197: Fourth Generation: Overlord (Ninety-Three)

Hearing this, Xu Yuan's heart grew even heavier.

With such superior conditions, just how intense must the competition within the Dao Lineage be?

Li Beichen's tone gradually carried a hint of helplessness: "However, it is precisely because of this... that within the Dao Lineage, the struggle for those limited Great Dao Fruit Positions... is intense beyond your imagination!"

"These limited Fruit Positions have long ceased to be ownerless things waiting for a fated person. They... have long been controlled for generations by those ancient Noble Families within the Dao Realm who have legacies spanning tens of thousands of years, by the Bloodlines of Dao Lords, and by the direct disciples of powerhouses from past generations!"

"Every Fruit Position corresponds to one or several gargantuan power blocs. They are like the titles of nobility in the secular world, passed down from generation to generation, or traded and gambled between a few of the top powers. Outsiders... simply find it impossible to get their hands on them!"

Li Beichen looked at Xu Yuan, his gaze carrying the sorrow of shared misfortune: "Although I, Li, am a Patrolling Envoy and appear to hold a prestigious position, within the Dao Lineage, I am merely a 'border general' guarding the outside world for those powers who truly control everything."

"The Fruit Position of the 'One Dao' that I cultivate has long been held for ten thousand years by a powerful Inspector Noble Family within the Dao Realm!"

"Unless that lineage is completely severed, or I perform a Heaven-Defying feat and receive the personal appointment of a Dao Lord, then... there is no hope of achieving Perfection in this life!"

Xu Yuan fell into a complete silence.

He had originally thought that as a transcendent existence, the Xuandu Dao Sect might be a pure land internally, a utopia for pursuing the Great Dao.

He never expected that its internal class solidification and resource monopoly would be even worse than that of the Imperial Dynasties and Noble Families of the outside world!

It was even more naked and more despair-inducing!

One hundred thousand years of accumulation brought not only depth but also deep-rooted interest groups and insurmountable class barriers!

At this moment, Xu Yuan gained a deeper understanding of this world and the cruelty of the path of cultivation.

The road ahead seemed... even darker and more difficult than he had imagined!

But the flame in his eyes, far from being extinguished, burned even more intensely!

His gaze turned toward Li Beichen once again, no longer filled with the previous shock and confusion, leaving only pure inquiry and resolve:

"Envoy Li, thank you for telling me. You have allowed me to see the... true face of this world."

Xu Yuan's voice was low: "Within that Dao Lineage, is there... any precedent for breaking this monopoly?"

He needed to know if this path was... truly and completely blocked!

If there was... not even a single crack!

Li Beichen looked deeply at Xu Yuan; after a long while, he finally let out a slow breath:

"There is... naturally there is. The Great Dao of Heaven and Earth always leaves a sliver of hope. Otherwise, this world would have long become a pool of stagnant water, so why would there even be talk of a Dao Lineage?"

He paused, seemingly organizing his words, and slowly extended a finger:

"First, the most direct and also the most difficult, nearly... impossible!"

"That is... to kill the person who has already occupied the Fruit Position, forcibly seize their Dao Fruit, and take their place!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the air inside the pavilion seemed to freeze.

Xu Yuan's gaze was as sharp as a blade, staring fixedly at Li Beichen.

"However," Li Beichen's tone was heavy, "this path is as difficult as ascending to heaven! A Fruit Position True Person at Golden Core Perfection has already completely mastered their corresponding Great Dao branch, nearly becoming the manifestation of this Dao in this world!"

"Cultivators who walk the same Dao are naturally suppressed by the Great Dao in their presence!"

Li Beichen's gaze was profound, as if describing a scene of despair: "For example, Emperor Shang, if you were to face the person who occupies the Overlord Fruit Position of the Imperial Dao branch, your entire Imperial Dao cultivation and National Fortune blessing would likely not even retain one-tenth of their strength before him! Performing Imperial Dao Divine Abilities in front of him would be like showing off one's axe skills before Lu Ban, and might even trigger a Great Dao backlash!"

"The gap is by no means the ordinary difference between the Late Golden Core Stage and Perfection; it is more like... the celestial chasm of Foundation Establishment Perfection facing Golden Core Perfection!"

"Not to mention, every Fruit Position True Person is an exceptionally brilliant individual with profound depth, supported by a massive power behind them. How could killing them to seize the position be easy? Throughout the ages, those who attempted such a Heaven-Defying act have all been like moths to a flame, their bodies perishing and their Dao vanishing!"

Xu Yuan's brow furrowed tightly, the chill in his heart growing stronger.

This path was indeed nearly a dead end!

Completely suppressed on the Dao, with a vast disparity in strength, there was almost no chance of victory.

Li Beichen extended a second finger, a complex light erupting in his eyes, a mix of yearning, awe, and a hint of... fanaticism?

"Second, is... Path-Opening!"

"Path-Opening?" Xu Yuan's mind was jolted!

"Correct! Path-Opening!" Li Beichen's tone became more impassioned. "Since the Fruit Positions of the existing Great Dao branches are full, then... do not take the usual path!"

"Amidst the myriad Laws, find another way and open an unprecedented, brand-new Great Dao branch!"

"This method is a Heaven-Defying pioneering feat! Once successful, the New Dao is established, the Laws of Heaven and Earth resonate, and the Great Dao bestows its favor. The pioneer will naturally become the first Fruit Position Master of this New Dao branch, with no need to compete with others!"

Creating a New Dao!

This... was the true path to changing one's fate against the heavens!

"However..." Li Beichen's tone shifted, becoming incredibly heavy once more, "the difficulty of Path-Opening is a thousand or ten thousand times greater than the former!"

"It requires a profound understanding of the Laws of Heaven and Earth, supreme wisdom and courage, the blessing of great Luck, and the endurance of the Great Dao backlash and heavenly tribulations that may come during the Path-Opening!"

"Throughout the ages, those with such ambition have been as numerous as carp crossing a river, but those who succeed... are few and far between! Every successful Path-Opener is without exception someone of eternal brilliance and Heaven-Defying Luck!"

He looked at Xu Yuan, his eyes burning: "However, once successful, the rewards are also unparalleled! Not only does one achieve a Fruit Position, but they also add a new branch to the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, which is a great Karma and contribution to the Great Dao itself!"

Li Beichen's tone carried immense admiration: "Therefore, within the Dao Lineage, although the monopoly is severe, those ancient Noble Families will do their utmost to recruit peerless Geniuses who can truly succeed in 'Path-Opening,' and even Dao Lords will personally intervene!"

"Because every Path-Opener is a treasure who might lead an era or even drive the evolution of the Great Dao!"

Having finished, Li Beichen looked quietly at Xu Yuan and spoke no more.

He had clearly laid out the two paths, along with their hardships, dangers, pros, and cons, before the other man.

The pavilion fell into a state of silence.

Only the clouds and mist churned silently outside the pavilion, as if echoing the surging waves inside Xu Yuan's heart.

Xu Yuan remained silent for a long time. The boiling aura around him gradually calmed, but the flame in his eyes burned even more concentrated and intense.

"Envoy Li, I have benefited much from your words today; the path ahead is clear."

He paused slightly. His Imperial Authority was restrained, yet it emitted an even more terrifying sense of pressure as he asked word by word:

"Then, one last question..."

"Who exactly... is the person occupying this Overlord Fruit Position of the Imperial Dao that I cultivate?"