Taoist Myth: I am the last true immortal in the world

Chapter 854 The Great Dao Collapses, All Laws Annihilate

The "time" in the underworld is fundamentally different from that in the mortal world.

Or perhaps, there is no such thing as time in the underworld.

While Chen Yun was in the Nine Netherworlds, a great event was happening in the outside world.

The Later Zhou dynasty, along with the Northern Han and Liao dynasties, fought a decisive battle that shaped the course of history – the Battle of Gaoping.

This war did not begin recently; it can be traced back to the early days of the Later Zhou dynasty. Liu Chong, the ruler of the Northern Han, had already colluded with the Liao dynasty and repeatedly attacked the Later Zhou, causing it immense suffering.

This time, the death of Emperor Taizu of Later Zhou, Guo Wei, and the succession of his adopted son, Chai Rong, gave Liu Chong the opportunity to destroy Later Zhou in one fell swoop.

In Liu Chong’s view, Chai Rong’s reign as emperor was unstable and he might not even be able to fully command the army. If they didn’t fight now, when would they?
Therefore, in early February, Liu Chong led an army of 30,000, with Bai Conghui as the commander-in-chief and Zhang Yuanhui as the vanguard commander. Together with more than 10,000 cavalry led by Yang Yan, the military governor of Liaowuding, they marched south from Jinyang through Tuanbai, stationed at Lianghouyi, defeated the Later Zhou army at Taipingyi, and headed straight for Luzhou.

When Emperor Shizong Chai Rong heard that the Northern Han army was attacking from the south, he overcame all objections and decided to personally lead the expedition.

Chai Rong ordered Fu Yanqing, the military governor of Tianxiong, and Guo Chong, the military governor of Zhenning, to lead troops westward from Cizhou and Guzhen, and out from behind the Northern Han army.

He then ordered Wang Yanchao, the military governor of Hezhong, and Han Tong, the military governor of Baoyi, to lead their troops to attack the Northern Han army from the northeast of Jinzhou.

Then, he ordered Liu Ci, the military governor of Heyang, to lead troops to cover the rear and provide reinforcements for the troops that would directly block the attack.

Finally, he ordered Fan Aineng, the commander of the cavalry, He Hui, the commander of the infantry, Bai Chongzan, the military governor of Yicheng, and Fu Yanneng, the former military commissioner of Yaozhou, to lead the vanguard to Zezhou.

At the same time, Chai Rong issued an edict ordering all provinces to recruit brave civilians to fight.

He personally led a large army from Kaifeng northward through Huaizhou to confront the Northern Han army head-on.

On March 18, Chai Rong led his army to Zezhou.

Liu Chong was unaware that Chai Rong was personally leading the expedition. After winning the first battle, he underestimated the enemy and advanced hastily. He passed through Luzhou but did not attack, and then led his army south.

On the 19th, the allied forces of the Later Han and Liao dynasties suddenly encountered the vanguard of the Later Zhou army south of Gaoping. After a fierce battle, they suffered a defeat and retreated to Bagongyuan south of Gaoping to form their battle lines.

Liu Chong led the central army in the middle, Zhang Yuanhui's troops in the east, and Liao general Yang Yan's cavalry in the west, intending to engage in a decisive battle.

Before Zhou's army arrived, Chai Rong ordered his troops to form three formations to confront the Northern Han army: Bai Chongzan and others commanded the left army in the west; Fan Aineng and He Hui commanded the right army in the east; and Xiang Xun, Shi Yanchao and others commanded elite cavalry in the center. At the same time, he sent generals to lead troops straight to Jiangzhu Ridge to cut off the Northern Han army's retreat.

Liu Chong underestimated the small number of Later Zhou troops, and, with his large army, became arrogant, declaring that he could win without the help of the Liao army.

Yang Yan rode forward to look around and saw that Zhou's army was well-organized. He advised them not to advance rashly.

Liu Chong insisted on a decisive battle, ignoring all advice, and ordered Zhang Yuanhui of the left wing to lead cavalry in a fierce attack on the right flank of the Later Zhou army.

Shortly after the battle began, Later Zhou generals Fan Aineng and He Hui led their cavalry to flee, while over a thousand infantrymen surrendered.

The situation is very critical.

At this critical moment, Zhao Kuangyin raised his arms and shouted: "Our lord is in danger, we must fight to the death!"

He then asked Zhang Yongde to lead archers to seize the high ground on the left.

Zhao and Zhang each led two thousand elite soldiers to attack from both sides, fighting to the death.

During this time, countless arrows came flying, and suddenly a golden light flashed around Zhao Kuangyin's body, protecting him. It turned out that the talisman given by Chen Yun had worked and saved his life.

Perhaps seeing Zhao Kuangyin's bravery and the critical situation, Chai Rong adopted the suggestion of Wei Renpu, the deputy privy councilor, and personally charged into the camp of Liu Chong, the emperor of the Northern Han Dynasty, which greatly boosted the morale of the Later Zhou army.

Left Army General Bai Zhongzan and others also led their troops in fierce fighting, quickly forming a pincer movement against the Northern Han army.

To boost morale, Liu Chong rewarded the valiant general Zhang Yuanhui for his initial achievements and ordered him to lead the army into battle again.

Zhang Yuanhui rejoined the Later Zhou army, but his horse fell and he was killed.

With the south wind blowing strongly, the Later Zhou army took advantage of the situation and charged left and right, becoming more and more courageous in battle.

Liao general Yang Yan fled in fear of battle.

The Northern Han army suffered a major defeat.

Liu Chong raised his banner and recruited more than 10,000 remaining soldiers, who were forced to retreat and defend themselves in a strategic location.

At dusk, Liu Ci's rear army of Chai Rong arrived and joined forces with other armies to attack, killing Wang Tingsi, the Privy Councilor of the Northern Han, and pursuing them to Gaoping.

The Northern Han army suffered a major defeat, with heavy casualties and countless abandoned supplies and weapons.

Liu Chong escaped back to Jinyang from Diaokoling with only a hundred or so personal cavalry.

In this battle, Liu Chong misjudged the situation, rashly sent out troops, became arrogant after a small victory, and failed to assess the true situation in the decisive battle, almost resulting in the annihilation of his entire army.

Chai Rong commanded decisively, leading by example, and his generals fought valiantly, resulting in a decisive victory.

Zhao Kuangyin's rallying cry at the critical moment played a decisive role.

In stark contrast, Fan Aineng and He Hui surrendered without hesitation.

Zhao Kuangyin, as the vanguard, took advantage of the victory to attack Taiyuan, the capital of the Northern Han Dynasty, and burned the city gates. However, Taiyuan was well defended, and the Later Zhou attacking force suffered heavy losses.

Just as Zhao Kuangyin was attacking the city, a stray arrow suddenly struck.

At this moment, Zhao Kuangyin no longer had any protective talismans on him, and could only watch helplessly as the arrows came flying towards him, his fate uncertain.

……

The Saha world.

At Lingshan, Maitreya Buddha and Dipankara Buddha have always been watching the changes in celestial secrets.

Suddenly, Maitreya Buddha saw the river of history split in two, as if it had reached a crossroads.

His face lit up with joy. "The river of history has diverged, and our forceful alteration of its course must have already been effective."

Dipankara Buddha appeared relatively calm, or rather, cautious. "It's just a fork in the road. We can't be sure if it will work. If the long river of history continues along its original path, all that we've done before, while not necessarily in vain, will at least not yield results in the short term."

Maitreya Buddha laughed and said, "Even the many half-step Grand Luo cultivators of Taoism couldn't stop it, so what unexpected situation could possibly arise?"

"Not necessarily." Dipankara Buddha said with piercing eyes, "You and I used our great magic to manipulate the heavenly secrets in an attempt to change the course of history, but that doesn't mean that reality will necessarily change. If a powerful being suppresses reality, they can still reverse the history we forcibly changed."

Reality suppression is an existence that transcends all rules.

This is a key point that can be grasped once one cultivates to the point of being half a step into the Great Luo realm.

Unfortunately, under normal circumstances, a half-step Great Luo can only change the reality that has already happened, and cannot directly change the reality of the future.

After all, the future is unpredictable, and no one knows whether a butterfly that deviates from its predetermined "program" will change the course of history.

This word had a specific name in Chen Yun's previous life.

That's right, it's the "butterfly effect".

Both Taoism and Buddhism have corresponding specific terms: 承负 (chéngfù) and 因因报应 (yīnyīn bàoyìng).

Every cause must have an effect.

Maitreya Buddha and Dipankara Buddha can modify the "program" of the Heavenly Way, causing changes in the general direction of history, but they cannot control every detail.

If even one detail triggers a "butterfly effect," then that "cause" will inevitably produce a new "effect."

Therefore, it is almost impossible to achieve "real-world suppression" by relying on Falun Dafa.

The only thing Dafa can do is guide the general direction of history and increase the likelihood of things going as expected. As far as Maitreya Buddha and Dipankara Buddha know, there is no one in reality who can definitively predict future developments, not even the Jade Emperor.

Maitreya Buddha smiled and said, "Whether a Great Luo Immortal can suppress reality is something I don't know yet, but a Half-Step Great Luo Immortal doesn't have that strength."

Dipankara Buddha thought about it carefully and said, "That's true. Even the Jade Emperor, the Ziwei Emperor, and Shakyamuni Buddha couldn't do this, let alone anyone else."

Maitreya Buddha said confidently, "Then our forceful alteration of history will surely be effective."

The two were talking.

Suddenly, Dipankara Buddha sensed that the original trajectory of the long river of history was gradually becoming blurred, while the trajectory he and Maitreya Buddha had agreed upon was becoming clearer and clearer.

Seeing this, Dipankara Buddha, who had been worried that someone could suppress him, couldn't help but smile. "There's no problem. The course of history is basically set in stone. This time, Buddhism is expected to flourish."

Maitreya Buddha naturally sensed the specific situation and said with excitement, "In this way, we can send our Buddhist people to formally participate in the Investiture of the Gods. If we can help the true Son of Heaven establish his rule over the world, Buddhism will surely be able to replace Taoism and become the protagonist on the stage of history."

……

Taiwei Yuqing Palace.

The Jade Emperor used his supreme and wondrous methods to foresee future changes.

He didn't seem to take the idea that Maitreya Buddha and Dipankara Buddha were forcibly changing the course of history to heart at all.

In the eyes of the Jade Emperor, no matter how the course of history changes, it always remains true to its original principle.

There are many protagonists on the stage of history. As long as one goes with the flow, no change matters, and one can remain as stable as Mount Tai.

"So what if history has changed?"

The Jade Emperor, with his piercing gaze, glanced towards Mount Ling and said, "No change can escape my eyes; all your efforts are in vain."

He was, after all, the number one person at the half-step Great Luo realm, infinitely close to the Great Luo realm, and his realm was far superior to Chen Yun's. He didn't even think about suppressing reality, but instead prepared to follow the will of heaven.

As long as he doesn't defy fate, he can always maintain the initiative thanks to his formidable strength.

This is the Jade Emperor's absolute confidence.

Therefore, he was not afraid at all of Maitreya Buddha and Dipankara Buddha forcibly changing the course of history.

This is why the Jade Emperor did not intervene.

Although he did not stop Maitreya Buddha and Dipankara Buddha from their actions, Chen Yun's current behavior greatly interested him.

The Jade Emperor had sensed that Chen Yun was trying to stop Maitreya Buddha and Dipankara Buddha, but unfortunately, he failed.

Now, he sensed once again that Chen Yun had gone to the Nine Netherworlds and encountered the incarnation of the Fengdu Emperor.

The Jade Emperor revealed an interested expression. "The incarnation of the Fengdu Emperor possesses some ability to suppress reality. Although it is not much, it is more than enough to forcefully alter the course of history when facing Maitreya Buddha and Dipankara Buddha. It is precisely because the incarnation of the Fengdu Emperor possesses some ability to suppress reality that even I have to give way to it. I wonder if Chen Pu can successfully obtain this incarnation."

He was very clear about one thing: Chen Yun's title of "Emperor of Fengdu" was not actually bestowed by Laozi, but rather by that mysterious master who used his supreme power to suppress Chen Yun in reality, thus granting Chen Yun the divine title of Emperor of Fengdu.

To be honest, the Jade Emperor was very puzzled as to why that mysterious master would do such a thing.

He was already the number one person below the Great Luo Immortal, yet he still couldn't understand the actions of the mysterious mastermind. It was like someone in a dream who couldn't understand the changes in the dream. Therefore, he believed that Chen Yun certainly didn't understand what was going on either, or perhaps Chen Yun was completely unaware that a mysterious mastermind was strategizing behind the scenes.

……

The Ziwei Emperor glanced at Mount Ling, then at the Nine Netherworlds, and couldn't help but shake his head.

His cultivation level was very close to that of the Jade Emperor, so he could naturally sense what had happened recently.

The Ziwei Emperor thought that Maitreya Buddha and Dipankara Buddha were too naive, actually thinking of changing the course of history in this way.

Although he didn't know about the existence of the mysterious master like the Jade Emperor did, some things are destined.

History is like a bamboo strip; if you bend it, it will eventually spring back to its original shape.

Unless you are strong enough to break the bamboo strip in one go, you cannot truly change anything.

"Only a Great Immortal can break the bamboo strip of history; it is impossible for anyone but a Great Immortal to do so."

The Purple Emperor looked at him with disdain, truly feeling that Maitreya Buddha and Dipankara Buddha were overthinking things.

……

Lingshan.

The Venerable Shakyamuni closed his eyes to sense the changes in the heavens.

He used his supreme supernatural powers to perceive a very terrifying fact.

The Venerable Shakyamuni saw that the future history was fragmented, as if some great force had broken the bamboo strips of history, causing a break in the historical narrative.

Or perhaps, the whole world seems to have reached a point of collapse.

At the end of the collapsing river of history, there is a familiar figure.

Although the Venerable Shakyamuni could not clearly see the figure's appearance, he instinctively had a premonition that this person was none other than Emperor Chen Pu.

"Are you the one from the prophecy of world destruction, the one who brought me Nirvana, the one who extinguished Buddhism, the one who caused the collapse of the Great Dao, that world-destroying god?"

Even with such wisdom, the Venerable Shakyamuni Buddha's eyes still showed a hint of confusion.

He couldn't believe that he would witness the collapse of the Great Dao in the long river of history, and that Chen Yun's figure might be the one who annihilated all laws and laws.

"The old monk's Nirvana is not frightening; what is frightening is that the Great Dao will collapse and everything in the world will vanish into thin air. No matter what, the old monk must prevent this disaster from happening."

The Buddha Shakyamuni's gaze gradually hardened. "Even if it means going against the Great Way, this old monk will still protect all living beings."

This is also the main reason why Shakyamuni Buddha did not stop Maitreya Buddha and Dipankara Buddha.

He sensed the collapse of the Great Dao, the annihilation of all laws, and the vanishing of all heavens and realms.

Everything in this world is like a bubble.

It shatters at the slightest touch, turning into nothingness.

……

Nine Netherworlds.

Chen Yun sensed the hostility of the incarnation of the Fengdu Emperor and immediately knew that a fierce battle was about to begin.

He didn't understand where the Emperor of Fengdu had manifested his self-awareness, or whether he had been invaded by a demon.
Chen Yun felt that the second possibility was more likely. After all, after Qing Jia reincarnated, the Fengdu Emperor had lost his self-awareness, just like an account without a password, which was easily hacked.

Therefore, it is only natural that the other party would be hostile towards them, or even have the intention to replace them.

Chen Yun looked over without fear. He would not be replaced by the avatar. He was determined to subdue the other party!

At this moment, the eerie red light in the eyes of the Fengdu Emperor in his incarnation intensified, and his body was filled with strange and powerful immortal energy. It turned out that he had discovered Chen Yun's arrival and was preparing to fight him to the death!
Seeing the boundless killing intent emanating from the incarnation of the Fengdu Emperor, Chen Yun immediately knew that either he would die or the other party would be subdued; there was no third possibility.

He had experienced countless battles, both large and small, throughout his more than eighty years of life, and naturally he would not back down in the slightest when it came to a fight to the death.

Chen Yun reached out and grasped at nothingness, and four divine swords and an array diagram appeared.

A fierce battle is about to begin!

(End of this chapter)