As Emperor Jiajing chanted, his form began to change, transforming into a majestic Taishang Laojun.
Immortal clouds surged, purple qi flowed from the east, his white beard cascaded like a waterfall, his white hair like snow, yin and yang distinct, the Taiji wheel spinning.
Then, he vanished into obscurity.
It was a period of prolonged, empty time, where nothing existed. Light and darkness were imperceptible, past and future annihilated, all severed. It could not even be described as being isolated from the world.
Yuanmiao Dasheng could not speak, nor could his thoughts function. Yet, within this ultimate emptiness, there existed an ancient god: Taishang Laojun.
Jiajing, now "Laojun," began to speak. With his words, all things within the Dao started to flow, and Yuanmiao Dasheng's thoughts were liberated from that extreme void.
This was within the Dao.
Everything operated according to the Dao; all actions and thoughts were connected to the Dao. Everything was born from the Dao and continuously generated new Daos to nourish the original Dao.
"Incomprehensible. Unenlightenment. Unfathomable."
"This is 'Jixiao, Liaoxiao'."
"Taishang Laojun" spoke to Yuanmiao Dasheng, explaining his current situation. Although Yuanmiao Dasheng could move his thoughts, he could not engage in any thinking unrelated to the Dao.
This was the best place for enlightenment, and also the most terrifying prison.
Other existences were also present.
Yuanmiao Dasheng saw them as Taishang Laojun expounded the scriptures for him. However, those individuals were also in a state of 'Jixiao, Liaoxiao,' unable to, unwilling to, or perhaps completely incapable of reacting to outsiders or newcomers.
Two of the four deceased True Lords were here.
Shangqing Zushi, Qingxu Zhenren; the Water Emperor, Yanggu Shenwang.
"Two of the Four True Lords, after death, were evolved into the Dao by Taiji Zhenren. What is seen now is no longer the former Four True Lords."
"As time progresses, under the influence of the Six Extremes Dao Chapters, they will gradually transform into the Daos of the world, and then, from their Daos, new worlds will evolve, to be witnessed by new successors."
Jiajing, transformed into Laojun, patted Yuanmiao Dasheng. A divine form stood up, liberating Yuanmiao Dasheng's thoughts, but Jiajing still warned him:
"Do not speak words that are not beneficial to the operation of the Hundred Daos. Do not conceive thoughts that are not conducive to the evolution of the Hundred Daos."
"It is not that I fear you disrupting the operation of the Dao, but that I fear you being erased by the Hundred Daos. These useless thoughts will be eliminated by the Dao, and for us, once such a thought is eliminated by the Dao, it means that thought is completely severed within the Four Symbols."
For example, an emotion, such as joy, is not conducive to the operation of the Dao. The Dao discovers the origin of this emotion and erases it, causing the person to lose their joy and have no way to recover it.
Only thoughts that benefit the existence of the Dao can endure eternally.
Emperor Jiajing raised the Jade Divine Pan. The Jade Divine Pan possessed the power to connect with the Heavenly Dao. Within the world inside the Dao, it directly merged with the Dao, transforming into the supreme will within the Dao.
The power of Shangqing emanated. A divine form within the Jade Divine Pan descended, representing the existence of Lingbao Tianzun. The divine form sealed within the Jade Divine Pan was the Shangqing Great Emperor.
This was one of Lingbao Tianzun's titles, representing his significant existence. Just as the Jade Qing cultivators all had a transmitted name of Yuanshi Tianzun, obtaining the title of Tianzun was akin to obtaining the eternal, transmitted existence of Tianzun.
Emperor Jiajing merged with the Shangqing Great Emperor. Taishang Laojun overlapped with the Shangqing Great Emperor. Subsequently, Jiajing attempted to refine Qingxu Zhenren's Dao to stabilize the Shangqing power and have Yuanmiao Dasheng begin to overwrite the source, but he encountered a problem.
"The Ancestral Talisman of Shangqing indeed carries the secrets of Shangqing. Before his death, Qingxu Zhenren had only half of his Dao remaining within him; the other half became the Ancestral Talisman, which is the origin of Shangqing, originating from Jade Qing..."
Jiajing could not ascertain more secrets. After all, if he could, Taiji Zhenren would have seized it long ago and not lingered for so long. Where the Shangqing Ancestral Talisman fell, or where it was hidden, no one knew. The current Three Sects of Shangqing were still in constant dispute, with Zhu Huogong and Liuyun Palace fighting over it until they were breached by Huolong Zhenren.
Seeing this situation, Yuanmiao Dasheng showed no worry:
"There is no need to worry. Half of the Dao is sufficient to complete the overwrite. I am using destiny to make changes; even if the Dao is severely incomplete, it is not a major issue, merely requiring more effort, but it is not impossible, so there will be no failure."
"Now that you have brought me within the Dao, and among the Hundred Daos, my overwriting will be more effective."
Emperor Jiajing asked, "It is indeed strange. You, a mere flying immortal, possess the means to manipulate destiny, and this ability is not granted by your Great Dao characteristics."
"It is enlightenment."
Yuanmiao Dasheng explained, "There are always people in the world who, at a certain moment, in certain aspects, receive guidance from heaven, thus gaining enlightenment, and from that enlightenment, comprehend the power above heaven."
"There is no need for anyone to teach, no need for any scriptures or canons. There are always such exceptionally gifted individuals in the world, just like those peerless figures who transformed into high heavens or opened up new origins."
"I am not boasting about myself, but confirming this matter, because I am such a peerless figure."
Emperor Jiajing's gaze flickered. However, even as Taishang Laojun, he could not emanate too many thoughts unrelated to the Dao here, so he could not ponder deeply. He merely retained a feeling of "what this child says is untrue but harmless" and sealed it within his spiritual root.
"Your Majesty does not believe me. But Your Majesty knows, what is the most important thought in the Dao of my Shenxiao Sect?"
"Shenxiao's origin is not me; before me, there was Shenxiao. After me, Shenxiao will not cease. But within my Shenxiao, all people cultivate one thought."
"Heaven and I are one body."
Yuanmiao Dasheng perceived that Emperor Jiajing did not fully trust him. After all, this was a crucial moment, and Yuanmiao Dasheng was not evasive. He once again conveyed to Emperor Jiajing the attitude of "I have some reservations, but not much; what I can tell you is all here."
"Heaven... which heaven?"
Emperor Jiajing understood, but he still needed a definitive answer. Within the Dao, this was naturally related to the Dao, and even intimately connected to the Four Symbols and all the Heavenly Heart cultivators in the world.
Perhaps, this answer had already been known by certain Heavenly Hearts, but before today, they had only responded to this answer with mockery.
As Yuanmiao Dasheng's eyes flowed with light, a surge of energy arose from an unknown place, transforming into the wind of the clouds.
"The Heaven above Heaven. The Heaven in the resonance between man and Heaven. That is the supreme, ultimate, unknowable Heaven that is equal and parallel to the Dao – the Heaven of Heavens."
"It refers to that Heaven."
"There are nine heavens, and this Heaven is the highest. Just as the Great Dao is nameless, and is forcibly named Dao, so we call the Heaven above Heaven—"
"Shenxiao!"
All worldly affairs are nameless, just as Yuanshi Tianzun must return to the Xuanxiang.
And when did that Heaven above Heaven begin to manipulate the human world?
Perhaps, after it was named.