Donghuang Ziji

Chapter 981 Extra Chapter 1: Changes in the Eastern Celestial Realm

"Attention passengers, the cloud boat is about to arrive at the final destination of this journey... There may be brief turbulence during landing, please be careful..."

As a melodious sound, like a clear spring, echoed inside the cloud boat, many passengers felt refreshed, and even the few who were drowsy perked up. Looking out the window, they saw the clouds changing and gradually obscuring their view.

At the same time, everyone felt a lightness in their bodies, and after a short while, the scenery suddenly opened up, with many towering mountain peaks standing on the earth.

The cloud boat nimbly weaved through the mountain peaks, nearly coming into contact with jagged rocks several times, startling many first-time riders who gasped in surprise and sweated profusely.

However, one of the core features of the cloud boat is the talismans that cover its hull. These talismans can gather clouds and levitate, and also provide protection. Flying between mountains is as easy as walking on flat ground, without any danger.

As it approached its mooring position, bursts of spiritual light emanated from around the cloud boat, and a phantom lotus flower bloomed at the mooring spot. As the petals unfolded, ripples of spiritual light spread out, interacting with the runes on the bottom of the cloud boat, pulling and guiding it to ensure that this behemoth stopped perfectly.

Then the cabin door of the cloud boat opened, the pier lowered, and the passengers got up, grabbed their luggage, and rushed to the dock.

A boy stood on the ground, looking around curiously. The place was very busy and lively. Whether it was the platform where they were currently docked or the many mountain peaks above, there were flashes of spiritual light from time to time. Each flash of spiritual light meant that a cloud boat was taking off or landing, constantly weaving together a transportation network belonging to the sky.

Suddenly, a sound that was not thunder, but was even deeper and more resonant, rang out from the sky.

The sound seemed to carry a substantial weight, causing many people's hearts to race.

Immediately afterwards, the clouds that had been obscuring the sky seemed to be parted by an invisible hand.

But the scene that followed was not a clear blue sky, but another dark, heavy, leaden cloud.

Mo Yun flew across the sky at a seemingly slow but actually fast speed, covering the entire port in a short while. The boy's eyes widened, and a phantom mirror appeared in his eyes, showing many runes flashing in the clouds.

However, based on his knowledge, he could only roughly discern some of the superficial mysteries, while he could not fathom the more profound ones.

However, the changes in the runes on the mirror surface were silently recorded.

During this time, many of the people traveling with the boy were seeing such a colossal creature for the first time, and they exclaimed in terror, "What kind of monster is this! A monster..."

Those who knew its origins shouted, "It's Cloud City! It's the legendary Cloud City!"

A very few people who knew more information explained it to their friends with a sense of shock.

"There is a floating mountain that is often hidden in the nine heavens, within which are ten thousand mansions, housing hundreds of thousands of people..."

Just as they were reminiscing, a fellow cultivator suddenly remembered something and interrupted, "Wait a minute, we in the Great Heaven don't have any major problems right now, so why would we send Cloud City out?"

"What else could it be? They're probably among the first batch of Guizhen Qingjin to cross the sea. I wonder how their journey across the ocean went..."

An elderly man, clearly a local, suddenly spoke up, drawing the attention of those around him.

Seeing the stares of the crowd, especially the longing and admiring looks from some of the younger generation, the old man became interested as well.

He first respectfully bowed to the east, and everyone else followed suit.

Seeing this, the old man's smile deepened, and he said happily, "Since the establishment of the Holy Kingdom by the Taiyi True Lord, three Jiazi have passed. In the first Jiazi, the Taiyi True Lord awakened the Huayu Xiansheng True Lord, and together with the gods and immortals of the Eastern Land, they repaired the earth veins of the Central Plains, cleansed the filth, established the Taoist Academy and the Cloud Palace, opened up the spiritual canals and the Heavenly Road, and perfected the order."

"In the second sixty-year cycle, the Guizhen Qingjin Academy was first established. Talented children were transferred from the southern border, the northern wilderness, and the western regions and sent to various Taoist academies, cloud palaces, alchemy rooms, and community gardens to study. Afterward, they were allowed to return to their hometowns to give back to their families according to the 'Earth Vein Spirit Contract'. In this current sixty-year cycle, it is precisely because of these Guizhen Qingjin who have sorted out the earth veins, harmonized the feng shui, and changed old customs in various places that the laws of the four directions have been unified, while most of the local characteristics have been preserved."

"At the same time, also in this recent sixty-year period, with the basic completion of the renovations in the south, north, and west..."

A complex emotion flickered in the old man's eyes as he watched the departing Mo Yun and said in a low voice, "Naturally, we need to establish an overseas Guizhen Qingjin Academy to further improve the Holy Kingdom's system. I just don't know how much of a role those cultivators from overseas continents can play after returning home."

Many people were curious when they heard this. The Guizhen Qingjin Education System has been implemented for nearly two cycles of sixty years, so what is there to worry about?

Upon hearing this, the old man frowned slightly and lowered his voice, saying, "Young friend, you are mistaken. Do you think all the overseas continents are as peaceful and prosperous as our holy country? In the past, countless demon caves were entrenched in various places. Now, some of the demon lords have been executed, while others have perished, but the demonic poison they left behind has long been deeply ingrained in the earth's veins and people's hearts."

"Although the Taiyi True Lord possesses supreme supernatural powers, he can only eradicate seven or eight out of ten at a time. The remaining two or three are rooted within all living beings and can only be eliminated through generations of education to remove their prejudices and resentment. Then, with the gentle and persuasive methods of spring breeze and rain, he can rectify the root cause."

"As for drastic measures, although they are unavoidable, they should not be used too often. Only when, like half a century ago, some demonic cultivators went against the tide and refused to return to the righteous path, is it necessary to suppress them forcefully."

A haughty-looking young man standing nearby suddenly sneered and said, "In the end, it's because True Lord Taiyi is too merciful and not decisive enough. If you ask me, he should have used the power of heaven and earth to completely shatter those demonized lands back then, and then reforged the earth, water, fire, and wind to cleanse all the spirits within. There wouldn't be so many troubles now."

Upon hearing this, the old man's beard trembled with anger. Someone standing nearby stepped forward and rebuked him, "So, according to your logic, after the True Lord made his decision, shouldn't he have become even more domineering, unifying the beliefs and speech of all beings, and suppressing any unorthodox words?"

"If it's for the sake of the Holy Kingdom's great cause, then naturally some tough measures are needed. After all, in chaotic times, severe punishments are necessary. Back then, it was clearly a chaotic time, and taking extraordinary measures was the best choice!"

"That's a joke. According to you, you're arrogant and should also be dealt with, instead of having the opportunity to spout nonsense here."

As the crowd argued, a young man suddenly appeared beside the boy, chuckling, "This is the first time His Majesty has visited me since I took over the Dao three hundred years ago. I'm sorry to have you witnessing such a lively scene so soon after your arrival." The boy's eyes were clear, and he looked at the young man with some doubt, but the next second, his eyes shone like a mirror, and a voice entered the young man's ears.

"Please excuse my ignorance, fellow Daoist. You are mistaken. Only through such debates can we know that you are truly guiding the people, not restricting their thoughts. However, although the people's lives have improved considerably under your governance, their temperaments still need further refinement, and some of their opinions are still too radical..."

Then, the voice changed its tone and asked, "However, when did you discover me? You should know that your ancestor didn't even notice my arrival this time."

"Although the Taiyi Ancestor has recovered his cultivation, he has been in seclusion for the past few years, attempting to break through to the Innate Realm and achieve the position of Dao Lord. He has not paid much attention to the two realms, so it is normal that he could not find your whereabouts. As for me, I knew about you the moment you entered the Great Heaven."

Upon hearing this, the young man looked the youth up and down, and exclaimed in amazement, "I hadn't noticed before, Chu Tai, but your cultivation has improved again. It seems that the Eastern Emperor Bell has been mostly repaired, and the Heavenly Gate has been basically assimilated. You're only one step away from becoming a Dao Lord? Wait, something's not right..."

The young man shifted his gaze to the sky, and through the layers of obstacles, he saw the Heavenly Gate standing in the void. He whispered, "No, your cultivation has long surpassed the ordinary acquired limitations. You were already capable of achieving the Innate Realm, but you've been holding yourself back all this time. You want to incorporate the Holy Kingdom system into your own Dao Fruit?"

Chu Tai smiled without saying a word, and asked in return, "Compared to me, what is your choice, Emperor Mi Luo? You have already overcome all the tribulations back then and could have become a celestial being, but judging from your aura, it seems that you want to return to the body of Dao Lord Mi Luo?"

“I am different from Taiyi. I am a deity, while he is an immortal. The immortal path values ​​life and self, regarding the true nature of the spirit as a cloud boat to cross the sea of ​​suffering and the foundation of freedom and ease. Therefore, he would like to preserve his self.”

“But I have no such thoughts. For me, returning to my original self is a kind of cultivation. Just like a tree, the process is to take root and sprout, and the result is to grow into a lush tree that shades all directions. But the final withering and return to the earth is also an indispensable link. Moreover, the world always goes through such a cycle. Since I come from him, why should I be independent?”

"Your Majesty's realm is far beyond my reach. I'm just curious, why did you suddenly decide to visit our Eastern Celestial Empire?"

The voice of Taiyi Zhenjun suddenly rang out, and Chu Tai bowed slightly. Zhenjun hurriedly returned the bow.

Upon seeing this, Emperor Miro laughed and said, "You're so polite to your own juniors, but you're so disrespectful to your elder brother. As for why I'm here, can't you tell?"

"So, you've already decided to return to your original self?"

Taiyi Zhenjun's tone was somewhat downcast, but the Heavenly Emperor smiled and said, "This is a good thing for both of us, isn't it?"

The True Lord shook his head and said, “It is naturally a good thing for me, after all, our Dao fruits overlap considerably. If you attain the Dao, my chances of attaining the Dao will be even smaller, and I may not even have a chance to break free from the pressure from you and my original self. But for you, losing yourself and losing everything, how can that be called good? Besides, what about those beings you recorded in your past? Are you going to abandon them?”

Upon hearing this, the Heavenly Emperor merely smiled: "I also remember many living beings. After my return, they will all be able to come back to life. Moreover, there's no need to worry about the current resource problems of the Great Heaven..."

"So you did this for them? If that's the case, then we..."

Before Taiyi Zhenjun could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Mi Luo Tiandi, who said, "Of course it can't be just because of them. For me, they are one of the reasons that prompted me to make a choice, but in the end, it is still me who makes the choice."

At this point, the Heavenly Emperor sighed and said, "Taiyi, haven't you noticed how great my influence is in my Great Heaven? Apart from me, how many other first-rank cultivators are there? And none of them have completely broken free from my influence."

“I will continue to remain in the Great Heaven. Even if I want others to try to rule, they are just my shadow. They don’t trust the heir, but they trust me because I am willing to give him a chance. This is not good.”

"Right now, I just want to see your progress, whether it's useful as a reference, and whether it's suitable to pass on to your successors. By the way, what about the other first-grade cultivators in your Great Heaven?"

"It seems that True Lord Qing Shi is certain that he will not be able to attain enlightenment in the Great Heaven in the future. He has begun to have his disciples settle in various places and establish Daoist academies. He should be working on the matter of ascending to the Great Luo Heaven."

"Jade Calendar True Lord is similar, but he is somewhat worried about your presence. According to the True Lord, once the two days are completely separated, he will go to the Great Luo Heaven to explore the next step."

At this point, Chu Tai glanced at the Heavenly Emperor, and seeing that he did not react, he continued, "As for the Primordial True Lord, this senior is currently enjoying himself in the Great Heaven, and we are unaware of his next plan."

"Apart from those three, the three Bodhisattvas of the Buddhist path only digested the power left to them by that Buddha a few years ago and are now guiding the sentient beings saved by the Buddha. They should not leave the Pure Land in the short term."

"Finally, the Blood Demon Lord split into two. The core of the Blood Demon Lord remains in the Great Heaven Creation Dao, working with the power of the Great Heaven to stabilize the life force of all living beings. The remaining part transformed into the True Lord of Manifestation and Life, who is working with the gods such as Shao Siming to handle the work of nurturing life, repairing the earth's veins, and reshaping nature within the Great Heaven."

Upon hearing this, the Heavenly Emperor asked with some curiosity, "Shao Siming? Have you created another derivative of them?"

"There was no other way. We didn't have enough manpower. When we first started promoting the Holy Kingdom system, some immortal cultivators, and even some Taiyi cultivators, disagreed with my choice. They felt that I had lost the true meaning of the noble immortal path. Some of them wanted to use my power to expand their own influence. I persuaded the former with kind words, and I suppressed the latter with force. In the end, they either left in a huff or ascended to the Great Luo Heaven, no longer caring about the turbulent waves of the mortal world."

"But they left so easily, and the empty spaces always need to be cleaned up. My several avatars are indeed suitable for handling many miscellaneous matters. In addition, I also pulled out many old friends to help, but it's only barely enough to maintain the current situation."

Chu Tai shrugged, then seemed to remember something and looked at the Heavenly Emperor.

"Speaking of which, His Majesty specially blessed this child with spiritual light this time, and even shared some of the spiritual light from his own treasure with him. It seems that His Majesty wanted him to see the changes in the Eastern Celestial Glory from his perspective. Is there anything he would like to pay attention to? I can help introduce him to someone?"

As Chu Tai spoke his last words, he couldn't suppress the smile on his lips. The Heavenly Emperor laughed and said, "There's no need for that. Just let this child grow freely. However, I will probably spare some spiritual energy to train in the Eastern Polar Starry Sky afterward. At that time, I'll trouble you, fellow Daoist, not to pay attention to them and just let them develop. Only in this way can I see the changes in your Great Heaven more clearly and be able to guide my successor more comprehensively."

"That's naturally no problem, but Your Majesty, aren't you going to return to your Dao Lord form? Do you still have time to carefully comprehend it?"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Mi Luo paused for a moment and asked in return, "Although the duration of the One Yuan Hui is a bit short, it should still be sufficient to observe the changes in the Great Heaven, right?"

(End of this chapter)