Chapter 1400: Dao Stele

https://c10.patreonusercontent.com/4/patreon-media/p/post/153522958/f0c44bf3b25e441fbb5733d5052c761e/eyJ3Ijo2MjB9/1.png?token-hash=38kP0RmDZcbXdBLLI8swuazUMjZ_wey8Ib9G0He7U%3D&token-time=1787356800

Chapter 1398: Dao Stele

Mo Hua thought back and realized that it had actually been quite a long time since he last used the Dao Stele.

From storming into the Great Wilderness Royal Court and becoming entangled in the Dragon Pool struggle, to later entering the Endless Abyss, facing his Martial Uncle directly, then being teleported to Kun Province, suffering severe injuries and falling unconscious, and finally being protected by his Little Senior Sister while recuperating in the small blessed land…

Throughout this long period, Mo Hua had not used the Dao Stele at all.

Now, seeing this “old friend” within his Sea of Consciousness, Mo Hua suddenly felt a sense of reunion after a long separation.

But despite all he had been through, the Dao Stele remained exactly as before, unchanged in the slightest.

From when Mo Hua was still a child learning formations in Tōngxiān City, up to now, after countless hardships and becoming a Golden Core cultivator, the Dao Stele had undergone almost no change.

As for its function, it was actually quite simple.

It served as a blank “blackboard,” allowing Mo Hua to continuously practice formations and rewind his Divine Sense.

From beginning to end, that was its only purpose.

Even now that Mo Hua had reached the Golden Core realm and his strength was worlds apart from before…

The Dao Stele was still so “plain,” without the slightest change.

Previously, Mo Hua had occasionally thought that perhaps the Dao Stele would “upgrade” as his cultivation realm increased, gradually revealing more of its secrets.

But clearly, things had not gone as he wished. The Dao Stele seemed to have always been like this since time immemorial, unaffected by his realm.

Back then, Mo Hua had even felt a faint disappointment.

But now, having stepped through the doorway of the Heavenly Secret Derivative Algorithm and the Heavenly Secret Deceptive Algorithm, gaining a deeper understanding of laws, when Mo Hua looked again at the Dao Stele before him, a more direct insight suddenly arose in his heart:

The Dao Stele itself is blank—it exists in a state of nothingness. Because of this, it can bear the inscription of tangible formations.

This is from nothing to something.

In the process of drawing formations, he expends a great deal of Divine Sense. This is from something to nothing.

And once the tangible formations are erased and the stele returns to blankness, the Dao Stele transitions again from “something” back to “nothing.”

At the same time, the Divine Sense he had expended is restored, returning from “nothing” back to “something.”

This is, in essence, a complete process where Divine Sense and formations give rise to and transform into each other, where existence and non-existence continuously convert between one another.

Though it appears simple, upon deeper reflection, it carries an indescribable profundity.

It is not only the Dao Stele itself that transforms between “being” and “non-being.”

The fundamental principle of a cultivator seeking the Dao and attaining immortality is actually the same.

The current Mo Hua has already formed his Golden Core; he is no longer that novice formation master who had just stepped into the cultivation world in Tōngxiān City.

That young formation master back then was ignorant and blank like a sheet of paper— that can be considered “nothing,”

Then the present Mo Hua, with his considerable realm, vast knowledge, and deep attainments in formations and the Divine Dao, would be “something.”

On the surface, that is indeed the case.

But as Mo Hua learned more and comprehended more, drawing ever closer to “something,” he instead increasingly felt that the Great Dao was boundless, and that what he knew was still far too little.

Now he was a Golden Core cultivator, yet he felt that he was not so different from that blank-slate formation master of the past.

The path of cultivation had always been like this.

The Dao models itself on non-striving [无为], one must maintain the mindset of “nothing,” continuously cultivate, and seek knowledge and higher realms.

(TN: 无的心态 The Dao models itself on [无为] acting without forcing.)

And once one’s realm rises, one must in turn transform “something” back into “nothing,” disregarding one’s own cultivation and attainments, preserving the “childlike heart” of having nothing, and continue pursuing a higher Dao.

Only in this way, perhaps, can one remain true to one’s original heart and continue onward along the long path of cultivation.

Mo Hua looked again at the Dao Stele and gradually understood a truth:

It was not that the Dao Stele needed to “upgrade.”

If the Dao Stele symbolizes the Dao, then it has always been there, independent and unchanging, circulating endlessly without rest.

The one that truly needs to “upgrade”… is himself.

He must continuously grow, continuously comprehend, continuously practice, attaining higher realms and understanding. Only then can he perceive deeper mysteries from the Dao Stele.

The Dao Stele would never “spoon-feed” him. He had to earn it himself.

Even if the Dao Stele allowed him to learn more formations, he still had to practice them personally, without any room for laziness.

Mo Hua couldn’t help but reach out and touch the Dao Stele. This Stele that had allowed him to defy fate had said nothing, yet had taught him so much.

Then he turned his gaze to the only “something” upon the Dao Stele—that streak of crimson Calamity Lightning—and fell into deep thought.

The Dao Stele is “nothing,” while the Calamity Lightning is “something.”

The empty Dao Stele can be regarded as a kind of “container,” while the red Calamity Lightning is a kind of “object.”

But the Calamity Lightning contains immensely powerful Heavenly Dao Law force, capable of annihilating all things in the world.

This is not something an ordinary container could possibly hold.

For the Dao Stele to act as a container and bear this Calamity Lightning means that its existence stands above even the Calamity Lightning.

“An existence above Calamity Lightning… what could that be?”

“Why would such an existence reside within my Sea of Consciousness? And why would it take the form of a stele?”

“Why is it incomplete? What would a complete Dao Stele look like?”

“Is it truly blank? And what kind of great karma might it be tied to?”

Mo Hua frowned. He had never thought deeply about these questions before, but now the more he pondered, the more confused he became… and even felt a bit unsettled.

But he still couldn’t find any answers, so he could only set it aside.

Some secrets were clearly beyond his ability to unravel for now.

Moreover, there were more pressing matters to resolve.

Mo Hua’s thoughts stirred as he considered:

Since the empty Dao Stele could act as a container to hold Calamity Lightning,

Did that mean it could also serve as a container to hold Heavenly Dao Laws, Heavenly Secret Thought Power, and Strange Dao Thought Power… all together?

The coexistence of Derivative and Deceptive algorithmic Thought Power under the balancing of Heavenly Dao Laws contained an overwhelmingly powerful force of laws.

If it remained in his Sea of Consciousness, then his Sea of Consciousness would bear the pressure.

But if the conflict were transferred into the Dao Stele, then the Dao Stele would bear the pressure instead.

And the Dao Stele was certainly far more sturdier than his Sea of Consciousness.

As long as he was freed from the entanglement of these three forces, the problems within his Sea of Consciousness would naturally be resolved.

This was something Mo Hua could not have done before.

But now, by utilizing the Taotie Law, he had glimpsed the method of merging the Heavenly Secret Derivative Algorithm and the Heavenly Secret Deceptive Algorithm.

Although he could not yet fully synchronize with and control them, he could at least perform simple “guidance” of the computational power wandering within his Sea of Consciousness.

Thus, Mo Hua began to attempt it.

Using his Divine Sense, he intervened in the vortex of the Derivative–Deceptive method, employing his still rudimentary fusion algorithm to synchronize their computational power, and gradually guided these two higher-order streams of Thought Power toward the central Dao Stele.

The black and white algorithmic Thought Powers indeed began to move according to Mo Hua’s will, flowing slowly in a manner that was both opposing and harmonious.

However, the process was extremely slow.

But Mo Hua had already done his best.

His Divine Sense realm was insufficient, and his computational power still weak, yet being able to achieve initial synchronization and guide these two profound forces—one from the Strange Daoist and the other from Mister Zhuang—was already an extraordinary feat.

Moreover, such guidance could not be rushed. It required patience, steadily advancing through algorithms while constantly sensing the fluctuations in the strength of both computational forces.

Otherwise, the slightest misstep could disrupt the balance, causing the deceptive and derivative algorithms to split apart, and then the consequences would be severe.

Thus, Mo Hua did not dare to be careless in the slightest.

Nor did he dare to hurry. He could only focus with utmost concentration, meticulously attempting to guide the Thought Power of his Martial Uncle—proficient in Deceptive computation—and his Master—proficient in Derivative computation—both under the Heavenly Dao seal, into the Dao Stele…

The entire process, intermittent and fragmented, lasted about ten days.

After prolonged, meticulous, and cautious attempts, repeatedly consuming large amounts of Divine-Sense and performing extensive calculations, Mo Hua finally succeeded in guiding the Deceptive-Derivative power into the Dao Stele.

And the Dao Stele did not disappoint his expectations.

The ethereal Dao Stele could even contain Calamity Lightning, let alone this kind of cultivator’s computational power.

The black and white streams of computational power merged into it with ease.

As for the power of the Heavenly Dao seal, it merged into the Dao Stele even faster.

After accommodating these three forces, the Dao Stele flickered briefly with light, then began operating on its own, completely sealing the three powers, one derivative, one deceptive, and the Heavenly Dao seal, without the slightest leakage.

The Dao Stele itself remained vast and ethereal, standing silently at the center of Mo Hua’s Sea of Consciousness as though nothing had happened.

The three forces that had weighed on Mo Hua to the point of suffocation posed almost no burden to it.

Mo Hua stood stunned for a moment, a sense of deep reverence rising within him toward the Dao Stele.

“Perhaps this is the bearing a true powerhouse should have—upholding the Great Dao, embracing all things with emptiness, eternal as a stele…”

He gazed up at the Dao Stele for a while longer before finally letting out a soft sigh of relief.

No matter what, the chaos within his Sea of Consciousness had, for now, been resolved.

With the root of the “chaos” gone, the pressure within his Sea of Consciousness also drastically decreased.

His powerful Divine Sense began to rapidly “self-heal.”

The previously contaminated Divine Sense started to purify itself.

Some of the chaotic mist was washed away entirely.

Golden, marrow-like Thought Power flowed into the cracks of his Sea of Consciousness, nourishing the wounds of his Divine Sense.

The Divine Sense that had once been blocked by the Deceptive-Derivative power surged back like seawater, continuously pouring in. Mo Hua’s vast Sea of Consciousness gradually returned to a full and abundant state.

This meant that the “injuries” to his Divine Sense had finally healed.

Feeling that vast and powerful Divine Sense, Mo Hua’s expression brightened with joy.

Misfortune may be the foundation of fortune—though he had been beaten to the brink of death by his Martial Uncle in the abyss, he had gained the opportunity to glimpse higher-level Deceptive-Derivative algorithms.

With time to slowly digest and study them, he might truly be able to master both the Heavenly Secret Derivative Algorithm and the Heavenly Secret Deceptive Algorithm to a profound level, and even integrate them further.

And that Heavenly Dao seal, which had repeatedly hindered his breakthroughs and suppressed his realm… One day, he would “devour” it completely, turn it into a Law, and fully digest it.

Mo Hua felt much more at ease.

Seeing that the problem had been resolved, he prepared to withdraw from his Sea of Consciousness.

But suddenly, he froze—realizing something still wasn’t quite right.

The state of his Sea of Consciousness was still abnormal.

Without the obstruction of the Deceptive-Derivative power, the previously suppressed Divine Sense continued to surge back, flowing violently in an extremely restless state.

The fog that had just dissipated suddenly reappeared, even denser than before.

Within the fog, there were even strands of what seemed like solidified spiritual energy.

Mo Hua froze for a moment, then his heart jolted.

This was… a bottleneck?!

Had his Divine Sense reached another bottleneck?

At the peak of twenty-nine patterns—was the next step… Feathered Ascension?!

Just as Mo Hua was in shock, a thunderous rumble suddenly erupted within his Sea of Consciousness, accompanied by a massive buzzing resonance.

A powerful surge of thought power swept across his Sea of Consciousness.

As if the east wind of the Great Dao had arrived, countless divine patterns blossomed like trees in full bloom.

Mysterious Puzzle-like formation patterns, like winding trees growing, blossomed with the flowers of Laws, spreading across Mo Hua’s entire Sea of Consciousness in the blink of an eye.

Within his vast Sea of Consciousness, colors erupted—brilliant and dazzling. Under the shimmering light, it resembled a sea of flowers, breathtakingly beautiful.

But these were not flowers at all, each one was a Puzzle formation.

And the dazzling colors were not petals, but the hues of the Five Elements—metal, wood, water, fire, earth—as well as the Eight Trigrams and countless formation patterns.

Third-grade formations already possessed the embryonic power of creation, and the power they formed were already akin to physical objects.

Thus, the myriad formations within Mo Hua’s Sea of Consciousness resembled a vast sea of blooming flowers.

Some of these colors had even transcended physical form, shifting toward a more “void-like” state.

This signified that a portion of these formations had already manifested true Law power.

This Law power was extraordinarily potent, so much so that it could be perceived with the naked eye.

Standing within this ocean of formations, like a divine forest of blooming flowers, Mo Hua was momentarily stunned, his heart filled with indescribable awe.

A third-grade—or higher—Mysterious Heaven Grand Puzzle Formation containing Law power.

The bottleneck for his Feathered Ascension Divine Sense… had arrived?

…

The moment Mo Hua’s Divine Sense surpassed the peak of twenty-nine patterns, crossed the chasm, and touched the heavenly barrier of the Feathered Ascension realm, a terrifying surge of Divine Sense power involuntarily began to spiral out of control, leaking from Mo Hua’s seven orifices and dispersing into the surroundings.

True Person Rong, who had been meditating with her eyes closed, immediately opened them, her pupils contracting sharply.

“Feathered Ascension?!”

How could there be a Feathered Ascension-level power within this small Blessed Land?

Moreover, this power was profoundly mysterious—just a trace of Thought Power was enough to stir the Laws of Heaven and Earth, even causing the formations of the entire Little Luan Mountain Blessed Land to show faint signs of distortion.

True Person Rong’s expression changed. She immediately released her Divine-Sense, sweeping across the Little Luan Mountain Blessed Land. Moments later, her focus locked onto a secluded guest room.

It was Mo Hua’s room.

Mo Hua…

True-Person Rong’s face instantly turned into one of extreme astonishment, mixed with disbelief:

“What on earth… is that thing…?”

…

Elsewhere, Bai Zixi, who had been flipping through formation manuals while thinking about what to test her junior brother with tomorrow, also seemed to sense something unusual.

Although she couldn’t yet discern the exact origin of this power, it clearly contained a trace of thought-power that made even her heart tremble.

And along with that trembling, from within this subtle yet powerful Thought-force, Bai Zixi felt a sense of familiarity, something close and intimate.

Not just closeness and familiarity, more like a kind of…

soul-bond.

(TN: 神魂牵绊的感觉: “a feeling of the soul being bound” / “the sensation of spiritual entanglement”)

Bai Zixi turned her head, looking toward the direction of the nearby guest room, unable to suppress the shock and astonishment in her eyes.

“Junior… Brother?”

…

In the night, the entire Little Luan Mountain Blessed Land was disturbed by that wisp of Divine Sense escaping from Mo Hua.

An uneasy aura spread through the air; even the immortal cranes and luan birds grew restless and fearful.

Only Xiao Ju remained sprawled on her bed, hugging a pillow and snoring soundly.

A trace of drool hung at the corner of her mouth, perhaps even in her dreams, she was still thinking about her oranges.