Chapter 1 The Demise of the Great Ming

In the mortal realm, as the vast river of time flowed backwards, the era of the Great Ming ceased to exist.

Vast swathes of land vanished, reverting to their state a thousand years prior. As the battle with Gu Xiansheng raged on, everything flowed back to the Tang Dynasty. All eras after the Tang, and the myriad phenomena that arose within them, were as if they had never been.

Yet, even as the era disappeared, remnants lingered.

Several vast, luminous clouds floated, sections of the mortal realm that had resisted the backward flow of time, sustained by one or more individuals bearing the Mandate of Heaven. In the face of this destructive tide of time, they upheld a tiny fragment of the old world.

"Truly, everything is gone."

Zhang Tianshi surveyed all directions from the Forbidden City. The current emperor’s Mandate of Heaven had not yet been severed and was still flourishing. Thus, the land and rivers around Shuntian Prefecture were naturally preserved, but more distant regions could not be saved.

Even the Son of Heaven, the mortal realm's most powerful possessor of the Mandate of Heaven, could only protect a limited area. Other individuals bearing the Mandate of Heaven, those who might establish a dynasty in the next era, possessed weaker mandates and could safeguard even less.

Shuntian and Yingtian Prefectures were preserved due to their connection to the Dharma Realm.

The South Sea was preserved, shielded by Christ, who used the power of a monotheistic God, a Yuqing cultivator, and a Tianxin Great Vehicle to encompass and protect it.

"Are we returning to the Tang Dynasty?"

The Wanli Emperor could only express disbelief. After witnessing such terrifying changes, he felt no fear. Zhang Tianshi and the others felt the same.

The disparity was too great, too incomprehensible. Had the Donghua Immortal Maiden not told Zhang Tianshi that those with the Mandate of Heaven could protect the land, even more of the world would have been lost.

"Returning to the past, wouldn’t there be a second emperor? What am I then?"

"I fear this is only temporary."

The Donghua Immortal Maiden had returned to the mortal realm. Yuan Huang had hastily departed due to an incident in the Underworld, warning that all phenomena in the world were likely to perish.

In the past, Yuan Huang would have certainly used protection as leverage to bargain for a shift in the mortal realm's Mandate of Heaven, allowing the Underworld to occupy the Yang realm. But now, he simply did not have the time or capacity.

"Returning to the Tang Dynasty, Your Majesty may not even meet the Tang Emperor. More likely, we will completely disappear in the next reversal of time. But if we can endure...perhaps we can survive until time flows forward again, and reach a new era."

"And how long will we have to endure?"

"...I do not know."

The conversation between the Donghua Immortal Maiden and Zhang Tianshi ended there. Zhang Tianshi looked despondent, sighing, "Before achieving Tianxin, I was told that the road ahead was completely blocked, and no further progress was possible. Now, a new path has appeared, but I cannot even protect myself as an immortal. I truly do not know whether this is fortune or misfortune."

"When have immortals ever been so powerless?"

The Nine Heavens above flow, and the Four Seas below surge. The void shatters as the Yang Spirit travels, its incarnations spanning the heavens and earth. The Ascension Realm was once synonymous with power in the world, but now it was as weak as a mortal.

Within the mortal realm inside the Biao Mountains and Rivers, the scholars had long transformed into "Yuqing cultivators." Naturally, the source of Confucianism could not be preserved. The sages of Confucianism had also become early-era, accomplished Yuqing cultivators, transformed into incarnations of Gu Xiansheng in altered tales.

Gu Xiansheng's single thought dictated the speed of this reversal, a mere whim, so swift that he paid it no mind. He had already cast the thought aside.

But for the beings who were later extinguished, the length of that single thought, the time it contained, was immeasurable, because they were all within that time. Thus, for those beings, that single thought felt infinitely long.

Yet, this length did not last long for the surviving people of the Ming Dynasty.

A voice rose from every corner of the world, echoing in the hearts of all who still lived.

"If the later eras disappear and you all return to the Tang Dynasty, your Mandate of Heaven will weaken. You are not the Mandate holders of this era, and to the Tang Dynasty, you are certainly not the Tang Emperor."

Around Shuntian and Yingtian Prefectures, numerous fragments of the era suddenly appeared. These fragments, lacking the protection of those with the Mandate of Heaven, still remained and continued to gather. This scene astonished the people in the Forbidden City. And the next scene, when the Jiajing Emperor and Yuanmiao Dasheng appeared from the void, manifesting the image of the Taishang Laojun, the portion of time influenced by that one thought came to an abrupt halt.

"Wanli, thank you for preserving this part of the mortal realm and the Mandate of Heaven. I will make good use of it."

The Jiajing Emperor looked at his good grandson. By this time, the Jingzhen Divine Sword was useless. Seeing Wanli draw the sword, the Jiajing Emperor merely glanced at it, and the divine sword bent and vanished in a puff of smoke with a bang.

"This sword is no longer useful."

Yuanmiao Dasheng sighed. This Jingzhen Divine Sword was a treasure left behind by the Divine Firmament Sect. Originally, it was intended to be a divine weapon forged using the resonance of heavenly beings, but it failed, becoming a flawed item. Nevertheless, it still possessed terrifying destructive power against all phenomena in the world.

But now, in front of the two of them, this sword was no different from scrap metal.

Zhang Tianshi and the Donghua Immortal Maiden also looked shocked. The Wanli Emperor’s scalp tingled as he stiffly asked:

"Imperial Ancestor Shizong, the mortal realm has become like this, and the Great Ming will soon cease to exist. What can you possibly seize from this fragment of the world?"

The Jiajing Emperor smiled. "The mortal realm will continue to exist. Even if it encounters such great calamity, it will still exist. You and the few immortals by your side lack sufficient cultivation and cannot comprehend the mysteries within."

"Names endure, reflected in the mortal realm. The mortal realm endures, and time endures. Only the era and the framework change. My Great Ming has endured for centuries, leaving behind indelible names, forever fixed in the annals of history. And your Mandate of Heaven also represents the Mandate of the Great Ming. Even now, it is still flourishing."

"The extent of this flourishing Mandate of Heaven can even endure until the next era. With the opening of a new world, perhaps you could even build another mythological dynasty. But now, this preserved, great Mandate of Heaven, and the still undiminished fortune, I will borrow from you to complete an even greater undertaking."

"This true humanistic Dharma Realm will be completed at this very moment."

Zhang Tianshi attempted to attack with the Sanwu Cixiong Demon-Slaying Sword, but the Jiajing Emperor smiled slightly, and the Sanwu Cixiong Demon-Slaying Sword instantly transformed into a cloud of smoke and disappeared without a trace!

"Zhang Ling of Pei Kingdom obtained resonance from the Heaven of Heavens and acquired the Taiqing Xuanyuan Arts. But the origin of this Taiqing Dao is different from everything else in the world. Let me tell you, if the Taiqing Dao is cultivated to the extreme, one can achieve ‘Taishang,’ and Taishang is different from Yuanshi."

"Your method is the thing Zhang Ling passed down. To use it in front of Taishang Laojun is as laughable as beating a drum before the Heavenly Duke."

The Donghua Immortal Maiden noticed something different: "You are not in the Tianxin Realm!"

"Of course, I am not in the Tianxin Realm. This is a different path from Tianxin, the new path you speak of. This is the path of Taishang!"

"The false realm of Tianxin has already been extinguished. I have been constantly hunted by those in the Tianxin Realm, yet I have never advanced to the Tianxin Realm myself, precisely because I know it is a false realm. No matter how powerful and glorious it is described, it is merely superficial splendor, which a single fire can burn clean."

"When the human heart is removed, the heavenly heart returns. This was originally a state of experiencing the Heaven of Heavens, but they forcibly turned it into a realm. They actually believe they have obtained the power to manipulate all phenomena in the heavens and earth, even to create the future and reflect the past, regarding themselves as omnipotent puppeteers of the world."

"And they will be completely destroyed by the aura of death within time. They are no longer favored by the heavens and earth, having degenerated into ‘demons and monsters,’ to be burned to ashes, vanishing into smoke."

The Jiajing Emperor had been hunted for many years, and now, seeing the gradual demise of Tianxin, he felt exceptionally pleased. At this time, within the Li Mountains and Rivers, some in the Tianxin Realm had already perished. Following the Taiji Zhenren who had been killed by them, with the disappearance of the Buddha Emperor, the aura of death in time finally invaded all those Tianxin powerhouses who were unwilling, striving to evolve a brilliant future, and attempting to resist this destruction.

And this fragment of the mortal realm had no power to resist. The Jiajing Emperor cupped his hands, and the entire remaining Ming Dynasty transformed into a ball of light. All the Dharma Realms that still existed in the heavens were also seized and refined into one place.

The Jiajing Emperor, carrying this humanistic Dharma Realm, disappeared with Yuanmiao Dasheng, heading to the Underworld to complete the great undertaking of the Three Purities uniting at the source.

The next moment, in the Underworld.

The vast brilliance that appeared before them was none other than Yuan Huang!

"At this late hour in the Great Time, you still do not forget to fight, seeking to reach the pinnacle of the world. You have found your way here, intending to seize the Underworld as your own, to completely unify the existence of Yin and Yang?"

The Tianxin radiance on Yuan Huang's body was still vast, untouched by the aura of death in time. Even Gu Xiansheng could not find his true form, hidden in some moment of the ancient past. The Jiajing Emperor also knew that the Yuan Huang before him was not his true body but a projection, but that no longer mattered.

"Not only that, but your title will also be taken by us... Jade Purity, Purple Void, Supreme Mysterious, Primal Emperor, Great Dao Lord!"

Lin Lingsu also appeared beside the Jiajing Emperor. Neither of them were in the Tianxin Realm, yet they were also beyond the category of Heavenly Immortals.

Yuan Huang was stunned when he heard him speak his sacred title, then his expression became grave.

"Even those with the Mandate of Heaven should have forgotten a portion of the memories of Yuanshi Tianzun. You should not be able to utter the sacred title."

The disappearance of Yuanshi Tianzun was unrelated to the changes in the new era. Therefore, even those with the Mandate of Heaven should have forgotten about the sacred title of Yuanshi Tianzun. Even if the Mandate of Heaven was extremely powerful, they would at most remember a vague fragment, not be able to utter a certain sacred title in its entirety.

Examining the two of them more closely, he could only perceive a vast collection of traces of the Dao, unable to determine whether the two truly existed before him. It was as if they had become "incarnations of the Dao!"

"What is this realm?"

"The One of the Dao?"

Yuan Huang could not discern the level of their realm, nor could he describe it accurately!

They seemed to lack the divine abilities of Tianxin and Hunyuan, unaware of the influence of countless thoughts on the Underworld. Yet Yuan Huang felt that the current state of these two was far more dangerous than the Tianxin and Hunyuan Realms!

This state was somewhat similar to what he had seen in Qingyang, much like the so-called "One of the Dao!"

Constantly reverting to the original, infinitely approaching the essence of the Dao. Although they could not be compared to Gu Xiansheng, if they had truly attained the One of the Dao, then... this battle would be dangerous.

"One of the Dao? No, not quite. Heh, to use the ignorant words of those in the Tianxin Realm, perhaps the current me and him are in the True Realm of Heavenly Dao."

"But in truth, this is not a realm. We are still far from the next realm. But compared to you, we are walking on the correct path, truly transcending immortals, and naturally transcending you. As for realms, such as Tianxin and Hunyuan, they are merely your own perceptions of your own state. There is no need to discuss or define inferior realms."

"Yuan Huang, you only need to know that you and your Underworld have reached your end. From now on, you will cease to exist."

Yuan Huang frowned and sent a voice transmission into the Underworld. Instantly, several immortal lights soared into the sky. Within the divine kingdom of the Underworld, as Yuan Huang's subordinates, the five statues in the Song courtyard erupted with vast power, mobilizing the power of the Underworld, unaffected by any external Tianxin spells!

"The Underworld is the Yin world, different from all other realms. The fundamental Dao here is Yin, not Yang. You are also beings of the Yang world. Although I do not understand your level, I will still treat you as being in the Tianxin Realm since you say you have no realm."

With the blessing of the divine kingdom, the five statues awakened. Five half-step Tianxin experts suddenly appeared in the Underworld. But the Jiajing Emperor was not at all anxious, merely sighing:

"So strong, truly very strong."

"Many years ago, I never imagined that there would be such a scene today, nor did I expect that I could become one of the most powerful people in the world, like this...like, this."

His thoughts turned, and Yuan Huang sensed it, preparing to defend with his own thoughts. But the Jiajing Emperor's thoughts directly bypassed Yuan Huang's thoughts.

Those thoughts were formed from traces of the Dao.

"The Dao?!"

Yuan Huang was shocked. He had never seen such thoughts before. And those thoughts of the Dao completely changed the Underworld. A tremendous sense of decline and decay began to spread, the fortune collapsed, the hells shattered, and everyone's state began to deteriorate.

"The weak use the Dao."

The Jiajing Emperor's voice was like a curse.

The strong decline, the weak prosper. The Dao does not weaken without reversal, the fundamental mysteries of the Taiqing lineage. Even the method of the Dao's operation can be changed at will. This is the path of Taishang, not the path of Yuqing that should exist in the world. Hence, Yuan Huang was gradually becoming strained, and the aura of death in time began to appear on his body.

Two of the most important methods in the Taiqing lineage, involving the fundamental operation of the Dao, were not Yuqing's things, nor were they related to the Great Four Symbols, but came from a more external transmission, the transmission of "Taishang."

"Come!"

Of course, Yuan Huang would not sit still and wait for death. He opened up a history, shouting loudly. That history radiated an "extremely bright red light," replacing the heavens and earth of the Underworld, instantly stopping this decline. And the heaven and earth that had been declined did not disappear, but were thrown into the more distant past.

"Yuqing Mystic Arts."

Yuan Huang tore apart several fragments of the past, ages so distant that they reached upwards. All the timelines reversed, and streams of black air spread and surged from them.

........

Mount Wawu.

Ji Xiang did not go anywhere. In this reverse flow of Great Time, many mountains and rivers had disappeared, reverting to their past appearances, and the myriad phenomena of the current era no longer existed, silently extinguished by Gu Xiansheng's single thought.

Only here, there was still no change. In the deepest part of Mount Wawu, Ji Xiang had once thought that the most dangerous things here were the Dreams of the Dead, the Zhaoming World, and the Qingyang Dao Palace.

Now, there was a demon immortal here. His realm was not high, merely at the level of a Flying Immortal, yet he was locked in Mount Wawu, and even now, as time disappeared, he still existed. And Ji Xiang could not see his karma.

"You, are a remnant image from another time, sealed here by Patriarch Zhang Ling?"

That was the only possible explanation.

Moreover, the path of cultivation of this demon immortal was completely different from the myriad phenomena within this time, vastly different from the Taiqing lineage. But only at Ji Xiang's current level could he see the true inner differences.

The demon immortal raised his head and asked, "Yes, it was Zhang Ling, but also, it was not Zhang Ling. Zhang Ling was merely his name in this world."

"It was a ‘Taishang.’"