Xiuxian: I studied abroad in modern times

Chapter 525 The Great Luo Taiyi, Rewriting the Game
Zheng Fa couldn't help but look out of the observatory.

A great sun hangs in the distance amidst the chaos, its golden rays surging wildly in the darkness, as if silently protesting its injustice.

No wonder the people of Haori Mountain had bloodshot eyes when they saw the Fusang tree.

No wonder I had such a strange feeling at the entrance to the Nine Luminaries Heaven.

Consider the special status of the sun in the legends of various countries around the modern world.

Even the solar system, humanity's home, might be related to the sword strike of Venerable Tianhe.

Zheng Fa suddenly realized a big problem, turned to look at Venerable Tianhe with a nervous expression: "So that jade pendant belongs to Lu Yao?"

This is absolutely terrible.

If the jade pendant belongs to Lu Yao, then this could be a real problem.

The hibiscus tree is already a potential problem.

If the jade pendant is still connected to Lu Yao, then the possibility of being exposed in the modern world is too high, and it may even be unsafe.

"No."

The Venerable Tianhe's answer made Zheng Fa even more confused, feeling that his mind was even more chaotic than the surrounding chaos.

“The jade pendant is not a treasure of the celestial realm; I have already shattered the treasures of the celestial realm,” Venerable Tianhe explained. “Only in this way can the spiritual energy be severed.”

That's true.

For example, in the Nine Mountains Realm, the Sun and Moon Bell is the source of all spiritual energy.

"That jade pendant is..."

"The jade pendant is to conceal that world," Venerable Tianhe pointed to the stars in the sky, "so that these people cannot see it."

Zheng Fa nodded slightly, then asked again:
"Where did that jade pendant come from? And how did it end up in my hands?"

This is Zheng Fa's deepest doubt and his biggest worry—is he a pawn?
"I don't know." Venerable Tianhe's face showed composure. "I obtained this jade pendant by chance, and I don't know who will end up with it."

"I have no idea whether the person who comes can take on the mantle of my Heavenly River Dao."

That's why Venerable Tianhe said he wanted to sever the mysterious spiritual energy.

Is this Venerable One also gambling?
"accidental?"

It wasn't a conspiracy theory about Zheng Fa, but since it concerned his own safety, he couldn't help but think it over carefully.

Moreover, this jade pendant is by no means an ordinary treasure. In Zheng Fa's opinion, it is at least a treasure of the Loose Immortal level, no, even a treasure of the Loose Immortal level.

Who would throw it around everywhere?

“I also think it’s too much of a coincidence.” Venerable Tianhe nodded. “I obtained this jade pendant after I wiped out a small sect back then… Logically speaking, that sect shouldn’t have such a foundation.”

Zheng Fa frowned, and then heard Venerable Tianhe say:
"Actually, I suspect someone."

"Who?"

"Yin-Yang symbol, who else comes to mind?"

Zheng Fa felt as if he had been hit on the head with a hammer, his head buzzing. He steadied himself by holding onto the railing beside him and looking down at Xuan Wei.

His voice was a little hoarse as he asked, "Daoist Master?"

"There are only a handful of people in this world who can outmaneuver me."

Venerable Tianhe's smile was somewhat cold, as if he harbored some resentment.

Zheng Fa understood perfectly. He had previously worried that he was a pawn of this Venerable One, which made him feel uneasy and even resentful.

Not to mention Venerable Tianhe's personality.

He originally thought that Lu Yao was the biggest behind-the-scenes player in Xuanwei's past few eras.

Who would have thought that the Daoist Master was also making moves in secret?

Thinking about it this way, perhaps the Heavenly River Venerable's sword strike was all part of the Dao Venerable's plan...

Previously, Zheng Fa thought that Tai Shangdao was a complete idiot, always getting beaten up.

Now I understand, I was truly foolish to underestimate the Daoist Master.

This person remained silent and did not even show his face. He used Venerable Tianhe's sword to cut off Lu Yao's chance to achieve enlightenment, which can be described as a fatal blow.

Thinking of this, Zheng Fa pressed further, "Venerable One, what exactly is the relationship between the four sects?"

The relationships between the four sects are incredibly complex, with each sect constantly trying to outmaneuver the other. They are only truly united when facing the Tianhe Sect.

Venerable Tianhe pondered for a moment, then remained silent.

Could there be some secret behind this?
"I don't know much about the conflicts between the four sects," Venerable Tianhe said slowly. "There are some things I'm just guessing about. Whether they're right or wrong, you'll probably have to verify them yourself in the future. You can't be blind, or you'll easily get caught up in the situation and be schemed against."

Zheng Fa could certainly hear the good intentions in those words.

Judging from the actions of the Daoist master, the four sects should not be underestimated. We must be extremely careful to avoid any mistakes.

It's clear that Venerable Tianhe's words came from the bottom of his heart—his Tianhe Sect had been tricked and suffered terribly.

"In my view, the struggle between the four sects is actually a struggle between the Great Luo."

"The battle for the Great Luo?"

Previously, Zheng Fa had heard Venerable Tianhe say that the Great Luo was the orthodox method of Xuanwei, the ultimate Dao fruit.

But he wasn't quite clear on what the Great Luo Contest was.

"After the Golden Immortal, one may become either Taiyi or Daluo. Do you know the difference between Taiyi and Daluo?"

Zheng Fa shook his head blankly.

“Taiyi, Tai means supreme; Yi means the beginning of primordial energy,” Venerable Tianhe explained.

Zheng Fa was a little confused.

Seeing his expression, Venerable Tianhe shook his head and said, "The so-called Taiyi is the most fundamental component of the Heavenly Dao, the most basic law contained in the chaos."

That makes it much easier to understand.

Zheng Fa was stunned for a moment, then suddenly thought of something: "Innate supernatural power?"

"You are teachable." Venerable Tianhe paused again before speaking, "In fact, there should have been powerful beings in the world before the Chaotic Era. The innate supernatural abilities we have comprehended, and even those grotto-heavens, should all be related to that time."

Xuanwei has existed for five eras.

The Chaotic Era was the second; the events of the first era are basically unknown to anyone.

At this point, Venerable Tianhe shook his head again and sighed, "I only learned about these things when I had close ties with the four sects. It's a pity..."

Zheng Fa didn't know what to say.

"I don't know much about it either, and we've gone too far off-topic. Let's continue talking about Taiyi and Daluo."

Zheng Fa nodded and listened.

"Therefore, Taiyi Golden Immortals are cultivators who wield a fundamental Dao. They coexist with the Dao and are even a component of the Heavenly Dao itself."

"What about Luo Da?"

"Although the Great Luo and the Taiyi are not superior in terms of realm, the Great Luo governs the way the Heavenly Dao operates. Only when the Great Luo is born can the Heavenly Dao be truly perfected."

Zheng Fa listened and pondered for a long time before finally figuring out the connection.

If we compare the Heavenly Dao to a living organism, then Taiyi and Daluo are like various organs.

What makes Luo special is that this thing is a brain, which can mobilize the organs to work.

The so-called orthodox lineage refers to the Great Luo Golden Immortal, who is the one who coordinates and even governs all parts of the Heavenly Dao.

Seeing that Zheng Fa seemed to understand, Venerable Tianhe continued, "The conflict between the four sects, especially the conflict between Leiyin Temple and Taishangdao, lies in this."

“A power struggle.” Zheng Fa suddenly realized, “Even if Taiyi is not afraid of Daluo, Daluo will definitely have the upper hand in terms of lineage.”

“That’s right. The four sects, especially the Supreme Dao and Leiyin Temple, have been fighting each other openly and secretly for a long time.” Venerable Tianhe nodded and said, “I didn’t expect that they would be able to put aside their past grievances when facing me.”

Zheng Fa couldn't help but look at Venerable Tianhe.

What you just said seemed to have a deeper meaning.

Venerable Tianhe looked at the Tianhe disciples and said softly, "Do you know why I am waiting here with them?"

"Leave the Heavenly River Method behind?"

“That’s one point,” Venerable Tianhe shook his head, “but it’s far more than that.”

Zheng Fa became increasingly puzzled.

Do you know why I died?

"do not know."

This is also what puzzled Zheng Fa.

The Heavenly River Venerable once killed me with a single sword strike, and incidentally also struck Lu Yao before dying.

It sounded like they were being retaliated against by Lu Yao or the Four Sects. But he didn't think so, since the Four Sects seemed to be confused as well, and were still wary of Venerable Tianhe's resurrection.

"Before I discovered Lu Yao's identity," Venerable Tianhe recalled, "the four sects had already secretly joined forces."

"They are even preparing to attack the Tianhe Sect."

"Lu Yao also covets the Tianhe Sect in order to seize the Book of Life and Death."

"I don't know whether the four sects and the Demonic Sect secretly joined forces at that time."

Zheng Fa felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing this.

A joint effort is definitely possible, given Lu Yao's many identities: the Primordial Demon Ancestor and the First Ancestor of Hao Ri. Secretly instigating the four sects to attack the Tianhe Sect would be a piece of cake.

The Heavenly River Venerable's sword strike that cleaved the sun was incredibly precise—the entire Heavenly River Rebellion was inextricably linked to this man.

He could even imagine how dangerous the situation of Venerable Tianhe must have been at that time, truly an enemy of the whole world.

"At that time, I was only a Golden Immortal. Although I had some skills, I could never defeat the combined forces of the Four Sects and the Demonic Sect."

Venerable Tianhe's tone was somewhat somber.

"Moreover, if I am still alive and the Heavenly River Law is still in effect, they will never feel at ease."

Even after an entire era, Zheng Fa felt a sense of oppression upon hearing Venerable Tianhe recount this past event. He remained silent for a long time before finally speaking to Venerable Tianhe:

"The Dao Fruits are originally one; if there were no external threats, they would naturally fight each other. But the Heavenly River Law..."

"They will never tolerate it."

In the Xuanwei Realm, the Dao Fruit is supreme, and other cultivators are powerless to resist it.

To put it bluntly, it's a power struggle, but this power ultimately revolves around the Dao and its fruits.

These Dao Fruits are already a different species from those of cultivators and mortals.

But the Heavenly River Method is quite different.

Although it was just the beginning, the performance of the Heavenly River Law had already prompted the four sects and even the Demon Ancestor to join forces in an attempt to annihilate the Heavenly River Sect.

This state was inevitable after the emergence of the Heavenly River Law.

The chaos in the Milky Way was a predetermined outcome.

Even failure was inevitable for Venerable Tianhe.

"I hid."

"..."

Venerable Tianhe spoke in a calm tone.

After his initial surprise, Zheng Fa was even more puzzled: "Why?"

"Refining treasures."

"Refining treasures?"

"Together with them, refine treasures."

Zheng Fa looked blankly at the Tianhe disciples below, seeing that they all had smiles on their faces and seemed somewhat proud.

Seeing his puzzled expression, Venerable Tianhe laughed and, with a wave of his hand, a familiar compass appeared in his palm.

"This is?"

"The Wheel of Reincarnation".

"Reincarnation?"

Zheng's tone shifted, revealing his barely suppressed surprise.

“With just the Book of Life and Death, the Nine Netherworlds cannot deal with the Four Sects.” Venerable Tianhe chuckled. “I used my own natal spiritual treasure, along with resources accumulated over an era, to refine this treasure together with these disciples.”

Zheng Fa looked at the compass.

"A natal spiritual treasure? Isn't that... you, Venerable One?"

The Heavenly River Technique can cultivate a person into a spirit, therefore, Venerable Heavenly River's natal spirit treasure is almost his physical body.

"So I died."

"..."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Fa fell silent, feeling a deep sense of unease.

Venerable Tianhe seemed not to have seen it, and said with a smile, "This item, when combined with the Book of Life and Death of the Nine Netherworlds, will form the cycle of reincarnation in the heavens and possess the power of Taiyi."

"Taiyi..."

Zheng Fa could already guess the purpose of this cycle.

"After the cycle of reincarnation is completed, all the countless beings in the chaotic world will inevitably enter the cycle of reincarnation after death!"

"Including the Dao Fruit?"

"Including the fruit of the Tao."

Zheng Fa took a deep breath to calm the turmoil in his heart.

Venerable Tianhe, after hundreds of thousands of years of planning and his sacrifice in refining the treasure, was at a loss for words.

Killing a Dao Fruit is not actually that surprising.

The Nine Nether Demon Ancestor also did it.

But this depends on the Book of Life and Death.

The cycle of reincarnation in the heavens has a completely different meaning:

According to Venerable Tianhe's words, Daoguo will not be able to be resurrected in the future!

If you are killed, you will die!
On a smaller scale, this could be considered Venerable Tianhe's most ruthless revenge against the Dao Fruits of the Heavens.

But Zheng Fa would not underestimate the magnanimity of Venerable Tianhe.

The effects of retaliatory Dao fruition are probably negligible in the cycle of reincarnation across the heavens.

The fact that Dao Guo will die will completely change the landscape of Xuanwei:

For example, the cultivators from the four sects, no matter how much they fought before, did not actually have any life-or-death enmity—after all, Dao Fruit cultivators do not die, and at worst they can come back another day, it's like playing house.

But what about the cycle of reincarnation among the heavens?

Can they still maintain such a harmonious relationship?

Even if, in the future, the Nine Mountains Sect becomes the common enemy of the Four Sects and ends up in the same position as the Heavenly River Sect did back then, can the Four Sects still be as united as they were when dealing with the Heavenly River Sect?

The significance of this cycle cannot be overstated.

Venerable Tianhe touched the Wheel of Reincarnation, his gaze distant: "Only after my death will the Tianhe Dharma be born."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Fa closed his eyes.

He understood what Venerable Tianhe meant; this was the greatest and most profound meaning of the cycle of reincarnation, and also Venerable Tianhe's ultimate goal:

Even if we take a step back and assume that the four sects have a very close relationship and can remain friendly for generations to come, the cycle of reincarnation will still change the entire Xuanwei and the entire Immortal Path.

The Myriad Immortals Formation grants ordinary cultivators the power to contend against Dao Fruits.

However, this is unlikely to change the power balance between cultivators and those who have attained Dao Fruit:

After all, ordinary cultivators die and that's it, but Dao Fruit cultivators can be resurrected—this means that as long as Dao Fruit cultivators are willing to fight to the death, the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation has no chance of winning.

But with the cycle of reincarnation, everything will change:

A cultivator can truly kill a Dao Fruit cultivator using the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation!

When Zheng Fa first came into contact with the Dao Fruit, he heard several ironclad rules:

Firstly, cultivators cannot betray their own lineage.

Thus, the Tianhe Law became decentralized.

Secondly, only the Dao Fruit can contend with the Dao Fruit.

The Myriad Immortals Formation bestows power upon ordinary cultivators, enabling them to contend with Dao Fruits.

Later, he learned about the ironclad rule that the Dao Fruit is immortal, a rule that has now been shattered by the power of the cycle of reincarnation.

Venerable Tianhe completely overturned the three ironclad rules.

When Venerable Tianhe raised his sword to kill me, I was at my wit's end, and all my achievements were about to turn to dust.

If it were a game of chess, he had truly reached a dead end, with almost no chance of turning the tide.

But this venerable one, at the cost of his own life, forcefully opened a path forward for the Heavenly River Dharma.

Or rather, he completely changed the rules of the Xuanwei Chess Game—for the first time in several eras and millions of years, cultivators and mortals below the Dao Fruit level were qualified to play the game.

(End of this chapter)