"As Huiji had said, there truly is a world still heading towards a new era."
"To transform a world into a vessel for crossing time, that is the Divine Illusory World."
The Fangshi, as a unique existence within the Three Teachings of the old era, had shallow roots with them. Though there were connections of varying depth, even when Confucianism was annihilated, Daoism fractured, and Buddhism fled, the Fangshi were largely unaffected. Moreover, there were figures among them capable of rivaling the Buddha.
This was the world the Fangshi inhabited, a world that could merge with the old era or detach itself.
Huiji Vajra had stated that upon entering the Divine Illusory World, regardless of one's previous cultivation or affiliation, they would become a new Fangshi, existing eternally within the Divine Illusory World, in accord with the Dao.
That world, filled with divine mountains and wondrous waters, was where the Fangshi crossed time. Though the Fangshi population within it constantly changed, and they had traversed countless old eras, the Divine Illusory World had never been left behind.
They were almost at peace with the world, holding only transient attitudes towards the various schools that emerged and briefly existed in each old era, never engaging in deep conflict.
Ji Xiang saw the affinity of the Divine Illusory World, a thought piercing through that world, entering it. His wish manifested as a divine form, and the masters of the Divine Illusory World naturally appeared to welcome him.
"I am Dongfang Shuo."
As expected, Dongfang Shuo appeared. There were rumors of his death, but rumors are such because they are unproven.
Once, Xu Fu had fled to Japan. During the Han Dynasty, he met Dongfang Shuo and heard of the existence of those born as celestial beings, considering it the highest realm, closest to the Heavenly Dao. He then emulated Emperor Wu of Han's Divine Altar to create a divine kingdom, encompassing his entire territory, hoping to tread a path different from the Heavenly Heart realm.
Similarly, the alchemists of the Han Dynasty transformed into immortal souls to guard the nation, a suggestion from Dongfang Shuo. He was a figure who profoundly influenced the Han Dynasty, yet was absent from that period of history, having detached himself and returned to the Divine Illusory World.
"This place is the Divine Illusory World, Dragon Moon City. When manifested in the human world, it is located on Mount Kunlun."
Dongfang Shuo introduced, "We constantly journey from one old era to the next, even from one Great Elephant to another, all for the purpose of refining an immortal elixir of immortality."
"Of course, this immortal elixir of immortality is not for the purpose of becoming an immortal."
"What mortals or immortals call an immortal elixir of immortality, one that grants instant ascension upon consumption. Of course, such a medicine does exist in the world, and it is precisely what we are refining. Danxiang Xian achieved their status in this manner."
"You should have seen the various murals of the Han Dynasty, always depicting immortal elixirs of immortality. Among the Fangshi, those from even older eras learned from Taishang about a type of flower. Consuming it would allow one to become an ineffable, unnamable being. That flower is something that complements the Elephant."
"The power of the Elephant, the power of the immortal elixir of immortality, by refining a Great Elephant and an immortal flower into a pill, using time as the great furnace and the wishes of all beings as the great fire, through continuous tempering, one can eventually refine the true supreme elixir, which is the immortal elixir of immortality."
"And we, are the Elephants used to fuel the furnace."
Dongfang Shuo revealed his thoughts, or rather, the thoughts of all Fangshi. They wished to refine a final elixir. From mortal longevity to higher realms, longevity no longer manifested in the endurance of the physical body and spirit.
Figures like Ji Xiang, Old Mr. Gu, Taishang Wu Bai, and even Emperor Jiajing had achieved immortality transcending time, reaching the True Realm of the Heavenly Dao, the path of Taishang, the ultimate future, the Second Yuqing. New paths in the world constantly appeared, and Dongfang Shuo believed that the Fangshi would eventually surpass this level.
Even this Divine Illusory World was one of the Elephants meant for alchemy, though it was not yet time to use it as material for refinement.
Because the heat was not yet right.
"You obtained that flower?"
"Indeed!"
Dongfang Shuo's face glowed with radiance, "This immortal flower has a name. Their names represent the power they possess, a great power far beyond the Great Epoch, more potent than immortality that transcends the ultimate limit of time."
"Even for you, who has reached an unknowable realm, seemingly transcending the True Realm of the Heavenly Dao, the power contained within is far inferior to this immortal flower of immortality."
"What do you consider an immortal? Is it a Celestial Immortal, a Heavenly Heart, the True Realm of the Heavenly Dao, or your realm of transcending the ultimate limit of time?"
Dongfang Shuo posed a question at this moment, but without waiting for Ji Xiang's response, he immediately gave his own:
"An immortal is one who ascends."
"We all know that only now has a new path appeared within time, but for the Heavenly Heart realm, it is a dead end. They can no longer ascend, no longer rise higher, and thus they are no longer considered immortals."
"Those who continuously rise, continuously advance, are immortals. This is not a realm, but an action."
Within the Divine Illusory World, eight hundred divine mountains formed a great formation. Portions of every era they had experienced were severed and locked within. The wishes of all beings from each of those past eras converged into fire.
Those who entered the Divine Illusory World would shed their original Dao and become Fangshi, for only the Dao of the Fangshi existed here. Other Daos would transform into Elephants and enter that furnace fire, making the flames burn more intensely, also to refine the immortal flower within the great furnace.
Dongfang Shuo's eyes began to show longing:
"We don't know how many eras it will take to refine it, how many Daos must be invested to refine even a part of it."
"But as long as this immortal elixir of immortality can be refined, all Fangshi will break through all constraints, continuously ascending and rising, into the tangible, into the intangible, into the heavens of heavens. This is not the transcendence of one person, but the transcendence of a group." "To the realm before the ineffable and unknowable phenomena!"
Before the ineffable?
Ji Xiang shook his head and said, "It seems you know that only one person left each old era."
"Of course, we have traversed countless old eras. Although we don't know what that realm is, all phenomena in the universe have a source. Just as Buddhism says that beings are everywhere the beginning, there must be a place of origin."
Dongfang Shuo sighed, "Elephants protect us, giving rise to countless cultivators, but they also trap our path! Beings born from Elephants will eventually, like those of the Heavenly Heart, get stuck at a certain level and be unable to ascend further, because within the Elephant, the ultimate attainable is here. Without transcending the Elephant, one cannot go beyond it."
"We are all derivatives of the originators, beings of small worlds, or reflections of something. Our potential is limited, and ultimately, we are not beings of the Great Epoch or the heavens of heavens."
"And with the help of this flower, it is the only way to escape this identity, and it is the path we must take."
This touched Ji Xiang.
Beings within the Elephant could never escape their shackles. They tried various methods, but ultimately, they were things derived from the Lord of the Great Elephant. The Elephant was a reflection, inherently flawed, like a crude imitation of the truly unconstrained beings of the Great Epoch.
Yet, the Four Elephants were complete, the Hundred Daos were in operation, techniques and methods descended, the sun, moon, and stars were never absent, the past and future were fully presented, and even inexplicable places of enlightenment appeared, where the torrent of karma and the origins of causality could be seen.
There was also Emperor Jiajing, who truly achieved the True Realm of the Heavenly Dao by leveraging the Dao of Taishang, transcending the shackles. His innate aptitude was even poor.
Was it truly an inherent flaw?
Or does the Path of the Primal Beginning itself have immense shackles?
Does the Path of Taishang have no such shackles?
Taishang, is supreme, is one who elevates, is it the true method of practicing immortality?
All beings, all phenomena, can become carriers of Taishang, but to truly step onto the Path of the Primal Beginning, one needs to perceive the profound Elephant, which is not something all beings can achieve.
Ji Xiang informed Dongfang Shuo that if they entered the new era, it would be without beginning or end. This meant that while they could obtain infinite time and wishes, the refinement of the elixir of immortality would also never yield results.
Because it was without beginning or end.
"Is that so..."
Dongfang Shuo fell into hesitation. The great Fangshi whose thoughts were unified with his also fell into a long silence.
Even if the old era was severed, the Fangshi would continue to exist, but if the new era had no beginning or end, this flower could never be refined into an elixir of immortality.
"Why not try to give up? This path may be extremely difficult to tread, and you don't necessarily have to walk it."
Ji Xiang's words were rather tactful, essentially telling Dongfang Shuo that he hadn't even reached the True Realm of the Heavenly Dao, yet he was thinking of refining a flower that could elevate his entire lineage to the "Formless Realm." This was not overestimating himself, but wishful thinking.
Even the Path of Taishang, which was free of shackles, would not dare to harbor such thoughts. Emperor Jiajing, after arduous efforts, only achieved the True Realm of the Heavenly Dao, and was almost replaced by his own Taishang念, not even comparable to the Great Elephant realm, let alone the Formless Realm, which could only be reached through "Ascension to the Profound."
"Give up? We couldn't give up long ago."
Dongfang Shuo's gaze fell upon the fire of wishes and the mist of time within the divine mountains, "Because the paths are different. Everything in the Divine Illusory World is actually brought about by this flower. The emergence of us Fangshi is also created by this flower."
"This dictates that we can only walk this path. Everyone who enters the Divine Illusory World must walk the path of the Fangshi."
Ji Xiang instantly understood the cause and current situation of everything.
So, the transcendence that the Fangshi hoped for, the elevation of their entire lineage to the realm before the ineffable, was truly wishful thinking, something they themselves knew.
This was a form of reliance.
It was a goal they set for themselves on a path that had to be walked, in a state of despair where the end was unseen. They deceived themselves, believing that by refining this flower, they could become beings before the ineffable and wield the power within it.
And this flower, through their refinement across countless eras, had indeed revealed some of its characteristics: it truly surpassed all known realms and all paths.
Hummm—
A sound of disintegration echoed in the void. Ji Xiang found his own Elephant collapsing, and the power of that flower was also seeping in, attempting to transform him into a Fangshi. The omnipresent Dao of the Fangshi originated from this flower.
Even a mere surge of power from the flower could affect the Lord of the Great Elephant.
Ji Xiang could no longer remain in the Divine Illusory World. His figure disappeared from here, while Dongfang Shuo stared intently at the flower.