Add and Increase to Maintain Fullness, Subtract to Seek Emptiness

The purple-gold sunset gradually faded away.

Sima Honglin stood in the Great Void, his Daoist aura rising and falling like the tide.

He looked down at his palm.

In the palm of his hand, Sima Canglan curled up in a ball, trembling.

"Third Brother, no! Ruler..." Sima Canglan's voice was obsequious, "The Ruler's achievements surpass all ages, his Dao Cangxuan, the world—"

That's enough.

Sima Honglin's voice was very soft, but it immediately silenced Sima Canglan.

He released his grip, throwing Sima Canglan into the Great Void and imprisoning him within the grotto.

Sima Canglan, however, felt as if he had been granted a pardon and fled into the depths of the Thunder Nether Grotto-Heaven, never daring to show his face again.

The sounds of congratulations still echoed in Sima Honglin's ears. These voices converged like a tide, lifting him to the highest point.

But the higher you go, the colder it gets.

"Now that the three paths have united, the world submits, and we no longer need to tolerate this."

"But... I don't know what to do when the road ahead is so uncertain."

"Add and Increase to Maintain Fullness," he muttered to himself.

He gathers all laws, expands the Dao domain, absorbs spiritual essence, and combines all attributes. He seizes the fortune of heaven and earth, wields power, and spreads his Dao far and wide, his might extending to all living beings across the four seas.

With the imagery of the fusion of various paths, the realms of the Dao are superimposed and perfected, and the spiritual atmosphere is gathered and strengthened.

To exhaust all that exists in the world, and to fully realize the ultimate truth of the Great Dao.

This is a road of no return.

Once you embark on this path, it means you can never stop. If you stop, all laws will backfire, your Dao domain will collapse, your spiritual energy will dissipate, and your fortune will reverse... All that awaits you is death and the annihilation of your Dao.

To use one's own way to seize the ways of others, and to substitute one's own heart for the heart of the world.

At that moment, the illusory image of the old man, conjured from heaven and earth, held a jade book in his hands, bowed three times to Sima Honglin, and then turned into specks of light and vanished into nothingness.

The strange phenomena receded like the tide, spring returned to silence, thunder disappeared, and rain ceased.

The world has returned to clarity.

Wang Lan and Xie Zeming straightened up, exchanged a glance, and both had complex expressions in their eyes.

They performed the courtier's salute and obeyed the emperor's words, but now, gazing at Sima Honglin's figure, they were unsure whether to respect or fear him.

Respecting his power and cultivation, he was almost the number one person in the Cangxuan world!

I fear their methods; they are as cunning as jackals, valuing power above all else and devoid of righteousness!

Even a foot of cloth can be sewn, but the absurdity among the Sima Imperial Clan is intolerable.

Public opinion is turbulent; power can suppress it for a time, but it cannot suppress it forever.

"Everyone, let's disperse."

Sima Honglin's voice was flat, revealing neither joy nor anger.

Wang Lan cupped his hands, about to say something polite, when he saw that Sima Honglin had already turned around and was facing away from everyone.

Sima Honglin's golden imperial robe fluttered slightly in Great Void wind, exuding an indescribable sense of desolation.

He wisely kept quiet.

Wang Lan [Langya Li Fire Heaven] Xie Zeming of [Zeming Illusory Sea Heaven] bowed again before their True Lord transformed into streams of light and disappeared into the depths of the void.

The two Zhangs of Great Peace Temple still stood on the Jianmu, while the illusory golden crow folded its wings.

Zhang Chen gave Sima Honglin a deep look, his lips moved slightly, but he ultimately said nothing.

Zhang Xuan closed the book in his hand, patted his junior brother on the shoulder, and the two figures gradually faded away, like a faded ink painting.

Ye Qingming and Ye Zhanqiu were the last to leave.

Ye Qingming paused slightly and turned to look at Sima Honglin's back.

After a moment of silence, he suddenly spoke, "The Primordial Supreme Jun Heaven... What a precious title, what a magnificent name!"

Sima Honglin did not turn around.

"Does Senior Azure Nether have anything else to say?"

Ye Qingming's voice remained calm, but it lacked the polite distance he had shown earlier. "The Ye Clan knows what to do about the matter in Jiangnan."

Since Heaven and Earth have bestowed upon you the supreme authority Supreme Jun Heaven the Heavenly Realm, you should prioritize the well-being of all living beings. As long as you reign in Heaven and rule as its master, the Cloud Mist Ye Clan will remain untainted by the karmic consequences of the mortal world. Please forgive any disturbances that may arise.

These words were spoken neither too lightly nor too heavily, yet they carried a subtle meaning that others could not discern.

Sima Honglin finally turned around.

He looked at Ye Qingming and suddenly smiled.

There's a kind of weariness that's hard to describe.

"Cultivating the Tao to become an immortal seeks freedom, transcendence, and liberation from all shackles."

Sima Honglin spoke slowly.

"I didn't understand those things," Sima Honglin shook his head. "Now that I do understand, it's too late."

"When one family rules the world, they become the only ones who matter. So what if the heavens and earth collapse, or floods rage?"

He raised his hand, his fingertips brushing across the Great Void.

"Since becoming the ruler of Cangxuan, I haven't been able to do anything truly enjoyable."

"To disregard one's own heart is to prevent one's inner understanding from reaching its full potential!"

He said it very softly, as if he were talking to himself.

Ye Qingming's eyes flickered slightly.

"Fellow Daoist..."

Ye Zhanqiu spoke up from the side, his tone hesitant, "That person from the Thunder Palace back then did the same thing."

Sima Honglin glanced at him.

"That guy from the Thunder Palace said that?" He suddenly laughed, a hint of mockery in his voice.

"He did say that. He became increasingly tyrannical and insane, ultimately destroying the entire Thunder Palace."

"I will not," Sima Honglin said, his smile fading. "I will not repeat the same mistakes."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the Ye Clan couple.

"Senior Ye, the reason I am telling you all this today is because—there are very few people left in this world who can understand these words."

Ye Qingming remained silent for a long time before slowly nodding.

"Take care, fellow Daoist."

He said no more, and together with Ye Zhanqiu, they transformed into streams of light and disappeared into the end of the Great Void.

Within the Great Void, only Sima Honglin remained.

He stood there, gazing at the empty Great Void, at the departing figures, and at the world covered by his Daoist aura.

The emperor's robes fluttered in the wind.

The Imperial Jade Seal hung in front of him.

"By the mandate of Heaven, may your life be long and prosperous."

The eight ancient seal characters flickered in and out of focus.

He suddenly reached out and grasped the imperial seal in his palm.

"Don't stop!"

"I cannot stop."

"This world... cannot stop."

The Great Void closed behind him, and the purple-gold rosy clouds completely dissipated.

The world returned to calm, as if nothing had happened.

Springtime scenery unfolds silently across the sky.

Spring is the beginning of the year, when all things awaken and revive.

The fourth year of Great Jin.

The majestic aura of the Primordial Supreme Sovereign Heaven enveloped the world of the Cangxuan Ancient Realm.

Spring Gives Life to All Things, thunder vanquishes evil, and rain and dew nourish life.

All cultivators in the world felt the boundless grace of the emperor.

Zhong Mountain.

"Young Master, the clan has summoned you back... All plans in Jiangnan are cancelled... The matter concerning Gu Lu will not be pursued."

Ye Jinyu held the letter in his hand, listening to his subordinate's report, feeling a little annoyed. He waved his hand, signaling the others to leave.

"Understood!"

But the guard still respectfully requested it.

"Young Master, return to Cloud Haze Azure Firmament immediately. This is the Ancestor's order, Ye Clan clan cannot disobey."

"Return immediately!"

Yunlan Heaven.

Ye Qingming sat cross-legged under the ancient pine tree, with a blue stone in front of him, on which a chessboard was carved.

Black and white pieces are scattered on it, forming an unfinished game.

Ye Qingming has been sitting here waiting for three days.

"Grandfather."

The voice came from behind, clear and bright, carrying a youthful vigor.

When Ye Jinyu came to see him, it was just as dawn was breaking.

"There is no right or wrong in things; one's actions and thoughts should all come from one's heart."

"In the secular world of Jiangnan, those powerful Lineage and clans, regardless of right or wrong, have no connection whatsoever."

"What's done is done, you shouldn't overthink it."

"Grandfather brought you back only to give you..." Ye Qingming spoke calmly upon seeing his grandson.

"Say two words."

Ye Jinyu bowed deeply, holding her breath and concentrating.

"One is addition, the other is subtraction."

Ye Qingming then placed a white piece.

"All cultivators in the world initially focus on cultivation, but upon reaching a certain level, namely the Golden Core realm, they must face a choice."

"Should we continue forward, or stop? Should we seek increase, or decrease?"

People believe these are two completely opposite paths. One is about taking, the other about giving; one is about gaining, the other about losing; they are incompatible.

But Grandfather wants to tell you something—

"When addition is cultivated to perfection, all methods are bestowed upon one, but ultimately one must break free from attachments and return to nothingness; when subtraction is cultivated to emptiness and stillness, one must guard one's inner source, and also break through emptiness and unite with the Tao."

"Addition is for seeking the Way; subtraction is for seeking truth through emptiness."

"Two paths lead to the same source."

Ye Jinyu frowned slightly.

He was talented and had decent comprehension, but he was still young and couldn't fully grasp such profound principles in a short time.

"May I ask, Grandfather," he asked respectfully, "What is addition? What is subtraction?"

"Jinyu, do you know what cultivators in the world seek?"

Ye Jinyu thought for a moment, "Free and unfettered, transcendent, immortal."

"It's all of these, and it's none of them." Ye Qingming shook his head. "Freedom is the goal, transcendence is the realm, and immortality is the result. But these things are all Great Void."

True cultivators seek the 'Tao'.

"The Dao?" Ye Jinyu asked thoughtfully.

Ye Qingming raised his hand, and a sea of clouds immediately appeared in his palm.

"Look at this sea of clouds. Clouds have no fixed shape, changing with the wind. Sometimes they resemble a stampede of ten thousand horses, sometimes a calm lake under the autumn moon. They have no fixed form, yet they are always clouds."

"The same applies to the Dao."

It has no fixed form, no fixed path. Everyone has their own way, and every path is different.

Ye Jinyu listened intently.

Ye Qingming continued, "We cultivators strive tirelessly, seeking only to uncover the true meaning beyond that one step. After countless searches, we have ultimately discovered only two viable paths."

"Firstly, it's for the purpose of Subtract to Seek Emptiness."

"Reduce external practices, discard the superfluous, let go of attachments, and restrain Divine Ability. Do not compete with the world for glory, do not pursue fame in all directions, replenish your vital energy and nourish your nature, seek within and discard without."

"With the foundation of one's being, one severs superfluous Daoist principles, strips away illusory external bonds, diminishes and diminishes until nothing remains, guarding oneself in emptiness and stillness, and questioning one's original mind and source."

Secondly, it is to Add and Increase to Maintain Fullness.

"Gathering all laws, expanding the Dao domain, absorbing spiritual essence, and combining all attributes. Seizing the fortune of heaven and earth, wielding the power of heaven and earth, practicing the Dao extensively, and dominating the four seas."

It achieves perfection through the superposition of Divine Ability and domains, and becomes powerful through the convergence of spiritual energy, encompassing all that exists in the world, and attaining the ultimate through abundance.

Ye Jinyu's gaze sharpened slightly.

"Sima Honglin merged the three paths into one, achieving the Primordial Supreme Sovereign Heaven, this is the addition."

"He possesses the power of three paths, controls the fate of the Great Jin, holds sway over the world's water veins, and wields immense power over thunder and darkness... With all these powers upon him, his might overwhelms the world."

"This is the path to Add and Increase to Maintain Fullness."

"He has reached the pinnacle, the world bows before him, and the three paths unite as one. At this point, he cannot reduce... it is impossible."

"And what will he do then?"

Ye Qingming remained silent for a moment before speaking again.

"If one cultivates addition to its ultimate form without breaking free from attachments and returning to nothingness, then..."

"As the saying goes, water overflows when it's full; he's practically a madman now..."

Everything is understood without words.

Seeing Ye Jinyu deep in thought, Ye Qingming nodded and then spoke.

"The former abbot of Great Peace Temple followed the path of subtraction. He separated the withering and flourishing of the wood element, relinquished everything, retreated to the mountains and forests, sought emptiness and truth, and ultimately passed away in the nameless void. That was his way, and also his destiny."

"But prosperity and decline are distinct; one inherits decline, and the other inherits prosperity, thus giving rise to the two figures of Great Peace Temple today."

"Neither addition nor subtraction is inherently superior."

"The only difference is the choice."

Upon hearing this, a sudden flash of understanding appeared in Ye Jinyu's eyes.

"Grandfather, I have a few humble opinions."

Ye Qingming smiled and nodded.

Tell me about it.

Ye Jinyu said somewhat excitedly

"The world boils down to nothing more than addition and subtraction."

"Addition and subtraction are not the goal, but the means. Addition is for better subtraction, and subtraction is for better addition."

"One should forget both addition and subtraction, and be free from attachment to emptiness."

"To advance and retreat with measured steps, one must ultimately forget gains and losses, and not cling to emptiness or existence, only then can one attain true freedom."

"He sought the bounty of heaven and earth, and absorbed all the Dao into his body! This was Jia, a hero of his time."

"It should be understood that all that Heaven and Earth provide for the Creator has a purpose, and in the end, it will inevitably return to Heaven and Earth."

"Adding to this seems unwise!"

"As for reduction, my grandson believes it means separating all methods externally so that they coexist and benefit each other, but internally seeking within oneself, breaking free from the mind's desires."

Even if some things are gone temporarily, so what?

How to lose and how to gain are actually just a matter of a single thought.

As the ancients said, one can become a saint on the spot!

But the grandson thought otherwise.

Did the ancients possess all their powers only after achieving sainthood?

Perhaps he already possessed it before he became a saint, but simply left it lying around temporarily.

"The opportune moment will be the key to soaring to new heights!"

"Just like my grandfather, this Heavenly Position of the Cangxuan Element is not held by you, but with your command, the winds of the world will move in your favor."