Chapter 153: Hearing the Dao at Dawn, Eyes

After Red Cloud completely integrated himself into the illusion, his past self, standing in the distance, abruptly stopped attacking.

The past self sat down cross-legged, wearing a solemn expression, regulating his breath and concentrating his mind with his five hearts facing the heavens. Wisps of Daoist essence circulated effortlessly.

In an instant, a grand and primordial elixir emerged from the crown of Red Cloud's past self. The space suddenly grew viscous, and the illusory realm that had previously been merely reflected actually transformed into reality—a mirage of sparkling water and endless palaces.

Yet within this reality, there permeated an absurdly intangible sense of truth.

Meanwhile, within Red Cloud's own mind, the exact same scene appeared.

Unexpectedly, within this realm of illusion that he had comprehended, he discovered his own past self.

The other party looked at him with a gentle expression, raising a hand to summon a cup of fragrant tea.

Accompanied by the soothing sound of pouring water, a cup of tea was already brewed and placed before him.

"It seems you have gained quite a few fortuitous opportunities during this past eon."

Red Cloud's past self exchanged no polite greetings or idle chatter, cutting straight to the point.

Yet his words carried an indescribable emotion.

He looked at his present self—attired just as he was, yet wandering within the illusion with eyes still tightly bound—and let out a sigh:

"Still, this Old Ancestor would like to ask you this: Am I... still myself?"

Such a piercing question right from the start...

Red Cloud's heart sank slightly. He did not know what kind of changes he had undergone to provoke such an inquiry, but he felt inwardly that he had not changed all that much.

After a brief silence, he still slowly shook his head:

"Yesterday's days cannot be retained, nor can they be kept.

Since you are forever bound to the past, why must you obsess over such a question?"

"It seems I am myself, and yet not myself."

Red Cloud's past self did not dwell on this evasive answer. Gazing at the surrounding scenery of his own accord, he could not help but sigh:

"To be able to employ such a technique—pulling oneself from the past into the present and remaining here all the while—surpasses the realm of the Great罗. I fear a supreme expert far above the Great罗 has intervened.

Though I do not know what you have comprehended, I wish to know the Dao you have ultimately realized."

At this, this manifestation of his past self seemed to begin burning away, yet a smile remained upon his face:

"If one hears the Dao in the morning, one may die content in the evening!"

"Indeed, if one hears the Dao in the morning, one may die content in the evening."

Red Cloud sensed the various epiphanies appearing within his sea of consciousness, along with insights that streaked across his mind like shooting stars, and felt that they had grown several shades clearer.

The previously sluggish principles of the Dao suddenly flowed smoothly, as though branded into the depths of his heart, no longer as unreachable as they once were.

He murmured these words once more, his tone carrying a trace of melancholy.

Naturally, he knew what kind of method this was: only by burning away one's Dao fruit and igniting the very essence, energy, and spirit of one's entire being could such an effect be achieved.

Above the crown of his head, a cluster of red clouds drifted forth.

That was his true form within the Primordial World.

This cluster of red clouds appeared as a unified whole, yet every single droplet of mist within it seemed like a distinct, independent individual.

Consciousness circulated within them, moving in endless cycles until they gradually faded away, and out of nothingness, they coalesced into a Dao fruit.

Once this Dao fruit appeared, slight ripples stirred within the space, only to be suppressed a moment later.

Simultaneously, another Dao fruit drifted forth from his physical body.

The aura of this Dao fruit was similar to the one belonging to the past self, though slightly more potent.

The two Dao fruits gradually drew closer, mutual attraction pulling them together until, in an instant, the patterns upon them began to light up bit by bit, fusing into one.

Crack—

Crack, crack—

Unexplained fractures began to surface upon the surface of the Dao fruit, leaving the past self somewhat dumbfounded.

"Fellow Daoist..."

The past self looked on with a measure of anxiety and concern toward his present self: although having attained his current realm meant that, barring accidents, he could live forever in the past as long as the River of Time remained undried,

cracks appearing upon the Dao fruit had always constituted an injury to the Great Dao itself. To nurse such a wound back to health would truly take until the end of time and the decay of worlds.

"It is nothing, it is nothing. Fellow Daoist, just watch."

Red Cloud smiled calmly, drawing the Dao fruit back into his body. The aura of his entire being surged to its absolute peak, casting a vast shadow across the entire space.

His lips parted, initially intending to converse a little longer with his past self.

Yet upon second thought, he ultimately uttered only a single word.

"Cloud!"

In an instant, the entire space was completely filled by Red Cloud. Though the space had previously seemed infinitely vast, now, wherever the eye could see, there was only cloud.

Even with eyes closed, there was still cloud within his vision.

Pervading every nook and cranny.

Observing the expression on his past self's face, his mind settled as tranquil as still water, and he uttered a second word.

"Illusion!"

At this moment, the clouds remained clouds, but his burning physical body and the withered Dao fruit of his past self had once more grown wholesome and complete.

"Your comprehension of the Dao has already surpassed mine."

Red Cloud's past self sighed with emotion, putting away his Great罗 Dao fruit. His aura remained somewhat volatile at the moment, evidently unable to fully control this newfound power just yet.

Yet a smile graced his face, filled with wonder: such a Dao was vastly superior to the Dao he himself had understood.

Feeling his physical body gradually detaching from this space to return to the past, a trace of curiosity stirred within the heart of Red Cloud's past self. He looked into Red Cloud's face and offered a light smile:

"This Old Ancestor never had the habit of covering his eyes in the past. Now that I've reached this point, I suddenly find myself wanting to take a look at these eyes of yours."

Hearing this, Red Cloud felt a faint stirring within his heart.

After a brief hesitation, as he watched his past self gradually fade away, any lingering resentment or anger in his heart had long since vanished into thin air.

"It is not entirely impossible."

Red Cloud spoke with a hint of hesitation, yet his mind moved slightly, untying the jade ribbon that covered his eyes, and he slowly opened them.

Red Cloud's past self had already concentrated his focus. The very instant his gaze met those eyes, his mind shook violently, and his sea of consciousness roared:

"Fellow Daoist..."

Before he could finish his sentence, his figure completely dissolved into nothingness, and the space fell back into a tranquil stillness.

Red Cloud watched the spot where his past self had wanted to speak but could not, his figure now vanished entirely, leaving a faint sense of bewilderment in his heart.

He too held a thousand things he wished to say, but at this moment, he was separated from his past self by an insurmountable gulf.

The past is the past; how could it retain memories of what happens in the present?

Even if he were to travel from the present into the past, at most he would only retain a few scattered fragments of memory.

If he truly wished to completely reenact the present, he would likely have to use an illusion to simulate reality, letting his past self experience it all over again.

After all, the past is, in the end, the past.

He closed his eyes once more, tying back on the jade ribbon spun from starlight. His figure resumed its usual aloof and transcendent detachment, vast and ethereal.