Daojun, start from Penglai foundation building

Within the Xuanhuang Realm, the stars were lifeless.

Meanwhile, the moon, which hangs high in the sea of ​​stars, has gradually set in the west, following the celestial laws of the universe.

Unbeknownst to many, as the moon set in the west, nearly half of that massive celestial body had disappeared, leaving only its dappled radiance scattered sparsely across the earth.

The rising and setting of the sun and moon, the east rising and the west setting, are the unchanging principles of all heavens and myriad realms.

Even though the Xuanhuang Realm has been overthrown to this extent, the Sun and Moon, representing the core origin of a great world, still follow this Heavenly Dao and have never changed.

Jiang Sheng, who was atop the Taiyin star, was the one who perceived this situation most clearly.

The enormous Taiyin star seemed to be slowly sinking into the sea of ​​void. Although the Taiyin cold light remained unchanged, nearly half of the Taiyin star had disappeared into the void with the invisible ripples.

Along with the celestial bodies, the Heavenly Demons that had been entrenched on the Taiyin Star, constantly gnawing at the glaciers and trying to penetrate its depths, also vanished.

Those crazed demons vanished without a trace along with their respective celestial bodies amidst their madness and rage. Even though Jiang Sheng was still standing on the Taiyin Star, he could neither sense the traces of those vanished demons nor observe the vanished Taiyin Star.

It was as if that half of the moon had never existed, its existence erased by an invisible force, and everything returned to peace.

During the process of the setting of the moon, Jiang Sheng once again perceived what the laws of heaven and earth and the way of nature are.

What is nature? What is heaven and earth?

The moon and sun rise in the east and set in the west, the starry sky shifts and the seasons change, and the tides rise and fall in rivers, lakes and seas.
This is nature, this is the true Dharma.

Heaven and earth have their own laws, and all things have their own rules; therefore, the world can be in harmony of yin and yang, and rotate in an orderly manner.

This unique quality was not hidden by heaven and earth, but was instead displayed openly before all living beings. This very thing, which everyone takes for granted, is the greatest law of heaven and earth, and the most indispensable Dao in the chaotic universe.

When Jiang Sheng was studying and seeking knowledge at the Penglai Taoist Sect, the elders often said that the Tao follows nature and non-action is natural. Jiang Sheng would repeat and recite these words. As Jiang Sheng gradually achieved success in his cultivation, he traveled the world and observed all of humanity, gaining new insights into the Tao's principle of following nature.

From Foundation Establishment to Integration True Monarch, Jiang Sheng felt that he wouldn't dare say he had fully grasped the Dao of Nature, but he was close enough.

Standing atop the Taiyin star, watching it sink into silence and disappear into nothingness, Jiang Sheng gained a new understanding of the eight characters "Dao follows nature" and "Heaven and Earth are in order."

This kind of realization is intangible and silent, yet it is profoundly mysterious and wondrous.

The Taiyin star, one of the two polarities of a world, represents not only the Yin within Yin and Yang, but also the clarity of heaven and the turbidity of earth, the order of heaven and earth, the transformation of chaos, the manifestation of law, and the transformation of the Dao.

Unbeknownst to him, Jiang Sheng no longer cared about the rampaging demons. He stood quietly on the ancient and unyielding Taiyin Glacier. As the Taiyin cold energy, which was enough to freeze one's soul, swirled around him, Jiang Sheng actually sat down cross-legged, letting the Taiyin cold energy enter his body, calmly and serenely experiencing the magnificent scene of the Taiyin setting in the west.

"My method originates from water. Water belongs to yin, and is mysterious and gentle."

"The way of water is to follow the flow to overcome the adverse, to be gentle to control the strong, and though it is a hundred parts, it ultimately unites with the same principle."

"The way of Yin is pure and cold, not turbid, mysterious but not black, and thus it is eternally consistent with Heaven and Earth."

"Wind and thunder, water and fire, three calamities and five difficulties, yin and yang, calamity and destruction, the final calamity and the final destiny."

Jiang Sheng pondered, immersing himself in the understanding of heaven and earth, nature, yin and yang, and the great Dao.

At this moment, as the Taiyin stars were about to sink completely into nothingness, the immortal spiritual energy and the Taiyin cold energy became increasingly turbulent. The endless Taiyin cold energy enveloped and surrounded Jiang Sheng, and then continuously eroded into his body, freezing Jiang Sheng's Dao heart and soul, and freezing his meridians and internal organs.

Unbeknownst to him, as the ethereal and pure light of the moon rippled, Jiang Sheng had already transformed into a seated ice sculpture.

The ice sculpture sits alone, gazing westward, seemingly unsure whether it is watching the setting of the moon or observing the vast, empty sea.

At this moment, on the entire Taiyin Star, perhaps due to the revival of the Moon Palace, as the Taiyin cold energy surged, those originally crazed Heavenly Demons were also enveloped by the Taiyin cold energy and gradually transformed into giant ice sculptures.

Since the first year of the Heavenly Shattering, the Heavenly Demons, who had been ravaging the Taiyin Star for more than twenty years, relentlessly gnawing at the Taiyin Glacier and devouring the Taiyin Origin, were all frozen in their madness and excitement along with the Taiyin Star.

The entire surface of the Taiyin Star was devoid of any living creatures, except for countless ice sculptures of all sizes, covering every part of the Taiyin Star.

The moon sets, the sun rises.

As the moon sank into the sea of ​​nothingness, the sun rose in the east, illuminating the vast universe.

The central region of the Xuanhuang Continent, once the most beautiful and fertile core area of ​​the Xuanhuang Realm, has become desolate after nearly thirty years of demonic calamity. As far as the eye can see, mountains devour living beings, and vast swamps corrode all things. The forests are full of spirits, and the wilderness is full of demons.

At this moment, in front of a ruin that had been abandoned for more than twenty years, several figures were stirring with urgency.

"Ye Qian, are you sure there's something good here?"

Yun Hao was somewhat incredulous, her eyes full of doubt as she looked at Ye Qian.

Ye Qian, on the other hand, was full of confidence: "Senior Sister Yun, believe me, the origin of these ruins is extraordinary."

"I surveyed the entire area of ​​ten thousand miles from the heavens, and this place has the most unique layout."

"If I'm not mistaken, this is either a separate courtyard of the Yin-Yang Sect or the mountain gate of some immortal sect."

"The contents inside will definitely be of great benefit to our future ascension to the Void Refinement Realm."

"I haven't told anyone about this great place."

Seeing Ye Qian's confidence, Huang Wensheng couldn't help but whisper to the Wuxiang Cauldron hidden in his sleeve, "Elder Ding, how is Ye Qian's judgment this time? Could there be more trouble inside?"

It's no wonder Huang Wensheng is so cautious; ever since he and Ye Qian became Lin Fan's disciples, they've rarely encountered anything good whenever Ye Qian takes him on a mission.

They said they wanted to explore the cave of their predecessors, but after breaking through numerous traps to enter the cave, they found that the predecessor was dead but his soul was still there, and he almost possessed their body and took over their place.

They claimed to be searching for a secret realm, and after going through countless hardships and facing life-or-death situations to enter the realm, they discovered that it was already in ruins.

He claimed to be acting on behalf of Heaven, but in reality, he led him to steal other people's rare medicinal herbs. In the end, the two of them escaped death, and the stolen herbs were not even enough to heal their injuries.

It was because he had gone through so much with Ye Qian that Huang Wensheng began to doubt Ye Qian's confidence.

Although when traveling, most of the so-called caves and secret realms left by predecessors are already empty, and the remaining one is not enough to make up for the loss, but I have never been this unlucky.

However, their master, Lin Fan, had a high opinion of Ye Qian, thinking that Ye Qian's temperament was like his own and that he was a good seedling who could stir up trouble. This made Ye Qian extremely proud and more and more like a troublemaker.

Despite Ye Qian's obedient and submissive demeanor in front of Yun Hao, Huang Wensheng knew that Ye Qian was not like this in front of outsiders at all.

"Senior Sister Yun! Wensheng! You must believe me!"

"This is the Xuanhuang Realm!"

"The Xuanhuang Realm has been in ruins for many years, with many opportunities exposed in the wilderness and ignored by everyone. Now that we have come here to cleanse the evil spirits in accordance with the will of Heaven, will the heavens and earth of the Xuanhuang Realm not show any reaction?"

"This mountain gate ruins are definitely our opportunity, come on!"

As Ye Qian spoke, he took the lead and went in with his knife. Yun Hao and Huang Wensheng exchanged a glance, shook their heads helplessly, and followed Ye Qian into the ruins, each holding their magical weapons. As soon as they entered the ruins, the three of them immediately noticed the difference in this place.

What appears to be a dilapidated and overgrown ruin of the mountain gate from the outside is actually a completely different world inside. There are pavilions and towers standing side by side, and celestial palaces and cloud halls stretching endlessly, full of spiritual energy and ethereal beauty.

From any angle, it looks like a celestial abode, rather than a place on earth.

Huang Wensheng asked suspiciously, "Something's not right about this place, is it?"

Ye Qian looked at Yun Hao: "What are your thoughts, Senior Sister Yun?"

After observing for a moment, Yun Hao said, "The Xuanhuang Realm is different from my Three Realms Great Thousand World."

"Junior Brother Ye, Junior Brother Huang, look."

Ye Qian and Huang Wensheng followed Yun Hao's gaze and saw a spiritual spring gushing forth spiritual liquid, its abundant spiritual energy spreading out like misty clouds.

Yun Hao said, "That spiritual spring must have been formed from a spiritual vein, and it is difficult for a spiritual vein that is less than ten thousand years old to be formed."

"Leaving aside the Three Realms and Great Thousand Worlds as they are today, even when the Mountain and River Realm still existed, the various blessed lands and grotto-heavens would not be directly situated on the spiritual veins. The immortals of my Mountain and River Realm preferred to create their own blessed land and grotto-heavens, embedding them in the membrane of heaven and earth, and hiding them in the realm of illusion and reality."

"This also aligns with my principles of seeking seclusion in Penglai to become an immortal and following the natural way."

"Nowadays, within the vast Three Realms, there are very few celestial blessed lands that appear in the mortal world and occupy its spiritual veins."

"Among all beings in the Three Realms, the blessed lands in the human world are either located overseas or are secluded places created by immortals and gods themselves, while grotto heavens can only be seen within various holy sites."

"Those who exist in the Upper Three Realms either reside high in the heavens or remain in the mortal realm, hidden between reality and illusion, unknown to outsiders."

Ye Qian and Huang Wensheng both nodded repeatedly.

As Yun Hao said, when the Mountain and River Realm still existed, not to mention the three families of Penglai, Qinghua, and Tianhe, those rogue cultivators all created their own cave heavens and did not occupy additional spiritual veins.

Moreover, these rogue cultivators either draw upon the power beyond the boundaries of mountains and rivers to form new spiritual veins within their own grotto-heavens, or they regulate the earth's veins and energy to create a blessed land of new life.

After the Three Realms were merged, the Heavenly Court issued a set of heavenly rules, stipulating that the spiritual veins in the five continents and four seas of the mortal world must not be seized by the three higher realms; the spiritual veins of the mortal world belong to the six realms of the mortal world, and whether they create blessed lands or set up secret realms, that is their business, and the three higher realms must not interfere.

Those in the Upper Three Realms either remain in the heavens or outside the Three Realms. If they wish to remain within the Three Realms, they can only stay in the mortal world, either between the real and the virtual, or flee overseas or hide in the mountains and fields. They cannot compete with ordinary mortals for opportunities.

This is the rule of Heaven, a law established by the three families of immortals, gods, and Buddhas. Its purpose is to prevent the existing immortals and gods of the three upper realms from being too unscrupulous, encroaching too much on the fortune of the human world, and affecting the mortal world.

Otherwise, if the Upper Three Realms are allowed to occupy a place, seize opportunities, and encroach on fortune, these Upper Three Realms will sooner or later expand into forces that dominate a region, enriching themselves by exploiting the region.

This is a situation that is not permitted by the three families of immortals, gods, and Buddhas.

If you have the ability to draw a small or medium-sized world from among the myriad realms and merge it into the Three Realms to make it your place of practice, that is your skill. But if you want to seize opportunities belonging to the mortal world in the Five Continents and Four Seas, then don't blame the Heavenly Rules for being merciless.

The reason why Ye Wenshu, the incarnation of the Mysterious Maiden, is so famous in the Three Realms is because she patrols the Five Continents and Four Seas and, on behalf of the Heavenly Court, punishes countless immortals, gods, demons and monsters who secretly try to seize the spiritual veins of the human world.

Other Xuanmen Great Thousand Worlds are different from the Three Realms Great Thousand Worlds. Their Upper Three Realms are unscrupulous, able to occupy spiritual veins and run rampant without restraint.

For example, the ruins in front of us were placed directly on a spiritual vein.

Yun Hao continued, "And look at this ruin; it occupies more than one spiritual vein."

"This means that this place must be the ruins of a sect in the upper three realms or the Daoist temple of some immortal."

"Ye Qian is right, there should be the resources we need here."

Ye Qian laughed upon hearing this, "Wensheng, I told you I wouldn't trick you, right?"

"The three of us will split up to search. If we encounter any danger or find anything valuable, let us know immediately. This time, we're definitely going to strike it rich!"

As he spoke, Ye Qian took the lead and searched in a certain direction. Yun Hao and Huang Wensheng also each found a location and went to explore on their own.

Meanwhile, outside the mountain gate ruins, Lingyu and Lin Fan gazed silently at the seemingly ordinary ruins before them, devoid of any extraordinary features, and remained speechless for a moment.

After a moment, Lingyu said, "This site doesn't seem to belong to the Benyuan Society."

Lin Fan smiled and said, "Senior Sister, isn't this a fortunate opportunity for the junior?"

"Just like you and me, although we are true disciples of the sect and have all kinds of resources, if we hadn't had those opportunities and blessings when we traveled the world, would we really have gotten to where we are today?"

"When predecessors fall, they leave opportunities for future generations, all for the sake of ensuring that the tradition continues and their reputation endures."

"To be honest, my two disciples, Ye Qian and Huang Wensheng, had their own opportunities before they joined the sect, so they were no longer suitable to become true disciples."

"But the sect cannot give up such promising talents, otherwise it would not have allowed them to become my disciples."

"The sect won't take on too much of their burden, so as their master, I should shoulder the responsibility."

As he spoke, Lin Fan couldn't help but look up at the sky with envy: "To be honest, I really envy Yuan Chen."

“He didn’t encounter many more opportunities than I did along the way, but he progressed so quickly that even the patriarch bestowed upon him a temple.”

"The disciples he took in were either blessed with good fortune or good luck; each and every one of them was extraordinary."

"If they are allowed to join a small sect, those sects will not be able to support their fortune or provide them with the resources for cultivation. They will inevitably deplete their own fortune and eventually decline and perish."

"But they were lucky enough to become disciples of Yuan Chen and cultivate under his guidance. The sect's fortune was able to suppress them, and Yuan Chen's resources were sufficient for their cultivation."

“These lads, once they grow up, will surely become Yuan Chen’s asset and will be of great help to him.”

"Unlike me, I only have two apprentices, and I still have to worry about them getting hurt or broken."

Hearing Lin Fan's lament, Ling Yu snorted but didn't say anything more.

As Lin Fan said, Ye Qian and Huang Wensheng both had their own opportunities and signs of the future before they joined Penglai. Penglai is neither afraid of nor will it refuse such promising talents with good fortune and opportunities.

However, those who have already become entangled with others are destined to be unable to become the true successors of the sect.

Therefore, these promising talents are allowed to become disciples of the true masters, protected by the sect's fortune, and allowed to grow on their own. Although they are not true masters, they are no different from true masters and will become a great help to the sect.

Ye Qian and Huang Wensheng, who were under Lin Fan's command, were like this.

The same applies to Qiu Buyu, Huang Pingan, Li Jianchun, Su Yutong, and Zhuang Yi, who are under Jiang Sheng's command.

While Lingyu and Lin Fan were watching their disciple explore opportunities, Tian Ming'an, Qiu Buyu, Huang Ping'an, and Li Jianchun were gathered in a small side hall, all four of them with extremely solemn expressions.

"Junior sisters and junior brothers, Master's life lamp is growing weaker and weaker." (End of this chapter)