The Great Way to Truth, Starting from Jiazi Laodao

Chapter 242 In the beginning of time, gods and the Dao were one.

Xuanming issued a decree.

Blessed by the power of heaven and earth.

The laws resonate, and the Great Dao reverberates.

With a cry of excitement, the gray phoenix pierced through the clouds and broke through the moon, and with a flap of its wings, it soared into the sky.

As the primordial essence dissipated, it transformed into a vast power that formed the phoenix's flesh and blood, evolving in accordance with the laws of heaven and earth.

The phoenix's cry shook the heavens and the earth.

On Phoenix Perch Mountain, phoenixes awoke one by one, gazing at the sky. Elegantly dressed men and women stood on the phoenix trees, looking at the special phoenix with expressions of doubt and curiosity.

Feng Xi and the Wutong Tree God were both watching.

The tree god, in particular, stared intently, his hands, hidden in his sleeves, clenched tightly, a mixture of anticipation and trepidation in his expression.

Xuanming was also watching, full of anticipation.

Boo!
The gray color on the phoenix gradually faded, replaced by an icy blue, crystal clear.

Half an hour later, accompanied by a deafening phoenix cry, an ice phoenix was born, took flight, and danced in the heavens.

It snowed for the first time on Fengqi Mountain.

Six-petaled snowflakes drifted down, covering Phoenix Perch Mountain. All the phoenixes were stunned. Some raised their hands to catch the snow, some cheered in the snow, some had solemn expressions, some seemed thoughtful, and some had joyful faces.

Xuanming was taken aback by this scene.

He originally intended to command the Golden Phoenix, but unexpectedly, the Ice Phoenix emerged. Although it was unexpected, it was still a phoenix at least.

With that in mind, he continued speaking.

"I hereby decree that Bingfeng shall be the Water Goddess of Yuxiu Mountain. I wonder if Fellow Daoist Fengxi agrees?"

After a moment of contemplation, Feng Xi nodded.

"As you wish, fellow Daoist."

She had already figured out what Xuanming wanted to do and wanted to see the results. If it worked, it would also benefit the Phoenix Clan.

The current patriarch of the Phoenix Clan agreed.

The profound edict emanated a mysterious aura.

A wisp of the Phoenix Clan’s accumulated merit over thousands of years was separated from a strand of its original essence, and a trace of its primordial essence was separated from the rivers and streams of Jade Beauty Mountain.

Large and small threads surged toward the Ice Phoenix like a phoenix returning to its nest, and the Ice Phoenix's aura intensified, radiating thousands of divine lights.

He was actually deified in front of everyone.

His aura was connected to the water veins of Yuxiu Mountain, and his body grew from a hundred feet to a thousand feet, unleashing the pressure of the Saint Embryo Realm.

In a flash of light, she transformed into a goddess in blue, with icy skin and jade-like bones that shone with a cold light, and bright eyes and white teeth as cold as frost.

However, she was ultimately created, with shallow foundations, outwardly strong but inwardly weak, and her aura was unstable. Her true strength was at most comparable to those who had just entered the Qi Refining Realm. If she wanted to become a genuine Water God, she needed to cultivate diligently.

Even so, this method of making one's words come true, and the supernatural power of bestowing divinity upon a human being without the authority of the divine dynasty, still made Feng Xi and the Wutong Tree God tremble with fear.

Not to mention the supernatural power to create something from nothing.

Their gazes toward Xuanming changed, now filled with more solemnity and respect.

This true lord is even more extraordinary than they imagined.

Ice Phoenix landed and bowed to the three Refinement Gods, expressing her gratitude for their creation, her eyes filled with admiration.

In her eyes, they were no different from her parents.

Xuanming and the others smiled as they looked at the awakened phoenix creatures. Xuanming said, "We would like to trouble you two to explain this matter."

Fengxi and the Wutong Tree God did not refuse.

Matters concerning divine authority are of great importance.

Only they and Bingfeng need to know about this.

Fortunately, they completed this task under the mother parasol tree, protected by a barrier. Xuanming did not make a big fuss about transmitting the message to Phoenix Perch Mountain, but simply gave the order in a calm and casual manner.

Apart from heaven and earth and them, no other living beings could see or hear this. In the eyes of the other beings in the Phoenix Clan, it was just that a different kind of ice phoenix had been born into the Phoenix Clan, adding another lineage to the five lineages.

And he cultivated himself into a mountain and water deity.

They could easily explain to the outside world that the Ice Phoenix had already been born, but was hidden in the mother parasol tree.

Under the power of the Great Power, no living being can discern the true nature of the Ice Phoenix or see through the fact that she is not a real being.

---

Reassured by the promise, Xuanming felt at ease. Having dealt with them several times, he knew Fengxi and the Wutong Tree God were reliable, hence this decree to bestow divine titles.

It was only when his mastery of the divine path finally broke through the critical point and reached an incredible height that he was moved by it.

The Ice Phoenix was formed at this very moment, a creation born out of nothing, which allowed Xuanming to control a trace of the power of creation, to see the gate of creation, and thus the divine authority was born, which enabled him to issue the decree of godhood.

Both breakthroughs in divine attainments and mastery of the power of creation are indispensable.

After Feng Xi and the Wutong Tree God reassured the Phoenix Clan creatures through telepathy, they did not immediately leave seclusion. Instead, they studied the mysteries of the Ice Phoenix together with Xuan Ming.

"When yang reaches its extreme, yin arises; now I understand."

Several days later, they found out the reason.

The Ice Phoenix Society was born because they returned to the primordial chaos, evolving the Three Powers back to their origin to an incredible level, approaching the primordial state of chaos in their mother body.

The Phoenix Clan was reborn through the Southern Bright Fire, which is both a fire of destruction and a fire of life. The wood element also contains the Dao of life. During the process of cultivating the Dao, the life force of Feng Xi and the Wutong Tree God also merged into it.

This law of vitality took root in the primordial chaos, already possessing the conditions for creation. Xuanming ultimately reversed the reversal and created things according to the laws of world evolution, thus influencing the laws of creation.

There is a high probability that creation will succeed.

The attribute is ice because true fire, the qi of the paulownia tree, and the fire of separation are all yang. When they evolve to the deepest point, yang naturally gives rise to yin.

The birth of the Ice Phoenix was a natural consequence.

"Thank you both for helping me glimpse the true meaning of creation."

Xuanming bowed his head in gratitude, for it was because of them that he was able to comprehend the laws of creation.

Feng Xi and the Wutong Tree God returned the greeting:
"Fellow Daoist, you are too kind. Being able to control the power of creation is a blessing for you. We dare not take credit for it. We have also benefited greatly from this exposition. We would also like to congratulate you on mastering the art of conferring gods."

"One Phoenix and One God are envious," said Yi Fengyi.

The Investiture of the Gods technique has been mastered only by the Dao Ancestor and the Four Great Dao Venerables since ancient times, apart from the rulers of divine dynasties.

Unexpectedly, Xuanming has comprehended such unparalleled divine power. As long as he does not perish along the way, he will become a great power in sight.

For beings with such lofty goals, it's natural for them to prioritize befriending them, especially since the Phoenix Clan already has something to ask of them.

"I hope you two fellow Daoists can keep this a secret."

Faced with Xuanming's request, Fengxi and the Wutong Tree God nodded: "Of course."

They never intended to leak the secret.

Having shared common interests allows them to form secret alliances, making it easier to ask for help in the future.

Moreover, Xuanming gifted the Phoenix Clan an Ice Phoenix.

With this matter settled, Xuanming left the pass and returned to the guest quarters.

Feng Xi and the Wutong Tree God exchanged a glance, their minds in perfect harmony, understanding each other's intentions and secretly reaching an agreement.

The spirit of the parasol tree then went into seclusion to digest what it had gained.

After settling Bingfeng in, Fengxi went into seclusion again.

She gained a lot from this performance, her bottleneck was broken, and she might be able to take a step forward and catch up with the Wutong Tree God.

Inside the guest courtyard, Xuanming slept for three days after returning to recover his energy and spirit before going into seclusion to sort out what he had learned.

He gained three things from this six-month-long performance:

First, the Samadhi True Fire achieved great supernatural powers.

With this supernatural power alone, he could roam the world freely and increase his strength by several times.

Secondly, he sorted out the Primordial Dao, which deepened his understanding. At the same time, due to the advancement of Fuyun Mountain, Xuanming Dao Heart instantly became clear, sweeping away the gloom and regaining his original intention. He realized that his original intention was Fuyun Mountain and the Seeking Truth Temple, which was the place where his Dao was located.

Very small!

Very small!

I don't have that many lofty ambitions!

But it feels very real.

Home is where my heart finds peace.

Once the primordial heart is achieved, he can also break through realms.

Thirdly, the Eight-Character Mantra:

In the beginning of time, the gods and the Dao were one.

(End of this chapter)