A journey of survival starting from Zhetian

Chapter 716 The Kitchen God
"Mysterious Lord, you have attained the other shore of enlightenment?!"

"I have not sensed any special changes in the laws governing the myriad realms!"

"If Xuanjun has already attained the other shore of enlightenment, the [True Realm] and countless fragments of cosmic light will retain a Dao essence similar to that of the Wood Emperor, namely the 'Azure Sun' Dao essence, which will have an impact on the present world."

"That means Xuanjun possesses power at the level of the Other Shore, perhaps a supreme treasure from the Other Shore, or perhaps it's a characteristic of the Other Shore."

"."

Inside the palace, filled with flames and the essence of the sun, dozens of powerful beings with great abilities looked towards the direction of Crimson Flame City. They quickly listed out countless possibilities, eliminated those with an absolute probability of zero, and locked the core forces that influenced the changes in past history within a general range.

"The Vajra Bracelet, the Eight Trigrams Furnace, the Six Souls Banner, the Taiji Diagram, the Pangu Banner, the Wuji Apricot Yellow Banner, the Lidi Yanguang Banner, the Zhuxian Sword Formation, and the Three Treasures Jade Ruyi—which of these nine divine weapons from the other shore did Xuanjun successfully obtain?"

"It may not necessarily be these nine Other Shore Divine Weapons. Before the three Celestial Venerables disappeared, who knows if they forged new Other Shore Divine Weapons or new Other Shore Supreme Treasures. Other Shore Divine Weapons are not the only ones that can unleash Other Shore-level power. The talismans personally inscribed by the three Celestial Venerables should also have such power."

A dozen or so powerful beings perused their tens of thousands of conflicting memories, focusing on certain historical fragments that even they found illusory and ethereal.

All the unreasonable and illogical points were identified and then projected into the air to be displayed inside the palace.

"Although it is extremely rare for a great supernatural being to cultivate such powerful characteristics of the Other Shore at the Creation Realm, they do exist."

"If that's the case, then Xuanjun's otherworldly characteristics must involve the power of 'returning to the past'."

"."

The various deductions calculated by the powerful subordinates under his command appeared before the Fire Emperor's eyes, causing him to fall into deep thought.

Before the Water Emperor and the Wood Emperor attacked the Other Shore, the fourteen great supernatural beings of the Creation Perfection level whom they had arranged behind the scenes had already met with the Mysterious Lord outside of [Nanshan]. They witnessed the depth of the Heavenly Venerable's understanding of "Dao" and heard him say that he had basically completed the cultivation of the characteristics of the Other Shore.

However, cultivating the characteristics of the Other Shore is one thing, and possessing the power of the Pseudo-Other Shore while within [Nanshan] is another; ultimately, it is the perfection of creation. After leaving [Nanshan], Xuanjun was still able to influence all the heavens and myriad realms with the power of the Other Shore characteristics, which completely transcends the scope of the Pseudo-Other Shore.

The Fire Emperor looked up at the sky above Crimson Flame City, where the shortcut to enlightenment was fully revealed, and two figures began to climb the sacred mountain. He said, "Without having attained the other shore, it basically possesses the complete characteristics of the other shore, its power surpasses that of a pseudo-other shore, and it is not limited to the shortcut to enlightenment; it can spread to all the heavens and myriad worlds."

"This is the reality of a partially existing other shore, or perhaps it can be called a weak other shore."

Upon hearing the Fire Emperor's conclusion, the dozens of powerful beings in the hall fell silent and ceased their discussions.

Their expressions changed again. Before they had even attained enlightenment, they had already acquired the basic characteristics of the other shore and possessed a portion of its essence. The Fire Emperor's conclusion was truly unbelievable, yet it was the only explanation that best fit the present moment.

A certain great shaman, who had six arms, was tall and strong, and seemed to have thought of something. He frowned slightly and said, "If we reverse the conclusion of His Majesty, could it be that Xuanjun has cultivated a realm close to the other shore through an external path?"

The Real World, being the only true world, is undoubtedly vast and boundless; it is virtually impossible to traverse it all, even in legendary times.

Although the countless fragments of cosmic light projected from this vast天地 (heaven and earth) are not quite like this, and the celestial status has declined by one or even several levels, their quantity is still incredibly vast, and they are constantly being generated, making it difficult to estimate their exact number.

Different fragments of cosmic light, different starry skies, and different geographical regions naturally give rise to unique cultivation systems and a wide variety of cultivation methods, each with its own characteristics.

Among them are the powerful, who can use their own hearts to represent the will of Heaven, altering the laws of the entire starry sky and rivaling the infinite universe, while the weak are attacked and killed by mortal beings with sticks.

In the past, these great supernatural beings, in order to strengthen themselves and to clarify the teachings of the three celestial beings, spontaneously combined the cultivation system of countless fragments of cosmic light, and jointly integrated it into a relatively crude, but potentially powerful, cultivation system.

This refers to a complete set of cultivation concepts currently circulating in the "real world," which directly points to creation and holds the promise of attaining enlightenment on the other side.

Inner view – outer view – Dharma body – legend – creation:

The first step is to construct one's own inner world in various ways, thereby gaining a preliminary understanding of the laws of heaven and earth.

The second step is to project the internal landscape of one's body onto the outside, thus making a preliminary application of the principles of heaven and earth.

The third step is to harness the laws and principles of heaven and earth for one's own use, and to construct one's own "body of laws and principles" in imitation of the naturally divine body.

The fourth step is to elevate one's true spirit, raise the light of one's true nature to infinite heights, and fulfill the legends of all realms, transforming into a true deity.

The fifth step is to comprehend the illusory Great Dao, use it as a boat to sail on the sea of ​​suffering, manipulate creation, create things from the void, wield various powers in all the heavens and myriad realms, and achieve the pinnacle below the other shore.

When this cultivation system and philosophy are initially perfected, all those with great supernatural powers will increase their performance by at least half a percent, and those below the Creation Realm will increase even more, almost surpassing all other cultivation systems in the myriad realms.

Therefore, apart from this system of cultivation and its philosophy, the many cultivation systems and philosophies that circulate throughout the myriad realms are collectively referred to as "heretical paths."

Those who practice heterodox paths and thus possess some of the legendary essence, or whose power rivals that of the legendary, are called heterodox legends. Those who practice heterodox paths and possess some of the essence of creation, or whose power rivals that of creation, are also called heterodox creations.

Similarly, those who possess some of the essence of the other shore or whose power rivals that of the other shore, in theory, are the other shore of the heretical path.

There is a problem here that is neither too big nor too small.

In the understanding of all those with great supernatural powers, there have always been only three other shores in all the heavens and myriad realms. Even this "inner vision - creation" cultivation system is a path of cultivation that the great supernatural powers have found by imitating the laws and principles of the three celestial venerables, thus discovering the most promising path to attaining the other shore.

Other non-Buddhist paths, which are even more difficult to cultivate than this "Inner Landscape - Creation" and have a more arduous cultivation process, do theoretically possess a substantial realm comparable to the other shore. However, the probability of their existence is even more remote than their chance of attaining the other shore, let alone truly developing and achieving such a cultivation result.

These powerful beings had witnessed the legends and creations of the heretical paths, and some of them were even like them in their own time. However, they had never seen the otherworldly realms of the heretical paths; they had only heard of them in words and in discussions of cultivation theories. The Fire Emperor remained silent for a long while before speaking, "Possessing essentially complete characteristics of the otherworldly realm, highly likely wielding a divine weapon from the otherworldly realm, capable of influencing past history without being harmed by the backlash of time and fate, is worthy of being called a weak otherworldly being, and highly likely to be a heretical otherworldly being."

“We regard that Mystic Lord of Nanshan as one of the three Celestial Venerables of the past.”

The dozens of powerful beings who stood before the throne, though already somewhat prepared, still felt a sense of disorientation when the emperor they followed made his final conclusion.

The Great Shaman Huilu hesitated for a moment before slowly asking, "Should we send a legendary expert to make contact with that shortcut that appeared above Crimson Flame City?"

"After all, this shortcut appeared within our country. According to the rules tacitly accepted by our creation, it belongs to us and is a place we are responsible for."

"Based on past experience, shortcuts are not always so 'harmless' and do not possess the characteristics that require great supernatural powers to limit, such as diffusion, pollution, and spread."

The Fire Emperor glanced at the Great Shaman of Fire, then leaned back and sat back on his throne.

He said calmly, "The Celestial Venerable has already descended and ascended to this place of near-path, so it rightfully belongs to Him. As for whether to send a legendary great power?"

The Fire Emperor shifted his gaze to the human race's great divine being of creation, then looked at one of the figures in the near-path, who was almost at the summit of the holy mountain. With a slight smile, he continued, "Haven't we already dispatched one of our nation's innate saints, the great Jian Keng, to accompany the Heavenly Venerable into the near-path?"

The gazes of the many powerful beings before the throne turned to the human being with a dark face, and they smiled, "Your Majesty's words are reasonable. We have already dispatched legendary experts. If any other anomalies occur and affect the Real World, causing the end of the era to occur prematurely, the responsibility will no longer lie with us."
-
The closest place is the heaven of six desires.

Xiong Mo and Jian Keng strolled leisurely up a flight of steps adorned with blooming golden lotuses, making their way to the summit of the sacred mountain.

As one ascends, strands of divine intent, symbolizing a special "bearing" that stabilizes heaven and earth, emanate from the void, swirling around the body along with various ethereal and mysterious elements such as "Qingyang Qi," "Shiqing Qi," and "Biluo Qi."

Silently, wisps of floating "ashes" fell from Jian Keng's body, turning into handfuls of dreamlike bubbles.

The earthy charm emanating from him constantly purged the unstable principles of law. The Tai Chi diagram within his innate nature, dividing the innate and the acquired, slowly rotated, reflecting the golden bridge spanning eras, absorbing fragments of the great Dao of the world, and refining the true spirit at the infinite heights.

As Jian Keng and Xiong Mo reached the summit of the sacred mountain, a sense of exhilaration and fulfillment welled up within him.

From this point on, Jian Keng no longer needs any further guidance. As long as fragments of cosmic light still exist in this world, and as long as the [Real World] still projects an endless starry sky, all of heaven and earth will spontaneously evolve the legend of the Kitchen God for him, shaping endless others and selfs.

Jian Keng exclaimed with shock, “I was just entering the legendary realm, but I never imagined that by climbing this sacred mountain, I would have already refined my true spirit from the infinite heights to the peak of the legendary realm.”

"As expected of a place close to the Dao, it truly deserves the name 'close to the Dao.' In just half a quarter of an hour, it has saved more than half an era's worth of arduous cultivation time. No wonder so many legendary great beings are so eager for such an opportunity."

Xiong Mo shook his head. "Kitchen God, you are an exception among exceptions."

"This shortcut is called the 'Six Desires Heaven Realm,' and the core principle it contains is only the 'Six Desires.'"

"The way of cooking is inherently compatible with all kinds of desires, including lust, taste, sound, touch, fragrance, and thought. These are all encompassed within this acquired way and are the core of this way."

If food lacks a wonderful aroma, vibrant colors, exquisite flavor, amazing texture, sizzling sound of cooking oil, and a long-standing legend, it cannot constitute the way of the kitchen. In fact, if any one of these elements is missing, it will not be able to take shape.

Similarly, the food on the table best reflects the six desires of human beings in the mortal world.

Historical celebrations, the joy at wedding banquets, the blessings at birthday parties, the reunions under the full moon, the mourning at the moment of death, the relaxed gatherings with friends—every bite, every flavor on the tongue, is part of the bustling world, part of a wonderful life.

The Six Desires Heaven, a place close to the Dao, is naturally and inextricably linked to the legend of Jian Keng, who cultivated the Dao of the Kitchen. Even Xiong Mo, a great supernatural being who writes "Creation" but reads "Sacrifice to the Dao," is inseparable from it in this special environment.

With a smile, Xiong Mo continued, "In all the heavens and myriad realms, the legends and achievements of those who cultivate the 'human' aspect of the 'Heaven, Earth, and Man' trinity are extremely rare. The only one who specializes in the acquired path and can fully explain and express the six desires in detail is the Kitchen God."

"To quickly achieve legendary perfection in the Six Desires Heaven is both reasonable and expected."

Jian Keng smiled and said, "You flatter me, Heavenly Venerable."

"Without the help of the Celestial Venerable, I might be able to enter the Six Desires Heaven in the future, but whether I can climb the Holy Mountain so leisurely is an unknown."

It has been half an hour since this place of near-path was created, and yet not a single person of great supernatural power has come. This is very abnormal.

Clearly, it was the Celestial Venerable's own aura that deterred many powerful beings from approaching.

A place close to the path is a unique cultivation resource. No one with great supernatural powers can ignore it. Even if one has already occupied a place close to the path, it does not prevent one from helping fellow practitioners who do not have a place close to the path to occupy and refine it.

Even if a newly discovered path to enlightenment does not align with one's own illusory path of cultivation, a person with great creative power can completely occupy it and, after spending countless years refining it, cultivate another illusory path, enhancing their strength and accumulating a foundation for reaching the other shore.

Furthermore, this shortcut is born within the kingdom of the Fire King, and will be considered their possession.

Although the human race has a great master of creation, and Jian Keng is also connected to the Six Desires Heaven, it is impossible for the Fire Emperor and his many great masters to allow a legendary powerhouse to occupy and refine a place close to the Dao.

At most, he could be allowed to comprehend the principles of the six desires within this secluded place. However, it would likely be extremely difficult for him to temper his true spirit with the power of this sacred mountain.

Because this act of borrowing the power of the sacred mountain's principles is itself an indirect refinement of the Six Desire Realms.

(End of this chapter)