"Well, these external factors can only be considered indirect influences. Let me give you three examples, and you'll understand."
"The first person was Zhang Daoling, the ancestor of the Zhang family who ascended to heaven thousands of years ago. He was exceptionally intelligent and received Laozi's inheritance from a young age. He called himself the successor of the Dao Ancestor and then used this to destroy the noble kingdom of Sichuan, thus creating a new world for the Zhang family. Finally, he became a Dao Lord in just a hundred years and ascended to heaven."
"This senior's example is undeniably inspiring, as if as long as you have good aptitude, you're guaranteed to become a Dao Lord." At this point, Lin Yang subconsciously began to mock.
“That’s right. Zhang Daoling was able to attain enlightenment because he received Laozi’s inheritance and became a disciple of the Dao Ancestor. This gave him tremendous benefits and enabled him to attain enlightenment. He attained enlightenment because of Laozi, not because of his aptitude or comprehension!” Su Qing’er pointed out incisively.
Throughout history, Zhang Daoling's example has inspired countless cultivators, who always fantasize that as long as they have good enough aptitude and good enough luck, they will definitely be able to attain enlightenment.
But how many people have truly discovered that the legacy of Laozi is the most important factor?
Upon hearing this, Lin Yang neither nodded nor shook his head, but instead directly brought up the second example, immediately extending his index and middle fingers.
"The second example is Emperor Guangwu, Liu Xiu, ten thousand years ago. At that time, Wang Mang used his status as a chosen one to usurp the throne. As a result, after usurping the throne, he began to suppress other chosen ones with all his might. In the end, Emperor Guangwu made a comeback and re-established the Han Dynasty."
"What is Emperor Guangwu's aptitude like?" Lin Yang asked, looking directly at Cai Yan.
"He has excellent aptitude; otherwise, he wouldn't have become a celestial being in just a few years, and even overthrown Wang Mang's Xin Dynasty."
"What is the fortune of Emperor Guangwu?"
"His fortune is extraordinary; he is undoubtedly the chosen one of his time and the protagonist of that era, just like you, my husband, are now in the Han Dynasty. The fortune of the entire era is bestowed upon him, and his destiny is undeniably strong!"
After a moment of surprise, Cai Yan spoke calmly. At the same time, she seemed to be thinking, as if she had discovered something extraordinary.
Upon hearing this, Lin Yang simply smiled, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. Sometimes, the truth is quite cruel; luck, comprehension, and hard work are nothing more than excuses used by successful people to deceive others!
"Then, the third example. Twenty thousand years ago, Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang. But the most powerful chosen one at that time was Xiang Yu, who even killed the incarnation of the Qin Emperor in this world in the Sand Dunes."
"At that time, Xiang Yu carried the destiny of the six states' patriots who opposed Qin. On the sand dunes, he carried out that dragon-slaying strike! More importantly, he actually succeeded! In terms of cultivation techniques, he practiced the Nine Revolutions Profound Technique; in terms of magic weapons, he wielded the innate spiritual treasure, the Nine Heavens Thunder Blade; and in terms of luck, he was able to kill the Qin Emperor alive."
"But why was it that the one who finally broke through to the Dao Lord level was not him, who was almost the chosen one of the era, but the ancestor who was developing in a lowly manner?"
"And why is it that after Emperor Gaozu unified the world, he, along with his strategist Zhang Liang, his prime minister Xiao He, and his military genius Han Xin, all attained enlightenment? But ten thousand years ago, during the reign of Emperor Guangwu, not a single one of them did?"
Upon hearing this, Cai Yan and Su Qing'er immediately frowned. They hadn't paid attention to it before, but now, upon reflection, they immediately realized something was amiss.
Yes, why is that? They both unified the Han Dynasty and established a new dynasty. But Emperor Guangwu (Liu Xiu) was not allowed to ascend to heaven, while Emperor Gaozu (Liu Bang) not only ascended to heaven himself, but also brought Xiao He, Han Xin, and Zhang Liang with him.
They were both emperors, both emperors who re-established a unified dynasty in a chaotic world, so why is there such a big difference between them?
And then there's Xiang Yu, with such exceptional talent, such incredible luck, and top-tier magical treasures and techniques, yet what was the result? He wasted a full twenty thousand years before finally achieving enlightenment and ascending to immortality…
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Chapter 51: Sometimes, you won't know what despair is until you try!
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After a long while, seeing that the two had thought it over, Lin Yang spoke.
"My answer is the origin. The only factor that affects whether one can break through to the Dao Lord level is the origin! Twenty thousand years ago, during the reign of Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang, the world's level was still at the peak of the Earth level. At that time, the world's origin was very abundant, enough to support Liu Bang and the other three to break through."
"As for Emperor Guangwu ten thousand years ago, his situation was rather tragic. Although he unified the world, due to years of war, the world's level had already dropped to the mid-stage of the Earth level. The world's fundamental resources were insufficient to support his breakthrough. Therefore, he was unable to break through!"
"What about Zhang Daoling? He didn't unify the Han Dynasty; he only relied on his own cultivation. Why is that?"
"Because of Laozi! Laozi is one of the more powerful incarnations of the Dao Ancestor, at least a Great Luo level being. With his abilities, providing enough source energy is extremely simple!"
That's the truth. The fundamentals are far more important than so-called opportunities, luck, or ability!
The simplest logic is this: no matter how talented a person is in a low-level martial arts world, can they break through the void?
Even if someone from the Middle Martial World were the reincarnation of a Dao Ancestor or a Qin Emperor undergoing a period of cultivation, could they possibly become a Dao Lord? Impossible!
Just like in later generations, one's background is always more important than hard work, luck, and ability! Although many people are unwilling to admit this, it is actually the most truthful reality!
In the context of the Xianxia world, one's origin is roughly equivalent to one's "source energy." Those of noble birth possess incredibly abundant source energy, and some might even be like emperors, born at the peak of the Great Luo realm!
He was born with the strength of a Dao Ancestor. Faced with such an existence, all efforts, luck, and strength are nothing but a joke! He was born at a level that the vast majority of people will never, ever reach!
Countless thoughts flashed through Lin Yang's mind in an instant, and even he couldn't help but shake his head. Reality is indeed so cruel; sometimes, you don't even know what despair is until you try!
"Next, I will explain three methods to break through to the Dao Lord level. Of course, this is just one person's opinion, and I am not sure if it is correct or not."
"The first path is the path that only true geniuses can achieve. Of course, generally speaking, only impoverished geniuses will take this path."
"The specific method is for a person to travel through countless worlds, comprehend their own Dao, spread their own Dao, and ultimately become a Dao Lord. The specific principle is that when one is at the peak of the Celestial Immortal realm, one must continuously travel through worlds, spread their own Dao, and allow the world to accept their Dao."
"In this process, each successful preaching will grant a portion of the Heavenly Dao's essence. Little by little, it will accumulate. Generally speaking, after spreading the teachings to dozens or even hundreds of Earth-level worlds, one can attain enlightenment."
"For example, the Dao Ancestor and the World Honored One of Buddhism were like this in their first incarnation. At that time, they were just poor celestial immortals. They did not have enough original source to break through, nor did they have a master who was a Great Luo or a Dao Lord. So they had no choice but to take this relatively primitive path."
"This path is extremely dangerous. After all, not every world welcomes your preaching! Even if you succeed in preaching, the gains from just one world are limited. You must accumulate knowledge over many years, which takes too long, spans too much, and is extremely dangerous! Therefore, the chances of success on this path are really slim."
"However, it is the only way for a penniless celestial being to break through. It requires unparalleled talent, extremely good luck, exceptional wisdom, and formidable strength; all of these factors are indispensable!"
"So, do you want to take this path?"
Upon hearing this, Su Qing'er and Cai Yan both shook their heads. They'd already suggested three methods, and this path was so difficult; who would choose it unless absolutely necessary?
"Then, let me talk about the second method. In fact, the second method is the path taken by Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang. That is to unify a world at the peak of the Earth level, seize the destiny of an era, and then successfully obtain enough origin from the Heavenly Dao to break through!"
"The difficulty with this method lies in how to unify a peak-level Earth-rank world. After all, in such a world, once a great calamity occurs, there are countless Celestial Immortals. At least, there are more than you can count on two hands!"
"Moreover, during the great calamity, the world itself will also have a Child of the World. Defeating the original Child of the World and absorbing his fortune is extremely difficult. After all, the Child of the World is said to turn misfortune into good fortune, and this is not just a saying."
"In fact, if Xiang Yu hadn't had intellectual problems and had repeatedly let Gaozu go, even with the help of Han Xin, Zhang Liang, and Xiao He, Gaozu wouldn't have been able to succeed! It can only be said that Gaozu was lucky to have encountered a not-so-bright chosen one of the world."
Lin Yang obtained a lot of real information from the aristocratic families. Twenty thousand years ago, Xiang Yu did have more than one opportunity to kill Liu Bang, but each time he hesitated and let Liu Bang go.