Chapter 30 The Dao; My Paths
The swirling yin-yang symbol pulsed with an almost hypnotic rhythm as Zhao Lingfeng tapped it. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, five distinct symbols materialized before him, each radiating a profound sense of meaning that made his cultivation base tremble.
Zhao Lingfeng's eyes widened as understanding struck him.
"Wait could this be...?!!"
Before he could complete the thought, something unprecedented occurred. Text began flowing across his vision. Not the usual terse system messages he'd grown accustomed to, but a detailed explanation that felt almost... eager? As if the System itself recognized the importance of this moment.
Without him needing to open the "?", the System's Help text appeared.
[System Help: Dao Selection]
The following paths represent five of the Daos that you are most aligned with at the current moment of your journey. These paths are merely a guide—each Dao leads to the Great Dao. However, it is important to understand that one's path is not fixed.
[Dao Selection]
Choose one Dao that will serve as your main path to Immortality. While the Primary Dao is the foundation of your cultivation, your journey may allow for the exploration of Secondary Daos to supplement your growth and expand your abilities. Mastery of a Dao requires meeting prerequisites such as Cultivation Realms, Comprehension, or rare resources.
Note: While your primary Dao is vital to shaping your cultivation, you may later change your Dao through special means. However, be aware that some progress may be lost in the process, and the deeper you progress in your Dao, the more costly the change becomes.
[Primary Dao & Secondary Daos]
Primary Dao: This Dao is the core of your cultivation. It defines your cultivation style, your growth potential, and the unique abilities you will acquire as you advance along the path. Secondary Daos: As you progress, you may unlock Secondary Daos—paths that complement your Primary Dao or paths that you have a high attainment in. These secondary paths can broaden your skills and knowledge and may be cultivated in parallel with your primary Dao.
[Dao System: A Guide, Not a Rule]
The Dao System is not a rigid path. It is simply a guide. The paths may appear distinct, but all lead to the same final destination: The Great Dao. As you progress, you may discover new ways to refine and evolve your Dao, or even forge your own unique path.
While the choices you make are significant, the essence of your journey will depend on your effort, insight, and choices. The Dao you select is the key to unlocking your true potential, but how you walk it is up to you.
!!!
Zhao Lingfeng trembled uncontrollably as he closed the help screen and stared at the five symbols before him, every fiber of his being resonating with a profound excitement. In his past life, this moment would have been akin to choosing a character class; a crucial decision that would define your entire journey through a game.
The gamer spirit within him quivered with anticipation. Countless hours spent theory crafting builds, researching optimal paths, and discussing strategies on forums had taught him the importance of these pivotal decisions. Yet simultaneously, the cultivator spirit that had grown within him these past five years trembled with an even deeper understanding.
He had read a few novels and some comics in his previous life and devoured every scrap of cultivation knowledge he could access in this one. He understood that in a cultivation fantasy world, one's Dao was perhaps the most important aspect of a cultivator. It wasn't just about power or prestige. It was about defining the very essence of you and how one would interact with the heavens themselves.
This... this might be the most important decision of my life in this world.
Zhao's eyes were fixed on the pulsing symbols before him.
The Stone Claw Bear's steady breathing beside him contrasted sharply with Zhao Lingfeng's own racing heart and breath.
This isn't just min-maxing stats or picking a class. This is choosing the fundamental nature of my cultivation.
He'd seen too many youngsters in the sect charge blindly down paths that didn't suit them, their talents wasted on ill-fitting techniques chosen for prestige rather than compatibility.
He'd watched others struggle to force themselves into cultivation methods that went against their nature, usually at the insistence of their elders or peers.
The mention of Secondary Daos particularly caught his attention. It suggested room for growth beyond a single path, opportunities to adapt and evolve rather than being locked into one rigid direction.
A guide, not a rule, he repeated to himself, the words resonating with something deep inside him.
All paths lead to the Great Dao...
In this world, when it came to the talk of the Dao, everyone always talked about the Heavenly Dao.
But nobody spoke of the Great Dao…
Was the Heavenly Dao merely one of the paths to the Great Dao? Or were these terms used interchangeably?
Many thoughts came to his mind, but he shook his head.
I'm a mere frog in a well. There's no point contemplating such truths yet.
The five symbols pulsed quietly before him, each seeming to whisper promises of power, of understanding, of a unique way forward.
After all, he had a unique advantage. The perspective of someone who had lived two lives, who understood both the systematic approach of a gamer and the mystical insights of a cultivator. This wasn't just about picking the strongest path or the most impressive abilities.
This was about choosing his Dao.
His way forward.
His path to immortality.
The bear shifted beside him, letting out a grinding snore that briefly broke his intense concentration. Zhao Lingfeng allowed himself a small smile. Even this moment of destiny was being witnessed by his newest companion, though asleep.
Now then, he thought, his excitement gradually settling into focused determination, let's see what paths the heavens have deemed me most compatible of...
As Zhao Lingfeng tapped the screen, the world around him suddenly plunged into darkness.
Zhao Lingfeng's field of view was no longer a system interface anymore. He felt himself drawn into his spiritual consciousness, floating in a vast, star-filled void.
The sight made him gasp, he had never encountered such a level of mysticism since he had arrived in this world.
BOOM
BOOM
BOOM
BOOM
BOOM
Five massive gates materialized before him, each one an immortal gate that seemed to pierce the very heavens.
The first gate shone with a gentle, almost humble radiance. Its surface was carved with scenes of service. Countless figures performing tasks with dignity and pride. The symbol above it resembled clasped hands. It radiated the brightest light, calling to him with an almost magnetic pull.
Zhao Lingfeng was confused, but when he tilted his head and saw the ethereal words "Servant Dao", his face turned very ugly.
"Fuck off," Zhao Lingfeng spat, immediately rejecting its allure.
The second gate bore a symbol of endless mountains reaching toward the sky. "Perseverance Dao" floated above it in steady, unwavering characters. Its surface showed scenes of cultivators enduring trials, each failure followed by renewed determination. The gate itself seemed built from countless layers of compressed hardship and resolve.
Zhao Lingfeng nodded with great pride.
Indeed, this was a Dao much more to his liking.
The third gate shifted and flowed like water, its form never quite fixed. "Adaptation Dao" rippled above it, the characters themselves changing shape. Its surface reflected countless transformations. Beasts becoming birds, mountains becoming seas, showcasing the endless possibilities of change.
"Ooooooohhhh. Interesting."
The fourth gate was alive with the presence of countless spirits. "Beast Taming Dao" crowned a massive archway decorated with every manner of creature imaginable. Spirit beasts both mighty and humble were carved into its surface, their eyes seeming to follow Zhao Lingfeng's movements. He could have sworn he heard the faint echo of his Stone Claw Bear's grinding snore emanating from within. Probably his imagination right?
"Huh? I actually have the potential to become the Beast King?"
The final gate stood proud and sharp, its entire form resembling an upright blade piercing the heavens. "Sword Dao" shimmered above it like the edge of a perfectly forged sword. Its surface was deceptively simple. A single, endless blade that somehow contained all the principles of sword arts within its clean lines.
"The famous Sword Dao…"
Though the Servant Dao gate shone brightest, beckoning with promises of swift advancement and natural compatibility, Zhao Lingfeng felt his gaze drawn to the others. Years of menial labor of both lives had certainly left its mark on his spirit, making that path easiest to grasp.
But easy wasn't always right.
His eyes narrowed as he studied each gate in turn. This choice would define his path forward. It had to be made carefully, not simply rejected out of spite or chosen for convenience.
Zhao Lingfeng studied the remaining four gates, remembering the System's explanation.
These aren't fixed paths, he reminded himself.
They're just what I'm most compatible with right now.
The thought was both comforting and frustrating. While it meant other paths might open to him in the future, he wasn't in a position to wait for better options.
His gaze lingered briefly on the Servant Dao's gate before deliberately turning away. Sure, admittedly, there was a certain pride in doing things well, even menial tasks. Both lives of work had taught him that.
But...
"I didn't come to this world to spend eternity being someone else's stepping stone!"
No matter how brightly that gate shone, no matter how easily that path might come to him, it went against everything he wanted.
The path of a servant was the path of acceptance. Accepting one's place, accepting other's authority.
He wanted the power to choose, to forge his own destiny.
The remaining four gates loomed before him, each promising a different kind of power.
The Perseverance Dao, with its endless mountain peaks... wasn't that essentially what he'd been doing these past five years? Enduring, persisting, growing stronger through adversity? Its gate seemed to resonate with his experiences, both in this life and his previous one.
The Adaptation Dao caught his attention next. Its flowing, ever-changing nature reminded him of his gamer's mindset. Always analyzing, adjusting strategies, finding new approaches to overcome challenges. In a world where the strong preyed on the weak, wasn't the ability to adapt and overcome crucial?
His eyes shifted to the Beast Taming Dao's gate. The recent events with the Stone Claw Bear and the other spirit beasts had shown him a talent he'd never suspected. Having powerful allies in this dangerous world was tempting, and something about the way those carved beast eyes watched him stirred something in his heart.
Finally, the Sword Dao. Simple, direct, powerful. A famous path among cultivators, but for good reason. Raw martial strength had an undeniable appeal. In the cultivation fantasy world, who hasn't dreamed of being an immortal, wielding a sword that could cut through mountains and skies alike?
"Each path could work," he mused, floating in the starlit void.
"But which one..."
He began to analyze each option systematically, drawing on both his gaming experience and his hard-earned cultivation wisdom.
After all, he'd seen plenty of his senior brothers and sisters in the sect struggle despite having higher level cultivation techniques. It wasn't just about the path's potential. It was about how well you could walk it.