Chapter 471: The Legend of Tai Cang, The Origins of Heaven and Earth

Chapter 471: The Legend of Tai Cang, The Origins of Heaven and Earth

Li Xuan raised his hand, pointing first at Tian Zi, then at the sky, and finally at the ground. With a smile, he said, "You, a spirit of heaven and earth, born from the purple light!"

Tian Zi was shocked by his words, and any doubts about Li Xuan's strength vanished. He even felt a sense of relief.

Since Li Xuan knew his true identity and had no ill intentions, it showed that he could be trusted.

Only a handful of people knew that Tian Zi was a spirit of heaven and earth, and even fewer knew that he was born from the purple light.

"So, Senior really knows about it. I was just being paranoid," Tian Zi said with a bitter smile.

"It seems like there's a story behind this, little friend. Care to share?" Li Xuan asked with a smile.

Tian Zi remained silent for a moment before raising his hand and pointing at the sky. "Beyond the heavens lies a chaotic realm of unformed matter, which Senior calls 'chaos'?"

Li Xuan smiled and nodded, then shook his head. "Yes and no."

Beyond the heavens was indeed a chaotic state filled with unformed matter, which immediately brought to mind the concept of chaos, hence his initial agreement.

However, from Tian Zi's question, it was clear that he was referring to something other than chaos.

Li Xuan didn't want to outright deny his previous statement, but he also didn't want to fully agree with Tian Zi's terminology. Thus, he gave a reply that seemed to hold a deeper meaning.

There were some things one couldn't state unequivocally, as it would leave no room for maneuver, and Li Xuan was well versed in this art.

Instead of asking why it was both yes and no, Tian Zi's expression turned serious, and his tone became complex as he spoke with a hint of nostalgia. "The chaotic realm beyond is called the Land of Non-Formation by Tai Cang and others. It used to be referred to as the Land of Chaotic Non-Formation by the powerful beings within the heavens...

"The Land of Non-Formation seems to exist eternally, inhabited by true spirits, but they are like wild beasts. Though they possess great power and even innate abilities, their usage is rudimentary, and they do not cultivate. They rely solely on their own growth.

"No one knows when the beings of the Land of Non-Formation came into existence or how long they have existed. Not even someone as powerful as Tai Cang could trace their origins.

"Of course, Senior must surely know the answers. If it were the old me, I would have been curious and pestered Senior with questions until I understood everything. But now, I no longer have such curiosity."

As he finished speaking, a hint of melancholy crept into Tian Zi's voice.

Li Xuan listened quietly, feeling a sense of awe himself. The state of chaos before the creation of heaven and earth was not too different from the concept of 'chaos' as he understood it.

He poured a cup of tea for Tian Zi and settled in as a listener.

Once Tian Zi started recounting these past events, he couldn't stop, and he continued to speak, revealing everything.

As expected, after taking a sip of tea, Tian Zi continued his story.

"Tai Cang was born in the Land of Non-Formation. According to him, he didn't know how he came to be or what kind of being he was. In the beginning, he was muddled and ignorant, similar to those unformed true spirits, with his spiritual intellect yet to awaken.

"Of course, at that time, the Land of Non-Formation was teeming with true spirits, and it was a world of the strong preying on the weak. Weak true spirits were always in danger of being devoured.

"Tai Cang said that he witnessed the brutal battles among the true spirits, and for some reason, his spiritual intellect gradually awakened, and he became more and more intelligent. His physical form also slowly transformed into the appearance of a human.

"By observing the various true spirits' battles, he noticed that some were strong while others were weak. He gradually figured out methods to dodge, evade, and efficiently hunt the true spirits..."

Tian Zi continued his narrative slowly, unraveling the story of its protagonist, Tai Cang.

From Tian Zi's account, it was clear that he had an extremely close relationship with Tai Cang, and these events were not something he had experienced himself but rather stories that Tai Cang had shared with him.

Li Xuan thought about Tian Zi's origins. As a spirit of heaven and earth, born from the purple light that signaled the opening of the heavens, his birth was undoubtedly connected to Tai Cang.

It was even possible that Tai Cang had created him.

"Tai Cang didn't know how vast the Land of Non-Formation was," Tian Zi continued. "He wandered without a fixed abode, sometimes encountering dangers. Back then, he had no concept of time and did not perceive its passage. He roamed aimlessly, but because he possessed spiritual intellect, he felt a sense of pride when facing other true spirits.

"Eventually, Tai Cang even stopped considering himself as the same kind of being as those true spirits, believing himself to be a unique existence.

"After wandering for an unknown duration, Tai Cang came across an incredibly powerful true spirit, but this one was aged and seemed close to death.

"Tai Cang observed this true spirit until it grew old and died, its corpse discovered and devoured by other true spirits.

"Tai Cang said that this scene had a profound impact on him. He realized that even if a being wasn't killed, it would still grow old and die. Although he didn't know how long that true spirit had lived, it had ultimately perished."

"You said Tai Cang was a very talented young man, and his gift was unmatched in your eyes."

Tian Zi exhaled and said in a low voice, "Tai Cang, from the Land of Non-Formation, was the first cultivator. Endowed with extraordinary talent, he pioneered the path of cultivation."

"Tai Cang cultivated in the Land of Non-Formation, consuming the violent spiritual energy and constantly experimenting and improving."

"Thus, no one knows how much time passed, but Tai Cang grew stronger. The once formidable true spirits who had been no match for him were now easily hunted."

"As his cultivation deepened and his power increased, Tai Cang's range of movement in the Land of Non-Formation expanded, and he was able to hunt even stronger true spirits."

"Until one day, he encountered another true spirit with spiritual intellect..."

Tian Zi continued to narrate Tai Cang's story, from his birth to his rise to power. These accounts were naturally stories that Tai Cang had shared with Tian Zi himself.

Li Xuan listened quietly, becoming more and more amazed as the tale unfolded. Tai Cang was truly a legend.

From the moment Tai Cang encountered the first true spirit with spiritual intellect, the Land of Non-Formation began to change. More and more true spirits began to develop spiritual intellect, and their numbers grew.

These spiritually intelligent beings also grew stronger, influenced by Tai Cang—for instance, they favored taking on human forms. They also developed their own cultivation methods, inspired by Tai Cang's practices.

In a sense, the path of cultivation for the beings of the Land of Non-Formation could be traced back to Tai Cang, as they all bore his influence.

Tai Cang guided many beings in their cultivation, and as a result, he gained a following. From their initial humble beginnings, Tai Cang and his group rose to become the undisputed pinnacle of power in the Land of Non-Formation. There were very few true spirits left who could challenge them.

In addition to Tai Cang, the Land of Non-Formation also birthed other beings with exceptional talent.

"The Land of Non-Formation was shrouded in mist and lacked the concepts of heaven and earth. Tai Cang and the others existed and wandered in this formless realm."

"After an unknown span of time, Tai Cang grew weary of his aimless wandering and longed for a permanent home. So, he found a place to settle in the Land of Non-Formation."

"He made it his home and spent most of his time studying the ways of cultivation. Occasionally, he would venture out to collect materials for his research."

"The other beings did the same, finding their own places to dwell and occasionally traveling. They coexisted peacefully for the most part."

"After all, in the entire Land of Non-Formation, they were the only ones with wisdom. Even when conflicts arose, they would exercise restraint, and if needed, a stronger or more respected being would step in to resolve the dispute."

"For instance, Tai Cang would often act as a mediator, impartially settling disagreements."

Tian Zi sighed. "This way of life could have continued indefinitely, and it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. But things rarely go as smoothly as we'd like."

"In the midst of the misty and unformed land, the emergence of intelligent beings naturally led to a desire for more—a desire to change their living environment."

"So, Tai Cang gathered materials and crafted artifacts that emitted light. For the first time, the Land of Non-Formation was illuminated with radiant colors."

"Some were captivated by the beauty of these lights, and conflicts arose over them. Gradually, several small groups formed, but this did not affect Tai Cang."

"Tai Cang was proud and confident in his strength, and he had the most followers. While the other groups had their own allegiances, they all respected Tai Cang."

"Even in the face of major disputes, they would still invite Tai Cang to mediate and settle the matter impartially..."

As Tian Zi narrated, Li Xuan couldn't help but marvel at the greatness of Tai Cang.

However, even at this point in the story, there was still no mention of the creation of heaven and earth, nor any upheaval in their existence. This meant that although Tai Cang had crafted luminous artifacts that brought color to the Land of Non-Formation, the true heaven and earth had yet to come into being.

Tian Zi continued his tale, sometimes rambling on about the mundane details of Tai Cang's daily life—his occasional mediation of conflicts or suppression of challengers.

At times, a hint of melancholy would cross Tian Zi's face, and he would mock Tai Cang for his arrogance.

However, Li Xuan could see the depth of Tian Zi's feelings for Tai Cang—a result of the fact that, in a sense, Tai Cang had created him.

"Tai Cang grew stronger and stronger. In all the Land of Non-Formation, there was no true spirit that could rival him. He had become the undisputed pinnacle of power in that realm."

Occasional minor conflicts would break out, but they were insignificant."

Tian Zi paused at this point.

Li Xuan didn't rush him, quietly sipping his tea and listening attentively.

"Senior, you must know how the heavens and earth came to be, right?" Tian Zi asked, his expression turning solemn.

The appearance of the heavens and earth was connected to his own birth.

"In the chaotic realm of unformed matter, only the area inhabited by Tai Cang and the others had light and color, naturally attracting some unformed true spirits. Some were hunted, while others were tamed and kept as mounts after being subdued.

Then, one day, at the edge of the chaotic realm, a purple light appeared.

Whether the purple light truly originated from the edge of the chaotic realm is uncertain, but to Tai Cang and the others, it seemed as if it had emerged from the very boundaries.

The purple light illuminated the chaotic realm, as if splitting it in two, stretching across the entire unformed land. This was the first time the realm of non-formation had been bathed in light.

Of course, this was the first time Tai Cang and the others witnessed such a sight; whether the purple light had appeared before their birth is unknown.

The emergence of the purple light signaled a great opportunity, recognized by both Tai Cang and the others.

The unformed true spirits, their spiritual intellect still undeveloped, were startled by the light and fled in fear. But Tai Cang and his companions rushed towards it... "

Li Xuan's heart raced as he listened, captivated by the story.

The appearance of the purple light also meant that the heavens and earth were about to be born.

"Everyone fought for the purple light, and Tai Cang, being the strongest, claimed the largest and most dazzling portion.

Each of them gained the opportunity presented by the purple light, but how to utilize it was a mystery.

Tai Cang, however, used the purple light to create a vast expanse of heavens and earth within the chaotic realm, further enhancing his strength in the process.

The other six beings followed Tai Cang's example, using the purple light to create their own heavens and earth. The rest merely attached themselves to Tai Cang's group, carving out their own places within the newly formed realm.

I am a part of that purple light. When Tai Cang created the heavens and earth, he left a portion of the purple light unused. By placing this remnant within the nurturing heavens, I was born.

Thus, the seven great heavens and earth were formed, with Tai Cang as the most revered and exalted.

His realm was the most perfect and vast."

By this point, Tian Zi's eyes had reddened, as if he were about to shed tears.

Li Xuan's heart stirred. Seven great heavens and earth, with Tai Cang as the most revered!

There were seven such realms, and Tai Cang's heaven and earth was the strongest and most expansive.

In addition to Tai Cang's realm, there were six others.

Li Xuan thought of the Underworld and the Witch Demons... These must be two of the remaining six realms.

"Senior, you mentioned that Tai Cang's heaven and earth lacked something, that it was too weak. But in truth, Tai Cang's realm is the strongest and most perfect.

The laws of the heavens and earth were refined, the spiritual energy was mild, and the sentient beings were lively. Mountains, rivers, and lakes, it had everything, unlike the other six realms.

Tai Cang was unquestionably the strongest. He had always been the leader.

After the creation of the heavens and earth, it continued to grow and develop, eventually reaching its peak and taking its final form.

The true spirits from beyond the heavens entered the newly formed realm, and over time, they gained spiritual intellect. Thus, the true spirits were divided into two categories: those of the heavens and earth, and the unformed true spirits.

In fact, after the birth of the heavens and earth, the term 'true spirit' specifically referred to those with spiritual intellect, while 'unformed true spirits' denoted those without, implying a lack of enlightenment.

Humanity was also born during this time, and all creatures favored the human form, influenced by Tai Cang.

Tai Cang taught the ways of martial arts, and cultivators emerged in the seven great heavens and earth. There was mutual exchange and reference among the realms, and each sought places suitable for their own cultivation.

Everything was harmonious and prosperous, with Tai Cang's group of seven revered as the lords of the seven great heavens and earth, Tai Cang himself being the most exalted and worshiped by all cultivators.

The heavens and earth now had the concept of time and the passage of years. Countless ages passed since the creation of the realms, so many that even I cannot remember.

Until one day, the seven members of Tai Cang's group gathered and gazed into the depths of the chaotic realm, as if they had discovered something..."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end