354: Chapter 345 The Sixth Incarnation: Heavenly Venerable (Thirty-Three)

Silence.

A deathly silence enveloped the Xuan Xuan Land.

Slaying the various lords, gathering the myriad Daos, reforging the universe, and reopening a realm—using the merit of this creation to forcefully attain Soul Transformation!

This plan was so insane it surpassed all previous Heaven-Defying imaginations of the Venerables! It was no longer "defying destiny," but "revolutionizing the heavens"!

A long, long time passed.

"...Slaying the various lords, gathering the myriad Daos..." The thoughts of the Dao Lord of Death flowed slowly, an extreme coldness and a spark of ignited madness seeping through the deathly silence. "Do you know what this action implies?"

"It means standing in complete opposition to all existing Dao Lords, all factions, and even every existence maintaining the old Order in the shadows of this old world, a fight to the death," Dao Lord Shang Qing replied calmly.

"It means we will become the 'Public Enemy of the Heavens,' enduring unimaginable backlash and siege," the "Time" will flowed.

"It means if we fail, we will have no way out, and our true spirits may sink for eternity," the "Space" Foundation sent a heavy thought.

"However, if we succeed..." Seven-colored brilliance flashed in Dao Lord Shang Qing's eyes, "we will surpass the 'Ancient Venerables' and become, in the truest sense—"

"—the 'Creation Heavenly Venerable'!"

"Both risks and opportunities are at their extreme," he finally concluded. "Struggling on the old chessboard offers slim chances of victory. Toppling the chessboard and starting a new game, though it's a narrow escape from death, offers a sliver... of a chance for true transcendence and to truly become the Dominator of our own destiny!"

"Ancient Venerables, for endless eons, what have you sought? Is it not that true transcendence and freedom?"

Dao Lord Shang Qing's voice was like a magic spell, questioning the deepest obsession of every ancient existence.

"Are you willing to continue this hopeless gamble in the old world under the shadow of the 'destiny' prophecy, until you likely become a stepping stone for others?"

"Or..." His voice suddenly became impassioned, carrying a decisive aura as if opening the heavens and earth, "—are you willing to join me in this supreme grand undertaking of slaying the Dao, refining the world, and opening the heavens, to fight for a magnificent new era that truly belongs to us, free from the shackles of 'destiny'?!"

"—A magnificent new era?!"

In the Xuan Xuan Land, the Dao Rhyme boiled violently due to Dao Lord Shang Qing's shocking declaration of "toppling the chessboard, reopening a new heaven, and creating a world to attain the status of Venerable." The wills of the various Venerables intertwined and collided, but the initial shock and the ignited madness did not last long.

Having lived through the vicissitudes of endless eons since the first opening of the Great Dao and becoming the root-like existences of the world's "trunk," their strength of will, depth of thought, and coldness in weighing pros and cons had long since surpassed simple passion and impulse.

After the brief stir of emotion came a deeper, more bone-chillingly calm scrutiny.

"Creating a new heaven, attaining Soul Transformation..."

The ancient will representing "Time" was the first to withdraw from that impassioned atmosphere. Its flowing thoughts returned to their habitual indifference and depth, looking down upon the birth and death of eons, even carrying a hint of faint mockery. "Shang Qing, your conception is grand in spirit, however..."

"You speak of 'reopening a realm.' For us, that is indeed not a difficult task."

The heavy thoughts of the "Space" Foundation continued, carrying the coldness of stating a fact.

"Since ancient times, Dao Lords of later generations have been able to open their own Dao Realms using the 'Realm-Opening Method.' Although limited in scale, they are considered 'small worlds.' If we put forth our full effort and join forces to open a 'new world' far exceeding ordinary Dao Realms with relatively complete Laws, it is also within our capabilities."

"But," the pulsation of the "life" egg was no longer restless. Instead, it revealed a cold clarity after seeing through to the essence. "The key to the problem has never been 'whether it can be opened,' but..." Its thoughts locked onto Dao Lord Shang Qing, word by word, like the sharpest icicles piercing the core paradox and cruelty of that grand blueprint:

"—What you wish to open is a 'Perfect New World' capable of bearing the birth of a 'Soul Transformation Heavenly Venerable'! Not a 'semi-finished product' with incomplete Laws that relies on the old world like ordinary Dao Realms!"

As soon as these words were spoken, it was as if all the fever and fantasy were instantly drained from the boiling Dao Rhyme, leaving only the naked, bone-chilling reality!

"A world that can bear Soul Transformation..."

"It requires all Daos to reach Perfection, a Foundation without flaws, forming a perfect cycle on its own without needing external help! The inherent Origin of the Great Dao, the Law architecture, the stability of time and space, and even the web of Karma and destiny within it must all reach a... nearly simulated or even surpassed state of Perfection from the Peak of the old world!"

"This means," the deathly thoughts of "the end" giant coffin slowly rang out, carrying a coldness that understood the finality of all eons, "the 'resources' required for opening the new world are by no means ordinary. We must gather, melt, and complete almost all existing 'Great Daos' in the old world! It is not just about slaying those 'stumbling block' Dao Lords of later generations, taking their Dao fruits, and refining their Origin..."

Its "gaze" slowly swept over every Ancient Venerable present in the Xuan Xuan Land, including Dao Lord Shang Qing, and finally spat out the words that almost froze the Dao Rhyme here:

"It further means that the source of the 'Daos' themselves that constitute this 'Perfection of all Daos'..." The deathly thoughts grew heavier at this moment, like a heavy hammer striking the heart of every existence, "—includes us, and these 'Root Daos' we hold that form the Foundation of the old world!"

"The reason the old world is 'flawed' and difficult for Soul Transformation to be born is precisely because the various Daos are entangled, opposed, and not in Perfection."

The thoughts of the "Order" chains carried a cruel rationality.

"To open a 'Perfect New World,' then every fundamental Dao within the new world—'death,' 'life,' 'time,' 'space,' 'destruction,' 'creation,' 'Order,' 'Chaos'—must reach an unprecedented state of harmony, balance, and Perfection! This requires not only an understanding of the Great Dao, but also that the 'existences' holding these Daos themselves, their Dao fruits, their true spirits, and their 'ownership' and 'right of interpretation' over the Great Dao... must be highly unified, or even..."

"—belong to a single person!"

Silence, a deeper and more oppressive silence than before, spread out.

To create a perfect new world capable of giving birth to a "Soul Transformation Heavenly Venerable," what is needed is not just external "resources."

It also requires a thorough "melting" and "unification" of all holders of the "Root Daos," including themselves—their Dao fruits, their existence, and their "definition" of the Great Dao!

This almost inevitably leads to one conclusion—

"Therefore, your plan," the thoughts of the Dao Lord of Death rang out again, his deathly silence revealing an indifference that saw through everything, "appears to be a collaboration, but in reality... it will ultimately evolve into a..."

"—ultimate slaughter among us 'Creators' to decide whose Dao, whose will, and whose existence can become the sole 'root' and 'keynote' of the new world!"