Chapter 100 The Four Heavens

Shangqing Daozi remained silent for a long time. After a moment of mutual silence, he chose to ask about the greatest secret.

What did it mean for the world to be divided into four regions?

"You are an ancient person, could these four regions refer to the Four Symbols (Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise)?"

The Four Symbols Heavenly Regions, Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise. Generally, when the world is said to be divided into four, it simply refers to the four sky regions, the so-called "Four Spirits of Heaven, to rectify the four directions."

However, the nameless immortal denied this.

"Since you've asked, and it's been a long time since I've spoken to anyone, I might as well chat with you."

"This matter should start... probably from the end of the Han Dynasty... young man, have you heard of the Ten Continents and Three Islands?"

Shangqing Daozi: "I've heard of them. Dongfang Shuo told Emperor Wu of Han that there are eight giant seas in the world, and in the seas are ten continents and three islands, where the immortals who have not yet ascended reside."

"In today's terms, it should be called Li Shanhe (Hidden Mountains and Rivers)."

Nameless Immortal: "The Yang world where we reside is the surface Shanhe, while the Ten Continents and Three Islands are the Li Shanhe, also known as the Immortal Realm."

"There are many caves left behind by immortals in this world. Entering them, the passage of time is different from the outside world. These caves are the gateways to the Li Shanhe, but after thousands of years, many of the caves have become dead ends, no longer leading to the Li Shanhe."

"During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, the entrance to the Ten Continents and Three Islands was discovered for the first time. Since the pre-Qin period, it had not been heard of in the upper world."

"Dongfang Shuo led a group of alchemists into the Ten Continents and Three Islands, transforming the First Heavenly Dao."

The nameless immortal raised his first finger.

"After that, Emperor Wu of Han abolished all schools of thought and revered Confucianism alone."

"The prototype of Confucianism was born. They were derived from the pre-Qin Confucianists. Dong Zhongshu entered the Ten Continents and Three Islands, transforming the Second Heavenly Dao."

The nameless immortal raised his second finger.

"Later, during the reign of Emperor Ming of Han, the White Horse came east, and a sixteen-foot golden man arrived from the west. Buddhism flourished in Zhen Dan, and outside the Ten Continents and Three Islands, the Four Great Continents appeared."

Shangqing Daozi asked in surprise, "What do you mean? The Ten Continents and Three Islands existed originally, but after the appearance of Buddhism, the Four Great Continents were differentiated?"

"I heard that the Li Shanhe has immortal arts but no Great Dao."

Nameless Immortal: "I don't know about that. After the arrival of Buddhism, the Four Great Continents appeared, with Mount Sumeru in the center. She Moteng and Zhu Falan led the Buddhist monks to take control. This is the Third Heavenly Dao."

"Buddhism before Daoism."

The nameless immortal raised his third finger.

Shangqing Daozi had no objection to this. Although the Daoist school itself originated from the pre-Qin Daoists, the doctrines and other schools that emerged were indeed after Buddhism.

Before that, there was no such thing as the Daoist school. It was simply called the "School of Huang-Lao," which inherited the thoughts of the ancient Yellow Emperor and the pre-Qin Laozi.

He listened quietly.

The nameless immortal then raised his fourth finger.

"Zhang Daoling led the Daoist followers into the Ten Continents and Three Islands, transforming the Fourth Heavenly Dao. There is no need to say more about his deeds. You Daoist juniors should be able to talk about them eloquently."

"At this point, the Four Heavens were complete. The Ten Continents and Three Islands, the Eight Giant Seas, and the Four Great Continents, there was no more room."

"With the power of Buddhism, they possessed the Four Great Continents and two of the Ten Continents, and two of the Eight Seas;"

"Confucianism was second, with four of the Ten Continents, and three of the Eight Seas;"

"The alchemists were next, with three of the Ten Continents, two of the Eight Seas, and all three islands;"

"The Daoist school was last, with only one continent in the Ten Continents, and one sea in the Eight Seas."

"As for the current territories, I am not clear."

Starting the latest, the Daoist school thus obtained the smallest territory. However, the nameless immortal also said: "Zhang Daoling can also be regarded as a person. Although he is a latecomer among the various sects, he can still surpass the others."

"And these four families, among them, those at the Tianxin (Heart of Heaven) level can affect the surface Shanhe. They demarcate areas in the surface Shanhe, and the places they influence will gradually be transformed into their beliefs. However, the surface Shanhe has the existence of the Great Dao."

"With the existence of the Great Dao, these Tianxin level people cannot completely influence the behavior of the Yang world's living beings. Moreover, the Daoist school is very clever. Zhang Daoling is very clever."

"The power of the Li Shanhe is too weak, so they occupy the land of the surface Shanhe. Thus, the Daoist school gradually flourished in the surface Shanhe, and many 'Grandmasters' emerged from the disciples of the Taiqing Heaven."

"The reactions of Buddhism and Confucianism were also very quick. Buddhism spread among the people, relying on Daoism to rise, not caring about appearances. Confucianism entered the court, belonging to the four directions, the easiest to approach the Great Dao of the dynasty. This was all thanks to Emperor Wu of Han."

"As for the alchemists, their influence became very small. Their beliefs in the surface Shanhe were also gradually merged by the Daoist school."

"It was in this long process that they discovered that the Li Shanhe could not touch the Great Dao. Although the spiritual energy was rich and they could continue to cultivate, they could not glimpse the true Great Dao after all."

"Thus, under the Four Heavens, each had a Tianxin realm, recommended by the various sects. These four people would play an important role in the rise and fall of dynasties in the thousands of years to come."

"The Daoist school has few things, but the Daoist school has a great influence in the surface Shanhe, so..."

Shangqing Daozi was shocked: "So there was the Yellow Turban Rebellion?"

"Then the first, the Tianxin realm closest to the world in the Daoist school, is the Great Virtuous Teacher!"

The nameless immortal said as a matter of course: "Of course it is. Otherwise, how could the imperial court at that time suppress the Yellow Turban Rebellion, relying solely on that one hand of 'Heavenly Governance, Earthly Governance, Human Governance, when the three energies are exhausted, then all creeping things are governed.' The Han court could not deal with it."

"This is the real Tianxin method. Heavenly Governance is the heart of the Imperial Heaven, Earthly Governance is the will of the Earth, and Human Governance is the desire of the people. Do you know what kind of divine power this is? Heavenly Governance is the most perfect state of a country, and creeping governance is the state that causes a country to perish."

"The Han Dynasty inherited the Heavenly fortune, was destroyed by Wang Mang, and revived by Liu Xiu. Just intercepting the luck of these three eras can make the Han Dynasty fall into a place of eternal destruction, not to perish because of weakness, but to die because of strength."

"The purpose of the Great Virtuous Teacher is to destroy Confucianism and establish Daoism, to change the situation where Confucianism held the dynasty after Emperor Wu of Han, and to restore the art of Huang-Lao to the court. And what kind of situation requires the art of Huang-Lao? Naturally, it is when the country is damaged and everything needs to be rebuilt!"

"So, is there really a Zhang Jiao (Great Virtuous Teacher) as a person? Why has the Great Virtuous Teacher never been caught? Under the influence of Tianxin, this mortal image is false. Everyone thinks that the Great Virtuous Teacher is below, but in fact... he is not here."

"However, the other Tianxin will not remain indifferent and let him mess around, so they took action."

"So after the end of the Han Dynasty, after the failure of the Great Virtuous Teacher, the arts of Buddhism and alchemists often manifested. Buddhism and alchemists depended on each other. Buddhism relied on the arts of alchemists to promote itself, and alchemists integrated Buddhism into metaphysics. By the time of the Jin Dynasty, during the Song, Qi, Liang, and Chen dynasties, Buddhism flourished, and the power of the Daoist school in the surface Shanhe was finally riddled with holes."

Shangqing Daozi asked doubtfully, "These... you are an ancient person, how would you know so many things that happened later?"

The nameless immortal smiled: "Then this, you have to ask the past grandmasters of your Shangqing sect."

"In order to preserve the Daoist tradition, they constantly shone the Xuantian Stone Coffin, reflecting the Shangqing sect, preventing the sect from encountering a great disaster one day, so that the sect could instantly return to its original state. They mastered the art of reflection, and there have been not a few people who secretly opened the Xuantian Stone Coffin and fell into it, lost within."

Shangqing Daozi fell silent. The other party's statement was a bit untenable, because the other party was not the owner of the Xuantian Stone Coffin. Could it be that this slumbering person had been awake for some time before?

Every time someone went in, he would ask what era it was outside?

Of course, this was impossible. The two Quan Zhen Dao monks were caught by Daoist Ji after entering, and they didn't say that they had encountered this immortal.

Moreover, he himself said that he hadn't spoken to anyone for a long time, although this statement might not be true.

But if, if the other party really maintained a certain degree of consciousness, then... perhaps he had already known about the existence of Daoist Ji, this Yuqing cultivator?

But Shangqing Daozi still didn't say it.

On the other hand, the Ghost Immortal heard these secrets. Although he didn't understand them, it was human nature to listen to the excitement, so he muttered.

"So later, Buddhism flourished and declined, becoming too arrogant and following the old path of the Daoist school, and was strangled by the other three families. This time, the Daoist school became the slayer, so they mainly destroyed Buddhism?"

"Then, the Sui, Tang... Song... Song was the flourishing of Confucianism, right? But looking at it this way, the alchemists suffered a lot."

Everyone has their moments of glory, although you shouldn't take a moment as permanent, but the alchemists never stood up, and seemed to be working for the other three families all the time.

"Oh, you think the alchemists suffered?"

The nameless immortal chuckled: "The alchemists didn't suffer at all! Because controlling the beliefs of the world, or the Great Dao of the dynasty, is not their ultimate goal."

"They have already obtained many things they wanted from the three families of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism. Among the three families, which one has not come into contact with the alchemists?"

Shangqing Daozi asked: "What about the Yuqing cultivator? The earliest Yuqing cultivator was not the Three Yuan Lords of Taisu, nor was it Ancestor Qingxu, nor was it Madam Wei, then who was he? Did he leave behind the Shangqing Ancestral Scriptures?"

Nameless Immortal: "He has a name, but it cannot be said, it cannot be said. If it is said, it will be affected by evil things, and fall into an unknowable realm!"

He closed his eyes: "Even thoughts cannot be had! Just know that he should be killed!"

"Have you never thought about it? Taiqing was originally the beginning of the Dao, but why does Shangqing come from Yuqing, and yet there is no origin of Yuqing in the world? It appeared out of thin air, attached to the Dao and rose."

After saying this, he banished the thought from his mind. This made Shangqing Daozi extremely surprised. What kind of person, with the Dao practice of a soaring realm, about to reach its peak, couldn't even raise a thought?

Having learned that his family had such a terrifying and mysterious ancestor, all that Shangqing Daozi could do was to deduce bit by bit, according to those classics and legends, which person in the ancient books he was.

But there were too many ancient immortals, some of whom were legendary figures in the True Spirit Rank Chart. Now that this was the case, no matter who Shangqing Daozi thought of, he felt that he was a bit like this terrifying ancestor. It seemed that every ancient person could conjure up a conspiracy story of a hundred thousand words.

Cannot be said?

The more you don't say it, the more I want to say it.

Cannot be known?

The more unknown it is, the more I want to know it.

At this time, the nameless immortal had already erased his thoughts and looked at the sky: "My strength cannot compete with Tianxin, but these Tianxin realm cannot come to the world. If they come to the world, they are no match for me."

"I will recover for a few days."

The nameless immortal looked at the Ghost Immortal: "Then..."

The Ghost Immortal was shocked: "Help me eradicate future troubles?"

The nameless immortal shook his head: "Borrow your existence to find the traces of those evil things. As for your old ancestor, I don't dare to move him for the time being."

"These evil things are difficult for me to deal with."

The Ghost Immortal squeezed out a smile: "You are so powerful, are there still things you can't deal with? Haven't you become an immortal?"

The nameless immortal gave the Ghost Immortal a meaningful look:

"Evil things come from Yuqing, and naturally, only Yuqing cultivators can deal with them."

........

Master Jingxian and the other three Arhats returned to Lingyin Temple. As soon as the master entered the temple, he suddenly felt that the surrounding atmosphere was a bit wrong, but the other three said that they did not notice anything unusual.

"Ever since I came into contact with the power of the Mingwang in the Zhenwu statue, I have always felt that the heart of doubt and trouble is getting heavier and heavier. Is there something wrong with the power of the Mingwang, or has something changed in myself?"

Master Jingxian greeted the monks on duty at the door and entered the meditation room. The monks on duty at the door, who were still chanting scriptures, had their images slightly distorted and terrifying. Their sturdy bodies were repeatedly transformed into the appearance of hungry ghosts in an instant, but they themselves seemed unaware. And these hungry ghost images were only fleeting.