Chapter 1098: Proving the Dao with Strength
Chapter 1098: Proving the Dao with Strength
Outside the Cosmic Immortal Palace.
A figure slowly materialized.
He wore a gray robe, tall and broad-shouldered, with strands of sword qi seemingly condensed within his hair.
The sword qi was resplendent and colorful, transforming into myriad hues.
Within these hues, a realm of heaven and earth seemed to be contained.
A mysterious Dao is surrounded by the cosmic star, causing Fang Xi's horned Dragon Lord, who he kept in a pond, to involve shrink its head.
"So it is Fellow Daoist Thousand Sword. . ."
A flash of light.
He gazed at this individual, who was possibly an eleventh-stage peak formation master and also a Sword Dao Dao Venerable, and couldn't help but smile.
The Thousand Sword Elder naturally did not know that this unfamiliar Dao Venerable before him had once studied the sword stele within his own Daoist sanctuary.
At this moment, he fixed his gaze on Fang Xi and spoke in a deep voice, "Indeed, a fellow Daoist. May I ask your esteemed title?"
"You may call me 'Universe Dao Venerable'. . ."
Fang Xi replied with a faint smile.
"What does 'Universe' imply?"
The Thousand Sword Elder suddenly asked.
"The Universe is Heaven and Earth! " Fang Xi answered again.
"Quite the bold claim. . ."
Even the Thousand Sword Elder was shaken by Fang Xi's words.
Even he, having reached the Dao Venerable realm, had come to understand the principle that human power has its limits. He sought to leverage the combined talents of all cultivators in the True Immortal World to perfect his 'Sword-Births-Heaven-and-Earth' technique.
But this 'Universe Dao Venerable's' Dao—did it not seek to encompass all the Myriad Daos of the Heavens?
"Very well. . . May I know your origin, Fellow Daoist? I seem to have never heard your name before. . ."
The Thousand Sword Elder inquired again.
The sudden appearance of a Dao Venerable was enough to astound the entire True Immortal World.
"Existence is self-evident."
Fang Xi spoke with an air of profound mystery.
"Could it be. . . that Fellow Daoist ascended to the Dao Venerable realm at the very dawn of creation?"
The Thousand Sword Elder's tone grew even more solemn.
He found it impossible to discern the true origins of this Dao Venerable before him.
However, considering that Immortals possessed infinite lifespans, it was somewhat plausible for an ancient Dao Venerable, having slumbered until now, to be drawn here by the Reincarnation Dao Monarch.
"If Fellow Daoist believes so, then so be it. . . What brings you here, Fellow Daoist?"
Fang Xi asked.
"We Dao Venerables sought out the Reincarnation Dao Monarch, and later, while we were at it, instructed the North Star Immortal Palace to investigate the backgrounds of various Immortals. . . Although few now pay attention, I have maintained my vigilance. . ."
The Thousand Sword Elder said, "Upon hearing of an unfamiliar Fellow Daoist here earlier, I specifically came to see for myself. . ."
He felt nothing for the North Star Immortal Palace, even harboring some dislike due to his disciple, the Azure Cloud Dao Monarch.
His visit now was primarily for Fang Xi's sake.
"I see. . ."
Fang Xi seemed to believe him, yet also seemed not to, his expression calm.
The Thousand Sword Elder said, "I possess a sword that embodies the essence of Heaven and Earth. And your grand Dao, Fellow Daoist, also pertains to Heaven and Earth. Are you willing to test it?"
"As you wish."
Fang Xi smiled faintly, and with a wave of his hand.
The void of the True Immortal World was peeled back like a curtain, revealing the boundless Great Void.
At the Dao Monarch and Dao Venerable realms, every action could cause immense damage to an Immortal Domain.
Unless it was a matter of life-and-death enmity, where one would attack with full force upon meeting, it was naturally more convenient to test techniques within the Great Void.
Fang Xi stepped into the Great Void, and the countless void storms instantly became docile, swirling beneath his feet as if waves were rising on flat ground.
"Fellow Daoist possesses profoundly deep insights into the Dao of Void."
The Thousand Sword Elder followed closely, myriad sword lights transforming around him, seemingly containing the birth and destruction of countless Middle Thousand and Small Thousand Worlds, and even faintly revealing the embryonic form of a Great Thousand World.
Under the projection of this world's phantom, the void power within the Great Void actively retreated—this was another realm entirely.
His gaze fixed on Fang Xi's feet, he couldn't help but sigh, "The Spacetime Dao Venerable will likely not let this rest. . ."
"Heh heh. . ."
Fang Xi chuckled without a word.
Overlapping Daos among Dao Venerables naturally marked the beginning of a Dao-contention.
And the Thousand Sword Elder's 'Sword-Births-Heaven-and-Earth' was, in fact, quite similar to his own.
Within Heaven and Earth, how could the Daos of Void and Time not be contained?
Therefore, neither of them was on good terms with the most ancient and terrifying Spacetime Dao Venerable.
"Please enlighten me!"
The Thousand Sword Elder's expression became incredibly solemn, and a dull, grayish stone sword appeared in his hand.
This sword was merely a long strip, as if casually ground into a sword shape from stone, exceedingly crude, yet imbued with a hint of profound simplicity.
With the sword in hand, the Thousand Sword Elder's aura instantly changed. From the stone-like long sword, myriad rays of light suddenly burst forth.
Phantom flying swords emerged, numbering nearly a thousand.
"Since I began cultivating the sword, the sword formations I've arranged number in the tens of millions. Afterward, through refinement, only a thousand flying swords remained, allowing me to ascend to the Dao Venerable realm, thus calling myself the Thousand Sword Elder. . . Now, my cultivation has further progressed, and I have comprehended the technique of 'One Sword Births a Thousand Swords'. Fellow Daoist, be careful. . ."
The Thousand Sword Elder's expression was incredibly solemn. Holding the stone sword with both hands, he slowly slashed out!
Within the Great Void, boundless void power was pushed aside, revealing the phantom of a Great Thousand World!
This Great Thousand World reigned supreme with the sword, and beneath it were numerous Middle Thousand and Small Thousand Worlds. . .
Fang Xi's Divine Consciousness swept across, and he even saw an ordinary mortal, starting from the sword, cultivating to Core Formation, Nascent Soul, Integration, Mahayana. . . and finally ascending to become an Immortal!
He even cultivated to become a Sword Dao Dao Monarch within that sword Dao world!
Billions of years were condensed into an instant!
Suddenly!
The Great Thousand World abruptly disintegrated, with earth, fire, water, and wind surging forth, transforming into a chaotic expanse!
Within the chaos, purple qi and golden light flickered, moving towards that Dao Monarch. . .
"Ah!"
The Sword Dao Dao Monarch suddenly erupted, and at the brink of death, unleashed the most resplendent sword strike of his life!
But this sword strike, facing that purple qi and golden light, utterly collapsed, even the Dao Monarch's body was ground to dust. . .
In a single glance, countless tens of thousands of years passed, even a Dao Monarch was directly obliterated, transforming into a stream of purple qi and golden light, which surged towards Fang Xi!
"Refining earth, fire, water, and wind again, but not the power of chaos, but rather—Xuanhuang purple qi?"
Upon seeing this, Fang Xi gained a profound realization.
He had originally comprehended the three thousand sword steles at the Sun Moon Divine Mountain, thereby forging his own new path.
At this moment, the Thousand Sword Elder's sword strike was equivalent to teaching by word and deed, imparting the essence of his 'Sword-Births-Heaven-and-Earth' without reservation.
If it were other Dao Venerables, due to different Daos, even if they gained some insight, it would be minimal.
But Fang Xi's Universe Great Emperor avatar cultivated the Dao of creating an inner universe, which offered considerable lessons.
Rumble!
Xuanhuang purple qi, also known as 'Primordial Profound Yellow Qi', was an existence of a higher order than world origin!
Under this qi, the grand cosmic power on Fang Xi's body steadily retreated, revealing his true form with blood-red hair and a golden single horn!
"What a sword!"
He laughed heartily, his body transforming into a spacetime singularity, infinite mass and infinite gravity emerging. . . drawing upon concepts such as spacetime, mass, and quantum, to manifest an illusory inner universe.
Within that vast universe, starfields resembled galaxies, and planets were born and perished. . .
Stars constantly decayed, transforming into neutron stars, black holes. . .
Cosmic tides surged forth. . .
That 'Xuanhuang purple qi' was captured by spacetime gravity, entering the inner universe.
It was then continuously worn away, until it finally disappeared. . .
"Excellent swordsmanship! I also have a punch, please enlighten me, Fellow Daoist!"
Fang Xi burst into laughter. He clenched his five fingers, suddenly forming a fist.
This punch had no laws, no grand Dao. . . only the purest 'force'!
Speed and power!
Infinitely extended, these were time and space!
According to the theory of that cosmic world, the greater the density of an object, the faster its speed. . . the more terrifying its might!
Bang!
Under this punch, Fang Xi seemed to transform into a celestial body even more terrifying than a black hole, emitting an unparalleled might.
His fist directly struck the stone sword. The entire Great Void seemed to freeze for an instant.
The Thousand Sword Elder's expression was utterly solemn. He held his sword horizontally to block, his body continuously retreating.
Finally, he flicked the stone sword, and at the point of its tip, a Middle Thousand and Small Thousand World in the immeasurable distance seemed to suffer utter annihilation.
Terrifying void storms formed. The drastic changes unleashed by the clash of the two Dao Venerables directly severed the connection between that world and the True Immortal World!
From then on, it would be nearly impossible for Mahayana cultivators in those worlds to ascend to Immortality.
But at the same time, for Immortals of the True Immortal World to descend there, they would need to expend tens of millions of times more resources and power than a normal descent!
"Proving the Dao with Strength?"
The Thousand Sword Elder's expression suddenly changed. He looked at Fang Xi, muttering to himself, "Could this be the cultivation path of the Primordial Era? As long as one is strong enough. . . can they forcibly make Heaven and Earth bestow the Dao? The reversal is the movement of the Dao, weakness is the function of the Dao; all things under Heaven are born from being, and being is born from non-being?"
He murmured, seemingly falling into an epiphany.
The Dao Venerables of this world were, in fact, true immortal elites accumulated over countless generations.
If not for the lack of the All-Heavens Precious Mirror, they would surely have walked entirely new paths.
And now, upon witnessing Fang Xi's 'Proving the Dao with Strength' method, the Thousand Sword Elder gained immense insight.
Time passed unknowingly. He opened his eyes and bowed to Fang Xi, "Thank you, Fellow Daoist. . ."
His aura had changed again, with an added layer of profundity in his Dao rhyme, clearly indicating further progress in his Dao.
"No need for politeness, Fellow Daoist. Your Xuanhuang purple qi truly opened my eyes. . ."
Fang Xi smiled.
He had also gained insights from the Thousand Sword Elder's sword formations, leading to his current achievements.
Now, revealing this 'Proving the Dao with Strength' method was a reciprocal act, settling matters between them.
"Fellow Daoist's method of Proving the Dao with Strength is truly unique and refreshing, granting me great insight. . ."
A divine mountain enveloped in the radiance of the sun and moon appeared in the Thousand Sword Elder's hand. He chuckled, "Please, Fellow Daoist, enter my cave abode; I shall host you well!"
'The real Sun Moon Divine Mountain, then? '
Fang Xi, with his great skill and daring, and the All-Heavens Precious Mirror in his possession, knew that no place in the True Immortal World could trap him. He readily accepted.
The two Dao Venerables transformed into streaks of light and entered the interior of this 'Sun Moon Divine Mountain'.
As a Dao Venerable's spatial treasure, this 'Sun Moon Divine Mountain' was vast, even surpassing some Middle Thousand Worlds in size.
Fang Xi stood atop a divine mountain peak, his gaze sweeping slightly, a strange look in his eyes.
The translation maintains the paragraph structure, HTML tags, and glossary terms. Names like 'Fang Xi', 'Thousand Sword Elder', 'Dao Venerable', 'Universe Dao Venerable', 'Horned Dragon Lord', 'True Immortal World', 'Great Void', 'Reincarnation Dao Monarch', 'North Star Immortal Palace', 'Azure Cloud Dao Monarch', 'Spacetime Dao Venerable', 'All-Heavens Precious Mirror', 'Xuanhuang purple qi', 'Universe Great Emperor', 'Divine Consciousness', 'Sun Moon Divine Mountain', 'Middle Thousand World', 'Small Thousand World', 'Great Thousand World', and 'Proving the Dao with Strength' are all used as per the glossary.
The philosophical quote from Dao De Jing is kept as a direct translation to maintain the literary tone. The combat descriptions and emotional nuances are also preserved. Phrases like "Dao rhyme" are translated as "Dao rhyme" as it is a term that often remains untranslated in web novels, or "Dao essence" which I've used as context suggestions. I choose to keep it as "Dao rhyme" for consistency with the novel's common practice.
The phrase "with his great skill and daring" is translated as "with his great skill and daring", which captures the idiom naturally. "Great skill and no work" is translated as "profound simplicity," a common rendering for this classical Chinese aesthetic concept.
Overall, the translation aims for a high-quality, native English reading experience while adhering to all specified constraints.
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