Within an ancient mound in the Immortal Mausoleum, He Mu and Heaven Venerable Daode sat facing each other.
He Mu posed a question to Heaven Venerable Daode.
"Fellow Daoist, may I ask what the Evil Immortal was? Please enlighten me."
Heaven Venerable Daode smiled at his words.
"Have you not already seen him for yourself, Fellow Daoist Wuliang Dao? I know this was the very reason you came to visit me, so I shall tell you what I know.
When I fought that Evil Immortal in years past, I did learn something about him. If I am not mistaken, he was a powerful Immortal Dao Expert from the previous epoch, sealed away by someone and preserved into our own.
When he fought me, he had likely only just escaped death's grasp and broken free of some sort of seal. He was grievously wounded, his essence severely depleted. Otherwise, even had I fought with all my strength, I fear I could not have subdued him."
Heaven Venerable Daode fell silent for a moment, then continued.
"Something felt wrong from the moment I first fought that Evil Immortal. Though an ethereal aura of the immortal Dao suffused his entire body, an evil presence seemed to lurk within his Immortal Platform. When he struck, the fluctuations of his Great Dao were stranger still, as though the myriad Daos of heaven and earth faintly rejected and abhorred him.
Once I truly engaged him, the abnormalities became even clearer. Every move he made carried some corrosive power, as though it sought to taint one's very essence. Yet that power was extremely unstable, waxing and waning with bewildering intensity.
Moreover, there seemed to be something wrong with the Evil Immortal's mind. At times he was dazed and confused; at others, vicious and malevolent. Precisely because of this, although his physical body was difficult to shake, his primordial spirit had many openings.
It was by exploiting those openings in his primordial spirit that I managed to seal and suppress him in one stroke."
He Mu pondered what he had heard, then took out the strand of black vapor he had previously severed and showed it to Heaven Venerable Daode.
"Take a look, Fellow Daoist. This is a fragment of essence I severed shortly after attaining the Dao. It should have come from the very Evil Immortal you fought back then. Do you recognize it?"
At the sight of that strand of black vapor, Heaven Venerable Daode narrowed his eyes. Terrifying immortal light then blazed from them, and supreme divine might surged forth in an instant, as though the universe itself would shatter at that moment.
"Though it seems somewhat altered, I could not mistake it. It must be him. My condition has indeed been poor over the years, often forcing me into slumber, but I do know of the achievements of our fellow Daoists Yuanshi and Lingbao. I presume this came from the creature that Evil Immortal's corpse later became?"
He Mu nodded and said,
"Precisely. After Heavenly Venerable Lingbao slew the Spiritually Awakened Immortal Corpse, his body was divided and sealed away. Yet even Heavenly Venerable Lingbao likely never imagined that this fiend would remain stiffened but not truly dead.
After escaping his mortal calamity all those years ago, he actually tried to undergo a transformation within Lingbao's sealing grounds. Laughably, fortune failed him: just as he was transforming, Fellow Daoist Changsheng and I stumbled upon him.
Though we failed to keep him there, we seized upon his weakened state to grievously wound the creature's essence. Over these years, I have remained constantly on guard, lest he rise again and plunge the heavens into chaos."
Heaven Venerable Daode let out a long sigh and lamented,
"A scourge left by the immortal Dao, poisoning countless ages-truly difficult to root out. What wrong have living beings committed? I must trouble you to watch over and protect the universe's myriad beings, Fellow Daoist Wuliang Dao."
He Mu replied solemnly,
"As the Current Heavenly Venerable, I am duty-bound to protect all living beings. It is no more than my responsibility."
Their conversation flowed warmly, and Daode extended an invitation to He Mu.
"Since you have come here today, our meeting must be ordained by heaven. Why do we not discuss the Dao together? What do you think, Fellow Daoist?"
He Mu clapped his hands and smiled approvingly.
"It is exactly what I wished for, though I dared not ask."
The next moment, immortal light blazed throughout the Immortal Mausoleum. Spirit rain fell from the sky, golden springs welled from the ground, lotuses blossomed in the void, and the sounds of the Dao resonated with profound mysteries. Countless wondrous visions vied to unfold, and for a time, the myriad Daos shone together in a magnificent display.
Heaven Venerable Daode began by expounding his own Great Dao. He used divine power to manifest the Sea of Bitterness. As the Bitter Sea surged, all things sprang into being from it, differentiating into innate life and death and enacting the cycles of yin and yang.
Once innate yin and yang, life and death had emerged, his divine power shifted again. Upon that foundation, it manifested the true meaning of nature, which harmonized perfectly with the preceding Great Dao of yin and yang. It exuded a sense of purity and freedom, of nonaction and detachment, yet seemed capable of transcending all things, faintly bearing a Dao resonance close to that of immortals.
Then the true meaning of nature revolved once more, and myriad beings manifested within that natural world. The next moment, vast divine power evolved into three thousand Daode True Words, linking the boundless world and the living beings of the mortal realm.
At last, the three merged into one. The Daode Great Dao achieved perfect harmony, radiating an immortal aura that left even He Mu marveling.
He Mu gained many insights and applauded the Daode Great Dao with unceasing praise. Then Dao resonance spread from his own body, and his immense divine power surged forth, forming a Four Extremes domain.
Afterward, the four heavenly pillars at the domain's boundaries soared skyward, actually evolving into four pillars that upheld the heavens. They anchored the boundless power of the four elements-earth, water, fire, and wind-as though they would break through all chaos and accomplish the creation of heaven and earth.
As the domain expanded, immeasurable light, immeasurable heat, and immeasurable laws converged at the center of the Four Extremes. The next moment, the secret realm collapsed in an instant, then exploded with a thunderous roar and expanded without limit. Amid the resounding sounds of the Dao, it truly evolved into a greater world.
Within that world sat a sacred phantom, surrounded by multitudes bowing in worship. Unceasing hymns of praise lent him the majesty of an emperor of all heavens, or a god of creation, as though amid those praises he would endure countless tribulations without decay. Upon closer inspection, the phantom's face was none other than He Mu's.
Dense Dao resonance enveloped the phantom, manifesting countless scenes of great worlds throughout the heavens. It seemed that at every moment, innumerable worlds were born and innumerable worlds perished, cycling endlessly, unfolding the true meaning of boundlessness in He Mu's heart.
Witnessing He Mu's Wuliang Great Dao, Heaven Venerable Daode likewise gained much and glimpsed a path he had never conceived.
He immediately tapped out a rhythm in admiration, overcome with emotion. He even began to form new ideas about his future path in the Dao, as though the road to immortality had suddenly broadened before him.
Once both men had finished displaying their Dao Fruits, the countless wondrous visions gradually subsided, and silence returned to the Immortal Mausoleum.
"Hahahaha..."
The next moment, the two looked at each other and burst into laughter together. Everything lay beyond the need for words.
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