chsdbacks Chapter 8: Exchange and Verification – The Difference Between the Heavenly Way and the Great Way
Chapter 8: Exchange and Verification – The Difference Between the Heavenly Way and the Great Way
Deep within the chaos, turbulent currents surge like raging waves.
The extremely compressed and condensed chaotic air currents and star-like gales are as powerful as spiritual treasures. Even ordinary Great Luo Golden Immortals who step into this place will be crushed to pieces and their primordial spirits destroyed if they are not careful and do not have supernatural powers or treasures to protect them.
Only one place, where purple mist stretches for hundreds of millions of miles, is surrounded by nine-colored clouds that never dissipate. A simple and ancient palace with a purple-gold hue floats quietly in the air, which is none other than the Daoist temple of Hongjun Laozu—Zixiao Palace.
Outside the palace, the laws of Heaven transformed into invisible restrictions, layer upon layer, interlocking in one another.
The endless chaotic energy was slowly drawn by the restriction, continuously flowing into the area around the palace. After being refined, it transformed into a rich and mellow innate spiritual energy, condensing into mist that flowed through the area.
"Snap!"
Three hundred million miles away from Zixiao Palace, the chaotic currents suddenly exploded, and a deep and boundless spatial rift appeared out of thin air.
Amidst the turbulent currents, an aged figure slowly stepped out—
The newcomer was dressed in a simple blue Taoist robe, with a fresh, green willow branch tied around his waist. Although he did not emit any aura, he caused the surrounding chaotic space to collapse slightly, and all laws became empty.
His hair was as white as snow, his white eyebrows drooped to his shoulders, his white beard flowed down his chest, his face was thin and ancient, and his eyes seemed to hold the image of creation and destruction in the blink of an eye. He was none other than Ancestor Yangmei.
A poem praises it:
The four directions and the universe are the foundation; with a single thought, all realms are connected.
The hollow willow tree holds the universe within, letting all things eventually become empty.
What a carefree and profoundly mysterious supreme being!
"Fellow Daoist Hongjun, an old friend has come to visit. Why not come out and greet him?" Ancestor Yangmei stroked his beard and laughed heartily. His voice echoed through the empty valley, penetrating layers of restrictions and reaching deep into the Purple Cloud Palace.
"Clang!"
"Whoosh."
Before he could finish speaking, the gates of Zixiao Palace opened, and a figure flickered slightly before standing in front of him.
It was none other than the Hongjun Ancestor.
He wore a plain-colored Daoist robe, spotless, his aura of divine power completely concealed, his face expressionless. Upon seeing Yang Mei, he nodded slightly: "Old friend Yang Mei, it has been more than ten eons since we parted during the Demonic Path conflict. It's been a long time."
Hongjun Ancestor was not surprised by the resurrection of Yangmei Ancestor, as if he had known it all along.
"Congratulations, fellow Daoist, on attaining the Heavenly Dao Sainthood and becoming the first Saint since the beginning of the Primordial World. Your cultivation has greatly increased." Ancestor Yangmei cupped his hands in congratulations, his tone sincere, his gaze fixed on Hongjun, with a hint of a smile as if meeting an old friend.
Hongjun Patriarch's gaze narrowed slightly as it fell upon him, a hint of surprise flashing across his face. He then sighed softly, "Old friend, you are too kind. I never expected that you would attain the status of a Primordial Golden Immortal before me, escaping the shackles of worldly constraints."
The Heavenly Saints are immortal and indestructible, which naturally surpasses the Primordial Golden Immortals.
However, in some respects, even the most sages of the Heavenly Dao are subject to many constraints, like shackles.
Even though Hongjun Laozu was the first saint and held a special position, this was still the case.
It would be a lie to say that he didn't envy Yang Mei's carefree life;
However, even if Hongjun Laozu were given another chance to choose, he would still embark on the path of collecting the broken fragments of the Jade Tablet of Creation, being favored by the Heavenly Dao, then killing Luo Hou and comprehending the method of severing the three corpses to become a saint.
—It has nothing to do with strength or weakness, but is simply a matter of personal choice.
"It was nothing more than feigning death during a calamity to escape, using a trick to reduce and empty the void, a mere escape, not worth mentioning." Yang Mei stroked his beard and smiled, a hint of fighting spirit flashing in his eyes. A faint blue light rippled around him, causing waves to spread through the surrounding chaotic space. "We've known each other since before the creation of the world, fighting side by side against enemies several times, yet we've never truly clashed to test our skills. Now that we've both attained the Primordial Dao Fruit, why not have a friendly spar, verify the Great Dao, and benefit each other?"
He proved his Dao using the laws of space, opening up a perfect world within his body with the hollow willow form. Compared to other cultivators who proved their Dao through force, he had a great advantage.
Therefore, he was one step ahead of Hongjun and became the first person to actually prove the Dao after the creation of the primordial world.
Hongjun, the patriarch, nodded slightly and said in a calm tone, "That is indeed my wish, but I dare not ask."
Having just attained sainthood, he needed to verify his own spiritual attainment, so naturally there was no reason for him to refuse.
With a flicker, the two disappeared into the deeper reaches of chaos. This place was far from the primordial world, and even if they used their full strength, it would not affect the heavens and earth in the slightest.
"go."
The ancestor Hongjun has made his move.
"The Heavenly Mystery manifests the Great Dao, and the Primordial Chaos establishes the universe."
"The Jade Register opened the primordial chaos, and the Golden Lotus protected the root of the Dao."
"The primordial energy is divided into pure and impure, and the three realms are defined by floating and sinking."
"Hongjun controls the Heavenly Dao, and all laws return to his gate."
As soon as the voice fell, the Jade Tablet of Creation, covered with cracks, slowly rotated above his head. Three thousand Heavenly Dao runes flowed endlessly, encompassing everything and all phenomena. In an instant, they evolved into earth, water, fire, wind, and the five elements, fixing the surrounding chaotic space.
With a single move, the supreme power of the Heavenly Dao Saint was fully displayed—the Heavenly Dao could manifest the mysteries of all the Great Dao laws that existed in the primordial world.
The sage who attains sainthood through the Heavenly Dao is one whose primordial spirit is entrusted to the Heavenly Dao, and who uses the authority of Heaven and Earth to act. Therefore, he can understand all laws and control all paths. This is a shortcut to becoming a saint by severing the three corpses, but it is also a shackle that is difficult to break free from in the future.
Yang Mei, a Grand Luo Golden Immortal of Hunyuan, took a different path: he deeply studied the Dao, exhausted its origins, and ultimately used the Dao to evolve into myriad Daos, opening up the universe within his body, thus proving the Dao through the laws.
—Because Pangu broke through all laws and created the world with his strength, the beings of the primordial world often referred to this path as proving the Dao through strength.
The Great Way and the Way of Heaven are not absolutely superior or inferior; one excels in breadth, and the other in depth.
However, Ancestor Hongjun knew that if the deficiencies in the laws of the primordial world could be filled, the Heavenly Dao might be able to be upgraded, and its depth would be no less than any other Great Dao.
However, this path is difficult...
Activating the Jade Tablet of Creation is just the beginning. With the great supernatural powers and magical strength of Ancestor Hongjun, he can truly unleash some of the power of top-grade innate spiritual treasures and innate supreme treasures.
With a flick of his left hand, the innate treasure Taiji Diagram unfolded with a roar, transforming into a golden bridge spanning the void, stabilizing the pure and turbid energies, making it impervious to all laws and repelling all evil.
With a flick of his right hand, the supreme innate spiritual treasure, the Mountain and River Map, unfolded, containing the universe, mountains, rivers, seas, sun, moon, and stars in endless rotation, intending to include Yang Mei in the map to suppress her.
Beneath his feet, twelve golden lotuses of merit radiated boundless golden light, each lotus protecting him from karmic taint and cause and effect.
The dragon-headed cane transformed into a golden dragon, which pounced upon them.
A bowl of pure water hangs above the head, with thousands of drops of pure water cascading down to cleanse the spirit and dispel all illusions.
In an instant, all sorts of treasures appeared, displaying the overwhelming power of the Holy One.
"Fellow Daoist, you rely too much on external things."
"Very well, let's see how this humble Taoist can 'break through all laws with one force' and 'subdue ten techniques with one force,' hahaha."
Ancestor Yangmei merely smiled faintly, a flash of azure light around him, and the illusory image of his hollow willow body slowly emerged.
The willows were pale green, their trunks hollow, with three thousand branches hanging down, each corresponding to a mysterious evolution of the Great Dao of Space.
—This is the supreme divine power of "Hollow Willow," which is "King of Space, Supreme of Emptiness, Capable of Containing All Things and Absorbing All Laws."
But then, Ancestor Yangmei opened his mouth and inhaled, and the surrounding chaotic space suddenly collapsed, forming a boundless chaotic black hole.
"Swish, swish, swish!"
The Taiji Diagram, the Mountain and River Map, the Dragon Head Cane, and the Pure Water Bowl that Hongjun summoned were all drawn away by an irresistible suction force and instantly absorbed by the black hole.
Even the protective golden light of the twelve-petaled golden lotus of merit was about to collapse.
In the blink of an eye, all the treasures in Hongjun Ancestor's hands were completely taken away by Yangmei Ancestor's Hollow Willow Divine Power.
Hongjun Laozu frowned slightly, and a loud bang came from behind his head. Before Pangu fell, a cloud of auspicious clouds formed from the righteous energy in his chest suddenly appeared and hung above his head.
Above the auspicious clouds, jeweled pendants and golden lamps swayed, stabilizing the primordial spirit, making it impervious to all magic and causing all evil to retreat. Only then could it barely withstand the spatial devouring power of Ancestor Yangmei and stabilize its body.
He sighed softly, "Only today do I realize that there are heavens beyond heavens. My old friend's mastery of spatial arts has reached a state of perfection, which I, a humble Daoist, cannot match."
Time is supreme, space is king.
Fate is unpredictable, but cause and effect reign supreme.
The Space Demon God, Hollow Willow, would easily rank among the top ten of the Three Thousand Great Dao Demon Gods; while the Chaos Cricket is far inferior, basically ranking at the bottom among the many Great Dao Demon Gods.
Furthermore, Hongjun Ancestor has only recently become a saint, and his foundation and resources are still inferior to those of Yangmei Ancestor.
It's understandable that they were outmatched.
"My old friend, attaining sainthood is just the beginning; do not slacken your efforts."
Ancestor Yangmei withdrew his supernatural powers, and with a flash of azure light, all the treasures he had just taken were returned. They landed steadily in front of Ancestor Hongjun, and he patted the latter on the shoulder encouragingly. However, it was just a friendly exchange to test their skills, and they stopped short of a full demonstration.
Hongjun Patriarch accepted the treasure, looked at Yang Mei, and said sincerely, "Now that you have attained enlightenment, why not stay in the Primordial World? You can stay with me to guard the world, fill in the gaps in the laws of the Primordial World, and protect all living beings. That would be an immeasurable act of merit."
He had long known that the primordial world was flawed and had been working tirelessly to address it, but the great trend of Heaven was something that even a newly ascended saint like himself could not reverse.
That is why he felt comforted when he saw Ling Xiao establish the twelve primordial stars and complete the celestial order, and secretly sighed that he was not alone on his path.