Shennong Sequence

The Taoist priest had a kind and sincere expression. He pointed to a stone chair to the side and said, "You don't need to be so reserved. It's fate that we met. Please sit down."

"Since you've come seeking the method to establish your foundation on the Great Dao, I have a few questions for you. What is your understanding of 'the Dao'?"

Zhao Yun instantly realized that an opportunity had arrived.

But the opportunity probably lies in these few questions.

If you answer well, there will probably be great benefits;
My answer wasn't very good, so I guess my chances are just so-so.

As for the 'Tao', it exists throughout the entire course of history, whether in the past, present, or future.

Therefore, throughout history, there have been countless Taoist books, classics, and so on, which have expounded on the mysteries of Tao.

There are even sayings such as "Nameless is the beginning of all things; named is the mother of all things," which are endless and full of wonders.

But Zhao Yun understood that what the sect leader, 'Ling Daoren,' wanted was definitely not the standardized 'Dao' language presented in the Daoist books, but rather the 'Dao' he himself had come to understand.

Therefore, after reflecting on his understanding of the Dao during his cultivation, Zhao Yun finally turned his attention back to the 'Matter Transformation Method'.

The reason I thought of the material transformation method is that the Dao cannot be separated from the category of the Five Primordial Elements, and the material transformation method is closely related to the last two of the Five Primordial Elements, namely, the Tai Su, the beginning of matter, and the Tai Chi, the beginning of all things.

It can be said that Zhao Yun's journey has been built upon the material transformation method, rather than the five-colored auspicious cloud originating from the Five Elements Stone, or the various methods of favorable timing, location, and human factors.

Therefore, Zhao Yun ultimately explained the principles by which he applied various Daoist principles within the material transformation method:

"In my eyes, the so-called Tao is something that permeates everything, past, present, and future. Even in this flower, this blade of grass, this stone, this tree, there is an extension of the Tao, and in all of them, the manifestation of the Great Tao..."

"I do have my own understanding, and I have already put it into practice. It is much better than those who only learn from books and forget that 'what you learn from books is never enough'... Just as you said, the Dao cannot escape the words of the Five Primordial Elements, nor can it escape the mystery of the primordial chaos before it was divided and before it was opened."

Moreover, in the world's discourse, everything from the smallest flower, blade of grass, and tree to the vast universe, the boundless void, and the starry realms, is an extension and manifestation of the Dao.

Therefore, the foundation of the Great Way lies in the combination of the "Way" and the "Greatness".

In a sense, your path is already underway; it is your unique method of material transformation that naturally aligns with the two paths of "Tai Su" and "Tai Chi"!
Therefore, your foundation building will be relatively easier than others!

"As for 'great,' it can be described as infinite!"

"Speaking of which, the title 'Foundation Building of the Great Dao' did not actually exist as a level of attainment a very, very long time ago."

At that time, it was referring to the processes of ordinary foundation building, flawed foundation building, perfect foundation building, and so on.

However, these terms cannot adequately encompass all situations, so they are divided into three foundations: Heaven, Earth, and Man.

Then, a "Dao" was added between the three foundational elements of "Heaven, Earth, and Man," which is actually a partial process of "foundational building of the Great Dao."

"Just like in the foundation building of humanity, we often talk about combinations of one person, a hundred people, ten thousand people, hundreds of millions of people... a city, a country, etc., which are different ways of 'foundation building of humanity' from small to large. Moreover, this 'human' does not only include our human race. All the spirits in the world: demons, strange beasts, divine beasts, etc., are also considered to be within the scope of 'human'. Therefore, 'human' also refers to the saying that 'all sentient beings in the world'."

The foundation of humanity, built upon the foundation of humanity, is limited to this... but the extension of the Tao is not limited to this.

When 'Humanity Foundation Building' roams freely in one realm, when it encompasses two or three different extreme worlds, or when it encompasses eight or nine larger different human worlds, then this Humanity Foundation Building, adapting to different situations and encompassing multiple opposing human worlds, can be called 'Great Dao Foundation Building' because of its 'vast' scope.

Because the fusion of different human paths will resonate with the word "transformation" in the "Taiyi Void Transformation" of the Five Primordial Elements of the Great Dao.

But Taiyi is not just about 'change', it also means 'the beginning of change from nothingness'!
Therefore, this one-sided approach, which only aligns with the concept of "change" in the Five Elements of the Primordial Chaos, can only be considered a one-sided approach to "foundation building of the Great Dao".

But ultimately, it is still within the framework of 'building the foundation of the Great Way'!

"The same applies to the foundation of the earth, which can range from a small puddle, a pool, or a river to a vast sea area.

But this is only the beginning of the foundation building of the earth. When it is gradually expanded to the unification of a certain 'earth category' of the entire world, that is, the water of a world, or all the mountains, it is the 'earth foundation building'!
When it extends to three, four, eight, or ten different rule-based domains, what is built is the "foundation of the Great Dao" to a one-sided degree of "change."

"The foundation building of Heaven, the foundation building of the Heavenly Dao, and the partial 'foundation building of the Great Dao' that is in harmony with the 'transformation of the Great Change of Nothingness' of the Five Primordial Elements are similar."

Like a frog at the bottom of a well viewing a patch of sky, like viewing the sky above a mountain, the sky of a world, like viewing the sky beneath different realms of rules… As these skies are gradually encompassed, it is a journey from the initially narrow Heavenly Way to the ultimate Great Way!

"This is the Great Dao Foundation Building, which is an extension of the foundation building of the three paths of humanity, earth, and heaven in the ordinary method."

"The three examples I mentioned above are merely ordinary foundational studies of the Great Dao, only conforming to the meaning of the Great Dao contained in the word 'change' in the Taiyi of the Five Primordial Elements."

"Furthermore, my Wanling Yudao Sect has an Ascension Platform within its Heavenly Dao Hall, which governs countless realms. Therefore, true foundational cultivation of the Great Dao can actually be mass-produced if the sect provides the necessary support."

But shortcuts are ultimately just shortcuts, and they don't mean much... That's why the sect has always only provided the methods, and it is up to you to put them into practice—that is the true meaning!

"Furthermore, your group has a special background and is not allowed to descend to the lower realm this time. You can only stay within the sect's territory. Therefore, the ordinary method of establishing the foundation of the Great Dao is useless to you."

Therefore, if you want to establish a foundation in the Great Dao, it will be more complicated in essence, but it also comes back to the original question - you have your own unique understanding of the Great Dao, and you have already applied it and witnessed it in reality: the method of material transformation!
This method was created by you and is in accordance with the two Tai: the primordial simplicity of the beginning of matter and the Taiji of the beginning of all things.

Therefore, based on your self-created supernatural power, you have actually embarked on the path of building a foundation for the Great Dao.

"In exchange for this, I can help you truly solidify your foundation in the Great Dao... but I have one condition."

"Please speak, Sect Leader."

Now that things had come to this point, Zhao Yun knew that this sect leader, 'Ling Daoren,' was fully aware of his and Xin Ruyin's origins.

The other party offered to help him cultivate the Great Dao and establish his foundation. Even if there were any demands, he could only listen to what the other party had to say first.

Moreover, refusing might not be so easy. (End of Chapter)