"Ancestral God, does it look like it?" Xu Ying whispered.
The Ancestral God nodded, murmuring, "It looks like it—it looks too much like it... No, it doesn't just look like it; this is clearly Tianjing."
Appearing ahead of the multi-decked vessel was the very Tianjing that lay stranded on the other shore.
Yet this was not the present-day Tianjing devoid of any stars, but a complete, magnificent Tianjing universe.
Neither Xu Ying nor the Ancestral God was a stranger to Tianjing—especially the Ancestral God, who was Tianjing's cosmic primordial spirit, albeit a pseudo cosmic primordial spirit.
Yet was Tianjing not clearly stranded on the other shore? Why was there another Tianjing universe here?
The multi-decked vessel continued drifting toward Tianjing. Xu Ying suddenly brought it to a halt and said, "Tianjing could not possibly appear here, yet here it is. There is only one explanation."
The Ancestral God turned to look at him.
Xu Ying's expression turned solemn. "In Chaos, there is no distinction between past and future, nor between cause and effect. The Tianjing we see is the Tianjing of the past. If we cannot sense the other shore, it is likely because the other shore has not yet been born."
The Ancestral God was utterly bewildered. "The other shore has not yet been born? But hasn't the other shore already existed for billions of years?"
Xu Ying explained, "The state of Chaos is one without time, without space, without front or back, left or right, up or down, without past or future, and without cause or effect. Within Chaos, cause and effect, space and time, are completely meaningless. Spacetime emerges only in the Taiyi state of the Nine Innate Daos, and causality becomes valid only after Taiyi appears."
The Ancestral God pondered for a moment, yet still found it difficult to comprehend. He was an innate deity who had gradually come into being only after the Three Realms were born and entered the Taiyi state, so He could not comprehend Taiyi, let alone Wuji, Hongmeng, and Chaos. He could understand only several Great Daos that followed Taiyi, and even then, excluding the Dao of Nirvanic Extinction.
The Ancestral God thought it over and said, "Back when I was in Tianjing, I once heard Grand Dao Lord Xuhuang mention a conjecture. He said that all the universes in the Chaos Sea might merely be the manifestations of a single universe in different eras. He also said that perhaps the Chaos Sea is extraordinarily small—far smaller than anyone imagines, only the size of a single universe—but the moment one leaves the Chaos Sea, the timeline shifts. Any universe you encounter in the Chaos Sea is just that original universe having undergone transformations; in truth, they are all the exact same universe."
This explanation was exceedingly convoluted, but Xu Ying understood what Xuhuang meant.
"That should be impossible! Xuhuang's conjecture implies that different times exist within the Chaos Sea, which would mean two universes could not appear in the same place at the same time. Yet Tianjing ran aground on the other shore, so that cannot be."
Xu Ying pondered. "The Chaos Sea has no distinction of up, down, left, or right, no order of time, and no principle of causal cycles. Therefore, my guess is that the First Sacred Ground of the other shore and this Heaven-Opening Divine Axe sent us back to the time before the other shore's Hongyuan was cleaved open! If my guess is correct, the other shore's Hongyuan should currently be in a state of Wuji, unparted and unopened!"
Pacing back and forth at the prow, his eyes flashed. "Perhaps it requires our arrival to open up the other shore; perhaps only by opening the other shore can we return to the present world!"
The Ancestral God looked around. "But where would the other shore's Hongyuan be?"
Xu Ying's heart sank slightly. The most likely place was where they had originally appeared, but having sailed aboard the multi-decked vessel in the Chaos Sea for decades, they had long since left that spot, and finding it again would be impossible.
"Since we are here, we might as well make the best of it. Now that we have arrived at Tianjing, why not go take a look?" the Ancestral God suggested.
Xu Ying hesitated for a moment, then smiled. "You are still Tianjing's Ancestral God, after all. Alright, let us go take a look at Tianjing. However, Tianjing uses rational patterns at this time, which are quite primitive. We must take care that our own Dao patterns do not disrupt Tianjing!"
The Ancestral God promptly altered the structure of His Great Dao, transforming it into a configuration of rational patterns.
The emerald rock multi-decked vessel sailed into the Tianjing universe. At this time, Tianjing was in its prime. Dao Masters governed the world's Great Daos, and the most brilliant among them were the Eight Innate Masters: Chaos Dao Master Yuxi Zi, Wuji Dao Master Cenxi Zi, Taiyi Dao Master Dongxuan Zi, Samsara Dao Master Wuxi Zi, Karma Dao Master Jiangning Zi, Calamitous Destiny Dao Master Haining Zi, Slaughter Dao Master Jingning Zi, and the Dao Venerable.
As for the other innate Great Daos, there were even more Dao Masters, though no one had ever mastered the Dao of Nirvanic Extinction, nor was there a specific Dao Master for the Hongmeng Great Dao. The Dao Venerable might have achieved mastery as the Hongmeng Dao Master, but he encompassed every Great Dao simultaneously, detached from worldly affairs and loftily exalted.
Xu Ying and the Ancestral God disguised their appearances and entered Tianjing, thoroughly awed by its prosperity. The Tianjing of this era was far more flourishing than the other shore at its peak. In the sky, the cave abysses of the Dao Masters resembled individual immortal realms, profound and distant, with endless immortal mountains inhabited by countless Tianjing immortals. The Tianjing people also mined their unique ore, emerald rock, refining it into various magical treasures.
The Ancestral God whispered, "I have linked with Tianjing's worldly Great Daos... I am the cosmic primordial spirit here..."
Xu Ying felt slightly reassured. The stronger the Ancestral God was, the safer he would be.
Suddenly, a grand divine consciousness erupted across the Tianjing universe, echoing in all directions: "I am the Dao Venerable. I shall lecture in Cuiluo Heaven... Those who are fated may come!"
The Dao Venerable preaching the Dao! Xu Ying's heart pounded. He said to the Ancestral God, "Let us go to Cuiluo Heaven to listen to the sermon."
One hundred and twenty million years ago, the Dao Venerable had preached in Tianjing, instructing Luo Taizong and over fifty Dao Masters, including Hua, Lin, and Luo, leading the other shore into boundless prosperity.
Xu Ying had long envied that grand event, regretting only that he was born too late to attend. Now that he had arrived in Tianjing billions of years in the past, he naturally could not let this opportunity pass.
"Ancestral God, keep the axe stowed away and do not reveal it, lest people think we came for a fight."
The two rushed eagerly toward Cuiluo Heaven. Upon arrival, they found a vast sea of people! Xu Ying put away the emerald rock multi-decked vessel and squeezed into the crowd alongside the Ancestral God. The Dao Venerable had already begun his lecture, and Xu Ying and the Ancestral God were soon utterly enthralled.
*Regardless of the Dao Venerable's character, his achievements in the Dao methods are indeed beyond dispute,* Xu Ying thought with admiration.
The Dao Venerable preached for ten years, and Xu Ying and the Ancestral God listened below for those ten years. During this decade, ninety-nine percent of the audience departed, leaving only a scant few hundred. While the Dao methods the Dao Venerable initially taught were simple, as time went on, they grew increasingly obscure and abstruse. If one could not understand and tried to force comprehension, it would only cause harm and easily lead to cultivation deviation.
Later on, most of those few hundred also left, until only a hundred or so remained—most of them Dao Masters!
Xu Ying and the Ancestral God were among them. After some more time, the concepts the Dao Venerable expounded became incomprehensible even to Grand Dao Lords among the Immortals, forcing them to withdraw.
The Ancestral God could understand some parts and not others, but Xu Ying gained immense insights, constantly experiencing new revelations, so he remained throughout. Much of what the Dao Venerable taught involved the profound mysteries of cultivating the Nine Innate Daos; even regarding the Dao of Nirvanic Extinction, the Dao Venerable's insights far surpassed his own, benefiting him tremendously.
By now, except for the two of them, everyone present was a Dao Master. Xu Ying and the Ancestral God listened attentively when suddenly, the Dao voice that had resonated in their ears for over a decade fell silent. Xu Ying looked up and met the Dao Venerable's gaze. The Dao Venerable was gazing at him with a hint of surprise in his eyes, seemingly baffled as to how Xu Ying had managed to listen this far.
The other Dao Masters also snapped out of their contemplation, chanting in unison, "We pay our respects to the Dao Venerable for propagating the Dao methods." Though they were Dao Masters with extraordinary attainments in their respective Great Daos, the Dao Venerable's mastery across every single Great Dao surpassed theirs by far, winning their heartfelt reverence.
When these words were spoken, everyone was thoroughly shaken, whispering and murmuring among themselves!
Chaos Dao Master Yuxi Zi said, "Dao Venerable, we Dao Masters are willing to withstand the calamitous destiny for all living beings, turning our Great Daos into cave abysses to shelter sentient life through this Nirvanic Extinction Tribulation. When that time comes, we can open heaven and earth to manifest the primeval universe once more."
The Dao Venerable shook his head, his booming voice suppressing the murmurs. "Accompanying this Nirvanic Tribulation is a Great Dao tide. During this tide, all worldly Great Daos will be stripped of their Dao power. Faced with the Nirvanic Extinction Tribulation, there will be no resisting it!"
Wuji Dao Master Cenxi Zi frowned and asked, "The five Great Daos—Chaos, Hongmeng, Wuji, Taiyi, and Nirvanic Extinction—do not belong to the worldly Great Daos. Will they be affected?"
The Dao Venerable said, "Beneath the tide, nothing survives—whether Chaos, Hongmeng, or Nirvanic Extinction!"
The Dao Masters were struck with inexplicable shock!
The Dao Venerable said, "My purpose in preaching this time and imparting all that I have learned and comprehended throughout my life is to depart Tianjing and seek answers in the Chaos Sea, hoping that over these billions of years, I may find a way to save Tianjing. Gentlemen..." He frowned slightly, hesitant whether to continue.
After a moment, the Dao Venerable said, "After I depart, you gentlemen should minimize worldly karma as much as possible, and repay what worldly karma you owe!"
The Dao Masters were deeply shaken, carefully pondering the meaning behind his words!
Calamitous Destiny Dao Master Haining Zi asked, "Does the Dao Venerable have a method of salvation?"
The Dao Venerable shook his head and sighed. "I, too, am contemplating a method of salvation, but I have explored countless hundreds of millions of futures for Tianjing, and all end in death. Time is of the essence; I depart immediately."
After giving a few more instructions, the Dao Venerable prepared to set off. Suddenly remembering something, he looked toward Xu Ying and the Ancestral God, only to freeze in slight surprise. The two of them had slipped away at some point. *What was the origin of that person?*
Xu Ying and the Ancestral God stood upon the emerald rock multi-decked vessel as it sailed toward the Chaos Sea beyond Tianjing.
"To think that the Dao Venerable was actually a good man who cared for Tianjing!" the Ancestral God remarked with emotion. "I had thought he was completely unscrupulous in pursuit of his goals."
Xu Ying chuckled. "One man's treasure is another man's poison. In the eyes of the Three Realms' people, I am Dao Ancestor Xu, but in the eyes of the other shore's people, am I not an utterly despicable villain capable of every evil?"
The Ancestral God burst into laughter. As the vessel gradually sailed out of Tianjing and reached the edge of the Chaos Sea, He recalled something and said, "The Dao Venerable searched hundreds of millions of futures and never found a path of survival. When the Nirvanic Extinction Tribulation and the Great Dao tide descend together, is there truly no solution?"
"There is a solution, but it can only save oneself, not others!" Xu Ying replied without hesitation.
"Through the mutual corroboration of the Nine Daos, one can save oneself!" Just as he said this—
Suddenly, a voice came from behind, ringing clearly into their ears: "Mutual corroboration of the Nine Daos can save oneself? Gong Daochuan thanks the two Dao brothers for the guidance."
*The Dao Venerable!* Xu Ying's heart pounded wildly. He wanted to look back, but remembered that their true appearances had been restored. If they came face-to-face with the Dao Venerable, who knew what unpredictable trouble it might invite? Just as he was about to tell the Ancestral God not to turn His head, the Ancestral God had already turned around. Through the vast, hazy Qi of Chaos, He locked eyes with a yellow-robed youth on another multi-decked vessel.
That yellow-robed youth was the Dao Venerable, handsome in appearance. Driving his vessel toward them, he called out clearly, "Dao friends, please wait! Gong Daochuan requests an audience."
"Ancestral God, say nothing."
Xu Ying sent a quiet mental message, steering the emerald rock vessel deeper into the Chaos Sea, and laughed aloud. "An outcast of the Dao Alliance—what need is there for us to meet again?"
The Dao Venerable had originally intended to give chase and get to the bottom of the matter, but upon hearing those words, he was utterly shaken. He halted his vessel, his expression flickering between dark and pale. By the time he thought to pursue Xu Ying's vessel again, the ship had already fled without a trace, disappearing into the void.
*Is he from the Dao Alliance?* The Dao Venerable felt a chill of terror in his heart. He murmured under his breath, "I have fled for over ten billion years, yet I still haven't escaped the shadow of the Dao Alliance?" Shivering, he spurred his vessel into motion and hurried away.
Having shaken off the Dao Venerable and seeing that he was not pursuing them, Xu Ying and the Ancestral God finally breathed a sigh of relief!
*The Dao Venerable's voyage this time must be to travel the Chaos Sea. Back then, he said that during his travels in the Chaos Sea, he encountered a formidable being who told him that beyond the Chaos Sea lies the Great Void,* Xu Ying thought. *At this point, the Dao Venerable should have already perfected his cultivation and become a Lord of Great Dao.*
Xu Ying wore an astounded look and hurriedly looked over, only to see Dao Master Zuo Lian, tall and stalwart, his handsome temples dusted with more weather-beaten grey, crow's feet at the corners of his eyes, staring at him in utter shock.
Beneath his feet, the emerald rock vessel was still the one Xu Ying had gifted him back then. Xu Ying was stunned for a moment, then burst into hearty laughter: "Dao Brother Zuo Lian, it really is you! To think that after parting for a thousand years, we would meet again."
"A thousand years? How could it be a thousand years? Four billion years have already passed!" Dao Master Zuo Lian appeared weathered, his voice tinged with weariness. "Since I parted with you, Fellow Daoist, and stepped into the Chaos Sea to catch up with Dao Friend Shentu Lun, four billion years have already gone by!"
Dao Master Zuo Lian sized Xu Ying up and down, saying, "In a mere thousand years, your cultivation has advanced by leaps and bounds, Fellow Daoist Xu—truly worthy of congratulations!"
Xu Ying invited him aboard his own vessel and inquired, "Back then, you and Fellow Daoist Pei fulfilled your oath to go provide reinforcement in the battle against the Dao Alliance. How did the battle fare?"
Dao Master Zuo Lian's expression dimmed. "We were defeated. Pei Yi has fallen in battle, and now I, too, am a member of the Dao Alliance."
Xu Ying was thoroughly shocked. Dao Master Zuo Lian laughed dryly, "The Dao Alliance... heh, best left unsaid!"
Xu Ying asked, "Dao Brother, having departed the Dao Alliance this time, where do you plan to go?"
Dao Master Zuo Lian said, "To pay homage to the Spirit Realm!"
Xu Ying felt a prickling numbness in his scalp and blurted out, "Pay homage to the Spirit Realm? What happened to the Spirit Realm?"
"After we departed back then, the Spirit Realm indeed gave birth to many remarkable beings. But how could a universe's cycle of formation, abiding, destruction, and emptiness be averted even by Dao Masters?"
Dao Master Zuo Lian shook his head and said, "The Spirit Realm was ultimately swallowed by the Nirvanic Extinction Tribulation. My trip this time is to pay homage to my homeland!"
Xu Ying was still in utter disarray. He had clearly left the Spirit Realm only a thousand years ago, and he was clearly the Dao Ancestor of the Spirit Realm—how could the Spirit Realm have already succumbed to Nirvanic Extinction?
"Fellow Daoist Xu, this is the unfathomable might of the Chaos Sea, just like the Chaos Master."
Dao Master Zuo Lian said, "As the Dao Ancestor of the Spirit Realm, would Fellow Daoist Xu care to accompany me?"
Xu Ying exhaled a breath of turbid air and said, "Please lead the way, Dao Brother!" His mind was still in turmoil, finding it difficult to accept this reality. Yet in the Chaos Sea, such seemingly absurd and bizarre things happened nonetheless.
Dao Master Zuo Lian steered his ship, changing course toward the ruins of the Spirit Realm within the Chaos Sea. "Although the Spirit Realm was destroyed, the jade platform where I, along with Dao Friends Shentu Lun and Qu Hong, once debated the Dao remains intact. When I went there last time to pay homage to the Spirit Realm, I discovered that a new Chaos spirit root had grown atop the ruins of the Spirit Realm."
Dao Master Zuo Lian smiled and said, "This spirit root is shaped like a divine axe, incomparably sharp!"
Chapter 866