In that instant, enlightenment dawned upon Lu Yang.
The road is beneath one's feet!
He lowered his head, looking at the Light of Order beneath him, then turned back to look at the path he had walked step by step from his starting point in the Dark Void.
This was the [Dao].
'It is time to turn back.'
The Dark Void has no end; therefore, a Great Dao is theoretically endless as well. However, no one can truly establish an infinite [Dao] within the Dark Void.
Even Sisui could not do it.
'Sisui is, after all, only in a state of [False Transcendence]. At the same stature, he does not fear getting lost in the Dark Void, but if his stature were higher, he would still face the risk.'
Otherwise, why would Sisui remain at the level of a first-layer Dao Lord after his transcendence? He would have ignored the risk of getting lost and frantically raised his stature to the ninth layer long ago.
'If even Sisui cannot do it, how can the current me? Thus, once the limit is reached, one must turn back. Since a Great Dao has a beginning but no end, I will proactively find an ending for it. And in the current Dark Void, the only place where it can find a footing is the place where it began.'
The end is the beginning!
Lu Yang turned around and strode back. Compared to the difficult struggle of the journey out, the return path felt as if he were constantly shedding burdens; it was effortless.
Before long, he returned to the starting point.
The Great Dao beneath his feet also curved and circled back, finally linking with the starting point to form a completely self-contained ring of light where the head and tail met!
"BOOM!"
In an instant, Lu Yang's aura underwent an ultimate sublimation. The boiling Light of Order was like a prairie fire, instantly illuminating the surrounding Dark Void with total clarity.
Immediately after, Lu Yang dissolved into this expanse of the Light of Order. In his place, an indescribable, undefinable, towering silhouette slowly rose from the [Order]. Vast data streams circulated upon its body, carrying the majesty to define external objects and regulate myriad phenomena.
Finally, these data streams constructed a ring behind the silhouette's head.
Having a beginning and an end, it formed its own cycle.
Attaining completion, reflecting the circular light.
Because the ring-shaped Great Dao was self-closed, it neither increased nor decreased, was neither born nor extinguished, was neither tainted nor pure. Those who relied upon this Great Dao were henceforth liberated from the calamity of death.
At this moment, Lu Yang truly experienced what a metamorphosis of essence felt like. His Primordial Spirit relied upon the Great Dao; as long as the Dao did not collapse, he would not die. Furthermore, his Great Dao was hidden deep within the Dark Void—it began in the void and ended in the void. Want to find it? Fine, as long as you get lost, you'll find it!
In terms of immortality, his current self was by no means inferior to the Primordial Saint!
Beyond that, because the Great Dao formed its own cycle and his Primordial Spirit resided within it, he—like Sisui—faced no risk of getting lost as long as he remained at the same stature.
Of course, everything has pros and cons, and the drawback of a self-closed Great Dao lay right here— once closed, its rejection of external forces would tend toward the extreme.
Simply put, his cultivation ended here.
From now on, no matter what he did, his realm would not drop, but it would also not increase by even a fraction; he would forever maintain a state of perfect, flawless completion.
—That said, Lu Yang didn't care much. If a time truly came when there was hope for improvement, he could simply break this Dao cycle.
Of course, during that process, he would lose his immortality and have to face the risk of getting lost in the Dark Void; his state would undoubtedly plummet to the bottom.
"So that's why it's considered low-grade."
Lu Yang shook his head. Compared to him, neither the Primordial Saint's [True Nascent Soul] nor Sisui's [False Transcendence] possessed such a massive drawback.
But he was already very satisfied.
After all, how long had he been practicing? Less than a thousand years, and he had already completed the metamorphosis of his essence. Never mind if it's low-grade; just ask if he's achieved it or not.
'Next, it is time to lay the plans.'
Lu Yang rubbed his chin, a plan already formed in his heart: 'If nothing goes wrong, my name has surely been written in that book by the Primordial Saint.'
'The Primordial Saint is proficient in the methods of the [School of Names]. Although it is just a name, it's not impossible for him to trace it back to me. Even if the name doesn't work, with his methods, he could easily intercept a sliver of my aura, or simply go on a killing spree and wipe out every [Lu Yang] in the entire Light Sea...'
Knowing the Primordial Saint, he might actually do it.
"It works out perfectly."
Lu Yang smiled faintly and lightly tapped his index finger as a secret technique naturally activated—it was the [Heart- Weighing Spirit Seal Art] he had previously obtained from Cang Hao.
This [School of Names] method was widely known in the Light Sea back in the day. By establishing a [Honorific Title] with this method, one could effectively mask their own name and avoid being targeted by similar techniques. He had possessed it for a long time without using it; now was the perfect time to give himself a complete makeover.
As for the title, Lu Yang had already decided.
In the next second, Lu Yang began to sketch within the Dark Void. Amidst the shimmering radiance, a brand-new title appeared and subsequently shone into the depths of Lu Yang's life and spirit.
It was called—
[Xuande]
Embodying the Dao to form one's nature, maintaining purity and emptiness, acting without relying on it, leading without dominating—this is called Xuande. Lu Yang felt it was perfectly suited to describe himself!
As for his identity, Lu Yang had also made up his mind.
'From today on, I am cutting ties with the Light Sea!'
I come from beyond the Light Sea, a ascetic cultivator from the far end of the Dark Void. My Daoist title is [Xuande], and I have absolutely nothing to do with some "Lu Yang" from the Light Sea!
This wasn't just baseless talk.
Look at my Great Dao—rooted in the Dark Void. One glance tells you it's not a Light Sea native. Look at my eyes—I don't even have a Light of Wisdom. How could I be a Light Sea person?
The evidence was as solid as a mountain.
Who couldn't believe it?
'The name of the realm must be changed too. After all, I'm a "foreigner." How can a foreigner use the same terminology as the locals? I must think of something more novel.'
After pondering for a moment, Lu Yang clapped his hands:
'The Light Sea calls them Dao Lords because they govern a Great Dao of the Light Sea; they are the Master of a Dao. I am different—my Great Dao is rooted in the Dark Void and was pioneered by my own hand.'
So he shouldn't be called a Dao Lord; he should be called a Dao Ancestor!
[Primordial Ancestor Xuande]!
Looking at his brand-new title, Lu Yang nodded with satisfaction. Only then did he cast his gaze far into the distance, looking once more toward the position of the Light Sea.
In this moment, the Dark Void surrounding the silhouette suddenly changed. The chaotic data was forcibly adjusted and combined, finally transforming into heavens, stars, sun, moon, mountains, and rivers.
The world was "defined."
It wasn't as expansive as the Light Sea—only ten miles in diameter—and possessed no intelligent life, but a certain [Order] had indeed been birthed within the Dark Void.
"Mhm, it even has the right aesthetic."
Lu Yang nodded. With a turn of thought, he carried this newly pioneered "world" and crashed thunderously toward the direction of the Light Sea!
As an extraterrestrial cultivator, if I'm going to make an appearance, it has to be a grand one.
It would be best to grab the attention of all the Dao Lords in an instant and scare the Primordial Saint out in the shortest time possible, just to test his reaction to seeing me.
So, how should I do it?
Lu Yang thought for a moment, a smile playing on his lips. He then let out a grand roar that echoed vibrantly within and without the Light Sea without the slightest inhibition—
"Eh? Is Senior Uncle [Jun] not in this place?"