So, how do we create a Dao that is greater than the Endless Sky, ie infinity? We can start by looking at set theory, and at other quests.
The Ordinal Spiral is nothing less than the fastest and most efficient path that any ontologically coherent mind can take, towards the heart of magic… The heart of magic is something which all the words of men, written and spoken, have yet failed to contain. The best we can do is to say, simply, that it is a thing which can be described in many ways, but which is best described by the Ordinal Spiral."
And here we have the answer; the most optimal Dao is (probably?) one which is in some way related to the Ordinal Spiral. While Nameless will obviously not have encountered the Ordinal Spiral magic system, if he's taken classes on set theory he'll be aware of ordinal numbers, cardinal numbers, and other such terms. In fact, the Wikipedia article on ordinal numbers even includes a pretty picture of an ordinal spiral. So while replicating the Ordinal Spiral using Cultivation is probably impossible, and would bore readers such as myself who love exploring new magic systems, drawing inspiration from set theory is likely our best bet.
In addition, we were given the option of communicating with Earth scientists in order to create an optimal Dao. So why on earth would Earth scientists be superior to Imperial Daoists? Because Earth scientists are aware of various mathematical concepts that the Imperials are not.
I would propose that we make our Dao the Aleph. My own knowledge of set theory is rather limited, so I'll avoid offering any explanations here. All you need to know is that an Aleph is a term from set theory, that it is better than a single infinity like that of Kang, and that it also embodies the concept of order, since the Aleph numbers only represent sets that are well-ordered. Order is nice, since it allows us to avoid the unfortunate cancer comparisons made with Zang's Dao.
Now most Dao's embody concepts a bit less esoteric than a term from set theory. The sky, the primordial elements, the succession of ages; each of these is an easily understood concept with a cool name and direct implications in the physical world. So can we do the same thing for our Dao of the Aleph? Well, we can help ourselves to some inspiration from the Kabbalah. "Aleph, in Jewish mysticism, represents the oneness of God. The letter can be seen as being composed of an upper yud (Yodh), a lower yud, and a vav (Waw (letter)) leaning on a diagonal. The upper yud represents the hidden and ineffable aspects of God while the lower yud represents God's revelation and presence in the world. The vav ("hook") connects the two realms."
Just as we are Thrice-Great, so too does the Aleph combines three parts; the divine, the physical, and the spiritual that connects these two. As the Philosopher King we are already drawing heavy inspiration from the Hermetic Qabalah, so having our Dao be the Aleph makes thematic sense.
And this is where my limited knowledge of math and esoteric mysticism run out, so I'll stop.
