Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Shen Lian’s present situation was actually quite similar to the time where he visualized the Mastery of Senses. Both happened in a lonesome and empty darkness with Shangqing Daoist Master appearing alone. There was one difference, however. This was the first time under those circumstances that a ‘me’ appeared.
After going through a despair which had no way out despite the great effort, Shen Lian was not dispirited. Rather, he quickly scrutinized himself with the words of Shangqing Daoist Master.
Even though he suffered a crushing defeat in his grudge against Daoist Master, so much so that he experienced the dullest of despair in his life, there were some things which anyone in the world would regard as extremely precious. That would be his genuine experience of death. With that experience, he gained many precious things. As long as he continued to live, it would be a treasure of Buddha’s law that would be endlessly reaped throughout his life.
The virtual shadow of Daoist Master was still as unconjecturable as ever. Shen Lian also experienced the fact that he still had no way of using any means to restrain Daoist Master, even if it were just a shadow. Regardless, there was already no need for him to be concerned with Daoist Master since he already did that which he knew he could not do and displayed his bravery. What he needed now was not a legend that future generations would remember fondly, but rather, he needed to get a grip on reality and get out of this darkness.
Shen Lian ‘got up’ and walked around in the darkness of the void. The path ahead had no end in sight. He did not know how long he would have to walk alone in the dark but he continued walking. He walked from the past to the present, and then from the present to the future. Darkness was not an eternal home. The interweaving of light and darkness was the true everlasting theme.
During the process of walking, Shen Lian gradually became a lamp. The totality of his knowledge was arranged neatly throughout his walk. Each level of light signified a piece of knowledge he had towards heaven and earth and all living things.
The chrysalis that originally lay twitching on the leaf of the tree slowly emanated rays of light. The entire cocoon began to break, exposing its inner brightness.
A butterfly emerged from the chrysalis, as if in a spring dream. The insect blended in the world without so much as a trace left behind.
Shangqing Daoist Master was still the core of this newly evolved world. The countless laws were finally created to perfection, and in the end, they headed upwards to Shangqing Daoist Master’s virtual shadow and gathered there. The butterfly that Shen Lian transformed into was fixed in the middle of the void, allowing the laws to storm the world and violently engulf everything. He stayed majestically motionless.
He was both a butterfly and a dream of nothingness.
Lady Mother of the Chariot and Jing Shu stared at every movement that Shangqing Daoist Master made. The incessant storm of laws was similar to countless sounds of thunder that added onto the body of Shangqing Daoist Master’s virtual shadow. The destructive force that caused them to tremble was added in the void where Shangqing Daoist Master was.
It was precisely this moment that the newly formed world welcomed destruction.
This was the true force of world-destroying power. Even though the world was born in this small empty space, it was a world nonetheless and was by no means imaginary.
The incessant storm of laws brought about a destructive force similar to the layers upon layers of fire trial. The storm wanted to cause Shangqing Daoist Master to return to nothingness.
In the unceasing annihilation, this mighty deity gradually solidified. The horrifying situation akin to purgatory gradually set off the greatness and imposingness of Daoist Master.
Layer upon layer of Xuan philosophy interweaved around the body of Daoist Master. Jing Shu looked on with an expression of stupefaction. She could guarantee that after going through this, her ‘Northern Underworld’ would welcome an astonishing change. There could even be hope for her in this life to be on equal footing with her boss, ‘Roc Demon King’, and acquire the superior distinction of the Seven Great Demon Kings.
The ‘Roc Demon King’ himself had no opportunity to personally witness the techniques of a Daoist Master.
Founding Master Kunpeng was already skillful enough, so much so that he was the peer of several Daoist Masters, though he was not one himself.
At the present moment, Lady Mother of the Chariot’s heart of Dao had a myriad of billows as she had never seen honored master displaying such supreme techniques. Each Xuan principle that revolved around Shangqing Daoist Master was that much abstruse, so much so that if ordinary people understood it, they would immediately turn into a deity.
Only Shen Lian and Shen Lian alone had yet to concentrate his mental state on the Xuan philosophy. Instead, he turned a blind eye to them. What Shangqing Daoist Master was currently unfolding was not any profound theory of heaven and earth. Going over that unusual event, it revealed his innate character which was even if the world and the universe perishes, it would not cause any disturbance to him; he had already created a world, and thus the ‘true me’ was eternal.
This also served as a reminder to Shen Lian. Regardless of the Underworld or the world, a galaxy of the universe or even the heavens, all of them would someday perish. All that remained of their demise would be a ‘me’ that transcended everything. Whoever that could retain that ‘me’ would be the Daoist Master. A Daoist Master was everything and all things. Everything could perish, and all things could revert to nothingness but a Daoist Master would not face either of those.
Thus, the resemblance of Daoist Master to Shen Lian or to anyone else was not at all surprising. Shen Lian formerly believed that Daoist Master had to go through him to arrive in the world. In fact, that was an absurd understanding.
After a while, the law of destructive power began to quieten. There was also no trace of Shangqing Daoist Master. Outside Bi You Palace, the stairs were as before. It was as if nothing happened at all. The Four Elements that were wreaking havoc, the evolved square inch of heaven and earth, and the extremely terrifying law of destruction, none of them left even the slightest trace.
A butterfly flew into Bi You Palace and landed on Kui Li’s shoulder.
At first, she felt a warm flow extending throughout her demon body. After that, she finally could move.
Lady Mother of the Chariot noticed this and stared at the butterfly in bewilderment. The motion of its wings appeared to bear the unceasing brewing of a storm.
Kui Li could finally sweep away her hazy thoughts. She smiled.
Lady Mother of the Chariot coldly spoke, “Never would I have thought that a miracle could still happen.”
The butterfly fell from Kui Li’s shoulder and rapidly transformed into Shen Lian. He plainly replied, “There was no miracle. All that happened was a lesson given by Shangqing Daoist Master. Considering his reputation, I can now allow you to leave Bi You Palace and find another place to live in seclusion.”
Lady Mother of the Chariot said, “Why, the person who should be leaving is you.”
Shen Lian explained, “You have been in Bi You palace for hundreds and thousands of years. Not once did Shangqing Daoist Master ever appear to you. As for I, you could see that my arrival brought about that performance just a while ago. Do you not understand? Do not know who the new owner of Bi You Palace is?”
Lady Mother of the Chariot did not imagine that Shen Lian would be so powerful. She gradually burned with rage.
What she did not know was that Shangqing Daoist Master gave him a lesson on ‘despair’. After going through the deepest of despair, Shen Lian was much more optimistic. Why should he restrain himself when he had already experienced the most terrifying things? Whatever he did or did not do was now coming directly from the depths of his heart. Since Shangqing Daoist Master gave him this birth, there was no need for him to be overly suspicious. He calmly accepted everything as it was. After all, every terror and precaution seemed laughable after having faced the means of Daoist Master.
Lady Mother of the Chariot could not inherently know the thoughts of Shen Lian. In her extreme fury, she laughed at him, “Your celestial body no longer exists and you have no mana. What are you going to battle me with?”
Shen Lian nodded, “You are correct. If before this I had to face the current predicament, indeed I could not take you for naught. But now a leaf is covering your eyes and blocking your view of Mount Tai. You do not see reality. Do you really think that what Shangqing Daoist Master performed just a moment ago was just mere Xuan philosophy? Are you completely ignorant of what it takes to walk the path of Dao to supreme detachment?”
He smiled and looked at Kui Li and also Jing Shu who just walked into Bi You Palace, “Dear fairies, could you spare me some mana?”
