From the Ming Dynasty, we will conquer the world

In Taoist scriptures, the "mysterious and boundless world" is described as boundless, empty, without light, shadow, sound, breath, beginning, or end.

For mortals, this place is nothingness; for immortals, it is a state of profound stillness and meditation, where their divine consciousness extends and expands. All things here are without distance, depending on whether one's divine consciousness can reach them—it may be within a small space, or it may be a hundred thousand or eight thousand.

Even so, this world still has the concept of a "center," which is a natural phenomenon, influenced by the Buddhas and emperors of the East and West.

As long as one stands here, one will naturally occupy a "high position," just like the Emperor of Immortality sitting on the Golden Bridge on the other shore. When he makes a move, it is like water flowing down, rolling in, piling up and eroding, and its power naturally multiplies. It is an inevitable trend and an unstoppable force.

Besides this advantage, the two centers are also the closest points to the material universe in the "mysterious and boundless world".

If the emperors and other celestial beings reside here, they can use the power of the "Heavenly Rules" to connect with the "Heavenly Order" of the mortal world, or directly transmit supernatural powers, or even manifest divine intervention.

The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the Buddha-land can descend directly into the hearts of the Arhats by following the method of visualization and using the path of cause and effect.

This is why those powerful beings who are far from the center, despite possessing boundless magical power, are only given the title of "wandering immortals".

Among them are people who are naturally easygoing, as well as a group of top figures who were defeated in the struggles of the Heavenly Court. In the mortal realm, their lineage is collectively referred to as the "Hereditary Sect"!
Xu Xing's ascent to the "Mysterious and Boundless World" this time was completely devoid of the guerrilla tactics of a wandering immortal. Instead, he adopted a posture of attacking the central palace with a grand formation and vying for dominance.

This made the Great Celestial Venerable wary.

The Great Celestial Venerable knew the origins of the True Martial Emperor. He was one of the Five Heavenly Emperors of the Ancient God Era, corresponding to the image of Xuan Water below and the power of the North Star above. His background was profound, second only to Nuwa.

Since he comprehended the Dao and cultivated himself into a primordial saint, although he entered the Heavenly Court and held the position of Emperor God, he had no interest in the legitimate succession and only cared about slaying demons and training his disciples.

His Daoist temple was practically a kingdom within a kingdom under the rule of the Heavenly Court. If he hadn't gone in search of the Daoist Master, the calamity that swept through the "mysterious and boundless world" and caused the collapse of the Heavenly Court might not have developed to this extent.

Therefore, the Great Celestial Venerable did not understand why he had returned from the chaotic energy.

Or perhaps those immortals and gods who ascended to the Dao never truly left; they simply watched over the world in another way, ready to return at any time.
No, that's not right.

The moment this thought arose, it was overturned by the Great Celestial Venerable himself, because with his current cultivation level, he had already reached the limit of the material universe.

If it weren't for the "mysterious and boundless world" as his vessel, he could only ascend to heaven if he wanted to advance further. Therefore, he had his own understanding of the outer heavens beyond chaos.

That is by no means a boundary that can be easily crossed.

So, could it be that the other party was able to return because of that wisp of primordial energy?
The Great Celestial Venerable did not feel that he had made a mistake; he simply felt as if he had grasped some kind of law of the river of time.

He chose Master Zhu because the latter was the one who would represent the future of humanity, and this person did indeed have some connection with the True Martial Ancestral Qi.

However, in the observable "history", although Master Zhu was able to invoke the power of Zhenwu, he never truly communicated with this emperor. So, perhaps this is a kind of "rebound" of heaven and earth itself?
Thinking of this, the Great Celestial Venerable became even more cautious in his attitude toward the "True Martial Emperor".

He could sense that the current realm of this "True Martial Emperor" had surpassed the limit of "Emperor," and was a standard great supernatural being, worthy of being called "Celestial Venerable."

Besides their own cultivation level, the opponent's methods were also quite mysterious. Even with the perspective of a Great Celestial Venerable, they could not discern the truth behind that bright mirror.

He could only sense that, under the illumination of the mirror, the various independent dojos that originally existed independently in the "mysterious and boundless world" were all faintly connected.

It's unclear whether this is due to divine intervention or supernatural powers he cultivated himself.

Then, the chaotic energy transformed into a tortoise, a snake, and a black tortoise, and the heavenly palace unfolded layer by layer. There was also a colossal Dharma image, whose height was immeasurable and filled the heaven and earth, which stood up with a bang, embracing the bright moon, and exuding the power of the Dao.

The bright moon shines, and we share the same world.

There is also a faint divine meaning in the moonlight, which can only be sensed by those with great supernatural powers. In summary, it can be summed up in one sentence.

—Things in the heavens, they're in the heavens!

The moonlight spread out, and the Dharma image actually used the method of "uniting with the Dao" to forcefully merge into the "mysterious and boundless world".

The True Martial Daoist essence left behind in this world is like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea, condensing into a single seal that illuminates the void, covering everything from afar with boundless light, intending to directly seal off this entire world!
"Ok?"

The Great Celestial Venerable did not expect that this person would use such a decisive fighting style from the very beginning. Although the "world of boundless mystery and vast expanse" has endless wonders, the material universe is also the foundation of the immortals and gods of this world, and cannot be easily abandoned.

The "mysterious and boundless world" has evolved to the point where it is no longer just a means of fighting against the Heavenly Demons, but also a "port" for the immortals and gods of this world to explore the "outer heavens".

Even those great masters who have already departed will leave behind their ancestral energy here as a guiding light, so that if they encounter misfortune outside the chaos, they will at least have a direction to refer to.

Although no one who has attained enlightenment has ever returned since ancient times, this has been a tradition for hundreds of millions of years.

If the "dock" is disconnected from the material universe, it is just an isolated island that cannot serve as an "anchor." In fact, because of its close relationship with the "spiritual" method, it may even capsize in the vast ocean.

The reason why the emperors joined forces to create a vast landmass called the "Earthly Immortal Realm" after ascending to the "Mysterious and Boundless World" was to increase the "balance".

If one day the mysterious and boundless world evolves to its ultimate state, then with the existence of the "Earthly Immortal Realm," even if it "decouples" from the material universe, there will be no major changes.

But clearly, we are far from reaching that stage.

This time, not only did the Great Celestial Venerable take action, but even Wutian, who had always sat atop Mount Ling and watched indifferently, had to use his methods to try to erase the omnipresent moonlight.

Suddenly, a wheel appeared hundreds of millions of miles away. Moonlight falling into it was distorted and alienated. Ten void worlds were also seen, arranged in order from low to high, with a strict hierarchy.

From the three evil realms at the bottom, to the three good realms of Asura, human, and Deva, the six realms manifest separately, endlessly revolving. The void cracks, and dark, deep rifts emerge, within which lies the turbulent mortal world and the ten directions of the turbid world.

Above the six realms of reincarnation are the four holy realms of Arhats, Pratyekabuddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Buddhas—pure and unobstructed, having severed the six sense objects, and clearly distinct from the six realms of reincarnation.

The ten realms are fully revealed, with a Buddha's Dharma body presiding over each realm, whether sitting, standing, or lying down, with a majestic and dignified appearance, and all sentient beings dwelling around it.

Upon witnessing this scene, the first to be shocked was not Xu Xing, but the Great Celestial Venerable.

He frowned slightly, realizing that Wutian seemed to have made more progress than he had expected during this period.

Clearly, this newly enthroned World Honored One, though he accepted the challenge, was not without a way to counter it.

However, even with the manifestation of the Ten Realms and the combined efforts of the Heavenly Court's gods, they could not completely eliminate the moonlight.

Even the legal systems of the two families, when they merged, rubbed against each other, not only failing to achieve the effect of joining forces, but also hindering each other, giving Moonlight an opportunity to take advantage. However, Wutian and the Great Celestial Venerable tacitly ignored this point, and simply took advantage of this rare opportunity to continuously expand towards the periphery of the "Mysterious and Boundless World".

They were all extremely quick-witted people. As soon as they saw the "True Martial Emperor" in this posture, they knew that the other party must have made some arrangements in the lower realm. But how could the Heavenly Court and the Buddhist Kingdom have any small influence in the Earthly Immortal Realm?
Now, it is the situation in the upper realm that is more worthy of the two supreme beings' attention and effort.

In fact, they have always wanted to annex these Taoist temples and truly unify the "mysterious and boundless world". The Great Celestial Venerable sent Master Zhu and others down to the mortal realm to search for the legacy of the Earth Emperor, which was also for this purpose.

However, while these powerful beings may be slightly inferior to the two supreme beings who wield the power of the system, they are still extraordinary. It's just that they are extremely difficult to find if they want to hide themselves.

But now, under the bright moonlight, many previously well-hidden dojos of powerful cultivators have revealed clues, making it easier for the two to investigate.

Since that's the case, why not go with the flow, take down these people first, and then deal with this True Martial Emperor who has returned to the world?
This is precisely the goal that Xu Xing wants to achieve.

His purpose in ascending to the upper realm this time was to first hinder the two people and make things easier. Although he used the method of diverting trouble, he has still achieved his goal.

However, Xu Xing was well aware that this move would inevitably provoke the displeasure of many powerful beings, but he had no choice but to do it.

After ascending to the vast and mysterious world, Xu Xing was well aware that the strength of Wutian and Datianzun was completely comparable to that of the ancient giants in the Yangshen world who wielded the "King of Divine Artifacts" and were at their peak.

Not to mention, the two of them have the power of the system left behind by the immortals and gods of past generations, directly inherited from the Buddha and the Daoist. With Xu Xing's current combat power, even if he were to unite his spirit and body, plus the power of the Haotian Mirror, he could only deal with one of them at most.

Xu Xing had no choice but to do this if he wanted to keep the two of them occupied.

Just then, an old voice suddenly rang out again within Xu Xing's Dao Realm.

"Fellow Daoist's actions are indeed swift and decisive."

As the voice rang out, a divine thought swept across the sky, landing within Xu Xing's Dao realm. It transformed into an old Daoist, slowly swaying his whisk, and leisurely said:

"However, it was still a bit reckless."

When the word "reckless" was mentioned, the old Taoist seemed to think of an old friend, and a hint of nostalgia appeared in his eyes. He was not like a celestial being, but rather very human.

The old Taoist priest strolled leisurely, and a cave suddenly appeared beneath his feet. He was carefree and his figure was elusive and silent, only perceptible to the divine sense, just like the "mysterious and boundless world" itself.

Xu Xing separated a wisp of his consciousness, transforming it into the likeness of Zhang Sanfeng, and landed before the old Taoist priest, calmly saying:
“I had no intention of disturbing your peaceful cultivation, but now that a great calamity is before us, I have no choice but to do so for my own selfish reasons.”

"For personal gain?"

The old Taoist priest smiled:

“Fellow Daoist’s words are quite amusing. If it were for your own selfish reasons, why would you go to such lengths to establish your own Daoist temple and become your own independent entity? Even if the outside world is in turmoil, what does it have to do with you?”

"Isn't your purpose in doing this to save the world from collapse, restore order, and reshape the true lineage of the Daoist Master?"

Xu Xing said calmly:
"Hiding away in a small building to live in seclusion is not in my nature. As for why I fought with these two, it was both for personal revenge and because I couldn't stand them."

The old Taoist clapped his hands and laughed:

"What a fine example of not being able to stand it! Truly a childlike heart, and worthy of being called the founder of martial arts."

Xu Xing was not surprised that the other man could see through his identity. As one of the founders of the unorthodox sect, the two of them had a natural connection as soon as they met, and Xu Xing thus knew the other man's identity.

It was none other than the Bodhi Patriarch who practiced both Taoism and Buddhism!
Bodhi Patriarch then changed the subject and said:

"But even that is not enough."

He shook his head and sighed:

"This calamity has been brewing since ancient times, and it has only now truly erupted."

Those two are the gods who initiate and respond to calamities; the only way to stop them is for the Daoist Venerable or the Buddha to descend to earth.

Xu Xing said clearly:
"No wonder that before the calamity descended, many powerful beings and even the Heavenly Emperors left one after another, either merging with the chaotic energy or establishing their own dojos."

Bodhi Patriarch nodded sadly.

"Even with Nuwa's power, she could only leave behind a Dao body to wait for the turning point of fate. Fellow Daoist, your current resistance will only intensify the calamity, making it difficult to alleviate and potentially leading to a great disaster."

Xu Xing first nodded, then shook his head and said:
"In my opinion, it would be better to strike at the middle of the stream before it takes hold and cut it off completely."

"The climate is not yet ripe?"

When Bodhi Patriarch heard these four words, his lips moved a few times. Looking at Xu Xing's matter-of-fact expression, he wanted to say something but couldn't.

Xu Xing suddenly said:

"Brother Dao, you must only have a trace of your spiritual consciousness left in this world. Do you have any methods to connect with the outside world?"

Bodhi shook his head and said:
"Beyond the chaos, there is no way to describe it. Since the original body left, it has had no further communication with me. I can only vaguely sense that it should still be struggling within it and has not perished."

After listening, Xu Xing seemed to be deep in thought:
"If that's the case, then perhaps I do have a solution..."

During the exchange between Xu Xing and Bodhi, the entire "mysterious and boundless world" was completely enveloped by moonlight. Under the moonlight, neither side could transmit any more power downwards.

In the Immortal Realm, more than one powerful individual also sensed this information and rose to their feet, each with their own thoughts.

-

While Xu Xing's primordial spirit was holding back the two supreme beings on its own, his physical body suddenly opened its eyes and stepped in front of Li Xiuyuan and a group of true immortals.

At this moment, Xu Xing no longer needed to conceal himself and revealed his true form. He looked at Di Huaiying, Qiantang Jun, Fahai, and the others who had gathered around him, opened his arms, and laughed loudly:
"Everyone, I'm back!" (End of Chapter)