Chapter 301 - 300: The Dao Fruit of Three Rebirths (4)

"Ku Ming, you mentioned that a Dao Fruit can be consumed or externalized. Does that mean it can exist independently of the cultivator who formed it?"

The monk nodded.

"To a certain extent. A Dao Fruit is a manifestation of comprehension, and once it has stabilized, it can be separated from the cultivator’s immediate circulation of Spiritual Qi. It may be summoned to empower techniques, used to suppress an opponent’s Dao, or employed as a foundation for further cultivation. Some ancient cultivators even stored their Dao Fruits within special artifacts or secret realms."

His expression turned grave.

"However, a Dao Fruit is not an ordinary treasure. It contains a portion of the cultivator’s comprehension and is closely connected to the cultivator’s Dao Heart. If it is damaged, the cultivator’s understanding may suffer. If it is destroyed, the consequences can be devastating. A sufficiently profound Dao Fruit may even preserve traces of its owner’s Dao after their physical body has perished, though that does not guarantee survival or resurrection."

Lin Yuan considered the explanation carefully.

A Dao Fruit was not simply an additional source of power. It was a vessel for the cultivator’s understanding, a crystallized foundation that could be used to exercise the principles of the Dao more directly.

For him, the implications were extraordinary.

His Merged Dao had already allowed him to touch the Origin. His understanding of the Ten Thousand Ways Return to One Heart Sutra had given him a foundation for perceiving the common source of different principles. His Primordial Spirit had finally provided him with the capacity to interact with Origin Energy directly.

If he could condense all of that into a Dao Fruit, then his cultivation would undergo another qualitative transformation.

Yet, he did not immediately begin.

Instead, he turned toward Bai Qingyue.

"Qingyue, what do you think?"

Bai Qingyue had listened to the entire conversation without interrupting. Her eyes were fixed on Lin Yuan, and there was a faint smile on her face.

"I think you already know the answer. From the time we have spent together, I have known you have never been satisfied with merely possessing power. Whenever you discover a new principle, you always want to understand why it exists and where it comes from. If you simply wanted to increase your combat strength, you could cultivate the Dao of Thunder alone and spend your time refining stronger techniques."

She gently squeezed his hand.

"But that has never been your path. You chose to merge Thunder, Rain, and Three Rebirths because you sensed that their intersection contained something deeper. You want to understand the Origin, not merely borrow its power."

Lin Yuan looked at her for a moment, then laughed softly.

"You’re right. I suppose I have never been particularly good at taking the easy road."

"That is one way of putting it," Bai Qingyue replied with a playful smile. "Another would be that my husband enjoys making difficult things unnecessarily complicated."

Ku Ming’s lips twitched.

For a monk who had spent much of his life observing the solemnities of cultivation, the exchange was unexpectedly refreshing. The most powerful cultivators he had encountered were often consumed by ambition, their hearts filled with the desire to surpass everyone around them. Lin Yuan, despite possessing a foundation that could make countless ancient experts envious, could still stand beside his Dao Companion and discuss his path with such ease.

Perhaps this, too, was a kind of cultivation.

The heart that remained steady amid the pursuit of power could sometimes see truths that an obsessed heart would overlook.

"Amitabha Buddha," Ku Ming said. "This poor monk has one final piece of advice. When you begin forming your Dao Fruit, do not attempt to force the Origin into it."

Lin Yuan’s expression became serious.

"Explain."

"The Origin is the source of the myriad principles, but that does not mean you can command it merely because you have touched a trace of its essence. You must distinguish between understanding the Origin and possessing the Origin. The former is a path of comprehension. The latter would require a level of authority far beyond your current realm."

Ku Ming looked directly into Lin Yuan’s deep purple eyes.

"Let the Origin emerge naturally from the intersection of your three principles. Do not treat it as a fourth Dao to be forcibly added to the structure. If the foundation is sound, even a faint trace will be enough to elevate the fruit beyond an ordinary manifestation of the Dao."

Lin Yuan fell silent.

Those words clarified something he had been struggling to articulate.

The Origin was not a separate branch he needed to cultivate alongside Thunder, Rain, and Three Rebirths. It was the deeper principle revealed through their intersection. If he tried to force it into his Dao Fruit, he might destroy the very balance that allowed him to perceive it.

Instead, he needed to refine his comprehension until the three principles naturally converged upon their common source.

The Dao was not a collection of disconnected powers.

It was a complete structure.

And he had to build that structure from the foundation upward.

Lin Yuan slowly closed his eyes.

The noise of the jade plaza faded into the distance. The cultivators, the ancient forest, and the oppressive atmosphere of the Sacred Grounds gradually disappeared from his awareness. Even Bai Qingyue’s hand in his seemed to recede, though the warmth of her presence remained firmly anchored within his heart.

He did not immediately circulate his cultivation technique.

Instead, he turned his attention inward, toward the deepest region of his Primordial Spirit.

The Ten Thousand Ways Return to One Heart Sutra began to operate.

At first, nothing changed.

Then, a faint golden radiance emerged within his consciousness.

It was the first trace of Thunder.

The radiance expanded, revealing countless strands of lightning intertwined with the principles of destruction and transformation. Each strand represented a different aspect of his comprehension, from the destructive force of heavenly tribulation to the subtle relationship between lightning and the laws governing the heavens.

Lin Yuan did not attempt to gather them through force.

He simply observed.

Gradually, the countless strands began to settle into a coherent pattern.

Then came Rain.

*******

A/N: We have finally reached 300 Chapters! It has been more than three months since I started writing this novel, and I want to express my sincere appreciation to everyone who has joined me on this journey and supported me along the way. It hasn’t been easy. NovelPhoenix is a highly competitive platform, and the pressure to release multiple Chapters every day is very real. However, with your continued support and encouragement, I have been able to keep going and maintain such a pace. Looking back, I know the beginning of this novel was a little rough, whether it was the poor characterization of Lin Yuan in the early Chapters or the fact that Bai Qingyue didn’t get as much screen time during the first phase of the story as she deserved. Still, with that phase now behind us and the novel moving into its second phase, I believe I have grown as a writer and improved in many areas. More importantly, I believe I have given you, my dear readers, a story that is worthy of your time and, hopefully, a little praise as well. Thank you for sticking with me through the rough beginnings, for supporting the novel, and for giving me the motivation to keep writing. Reaching 300 Chapters would not have felt the same without all of you, and I am genuinely grateful to everyone who has been part of this journey. Thank you for everything!