Luxian's words caused Lu Yang's eyes to narrow instantly.
Taiyuan Xian. Taiyi Tian?
It couldn't be a coincidence!
'Based on what I heard earlier regarding the arguments among the seventeen Pre-Ancient Dao Ancestors, the connection between Taiyuan Immortal and that [Heavenly Destiny Divine Record] is quite profound.'
'He is the supreme masterpiece of the School of Names and School of Forms.'
'And now, the Primordial Saint has obtained all the inheritances of those two schools and has even used the [Heavenly Destiny Divine Record]. Crucially, his title is Taiyitian...'
At this thought, Lu Yang's expression became extremely peculiar: 'If one often walks by the river, one's shoes are bound to get wet. Could it be that the Primordial Saint has been outschemed by that Taiyuan Immortal? After all, to practice that [Heaven-Seizing Name Method], he first changed his name, and later changed his face for the sake of transcendence.'
Could doing such a thing truly be risk-free?
For the sake of seeking the Dao and transcendence, he had truly discarded everything, leaving behind only pure obsession and rationality. How was that any different from a walking corpse?
"Fellow Daoist Luxian."
Lu Yang looked up. He first described the Primordial Saint's situation in detail before saying in a deep voice: "Do you think there is a risk that he is not 'safe and sound'?"
"Of course there is—hmm?"
Luxian froze before finishing his sentence, then looked at Lu Yang: "How could he be safe and sound? Doing that carries the risk of being possessed by Taiyuan Immortal."
Lu Yang instantly breathed a sigh of relief.
That's good then!
Following this, more doubts surfaced in Lu Yang's heart. He couldn't help but ask: "I wonder what that Taiyuan Immortal's personality is like? What is his style of conduct?"
Luxian thought for a moment, then shook his head: "Although I was the Dao Venerable's attendant boy, I never participated in battles. I only heard a few words from the Dao Venerable... Supposedly, that Taiyuan Immortal is a natural-born 'Supreme Being'—emotionless, selfless, and without righteousness. From the moment of his birth, he existed only for the sake of transcendence."
"This..."
Upon hearing this, Lu Yang's brow furrowed. If Luxian hadn't explicitly stated he was describing Taiyuan Immortal, Lu Yang would have thought he was talking about the Primordial Saint.
'No, there is a connection between the two!'
Why was the Primordial Saint the way he was today?
Judging from the records in the [Heavenly Destiny Divine Record], the Primordial Saint seemed to have started as a mere mortal who rose to power after an accidental opportunity within [Supreme Grandmaster].
When he rose, Sisui had already begun preaching in the Sea of Light.
The [Method of Traversing the Mortal Dust] was known to everyone in the Sea of Light; the other Dao Lords who later attained the Primordial Spirit stage basically used that method.
Only the Primordial Saint and Dao Tianqi were different.
However, the motives and core nature of these two were entirely distinct.
Lu Yang tried to place himself in the Primordial Saint's perspective, putting himself in his shoes: "If I were the Primordial Saint, what would I do in that situation?"
He soon had an answer:
'Need I even say it? A ready-made Primordial Spirit cultivation method is right there, with several successful cases to boot. I'd just practice it directly; why bother creating a new Primordial Spirit method?'
One must realize how great the risk of creating a new Primordial Spirit method is. No one has practiced it before, there's no risk assessment, and once created, you practice it yourself—how is that different from using yourself as a lab rat? Since there is the successful experience of predecessors to copy, why waste energy?
'Exactly, that is the correct logic.'
'That should have been the Primordial Saint's mindset. At the very least, if it were me, I wouldn't waste time and effort creating the [Seven Emotions Heaven-Reaching Art], which is a thankless task.'
But the Primordial Saint did exactly that.
Why?
The reason was simple— because of the records in the [Heavenly Destiny Divine Record]! The records explicitly proposed the concept and design philosophy of the [Seven Emotions Heaven-Reaching Art]!
Lu Yang rapidly recalled the records he had seen.
[Mortals suffer much; joy, anger, sorrow, happiness, worry, fear, grief, and shock—too many threads of Karma. Even with Sisui's talent, he still lost because of these.]
[The Ancestral Dragon is a Innate Dao God, emotionless and without righteousness, sacrificing all sentient beings. That is why he could have the last laugh and seek transcendence.]
[I shall emulate the Ancestral Dragon and design a Primordial Spirit method to discard the seven emotions and achieve supreme selflessness, but there is only a prologue; I need my future self to complete it.]
—That was it!
Because of this crucial reminder from the [previous life], the Primordial Saint chose the path of the [Seven Emotions Heaven-Reaching Art], practicing to achieve the state of "Supreme Forgotten Emotion"!
In an instant, Lu Yang felt his scalp tingle.
'No! There's a problem!'
'That Taiyuan Immortal is closely related to the [Heavenly Destiny Divine Record] and might even be sealed inside it. Why would he not tamper with the records?'
Was the [Seven Emotions Heaven-Reaching Art] truly designed by the Primordial Saint?
One must realize that the current Primordial Saint is different from the one who left the records; the one who left the records had no way to borrow Dao Tianqi's Light of Wisdom!
In other words, the comprehension of the Primordial Saint who left the records was only marginally better than Lu Yang's own. When Lu Yang's Good Consciousness Heavenly Emperor was recruited by the Primordial Saint, he had seen the contents of the [Seven Emotions Heaven-Reaching Art]; as a result, he recognized every word, but when put together, he couldn't understand it.
If he was like this, what about the Primordial Saint who left the records?
With his level of comprehension, did he have the qualifications to create the [Seven Emotions Heaven-Reaching Art]? Even if he just started it and provided the concept, it shouldn't have been possible, right?
Unless—
'From the very beginning, that record had a problem. It was the Taiyuan Immortal within the book using the records to subtly guide the Primordial Saint's judgment and decisions!'
Then the question was:
If that were truly the case, it meant that the Taiyuan Immortal within the [Heavenly Destiny Divine Record] could actually sense the outside world. So, Lu Yang's previous arrival...
Was also under his nose?
No, thinking from an even deeper perspective, the [Heavenly Destiny Divine Record] is unique; even if the [Book of a Hundred Lifetimes] restarts, it won't be reshaped by it.
Considering it from this angle, perhaps the Taiyuan Immortal sealed within the [Heavenly Destiny Divine Record] is the same. Perhaps he remembers every single one of Lu Yang's previous restarts! And not like the Primordial Saint, who can only review through records, but actually having all the memories in a true sense!
At this moment, Lu Yang's thoughts raced.
At the end of the previous life, many illogical events surfaced at this moment, being deconstructed from a brand-new angle and another layer of interpretation.
'From the Primordial Saint's perspective:'
'In the previous life, triggering the Final Tribulation and resolutely committing suicide was a logical move, but it was perhaps a bit too abrupt—there wasn't even a shred of struggle.'
'But if I change the angle and look at it from Taiyuan Immortal's perspective, what would he think? He knows more clearly than the Primordial Saint that there is someone like me who can restart, yet he is trapped in a book and can't do anything to me... no, that's wrong, he is afraid to leave the book! He's afraid that after he leaves, I'll just restart again!'
The [Heavenly Destiny Divine Record] is a prison.
But it is also a protection.
Only by staying within the [Heavenly Destiny Divine Record] can Taiyuan Immortal possibly sense the restart of the [Book of a Hundred Lifetimes] and retain the memories associated with it.
Once he leaves, he is no longer in control.
So, in this situation, what would Taiyuan Immortal want to do most?
'Kill me!'
'Instead of leaving the [Heavenly Destiny Divine Record], he would induce me to take the initiative to find him... That is why I was able to see the [Heavenly Destiny Divine Record] at the very end of the previous life!'
Actually, if one thinks carefully:
If the Primordial Saint truly intended to leave records and secretly restart, why would he allow a crucial item to be exposed before Lu Yang's eyes? He should have taken precautions.
But Lu Yang did see it.
If it weren't for seeing the existence of the [Heavenly Destiny Divine Record], Lu Yang wouldn't have thought about slipping into [Supreme Grandmaster] in this life, let alone searching for that book.
The Primordial Saint's suicide first forced Lu Yang to restart, and then the glimpse of the [Heavenly Destiny Divine Record] during the Final Tribulation made him aware of the possibility that the Primordial Saint could also restart. This gave him a sense of urgency, finally leading him to try and strike first by finding the [Heavenly Destiny Divine Record] ahead of time.
In terms of the result, he succeeded!
'I truly did go look for it... only it wasn't my main body, but borrowing the Ancestral Dragon's body. That's why I'm fine. If I had gone as my main body back then...'
Lu Yang abruptly held his breath.
If everything was as he speculated, then in this life, he had truly walked past the gates of hell in a literal sense—he had almost died!
(End of Chapter)