Celestial River Method, Seamless from End to End

After criticizing his own disciple, Venerable Tianhe looked at Zheng Fa with a hint of anticipation in his eyes.

Is there anything else?

The exploration of the essence of living beings is of paramount importance. As Zheng Fa said, since cultivating immortality is the evolution of life, understanding what life is is the key to knowing which direction to evolve in.

Under the gaze of Venerable Tianhe, Zheng Fa paused, pondering in his heart. He did indeed have some immature ideas, but they had never been systematic. Now that Venerable Tianhe was in person, it was a good opportunity to ask for his guidance.

"And..." Zheng Fa, seeing Venerable Tianhe listening intently, continued, "This is the essence of life, but for humans and cultivators, intelligence may be even more important."

Venerable Tianhe's eyes lit up, and he said impatiently, "Continue!"

"In my view, intelligence itself is the highest and most exquisite order."

Zheng Fa carefully considered the wording.

What he refers to as order here is actually an algorithm, or a structure.

In the human body, this order is rooted in the structure of the nervous system.

In the field of computer science, this kind of order manifests as the algorithmic construction of artificial intelligence.

"And this order can, in turn, analyze its own order, and even understand the rules of heaven and earth..." Zheng Fa paused, then continued, "This is a miracle."

Einstein famously said, "The most incomprehensible thing about the universe is that it can be understood."

Wisdom is a peculiar thing that is difficult to explain.

Of course, Zheng Fa hadn't come to discuss philosophy with Venerable Tianhe, so he changed the subject and said:

"Even intelligence seems to exhibit a kind of vitality—for example, when cultivators refine Spirit Treasure, isn't that intelligence generating intelligence?"

"And as you said, Venerable One, the Golden Immortal who control Creation and create worlds are more like a form of reproduction."

The disciples of Tianhe were confused, sensing that there was some deeper meaning in the story, but they couldn't quite put their finger on what it was.

But Venerable Tianhe laughed:

What are you trying to say?

"If Your Excellency wishes to ask me about the essence of cultivating immortality or the Tao—I will venture a word: the Tao gave me life, I attained the Tao, and cultivating the Tao is the propagation and growth of the Heavenly Dao."

If Zheng Fa's words are interpreted in modern terms, they mean that intelligent life forms are the offspring of the universe, just as silkworms are the larvae of moths. Humans also begin as larvae, and only after cultivating the Tao can they grow into the universe.

The Stargazing Platform was silent for a moment.

Starlight poured in through the hole, sprinkling onto Zheng Dharma Body and giving him a dazzling silver edge.

Venerable Tianhe stared at Zheng Fa for a long time, then suddenly burst into laughter, took three steps to the right, pointed to the blue bricks beside him, and said, "Come here."

Zheng Fa paused for a moment, then stepped forward to stand shoulder to shoulder with Venerable Tianhe.

Venerable Tianhe pressed on his shoulder and gave him a gentle push, making Zheng Fa stand facing the disciples.

Zheng Fa then noticed that these Tianhe disciples were all in perfect unison, respectfully bowing to him as if they were his teacher.

He tried to raise his hand to stop him, but Venerable Tianhe pressed down on his shoulder, saying, "You deserve this courtesy for those words just now."

Venerable Tianhe paused, then said, "I have nothing more to say."

The disciples of Tianhe raised their heads, their eyes filled with admiration as they looked at Zheng Fa.

"Well? He has inherited my Tianhe Dao Lineage. Do any of you have any objections?"

"None!"

Zheng Fa turned his head to look at Venerable Tianhe, and opened his mouth to speak.

Venerable Tianhe asked, "What do you want to ask?"

"May I ask, what is Spiritual Qi?"

This was the question Zheng Fa was most curious about, and it also concerned the future Spiritual-Energy Decline of Xuanwei's spiritual energy.

Venerable Tianhe laughed, seemingly unsurprised. "Just look at those stars."

Looking at the holes in Zheng Fa's book, he couldn't immediately grasp the meaning.

"Look closely, look at the Chaos beside the stars."

Zheng Fa's heart stirred, and his gaze fell on the boundary between the stars and the Chaos, his eyes suddenly widening.

"Spiritual Qi originates from Chaos?"

Venerable Tianhe nodded and said:

"Chaos is the origin of all things, the place where the Dao exists, and all laws are hidden within it."

Zheng Fa looked at the darkness, not quite understanding.

"When living beings comprehend the laws of nature with wisdom, their spirit interacts with Chaos, separating yin and yang, and transforming into the Five Elements, thus giving rise to Spiritual Qi."

this...

Zheng Fa became increasingly confused the more he listened.

He could understand what Venerable Tianhe was saying.

To use a somewhat inaccurate analogy, Chaos is like an endless mine, containing all sorts of rules.

The intelligence and Divine Soul of all things are like mining machines; once you know the rules, it's like having an instruction manual, allowing you to extract the corresponding Spiritual Qi from Chaos.

To put it simply, knowledge generates Spiritual Qi!

"The so-called nameless is the origin of all things; the named is the mother of all things," Venerable Tianhe said leisurely. "That is so."

Zheng Fa frowned and asked, "What about the decline in Spiritual Qi?"

"Have no idea."

"..."

Venerable Tianhe looked at Zheng Fa and said confidently, "If I knew everything, would things have turned out like this?"

That makes sense.

"Back then, I was trying to perfect the Celestial River Method while also figuring out how to deal with the threat from the Four Sects. As for matters of Spiritual Qi, I simply didn't have the capacity to explore them."

Zheng Fa asked in confusion, "Then back then, Venerable One, you raised your sword to strike down the heavens..."

"It's for the Celestial River Method, and also to leave behind a legacy." Venerable Tianhe pointed at him, "Waiting for you."

"The inheritance of the Celestial River Method?"

Zheng Fa's heart skipped a beat, and he could hardly contain his excitement.

Venerable Tianhe conjured a Jade Slip in his hand and handed it to Zheng Fa.

Zheng Fa took the Jade Slip and listened to Venerable Tianhe's explanation.

"The limitation of the Celestial River Method lies in Self-Attachment."

Zheng Fa nodded slightly.

"Compared to the Yang Spirit and the Dharma Body, the Celestial River Method has a major weakness—it cannot draw upon the wisdom of sentient beings."

"Back then, I destroyed mountains and temples partly because they were all from the Four Sects, which were enemies of my Tianhe Sect. On the other hand, it was also to perfect the Celestial River Method."

When talking about this bloody and turbulent period, Venerable Tianhe spoke lightly.

Zheng Fa, however, could understand.

Back then, the Tianhe Sect and the Four Sects were outwardly friendly but inwardly at odds.

At some unknown time, the Four Sects cultivated many traitors within the Tianhe Sect.

It's only natural that Venerable Tianhe would attack various sects, collect resources Cultivation Method, and simultaneously eliminate the Four Sects ' allies.

This venerable one has a kind heart, but to say that the Xuanwei Overlord is a person who has never shed blood and is kind-hearted would be laughable.

"Later, I finally took the next step in the Celestial River Method, but I faced a choice."

What choice?

"Tianhe Sect and the Celestial River Method, I could only protect one at the time."

"Why?"

You'll understand once you see it.

Zheng Fa placed the Jade Slip on his forehead, channeling his Divine Sense to read the Method Formula within.

A moment later, he opened his eyes and exclaimed in surprise:

"The Myriad Immortals Formation? Self-Slaying?"

Venerable Tianhe seemed even more surprised and asked in return:

"You understood it so quickly?"

Zheng Fa nodded. "It's quite easy to understand."

Venerable Tianhe paused for a moment, then turned his head, his gaze sweeping across the disciples.

Honestly, the Celestial River Method was much easier for Zheng Fa to understand than the Yang Spirit Method or the Dharma Body Method.

The next step for Celestial River Method can be summed up in eight words: open-source networking and decentralization.

The Xuanwei Formation Dao uses Spirit Stone as the main material for setting up arrays, supplemented by various Law Artifact.

Venerable Tianhe then used his Life-bound Dharma Treasure to set up the formation.

This is somewhat similar to how Zheng Fa used the Zizhi Tongjian (Comprehensive Mirror Aid in Government) to establish the Internet.

If the disciples of the Tianhe Sect practiced the same method, they could easily unite by setting up an array using their Life-bound Dharma Treasure.

Zheng Fa looked down at the disciples of Tianhe.

"Fellow senior brothers, you have cultivated the Myriad Immortals Formation?"

"Set up the formation!"

Tens of thousands of Tianhe disciples shouted in unison, and countless immortal Immortal Sword pointed at Zheng Fa in mid-air, their fierce aura even surpassing that of Loose Immortal!

You should know that among these disciples, the highest level of cultivation is only at the Union Realm!

Regardless of how beneficial the Myriad Immortal Formation Method is to cultivation, its ability to enhance a cultivator's combat power is undeniable.

Zheng Fa looked at the group of disciples, his eyes gleaming with admiration, and he thought of the Nine Mountains Military Academy.

The Nine Mountains Military Academy has been researching Immortal Array Method, but immortal formations require cultivators to use Method Formula to achieve mental connection. How can that be as fast as connecting with one's Life-bound Dharma Treasure?

The Myriad Immortal Formation Method seems to combine the strengths of both Immortal Array Method and Xuanwei Formation Dao!

Bringing back the Myriad Immortal Formation Method and improving the Immortal Array Method will undoubtedly boost the combat power of the cultivators from the Nine Mountains!

Seeing Zheng Fa's eyes light up, Venerable Tianhe also curled the corners of his mouth, unable to help but feel a little smug.

The Myriad Immortals Formation was the essence of his Dao, and the fact that Zheng Fa, a successor of this lineage, recognized its value was somewhat comforting to him.

But Zheng Fa's next words made him pause in surprise.

"While the Myriad Immortals Formation can be considered an unprecedented creation in the Formation Dao by the Venerable One," Zheng Fa said sincerely, "In my opinion, Self-Slaying is the act that would earn the Venerable One the respect of future generations!"

Upon hearing this, Venerable Tianhe looked at Zheng Fa and remained silent for a long time. Then, with a wave of his hand, two bronze wine cups appeared out of thin air between the two of them.

"It is a pity that we were unable to drink together in the hall just now."

Zheng Fa accepted a cup of wine, but his attitude remained firm. "Just for this Self-Slaying demise, I should offer a cup to the Venerable One."

Having said that, Zheng Fa raised the wine cup to his lips and drank it all in one gulp.

He wasn't just pretending to flatter him.

If it were only the Myriad Immortal Formation Method, Zheng Fa Association amazed, but he wouldn't admire it this much.

The Myriad Immortals Formation is already quite wondrous.

On one hand, this method is extremely powerful in combat; it would be the ultimate protective method for any sect.

On the other hand, cultivators within the formation share the same mind and Method Formula, naturally absorbing the essence of others' cultivation to improve themselves.

With just these two advantages, the Celestial River Method is already on par with the Yang Spirit Method and the Dharma Body Method.

But what is most admirable about Venerable Tianhe is that he "Self-Slaying," breaking free from Self-Attachment.

Simply put, it's about decentralization and equality between the Daoist and Buddhist schools of thought.

Anyone who practices the Celestial River Method can see the complete set of methods and even modify them at will.

When later practitioners improve their cultivation and their Method Formula become more profound, their methods become the orthodox ones.

Compared to the Yang Spirit Method and the Dharma Body Method, which prioritize the source of Daoist teachings, the Celestial River Method of Venerable Tianhe is truly... far too egalitarian.

Looking again at the Jade Slip in his hand, Zheng Fa felt a heaviness in his palm, finally understanding the weight of this inheritance.

Has this Venerable Tianhe broken free from Self-Attachment?

Perhaps not, but his obsession was so great that he himself became insignificant.

If the Myriad Immortals Formation reflects Venerable Tianhe's talent.

The words "Self-Slaying" deeply impressed Zheng Fa, who was struck by the Venerable One's magnanimity.

He remained silent for a long time before finally asking:

"Back then, Venerable One, you raised your sword to cleave the heavens, was it to Self-Slaying?"

"Partly yes," Venerable Tianhe nodded. "As I just said, only one of the Tianhe Sect and the Celestial River Method can exist."

"Many disciples of the Tianhe Sect are unwilling to follow me."

Zheng Fa remained silent upon hearing this.

He used to think that Venerable Tianhe was not good at cultivating fellow practitioners, but now he understands that this Venerable simply had no other choice:

It's important to know that the Tianhe Sect and the Four Sects had a honeymoon period.

There was even a lot of exchange of Cultivation Method between the two sides.

Even Venerable Tianhe himself probably doesn't realize the vast difference between the Celestial River Method and the various Dao Fruit.

When cracks appear between the two sides, it's too late.

From the perspective of someone who came after him, Zheng Fa certainly knew where the problem lay with the Tianhe Sect.

But if he were in the same situation as Venerable Tianhe, he asked himself honestly, he could never possibly have the ability to foresee the future.

The Tianhe Sect cannot inherit the Celestial River Method; the more the Celestial River Method develops, the more the Tianhe Sect splits.

This is why Venerable Tianhe said that only one of the two can exist.

I've given up on the Tianhe Sect.

Venerable Tianhe's tone was somewhat low.

He probably understood that although there were traitors within the Tianhe Sect, there were also many disciples loyal to him...

"That sword strike was naturally for testing the Celestial River Method."

"Did the Venerable One succeed?"

Venerable Tianhe nodded slightly.

"Then why did you, Venerable One, perish?"

Zheng Fa became increasingly confused. "Self-Slaying" was merely a cultivation method; how could Venerable Tianhe truly be dead?

"I have discovered Lu Mo's identity, and moreover, he is about to attain enlightenment."

"..."

Zheng Fa was startled. "Not three Tribulation Reincarnation..."

"This has happened three times already."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Fa felt as if lightning had struck his mind, and he finally realized what he had overlooked:

Lu Mo already Tribulation Reincarnation!

The first one was the Demon Emperor, who, as the ruler of the Demon Race, was naturally Golden Immortal!

The third incarnation was the Original Devil Ancestor Original Devil Ancestor, the founder of the Dharma Body Method, equivalent to the ancestor of the Demonic Sect. It was no surprise that he cultivated to become Golden Immortal.

The only problem is the second incarnation, the one as the Vast Sun First Ancestor.

Zheng Fa had always heard people talk about True Immortal Lu, and he thought that this first ancestor had only cultivated to the True Immortal True Immortal Lu.

But now we realize it's unreasonable:

Vast Sun Mountain was the overlord of the Divine Dao Era, but its ancestor was only True Immortal, which was far too low.

On the other hand, Vast Sun Mountain appeared earlier than the Devil Ancestor.

According to the Tribulation-Transference Method, the first Vast Sun First Ancestor appeared first, followed by the first incarnation of the Original Devil Ancestor.

Lu Mo would Bandit Cultivator Demonic Sect Method without achieving the Golden Immortal status in his second life!

therefore...

"Lu Mo already obtained the three Golden Immortal certifications?"

"He had already reached the point of Three-Tribulation Unity, but his ambition was too great; he wanted to achieve the Grand Luo status in the Book of Life and Death, which held him back."

"Grand Luo?"

Above the Golden Immortal, there are two more realms: Grand Unity and Grand Luo.

"Is Grand Luo stronger than Grand Unity?"

"Strong is certainly strong, but in reality there is no distinction between higher and lower realms. It's just that the Grand Luo is the orthodox lineage of the Heavenly Dao, the ultimate Dao Fruit."

"Orthodox..."

Zheng Fa was secretly alarmed. If the ultimate goal of cultivators was to become the Heavenly Dao, then the so-called Grand Luo was the highest Heavenly Dao?

He could imagine that when Venerable Tianhe discovered Lu Mo's identity back then, he was probably quite surprised.

"So back then, Venerable One, you..."

"Lu Mo's second incarnation attained enlightenment through the Fusang Wood, transforming into the Great Sun."

"... Fusang Wood?"

Zheng Fa felt a jolt run down his spine.

That's right. The Demon Emperor attained enlightenment thanks to the Fusang Wood, so naturally he wouldn't let go of such a top-tier Heaven-and-Earth Spirit Root...

His second incarnation, achieved enlightenment through the Fusang Wood, was all too natural.

"At the time, I wanted to see what a world without Spiritual Qi would be like, and since I didn't want Lu Mo to achieve Dao, I killed the Great Sun with a single sword strike."

No wonder the Fusang Wood fits so perfectly in the Modern World... Turns out it's a disassembled original part!