The Dao of Karma, the Dao of Painting, the Universal Dao, the Demonic Dao, the Evil Dao, the Dao of Void, the Great Dao of Five Elements, the Great Dao of Yin Yang…
Although Zhang Fan was only at the Nascent Soul stage, his attainments were extremely high. Even though the Myriad Buddhas Dao of the Evil Buddha Immortal Venerable was all-encompassing, containing countless Great Daos within it, Zhang Fan could comprehend each one. While it didn't help improve his cultivation, it significantly broadened the scope of his Dao.
During this process of comprehension, Zhang Fan was also exploring the Dao of his current life, envisioning the kind of inner world he would forge and the origin of his Dao he would condense.
The more he comprehended, the deeper Zhang Fan understood the essence of the universe. The Evil Buddha Immortal Venerable, despite encompassing and comprehending myriad Great Daos, ultimately failed to take that final step because he could not integrate them seamlessly.
"From ancient times to the present, infinite timelines constitute the 'Yu' (space/universe), and infinite space constitutes the 'Zhou'. Therefore, the foundation of the universe is built upon the Great Dao of Time and the Great Dao of Space."
"The reproduction of life is inseparable from the Five Elements, so the Great Dao of Five Elements is the cornerstone of the universe's operation."
"Since there is life, there is naturally death, just as the existence of darkness highlights the brilliance of light."
"Life and death, darkness and light, are all two sides of the same coin – Yin and Yang. Therefore, Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements constitute the propagation of life and promote the development of the universe. Because of death, the living strive harder."
"Thus, a complete universe must inevitably include the Daos of Space and Time, Yin and Yang, and the Five Elements."
With this thought, a massive Tai Chi diagram emerged in Zhang Fan's mind. The Yin and Yang fish flowed within the diagram, evolving into Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements, ultimately leading to a catastrophic destruction.
"Time is Yu, Space is Zhou. Yin and Yang and the Five Elements are the foundation, but how to fuse them is a difficult problem."
Each Great Dao possessed its unique attributes. They coexisted in the world but repelled each other. When other Nascent Soul cultivators forged inner worlds, they typically centered around their primary Dao, with other Daos serving as auxiliary forces to maintain balance.
However, Zhang Fan’s ambition was to fuse all nine Great Daos to create an inner world. The idea was beautiful, but during his deductions, he discovered that the Daos were incompatible. Without a central pillar, it was like a house without load-bearing walls – it could not be built high.
"Hmm?"
A flash of inspiration struck Zhang Fan. He suddenly realized that before this, he had only focused on constructing a perfect inner world, but he had overlooked the fact that he himself was the vessel for this inner world, which differed from the reality of the external world.
"I cultivate the Dao of Thunder and the Dao of the Sword. Why not use the Dao of Thunder Sword as the focal point, and integrate Space and Time, Yin and Yang, and the Five Elements into it?"
With this idea, Zhang Fan began to deduce in his mind. In a boundless, desolate world, a blood-colored long sword descended, planting itself at the heart of the world. Lightning flickered on the blood-colored sword, with the rules of the Dao of Thunder and the Dao of the Sword entwined. Above and below it were the Great Dao of Yin and Yang, with the earth as Yin and the heavens as Yang.
The Great Dao of Space and Time were integrated into the world, with the Great Dao of the Five Elements as the foundation. This desolate world began to evolve. Mountains and rivers appeared, light and darkness emerged. With the birth of life came life and death. The propagation of life, in turn, gave rise to countless Daos.
Daos such as Karma, Buddhism, and Evil rapidly rose and were passed down.
"So this is how the formless gives birth to the Tai Chi, and the Tai Chi can evolve Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements. By using the Dao of Thunder Sword as the focal point, I can forge a perfect inner world."
Zhang Fan's state of mind had not experienced such a significant fluctuation in many years. Following the deductions in his heart, Zhang Fan formally began to forge his inner world. His Dao body radiated brilliant, boundless divine light, and immense heavenly power, along with infinite Dao rules, converged into his being.
Witnessing this, the Evil Buddha Immortal Venerable, who had maintained a calm demeanor, could not help but show surprise. The Myriad Buddhas Dao he cultivated was arguably the path that required comprehending the most types of Great Daos. Yet, as Zhang Fan forged his inner world, he clearly felt that all types of Great Daos in the world were being absorbed by Zhang Fan, including many that he himself had never comprehended.
"What kind of inner world is he forging that it causes such a commotion?" The Evil Buddha Immortal Venerable was filled with anticipation. Although he had not reached the Heavenly Dao realm in his previous life, he had seen many Immortal Emperor-level powerhouses. Even those at such a level would not dare claim mastery over all the Great Daos in the universe.
Meanwhile, the many Nascent Soul cultivators comprehending the rules of the Dao on the steps also noticed the anomaly in the heavens and earth. They looked at the scene in confusion, completely unaware of what was happening.
The evolution of a world is an extremely slow process. However, once Zhang Fan had structured the Dao rules, the inner world was successfully forged. He stood up abruptly, his entire being transformed.
He stood calmly before the Buddha statue, his seemingly insignificant form possessing an irresistible mystique. It was as if all the Great Daos in the universe were within his grasp, like the master of this world.
Zhang Fan closed his eyes and carefully sensed this power. His spiritual consciousness extended outwards with his will.
A million miles, ten million miles, one light-year…
It seemed without limit. Wherever his will reached, he could descend in an instant. Finally, Zhang Fan sensed the limit of his will's reach, an astonishing ten light-years.
"Congratulations, Senior." The Evil Buddha Immortal Venerable's face was filled with joy as he offered his felicitations.
Although he did not know what kind of inner world Zhang Fan had forged, it gave him a peculiar sensation. Simply standing there, he felt like the center of the universe. If he had to describe it, the Evil Buddha Immortal Venerable felt that Zhang Fan was the origin of this world, and its destiny itself.
"Evil Buddha, you have helped me greatly. My ability to take this step so swiftly owes much to you," Zhang Fan said, looking at the remnant soul of the Evil Buddha Immortal Venerable.
"It is the honor of Evil Buddha, and indeed the honor of our Myriad Buddhas Dao, to have been of assistance to Senior," the Evil Buddha Immortal Venerable replied humbly.
"Do you wish to live another life?" Zhang Fan suddenly asked, looking at the remnant soul of the Evil Buddha Immortal Venerable, which left the latter stunned for a long time.
The Evil Buddha Immortal Venerable smiled and shook his head, saying, "If I could live another life, I am confident I could take that final step and elevate the Myriad Buddhas Dao to an even higher level. Such glory, how could I not desire it?"
"However, my remnant soul has persisted for a million years. What remains of me now is only a sliver of my true spirit supporting me. With the manifestation of this Dharma Hall, my sliver of true spirit has been awakened. In perhaps a few decades, I will permanently dissipate into the universe."
Although the Evil Buddha Immortal Venerable's smile was serene, Zhang Fan could still sense a trace of unwillingness deep within his divine eyes.
Indeed, so close to standing at the pinnacle of the universe, who would be willing to accept their fate?
…