The true Dao is not something you can comprehend by borrowing from another world, nor can it be forged by copying the path of others. No matter how flawless such a Dao may seem, it will forever remain bound within its original universe, unable to transcend.
It’s like painting a ladle by tracing the curve of a gourd—no matter how perfectly you mimic, you’ll never surpass your template.
Joe Di still did not know what kind of transformation would follow after severing the Dao resonance of the Shaman River, but he was certain this was the Dao he was meant to pursue. The outcome remained unknown, yet he walked the true path of seeking Dao.
His cultivation had already been diminished to its lowest ebb. Now, having severed even his own Rule Dao, he knew that even if he recovered, his strength would not grow.
At this moment, Joe Di was consumed by the relentless refinement of the Shaman River’s Dao resonance, perceiving each rule within it—and with every understanding, he severed it.
Time flowed like water; the years never paused.
The entire Da Yi Tribe had been swallowed by the Shaman River, leaving not a single living soul in this land. Now, only Joe Di remained by the river’s edge.
At first, as Joe Di both comprehended and severed the Dao resonance of the Shaman River, he could not help but worry—he feared Dominic Du might arrive.
If Dominic Du were to come to the Shaman Realm now, Joe Di would be no more than an ant—crushed effortlessly, leaving not even a trace behind.
After more than a decade, Joe Di released all his worries and immersed himself wholly in the act of severing Dao.
Deep within his consciousness, it was as if a seed had begun to sprout. Joe Di sensed that, once he severed all the Dao resonance of the Shaman River, he would finally grasp what he had truly gained. Every external Dao resonance was an obstacle to this seed’s growth. He had to sever it completely, leaving not a trace behind.
Crack! Like the sound of a seed breaking through the earth, as Joe Di severed the final Dao resonance of the Shaman River, he felt as if he had been washed clean—a new birth of Dao.
Suddenly, Joe Di stood up. With a single thought, a passage appeared in the Shaman River, able to reach anywhere his heart desired. Though he had just severed all the Dao resonance he’d perceived, now every secret of the Shaman River was held within his mind. If he wished, he could seize the river itself and cast it into the void.
Boundless cosmic energy surged forth. In this moment, Joe Di no longer needed spirit veins or cultivation resources—the vast energy of the universe flooded the Shaman Realm, enveloping him completely.
Joe Di’s cultivation soared, swiftly recovering to the Prime Realm, then the Unity Realm, and soon after, the initial stage of the Dao Fusion Realm.
Only when Joe Di’s cultivation reached the perfected initial stage of the Dao Fusion Realm did all enlightenment halt, and the cosmic energy gradually faded. Now, whenever he needed it, the energy of the universe would permeate through the void to him.
Joe Di’s emotions shifted from exhilaration to serenity, and finally to utter tranquility.
Though he still cultivated the Rule Dao, it was no longer the Rule Dao of the Five Elements Universe, nor the one he forged after comprehending the Ninth Rule, nor even the Rule Dao of the Shaman River he had just severed.
His Rule Dao had become one with himself. Gazing into the vast void, Joe Di took a single step and stood above the Shaman River.
He himself was the universe; he himself was the deepest Dao of the cosmos. From this moment onward, though he cultivated the Rule Dao, it was no longer just the Rule Dao. Whether it was or wasn’t—only Joe Di truly understood.
From this moment on, no matter which universe he stood in, no cosmic law could limit his cultivation or suppress his divine sense—as long as he lived, as long as he existed.
"As long as I exist, Dao exists!" Joe Di declared calmly.
A spring thunder exploded in the vast void, and one name after another flashed before Joe Di’s eyes, only to vanish swiftly.
Joe Di drew a deep breath and bowed to the emptiness. "Thank you, Cassie Cao."
Joe Di understood what those names meant, flickering in the vast universe. He was not the only one to comprehend 'As long as I exist, Dao exists.' Those names belonged to those who had reached this realization before him.
He did not need to ask; he knew these were all peerless experts. Perhaps their journeys had differed, but in the end, they all stood at the same place.
Joe Di did not care whether Dominic Du’s name was among them. At this moment, regardless of Dominic Du’s presence, Joe Di would never fear him again, nor be influenced by him.
In his heart, Joe Di felt deep gratitude for Cassie Cao. Without her, even if he had stepped into the Third Step, he might never have realized the essence of Dao. Had that happened, he would have been resigned to fate before true Dao experts.
Looking down at the Shaman River beneath his feet, Joe Di suddenly raised his hand and struck. The Shaman River shattered abruptly, erupting into endless Dao resonance.
In the next instant, countless rivers, ponds, and streams appeared throughout the Shaman Realm—even a boundless sea. All of this was formed from the Dao resonance of the Shaman River, shattered by Joe Di’s hand.
The shattered Dao resonance transformed into vitality, evolving into wind, thunder, rain, and myriad cosmic laws, merging with the entire Shaman Realm.
Boom! Thunder rumbled, and soon gentle rain fell from the sky. Joe Di let the rain wash over him, feeling ever more peaceful and calm within.
He could have refined the Shaman River and taken it with him, but now there was no need. He had comprehended a Dao that surpassed even Cassie Cao’s expectations—one she herself had not fully understood.
He did not construct new cosmic laws for the Shaman Realm’s people to survive. He simply transformed the Shaman River into countless sources of water, turning its Dao resonance into laws fit for human life.
Perhaps, this was what would please Cassie Cao most.
...
The entire Shaman Realm was thrown into chaos. The Shaman River that had stretched across their skies suddenly vanished, but the water sources they feared losing remained. Countless great rivers and endless streams appeared throughout the Shaman Realm...
Rain fell, and the parched earth—never before touched by rain—suddenly blossomed with vitality, filled with the breath of life, growing lush and full.
As the Dao resonance of the Shaman River dispersed, what had always been a dry and gray Shaman Realm now blossomed with vibrant green.
Countless people knelt on the ground, laying down their iron spears, the giant stones they had been carrying to repair the Shaman River, and their stone shovels...
Though they didn’t understand what had happened, deep down everyone realized one thing: from this day forward, the Shaman Realm would enter a new world—a world of life. From now on, civilization would begin to flourish here; it would no longer remain stagnant as it had before.
...
Joe Di stood in the void above the Shaman Realm, gazing at the Shaman River. He knew that was where Cassie Cao resided.
Boom, boom, boom! Several more thunderous explosions, and a rainbow burst forth from where the Shaman River once was. The rainbow circled Joe Di three times, carrying a joyful aura, then soared into the vast void, vanishing into the cosmos.
Joe Di knew that the rainbow had carried away Cassie Cao’s final trace of consciousness. From this day forward, Cassie Cao would no longer exist in the universe.
His eyes grew moist, and Joe Di wiped them. He had never owed anyone in his life, but now, the only person he truly owed was Cassie Cao.