Wen Yao understood that this was the shortcut to sainthood that his master had prepared for him.
And it was a path of no return.
The "Sole Self" Path, to walk it to the end, one must, through concrete action, show Heaven and Earth what "Sole Self" truly means.
In other words, to attain the Dao was to pose a question to the Heavens, to present a thesis, and then deliver an answer.
If Heaven and Earth acknowledged your answer, then you had succeeded in proving your Dao.
The more complete your answer, the greater Heaven's recognition of your "Dao," and the more power it would bestow upon you.
In the past, Huo Hengxuan had utilized this principle, advancing forcefully to Pseudo Saint by means of the "Protecting the Nation" Dao, and by doing so, managed to kill the Eastern Emperor.
However, the "Protecting the Nation" Dao required the existence of a nation for it to stand.
Though he slew the Eastern Emperor, he ultimately failed to prevent the collapse of Liang, and thus, with no "nation," the Dao collapsed. The "false Dao" he had proven no longer stood, and his cultivation level crumbled with it.
That was why Huo Hengxuan could not transcend reincarnation like a true Saint, he could at best linger in the world for a time.
But from this, it was evident: to become a Saint did not necessarily require a slow and steady climb.
So long as one could find a way and construct the right "stage," it was entirely possible to attain the Dao in a single leap.
Thus, the Martial Saint had done exactly that.
Although Wen Yao's own inclinations leaned toward another "Dao," at this point, he could not forsake this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
He knew very well, if he used "slaughter all enemies" as the answer sheet to his "Sole Self" Dao, then from that moment forward, he would have to carry that path to its end. If he strayed from it, Heaven would withdraw its recognition and reclaim the power it had granted him.
Without doubt, it would be a road paved in bones and drenched in blood.
But Wen Yao had no other choice.
"Sigh..."
He let out a barely audible sigh.
One month ago, when Mu Zhao had summoned him in private, he had been shocked, even resistant.
Because in his understanding, excessive slaughter was the practice of demonic heretics. He did not want to be branded with such a title.
But this... this was a shortcut to the Dao right before his eyes.
Who could reject that?
He raised his head once more. Those golden-glowing dual pupils grew icy and aloof, reflecting the endless, ancient, towering trees and countless primordial beasts.
He knew all this was illusory, before him stood only thousands upon thousands of enemies.
Kill them all, and he could attain the Dao and become a Saint!
What's more, Mu Zhao's meticulous arrangement spared him the burden of true slaughter, he had simply sent him into the Ancient Battlefield of Meditation.
The illusions conjured by his dual-pupils were false, and the memories within the Ancient Battlefield of Meditation, when had they ever been real?
The ones he truly had to kill were merely the few young elites from various sects who had entered the Ancient Battlefield of Meditation with him.
If that's all, then there was no need to hesitate.
The Dao lies here...
It cannot be missed.
...
That priestly figure clad in white robes and wearing a bronze mask closed his eyes for a moment, then suddenly opened them, revealing his dual pupils.
He no longer attempted to search, instead, as though having made a final decision, he raised his hand and gently waved it through the air.
"BOOM!!!!"
A colossal, pale hand stretched forth from the void and slammed down onto the earth.
It was like swatting countless ants, the ground shook violently, the soil dyed deep crimson as blood soaked into it.
Countless cultivators who had been locked in battle, whether from the Mysterious Divine Path Sect or Bitian Mansion, were instantly pulverized into flesh paste, dying sudden, meaningless deaths.
With that single palm strike, at least ten thousand lives were extinguished.
Rumble!
The hand did not retreat, but instead began to sweep sideways across the battlefield.
Wherever it passed, it carved a massive blood-trail across the land, as though a brush soaked in black ink were painting freely across a canvas, bold and unrestrained.
But within the painting were nothing but screams and wails.
It was a living tapestry of hell!
Wen Yao paid no heed. His unnaturally long arms rose high into the air.
He shouted:
"Let Heaven and Earth bear witness, let Sun and Moon serve as testimony! Today, I, Wen Yao, shall prove the 'Sole Self Dao!"
"In this realm beneath Heaven, I alone am invincible!"
And with those words, a tremendous surge of energy burst forth from his body, Heaven and Earth roared in unison, a mysterious and profound aura beginning to gather around him.
It was like storm clouds pressing upon a city, blood essence churning, and a terrifying intent to kill along with Vicious Qi condensed into a cold, deadly presence that pierced the skies.
Within the heavens, the sound of great bells and sacred drums rang faintly, the resonance of ten thousand Daoist truths rising together in chorus.
Behind Wen Yao, hazy blood-colored figures began to emerge...
One... two... one hundred... one thousand... ten thousand!
Countless silhouettes silently stood behind him, their eyes brimming with resentment and hatred, then suddenly, they were all crushed by an invisible force, kneeling before him and letting out dreadful howls.
These were the souls of those Wen Yao had slain.
Now, they became the source of his strength!
Wen Yao could clearly feel his power soaring madly!
In that instant just now, he had already broken through the Master Realm!
And he was still rising!
Wen Yao took a deep breath, wild joy filling his heart.
This proved that the Martial Saint's arrangement was correct, his chosen path was also the right one!
He continued to stare into the illusion before him, and the final trace of conscience and reluctance within him vanished like smoke.
Kill... keep killing!
Time was short. He had to completely massacre everyone on the battlefield as soon as possible!
Wen Yao began to move.
He became a streak of blood-red light, followed by a roiling crimson cloud filled with wrathful souls, tearing through the battlefield.
And that gigantic pale arm followed right behind, obliterating everything in its path like a force of nature!
"What is that thing?!"
"Where is the Dao Lord?" someone shouted.
Soon, they had their answer.
"DONG, DONG, DONG. .."
From within the Hall of Moral Virtue, eight long, deep bell chimes resounded.
Within the Mysterious Divine Path Sect, eight bells signified the fall of a Dao Lord.
If nine were to sound, it would mean the Sect Master had perished.
After a brief silence, chaos and terror swept the battlefield.
Moments later, someone shouted:
"...A Dao Lord has fallen! Formation, form battle formations!!"
But it was already too late.
Rumble Rumble Rumble!
That giant hand swept through the field like a heavenly wall crashing down.
Everything in its path was annihilated.
Fairy mountains crumbled, boulders rolled like grains of sand, burying everyone beneath.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!..."
Wherever the pale giant hand passed, disciples with bloodshot eyes, let out furious roars and soared into the sky one after another, turning into streaks of dazzling light.
They self-detonated their divine souls in a desperate attempt to shake the pale hand.
But it was all in vain.
Their self-detonations could only leave specks of red dust on that colossal palm, mere pinpricks of blood.
Yet their actions stirred the hearts of others.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
BOOM!
More disciples of the Mysterious Divine Path Sect shot into the sky. One streak after another, their self-detonation roars blended into a relentless tide. Eventually, their blood-red lights began to synchronize, the tiny red pinpoints growing into a blood-soaked waterfall.
Finally, they managed to rupture the skin beneath the pale hand, leaving a single, narrow crack.
"Overestimating themselves..."
Wen Yao furrowed his brows, a sneer tugging at his lips.
Suspended high above all living beings, he was, for the first time, savoring the sheer ecstasy of power.
Everyone before him now appeared as mere ants. Even cultivators in the Profound Realm couldn't last a single exchange against him.
Though his strength was temporary, he hoped that after this, it would become eternal.
At this moment, Wen Yao was using the remains of a Bitian Mansion ancestor as a stepping stone, summoning once again an ancient ancestor from the Celestial Vastness Realm.
Wen Yao didn't know the figure's real name. He only knew that, by some instinctive whisper in the dark, he ought to call him Ancestral God.
However, Wen Yao himself was still far too weak to allow that ancestor to fully descend.
Thus, even though in the Dual-Pupiled Illusion he saw through the Ancestral God's perspective, in the Ancient Battlefield of Meditation, he could only manifest a single arm of the Ancestral God.
The arm of the Ancestral God alone was enough to crush thousands of troops.
Wen Yao could hardly imagine just how powerful a full-strength Celestial Vastness Realm being could be!
Even more unfathomable was how such mighty beings had all vanished after the ancient era ended...
What kind of force, what kind of calamity, could make such a supreme realm disappear entirely?
Yet precisely because of this, Wen Yao was now able to rampage freely.
As the entirety of Fuli Province fell, Wen Yao's power surged ever higher, from the Master Realm, he soared to its very pinnacle!
....
Down on the battlefield, Yan Hui, Ji Wangquan, and Shen Yuliu all ceased their movements. Shen Yuliu didn't hesitate at all, he immediately turned and ran.
Ji Wangquan, realizing the battlefield had completely collapsed, shook his head and retreated as well.
Only Yan Hui noticed something.
He looked up at Wen Yao standing above, and the enormous pale hand behind him.
There was a disconnect.
Yan Hui narrowed his eyes and soon guessed the nature of it. Taking a deep breath, he sneered:
"You think power borrowed from an outside force is real power?"
He didn't attack recklessly. Instead, he took out a mysterious Spiritual Treasure that cloaked his aura, silently circling around behind Wen Yao.
Suddenly, Wen Yao's sweep across the battlefield encountered resistance.
"Boom!"
The enormous hand slammed into a barrier, only to be repelled for a split second!
Wen Yao was briefly stunned, then chuckled lowly.
"Heh... found it."
Among all possible obstacles on this battlefield, aside from an actual Sage, the only threat was the Hall of Moral Virtue's Protection Array of the Mysterious Divine Path Sect.
But Wen Yao was certain that he had already dragged all the Dao Lords into the Eternal Calamity Space-Time of the Ancestral God.
This Ancestral God's Dao was that of "Time and Space." This pocket realm was created by him. Once someone was drawn into it, they would suffer the trials of Wind, Fire, Thunder, and Water, and death was inevitable.
At this moment, the Hall of Moral Virtue should have been completely deserted.
And yet someone had activated the Protection Array!
Wen Yao muttered, "So it wasn't in vain that I left the entire Fuli Suspended City and the Hall of Moral Virtue untouched... I knew you'd come running for shelter."
Yes, he had deliberately left those buildings intact.
Just waiting for the other so-called Heaven's Chosen to cleverly seek refuge with their elders from the Mysterious Divine Path Sect.
Now, he would show them all, before absolute power, any amount of cleverness was nothing but a joke!
A trace of frenzied excitement appeared on Wen Yao's face.
"Even Dao Lords are sitting ducks. You so-called 'Heaven's Chosen', what are you worth?!"
"In this Ancient Battlefield of Meditation, the only one who will survive, is me, Wen Yao! Everyone else will become my nourishment!"
Wen Yao raised his hand and clenched it tight.
He burst into wild laughter. "DIE!!!"
"BOOM!"
The great formation unfolded in the air. Strands of arcane runes flowed, casting a dense, ancient aura over the entire Hall of Moral Virtue and most of Fuli Suspended City.
But before the formation could fully activate, the pale giant hand slammed straight into it!
"Whooosh..."
Dust clouds billowed like a sandstorm, swallowing the sky.
The entire Protection Array was dealt a heavy blow, forming a web of cracks like shattered glass. Its glowing runes immediately dimmed.
Just one strike had already left the formation half-crippled...
Chen Kuang and the others felt a heavy weight settle in their hearts.
With Shen Meinan's help, they had successfully found the control point of the Protection Array and managed to activate it.
As the Dao Child of the Mysterious Divine Path Sect, Shen Xingzhu naturally had the authority to do so.
But a question that Chen Kuang had tried to push aside now came roaring back, and this time, he couldn't ignore it.
Shen Meinan... shouldn't have known the formation this well. Her movements had been too practiced, as if she'd done it before.
And without a Third Grade cultivator presiding over it, this array could never reach its full potential.
The fact it even blocked the Ancestral God's strike just now was a miracle.
It wouldn't survive another one.
Chen Kuang took a breath. "So this is... the Celestial Vastness Realm..."
Jiang Yunqing immediately said, "At this point, all we can do is run."
There was no hope of turning the tide. If they wanted to survive, they needed to flee now.
Shen Meinan looked at Chen Kuang, released her control over the formation, and said, "Run."
Chen Kuang nodded.
But in that instant, he saw something flicker within the crumbling formation runes:
"Go with the flow; do nothing, yet all is done."
Then, as if it were an illusion, the words vanished.
Chen Kuang was stunned.
He was sure, those words were not part of the formation's design.
No rune would be written that casually...
And the handwriting, it looked familiar, yet not like anyone he knew.
His thoughts were interrupted as Shen Meinan grabbed him and pulled him forward.
As the Hall of Moral Virtue collapsed behind them, the three of them burst out through the dust and escaped as a streak of light.
Instinctively, Chen Kuang glanced back.
He saw the plaque that bore the words Hall of Moral Virtue falling through the air.
Wait.
That handwriting.. it was exactly the same as the mysterious phrase he just saw!
Chen Kuang's heart skipped a beat and he immediately turned to Shen Meinan. "Who wrote the plaque?"
Shen Meinan, unsure of why he was asking, still replied, "The Dao Lord of the Heavenly Sage Path personally inscribed it."
It was written by Lin Qingya?!
Chen Kuang's mind spun.
Those old monsters... every last one of them was more cunning than the last.
Lin Qingya wasn't here, not because he fled from battle.
Most likely, he already knew exactly what was going to happen. Maybe he'd even discovered that this was all a record left by a secret realm...
He was playing dead.
But he left behind those words: "Do nothing, yet all is done."
That meant: He believed this crisis could resolve itself without interference?
Go with the flow. Go with the flow...
Chen Kuang looked down at the Feather character on his palm.
This rune symbolized the image of a thing. It could hear the voice of all things. If plucked, it would disturb. If moved, it would..
Sever?
"Chen Kuang, watch out!!!" Shen Meinan suddenly cried.
BOOM-
A thunderous roar exploded in his ears.
Chen Kuang grunted in pain.
He felt like his internal organs had been smashed. A shrill, piercing ring detonated in his head, and blood gushed from all seven orifices as the immense force flung him into the air.
His pupils contracted.
Before him, a second pale hand burst out from the void, blotting out the sky as it came crashing down!
Shen Meinan stepped in front of him and drew the long sword at her waist.
In that instant, the sword's radiance shot up to the heavens!
Piercing sky and earth!
In his daze, Chen Kuang thought:
Shen Meinan... shouldn't know how to use a sword.
That foolish girl named Shen Meinan, she wasn't supposed to know swordsmanship!