1 Prologue - An Old Man

"What is the Dao?" This simple sounding question was asked throughout the countless eons of cultivation. Countless philosophers spent their life on learning of the Dao.

Cycle 1 of the 1st Era - The Primordial Ancestor discovers the path to cultivation. He had preached the path of Cultivation to the Infinite Cosmos. After spreading the Dao, he ascends and is never seen again.

Cycle 817 of the 2nd Era - The Enlightened Sage, Eternal Light, locked himself in seclusion in an attempt to understand the Dao. His body was found 1900 Cycles later.

Cycle 9104 of the 4th Era - The Azure Emperor, Absolute Ruler of the 4th Era, went into a craze after gaining a sliver of insight. His officials and generals heard " Omnipresent and Omnipotence," under his crazed muttering.

Cycle 1293 of the 9th Era - The True Immortal of the Mountains and Sky, contemplates the Dao. He may still be in seclusion to this day.

The Dao is a mysterious thing, believed to be many things. Some believe it to simply be the laws of the universe, while others believe it to be a god-like figure.

One common point both sides have is that the Dao encompasses all and all encompases the Dao.

Cycle 174 of the 1st Era of the Desolate Age - Philosopher Kong Zi defines the Dao as the Way. He defines the Dao as the reason things are. He defines the Dao as the Natural Laws of the Universe. He defines the Dao as One with all.

The end goal of cultivation is to fully attain the Dao. These were the words of the Primordial Ancestor, written in the legendary 100 Teachings of the Dao. Not even the Primordial Ancestor himself could have claimed to fully attain the Dao.

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An old man sat in a pagoda. The pagoda was 9 stories high. It sat upon nothing and floated within the infinite void that is space. The stars shone brightly and a tranquil aura emanated from the pagoda.

The old man was a fragile looking one. He had a silken white beard and a topknot through his hair. He emanated an otherworldly aura.

Countless particles of spirit gathered upon the old man. Space Distorted and Time Froze. The light particles turned into one and grew brighter and brighter.

…..

Until it shattered.

" What is missing! What must I do! I have sat upon the very mat since the 4th Era!" muttered the old man.

The old man's mutters grew louder and louder.

" What DO I LACK! WHAT AM I MISSING!" The old man started screaming. Space and Time itself began to shudder in fear. The pagoda shattered into dust. Nothing remained besides the old man and the starlight encompassing him.

The screaming slowly turned to a sob.

" Why must this happen to me."

The old man laid upon space. And closed his eyes for a single moment and through that single moment he saw several faces. Ones that even he with eidetic memory had nearly forgotten. The faces of family and friends. His martial brothers and sisters. His lover. He wished he could go back. He wished there was a pill of regret. He felt it was too late. I

The old man snapped his two wrinkled fingers and a world of grass had appeared. He simply lay on the grass and stare into the sky. Countless clouds flew by and he lay there for 100 Cycles. Through the old man's near omnipotent vision, he saw men and women living and dying. He saw children become adults and the adults becoming graves. He saw desolation, despair, and pain.

...

But he kept looking and he saw something. He saw the thing he was missing.

He saw the thing he had abandoned to attain power.

He saw that it was indeed not to late.

A tear gently slid down his cheek.

And he descended to the mortal realms to discover that in which he lacked.