Chapter 1 The Interworld River

Grand Sage Yuanmiao looked at this unknown heaven and earth. The mountains were high and the seas were wide. The Ten Continents and Three Islands were merely a fragment of the Inner World River, yet even so, it was already so vast. After all, this was an ancient blessed land of immortals, and similar places were countless.

As for the Outer World River, it was both laughable and pathetic, barren and weak. However, it was the source of all myths, the place of origin of the Inner World River.

The Inner World River had to grit its teeth and acknowledge this ancestor. Without the existence of the Outer World River, the expansion of the Inner World River's territory would stop, and the spiritual energy within it would gradually dissipate.

Of course, the Outer World River would not be destroyed either. That weak world, although barren and laughable, was "imperishable through myriad tribulations" and also the "abode of myriad Daos."

Therefore, many people in the Inner World River had speculated that the true secret of the birth of the Great Dao, and the essential meaning of cultivation in the Three Upper Realms, were actually hidden in the Outer World River. The imperial authority of the dynasty was a magnificent Dao capable of conferring titles upon Righteous Gods.

That conferring of titles upon Righteous Gods, gathering of vows, and transformation into red clouds, this kind of change was a state that countless cultivators longed to reach! It was the highest achievement of Taoist cultivation! However, through normal cultivation, even in the Inner World River, no one could cultivate to the state of transforming into red clouds on their own.

Except for an especially powerful divine position. This divine position could refine precious pills and transform into red clouds, but it was now stolen.

As for where the Great Dao of conferring titles upon the gods in the Outer World River came from, and why it appeared, no one knew!

Of course, although this Great Dao was infinitely powerful, the operation of all its rules depended on mortal emperors who were powerless. Moreover, this Great Dao always seemed a bit unintelligent.

Ascension to Lianxu (Refining Void) was called Feixian (Ascended Immortal) at its peak; after Lianxu was Hedao (Harmonization with the Dao). At the time of Hedao, the human heart transformed into the Heavenly Heart, completely ascending to the Immortal Fruit, and was called Zhenxian (True Immortal). This realm was called [Tianxin Laifu] (Return of the Heavenly Heart); Xuan Yuan merged into one, transforming into the True Dao. At this time, it was the Hunyuan realm, called Tianzun (Heavenly Lord).

Ascension was the Sixteenth Realm, Heavenly Heart was the Seventeenth Realm, Hunyuan was the Eighteenth Realm, and after that were the Three Upper Realms.

Zhuangzi said that sages were nameless, divine men were without merit, and supreme men were selfless. These three states corresponded to the level of comprehension of the Great Dao.

To truly reach the Three Upper Realms, the Great Dao and spiritual energy of the Outer and Inner World Rivers must complement each other to be achieved.

This was also the reason why many people were very concerned about the dynastic changes in the Outer World River, and even personally intervened in them, because the Great Dao of the dynasty was the easiest Great Dao to complement with experts above the Ascension realm!

Of course, among all the manipulated dynasties, the Song Dynasty was the most disappointing, holding the orthodox lineage but not striving for progress.

"The passage of time in the Outer World River is too slow. Ten thousand years have passed in the Inner World River, but only eight hundred years have barely passed in the Outer World River."

"A dynasty every two or three hundred years, ten thousand palaces all turned to dust!"

In ancient times, there was often a saying that seven days in the mountains was like a thousand years in the world.

The Inner World River was the real great world, while the Outer World River was like that mountaintop.

The experts in the Inner World River had plenty of time to cultivate, but the cultivators in the Outer World River did not have such good luck. Ascension relied entirely on luck, and the peak of Pure Yang was already an unparalleled master.

Those three strange divine positions were all transformed from the vows of the Song Dynasty emperors. Grand Sage Yuanmiao needed them to operate the Song Dynasty's Great Dao, and they also needed Grand Sage Yuanmiao to help them regain control of the mountains and rivers and return to the mortal realm.

In Grand Sage Yuanmiao's view, the actions of the princes, generals, and ministers of the Outer World River vying for the world were mostly jokes, and most people were unaware that they were just puppets.

"A dynasty every two or three hundred years, ten thousand palaces all turned to dust!"

Grand Sage Yuanmiao sighed.

Was the Yang world the Outer World River, and the Yin world not the Outer World River?

It was all the same. The Song Dynasty was hidden in the shadow of the Ming Dynasty, laying out the plan since the time of Emperor Zhenzong of Song. They were afraid of death, afraid of losing the foundation of their ancestors, so they had the idea of reviving through vows.

In this way, even if the Song Dynasty was destroyed, the Song Dynasty could hide in the shadow of the new dynasty. When the dynasty changed, it would be a great opportunity. It was just that back then, when the Ming Dynasty was first established, the time for the Song Dynasty had not yet matured, and they did not dare to act.

At that time, these three divine positions had not yet been nurtured.

At that time, there were experts in the Yang world who were just half a step away from ascending.

"Master, does that mean that the Great Dao of the Ming Dynasty is not complete now?"

"A part of it was stolen, in the Song Dynasty. We helped the Song Dynasty, but we were also observing, because the part of the Great Dao that they stole and took away with vows actually showed signs of gradually growing into a complete Great Dao."

Everything they were planning now was to wait until the great upheaval of the Outer and Inner World Rivers merging, so that they could obtain more benefits!

"The Great Dao is invisible, Master, how do you observe it?"

Grand Sage Yuanmiao explained:

"Look at the operation of their imperial authority, whether it can affect each other. Now the Song Dynasty's imperial authority can actually affect the gods of the Ming Dynasty. This is already very different from back then."

"Although it is the Yin world of the Outer World River, it has also been promised that if an ascending expert emerges and unifies the Yang world, they can enter the Inner World River and become an Immortal Dao dynasty."

"But this time, the Song Dynasty's plan has failed again."

"On the contrary, the performance of the Ming Dynasty is relatively bright."

"I believe that soon, very soon, experts from the Inner World River will find a way to contact the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, persuade him, and give him treasures."

The treasure given was a drop of "Heavenly Marrow." This was the supreme essence. Many people in the Outer World River had already obtained the Heavenly Marrow, which was utilized and driven by many great powers in the Inner World River.

————

Of course, there was also a Ming Dynasty emperor in the Inner World River, but that emperor who seized the position of "Taishang Laojun" was now being chased and intercepted by other experts, and he was probably unable to give his descendants dreams....

Grand Sage Yuanmiao thought to himself.

He did not know that the old man Lei Xuan had come to the present world.

Of course, the Jiajing Emperor himself was also an extremely selfish person. He did not care at all whether the Wanli Emperor would be persuaded to become a lackey of some people in the Inner World River!

Because as long as he, Jiajing, was still alive, no matter how the Ming Dynasty went astray, it would always be his!

But.....

————

The twenty-fifth year of Wanli, the twenty-third day of the sixth month, the fourth watch.

The Wanli Emperor was sleeping soundly when he suddenly heard someone calling his name. He spoke in his sleep, scolding the other party for being rebellious and too arrogant. However, soon someone pushed him, and this extremely offensive behavior immediately startled the Wanli Emperor awake.

"Wanli Emperor, you may not know me....."

"What kind of monster! Pi qi niang zhi (Damn you)! Take a sword from me!"

Because he had been mentally tense these past few days, the Wanli Emperor had seen too many monsters. Having just obtained the Jingzhen Sword and listened to Lao Zhang's warning, he dared not let go of this precious sword for even a moment. At this moment, he was frightened by the dream call from an expert in the Inner World River, and he drew his sword and slashed!

I like to kill gods in my dreams!

This sword paid tribute to Wei Zheng, and also to Cao Cao!

The Jingzhen Divine Sword activated its sword energy, and a cold light slashed over, instantly splitting the form and spirit of that Inner World River expert into pieces, directly dissipating them in the palace of the Outer World River!

"Eh, did it hit? What did I cut?"