The Secret of the Great Tribulation (Conclusion)

The crude martial artist. The Nine-Tailed Fox gave him a slightly reproachful look, then glanced at him with a charming and alluring expression.

Xu Qi'an still suffered from his "lack of education." He didn't understand any of these mysterious theories and philosophies, and there were no courses on these topics in his nine years of compulsory education in his previous life.

Therefore, in these respects, he truly deserves to be called a crude and vulgar brute.

"The Supreme Forgetfulness of Emotion, transcending all emotions, is like Heaven; the greatest form of virtue, bearing all things, is like Earth."

The Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox gave a concise answer.

"Very clever," Xu Qi'an nodded secretly, "Using the Heaven Sect's mental cultivation method to summarize 'Heaven'."

"That is the world you see now. In reality, the rules of the world are constantly changing, just like the changing of the world, with a new look every thousand years," the Superintendent emotion.

"At this point, a pot of wine is needed."

"You can't drink it anyway," Xu Qi'an retorted irritably.

Upon hearing Superintendent looked disappointed.

Xu Qi'an then turned to the alluring silver-haired, fox-eared beauty beside him and said:

"But we can drink."

He then took out a jar of wine from the Earth Book Fragment and shared it with the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox, taking turns sipping.

The disappointment on the Superintendent's face instantly turned into anger.

He sighed, avoiding looking at the adulterous couple, and gazed into the distance, slowly saying:

"In the beginning, when heaven and earth were first created, there was only ignorance and desolation. Apart from the vast and boundless sky and the barren and lifeless earth, there was nothing in the Nine Provinces. Perhaps it was just too desolate. After countless years, the first god Gods and Devils were born."

"Then, more and more Gods and Devils were born, and life came into being. Each god Gods and Devils possessed terrifying power and held power over a certain area of the world."

"The source of this power is what you often call Spiritual Essence."

This world seemed to have found its own future, and life began to emerge, leading to the appearance of more and more races.

"But if you are familiar with ancient history, you will know that the human and demon races in ancient times did not possess any divine abilities. They could not cultivate, and could only steal some meager power from gods and demons by peering into their spiritual essence."

"Or, by sacrificing women, they could reproduce with Gods and Devils, giving birth to offspring possessing some Spiritual Essence."

"Unable to cultivate?" Xu Qi'an keenly sensed the unusual tone in the Superintendent's words.

He had known for a long time that the ancient human and demon races controlled supernatural powers by learning and imitating the patterns formed by the spiritual essence of gods and demons.

But that's because humans and demons are the younger generation and haven't figured out their own cultivation methods, so they can only learn from and imitate Gods and Devils.

It wasn't until later that they gradually developed a system of cultivation, such as the initial "martial arts" and "Daoism," as well as the later "Buddhism," "shamanism," "Confucianism," and "techniques."

But Superintendent said was—it's impossible to cultivate!

It's not that they "don't know how to cultivate themselves."

The Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox frowned; she had clearly also noticed the problem.

The Superintendent scanned the two men and asked:

"You've dealt with Huang before. What's the strength of this ancient Gods and Devils?"

Xu Qi'an said, "Nonsense."

"Very strong, terrifyingly strong."

The Superintendent:

"His Spiritual Essence was damaged in the ancient war and he was no longer at his peak. For countless years, he has devoted himself to trying to repair his Spiritual Essence, but only now has he seen hope."

"Didn't He ever consider practicing the Human Race's system to strengthen His own foundation?"

Before the two could answer, the Superintendent gave the answer himself:

"Because Gods and Devils cannot cultivate; they are only at the level they are born with."

Xu Qi'an was stunned for a moment, then immediately looked at the Nine-Tailed Fox and found her looking enlightened.

He couldn't help but recall what the fox spirit had once told him: the cultivation methods of the descendants of Gods and Devils and demons are different from those of the human and demon races.

After figuring this out, Xu Qi'an, combining it with what the Superintendent just said, guessed:

"In that era, only beings born of heaven and earth, such as Gods and Devils, could wield supernatural power. Human Race, no matter what methods they used, could not cultivate, unless they imitated Gods and Devils?"

The Superintendent nodded:

"At that time, the forces of heaven and earth, such as Five Elements and the five elements, were in a state of chaos. Sometimes the sun would hang in the sky for decades or even centuries, and sometimes the moon was the only source of light in the sky."

"In some places, there is no fire elemental power, so a fire can never be lit; while in other places, flames scorch every corner of space, burning eternally. This is the ancient era."

No wonder other beings cannot cultivate; their chaotic and disordered spiritual power is simply unusable. Only Gods and Devils are born with the power to control the laws can possess supernatural power. But their power is innate and fixed from birth. Xu Qi'an suddenly realized.

Then, he heard the Nine-Tailed Fox fox whisper to itself:

"From the stillness after the creation of the world, to the chaotic and disordered ancient times of spiritual energy, and now to the orderly balance of Yin and Yang and the differentiation of the Five Elements."

The Superintendent laughed:

The world we live in didn't come about overnight; it evolved step by step.

"A living being is destined to grow old from birth; a dynasty is destined to perish from its inception."

"This world is the same. The desolation at the beginning of creation, the chaos of the era of Gods and Devils, and the current alternation of the sun and moon and the orderly seasons are all the result of evolution."

"Evolution is a fundamental law, and all things must follow this law."

"From the creation of heaven and earth to the age of Gods and Devils, this was the first stage of evolution of this world. But when it evolves into the second stage..."

Upon hearing this, Xu Qi'an and the Nine-Tailed Fox exchanged a glance, realizing that the real highlight was about to begin.

The Superintendent whispered:

"But it failed."

A series of question marks flashed through their minds, unable to understand:

"It failed?"

The Superintendent nodded slightly:

"Because the universe is flawed and incomplete, it cannot transition from chaos to order. In other words, this world should have ended in the chaotic and disordered ancient era and has continued to exist until now."

The Nine-Tailed Fox frowned in thought.

Why did this happen?

The Superintendent looked at the two men and asked:

"Heaven and earth are flawed, but where is the flaw?"

After a brief pause, Xu Qi'an and the Nine-Tailed Fox's pupils contracted, their breathing quickened, and they spoke in unison:

"Gods and Devils?!"

The Superintendent nodded.

"That's right. Gods and Devils are born from heaven and earth and wield a portion of the laws of heaven and earth. Therefore, the Heavenly Dao of this world is incomplete, and some of its authority is in the hands of Gods and Devils. If it wants to continue to evolve, it must reclaim Spiritual Essence and make up for the incompleteness."

"This is part of the truth behind the first great calamity."

So this is the reason for the end of the Gods and Devils. No wonder the Netherworld Silkworm said that on that day, the Gods and Devils suddenly went mad and began to kill each other. No wonder it was so difficult for the Desolate One to repair its Spiritual Essence, because the part of its Spiritual Essence that it lost had already returned to this world. Xu Qi'an's mind was filled with many thoughts.

The end of the Gods and Devils was actually due to the heavens and earth reclaiming their Spiritual Essence to repair themselves. The Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox felt a sudden clarity in her mind, and the doubts that had been troubling her were finally resolved.

But then even more doubts arose.

She was about to ask when Xu Qi'an said:

Partial Truth?

"Furthermore, do you mean that Gods and Devils, influenced by the laws of heaven and earth, become mentally deranged, kill each other, and their Spiritual Essence returns to heaven and earth after death?"

After Xu Qi'an finished asking, the Nine-Tailed Fox added in a low voice:

"What does this have to do with that gate of light?"

After a moment's thought, the Superintendent said:

"Your statement is inaccurate. The laws of heaven and earth would not act so proactively, nor would they consciously influence the Gods and Devils to reclaim their Spiritual Essence. The Gods and Devils killing each other has other reasons, which is why I say that reclaiming Spiritual Essence is only part of the truth."

Xu Qi'an and the Nine-Tailed Fox held their breath and listened intently.

The Superintendent continued:

"As I've said before, evolution is a fundamental law that nothing can avoid. The universe is flawed, making it difficult for evolution to continue. Therefore, at the end of ancient times, a 'gate' appeared."

"It was this Daoist Order that drove all the Gods and Devils mad."

The Nine-Tailed Fox subconsciously said:

"That door on Gods and Devils Island."

Xu Qi'an then glanced at the Peace Saber the Superintendent holding across his knees.

What does this Daoist Order symbolize? Why would it drive Gods and Devils mad? He had a premonition that what the Superintendent about to say would be the most crucial information.

The Superintendent sighed:

"This Daoist Order is a condensation of the laws of heaven and earth; it is the embodiment of the concept of recycling Spiritual Essence. Spiritual Essence can return to heaven and earth and mend its deficiencies by passing through this Daoist Order. However, this also means that by passing through this Daoist Order, one can touch the most core level of this world."

"The most core level?!" Xu Qi'an and the Nine-Tailed Fox's hearts skipped a beat at the same time, and they inexplicably felt their blood rushing and their hearts racing.

The Superintendent's tone suddenly lowered, and he slowly said:

"You can understand it as becoming the master of this world, becoming the Heavenly Dao!"

Boom! It was as if a thunderclap exploded in her mind. The Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox paled, seemingly unable to accept this turn of events, and said in a trembling voice:

"How is that possible?"

The Superintendent deep voice:

"Gods and Devils are qualified to do so because they are themselves formed from the laws of heaven and earth. To be more precise, the laws of heaven and earth gave birth to consciousness and became life forms."

When the "Gate" descended upon the world, the Spiritual Essence of heaven and earth was reclaimed, and the shackles that bound Gods and Devils were opened. They discovered that they could strengthen themselves by plundering each other's Spiritual Essence, pass through the Gate, replace the unconscious laws of heaven and earth, and become the Heavenly Dao.

"And so they went mad, and the most brutal battle since the beginning of time began."

In that instant, countless flashes of inspiration and a flood of thoughts swept through Xu Qi'an's mind, and many details and clues were connected at that moment:

No wonder Gods and Devils can transform into islands after their death. They were originally part of the world. The opportunity for the laws of the world to complete themselves could also be the opportunity for them to "complete" themselves and replace the laws of the world.

I understand now, I understand the true meaning of the prophecy left by the prophet of the Heaven Gu Tribe — the Gu God awakens, and the world will transform into a world of Gu!

The true interpretation of this statement is that the Gu God will devour the laws of heaven and earth and become the Heavenly Dao!

This world has become a world of Gu (a type of poison/drug).

No wonder Buddha became Aranda, Aranda became Buddha. Does this mean He possessed the same characteristics as the gods and Gods and Devils of the past? Does it mean He was qualified to compete for the Heavenly Dao?

So I already knew the true nature of the great calamity. Knowing the truth is truly terrifying to contemplate. Xu Qi'an took a deep breath and said:

"Then why did the Gods and Devils all fail?"

The Superintendent said:

"Because the 'door' had initially completed its repairs, it no longer needed Spiritual Essence. Gods and Devils Gods and Devils lost the right to open it."

Even if Huang Zhen had pushed it away, he could not have transformed into the Heavenly Dao.

"As for its use, you'll know once Peace Saber has digested it."

Xu Qi'an looked at the Peace Saber again, while the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox asked:

"Superintendent, is the second great calamity also a struggle for the Heavenly Dao?"

Xu Qi'an withdrew his gaze and looked at the Superintendent.

The latter stroked his long beard, remained silent for a long time, seemingly lost in thought, and then said:

"After the end of the era of Gods and Devils, the evolution of heaven and earth entered the third stage. The world gradually gained order, Spiritual Qi was born, and the Human Race and Demon Race rose to prominence."

"Although the first great calamity has ended, its influence remains. The appearance of the Gate of Light tells the surviving beings one thing— the Heavenly Dao can be replaced."

"But unlike the era of gods and Gods and Devils, in later generations, the only way to become the Heavenly Dao is to advance to the Transcendent Rank. But how to replace the Heavenly Dao after advancing to the Transcendent Rank? No one knew until many years later, when the Dao Venerable appeared."

"This is a person whose talent ranks among the top three since the beginning of time."

The thought flashed through Xu Qi'an's mind, "What would happen if Dao Venerable at his peak encountered Confucian Sage?"

It's a pity that these two Transcendent Rank didn't live in the same era.

Although the Buddha is the Human Sect manifestation of the Dao Venerable, he is clearly not the true Dao Venerable.

"After Dao Venerable advanced to the Transcendent Rank, he began to explore ways to replace the Heavenly Dao. Since it was like crossing a river by feeling for stones, he had to be prepared for failure. However, this matter was dangerous, and even he dared not say that he could definitely escape unscathed."

"Thus, the technique of One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones was born."

Upon hearing this, Xu Qi'an suddenly felt a jolt of realization, as many clues from the past became clear.

He opened his mouth, but in the end, he didn't interrupt and patiently listened to the Superintendent continue.

"The Dao Venerable, drawing upon the ancient tales of Gods and Devils, has come up with a solution: since gods and Gods and Devils are manifestations of the laws of heaven and Heavenly Dao, and thus can replace the Heavenly Dao and become its own, why can't Human Race emulate Gods and Devils and transform itself into a part of the laws of heaven and earth?"

As soon as the Superintendent finished speaking, the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox murmured:

"Heaven Sect Heart Method, Supreme Forgetfulness of Emotion!"

The Superintendent nodded:

"That's right. The Supreme Forgetfulness of Emotion and Unity of Heaven and Man of the Unity of Heaven and Human Heaven Sect was originally a cultivation method created by the Dao Venerable to emulate the Gods and Devils and replace the Heavenly Dao."

The Nine-Tailed Fox sighed:

But He failed.

The Superintendent shook his head and said:

He both succeeded and failed.

"His success lies in the fact that he truly integrated with the Heavenly Dao and became a part of the laws of heaven and earth, just like the Gods and Devils of yesteryear."

"The failure lies in the fact that, as the world evolved to its third stage, the system of Gods and Devils no longer applied. Like the Gods and Devils of yesteryear, he has become part of the laws of the world."

"The path of Supreme Forgetfulness of Emotion is not viable, so the Dao Venerable has turned his attention to the Incense-Fire Divine Dao. You can understand that, right?"

Xu Qi'an let out a breath, his voice low and somber:

"The Incense-Fire Divine Dao refine the power of mountains and Earth Vein, making them virtually invincible and immortal within their own territory. The Dao Venerable believes that as long as he refines the Nine Provinces Heaven and Earth, he can replace the Heavenly Dao in this way."

Take the Superintendent an example. As long as the Great Feng is alive, he will not perish, and even the ancient Gods and Devils and demons cannot do anything to him.

So, if we were to refine the entire Nine Provinces, wouldn't that, in a sense, become the Heavenly Dao?

This is definitely a method worth trying.

The Superintendent said:

"He used his Earth Sect clone as material to forge the magic weapon Earth Book, and his Primordial Spirit became the artifact's spirit. To ensure that the Earth Book could withstand the heavenly Heavenly Tribulation upon its creation, he made arrangements in advance, creating the Earth Sect method to accumulate merit and increase blessings, thereby offsetting the backlash from the Heavenly Dao. But unfortunately, although the Earth Book was successfully forged, he was stripped of his intelligence and became a pure artifact spirit."

"Why is this path wrong?" the Nine-Tailed Fox asked.

The Superintendent laughed:

"The Dao Venerable back then was probably just like you, not understanding why he failed. Actually, it's not hard to understand. What are the two core words of the Incense-Fire Divine Dao and divine path?"

Xu Qi'an said slowly:

Incense offerings.

The Superintendent deep voice:

Incense offerings are Fate!

"The real core is Fate. He plundered the Mountains and Rivers Seal and refined the Earth Book, attempting to control the Nine Provinces through the Earth Book, but he forgot how the Mountains and Rivers Seal was formed."

Later, Dao Venerable gradually realized that if he wanted to replace the Heavenly Dao and become the Heavenly Dao, he had to accommodate the Fate).

You should know what happens next.

Xu Qi'an hummed in agreement.

He usurped the throne and became the emperor of the mortal realm, Fate. However, he never imagined that those Fate could not achieve immortality.

At the same time, Xu Qi'an couldn't help but sigh inwardly, no wonder the three sects of "Heaven, Earth, and Man" had such big problems, because these three paths were wrong from the start, and were the Dao Venerable's three failed attempts.

The Superintendent nodded.

"Fortunately, this time we finally made the right choice. Although there were some deviations, it wasn't utterly disastrous. That Human Sect managed to pull back from the brink in time, shedding its old body and breaking free from the law that forbids immortality."

The Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox glanced at Xu Qi'an:

"If those Fate cannot live forever, why would the Shaman God, Buddha, and even the Desolate Ones still plunder Fate?"

Xu Qi'an shook his head and said:

"They merely plunder Fate, rather than Fate upon themselves. The path of absorbing Fate has already been tried by the Heavenly Venerable Venerable's Human Sect avatar, and it didn't work. However, there's one thing I haven't figured out."

"Only warlocks can manipulate Fate. Even Transcendent Rank warlocks couldn't possibly control abilities that don't belong to their own system."

Xu Qi'an frowned at first, then his eyes lit up. "I understand. By establishing a sect, gathering incense offerings, and merging oneself with the sect, one can control Fate without needing Fate to possess oneself. Essentially, it's still the path of Incense-Fire Divine Dao and deities."

This is completely different from the Confucian School System.

The Confucian School System's method of self-cultivation involves integrating with Fate.

Therefore, even the Confucian Sage could not escape the natural law that "one cannot live forever."

Of course, given the nature of Confucian Sage, they might not necessarily desire immortality.

In Confucian School, establishing virtue, merit, Establishing Speech are considered the three immortal achievements.

Not a lifespan.

The Superintendent said, "Since the evolution of heaven and earth, Fate has been of paramount importance. Fate belongs to the Human Race, and the Human Race is the master of the Nine Provinces. If Transcendent Rank wants to become the Heavenly Dao, they must plunder Fate. You can use Fate as proof to become the Heavenly Dao."

"This is also the law of heaven and earth."

Xu Qi'an's expression suddenly became complicated:

"So, you trained me to be the Gatekeeper because I gained the Fate but cannot live forever, thus losing the opportunity to compete for the Heavenly Dao?"

The Nine-Tailed Fox believed this to be the truth.

Unexpectedly, the Superintendent shook his head:

"You were chosen as the Gatekeeper because you follow the Martial Warrior System."

At this point, the Superintendent revealed a meaningful yet incredibly mocking expression:

"You must have seen the notes I left at the Directorate of Astronomy."

Xu Qi'an was inspired:

"That book on How to Advance to Half-Step Martial God?"

The Superintendent stared at him and smiled:

Do you remember the very first sentence?

The entire system transcends the Three Realms, yet exists within the Five Elements. Only martial artists exist within the Three Realms, yet are not within the Five Elements. Xu Qi'an murmured this several times in his mind, his body trembling violently, and he said as if in a dream:

"I see, I see."

He recalled Song Qing's explanation of that sentence.

The Nine-Tailed Fox glanced at the Superintendent, then at Xu Qi'an, and chose to ask the latter:

How so?

Xu Qi'an ignored her, Superintendent laughed:

"All other systems can draw upon the power of heaven and earth and utilize the Five Elements, but the martial arts system does not interact with the outside world and exists in its own world. The Martial Warrior System is the only system that will not replace the Way of Heavenly Dao."

The Silver-Haired Enchantress couldn't help but recall the words the Superintendent had said to Ara on Gods and Devils Island:

The Gatekeeper can only come from the Martial Warrior System.

"So that's how it is," she said, suddenly realizing.

At this moment, Xu Qi'an pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed dejectedly.

I thought the Martial God could kill Transcendent Rank, and the Martial Warrior System was the strongest among all systems. Who would have thought that the Martial God was just a gatekeeper?

The whole world is insulting martial arts, and even the laws of heaven and earth are insulting martial arts!

After venting his frustrations, he suddenly realized that he had been overlooking a crucial issue:

"Since the existence of martial artists is solely for guarding the gate, there must be a reason why those of Transcendent Rank cannot become part of the Heavenly Dao."

Aranda.

Immeasurable numbers of believers sat cross-legged on the plain, hands clasped together, devoutly chanting prayers, the sounds of chanting filling the air.

From the heavens above, a sacred and majestic beam of light shone down, illuminating the Mount Aranda.

A golden sun slowly Fuxian atop the mountain.

The blazing sun radiated a magnificent and dazzling light, illuminating every corner of this land.

Immediately afterwards, a figure Fuxian, sitting cross-legged with lowered brows, behind whose head was a magnificent halo symbolizing wisdom— the Great Wisdom Dharma Idol.

After the two Dharma Idol were formed, they remained still.

But as the chanting of Sanskrit rang out and the prayers resounded, fragments of golden light Fuxian on the believers, converging towards the Mount Aranda.

These tiny rays of Buddha light, on the right side of the Great Sun Reincarnation Dharma Idol, coalesced into a Dharma Image with a compassionate and loving Dharma Idol.

Then, more Dharma Idol forms coalesced.

The Great Reincarnation Dharma Idol, the Immovable Wisdom King Dharma Idol, the Vajra Dharma Idol, the Colorless Liuli Dharma Idol, the Pilgrim Dharma Idol, and the Pharmacist Dharma Idol.

No one noticed that on Aranda's back, a pair of huge eyes without eyelashes slowly opened.

P. S.: I recommend a book called "Hello, 1983," a reincarnation story with a strong sense of nostalgia.