Chapter 1319: Walking Along Jiang Shui
Chapter 1319: Chapter 1319: Walking Along Jiang Shui
The eyes of mortals cannot see both forward and backward.
The spirit sense of a Master can observe in all directions, but few can simultaneously view the past, present, and future.
Those who have reached the The Third Gate of Tianren can perceive the ancient past, present, and future, yet find it difficult to step onto all three timelines at once: past, present, and future.
To move the True Self in three directions, advancing, retreating, and remaining still, only those who have perfected Materialization might achieve it.
Nifan’s path is filled with lies, where all actions are both believable and unbelievable, making it hard to distinguish between misguidance and deception.
Even authors observing the Other Shore often struggle to comprehend what this butterfly is thinking and doing...
This is because authors need to rely on boundless imagination to construct Nifan’s behavioral logic. However, the artistry of writing is sometimes an accidental gift from the heavens, and imagination is but one way to observe the cycle of reincarnation. Human imagination starts with inspiration, achieves through creation, is confined by understanding, drawing inspiration from all things in heaven and earth, using one’s own knowledge as a creative foundation. Even if what is imagined far exceeds common human knowledge, it still falls within the realm of cyclical destiny’s common sense, the difference only lies in who can grasp such common sense.
For the cycles of the Eight Desolates, every act of observation is within the sequence of reincarnation, and observation itself becomes a factor influencing the result. Many times, the observed result depends on the observer... In the writings of a thousand authors, there must be a thousand butterflies; in these stories of mixed truths and falsehoods, who can say their butterfly is the real one or the fake one? Who can assure that it is the author writing the butterfly, instead of being written by the butterfly...
[Am I creating the story of the butterfly? Or is the butterfly using my hand to fabricate a story on the Other Shore, seeking a possibility?]
[Does he exist? Does he not exist?]
[My written story is full of loopholes, with chaotic causality! I can’t understand it! Can’t understand it!]
[My name is Lanling Xiao! I learned poetry at three, studied classics at six, became renowned in the Imperial City by twelve, yet after sixteen I often dreamt of a butterfly, leaving me bewildered! I am a great scholar of the age, versed in classics and etiquette, yet I always feel bound by heaven and earth! In old age I resigned and retired, teaching students; in leisure I wrote for my amusement, a work named "Golden Bottle Butterfly." Initially, I wrote it as a storybook, intending to write about the romances of talents and beauties. Yet, the more I wrote, the more it fell out of my control! As if an invisible hand pushed me, led my thoughts, granted me inspiration, causing the romantic plots to lessen, and instead, adding more bizarre schemes.]
[After writing to the forty-second Chapter, the feeling became unprecedentedly intense, as if a pair of eyes were watching everything in the ink, waiting to see how I would write the forty-third Chapter! That feeling terrified me, so I dared not wield my pen. All day I ate nothing, all night I did not sleep, only sat at my desk, looking at what I’d written. The more I looked, the stranger it seemed! This is not a mere storybook, it’s as hard to comprehend as the Forty-Two Chapters Sutra!]
[I opened my past works to check, the more I looked, the more bewildered I became. Yet amidst the confusion, I saw clearly, the book has no timeline, only chaotic causality! The whole book is written with the words "Wisdom Demon"!]
[Ridiculous, pitiful! I am just a mortal, limited by common sense, yet I seek to understand the unspeakable, the unknown, the inconceivable! It’s not the butterfly that went mad, it’s me, it’s me! Hahahahaha! The Dao that can be spoken of is not the eternal Dao! The name that can be named is not the eternal name! I cannot write the story of the butterfly! Cannot! If I could, it would be false! You’ve found the wrong person, found the wrong one! Don’t harm me, don’t kill me! I’m not the King Lan Ling, I’m Lanling Xiao, Lanling... Xiao...
"Ah, another one has gone mad." Manzhi sensed it and sighed.
He could observe the Other Shore and therefore knew that many people there had, by chance, observed the causality of Dust Shore.
There were also many skillful authors who successfully recorded what they observed.
Such as "Three Divine Kingdoms", "Pingtian Water Margin", "Immortal Ancestor Stone Record", "Vast Misfortune Relief", "Red Dust Sea and Mountain Classics", "Zhi Zhai Strange Tales"...
Yet many also went mad due to the overwhelming entanglement of causality they observed, their minds overloaded. Manzhi had seen too many authors like Lanling Xiao such as this.
Within Dust Shore, there lay many complex causal entanglements, with the butterfly’s causality being one of them.
It’s said that the butterfly created over a thousand Taiyi Dream causal entanglements, even Reverse Saints couldn’t fully calculate them, so how could mortals of the Other Shore hope to comprehend it?
Even if much of the causality was vague, there remained the risk of madness.
Too many authors have failed to write the 43rd Chapter of the butterfly’s storybook, going insane directly...
"Rest in peace, young friend Lanling... In the remaining years of your life, do refrain from writing about the Wisdom Demon..." In One Realm, Manzhi muttered to himself, seemingly mourning for an Other Shore author named Lanling Xiao.
But he received no response, for Lanling Xiao had already gone insane, unable to observe Manzhi’s words.
"But there are still some madmen who insist on writing to 1319 Chapters and continue, truly unaware of moderation, madness to its utmost." Seeing that Lanling Xiao didn’t respond, Manzhi continued to talk to himself, unsure to whom he was speaking.
"In the affairs of the world, the key lies in moderation between choice and rejection. Knowing you can’t achieve it, yet still forcing yourself, insisting on a certain result, such can only bring harm to yourself. Who do you think you are? Compared to Lanling Xiao, you’re neither special nor outstanding, just one among all the living beings. At three, he learned poetry; at six, he studied classics; at twelve, he was renowned in the Imperial City. Meanwhile, at three, you played with mud; at six, you dug out bird eggs; at twelve, you prematurely calculated death. On what basis do you think you can write the causality that Lanling Xiao could not?"
"How many years have you been writing? Have you finished writing? Can you write it out! The Heavenly Path is vast, why don’t you follow it! The bitter sea has no bounds, turning back is the shore, relinquishing this book offers endless other choices, why insist on writing about this butterfly... Even writing about me would do!"
[Nobody wants to read about you.]
"?"
"Impossible! I don’t believe it! My Other Shore fans can’t be so few!"
"Here, try writing about me, and I’ll show you what the butterfly won’t."
[?]
[What will you show me?]
"Without my help, you can’t write the true Zhimo! You’ll only write pages of the butterfly’s lies!"
"I originally planned to orchestrate... wanted to rescue the butterfly, but the butterfly jumped out of my layout and created causal entanglements with Zi Wei up to a thousandfold. This doesn’t alter the cyclical destiny, but it does thwart my plans. As a result, I must personally enter the Taiyi Dream to talk to the butterfly. Though, I wonder if he’ll be willing to cooperate..."
[He’s in seclusion, ascending to emperor within the Taiyi Dream, so he probably has no mood to see you.]
"Oh? How come your information is even more up-to-date than mine, perhaps the butterfly secretly spread causality; otherwise, how could you with mortal eyes know of this? But the butterfly surely considered you might be pried by me, so even if you’ve written the Zhimo, as the author of this book, you certainly wouldn’t know the true actions of the butterfly before this Chapter. In seclusion to ascend to emperor? Surely he’s deceiving you, and further using your mouth to deceive me! But it definitely can’t be all lies, as three truths mixed with seven lies is the golden ratio of deceit..."
Upon hearing this, Manzhi immediately traced the clues to deduce much causality, such as Shuilian Cave, Death Eaters, and the like, but remained noncommittal.
"Inside the Taiyi Dream is already perilous, now that the butterfly has defeated Zi Wei, he is increasingly extraordinary. Once entering the Taiyi Dream, I must concentrate wholly, unable to observe the Other Shore, unable to converse with you. So, Daoist, do you have more information on the butterfly? If you are willing to share, I will grant you a fortuitous opportunity."
[I have none.]
"Heh, so now you know to keep your mouth shut? No wonder the butterfly allowed you to write so many Chapters."
"But you needn’t be so cautious; all your caution is insignificant to the butterfly. What causality he’s willing to let you know, he’s not afraid of you revealing."
"Since you are unwilling to speak, I won’t force you, but this fortuitous opportunity can’t be given to you."
[I dare not accept your opportunity.]
"Ha, you really understand! Every gift destined has a hidden price marked in secret; there is nothing in this world that comes without a price. Originally, I intended to give you a ’Writing Strength’ system, or perhaps a ’God-level Richest System,’ but since you have this realization, I won’t force it upon you."
[...]
[Senior Manzhi, actually, you’re a good person. I misunderstood you before, so could you...]
"Hey! The wind is too strong, I can’t hear you, let’s chat next time!"
After saying that, Manzhi performed divine arts, and his body was immediately surrounded by layers of bronze and black fire shadows, unexpectedly opening a path to enter the Taiyi Dream from his own realm!
This matter was too extraordinary since the Taiyi Wheel had long been destroyed, and the saints and rebels couldn’t interfere with the karma within the Taiyi Wheel!
Only Manzhi could not only send Ning Fan into the Taiyi Dream but also enter it easily himself, as if going home.
"You used the wrong metaphor... going home is not easy. Like the butterfly, like me, like many wanderers in the world..."
Manzhi said this one last time to the person from the Other Shore, then leaped into the Taiyi pathway.
Manzhi entered the passage, leaving the Galaxy Pig, who had benefited from his Primordial Yang, in his realm.
That Galaxy Pig was initially of ordinary cultivation, but having received the Saint’s Primordial Yang, her cultivation increased immensely, becoming an immortal on the spot, possessing the Immortal King Dao, yet for some reason, still unable to transform into human form.
Despite being unable to transform, her gaze held high spirit awareness and emotions.
She looked at Manzhi’s back as he leaped into the Taiyi Dream, showing a worried expression. Though their encounter was brief, she always felt that it wasn’t her first time enjoying together with Manzhi.
She didn’t reject meeting him, nor rejected a fleeting night of passion with him.
Not afraid of his Saint cultivation, yet loved his broad arms.
And even hated herself for being ugly as a pig, wondering how she could be worthy of such a good person.
She couldn’t understand why such a smart and wise Manzhi couldn’t foresee his own Primordial Yang tribulation; why a Saint faced with calamity couldn’t find a female disciple or believer beside him, but instead chose her, a pig... Even worse, randomly grabbing someone temporarily from the River of Time would be better than her...
Why, must she be the one...
Really such a fool...
...
Manzhi used every word to call the author a fool, yet he himself was no fool.
Besides the former owner of the Taiyi Wheel, he was the one most qualified to enter it easily yet the one most afraid to do so.
This place was not only the battlefield of the Spiritual Battle but also sealed many secrets spanning the Eight Desolates; don’t forget that the Star Sky Giant Silkworm besides holding the Taiyi Wheel in its mouth still concealed a Divine Tomb within, burying countless past stories.
Among those past stories, there were parts involving him, unbearable to recall, unwilling to be touched by anyone.
Secrets are secrets because they bring pain.
Manzhi feared tearing open these dust-covered pasts, but the butterfly might be very interested.
If the butterfly truly planned to contend with destiny, it is impossible for him to remain indifferent to those secrets, after all, there was intelligence on [destiny] among them.
Therefore, the butterfly’s retreat to become an emperor and its concentrated training were all lies! He only wanted the Three Realms to think he was troubled by becoming an emperor, unable to induce the Ninth-Fifth Tribulation, yet still competing with full force.
Would he really obediently stay and close himself in Shuilian Cave?
Apart from Pingtian who could enter the cave to visit, no one knew what he was doing inside.
"Troubling, according to the karma extracted from the author, that butterfly had retreated into Shuilian Cave at least seventeen times. What kind of Ninth-Fifth Tribulation is so hard to induce that it requires seventeen retreats! He’s likely openly working on the path yet secretly maneuvering, having already invaded the Divine Tomb seventeen times, truly a madman! I allowed him to enter the Taiyi Dream intending only to trade with him for a creation, yet he destroyed my layout and also imagined going deeper into the core of the Taiyi Dream!"
There was no choice but to follow the way and see what exactly the butterfly was doing, and what he saw.
Thus, with a twist of the spirit sense, chanting words, sensing the changes within the Taiyi Dream.
Suddenly with some perception, he then activated the Bronze Black Fire Technique again, after several shuttling through the Taiyi Dream, appearing in a deep-layer dream.
Deep-layer dreams aren’t something Ning Fan, Zi Wei, or even Purple Dou and Niku can break into simply through the exchange of energies from the Second Step; every deep-layer dream only has a unique entrance to access.
Amidst the ethereal mist of the Dreamworld stood a towering Destiny Stone Gate; to enter it, one must unlock the gate’s code.
Manzhi naturally knew the code, but Ning Fan couldn’t possibly know.
After all, these codes were told by Divine King Niyue upon departing, apart from Niyue, only he knew, not even Zi Dou was told by Niyue.
This way, it truly counts as [returning things to their owner]...
If unaware of the code, then even the Reverse Saint wanting to burst in had to resort to physically breaking the gate.
After all, the Stone Gate bore twelve layersof Bodhi locks, marked by: Broad, Great, Wisdom, Understanding, Truth, Nature, Ocean, Gifted, Awakening, Completion, Awareness — twelve locks, naturally crafted by Divine King Niyue’s hand.
The lock showed no signs of damage, yet Manzhi acutely detected that the gate was opened not long ago...
Though he didn’t witness it personally, knowing Ning Fan’s nature well, Manzhi resolved the fine details instantly: it must be the butterfly directly communicating with the Stone Gate causing it to utter the code...
What terrifying Communication with All Things! Even the Destiny Stone Gate couldn’t endure!
Didn’t it say the butterfly required seventeen retreats to barely unravel half the seals he planted!
How did it feel as though from the first retreat, the butterfly had already unraveled the entire Infinite God Sealing Seal! Really deceiving!
No, it’s not just deceiving! That’s why he deliberately reinforced cultivation of unconceivable teachings!
This butterfly not only wishes others to forget him, to overlook him, but even he himself, once he steps out of Shuilian Cave, might forget what he did inside, deceiving even himself!
"Oh no! This door seals the secret of the world’s origin! He, he saw it..."
Manzhi was instantly struck as if by lightning.
He knew it! The butterfly’s divine arts are such a mighty hack, that’s why he had to seal it at all costs!
But it still couldn’t be sealed! A wrong move in the game, unable to stop the butterfly’s atrocities!
He was unwilling to enter, unwilling to look back at the past, unwilling to trigger those painful memories.
But without entering, he wouldn’t know what kind of storm the butterfly stirred up here...
So he unlocked and entered, only to see that within the stone door stood a deep world of ancient tombs shrouded in eerie Yin energy, with eighteen giant Arhats aimlessly wandering about as though patrolling the place.
The Arhats’ eyes were vacant, seemingly having been caught in the Illusory Art of Infinite Recitation; their physical bodies had been dead for countless years, with no cultivation or mana left, yet they were refined into the material of bronze puppets, their mere physical bodies enough to battle the Initial Saints of ten eras!
The numerous Arhats mindlessly patrolled the area, turning a blind eye to Manzhi’s entry.
It’s because Manzhi was activating the Bronze Black Fire Technique, rendering his body into bronze. With this technique, he wouldn’t be detected as an enemy by the bronze Arhats.
"There seems to be no duel aura here. That butterfly doesn’t know the Bronze Technique, how did he avoid being attacked by the eighteen Arhats..."
"There’s an inconceivable aura left behind... He used the inconceivable, making the Arhats forget his arrival, overlook his existence. His inconceivable can indeed affect the Initial Saints!"
"He also seemed to attempt to collect these eighteen bronze Arhat puppets but failed... Who does he think he is! These are puppets only the Lord of Taiyi can control! He’s not the Lord of Taiyi, how could he accomplish this, just using his mediocre Grievance Technique: Life Imprisonment!"
Manzhi meticulously calculated the remnants of cause and effect left here, deducing Ning Fan’s route of wrongdoing.
Ultimately, Manzhi’s gaze fell on the center of the Taiyi Dream here.
There stood an ancient mountain, named Three Dangers, with endless Buddha grottoes and numerous wall carvings above.
Traces of Ning Fan were left around this mountain; he looked at the wall paintings!
"But even if he looked at the [Creation Painting], he wouldn’t be able to see the true content of this painting..."
Harboring a glimmer of hope, Manzhi approached the wall painting to investigate.
Upon approach, the entire Three Dangers Mountain glittered with golden light, blazing and soaring, as if thousands of Buddhas were leaping, with endless ancient Sanskrit echoes driving away the sinister atmosphere around, making it solemn.
Before him was burning golden light, and behind colorful evening clouds, rendering Manzhi’s whole body a fiery red, with the Nine Pillar Nail Rake on his back turning crystal clear under the illumination of the sunset clouds.
He stood there dumbfounded, the world silent except for the overflow of light and the enveloping of color.
But when his palm touched the Creation Painting, the flames of both sides dimmed, and the twilight suddenly pressed upon the boundless ancient tombs with unimaginable heaviness.
That is the weight of history!
Common people, looking at the painting, would only see its manifestation, but if one could solve this puzzle, they could view its true visage, glimpsing the secret of creation.
After confirmation, Manzhi cast aside his luck.
This puzzle is as tough as opening the sky, only a person of great wisdom can unravel it, but Ning Fan didn’t solve it; instead, he directly communicated with the painting... making it open on its own.
How is this possible, how could this be! Communication with All Things is indeed a standard feature for a Divine King, but no other’s communication with all things has such capability.
This kid’s Communication with All Things is quite strange; it has diverged from the path of a Divine King, evolving powers a Divine King doesn’t have...
To confirm this, Manzhi had no choice but to reactivate the wall painting once more.
Thus, he once more witnessed the various pasts during the creation...
...
The real name of the world ruled by the Nine Pillars is neither the Real Realms nor the Land of Dreams; it is called the [Vast Expanse Path].
The Vast Expanse Path is vast, so vast that even the Reverse Saint couldn’t traverse every place, exploring every area.
But to the outside world, the Vast Expanse Path is small, so small that it’s merely an island on the [No Return Sea].
Beyond this island, there’s an endless black ocean, a black sky, more black than a black hole, ultimate in blackness.
In the farthest past, not a single ray of light could shine into the Vast Expanse Path.
Until an overseas cultivator, with the title [King of Destruction], out of goodwill, stole the [Life King’s Destiny Lamp] and lent it to the Vast Expanse Island, thus bringing light to this realm.
Ever since then, though the sea remained a dark sea, the sky was dyed golden.
The creatures accustomed to the darkness of devouring and slaughtering, for the first time, understood that there was something as light in the world.
And with the protection of the Destiny Lamp, the world gained order, and for the first time, peace.
The overseas cultivator remained on the island, daily enjoying the beauty of the Golden Heaven Black Sea, befriending the creatures of the island, drinking wine, and discussing Tao, filled with delight.
Until one day, the overseas cultivator had to return...
King of Destruction: "The Life King knows I stole the fire, blaming me for giving the destiny that shouldn’t belong to the creatures of the Lost World Palace, ordering me to take the Destiny Lamp back..."
Thus setting up a farewell banquet with friends of the Vast Expanse.
Yet, at the banquet, he was made drunk with Fallen God Wine, then dismembered by the very friends he once called brothers...
It was at that moment that the King of Destruction realized, not all good causes yield good fruit.
And if something is lent for too long, it becomes difficult to retrieve...
With endless resentment, the King of Destruction used one of his many body fragments to transform into a starry sky undying silkworm named Kumei, waging war tirelessly with those ancient Daoists, all for the sake of reclaiming the spiritual fire of old and retrieving the scattered body parts.
This battle lasted too long, and future generations called it the Primordial Desolate Era.
But in the end, the King of Destruction couldn’t retrieve what was lost, not even his body fragments wanted to return.
If something is lost long enough, is seeking it again a sin...
This question, the Purple Star Dust Flower had it, and so did Jiang Shui.
Jiang Shui was Manzhi’s former name, and also the second largest body fragment of the King of Destruction.
After leaving the King of Destruction, due to being indestructible, he gradually developed self-awareness, unwilling to self-destruct or return to others.
Furthermore, witnessing the endless battles of the Primordial Desolate Era, which implicated too many innocent lives, he was resolute not to merge with Kumei or become an accomplice.
Kumei: "I just want to retrieve what is mine is that wrong! Do you think I’m wrong too!"
Jiang Shui: "We are both victims, how could I say the victim is guilty. I just can’t agree with your methods, we can find other ways to get back what was lost, why involve the innocent..."
Kumei: "Who’s innocent! Who’s innocent! When the silkworm falls, all things are born! My body nurtured the heavens and earth, all the spirits benefitted from it, making it difficult for me to return to my original form, and you say they are innocent! All beings enjoy the grace of the Destiny Lamp, and now refuse to return it, you say they are innocent! So it seems, the foolish kind thoughts of mine have actually been inherited by you! You’re the kind corpse! Hahaha! Ridiculous, ridiculous! The kind thoughts of the past have led to evil deeds, yet you still refuse to wake up! If you want to be the kind corpse, then I’ll be the evil corpse! Who in this world can escape being slain! Who in this world is truly innocent! I will reclaim everything I lost!"
Originally, there was no Three Corpses Skill, but due to a tragedy, the Vast Dao Domain now has the Three Corpses Saint Method.
Yet this method is filled with grievances and blood debts, requiring an Immeasurable Catastrophe to balance the karma, then sainthood can be reached...
The endless body fragments of the King of Destruction not only evolved into the kind and evil corpses, but also transformed directly into new life forms, manifesting the many forms of destruction from the King of Destruction’s past, passing down his will across generations...
The great mistake is made, irreversible, unless all spirits are annihilated, the King of Destruction cannot return.
As time passes and reincarnation cycles, how could future generations pay for sins committed by ancient ancestors they’ve long forgotten.
The hatred of nine generations can still be avenged, but the grudges of a thousand generations are hard to settle.
Kumei desperately wanted to reclaim everything he lost.
Those ignorant of the truth spared no effort to protect what they cherished at the moment.
No one is truly innocent, but no one will willingly lose what they love.
The flames of war consumed lives, chaos raged onward, until three birds grew weary of the world’s suffering and emerged across the sky. After this, the Primordial Era succumbed, Kumei was suppressed, and the eternal night gained its steadfast light.
Thus began the era of the Three Divine Kings.
The First Divine King, Nigaku, whose form is a crane.
The Second Divine King, Nijun, whose form is a crow.
The Third Divine King, Niyue, whose form is a sparrow.
The Three Divine Kings terminated the chaos, establishing the Ancient Country, and with the passage of time, the Ten Ancient Kings emerged, ranking closely behind the Three Divine Kings.
The Three Divine Kings thus governed the Three Islands.
The Ten Ancient Kings oversaw the Ten Continents.
The Ten Continents and Three Islands merged into one realm, achieving universal harmony.
The world welcomed peace, yet the fundamental problem remained unresolved.
They owed the King of Destruction favors and blood debts.
And they failed to return the Destiny Lamp of the Life Monarch.
Concealed beneath the peace, lies an apocalyptic crisis unknown to the ordinary, and one day, the Life Monarch’s gaze shall fall, and the Vast Dao Domain will revert back to its original state...
...
[Highlight: Destiny is now said to be a mulberry tree, but was once a lamp.]
[Highlight: Outer domain has a great enemy, named Life Monarch.]
[Formula one: King of Destruction = Kumei + Jiang Shui + countless forms of destruction.]
[Inference: Life Monarch and King of Destruction have similar names, they might be master and disciple, brothers, or of the same clan...]
Ning Fan once remarked in front of the Creation Painting.
...
"Does the butterfly truly have no conscience! Hearing such ancient grievances, he doesn’t feel a shred of remorse, but can still jot down notes and deduce formulas!"
Facing the blood debts of the past once again, Manzhi found it difficult to let go.
Yet seeing Ning Fan behave this way, he couldn’t help but laugh with anger.
"Wait, why did he mention formula one? Could it be just by looking at the painting, he can deduce the continuation..."