No way!
Virtual Puti… Junior Brother Changgeng?
This… this…?
In Spirit Mountain’s main hall, Treasure Buddha’s dharma body—constructed from spiritual treasures—remained expressionless, while his true form hidden within wore a bitter expression as he repeatedly patted his belly.
Earlier, seeing Virtual Puti lonely by the lotus pond, he had gone over to tease him!
Somehow, he felt rather shameful about that now.
Treasure Buddha inwardly groaned, then turned his gaze to that figure shooting toward the heavens, sensing that uniquely different Dao rhythm.
He suddenly understood what “never left” meant.
Appearing to flee far away, but secretly digging tunnels!
This was a trick he often used himself in ancient times when competing for treasures!
Changgeng must have replaced Virtual Puti early on, using sophisticated methods to disguise himself as Virtual Puti.
However, that being said, it was truly inconceivable that Junior Brother Changgeng had reached such heights in the Dao of Void…
Then there was the matter of Wukong.
As the leader of the Buddhist sect, Treasure Master naturally understood the importance of the monkey and Golden Cicada. The Heavenly Dao had already given clear hints. Counting on his fingers to calculate, the Heavenly Dao’s arrangements for the Journey to the West unfolded before him.
What was the situation now?
The protagonist of the Journey to the West tribulation, whom the Heavenly Dao had placed great hopes in, had been studying under Patriarch Puti—who was Junior Brother Changgeng—for several hundred years!
This was equivalent to two slaps across the Dao Patriarch’s face.
When had the Dao Patriarch ever suffered such humiliation from ancient times until now?
At this moment, Treasure Master could only summarize his thousands of thoughts in one phrase:
“Brilliant move, Changgeng.”
Unfortunately, he couldn’t say it out loud right now.
Though Changgeng told them not to interfere in the upcoming battle, Treasure Master had his plans, such as finding an opportunity to rescue his master.
But upon careful consideration, Treasure Master felt that anything he did now would be wrong.
If Changgeng could defeat the Dao Patriarch, all problems would resolve themselves;
If Changgeng lost this battle, even if he found his master, he wouldn’t be able to rescue him, and even if he did rescue him, it wouldn’t change anything.
The fate of countless living beings now rested upon Li Changshou alone.
The Dao of Void… Could it be meant to give the Heavenly Dao a state of [Complete Emptiness]?
Treasure Master let out a soft sigh, feeling quite moved inside, his thoughts extremely complex.
Treasure Master’s gaze penetrated through his dharma body, through the great hall, through Spirit Mountain’s grand formation, looking toward that star shining brightly in the high heavens, his eyes carrying a measure of anticipation.
Li Changshou’s form rose rapidly.
He could feel the pressure coming from ahead, as layer upon layer of obstacles appeared before him.
Spiritual energy, heavenly might, Heavenly Dao power, the power of Dao principles…
The higher he flew, the stronger the resistance he faced.
The Dao Patriarch seemed… not yet ready to face him.
There was no need to hide anything now. Li Changshou extended his divine consciousness, scanning toward Mount Huaguo.
The battle there had not yet ceased, though the monster tribe’s resistance had grown very weak, with only the final elimination remaining.
Sun Wukong lay unconscious on that cliff edge, the spiritual energy tide within his body has receded significantly. Seven-colored auspicious clouds appeared around him—the true Great Sage Equal to Heaven was about to emerge under these circumstances.
This monkey…
A vortex suddenly appeared above Li Changshou’s head, emanating intense pressure from the Heavenly Dao.
He hesitated for a moment, examining left and right before the vortex, carefully calculating and observing its spiritual energy structure, considering various possibilities of what might happen after he entered.
After all, one couldn’t just enter a portal opened by the enemy; what if there was some trap inside? Wouldn’t that be a huge loss?
One absolutely cannot underestimate any opponent, especially an existence like the Dao Patriarch who was most likely to catch one off guard.
Thus, Li Changshou carefully examined it for quite some time.
Until numerous powerful beings watching this place understood his cautious nature and collectively raised their hands to their foreheads;
Until the Dao Patriarch’s mouth twitched frantically several times, and he waved his hand to sweep away the vortex’s outer appearance, revealing the gateway within.
Simple, clear, and direct—he revealed its internal structure to Li Changshou.
Li Changshou sensed it for a while before finally smiling faintly, stepping into it with casual grace, his form disappearing.
The sound of insects and birds came from ahead, that familiar bamboo grove wafting a faint fresh fragrance, making him slightly dazed, as if returning to his last visit to Purple Void Palace.
“Li Changshou.”
The call came from ahead.
Li Changshou’s footsteps paused, as mist appeared all around, the ground beneath his feet turning dark red, as if he were in some ancient relic.
Stepping forward half a step, the surrounding scenery changed again. The clamor of human voices approached from afar, and in a daze, he arrived at a bustling market town.
An illusion?
Li Changshou smiled without attempting to break through these illusions, simply proceeding forward slowly, one step at a time.
The flowery world may confuse my eyes, but the Dao remains in my heart.
If he were to break these illusions, it would prove these illusions existed, thereby trapping himself within them.
A very clever trap.
Li Changshou’s heart remained unmoved as he walked forward unhurriedly. After taking thirty-three steps, all illusions dispersed, and ahead lay that small bamboo cottage.
That burly old Daoist darkened his face, looking down at Li Changshou outside the door, and said irritably:
“Come in.”
Li Changshou cupped his hands and walked to the low table before the Dao Patriarch of his own accord. Without waiting for the Dao Patriarch’s invitation, he sat down cross-legged.
One detail—the Primordial Jade Disc that had always been on the low table was now gone.
The Dao Patriarch’s eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at Li Changshou, seemingly trying to confirm his identity.
Li Changshou spoke slowly: “Fellow Daoist, have you been well?”
“Hmph,” the Dao Patriarch said coldly, “You dare to toy with me so! Where did you get such confidence, thinking I wouldn’t move against your friends and family?”
Li Changshou said: “The living beings of the Three Realms are but ants in Fellow Daoist’s eyes, easily crushed with a wave of your hand.
And precisely because of this, Fellow Daoists wouldn’t bother with ants.
Whether it’s the clamor of the mortal realm, righteousness or evil, opposing heaven or following it, Fellow Daoists would only find them noisy.
This is the difference in levels of life—Fellow Daoist stands high without looking down, and naturally wouldn’t trouble himself with them.
Simply put, there’s no need.
If Fellow Daoist truly used such methods to coerce me, you would have already lost your steady heart of Dao, thus losing half the battle.”
Hongjun Dao Patriarch’s expression returned to its previous calmness, his eyes revealing some intrigue as he said:
“Changshou, you seem to have the means to deal with me.”
“That I cannot tell Fellow Daoist,” Li Changshou shook his head, then smiled and said, “Previously we played three matches, why don’t we add two more today, determining victory between us, best of five.”
Hongjun spoke slowly: “Fellow Daoist seems to be cheating.”
Li Changshou didn’t yield at all: “In the past, Fellow Daoist used heavenly punishment to destroy the Severing Sect, secretly ambushing Master Uncle Tongming to gain control of the situation—that seems to be the real cheating.”
Hongjun fell silent, staring at the young Daoist before him.
This was only Li Changshou’s avatar.
Moreover, this avatar had been in the primordial world for nearly a thousand years. Whatever Li Changshou had done, whatever he had arranged, the Heavenly Dao had not detected at all—this was what worried the Dao Patriarch now.
Especially Li Changshou’s personality…
“Fellow Daoist, do you now have ninety-eight percent certainty in your means to deal with me?”
“More or less,” Li Changshou’s eyes flashed with faint light. His direct admission only made the Dao Patriarch more uncertain.
The bamboo cottage fell into silence.
Li Changshou casually took out a set of tea implements from his sleeve, reaching out to gather two bamboo leaves to use as tea leaves for brewing.
He quietly arranged everything, composed and relaxed, without the slightest fear or concern, as if he had simply come to make tea for the Dao Patriarch.
Empty Fort Strategy.
“Please, Fellow Daoist,” Li Changshou slowly pushed a cup of tea over.
Hongjun reached out to accept it, placing it before himself, then suddenly chuckled: “In that case, let’s chat.”
“What would Fellow Daoist like to discuss?” Li Changshou appeared thoughtful, “I seem to know quite a bit… having figured out Fellow Daoist’s background.”
“The messages that fellow left behind?”
“Half,” Li Changshou said, “Should say a small half. The other half is written in this heaven and earth.
There’s a saying that might not be entirely appropriate here: humans act while heaven watches.
Everything Fellow Daoist has done has memories in the primordial world, engraved within the Gate of Great Dao, existing upon those Great Daos.
Ah yes, Fellow Daoist doesn’t understand this area deeply, after all, Fellow Daoist possesses the Primordial Jade Disc, can use it to deduce three thousand Great Daos, and can also use it to complete the Heavenly Dao while occupying its dominance.”
Hongjun nodded slowly, his eyes revealing some understanding.
“It seems the Dao of Balance has given you many benefits.”
“No,” Li Changshou calmly revealed a small secret, “It’s Ling’e’s Dao.
Ling’e entered the Dao by copying the Stability Scripture, but her Dao doesn’t have much connection with the scripture. Her Dao lies in the form of copying, in the insights gained from each time I punished her, when she was resistant yet helpless, having to copy the scripture.
This Dao, I call it the Dao of Reading and Writing, or the Dao of Reading.
But Ling’e’s realm is too low, she hasn’t yet discovered the mysteries of her own Dao; this Dao has a marvelous use, which is being able to read the information carried by all things.
I secretly cultivated her Dao, which led to my rapid breakthrough in the Dao realm.
This is one of my greatest trump cards.”
Hongjun Dao Patriarch was caught between laughter and tears, sighing:
“My passivity today stems from Ling’e’s Dao? When did I ever pay her any mind? I merely saw her as your subordinate being.
Never imagined…
As expected of you, to force your junior sister to cultivate such a Dao realm.”
“Fellow Daoist overstates it,” Li Changshou showed a sincere smile, “She has remarkable comprehension.”
“Remarkable comprehension indeed,” Hongjun narrowed his eyes slightly, “Then what about you? How do you rate your comprehension?”
Li Changshou was silent for a moment, then sighed: “Plain and unadorned. Before becoming a Golden Immortal, many of my insights came from Fellow Daoist’s guidance. After the Golden Immortal tribulation, many realizations came from the Balance Dao naturally merging with me.
If Fellow Daoist doesn’t know what to discuss, let me start.
Let’s talk about Senior Waves.
What was his name?”
“Since you call him Senior Waves, then let’s call him Waves,” Hongjun sighed, “He was my old friend, though originally he was always within ancient Fu Xi’s body.
Ah yes, the Second Spirit Soul method.
You must have used the Second Spirit Soul method and the Demon Way to replace Virtual Puti.”
“Actually, no,” Li Changshou said, “I used the Simulated Spirit Soul method, which is similar to the Second Spirit Soul method—this is also a secret of the Paper Daoist Way.
I presume Fellow Daoist already knew this.”
Hongjun Dao Patriarch smiled: “You indeed comprehended it.”
Li Changshou raised an eyebrow: “Fellow Daoist indeed knew long ago.”
Then these two Daoists both chuckled lightly, showing quite good rapport.
Hongjun Dao Patriarch sighed slightly, speaking slowly: “Changgeng… Changshou, actually we don’t need to fight to the death. Your desire for balance between heaven, earth, and living beings—all this can be negotiated.
As long as you can provide bargaining chips that make me feel threatened, I will naturally take several steps back.”
Li Changshou said seriously: “Fellow Daoists need not use such rhetoric. My trump cards are laid out here, I merely wish to give Fellow Daoists final dignity now.
If Fellow Daoist releases your connection with the primordial essence now, I will naturally spare your life.”
Hongjun smiled: “Such big talk, could it be just to stall for time?”
Li Changshou smiled: “What opportunity could stalling bring? Right now, with this Dao of Void, Fellow Daoists can no longer completely erase me, only seal me, and this is merely my avatar.
I indeed have ample preparations to forcibly suppress Fellow Daoists. Right now I merely… think of old feelings.
Fellow Daoist isn’t truly malevolent, just too accustomed to controlling heaven and earth, having lost reverence for living beings.”
“Reverence? What reverence?
Living beings are but grass, I am but a mayfly, only heaven and earth are eternal.
Heaven and earth created living beings, gave them a place to dwell, yet living beings constantly plunder heaven and earth with their selfish desires, making heaven and earth unable to bear the burden.”
“Isn’t Fellow Daoist the greatest plunderer?”
“No,” Hongjun stared at Li Changshou, “I have not plundered.”
“Just controlled?”
“What’s wrong with control?”
Hongjun countered thus, then said: “Heaven and earth need a helmsman, living beings need a guardian. What heaven, earth and living beings need is not balance, but clear boundaries and mutual respect.
Without me, heaven and earth would have lost control long ago—there wouldn’t even be a today!”
Li Changshou argued:
“Things that haven’t happened are all illusory. Fellow Daoists using today’s heaven and earth as your Dao fruit seems rather arrogant.
In today’s heaven and earth, although everything has progressed according to Fellow Daoist’s script, everything that has happened, apart from this script’s framework, has been living beings moving forward.
Heaven, earth, and the living beings of the Three Realms have had many opportunities to move in a more harmonious direction, yet were trimmed by Fellow Daoists to this state.
This isn’t steering, nor is it guardianship.
This is putting shackles on heaven and earth, putting living beings in a cage, all to satisfy Fellow Daoist’s heart of dominance, merely Fellow Daoist’s inner selfish desires.”
Hongjun said: “The power of living beings is like the Yellow River waters of your old home in ancient times—without firm embankments, it would have long since flooded disastrously.”
Li Changshou said: “But the Yellow River’s embankments rise from the downstream plains, suspended above the ground. If the Yellow River floods again, the consequences would be unthinkable. Rather than providing embankments, it would be better to protect the upstream soil and water.”
Hongjun continued: “The Yellow River’s turbidity is itself the result of active living beings—their greed created that ochre highland.
Like that great river in the south, living beings dwelt by the water, occupied the fertile soil near the riverbed—how can one blame the river for being unjust when floods submerge?”
Li Changshou paused, then said: “But the Heavenly Dao is not a river embankment—Fellow Daoists have switched concepts.
Fellow Daoist’s Heavenly Dao protects heaven and earth, protects the river itself;
The embankment’s existence is to protect the people along the river.
A flood is both a natural disaster and a human calamity. Living beings plunder nature and receive nature’s revenge—this too is the principle of balance in the Dao of living beings.
The relationship between living beings and nature has always been hard to summarize in a word—this is also an answer living beings should seek.
Finding balance in dynamics, exploring paths in change.
I don’t think everything living beings desire is right, nor do I think everything they do is correct. Trial and error must necessarily come at a cost, but it’s better than stagnant water waiting to rot.
Isn’t that so?”
Hongjun smiled and shook his head: “Our Daos are truly different.”
“It’s too early to discuss Dao now.”
Li Changshou made a gesture of invitation, lifting his teacup together with Hongjun. They each took a sip, moistening their throats, then he said:
“Let’s return to the previous matter—why don’t we play two more matches?”
“Oh?”
The Dao Patriarch smiled: “Which two matches?”
“The fourth match: Sun Wukong’s havoc in the Heavenly Palace,” Li Changshou said, “Let’s see if he can fight his way into the Crystal Palace.”
Hongjun said calmly: “This has little meaning. You merely want to use this form to protect Sun Wukong’s life, preventing me from directly killing this ruined chess piece.
Fellow Daoist, you truly are a sentimental person.
There’s no need for a fourth match. I’ll just watch this show with you, and see how the Heavenly Court situation develops.
If I interfere, then I’ll have lost this match, how about that?”
Li Changshou’s mouth curved: “Then I’ll take this advantage.”
Hongjun smiled without speaking, raising his hand to touch the table before him. Ripples spread across it, showing Sun Wukong’s sleeping state.
The bamboo cottage grew quiet again, waiting for the monkey to wake up.
After a moment passed thus, the Dao Patriarch spoke slowly:
“You mentioned Waves earlier. What kind of person do you think he was?”
“Hard to say,” Li Changshou said, “If I had met Waves in my previous life, I probably wouldn’t have had any interaction with him.”
Hongjun smiled: “Oh? Because of the Xi, He matters?”
“No,” Li Changshou shook his head, “Among my friends in my previous life, there were also those with improper private lives, but that was their privacy.
Although I’m a conservative in terms of values, I wouldn’t cut off relations because of that.
Fellow Daoist, if my inference isn’t wrong, Waves wasn’t very successful in his previous life, right?”
“You could say that,” Hongjun sighed, “He told me about his previous life back then—he always had some unresolved feelings.”
Li Changshou said: “So he committed suicide?”
“Oh?” Hongjun looked thoughtful, “Suicide? I didn’t know about this.”
Li Changshou smiled: “I mean when Senior Waves insisted on returning to the primordial world to fight a decisive battle with Fellow Daoist, finally being killed by Fellow Daoist joining forces with the Heavenly Dao—isn’t this equivalent to suicide?”
Hongjun smiled and sighed: “He was the most troublesome enemy I’ve ever encountered. In the end, he was defeated by his moment of kindness.”
“For Fellow Daoist, was Senior Waves more troublesome than my master Taiqing?”
“Indeed,” Hongjun said, “I knew Taiqing’s temperament clearly, but Taiqing didn’t know me.
Waves and I knew each other’s backgrounds—this was what I feared most.”
Li Changshou nodded slowly, lifting his teacup for a drink.
Hongjun asked: “Why does this one always feel that you, Changgeng, are playing tricks? Why don’t you tell me about Waves’ secrets, so I can feel at ease continuing this game of chess with you, rather than directly erasing you.”
It was time for the familiar trump card verification phase.
Li Changshou nodded calmly, saying softly: “The reason Senior Waves didn’t want to live back then actually had three layers. Shall I tell them to Fellow Daoist one by one?”
The Dao Patriarch shifted his legs, sitting more comfortably, “Speak.”
Li Changshou said: “This goes back quite far, we need to start from the [Primordial World Residents’ Committee]… Fellow Daoists should be familiar with this name, right?”
The Dao Patriarch smiled and nodded, showing no surprise or doubt.
Li Changshou glanced at Sun Wukong’s condition, then spoke unhurriedly:
“The Primordial World Residents’ Committee, also known as the Primordial World Street Office, was probably named casually by Senior Waves, mostly as a joke.
I can’t be certain when this name started being used, nor can I be completely certain who its members were—I’ll share my analysis of this later.
But what can be certain is that this Primordial World Residents’ Committee began determining the direction of the primordial world long ago.
According to the chronicles left by Senior Waves, the disagreement between Senior Waves and Fellow Daoist probably occurred in the middle to late ancient period, before the decisive battle between the human race and the monster court—that was when your conflicts erupted.
This is the first reason for Senior Waves’ suicide back then.
Senior Waves had irreconcilable conflicts with Fellow Daoist.”
Hongjun smiled: “Specifics?”
Li Changshou pondered for a moment, seemingly weighing his words.
Hongjun continued: “Such deduction is too superficial—anyone with a bit of superficial information could figure this out. Not enough to surprise me.”
“The specifics are complicated,” Li Changshou said, “If that’s the case, then let me explain the first and second reasons together.
Although these are two reasons, they are mutually causative.
If I guess correctly, Fellow Daoists proposed two things back then.
First, using the Investiture of the Gods tribulation and the Journey to the West minor tribulation as the final tribulations of the primordial world, using these two tribulations to seal the selfish desires of living beings, transform the Six Sages into the cornerstone of heaven and earth, forge the primordial world into a whole, and develop the Chaos Sea without limit.
Second…
Let the Chaos Sea devour the universe where Earth exists.”
Hongjun’s pupils contracted slightly, his expression somewhat complex as he stared at Li Changshou, saying coldly:
“He couldn’t possibly have had the chance to tell you these things, and you couldn’t possibly know these things through any means.
Fellow Daoist, are you perhaps trying to trick me?”
Li Changshou smiled:
“What is immortality?
I’ve been pondering this question for a long time. Immortality is an endless lifespan. The Immortality in the primordial world isn’t about becoming a Golden Immortal—Golden Immortals are just long-lived parasites dwelling in heaven and earth.
The immortality of the primordial world is transcendence.
Living beings who obtain immortality will thirst for endless energy.
But Fellow Daoist, you overlooked one point, which is what I’ve been saying all along—the point that makes your designed system full of holes.”
“Oh? Please elaborate.”
“The changes in the Chaos Sea.”
Li Changshou casually waved his hand, and a cluster of gray mist appeared beside him. Though seemingly only palm-sized, it contained boundless profundity.
Li Changshou spoke slowly:
“When Pangu God created heaven and earth, the Chaos Sea was no longer the original disordered Chaos Sea, even though this world was just a small region in the Chaos Sea.
The Chaos Sea began evolving toward order, but this evolution was constantly broken by the Chaos Sea’s properties.
Fellow Daoists should already know what the Second Law of Thermodynamics is—all things tend to move from order to disorder, namely entropy increase.
The creation of heaven and earth was a negative entropy process. The axe marks left by Pangu God were negative entropy notes carved for living beings.
Simply put, Pangu God accumulated enough energy by hunting Chaos Gods and Demons, using this energy to create the ordered primordial world from the disordered Chaos Sea.
Since then, disorder has been eroding order, and the edges of heaven and earth would slowly become disordered.
Unless there were new energy sources.
In ancient times and the first half of high antiquity, Xuandu City flourished. The living beings in heaven and earth exploring the Chaos Sea, finding ways to transform chaos essence into spiritual energy—this was actually life’s instinct.
Fighting against the law of entropy increase.
But Fellow Daoist and Senior Waves, who understood these things from outside all beings and the Great Dao, knew there were only two possible outcomes between the primordial world and the Chaos Sea.
Either the primordial beings would successfully fight against entropy increase, transforming the Chaos Sea into an endless source of spiritual power for the primordial world;
Or order would return to disorder, and the primordial world would return to chaos.
Now this primordial world is wrapped in the Heavenly Dao barrier, ready to devour the Chaos Sea—Fellow Daoist’s first conception is complete.
But Fellow Daoists didn’t just plan this matter. At the same time, you were worried whether the Chaos Sea would be exhausted in the future, and the primordial world would reach another endpoint.
Extinction.
So Fellow Daoist had the foresight to think of Senior Waves’ hometown, the world parallel to the tangible realm where the Chaos Sea exists.
The universe where Earth exists.”
Hongjun sighed slowly, waving his sleeve to reveal two blurry phantoms around them, their words reaching Li Changshou’s ears.
The figure presumably Senior Waves shouted angrily:
“I disagree! Hongjun, you bastard! That’s my hometown! Forget about devouring Earth—even if you just steal a bit of matter, that universe won’t be able to withstand the compression force from other parallel universes and will face premature extinction!
I can’t do this!
Come with me, come to the Chaos Sea!
Leave the primordial world!
I can’t let you harm the primordial world that Brother Pangu left behind!”
Then came Hongjun Daoist’s sigh.
Hongjun Dao Patriarch waved his sleeve again, and the phantoms immediately vanished.
A breeze passed by, making the bamboo grove rustle, and Hongjun Dao Patriarch’s form seemed to stoop slightly.
Li Changshou nodded, saying: “It matches my guess—this must be when Fellow Daoist and Senior Waves officially fell out.”
Hongjun smiled: “How could you guess these things?”
“It’s very simple. I was thinking about why Senior Waves had to make a trip to the Chaos Sea before his decisive battle with Fellow Daoists.
After eliminating all falsifiable possibilities, whatever speculation remains, however absurd must be the truth.”
Li Changshou spoke slowly:
“There must be a mysterious crack in the Chaos Sea, a gate between planes, the path Senior Waves took to come to the primordial world.
When Senior Waves went to the Chaos Sea back then, it was to conceal this gateway, to hide it away.
Similarly, this is also the main reason why Fellow Daoists showed such favor and opened all doors for me after discovering I was from the same homeland as Senior Waves.
Fellow Daoist’s main purpose in cultivating me as ‘The One Who Left’ wasn’t to stabilize heaven and earth, nor to evolve the Heavenly Dao.
Rather, it was to have me wander in the Chaos Sea, decode the clues Senior Waves might have left behind, to complete what Senior Waves didn’t finish.
Find the planar crack, descend to Earth’s universe, and devour that universe’s energy!
Using this energy, the future dying primordial world could be greatly extended, continuing to fight against entropy increase at the endpoint of the primordial world.
Of course, this chess piece of mine had several uses for the Dao Patriarch.”
Hongjun Dao Patriarch fell silent, staring at Li Changshou’s clear eyes, momentarily not knowing what to say.
Li Changshou smiled, took a sip from his teacup, and said:
“I’m a cautious person. I never believe in benefits without cause, nor do I believe Fellow Daoists would truly cherish a being like me so much.
Fellow Daoist’s biggest flaw was leaving the Kun Peng ship to me.
If you say Fellow Daoist couldn’t handle Kun Peng, that’s completely unreasonable.
Fellow Daoists had been to the Kun Peng ship, knew all its secrets, and saw it as the primordial world’s future hope—all that was missing was a navigator.
Fellow Daoists also went through the few classics left there, taking away the two most important ones.
And that stone tablet in the control room was left by Fellow Daoist too, wasn’t it?”
Hongjun Dao Patriarch showed a slightly confused expression, asking: “Since you knew all this, why didn’t you make it public?”
“This couldn’t be made public. This was Fellow Daoist’s consideration for the primordial world—the primordial beings should stand on Fellow Daoist’s side.”
Li Changshou shook his head somewhat helplessly, speaking slowly: “Actually, Fellow Daoist was wrong.”
“Oh?”
Hongjun smiled: “Wrong about what?”
“Wrong in understanding,” Li Changshou said softly, “The tangible realm of the Chaos Sea and Earth’s world aren’t parallel universes, and there’s no compression between parallel universes.
Fellow Daoist, you were too deeply influenced by Senior Waves and Senior Waves’ understanding was just a product of some scientific imagination from my hometown.”
Hongjun said: “Fellow Daoist’s insights?”
“Yin and Yang, positive and negative.”
Li Changshou sighed:
“The Dao gives birth to One, One meaning existence;
One gives birth to Two, Two being the opposition of Yin and Yang.
The void is originally empty, positive and negative particles appear in the void, and under certain circumstances, positive and negative particles trigger two completely different tides, giving birth to tangible realms between the tides.
These two tangible realms are one positive and one negative, beautiful ripples born in the void.”
The Dao Patriarch’s expression grew somewhat grim as he said coldly: “Proof.”
Li Changshou said: “The Yin and Yang attributes of the two tangible realms are just different in definition and naming. In essence, it’s just like this—the matter and energy from my hometown couldn’t exist in this tangible realm.
Even if forcibly brought over, it would only trigger annihilation.”
“How do you explain your and Waves’ crossing over?”
“True spirits exist on the same level as the void,” Li Changshou said, “I even suspect that void tides are caused by large numbers of true spirits self-resolving.”
Hongjun fell silent, looking down at the teacup before him and the reflection within it.
“These are just your speculations,” Hongjun said, “I must witness the answer myself.
Regardless, everything I’ve done has been for the long-term existence of this primordial world.”
Li Changshou gave a cold laugh, slowly shaking his head.
“Fellow Daoist, stop deceiving yourself. If you wanted the best for heaven and earth, you wouldn’t have prompted the Dragon and Phoenix to shatter the primordial world.
If you wanted the best for heaven and earth, you would have stopped Luohou in advance, rather than being the savior at the end, triggering the Heavenly Dao!
Exposing the flaws in the defense system left by Pangu God, taking advantage of the situation to control the Heavenly Dao!”
Li Changshou said calmly: “You just wanted to prove that you were stronger than the original, that you were more suitable to exist, thus righteously erasing the original.
Right? Senior?
To be more precise—Senior Waves’ heart demon, Senior Waves’ Dao corpse, Senior Waves’ benevolent corpse, the false personality born when Senior Waves was drifting in the Chaos Sea.
Dao Patriarch, Hongjun.
The only single true spirit being in the Chaos Sea besides Senior Waves.”