A few weeks later, Sam felt something shifting deep within the depths of his Dao, signaling a change. His next quest had been to upgrade his Dao to the fourth level of the Seed Stage, preparing himself for the battle with the Shadow Raven.

Other than that, he had the omnipresent worry of the Foreman's return. The man was no doubt gathering power and allies in the outside world for his eventual vengeance. Someone like that who had reached the pinnacle of E Rank would lose everything if he backed down. The Foreman's Dao was already cracked from his fight with Sam, and it would shatter if he did not prove its worth to himself and his allies.

As Sam contemplated the meaning of Revenge, he found himself drifting towards a greater insight into the nature of his Dao. He was half of the way through the Seed stage, and so far had found that every upgrade came with balance. The last one had been an aggressive, almost evil insight, telling him that the best course of action was to brutally obliterate all of those who stood in his way, so as to never be troubled again. However, that was an incomplete concept, and one that needed balance.

Sam considered his many experiences as a warrior of the System, of times that he had been merciful, and times that he had not. With all of that taken into account, he found a surprising insight waiting for him. That Forgiveness might indeed be a part of Vengeance, or at least his interpretation of it. Nothing showed this more than his relationship with the Overlord, or perhaps more fittingly for this line of thought, Jacob Atlas.

In his tempestuous relationship with his father, from thinking the man dead to finding out that he was an enemy, to eventually calling him an ally and friend, Sam had followed this tenet. In finding it within himself to strive for the betterment of Jacob Atlas, despite all of the troubles and strife that it caused, he put himself in a better position to eke out his revenge against those who truly deserved it. For example, Jacob and Sam banded together to fight off the invaders of Earth, finding themselves stronger together than apart. With that sudden surge of insight, Sam was sucked into a Dao vision.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

He stood upon the bloodstained sands of an arena, his mind filled with memories that were not his own. Of families and friends betrayed, of worlds broken and sundered by the man who stood in front of him. The man who was his own brother.

Sam watched the other cultivator struggle, weighed down by chains that weighed more than mountains. All the while, a crowd of billions bayed for blood. Sam felt rage rising within him, the rage of a man who had lost everything. He found his hands twitching towards an ax clipped to his belt, every fiber of his being begging him to kill the monster before him. Then he realized that the urges filling him were not his.

Sam shook his head. "No. This does nothing but perpetuate a cycle of violence. Killing you might sate my hatred, but it does nothing to make up for what you did. Join me and repent." Sam teleported in front of the Dao apparition. "Join me, and find forgiveness." The chains binding the cultivator before Sam melted away. Newly freed, he reached out, grasping Sam's hand with his own. A moment later, the vision faded.

You have upgraded your Dao!

Dao Seed of the Avenger(Fourth Step)

You are the bulwark that stands between your people and the reaper. The shield, and the sword that prevents the hungry tide of evil from devouring them. Not only this, you are the one who reclaims their honor when all else fails. Such strength and conviction merits the accolade of the Avenger. Take your new power in hand, and hunt those who dare to attack you and yours. However, vengeance untrammeled is the surest path to one's demise, and in your pursuit of righteousness, you must know when to stop in your path lest you become worse than those who you punish. Nevertheless, sometimes, the transgressions of your enemies are too egregious for anything but a response in kind. Make an example of those who dare to oppose you, and ensure that it never happens again. At the halfway mark of mastery, a crucial threshold, you have realized that Vengeance unchained can work against itself. What good is revenge when it does nothing to help your cause, or even worse, hinder it?

+1000 to all physical stats

+600 to all mental stats

Sam grinned as a wave of power washed across the ocean of his might, and then realized something terrifying. Every one of his remaining thresholds were about to be crossed in unison.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.