Chapter 1443 — The Ethereal Form and the Material Frame

Xu Shenghua returned the Primordial Liquid of the Taiji, and the two Taiji Ancient Gods were delighted to see him, finding his company as refreshing as a spring breeze. There was no need, as with Yan Tianfei, to keep one's wits constantly sharp against hidden schemes, nor to live in trepidation as one did around Shen Mu.

People differ from one another.

"Young Daoist friend, your bearing is extraordinary and your heart is as vast as an empty valley. You are destined for remarkable achievements."

The female Ancient God said apologetically, "We ought to have prepared a gift for you, but we have only just emerged into the world and possess nothing to our names."

Xu Shenghua replied, "Between fellow Daoists, what need is there for gifts?"

The two Taiji Ancient Gods praised him in unison, saying, "Well spoken indeed!"

Xu Shenghua sought their guidance, asking, "You two Daoist brothers have emerged into the world. Since you are both Taiji Ancient Gods and yet separate from one another, how should I address you?"

"Names are neither existent nor non-existent."

The male Ancient God said, "If we must force a title upon ourselves, then I am the Great Yang, and she is the Great Yin. Yet I am not the Great Yang, for within my yang there is yin; and she is not the Great Yin, for within her yin there is yang. Our path of seeking the Dao is the union of yin and yang embracing simplicity, merging into one—this is the Taiji."

Great Yang and Great Yin—among the Ancient Gods there were similar titles. The Great Sun Star Lord bore a title also called the Great Yang Star Lord, wielding the Great Yang Sacred Fire; and there was a Moon Ancient God called the Great Yin Star Lord, wielding the Great Yin Divine Water.

Yet the impression the Taiji Ancient Gods gave Xu Shenghua was indeed vastly different from those two.

The yin within yang and yang within yin contained profound principles, and the union of yin and yang embracing simplicity, merging into one, was unfathomably deep.

Xu Shenghua gained insight in his heart and sought their teachings. The two Ancient Gods, Taiyin and Taiyang, held nothing back, and he profited greatly. And Xu Shenghua often posed questions that provoked deep reflection—principles they had never grasped in the mining district—benefiting the two Ancient Gods considerably as well.

More than ten days later, Wei Suifeng came at the command of the Mu Heavenly Venerate to seek out Xu Shenghua and request an audience with Yan Tianfei. Yan Tianfei avoided him and ordered Xiu Hongsu to receive him, saying, "Wei Suifeng has shown me kindness; do not treat him coldly. But neither should you indulge him—he is, after all, a rebel."

When Xiu Hongsu met Wei Suifeng, and Wei Suifeng saw her, he recalled the matter of being sunk into the river by the Eastern Heaven Azure Emperor, and his heart grew quite displeased.

Xiu Hongsu smiled and said, "My husband speaks highly of the Yunluo Emperor."

"When I was sunk into the river by him, he did not speak in such terms."

Wei Suifeng gave a cold snort and said mildly, "Where is Xu Shenghua? The Mu Heavenly Venerate grew concerned for his safety when he did not return, and sent me to find him and bring him back."

Xiu Hongsu's abilities were no inferior to his, and seeing him so brazen, she too felt displeased. "What does the Empress owe him? Why does she indulge this fellow so?"

She did not know that the case of the assassination attempt on the Empress in the Longhan Era had been investigated by Wei Suifeng. At that time, Wei Suifeng was the Commanding Lord of the Imperial Guard of the Longhan Heavenly Court, leading the great army to the Returning Ruins. It was because of Wei Suifeng that the rebellion of the Longbo Kingdom was quelled. And it was also because of him that when Lady Yuanmu plotted against the Empress, she could not kill her completely.

The Empress took the opportunity to shed her primordial spirit, and thus came to be Yan Tianfei. Wei Suifeng had shown her the grace of completion, enabling her to break free from the shackles of the Ancient Gods.

Later, it was also Wei Suifeng who preserved the Empress's corpse, and for this, Wei Suifeng held the grace of preserving her true body over Yan Tianfei.

Yet when Wei Suifeng was the Yunluo Emperor and his identity was exposed, he was suppressed in the Heavenly Prison, and Yan Tianfei did not come to his rescue. Therefore she felt she owed nothing to anyone—only to him did she owe a great deal, and so she was unwilling to see him.

Xiu Hongsu came to find Xu Shenghua, and the Taiji Ancient Gods said to him, "We reside here permanently. You may visit often, Daoist friend."

Xu Shenghua assented and took his leave, saying, "Having listened to your teachings, I too have gained some understanding. I feel that your Taiji Dao can transform into the ten thousand Daos of heaven and earth. But because your achievements in the Dao-heart cannot be perfected, you must emerge into the world ahead of time to undergo worldly trials. The path you two walk is the same as that of acquired beings—it is the path of reverse cultivation to attain the Dao."

The Taiyin Ancient God could not help asking, "What is reverse cultivation to attain the Dao?"

Xu Shenghua said, "The Taiji generates the ten thousand Daos, and from the ten thousand Daos one can also reverse-deduce the Taiji Dao. Attaining the Dao through Taiji is difficult, and so you enter the world, comprehending the great Dao of heaven and earth amid the mundane, and from this reverse-deducing the Taiji Dao—this is called reverse cultivation to attain the Dao. I have two Daoist friends, one walking forward and one walking in reverse, and so seeing you two I could not help but think of them, feeling that this is your path to attaining the Dao."

The two Ancient Gods each gained insight.

Xu Shenghua continued, "If you two seek the great Dao of the Ancient Gods, you may go to Jingping. Jingping has Dao Master Lin Xuan, who is proficient in macroscopic and microscopic divination arts, analyzing the innate Daos of the world with unmatched achievement. If you wish to comprehend the acquired Dao, you should also go to Jingping—the acquired Dao has flourished greatly there. And if you wish to comprehend the Dao Realm, you should meet the Kaihuang Shen Ye, whose Dao Realm is unparalleled."

The Taiji Ancient Gods thanked him, saying, "In that case, we shall first make a trip to Jingping. If Daoist friend Xu returns to Jingping, we can reminisce."

As Xu Shenghua was about to leave, the Taiyang Ancient God suddenly said, "Daoist friend Xu, you mentioned just now that you have two Daoist friends, one walking forward and one in reverse. May I ask what manner of divinities these two are?"

Xu Shenghua halted and said, "One is Lan Yutian, a youth. The other you two are already familiar with—it is Shen Mu, the Mu Heavenly Venerate."

The two Ancient Gods exchanged glances.

As Xu Shenghua departed, the two Ancient Gods caught up with him again and asked, "May we ask what Lan Yutian's abilities are like?"

Xu Shenghua halted and said, "A body that has attained the Dao, with unmatched Dao-nature. He takes the universe and heaven and earth as his mining district, the great Dao of heaven and earth as his divine stones, the Dao-heart as his raw ore, his footsteps as the mountain veins of the mining district, and the great Dao as his ladder. He measures heaven and earth, rising step by step, ascending the cornerstone of the great Dao."

The two Taiji Ancient Gods were moved—that such a being existed in this world!

"And what of the Mu Heavenly Venerate? In your heart, how does he compare?"