After Joe Di implanted an Extreme Vein beneath the Allclan Sanctuary, the entire city began to rebuild at a pace visible to the naked eye.
This time, under Joe Di's influence, every clan and faction used the finest materials and spared no effort in constructing their merchant towers or abodes on their own territory, deploying the strongest protective arrays with utmost speed.
Yet to the astonishment of all major clans and sects, once their abodes or merchant towers were completed, no matter how they set up spirit-gathering arrays or soul-drawing formations, they could not extract even a trace of energy from the Extreme Vein Joe Di had embedded underground.
Those curious enough to investigate found that every plot of land claimed by Joe Di was sealed off by prohibitions, impenetrable even to divine sense, let alone physical entry.
Yet the ones most enraged by Joe Di's sealing of the Extreme Vein were not James Wan or Redlin Patriarch. To them, the Extreme Vein would eventually belong to them anyway, so not being able to absorb it now was of little consequence. Their only concern was to prevent Joe Di from escaping prematurely, and to ensure he accompanied them for a certain task.
The most furious of all was Peter Fan of the Blood Clan, a mid-stage Quintessence Saint. If he could obtain Joe Di's Extreme Vein, he was certain to break through to the late stage. Reaching that level would make him equal to James Wan and Redlin Patriarch.
In truth, Peter Fan knew well that, with James Wan and Redlin Patriarch coveting the Extreme Vein, his chances of acquiring it were slim. Since he could not claim the Extreme Vein outright, he, like everyone else, sought to draw cosmic rule energy from it through formation techniques.
Now, with his grand array fully set up, he still could not extract even the slightest hint of energy from the Extreme Vein. How could he not be furious?
Were it not for James Wan's expected intervention, Peter Fan might have already attacked Joe Di's protective array directly. What he didn't know was that if James Wan truly did not interfere and he dared to strike at Joe Di's array, he might well be killed by Joe Di himself.
......
Seated atop the Extreme Vein, Joe Di was enveloped by Dao resonance. Behind him, a hazy Dao Tree blossomed with a faint golden glow, while myriad purple Dao resonances circled around it—these were the branches of Joe Di’s Dao.
The Dao resonance grew ever more substantial as the energy of the Extreme Vein was drawn forth, circulating through Joe Di’s meridians before nourishing the Dao Tree. The aura of the Dao Tree became increasingly vast and majestic, just as Joe Di’s own Dao resonance intensified.
Boom! A thunderous roar erupted within his Purple Mansion, and Joe Di’s eyes snapped open.
At last, he understood what it meant to become a Sage through Dao Statement. It was nothing more than encapsulating one’s Dao in a single phrase, forming a Dao Statement, and refining a supreme Dao around that statement.
For instance, 'As long as I exist, the Dao exists.' Such a Dao Statement was already among the highest tier. He had heard Nick Ning mention that when Nick first comprehended this Dao Statement, his cultivation was still very low.
In comparison, when Nick Ning later joined him and Emperor Ye to construct a new universe, that Dao Statement was merely one among countless Dao Paths.
For the three of them, having already built a new universe—and with Joe Di having refined his Dao Tree—there was no longer any need to pursue Dao Statement Sainthood.
There are countless Dao Paths. His Dao was to forge a Dao Tree, gathering innumerable branches into one. Since that was so, why should he follow another’s Dao Path? For countless ages, cultivators have interpreted the Dao as formless, emotionless, nameless...
He had never found this convincing. If the Dao is formless and emotionless, how could it embody great love? How could it nurture all things? This was a paradox.
The Bodhi tree is not a tree, the bright mirror is not a stand; originally there is not a single thing—where could dust alight?
[Note: This is a famous Chan Buddhist poem reflecting the emptiness of all phenomena, often quoted in Daoist and Buddhist philosophy.]
This too is a Dao Statement, and likewise a top-tier Dao Statement. Yet, in the true Chaos Universe, it remains confined to the Five Elements Universe.
Compared to 'The body is the Bodhi tree, the mind is like a bright mirror stand; always diligently dust it, let no dust alight,' the Dao Statement 'Originally, there is not a single thing' is not superior.
The heights of the Dao do not lie in the Dao Statement, but in the cultivator themselves.
Once, he too had been bound by these Dao Statements, repeatedly severing his Grand Dao. Each time he advanced, he felt his perfected Dao was once again flawed.
Though he knew it was a paradox—born in the Five Elements Universe, he could only cultivate within that paradox, striving to correct his Grand Dao. But how could he break free from these shackles? No wonder he was stuck at the Third Step. Had he understood this earlier, perhaps even within another’s universe, without entering the vast Chaos, he could have transcended this world and stepped beyond.
Now that he had grasped this principle, Joe Di felt a wave of relief wash over him. His hands began to weave endless, mysterious Grand Dao Formulas.
"The Dao is not formless. My Dao exists between Heaven and Earth; I build the Dao Tree, establish the Dao Foundation, and achieve Dao Law!"
Dao Statements and such—all are but illusions.
Boom! As Joe Di’s Dao intent turned, boundless cosmic law energy was drawn from the Extreme Vein, swiftly wrapping him in its embrace.
In that moment, the golden Dao Tree behind Joe Di grew ever more solid and grand, its branches of Dao becoming increasingly substantial. Joe Di’s aura surged wildly, and a vast Dao resonance, transcending all limits, crashed over him, making his entire body tremble.