Chapter 531: Three Era Boundary Theory, The Sensation Triggered by Zhao Xing

Wei Zizhan addressed Steward Zhao.

"Is there a new chapter for the 'Dao Manifesting Cosmos and Earth Transformation Treatise'?"

Wei Zizhan's question immediately attracted the attention of many guests.

As the first to pose a question, his opening inquiry seemed simple enough. The 'Dao Manifesting Cosmos and Earth Transformation Treatise' was authored by Zhao Xing. It was a Daoist text he personally compiled, created four thousand years ago. Given such a long time, Zhao Xing could easily present an unpublished theory.

Yet, it was also difficult. The Mount Mei Dharma Assembly was unlike previous ones, with a higher caliber of guests. A theory lacking substance would inevitably lead to disappointment.

Zhao Xing carefully recalled that his 'Dao Manifesting Cosmos and Earth Transformation Treatise' originally contained two main parts. The first was 'The Origin of the Mesozoic Era', a chronological theory that defined geological epochs based on different manifestations of ley lines (Dao Manifestation, Image Manifestation). It primarily distinguished between ley line behaviors in 'Spirit Realms' and 'Barren Realms', serving as a guiding theory.

The second was 'Eight Methods of Earth Transformation of the Stacked Boundary Mountains', which was a practical theory. He had originally created eight spells, which were later expanded upon by the Primordial Hill and various Geomancy Stewards, now covering categories like underworld palace techniques, earth-splitting techniques, earth-hiding techniques, profound earth techniques, and earth-passage techniques. Its compilation, and its solution to the problem of Stacked Boundary Mountains in barren realm development, were why his name quickly appeared on the Myriad Dao Tree.

His 'Dao Manifesting Cosmos and Earth Transformation Theory' was created four thousand years ago, when he was still only at the Origin Realm. Now, he had become a demigod, and aside from the 'Six Dissolution Theories of Annihilating Stars', he had not produced any new works for a long time.

Wei Zizhan's question was one that many Stewards wished to ask.

Zhao Xing did not conceal anything. He immediately bowed in return and said, "Zhao Xing answers the inquiry of Venerable Mount Mei. I have a few humble works. I invite your esteemed correction."

"I wouldn't dare. I am eager to hear your profound insights."

Wei Zizhan smiled politely, then sat up straight, attentively listening. With him as a counterpart, a large number of guests flocked to the outer perimeter of Zhao Xing's Dharma Realm to listen to his discourse.

Before long, a gentle voice emanated from the center of the Dharma Realm:

"The Dao Manifesting Cosmos is divided into five parts: Realm, Era, Epoch, Age, and Period. Dao Manifestation forms a Realm, Image Manifestation forms an Epoch, Yin and Yang define a Period, and generations succeed one another."

After only two sentences, Wei Zizhan's eyebrows rose. This was because Zhao Xing seemed to be redefining the classification of cosmic periods, appearing to introduce a new methodology.

The Primordial Hill, as the sacred land for Geomancy Stewards, utilized a mainstream classification of Realm, Era, Epoch, Age, and Period: "Earth transformation forms a Realm, ley line rupture forms an Epoch, mountains and seas divide a Period, and generations succeed one another." This method defined ley line eras by describing different phenomena from various perspectives. For instance, "Earth transformation forms a Realm" referred to the evolution of constantly emerging 'small worlds' and 'realm stars' during a cosmic era. This included Origin Realms, Myriad Image Realms, Nirvana Realms, and Super Realm Stars. By analyzing the ley line strength cycles of these three types of small worlds and one type of realm star, they could determine the initial birth time of a small world and predict its demise. From the changes in numerous small worlds, one could infer cosmic-level ley line era transformations, seeing the grand from the small.

"Ley line rupture forms an Epoch" derived different 'ley line epochs' through ley line faults. As for "mountains and seas divide a Period", it recorded the unique changes of well-known great mountains and seas in the cosmos during specific periods. Vast transformations and generational shifts in these changes might conceal the profound principles of the Great Cosmic Dao. The 'Classic of Mountains' and 'Classic of Seas' recorded many unique cosmic phenomena, and 'Thousand Lands of Wonders' was one such work derived from these two classics.

Zhao Xing's assertion that "Dao Manifestation forms a Realm, Image Manifestation forms an Epoch, Yin and Yang define a Period, and generations succeed one another" was undoubtedly challenging mainstream theories. Especially by changing "mountains and seas divide a Period" to "Yin and Yang define a Period," seemingly incorporating the theories of the Chronomancy School, Venerable Mount Mei couldn't help but feel a little worried.

If it meant elevating Geomancy above Chronomancy, that would be fine, as Chronomancy's theories were already fragmented and disfigured by the other two schools; a little more disorder wouldn't matter. The fear was that Zhao Xing might elevate Chronomancy's status. This wasn't without precedent; Zhao Xing had authored the 'Six Dissolution Theories of Annihilating Stars'. Although at the time it primarily discussed theories of Ego and Geomancy, many of its underlying principles were rooted in Chronomancy.

Zhao Xing, of course, knew that his words would be questioned by the Geomancy Stewards, but he treated all three schools equally and would not change his original intentions because of this Dharma Assembly.

Zhao Xing waved his hand, and within the Dharma Realm, as if time were flowing backward, numerous oceans and Stacked Boundary Mountains appeared. Even guests listening from the outer perimeter could hear the sound of waves.

"After a long period of evolution, the Great Dao's origin began to manifest in concentrated forms. Vast numbers of Stacked Boundary Mountains formed, primordial oceans began to shrink, and the concentrated collisions of the Great Dao's origin created numerous starfields, allowing the Ancient River Domain to form. This is Dao Manifestation forming a Realm."

The Ancient River Domain was a general term for a broader starfield that included the Xuanling Starfield, the recently opened Tianze Starfield, and even more expansive regions, larger than the territory ruled during the Five Emperors' era.

"The cosmic Dao manifesting as a Realm—this is the stage of the universe after the Archean and Proterozoic eons. Yin and Yang define a Period, Image Manifestation forms an Epoch, the six cycles of heaven and earth alternate, and life begins to burst forth dramatically during a certain period."

As Zhao Xing's voice resonated, indistinct Yin and Yang twin stars, a frigid ocean, and chilly mountain ranges began to appear within the Dharma Realm. The audience was confused; even Venerable Mount Mei didn't know what Zhao Xing intended to say, but as he observed this 'cosmic Dao manifestation' scene, he felt a tremor in his heart, as if something extraordinary was about to happen.

At this moment, outside the Dharma Realm, four gazes suddenly converged. These were General Lan Chuan, who was preparing for the second stage of the assessment, and the three observing generals: Lu Song, Gong Yi, and Yu Ling.

"I vaguely sense something is about to happen. What do you all perceive?" General Lu Song gazed intently at the Dharma Realm.

"The southern part of the Dharma Realm looks somewhat like the Frozen Chaotic Sea, and the origins of various Great Daos are very similar," Gong Yi commented.

"What exactly is he talking about?" Yu Ling wondered, a touch of curiosity in her voice. "Why is it triggering reactions from us generals?"

"Zhao Xing is using his Dharma Realm to re-enact the Dao Manifesting Cosmos era." General Lan Chuan's eyes showed surprise. "He must have created a 'Realm Theory'."

"What?" The three generals were somewhat surprised. "We are all generals. His Realm Theory actually triggered a reaction in us?"

A discourse on a realm is known as a Realm Theory! It is a step above chronological theories and is usually studied by demigods. Anyone can research Realm Theories, and it's also where results are most easily achieved. As long as one has traveled widely and has sufficiently deep and strong insights into various types of fundamental Great Daos, one can manifest their observations and epiphanies within a Dharma Realm. A Realm Theory must inherently include its methods and encompass the Great Dao. Geomancy Stewards and Ego Stewards listening to his discourse could all benefit from it. However, usually, a Realm Theory only influences those of lower cultivation, meaning that only individuals with weaker cultivation gain insights from the manifestation of Dao in a higher-cultivation Dharma Realm. It's like a scholar's enlightenment state; in transmitting methods and Dao, the scholar's rank is always higher than the recipient's.

"Why can his Realm Theory trigger a reaction in the God Realm?"

"I don't know, let's see."

At this moment, Zhao Xing also entered a peculiar state. His Great Sun Sea churned, and the boundless continent and Yin-Yang Nine-Star system within his inner world gently vibrated in response. He even vaguely sensed a trace of the origin of time being stirred by his Dharma Realm; with the addition of time, his Dharma Realm's deductions became more realistic.

"Using Dao Manifestation as a Realm, Image Manifestation as an Epoch, and Yin and Yang as a Period, the Dao Manifesting Cosmos can be divided into one Realm, three Eras, four Ages, and twelve Periods. The earliest and most recent White Burn Epoch, with the ley lines of the White Orchid Barren Realm as one Age, had its evolutionary boundaries defined by the Sea Transport Period and the Second Period. Anyone who cultivates the White Orchid ley lines using earth refining methods will find that earth-splitting, earth-passage, earth-hiding, and underworld palace techniques will gain Dao-luck."

Boom! A barren zone suddenly appeared within the Dharma Realm, but then quickly shrank, revealing ley lines, oceans, Yin-Yang twin stars, and misty clouds. As soon as Zhao Xing finished speaking, it rapidly evolved, becoming even clearer.

Among the guests attending the ceremony, Venerable Five Poisons and Venerable Jade Sprout, after witnessing this scene, suddenly felt a surge of doubt. They involuntarily took a step forward, moving from the outer perimeter into the interior of the Dharma Realm, and began to adjust the evolution of their inner worlds. Both had visited the White Orchid Barren Realm multiple times, and parts of their inner worlds' evolutionary arrangements were entirely based on it. They cultivated the 'Myriad Image Realm' technique. This technique embraced the myriad great universes, requiring the Dao origins within their inner worlds to be as diverse as possible to cultivate stronger and more varied plant-based troops. Logically, they had visited the White Orchid Barren Realm many times; though they hadn't explored every inch of the barren zone, its regional Dao framework was already very complete. How could it still be adjusted toward a more perfect state?

Following Five Poisons and Jade Sprout, more Ego Stewards involuntarily took a step forward. This seemed like a chain reaction. Zhao Xing suddenly felt his Dharma Realm operating more smoothly, his Great Sun Natural Sea churning, and he seemed to see more visions. Not only could it reflect the sun-stars in the universe, but even the landscapes within the inner worlds of those Ego Stewards were captured by his perception. However, Zhao Xing was unaware of these things at the moment; he too had entered a peculiar state.

"The Dao Manifestation of the Chaotic River Epoch was primarily based on the 'Cloud-Sky Age'. The chaotic rivers surged, forming the Drum Mountain, Ancient Staff, and Dark Snow periods, ultimately resulting in the current Southern Chaotic Sea."

Boom! Within the Dharma Realm, a bloated mountain range resembling a large drum emerged. Immediately after, a star river resembling a staff emerged, undulating with a dark river of void. And numerous pale blue star rivers, like blue mountain ranges, stretched across the starry sky. Tai Hao, Ping You, and Chu Chuan, who were preparing to deliver their discourses below, all felt a sudden sensation, paused, and looked up at Zhao Xing's Dharma Realm.

"Why does the Drum Mountain range look like this? It's completely different from what I envisioned."

"Ancient Staff Ping You, the earth encompasses seven stars, but here it evolved into thirty-six stars?"

"If he were wrong, this Dharma Realm should have collapsed by now."

The three involuntarily withdrew their own Dharma Realms and rushed into Zhao Xing's.

"Boundary Mountains triple-fold, Moon Steward forms a barren land. The Barren Steward Age has the Lucid Period, Moon River Period, and Rivers and Mountains Period. The Origin Realm lives and dies here. This is the Triple-Fold Epoch of the Dao Manifesting Realm."

Boom! This time, it was Zhao Xing himself who couldn't help but act; his nine Boundary Mountains surged out, residing in the north of the Dharma Realm. *Whoosh* Large quantities of void rivers, carrying streams of energy, flew out.

This time, even more Stewards were affected. Any Geomancy Steward who had studied the Stacked Boundary Mountain technique and the Eight Methods of Earth Transformation felt as if they were being drawn by some force, entering the Dharma Realm to gain insight. This, in turn, provided Zhao Xing with further enrichment.

Originally, Zhao Xing had intended to conclude his discourse at this point. This was because the manifestation of the three epochal changes of the Dao Manifesting Cosmos within his Dharma Realm constituted his newly created 'Three Epochal Divisions Theory'. Zhao Xing's previous travels as an avatar, and his later cultivation of the Great Sun Natural Sea, allowed him to observe the 'Dao Manifestations' and 'Image Manifestations' of the entire Xuanling Starfield and most barren realms—that is, both the concrete material world and the abstract Dao Manifesting Realm. He had an advantage in creating Realm Theories, especially after the emergence of the Primordial Heaven-Earth Sacred Body.

Among those affected at this time was Venerable Ping You. The destiny mountain he visualized was Mount Youyou, the fourteenth-ranked mountain in the Xuanling Starfield, located within the Ancient Staff mountain range. Venerable Tai Hao's visualization primarily refined Drum Mountain, which was renowned as the third-largest mountain range, while Venerable Chu Chuan's was the Dark Snow star cluster. He should have stopped when he spoke of the Stacked Boundary Mountains. However, the entry of numerous powerful individuals into his Dharma Realm provided Zhao Xing with further material to continue.

At this point, Zhao Xing's gaze turned to the south of his Dharma Realm, to the icy continent of 'Chaotic Sea' wrapped in ice.

"At the dawn of the Dao Manifesting Cosmos, the Great Dao of Life exploded, and myriad life forms flourished. At this time, the Great Dao had just manifested, and the universe was teeming with vibrant life. How could the first epoch be the Triple-Fold Epoch?"

Zhao Xing involuntarily continued his deductions.

"Roar!""Chirp~""Splash~"

Soon, the many illusions before him vanished, leaving only a vast continent. This land teemed with life, and various powerful animals and plants emerged in abundance.

"Yes, this is correct—"

Zhao Xing was about to speak, but before long, an anomaly suddenly occurred! A chill suddenly emanated from a certain void, followed by countless lands disintegrating and shattering, causing a massive loss of life. Even the sun became exceedingly faint. A great extinction unfolded before Zhao Xing's eyes with extreme speed. A bone-chilling cold made Zhao Xing's body tremble.

After breaking free from the illusion, he mused, "Before the Triple-Fold Epoch of the Dao Manifesting Cosmos, there was another epoch, which I name the 'Frigid Warm Epoch'. The Frigid Warm Epoch experienced a great life explosion, then inexplicably caused a mass extinction—"

"My theory should be the 'Four Epochal Divisions Theory'."

Zhao Xing was about to manifest it. But at that moment, he suddenly felt a bone-chilling cold that was not an illusion but truly present. It was a cold so profound it felt as if even true spirits would be annihilated. Simultaneously, *poof*! His Dharma Realm directly disintegrated.

At the peak of Azure Ridge, where Zhao Xing stood, there was now an additional person besides Venerable Mount Mei, Wei Zizhan.

"Greetings, Venerable Lan Shen."

"Master, why are you here?" Venerable Mount Mei also rose from his meditative state. He didn't understand why his Master had suddenly appeared and interrupted the Dharma Assembly's discourse.

General Lan Chuan did not answer Venerable Mount Mei. Instead, he looked at Zhao Xing and transmitted telepathically: "Zhao Xing, you must not deduce Realm Theories any further."

"Why?" Zhao Xing was also puzzled.

General Lan Chuan directly announced to the surrounding guests: "Zhao Xing's Dharma Assembly discourse will pause for several days. Please depart for now."

The crowd was bewildered, but with a general's command, no one dared to linger. They quickly left Zhao Xing's Dharma Realm and went elsewhere. At the mountaintop remained General Lan Chuan, Venerable Mount Mei, and Zhao Xing. Zhao Xing noticed General Lan Chuan looking at him with a very complex expression.

"In the final moments before I interrupted you, a powerful divine force, carrying the origin of time, sought to descend upon your Dharma Realm, overcoming numerous obstacles."

"What?"

"What's going on?" Zhao Xing was stunned.

"Your Four Epochal Divisions Theory stirred the origin of time and may have inadvertently located that individual's spatio-temporal domain. That is where he attained Dao; he does not permit anyone to pry into his secrets."

Zhao Xing was startled. He quickly realized who General Lan Chuan's "he" referred to. The Lord of Cold Food! Could it be that this God King devoured the essence of the Frigid Warm Epoch, causing the mass extinction event?

General Lan Chuan nodded: "Yes, it is very likely as you suspect."

He had found a God King's lair? Zhao Xing couldn't help but gasp. "Any God King will meticulously conceal their spatio-temporal domain, their place of Dao attainment," General Lan Chuan said with some emotion. "If you continued deducing with your Four Epochal Divisions Theory, you would pinpoint his exact time of Dao attainment, which would pose a tremendous threat to him."

"Therefore, I had no choice but to interrupt you."

General Lan Chuan was filled with emotion. Ordinarily, Zhao Xing's Four Epochal Divisions Theory, by locating the spatio-temporal domain of a powerful expert from an opposing faction, would be considered a great accomplishment. This theory itself would be enough to astonish the world. But he had found the Lord of Cold Food! A God King of this caliber, even a single avatar descending, rendered the entire Barren Realm faction helpless; their true body would be even more impossible to kill. What good would it do even if Zhao Xing found the precise time point? The difficulty of killing the Lord of Cold Food was no different than directly going to the Scarlet Star Empire and assassinating its Great Emperor. To protect Zhao Xing, General Lan Chuan had no choice but to stop him from continuing his deductions, as this was a misfortune, not a blessing.

Zhao Xing was also startled. To gain contribution points and prestige, one first needed to be alive to enjoy them. Involving a God King—this was not something his small body could withstand. If he dared to manifest the Dharma form of the Frigid Warm Epoch, he would likely be immediately hunted down by the God King. Even Venerable Kuang Chuan had a bounty of 200 million contribution points on his head from a boundless True God; if a God King set a price, how much would his own life be worth?

"Don't worry," General Lan Chuan said. "Your final words were not heard by anyone. Besides me, everyone only heard your Three Epochal Divisions Theory. Afterward, you can tell others that your discourse consumed some of your mental energy and that you need rest. During this time, I will eliminate these influences for you." After all, it involved crossing space and time, and with the ancient faction launching temporal assaults on the modern era, it wouldn't be easy for news of Zhao Xing's matter to spread back to the past.

"Understood," Zhao Xing obediently replied. Even the Three Epochal Divisions Theory was enough to contend for the Mountain Head position; taking too big a step could lead to trouble.

Indeed, as Zhao Xing had anticipated, even the 'Three Epochal Divisions Theory' made him the most dazzling presence at the Mount Mei Dharma Assembly. It even overshadowed Kuang Chuan's 'Theory of Underworld Mountain Ley Lines' from the Mengchuan Dharma Assembly. Grand Elder Feng Chen of the Academy City, who had already relocated to Primordial Hill, simultaneously inscribed both Zhao Xing's and Kuang Chuan's new theories onto the Myriad Dao Tree. However, Zhao Xing's position was somewhat higher.

The discourse phase of the Dharma Assembly had just begun, yet it had already caused a sensation, with countless people engaging in fervent discussion, especially the disciples of Primordial Hill, who had direct access to the latest developments. They began to wildly spread news of this Dharma Assembly.

"Have you heard? Every Steward who attended Steward Zhao's Dharma Assembly gained immense progress."

"I heard! The Three Epochal Divisions Theory is simply divine! It's said that fourteen Emperors survived the True Spirit Tribulation, and tens of thousands of disciples achieved breakthroughs! It's simply unbelievable!"

"What an incredible spectacle! It's a shame I wasn't there."

"Indeed, Realm Theories emphasize live demonstration. To hear and see it is to learn the Dao!"

"My senior brother was stuck at the fourth level of the Five-Tone Earth Passage Technique for over thirty thousand years. Yesterday, after hearing a brief part of the discourse, he broke through and has been showing off ever since. Oh, how I resent him—"

"Surely Steward Zhao won't hold just one session, right?"

"Certainly not, but entry passes for the inner mountain gate are already unavailable."

"Damn it!"

The emergence of the Three Epochal Divisions Theory caused a massive influx of people rushing to Mount Mei, eager to attend the next session. Kuang Chuan's Theory of Underworld Mountain Ley Lines had too high a threshold. Moreover, the Underworld Cosmos and Underworld Mountain were too distant, unproven cycles. In contrast, the Dao Manifesting Cosmos was the most recent era. Furthermore, it offered practical benefits for cultivation. With this comparison, there was no need to even consider where else to go for a discourse. The great Steward Zhao returned to Primordial Hill and gave everyone such a pleasant surprise; who wouldn't want to go see it?

"Old Chen, did you get front-row tickets? How is it that the Dharma Assembly is about to start, and we two brothers are still waiting outside the mountain gate?"

At a passage between the inner and outer mountain gates of Mount Mei, Xia Jing, Long Xiao, and Ye Yukong were in a reception room. The three held a star mirror, with Chen Shijie on the other end.

"Didn't you say you weren't coming?"

"The passes for the inner gate viewing area are all sold out," Chen Shijie said helplessly.

"Aren't you Assistant Left Envoy Chen of the Primordial Hill's Pengze Earth Dao Department? Do we still need to notify you in advance when we come?" Long Xiao retorted.

"Never mind," Xia Jing said lazily. "Watching from outside is the same."

"How can it be the same? The atmosphere is completely different!"

"Don't make it difficult for Old Chen," Xia Jing said, pointing to the long queue at another passage. "It must be more comfortable to watch from outside than inside. Do you know how many people are in Mount Mei's inner gate area right now?"

"How many?"

"I'm not sure of the exact number, but damn it, they've started selling 'Dodge Tickets'! It must be overflowing with people. If you want to squeeze in, go ahead."

"What are 'Dodge Tickets'?" Ye Yukong asked, perplexed.

"They're tickets for watching while hidden underground."

"Huh?" Ye Yukong's face was full of question marks. Was it really that exaggerated?

The reality was even more exaggerated than it appeared. After a brief rest, Zhao Xing announced he would continue with the second session. Because the first session had fewer attendees and was rumored to be profoundly mystical, a huge crowd subsequently flocked to the site. Both the Realm Transport Department and the Earth Dao Department began selling 'Dodge Tickets'. And soon, even tickets for hiding underground were completely sold out. At the foot of Mount Mei, one could barely take a few steps without stepping on someone's head poking up for air.

"Master, this won't do!" Cai Lingling, Venerable Mount Mei's disciple, couldn't help but complain to Wei Zizhan. "Junior Martial Uncle's Dharma Assembly is too popular! Some people are soaking in the water, others are hiding underground. Maintaining order has become difficult, and your disciple's hair is falling out!"

At this moment, Zhao Xing was with Venerable Mount Mei. Seeing Cai Lingling's resentful gaze, Zhao Xing was speechless. Who could have imagined such a day would come? The vast Mount Mei was actually overcrowded.

"Go find Grand Elder Feng Chen of Academy City," Venerable Mount Mei instructed. "Ask him to intervene and cast a spell over our Mount Mei area. Prohibit the appearance of more than two avatars per person. This way, at least half the space will be freed up."

Venerable Mount Mei, worthy of his former position as Mountain Head, was highly experienced in such mundane matters. If Zhao Xing's Dharma Assembly discourse offered benefits for improving strength, then everyone attending would surely send not just their main body, but also their avatars to listen!

"Then, strictly crack down on those reselling tickets. Entry passes can only be used by the individual named. Also, instruct the seventy-two peaks of Mount Mei to expand their territories. Tell the Realm Transport Department to move some land, so that nearby Mount Hong and Mount Lu can also shift their positions." Cai Lingling hesitated, "Master, will Uncle-Master Hong and Uncle-Master Lu agree?"

"They certainly will," Wei Zizhan said calmly. "Just do as I say."

"Understood."