Why Reverend Insanity’s Power System Is Massively Underestimated
I don't know why people underestimate the power level of Reverend Insanity so much. Is it because:
It doesn't talk about higher dimensions, or because characters don't casually throw around flashy attacks that destroy everything for no reason?
First of all, the Gu World is extremely vast. Each continent is at least 8 to 10 times the surface area of Earth, and with 5 continents, that would already be around 25.5 billion km². And that's without even using the theory that the Gu World is 50 times larger than Earth.
People say that Gu Masters cannot be compared to characters from other universes because they rely on Dao and Gu. But that's like saying you can't compare the power systems of a universe that uses mana with another that uses ki. The real problem is that many people don't understand what the Dao actually is.
In the xianxia genre, and especially in Reverend Insanity, the Dao (or Dao laws) represents the fundamental laws, essence, and rules governing the universe.
This concept comes directly from real Chinese philosophy, particularly Taoism, where “Dao” literally means “The Way” or “The Path.” In the novel, however, this philosophical concept is materialized in an extremely rigorous form through Dao Marks.
- The Materialization of the Dao: Dao Marks
In Reverend Insanity, the Dao is not some invisible abstract force; it is made of physical and measurable fragments called Dao Marks.
Every element, concept, or power possesses its own Dao Marks: Time Path has time Dao marks, Fire Path has fire Dao marks, and so on.
Everything that exists is made from these marks. A rocky mountain is dense with Earth Path Dao marks, while a sacred river is saturated with Water Path Dao marks. In other universes people talk about “concepts,” but then what exactly is the Dao?
In Reverend Insanity, the distinction between a concept and the Dao goes to the very structure of the power system and the construction of the universe itself. The author established a precise top-down logic: a concept is a human abstraction, while the Dao is the physical and fundamental reality of the world.
Here is how they differ and connect:
- The Dao is objective, while concepts are subjective
The Dao (and Dao Marks): These are the objective building blocks of reality. Dao marks exist independently of humanity or any form of life. Even if all living beings in the Gu World disappeared tomorrow, the Dao marks of Time, Space, or Fire would still exist and continue governing the universe. The Dao is essentially the physics of that world.
A concept: A concept is the perception, idea, or abstraction created by living beings. It is a mental construct. For example, concepts such as “Justice” or “Regret” begin as human thoughts before eventually becoming linked to the Dao.
The Dao existed first; humans create new Paths through concepts
This is one of the most fascinating parts of the novel: human concepts can force the Dao to reorganize itself and create entirely new Paths.
At the beginning of the world, only natural Paths existed in the form of raw Dao marks: Time, Space, Earth, Water, Fire, etc. Then great geniuses conceptualized new aspects of existence:
Wisdom Path: Created by the Venerable Star Constellation Immortal Venerable. She took the abstract concepts of thought, will, and emotions, theorized them, and transformed them into a cultivation system. The Dao then manifested these ideas as new physical Dao marks: Wisdom Path Dao marks.
Theft Path: Created by Thieving Heaven Demon Venerable. The concept of “stealing” or “taking what belongs to others” is not a natural law; it is a purely social and moral concept. Yet through his genius, he elevated this concept into a universal law, creating Theft Path Dao marks capable of stealing space, time, or even Gu worms.
One day I was debating with a fan of Lord of the Mysteries about Klein versus a Venerable. He argued that Klein could simply make the Venerable stupid. But with Dao marks, the Venerable would naturally possess resistance because stupidity affects the path of thought and mind, meaning there are defensive methods against it.
He replied that Klein controls the concept of stupidity itself, so he would still win.
But if we assume that concepts are merely fragments of the Great Dao, then every Sequence 0 in Lord of the Mysteries would lose authority over their concepts against a Venerable. After all, becoming a Venerable requires supreme attainment in a Path beyond everyone else. And regarding the refinement of Dao marks in the world itself, a Venerable could theoretically do this in any world because Dao marks are essentially the manifested marks of concepts themselves.