Chapter 1677: Missing Only One Thing (II)

At present, Void assessed himself to be stronger than Li Hao. In fact, the young man was weaker when he didn’t utilize the power of time to borrow strength from a seventh rank.

But once Li Hao perfected his minor worlds and set foot into fifth rank, then... while Void himself would also be a sixth rank of six opposing daos, Li Hao would be an exalted emperor of a myriad daos and one of time. The young man might be stronger even without borrowing strength!

That was the greatest pressure being levied on Void right now!

Void might seem like a gentle and mild person, but he was actually a very proud individual. He didn’t care about the Observatory leader, nor were there many sixth ranks that drew his attention.

But Li Hao might become invincible among mid ranks. How could he stand for that?

Hence, he accelerated his speed when he saw Li Hao do the same. His six daos operated at full speed. Just as Li Hao comprehended a myriad of daos, Void tried to fuse an integration between life, death, emptiness, and revitalization. Their paths were not entirely the same.

4,300 squares, 4,400 squares...

Void began to slow down because he was starting to encounter some interesting daos. Although he still wished to beat Li Hao, he didn’t want to do so just for the sake of winning. Taking a moment to comprehend dao was more important.

He flicked a glance at Li Hao out of the corner of his eye and quirked his lips. Li Hao definitely wasn’t taking time to understand anything! He was racing ahead just so he would win!

Pfft, how is that a show of strength?

Na, I won’t laugh at him for it.

The two remained in this atmosphere until Void finished the 4,500th square. That was when Li Hao reached the 4,000th square; the young man’s presence noticeably shifted after this accomplishment!

Clearly, the dao in the 4,000th square had been very beneficial for him. A unique dao could be found in all of the thousandth squares. The one in his 4,000th square was a very special one related to purification.

“Brother Void.” The young man chose to break the silence. “Did you comprehend the dao in the 4,000th square?”

Void turned his head.

Hah, showing off to me? Trying to declare your greatness? So what if you’ve made it past 4,000 squares? I did so as well!

He naturally kept those thoughts to himself. “I did,” Void nodded with a smile. “How about you?”

“It’s really impressive!” responded Li Hao. “The dao of purification...”

“Eh?” Void blinked and dismissed his random thoughts. “Purification? Are we talking about the same dao?” He tilted his head at the shadow. “Senior, is Brother Hao Moon and I walking through the same dao chess?”

“They are the same!” replied the shadow. “There is only one arrangement for dao chess! Of course, there may be deviations due to differences in individual comprehension. That is very normal.”

“But even with deviations, there shouldn’t be an aberration in the fundamentals of dao,” mused a mystified Void. “Hao Moon, you comprehended purification?”

“Yes, and you?” Li Hao was curious. Had they experienced two different daos?

“I sensed isolation, not purification!” Void shook his head.

Isolation?

Li Hao blinked.

What the heck?

If they were experiencing the same dao, the deviation shouldn’t be so great, should they?

“Brother Void, can you... demonstrate what you learned of isolation?”

Void nodded and summoned a faint current of dao intent. It was a bit otherworldly, as if it’d isolated some of the mundane world and elevated one to an ethereal plane.

“I am untouched by the dust of the world and can isolate a myriad of dao methods!” said Void. “This is a defensive method that can isolate the inside from outside. It is fresh and refreshing, unmarked by what I do not wish to experience!

“I would be able to isolate myself from a myriad of daos even if they were on me,” he chuckled. “Such is the dao of isolation!” He turned to Li Hao. “Is this the same as your dao of purification? If so... how does it count as purification...?”

The shadow nodded. Shielding oneself from a myriad of daos was indeed a dao of isolation. It was highly impressive and could be used for defense.

It was familiar with the dao in the four thousandth square. Although Void’s understanding was different from those who’d come before him, his comprehension was mighty as well. As expected of one with great potential!

When it came to Li Hao... what had the young man gleaned?

“Isolation... defense?” Li Hao raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think so... I feel that Brother Void has confused inside and outside, mixing up the fundamentals. This dao is not one of defense! This isolates the exchange between inside and out. While it does offer defense, that is all that it is good for.

“My purification is completely different. It can improve the self and purify one’s dao!”

His dao intent materialized as well—a myriad of daos gathered and a special effect appeared. The daos assimilated with each other, resulting in acupoints appearing over Li Hao’s body. The final one appeared on his buttocks.

Boom!

A massive sound erupted as a foul qi erupted from that acupoint. It was as if all of the impurities within his body had been expelled. Li Hao even seemed a bit more translucent than before.

While it was a very offensive sight and even vulgar, both Void and the shadow blinked.

“Fellow daoist has isolated the inside from the outside, but that’s not what I’ve done.” Li Hao seemed extremely comfortable after that sensation. “I intermix the two, which is a type of isolation as well. I do not isolate dao methods, the great dao, or myself, but all impurities!

“One fart expels all impurities. Although I can’t utilize this technique to its limit yet, no amount of rebirth or remolding oneself will be as useful as this one fart!”

“......” Void’s jaw dropped as he stared at Li Hao. “You and I... have comprehended this dao in completely opposite directions! So... this dao can expel impurities in one’s great dao?”

“It can!”

“How interesting!” Void sighed with emotion. “For the same dao to display two completely opposite effects... I isolate within from without, whereas yours exchanges within and without...”

He didn’t say whose interpretation was better or that his was worse than Li Hao’s. It was just... a very surprising experience. His friend’s comprehension was a greater deviation, but it might have more practical uses.

While Void’s dao was one that applied externally, Li Hao’s was an internal method!

The shadow pondered over the fact that two very different effects had risen from the dao in the 4,000th square. “Little friend Li Hao’s dao is most excellent. Other than it being slightly vulgar, it counts as one of self-improvement for cultivators. In my view, it might be slightly superior to Fellow Daoist Void’s.”

Void didn’t know what to say. Was that so?

“You can only use this method on the sly,” was his response. “It’s... not a pretty sight! Hao Moon, why don’t you think of a way to expel the impurities from another acupoint...”

“That won’t work!” chuckled Li Hao. “It’d be more disgusting from the eyes or mouth! Keep in mind that these are impurities from the body. It makes sense where it’s at now. If I change it to the mouth... Am I supposed to vomit shit?”

“......” Void really was at a loss now. That... made sense. “This is an interesting dao, I’d like to study your reflections later on and see if I can come to the same understanding. There are different aspects to this path. It looks like there are flaws in our understanding of dao.”

They had come to multiple interpretations of the same dao.

Li Hao nodded. The dao of isolation was also nice. The same dao could be employed for two different uses! It could be used for defense and self-improvement. It was just... farting really was an affront to the senses.

“An ethereal air develops when this dao isolates all dao,” the young man chuckled. “You stand proud beneath the heavens. Its flip side is one of extreme vulgarity... Farting is really too crude of a term.

“This dao method cultivates the body and connects it to heaven and earth. The acupoint that expels impurities should be called the ingress acupoint!”

“Ingress acupoint?” Void burst out laughing. “What a waste of a good name!”

“Not necessarily!” Li Hao laughed as well. “Who doesn’t have some impurities within them? This is such a meaningful dao that it well deserves the name ‘ingress acupoint’!”

Void nodded upon further thought. That was true

One dao method could isolate the cultivator from a myriad of daos and improve oneself. This was a remolding of the body with a technique that could be used externally for defense. The dao found in the 4,000th square was much more powerful than previously imagined.

The two continued cultivating, whereas the shadow sighed with gratification. These were cultivators of dao!

As it thought, cultivators that followed a set system of knowledge had their futures stunted as a result. These two had obtained completely different results from the same dao, but that did not spark a conflict. They were able to tolerate each other—a sign that their hearts truly yearned for dao.

The ground might already be bloody with anyone else. But what was the point of that?

The understanding could be integrated since there was only this one dao. It might give rise to an unparalleled dao method at its peak, one that cultivated both inside and out!

The shadow suddenly felt that these two might both make it to 6,000 squares this time. 7,000 was hard to say. If they could do it, then seventh rank was nearly a guarantee for them.

A seventh rank would be a heavyweight anywhere in the chaos.

......

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

All was not well in Skyward. Various dao foundation sites were destroyed over these days as the various major worlds had not given up on the idea of destroying them to summon the dao universe.

Their failure was a foregone conclusion.

Not only did they fail, but they suffered noticeable losses. Some dao foundation sites had lingering dao foundation in them. Destroying them meant eradicating the legacy of premier exalted emperors. As a result, some violent explosions happened and annihilated nearby low ranks.

But that was negligible compared to a ninth rank dao universe. No one paid it much heed.

Dead was dead, they weren’t the ones dead.

Exalted emperors could be found everywhere in Skyward lately. Dragon Observatory had become a forbidden zone. Some wished to take a look at Demon Summit, but were defeated by Fog Mountain before they even entered Dragon Observatory. He nearly killed an exalted emperor on one occasion.

Clearly, it was a probe.

The results were clear. Fog Mountain did not wish for anyone to trespass, so it was possible that Demon Summit might actually summon the dao universe.

Countless powerhouses gathered when the news circulated.