Chapter 0 Extra Story: Tears of Nirvana, Light of Innovation (Free W Words)

The Primordial Era, the beginning of the world, was barren and desolate.

In the Tianyuan World, humans and gods lived together, innate spirits were scattered across the land, and myriad divine birds soared in the sky. Their power could split mountains, break rivers, move mountains, open seas, and shift all things in the world.

Acquired spirits, with the human race at their head, also populated the world, but they did not possess the power to move mountains and overturn seas. Faced with the powerful innate spirits and divine birds, the acquired spirits were always powerless and could only accept whatever the former desired.

Faced with the unpredictable gods, some humans chose to resist, some chose to pray, some chose to offer sacrifices, and some chose to migrate.

And faced with the insignificant masses, some gods chose to protect, some chose to act wantonly, some chose to accept sacrifices, and some chose to slaughter wantonly.

In a chaotic world, no one, god or mortal, knew the rules. Spirits lived according to their moods.

A long wind howled across the sky, passing through layers of flowing clouds and the boundless firmament. Xuanqing (dark blue) spiritual light, carrying a sky full of clear mist, swept across the heavens and the earth. An incomparably enormous Xuan bird was flying in the very center of the high sky.

Wherever the Xuan mist passed, spirituality became active, plants might develop sentience, beasts might awaken wisdom, and acquired spirits might even receive blessings, obtaining extremely precious opportunities for cultivation in this primordial era.

Therefore, wherever the Xuan bird passed, all things and beings, even many innate spirits and divine birds, respectfully bowed and praised, extolling its name.

—— Gao Qiong Xuanqing Taichu Divine Bird (High Sky Dark Blue Primordial Divine Bird).

Even the most unruly demon gods, the most cold and indifferent immortal spirits, and the most arrogant and ruthless divine birds, were all respectful, affectionate, and even fearful in the face of the Xuan bird.

Because, in this lawless world, in this Tianyuan World where all spirits lived according to their moods, the Xuan bird's power itself allowed it to do anything.

All things in the world were nothing more than playthings that could be killed or given away at will for this Primordial Divine Bird, which almost completely dominated the sky. Even if all the gods and demons in the world fought against it, it was hard to say who would win or lose.

But it did not do so, and often even spread its wings, bringing pure spiritual mist to enlighten all beings.

So this alone was enough to make all things and beings grateful to it and revere it.

The divine bird had never had such thoughts from the beginning.

After all, from the moment of its birth, it had never felt any malice.

The Xuan bird, which foolishly flew from one end of the world to the other every day, sometimes chasing the sun's trajectory in the sky, sometimes flying along the flow of a river, spent each day happily. Sometimes it went to the east to chat with a talking mountain, sometimes it went to the south to build a fake nest, and when it was in a good mood, it would go to the western sea for a bath, stirring up the endless blue sea with its wings.

Every day, the divine bird lived a very fulfilling and simple life.

Every day, it lived happily and carefree.

Everyone respected it and was grateful to it. Such days were simply too pleasant.

And at some point—perhaps when it was chasing the sun's trajectory one time—a three-legged golden crow began to follow behind it, handling all kinds of chores for it and taking care of its daily life.

Although it was a little strange, why not?

The Xuan bird acquiesced to the golden crow's following and continued its wandering life, flying around everywhere every day.

After a period of time, which could be considered a long time, the Xuan bird, which had seen all things in the world, began to focus its attention on some places it had not paid attention to in the past.

It had seen all the mountains, all the seas, the rivers, the plains, the valleys, the basins, everything, and even the mysteries above the sky.

Even the situation underground, because it could share stories with the talking mountain in the east, it mostly understood. In return, it also relayed the affairs of other places in the world to the mountain that could not move.

Therefore, the divine bird shifted its gaze.

It had to be said, it was really interesting!

In the southern continent of the world, the divine bird left a simple nest—but as everyone knew, nests were for resting, and how could the Xuan bird, which was born from the sky, rest?

So this nest, since it was roughly built a long time ago, had always been the same.

And this time, after the divine bird returned to the south, it saw that around its nest, there was a tribe of humans holding a grand praise ceremony for a feather that it had shed in the past.

Full of sincerity, full of praise, full of reverence, full of love.

This tribe worshiped the Xuan bird as its totem, loved the color Xuanqing, and often decorated themselves with feathers, creating all kinds of feather-like ornaments, intending to fly into the sky and follow the divine bird that had once bestowed blessings upon them.

——When did I bestow blessings upon them?

The divine bird's thoughts at that time were so茫然(mángrán – confused), and by the time it realized that the so-called blessings were likely just the feathers that fell after it scratched itself casually, it had already personally descended in front of this tribe.

——These little guys are quite interesting. They even know my name and have been praising me all the time... More, more!

It thought so happily, even though the three-legged golden crow behind it was sighing.

And the descent of the Xuan bird was naturally the supreme good news for this small tribe—they immediately held the grandest ceremony, placing all their best prey and most precious treasures on the altar to offer to the divine bird, which was curiously looking down at them.

Of course, the meat of spirit beasts, gems containing spiritual energy, and the fruits of spirit plants with natural patterns... all were treasures that they had carefully stored away and rarely ate or used on ordinary days.

Although, the spiritual energy that the divine bird casually exhaled was countless times greater than these small offerings.

Although, the things humans used for sacrifice were all things that the divine bird didn't know what they were for.

But... they were really happy!

So the divine bird also became happy.

[I am very happy.]

It said: [You gave me these things, so what do you want?]

"Ah, Xuan bird, the god has responded to us!"

For a time, everyone in the entire tribe was panic-stricken—this was also very interesting to the divine bird. It noticed that although humans had prepared gifts, they had never thought that they could actually receive a return gift.

That was strange. In that case, why did they prepare gifts?

And after a flurry of panic, the clan leader finally discussed their wish.

"We want to fly... we want to fly, a way to follow in the footsteps of the heavenly god!"

A simple wish.

Almost in the same instant, under the will of the divine bird, a natural supernatural cultivation method that could control the raging wind appeared in the hearts of everyone in this clan, allowing them to ride the wind and soar in the sky.

For this reason, the humans of this clan began to call themselves the 'Chengfeng Clan' (Wind-Riding Clan).

This was all a very small matter to the divine bird. After returning, it even showed off to the golden crow who was tidying its nest: [I encountered something interesting today. I saw someone sacrificing to me. They were so happy when I appeared, and they gave me a lot of little trinkets!]

[I asked them what they wanted in return, but they actually hadn't thought it through. In the end, they just asked for a way to fly. It was really too interesting.]

But the golden crow's answer made it quite unhappy: [Your Excellency Taichu (Primordial), your prestige extends throughout the ten directions of the earth. It is only natural that they worship you.]

[Please refrain from contacting those acquired spirits in the future. They are not worthy of communicating with you. If you have anything you want to do in the future, just leave it to me.]

Although it could understand that it was the golden crow's kindness, hoping that it would not waste its time on those guys that it deemed meaningless... but Taichu's thoughts were actually very simple.

[Since someone loves me, then I can naturally love them too.]

As Taichu's strength grew stronger, the divine bird's journey began to extend beyond this world. It broke through the barrier of the Tianyuan mortal realm and wandered in the boundless Sea of Void.

And every time it returned from the Sea of Void, the divine bird would go back to the vicinity of the Chengfeng Clan to see how things were going.

The first time it returned, the tribe, which originally had only a few hundred people, had become a city with a population of tens of thousands. The tribal people who originally used fences and wore animal skins had become professional hunters and soldiers who built stone city walls and wore linen and leather armor.

The ceremony to worship the Xuan bird had also become more formal. The Chengfeng Clan found a kind of herb that could release a Xuanqing mist when burned, making the entire city the color of the Xuan bird's feathers.

The second time it returned, the city with tens of thousands of people had become a union of several cities. The elders and leaders had also become a union of city lords. They occasionally had infighting, but they all revered the Xuan bird.

Only when they jointly held the Xuan bird ceremony would they display their exquisite techniques, bring out huge bronze Xuan bird statues, magnificent Xuanqing jade pillars, and gather the Tiangang (Heavenly Astral) essence collected from the high heavens.

The first two were quite good, somewhat interesting, but the last one made the divine bird a little embarrassed—the so-called Tiangang essence was essentially just the... ahem... that the Xuan bird usually left behind when it swallowed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

Although the intention was sincere, it was still not necessary.

And perceiving that the divine bird was feeling a little embarrassed, the leaders and elders of the third city all turned ashen. In response, the divine bird had to comfort them, telling them that it was a little embarrassing this time, but the intention was not a problem, and they could try again next time.

"There is actually a next time?" The leaders, who had originally thought that the offerings had displeased the heavenly god and were already prepared to be punished, were immediately shocked upon hearing these words.

How could the other gods and demons in this world be as generous as the divine bird? So with both gratitude and determination, they vowed: "I swear with my bloodline that the next time the heavenly god returns, our Chengfeng Youhan Clan will offer the most precious offering, one that even the heavenly god will praise!"

The divine bird didn't take it seriously—what hadn't it seen in this world? It was impossible to make it praise.

But that sincere heart made it happy.

[Then I will wait.]

The third time, the divine bird discovered many lives in the Sea of Void. Those strange creatures lived in the asteroid belt surrounding Tianyuan, which was quite interesting.

After communicating with those creatures for a while and learning that they called themselves 'demons', the divine bird, unable to bear the smell on their bodies, returned to Tianyuan.

And this time, the former Chengfeng Clan had become the Chengfeng Kingdom.

Using the strength of the entire clan, they raised the main city into the sky. The seventh generation Chengfeng King still remembered the oath of his ancestors. Facing the descending divine bird, who was showing a look of surprise, the young king led his ministers and people, in the city floating in mid-air, and offered their most precious offering.

It was a gem condensed from the pure energy of heaven and earth, containing the five elements of heaven and earth, as well as the power of infinite human desires.

This gem was not natural, but man-made. It was made by the Chengfeng Clan, who delved deep into the earth's veins to excavate a piece of pure jade髓(suǐ - marrow), gathered the spiritual power of many spiritual gems, and then had millions of Chengfeng Kingdom citizens pray and worship together.

The gem released seven-colored rainbow light, and the aura of the five elements and the five virtues of the human heart rotated within it. Although the spiritual energy contained within it was insignificant, and the degree of refinement also had great problems... but this kind of unprecedented thing, created by acquired means, that did not exist innately...

This kind of thing was unprecedented, so it was incomparably magnificent, even the divine bird was shocked by it. Even the three-legged golden crow, who had always looked down on humans, couldn't help but widen its eyes after seeing this gem, and looked at these tiny humans with shocked eyes.

So it turned out that man-made objects, the light of the human heart, and the intent forged by acquired spirits could be so dazzling, not inferior to innate objects at all!

[Thank you.]

Accepting this gem that was forged with the full power of the Chengfeng Kingdom, the divine bird's voice even carried a trace of emotion: [A very good gift.]

[Humans, speak. What kind of return gift do you want? I, Taichu, can guarantee that even the light of the sun at the other end of the Sea of Void can be obtained for you.]

"No need, heavenly god!" And the Chengfeng King laughed loudly. He sensed the Xuan bird's joy, so he was also joyful because of it: "You only need to watch us and witness our glory!"

"And we will surely glorify you!"

[I... am waiting.]

With such expectations, the divine bird left Tianyuan once again—although the Chengfeng Clan said that they didn't want anything, how could it really have no feedback?

The so-called gifts should originally be reciprocated.

And this time, even the golden crow didn't say much. It followed Taichu into the Sea of Void. Before leaving Tianyuan, the divine bird named Taihao looked thoughtfully at all beings in this world.

This time, the Xuan bird and the golden crow crossed the Sea of Void together. It arrived near the Guixu (Returning Ruins) Sun River and saw the source of the light that illuminated all things, a strange black lens.

It lingered there with the golden crow for a while, intercepted a section of the Sun River's light flow, and with this gift, the divine bird contentedly returned to the Tianyuan world.

But this time, perhaps because of the gravitational influence of Guixu, or perhaps because the journey was really too long.

In the Tianyuan world, where time flew by, there was no trace of the Chengfeng Clan.

The Chengfeng City floating in the sky had disappeared, and the once prosperous human kingdom had vanished without a trace—even the mountains, forests, and rivers had changed their forms and courses. All familiar things were completely unfamiliar.

When the silent divine bird dug out the ruins of the city, the remains of humans, and some traces and auras of gods and demons from the thick soil, both the Xuan bird and the golden crow fell silent.

It seemed that some innate spirits had fought here, or simply passed by, and so the Chengfeng Kingdom was destroyed.

This was not strange—when Taichu had not yet paid attention to the world, it would occasionally see this scene. For it at the time, this scene was similar to trampling on flowers and plants, and it would not have any extra thoughts.

Humans were just weeds and ants living on this land, like moss.

No, no, no... rather, for the eternal divine bird, what in this world was not an ant or a weed?

Searching for the aura of blood, the Xuan bird found the last remnants of the Chengfeng Clan's bloodline—they had returned to being tribes wandering in the mountains, and they no longer worshiped the Xuan bird, but worshiped some primitive mountain spirits, some mountain sprites that had awakened their intelligence.

Only from their clothes, decorations, and patterns could one see a trace of the Xuan bird's worship in the past.

——Ah, what exactly is this feeling?

The divine bird, who had never been subjected to malice and had never inflicted malice on others, the child of the sky who had always been happy and carefree, was now filled with a strange emotion in its heart.

It had never felt this emotion before, this emotion of losing something and being unable to recover it...

What was the Chengfeng Clan to it?

Pets? Friends? Partners?

Or an existence that had accompanied it for a long time?

It didn't understand. It had never felt this feeling before.

For the first time, the divine bird felt that it seemed to know nothing about itself.

[...Have they forgotten me?]

So, after a long silence, Taichu looked down at this tribe and asked in a low voice.

[No, Your Excellency, they have not forgotten.]

And Taihao lowered its head. In this regard, it, who was far more experienced than Taichu, spoke with a somewhat complicated tone: [It's just that the people who remember you are all dead.]

Taichu actually didn't understand the human reproduction model at all.

In the eyes of the eternal it, the human tribe was a collective, some of whom died and some newborns were born, which was metabolism, renewal, just like it occasionally dropped a few feathers.

It even thought that the human collective was eternal.

It wasn't until now, under Taihao's explanation, that it understood that when the people who remembered some things died, and those things were not told to the next generation, then that memory, oath, and wish would all be lost with the wind.

And those people, those things, would even ‘die.’

[So, humans are actually all individuals?]

Knowing all this, the divine bird muttered to itself: [Then why don't humans fight each other like those innate spirits? I still remember that back then, they cooperated and could even build huge cities and dynasties, with a king, an emperor who ruled all the citizens of the Chengfeng Kingdom. I thought that was a cultivation method, a way to become stronger.]

[The innate spirits and divine birds don't have that. They do whatever they want every day and can't cooperate.]

[Your Excellency... I think, that should be, there are rules among humans.] And the golden crow also answered in a low voice. Its gaze was also complicated.

[Rules?]

[It's something that restricts what an existence can do and can't do... a thing that can regulate the behavior of all existences.]

[Including me, right?]

[You may not... you are so strong that you should be the existence that sets the rules...]

[No, it must include me. If I can't even regulate myself, how can I set rules for other existences—isn't that right, Taihao?]

[...Indeed, Your Excellency.]

After a series of questions and answers, the Xuan bird descended.

It took out the gem that it had treasured and placed it in front of the descendants of the Chengfeng Kingdom, those tribal people who were trembling and kowtowing to it.

It also added some laws to protect this tribe.

Then, it turned around, took flight, and left.

Without looking back.

Soon, chasing after the remaining aura of the gods and demons, the Xuan bird found the god or demon that had destroyed the Chengfeng Clan in the past.

That god or demon was walking aimlessly, not avoiding mountains when it saw them, and stepping over rivers without hesitation.

It walked in the world, muddleheaded, but also free and unrestrained. Its powerful strength allowed it to act according to its instincts and moods without having to think or face any obstacles.

Faced with this god or demon, Taichu finally understood what the emotion that had been filling its heart all along was.

It was anger.

Sadness.

Reluctance.

And... unwillingness.

So, when this god or demon was about to trample on a nest of wild beasts that had become精(jīng-spirit), the divine bird moved.

It simply stretched its wings and waved them casually, without using any techniques. The incomparably enormous innate spirit, like a mountain, who was condensed from the immortal essence of heaven and earth, was directly beaten into the ground like a stake in a daze, unable to move.

[Ta, Taichu Your Excellency?!]

Only then did this innate spirit react. Its stagnant brain began to think, and then it felt a burst of fear: [You are...]

The Taichu divine bird was indifferent to the world, and no life in this world dared to provoke it. This innate spirit was naturally the same. Even if it was attacked by the other party first, it didn't dare to fight back.

It would be foolish to fight back. Maybe it wouldn't die if it didn't fight back, but it would definitely die if it did!

And the divine bird did not answer, but conveyed its aura and the memories related to the Chengfeng Kingdom ruins to the other party.

[Why did you do this, Taisui (Great Year)?] One claw stepped on the other party's head, the Xuan bird calmly asked.

[No, no, there was no why...]

At this moment, this god or demon named Taisui also felt somewhat baffled: [I just, at that time, I probably just walked over there...]

[They were just humans, and although some gods and demons would deliberately avoid them when walking, I usually don't look at my feet... I can't even remember what I was spacing out about that day!]

For gods and demons, Taichu's actions were essentially no different from picking a fight.

In this god or demon's memory, it had just spent an ordinary day as always, without even having any special encounters.

As for humans... those ant-like acquired spirits...

People's joys and sorrows are not the same.

Not to mention the differences between humans and gods?

Who would remember them!

The god or demon really thought so, and it really didn't have any malice.

This god or demon was even considered a relatively gentle type, not deliberately destroying human settlements, just like a naughty child who wouldn't deliberately destroy an ant nest.

Everyone has times when they space out, and it just happened to destroy the Chengfeng Kingdom while it was spacing out.

Taichu retracted its wings, and the divine bird sat on the ground, pondering for a long time.

A very, very long time.

The sun rose and set, and night fell again and again.

The firmament divine bird, the golden crow, and the god or demon who dared not move in the ground spent dozens of years together, causing the grass and trees to wither and flourish.

For the immortal ones, it was just a moment.

And after that, Taichu spoke.

[So, Taisui.]

It stood up, its voice becoming heavy and majestic: [Am I very strong?]

[You are the undisputed strongest in the Tianyuan world.]

And the god or demon named Taisui honestly replied: [No, it's still a little strange to describe it with strength. Except for the Hongming mountain spirit of the Eastern Continent, you are simply invincible in the world.]

[Hongming is not my enemy, he is my friend.]

Answering softly, the divine bird lowered its head, its clear eyes meeting Taisui's. Taichu said calmly: [So, in my eyes, you innate spirits are actually no different from weeds and ants.]

[If I trampled you to death, would you feel very sad, grieved, and unwilling?]

The plain tone made Taisui tremble. It hesitated for a while before it had to nod and say: [Yes, indeed, I would be sad, and I would be very unwilling...]

[As expected.]

So, Taichu closed its eyes, and the supreme divine bird murmured to itself: [Life is all the same.]

[You will be sad, I will be sad, and humans will also be sad.]

As it said this, large teardrops fell from the corners of the Xuan bird's eyes. It opened its eyes and sadly wailed at the distant sky: [Clearly they are all lives that will be sad, clearly they are all the same existences.]

[Why, why must they make each other sad?]

[Why can't there be a perfect world where all existences do not shed tears?]

The divine bird's cry caused the heavens and the earth to shake.

As if the sky was weeping, the firmament of the Tianyuan world shook because of the firmament divine bird's will. The clear energy of the entire world began to overflow and flow, turning into countless falling raindrops, covering the heavens and the earth, causing all beings to look sideways.

And when heaven and earth were mourning together, shedding tears as rain, Taichu announced to all beings in the world.

[I will establish a rule, formulate an order, and create a perfect world where everyone can stop shedding tears.]

[Since I am the strongest, I should do this—this is the meaning of my birth. After such a long time, I finally understand the value of my power.]

Whether it was the golden crow Taihao or the heavenly spirit Taisui, they all heard this announcement.

Gods, demons, and divine birds were all shocked by this.

So, the golden crow and the god or demon bowed their heads and paid their respects.

[Your Excellency Taichu... if you want to build such a world, then I will follow you, for all eternity!]

[Your Excellency, I was wrong... All beings have feelings, and they must not be ignored... I am willing to follow you and atone for my sins!]

——The Divine-Demonic Calendar... Year 1.

Taichu the Heavenly Emperor established the Heavenly Court, suppressed the gods, promoted three thousand stellar constellations, transformed into the moon, and illuminated the world.

[Your Majesty, the Immortal Celestial Divine Court has stabilized.]

The voice of Taihao the Heavenly Monarch came, carrying joy: [Taisui has successfully constructed the Tianluo (Heavenly Net) Grand Formation. The Stellar Heavenly Dao can accommodate more gods and demons. We are gradually succeeding!]

[Is that so...]

The silent Heavenly Emperor sat high in the center of the firmament, overlooking the world, those lights of all beings.

The Gao Qiong (High Sky) divine bird narrowed its eyes, as if recalling something.

Then, it smiled: [Guiding all beings to achieve godhood, all beings are gods and demons, all can become stars... such a world should be considered perfect, right?]

[If I become stronger, perhaps I can also guide all beings to a higher place. That would be even more perfect.]

——The Divine-Demonic Calendar, 420,000 years.

The Great Omen descended, and the Taichu Heavenly Emperor suppressed the world with his body, returning clarity to the world.

Taihao ascended the throne, becoming the second generation Heavenly Emperor.

[Taihao! What exactly are you doing? You have defined every single rule for mortals, and you have added so many constraints to all the immortals and gods. Do you really think anyone will be happy?!]

A voice was angrily questioning.

[Taisui... no, Lord Taiyin Chen (Great Yin Star), you need to understand that His Majesty is gone, and the Hongming Underworld Lord is also silent. The representative of order between heaven and earth no longer has the absolute power to suppress those gods and demons. If we don't rely on the power of the Stellar Heavenly Dao to restrain the gods, do you think this world will be peaceful?]

And a voice coldly replied: [Or are you trying to return to before the Divine-Demonic Calendar, to the era when gods and demons were free and could do whatever they wanted to all races and people? Ha, weren't you that kind of existence back then?]

[Taihao... no, Heavenly Emperor, I'm just telling you that all beings are life, and gods and demons are also life. His Majesty's wish in the past was a perfect world, a world where everyone is happy and does not shed tears, not a world that looks peaceful but is actually a dead silence. You use luck to suppress all things in heaven and earth, including gods and demons, and you will only usher in the most terrifying backlash!]

[Then let the backlash come—on the contrary, do you really think that the wish of 'all beings can do whatever they want' can be achieved?]

[How can you know if you don't try? As long as one person is free, there will be a second person who is also free. Although it will experience growing pains, when all beings are free, it will be a perfect world, and all the pain and sins in this process can be borne by me!]

[Unreasonable! Do you really think you won't be affected? The demonic thoughts of the Nine Hells will corrupt anyone!]

[Wooden head! Since someone has to be corrupted, why can't it be me?]

——The Divine-Demonic Calendar, 827,000 years.

The Great Freely Wandering Heavenly Demon Lord fought the Heavenly Emperor in Guixu, and both died in silence.

[Great Freely Wandering Heavenly Demon Lord... as expected, are you Taisui's disciple?]

Around the Guixu Sun River, in the place where the Stellar Heavenly Chart was located, the tired Heavenly Emperor leaned against the Nirvana Tear that was about to be condensed, his voice even carrying a hint of relief: [Why did you fight me?]

And the young demon god's calm voice sounded: [For all beings.]

And the Heavenly Emperor sneered: [But I am also for all beings. If it weren't for me, who knows how many gods and demons in this world would want to become emperors, and how many would want to become kings—your teacher didn't want to be the Heavenly Emperor, but didn't he also want to create a perfect world with his own Dao?]

[Teacher is wrong, and I am also wrong. But you are more wrong than us.]

And the Great Freely Wandering Heavenly Demon Lord said: [If I defeat you and obtain the Nirvana Tear, I will go to defeat my teacher, and then defeat myself now, unify the Immortal Heaven and the Nine Hells, become the real Heavenly Emperor, and then create a perfect world.]

[Is that so... good idea, Taisui will be happy too.] Closing his eyes, the golden crow sensed the warm light of the Nirvana Tear behind him.

He seemed to recall the scenes from nearly a million years ago, at the beginning of the founding of the Heavenly Court, and then he opened his eyes and smiled calmly.

[But first, you have to overcome me!]

——The Divine-Demonic Calendar, 830,014 years.

The Human Emperor Ming Zhengde severed the connection between heaven and earth, gods and demons no longer existed, and the Immortal Heaven and the Nine Hells drifted away.

Sitting on the throne, the man who entered滅(miè – extinction, nirvana) was now having a dream.

——Entering滅(miè – extinction, nirvana) means灭度(miè dù - passing away).

——Its meaning is Nirvana.

In this great Nirvana dream, the man had a dream that connected his past and present lives.

In the dream, there was a point of golden light, like a tear, which turned into a beacon guiding him forward—so whether it was a dream or reality, it was really difficult to distinguish, but in short, Ming Zhengde went forward in accordance with this light. He flew out of the Tianyuan world, which was sealed by the great formation of severing the connection between heaven and earth, came to the Sea of Void, came to the Guixu Sun River, and then.

Just like that, following the guidance of the golden light, he entered the Guixu.

And here, everything was reversing, inverting, and repeatedly being reborn, again and again.

He could see the sorrow of the Taichu divine bird from a million years ago, and he could also witness the dispute between the Heavenly Emperor who fell from the sky and Taihao and Taisui more than 400,000 years ago.

He could even see the Great Freely Wandering Heavenly Demon Lord fighting the Heavenly Emperor, both dying in silence.

That resolute and ruthless Taihao, who intended to unify all beings, in order to allow the Immortal Heaven to survive, faced countless heavenly demons at the moment when the heavenly pillar was about to collapse. In the end, in extreme determination, he sublimated to the extreme, transcended his limits, and was recognized by the Stellar Heavenly Dao, becoming the next Divine Emperor.

With the body of a mortal bird, he accomplished this, and even the heavenly demons and demon gods were in awe of him.

This was the initial battle that created the current situation of the Tianyuan mortal world.

No... was that really the beginning?

Clearly, everything originated from Taichu's tears.

Of course, in this process, there were many, many tears... the tears of all beings, the tears of the gods and demons of heaven and earth.

Endless tears converged into rivers, turned into seas, became the sky, and finally condensed into a point of light. This light ran through time and space, guiding him to be reborn. The endless repetition was just to find the perfect result, this compassionate vow that had been passed down since the beginning of the world.

In this dream, Ming Zhengde suddenly found that he was already full of tears.

——Why am I crying?

I don't know.

And at this moment, he also saw his own tears.

Those tears that flowed in the first life because of absolute unwillingness, because of anger, sadness, and reluctance, had also begun to bloom with golden brilliance at some point, resonating and intertwining with his current tears.

In a trance, 30,000 lifetimes flashed before his eyes, like a movie, with every detail without omission.

In this dreamlike, time-reversing Guixu, Ming Zhengde, who was like an audience, suddenly realized.

"So that's how it is."

Closing his eyes, he clenched his fists, realizing: "What, so that's how it is."

The man, who was full of tears, smiled at this moment: "My 30,000 failures are also undoubtedly imperfect!"

"If I don't even save these 30,000 failed lives, how can I rest assured and say that I have succeeded and that I can create a perfect world?"

At this moment, Ming Zhengde turned his head.

Even though he was in Guixu, because of the guidance of the Nirvana Tear, he could still see the beings of the distant Tianyuan mortal world.

——The great formation of severing the connection between heaven and earth will eventually be broken.

Immortals, gods, heavenly demons, and heavenly妖(yāo – demon, monster) were all incredibly terrifying enemies, even without a Divine Emperor or Demon Lord.

In addition to the will of the Primal True Dragon that still existed deep in the earth's veins, the future of mankind was far from being able to be called peaceful.

Yes, that was indeed the case. Under the leadership of the Holy Emperor, within the Tianyuan mortal world protected by the great formation of severing the connection between heaven and earth, all beings could indeed live peacefully, abundantly, calmly, and comfortably.

They did not need to explore the darkness of the outer space, they did not need to think about the future direction and path, and they no longer needed to guard against dangers and strong enemies, or to be wary of those terrifying gods, demons, and妖邪(yāo xié- evil spirits).

But the formation would eventually disappear.

At that time, mankind would eventually go out.

That would be a brand new era, an era shrouded in chaos, an era in which no one could predict the future.

At that time, could humans resist the gods and demons?

At that time, could humans still exist?

At that time, could humans still live happily like they do now?

——Who knows.

But the most important thing was to move forward.

Ming Zhengde wanted to accompany humans and walk forward like this—he was the Human Emperor, even if he himself did not think so, but what he was doing was what the Human Emperor in the hearts of the people should do.

But not now.

Because there were still mistakes he needed to correct.

Perfection must be achieved, because that was the wish of all beings.

"Don't miss me, and don't wait for me, just move forward."

Staring at the distant world, Ming Zhengde turned his head. The man's soul began to continue following the guidance of the Nirvana Tear, going against the tide of time, and walking towards those lifetimes of overlapping mistakes. He smiled lightly: "Because that is my wish."

"Because everyone is me."

——May all beings become Qilin (Chinese Unicorn).

Time and space twisted, Tianyuan mortal world, outside the perfect world.

Another youth was also having a dream as vast as the universe, spanning myriad worlds.

"——We must