Beyond the Realm's Karma, Refining False into True

Wu Zhiqi's heart immediately surged with boundless ambition. If he could refine the water veins of the Three Realms, he might even stand shoulder to shoulder with Zhen Yuanzi, the Ancestor of Earth Immortals!

In the past, trying to control the water veins would naturally have been exceedingly difficult. The Dragon Race, which controlled the water veins of the world, would never have allowed him to monopolize the fortune of the Water Origin Great Dao.

But now, as the Water Official Great Emperor appointed by Imperial Edict of the Heavenly Court and charged with managing the Water Origin Great Dao of the Three Realms, refining the water veins of the Three Realms was perfectly justified!

Thus, after giving Xuan Yin a few instructions, he entered seclusion, intending to use the Huai River basin as his foundation and first refine the water veins of the Four Major Continents!

As for the duties of the Water Official Great Emperor and the management of the Huai River Water Mansion, he entrusted them to Xuan Yin. Using Wu Zhiqi's name, Xuan Yin began recruiting large numbers of demons to strengthen the Huai River Water Mansion.

Wu Zhiqi's reputation was no small thing. Especially after that earth-shaking battle, countless Demon Clan cultivators had come to pledge themselves to him of their own accord.

Among them were quite a few great demons who had appeared in Journey to the West, such as the better-known demon kings: the Bull Demon King, the Flood Dragon Demon King, the Yu Rong King, and the Macaque King.

The Demon Clan revered strength. With Wu Zhiqi's reputation, there was naturally no shortage of great demons coming to seek refuge.

Yet as he watched one distinctively spirited great demon after another, Xuan Yin could not help frowning, beginning to doubt the reality of this world!

He had pondered it long ago: was this world real, or was it illusory?

If it was real, why had he never been able to wield the power of his Dao Fruit?

If it was illusory, did every living being in the Three Realms, each with their own thoughts, know that the world they inhabited was false?

"I truly can't tell!"

Xuan Yin shook his head, his expression deeply pained. A golden light suddenly shot from his eyes, as though he intended to pierce the boundary between reality and illusion.

Yet he gained nothing!

Only after a long while did he sigh softly. "My current strength is still far from this world's limit. Naturally, I cannot see through its falsehood!"

His intuition told him that this world was illusory, yet every vivid, living creature seemed to constantly refute his conjecture.

After thinking it over, he immediately transformed into a streak of light and flew toward Wuzhuang Temple.

While cultivating the Great Dao of Earth Immortals, Xuan Yin had formed karma with Zhen Yuanzi. The latter had even personally invited Xuan Yin to visit Wuzhuang Temple someday.

In the Primordial True Realm, his cultivation did not support traveling far, but in this world, making a trip to Wuzhuang Temple on Longevity Mountain was no difficult matter!

"Who goes there?"

The moment Xuan Yin's escaping light descended outside Wuzhuang Temple, two young Daoist boys stopped him.

Looking at the two young Daoist boys before him, Xuan Yin quickly bowed. "I am Gu Yue Fang Yuan. I have come to pay my respects to Great Immortal Zhen Yuan!"

As he spoke, he revealed the aura of his cultivation of the Great Dao of Earth Immortals. "Come to think of it, I can be considered half a disciple of Great Immortal Zhen Yuan!"

Within the Three Realms, all beings who cultivated the Great Dao of Earth Immortals regarded Great Immortal Zhen Yuan as their ancestor. There was nothing wrong with him saying so.

Qingfeng frowned slightly at this. "Wait here. I will inform Teacher!"

Bright Moon, however, wore a strange expression. "Although Teacher has never been stingy in imparting the Great Dao of Earth Immortals, and there are countless Rogue Cultivators from his teachings, including Martial Brother Qingfeng and me, there are only forty-eight people with the name of master and disciple. When did a monkey like you learn the arts of Earth Immortals?"

"I do not know either!"

Xuan Yin shook his head. "I would estimate that it has been at least several hundred Epochs?"

Shock immediately appeared on Bright Moon's face. "Several hundred Epochs? How is that possible?"

"I would not lie!"

Xuan Yin smiled faintly. Standing outside Wuzhuang Temple, he silently observed everything around him and answered every one of Bright Moon's curious questions.

If this was Journey to the West, then he was not lying. Though he could not see the future, there had been at least several hundred Epochs from the era of the Lich to the era of Journey to the West.

"Invite him in!"

Great Immortal Zhen Yuan's Magic Power was unfathomable, so he had naturally noticed everything outside. How strange. I have clearly never seen this monkey before, so why is there a thread of karma between us?

Soon, Xuan Yin met Great Immortal Zhen Yuan. "This junior, Xuan Yin, pays respects to Great Immortal Zhen Yuan!"

Zhen Yuanzi's fingertips moved as he carefully calculated. "Xuan Yin? Are you not Gu Yue Fang Yuan?"

Xuan Yin nodded, then shook his head. "Within this world, I am naturally Gu Yue Fang Yuan. But beyond this world, I am Xuan Yin, a disciple of the Intercepting Sect!"

"Within the realm? Beyond the realm?"

Though Zhen Yuanzi looked puzzled, he did not seem particularly surprised. "Truth and falsehood—when truth becomes false, falsehood becomes truth! The Great Dao is boundless. It seems there are still many things in this world that This Humble Daoist does not know. But may I ask why you have come to my Wuzhuang Temple? Is there some important matter?"

"There is no important matter!"

Xuan Yin shook his head. "Beyond this world, Senior Zhen Yuanzi once invited this junior to Wuzhuang Temple for an appointment. But now that I am in this world, I cannot keep that appointment. I could only come here to see another Senior Zhen Yuanzi!"

Though he had exchanged only a few words with Zhen Yuanzi after entering Wuzhuang Temple, Zhen Yuanzi's reaction had already confirmed some of his suspicions.

This world was illusory!

Otherwise, why would Zhen Yuanzi, the Ancestor of Earth Immortals, whose imprint spanned endless time and space once he attained the Dao, not remember the invitation he had once extended to him?

Zhen Yuanzi's expression remained calm. "Worlds as numerous as grains of sand, immeasurable living beings—how truly interesting. If possible, This Humble Daoist would indeed like to meet another me!"

He pointed at the pond within Wuzhuang Temple and smiled at the reflection upon its surface. "The reflection in the water may seem illusory, but since it exists, it proves that our world is not the only one! Truth and falsehood, falsehood and truth—some things are not actually so important!"

"Senior is truly broad-minded!"

Xuan Yin nodded and revealed his Heavenly Immortal Dao Fruit. "The world I come from has an origin that can be said to surpass this world by ten thousand times, and is known as the Primordial True Realm. Yet no matter which world it is, Senior Zhen Yuanzi is one of the most carefree and open-minded people between Heaven and Earth!"

Though he had confirmed that this world was illusory, he still could not help admiring Great Immortal Zhen Yuan. No matter which world he was from, Great Immortal Zhen Yuan could be called... unbound by things, untroubled in heart, and unconfused by the Dao!

At this moment, although Xuan Yin could not use the power of his Heavenly Immortal Dao Fruit, he could still manifest it for Great Immortal Zhen Yuan to observe its mysteries.

"This..."

As Zhen Yuanzi gazed at the Dao Fruit before him, he could not help becoming absorbed in it. In any world, he was one of the strongest beings beneath the Sages, and few could rival his understanding of the Great Dao.

Within Xuan Yin's Dao Fruit, he glimpsed another path. Part of this Great Dao was also exceedingly similar to his own Great Dao of Earth Immortals.

"Time and space..."

After a long while, Zhen Yuanzi let out a deep sigh. "So in your eyes, Fellow Daoist, my existence is merely an illusionary dream?"

Xuan Yin also cultivated the Great Dao of Earth Immortals, but his Great Dao of Earth Immortals contained the concept of All Heavens and Myriad Realms, something absent from Zhen Yuanzi's own path.

With Zhen Yuanzi's discernment, it was naturally not difficult for him to see the mysteries within it. Through those mysteries, he naturally understood that his own existence was an illusionary dream, a falsehood, like a reflection in water.

Rumble!

As Zhen Yuanzi began to question this world, the Six Paths of the Three Realms shook along with him, like ripples spreading through his Dao heart.

Seeing this, Xuan Yin immediately pressed the advantage. "Just as Senior said, when truth becomes false, falsehood becomes truth. Has Senior ever considered refining falsehood into truth?"

Zhen Yuanzi was immediately intrigued. "May I ask, Fellow Daoist, how does one refine falsehood into truth?"

If it were possible, he naturally did not wish to exist as an illusion. In his heart... he even wished to meet that true Zhen Yuanzi.