Starting Immortal Cultivation from a White Dog

As dawn breaks, the sea of ​​clouds churns and surges.

A beam of clear light rose from the mortal earth, pierced through layers of heavenly palaces, and soared straight into the ninth heaven.

In the clear light, a Taoist priest ascended the steps, his steps unhurried, his robes fluttering gently in the wind. His face was thin and his expression serene, yet his eyes seemed to hold a thousand stars, so deep that one dared not look directly at them.

This person was none other than the Taoist of Tiandu.

He returned from the mortal realm, traversing the nine heavens and ascending directly to the Great Crimson Heaven.

The vast crimson sky, the dark, golden palace.

The palace is suspended in endless clear light, which seems to be the first ray of light when heaven and earth were first created. It is untouched by dust and karma, and has been flowing quietly here since the beginning of time.

The Taoist priest paused for a moment in front of the palace gate before pushing it open and entering.

There were no superfluous furnishings inside the hall, only a futon, a lamp, and the four walls were empty.

The Great Crimson Heavenly Venerable sat cross-legged on a futon, his eyes slightly closed, his aura deep and profound, with clear light swirling around him, sometimes transforming into the shape of a dragon and a tiger, sometimes into the image of the Eight Trigrams, and sometimes returning to nothingness.

"You've come." The Great Crimson Heavenly Venerable opened his eyes, his gaze falling on the Heavenly Capital Daoist. His voice was old and peaceful, without a trace of emotion.

"Heavenly Venerable." Daoist Tiandu bowed and then sat down cross-legged on a futon opposite him.

The hall was silent for a moment, with only the flickering light of the blue lamp.

The Great Crimson Heavenly Venerable slowly spoke, "How are the preparations you were asked to make going? The people who were arranged in advance can begin to withdraw to the Great Crimson Heaven from now on."

"In less than a year, all 365 divine positions on the Investiture of the Gods will be returned to their rightful places. At that time, I will activate the Investiture of the Gods and stabilize the Three Realms."

He paused, his tone still calm and even, but what he said was enough to make the Three Realms tremble.

"Then directly cleanse the Three Realms and annihilate the other Heavenly Lords."

Upon hearing this, Daoist Tiandu's pupils constricted sharply. He remained silent for a long time before finally speaking, his voice tinged with hesitation: "Is the price... too high?"

He raised his head and looked at the Great Crimson Heavenly Venerable, a rare hint of struggle appearing in his eyes: "If we really attack the other Heavenly Lords, the entire Three Realms will collapse in the ensuing battle."

"Even if the Investiture of the Gods can protect the Heavenly Court from collapsing and the origin of the Three Realms from being destroyed, a great war will still require the Three Realms to be reopened. At that time, how many billions of living beings will die? The destruction to the entire Three Realms will be fundamental, and the origin of the Three Realms will be consumed."

The Great Crimson Heavenly Venerable listened without any change in expression. Only after the Heavenly Capital Daoist finished speaking did he slowly shake his head, his voice still calm and undisturbed.

"I didn't plan to make a move this early."

"According to the original plan, Yu Xu, Buddha, or one of my incarnations should ascend to the position of Heavenly Emperor, and then, with the power of the Heavenly Emperor, gradually refine the ruins of the Heavenly Court. At that time, I can calmly make arrangements to kill the other Heavenly Lords, which will only be a matter of a thought."

At this point, his voice paused slightly, and a barely perceptible ripple appeared on his ancient face.

"However, now that the Great Sun Emperor has become a variable, if he were to ascend to the throne of the Heavenly Emperor, given the compatibility between his Great Sun authority and the Heavenly Emperor's status, he would surely uncover the secrets of the Heavenly Emperor's Ruins."

"Unexpected changes will inevitably occur at that time."

Daoist Tiandu frowned slightly and said in a deep voice, "If you only want to compete for the position of Heavenly Emperor, with your strength, do you think the others would dare to oppose you?"

Even if there are some concerns...

He paused, his gaze fixed on the Great Crimson Heavenly Venerable, "At worst, we can just eliminate the Great Sun Emperor alone. Why go to war? Wouldn't the losses be much smaller that way?"

Upon hearing this, the Great Crimson Heavenly Venerable remained silent for a long time.

The light from the green lamp flickered and danced in his pupils.

"Now that things have come to this, it's time for you to know."

His voice was soft, yet carried an indescribable heaviness.

"The reason I haven't taken action isn't because I don't want to, but because I can't. After all... I'm just a projection..."

Taoist Tiandu suddenly looked up, "What? This... how is this possible?"

His pupils shone with divine light as he stared intently at the person before him. "If that's the case, where has the Celestial Venerable gone?"

"I entered the core of the ancient Heavenly Court ruins a very, very long time ago." The voice of the Great Crimson Heavenly Venerable echoed in the empty hall, each word seeming to come from eternity ago.

"Whether it's the Investiture of the Gods or the God-Slaying Whip, I obtained them both from the core of the Heavenly Court ruins. However, when I entered the Heavenly Court, I triggered the core restrictions, causing several ancient artifacts from the Heavenly Court to fall to the mortal realm..."

He glanced at the Taoist of Heavenly Capital and said calmly, "Among these are the Heaven-Shaking Bow and the Sun-Shooting Arrow, as well as two Buddhist treasures. These Taoist artifacts have fallen into the mortal world, which has probably already aroused the suspicion of the other Heavenly Lords, but they have not said anything."

The Heavenly Capital Taoist's expression suddenly turned somber, and he even lowered his head slightly, his eyes appearing somewhat dark. He did not interrupt, but simply listened quietly.

"Over the years, my strength has improved rapidly in the core of the Heavenly Court ruins, and I have even opened up the fifth heaven. But it is precisely because of this that I am trapped deep in the Heavenly Court and unable to get out."

"That's why the connection between the true self and the avatar has become weaker and weaker, to the point that..."

The Great Crimson Heavenly Venerable looked at the Heavenly Capital Daoist, his gaze carrying a hint of something indescribable.

"Even you have your own will, haven't you?"

The Taoist priest felt a chill run through his body, and his whole body trembled.

He had actually been wondering about what the man in front of him was saying, and the question he just asked might have been a test.

Now we finally have the answer.

He was originally an incarnation of the Great Crimson Heavenly Venerable, and in theory, he should be of one mind with the Great Crimson Heavenly Venerable, without any distinction between them.

Decades ago, however, he began to feel increasingly independent, and even developed his own will and emotions.

This is an unprecedented anomaly among incarnations.

The Great Crimson Heavenly Venerable gazed at the Heavenly Capital Daoist for a long time before slowly saying, "If Yu Xu's original plan had succeeded, he could have opened up the Fifth Heaven in one fell swoop. With the cultivation of the Fifth Heaven, he would have been able to sweep across the Three Realms and suppress everything. Naturally, there would have been no need for me to take action."

"But now, he has also encountered an unexpected problem, which has led to his failure and the missed opportunity to open up the fifth heaven."

“Even the reincarnation of the Buddha has developed its own will. Not only did it fail to merge with its past self, but its present self was also severed by the Great Sun Emperor. Now it is trapped in the depths of reincarnation and cannot escape.”

He sighed softly, "My true self was trapped in the core of the Heavenly Court, which caused many of my avatars to encounter unexpected events and created many variables out of thin air. If it weren't for this, with my true self's strength, I would have already wiped everything out. Why wait until today?"

"Several months ago, Chi Huang and the others suddenly launched an attack, forcing Yu Xu to merge with the avatar prematurely, thus failing to achieve the full effect, and even causing the unexpected turn of events for the Great Sun Emperor."

“This child is incredibly audacious, even attempting to devour all of the Buddha’s past achievements, usurping his place. I was unable to stop him.”

"In fact, if I hadn't used a wisp of my own aura to intimidate the Azure Dragon and prevent it from participating in the battle, it might have caused an even greater disaster."

His voice was calm and even, yet it stirred up a storm in the heart of Daoist Tiandu. No wonder the Great Crimson Heavenly Venerable had not made a move, not even during the recent Heavenly Lord War.

It wasn't that he didn't want to, but that he couldn't. He was nothing but a paper tiger, an empty shell, lacking any divine power. Once he made a move, his true nature would be exposed. Various thoughts raced through Tian Du Dao Ren's mind. He had actually suspected long ago that something had happened to the true body.

Otherwise, this avatar could not have developed its own will. It couldn't even communicate with the original body through thought, which is simply inconceivable between an avatar and the original.

At this moment, his heart was pounding like a drum, and certain thoughts were growing uncontrollably within him.

"Twenty-eight years ago, when the Celestial Venerable suddenly descended to the mortal realm and attacked the reincarnation of the Buddha, was it the Celestial Venerable himself... or you?"

The Great Crimson Heavenly Venerable looked at him with incredibly deep eyes, “Naturally it is me. I used the power of the Investiture of the Gods to manifest in the world and put on a show. The Buddha’s reincarnated body had a problem and was not suitable to continue his path.”

“I haven’t made a move for too long. In fact, the existence of the Heaven-Shaking Bow and other ancient artifacts has aroused suspicion on Chi Xiao’s side. I’m just taking this opportunity to make a move to make them restrain themselves.”

The Taoist Master Tiandu fell silent. He finally understood that over the years, the Great Crimson Heavenly Venerable, who appeared high and mighty and unfathomable, had actually been walking on thin ice, concealing the truth.

"Now I am trapped in the core of the Heavenly Court ruins, and the Great Sun Emperor has become an unexpected variable outside."

The body of the Great Crimson Heavenly Venerable was now enveloped by more and more pure light, as if he was about to turn into light and disappear. His voice also became more and more ethereal, "If he really obtains the position of Heavenly Emperor, he may control the core power of the Heavenly Court and threaten me."

He paused, then said slowly and deliberately, "Therefore, once the 365 gods of the Investiture of the Gods are in their proper places, I can use the power of the Investiture of the Gods and the God-Slaying Whip to gain access to a portion of the Heavenly Court Ruins."

"At that time, I will be able to draw upon a portion of the Heavenly Court's power and join forces with Yu Xu..."

His voice suddenly turned cold.

"First kill the Great Sun Emperor, then exterminate the other Heavenly Lords. Even if it costs us a great price and brings the Three Realms to their collapse, it will be worth it."

"Now that I have reached a critical moment, I must not allow any accidents to happen."

The Taoist priest of Tiandu listened, his expression shifting. He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but ultimately remained silent.

The Great Crimson Heavenly Venerable looked at him, seemingly seeing through his thoughts, "After the external chaos is quelled and the Three Realms are reopened, I, Yu Xu, and Buddha will enter the ruins of the Heavenly Court together. At that time, with the help of the power of the Heavenly Court, the three bodies will be unified, and we can break through to an unprecedented level in one fell swoop."

His gaze turned distant. "At that time, you will be in charge of the Investiture of the Gods and the God-Slaying Whip, and you will rule the Three Realms."

The Taoist priest from Tiandu shuddered.

The voice of the Great Crimson Heavenly Venerable continued, calm and resolute: "Those immortals, Buddhas, and saints who possessed divine positions on the Investiture of the Gods, even if they perished in the great calamity, you can still revive them from the Investiture of the Gods after the Three Realms are reopened."

"Their true spirits have long been included in the Investiture of the Gods. As long as the Investiture of the Gods is not destroyed, they will be immortal. With the Investiture of the Gods and the God-Slaying Whip in hand, plus the assistance of 365 immortals and gods, it is more than enough for you to completely control the Three Realms and firmly sit on the throne of the Heavenly Emperor."

He paused, his gaze deep and unfathomable.

"In this way, we will be inside and you will be outside. By working together, we can completely refine the ruins of the Heavenly Court and thus obtain the power of the oldest and most powerful Heavenly Emperor in the Heavenly Realm."

A long silence fell over the hall.

The flickering light of the blue lamp cast shifting shadows on the gaunt face of the Taoist priest. His hands rested on his knees, his fingers clenched slightly, the knuckles turning slightly white from the effort.

After a long while, he suddenly raised his head and looked directly at the Great Crimson Heavenly Venerable.

"Aren't you afraid..."

His voice was somewhat hoarse, even carrying a hint of distortion and struggle.

"After I became the Heavenly Emperor, I completely sealed off the ruins of the Heavenly Court, so that you could never return?"

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the hall suddenly froze.

The light of the green lamp suddenly stopped, and even the clear light that had flowed for countless millennia seemed to pause for a moment.

The Great Crimson Heavenly Venerable looked at the Heavenly Capital Daoist without saying a word.

There was a dead silence in the hall.

After an unknown amount of time, the Great Crimson Heavenly Venerable laughed.

"You are me, and I am you."

"You and I are exactly the same."

He said calmly, "In the end, if you can truly refine everything and take complete control of the Three Realms and the ruins of the Heavenly Court, then it will be equivalent to my success."

Upon hearing this, the Taoist of Heavenly Capital's lips moved slightly, but he could not utter a word.

The Great Crimson Celestial Venerable waved his hand, his expression returning to its usual indifference. "Alright, I've told you everything I needed to."

"In another year, the gods will return to their places, and all 365 divine positions will have their respective owners."

"No matter what the identities of those who made it onto the Investiture of the Gods were, whether they were the avatars of some Heavenly Lord or the reincarnations of the spirits of some ancient Dao artifacts, none of that matters."

"After the gods return to their positions, I can use the Investiture of the Gods to gain some authority over the Heavenly Court in advance, and draw upon the power of my true self to attack simultaneously with Yu Xu."

"Sweep away everything and reopen the Three Realms."

His gaze fell on the Taoist of Heavenly Capital.

"At that time, those immortals and gods included in the Investiture of the Gods, regardless of their past identities, will become your puppets and protectors once their true spirits are bound by the Investiture of the Gods. They will become your subjects who will rule over all living beings after you ascend to the throne of the Heavenly Emperor."

"Go, select some disciples you like, but not too many, and bring them into the Great Crimson Heaven to escape this cataclysmic calamity. This will also preserve some of the vitality of our Daoist lineage."

The Taoist of Heavenly Capital remained silent for a long time.

Finally, he slowly rose and bowed deeply to the Great Crimson Heavenly Venerable.

The Great Crimson Heavenly Venerable nodded slightly and closed his eyes.

The Taoist priest straightened up, turned around, and walked out of the palace gate.

The Great Crimson Heavenly Venerable sat cross-legged on a futon, with clear light flowing around him, casting his figure in an ever-changing, shimmering light.

He looked in the direction where the Taoist Tiandu had left, his closed eyes seeming to pierce through the palace walls, through the clear light, through the Great Crimson Heaven, and land on that figure that was gradually receding into the distance.

His expression remained indifferent throughout.

There was no anger, no murderous intent, and no other superfluous emotion.

It was as if everything in the world was under their control.

"Tiandu..."

The celestial being's voice echoed in the hall. After a long while, he withdrew his gaze, and an ancient scroll appeared before him.

"What would you choose?" (End of Chapter)