Chapter 2440 The Great Era

"Speaking of wait and see, we might not need to rely purely on talent to raise Ma Hong Yun to the Dao Lord level [1]" Red Lotus said.

"Oh?" Genesis Lotus asked: "What do you mean?"

Red Lotus turned to Star Constellation, "You should know what the original future entailed."

Star Constellation nodded: "With Fate being absolute in the world, I deduced its plans to make Humanity the dominant race, not out of the kindness of its heart, but because Humanity had been oppressed for too long, leaving the other races to be unbalanced."

Fate was created so that the Heavenly Dao could enforce its ability to maintain the playing field, amongst all living beings.

It operated robotically, cold, and unfeeling, it was fair and impartial, allowing everyone the chance to obtain Rank 10 Transcendent Immortal, but it also takes into account if the Race its supporting has the will to do so, after a Millennia of Variant Human rule, it realized that Variant Humans lack the drive necessary, their long lives made them resistant to the desire of Eternity so the Heavenly Dao decided to give Humans a chance.

Humans had the necessary drive, with the oppression and their short lives gave rise to a craving, no, desperation for eternity.

But although Humans overcame the odds, they were like a firework, short, fast and fleeting,

They were able to produce some of the most stunning and era-defining geniuss' but yet even the greatest amongst them still lived a couple hundred or thousand years.

There's a saying about the human race:

"A genius a century, a legend an era, a venerable an epoch."

Despite this there were a few problems with Humans, one was their lifespan.

It was too short!

In theory, it meant that only the very best would rise, thus the next generation would rise even faster.

But the old generation would try their best to hold onto power, they would not let the next generation spread their wings, only those born to already powerful people would get the chance to soar.

This was not a part of the Heavenly Dao's plans for humanity, so it made a new plan

First, were the variant races, then the humans and next were:

"The Dragonman race that was to be created by Duke Long was meant to be the final rulers of the Gu World." Star Constellation explained: "They had the drive of humanity and were given the same level of discrimination and oppression that Humans faced, yet they were born with innate Enslavement Path Dao Marks, and they had a longer life. "

As Duke Long envisioned, they possessed the best of both worlds.

"Which is why I had the Heavenly Dao instil the Grandson of Duke Long, Wu Shuai, with high amounts of ambition and pride so that when Fate reveals Dragonmen supremacy to Duke Long and Wu Shuai, they would inevitably clash, and the ever resolute Duke Long would exterminate the Dragonmen race." Star Constellation had planned it all out.

Genesis Lotus was stunned: "T-then what does this have to do with training Ma Hong Yun?"

"Do you think that Fate would be pleased to find its plans ruined? Of course not! So, it made a new plan that I thought was worth taking, it would raise the overall strength of the world and at the same time grant us a 4th," Star Constellation briefly glanced at Red Lotus: "5th Immortal King for Heavenly Court."

"You mean,"

Star Constellation nodded: "Great Dream Immortal Venerable, the strongest Dao Lord!"

"The plan was to have her be the strongest under the Dao Emperor realm, she would be able to perceive all things and protect humanity from future disasters, it would have been a Great Era!" Star Constellation had great hopes for that future, her deductions showed that Humanity would finally be at peace during Great Dream's rule:

"Great Dream was given great potential by the Heavenly Dao, she probably would have been able to sense the Heavenly Dao directly since she would have attainment in all Paths, that's why the Heavenly Dao planned to trap her."

Star Constellation grew bitter when mentioning this point: "You see becoming a Dao Lord is actually a trap!"

Genesis Lotus grew shocked: "Why do you say that?"

Star Constellation's fist was clenched as her voice grew slightly aggrieved: "While achieving this realm would make you undefeatable, no matter how many Pseudo-Venerables appeared, it traps you within the confines of the Heavenly Dao. All your power and might are irreversibly linked to the Heavenly Dao, which is why the Chaotic Tribulations only exist for Venerables, they are to share in the burden of the Heavenly Dao and for what? Mere Dao Marks?"

Her memories of all the pain her master, Primordial Origin, had to go through because of the subsequent Chaotic Tribulations made her slightly lose control in anger.

But she readjusted herself and returned to her calm and cool nature.

Red Lotus picked up where Star Constellation left off on the explanation: "The Dao Marks received from Chaotic Tribulations are staggeringly huge, and are necessary to achieve the Rank 9, Venerable, status. Which allows us to sense the presence of Natural Unrefined Dao Marks. But Refining these Dao Marks is where the real trap is!"

!!!

"What trap?" Genesis Lotus was the most ignorant on these matters and couldn't help but feel deep fear in his heart.

Red Lotus explained: "You see, a Dao Lord is actually supposed to be a Dead End, haven't you ever wondered why, despite having so much power, there seems to be nothing more afterwards? Why is it that after reaching the end, are there still things you can't do? Is that the limit of power?"

After mentioning these questions, Genesis Lotus began pondering as well: "Is that not the case?"

Red Lotus shook his head: "You've seen it for yourself, haven't you? The powers of a Dao Emperor are only a fraction of the entire Heavenly Dao so how can your cultivation journey end at merely the Dao Lord level?"

"Simply put, by refining the Natural Dao Marks of the world, they too, will form a link between you and the Heavenly Dao."

Genesis Lotus turned to Star Constellation: "If you figured all these why didn't you tell anyone?"

"Because it would have done more harm the benefits," Star Constellation explained: "If I told you that to achieve beyond the Venerable realm it would require you to spend years fighting both Fate and the Heavenly Dao would you still do it?"

Genesis Lotus thought about it: "No. During my time the Variant Humans were still rampant, if I hadn't come along when I did humanity might have…"

Something clicked in Genesis Lotus: "Was that your doing?"

Star Constellation nodded: "Things have changed greatly since I merged myself with the Heavenly Dao. I kept pushing for Human supremacy, but the Heavenly Dao fought back viciously, in fact, without the support of the constant stream of self-sacrificing Gu Immortals of Heavenly Court, I'm afraid I wouldn't have lasted long."

Star Constellation spoke truthfully.

The Heavenly Dao was made with the collective powers of Heaven and Earth but it had no Will of its own and was able to tune in to the voices of the World through Fate, but Star Constellation tricked it by being the intermediary between Fate and it, sort of like a game of telephone, but tricking it was not an easier task even for a Dao Lord like Star Constellation.

"Then why didn't you become a Dao Emperor?" Genesis Lotus asked.

"Firstly, because I didn't know of the Dao Emperor realm," Star Constellation shrugged helplessly:

"Master Primordial was the one who discovered the possibility of the Dao Emperor realm. He knew he was being bound to the Heavenly Dao, but he still went forth as Humanity needed a saviour. But he didn't let being made use keep him down. He found that the chains that bound him also led him to the source, the Heavenly Dao, where he discovered that the Heavenly Dao's powers could be taken for himself!

But touching the Heavenly Dao would have alerted Fate, which would have sabotaged all of Humanity. His heart could not bear to do that, so he hid this knowledge from everyone until…"

Star Constellation sighed: "Reckless Savage Demon Venerable."

She shook her head as he explained: "That big oaf, because he cultivated Transformation Path, he was able to sense the chains that the Refined Dao Marks placed on him, he then sensed the existence of the Heavenly Dao and with his own strength punched his way through!"

Genesis Lotus and Red Lotus's mouths dropped upon hearing that!

This fact was not known by Red Lotus, Primordial Origin only gave Red Lotus some information via word of mouth, it was only when Star Constellation arrived in the Stone Continent that he instilled his memory directly to his disciple, Star Constellation.

Which was why Star Constellation was willing to trust Red Lotus! Even though his poem contained a hidden message, Star Constellation was only sure that Red Lotus wouldn't betray them because Primordial told her so.

In his words, "Red Lotus only disagrees with our method, not our philosophy, he is a good man at heart. As the saying goes: "Man look for better methods, the world looks for better man."

Although she still had gripes, Red Lotus actions and sacrifice won her over, though she still had slight doubts.

Star Constellation continued her explanation: "Master Primordial had foreseen such a possibility occurring, and thus, placed a revival method near the Heavenly Dao. Taking advantage of the situation he managed to snatch Dao straight from the Heavenly Dao!"

"Wait wait wait." Genesis Lotus held up his hands, as his view of the world crumbled, "I can understand how he found the Dao Emperor realm through the connections of the Refined Dao Marks, it's probably why I can vaguely sense the Dao of Creation, but how did Reckless and Primordial Origin snatch a Dao!?"

"I am also curious," Red Lotus chimed in.

"Well, the Heavenly Dao is a collection of Daos, to become a Dao Emperor, one studies multiple Paths so that they can use the link between the Dao Marks to, for lack of better words, 'rope' a Dao towards them, however, 3 million years ago that wasn't the case, you see Fate isn't dumb, just arrogant, it created a barrier that was supposed to be indestructible using, you guessed it, End Stone which prevented the Daos from leaving to find more suitable hosts."

Genesis Lotus and Red Lotus were fascinated, Red Lotus's acquired shard of End Stone was most likely one of these shattered pieces:

Red Lotus then asked: "But then what do you mean that Genesis Lotus and Reckless Savaged snatched a Dao?"

Star Constellation took in a deep breathe: "*Sigh* To make a long explanation short, Reckless exploited a loophole in Fate's thinking, since the way of the Heavenly Dao is frugality, its protection layer was only limited to the upper limits of 1 Dao Lord, but Reckless cultivated Transformation and Strength Path,"

Star Constellation face palmed herself and shook her head.: "…allowing him to turn all his Dao Marks, including the Refined Natural Dao Marks, into Strength Path Dao Marks, making him a Pseudo-Dao Emperor."

"In fact, his brazen nature attracted the Dao of Power to him, which helped break from inside the barrier," Star Constellation sighed.

All 3 Venerables were speechless, the absurdity of it all caused them all to smile wryly.

Star Constellation sighed: "Anyway, we have Reckless Savage to thank for being on negotiating level with Heaven."

But Genesis Lotus had one more question: "If Primordial Origin has reached the Dao Emperor since almost a Million Years ago, why didn't he intervene when, Spectral Soul tried to destroy the world or Fang Yuan or even Red Lotus, no offence,"

"None taken." Red Lotus wondered why too, if Primordial or Reckless had intervened at any one of these events, then they wouldn't be in this predicament.

Star Constellation held up her hands: "I don't know as well, master never explained, but I assume it's either they can't or won't."

[1] I think it's better to separate the levels of Rank 9 into Venerable, Dao Lord and Dao Emperor. I know the OG made Venerable a nominal title that just came along with the rank, but I would have preferred some separations, like not all Venerables are Dao Lords but all Dao Lords are Venerables.