Taoist Master Xuanhuang

"Huh? This is a complete breakthrough to the fourth tier! That's impressive!"

The boundary between the underworld and the heavens was bustling with people and traffic.

While such words might not be suitable for describing hell, they are quite fitting at this moment.

After the True Self entered the Underworld, a series of developments unfolded, and the underworld was incorporated into it.

From then on, the underworld ceased to exist; only the Yellow Springs Underworld remained.

The ghost cultivator also entered the Yellow Springs Underworld. Due to the control and integration of the True Self, the ghost cultivator, who was originally a 'refugee', was given a formal identity.

How did ghost cultivators come into being?
It was Xuanhuang who intercepted the dissipated souls of the cultivators and forcibly preserved them.

Strictly speaking, it exists illegally and has no official status.

Things are different now, because they have merged into the Yellow Springs and become beings of the Yellow Springs, with a formal identity.

It's equivalent to being acknowledged by the underworld.

The previous Ten Yama Kings were arranged by the True Self Lord to receive the gestation and inheritance, becoming beings at the level of the Ten Venerable Lords.

Of course, completing the inheritance is not so easy. Even the Yellow Spring True Saint inheritance of the True Self Lord has not been completed and is still in the process of being conceived and passed on.

This is a long-term issue, requiring at least until the True Self has fully merged with the True Chairman of the Underworld and completely taken control of the Underworld.

The true self, who was in deep seclusion, was interrupted by an uninvited guest.

The one who came was none other than the Lord of Heaven and Earth, who descended with a smile to the place where the True Self Lord was in seclusion.

"I suppose so? Not only that, but I've inherited everything about the original body except for the will. I feel ridiculously powerful now," said the Lord of Heaven and Earth.

"Hmph, you're not here to show off, are you?" said the True Self.

"Well, brothers don't stand on ceremony, that's definitely the case," the Lord of Heaven and Earth admitted.

Feeling ridiculously powerful, I couldn't find anyone to brag to, so I had to show off to my two brothers.

"As for it?"

"It's quite true. I finally understand why I've become a semi-transcendent being. It's because after entering the fourth rank, especially the fourth rank where willpower reigns supreme, I've become so powerful. It's no exaggeration to say that I'm a half-step seventh-rank true spirit," said the Lord of Heaven and Earth.

"Oh? That strong?" True Self was surprised.

The three are the divided spirits of Xuanhuang, each possessing the same strength as Xuanhuang.

However, after reaching the fourth rank, Xuanhuang's will changed after becoming a saint.

At least in terms of willpower, it cannot be copied or shared; willpower is just that special.

The will is unique and supreme; even a demigod of Xuanhuang cannot possess the same level of willpower as the original, unless they cultivate themselves to that level.

"That's how powerful it is. The fusion of the four stages of True King cultivation—essence, qi, and spirit—far surpasses the single cultivation of body, spirit, or qi. It represents the perfect fusion of the three. The strength and quality of its true essence are incomparable to any single cultivation method, not to mention the size of the dantian world and the overall evolution brought about by the perfection of essence, qi, and spirit..."

The Lord of Heaven and Earth said a lot. Even aside from willpower, the perfection of the essence, energy, and spirit of the three cultivations combined is something that no single cultivator can match.

"Moreover, while I cannot share your will, my insights are not included here. They are immeasurable, far exceeding the insights of 129,600. Not to mention, my body has somehow condensed the Chaos Law. The immeasurable power of Chaos is indescribable. You only need to know that the Chaos Law has no distinction between upper, middle, and lower-level laws. It has transcended the division of fourth-order low-level laws, fifth-order middle-level laws, and sixth-order high-level laws, and is instead..."

"Four Chaos Laws represent the Venerable level, seven Chaos Laws represent the sixth level, and once you exceed nine, you reach the seventh-order True Spirit level, which is the Chaos Great Dao level."

"..."

Having finally found someone to confide in, the Lord of Heaven and Earth opened up and launched into a long speech, leaving the Lord of the True Self speechless.

"So, it seems I'm not in a hurry to fuse with the fifth-tier Venerable Origin of the Yellow Springs Realm, but rather I'll continue the fusion after my True Cultivation level reaches the fourth tier?"

The description by the Lord of Heaven and Earth is so captivating.

Because the true self wanted to completely control the Yellow Springs, the cultivation at the true cultivation level fell behind.

His plan was to first integrate with the origin of a seventh-order True Saint, and then make up for his shortcomings in cultivation after he had completely integrated and controlled the Yellow Springs.

That was the original plan, but after the arrival of the God of Heaven and Earth and his explanation, he wanted to change it.

"Whatever, to be fair, I can tell you this: at the fourth-tier True King level, I can easily defeat you. Even if you fuse with the Divine Origin and become a fifth-tier Venerable, you might not be able to beat me," the Lord of Heaven and Earth said proudly.

"What nonsense!" True Self felt that what Second Brother said was true, but he refused to admit defeat.

"Enough with the nonsense, let's go to the outer realms and have a competition, then we'll know," said the Lord of Heaven and Earth.

"Hmph, I'm not that bored." The True Self chickened out; it seemed he really couldn't win.

"Haha, a wise man knows when to yield, third brother, you're quite wise... I finally understand why I don't care about worldly affairs. To get involved in human disputes with such intensity is something only someone with a lot of free time would do."

The Lord of Heaven and Earth didn't dwell on it. Although the third brother didn't admit it verbally, he had already admitted it in his heart, so there was no need to keep pressing the issue.

At the same time, the reason for the deity's semi-transcendence is explained once again.

"Now I understand why the original being is so eager to sever its karmic ties with us. It is because it has no choice but to do so; it is too powerful. If it does not break free from its alliance with us, it is as if it cannot sever its karmic ties in the mortal world."

"The true self exclaimed."

Once Xuanhuang enters the fourth rank, he no longer shares his cultivation level with them, unless they are transformed by Xuanhuang after entering the fourth rank. They will not simply inherit whatever Xuanhuang comprehends.

I didn't understand the purpose of doing this before, but now I do: it's to sever the karmic ties of this world.

They are the ones who enter the world to cultivate themselves and take the place of Xuanhuang.

Xuanhuang disregards worldly affairs.

"Yes, the key is still the will to become a saint. Even after reaching the fourth level, I cannot bear it. If I force myself to bear it, my body will be in danger of breaking apart. It's too terrifying," said the Lord of Heaven and Earth.

After he entered the fourth tier, Xuanhuang naturally modified him, for example, by copying the laws and insights of the boundless chaos.

The only thing that Xuanhuang couldn't share was his will; his will was unique, and even a fraction of his own spirit couldn't achieve it.

Unless Xuanhuang dies and his spirit becomes the main body, it is not possible.

He forced himself to try, and when his willpower reached a certain intensity, his fourth-tier True King body was unable to withstand it and was in danger of disintegrating.

He also tried to integrate his will into the celestial realm, using his position as the Heavenly Emperor to bear it, but the result was not good, and he almost caused a rebellion of the celestial realm's will.

It was as if a will as powerful as oneself had entered one's own body. This was no experiment; in the eyes of the celestial will, it was clearly a possession attempt.

He remembered feeling completely exhausted after dispersing the will transmitted from the original body.

Before he could recover, a divine will descended swiftly, examining him thoroughly inside and out.

It was the will of the Heavenly Realm that came to investigate whether their chosen one had been possessed by an extraterrestrial demon. Fortunately, no, and the will of the Heavenly Realm quickly dissipated. "The will to become a saint, the only one of my kind, is something even the original self cannot bear if it wants to share with us. The will is the unity of essence, energy, and spirit. We are at most the gods of the original self... It seems that only a combination of the original self's body, the five brothers of the Five Elements Lord, and the three of us brothers can bear the original self's will."

"Yes!" The Lord of Heaven and Earth nodded in agreement.

To bear the will of the true self, besides the true self itself, it may really require the three brothers of the Five Elements and the true self's physical body.

Willpower is the integration of everything in a person, from the physical to the metaphysical, including essence, energy, spirit, soul, mind, and dreams.

This is why they cannot bear the will; ultimately, they are a fragment of the original spirit's soul, not an independent and complete individual being.

"This is quite a lively scene. Are you building city god temples in various places?"

After the two finished their chat, the Lord of Heaven and Earth looked at the bustling Yellow Springs and asked a question.

"That's right. They're busy building City God Temples in major cities of the main world, as well as various buildings for branch temples in different places. Building City God Temples isn't just a simple matter of constructing them in the main world; they also need to be spiritually awakened. Only a City God Temple that has been successfully spiritually awakened can house the appointed City God. It's a very large and complicated system..."

"Although the main world is also working on it, we also need to work on the ghost cultivators. I recently intercepted the souls of many true cultivators after they died, preventing them from reincarnating. Consider it adding bricks and tiles to the Yellow Springs... You are much luckier. There are so many beings in the Heavenly Realm, but when I came here, there were only two of them, one Ox-Head and one Horse-Face. I need to work on the others. Sigh!"

When he arrived at the Yellow Springs Realm, it was truly empty; it was all thanks to his gradual development.

If it weren't for incorporating the ghost cultivators, we wouldn't even have any subordinates to do the work.

“What’s so lucky about it? You know the Celestial Realm, it’s not my kind. Although there are humans there, they’re not pure humans from my Blue Star. I haven’t contacted them yet. They want me to oversee humanity, but that’s not my wish… After all, pure humans can’t gather enough fortune. Our goals are the same: to completely control the Celestial Realm… To be honest, I came here mainly to learn from you,” said the Lord of Heaven and Earth.

It can only be said that every family has its own troubles. His cultivation level surpassed that of the True Self Lord, and there were many beings in the Realm Heaven.

However, the True Self Lord has already embarked on the path of refining the Heavenly Realm, while he himself has not even begun.

The Heavenly Realm is different from the Underworld. The Underworld can nurture the sacred, but the Heavenly Realm cannot.

If only I had a seventh-tier divine origin waiting for me to fuse with.

If the Heavenly Realm wants to completely take control, it needs to plan step by step.

The only thing I can do right now is to officially become the Heavenly Emperor, a Heavenly Emperor revered by all races in the Heavenly Realm, rather than simply a Heavenly Emperor for a human.

This is why he did not go to the ancestral land of mankind.

Humans alone are not enough, unless humanity becomes so powerful that it can overwhelm all other races. This applies not only to the quality of cultivation but also to the sheer number of races, unless all other races are wiped out.

But none of these are advisable.

"Didn't you come here to show off?" True Self laughed.

"You?" The Lord of Heaven and Earth was speechless.

Yes, I did show off a bit just now, but it's also true that I came here to learn from their experience.

"Alright, alright, you have another way. Once our three brothers' plan to merge the three realms is completed, you will also be able to refine and control the realms." True Self Lord sincerely suggested.

"How long will that take? I can't just sit here doing nothing; I need to find something to do," said the Lord of Heaven and Earth.

He had thought about this idea before.

But that was a long time later, when the three merged into one, creating an independent world, a unique true world that surpassed the five holy lands.

"If you're bored, slowly become the Heavenly Emperor. Start with the human race, and gradually progress from the Human Heavenly Emperor to the Heavenly Emperor of all races. Ultimately, as long as your cultivation is sufficient, what does the Heavenly Realm matter? Strength is the most important thing. If you're not convinced, just fight until you are."

“That’s right!” said the Lord of Heaven and Earth.

Only by integrating the human race can we have usable talent and develop step by step. Without integrating the human race, we won't even have usable talent, let alone talk about the common respect of all races.

I really need to take things one step at a time. Taiyi has been searching for me for a long time, so I'll start with him.

"Alright, I'm leaving now. I'm going to see the boss and get his opinion. You go ahead with your work." Having received the advice he wanted, the Lord of Heaven and Earth didn't plan to stay any longer.

With Huangquan's rapid development, he felt a strong urge to return and develop his own celestial realm as soon as possible.

"Well, I won't keep you any longer. Go show off to the boss; he just entered the fourth tier and hasn't been modified by the main body yet. If you go too late, you won't even have a chance to show off," the True Self Lord said seriously.

"You! Hmph!" The Lord of Heaven and Earth vanished in a flash.

I really wasn't showing off.

Seriously? Even gentlemen get criticized?
To tell the truth is considered showing off? Is there no law at all?

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Wanling Palace!
In the Temple of All Beings, the throne of the Lord of All Beings hangs high, radiating boundless light, as if he were the origin of everything. Seeing him is like seeing the cycle of fate for all beings.

The crown of the Lord of All Beings, adorned with nine tassels formed from the collective will of all people, has each silver thread hanging from its hair tied to the fate of a small world.

"The third brother is here."

The Lord of All Beings' eyes open and close like the eyes of destiny, able to see through the trajectory of all things in the world.

"Congratulations, elder brother, on becoming a true king!" the Lord of Heaven and Earth said first.

"You are far inferior to me, Second Brother. Your cultivation level far surpasses mine."

The Lord of Heaven and Earth could sense the difference between himself and his second brother. His second brother could fight ten of him, and that was an understatement.

"No rush. After you stabilize your realm, you will be able to reach my level after I have modified you," said the Lord of Heaven and Earth.

The boss's current cultivation level is the same as mine before I entered the fourth rank and was transformed by the main body.

After being transformed by the original body, his own reincarnation law was transformed into the chaotic reincarnation law, and his understanding of it was elevated to the level of immeasurable talent.

The eldest brother is the law of creation, and the third brother is the law of return to nothingness.

They will all be transformed into the creation of chaos and the law of returning to nothingness.

It's not that creation, reincarnation, and the void are inferior to chaos, but rather that one's own understanding of creation is not as strong as the chaos understood by one's true self.

Chaos has no division of laws at the level of the Heavenly Dao, only the Great Dao.

It is a transcendence of the level of Tao, not a difference in the strength of the level of laws.

If one comprehends the Dao of Creation, one is no less capable than Chaos.

The strength of this being lies in transcending the level of laws and achieving the level of the Dao. Therefore, the fourth-order True Saint's will, combined with the Chaos Law, can crush a fifth-order Venerable and is comparable to a sixth-order being who has reached the pinnacle of laws and begins to comprehend the Dao.

...(End of chapter)