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

"Cough!"

Even with Zhi Ming's broad knowledge, upon hearing Xuanqing's words, he couldn't help but stand dumbfounded, then shaking his head he said: "You, as a disciple of the Saint, represent the face of the Saint, so stop coveting my Spiritual Treasures!"

Face?

Can it be eaten?

Or can it be exchanged for a few Innate Spiritual Treasures?

Xuanqing criticized silently in his heart.

Although he had comprehended the law of self-other, theoretically he could evolve countless self-other incarnations, but without Innate objects harboring the thoughts of self-other, these thoughts would be rootless like floating duckweed, unable to advance their realm through their own cultivation.

Otherwise, he would not have split only the "Sui Ren" as his self-other incarnation.

The thought of that self-other was also reliant on the high-grade Innate Spirit Root "Sui Ming Tree" which possesses immense potential and could draw in faith power from many humans.

Xuanqing did have a few Innate items, but the "Purple Lightning Hammer", "Sudden Thunder Zither", and "Innate Thunder Pool" were all Thunder-based Innate items.

They harmonized well with the authority of Thunder God from Thunder Marsh.

But unfortunately, Thunder-based Innate items are extremely firm and Yang, and because of the conflict with the Great Dao, they cannot carry the two authorities of Yujang.

He needed Innate items that matched the "Wind God Authority" and "Plague God Authority".

Seeing this, while refining the Gui Water Essence, Xuanqing appeasingly smiled and said: "Elder, since you don't like to travel much, won't those Innate Spiritual Treasures easily gather dust?"

"That still doesn't concern you!" Zhi Ming replied irritably: "Each Innate Spiritual Treasure contains at least one Principle, each one is unique and invaluable, can't I keep them to comprehend the Great Dao within?"

Yes!

Absolutely yes!

That was exactly Xuanqing's intention.

Therefore, upon seeing Zhi Ming producing nearly a hundred Innate Spiritual Treasures, he was so shocked that he almost wanted to embrace the latter's thighs and employ the "Path of Gnawing".

Apart from not having the Innate Treasures, Zhi Ming's wealth was almost catching up with his own teacher.

Moreover, he saw among these treasures one of the Innate Five Directions Flags—the "Xuan Yuan Water Controlling Flag", and even the "Northern Black Gale Horn Demonslaying Mighty Sword" that True Martial Great Emperor wielded later to slay demons and exorcise evil!

"I originally thought that True Martial Great Emperor should be the reincarnation of the North Sea Xuan Turtle, but now it seems, he more resembles a soul split from Divine Monarch Zhi Ming!"

"True Martial stepping on the Tortoise and Snake, wielding a sword to slay demons, aligns even more with Xuanwu's image, and moreover, the magic artifact that True Martial Great Emperor later used to confirm his Dao is also in Zhi Ming's hands!"

On the surface, Xuanqing appeared to be lost in thought, but internally he couldn't help considering: "Since True Martial is a soul split from Zhi Ming, then what about the Beiming Xuan Turtle? After being chopped by Lady Nuwa to support the sky, could it have truly perished?"

Turtle?

Gui Ling?

A guess suddenly flashed in his heart, and he immediately looked at Zhi Ming: "By the way, Elder Zhi Ming, I heard that there is also an elder Xuan Turtle within Beiming, I plan to pay a visit, but I don't know whether they are a male or female immortal?"

"Since elder has relations with them, could elder inform me?" Xuanqing paused, cautiously adding: "So as not to inadvertently breach etiquette during my visit!"

Zhi Ming answered nonchalantly: "Innate Sacred, genderless, generally speaking, only after transformation one would choose a male or female form, that Xuan Turtle hasn't transformed, so how could there be any distinction of male or female?"

"You can just address me as elder!"

Suddenly, Zhi Ming seemed to have thought of something, his expression drastically changed and said: "Wait, Innate Eight Diagrams are adept at deduction, have you seen some future?"

Xuanqing, startled by this, immediately countered: "Elder, what did you see?"

Great Divine Ability users, more or less, deduce the secrets of heaven, occasionally glimpsing into the future, but the future is ever-changing, and no one dares assert that the future they see will definitely become reality.

For someone like Zhi Ming, perhaps, he really saw something!

While deploying the "Myriad Tribulations Chessboard" to obscure the secrets of heavens, Zhi Ming sighed and said: "I saw the Xuan Turtle perish, its limbs used as materials for artifact refining!"

"And you?"

After a while, Zhi Ming continued: "In the early opening of the universe, Daluo were originally omnipotent, but as the number of Daluo Golden Immortals increased, various Innate Spiritual Treasures emerged, authorities intertwined and obscured, the river of time evolved many branches, and even the fog of fate covered the secrets of heaven!"

"Generally speaking, only Daluo could possibly foresee the future, but you seem somewhat special, still being Taiyi, yet you've already condensed some of the Daluo characteristics!"

"Moreover, with the Innate Eight Diagrams, glimpsing a corner of the future is not entirely impossible!"

Upon hearing this, Xuanqing carefully pondered and said, "I saw the collapse of Buzhou, the tilting of Heavenly River, and the Saints repairing the heavens to save the world. The Mysterious Turtle with its four feet replacing Buzhou Mountain, becoming the new Heavenly Pillar!"

He indeed saw the future.

After comprehending the "Innate Eight Diagrams," he used some mythological features from later generations to deduce possible future events.

Ordinary deductions can only glimpse a general direction, yielding a vague result.

However, Xuanqing, as a transmigrator, made his deductions with knowledge of the outcomes.

Therefore, the things he saw in his normal state were naturally more than those of other cultivators.

He came to this North Sea to see if he could first meet the North Sea Mysterious Turtle, seize some initiative, and see if he could blend in and grasp some merit.

Zhi Ming, upon hearing this, became more convinced of his own guess: "It seems, the future we see is similar! The destiny of Mysterious Turtle Daoist includes this tribulation!"

"Can the future be changed?"

Xuanqing asked out his own doubt.

This question had different answers from different people; he had also asked Taiching and Tongtian Sect Master, receiving the answer that minor trends could be altered, but major ones could not.

"What constitutes a major trend?"

Zhi Ming did not directly answer but instead countered Xuanqing with this question.

Without waiting for Xuanqing's response, he said on his own: "The direction of humanity's heart, that is the major trend! For a Saint, what benefits oneself is the major trend!"

"Do you understand now?"

Xuanqing's brows furrowed, and he bowed to Zhi Ming: "Please enlighten me further, senior!"

Zhi Ming gave Xuanqing a meaningful look, then gazed into the void: "Put it in another way, what do you think the Great Divine Powers of the Primordial World fear the most?"

"It's Pangu's return!"

Zhi Ming looked towards Buzhou Mountain: "The Primordial World is the physical embodiment of Pangu God! We beings all revere Pangu God. Your teacher, your two masters, and the Twelve Ancestor Witches of the Witch Clan even claim to be the authentic lineage of Pangu! But only a dead Pangu is a good Pangu!"

"Even the fall of a Daluo Golden Immortal leaves a slim chance of return, let alone Pangu, who created heaven and earth?"

"In the vast Primordial World, apart from the Witch Clan, probably no being wishes for Pangu to resurrect and return from the boundless spacetime!"

"If he does return, what would we creatures amount to?"

"Are we to vanish into smoke and clouds?"

"Or become part of the Pangu Great Dao, turning into existence similar to his incarnations?"

Xuanqing was stunned by these words.

He, a person from later eras, revered Pangu, but this was indeed something he hadn't considered.

The Three Pure Ones are transformed from the Pangu Primordial Spirit; if Pangu returns, could they still exist?

Probably not!

Just like a being losing a few drops of essence blood, at most, it would be weak for a while.

But losing the Primordial Spirit, what difference is there from dying?

Therefore, if Pangu were to return, aside from the Twelve Ancestor Witches, most beings in Primordial, including The Three Pure Ones, would likely become part of Pangu!

Of course, this is just a speculation!

But that's enough!

Even if it's just a speculation, they would eliminate and counter the mark of Pangu as much as possible, preventing the return of Pangu's True Spirit from the boundless spacetime.

And this is the greatest overall trend since the inception of the Primordial World and the rise of consciousness in many beings!