Daojun, start from Penglai foundation building

The main hall of the Palace of the Heavenly Ruler of Justice.

Jiang Sheng, sitting behind his desk, was flipping through a scroll of the Daoist canon, which contained many descriptions of calamities and the end times.

The most frequently mentioned event is the Wan Nian Hui, which is the most frequent event in the Yi Yuan Hui.

One Yuan lasts for 129,600 years, divided into 12 sessions, each lasting 10,800 years. Each session is accompanied by a 10,000-year calamity, intended to cleanse away many of the upper three realms in the myriad realms.

In the myriad realms, the number of beings in the Upper Three Realms is as numerous as the stars. Among these Upper Three Realms, there are certainly ambitious and outstanding talents, but there are also those who have risen to the top through luck or other means. Although luck is also a part of strength, luck is not always present.

The Great Dao is the most impartial. Whether one relies on talent and comprehension or on luck and opportunity, as long as one reaches the Upper Three Realms, the Great Dao will grant them ten thousand years. During these ten thousand years, as long as one's strength improves slightly or one does not get involved in too many karmic consequences, one will not perish in the tribulation that occurs once every ten thousand years.

The so-called "Ten Thousand Years of Calamity" is mainly about the obscuring of heavenly secrets and the outbreak of cause and effect brought about by the calamity's energy, and its focus is on stirring up waves.

The author of the Daoist Canon described this turbulence very accurately: it feels like throwing a loach into a muddy pool. The fish that were quietly lurking in the muddy water will become restless and agitated because of the loach's arrival, and then the unchanging cause and effect of fate will make the necessary changes.

Perhaps what the chaotic universe needs is change rather than stagnation. The three realms will perish during the ten-thousand-year calamity, and the pure Yang, which transcends the three realms and is not within the five elements, will also perish during the earth-shattering final calamity of the Yuanhui.

There was another passage in the Daoist canon that particularly interested Jiang Sheng: what is a calamity for all races in the heavens is a revolution for the chaotic universe. Only by constantly exploring and forging ahead can one survive one calamity after another.

The spread of calamity and the arrival of the final calamity, the disasters that descend upon all the heavens and myriad realms, all mean the end of the world and the collapse of all races and beings. But for the owner of this Daoist canon, the disasters do not mean destruction, but also rebirth.

Every time there is a cataclysmic change, some old people will fall and new people will emerge. This is a cycle, and also a process of innovation and progress. Just as there are no dynasties or families that last forever, there are no holy lands or geniuses that exist forever in the cultivation world.

"Calamity is not simply destruction, but also rebirth, which is quite in line with the philosophy of my Heaven-Slaying Sword Technique."

Jiang Sheng muttered to himself, then picked up a teacup and took a sip.

Jiang Sheng's Heaven-Slaying Sword Technique initially focused on breaking through all laws with unparalleled sharpness to destroy his enemies, but the subsequent techniques of severing time, observing the past, cutting through cause and effect, and creating creation are completely different.

This includes not only Jiang Sheng's understanding and insights into time, years, cause and effect, and creation, but also his understanding of the method of the three calamities and the way of the final calamity and the final destiny: calamities are not the way of destruction!

The Three Calamities and Disasters are not simply acts of destruction. Even when one is beset by the end of the world and facing the final calamity, there is still a glimmer of hope. Just as the Great Dao evolves from fifty to forty-nine, that glimmer of hope always exists. Finding that glimmer of hope means progress and innovation.

Just like the sword that creates creation, after great destruction and ruin, there will inevitably be new life and change. This is also another concept of Jiang Sheng's Heaven-Slaying Sword Technique: to find the flaws in the laws of heaven and earth and seize a glimmer of hope.

As he pondered, Jiang Sheng slowly raised his hands. In his left hand, the four elements of wind, thunder, water, and fire condensed and transformed into the power of the Three Calamities, radiating a terrifying aura of destruction. In his right hand, the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth were constantly creating and transforming, and the power of the five elements rotating was balanced and peaceful, which is the cycle of life and death.

"Calamity is the path to destruction and the method of rebirth; they are merely two sides of the same coin, two forms of yin and yang."

"This also signifies the cycle of reincarnation, and the continuous process of innovation."

Jiang Sheng murmured, and the destructive power of the four elements—wind, thunder, water, and fire—merged with the creative power of the five elements—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. When destruction and creation collide, it should have been a state of collapse where the laws shattered and the Dao traces crumbled. However, in Jiang Sheng's hands, destruction and creation transformed into a lotus platform, half green and half black, resembling chaos.

Half green and half black, half creation and half destruction, as the lotus platform rotates, the meaning of the three calamities and the power of the four symbols of destruction merge with the breath of the five elements of creation, and finally completely transform into that chaotic lotus platform, overflowing with the charm of the final calamity and the end of fortune.

"The three calamities, the four phenomena, the five elements, the disasters, the destruction, the rebirth, the time, the cause and effect, and the creation are all within the final calamity and the final destiny. They are not individual changes, but rather the evolution of a collective transformation."

"The Great Dao is indeed profound and extraordinary. Destruction and creation, the Four Symbols and the Five Elements, are all within Yin and Yang, and are all within the duality."

"The Dao of Patriarch Qingyan is indeed far-sighted."

All the laws and principles in the myriad realms seem to be inseparable from the duality of Yin and Yang. Whether it is destruction and creation, or the Four Symbols and Five Elements, cause and effect, destiny, space and time, they are all like two sides of the same coin, constantly in rotation.

For Jiang Sheng, the most important aspect of the position of the Heavenly Lord of Justice is to comprehend the Pure Yang Dharma, explore his own path, and gain a deeper understanding of the Dharma and intent related to the Three Calamities and the final tribulations.

But now, Jiang Sheng sees a different view from another perspective: he realizes that the end times are not only about destruction and calamity. Just as everything is two-dimensional, the end times are also reflected in the creation of new life. The great paths of the myriad worlds are indeed independent, but they are not unrelated. Every path seems to crisscross, but they all have subtle influences on each other.

The path of Pure Yang may be about comprehending one's own Dharma, choosing a path that resonates with oneself, and then treading upon it. One must absorb the stronger influences of the various Great Daos and discard the weaker ones, merging oneself with them through the connections between them, becoming one with the Dao, one with the Dharma, and ultimately, one's complete self.
"Dao Lord, Dao Lord, comprehend the laws of heaven and earth, understand the Dao of your own being, transcend the Three Realms, and are no longer bound by the Five Elements."

"and many more!"

"Transcending the Three Realms and existing outside the Five Elements"

"This is the True Lord of the Dao Integration."

Because he was in harmony with the Dao, he was not within the Three Realms and Five Elements, and was not affected by cause and effect or calamity. Therefore, the only one who could cause the Pure Yang Dao Lord to perish was another Pure Yang Dao Lord.

As Jiang Sheng pondered, he felt a myriad of thoughts swirling in his mind, constantly colliding and intertwining, illuminating path after path for his future.

Without realizing it, Jiang Sheng picked up his teacup to take a sip, only to find that the teacup was already empty.

Shaking his head, Jiang Sheng was about to put down his teacup when he heard the sound of running footsteps. Looking up, he saw the little dragon he had brought back from Ao Huilongjun running quickly towards him with a teapot in its arms. Seeing Jiang Sheng looking up, the little dragon ran even faster, hurriedly reaching Jiang Sheng, pouring him tea with a chuckle.

Jiang Sheng smiled: "Not bad."

Xiao Long was very happy to receive Jiang Sheng's praise and stood obediently to the side, but his dragon tail swayed back and forth.

Jiang Sheng remembered the little dragon's name: Ao Li, the true dragon of the North Sea.

When Ao Li first arrived at the Judicial Heavenly Lord's Mansion, he seemed timid, whether because the mansion was too magnificent and majestic or too cold and empty. Every move he made exuded fear. However, after spending some time with Su Yutong, he transformed into a vibrant and energetic person, bringing a touch of life to the originally cold and quiet Judicial Heavenly Lord's Mansion.

Jiang Sheng didn't care about the slight noise; this bit of liveliness was good, neutralizing the coldness of the Judicial Heavenly Lord's Mansion.

Just as the end times are not simply about destruction.

He wrote down his understanding and insights about the Daoist Canon in the book he carried with him, and then casually placed the Daoist Canon on the side of the table, gesturing for Ao Li to come forward.

Ao Li quickly ran forward again, staring at Jiang Sheng with his big eyes: "True Lord, what are your orders?"

Jiang Sheng smiled and said, "I have no orders, I just want to chat with you. You're from the North Sea, right? There are 117 places under the jurisdiction of the North Sea that are guarded by True Dragons. Which sea area are you from?"

Ao Li hurriedly said, "The Cold Star Sea, the former guardian dragon of the Cold Star Sea was my grandfather." Jiang Sheng didn't know much about the Cold Star Sea in the North Sea, but he knew quite a bit about it. For example, the former guardian dragon of the Cold Star Sea was sent to the Heavenly Prison for violating the Heavenly Laws, and his son, being a sinful dragon, went to the Heavenly Abyss to atone for his father's sins but died in battle there.

Seeing Ao Li's somewhat dejected mood, Jiang Sheng recalled the matter of the guardian dragon lord violating the heavenly rules, but the matter was somewhat vague, and because it was handled by the Divine Firmament Emperor, many records were missing: "Ao Li, what crime was your grandfather imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison for?"

Ao Li whispered, "They were secretly mining spirit ore and stirring up trouble in the North Sea, capsizing a ship."

Mining spirit mines in secret is not a crime. After all, mining spirit mines within one's own territory is something every immortal or god does. It's just that some people exhaust the resources while others manage to maintain a balance. As long as the spirit mine is not particularly precious, it's not a big deal.

As for capsizing a boat, Jiang Sheng believes that this last point is the most likely reason why Ao Lina's grandfather was imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison.

Seeing Jiang Sheng looking at him, Ao Li's voice grew softer and softer: "I don't know the specific reason, but I heard from my mother that my grandfather was particularly angry because my father disobeyed him, so he stirred up a storm at sea, and coincidentally, there was a celestial ark on the sea."

Jiang Sheng understood. Recalling the ambiguous dossier and the seal that had handled the matter, Jiang Sheng knew whose Dharma boat had been overturned by Ao Li's grandfather: "So it was that person."

"So it seems your grandfather wasn't wronged at all."

Ao Li lowered his head, looking very aggrieved: "Afterwards, my father felt that it was his fault that my grandfather was captured by the Heavenly Court, so he applied to go to Tianyuan to suppress the demonic tide to atone for my grandfather's sins, but he never came back."

Jiang Sheng patted Ao Li's head. This kid isn't a bad person, he's just a bit unlucky. Otherwise, he should still be the little princess of the Cold Star Sea in the North Sea right now.

"How about this, you can focus on your cultivation here. I'll keep track of your daily performance. Once you've accumulated 10,000 points, I'll find a way to release your grandfather. How about that?"

Ao Li suddenly raised his head and looked at Jiang Sheng: "Really?"

Jiang Sheng laughed: "Why would I lie to you?"

"Stay here and cultivate well. When you break through to the Void Refinement Realm, you will be qualified to meet your grandfather."

As he spoke, Jiang Sheng beckoned Su Yutong over: "Yutong, I'm leaving her in your care. Show her around the Judicial Heavenly Lord's Mansion and Little Penglai."

Su Yutong nodded, then smiled and said, "Master, does that mean Xiao Li is now your disciple?"

Jiang Sheng looked at the expectant Ao Li and couldn't help but laugh, "Let's just say that for now."

"Alright, it's to my liking. Take this and buy whatever you want."

He casually tossed a storage bag to Ao Li, who opened it to find it piled high with glittering talisman coins, almost forming a small mountain.

Ao Li had only ever seen such a large amount of talisman coins in the Dragon Palace Treasury of the Cold Star Sea, yet Jiang Sheng just casually tossed them to her?!
Ao Li stared blankly at Jiang Sheng, somewhat incredulous. Su Yutong, however, laughed and said, "Take it, Xiao Li. This little bit of wealth is nothing. Not to mention the output of Xiao Penglai itself, Dongtian sends Master a large amount of wealth every sixty years, not to mention the salary issued by the Heavenly Court. This little bit of wealth is just a drop in the ocean for Master."

Just then, Ling Yan rushed over, and Su Yutong bowed respectfully, saying, "Uncle-Master Ling Yan!"

Ling Yan nodded and then looked at Jiang Sheng: "Senior Brother, there's news about those few from the Azure Phoenix Clan!"

Jiang Sheng raised an eyebrow: "Five years, hasn't it? They've finally shown up. Where are they now?"

Ling Yan said, "They have already arrived at the South China Sea. Based on their tracks, after leaving the Northwest Kunlun Continent, they went directly to the North China Sea, used the teleportation array of the North China Sea Dragon Palace to reach the Central Heaven Continent, and then arrived at the South China Sea from the Central Heaven Continent."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Sheng couldn't help but laugh and said, "No wonder Fairy Qingniao couldn't find them even after searching for so long at the four Heavenly Gates. It turns out they used the Dragon Palace's teleportation array."

"It took five years of effort to travel from the North Sea, using teleportation arrays to reach Zhongtian Yanzhou, and then from Zhongtian Yanzhou to the South Sea."

"It will take them at least a year to reach Xiaopenglai."

"Alright, let's make some more arrangements in Xiao Penglai and have Duobao keep an eye on things."

Ling Yan nodded: "Okay, I'll go and tell Fellow Daoist Duobao."

Meanwhile, in the South China Sea.

Although both the South China Sea and the North China Sea are vast and boundless, they evoke completely different feelings in Qingyan, Qingyu, and the other three.

Beihai is often covered in icy winds, and the view is desolate and cold, making one's bones ache. The sea wind is cold and lonely, and when it blows, it is like a blade of ice, as if it can freeze people into ice sculptures.

The South China Sea, on the other hand, is much warmer. Although the sea breeze and waves are still quite strong, it lacks the chilling loneliness of the North Sea. It is as if a hospitable host is welcoming guests.

Over five years, Qingyan, Qingyu, and their companions traversed more than ten seas from the North Sea to Zhongtian Yanzhou. In Zhongtian Yanzhou, they witnessed scenes completely different from those in Weiyu Realm: Cloud Island floating in the air like drifting clouds, enormous mechanical cities straddling plains and mountains, and strategically important towns and passes located in key locations.
Throughout the entire Zhongtian Yanzhou, hundreds of kingdoms stand side by side, each with its own unique scenery. They have watched the celestial dance of mechanical puppets in the Mechanical City, fished for whales in the cloud sea on Cloud Island, and even experienced the scenery deep in the desert by riding a sand-turning dragon boat in the Gobi Desert.

This journey has been a perfect trial for the five of them, allowing them to witness just how vast and magnificent the Three Realms are, and how boundless they are. The diverse races and powerful beings they encountered along the way also made them realize just how insignificant they are.

At this moment, they no longer held their previous views. The Judicial Heavenly Lord, who resided in the seventh heavenly palace of the Heavenly Court, and the Spirit Abyss True Lord of Penglai, were not to be underestimated by them. They could not even see the back of such beings, and even if the elders of their clans came, they would probably not be their match.

Therefore, the group lost their previous arrogance and came to the South China Sea with the mindset of a traveler. They only wanted to travel around the South China Sea, visit Xiao Penglai, and then return, which would also be considered as giving an explanation to the elders.

On the ship, enjoying the passionate winds and blazing sun of the South China Sea, Qingyan and his companions were strolling around when they overheard some people gossiping nearby.

"Have you heard? Someone saw a beauty from the Xuanhe clan at the Daoist temple of that Judicial Heavenly Lord!"

"Beauties of the Xuanhe clan? Rumor has it that not only are the Xuanhe clan members beautiful, but they are also all aloof and proud. Just thinking about that kind of demeanor is alluring!"

"Is the place where the beauty of the Xuanhe clan lives a hidden treasure?"

"Shh! Are you out of your mind? How dare you spread rumors about that person? Although this isn't the Jade Sea Realm, be careful, walls have ears!"

Qingyan, Qingyu, and the others exchanged glances while listening to the gossip next door: Liuyu Sea Realm, the Judicial Heavenly Lord's Dojo, and the beauty of the Xuanhe Clan!

Qingzhao said, "It's Hewei! She really did side with that person!"

Qingfeng replied without hesitation, "Then let's go to the Liuyu Sea Realm, take a look at Little Penglai, and then leave!" (End of Chapter)