Chapter 466 – Unite with the Dao? Why Should I Unite with the Dao Instead of the Dao with Me?

Shedding the state of the Avatar of Heaven, Mu Lin’s first sensation was not discomfort, but… emptiness.

At this moment, his emotions were quite transcendent, carrying a sense that despite the vastness of the world, there was nothing worth his concern.

Love? That was merely the instinct of biological reproduction, hormones manipulating the senses of the body.

Family bonds? This too was the instinct of biological reproduction at work.

Arrogance, invincibility, happiness, joy, sorrow… all these emotions served no purpose, only interfering with one’s judgment.

At this moment, Mu Lin strongly desired to cast aside all emotions and desires, allowing ultimate rationality to govern everything.

This was also the state of Azure Heaven—neither good nor evil, without thought or reflection, guiding the development of the world solely through instinct and rationality.

Influenced by it, Mu Lin also believed that the Heavenly Dao was eternal.

And this, too, was the path of cultivation for the Emotionless Heavenly Dao.

Apart from emptiness, an extreme sense of powerlessness also tormented Mu Lin’s body and mind.

When he became the Avatar of the Lord of Mount Tai, aided by the Heavenly Dao, Mu Lin had only one feeling at that time… “I can do anything.”

He thought this way, and indeed, at that time, he could accomplish most things.

Whether it was using strong magnetic fields to control nuclear fusion, or with a single thought causing the earth to rise and the seas to cover the sky, he could do it all.

But upon shedding the state of the Avatar of Heaven, this sense of invincibility also vanished from Mu Lin’s body.

Now, he felt utterly weak, his body riddled with flaws… this feeling of powerlessness left Mu Lin deeply dissatisfied.

He longed to return to the state of the Avatar of Heaven, to elevate his status once more.

And indeed, he could truly achieve this.

“As long as I undergo Dao Fusion, everything I desire will be mine!”

“Whether it’s eternal life or boundless knowledge, I can possess and attain it all…”

The ultimate mysteries of the world lay before Mu Lin’s eyes; all he had to do was reach out, and he could grasp eternity. Honestly, this temptation was immense.

It was precisely because of this allure that so many peerless powerhouses in each era chose Dao Fusion.

And then, Mu Lin rejected it all.

The foundation of his rejection of the world and Dao Fusion was arrogance.

“Dao Fusion—why should I fuse with the Dao, rather than the Dao conforming to me!”

“And the ultimate mysteries of the world, eternal life… ha, you’re just a tiny world, equivalent in my previous life to Blue Star, Earth.”

“Such a celestial body can’t even compare to the sun, let alone the universe. And even the universe will perish—what gives you the right to grant me eternity?”

“The Heavenly Dao is not the ultimate; I am. I will ultimately surpass the world, surpass the universe, and stride toward eternity!”

Such an audacious thought was deliberately provoked by Mu Lin. He intended to use this arrogance to resist the allure of Dao Fusion.

And as it turned out, he succeeded.

The foundation for many powerhouses choosing Dao Fusion was their belief that the Heavenly Dao was everything, the world was eternal, and it was the supreme existence. Thus, some powerhouses were willing to abandon their emotions and desires to merge with the Heavenly Dao.

But Mu Lin was different. Due to his scientific knowledge from his previous life, his perspective was broad, and he refused to confine his aspirations and future to a small world.

Because he viewed Dao Fusion as a constraint, a prison, its allure naturally faded for Mu Lin.

“Hah… finally free from that state…”

No longer aspiring for Dao Fusion, this allowed Mu Lin to breathe a sigh of relief.

Having repelled the enemy and freed from the temptation of Dao Fusion, Mu Lin could finally take stock of his own condition.

Then, he discovered that after advancing to Earth Immortal, even in his normal state, he could now contend with a Celestial Master.

After all, even without Dao Fusion, he could freely merge with various calamities within the world.

Storms, thunder, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions… these powerful forces allowed Mu Lin to unleash destructive power akin to that of a Celestial Master.

Beyond the Calamity Monarch, the Fated Death, Purification, and Netherworld that Mu Lin himself had comprehended made even Earth Immortals and Celestial Masters hesitant to confront him lightly.

It wasn’t that they were necessarily inferior to Mu Lin in his normal state, but rather that Mu Lin’s various abilities were too dangerous and terrifying.

Fighting him, the slightest misstep could lead to a drop in cultivation realm or complete annihilation—a truly frightening prospect.

—Having cultivated for so many years, the Demonic Monsters and Alien Races from the Alien Realm had already come ashore and were living a good life. They certainly had no desire to engage in life-or-death battles with Mu Lin.

“Why must things come to this? Can’t we develop peacefully?”

This was why so many Alien Realm races, Evil Spirits and Malevolent Ghosts lined up in Tianshi City, claiming they too loved peace and wished to coexist harmoniously with humanity.

Regarding this, Mu Lin did not completely shut them down… there was no need.

If he completely blocked their path, these Demonic Fiends would have no choice but to go all out and fight humanity to the death.

In that case, even if humanity could ultimately triumph with Mu Lin’s help, they would inevitably suffer heavy losses.

Especially Mu Lin himself—if the enemies were to act recklessly and have an Evil God intervene, there was a real possibility he could fall.

The might of a True God was still something Mu Lin could not contend with at present.

Therefore, Mu Lin adopted the ancient siege tactic of “surrounding three sides while leaving one open.”

Facing Alien Races seeking peace, he set many conditions: they must serve as vassals or retainers; those who had previously killed humans must face judgment.

Simultaneously, all Alien Realm evil beings must pledge faith in him.

Moreover, for Alien Races that had committed massacres or took pleasure in torturing humans, Mu Lin dispatched Alien Realm legions to subdue them.

All of these measures constituted the “surrounding” aspect.

As for the “leaving one open,” it was the sliver of hope Mu Lin offered them.

As long as they agreed to his conditions, he would permit the Alien Races to live in the Northern Wastelands.

Despite such harsh terms, many Alien Races still agreed.

That single Sunlight Illumination had dealt them too severe a blow.

Of course, Mu Lin was well aware that many powerful Alien Races agreed to his conditions not out of genuine willingness to serve as humanity’s vassals.

Their temporary submission was merely to buy time.

Even without thinking too hard, Mu Lin knew that these days, the major Alien Races were all studying him, pondering how to counter his Mystical Arts.

Some powerful races might even secretly contact Evil Gods, hoping to have them descend and deliver a fatal blow to Mu Lin.

Yet, even understanding all this, Mu Lin remained largely unconcerned.

Or rather, he too needed time.

“When it comes to development, I fear no one.”

“Want to research ways to counter my Mystical Arts? Then take your time studying. By the time you succeed, I should have mastered new, even more powerful Spells.”

Mu Lin not only thought this way; he was also personally dedicating himself to cultivation.

——After pacifying most of the disputes in the Northern Wastelands, one of Mu Lin’s Clones immediately set off for the Great Snow Mountain without a moment’s rest, hoping to learn what the Northern Wastelands had once promised him—Mahakala.

(End of Chapter)