The human realm, as the vast expanse of time began to devour itself in reverse, the era of the Great Ming no longer existed.
Vast swathes of mountains and rivers vanished, reverting to their state from a thousand years prior. This was because everything was flowing backward towards the Tang Dynasty, accompanying the battle of Mr. Gu. All eras after the Great Tang, and the myriad phenomena that appeared within them, had never existed.
Yet, even though this era had ceased to exist, remnants of it still endured.
Several vast clouds of light floated, these were parts of the human realm that had resisted the temporal regression. Maintained by one or more individuals bearing destiny, they held aloft a tiny fragment of the old world amidst the dying tide of time.
"It's truly all gone."
Zhang Tianshi surveyed the surroundings from atop the Forbidden City. The current emperor's destiny had not yet been severed and was still flourishing, thus the land and rivers around Shuntian Prefecture were naturally preserved. However, places further afield could not be saved.
Even though the Son of Heaven was the most powerful possessor of destiny in the human realm, the area he could protect was extremely limited. As for those other individuals bearing destiny, who had the potential to become rulers of dynasties in the next era, their destinies were weaker, and the areas they could protect were far smaller than this.
Shuntian and Ying Tian, due to their connection with the Dharma Realm, were both preserved.
The South Sea was preserved, with Christ intervening, using the might of a monotheistic deity, a Yuqing cultivator, and the Great Vehicle of the Heart of Heaven, to envelop and protect it.
"Are we returning to the Tang Dynasty?"
Emperor Wanli could only exclaim in disbelief. After witnessing such a terrifying transformation, he no longer felt any fear. Zhang Tianshi and the others were the same.
The disparity was too great to comprehend. If Donghua Xiannu had not informed Zhang Tianshi that destiny-bearers could protect mountains and rivers, even more land and rivers would have been lost.
"Returning to the past, wouldn't that mean there's a second emperor in the world? What am I then?"
"This is likely only temporary."
Donghua Xiannu had returned to the human realm. Yuan Huang, due to an incident in the Underworld, had departed in haste, informing them that all phenomena in the world were likely to be destroyed.
In past times, Yuan Huang would certainly have used his protection as leverage to exchange for the succession of destiny in the human realm, thereby allowing the Underworld to occupy the Yang world. But now, he truly had no time or leisure for such matters.
"Returning to the Tang Dynasty, Your Majesty might not even see the Tang Dynasty's emperor. The greater possibility is that we will completely disappear in the next temporal regression. If we can endure it... perhaps we can last until time flows correctly again and head to the new era."
"How long would that take?"
"…I don't know."
The conversation between Donghua Xiannu and Zhang Tianshi ended there. Zhang Tianshi's expression was dejected, and he sighed, "I haven't even achieved the Heart of Heaven, and yet the path forward is completely blocked. A new path has appeared, but it's under circumstances where I can't even protect myself as an immortal. I truly don't know if this is luck or misfortune."
"When have immortals ever been so powerless?"
Above the nine heavens, below the four seas, the void shattered, the Yang God roamed, and avatars spread throughout heaven and earth. The Ascension realm, once a synonym for power in the world, was now as weak as mortals.
Within the human realm depicted on the surface, those scholars had long since transformed into "Yuqing cultivators." The lineage of Confucianism could not be preserved, of course. The sages of Confucianism had also become Yuqing cultivators who had achieved success in ancient times, and in the altered transmissions, they became avatars of Mr. Gu.
At Mr. Gu's whim, the speed of this regression was merely his thought, incredibly fast, so fast that he paid it no mind. This thought had already been cast aside by him.
As for the beings who perished afterward, the length of this single thought, the time contained within it, because they were all within this time, this single thought was unimaginably long for them.
But this prolonged duration did not last long for these surviving people of the Ming Dynasty.
A voice arose from all corners of the world, simultaneously echoing in the hearts of all living beings who had survived.
"If the subsequent eras disappear and you all return to the Tang Dynasty, your destinies will also weaken. You are not destiny-bearers of this current era, and even less so are you the Emperors of the Tang."
Around Shuntian Prefecture and Ying Tian Prefecture, numerous temporal fragments suddenly appeared. These temporal fragments, without the protection of destiny-bearers, still remained and were continuously gathering. This scene greatly astonished several people in the Forbidden City. The next moment, as Emperor Jiajing and Yuan Miao Da Sheng appeared from the void, and displayed the image of Tai Shang Lao Jun, the temporal period influenced by this thought abruptly ceased.
"Wanli, thank you for preserving this portion of the human realm and destiny. I will use it well."
Emperor Jiajing looked at his good grandson. At this moment, the Jing Zhen Divine Sword could no longer serve any purpose. Emperor Jiajing merely glanced at Wanli as he drew his sword, and the divine sword bent and vanished into smoke with a clang.
"This sword is no longer useful."
Yuan Miao Da Sheng sighed. The Jing Zhen Divine Sword was a treasure left by the Shenxiao Sect. Initially, it was intended to be a divine weapon forged with heavenly resonance, but it failed and was a defective item. Nevertheless, it still possessed terrifying destructive power against the myriad phenomena of the world.
However, now, this sword was no different from scrap iron before their eyes.
Zhang Tianshi and Donghua Xiannu also had drastic changes in their expressions. Emperor Wanli's scalp tingled, and he stiffly asked:
"Ancestral Grandfather Shizong, the human realm has become this way, and the Great Ming will also cease to exist. You are forcing me to this extent, what is left in this human realm for you to seize?"
Emperor Jiajing smiled, "The human realm will still exist. Even after enduring such a great disaster, it still exists. You and the few immortals around you have insufficient cultivation and cannot comprehend the mysteries within."
"Names remain, reflected in the human realm, the human realm is eternal, time is eternal. Only the eras and frameworks change. My Great Ming, having endured for several centuries, has left an indelible name, forever preserved in the annals of history. Your destiny also represents the destiny of the Great Ming, and to this day, it remains prosperous and unceasing."
"The prosperity of this destiny is so great that it can even endure until the next era. When the new world opens, perhaps you can even establish another mythical dynasty. But now, this preserved great destiny, and the fortune that has not yet declined, I shall borrow from you to accomplish a greater undertaking."
"This true humanistic Dharma Realm is about to be achieved."
Zhang Tianshi attempted to attack with the San Wu Ci Xiong Zhan Xie Divine Sword, but Emperor Jiajing smiled slightly, and the San Wu Ci Xiong Zhan Xie Divine Sword instantly turned into a wisp of smoke and disappeared!
"Pei Guo Zhang Ling received resonance from the Heaven of Heavens and obtained the arts of Tai Qing Xuan Yuan. But the lineage of Tai Qing Dao is different from everything in the world. Let me tell you, if Tai Qing Dao is cultivated to its extreme, one can achieve 'Tai Shang,' and Tai Shang is different from Yuan Shi."
"Your methods are things passed down by Zhang Ling. To flaunt them before Tai Shang Lao Jun is as laughable as beating a drum before the Heavenly Duke."
Donghua Xiannu, however, noticed the difference, "You are not in the Heavenly Heart realm!"
"Of course, I am not in the Heavenly Heart realm. This is another path, different from the Heavenly Heart, which is the new path you speak of. This is the path of Tai Shang!"
"The false realm of the Heavenly Heart has been extinguished. I was constantly pursued by those of the Heavenly Heart, yet I never advanced to the Heavenly Heart realm myself, precisely because I knew it was a false realm. No matter how powerful and glorious it was described, it was merely superficial splendor, easily burned to ashes with a single flame."
"Once the human heart is removed, the Heavenly Heart returns. This was originally a state for experiencing the Heaven of Heavens, yet it was forcibly made into a realm. They truly believed they had obtained the great power to manipulate all phenomena in the world, even creating the future and reflecting the past, considering themselves omnipotent manipulators of the world."
"And they, too, will be completely destroyed by the death qi within time. They are no longer favored by heaven and earth, having become 'demons, ghosts, and monsters,' destined to be burned to ashes and vanish into smoke."
Emperor Jiajing had been pursued for many years. Now, seeing the Heavenly Heart realms gradually extinguished, he was in exceptionally good spirits. Within the inner world, some of the Heavenly Heart realms had already perished. Following the Tai Ji Zhen Ren who had been killed by them, and with the disappearance of the Buddha Emperor, the death qi of time finally corrupted all those Heavenly Heart powerhouses who were unwilling and were striving to evolve a brilliant future, attempting to resist this destruction.
This human realm had no power to resist. Emperor Jiajing cupped his hands, and the entire surviving Ming Dynasty transformed into a ball of brilliance. All the Dharma Realms that still existed in the heavens were also gathered and refined together.
Emperor Jiajing, cloaked in this humanistic Dharma Realm, disappeared with Yuan Miao Da Sheng, heading to the Underworld to complete the great undertaking of the Three Pure Ones' unified origin.
The next moment, the Underworld.
The vast brilliance that appeared before them was Yuan Huang!
"At this moment when the great time is reaching its end, you still do not forget to fight. To ascend to the ultimate of the world, you have found your way here. Do you wish to take the Underworld as your own, to completely unify the existence of Yin and Yang?"
The Heavenly Heart radiance on Yuan Huang's body was still immense. The death qi of time had not encroached upon him. Even Mr. Gu could not find his true form, hiding in some moment of the ancient past. Emperor Jiajing also knew that the Yuan Huang before him was not his true body but a projection, but all of this no longer mattered.
"Not only that, but your esteemed title will also be taken by us... Yuqing Zi Xu Gao Miao Tai Shang Yuan Huang Da Dao Jun!"
Beside Emperor Jiajing, Lin Ling Su also appeared. Neither of them was in the Heavenly Heart realm, nor were they within the scope of Celestial Immortals.
Upon hearing his sacred title spoken by them, Yuan Huang was first astonished, then his expression turned grave.
"Even destiny-bearers should have forgotten some memories of Yuan Shi Tian Zun. The sacred title should not be spoken by your mouths."
The disappearance of Yuan Shi Tian Zun was unrelated to the changes of the new era. Therefore, even destiny-bearers should have forgotten regarding the issue of Yuan Shi Tian Zun's sacred title. Even with very powerful destinies, they would at most remember a little, vaguely, but could not possibly state a sacred title completely.
Sensing the two of them more carefully, he could only detect a vast expanse of Dao traces, but could not determine if the two truly existed before him. It was as if they had become "avatars of the Dao"!
"What realm is this?"
"Dao One?"
Yuan Huang could not discern their realm level, nor could he accurately describe it!
They seemed to possess no divine abilities of the Heavenly Heart or Hun Yuan, and did not perceive the influence of myriad thoughts on the Underworld. However, Yuan Huang felt that their current states were far more dangerous than the Heavenly Heart and Hun Yuan realms!
This state was also somewhat similar to the Qing Yang he had seen, resembling the so-called "Dao One"!
Continuously returning to their origin, infinitely approaching the true body of the Dao. Although not comparable to Mr. Gu, if they had truly attained Dao One, then... this battle would be perilous.
"Dao One? No, it is not. Hehe, to use the words of those ignorant Heavenly Heart realm individuals of the past, perhaps my current state and his are the True Realm of the Heavenly Dao."
"But in reality, this is not a realm. We are still very far from the next realm, but compared to you, we are on the correct path, truly surpassing immortals, and naturally surpassing you. As for realms, things like the Heavenly Heart and Hun Yuan are merely your perceptions of your own states. False realms are not worth discussing or defining."
"Yuan Huang, you only need to know that you and your Underworld have reached your limit. Next, you will cease to exist."
Yuan Huang frowned and transmitted a voice into the Underworld. Instantly, several beams of immortal light erupted, shaking the heavens. Within the divine kingdom of the Underworld, the five statues in the Song Court unleashed immense power, mobilizing the might of the Underworld, unaffected by any external Heavenly Heart spells!
"The Underworld is the Yin world, different from all realms. The fundamental Dao here is Yin, not Yang. You are also a being of the Yang world. Although I do not understand your level, since you say you have no realm, I will still treat you as a Heavenly Heart."
Empowered by the divine kingdom, the five statues awakened, and five half-step Heavenly Hearts suddenly appeared in the Underworld. Yet, Emperor Jiajing was not the least bit anxious, merely sighing:
"Very strong, truly very strong."
"Many years ago, I never imagined a scene like this would occur, nor did I expect to become one of the most powerful people in the world. Like this... like this."
His thoughts shifted. Yuan Huang sensed it and prepared to defend with his thoughts, but Emperor Jiajing's thoughts directly bypassed Yuan Huang's.
Those thoughts were formed by strands of 'Dao traces'.
"Dao?!"
Yuan Huang was greatly astonished. He had never seen such thoughts. Those Dao thoughts completely altered the Underworld. A great sense of decline and decay began to spread, fortune collapsed, hells shattered, and everyone's state began to go awry.
"The use of Dao by the weak."
Emperor Jiajing's voice was like a curse.
The strong declined, the weak grew strong. Dao does not weaken or reverse. The fundamental profound methods of the Tai Qing lineage could even arbitrarily change the method of Dao's operation. This was the path of Tai Shang, not the path of Yu Qing that should exist in the world. Therefore, Yuan Huang gradually became powerless, and the death qi within time began to appear on him.
Two of the most important techniques in the Tai Qing lineage, related to the fundamental operation of Dao, were not of Yu Qing and had nothing to do with the Great Four Symbols. Instead, they came from more external transmissions – the transmissions of "Tai Shang."
"Come!"
Yuan Huang would certainly not wait to be slaughtered. He opened a span of history and shouted loudly. That span of history emitted a "crimson light of extreme brilliance," replacing the heaven and earth of the Underworld. This instantly halted the decline. The declining heaven and earth did not disappear but were cast into the more distant past.
"Yu Qing Miaoshu."
Yuan Huang pulled up several fragments of the past. Those eras were ancient, tracing all the way back. All the temporal reversals caused streams of black qi to spread and vibrate.
...
Wa Wu Mountain.
Ji Xiang did not go anywhere. In this great temporal reversal, many mountains and rivers disappeared, reverting to their past forms. The myriad phenomena of the current era no longer existed, perishing silently with Mr. Gu's single thought.
Only here remained unchanged. In the deepest part of Wa Wu Mountain, Ji Xiang once thought the most dangerous things here were the dreams of the dead, the Zhaoming World, and the Qing Yang Dao Palace.
Now, there was a demon immortal here. His realm was not high, merely at the level of Flying Immortal, yet he was locked within Wa Wu Mountain until now. Even as time vanished, he still existed. And his karma, Ji Xiang could not see.
"You are a residual image from another time, sealed here by Patriarch Zhang Ling?"
This was the only possible understanding.
Moreover, this demon immortal's path of cultivation was entirely different from the myriad phenomena within this time, and even far from the Tai Qing lineage. However, only at Ji Xiang's current level could the true internal differences be discerned.
The demon immortal raised his head and asked, "Yes, it is Zhang Ling. However, it is also not Zhang Ling. Zhang Ling is merely his name in this world."
"He is a 'Tai Shang'."