429: Chapter 420 The Sixth Incarnation: Heavenly Venerable (108)

Xu Yuan's gaze swept calmly across this Void Realm. The Heavenly Ladder remained, but the Dao Monarch of Destiny and the Nine Ancient Venerables upon it had already vanished, transforming into ten rays of Origin light that completed his Dao, merging into the throne of the dao beneath him.

The sensation of solidification from the "eternal instant" was slowly dissipating, but the blood malice and tribulation Qi permeating heaven and earth, the turmoil and wailing of the myriad worlds caused by this catastrophe, and the lingering resentment and remnant souls of countless fallen beings...

All of this was presented with absolute clarity within his "perception," like ink marks on a scroll that had not yet dried—some dim, some striking.

He sat upright upon the throne of the dao, surrounded by endless phenomena, his Dao Rhyme in Perfection and flawless.

At this moment, he clearly realized that, in a certain sense, he and all the beings upon this scroll, including the Dao Monarchs and Ancient Venerables who once overlooked the masses, were no longer... the same kind of existence.

He was already the "person" who held the brush to paint, and could even modify the rules of the scroll.

When this realization clearly emerged in Xu Yuan's consciousness, which was now synchronized with the perspective of the "scroll," an unprecedented sense of transcendence and clarity permeated his heart.

Yet, within this clarity, there was not much joy; rather, there was more of an "so that's how it is" understanding, followed by an even deeper scrutiny.

Xu Yuan sat upon the throne of the dao, his Divine Thought naturally spreading outward, no longer limited by the distance of space, no longer trapped by the obstacles of Law, and not even confined to the single time point of "now."

The past, present, and future, in his current "perspective," were like the extending brushstrokes on a scroll—some clear, some blurred; even the "past," which was supposed to be set in stone, could be altered at will according to his thoughts.

Then, under this omniscient perspective overlooking the scroll, he "saw" it. No, he "discovered" it.

Some "traces" that he had never cared about before—no, more accurately, traces whose existence he had previously been completely unable to perceive or even comprehend.

These "traces" were not energy residues, Law fluctuations, or space-time folds in the ordinary sense.

They were more secretive, more "high-level," like patterns engraved on the "back" of the scroll, like unique imprints invisible to the naked eye that had merged into the paint of the scroll itself, or perhaps, like the extremely subtle "handiwork" and "brush intent" belonging solely to the "writers" that were left behind when this scroll named "Heaven and Earth" was played with, appreciated, and even... modified by different "writers" over the long years.

Before achieving Soul Transformation and obtaining this "painting-viewing" and "brush-wielding" perspective that transcended the "scroll" itself, even though Xu Yuan was the "Child of the Great Trend," the "Chaos Dao Body," and the future Dominator worshipped by all Daos of this Realm, he was still within the "scroll." No matter how vivid his own colors were, he remained a "person in the painting," naturally unable to see or understand these higher-dimensional information imprints that were clearly only left behind and perceived by "writers" or "painting-viewers."

But now, when he had truly jumped out of the scroll and sat upon the throne personally forged for him by the myriad Daos, representing his qualification to "wield the brush," these once "invisible" traces shone into his "perception" with absolute clarity, like stars suddenly lit in the darkness.

There were not many of them, but each one gave him a feeling of being unfathomable, mysterious, and carrying a distinct personal "imprint."

One by one, the traces—some deep or shallow, some clear or blurred, some grand or subtle—were like unique imprints left behind by Senior "painting-viewers" or "writers" who had once passed by, or even stayed here, and had taken an interest in or taken up the brush on this scroll named "Heaven and Earth."

Who were they? Where did they come from? And where did they go?

Xu Yuan calmly "gazed" at these traces that could only be discovered and understood by existences of the same level.

In his eyes, as deep as the starry sky and as pure as the Void Realm, were reflected these imprints that transcended ordinary human understanding and contained endless information.

There was no surprise, no fear, not even curiosity, only a pure observation and understanding.

"So, this heaven and earth is not without an owner, nor has it been 'viewed' for the first time."

He understood in his heart. The existence of these traces silently told him that in these vast myriad worlds and endless space-time, beyond the "scroll," he was not the only one who had reached the Realm of Soul Transformation, reaching the level capable of "viewing the painting" and "wielding the brush."

Before him, there had already been predecessors who stepped onto this path of transcendence and left their "footprints" here.

The paths they took might have been different, and the "brush intent" they left behind was vastly distinct—some cold and indifferent, some sharp and resolute, some cycling between life and death, some overturning space and time...

But one thing was the same: they had all transcended the category of "people in the painting" and possessed the qualification and ability to "interfere" with this scroll named "Heaven and Earth" to a certain degree.

And he, Xu Yuan, was merely one of the latecomers.

"Then, where are these predecessors now?"

Xu Yuan's consciousness, like the most delicate carving knife and yet like the most encompassing flowing water, gently brushed over and deeply perceived those traces branded on the back of the "scroll," merged into the depths of the "paint," and engraved in the "creases" of space-time, which belonged solely to the level of Soul Transformation.

He was not tracing the specific whereabouts of these existences—the "power" required to do so and the "ripples" it might cause were immeasurable, and it was of little significance.

He was merely perceiving the deeper-level information contained within these traces themselves, perceiving what those predecessors had inadvertently or intentionally branded when leaving the traces, regarding their own paths, and...

The secret imprints of where they ultimately went, which were close to the Origin of "Dao."

As his Realm of Soul Transformation stabilized, as his resonance with this heaven and earth "scroll" deepened, and as he adapted to this brand-new perspective of "viewing the painting" and "wielding the brush," the information conveyed by those traces gradually became clear.

These perceived, fragmented, and profound pieces of information were like scattered puzzle pieces. Under the deduction and integration of Xu Yuan's mind, which had already reached Soul Transformation and possessed the "painting-viewing" capability, they gradually pieced together a silhouette that was heart-palpitating, yet within reason.

"So that's how it is..."

Xu Yuan sat upon the throne of the dao, the speed of galaxies being born and dying in his eyes seeming to accelerate slightly. In the depths of his pure gaze were reflected the blurred and tragic "road" scenes left by those predecessors, pointing in different directions, yet vaguely pointing toward the same ultimate goal.

"The Realm of Soul Transformation, grasping the myriad Daos of heaven and earth, with heaven and earth as a scroll, painted and written by oneself. It seems to be supreme freedom and eternal ease..."

"In reality, it is still difficult to achieve true transcendence."