Chapter 651: Route

"I'll set aside the Supreme path for now. As for my path..."

Li Pin turned his gaze to another stone pillar.

"The Trinity Transcendent Art."

The Transcendent path was the one he had chosen ever since coming into contact with the universe.

He stepped forward and began to comprehend the Transcendent Art recorded within the pillar.

Prior to this, Li Pin had already obtained the Transcendent Ember Technique from the Void Divine Treasury Hall. Although that technique was incomplete and leaned more toward an introduction to Transcendence, it was sufficient to give him a foundational understanding of the path.

However, the Trinity Transcendent Art offered a far more comprehensive and detailed explanation.

"The foundation of Transcendence, like that of the Supreme Path, is rooted in Cosmic Radiance. To achieve Transcendence, one must attain an ultimate and profound understanding of all aspects of the universe. In terms of knowledge, it was perhaps even deeper than what is required for the Supreme Path.

"However, Transcendence differs in that it demands only comprehension, not application. This distinction, in a way, balances the difficulty between attaining Transcendence and achieving Supremacy."

Li Pin immersed himself in the profound insights of the manual.

When Transcendent Beings reached a state of near-omniscience and omnipotence through their comprehension and shaping of the universe, they gained the ability to reverse the nature of this omniscience and omnipotence. This reversal allowed them to free themselves from the constraints and influences of all things.

"Transcendence is a path of complete renunciation. Some extreme Transcendents go so far as to abandon the very concept of their own existence, becoming true 'nothingness,' unknown and unknowable to the world."

Li Pin withdrew his hand from the inheritance pillar, deep in thought.

When nothing can affect Transcendence, and Transcendence no longer affects anything, it ceases to exist in any meaningful way.

Nonexistence, in this context, is synonymous with Void.

The only distinction lay in the fact that beings within the Void faction were compelled to dissolve into nothingness, whereas those in the Transcendent faction willingly embraced nothingness. The latter posed no significant threat, but the former remained unwilling to accept their fate, constantly striving to return to the realm of existence.

𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

However, their method of reclaiming existence involved replacing the lifeforms of the existence faction. Although this process was fleeting and necessitated the sacrifice of a lifeform from the existence faction to fall into nothingness, they still pursued it eagerly, relentlessly eroding the existence faction time and time again.

This was the intractable conflict between the existence faction and the Void faction.

Li Pin furrowed his brows slightly. "Transcendence... Void..."

Truly a dangerous path of cultivation.

After a long pause, he rubbed his temples. He steadied his thoughts, took a brief rest, and then turned his attention to the third cultivation method.

"The Black Abyss Highlord Technique."

***

Compared to the Supreme and Transcendent Arts, Li Pin spent significantly more time studying the Highlord Technique.

He had never encountered the Highlord system before, but the being who had captured him and used them as test subjects seemed to be a Highlord. Naturally, Li Pin wanted to understand such a lifeform in depth.

Nevertheless, despite spending considerable time studying the technique and uncovering the potential of this path, he still couldn't bring himself to accept it.

"So this is what it truly means to be a Highlord," Li Pin murmured.

He turned his attention to another Highlord Technique, followed by the third, the fourth, and so on. After examining every Highlord Technique in the chamber, he finally closed his eyes, feeling a wave of exhaustion. He sat down beside a stone pillar, lost in deep contemplation.

After a long silence, he concluded, "The Highlord path may be powerful, but it runs completely counter to my Dao."

The Supreme path simulated the universe. The Transcendent path pursued omniscience and omnipotence. The Highlord path... traced origins.

The mention of this concept intrigued Li Pin. The idea of "origin" in this path piqued his curiosity. And what he discovered did not disappoint.

The Highlord Technique was centered on humanity.

But what was humanity? A composition of cells and genes.

Thus, this path began with genes, moving toward the level of information, then inheritance, continually tracing back to the origin of all biological information.

Since living beings were part of the universe, their ultimate pursuit led to the very beginning of the universe—the moment of the Big Bang, the primordial chaos before time and space.

"Highlords trace their path backward in this direction. Though their progress is initially slow, their growth accelerates over time. With each era they traverse, their power intensifies, drawing them closer to the ultimate source—the origin of all things. This process is akin to a reverse assimilation of information..."

Li Pin contemplated for a moment, gradually discerning the fundamental distinctions among the three paths.

The Supreme path follows the principle; Dao begets One, One begets Two, Two begets Three, and Three begets all things.

The Highlord path moves in reverse; All things converge into Three, Three condenses into Two, Two unifies into One, and One dissolves into the Dao, returning to chaos.

As for the Transcendent path, its ultimate aim is to exist beyond the Three Realms and remain untouched by the Five Elements.

"In a sense, the Highlord and Transcendent paths share certain parallels. Transcendents attain omniscience and omnipotence, enabling them to evade all attacks and ensure their invincibility. Highlords, on the other hand, trace back the fundamental forms of energy, time, and space. By embodying these primal forces, any similar attacks directed at them are rendered utterly ineffective."

Highlords reverse the flow of evolution. Transcendents rise above the world. Supremes propel existence ever forward, and forward signified innovation, constantly surpassing the past, even the future.

Thus, compared to Highlord and Transcendent, the Supreme path suited him the most. This was also why, after reviewing various Highlord Techniques, he found them to be at odds with his own path.

Regardless of the path or faction, one crucial step remained unavoidable—the Astral World.

Even those on the Highlord path had to go through the Astral World to ensure immunity to its laws and mystical influences.

If the combat capabilities of the three systems were ranked, in the early stages, Supremacy surpassed Transcendence, which in turn surpassed Highlord.

In the mid-stages, Highlord rose above Supremacy, which still remained stronger than Transcendence. However, in the future... only Supremacy, with its ceaseless progression and forward vision, would prevail.

"While the Highlord may be the most powerful in the mid to late stages, it is inherently constrained by its reliance on the universe's initial state at the moment of its creation. This limitation is widely recognized, which is why advancing toward Supremacy has become the dominant path for those who reach the Cosmic Radiance stage."

Li Pin's gaze shifted between the Supreme and Highlord Techniques, weighing his options. The Highlord Technique was rooted in tracing the past, while the Supreme Technique focused on envisioning the future. His own path, one of constant breakthrough, aligned more closely with the principles of Supremacy.

Having made his decision, Li Pin retrieved a Supreme Technique manual—the Primordial Supreme Technique, renowned as the origin of all Supreme methods. Though this technique lacked extraordinary abilities, its flexibility allowed for seamless transitions to other methods in the future, should the need arise.

"The Supreme Technique revolves around the evolution of the universe. The first step in its cultivation is mastering the four fundamental forces: the Strong Force, the Weak Force, Gravity, and Electromagnetic Force."

This foundational stage was universal across all Supreme Techniques, with variations lying only in the methods used to master these forces.

"My current path is centered on condensing a Natal Planet. I once thought about pursuing the path of omniscience and omnipotence, but I now realize that achieving the ultimate state of the Transcendent's omniscience requires abandoning all human perception. That is a path that is not suitable for me. Therefore, my focus must remain on this Supreme Technique moving forward."

Li Pin carefully reflected on the descriptions of each stage.

The first stage of this technique involves mastering the four fundamental forces.

The second stage unifies these forces to establish the foundational laws necessary for constructing a universe, a stage referred to as the Grand Unification Realm.

The third stage involves creating a cosmic singularity, simulating the origin of the universe.

The fourth stage expands this singularity, forming the framework of a cosmos and giving rise to a miniature universe.

These four stages, however, are not the ultimate limit of the technique. There are vague references to a fifth stage—activating the universe and setting it into motion. Yet, this stage likely pertains to the cultivation at the Supreme-level and lies beyond the scope of what is recorded in this Supreme Technique.

After thoroughly organizing his understanding of the technique, Li Pin turned his attention to the stone pillars within the Inheritance Tower.

"What strikes me as odd is that none of these ancient manuals mention the concept of the Dao Realm..."

Li Pin fell into deep thought.

The Dao... was it merely a casual remark by the Void Emperor? Or is it a power unique to the realm of Void?

If it were a power exclusive to Void, why did it manifest such extraordinary phenomena in the realm of existence? The Dao Realm's ability to protect the inner spirit was so profound that even the Cosmic Radiance-grade Supreme Demonic Sword couldn't shake it.

Its potential was undeniable.

A thought suddenly crossed Li Pin's mind.

Could it be that the secrecy surrounding the Dao Realm surpasses even that of Supremacy, Transcendence, and Highlord?

He chuckled softly and shook his head. As a mere Divine Being, aspiring to comprehend a power beyond Supreme, Transcendent, and Highlord seemed almost laughably presumptuous.

"Still," he mused, "the Dao Realm aligns perfectly with my path. Perhaps I don't need to overthink it. Treating it as an innate ability that shields my inner spirit might be the simplest approach."

With that, he set aside his doubts and turned his focus to the profound mysteries of the Primordial Supreme Technique.

***

In the days that followed, Li Pin immersed himself wholeheartedly in cultivation.

With energy and energy levels concealed, regaining mastery over the four fundamental forces was no easy task.

Had it not been his mental and inner spirit aiding him, the challenge would have been akin to expecting an ordinary person to command these forces in a mundane world, a feat nearly impossible to imagine.

Even with these powers at his disposal, and despite having already touched upon the four fundamental forces through his journey on the Martial God's path, his progress in understanding them remained painstakingly slow.

***

A stellar year later, Li Pin stood ten meters away from a rock, his expression grave as he struggled to pull it toward him using gravity. Despite his efforts, the rock remained stubbornly in place.

"The suppression of this world's laws is too overwhelming," he muttered.

The rock weighed only ten kilograms. After a full stellar year of rigorous training, his physical strength had reached a level comparable to a martial artist with eighty units of qi and blood. He could easily shatter the rock with a single punch. Yet, the gravitational force he could muster was so feeble that it seemed almost useless.

"What was the intention of the being who created this testing ground?" Li Pin wondered aloud. "To force us to master the four fundamental forces in an environment devoid of any mystical interference or external influences?"

He frowned, his mind racing. "Or perhaps... is there a space where no mysticism or laws exist at all? A place where everything must be comprehended from absolute nothingness? But if such a world truly existed, the four fundamental forces wouldn't apply either. They would have been negated entirely."

He continued to ponder, sensing that something was fundamentally flawed about cultivating this Supreme Technique. Yet, the exact nature of the problem eluded him.

After a long contemplation, he formed a hypothesis.

"If the purpose of this world's suppression is to force individuals to rapidly achieve breakthroughs in an environment of absolute void, which is a realm of nothingness and chaos, then the rules of the four fundamental forces would indeed be irrelevant. Even if I were to master the Primordial Supreme Technique, it might still fall short of fulfilling the true purpose of this trial."

If my theory is correct...

"Then even the Highlord who brought us here was wrong."