Chapter 298 - 297: The Dao Fruit of Three Rebirths [Bonus]

Ku Ming did not answer immediately. His golden eyes rested on Lin Yuan for several breaths, as though he were examining not merely the question but the Dao Heart behind it. Around them, the jade plaza remained alive with the activities of the Nine Provinces’ greatest young cultivators. Yet, in the space between the two men, an unusual stillness had settled.

"Almsgiver Lin, before I explain how to form a Dao Fruit, allow this poor monk to ask you a question. What do you believe the Dao actually is?"

Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow. "The Dao is the origin of all things. It gives birth to One, One gives birth to Two, Two gives birth to Three, and Three gives birth to the myriad things. Every law, every element, every living being, and every cycle of creation and destruction ultimately originates from it. A cultivator who comprehends the Dao is not simply learning to control the laws of Heaven and Earth. He is learning to understand the principles that allow those laws to exist in the first place."

He paused briefly before continuing. "At least, that is my current understanding. The deeper I venture into the Dao, the more I realize how little I know."

A faint smile appeared on Ku Ming’s face.

"Excellent. You understand more than most cultivators who have spent thousands of years pursuing the Great Dao. However, understanding its existence and embodying its principles are two entirely different matters. Countless cultivators can explain the Dao of Fire, demonstrate the Dao of the Sword, or unleash techniques containing the Dao of Thunder. Yet, when asked to manifest the very essence of their comprehension, most of them cannot produce anything beyond their existing techniques."

The monk raised his right hand, and a small golden lotus materialized above his palm. Its petals slowly unfolded, revealing a tiny, luminous sphere suspended at its center.

"This is a Dao Fruit."

Lin Yuan’s attention immediately focused on the sphere.

It was no larger than a pearl, yet his divine sense could not determine its true depth. The moment he attempted to examine it, his perception encountered something resembling an endless ocean compressed into a single drop of water. Countless principles were intertwined within its structure, yet they did not conflict with one another. Every strand occupied its proper position, forming a complete and harmonious whole.

It was not simply a concentration of energy.

It was a crystallization of understanding.

Ku Ming gently closed his fingers, and the golden lotus disappeared.

"A Dao Fruit is the tangible manifestation of a cultivator’s comprehension of the Great Dao. It is the point at which an abstract understanding becomes a complete, self-sustaining existence. A cultivator who comprehends the Dao of Fire may summon flames capable of burning mountains, but the cultivator who forms a Dao Fruit of Fire has gone a step further. The fruit contains a crystallized understanding of what fire is, how it exists, how it changes, and how it interacts with the myriad things."

The monk paused, allowing his words to settle.

"One can borrow the power of Heaven and Earth to perform extraordinary feats, but a Dao Fruit represents something that belongs to the cultivator himself. It is the difference between borrowing a sword and becoming the master of the sword’s principles."

Lin Yuan’s eyes brightened.

"Then a Dao Fruit is the foundation upon which a cultivator can exercise authority over a particular Dao?"

"That is one way of describing it." Ku Ming nodded. "However, do not mistake authority for omnipotence. A Dao Fruit does not automatically grant absolute control over everything related to its Dao. Its power depends on the depth of the cultivator’s comprehension, the completeness of the fruit, and the strength of the foundation upon which it was formed. A newly condensed fruit may be little more than a seed, while an ancient fruit nurtured for tens of thousands of years can contain a world of principles."

He turned his gaze toward the center of the plaza.

Daoist Su Yao was still practicing her sword dance, and the two crystalline Dao Fruits above her head revolved slowly. One emitted a pale silver radiance, while the other shone with a faint green light. Their movements were independent, yet their fluctuations never interfered with each other.

"Take Daoist Su Yao as an example. Her first Dao Fruit contains her comprehension of the Dao of the Sword. The second embodies her understanding of the Dao of Wind. She has not merely cultivated two different powers. She has condensed two separate bodies of philosophical understanding into tangible forms. Each fruit can operate independently, yet she can also make them cooperate when executing her techniques."

Lin Yuan watched the woman carefully.

The sword dance that had previously seemed graceful and beautiful now appeared entirely different to him. Every movement of Su Yao’s wrist caused the silver fruit to pulse. Every shift of her footing stirred the green fruit, drawing invisible currents of wind toward her blade. Her techniques were not simply sword moves enhanced by the wind. The two Dao Fruits were working together, allowing her to express two separate principles through a single movement.

A sword could sever flesh, bone, and even spiritual energy.

But a sword empowered by the Dao of the Sword and the Dao of Wind could also cut through distance, redirect an opponent’s momentum, and exploit the smallest weakness in a defensive technique.

If the cultivator’s comprehension was sufficiently profound, even a seemingly ordinary slash could become a manifestation of two intertwined laws.

"Two Dao Fruits..." Lin Yuan murmured. "Does that mean a cultivator can form three, four, or even more?"

"In principle, yes."

Ku Ming’s answer was straightforward, but his expression gradually became serious.

"However, the more Dao Fruits a cultivator forms, the more difficult it becomes to maintain them. Each fruit represents an independent body of comprehension. They require sufficient spiritual foundations, a stable Primordial Spirit, and an understanding of how their respective principles interact. If the cultivator’s comprehension is incomplete, the fruits may interfere with one another. If the foundation cannot support them, the strain can cause the fruits to crack, destroying years of cultivation in a single moment!"