Chapter 628: Chapter 628: The Master of Dao’s Head
RUMBLE!
Accompanied by a tremendous roar that only those Pursuing the Dao could hear, the [Sea of Suffering] opened, and Lü Yang, Progenitor Tingyou, and Demon-Vanquishing Perfected returned to the Current World.
The moment they landed, Lü Yang looked up.
It was the middle of the night. A crescent moon hung high in the pitch-black sky, looking like someone was smiling down at him. The sight made him feel uneasy!
’What do I do now?’
Although Demon-Vanquishing Perfected’s power had greatly increased and his own trump card was ready, his situation had also worsened, becoming even more confusing and perilous.
Thinking of this, Lü Yang summoned the Righteous Banner.
Immediately, a figure emerged from it. His eyes were filled with fervent heat as he looked at Lü Yang. The next second, he fell to his knees with a THUD.
"Greetings, my lord!"
Lü Yang quickly made a gesture to help him up. "Daoist Mountain Mover, there’s no need for such ceremony. You’re being too kind, far too kind! Please, get up. You’re embarrassing me."
Previously, Mountain Mover would have taken the opportunity to stand. But he had figured things out now. So, not only did he not rise, but his demeanor became even more respectful. "Please, my lord, command me as you will. I, Mountain Mover, will do everything in my power to obey. I only ask... I only ask that in the future, my lord might grant me a chance at Attainment..."
After speaking, he looked at Lü Yang with eager eyes.
After all, actions spoke louder than words. Just a moment ago, Wu Daoxuan—a mid-tier Outer Dao True Monarch from the Outer Dao Alliance, whose strength was arguably less than his own—had undergone a transformation.
And the result?
That man was now an Orthodox master!
At this thought, Mountain Mover was nearly driven mad with envy. ’An Orthodox Immortal Monarch! I really, truly want to become an Orthodox Immortal Monarch, more than anything!’
Seeing this, Lü Yang could only wave his hand.
"Rest assured, Daoist. If I have meat to eat, you will have soup to drink. Give it time, and I will lead everyone to prosperity. Everyone will have an Orthodox seat!"
Mountain Mover was overjoyed. "Thank you, my lord!"
If it were anyone else, he would have scoffed. But Lü Yang had a proven track record. Since this grand promise had been made, he believed Lü Yang could deliver!
Seeing that morale was high, Lü Yang nodded and continued, "Daoist, you were once the Alliance Leader of the Outer Dao. Have you ever been to the upper layers of the Celestial Mansion?"
Mountain Mover was startled for a moment, then nodded. "I haven’t been stationed there... but if I must say, I have been. Well, not me, but my great-grandfather. He integrated all the Outer Dao True Monarchs of his time, unified the currency, and issued the Outer Dao Immortal Talismans. For this, he was granted an audience with those from the upper layers."
"Are there records?" Lü Yang asked.
"No." Mountain Mover sighed. "The upper layers don’t allow any records to be brought down. So, what I know about them has only been passed down orally through my family line."
"Then tell me."
Lü Yang formed a Daoist Hand Seal. The Righteous Banner surged with vast purple energy, which then transformed into a tea pavilion, complete with a table and chairs. The group took their seats.
Mountain Mover didn’t hold back and said frankly, "According to my great-grandfather’s description, the upper layers... that is, the Celestial Mansion’s sixth layer and above, are essentially a single entity!"
"In other words, aside from the Ninth Layer, the sixth, seventh, and eighth layers are all within the same space. Although there are differences in status and position, the gap between them is nowhere near as vast as the one between the first and second layers, or between our fifth and the sixth. You could consider it a single continent."
Lü Yang nodded. "Then how many Immortal Monarchs are there above the sixth layer?"
"I don’t know."
Mountain Mover shook his head. "There’s a lot of change in the upper layers. Immortal Monarchs rise and fall. The ones from my great-grandfather’s generation might not be alive today."
"However..."
Speaking of which, Mountain Mover seemed to recall something. "My great-grandfather also said that above the sixth layer, there are only four great lords who will never fall."
At these words, Lü Yang’s eyes narrowed.
’Never fall?’
’Mid-stage Immortal Monarchs!’
"Tell me in detail. Which four?"
"They are Du Xuan Immortal Monarch, who controls the [Sun and Moon Realm]; Celestial Number Immortal Monarch, who resides in the [Pure Heaven]; Immortal Monarch Yan Xiu, who holds court in the [Preaching Land]; and Mingtang Immortal Monarch, who founded the [Spiritual Mechanism Hall]." Mountain Mover said in a low voice, "It is said they have all reached a realm where they view Immortal Talismans as nothing more than dirt..."
[Financial Freedom]!
Lü Yang stroked his chin. If he’d heard these two words before, he might have been fooled, but now he had a deeper understanding of them.
’The Mid-stage Immortal Monarchs of the Celestial Mansion are likely a completely different concept from the Early-stage Immortal Monarchs.’
Early-stage Immortal Monarchs are essentially the same as Outer Dao cultivators like Mountain Mover, relying on the concept of [Money] to buy and sell Fruits. Their Cultivation is like water without a source.
However, Mid-stage Immortal Monarchs are different.
’An Immortal Talisman itself is just a worthless piece of paper. It’s the means of production behind it that gives it value... That is the true meaning of [Financial Freedom].’
In short:
’The Mid-stage Immortal Monarchs of the Celestial Mansion didn’t reach the mid-stage because they achieved [Financial Freedom]. It’s because they were already Mid-stage Immortal Monarchs who controlled vast means of production, which in turn allowed them to be [Financially Free]... Therefore, they are absolutely not a bunch of incompetent fools like the Early-stage Immortal Monarchs!’
Lü Yang quickly sorted out his thoughts.
’Originally, or rather, during the millennial calamity five thousand years ago, the [Money] Fruit probably hadn’t appeared yet. The Celestial Mansion was still like the Immortal Pivot.’
However, after the millennial calamity, everything changed.
’The Celestial Mansion’s Immortal Monarch of the Emperor Fruit, the Sun Immortal Monarch, was slain. Then, the Taiyin Immortal Venerable appeared out of nowhere, using the [Money] Fruit to rule the Celestial Mansion.’
At that time, there must have been some Mid-stage Immortal Monarchs in the Celestial Mansion who had achieved their realm through normal means.
But after that, during the Taiyin Immortal Venerable’s reign, some must have fallen and others must have surrendered, which finally led to the current nine-layered structure of the Celestial Mansion.
And those ancient Mid-stage Immortal Monarchs all transformed themselves, packaging their realms with the concept of [Financial Freedom].
’It’s a trap!’
Lü Yang sighed internally.
’Those Early-stage Immortal Monarchs are still foolishly trying to earn money, thinking that having more of it will let them achieve [Financial Freedom]. In reality, it’s completely impossible!’
Because Immortal Talismans can be devalued, and the exchange rate can be changed with a single word from those Mid-stage Immortal Monarchs. The current rules of the Celestial Mansion were set by them.
Under their rules, how could anyone possibly surpass them?
’This whole set of methods... it’s a classic three-step plan from the Stain Sect. They forcefully turned the Celestial Mansion into this, sealing off the path to the mid-stage and almost completely crippling it!’
The Mid-stage Immortal Monarchs are high and mighty, setting the rules.
But so what?
The foundation of the Immortal Talismans lies with the Taiyin Immortal Venerable alone. To put it bluntly, this senior sister from the Stain Sect has turned the entire Celestial Treasure Great World into her personal pasture!
Sacrificing the many to benefit the one.
’So very Stain Sect!’
Lü Yang shook his head, then flicked his sleeve, rose to his feet, and put away the Righteous Banner. With a solemn expression, he said, "Daoist, prepare yourself. I am taking you to the upper layers."
He had made his decision.
He was going to the Celestial Mansion’s Ninth Layer!
’I can’t hide from this. It’s better to face the difficulty head-on. In this life, I will gather as much intelligence as I can. Even if I die, it will surely be useful in the next life.’
The [Centome] was Lü Yang’s greatest source of confidence.
With this thought, Lü Yang looked up toward the sixth layer of the Celestial Mansion and above, and his brow suddenly furrowed... Before seeing the [Sea of Suffering], he hadn’t thought anything was wrong.
But after seeing the [Sea of Suffering], the previously ordinary-looking sixth layer suddenly underwent a strange transformation in his eyes. It was as if a thin veil had been swept away, allowing him to re-examine the upper layers of the Celestial Mansion from a more "real" perspective... Gradually, Lü Yang’s expression changed.
’This sixth layer... why does it look like a face?’
Yes! A face!
The more Lü Yang looked, the more it resembled one—a broad face, looking down upon everything below the sixth layer of the Celestial Mansion with a chilling, bizarre presence.
’Whose face is it?’
’The Master of Dao!’
After the Nameless Daoist Lord died, his corpse created the Celestial Mansion... Therefore, the layers from the sixth all the way up to the ninth were likely formed from the Nameless Daoist Lord’s head!
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