A journey of survival starting from Zhetian

Chapter 707 The First Ancient Creator to Attempt to Reach the Other Shore
A powerful being with bull horns on his forehead, a burly figure, carrying a bronze axe on his back, and pupils as black as an abyss, manipulated the illusory Dao to conceal his aura.

Without a sound, He picked up the bronze axe and swung it into the air, creating a streak of axe light with fine golden cracks, which directly struck the protective array of [Nanshan].

However, under the near-full-force attack of a great supernatural being at the Perfect Creation level, the entire protective formation only stirred up a thin ripple in spacetime. The overall structure of the formation did not shake in the slightest, and even the counterattack that should have occurred was not triggered.

His attack was ignored.

The powerful being's pupils contracted slightly, his expression becoming solemn. "If I hadn't witnessed it with my own eyes, I would find it hard to believe that this is actually true."

"The entire formation actually connects to the past, making every moment and every breath of the past a line connected and become part of the formation."

"Time forms an array. In this way, even if the entire array has not reached the level of the other shore, it has already exceeded the limit of a great supernatural being."

"We must regard the person who presides over this great array of time as the other shore."

According to this powerful being with ox horns on his forehead, the Mystic Lord within [Nanshan] had transformed the entire Pure Land into a special realm comparable to a place close to the Dao by using array formations to achieve his understanding of the Dao, thus gaining the power of a pseudo-Other Shore.

This is utterly incredible. They have lived through so many eras and have never heard of, much less imagined, that a special place like the Place of Proximity, which naturally arises in every era, could actually be artificially constructed.

A giant holding a fishing rod, shrouded in mist, looked at the Nanshan Mountain before him and sighed softly, "If the road ahead were not so uncertain, perhaps this person would have already tried to break free from the sea of ​​suffering and reach the other shore."

"It has only been a hundred billion years since the beginning of this era, yet his understanding of the 'Tao' is already beyond ours. His cultivation speed is too fast."

Normally, the time it takes for a celestial being to begin communicating with all the heavens and myriad realms, enlighten the fragments of cosmic light, and prepare to attain legendary status, to cultivate is measured in tens of thousands of years.

Wandering through various fragments of cosmic light to find and enlighten one's own "other self" varies in time. Normally, at least nine "other selves" need to be enlightened to accumulate the foundation for advancement to Legendary status. Furthermore, the more "other selves" one possesses, the lower the difficulty of advancing to Legendary status becomes. A Celestial Immortal can enlighten up to 999 "other selves," minimizing the difficulty of advancing to Legendary status; however, Celestial Immortals who can achieve this are virtually nonexistent.

A newly ascended legendary being, wishing to spread himself and others throughout the myriad realms in order to elevate his true spirit and achieve perfection, must cultivate for years measured in epochs.

Although there are not many bottlenecks within the legendary realm, and the process from initial entry to perfection is just a relatively simple accumulation, a process of quantitative change leading to qualitative change, it is an unimaginably vast project to spread the myriad worlds to all of them.

Typically, only when the end of an era is approaching, all the heavens and myriad worlds begin to wither, and numerous fragments of cosmic light shatter on a large scale, indirectly reducing the difficulty of cultivation, and only then does the legendary perfection emerge.

This special time is also the best opportunity, according to legend, to achieve perfect advancement in the Creation Realm.

He only recently reached the pinnacle of the legendary realm, and now he is about to advance to the creation realm, something most legendary powerhouses cannot do.

Only by waiting for the next era, or even after several eras, can one feel the erosion of the river of time, truly understand the existence of the sea of ​​suffering, condense one's own cultivation and learning, develop in the direction of "Tao" in a deep enough way, and accumulate enough foundation, can one have the confidence to ascend to the level of Creation at the end of the era.

Becoming a master of great creation and supernatural powers, possessing supernatural abilities such as creating things from the void, controlling the sea of ​​suffering, opening up the universe, shaping the Pure Land, and creating all things, one's cultivation also begins to involve Daoist disputes.

By delving deeper into the illusory Great Dao condensed during the ascension to the Creation stage, reaching the "near-Dao" level, and gradually condensing the "illusory Dao Fruit," one can touch the long river of time, retracing the past to a limited extent, glimpsing the future, and cultivating to the point of Creation Perfection. This is a process where every step presents a bottleneck.

Meanwhile, they also need to compete with fellow practitioners for cultivation resources and plan for newly emerging "places close to the path," which takes an extremely long time.

Within an era, those who can cultivate from the initial stage of creation to the perfection of creation are few and far between.

Like the Mysterious Lord within [Nanshan], he cultivated from the legendary perfection to the perfection of creation in the early era, and his understanding of "Dao" was superior to that of many ancient great supernatural beings at the level of perfection of creation.
Even if it exists in ancient times, spanning countless eras, it is unheard of and unseen.

The powerful cultivator, dressed in a blue robe and exuding the aura of water, looked towards the summit of Nanshan Mountain. "If that's the case, then this person is more likely to reach an agreement with us."

"If one has cultivated to the point of perfect creation and even ventured into the Dharma of the other shore, it means that there is no further progress to be made. The only way forward is to cross the sea of ​​suffering and attain the other shore."

"Moreover, Xuanjun used 'dreamlike' to fabricate all sorts of illusory great paths to replace us in suppressing the [real world], and he may not be without ulterior motives."

The many powerful beings remained expressionless. They had a general idea of ​​what might be involved, otherwise they would not have approached the mysterious Xuanjun, who was known for his unpredictable nature.

The only miscalculation was Xuanjun's profound understanding of the "Dao" and the fact that this "newly promoted" person had achieved perfect enlightenment and successfully built a "pure land" comparable to a place close to the Dao, thereby possessing the power of a pseudo-other shore.

Whether or not to enter [Nanshan] is a matter of debate, except for that great supernatural being who exudes the essence of water-based Dao. The others who have achieved perfect creation are all slightly hesitant, each with their own thoughts.

A few breaths later, before they could reach a consensus again, a gaze fell from the summit of Nanshan.

In an instant, the laws of a portion of the Realm were altered, and the spacetime where more than a dozen powerful beings resided was distorted and scattered into numerous fragments. At the same moment, in a mysterious way, these fragments connected with the territory within the Southern Mountain.

They saw the figure of Xuanjun and sensed the grand principles emanating from him, and their expressions became extremely solemn.

"The first one to be severely damaged and achieve perfect creation has appeared."

"The first person to fall in this era to achieve perfect creation will surely not be far off."

"Fellow Daoists, what do you think?"

After Xuanjun finished speaking, all the powerful beings fell silent.

A moment later, a powerful cultivator with a strong fire elemental aura but a slightly weak one stepped forward and bowed towards the summit of Nanshan Mountain.

With a hint of respect, He said, “What the Celestial Venerable Xuanhuang said makes sense. Now that a Perfected Creation Realm cultivator has been severely injured, it won’t be long before the first Perfected Creation Realm cultivator of this era falls.”

"The principles manifested within [Nanshan] are similar to those of the three Heavenly Venerables of the past. I wonder if the Heavenly Venerables have already reached the other shore?"

Xiong Mo took a deep look at the Creation Perfection cultivator whose aura was faint, then looked at the Creation Perfection cultivator beside him who manifested the true meaning of "Metal Element", "Earth Element", "Wood Element" and "Metal Element", and then turned his gaze to the four great supernatural beings outside the Realm who were vying for a projection of the Taiji Diagram.

The acting was superb, and the plot was quite far-reaching.

First, the Fire Emperor concealed his perfected cultivation level and drew upon a portion of the true meaning of the Yin-Yang Dao, creating the illusion that he had suddenly attained enlightenment upon seeing the Dao essence of the Taiji Diagram. The four great supernatural beings also fanned the flames from the side, attracting the attention of even more great supernatural beings.

Then, a dozen or so ancient, highly powerful beings at the level of perfect creation took advantage of the chaos of the great battle to cover up part of the heavenly secrets. By forming alliances with some highly powerful beings who had not yet reached perfection, they finally shifted the focus of attention.

If he weren't currently suppressing the Realm of Truth in place of many powerful beings to maintain the stability of the era, thus preventing them from concealing his vision as a Mystic Lord, perhaps these beings at the peak of their creation wouldn't have approached Nanshan and would have directly begun their final scheme.

Xiong Mo's gaze penetrated deeply, instantly discerning the identities of these powerful individuals.

The Fire Emperor, Water Emperor, Wood Emperor, Earth Emperor, and Metal Emperor—all five emperors of the elements—have arrived.

The three ancient creatures of Zhongshan, Da'e, Qiongqi, and Aohun, have also arrived.

There are also the Mountain God of Laishan, the River God of Tianhe, the Great Sage of Tushan, the Great Sage of Feiyao, and the Great Sage of Chiwen in the mysterious universe, who actively drive the projection of others to create a slight causal relationship with themselves.

And, there is also the Dragon Lord of the East Sea, who has a causal connection with the Nanshan Pagoda, which is the transformation of the Kunpeng.

A total of fourteen Perfected Creation Realm experts, the most elite and oldest group of Perfected Creation Realm experts in all the heavens and myriad realms, about one-tenth of them came, making quite a grand spectacle.

Most importantly, these powerful beings, through their projected selves, had subtle causal entanglements with themselves in the mysterious universe.

Looking at these powerful beings, Xiong Mo said calmly, "I have only basically completed the cultivation of the characteristics of the other shore. I have not yet truly crossed the sea of ​​suffering and reached the other shore."

The fourteen Perfected Creation Realms experts' expressions hardened once more, and Xuanjun did not deny the identity of "Celestial Venerable".

This is his self-proclaimed understanding of "Tao," which is no less than that of the three vanished Celestial Venerables of the Other Shore.

Furthermore, how did you manage to cultivate the basic characteristics of the other shore at the realm of perfect creation?
Is this the essence of building Nanshan into a place comparable to "the path to enlightenment," thereby possessing pseudo-otherworldly power?
Having almost reached the limit of creation, why was the Xuanhuang Heavenly Venerable still accumulating his resources instead of attempting to cross the sea of ​​suffering and reach the other shore? A multitude of questions arose in the minds of the fourteen great supernatural beings. Based on Xuanjun's answer, they began preliminary deductions and corresponding guesses.

Unfortunately, they still gained nothing from the realm of the other shore.

It's as if this realm called "the other shore" never existed from the beginning, but was just a pipe dream.

But how is this possible?

The fourteen ancient and powerful beings have visited the Qingwei Heaven, the Yuyu Heaven, and the Dachi Heaven. In a certain altered period of history, they even met the Primordial Heavenly Venerable, the Lingbao Heavenly Venerable, and the Moral Heavenly Venerable, and were fortunate enough to listen to their teachings.

Otherwise, it would have been difficult for the Fire Emperor to advance his innate "fire element" to "life and death," gradually elucidate "yin and yang," and ultimately delve into "yin and yang."

Even for the Golden Emperor, it would be difficult to trace the "Golden Element" through various transformations and points directly to the "Final Calamity".

The Great Osprey, even more so, was unable to unify all things and create such a masterpiece as the "Four-Strike Formation Kill".

Those present, all of whom had achieved perfect fortune, had received blessings from the three beings from the other side of the heavens, to varying degrees.

They can cultivate multiple illusory paths, breaking free from the limitations of the symbiotic path. Through various arrangements, Xuanjun possesses power far exceeding creation within [Nanshan], which is the most powerful proof that the "Other Shore" truly exists.

Since the "other shore" exists, they can step into it.

The only problem is that, based on the current information, it is logical to conclude that the perfect creation is the highest state at present, and there is no stronger state than the perfect creation. "Crossing the sea of ​​suffering and reaching the other shore" is a dead end.
Of course, for these ancient, highly skilled individuals at the level of perfect creation, this is secondary.

They all have their own ideas about how to reach the other side, and they are taking action to achieve this goal. A definite conclusion will be reached soon.

What they need to do now is reduce external resistance.

Or, to be more precise, it's about eliminating human interference.

The giant eagle looked at Xuanjun and said, "We have not shielded the secrets of Heaven from [Nanshan]. We humbly request a clear reply from the Heavenly Venerable."

Xiong Mo brewed himself another cup of goji berry tea and nodded slightly. "There is no ill will between us. I will not stop or hinder what you want to do."

Because the probability of success approaches zero.

Of course, the evolution of the heavens is fifty, and using forty-nine of them, infinitely approaching zero, but it is not equal to zero. As long as there is something called "miracle" or "variable" that exists, a thing will not necessarily fail.

If it really succeeds, then so be it. Anyway, even if it succeeds and then comes looking for trouble, we still can't beat them. The only difference is whether we get hit by the [Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation] once or several times.

"Thank you, Heavenly Lord."

Having received the reply they desired from Xuanjun, a hint of joy flashed in the eyes of the fourteen Great Divine Powers who had reached the pinnacle of Creation. They all bowed towards [Nanshan] and then dispersed like mist, disappearing without a trace.

The next instant, the Water Emperor's light shout echoed throughout the Real World.

A breathtaking, illusory ocean rose from His crown chakra, within which an ancient seal bearing the character "North" curled up, transforming into a half-formed illusory Dao fruit, seemingly a manifestation of the true "Dao," related to the aspects of "water."

The Dao Fruit had barely taken shape when it was slightly attracted by the Dao, lifting the Water Emperor's innate spiritual light and rising slowly from the infinite heights, as if it wanted to leap out of all the heavens and worlds and look down on everything from an unprecedented perspective.

A slightly illusory sound of waves gradually arose, and the Water Emperor could "see" his own body rising from the river of time and destiny, slowly but firmly breaking free from the sea of ​​suffering.

This great master, who had attained the perfection of creation for five eras, began to charge towards the other shore in his own way.

As it gradually breaks free from the constraints of the River of Time and the erosion of the Sea of ​​Bitterness, a small but complete River of Time emerges outside this half-formed illusory Dao Fruit, rippling with light, like a dream.

It suddenly began to expand, extending towards the "future" and the "past" respectively, penetrating the void.

A novel perspective began to emerge in the eyes of the Water Emperor. He felt himself gradually arriving at the top layer of the structure of all the heavens and myriad worlds, which was also the bottom layer, getting closer to the thing that could only be called "Dao". Moreover, his own traces and imprints began to extend with time.

His eyes lit up slightly as he recalled the Xuanhuang Heavenly Venerable he had just met, as well as the three Heavenly Venerables who had already disappeared, and the subtle charm that they naturally exuded.

The Water Emperor understood that this was about "returning to the past" and "possessing the future".

In that instant of enlightenment, all the traces He left in this era were connected into a line in the river of time, and He strode forward in the direction that the river of time was moving.

However, at this point in time in the river of time, the Water Emperor took four more steps forward when a terrifying resistance suddenly arose out of nowhere. A dreadful force transformed into shackles, firmly binding his steps forward.

His face paled slightly as he muttered to himself, “The ‘illusory Dao Fruit’ that I have cultivated is not connected with the things that will inevitably happen in the future, nor with the major trends that will inevitably emerge. It has little resonance with what is about to come. It can only take four steps forward before it reaches its limit.”

One by one, the "future" water emperors gathered at this moment, merging into one according to the pre-determined plan, and blooming with an extremely dazzling ray of light that even illuminated the entire Bitter Sea.

However, the Water Emperor's expression was extremely grim. Although the brilliant water light he had condensed was hundreds or thousands of times stronger than the Perfect Creation, it had not undergone any qualitative change and was still a very long way from the "minimum standard" that had been predicted.

Suppressing his unease, he waved his hand and gathered the water light into the half-formed illusory Dao Fruit, allowing the Dao Fruit to take a slight step towards becoming a complete form.

"If we cannot control the future, then what about our own past?"

“I have existed for eight eras. By gathering the ‘me’ from all eight eras, I should be able to provide enough qualitative change to allow the half-formed illusory Dao Fruit to take full shape.”

The Water Emperor quickly deduced a solution, his mind immediately settled, and he began to prepare to communicate with the "historical landmarks" of the past seven eras according to his own memories.

But in the next instant, His face turned deathly pale, His expression was one of utter shock, and His pupils lost their luster.

The Water Emperor murmured in a hoarse, lost voice, "Why is it like this? Before this era, no matter how far it stretched, it was all a blank void where nothing existed."

"Is this era the first era in all the heavens and myriad worlds?"

"Then what are my past memories?"

"A fleeting dream?"

With a look that seemed to be both crying and laughing, the Water Emperor staggered to the historical juncture of the creation of all the worlds in this era, using his ability to "rewind to the past".

He did not see the Primordial Heavenly Venerable responding to the Dao and opening the heavens; he only saw an extremely ancient and extremely powerful long banner floating in the chaos, radiating boundless Dao light.

"Heavenly Venerable One!"

"Our destiny, before your eyes, is truly nothing but a dream."

The Water Emperor's half-formed illusory Dao Fruit began to become unstable. It did not undergo any qualitative change for a long time, and the upward force that yearned for the "Dao" gradually dissipated.

The Water Emperor trembled, and he could clearly feel that he was falling from the highest and deepest point of the structure of all the heavens and myriad worlds.

They are about to sink back into the sea of ​​suffering.

(End of this chapter)