Tianhe's Lecture, Standing Alone Above the Rest

Zheng Fa doesn't really like drinking and has almost never gotten drunk in the past.

But today, his wine cup was filled to the brim again and again, until he was dizzy. He felt that there were more and more people in the hall, each of them seemingly able to split into Divine Ability, and they were all smiling at him.

Think about how these people are all dead...

It's not actually that creepy.

The cultivator who brought him in, a Nascent Body Integration Cultivator, seemed to be quite outgoing. He put his arm around Zheng Fa's neck and said loudly, "In our Heavenly Tianhe Sect, this is the rule: when commemorating senior and junior brothers, you can't cry, you have to drink."

"Again!"

Zheng Fa smiled, raised his glass, clinked it with the other person's, and drank it all in one gulp.

These disciples are paying tribute to their deceased fellow disciples.

He was paying tribute to his disciples.

Venerable Tianhe also held a cup of wine, sat at the head of the table, and drank alone, seemingly lost in thought.

It seems these disciples were somewhat afraid of this Venerable One, and none of them bothered him.

Zheng Fa didn't step forward either, but instead chatted and laughed with the group of Tianhe disciples.

Listen to them boast, argue, slam their fists on the table, draw their swords and fight fiercely, then drink together again, inseparable.

Venerable Tianhe didn't seem to care, appearing quite used to it. He only occasionally glanced at Zheng Fa, noticing how Zheng Fa blended seamlessly among the Tianhe disciples, and raised an eyebrow slightly.

After several rounds of drinks, Zheng Fa propped his head up and watched his two disciples dueling in the hall, their swords flashing like dragons, their light shining in all directions.

In the midst of the commotion, suddenly the Venerable Tianhe heard him bend his finger and lightly tap the table.

Knock knock.

Although the sound wasn't loud, the Tianhe disciples reacted as if they had heard two thunderclaps, their movements freezing in shock.

In an instant, the hall became so quiet you could hear a pin drop, as if the previous commotion had been a grand illusion.

Zheng Fa looked to his side and saw that the Tianhe disciple who had been arm in arm with him and seemed outgoing was now wearing a bitter face, as if he was worried.

What are you worried about?

Zheng Fa looked at Venerable Tianhe and heard him say, "Have you finished drinking?"

A few scattered responses rang out. "Yes."

"Then it's time to get down to business."

Having said that, Venerable Tianhe was the first to stand up and walk out of the main hall.

The disciples of the Tianhe Sect followed behind. Zheng Fa was a little puzzled and quietly asked the cultivator beside him, "What important matter is it?"

"Hmm, preaching."

"Sermon?"

Zheng Fa frowned, thinking to himself, "Why are you all making such a fuss about something as good as preaching?"

He was quite envious of Venerable Tianhe's lectures.

Besides, didn't he come to the Myriad Swords Realm precisely to learn?

"Because the struggle between our Tianhe Sect and the All Saints Dynasty intensifies, after each major battle, the Sect Leader would give us a sermon... personally guiding us."

"Personally... guide?"

"Hmm, the Sect Leader is ruthless."

Zheng Fa grinned.

He could tell that Venerable Tianhe valued his disciples highly, liked to review their performance after exams, and seemed to believe that a sword's edge is honed through tempering and that great disciples emerge from discipline.

As an outsider, I don't need to be beaten like this, do I?

Ahead, Venerable Tianhe suddenly turned around and glanced at him.

Zheng Fa obediently followed the flow of people out of the main hall.

The landscape of the Myriad Swords Realm has changed once again.

This time, Zheng Fa saw the Heaven-Piercing Sword Peak again, but it was not just the Heaven-Piercing Sword Peak:

They stood atop Sword Peak, with open, flat ground beneath their feet, but suddenly a nine-tiered, bucket-shaped staircase appeared before them.

Ascending the steps, one finds a platform paved with blue bricks, surrounded by a jade railing engraved with densely packed star charts.

At the center is a huge stone disc resembling a sundial, on which are also engraved various directional stars.

Stargazing Platform?

Zheng Fa suddenly looked around and then realized where he was:

All around was a black, Chaos void. The Xuanwei Realm was located below the Stargazing Platform, like a lonely island in the hazy night.

The Heaven-Piercing Sword Peak and this Stargazing Platform are like lighthouses on the shore of an island.

Looking upwards, you can see holes used for stargazing.

It was as if some kind of Method Formula had been used on the hole, making it resemble an astronomical telescope, causing many stars to fly into Zheng Fa's eyes, appearing in perfect detail.

Those that were glowing were sometimes humanoid, sometimes divine beasts or Spirit Root, and sometimes Law Treasure artifacts.

"Are these Ancient Immortals Ancient Gods?"

Zheng Fa couldn't help but ask.

He had long felt that the stars in the Xuanwei Realm were very strange, and now, looking at them from this Stargazing Platform, he was certain of his opinion—they were the legendary Ancient Immortals.

Venerable Tianhe chuckled and said, "Today I will speak of what it means to be an immortal and what it means to follow the Dao!"

Zheng Fa was taken aback, thinking to himself that this didn't seem like an exam summary. Then, looking at the gazes of the Tianhe disciples around him, he suddenly understood:

Venerable Tianhe is about to transmit the Dharma!

To put it bluntly, whether it's the Celestial River Method or the Yang Spirit Method, it's all for the purpose of cultivating immortality and the Dao.

Venerable Tianhe started his explanation from here to help Zheng Fa understand not only what happened, but also why it happened, which shows his painstaking efforts.

Having figured this out, he perked up his ears and listened attentively.

Venerable Tianhe pointed to the stars in the holes and said, "For us cultivators, from the moment we attain the Dao Fruit, Immortal Method are one and inseparable."

Therefore, immortality is law, and law is immortality.

This was a familiar saying to Zheng Fa, but he still listened very attentively.

It is truly a great fortuitous opportunity to receive teachings from such a powerful being as Venerable Tianhe.

"Immortals are the embodiment of the law." Venerable Tianhe paused, then suddenly asked, "Can anyone tell me the difference between Loose Immortal and True Immortal?"

Zheng Fa Fachao glanced around and saw that all the Tianhe disciples had their heads down, as if the blue bricks beneath their feet contained Daoist energy.

This scene was so familiar that it felt like he was back home.

Venerable Tianhe snorted lightly, seemingly disapproving of their behavior, and casually selected one of Tianhe disciples.

The disciple stood up and said somewhat uncertainly, " To Loose Immortal to True Immortal, one must undergo the Loose Immortal Tribulation?"

"Then why is there Loose Immortal Tribulation?" Venerable Tianhe, perhaps a strict teacher, pressed on, "Also, what's the difference between True Immortal and Loose Immortal?"

The disciple shrank back and remained silent.

Now Zheng Fa understood why these disciples were afraid of Venerable Tianhe's sermons:

The number one expert in Xuanwei stares intently at you, relentlessly questioning you; most people simply can't withstand that.

"Foolish! I've already explained the path to True Immortal, yet you can't even grasp this basic point?"

"I could figure this out when I was at the Spirit Transformation. You want me to teach you step by step?"

"Alright! I'll just say it once, remember it!"

Zheng Fa wished he could bury his head in the ground.

The Tianhe disciples beside him seemed used to it all along, letting him be as strong as he wanted.

It's said that geniuses aren't suited to be teachers, and irritable geniuses are even less suited.

"The Loose Immortal Tribulation is not a traditional tribulation of Lightning Tribulation Wind Tribulation, but Dao Assimilation Tribulation!"

Zheng Fa was taken aback and looked up at Venerable Tianhe, listening intently.

"What is the Dao Assimilation Tribulation? It means that if you don't have your own method as a foundation and instead learn all the Cultivation Method of others, then you yourself will become nourishment for that method!"

"Only by possessing one's own Cultivation Method can one retain a trace of True Spirit during the Loose Immortal Tribulation and transform into True Immortal!"

Did you understand?

I understand.

The Loose Immortal Tribulation (×)

Heavenly Tribulation (Check for Plagiarism) (√)

Xuanwei plagiarized! That's outrageous!

Only now does Zheng Fa understand what this thing really is.

To put it bluntly, what True Immortal look for is the innovativeness of a cultivator's methods?

Seeing his expression of sudden realization, Venerable Tianhe's gaze paused slightly.

"Sect Leader, where is that Golden Immortal?"

A studious disciple raised his own questions.

"The Golden Immortal are like the brightest stars."

Zheng Fa glanced at the holes, wondering what the stars represented, when Venerable Tianhe explained.

"Golden Immortal are in charge of Creation," Venerable Tianhe said bluntly, seemingly aware that his disciples were not skilled enough.

Creation?

"They created the world and governed the universe so that all living beings could multiply and survive," Venerable Tianhe explained.

Parallel world?

Are these stars from parallel universes?

Was the parallel world from which the Heart Demon originated created by Golden Immortal?

Zheng Fa listened in a daze; these things were still somewhat distant from him, and for the time being, he could only listen.

Venerable Tianhe didn't say much more, but simply returned to the original topic. "In this way, the Golden Immortal's method becomes the Heavenly Dao of his world."

Therefore, the Law, Immortals, and the Dao are truly one.

Not to mention Zheng Fa, even the disciples of Tianhe were somewhat bewildered yet yearning, secretly pondering the implications.

Venerable Tianhe suddenly added, "But this is not the essence of immortality."

Everyone fell silent and turned their gaze to him.

But Venerable Tianhe's gaze fell on Dharma Body.

Zheng Fa looked at Venerable Tianhe with some confusion, listening as he said, "The essence of immortals is that they are more powerful beings who will not perish; therefore, we say that the Immortal Way values life."

Zheng Fa nodded slightly.

This is hardly a new idea.

Even any cultivator of the Xuanwei could understand this if brought here.

But I imagine Venerable Tianhe would have a different perspective.

"The difference between immortals and humans lies in the fact that immortals are composed of Daoist principles, which are essentially the rules of heaven and earth," Venerable Tianhe continued. "Cultivating immortality is the process of transforming a physical body into a being governed by the Principle nature."

This statement is quite simple.

The disciples all nodded in agreement.

"Nodding? You understand?"

"Clear!"

"You really understand?"

"I understand now!"

"Very well, then let me ask you: since you want to become beings Principle, you must understand what a being is." Venerable Tianhe smiled, looking quite satisfied. "So, do you know?"

The disciples quieted down and began to meditate on the Dao.

Just as Zheng Fa was about to lower his head, Venerable Tianhe suddenly said, "Zheng Fa, why don't you tell us?"

Me, an auditor, in my first class!

Recalling his eye contact with Venerable Tianhe just now, Zheng Fa couldn't help but feel a little regretful—he had committed a grave taboo.

Beside him, the Tianhe disciples who had just been drinking and chatting happily, calling each other brothers, all turned their heads and grinned at him, their expressions filled with relief and joy.

Zheng Fa looked up and saw Venerable Tianhe staring at him with curiosity in his eyes.

He thought for a moment, then said, "Venerable One, many of my ideas actually come from the Jade Pendant."

"It's alright. Only because you came here could I glimpse a part or two of the Jade Pendant's condition; it's not complete." Venerable Tianhe seemed to understand his meaning and waved his hand, saying, "The Jade Pendant is not mine."

These words startled Zheng Fa, but he didn't have time to think about them carefully. Instead, he suppressed his doubts and said:

"I once heard a great master surnamed Xue say that the essence of life lies in order."

"Order?" Venerable Tianhe's eyes lit up, seemingly pleasantly surprised, and he asked, "What do you mean by that?"

Zheng Fa lowered his head and began to think about how to explain it more clearly.

He had read many books in the Modern World, but the one that gave him the most insight into the essence of life was not the work of a biologist, but rather Schrödinger's "What Is Life??".

This book appeared very early, so naturally it does not include later developments in biology, and even contains many theories that have been overturned.

But the description of the essence of life remained etched in Zheng Fa's mind.

This is perfect for answering Venerable Tianhe's question.

To summarize later theories and Schrödinger's views, the main characteristic of life is that it maintains its own order by absorbing energy, but at the same time, it transfers the positive entropy it generates to the external environment.

Simply put, humans eat food and plants absorb sunlight to maintain the orderly functioning of their own bodies and maintain a low-entropy state.

Dissipating heat means transferring its own entropy increase to the environment.

Of course, Zheng Fa couldn't say that, since the concept of entropy was too unfamiliar to Venerable Tianhe.

"Whether it's people, flowers, birds, fish, or insects, they are all products of the Dao." Zheng Fa explained in a way that a Xuanwei cultivator could understand.

"The rules governing living beings are actually the same as those governing heaven and earth; all things are intertwined."

Venerable Tianhe listened quietly, then suddenly asked, "Then what do you mean by saying life is order?"

"Although all things in heaven and earth follow the Dao itself, living beings are the most complex and exquisite products of the Heavenly Dao."

Zheng Fa explained.

"Like a stubborn rock, exposed to wind and sun, it turns into soil, yet remains oblivious and unaware."

"Only life possesses the will to survive; it essentially replicates itself in an attempt to maintain its own order."

Silence fell over the Stargazing Platform; these words seemed somewhat incomprehensible to the cultivators of the Tianhe.

"We cultivators can naturally understand that human growth is actually the self-replication of cells."

Venerable Tianhe frowned first. "Cells?"

Then, as if he had thought of something, he nodded.

Zheng Fa also expected that Venerable Tianhe had seen the cells. After all, the eyesight of cultivators was not to be underestimated. The loyal disciple of Tianhe who died back then had even fused his Life-bound Dharma Treasure with the cells.

He simply didn't know what Venerable Tianhe called cells.

However, judging from the situation, Venerable Tianhe seemed to understand.

Therefore, the instinct of living beings is to grow and reproduce, which is actually the self-maintenance of order.

In simple terms, Zheng Fa believes that life lies in the division and recombination of DNA, and the essence of DNA is an orderly arrangement of matter.

However, Venerable Tianhe and others did not know what DNA was, so Zheng Fa could only use order instead of generalization.

"Therefore, if Your Excellency asks me what living beings are, then in my view, living beings themselves are the highest product of the laws of heaven and earth, a self-replicating and self-maintaining order."

At this point, Zheng Fa stopped talking. Because Venerable Tianhe had never been to school, he really didn't know how else to explain it more clearly.

Venerable Tianhe remained silent for a while, then his expression suddenly turned somewhat disdainful.

Did I say something wrong?

Did Venerable Tianhe consider himself foolish?

Venerable Tianhe gave him a deep look, his eyes revealing nothing, but his gaze swept across the faces of the other Tianhe disciples, his expression clearly showing dissatisfaction.

Zheng Fa turned his head and met the gaze of the Tianhe disciple who had just been pleasuring him with his arm around his neck. He saw only one thing written in the other's eyes:

Brother, you feel like a stranger to me.