Saint Dilan did not, like Saint Eugene, spend a great deal of time expounding his Dao. As soon as he stepped onto the platform, Way Resonance began to flow around him, and one star after another appeared. The Dao Resonance echoed above the Debate Platform, vibrating automatically with the rhythm of his Dao.
At this moment, Saint Eugene's Grand Derivation Way Resonance also began to circulate. The Way Resonances of the two saints collided, and on the Debate Platform it was as if a stone had been dropped into a tranquil lake—the ripples of Way Resonance spread out rapidly and quickly expanded.
The giant stone split in two: one half became the world of vitality and creation derived from Saint Eugene, and the other half transformed into the embryonic starry sky condensed by Saint Dilan's Grand Way.
Di Jiu watched as the Grand Ways of both saints clashed and collided atop the Debate Platform, causing crack after crack to appear. Countless beings and creations were destroyed, and each newly formed star was shattered. Yet these cracks were quickly mended by the saints’ Grand Ways, rapidly condensing into new vitality and new stars, only for the next collision to begin anew.
At this moment, Di Jiu finally understood what Dao Debate truly was. Dao Debate was actually another form of combat—a way to use every technique of one’s Grand Way to crush the opponent’s Grand Way. Whoever could completely suppress the other’s Dao and make it vanish from the Debate Platform would be the victor.
Perhaps this is the cultivator’s ultimate showdown.
Amid the thunderous roar of Way Resonance, every observing Saint Seat Holder could clearly sense the direction of the two saints’ Daos, as well as their relative strength. Within the Way Resonance, the destruction of each life and the shattering of each planet released the clearest fragments of cosmic law.
Both saints’ Grand Ways sought greater power and vastness, but their Way Resonances were clearly incompatible. Wherever their resonances collided, intense spatial tremors erupted, countless beings and planets were annihilated, and waves of shattered Dao laws swept through.
Yet these broken Dao laws were once again swept up by both saints, reconstructed into new Way Resonance, as the debate continued.
Di Jiu gradually found himself drawn in. Whenever he saw the saints’ Daos collide, there were always fleeting moments where their laws coexisted. But these moments of harmony were quickly shattered by force, and the next clash would begin anew.
The more Di Jiu watched, the more excited he became. He even realized his hands were clenched so tightly they had turned white. In his mind, a hazy yet unmistakably clear path of the Grand Way began to emerge. Though this Dao was still rough and unrefined, he longed to perfect it further.
Seated beside Di Jiu, Saint Henry Yi not only kept his attention on the Dao Debate between the two saints atop the Debate Platform, but also watched Di Jiu closely. He knew well that Di Jiu was the cultivator who had constructed the Trap Array at Saint Seat Plaza, and for this reason, he was intent on befriending Di Jiu.
Anyone capable of constructing a Trap Array that could seal off Saint Seat Plaza—and even infuse it with new cosmic world laws, rendering all attacks by the saints useless—was no weaker than any Saint Seat Holder present, and perhaps even stronger than many.
The key was that Di Jiu, too, intended to enter the Vast Chaos. If he could build a good relationship with Di Jiu, perhaps even become friends, they would be able to look out for each other within the Vast Chaos. A formidable Grand Array Master is always the greatest asset anywhere.
Saint Tyron and Saint Quinn Jett might talk about unity and working together to enter the Vast Chaos and seek a higher divine realm, but deep down, all the saints—including Saint Henry Yi—knew that once inside the Vast Chaos, conflict was inevitable. At such times, a steadfast ally is far better than fighting alone.
Although most of the saints at Saint Seat Plaza were acquainted, each was proud and solitary. None would truly join forces wholeheartedly with another. Even alliances were only temporary, for no one believed the other was stronger than themselves.
Even powerhouses like Saint Quinn Jett and Saint Tyron could not win the hearts of all the saints. People accepted their leadership because Quinn Jett possessed a complete physical body, and both were indeed somewhat stronger than the rest.
To Saint Henry Yi, Di Jiu was the best companion to make, the ideal ally for venturing into the Vast Chaos.
Saint Henry Yi, who had long regarded Di Jiu as an ally, now saw Di Jiu fall into a state of enlightenment—so moved by the Dao Debate between Saint Eugene and Saint Dilan that he was visibly excited—and could not help but sigh inwardly.
It seemed Di Jiu had not reached his expectations. The Daos of Saint Eugene and Saint Dilan were indeed remarkable, but which saint’s Dao here was truly simple?
Watching the Dao Debate between the two saints, all the other saints sought to absorb what was useful to themselves and discard what was not.
Yet Di Jiu was drawn in completely, showing that his Dao was still far from mature. Saint Henry Yi had hoped to ally with Di Jiu, but seeing him so weak, how could he not be disappointed?
Fortunately, Saint Henry Yi soon let go of this disappointment. Di Jiu's weakness did not matter, as long as his arraycraft remained at the level needed to construct the Trap Array at Saint Seat Plaza. That alone made him a valuable ally.
Di Jiu was not captivated by the saints’ Daos themselves; what truly excited him was that, amidst the collision of their Daos, he discovered a new path: Dao Fusion.
The Genesis Realm was jointly constructed by Di Jiu, Emperor Ye, and Nick Ning. Within the chaos, a new universe was born, and not only that, this universe assimilated all the planets of the Rivergate Universe.
But whether it was Di Jiu, Emperor Ye, or Nick Ning, they all knew that such a universe could not be built by any one of them alone. In fact, if any one of the three was missing, it would be impossible. Even without Zixiao, it would not work, though Zixiao’s role was not in constructing the new universe itself.
Now, through observing the Dao Debate, Di Jiu realized he might be able to once again validate two new Daos: one was Emperor Ye’s Path of Vitality, and the other was Nick Ning’s Way of Unity.
If he could validate these two new Daos and then combine them with his own Grand Dao of Rules, the fusion of three Daos would be just like the new universe they had constructed. Once this universe was formed, he would no longer fear the emergence of cosmic tribulation, nor worry about being crushed into nothingness within the Vast Chaos.
Back then, if not for Emperor Ye and Nick Ning, he would have long since been reduced to dust within the Vast Chaos. No—perhaps not even dust, for the Dao laws he had constructed would have had nowhere to reside, vanishing into nothingness the moment he emerged. Such rootless Dao laws would disappear forever with his demise.
Di Jiu had now found the possibility of survival within the chaos. How could he remain idle? He had already exchanged Daos with Emperor Ye and Nick Ning, and together they had constructed the new Genesis Realm. Thus, Di Jiu was intimately familiar with their Daos, just as they were with his Grand Dao of Rules.
At this moment, Di Jiu's hands finally relaxed. He closed his eyes, letting Dao Resonance flow continuously around him. The only difference now was that the aura circulating around him was no longer just his Grand Dao of Rules, but also Emperor Ye’s Three-Life Dao and Nick Ning’s Way of Unity.
The Three-Life Dao and Way of Unity, newly condensed, were like tender sprouts—unremarkable, yet they filled Di Jiu with boundless hope and imagination.
"Is this the Dao of Derivation?" Saint Henry Yi sensed the flow of Dao Resonance around Di Jiu and immediately understood what was happening.
It seemed Di Jiu's Dao was of a relatively low level; otherwise, he would not be able to begin deriving a new Dao under the Dao Debate of Saint Eugene and Saint Dilan.
The Dao Debate between the two saints atop the Debate Platform had reached a critical point, and no one paid any attention to Di Jiu’s Dao derivation.
(That’s all for today’s update. Good night, friends!)