Chapter 191: Harvest

The normal path to harmony with the Dao required discarding excess emotions and endlessly aligning oneself with heavenly principles until becoming one with the Dao. But Zuo Meng’s approach was clearly abnormal—his version should be called “Dao merging,” where the heavenly principles twisted themselves to match his will, forcibly altering any rules that didn’t conform to him. The difference resembled a law-abiding enforcer versus the actual lawmaker who shapes regulations according to his whims.

For Zuo Meng, this marked his first successful erosion of another world beyond those he controlled. The gains were undeniable—like plundering an entire nation’s history and wealth. Through the Yuan Wu World’s Will, he acquired knowledge surpassing his native Origin World, uncovering deeper cosmic truths.

He learned of higher realms beyond the Origin World—the Hongmeng World! The hierarchy stood as: Endless Sand World → Great World → Celestial Realm → Origin World → Hongmeng World. Legend stated chaos began as “nothingness” until Hongmeng scattered its essence, birthing all subsequent worlds.

Notably, the Yuan Wu World’s perception held no concept of Creators. Its rule system deemed worlds incapable of consciousness, let alone spawning Creators. Its cold heavenly principles followed “If skies had feelings, they’d wither”—directly contradicting Zuo Meng’s Origin World foundations.

Beyond this cosmic framework, Zuo Meng absorbed operational details of heavenly principles and rule applications. These were innate inheritances received by the Yuan Wu World at its birth, much like how powerful beasts inherit ancestral memories. Compared to his Origin World’s crude methods, this world’s path offered systematic guidance—particularly on constructing World Barriers after ascension.

“This world’s potential is staggering. Lucky I infiltrated before its World Barrier solidified,” Zuo Meng mused while digesting the knowledge.

Contemplating his existence, he noted the paradox: local rules denied Creator existence, claiming worlds evolved from Hongmeng essence. Yet he himself was a Creator—having even devoured a slumbering giant Creator in the Origin World, seizing the Dream Realm and Six Harmonies Realm.

“Origin World must have merits to reach its status. Creators being possible is one advantage.” He reasoned weaker realms like Endless Sand Worlds were moths before Origin’s dominance. As for Hongmeng World’s existence? Mere speculation from Yuan Wu’s records.

“If other Origin World Creators sleep like that giant… harvest time?” Zuo Meng filed the thought for later. Escaping Origin’s influence took priority over ambitious plundering.

The Yuan Wu World’s ascension concluded. Joy radiated through expanding lands as spiritual energy-rich mountains emerged. Its raw power dwarfed Zuo Meng’s drained Six Harmonies Realm—which had barely sustained three flawed Lords despite the giant Creator’s eons of cultivation. In contrast, Yuan Wu instantly supported a saintly position. Though Goddess Xi remained weak, her rank eclipsed those half-baked Lords entirely.

Seeing this, Zuo Meng discarded most Origin World techniques, adopting Yuan Wu’s methods while keeping select superior elements.

A bell tolled worldwide. All looked up to see a celestial palace materialize, housing Zuo Meng as the new Daoist ancestor—heaven’s manifested representative per local rules.

Summoned by heaven, Goddess Xi entered the palace. As a primordial deity turned saint, she sensed Zuo Meng’s foreign rule system and guessed his role in recent calamities. Yet she knelt—he remained her master and now embodied heavenly principles.

“Master.”

Zuo Meng gestured to a mat symbolizing Dao compliance. “Questions?”

“None.” Xi sat, accepting the imposed order.

Approving, Zuo Meng dismissed her. The palace vanished with his wave.

In the Dream Realm:

The millennium-old Summer Dynasty collapsed after ten years. The inept Summer Emperor died in his burning capital, looted by rebels. New ruler Junyang, backed by Mister Meng and Xuan Gui ancestor, rebuilt order from ashes—dawn of a new era.