Inside the empty palace hall, Luxian stood alone. Unlike his previous state of panic, he seemed to have realized something, and a look of wistfulness appeared in the depths of his eyes.
The clear breeze atop the prayer mat continued to ripple.
Lu Yang attempted to probe Luxian's thoughts, only to find that the once easily captured reflections had now become obscure, as if separated by a vast distance.
After a moment of silence, Lu Yang took the initiative to speak: "Why do you say this, Fellow Daoist?"
Luxian turned his head and spoke in a low voice: "I have received a revelation from the Dao Venerable. At this very moment, it is no longer the Junping Calendar; the Dao Venerable has already departed far beyond the Dark Void."
"As for this place, my previous words were somewhat erroneous. Although this is a Heaven Beyond Heaven, it also is not. This is the final memory of the Heaven Beyond Heaven held by the Dao Venerable before he renounced the mortal world and transcended the world. Using that memory as a foundation and transformed by a single thought of the Dao Venerable, this place was manifested."
Luxian stood up, his face weathered with age.
With just this single movement, it felt as if eons had passed in an instant. His back grew hunched, and silver threads appeared in his once jet-black hair.
He sighed: "Only today do I understand the Dao Venerable's painstaking efforts. I fear even the Dao Venerable did not expect me to be so pathetic, passing countless years in a daze within this Heaven Beyond Heaven."
"Oh?" Seeing this, Lu Yang asked curiously: "I ask Fellow Daoist to elaborate."
Luxian shook his head and recited: "First is Fate, second is Fortune, third is Feng Shui; fourth is Accumulated Merit, fifth is Education; sixth is Name, seventh is Form, eighth is Reverence for the Divine; ninth is Noble Connections, and tenth is Health Preservation."
"These are the ten Great Daos of the world."
"And the path I cultivate is [Noble Connections]. It is a lineage where one places themselves under the protection of a Great Power, serving as an attendant to exchange for longevity and life."
"In this Dao, I am the one with the highest attainment."
"Oh?" Lu Yang was stunned for a moment, then frowned: "Observing your cultivation, you are not a Dao Ancestor..."
"It matters not." Luxian smiled, his aged face relaxing slightly: "The 'Noble' I connected with was the Dao Venerable himself. Therefore, although I am not a Dao Ancestor, all the Dao Ancestors in the world must show me a bit of courtesy."
Good heavens! So that's what [Noble Connections] means?Pre-Ancient cultivation could even be played like this?
At this point, Luxian shook his head again: "Unfortunately, the Dao Venerable is simply too precious. Although I exhausted my strength, I ultimately failed to keep up with Him."
"Therefore, after the Dao Venerable left the world, I could only remain in the mortal realm. Without the Dao Venerable, my [Noble Connections] could not be maintained, and my limit arrived instantly. Fortunately, the Dao Venerable was compassionate and pitied my heart for the Dao, so He specifically allowed me to stay in this realm, using a single thought of His to maintain my life. Only thus have I survived until now."
"However, this is merely a meager existence."
"Though my life is unharmed, I have no way to progress. I cannot seek the Dao and have wasted years in a void. As time passed, even I lost my original clarity."
"But..." Luxian suddenly looked at Lu Yang, his eyes bright: "It was only after seeing you, Dao Ancestor, that I understood where my opportunity lay."
"The Dao Venerable kept me alive not merely to let me survive."
"But to allow me to wait for the future—to wait for the era when the Great Dao shifts and the new ten Daos emerge. That time will be when I enter the world to recultivate."
"Now, Dao Ancestor, you have arrived."
"It is clear the time has come!"
Luxian's tone was heavy, carrying the fear of reincarnation and abandoning his cultivation, yet also the freedom and refreshment of an impending escape from a cage.
However, Lu Yang harbored doubts.
Because I arrived, Luxian has resolved to reincarnate... meaning entering the current world? But at this point in time, the current world should still be in the Ancient Era.
If Luxian left the Heaven Beyond Heaven just like that, would an extra person appear out of thin air in the Ancient Era? How much impact would that have on history?
More importantly, if Lu Yang told him some things about the future—such as the Primordial Saint's scheme or the cause and effect of the plot against Sisui—and then let him reincarnate to tell Sisui, would that change history? Could it allow Sisui to counter-kill the Primordial Saint, causing a massive shift in history?
This wouldn't be Altering Causes and Shifting Effects! That was merely a profound wonder that could be discovered or blocked. But what he would be doing now was directly changing the progress of history itself.
No one would find out! Unless one was inside this Heaven Beyond Heaven, everyone else would have their pasts changed unknowingly—including the Dao Lords and even the Primordial Saint!
Deity Transformation majesty was nothing more than this. And this wasn't even the Deity Transformation being acting personally; it was merely leaving behind the platform of the Heaven Beyond Heaven. By providing some intelligence in advance, Lu Yang could change everything!
Thinking of this, Lu Yang spoke in a deep voice: "If Fellow Daoist intends to reincarnate now, I have some words I wish to—"
Before he could finish, Luxian shook his head as if he had already anticipated it: "The Dao Ancestor need not say more. If I reincarnate, I will remember nothing."
"Furthermore, this moment is the [Past]."
"All things have already happened; the wood is already a boat. Even if the Dao Ancestor tells me more, the future you know will not change in the slightest."
Lu Yang's brow furrowed tightly. "Why..."
His voice cut off abruptly.
He realized the truth—again, the Heaven Beyond Heaven's interference with the past was not a superficial profound wonder like Altering Causes and Shifting Effects.
It was undetectable.
In other words, from the very beginning, the history I knew was already the history presented after I interfered and deeply participated within the Heaven Beyond Heaven!
It was illogical and full of paradoxes. Yet this was Deity Transformation. This was Transcendence.
Then the question was: If that's the case, this Luxian before me likely left his name in history long ago, but I simply didn't realize it until now.
Who is he?
As Lu Yang pondered, Luxian continued: "Although I have resolved to reincarnate this time, the Heaven Beyond Heaven is, after all, the Dao Venerable's legacy abode."
"If I reincarnate, this realm will be left unguarded."
"Therefore, I ask the Dao Ancestor to stay here and watch over it for me. Once I have succeeded in my cultivation in the new world, I will naturally find a way to return and continue guarding the gate for the Dao Venerable."
Lu Yang: "..."
He knew. He had the answer to who Luxian was: The Gatekeeper lineage of the [Heavenly Being's Remnant Consciousness]! More accurately, he was that very first Gatekeeper!
He was the one killed by the Primordial Saint.
At this thought, Lu Yang frowned. He didn't avoid the topic and said directly: "Fellow Daoist, your trip to reincarnation is fraught with unpredictable danger. I fear you will die at his hands."
"...I will die?" As soon as he said this, Luxian's expression stiffened. He then showed a look of gravity and said in a deep voice: "Is it a deliberate killing, or the result of a Dao-struggle?"
Lu Yang thought for a moment and said: "A deliberate killing."
"..." Luxian's expression became even more profound. After a long silence, he spoke hollowly: "Since it is a deliberate killing, then perhaps something went wrong with the book."
Lu Yang understood instantly: "The [Heavenly Destiny Divine Record]?"
Luxian shook his head: "Since the Dao Ancestor knows this name, it means someone has already used it, and the inheritances of the Name and Form schools have emerged."
"The sliver of hope that the Dao Venerable promised to Taiyuan Immortal back then has finally arrived."
"...Taiyuan Immortal?" Lu Yang immediately locked onto that name which carried an intense sense of deja vu: "I ask Fellow Daoist, what is the connection between this person and the [Heavenly Destiny Divine Record]?"
Luxian became incredibly cautious: "Taiyuan Xian" (Taiyuan Immortal) was the highest masterpiece of the Name and Form schools' attempt to transcend the world back then. It was the Immortal of Names and the Immortal of Forms. He was once the Dao Venerable's greatest opponent."
"From the transformation of Taiyuan, the Three Qi were born."
"The Upper Qi is called Shi (Beginning), the Middle Qi is called Yuan (Origin), and the Lower Qi is called Xuan (Profound)."
"The Three Qi divided to form the Nine Essence, and thus there was Taichu. Therefore, according to the [Five Great Primordials Theory] of the Name and Form schools, Taiyuan Immortal's stature is even before Taichu."
Lu Yang's gaze grew deep: "What is before Taichu?"
"Before Taichu is Taiyi."
Luxian said slowly: "Therefore, back then, Taiyuan Immortal actually preferred others to call him Taiyitian!" (Taiyi Heaven)
(End of Chapter)
Translator's Note:
1. The Five Great Primordials (先天五太): In Daoist philosophy, these are the five stages of the universe before matter existed:
Taiyi (太易): The state of "Great Change" or "Absolute Simplicity." There is no light, no form, no substance, and no void. It is the ultimate beginning.
Taichu (太初): The "Great Beginning." Energy (Qi) begins to exist, but there is still no form.
Taishi (太始): The "Great Starting." Form begins to appear, but there is no matter.
Taisù (太素): The "Great Elements." Matter begins to form, but it has no shape.
Taiji (太极): The "Ultimate Limit." The stage where Yin and Yang separate and the physical world is born.