Donghuang Ziji

Chapter 944 The Heavenly Demon's Narrative of the First Rank

"If your true self were willing to listen to my advice, I wouldn't have come looking for you."

Taiyi Zhenjun shook his head: "If he were only willing to listen to me, I wouldn't have come to you."

Chu Tai laughed and said, "Then there's nothing I can do. If even you, a senior, can't persuade him, what can I, as an avatar, do?"

"But if you are willing, you can bypass him and complete the transformation of Dao Qi."

Hearing Taiyi Zhenjun's calm tone, Chu Tai found it hard to believe.

Are you serious?

Taiyi Zhenjun extended his hand forward, revealing strands of Taiyi Qiankun Dao Qi in his palm.

"If you are willing, you can absorb this part of the Dao Qi now. First, perfect the Dao of Heaven and Earth, then perfect the Dao of Myriad Phenomena. Your path has gathered the power of the Azure Child Lord who holds the Immortal Register, the Sun Emperor who illuminates Hell, and the Savior of Suffering who hears cries for salvation. To a certain extent, it also connects the changes of Heaven, Earth, and Man."

"Once you perfect the Dao of Heaven and Earth, your power can be further expanded. You can merge the three to construct the Eastern Nine Yang Emperor position or the Taiyi Qinghua Emperor position, and you may even reach the first rank."

"If one can further perfect the Way of All Things, and truly achieve the ability to manifest countless forms, responding to all things with their cries, and seeking out those in distress, then one can become the Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun manifesting in the human world, and would be among the top-tier among the first-class."

Despite the temptation offered by Taiyi Zhenjun, Chu Tai shook his head and refused with a smile.

"With the protection of the Heavenly Venerable Taiyi Jiuku, I will not interfere. Doing my current work as Qing Tongjun, Riyao Dijun, and Jiuku Du'e Shangsheng is enough to keep me busy."

After saying this, seemingly worried that Zhenjun wouldn't believe him, Chu Tai added another sentence.

"You should know that another incarnation of the original has been blessed by the Saint of Salvation from Suffering. Now, he is busy 365 days a year, 12 hours a day, without a moment's rest. He is either saving the lost souls or enlightening the illusory memories. If I were to do that, I would rather reincarnate in the human world and go through thousands of kalpas."

"Fellow Daoist is joking. When it really happens to you, you're not the kind of person who would refuse."

Chu Tai did not refute Taiyi Zhenjun's words, but simply chuckled again.

"Therefore, I choose not to let this thing fall on my head. Your Majesty, I will return first. Let's wait until this world comes to an end and the Ancestral Master returns before discussing anything further."

After bowing respectfully, Chu Tai left the Lingxiao Palace and returned to the Qingxuan Mansion.

Before they could even sit down, the illusory image of Taiyi Zhenren from Yuqing Tianxia was already seated on the lotus pond.

He exposed his round belly, with thirty-six-colored rays of light hanging behind his head. Countless wishes surged into it, swirling up hundreds of thousands of colorful clouds. Golden lamps floated within, guiding countless beings toward new life.

He looked at Chu Tai and said, "That emperor might not be so easy to agree to. You should keep an eye on things."

"Actually, I'm a little curious. One of the core members of this senior is the Taiyi Ancestor. Why does he insist that I accept his Dao Fruit? Does he really not think that I can reach the first rank before I finish my journey in this world?"

Chu Tai looked towards the outside of Qingxuan Mansion, somewhat puzzled.

"The number of days in this world is 129,600 years, which is one cycle. One cycle is further divided into twelve periods: Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, and Hai, each period lasting 10,800 years."

"The heavens were created at midnight, the earth was created at 1-3 AM, and people were born at 3-5 AM. The time of Yao and Shun marked the beginning of the Wu Hui (a period of great prosperity). The present time marks the end of the Wu Hui. There are still three more Wu Huis (the periods of 1-3 PM, 3-5 PM, and 5-7 PM) before the closure of the heavens and earth, which will last for a total of 32,400 years."

"Furthermore, the number of heaven and earth refers to the time in the Heavenly Court. The time of the Three Assemblies in the human world is more than 11.8 million years."

"Not to mention the numbers in the mortal realm, even the numbers in the Heavenly Court far exceed my cultivation years, so what is there to worry about?"

"Perhaps there are still some secrets within the First Grade True Path that we don't know about. Or perhaps this Emperor has his own little scheme in mind."

After Taiyi Zhenren finished speaking, he seemed to have thought of something, and straightened his expression, saying, "Speaking of the changes in heaven and earth, at the beginning of the Xu-Hai conjunction, heaven and earth were dark, and there were no people or beings, manifesting as chaos. After 5,400 years, heaven and earth were destroyed. After another 5,400 years, near the Zi conjunction, they gradually became bright again. At this point, heaven began to have a root. Do you think that the root of the Patriarch's Dao Qi might have manifested near the Zi conjunction?"

"What you say is quite possible, but compared to the Dao Qi of the Patriarch, I'm more curious about what the main body is doing..."

Chu Tai spread his five fingers, and the Dao of Taiyi appeared in his palm. Layer upon layer of precious wheels appeared, and countless changes manifested accordingly.

"Although it's supposed to be aimed at the Heavenly Demon, isn't this rapid rate of change a sign that the transformation isn't intended to be the core of Taiyi?"

"This is none of my business to interfere in."

After Taiyi Zhenren finished speaking, he seemed to sense something and suddenly stood up to look out at the sky.

In his perception, the Taiyi Dao between heaven and earth suddenly underwent a new change.

"What happened?"

Chu Tai also stood up and silently sensed that the Dao of Taiyi and the Dao of Heavenly Demons had collided violently.

In a realm completely imperceptible to ordinary people, Chu Tai himself is engaged in another battle with the Heavenly Demon.

No, it should be said that Chu Tai is currently clashing with a portion of the Great Freedom power controlled by the Heavenly Demon.

Amidst endless colorful light, countless flowers bloom in vibrant colors, surrounding a divine and enigmatic figure whose gender is indistinguishable. This is a celestial demon relying on a portion of the power of Great Freedom, seated atop a nine-tiered glazed lotus throne, with a halo resembling that of the Buddha floating behind his head.

Her eyes shimmered with the brilliance of crystal, captivating all beings with their enchanting beauty, and within them, countless loves, hates, and grudges of the mortal world constantly evolved and transformed.

Compared to the past, Chu Tai's cultivation has improved significantly. When he looked at Da Zizai again, he understood the essence of his Dao fruit: it was neither idealism nor the mind, but his name, Da Zizai.

The so-called Great Freedom is neither freedom nor carefree existence, but rather the perfect harmony that comes after the mind has broken through countless tribulations. It is the realization that rules are illusory, that the eternal will eventually perish, the elimination of attachment to self and attachment to dharma, and the fundamental transformation of mental images to reach the realm of creating a spiritual field within illusion.

This kind of Dao Fruit is very compatible with the Heavenly Demon's [Transformation]. So when it fell into the world with Cang Qingshi, apart from the part taken by the Mother of Creation, a small part of the power of Great Freedom was also corrupted by the Heavenly Demon.

In the past, the Heavenly Demon held an absolute advantage, so there was no need to bring it out. Now that it is nearing its end, it is natural to bring it out.

"As expected, I was wondering how you managed to bewitch people and distort perceptions when you were being suppressed by the seniors. It really is the power of Great Freedom."

Under Chu Tai's watchful eye, he could see that the nine-tiered lotus throne beneath the Great Freedom Heavenly Demon was essentially a manifestation of the spiritual despair of countless accomplished cultivators. Imprisoned within it were countless accomplished cultivators, perhaps with unwavering will or pure Dao nature, but utterly useless in the Heavenly Demon's eyes.

The valiant martial arts cultivator roared within, his surging blood energy soaring to the sky, spreading out and turning the void a crimson hue. His unwavering will materialized into the weapon in his hand, and with a savage aura of fighting against heaven and earth, he cleaved through the surroundings, severing countless illusions.

His will was unwavering, and every attack contained the courage, fighting spirit, and fury he had displayed in his past battles against wild beasts, his people, nature, and himself.

But all of this is nothing but illusion before the Heavenly Demon. In his crystal world, the cultivator's past is constantly being fragmented. His childhood body changes, and he becomes a farmer, a farmer who struggles on the edge of life and death and constantly endures hunger.

Even though he was constantly challenging fate, he always encountered the worst possible situation.

For example, the land was damaged by passing cultivators, or one lost limbs due to the cultivators' battle.

What angered Chu Tai the most was that, under the control of the Heavenly Demon, he was able to reclaim his other time periods that had caused all of this.

His anger was amplified, his shortcomings were highlighted, and his resilience, kindness, and conscience were constantly suppressed.

The martial arts cultivator's mind was in constant struggle, but this struggle was like ripples on a lake, utterly useless. The Heavenly Demon only needed to throw in a pebble to disperse it, allowing it to rise and fall according to its own will.

Through constant struggles, setbacks, and failures, the powerful warrior's mind was ultimately broken, tempered, and forged, becoming a weapon of the Great Free Demon.

Similarly, there was another immortal cultivator who was proficient in swordsmanship. Inside the crystal lotus throne, he manipulated the sword light, dividing yin and yang, generating the four phases, producing the five elements, establishing the eight trigrams, and suppressing the universe. In the end, he manifested forty-nine sword techniques. The sword's momentum was like the rotation of the heavenly way, with endless changes. He had already reached a realm where he had his own methods but no methods.

But such sword light was still nothing but a joke in the eyes of the Heavenly Demon. Each sword light was broken down and fell into different worlds, transforming into different beings. Then, they turned around and broke the essence of their own sword light, and then attacked the cultivator, disintegrating his sword light that seemed like the will of heaven, and then pulling him into the world of sword light, constantly rotating.

Similar situations abound within the Lotus Throne: many virtuous individuals are corrupted beyond recognition by desire, their bodies stained with filth; kind and innocent people are maliciously harmed, ultimately forced to wield the butcher's knife, their hands stained with blood; the ignorant and naive experience the most vicious aspects of humanity in the prime of their lives, and even those who retain their conscience do not meet a good end…

Beyond the positive aspects, there are many other facets of the human spirit: the libertine who lingers in a sea of ​​flowers ultimately finds himself unable to attain true loyalty; the heartless and ruthless schemer's final act of loyalty turns into betrayal; and the silver-tongued deceiver, in order to usher in a new dawn, is forced to pluck out his own voice...

Good, bad, kind, sinful—all sorts of souls, under the control of the Heavenly Demon, have undergone countless cycles of reincarnation. They struggle constantly, yet they also hone themselves into the foundation of great freedom and power.

Can you find happiness in manipulating people's minds?

Chu Tai's voice was icy cold. The Great Freedom Demon chuckled, "Of course, what could be more pleasing to the eye than their struggle?"

"The reason why all living beings can perceive the myriad phenomena of the world is through the five senses and six consciousnesses, namely sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch."

"But if a person's five senses and six perceptions are all artificially cut off, and then corresponding information is artificially inputted, do you think everything that person perceives is real or fake?"

"Similarly, cultivators have more methods of perception, but they are just relying on other mediums, such as spiritual sense, mind, or true qi. As long as you master, cut off, and interfere with these, how can you be sure that what you perceive is real?"

The Great Free Heavenly Demon looked at Chu Tai, a hint of a smile appearing in his eyes.

"And how can you be sure you're not in a fake dream right now?"

"Your statement is far too shallow. Back then, the Supreme Dao Ancestor descended with countless spiritual lights, which already showed us what is real and what is false. You can simulate thousands of things, but can you simulate the spiritual lights bestowed by the Supreme Dao Ancestor?"

Chu Tai responded coldly, but the Heavenly Demon laughed and said, "If I were to manipulate sentient beings and memories, and make illusory things come to life, and let them live in my dojo, would their past be real or fake?"

“Since the inspiration exists, it is naturally real, and the experiences in its memory are naturally real as well.”

"Using inspiration as an anchor point and memory as a basis to confirm one's own existence?"

The Great Free Demon looked at Chu Tai and chuckled, "Then where is your true self? I remember that you separated your own spiritual light. Although you later merged it back together, for you, your true self can no longer be determined by mere spiritual light. If you don't even know where your true self is, how can you achieve the first-grade true path?"

"What do you mean?"

Chu Tai's tone was icy, while the Heavenly Demon laughed loudly: "Let's make a deal, a deal about the [truth]."

"I can tell you some information that neither the Heavenly Emperor nor Taiyi would tell you, and in return, you must spare my incarnation. How about it?"

The Great Free Demon looked at Chu Tai with a constant smile in his eyes, seemingly not worried about Chu Tai's refusal.

But Chu Tai simply retorted, "If I refine you, what you know will also be mine, won't it?"

As the Eastern Emperor Bell rang, the Great Freedom Heavenly Demon paused briefly. But just as Chu Tai was about to touch him, countless shimmering lights emanated from his body, shattering him into countless dust particles.

Seeing this, Chu Tai was slightly startled and was about to stop them when the dust once again coalesced into the image of the Great Freedom Demon, appearing beside Chu Tai and laughing, "I cannot defeat you now, but I can guarantee that you will not get the information you want."

"Then tell me first, what is the truth of the first-grade true path?"

"Want to inspect the goods first? Fine, I'll tell you the real reason."

The Heavenly Demon sat upright, displaying the posture of preaching, and emanated many profound sounds from his mouth, recounting the many mysteries of the First-Rank True Dao, giving Chu Tai a clearer understanding of it.

The "truth" in the so-called "true path of the first rank" is essentially the unique and true anchor point for oneself.

To put it bluntly, it's about identifying a core that gathers all your information. This is something that a third-rank cultivator would normally start doing, but because Chu Tai has the Eastern Emperor Bell, he doesn't need an absolutely real point, and his past and future are also protected by the Eastern Emperor Bell, so he hasn't felt anything.

However, this kind of protection is not a problem before reaching the first rank, but it becomes a problem if one wants to enter the first rank.

After all, the true anchor point of the first-grade true path contains all the information of a cultivator. It can be said to be a highly condensed product of his Dao fruit. If Chu Tai integrates this into the Eastern Emperor Bell, when Chu Tai proves the Dao in the future, will it be him who proves the Dao, or the Eastern Emperor Bell that proves the Dao?

Furthermore, establishing a true anchor point is extremely difficult. A large part of the reason why even a powerful figure like Sun Wukong could not fully achieve the first-grade Dao fruit was that the true anchor point for his first-grade Dao fruit could not be determined.

"I see."

Chu Tai nodded, somewhat understanding why Taiyi Zhenjun didn't think highly of him. He gently shook the Donghuang Bell in his hand, directly shattering the Great Freedom Demon.

(End of this chapter)