Chapter 863 - 335: Beyond the World
As the personification of the Heavenly Dao, Emperor Haotian felt incredibly real to Fan Wubing.
It was as if this world genuinely had such a person existing.
Emperor Haotian had the appearance of all beings, his physique the average representation of everyone combined. Only his demeanor, the wisdom that shone through his eyes, was unmatched by anyone, impossible to find another like him in this world.
Emperor Haotian turned his back on Fan Wubing and walked forward.
With his steps, the Lingxiao Palace transformed into strands of soft light, sweeping to the sides. This Celestial Court soon faded like an illusion.
He spoke while walking,
"You know all the deities in this Celestial Court, don’t you."
Fan Wubing didn’t know what he wanted to convey, maintaining a certain distance while following.
A neat and evenly textured white stone path slowly extended forward with Haotian’s steps.
Fan Wubing sensed a power that was utterly unfamiliar, never felt in this world before.
Haotian motioned with his right hand above the air, like a droplet into a tranquil lake, creating ripples. Amidst the rise and fall of the ripples, scenes appeared.
Within the scenes, a tribal conflict was being played out.
On the battlefield, the warriors from the two tribes had distinctly different attire and decorations. Besides the warriors, there were creatures either as small as flies or as large as mountains. Each warrior possessed unique abilities, summoning winds and rains, commanding thunder and electricity, cleaving gold and cutting iron... full of wildness and a sense of the primitive.
Haotian said,
"This war determined the status of the Human Race. It was the first war leading civilization and order after the Great Wilderness Era ended. After the war ended, the bravely performing warriors were divided their territories. They each became the deities of their lands... To show their uniqueness, they erected golden statues of themselves, built temples, received worship from their people, accumulating incense and faith.
"Incense and faith, in essence, are manifestations of the beings’ will. So, strictly speaking, the gods gain powerful Divine Power through the beings’ will. This is what the earliest deities were. Then, where does the source of this Divine Power truly come from?"
Fan Wubing roughly knew what he was going to say,
"True Dragon."
"Yes. True Dragon." Haotian seemed not to treat Fan Wubing as a dissenter or enemy, speaking calmly, "The power of the True Dragon is vast; it created all beings and bestowed its power upon this world. The earliest deities obtained the True Dragon’s power in this manner."
Haotian smiled,
"If you’re not in a hurry, listen to me speak a little more. At the very least, know what kind of destiny you truly have before ending your own fate."
Fan Wubing showed no change in expression, but his heart beat a bit faster.
Fate... Haotian mentioned fate.
Haotian said,
"The divine positions were passed down through generations, the golden statues grew ever stronger. The faith of all beings continually gathered in the hands of the gods. The gods would also compete for faith among themselves, hence during that period, wars erupted frequently between gods and their followers. After millions of years of turmoil and transition, the number of divine positions and golden statues gradually stabilized. This was not because everyone was unwilling to continue the wars, but..."
Fan Wubing saw through the truth,
"But it was you, Emperor Haotian, who conquered all the gods. Right?"
Haotian smiled,
"Yes, your wisdom knows no bounds. The mighty Haotian created the Celestial Court. For the first time, the Human Race formed a highly organized authority institution. The gods in the Celestial Court each served their roles based on their abilities and types. Under the management of this scaled and organized institution, the world developed rapidly. The will of all beings again broke through a limit, then entered the Yan Dao Era. The Three Thousand Great Dao you are familiar with began to take shape."
Before moving on to the next topic, Fan Wubing asked,
"Then what’s the story with Tianren?"
Haotian said,
"I knew you would ask this question. However, I cannot answer you; this is beyond my will. I know everything in this world, but Tianren do not exist here."
"But I know it was you who led the Tianren War."
Haotian nodded,
"That’s indeed correct. But that’s because Tianren entered this world, thus they became part of my will."
Fan Wubing roughly understood.
As long as it exists in this world, it lies within the will of the Heavenly Dao.
Haotian took a breath and said,
"So, Fan Wubing, I don’t even know what kind of existence you are. You came from another world; I cannot comprehend it, and by rights, I should extinguish you, but regrettably, someone shelters you. Perhaps, it’s destined that you will overturn the world order, tear apart my connection with the world, and stand here to destroy me."
He shook his head,
"Let’s proceed in order. Next, let’s talk about the stories of the Yan Dao Era. In the Yan Dao Era, the Great Dao born were called Innate Dao. Seekers of the Dao gradually became active in this world. The gods of the Celestial Court were the first to step on the Great Dao, heading towards the end of the Dao. Until they touched the barrier of the Dao. Thus, the notion of ’ascension’ emerged."
With Haotian’s narration, corresponding images appeared on both sides of the path.
From these images, Fan Wubing could feel the power of the Three Thousand Great Dao and the thought processes of numerous seekers when they realized the Dao.
These contents, he had actually felt some through the earthly obsessions in the Fallen Immortal Land.
But that was a direct sensation, and observing from the Heavenly Dao’s perspective, was completely another kind of feeling.