Da Xuan Martial Saint Chapter 1519: 729: The Final Path to Transcendence (Part 2)

This simple design, which even a young child from the ordinary realm could sketch effortlessly using a stick, appears to lack any deep secrets at first glance. Yet, when examined more closely, it subtly embeds numerous charms of the Dao, though pinpointing exactly what they are proves challenging upon further reflection.

“Threefold Return to Void?”

“One Element Birth, Three Lives All Things?”

In a flash, a multitude of ideas raced through Chen Mu’s thoughts.

At his present Realm, he stands close to the utmost limit attainable by a Dao Venerable. Progressing beyond this point resembles the feat of the Primordial Palace Master from the Time Temple, who first merges three Origin Daos, or perhaps just two.

Nevertheless, as he observed the system panel showing this remarkably basic yet profoundly essential diagram of the Great Dao, a subtle sense emerged in him that the routes pursued by leading Dao Venerables such as the Primordial Palace Master and the Spatial Island Master could well be mistaken.

Even so, Chen Mu himself has yet to seize that vital spark of insight, nor can he precisely articulate the authentic route to Transcendence.

“It appears this isn’t something resolved in a short time.”

“Actually, that’s not quite right. This supreme stride toward Transcendence differs from grasping the Great Dao; it demands no buildup, no deep groundwork.”

“Attaining Dao Venerable status and mastering three Daos signifies a complete understanding of universal Origins, leaving no room for further advancement. Thus, to truly advance to the next level, one must simply discern that single essential insight.”

Gazing at the diagram on the system panel, Chen Mu’s inspiration surged with greater intensity.

Though the diagram itself doesn’t outright unveil the way to Transcendence, its directions are plentiful, enabling him to dimly separate wrong turns from a general outline of what a right path might look like.

The system panel serves as a supreme treasure for Transcendence, and its pointers toward that goal are surely the most reliable.

The ultimate stride,

hinges on insight!

Grasp it, comprehend it, and Transcendence happens at once, crossing to the far side immediately, shattering ultimate laws, exceeding the Great Dao.

Without comprehension, confinement to the Dao Venerable stage persists, be it merging two Daos, beginning the merge of three, or fully commanding complete dual-merges of three Daos…

No matter the extent of accomplishment, absent that genuine insight, the gap to Transcendence stays unchanged.

“Now that it’s clear, no reason to feel bound by it.”

As Chen Mu delved deeper into understanding, his mind grew calmer, more relaxed, until he finally tucked away the system panel’s image without a second look and stopped scrutinizing the panel’s instructional chart.

Recognizing that the true route to Transcendence involves no grueling practice or buildup, but rather a spontaneous elevation in Realm, eliminated any self-inflicted pressure or strained chasing.

Maybe,

all he needs is to behold the Universe’s birth and the emergence of everything, letting matters unfold on their own.

By this point, Chen Mu had sharply discerned and highlighted the reasons why experts like the Primordial Palace Master strayed, exposing their key mistake—Transcendence means surpassing, means detaching.

The fiercer the push for Transcendence, the more distant it slips away!

Reflect on it:

Grasping Creation, grasping Void, grasping Time… enveloping the immense Universe, once all lies within one’s control, upon hitting a limit yet yearning to extend it, to keep holding on, that’s already at odds.

At such a juncture, after depleting all that ‘exists,’ pursuing Transcendence ought to involve turning toward all that ‘does not exist.’

For study, one adds daily; for the Dao, one subtracts daily, subtracting further and further, until reaching effortless action!

When everything turns void, beyond existence or void, beyond thought or no-thought, one naturally knows everything, holds everything.

Yet,

while grasping this concept comes easily, realizing it remains tough; even as a Dao Venerable, elevated beyond the Universe, truly reaching no-thought, beyond existence or void, isn’t straightforward.

Just as the humblest ordinary folk start with scant possessions, isolated and solitary, they more easily let go of what little they have, so in death, body and spirit revert to the heavens, merging back into the Great Dao.

But at the Dao Venerable level, having claimed all within the Universe, all shifts of existence, with everything owned, letting go turns arduous—since this release isn’t forsaking power, but at the Realm level, permitting the myriad forms to revert to void.

The three Daos, at their core one whole, require no forced merging; they’re already unified.

It’s the meddling of personal will, the taint of mortal notions, that blocks their unity. Only by silently stepping back from inside, embracing a notion of existence, a notion of void, a notion of longing, a notion of nothingness, do the three Daos naturally weave together, blend as one, allowing oneself to advance into Transcendence upon this foundation.

“Nature, nature, everything boils down to seeking nature…”

Chen Mu lacks knowledge on how to erase himself, but he sees that drawing nearer to nature approaches non-existence; this nearness to nature isn’t fleeing the Universe, nor shunning the everyday, but blending into it, becoming one with it, so that gradually, one aligns with the Great Dao’s thoughtless flow, also drifting closer to non-existence.

Chen Mu recalls those who, unable to progress along the Great Dao’s way, ended up wholly devoured by the Great Dao, and he lets out a brief sigh.

Fusing self with the Great Dao to become a Dao Venerable marks an irreversible shift, as well as a drawing closer to the Dao.

The more one opposes the Great Dao’s true nature, fighting the fusion, clinging to personal will, the further from the Dao, and thus from Transcendence; persisting this way naturally bars Transcendence.

Of course,

even said this way,

how many, after pouring out a lifetime of effort to claim the Dao Venerable rank, can truly cast aside the self?!

Chen Mu doubts that among the myriad Dao Venerables across history, the countless prodigies of talent, not one ever considered this approach, not one uncovered this route… surely this route was envisioned, but none ventured upon it.

After mastering the three Origin Daos without further steps, moving in harmony with the Dao’s flow, sounds straightforward, yet if this choice errs, if this method falters, then over ten Universe cycles, the personal will faces total erasure by the Dao!

And utter destruction!

Treading this route while harboring any hint of hesitation, any instant of withdrawal—defeat is inevitable.

At present, Chen Mu already discerns the core of the system panel; the diagram it shows him is basically the panel’s own foundation, so he can rely on this route as the genuine path to Transcendence.

…

In the Source Sea,

Chen Mu trails behind Wutian Venerable and the rest, pressing onward through the Source Sea in search of chances and treasures.

All proceeds as before, but in Chen Mu’s inner world, the route to Transcendence sharpens with clarity, making his mindset toward vying for those wonders grow ever more peaceful.

He had planned to vie for many such wonders, especially the rarest Primordial Marvels that held aligned powers of various Daos, hoping to catch a hint of Transcendence’s secret within them. Now, with his grasp of the path, he realizes those Primordial Marvels offer no key to Transcendence.

Forcing a blend of minor Dao mysteries via Primordial Marvels to boost strength doesn’t close the divide to Transcendence and might even widen it somewhat.

“The greatest virtue flows like water, avoiding conflict or insistence, allowing all to proceed naturally.”

Chen Mu whispered to himself quietly.

…

In some strange Abyss deep in the Source Sea.

Boom!!!

Guided by Wutian Venerable, Beast Divine Venerable and the others plunged into battle time and again, with Chen Mu blending in among them, his expression steady and calm; he swung his hand like a sword, striking lightly, clashing against a Creation Venerable.

All across the Abyss, more than a hundred Dao Venerables surrounded a volcano in the center, where intense light burst forth wildly.

Inside the volcano, surging Primordial Power boiled tumultuously, clearly nurturing a wonder—at minimum of Daoist marvel grade—and given its present display, magnitude, and uproar, it might well attain Primordial Marvel status!

That’s why so many Dao Venerables converged here, exceeding a hundred in number, encompassing not just groups like Wutian Venerable’s, but also lone powerhouses from past and even earlier Universe eras.

Some mighty venerables who control three Daos and brandish supreme Dao treasures possess such lone prowess that they traverse the chaos freely, standing against teams like Wutian Venerable’s—seven or eight Dao Venerables together—while moving forward and back without trouble.

The scene brimmed with disorder.