Chapter 2433: Burning Lamp's Past

Gong Tianya of the Yue Kingdom sat down, and Er Zhu He of the Li Kingdom stood up.

He strode forward, successful and full of vitality.

After Hong Jun Yan unified the northwest and established the Li Kingdom, their national policy was always to encourage childbirth. They selected infants with exceptional roots and bones from across the country, funded by the court, and cultivated them centrally. They chose the best of the best, aiming for the confluence of the Yellow River and even the members of the new session of the Tai Xu Cabinet.

He awoke from "the past." Although the Li Kingdom was new, it wasn't lacking in history; it needed to be repeatedly proven. This was the country's future.

Er Zhu He, against this backdrop, was a genius cultivated with the strength of the entire nation.

Compared to the veteran Xie Ai, he wanted to be "newer." He was more capable of representing the vitality of the Li Kingdom.

"Er Zhu He of the Li Kingdom respectfully requests to ask the True Monarch."

Er Zhu He was only eleven years old, with a sturdy build, strong like a young bull. He suddenly jumped up, as if competing with someone, exuding an aura of roaring at mountains and rivers.

"In the current world, a hundred flowers bloom, and the world contends. The Dao is long-lasting, martial arts have newly expanded, gods still exist, and people seek immortals. Yet the True Monarch says there are no immortals above heaven. Is the immortal path already severed?"

At this moment, Yu Mei Yu realized that Hong Jun Yan, the founding emperor of the Li Kingdom, was also an Immortal Palace inheritor who had originally crossed eras using long-life immortal methods.

The person he controlled, the Rindong Immortal Palace, later produced the Frost Immortal Monarch Xu Qiu Ci.

But now Hong Jun Yan had returned... Did this mean the Longevity Palace had also returned?

Looking at the current world, based on known situations:

Zheng Hou Xu Wang of the Qin Kingdom controlled the Cause and Effect Immortal Palace, the most complete one in the current world.

Zhen River True Monarch Jiang Wang possessed partial inheritances of the Cloud Top Immortal Palace, the As You Wish Immortal Palace, and the Ten Thousand Immortals Palace. He once replicated a half-complete Cloud Top Immortal Camp in Heavenly Capital City.

Qin Guang Wang of Hell No Door clearly obtained the inheritance of the Ten Thousand Immortals Palace.

Even the present world's transcendent, Huang Wei Zhen, once controlled the Beast Taming Immortal Palace!

Plus Hong Jun Yan...

The influence of the Immortal Palaces era seemed to have never truly been eradicated!

Not only had they not completely disappeared, but unknowingly, they were already a significant source of inheritance in the current world. Could the era of Immortal Palaces spanning the world still revive?

"Answer Er Zhu He, not the Li Kingdom's Er Zhu He." The Heavenly Person Dharma Image said faintly, "I do not understand immortals too deeply and cannot speak rashly about the immortal path. But I know—heaven has no absolute path for people."

Er Zhu He had his own path, but the Li Kingdom's Er Zhu He might have paths that must be taken.

Er Zhu He wasn't very childlike; he lacked innocence. He was like a true warrior from a harsh, cold place, as if ready to fight someone at any moment. Looking at Jiang Wang now, he said, "Is the True Monarch saying that heaven's will is compassionate?"

"Heaven has no absolute path for people. This doesn't mean the heavenly way is benevolent, leaving paths for someone. It means if people want to move forward, no one can stop them." Jiang Wang said, "The path of life is no more than three: first, ask oneself what path to walk; second, ask oneself what path one is skilled at walking; third, ask oneself what path one can walk—the world contends underfoot, a hundred flowers bloom, all is spring!"

Er Zhu He seemed lost in thought and rumbled as he sat down.

Compared to Jiang Wang's current realm, the young heavenly talents were indeed too far apart.

Even if the most cultivated Gong Tianya, from the inner mansion to the absolute peak, there were still infinite paths and endless peaks.

Of course, they could seek techniques, but having such a good opportunity, even asking Jiang Wang for inner mansion seizing the top kind of sword techniques would be a huge waste.

The young heavenly talents came here primarily to seek guidance on the Dao.

And like Zhuge Zuo, he believed observation surpassed inquiry. The answers revealed in people's unintentional details were far more real and specific than deliberate, thought-out answers.

The opportunity to observe a contemporary legend up close was not something everyone possessed.

In the current world, every ambitious aspiring absolute world talent had to see the towering Jiang Wang ahead.

Upon hearing of the establishment of the Upon Hearing the Dao Heavenly Palace, crowds flocked.

They came here to pay homage, to hear the Dao, to see the highest mountain. To cross this mountain in this life would be considered reaching the absolute peak.

Who would open a new era?

Who was the next Jiang Wang?

Who would surpass Jiang Wang, just as Jiang Wang surpassed Xiang Feng Qi?

This was also one of the purposes of establishing the Upon Hearing the Dao Heavenly Palace and what Jiang Wang was seeking answers for.

Without this ambition, one could not be called absolute world!

Of course, Zhuge Zuo also observed Gong Tianya. Jiang Wang was the high place scenery, while Gong Tianya was a fellow traveler beside him.

The Yue Kingdom was no longer a major concern.

In the current public opinion environment, Wen Jing Xiu's self-revolution was generally not seen as the courage to break everything but as the last struggle of a dead end.

The prosperity of the Yue land, just broken and rebuilt, was merely a fleeting spring in a vegetable garden.

The pivot officials in Zhang Hua Tai often discussed this, referring to it as a "trial field."

The various problems exposed by the Yue Kingdom's political reform would become lessons for the Chu Kingdom. The errors committed in the Yue Kingdom's political reform would be resolved in advance in the Chu Kingdom's political reform.

The people of the Chu Kingdom even openly and secretly "helped" the Yue Kingdom, not to make it stronger, of course, but to guard its fences, ensuring this vegetable garden, no matter how much it was tossed, wouldn't immediately collapse.

In the first month, Upper Grandee Zhang Zheng was sent as an envoy to the Wei Kingdom.

In the second month, Offer Valley's Zhong Li Yan ascended Book Mountain.

National reform, regime turmoil, monarch dead, minister died. Such situations inevitably faced external storms. The Chu Kingdom took this on for the Yue Kingdom!

Various bold attempts within the Chu Kingdom's political reform could be tried in advance in the Yue Kingdom. If successful, they could proceed with big steps; if not, they would stop.

A small vegetable garden at the front door, no matter how much it was tossed, its fruits would ultimately end up on the Chu people's plates.

As pivot official Zhu Yu Qing said, "The great can calmly watch the wind blow and the rain fall, lie and listen to the silk and bamboo, and slowly eat with chopsticks."

Zhuge Zuo had different opinions—one, all the public officials were dead, making it easy for the small boat to turn around. Two, the "trial field" was bolder, and the steps taken were faster... if tended well, the fertility would far surpass later ones.

The first wave of rich feedback from the human path's flood was precisely the hope of the Yue land. Fully enjoy the reform dividends and leap and fly up. This was probably what Gao Zheng saw as the heavenly light.

In this matter, Huang Wei Zhen's attitude was also extremely important. After all, even if one could truly seize the heavenly light, it still needed a phoenix to perch on a parasol tree to manifest its brilliance.

In a certain sense, perhaps Gao Zheng was Huang Wei Zhen's purest fellow traveler. After all, he was already dead and no longer sought anything. He only sought an eternally prosperous Yue Kingdom, hoping it could realize Huang Wei Zhen's past ideals.

But whether the Yue Kingdom was worth worrying about was for the Chu Kingdom's consideration. Gong Tianya was undoubtedly the person Zhuge Zuo needed to value—despite having Zuo Guang Shu, Qu Shun Hua, Xiang Bei before, and before that Dou Zhao, Zhong Li Yan, the Great Chu, not deceiving itself, the fifteen-year-old Gong Tianya should be his, Zhuge Zuo's, opponent.

Gong Tianya's talent was not the most stunning. Compared to the absolute world figures like Bao Xuan Jing and Gong Wei Zhang, he obviously lacked a bit.

However, his danger didn't lie in this.

In his grandfather's words, this was a person with belief.

Once a person had belief, they were very difficult to knock down and unwilling to burn out.

The Grand Star Witch didn't view him as a child but treated him as a person needing serious attention.

Zhuge Zuo felt even more that he had no right to look down.

He was observing Gong Tianya, observing Yu Xian Yu, observing Fan Zheng... observing every one of his future opponents.

He would, of course, not forget the most important thing his grandfather said before he left—that was exactly the wilderness asking about "immortals above heaven," a question that all the seated seekers were very concerned about! Yes, the Star Witch of the Chu Kingdom also asked about "immortals above heaven."

It seemed that those true wise ones, or rather, people with a certain degree of understanding of this world, all affirmed that Jiang Wang saw something in the deep sea of the heavenly way.

Before entering the nine grids assessment, his grandfather told him that the Lun Dao Hall seating was thirty-six, better late than early.

If more than half of the asking Dao process had passed and no one had mentioned "immortals matters," Zhuge Zuo needed to stand up and ask True Monarch Jiang if there were immortals above heaven! He was to bring Jiang Wang's answer back to Zhang Hua Tai.

If others had already asked first, he was absolutely not to mention this matter and carefully observe the reactions of all sides.

If the first person to ask about immortals above heaven was from the Jing Kingdom, then he could, in the time after, find an opportunity to ask what he wanted to ask about the Dao path—the Star Witch naturally had a plan, and the precocious Zhuge Zuo also had self-awareness. But today, the name Jiang Wang, even placed beside the Star Witch, shone brilliantly, capable of cutting stone to reveal jade.

If the first person to ask about immortals above heaven was not from the Jing Kingdom, he would remain silent and guard the Dao, not letting people know that Chu was asking about immortals.

His grandfather's style of scheming was like this: every choice, every detail, must be thoroughly considered. Even if just a twelve-year-old child like him came to the Upon Hearing the Dao Heavenly Palace to seek the Dao, his grandfather had to consider every aspect for him, such as paths A, B, C, and D, explaining clearly how to choose each path. Even if a fool was sent, as long as they followed orders, they wouldn't mess up—the only fear was those who were a little clever and had their own ideas.

Sitting in charge of Zhang Hua Tai and doing everything personally, everything detailed. A lifetime of this inevitably led to fatigue, especially for the country, which harmed spirit and intent.

Even now, with the addition of twelve pivot officials to share the pressure of Zhang Hua Tai, his grandfather's situation was not optimistic. Zhu Yu Qing, Li Heng Hua, and the others seemed more like a handover...

Zhuge Zuo was unwilling to think deeply.

He trusted his grandfather's wisdom and carefully pondered the deep meaning behind every choice his grandfather made.

...During the wilderness's questioning about immortals above heaven, Yu Xian Yu had some reaction—although she concealed it very well, it did not escape Zhuge Zuo's eyes.

It was very obvious that Yu Xian Yu was exactly whom his grandfather guessed, the person from the Jing Kingdom who would likely ask about immortals above heaven.

Things here became interesting!

The era of immortals was already a thing of the past; there was no immortal in the human world. True Monarch Jiang Wang had his own Dao; the Immortal Palaces inheritances were just tools he controlled, not fundamental. Just like Xu Wang of the Qin Kingdom was a Zheng Hou, not a Cause and Effect Immortal.

And in the era of no immortals, all sides were asking about immortals. Who were they targeting?

Zhuge Zuo of the Chu Kingdom, Yu Xian Yu of the Jing Kingdom, and the wilderness of the He Kingdom all asked the same question. Yet each had their own scheme, seeking different things, but vaguely weaving a net that already made Zhuge Zuo feel its grandeur!

Zhuge Zuo knew that his grandfather would not give him the answer... if he wanted to know, he had to explore it himself.

This was the game between their grandfather and grandson.

The world was a chessboard, with the winds and clouds of the eight directions as the pieces.

The joy of the human world lay precisely within this.

Just as Zhuge Zuo himself was not told the reason before being required to ask such a question, he guessed that Yu Xian Yu received a similar task and was also not told the reason... because after hearing Jiang Wang's answer, Yu Xian Yu was obviously, like him, not understanding its meaning.

Compared to the wilderness, who was a direct god descent, he and Yu Xian Yu obviously didn't possess the power to keep secrets.

So the level of scheming between all sides regarding "immortals above heaven" was probably at the level of the Original Heaven God?

Zhuge Zuo defined this in his heart as "limited transcendent."

He, of course, couldn't understand the great power of a transcendent, but he thought that if Huang Wei Zhen and Ying Yun Nian were to come to the Upon Hearing the Dao Heavenly Palace, they would definitely not use means like the Original Heaven God's descent, driving the body of a god temple priest. Even with the power of the Tai Xu Dao Lord covering them, Huang Wei Zhen and Ying Yun Nian wouldn't be so afraid or unable to come in their true bodies.

The Original Heaven God fundamentally lacked the freedom of a true transcendent!

His own question about "immortals above heaven" was his grandfather's intention. Who was standing behind Yu Xian Yu, and from which side of the Jing Kingdom? If he could know who the person laying out the plan was and compare them to the Original Heaven God, he might be able to falsely infer their scheme. Correspondingly, he could also infer his grandfather's scheme.

At this moment, Zhuge Zuo heard the voice of the female nun with that special temperament from Wash Moon Nunnery.

"Today there are those who ask about immortals, those who ask about gods, those who ask about the Dao, and those who ask about the sword. This humble nun is naturally foolish and stubborn, with an unchanging biased heart, yet I wish to ask about the Buddha."

The simply dressed female nun stood up in the front row. She had waited a long time, yet it was as if everything was just beginning.

She looked at the stage: "I wonder if Ginger Monarch would mind. I come from the Bamboo Forest in the north, to see the mountains here. This road has been rugged."

Jiang Wang had to look at her at this time.

In this Upon Hearing the Dao Heavenly Palace, he was transmitting the Dao to people, teaching, resolving doubts, and also as a seeker, facing his own heart.

But his face was expressionless, his eyes like still water. The originally flat emotions of the Heavenly Person Dharma Image were even more undisturbed.

He said, "All the guests in the Heavenly Palace today are seekers. There are no restraints on identity, status, entanglements, or the past. Everything is not discussed; only the word 'Dao' is discussed."

It was still that sentence: screening was the matter of the Legalists; his matter was just transmitting the Dao.

Whether he was willing to see or not, willing to transmit or not, whether he could face it.

Just as he did not recognize the Original Heaven God's descent and killing people as behavior conforming to transcendent honor, yet he still truthfully answered that sentence, "There are no immortals above heaven."

The Upon Hearing the Dao Heavenly Palace was open to the world; he must have the breadth of mind to face the world.

Without this, he could not transmit to the world, could not last for ten thousand years.

Yu Zhen of Wash Moon Nunnery looked at Zhen River True Monarch, the master of the Upon Hearing the Dao Heavenly Palace.

The female nun who had escaped into the empty door looked at the indifferent, emotionless Heavenly Person form.

"This humble nun in Wash Moon Nunnery, whose revered name for incense is the past Burning Lamp Buddha Ancestor. I did not know until the Bamboo Forest gradually became hidden that the bitter heart I entrusted someone with was already too late." The female nun Yu Zhen's gaze was burning: "This humble nun is not without effort, not without enduring hardship, not without talent, yet I find each step difficult, blocked before me, only because I cultivate not the past—I seek to ask the True Monarch for a solution?"

The Heavenly Person Dharma Image lowered its eyes: "The past has already happened; it cannot change. This is so beautiful, this is so painful. I do not know the Buddha. I think Burning Lamp in the past was to illuminate the present path. All look towards the future."

Yu Zhen folded her hands in front, her slender jade fingers crossed. Behind her monastic hat, a burning lamp slowly rose, emitting a warm light.

In front of her was a piece of light; only her own shadow was cast, obscuring her face. Further forward's shadow was cast by Jiang Wang, who was sitting opposite.

She said, "Burning Lamp is behind; before it is infinite light. The only shadow is oneself. Ginger Monarch, please teach me how to cut off myself."

"Your shadow is not you." The sun-moon heavenly seal between the Heavenly Person Dharma Image's eyebrows lit up. It stood up and walked to the side. Its body cast a shadow in the light, which also walked with it: "Master Tai. Before you is already infinite light."

"Your Venerable one has a vast and great name, proven great merit, endured ten thousand tribulations and received virtue rewards, ought to gain freedom!"

The Wash Moon Nunnery nun's face was expressionless, her eyes filled with deep and long thoughts: "You are already the absolute peak of that time, your body has no hindrance, not tied to cause and effect. Why are you trapped here, your body as if in prison? What benefit is the world to you, and what harm are you to the world?"

The Heavenly Person Dharma Image stood there and said faintly: "Earlier I answered Er Zhu He about the path of life, which was not complete. Besides what I want to do, what I am skilled at, and what I can do, there is still one more question—what should I do. Master Tai, I am doing what I should do."