this universe was not only He Mu's home, but also Desolate Heavenly Emperor's former homeland. In a certain sense, it was of paramount importance and absolutely could not be lost.
What He Mu deeply regretted, however, was that even when he had feigned approaching death in his twilight years during his previous life, the black mist had never struck again. As a result, he had missed an excellent opportunity to kill it.
To this day, He Mu had found no further substantive clues related to the black mist.
However, the Immortal Corpse had once been sealed by Heavenly Venerable Lingbao, and the black mist possessing it had even tried to transform by exploiting Heavenly Venerable Lingbao's various arrangements.
Thus, if he wanted to find even the faintest traces connected to the black mist, he might begin by investigating the Lingbao Ruins.
Longevity Heavenly Venerable might know something about this. After all, he had spent many years seated in the Northern Sea, the place where the black mist had first been sealed, and had the deepest understanding of the matters surrounding it.
Once He Mu sought out Longevity Heavenly Venerable for another conversation, perhaps he would find a direction to pursue and eradicate the black mist once and for all.
It would also be a good opportunity to discuss the Dao with Longevity Heavenly Venerable.
Longevity Heavenly Venerable was an ancient Heavenly Venerable reputed to be the most accomplished in methods of longevity. Discussing the Great Dao with him would surely help with the path ahead.
Having thought this far, He Mu was no longer in a hurry.
In any case, this life had only just begun, and he was now at his absolute peak. He had no fear of underhanded methods or sinister tricks.
If the black mist truly dared to appear, He Mu would welcome it. He could settle matters with it once and for all.
Today's first update.
I got a little stuck on this chapter, deleting what I wrote and rewriting what I deleted, so today's first update is a bit late. The evening update will still arrive as usual, though.
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