World's No. 1 Swordsman-Chapter 542: An Immortal Never Before Seen, So Transcendent and Unworldly
Starlight once again gathered around Wang Sheng, forming a natural shield for his Primordial Spirit.
Ziwei then slightly raised his hand and made a small gesture, making the wooden boat sway gently and slowly sail across the calm lake. Right after, he gestured again.
Wang Sheng stepped forward to the bow, not daring to stand side by side with the emperor.
As the surrounding mist gradually thickened, Ziwei explained, "You have just almost reached the True Immortal Realm. Your understanding of Chaos is likely shallow. Do you know where Chaos came from?"
"Please enlighten me, Your Majesty."
"Chaos came into existence when the Primordial Chaos first split, which was before yin and yang were separated. It is boundless and endless, yet one could also say it does not truly exist because this very place is just an illusion. Tell me, then, where did all living beings come from?"
"They seem to have come from... nothingness."
"Many great cultivators have said as much, but that answer is incomplete. In truth, this question can't be answered," Ziwei sighed. "What is nothingness? If all living beings were born from it, then wouldn't that make it a form of existence in itself?"
Wang Sheng felt a little tangled in the logic. "Actually, Your Majesty, I once let my mind wander freely. My cultivation was shallow then, and I indulged in simple guesswork."
"What did you come up with?"
"Before the concepts of nothingness and existence came to be, there had to have been a true nothingness that we can't comprehend. There was absolutely nothing there, not even time, chaos, heaven, or earth. But within it, pairs of opposing, tiny particles emerged. One was empty, one had substance.
"They immediately canceled each other out until one pair developed a slight deviation. The two particles shifted, giving rise to change. The one that remained became the first 'existence.'"
Ziwei smiled. He didn't seem surprised in the slightest. "Mm. Those thoughts of yours serve as evidence of your remarkable comprehension and insight. However, the relationship between nothingness and existence is far more complex than that. Watch closely."
He raised his hand and summoned a wisp of chaotic aura. It coiled in his palm, gradually forming a gray sphere. Afterward, he lightly flicked it with his right hand. Flecks appeared, then quickly returned to the gray aura.
Wang Sheng froze. Within the flashes, he saw countless stars. He saw metal, wood, water, fire, earth, mountains, vast oceans, and even the transformations of yin and yang.
Ziwei smiled once more. "Magical, isn't it? When you reach the Grand Dao Golden Immortal Realm, you'll be able to fully comprehend its principles."
Wang Sheng didn't know what to say.
Seeing Wang Sheng's blank expression, Ziwei offered a bit more guidance.
"The Great Dao has already taken form within Chaos, but it hasn't expanded yet. What you just saw were auras containing the Great Dao's ultimate principles. In other words, this place is both Chaos and the Three Realms. The Dao laws are contained here; they just haven't been expressed yet. Even the Three Realms are simply the result of the Great Dao extending outward.
"After analyzing your thoughts, I can tell you rely too much on personal speculation and overlook the influence of the Great Dao's rules on all things. This may harm your future cultivation. Cultivation itself is the process of comprehending the Great Dao and thereby gaining insight into oneself.
"While we're on this topic, I might as well tell you more. After all, I am merely Dao traces left behind to pass on my Daoist heritage. Do you know which three Great Dao were the first to unfold within the Sea of Chaos?"
Wang Sheng pondered briefly. "Time, heaven and earth, and true spirit?"
Ziwei's eyes showed a trace of approval, but he gently shook his head. "You're on the right track. In fact, during the Primal Era, countless great cultivators believed the same. However, after merging with the Great Dao, the Three Pure Ones saw the origin of Chaos and the root of the Dao, allowing them to reach the most fundamental answer.
"According to them, the Great Dao that shattered the Primordial Chaos were the Dao of Eternity, the Dao of Change, and the Dao of Causality. The Dao of Eternity then evolved into the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth and the Great Dao of Time. Only then did the foundation of the Three Realms come into being."
"Huh..." Wang Sheng was struggling to keep up. He asked subconsciously, "Did the Great Dao create the world, then?"
"What else could accomplish such a feat?"
"The most widely circulated belief now is Pan Gu..."
Ziwei lightly shook his head and laughed softly. "That was merely a legend we invented when we first raised our forces."
That was likely one of the many secrets hidden in the Heavenly Court's past, yet he had revealed it so casually.
His expression then darkened slightly. He sighed quietly and remained silent for quite some time.
Wang Sheng simply stood still, opting not to dare pry further.
Judging from Ziwei's reaction, he likely lied to Wang Sheng earlier. This fragment of memory clearly knew more than just matters of cultivation. Moreover, although the emperor had fallen, Wang Sheng thought that the emperor's will and memory fragments should still be imprinted upon his own Great Dao. Could those memory fragments connect with one another?
Since the emperor did not speak of it, Wang Sheng did not dare to ask. His Primordial Spirit was roaming the Sea of Chaos, which could likely instantly crush him without the starlight's protection. It was better to listen obediently.
The small boat gradually drifted toward an unknown location. At some point, Wang Sheng noticed a black shadow within the clouds and mist to the side. From afar, it looked like a whale.
He instinctively lowered his voice. "Your Majesty, what is that?"
"A primordial being. At present, they are still... rather strange existences." Ziwei's gentle smile returned. "We're roaming the Sea of Chaos, but in truth, we are traveling along the Great Dao of Stars. What you see is both real and illusory.
"The Great Dao hasn't influenced these existences yet; they're still mere aggregations of the true spirit based on one or several Great Dao. After heaven and earth are opened, the Great Dao will also govern and gradually transform them into powerful primordial beings.
"The rule in the Sea of Chaos prevents anything from influencing others. Once you and I leave this boat, we will become lost here and eventually be assimilated by Chaos."
Wang Sheng slowly nodded and then looked around.
Chaos was disordered, with no concept of time or space. Even a mere wisp of its aura contained countless information. Meanwhile, the Great Dao was contained but not yet revealed.
From the Chaos before him, he inferred that the endless space he inhabited was truly infinite and limitless.
Ziwei's Dao trace could only guide him to this place once. Wang Sheng stared around for a while, but all he saw was hazy mist.
"Do not search further. Chaos is infinite and boundless; it has no concept of size. A wisp of chaotic aura can contain hundreds of primordial beings, yet it is also possible that we're currently inside the belly of one." The emperor then burst out laughing. "Had I not fallen, keeping you by my side and guiding you would have been quite enjoyable."
Feeling elated yet slightly awkward, Wang Sheng smiled politely. He decided not to reveal that he already had a master.
Moreover, the Heavenly Ziwei Sword Art was merely a sword art he practiced alongside the Pure Yang Immortal Mantra. It was not the actual core of his cultivation.
Ziwei explained, "There are countless rare treasures in the Sea of Chaos. However, one can only encounter them by chance; they can't be sought. The Great Dao of Causality also operates unseen. The effects of later ages constrain the actions of the present. The chaotic treasures that have already manifested during the Primal Era, the Ancient Era, and your current era of cultivation won't reveal themselves to you."
"When you roamed the Sea of Chaos, did you ever pick up any treasures, Your Majesty?"
Ziwei smiled faintly. "I didn't find any good ones. At most, I found one or two Chaos-Origin Pearls and three or four taels of Chaos Dawnlight. Later, all of it was melted down to forge a sword."
"Was that the immortal sword that could fight a Taiyi Golden Immortal on its own?"
"Oh? You know quite a bit about my past. Unfortunately, I don't have any memories of this matter."
Wang Sheng sighed. "A sword spirit I'm nurturing told me about it. Do you still remember the thirteenth princess?"
Ziwei shook his head slightly. "There is no such name within this segment of my memory. What these Dao traces recorded was mostly my comprehension of chaos."
Wang Sheng just smiled and nodded.
They drifted for a while longer. It seemed they had not yet reached the region where true spirit and false spirit could be observed.
"Do you know what chaotic treasures are?" Ziwei asked.
"Um... Please enlighten me, Your Majesty."
"The living beings and treasures within Chaos are, in truth, manifestations of true spirit and the Great Dao, respectively. The so-called rare treasures are vessels of the Great Dao. Those that contain a complete Great Dao are called supreme treasures, while those that contain an incomplete Great Dao are called spirit treasures.
"Primordial beings collected most of the treasures after heaven and earth took shape. When the Primal Era ended, many of the primordial beings died, and many of their treasures were broken."
Wang Sheng was not particularly interested in treasures. Instead, he asked, "During the Primal Era, how did created beings defeat the primordial beings?"
Ziwei's expression turned solemn. "No matter how powerful divine abilities are, they cannot rival the malice of the human heart. Even just a few words of provocation could lead to a world-shaking war involving countless lives. Those who survived that era all became dominant figures during the Ancient Era.
"These matters cannot be explained in just a few words. Looking back, it's clear that the final victors were merely those lucky enough to survive to the end. Enough, let us not speak of this further!!" Ziwei flicked his sleeve. "Your cultivation is still shallow. When we reach that place later, you may not be able to comprehend much.
"Since these Dao traces are destined to dissipate after this, I might as well grant you a favor. I will open the Great Dao of Stars and let you roam the Sea of Chaos. I'll even send you to a place suffused with Dawnlight. If you can find a few taels of Dawnlight to protect yourself, you'll be able to forge a powerful weapon in the future."
Wang Sheng's heart immediately tightened. At that moment, he truly wanted to say, "Your Majesty, please do not mess around. Let's just look at the scenery and observe what false spirit and true spirit are. There is no need to cause trouble."
But before he could speak, Ziwei had already formed complex signs with both hands. A fishhook appeared out of thin air and latched onto the star map surrounding Wang Sheng.
Afterward, a fishing rod inexplicably appeared in Ziwei's hand. With a casual shake, he flung Wang Sheng straight into the void like bait strung on a hook.
"This is a rare opportunity. I can only send you to the place where I once obtained Dawnlight. When you see it, remember to open your mouth and absorb it!"
In the blink of an eye, Wang Sheng vanished into the chaotic aura. Ziwei stood quietly on the boat, holding the fishing rod that had a fishing line condensed from starlight. It seemed capable of extending endlessly.
Before long, the fishing rod bent forward slightly.
Ziwei's eyes lit up. "Has he actually found a treasure?"
He did not dare to hesitate. After all, he knew all too well how dangerous Chaos was, even though he was only a Dao trace fragment.
With a flick of the fishing rod, the line shone brilliantly. Wang Sheng suddenly appeared from directly above and crashed headfirst onto the canopy of the boat.
Ziwei chuckled softly at the sight, but his smile swiftly vanished.
Wang Sheng got back up on the canopy. He was biting half of a pink root, while a faint glow flickered within his abdomen. His belly was visibly swollen.
He then raised his hand, grasped the root, and pointed at the slowly flowing mass of seven-colored light in the abdomen of his Primordial Spirit. "Your Majesty, how do I get this thing out?"
"Once your Primordial Spirit returns to your Dao Body, it will naturally come out of your Primordial Spirit and be contained within you. Where did you absorb so much Dawnlight? Back then, I had to search quite hard just to find a single wisp for sword forging, while you..."
A wave of embarrassment coursed through Wang Sheng. He held up the palm-sized root. "What is this, Your Majesty?"
"It's probably a chaotic spirit herb, something that can be refined into alchemical pills." The emperor frowned deeply. "How could you catch up to a spirit herb within Chaos at your cultivation realm? What was its true form?"
"Mm, a lotus, soaking in that Dawnlight..."
Wang Sheng briefly described the lotus's appearance and what had just happened.
The events had been chaotic. In a daze, he had roamed who knew how far when he suddenly discovered a pool of seven-colored Dawnlight. He immediately seized the chance and rushed over, opening his mouth and gulping it down. Within the pool, however, was a lotus that seemed to have developed a spirit. It thrust a root straight at his Primordial Spirit, as if trying to knock him away.
Remembering Ziwei's instructions, Wang Sheng bit down on the root. He then felt a force pulling from behind as the emperor dragged him back.
Upon closer inspection, the root truly looked like an unformed lotus root.
"Your Majesty? Is everything okay?"
"Yes, don't worry about it.. Let's go. Once you've seen the true spirit and false spirit, we should hurry back."
"Didn't the rules of Chaos not say that things cannot influence each other here?"
Ziwei took a deep breath, then looked up and sighed deeply. He shook his head, unsure whether to laugh or cry.
"In the Sea of Chaos, there are four great wondrous treasures that aren't bound by any rules. Not even the Great Dao of Causality can affect them. That lotus was one of them. By rights, it shouldn't have appeared, yet it did before you.
"More than ten Grand Dao Golden Immortals once joined forces during the Ancient Era to find it, yet they failed to locate even a trace of it simply because it did not wish to be found. The fact that it showed itself to you, a mere True Immortal, has to be some kind of omen. It likely thrust its root to you to grant you a fated opportunity. But instead..."
Wang Sheng's mouth twitched. "Did I... bite that fated opportunity clean off?"
Ziwei patted Wang Sheng on the shoulder. "I once had countless subordinates, yet I have never had a junior as extraordinary as you. You even rejected enlightenment from the Chaos Green Lotus and bit off its root.
"Do you know how many supreme treasures and spirit treasures it transformed into in later ages? Its main body even accompanied the Three Pure Ones. If it harbors resentment toward you... You ought to be careful."
Wang Sheng's jaw dropped. He froze, now the one unsure whether he should cry or laugh. Looking at the root in his hand, he couldn't help but lick his lips.
Tastes a bit like radish.
