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Writer: StarReader
Proofreader: Silavin
“I now understand why Heavenly Sovereign said he felt the next stage after having completed his void path.” Murong Xue came out of her room, brimming with power, but also had a noble air about her.
“What makes you say that? You’ve barely completed yours and you already sensed the next stage? Isn’t that too much?” Kunpeng asked in shock.
“It’s more like an instinct, or vague sense of something out of reach with no idea how to grasp it. But ever since recounting Zhuo Fan’s past, it all fell into place as I completed my path.” Murong Xue replied.
“It is just as Heavenly Sovereign said, that you need ten paths to fuse together for one to reach the Supreme Stage. But what he didn’t say is that to feel it, you need to have a path that is much closer to Heaven’s Will than those far more mundane.
“With everything stemming from Heaven’s Will, any direction you take gets you close to it when completing a path but, more often than not, many paths converge into one with a bigger scope. Taking lightning for example, it includes light, destruction, speed, maybe even a bit of Heaven. All of these combined to result in the lightning path.
“In case of Heavenly Sovereign’s void path, that must’ve been from the time near Heaven’s Will’s inception, being very close to its true nature. That is why he has so much power than all the other Sovereigns. My righteous path touched upon the Supreme Stage because it involves many other paths as well, like good, evil, justice, impartiality, humanity, and even a bit of void.
“I can’t tell if this is good news or bad. On one hand, if your path had been any stronger, Heavenly Sovereign would’ve noticed you despite our cover. On the other, you’d very likely have the power to fight him one on one, if it were the old him. Maybe you could begin fusing paths to reach Supreme Stage as well, just in case Zhuo Fan’s plan goes sideways. It always pays to have a backup.” Sea Ao surmised.
“In regards to fusing paths, I believe Heavenly Sovereign is wrong about the approach. This is like brute forcing himself to reach the Supreme Stage, when we all know cultivation is more about what we discover and not pushing through head first.” Murong Xue shook her head.
“What’s the right way to do it then?” Danqing Shen asked with an eager look, as did the Sword Kings, driven more about seeking higher levels of mastery than actually being the most powerful.
“There are only so many paths to go around when each one, even the most basic path, takes too much time to complete. But to answer your question, the way I see and feel it, one has to expound on their path to include others.”
“Taking Sword Child’s sword path, he only became a true Sovereign when he defeated, or rather Sword Sovereign allowing him to win. Most of his power came from his sword path, with that black thunderflame filling in the gaps. In my understanding, that flame is none other than chaos from the beginning of the Sacred Domain. If he had completed that path, he’d have been the strongest in the Sacred Domain, with even Heavenly Sovereign being nothing more than footnote in his ascension. In theory, that is.”
“I knew that the black thunderflame has incredible power, but I never knew it was this much.” Sword Child and the sacred beasts were just as shocked to hear as everyone else.
“To reach Supreme Path the right way, one has to complete or walk more paths in tune with the first one. The first always dictates your potential. It is something that I will most certainly aim for, but I’m not foolish enough to believe I’ll achieve it before the final battle with Heavenly Sovereign.” Murong Xue finished her explanation.
“Then we’ll take what we can get. Anything that can help us turn the tides in our favor is welcomed. Our very existence is on the line, as is of every other human on Sacred Domain.” Kunpeng smiled, filled with hope there was a fighting chance now.
“Could you give us your version of what the righteous path is about? Maybe it will help everyone else, on top of your prismatic event, in finding their own paths and boosting our stance.” Danqing Shen asked without qualms, more eager to further his own progress than save humanity.
Ever since Zhuo Fan’s enlightening speech before he left, he sensed something about the Sacred Domain, that the world wasn’t limited to its boundaries, or Heaven’s Will. He was going to see for himself the real truth about the world, or die trying.
“Righteousness, a beacon that illuminates the moral horizon, stands as a pillar of virtue in the complex landscape of human ethics. Rooted in a profound sense of moral duty and integrity, righteousness transcends mere adherence to societal norms; it embodies a steadfast commitment to principles that resonate with the very essence of human dignity. To be righteous is to navigate the labyrinth of ethical choices guided by an unwavering moral compass, recognizing the inherent interconnectedness of individual actions and the collective well-being of society. It is a call to uphold justice, fairness, and truth, even in the face of adversity. In the pursuit of righteousness, one confronts the challenges of moral ambiguity with a resolute spirit, striving to align personal conduct with an elevated standard of ethical conduct. As a virtue, righteousness beckons individuals to transcend the limitations of self-interest, embracing a higher purpose that resonates with the universal values that bind humanity together. In its essence, righteousness emerges not as a rigid adherence to dogma but as a dynamic force that fosters empathy, compassion, and a deep understanding of the intricate threads that weave the fabric of human morality.
It sounded more like a fanatic’s speech, but the others realized she was not here to indoctrinate them to walk the same path as her, knowing they would just come to discover other truths than the one she found.
She was just content to walk her own path and do everything with a clear conscience, which to her meant helping in every way she could, even if she would have to get her hand dirty in some instances.
With her version conveyed, she returned to her room to ponder her own thoughts about Sovereign Stage while the rest went to cultivate and contemplate everything that had happened, even Yan Song’s drive to reach the pinnacle of alchemy.
Who didn’t want to find meaning in the world? Who didn’t want to achieve their goal? This was how they saw they could do it.
Now I think that the original ending was better than this one