Zhang Fusheng, Beyond the Limits of Thought

"Gaotian City, the Other Shore World."

Golden Province, Purple Bamboo Forest.

Su Qiansuan and the Golden Armored Being were both somewhat bewildered as they listened to the vast sound in their ears.

They knew about Gaotian City; the Fusheng brothers had said they would build such a city and make it independent from the Federation.

Only

Su Qiansuan browsed through the news about Chongyang World —or rather Other Shore World —and exchanged glances with the Golden Armored Being.

"Is this World-Honored One the same World-Honored One we know?"

As Deity Level, they had their own special channels of communication, and the two Venerable Ones naturally knew about the ten-day Buddha's Birthday celebration.

The Golden Armored Being's eyes gleamed:

"What a coincidence! From the Above High Heaven, the World-Honored Tathagata! The World-Honored One is indeed Tathagata!"

He clapped his hands and exclaimed in amazement:

"If I'm not mistaken, it was Brother Fusheng who persuaded the World Honored One, who walks among Mortal World, to personally establish the Gaotian City. And this World Honored One is far more terrifying than you and I can imagine!"

Su Qiansuan nodded emphatically, flipping through the news and intelligence reports. The more he read, the more his eyes widened.

"An ancient being, seemingly from the old world, was born, taking seven steps in all four directions, pointing one finger to the sky and touching the ground with the other."

He let out a heavy sigh:

"I truly never imagined that Brother Fusheng would actually mobilize such a terrifying being to announce the existence of Gaotian City —and that Other Shore World— to the entire Federation in a manner akin to issuing Imperial Decree!"

After a short while,

Su Qiansuan continued:

"This will cause a major upheaval in the entire Federation. After all, although the three rebellious provinces claimed independence, they were still part of the Federation in a sense."

But this time, it's different!

The Golden Armored Being's eyes shone brightly:

"Yes, I can sense the tremors of heaven and earth, and I can clearly perceive the changes in the great void. That small world has been completely separated from the Federation's Great World and has become its own world."

"I'm afraid even the Great Prison of the Six Paths can no longer control that place."

As he spoke, he saw Su Qiansuan get up and pace back and forth excitedly, saying as he walked:

"The wind has finally risen, because of Brother Fusheng, because of that ancient World Honored One—I wish to take advantage of this great wind."

Su Qiansuan turned around and stared at the Golden Armored Being:

"I intend to declare independence ahead of schedule and rise up in rebellion ahead of schedule."

The Golden Armored Being was clearly taken aback, then nodded decisively:

"Now is the best time. The Golden Province can stand together with Gaotian City and the Other Shore World. I should return to the capital now."

"Before that, you and I need to put on another show, where you drive me out of the Golden Province!"

As he spoke, a vast and powerful aura emanated from the Golden Armored Being, which then murmured:

"If I'm not mistaken, the capital is currently experiencing a true earthquake, and many old monsters may be about to emerge."

"In ten thousand years, since the Beginning of Investiture of the Gods, this is the first place to truly become independent from the Federation and from the Great World."

Capital.

The great lion roared loudly.

The capital was buzzing with excitement, as heads popped out of the city, gazing at the World Plateau shrouded in fog.

A terrifying being, extremely rare in the real world and possessing a position of celestial power, has awakened.

He was bound by six chains, which linked the six realms of reincarnation, and opened his eyes from the deep darkness:

"Gaotian City, the Other Shore World."

The solemn voice echoed, and the countless Soul Spirit within the Great Prison of the Six Paths cried out and wailed.

But the suffering these Soul Spirit endured transformed into His strength at every moment.

A deity is cautiously approaching:

"Grand Director, should we launch a campaign against that region? Should we set out?"

The Grand Director's gaze was cold and indifferent as he said:

"I can see it."

Even the World Plateau fog, which even those with Great Divine Ability User could not penetrate, was seen clearly by Him. He gazed upon the so-called "Other Shore World" radiating Buddha Light.

He murmured:

"There, a celestial stele from ancient times is suppressed. The gods cannot enter it, so there is no need to attack it for the time being."

After pausing, the deity bound by the Six Paths continued:

"To allow all religions and sects to act openly and legitimately? What an enormous appetite! This so-called World Honored One probably wants to devour all the benefits of this pivotal event of destiny, the Investiture of the Gods."

The gods nearby were horrified:

What do you mean?

The Grand Director stood silently in the darkness, his feet planted deep within a sea of chaos, where surging tides of chaos occasionally crashed against him.

He then said:

"The Investiture of the Gods incident was partly due to the conflict between the three religions, which are now difficult to trace back to their ancient origins."

"But nowadays, these three teachings are Daoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. This person is very ambitious."

The Great Divine Ability User serving at his side seemed to be deep in thought:

"This World Honored One, relying on the Gaotian City and the Other Shore World, desires to become the arbiter of all religions."

"Judging right from wrong is one of the most direct manifestations of power. Over time, all religions will be subtly influenced to prioritize Him."

The Grand Director nodded, his massive frame standing as the sole torch in the depths.

"He desires to unite all religions and become the supreme ruler; thus, half the benefits of the Investiture of the Gods will belong to Him."

"And the other half?" the Great Divine Ability User asked cautiously, only to see the Grand Director glance at him indifferently.

Suddenly, a chill ran through my heart.

He fell silent.

The Grand Director still answered:

"The Investiture of the Gods was half about the conflict between the three religions, and the other half about the establishment of the Heavenly Court."

"Naturally, it depends on who can unify the Different Dimension and forge an unparalleled divine court within it. Whoever succeeds will gain the other half of the great benefits."

The Great Divine Ability User nodded tremblingly, then seemed to remember something:

"Grand Director, while you were in seclusion, reports from the Heavenly Calculation Department and the Research Institute suggest that another Origin Grade event may be imminent."

"It's in that Other Shore World."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Grand Director calmly nodded:

"I know."

The deity was slightly taken aback and cautiously inquired:

"Should we wake the Speaker?"

"Give it a try, that old geezer might not wake up."

With that, the Grand Director waved his hand, watching the deity respectfully take his leave, leaving only Him in this secluded place.

He stood quietly, listening to the wails of countless Soul Spirit in the Great Prison of the Six Paths, and then suddenly lowered his eyelids.

The imposing figure murmured to himself:

" At the Beginning of the Journey to the West, who exactly are you? Your appetite is far too great. Having become the Buddha, you want to lead the Beginning of the Journey to the West, and you also want to reap the benefits of the Investiture of the Gods?"

"Which fellow Daoist is it?"

He closed his eyes, and in the blur, he could see nothing clearly.

There was fog obscuring the view—and more than one layer.

"It can't be Shakyamuni Tathagata."

"It doesn't seem like the Supreme Being either."

"Which fellow Daoist is it?"

A deep sense of apprehension flashed in the Grand Director's lowered eyes—the Heavenly Stele once erected by the Emperor Tang.

There was no way to stop Him, but He was unwilling to test Him, as that was too dangerous.

"Yuqing? Shangqing?"

"No, it seems there's still a trace of [Nuwa] in it."

"Let's see if that old codger will make a rash move," the Grand Director muttered to himself, his gaze piercing through the secluded place and fixed on the secluded spot where his 'old friend' was in seclusion.

You can see that the deity serving them has gone to report.

But that old codger didn't leave—clearly, he had the same idea as me.

"Coward!"

The Grand Director snorted coldly, turning his gaze to the World Plateau, and then to the Other Shore World.

The longer I gaze, the more apprehensive I become.

Shakyamuni Tathagata, Taishang, Yuanshi, Nuwa

The shadows of these fellow Daoists can all be seen in that person.

But who exactly is it?

It is impossible to know.

"Enough, enough."

He sighed softly, filled with worry, and then fell asleep again.

In the Other Shore World, in the Gaotian City.

The many Celestial Person on the Pseudo Kunlun Mountain had already quietly descended from this nine-hundred-zhang sacred mountain, and Hu Zhongli and the others also consciously descended the mountain.

At the summit, only Lin Changle remained, standing there obediently.

Inside the thatched hut.

While examining the various items in the Contract Book, Zhang Fusheng glanced sideways and asked:

"Wa, what are you doing?"

Nuwa, her serpentine body coiled on the ground, raised her head and whispered:

"I am studying."

"Study?" Zhang Fusheng asked in surprise.

"Mmm."

Wa's gaze was clear, like that of a newborn baby—in a sense, she herself was a newborn baby.

She said:

"I am learning from so many people, and they have taught me so many things and concepts."

"Federation. Different Dimension."

Zhang Fusheng was startled:

"Who exactly is it?"

"Humans," Nuwa answered softly, "All of them."

Zhang Fusheng's eyes widened, a terrifying thought creeping into his mind: was it something that only [humans] knew...

Nuwa knew all along?

He asked the question and received an affirmative answer from Nuwa.

Nuwa spoke softly:

"Not everyone, there are a few people who didn't 'tell' me what they knew—like you."

After a pause, she spoke gently:

"It's as if there's a layer of mist surrounding you, obscuring everything. So, how should I address you?"

"Is it the Father God, or the child?"

Zhang Fusheng scratched his head; this was indeed a good question.

His relationship with Wa at this moment is very complicated. In a sense, they are each other's 'creators' and each other's 'children'.

After thinking for a moment, Zhang Fusheng said:

"Just call me by my name, and I'll call you Wa."

"OK."

Nuwa nodded, then tilted her head slightly:

"Then I'll continue studying?"

Zhang Fusheng nodded, and saw that Wa Fu closed her eyes again, seemingly receiving endless information.

"This terrifying capability"

He was amazed, briefly considered whether to buy this ability—but immediately rejected the idea.

The vast causal relationships within the Heaven and Earth Chessboard had nearly washed away and killed him several times.

All that [people] know?

That level of information was beyond my capacity to handle.

It's certainly not something I can handle right now.

As for why Nuwa was unharmed?

Zhang Fusheng felt it would be strange if she couldn't handle it.

"Seven thousand years of primary cultivation, seven thousand years of spiritual cultivation, plus thirty thousand years of technical skill training and [Fiery Golden Eyes]."

Zhang Fusheng sat down cross-legged, temporarily putting everything else out of his mind.

He vanished into the divine realm and returned to the Eight Sceneries Palace. More than a month passed; it was almost time to reopen the high heavens.

But we can wait, and wait a little longer.

Zhang Fusheng did not touch the two seven-thousand-year cultivation reserves—to him now, they were either useless or too wasteful.

He cannot Ascension to Divinity at this moment, but spiritual cultivation allows one to traverse seven thousand years within the divine realm.

Using it now would be a waste.

We need to capture some star beasts and try to breed them to maximize our profits.

With this in mind, Zhang Fusheng took out his 30,000 years of accumulated skills and began to ponder.

"The Heaven-Pacifying Great Sage Scripture must never be practiced."

"The only chapters worth cultivating are the Heaven-Opening Chapter and the Taiyi Chapter of the Primordial Ancient Scripture."

Zhang Fusheng pondered. He had already learned the Heaven and Earth Overturned and Chaos Seal from the Heaven-Opening Chapter, but he had only begun to develop the third form, the Pangu Banner, and had cultivated a wisp of Heaven-Opening Sword Qi.

"The problem now is that a Heaven-Opening Sword Qi seems to be my current limit. Even if I cultivate the complete [Pangu Banner], I will not be able to materialize it."

"In that case, it's only the Taiyi Chapter."

The first two methods of the Five Taiyi Methods, namely, "Karma Parallel" and "Palm Touching Karma," bring immense benefits to oneself.

Especially the Palm Touching Karma, which is somewhat absurdly perverse to a certain extent!

"The last three forms: All Things Are Empty, Inverted Karma, Cause of All Fruits."

Zhang Fusheng murmured in a low voice:

"All Things Are Empty, what can be accomplished?"

"Can it be completed in 30,000 years?"

He held no hope; thirty thousand years was far too short for ancient immortals and Buddhas, probably insufficient for him to comprehend the All Things Are Empty.

I need to find someone else to replace my current level of understanding.

"Come on, Contract Book, let me see how far you can go!"

The ball of light merged with his body.

[In my first year, I began to study the All Things Are Empty '.]

[In the first thousand years, I had no clue about the All Things Are Empty, but my understanding of the Path of Karma had become much deeper.]

[In the fifth millennium, I immersed myself day and night in the Path of Karma, and I seemed to have gained some vague understanding of the All Things Are Empty.]

[In the tenth millennium, I've become somewhat numb. Cause and effect, cause and effect, and more cause and effect. I almost Qi Deviation every day in the Path of Karma.]

[Even every few decades, I almost 'transformed' into the Dao, assimilated by the Path of Karma, but each time I Qi Deviation and nearly transformed, I was 'corrected' back.]

The Contract Book is absolutely correct.

Zhang Fusheng's figure blurred and shimmered repeatedly; each blur represented the [Transformation of the Dao].

For ordinary beings, "transformation into the Dao" is the ultimate manifestation of Qi Deviation and becoming possessed by demonic possession, where they merge with the Dao they cultivate.

But this is not a good thing. Those who are weaker than those who correspond to the Dao will only become a part of the Dao, losing their own will.

But Zhang Fusheng was different.

He has Contract Book, Contract Book guarantees absolute correctness.

Each time he directly transformed into the Path of Karma, Zhang Fusheng's understanding of the Great Dao of Karma deepened.

Then it was immediately corrected, stripped from the Great Dao of Karma, and returned to normal.

This cycle repeats itself every few decades.

[In the twentieth millennium, I have transformed myself more than two hundred times; it seems I have embarked on an unparalleled shortcut.]

[The principles of cause and effect that ordinary beings can only comprehend in ten thousand or a million years, I have comprehended in the course of my ten thousand years of spiritual transformation!]

I think I understand a little better now what it means for All Things Are Empty.

Eight Sceneries Palace, Zhang Fusheng's surroundings began to feel 'empty'.

A true void, devoid of matter, rules, space, and even time.

He sat serenely in absolute nothingness, or rather, in the Absolute Vacuum that existed before the birth of all things.

A smile unconsciously appeared on his face.

[In the twenty-fifth millennium, I touched the threshold of All Things Are Empty.]

[This is an infinitely wondrous technique that can briefly recreate the Absolute Vacuum before the creation of the world.]

[It can also prevent one from being entangled in any cause and effect, and from being schemed against.]

[The Thirtieth Millennium]

[Through Twenty Thousand Years of Dao Assimilation Experience, I have finally grasped the basics of 'All Things Are Empty'.]

Thirty thousand years have vanished in an instant.

Zhang Fusheng opened his eyes, and the emptiness around him suddenly dissipated.

He remained seated cross-legged, sitting there woodenly, without moving an inch.

"Cause and effect."

All causes and effects were stripped away from Zhang Fusheng's body; All Things Are Empty, and even cause and effect become empty.

He was no longer weighed down by cause and effect, and felt an unprecedented sense of ease.

Zhang Fusheng was breathing softly.

His eyes were empty and still, devoid of the Great Sun Golden Lamp or the Jade Void of Kunlun.

He sat upright, then suddenly rose from the cushion and spread his hands.

Within the palm of your hand, in a small space.

All matter, all space, all concepts, all time.

They were all 'repelled' from within this boundary in the palm of the hand.

What he is holding up is the Absolute Vacuum before the creation of the world.

In an instant.

Zhang Fusheng began to wither and dry up—the energy expenditure was too great!

But it was also in that instant.

He sat down abruptly, pressing the Absolute Vacuum between his palms onto the ground of the Eight Sceneries Palace.

A small crater, about the size of a palm, appeared on the ground—although it immediately disappeared after the hand was removed.

But that pit really did exist.

"All Things Are Empty."

Exhausted, Zhang Fusheng sighed again.

This method allows one to remain untouched by cause and effect, outside the realm of divine secrets, and free from all scheming and prying.

This martial art can create Absolute Vacuum, devoid of space, matter, concepts, and time. It can even shake the Eight Sceneries Palace!

"The Taiyi Chapter, the Third Law: All Things Are Empty."

Zhang Fusheng devoured the whale meat, his withered body rapidly recovering, a bright smile spreading across his face.

"This is the method [Primordial Heavenly Venerate] uses to protect himself, or rather, it is his normal 'state'."

Although it was just someone else's 'normal state,' it was the Primordial Heavenly Venerate.

"Thirty thousand years"

"Non-Self n't briefly attained enlightenment time and time again, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to even scratch the surface of this technique in 300,000 or 3 million years, let alone master it!"

"But I just happen to know how."

Zhang Fusheng was once again shocked by the terrifying power of the Contract Book; its absolute accuracy could even reverse the state of transformation!

"Perfect timing. I need to capture some star beasts. Let me test this technique and see how it goes."

Zhang Fusheng murmured, his thoughts returning to his true self, and opened his eyes.

Then,

He stepped out of the thatched hut with one step, descended the fake Kunlun Mountain with the second, and landed with the third step.

They had already left the Other Shore World and returned to the World Plateau.

A barrage of intense gazes descended from the heavens, leaving the All Gods bewildered—how did he just appear?

Zhang Fusheng closed his eyes, clasped his hands together, and sighed:

"All Things Are Empty."

All the gazes that fell upon him were 'erased'!

Untouched by cause and effect, untainted by heavenly secrets, let alone by countless gazes?

Then,

In the eyes of the All Gods, that Buddha had vanished into thin air.

They can 'see,' yet they 'cannot see.'

Once you look away, you unconsciously forget about it.

They even completely forgot about the existence of the World Honored One.

All Things Are Empty, empty of cause and effect, empty of the secrets of heaven, and empty of thoughts.

"Really."

Feeling the terrifying drain on his energy, Zhang Fusheng gnawed on the whale-like creature meat while barely maintaining a state of All Things Are Empty.

"Indeed, I, in All Things Are Empty, am like the Eight Sceneries Palace."

"It has transcended the limits of all thought, surpassed the boundaries that all ideas can reach."

"This is 'emptiness'!"

Zhang Fusheng gradually withdrew from the state of All Things Are Empty —it was too taxing. Even now, he could only maintain it for a maximum of ten breaths before he was completely exhausted!

And so, gazes fell upon him once more, fixed on him.

All those gazes were filled with utter horror.

The All Gods remembered the World Honored One again, and also that brief moment when they could not see, remember, or think.

The gods fell silent.

"What kind of technique is this?" the white-haired old man murmured, sweat beading on his forehead. He clearly saw it, yet he didn't.

It transcends all thought and is simply beyond comprehension!

Contradictions, conflicts, the bizarre, and the terrifying.

The powerful figures who had originally planned to test the waters quietly stopped their actions.

They all silently watched the World-Honored Tathagata, who had been listed as a [High-Risk Evil God] by the Federation just moments before.

And so, under the watchful eyes of everyone, he calmly walked step by step into the thick fog.

The mournful howls of star beasts echoed through the thick fog, rising and falling incessantly.