Chapter 563: The Great Daoist Mystery, The Origin of Seeking Good and Avoiding Evil (Part 3)

Chapter 563: The Great Daoist Mystery, The Origin of Seeking Good and Avoiding Evil (Part 3)

When Yan Aoyun ignited the fire of civilization to counter the opponent, he was also destroyed by Di Yuan on the spot, and his immortal monument, located elsewhere, was shattered.

If it weren't for Lei Jun and others seizing the opportunity to reseal Di Yuan immediately and with Zhang Wantong's assistance, retrieving a small portion of the light of life that Yan Aoyun had borrowed for his revival, and if Di Yuan had completely annihilated the light, then Yan Aoyun's last hope of resurrection would have been completely cut off, and the fire of civilization would have been extinguished.

Even so, his injuries were extremely severe.

The possibility of resurrection was small, and without help, no one knew how long it would take to return.

But after that battle, Lei Jun, Zhang Wantong, and others actively promoted Yan Aoyun's achievements and reputation in various Grand Worlds.

As the Grand Worlds stabilized and the population continued to grow, the veneration and commemoration of the Confucian Saint Yan Aoyun increased, and as the number of ordinary people grew, Yan Aoyun's resurrection and return accelerated.

Even so, it wasn't something that could be accomplished in just a few decades.

After Lei Jun, the Taoist Celestial Master, achieved the Daoist Cultivation Realm, he had a thought and a feeling, refining his magical power into talismans and sending them to the Scholar Forest World.

With his assistance, Yan Aoyun finally succeeded in resurrecting and reviving at this very moment.

"I am deeply grateful for your generous assistance," Yan Aoyun said solemnly, bowing to Lei Jun and Zhang Wantong.

Everyone returned the bow, saying, "You did it for the sake of all beings, and it is only right that they should have such thoughts. We are also grateful for Yanzi's sacrifice in the past."

Yan Aoyun said, "Where, I am also one of the common people."

He bowed to Lei Jun again, "Congratulations on achieving the Daoist Cultivation Realm, Celestial Master Lei. It is a blessing for all beings."

Lei Jun returned the bow, "I have gained a little, but it is nothing compared to your return, Yanzi."

Yan Aoyun asked, "What about Di Yuan?"

After hearing the situation from everyone, Yan Aoyun sighed, "In that case, Celestial Master Lei, your achievement of the Daoist Cultivation Realm far surpasses my resurrection."

Although he had returned to life, Yan Aoyun's current condition was still extremely weak.

Although he hadn't fallen from the realm of the Confucian Saint, the gap was still significant.

And the time until Di Yuan's reappearance was not far off, just one cycle of sixty years.

Even with Lei Jun's assistance during this period, Yan Aoyun's recovery was gradual, and the improvement in the situation was still limited.

Not to mention compared to the Taiyi Shaman Sovereign, the situation when Yan Aoyun returned might not be much better than that of the Demon Dragon Emperor, the Great Extinction Bodhisattva, and the Hundred-Eyed Demon Tree.

In such a situation, the significance of his return to life was naturally far less than Lei Jun's achievement of the Daoist Cultivation Realm, becoming the new Taoist Celestial Master.

Especially from Yan Aoyun's perspective, he could feel that Lei Jun had already achieved the Wuji Stance, which was on par with the Martial Heaven and the Confucian Sage.

The fact that he could open the Daoist Cultivation Realm so quickly was likely a significant reason.

The universe undergoes transformations, and in the depths of fate, a new world emerges, leaving a glimmer of hope for the imminent reopening of Diyuan… Yan Aoyun sighed.

"As the heavens turn, we follow the flow," Lei Jun said, "Yan, there's no need to worry. For now, let's focus on recuperation."

Others might have spoken these words merely as a form of consolation.

Hearing Lei Jun's words, Yan Aoyun's heart settled.

After visiting Yan Aoyun, Lei Jun returned to the Jiutian Shidi Dakyuan World, entered the Penglai Sea in the Celestial Realm, and continued his secluded cultivation, silently refining and integrating his old and new learnings.

Time passed in the mountains, uncounted.

During this process, time flew by.

Since the last time Diyuan Dakyuan World was sealed, a full sixty years had almost passed.

Lei Tianzun was also approaching his three hundredth birthday.

During this period, after Zhuo Baojie, his other direct disciple, Han Xiaofei, also successfully attained the second level of Xianjing Erzhong, entering the Dong Xuan Taiwei realm.

After her enlightenment at the Tongming level, Han Xiaofei ascended to the Qingjing level in her post-natal cultivation. With her diligent cultivation, her progress became increasingly remarkable.

Besides her, the Confucian Sage Fang Yue, the Martial Immortal Zhoupu, were also in seclusion, making their final push to attain the second level of Xianjing Sanzhong.

In the Jingtu World, after many years, a new Buddhist Master with a Golden Body at the third level appeared.

Faqing Dazon.

"Congratulations, Master, for attaining the third level of the Golden Body in the Buddhist path," Lei Jun said with a smile, expressing his joy to Wang Guiyuan.

Wang Guiyuan, in the form of Faqing Dazon, performed the Elevenfold Bow to Lei Jun:

"I have gained immeasurable insights from your teachings, Heavenly Lord, and today I have attained the third level of the Golden Body."

Lei Jun shook his head, "Master, you have shouldered the burden of suppressing the Evil Realm, transforming the evil lands into pure lands, and restoring the Dharma. Only after decades of rectifying the source and accumulating such profound merits, have you achieved this today."

Faqing Dazon's Golden Body dissipated, and Wang Guiyuan reappeared in his red-robed youthful form, sitting opposite Lei Jun:

"The new tribulation is about to arrive, and I barely managed to catch up. But the final outcome still depends on you, my fellow disciple. I can only assist from the sidelines."

Although some preparations had been made, there were still shortcomings. Taking advantage of the remaining time, I plan to borrow the Xianjue of Master Sister, with the help of the Xuanmen."

Lei Jun said, "I've also made some preparations."

Wang Guiyuan sighed, "It's a pity that Master Sister and Tang Shimu couldn't make it this time to achieve Dao Dao Hong Zhen like you, otherwise, things would have been more certain."

At the age of 170, Lei Jun attained the Dong Xuan Ziwei realm, and at 270, he formally achieved the Daoist Cultivation Realm, taking a century, the fastest since the ancient calamity.

But he had the Ten-Color He Gai and the Three Realms Sacred Sword, and later achieved the Wuji Stance of the Daoist path, which others found difficult to replicate.

Not only did Xu Yuanzhen and Tang Xiaotang fail to catch up, but Zhao Chanyang and Fenghuang Fengming also couldn't keep up.

"Let nature take its course," Lei Jun smiled, "After this tribulation, more outstanding young people will emerge, and in the future, there will likely be new post-natal Buddhas, sages, and Taiyi."

Wang Guiyuan nodded slightly.

Not long ago, Huiyin Zun's disciple, Zhizhen, successfully attained the Golden Body in the Buddhist path.

He possessed one of the five indestructible roots of Buddhism, the Indestructible Samadhi, and his enlightenment was also profound.

Buddhist cultivation emphasizes sudden enlightenment, and while some may achieve greatness late in life, others may attain the path at a young age.

Zhizhen Zun's progress was exceptionally rapid, and he became the second cultivator in a century to open the Xianmen.

With Zhizhen Zun's abilities, even if he attained Buddhahood, he would still fall short of Diyuan's dominance.

But eventually, even more outstanding Buddhist disciples will emerge.

In the past, when Dizang Bodhisattva, Shan Youbu, Gongde Buddha, and other Buddhist predecessors fought against Diyuan, they did not wait for the arrival of a Buddhist Buddha, but now, the Daoist Lei Jun with the Wuji Stance has appeared.

"What about Tianrui Jushi?" Wang Guiyuan asked.

If there was anyone who could catch up and further enhance their cultivation, it was most likely Tianrui Jushi, Zhang Wantong.

She attained the third level of Xianjing Sanzhong, even earlier than Lei Jun and Zhao Chanyang.

"I've already communicated with Tianrui Jushi," Lei Jun said, "She's just a bit short."

With her past cultivation foundation, Zhang Wantong was half-resurrected and half-rebuilt, and her progress was even faster than Lei Jun and Zhao Chanyang.

But in the past, she had never truly stepped into the Confucian Sage realm.

Her current cultivation, learnings, and insights were all unprecedented, and every step was a path she blazed through hardships.

While the Dao rewarded her, many necessary skills were still indispensable.

Especially at the threshold of opening the Daoist door, aspiring to attain the Confucian Sage realm, she needed to plan meticulously.

Fate and the law have their ups and downs.

The last time the Diyuan Dakyuan World reopened, Gao Tian Sui, at the same moment, achieved Dao Dao Hong Zhen and opened the Daoist door.

Yan Aoyun successfully resurrected and was reborn before the arrival of the sixty-year cycle.

Wang Guiyuan also managed to attain the third level of the Golden Body in the Buddhist path within this year.

As for Zhang Wantong, she was just a bit short, only a step away from the final threshold.

She has now secluded herself to study in tranquility, and perhaps within the next few years, she will open the Daoist door and attain the Confucian Sage realm, just like Lei Jun and Yan Aoyun.

But when the sixty-year cycle arrives and the seal is broken again, the various Dakyuan Worlds will merge once more, and the entire Zhao Hua Yin Zhi universe will tremble, with Diyuan reappearing. However, Zhang Wantong will not patiently wait.

Fate is fickle, and the universe has its designs.

Zhang Wantong remains calm, going with the flow, without secluding herself. She plans to handle related matters after the upcoming great tribulation.

As for whether she can survive the tribulation and what will happen afterward, no one can predict the outcome of this battle.

Although Lei Jun achieved the Wuji Stance and became the Daoist Dong Zhen Tianzun, the final victory is still difficult to predict.

With the same talent and cultivation level, different experiences and individuals may lead to significant differences.

During the ancient calamity, the Longhu Mountain Patriarch with the Wuji Stance faced the Huangtian Form, the Supreme Emperor, and fought alone, but still fell short.

In the end, the Supreme Emperor perished under the siege of numerous top experts, but he also buried countless immortals and Buddhas, including the Patriarch.

The Patriarch seized the heavenly secrets, ensuring a chance for the Daoist path in the future.

This is now embodied in Lei Jun.

His current opponent will be another Martial Saint with the Huangtian Form, the Wu dao sheng huang, Diyuan.

The siege against the Supreme Emperor was even more formidable than the siege against Diyuan.

In the end, the Supreme Emperor perished, but Diyuan still survives.

Next, Lei Jun will face his might head-on.

What will be the outcome? Perhaps Lei Jun can be carefree, but the fate of others is uncertain.

No one knows the final result.

Everyone quietly accumulates and prepares.

Until...

The universe trembles once more.

Just like sixty years ago, as the stars shift and the universe twists and changes.

In the Grand World, the signs of reunion emerged once more.

The boundaries between worlds began to blur, resisting and merging with each other.

The unnatural tide, forced by human will, swept through the universe, urging the various Grand Worlds to merge, seeking to recreate the Three Realms of the past before the Great Calamity.

Earlier, Lei Jun, Xu Yuanzhen, and Tang Xiaotang, with the help of the old seal's foundation, had created a new seal formation, gradually revealing a massive talisman that had been hidden within the Grand World.

Along with it, the Diyuan Grand World, which had seemed completely isolated from the entire universe, finally reappeared.

Influenced by this, some beings that had been recuperating in the boundless vastness of the universe beyond the realms could no longer hide their whereabouts and involuntarily reappeared in the mortal world.

A human-faced goat with eyes in its armpits, tiger teeth, and human claws, its voice like an infant's, emanated a greedy aura, resembling the gluttonous Great Sage, also known as Zu Tao Tie.

A figure in a white robe, with a calm and serene demeanor, seemed to possess the path of a high-level cultivator, their body ethereal and ever-changing, like the Gu Shen.

A figure completely black, sitting in the lotus position in mid-air, exuded a sense of distortion and destructive power—the Da mie pu sa.

Three of the top cultivators who had opened the Daoist door appeared together, each positioned in a different direction of the universe.

However, their current states were far from ideal.

Gu Shen and Zu Tao Tie had once been renowned as top cultivators in history, dominating their era.

But after being severely injured by Diyuan, their wounds had never fully healed.

The Six Directions Soil technique had also failed, and their old and new injuries made their situation even worse, lingering to this day.

These years of recuperation in the void had merely prolonged their suffering.

Da mie pu sa was in a better state than the others, but when it had opened the Daoist door, it had suffered a flaw—the inheritance from the deceased Da mie Rulai was incomplete, leaving a gap in its cultivation realm, preventing it from attaining the true Demon-Buddha realm.

Over the years, it had killed and destroyed countless beings, but it had never achieved true enlightenment.

Later, it was forced to leave the Jingtu World, and most of the Demon-Buddha disciples in the mortal realm had been continuously hunted down by Wang Guiyuan, Huiyin Zun, and others, leaving few survivors.

At this moment, only Da mie pu sa remained of the Demon-Buddha lineage.

As it materialized from the void, its pitch-black face showed no emotion, cold and indifferent as ever, its gaze sweeping with cold ruthlessness.

Zu Tao Tie, on the other hand, let out sharp, piercing roars, its greed intensifying as it went berserk.

One destroyed all things, shaking the void, while the other, inherently greedy, hid in the boundless void of the universe, constantly devouring everything in its path.

Even the vastness of the void could not contain their disturbance.

After Lei Jun's achievement of the Daoist Cultivation Realm, it wouldn't be difficult to find the whereabouts of Da mie pu sa and Zu Tao Tie, but he had other plans and waited until this day.

Gu Shen, who had been more concealed, required Lei Jun to spend more time confirming its location. At this moment, its emotional expression was the most obvious.

Forced to appear from the void due to the tremors, Gu Shen, drawn by the Grand World, looked at the gradually reappearing Diyuan Grand World with a sigh.

But it was only a fleeting moment.

In the blink of an eye, the white-robed figure, a Shaman, regained its calm demeanor.

In the distance, several silhouettes appeared one after another.

Xu Yuanzhen, Tang Xiaotang, Wang Guiyuan, Yan Ao Yun, Zhang Wantong, and Zhao Chanyang were among them.

Most of the top cultivators in the mortal realm had gathered.

But the most important among them was...

A colorless auspicious cloud appeared out of thin air in the void, as if it had always been there.

On the cloud, a ten-colored crane cover emitted a radiant glow, with strands of pure qi flowing like silk ribbons.

Beneath the crane cover sat a tall, young Taoist in a yellow brocade robe.

The current leader of the Xuan Men, the Celestial Master of the Longhu Mountain Tianshi Palace, Lei Jun.

Though he stood calmly, his gaze brought a sense of reassurance to Wang Guiyuan and the others.

Gu Shen, however, felt a chill in his heart.

Compared to Huangtian and Diyuan, the tall, young Taoist's gaze lacked the cold, domineering, and oppressive aura of the others, but it was still indifferent and peaceful, causing Gu Shen to feel a chill deep within.

"The backup plan is still necessary; it's better to be prepared and not use it."

Lei Jun, seemingly unconcerned about Gu Shen, Zu Tao Tie, and Da mie pu sa, turned to Yan Ao Yun and Zhang Wantong, saying, "You've worked hard, fellow cultivators."

Yan Ao Yun's injuries had not fully healed, and his condition was not as strong as Zu Tao Tie and Gu Shen.

Therefore, in this battle, unless absolutely necessary, he would no longer take the front line against Diyuan. Instead, he would work with Zhang Wantong to prepare for the third sealing of Diyuan, with Lei Jun and others also participating.

Lei Jun hoped to completely resolve the Diyuan issue if possible.

When the time for battle came, he would set aside life and death, victory and defeat, and give it his all.

However, this didn't affect his pre-battle preparations, as he made additional contingency plans for a foolproof strategy.

Apart from top cultivators like Fenhuang Fengming and Bai Mei who remained in the Grand World to protect the mortal realm and its people, the other top cultivators, under Lei Jun's arrangement, quickly took action, each with their own tasks.

With Lei Jun at the center, his colorless auspicious cloud expanded, seemingly enveloping the entire universe in an instant.

Within the formation, instead of the intertwining pure qi of the previous Three Caverns, Three Heavens Supreme Dragon-Tiger Spirit Array, there was an indescribable, mystical qi flowing.

This qi did not immediately suppress the unification of the various Grand Worlds but continued to expand, spreading to every corner of the universe, reaching everywhere.

Gu Shen, Zu Tao Tie, and Da mie pu sa tried to avoid it, but they were already within Lei Jun's formation.

They were all startled and immediately attempted to escape.

Da mie pu sa's body did not emit any black qi, and its extreme destructive power was restrained within its body. It didn't even need to lift a finger, as its mere presence destroyed anything it touched.

However, it couldn't harm the invisible, intangible, and formless mystical qi within the formation.

Zu Tao Tie opened its mouth, devouring the mystical qi, both out of greed and as a means of attack.

Its ability to devour was both domineering and transformative, turning what it devoured into its own strength, making it invincible.

The mystical qi within the formation did not resist being devoured by Zu Tao Tie, but after swallowing it, Zu Tao Tie couldn't refine it.

The mystical qi persisted, becoming one with the formation, preventing Zu Tao Tie from advancing or retreating.

Gu Shen's body, which seemed to constantly change, now dispersed, as if it too had transformed into numerous invisible, intangible, and formless qi, merging with the formation and disappearing.

After Lei Jun's formation covered the entire universe, his gaze shifted away from the Diyuan Grand World.

He himself also left the ten-colored crane cover.

When he reappeared, he was by Da mie pu sa's side.

So fast that his opponent couldn't react.

Then, he raised his hand and struck Da mie pu sa's head.

The power and intent to destroy, shatter, and annihilate all things, laws, phenomena, and principles burst forth.

Without needing to lift a hand, Da Mie Pusa was effortlessly suppressed. Atop its head and across its body, a formidable force emerged, attacking and defending simultaneously.

Lei Jun's palm descended, and Da Mie Pusa's black head instantly vanished.

Equally silent and swift, Lei Jun's action was even more nonchalant.

The disappearance left no fragments or traces, not even a shadow or a speck of dust.

It was as if it had been erased from existence, leaving behind only a headless, pitch-black Buddha body.

Lei Jun, with deliberate control, did not kill Da Mie Pusa outright.

Even without its head, the Buddha body still raised its palm to block the endless, profound, and mysterious energy surrounding it.

As Lei Jun casually struck down Da Mie Pusa's head, two other figures appeared simultaneously, without any time interval or illusion, at the location where Zu Tao Tie had disappeared, along with Gu Shen.

Three Lei Juns acted in unison, striking simultaneously.

Zu Tao Tie was already restrained by the profound energy of the grand formation, unable to advance or retreat.

Lei Jun kindly released the profound energy, helping Zu Tao Tie break free from the encirclement.

Then, in the same manner, Lei Jun struck again, erasing Zu Tao Tie's head.

Similarly, he did not immediately take the life of his opponent.

Despite losing its head, Zu Tao Tie, through the wound on its neck, continued to devour all things, but being already severely injured, it grew even weaker.

The third Lei Jun appeared where Gu Shen had just disappeared.

As he materialized, Gu Shen's figure also reappeared, as if he had never left.

The scattered streams of energy converged, restoring the image of a white-robed man.

Gu Shen watched as Lei Jun's palm appeared above his head, and his expression turned to one of regret.

In ancient times, although he was not as old as Da Siming and Shao Siming, the Shamanic Gods, he was still a legitimate Shamanic God who cultivated the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. He was revered by the countless people of the South Wilderness, and he formally established the path of Shamanic Gu cultivation.

His second-generation disciple founded Yinshan Cave, ultimately establishing a lineage of Shamanic Gu worship.

Even today, Yinshan Cave still worships him.

Unfortunately, during the first battle to seal Di Yuan, despite escaping early, he was still severely injured by Di Yuan.

Due to various reasons, he, along with Zu Tao Tie and Zu Qiong Qi, refined Shao Siming's remains and eventually transformed into Taiyi Shaman Sovereign.

One of them excelled in refining, while the other specialized in pollution.

Taiyi Shaman Sovereign no longer cultivated the spiritual energy of heaven and earth but instead turned to cultivating demonic energy and evil atmospheres.

With each step forward, he moved closer to his goal.

Next, there were the remains of You Bu Gongde Buddha and Chunyang Ancestor...

After achieving the Six Directions, was it the end?

Not necessarily.

On one hand, there was greed, and on the other, there was fear.

In the end, this was the inevitable outcome.

Sixty years ago, Taiyi Shaman Sovereign split, and Gu Shen reappeared in the mortal world.

Having reached this point, he realized that he, like Zu Tao Tie and Zu Qiong Qi, had also cultivated demonic energy and evil atmospheres.

Looking back on past events, it was hard to say whether he had been influenced by Qiong Qi and Tao Tie or if it was a combination of both.

In the beginning, everything was because of Di Yuan.

But now, everything had come to naught.

The Huangtian Form of the Martial Saint Emperor was about to reappear.

And before that, another opponent, a Taoist Heavenly Venerable with the Wuji Stance, had emerged.

The Yinshan Cave lineage, currently under the protection of the opponent, was beyond the reach of even Gu Shen.

Perhaps the Shamanic Gu lineage that later generations continued to worship was the ancient Gu Shen from the past, not the evil shaman of the present?

As Gu Shen's thoughts reached this point, Lei Jun's palm descended.

The head of the white-robed man instantly vanished from his neck.

The body, seemingly composed of countless shamanic atmospheres, was struck by Lei Jun's palm. The shamanic atmospheres, instead of dispersing, solidified into a tangible entity, enduring Lei Jun's strike.

Although Gu Shen still clung to life, he was severely injured by Lei Jun, just like Zu Tao Tie and Da Mie Pusa, unable to escape the grand formation that enveloped them.

However, the grand formation did not launch an attack against them.

Streams of profound energy began to gather at the center of the re-emerging Di Yuan Grand World.

Lei Jun's body merged into three, appearing in the same location.

The Jiazi Seal was activated, and the Di Yuan Grand World began to compress the surrounding void.

A domineering, cold, and solitary fist intent burst forth.

Time and space trembled, and the Taiyi Grand World, the Jiutian Shidi Dakyuan, the Scholar Forest World, and the Jingtu World seemed to slide involuntarily towards the collapsing Di Yuan Grand World.

But as Lei Jun appeared, the collapse halted.

Within the grand formation that enveloped the void, the profound energy began to concentrate towards the center on a large scale.

Gu Shen, Da Mie Pusa, and Zu Tao Tie realized that not only had Lei Jun left, but the profound energy that had surrounded them earlier had also thinned significantly.

At the core of the grand formation, centered around the three of them, it was as if three enormous voids had appeared.

Neither Gu Shen, Da Mie Pusa, nor Zu Tao Tie felt any relief at this sight.

Connecting this to Lei Jun's earlier unusual behavior of severely injuring them without killing them, they sensed an even greater crisis approaching.

Xu Yuan Zhen and Tang Xiaotang, who were aware of Lei Jun's plan, had already entered the core of the formation.

Wang Guiyuan looked at Da Mie Pusa and then turned his gaze to Zhao Chanyang, who was shrouded in white clouds:

"This demon has a grudge with the Buddhist sect. Thank you, Zhao Zhenjun."

Zhao Chanyang's voice echoed from within the white clouds, "Your words are too kind, fellow Daoist."

He was a Tai Yi Dao Ti, and although he cultivated the Alchemy School's tradition of refining the spirit and returning to emptiness, he could also cooperate with the Daoist Talisman School's Lei Jun, Xu Yuan Zhen, and Tang Xiaotang.

Wang Guiyuan, standing before him, was a Buddhist practitioner.

However, Wang Guiyuan was a vow-taking lineage's Great Venerable and was familiar with Lei Jun and the others. He often preached and discussed the Dao, ensuring that his presence within the formation would not cause any issues.

Under these circumstances, Zhao Chanyang would not compete with Wang Guiyuan. Instead, he remained on the outskirts of the formation, assisting Zhang Wantong and Yan Ao Yun in preparing backup sealing plans as a precaution.

Wang Guiyuan, along with Xu Yuan Zhen and Tang Xiaotang, entered the core region of the formation.

Lei Jun himself stood at the very core of the formation.

This was also the point where the various Grand Worlds converged and merged.

The boundaries of time and space had become blurred.

A figure that seemed to flicker in and out of existence had an incredibly clear and distinct presence, as if it were the center of the universe.

Except for those who had already opened the Dao's door, others could not fathom his true appearance, and their hearts trembled with awe, as if they were bathed in heavenly might.

In Lei Jun's field of vision, he saw a man wearing a dark imperial robe, also of considerable height, appearing to be in his thirties.

Based solely on his appearance, he was tall, with an ordinary face that was not particularly striking.

Only his eyes stood out, cold and emotionless, yet exuding a powerful sense of oppression.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end