Speaking of power-ups and cultivation levels, it wasn't actually as difficult or numerous as it might appear.
Having delved into the direct derivation of the truth and gained knowledge about it, Niu Chang surmised that there were only four major realms in all of existence.
The Mortal level was the lowest tier of lifeforms, reserved for the descendants of many ancients who had already lost their ancestors' powers and traits.
They were constrained by their lifespans and their inability to access supernatural abilities.
The Unaging level was a common characteristic of those ancients who had once lived in this world. They weren't bound by lifespans since their concept of aging differed. Time would only amplify their power, not diminish it.
The World level, also known as the Saint level or what Niu Chang referred to as the Arrogance level, marked a point where a living being would manifest a new world within their body. This world bore the imprint of their existence and functioned solely according to their desires.
This was akin to a testament of their resilience in confronting the reality they inhabited, striving to become the masters of their personal realm. In this realm, their words dictated the rules, and their actions governed all.
Lastly, the highest tier was the God level or the Lord level. At this pinnacle, those possessing their complete world would integrate their own truth.
Not the truth Niu Chang sought, but their understanding of the fundamental nature of this world.
This was why they were termed Gods and Lords, for they held authority over a specific Law in its purest manifestation.
At the Saint level, they could only harness extensions of Laws – such as infusing their energy with the profundity of fire, making any rational attempt to counter their 'fire' ineffective.
However, at the Lord level, they wielded the authority of a certain Law in its most fundamental state.
In contrast to the cultivation stages designed by the Heavenly Dao, these various levels complicated matters that were originally simple.
Despite the golden core in this world no longer being unaging, the Heavenly Dao prohibited them from traversing the rightful path of transcendence.
. . .
Niu Chang continued to infuse his energy into his two followers, aiding them in laying the foundation before their breakthrough into sainthood.
This advancement marked a leap in their lifeform level, causing everything they had amassed thus far to undergo a qualitative transformation, forming the bedrock of their future.
Various cultivation methods were employed in a short span, bolstering their foundation.
Body refinement, qi refinement, and soul refinement constituted the fundamental trio.
Yet, from these three, numerous derivatives could be cultivated, including aspects like bone, flesh, blood, hair, and more.
Qi cultivation primarily dealt with energy. Creating multiple energy reserves stood as one among many techniques.
Concerning the soul, the simplest method to augment cultivation in this realm was to divide and independently nurture it.
A single soul could accommodate over hundreds of distinct soul cultivation methods.
Beyond all this, cultivation of the shadow and the mind also yielded results.
Treating the shadow as a second body, akin to flesh and soul, allowed it to undergo its unique cultivation, thus augmenting the total cultivation potential.
Likewise, the mind could be developed similarly, constructing a virtual world within and materializing the virtual into reality.
Outside these realms, which were restricted by the original body, came the external facets.
These encompassed weapons, artifacts, beast companions, plants, and even other individuals.
The path of cultivation stretched limitlessly due to the boundless scope of imagination.
Casually, Niu Chang conjured a pair of monsters before the Heavenly Dao.
He relished both aspects: crafting distinctive and potent characters, akin to fashioning game avatars, as well as the tension, thrill, excitement, and satisfaction that emanated from the Heavenly Dao while observing him forge another aberration of nature.
As Niu Chang's two followers grew stronger, the Heavenly Dao's anxiety heightened.
The rationale was simple: the so-called justice and Niu Chang's Blind Judge technique were never intended for benevolent applications.
Much like in his previous life, the concept of law and justice was crafted for the feeble to seek solace and for the mighty to assert dominance over the weak.
This constituted the genuine essence of justice, irrespective of the world or reality one inhabited.
It was manipulated for personal gain.
Who ever said Niu Chang lacked alternative methods to subdue and vanquish the Heavenly Dao once he amassed ample energy reserves?
He possessed numerous techniques for this purpose, and his secondary brain had already concluded the deduction of all viable approaches.
Hence, the present state of the Heavenly Dao resembled nothing more than a death row inmate, intently watching the seconds tick away on the clock, awaiting the fateful hour.
Or akin to a pig observing the butcher honing his blade.
A sense of helplessness and escalating anxiety—undoubtedly the most excruciating torment for any rational mind.
To stand on the precipice of death, drawing nearer with each passing moment, yet incapable of altering the course—such torment was a fate nobody wished to confront.
Yet, even a cornered mouse would bite, as the adage goes.
Just as Niu Chang whimsically conjured the mightiest character, a sensation tugged at his heartstrings.
Yet, he harbored no concern or restlessness, as everything had reached its endgame. Analogous to a chessboard with fewer than five pieces, a machine could simulate all potential outcomes.
Niu Chang couldn't discern when or how, but he found himself in a place that seemed detached from all else. 'It oddly resembles the void of emptiness.'
"Heheh," Niu Chang let forth a derisive chuckle.
It wasn't resounding, but it sufficed for him to derive amusement from amplifying psychological pressure upon his adversary.
Adjacent to Niu Chang, the same imaginary scale existed. One hand was perceptibly higher, initiating its sole function.
The predicament Niu Chang presently confronted arose because the Heavenly Dao co-opted his concept of 'justice' for its own advantage.
The Heavenly Dao contended that Niu Chang would spell its downfall, hence it sought an equitable and just resolution to forestall potential conflict.
It was a mere manipulation of words; in the face of justice, anything was conceivable—shifting the worst into the realm of bad, and bad into the territory of barely acceptable.
However, the Heavenly Dao was currently treading on thin ice. It possessed its own scale, intending to eradicate any obstruction that prevented Niu Chang from employing his cheat, the system.
While the Heavenly Dao could perceive its presence, it remained incapable of fully deciphering it, as Niu Chang had already woven various layers of concealment.
This place resembled a grand arena.
A circular floor, meticulously paved with pristine rock, stretched beneath one's feet. Surrounding this stage, a wall seemingly detached from the floor stood resplendently in the background.
It bore a resemblance to a colosseum, yet devoid of any spectator seats.
Confronting Niu Chang from the opposing side was a silhouette crafted from pure light. It exuded an ethereal and sanctified aura.
This figure refrained from assuming a human form to evade easy perception.
Behind this silhouette rested another scale, constructed from unadulterated ideology but distinct from Niu Chang's scale. A faint trace of material clung to this scale, evidencing its predisposition towards imbalance.
"How preposterous," Niu Chang scoffed upon beholding this biased scale. "You desired an equitable and just fight, yet you rejected a fair judge. Haha."
It bordered on the comical.
"It is laughable!"
"The mighty, the haughty, the lofty—all of your loftiness in this world condenses into a cowardly tactic like this. Truly a grand jest for me to savor. Is there no shred of dignity left in your pitiable existence?"
"Are you truly so terror-stricken by death? Even your exalted lineage as the spiritual wisdom of a pure law holds no significance in your eyes?"
"What a ludicrous entity you've become."
"The once immaculate spirit now resembles nothing more than a humble cur scavenging for scraps behind a small shop. Hungry for survival, trembling at the antics of mischievous children."
"I am baffled, genuinely. Why do you consistently follow this pattern? Your lofty ideals have reduced you to a low level villain, refusing to acknowledge your own downfall."
Niu Chang shook his head. "At the very least, not like this. Not in this shameful spectacle of battling for a fleeting glimmer of survival."
Oddly enough, he found himself experiencing a sense of sorrow and disappointment on behalf of the Heavenly Dao, witnessing it resort to this plan and subsequently carry it out.
According to the deductions of his second brain, there existed more than three potential methods for the Heavenly Dao to seize an opportunity for survival. Regrettably, it failed to perceive any of them.