Start from a baby to become a Taoist

Chapter 426 That One!

What's there?
He has been unable to find out.

But at this moment, under the frenzied impact of countless laws, under the immense pressure of life and death...

A longing he had never felt before suddenly welled up in his heart!
An instinctive desire to break free from constraints and take control of everything!

It's as if the one that's been sealed away is the real "me"!
And this "I" seems to be born to be above these myriad laws!
Once this thought arose, it was like a wildfire, instantly igniting Xu Ran's dying consciousness!
"I am the 'one'!"

A roar from the depths of his soul exploded in Xu Ran's sea of ​​consciousness!

It's not a question, it's a certainty!

It is an unwavering self-awareness!

Rumble!
With this roar, the sealed area at the deepest part of Xu Ran's spiritual sea suddenly erupted with extremely dazzling golden light!

That golden light was domineering, magnificent, and supreme!

It seemed to contain a kind of supreme majesty that made words law and commanded heaven and earth!
Wherever the golden light passed, the originally raging and chaotic torrent of countless laws calmed down instantly, as if it had encountered a king's subject!

No more rage, no more conflict!
Flames burn gently, ice freezes silently, the earth bears heavy weight, metal gleams with sharpness, and wind, thunder, light, and darkness each return to their proper place!
They are still operating and evolving, but they are no longer chaotic and disorderly. Instead, they have formed a perfect and harmonious operating order around the sealed area that bursts out with supreme golden light!

Among the myriad laws, it seems we have found their core! Their master!
In the center of Xu Ran's spiritual sea, the originally illusory and uncertain "Myriad Phenomena" sword phantom suddenly solidified!
The light flowing across the sword was no longer chaotic, but became profound and mysterious, as if reflecting the trajectory of the entire universe!
A vast sword intent, encompassing all things and governing the laws, emanated from it!

Xu Ran felt a sudden lightness throughout his body, and the excruciating pain that tore at his soul vanished instantly, replaced by an unprecedented sense of control!

It was as if he could mobilize any law of the world with just a thought!
Although this control is still very weak and vague, it does exist!

"This is 'All Things'? With 'me' at the core, governing all laws?" Xu Ran murmured to himself, his eyes filled with shock and a hint of bewilderment.

He succeeded?

Did he find that "one"?
And that "one" actually points to himself?

Or perhaps it points to something sealed deep within his consciousness?
What exactly is going on?

"You," Yu Kong's voice rang out, filled with unprecedented shock and disbelief!

"You...you actually used your own will to forcibly control all the laws of nature?!"

"How...how is this possible?! Since ancient times, those who have comprehended the myriad phenomena have all followed the laws, understood their operating principles, and found that point of balance within them. You...you actually..."

Yu Kong seemed so shocked by Xu Ran's "unconventional" way of clearing the level that he was somewhat incoherent.

Forced control?

Xu Ran was also taken aback.

He was merely acting on instinct, driven by a life-or-death impulse, and uttered those words.
Is there something wrong with this?
However, the result seems to be good.

He successfully grasped the sword intent of the fifth sword, the "Myriad Phenomena" sword.

Moreover, he could feel that with the integration of this fifth sword intent, the four sword shadows in his sea of ​​consciousness became more stable, and the connection between them became closer.

It seems that a small cycle has been initially established with "all things" as its core!

More importantly, the seal deep within his sea of ​​consciousness seemed to have loosened slightly!
Although he still couldn't see what was inside, he could feel that the vast and ancient aura emanating from it had become even clearer!

Xu Ran let out a long breath, suppressing the many questions and shock in his heart.

In any case, he overcame this most difficult hurdle!
The fifth sword, Myriad Phenomena, has been mastered!
His gaze returned to the spinning sword ring.

Five out of nine are gone, leaving four swords!
What ultimate Dao will the next sword represent?

His heart was filled with unprecedented anticipation!
Because he vaguely sensed that when he gathered all nine sword intents, he might be able to truly uncover the ultimate secret sealed deep within his consciousness!
Xu Ran took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart.

He could feel that as the intent of the fifth sword, "Myriad Phenomena," condensed, his entire spiritual level, and even his connection with this world, underwent an indescribable transformation.

It was as if before, he was a chess piece on the chessboard of heaven and earth, capable of stirring up storms, yet still within the rules.

At this moment, he seemed to have the potential to step out of the chessboard and even take control of it!
This feeling is mysterious and profound, yet incredibly real.

He looked at Yu Kong, whose shock had not yet completely faded. Instead, a more complex emotion emerged, a mixture of horror, apprehension, and even a barely perceptible fear.

“Senior,” Xu Ran said with a slight fist and palm salute, “I was fortunate enough to comprehend the fifth sword technique.”

Yu Kong was silent for a moment, his voice dry and hoarse, before slowly saying, "Luck? Heh, young friend, do you know what you just did?"

Xu Ran frowned slightly: "This junior is simply following my heart."

"Follow your heart?" Yu Kong's voice suddenly rose, carrying an unbelievable sharpness. "Since the existence of this Sword Tomb inheritance, countless years have passed, countless geniuses and prodigies have emerged! Yet, only a handful have comprehended the 'Myriad Phenomena'!"

"They are all exceptionally intelligent and insightful individuals who have devoted countless efforts to comprehending the wonders of the operation of myriad laws, seeking that faint balance within them, and using 'harmony' to 'control' complexity, in order to achieve the 'Myriad Phenomena' sword intent!"

"That is an ultimate understanding and submission to the great principles of heaven and earth!"

Yu Kong stared intently at Xu Ran, his eyes flashing with uncertain light: "But what did you do? You actually used your own will as the core to forcibly distort the operation of the laws, making all laws submit to you?! This is not 'enlightenment'! This is 'intimidation'! This is an incomparably domineering 'conquest'!"

"The path you're taking isn't the path our predecessors have followed at all! You're simply..." Yu Kong seemed to have thought of something terrible.

He couldn't bring himself to say the rest, but shook his head violently, his tone becoming extremely solemn, "Young friend, do you know how terrifying the backlash will be if you forcibly wield power that doesn't belong to you, especially the myriad laws that form the foundation of heaven and earth?"

Xu Ran felt a chill run down his spine.

Backlash?

He carefully examined his own condition. Although his spiritual sea was slightly empty due to the breakthrough he had just made, the newly formed "Myriad Manifestations" sword intent was extremely stable, and he did not feel any discomfort.

The myriad laws still revolved harmoniously around the sealed area deep within his sea of ​​consciousness, as if it were meant to be so.

"I didn't feel anything was wrong," Xu Ran said truthfully.

Yu Kong gave him a deep look, as if trying to see right through him: "Just because it doesn't happen now doesn't mean it won't happen in the future. The laws have spirits, and the world has its principles. You use tyranny to suppress others today, but there will surely be a day of reckoning!"

He paused, then his voice deepened, carrying a hint of warning: "Especially when you touch upon deeper levels of the 'Dao'."

What exactly is that 'being' deep within your consciousness? While it grants you this power of 'rule,' it may also be sowing the seeds of unimaginable disaster!

Xu Ran was silent.

He knew that what Yu Kong said was true. The seal deep within his consciousness had always been his greatest secret and his greatest hidden danger.

The fact that it has shown us today, just the tip of the iceberg, is enough to allow him to comprehend the "Myriad Phenomena" sword intent in a "heretical" way, which in itself demonstrates its extraordinary and bizarre nature.

Who exactly is that sealed "me"?

Why does it possess an aura that surpasses all laws?
What is the source of this power?
These questions, like a fog, shrouded his mind, making him feel a little heavy.

But this heaviness was quickly replaced by an even stronger desire! To uncover it!
Whatever lies behind that seal, whether it be a blessing or a curse, he must uncover it himself!

Right now, the only way is to continue and comprehend the remaining four sword intents!
Xu Ran's gaze hardened again as he looked at the slowly rotating sword ring, its surface shimmering with light, as if it contained endless mysteries.

"Thank you for the reminder, senior." Xu Ran clasped his hands in a fist salute again, "But the path is fraught with danger, and it is inherently against the will of Heaven. My mind is made up!"

Looking into Xu Ran's determined eyes, Yu Kong seemed to see the trajectory of some kind of destiny.

He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but in the end it just turned into a long sigh.

"Fine, since you insist, then let's continue."

Yu Kong's voice carried an indescribable weariness, and even a hint of resignation.
"The next sixth sword strike is called 'Reincarnation'!"

Reincarnation!

The moment those two words were uttered, they seemed to possess some strange magic, causing Xu Ran's mind to jolt violently!
Life and death, glory and decay, gathering and scattering

It seems that nothing in the universe can escape this endless cycle.

Mortals are born, grow old, get sick, and die; cultivators attain enlightenment and perish; stars are formed, exist, decay, and vanish.

All of this seems to be being manipulated and propelled by an invisible hand, falling into an endless cycle!
This is a force that is far more magnificent and elusive than the Law of "All Things"!
The laws governing all things are the foundation of the world, and reincarnation seems to be one of the ultimate rules that drives the world's operation and defines the meaning of existence!

hum!
The area on the sword ring representing the sixth sword suddenly lit up!

The light was no longer colorful, nor was it a pure color; it was an indescribable gray!
A chaotic gray that seems to blend life and death, light and darkness, existence and nothingness!

The moment the light shone, the scene before Xu Ran's eyes suddenly changed!
No longer the vast starry sky, no longer the torrent of laws, but...
An endless array of visuals!
It flooded his mind like a tidal wave!
He saw a baby being born, a spirited young man, a middle-aged man standing tall and upright, and an old man nearing the end of his life.

He witnessed prosperous cities rise from the ground, only to be reduced to ruins in the flames of war.
He saw brilliant stars born from nebulae, collapsing and exploding billions of years later, returning to dust.
Scene after scene, life after life, lifetime after lifetime
Countless lives, countless stories, countless beginnings and endings flashed by before his eyes!
These scenes are so real, so relatable!

He seemed to have personally experienced countless births, aging, sickness, and death, and witnessed countless changes of time!

Joy, sorrow, anger, despair, love, hatred
Endless emotions, like a flood bursting its banks, raged wildly against his mind!

"Is this the cycle of reincarnation?"

Xu Ran's mind began to wander under the endless cycle of images and emotional impact.

He felt as if his consciousness was being torn apart and assimilated by this massive flow of information!
He tried to struggle, to stay conscious, but the power of reincarnation was like a giant vortex, constantly dragging him downwards!

He saw "himself".

I saw one different "self" after another.

Sometimes, even the most powerful emperors, who rule over vast empires, ultimately cannot escape the fate of turning to dust.

Sometimes they are wandering beggars, suffering all kinds of scorn from the world, and eventually freezing to death on the street.

Sometimes, a cultivator who has cultivated diligently for thousands of years, about to reach the pinnacle, is struck down by a heavenly tribulation, his soul scattered and his spirit destroyed.

Sometimes it's a blade of grass, a speck of dust, that experiences flourishing and withering, gathering and scattering.

"Is all of this me? Or is it not me at all?"

"Who am I?"

A profound sense of confusion enveloped him, like a nightmare.

He felt his will being worn down by this endless cycle of reincarnation!

Once he becomes immersed in it and identifies with those illusory "selves," then the real Xu Ran may be forever lost in this cycle of illusion!

No!

We must not succumb to despair!
Xu Ran clenched his teeth abruptly, the stinging pain on his tongue bringing a sliver of clarity!
He remembered his sword!

The resilience of a mortal's sword! Though small, it is unyielding!
The "Silence" of the Sword of Annihilation! To see through life and death, and return to nothingness!
The "battle" of the killing sword! Destroy all obstacles!
The "life" in Shengyan Sword represents hope and continuation!
The "One" of the Myriad Swords! It is the core, the master!
These sword intents flashed through his mind one by one, like a lighthouse in the darkness, guiding his way!

"Reincarnation, reincarnation"

Xu Ran's gaze pierced through the endless illusions, trying to see the true nature of this cycle of reincarnation!

It is not chaos, it is not disorder.

We are born in order to die.

Death is for a new life!

Gathering is for the purpose of dispersing.

Dispersal is for the sake of reunion!
This is a perfect closed loop!

It's a cold and ruthless rule!

What drives all of this? Time? Cause and effect? ​​Or some deeper will?

Xu Ran's mind sank into an unprecedented silence.

He no longer looked at those dazzling scenes of reincarnation, nor did he feel those overwhelming emotions that shook his mind.

He simply watched the cycle of reincarnation itself in silence.

See how it begins, how it operates, how it ends, and how it begins again.

It goes round and round, never ending.

Like a giant, spinning wheel!

All living beings are marks on this wheel.

"To break free from the cycle of reincarnation, one must first understand reincarnation!"

A flash of understanding crossed Xu Ran's eyes.

However, "understanding" is not enough!

His comprehension of the "Myriad Phenomena" sword intent made him understand a principle.

When faced with the supreme rules of heaven and earth, merely "obeying" or "understanding" is far from enough!

Especially for him, who possesses that mysterious seal!

(End of this chapter)