Born within the Dao, borrowing the power of the entire "Immortal Dao." For the current Great Aeon, Mr. Gu *is* the Immortal Dao, the sole, unalterable, and unshakeable true Immortal Dao.
Yet, this scene still greatly surprised Mr. Gu.
He had achieved the convergence of the Three Pure Ones, but could not control them. Instead, a "god" had grown from the very being he had assimilated?
"Could the convergence of the Three Pure Ones actually be the nurturing of a god within oneself? Come to think of it, at lower realms, there were indeed several realms that required nurturing hundreds of gods within the body. These gods were manifestations of one's thoughts and essence, but after becoming a Earth Immortal, the gods and the self unified, and their assistance was no longer needed."
"How is it that on this ultimate path, it has returned to simplicity?"
Mr. Gu was not overly worried. At this moment, no matter what appeared, he was confident he could confront it. After all, everything within the Dao was about to be mastered, and the Nine Nether Immortal Light would soon enter his body.
Within the Great Aeon, he had indeed achieved the pinnacle of creation, invincible. After dealing with matters here, the next step would be to capture Christ and assimilate him, thus completing the tenth Yuqing convergence. With Christ's power, there would be almost no blind spots within the entire Great Aeon. Then, he could finally find the Buddha Emperor, no matter where he fled, and obtain the Heaven-Man Induction Technique from him.
After that, he would transcend this Great Aeon and journey to the Heaven of Heavens!
This was a realm he had never conceived of before. Originally, his ultimate goal was only to reach Primordial Heavenly Venerate. He never expected the True Realm of Heavenly Dao to appear, paving a path beyond the extreme of the Aeon. This was an unexpected joy, his destiny, and surely a reward from the Heaven of Heavens for his efforts.
The face of that god began to become clear. It was the face of Emperor Jiajing. As this happened, he also opened his eyes, filled with ecstatic joy.
"The response from the Heaven of Heavens has arrived."
"I can already feel the Heavenly-Man Resonance."
"I succeeded, the Three Pure Ones have converged. You have occupied my body, but my Dao is not of the Great Aeon's methods. Until this moment, I have won."
Mr. Gu let out a soft hum of surprise, "Is that so? I thought Yuan Miao was praying for himself, but it turns out it was prepared for you. Such a loyal minister."
"Because he knew that as long as I completed the convergence of the Three Pure Ones, he could still return! Although his historical self was severed, I now possess the ability to evolve 'Forms'! Not the Four Forms, but 'Great Forms'!"
Emperor Jiajing let out a wild laugh. He felt he had reached an unprecedented state of sublimation, surpassing the state of the True Realm of Heavenly Dao and arriving at a new realm!
"Taishang, Taishang! I am Taishang, I...!"
Emperor Jiajing's voice became a duet. The second voice was devoid of emotion, as if calmly informing all phenomena that he was "Taishang," a stark contrast to Emperor Jiajing's ecstatic cry.
Emperor Jiajing also realized the strangeness. The strand of thought that had just revived began to blur again, being replaced by something else.
The voice of Taishang grew louder, continuously occupying his own conscious thoughts.
"Coming from beyond the Dao."
"Discard the old thought to gain a new one, discard the old life to obtain a new life."
The "Voice of Taishang" from beyond the Dao grew louder and louder in Emperor Jiajing's mind. However, such words were unacceptable to Emperor Jiajing. He struggled to maintain his clarity and became enraged:
"There is no such saying! Am I... am I a bridal gown? What are you?"
This scene caused Mr. Gu to refrain from acting rashly, observing the peculiar changes in Emperor Jiajing with great care.
What had the convergence of the Three Pure Ones created?
Mr. Gu saw that this scene differed greatly from the information he possessed. However, this was normal, as the old Aeons had never witnessed the existence of the convergence of the Three Pure Ones.
"I am Taishang."
The new thought completely suppressed Emperor Jiajing's thought. The newly awakened Jiajing immediately fell silent, and the "Taishang" was completely born.
At the same time, a divine tablet appeared from the void. The Human Dao Realm also trembled and entered the divine tablet.
Ancestor Heavenly Master, Zhang Daoling.
Just as the Demon Immortal had said.
Ancestor Heavenly Master's karma was the supreme Taiqing Yuan technique. Accepting this karma meant accepting Taishang's path. However, if one walked this path without obtaining the complete Taishang path, but rather a fragmented one, they could not reach the end.
They could not protect their own thoughts and lives.
"A new thought replaced the old one. The cultivation method, in the end, was counteracted by the method itself. It seems the path was incomplete, lacking the proper restraint, and was replaced by the new thought born from the convergence. Originally, this should have been an important cornerstone for his attainment of Dao."
Mr. Gu saw through it clearly and could not help but shake his head, uttering words of pity.
The Taishang, at first glance, fell upon Mr. Gu. Mr. Gu retaliated instantly.
Countless thoughts, countless Daos, countless techniques, all transformed into Mr. Gu's form and existence, omnipresent, locking everything down.
Within the Dao, the operation of all Daos ceased. Mr. Gu extended his great hand, intending to devour this newly born god who called himself Taishang.
However.
The hand extended and vanished, leaving no trace or discernible remnant.
Mr. Gu's gaze narrowed slightly as the Nine Supreme Void Treasures descended.
All turned into nothingness!
"!"
Only now did Mr. Gu show a hint of surprise.
The god who called himself Taishang spoke, without sound. That thought, however, broke through the Dao, returning the two to the Great Aeon.
"Act before there is a need, govern before there is disorder."
When phenomena arise, end them. When the seeds of disorder appear, let them naturally wither.
Therefore, Mr. Gu merely revealed his killing intent, and his hand, just as it moved, vanished. The treasures, just as they descended, turned into nothingness.
Thus.
The gaze of Taishang was cold, devoid of emotions or worldly affections, a supreme existence more resolute and indifferent than the Dao itself.
"I am undefeated."
"Taishang is undefeated."
The supreme path, unconquerable, incomparable, never failing.
"Undefeated?" Mr. Gu was stunned, then burst into laughter.
"I feel the same about myself! A fitting title! It belongs to me!"
Mr. Gu closed his eyes and reopened them.
The Nine Nether Immortal Light vibrated, then rose, transforming into Mr. Gu's likeness.
The supreme Heavenly Edict left by the First Yuqing, as Mr. Gu's control over the Dao deepened, was finally grasped by him. No matter how dire his situation had been before, he no longer needed to recall it.
However, just as he was about to act.
Outside the Great Aeon, a second convergence of the Three Pure Ones manifested.
Taishang turned his head.
Within that light, lay the path he was missing.
Mr. Gu also looked there, until Ji Xiang manifested from within.
Ji Xiang glanced at Mr. Gu, who was equally astonished.
"Beiji?"
Astonishment turned into ecstatic joy.
"Hahaha! What in the world is going on? The thirteenth person has also manifested! You truly are not dead! How, why have you appeared from the depths of unknown history? Oh, you have ascended to Heavenly Heart? Congratulations, congratulations!"
"It's a pity your ascension is at the wrong time, and your appearance is also at the wrong time! But what was that just now? You also converged the Three Pure Ones? Wonderful, truly wonderful! I just found this person troublesome, and you arrived. Hurry, let me devour you, and together, we shall transcend the extreme of the Aeon."
Mr. Gu's mood was exceptionally joyous. He had not expected the thirteenth person to appear. He was about to surpass Primordial Heavenly Venerate, far surpassing him! He would even disdain to be associated with Primordial, and the First Yuqing would surely die!
Without hesitation, he reached out to seize Ji Xiang!
A vast expanse of time suddenly unfolded. The Great Form descended, millennia collapsed, millennia surged. New time, not belonging to the old Aeon, crashed against Mr. Gu, instantly grinding away his second grasping hand, even scattering his Primordial body, never to exist again!
Mr. Gu's form dissipated and then reformed, still in a state of daze. Suddenly, the old Aeon began to perish. Mr. Gu looked up again, only to see the end of time, and himself, once again suppressed by the Beiji True Person before him, his true form scattered!
Reforming again, a tremor of dread and fear swept through Mr. Gu's heart. The last time he felt such an emotion was when Primordial Heavenly Venerate mysteriously disappeared.
He saw Ji Xiang's eyes, which held only a trace of pity, and more so, a sense of contemplation as one watches something before its end.
[The Immortal Dao is dead. It is truly awe-inspiring to see a powerful being who has reached the pinnacle of the world fall here. It is something that most beings in the old and new Aeons cannot perceive, an unparalleled terror, and a true magnificent spectacle.]
That was a thought that appeared directly in Mr. Gu's mind. Mr. Gu still intended to assimilate Ji Xiang by following these thoughts, but as his thoughts rushed into Ji Xiang's thoughts, they disappeared without a ripple, leaving nothing behind.
There was no assimilation, nor counter-assimilation. It was as if nothing could be touched, a sense of isolation like an immortal facing the Heaven of Heavens.
"This, what is this?"
Mr. Gu was bewildered, lost, and at a loss. In a moment, a lifetime extinguished. Silence, emptiness, stillness, no movement, no Dao, no change.
Within Ji Xiang's hand, during this moment of bewilderment, this instant, this lifetime's extinction, a new Nine Nether Immortal Light bloomed, nurturing an ultimate divine ability.