Refining the Dao into Godhood: A Tale of the Jie Sect

The two continued on their way.

Soon, they arrived at the foot of a majestic ancient tree; its branches and leaves covered ten thousand acres, blotting out the sun and sky. Though it appeared unremarkable at first glance, at night, the branches and leaves of the tree would transform into a vast fire cloud. The flames emitted were not scorching but instead provided a sense of warmth.

This was the Sui Ming Tree, a High-Grade Innate Spirit Root, and also the former cultivation place of Xuanqing.

"Previously blind, I did not realize that the Sui Ming Tree was a High-Grade Innate Spirit Root!" Xuanqing extended his right hand to caress the trunk of the tree and chuckled lightly: "Tens of thousands of years have passed, yet you remain as ever!"

At this moment, he suddenly had a flash of insight. It seemed that this tree had developed a connection with him. Beneath the incense smoke, it even developed a trace of faint spiritual intelligence.

"Incense Fire Divine Dao!"

In the current Primordial era, dominated by the Immortal Path System, the presence of the "Incense Fire Divine Dao" was unexpected. However, because Xuanqing once drilled wood to make fire under the Sui Ming Tree, which granted the Divine Tree some Merit, and with the incense offerings from nearby Human Race, this Divine Tree had transformed into something akin to a "Sacrificial Spirit."

In Xuanqing's perception, the Divine Tree was like another self. He couldn't help but smile and said, "Am I Yang Sui, or are you the true Yang Sui?"

Tens of thousands of years had passed, the Human Race had proliferated generation after generation. The newly born Human Race, who had never seen Xuanqing, regarded the Sui Ming Tree as his incarnation.

Xuanqing shook his head and laughed to himself, "When the false is taken for the true, the true also becomes false. When the true is taken for the false, the false also becomes true. True and false, why bother to distinguish them so clearly?"

Suddenly, he remembered The Three Pure Ones discussing the distinction between the self and the other during their lectures. The concept of the other arises from thoughts and is also a reflection of the self.

"Heavenly Immortal Characteristic, infinite selves!"

The Three Pure Ones, as Heavenly Dao Saints, also once cultivated a single realm and developed it to its utmost limit, deriving traits similar to that of "Daluo" from it.

Saints, as incarnations of the Heavenly Dao, projecting across the heavens and imprinting upon thousands of worlds, was a matter of ease for them; their actions were simply to contribute bricks and mortar to the Immortal Dao.

The Dao varies with the individual!

Everyone's understanding, cognizance, and enlightenment of the Great Dao is different, just as there are no two identical leaves in this world.

Even the same person, at different times and in different places, will have different epiphanies. These epiphanies are the reflections of the true self.

And the characteristic of infinite selves is to split into countless other selves from a single spark of consciousness, exploring the same Great Dao from different dimensions and realms.

Because of this, the Heavenly Immortal Realm could, in theory, achieve this, which is why The Three Pure Ones categorized it as a Heavenly Immortal Characteristic.

However, among the disciples of the three teachings, not many delved into this characteristic; only Taiyi of the Chan Sect showed more interest in this Heavenly Immortal Characteristic.

Xuanqing once did not give it much importance.

In his opinion, prioritizing the enhancement of one's own cultivation and realm, and then exploring the mysteries of the Dao from a higher dimensional perspective, wasn't that more efficient?

But now, he felt that his previous ideas were completely wrong. A skyscraper rises from the ground, but if the foundation is not solid, and the cognition has biases, would reaching a higher realm truly unveil the real Great Dao?

The transformation into selves is to allow one's consciousness to perceive and correct the self from the perspective of others, allowing one's Dao Fruit to evolve towards the most perfect direction.

Just like Yuanshi Tianzun, some think he is dignified and majestic, some think he is ethereal and deeply rooted in the Dao, while others feel that his eyes reveal the ruthlessness of the Heavenly Dao.

This is the doctrine of the inexpressible.

Yuanshi is without form; what each person perceives is the Yuanshi Tianzun in their own heart.

In Xuanqing's heart, the Yuanshi Tianzun he longed to see was one who valued the brotherhood and spoke contrary to his heart, which is why he seemed so amiable.

While to those outer disciples of Jie Sect, who heard rumors that Yuanshi Tianzun disliked those with fur and horns, the Yuanshi Tianzun they envisioned was like a fierce deity choosing people to devour.

"What am I like?"

At this moment, Xuanqing pondered on what he might seem like in others' eyes.

In the eyes of the Tongtian Sect Master, he might be a sensible disciple, in the eyes of Daoist Duobao, he might be a Daoist who could discuss the Path of Artifact Refining together, in the eyes of Yuanshi Tianzun, he might be the most reasonable existence of the Jie Sect, and in the eyes of You Chao, he might be the infinitely wise "Suiren"!

In the eyes of others, he might be yet another image, just like the blind men feeling an elephant, what each person perceives, is not the entirety of him.

His self is boundless, varying from person to person!

"So that's how it is!"

Xuanqing chuckled aloud, an eternal, carefree Daluo Heaven flickering above his head, and then a beam of spiritual light flew out. The spiritual light instantly grew stronger with the power of the Incense Fire Faith from the Sui Ming Tree, and a barefoot middle-aged man, dressed in beast skins and holding a torch, promptly manifested, standing atop the crown of the Sui Ming Tree. Revealing the meaning of Infinite Brightness, he seemed poised to penetrate the ten directions and three lives.

"From now on, you are the Suiren!"

This was the solution Xuanqing had thought of, using his other self's incarnation to bear the karmic consequences of Suiren, thus bringing his true self's Dao Fruit to an immaculately pure state.

"Greetings, Daoist!"

The "Suiren" born from Xuanqing's spark of spiritual light and the faith of the Human Race, greeted Xuanqing and You Chao with a slight smile and a nod.

"You are too kind, Daoist!"

Xuanqing promptly returned the salute.

At the same time, an epiphany rose in his heart. It was the understanding of the Suiren towards the Fire Great Dao. The Creation Furnace operated on its own, and the various Innate Divine Fires such as the "Burning Sky Purple Fire," "Washing Karma Golden Fire," "Netherworld Ghost Fire," "Samadhi True Fire," etc., that he had contemplated over transformed into multicolored lights and merged into the Sui Ming Tree. Meanwhile, the fire in Suiren's hand also became scorching, fierce, and mysterious in an instant, as if containing the myriad aspects of the universe.

You Chao was dumbfounded.

Although he also cultivated, the methods revealed by Xuanqing still somewhat exceeded his knowledge.

"Suiren!"

"What's going on here?"

You Chao looked towards Xuanqing, and Xuanqing pointed to the middle-aged man holding the torch: "From now on, he will be the Suiren who drills wood to make fire!"

Subsequently, Xuanqing explained to You Chao the relationship between himself and "Suiren."

And the being that walked down from the tree also said with a smile: "From this day forward, I am Suiren! For billions of years to come, I will advance and retreat together with the Human Race!"

As "Suiren" spoke up, in a daze, Xuanqing seemed to hear the endless chants of worship coming from timeless spaces.

"It is the Fire Era, when stars are arrayed!"

"It is the Fire Era, the Fire Dao flourishes!"

"It is the Fire Era, permitting only the emblematic!"

"It is the Fire Era, my trust in Yang Sui!"

"It is the Fire Era, the epitome of Suiren!"

These sonorous chants of worship spread throughout all directions, as if coming from the beginning of ancient times, yet as if resounding from the future, reverberating endlessly by Xuanqing's ears.

He felt his Primordial Spirit lighten, as if cutting away some shackles, his understanding of the Fire Great Dao rapidly improved, as if he had become a deity in charge of flames.

"Today I finally realize that I am me!"

He laughed heartily, and with a single thought, his consciousness shifted to the perspective of "Suiren" and he began to examine his true self from the standpoint of his other self's incarnation.

Several days later, Xuanqing bid farewell to You Chao and left the Human Clan Ancestral Land, and "Suiren" took his place, continuing to teach and enlighten among the Human Race.

As the saying goes: Past shackles confined, today the profound truth is clear. Earthly karma exhausted, one steps onto the ladder to Immortality!