Chapter 755: Weak and Small, Yet Dominant

Chapter 756: Weak, Yet Dominant

“What nonsense are you speaking?”

The Dao Ancestor frowned, staring at Li Changshou, as if trying to discern if he was joking. Seeing Li Changshou's serious expression, he added, “Don't speak such words. How could this humble Daoist be the same person as your senior?”

Li Changshou gazed at the Dao Ancestor. Though half a zhang apart, his gaze was now sharp as a knife, as if to pierce the Dao Ancestor's eyes.

The square tabletop of the low table still displayed the cloud mirror, showing the situation of Sun Wukong.

Silence fell upon the bamboo house for a while.

“Are you denying it, fellow Daoist?” Li Changshou asked softly.

“This slander is inconceivable.” The Dao Ancestor replied calmly.

Neither of them showed any outward display of power; they conversed as if discussing everyday matters. Yet, a mysterious Dao rhyme existed between them. Thunder rumbled in the silence, and a battle cry arose in the tranquility. It was like the familiar ‘calm before the storm,’ but this tranquility was ultimately broken by Li Changshou's loud laugh.

“Haha, hahaha! I knew fellow Daoist wouldn't admit it. After all, if these truths were revealed, the Primordial World would surely fall into great chaos. Countless beings would vanish in despair, and I wonder if Master would even re-create a realm. You dare not admit it, do you?”

The Dao Ancestor replied calmly, “If this were true, why would I not dare to admit it? This world will not crumble for any reason; the despair and demise of living beings merely reflect their fragile hearts. Your Master upholds the will of Pangu God, and his actions are to safeguard the Primordial World, not to create a new one.”

Li Changshou smiled, “Since fellow Daoist is so confident, could you answer a few questions for me?”

The Dao Ancestor calmly assented, “Just ask.”

“What exactly was on the last page of Senior Lang's Chronicle that was destroyed? Why did Senior Lang go mad so quickly?”

Hongjun replied, “As I showed you before, there was a disagreement between this humble Daoist and Lang.”

“The memory you just displayed, Senior Lang's emotions within it clearly don't match the emotions expressed at the end of the Chronicle.” Li Changshou stated firmly, “Senior Lang witnessed the process of creation. The Senior Lang I saw on the second-to-last page of the Chronicle seemed to have suffered a tremendous blow, his Dao heart completely shattered. Something must have suddenly appeared before him, or he must have suddenly understood something, causing his Dao heart to crumble beyond repair. Fellow Daoist, I shouldn't be wrong about this, should I?”

Hongjun remained silent.

Li Changshou smiled, “My deduction is that Senior Lang realized the connection between you two at that time.”

“This humble Daoist has no connection with him!” A hint of anger appeared in Hongjun's eyes.

Li Changshou said calmly, “Why doesn't fellow Daoist produce the last page of Senior Lang's Chronicle? Everything would become clear then.”

“Does the truth matter?” Hongjun said coldly, “This humble Daoist is now the Primordial World; this humble Daoist is now the Lord of the Three Realms! The origin of heaven and earth lies within this humble Daoist's body. You are ultimately on a path to defeat!”

“Is that so?” Li Changshou said calmly, “What if I possess a means to sever your connection with the origin of heaven and earth?”

Hongjun instinctively clutched his chest, then gazed at Li Changshou and smiled, “If you had such a means, why would you waste time telling this humble Daoist such nonsense?”

“Because I want to offer you a way out.”

Li Changshou whispered, “Although you are merely a false persona spawned by Senior Lang, and you even killed the main persona, I still consider you half a fellow countryman. Moreover, my current standing is also due to your care. You granted me many benefits, though most were part of your schemes. Nevertheless, I am not ungrateful. You harmed countless beings, but aside from my master, you did not touch my family or friends. Though the grievance regarding my master still lingers in my heart, I ultimately wish to give you another chance at life. At this moment, only you and I know of this. Stop now. I will provide you with a small courtyard in a cage outside of heaven and earth, allowing you to quietly observe the future changes of the Primordial World.”

Hongjun's smile held a hint of helplessness. “If you won't even reveal your methods, how can this humble Daoist believe you?”

“If I tell you, it won't work,” Li Changshou said seriously. “It just depends on whether fellow Daoist trusts me.”

“I always feel fellow Daoist is trying to pull a fast one,” Hongjun's gaze returned to clarity as he shook his head. “Everything is merely your conjecture. While this conjecture is brilliant, it lacks any basis.”

“Then how do you explain the matter of Chang'e? Actually, I did wrong by fellow Daoist Chang'e. After all, she is pure-hearted, and I took advantage of her. When the Fire Emperor attacked Heaven, I had already basically confirmed your connection with Senior Lang. Inviting her along was merely to verify this hypothesis. Your attitude towards Chang'e at that time was the best proof.”

Hongjun calmly replied, “This humble Daoist will forgive Chang'e, simply because she is the disciple of an old friend.”

“Oh? An old friend's disciple?” Li Changshou slowly sighed. “Then, fellow Daoist, may I tell a story?”

“Wukong's awakening is still some time away; you may say whatever you wish,” Hongjun said, “but a story is still just a story.”

“Fellow Daoist truly won't believe it until it's too late.”

Li Changshou's right palm held the chaotic aura, slowly pushing it above the square table. His left hand formed a sword-finger, immortal light enveloped his body, and a scroll appeared behind him.

Ling'e's Dao.

“Fellow Daoist, do you know what I have been doing during these nearly one thousand years since I left the Primordial World?”

“Stop being so mysterious; just tell me.”

“The first thing, naturally, was to control Xu Bodhi using the Way of the Heavenly Demon, to comprehend the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, and to search for a means to eliminate you. The second thing was to spend time with Ling'e and Yun. And the third thing was to separate a wisp of my primordial spirit, simulate the state of a heavenly demon, and slowly expand my immortal sense within the Chaos Sea, merging with it, like an antenna.”

“This was actually very dangerous. An imbalance in my Dao heart would affect my true self, but I had to find the answer I sought.”

“The answer?”

“Yes, the answer.” Li Changshou pursed his lips and whispered, “The answer to a question I've asked myself ever since I arrived in this Primordial World, this realm.”

Hongjun asked with interest, “What question?”

“Why is this world the way it is?”

Hongjun grew even more interested.

Li Changshou gently exhaled and began to explain the origin of the question.

“Fellow Daoist… I'll address you as Senior. Senior, do you think a newborn child, without any exposure to language, can master a language?”

Hongjun shook his head slightly.

“No, they can't. There have been many experiments back home validating this. Language is a collective memory, a part of heritage. Not just language, but writing, skills, ideas, melodies—these are all parts of collective heritage. That is, they are tools that newborns need to learn, remember, and master as they integrate into a collective. Fellow Daoist should have no objection to this principle.”

“Indeed.”

“Then let's extend this further… to logic. Logic consists of the laws and rules of thought, with both objective and subjective divisions. This leads to another key term: thinking logic.”

Li Changshou leaned forward, narrowing his eyes, and stared at the Dao Ancestor, whispering:

“Civilizations develop in different environments. If two civilizations lack original, continuous, and stable communication, the thinking logic formed between them will differ. Ancient civilizations on Earth, merely thousands of years old, such as those that blossomed along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, are distinct from those that emerged in the land of Huaxia. If two civilizations were to meet, they could communicate through learning, because tracing back further, they share common ancestors, and their thinking logic is similar.

“What about the Primordial World and Earth? Let me ask you: why can I understand this world without any hindrance? Why can I interact with the beings in this world with so few barriers, simply by learning their local dialects? It's simple: the thinking logic of the beings in this world is interconnected with my original thinking logic.

“This was a doubt I held in my heart even before I began cultivating. And when I encountered Senior Lang, a crazy but logical idea suddenly struck me. Who exactly created this Primordial World? Whose handiwork is this world, which combines the myths and culture of my Huaxia homeland? Who embedded a mode of thinking logic similar to mine into this world?”

Dao Ancestor Hongjun's face was indescribably grim.

Li Changshou gave a bitter laugh and sighed, “Do you still think these are just my conjectures, fellow Daoist? This is your greatest flaw, laid bare before me from the very beginning. As my Dao realm deepened, it guided me step by step towards the truth of the Primordial World. Fellow Daoist, still won't admit it? Do you need more evidence? I have plenty.”

The Dao Ancestor said coldly, “Yes.”

Li Changshou pointed his left sword-finger at the gray mass, and the scroll behind him rustled open. A wisp of Dao rhyme emanated from the scroll, transforming into a 'perception' akin to spiritual awareness, condensing into murmurs in their minds:

“What the hell is this place? It feels like ages, so dazed every day. Is this death? No, is death really this painful? Didn't they say you just close your eyes and it's over? I lived for over forty years accomplishing nothing, then got hit by a car, and now I'm still suffering like this? Huh? Could this be the legendary Chaos Sea? The beginning of creation, Pangu opening up heaven and earth?”

Dao Ancestor Hongjun frowned deeply, but at this moment, he merely closed his eyes, a somewhat bleak smile on his lips.

Li Changshou withdrew his finger, gazed at the Dao Ancestor, and slowly said:

“Fellow Daoist, let me tell you a story, a story about Senior Lang and you.”

Hongjun remained silent.

Li Changshou began to recount slowly, in a slightly more relaxed voice:

“There was a middle-aged man, who had lived half his life in failure, like a rootless duckweed, and was taken away by a car accident. When he opened his eyes, or rather, when his consciousness awoke, he found himself in an indescribable gray space. Nothingness, emptiness, helplessness. He then fell into a tragic situation: he had only thoughts, no physical body, couldn't feel the passage of time, yet his own thoughts were constantly active. He couldn't even die, only fall into slumber again and again.

“What he didn't know was that this area, containing almost infinite power, incomprehensible and indescribable, would give rise to many strange things since he was the only conscious entity within it. He was, in fact, the sole master of this period and this area. He felt an eternal loneliness, a boundless, placid silence, driving him almost to madness. In his daze, he began to converse with himself. He went mad. Schizophrenia, thought fragmentation—to combat the eternal solitude and loneliness, other personas emerged without the main persona's awareness.

“There was no concept of time or space here, but as the sole consciousness, his every thought influenced this area. Then one day, a sudden thought struck him: 'Huh? Could this be the legendary Chaos Sea? The beginning of creation, Pangu opening up heaven and earth?' What he didn't know was that these thoughts, his subconscious judgments, and his own memories influenced the evolution of this miraculous area.

“As this wondrous area evolved, shattered Dao principles emerged, and multi-true spirit beings came into existence. Pangu was born from his small wish. If we were to introduce the concept of time, it would undoubtedly be an incredibly long period. Then, all the keywords associated with Pangu—the Chaos Green Lotus, the Chaos Egg, the Heaven-Opening Axe, the Primordial Gods and Demons—were born. That faint consciousness that dominated everything, also naturally lost its exclusive mastery when multi-true spirit beings were born and the number of consciousness entities in this area increased. But in his subconscious, he had already transmitted his way of thinking; everything changed according to his thoughts. This era was called Hongmeng.

“That 'he' was Senior Lang. What's more terrifying is that Senior Lang's main persona, in a daze, completed its split from the other personas. It can be inferred that the first true spirit split occurred before the birth of multi-true spirit beings, before Pangu God appeared. And the fragmented personas attached themselves to a single true spirit. This point can be proven by Empress Houtu's seven-emotion avatars; such a situation is indeed permissible.

“Senior Lang in his stupor, forgot that these were his imagined companions—this was likely a result of constant self-hypnosis to combat loneliness, subconsciously treating these personas as friends. Then, Senior Lang's main persona genuinely became friends with these fragmented personas. These personas possessed Lang's memories and knew everything Lang initiated. They had rather fatal flaws: some were prejudiced, some were benevolent, some wished to imitate the main persona. They were incomplete, yet they diligently accompanied the main persona through those difficult, lonely years.

“One of these personas was the strongest and gentlest. He suggested that each persona hide their identity and become a part of the world the main persona wished to see. Thus, they assumed identities within the Chaos and the Primordial World, and gradually actualized the main persona's strongest desire at that time.

“At this point, this group of personas still shared a body formed from a single true spirit. He met Pangu God, deceived Pangu God, and survived by the main persona pleading for 'his friend'. This single-true spirit being is you, fellow Daoist, the Hongjun of that time, isn't it?

“What was Senior Lang's main persona's greatest hope? According to the lingering information in the Chaos Sea, the most frequently appearing thought was the main persona's self-consolation: 'I've transmigrated to the Chaos Sea? Later, I can even become brothers with Pangu God, then live my way back to Earth!'

“Later, Senior Lang's main persona witnessed the creation of heaven and earth, and the birth of the Primordial World. This area was called the Chaos Sea. After Pangu God's death, those fragmented personas began to use the main persona's memories and impressions to write the script of the Primordial World, gradually separating from Hongjun's body and directing a series of grand plays.

“Demon Ancestor Luohu was a false persona of Senior Lang. Dao Ancestor Hongjun was a false persona of Senior Lang. The old man lying in Randeng's stone coffin, that was you, Senior, wasn't it? This world was created by Pangu God, so the speed at which their cultivation progressed, even faster than the three friends formed from Pangu God's primordial spirit, is utterly absurd. Grand Pure Master said that the old man in the stone coffin was one of the first powerful beings after creation, and his strength once surpassed even Master's. This is completely illogical. Moreover, the masters of Jieyin and Zhunti were also one of these personas, later likewise devoured by Dao Ancestor Hongjun. This was the precursor to the Primordial World's Neighborhood Committee, the Primordial World's Neighborhood Committee before Lang joined.

“The ancient war, the conflict between the Demon Ancestor and the Dao Ancestor, was actually a battle between two 'larger' personas constantly devouring other fragmented personas, with the rule being winner takes all. After the Demon Ancestor's defeat, the fragmented personas merged into one, gaining complete thoughts, stubborn ideas, and the selfish desire not to return to the main persona. And when the fragmented persona's opinion clashed with the main persona's… No, that's not right. The explosion of conflict between the fragmented persona and the main persona was also within the fragmented persona's calculations.

“The fragmented persona tried every means to eliminate the main persona! They found a high-sounding reason for themselves—to protect the Primordial World. But in reality? The name 'Primordial World' itself was subconsciously given by this being who accidentally transmigrated to the earliest period of the Chaos Sea. When this fragmented persona eliminated the main persona, it lost all its original meaning. But this fragmented persona did not fall into chaos because of this; instead, it placed itself above all living beings. The fragmented persona's selfishness and ambition were merely to cover up its own flaws.”

Li Changshou paused, looking at the Dao Ancestor with his eyes closed.

“Fellow Daoist, are you not going to speak?”

Hongjun simply remained silent.

Li Changshou continued, “The third reason Senior Lang went mad and chose to commit suicide lies here. Senior Lang's main persona discovered these secrets and completely broke down. To be honest, if it were me, I would break down too. When I fully grasped these concepts, I also experienced self-denial.”

Li Changshou sneered, “So, I've been living in a story written by others all along.”

“Here.” Hongjun said calmly as a piece of paper flew from his sleeve and landed before Li Changshou.

Immediately, mist appeared around the paper, and the surroundings dissolved into an illusion. Li Changshou saw Senior Lang's figure.

Li Changshou clearly saw Senior Lang. He was an ordinary, middle-aged man with a fair complexion, of average height, dressed in an exquisite Daoist robe. Senior Lang knelt before the Kunpeng's monument, his eyes red-rimmed, his expression somewhat ferocious, and his sword-finger, used for writing large characters, trembled incessantly.

At the same time, Senior Lang's low roar emerged from outside the scene:

“Fake, it's all fake! This world shouldn't even exist; the evolution of this world went wrong! The world Pangu God, my brother, wanted to create, I personally chained it. True spirits in this erroneous world endlessly reincarnate, merely repeating one mistake after another! I must destroy this world; I must return the Chaos Sea to its original state, to how it was before I arrived. No, this isn't the Chaos Sea; the Chaos Sea is the destiny I gave it. Chains! I am the chains of this world! I, this bastard, couldn't endure the loneliness and imposed destiny upon the true spirits who leaped into this world! And I've been shouting every day that fatalism is false! Destroy it, I must destroy it… I will bear my own mistakes!”

The voice, full of madness, gradually faded, and the image slowly dissipated.

Li Changshou looked at the last page before him and quickly confirmed that it was indeed the final page of Senior Lang's Chronicle, and the hastily written characters on it were similar to the words he had just heard. He felt a subtle change in the Dao Ancestor's aura around him. He couldn't help but open his eyes and met the Dao Ancestor's gaze once more.

This time, several figures appeared in the Dao Ancestor's pupils: a youth in blood-red armor holding a dark spear, an old man with a large hole in his chest, and a fair-faced Daoist peacefully asleep in a rocking chair. These were Demon Ancestor Luohu, Randeng's true form, and Senior Lang.

And besides Senior Lang, Luohu, Randeng's true form, and Dao Ancestor Hongjun spoke simultaneously. Their three voices merged into one, sounding rough and deep:

“No one can destroy the Primordial World we created.”

Li Changshou: …

Hongjun closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the previous anomaly was gone, and he simply stated:

“Yes, so what?”

Hongjun sighed, “Although this humble Daoist is unwilling to admit his origins, and even used earthworms and crickets to conceal them, this is ultimately just a matter of origin. Currently, this humble Daoist is the protector of this world; you cannot deny this. This humble Daoist eliminated the main persona who gave birth to this humble Daoist for the sake of this world.”

“For the sake of the world?” Li Changshou chuckled twice:

“Stop deceiving yourself. Which of your actions has ever been for the sake of the world? Fellow Daoist, Senior Lang was injured during the creation of heaven and earth, then found a place to recover, sleeping through the long ancient era. If my deduction is correct, the reason Senior Lang slept through the entire ancient era was because you sealed him, wasn't it? From the moment Senior Lang's true spirit fragmented, you had already betrayed the main persona.

“You shared memories and knew the Primordial World Senior Lang subconsciously envisioned, yet you took on the title of Hongjun and became the Dao Ancestor. This was the beginning of your ambition. The other personas were merely manipulated by you. The act of devouring the main persona was meticulously planned by you, step by step. Every step you took was incredibly cunning. I even suspect that during the second true spirit fragmentation, when you split yourself into the Demon Ancestor and Old Daoist Lingjiu, you altered the perception of these two 'larger' personas. Otherwise, how could the Demon Ancestor have been so foolishly entrapped?”

Hongjun smiled, “That is purely your conjecture.”

“Indeed, there's no direct evidence for these matters,” Li Changshou said calmly. “Unless we find the Demon Ancestor's corpse, or awaken the knowing one, Origin Phoenix, from the Undying Volcano.”

Hongjun's smile froze slightly.

Silence fell upon the bamboo forest once more. The grey mass between the two figures had been put away by Li Changshou, and the scroll that had appeared behind him silently vanished.

“Fellow Daoist, won't you concede defeat yet? Your origins have been exposed by me.”

“Where have I lost?” Hongjun calmly stated, “Rather, fellow Daoist, if you truly could defeat this humble Daoist, how would you deal with this world? Would you destroy the Primordial World?”

“How could I?” Li Changshou laughed. “I think this world is quite good. It's a microcosm of my homeland's mythological system, deeply connected to my homeland's culture—both familiar and novel. For a newborn world, isn't any direction of development still development? Senior Lang's subconscious provided a blueprint for this world, influencing the evolution of that initial spiritual energy mass and creating such a beautiful world. Isn't it good that it exists?

“Haven't you realized, fellow Daoist? The problem isn't what the world is like, or what living beings are like. This kind of world, which could originally only exist in my homeland's myths, is already quite remarkable. The problem lies with you, and with the Heavenly Dao. Can't this world be freed from its chains, allowed to extend and develop based on the mutual influence of living beings and Dao principles? There's no need for the Primordial World to shatter into boundless stars, nor for it to have a solar system with a blue planet. My homeland's universe is far more vast. Wouldn't it be better to let the Primordial World develop on its own? To let the Heavenly Dao be free of selfish desires, for you, fellow Daoist, to detach from the world's origin, and for heaven and earth and the Great Dao to have no consciousness? Wouldn't that be better? I oppose Senior Lang's plan to destroy the world. That is an irresponsible way to escape, and such a crude escape, a refusal to seek remedial solutions, is truly too thoughtless.”

Li Changshou's gaze was quite sincere: “Fellow Daoist, let go. Grant freedom to heaven and earth, grant freedom to living beings.”

Hongjun slightly narrowed his eyes, gazing at Li Changshou.

“Haven't you repeatedly claimed that you are doing this for the good of the world, fellow Daoist? This question seems to have hit a raw nerve for you, fellow Daoist; you can't answer it for a moment, can you? Because you never intended to let go of this world at all! The Heavenly Dao is your stepping stone. After killing Senior Lang, you completed yourself. You are now Dao Ancestor Hongjun, a being who seeks to control heaven and earth and the Chaos Sea.

“You propagated the Way of the Primordial Spirit, advocating the so-called 'Three Corpse Severing Method'. The Three Corpse Severing Method you taught me back then was indeed profound, but it was after studying this technique that I first perceived your pathological psychology. A perfectly normal self, yet you insist on severing the 'true self' corpse, the 'good' corpse, and the 'evil' corpse. I can't help but suspect that you want all cultivators to be like you, that you fantasize that you are the 'true self'. Everything is merely to satisfy your twisted Dao heart. Stop claiming it's all for the sake of the world. This world was ruined by you few back in ancient times!”

“Enough, you and I will never truly understand each other.”

“Fellow Daoist, you're starting to disgust me…”

Watching the Dao Ancestor, who appeared to be full of regret, Li Changshou felt an unprecedented sense of speechlessness.

“You and I are destined for a battle after all,” Hongjun said, completely unfazed by Li Changshou's retort. “Since that is the case, this humble Daoist will provisionally believe you have a trump card that can threaten this humble Daoist. How do you wish to duel, and when? Consider this my final care for a junior. In truth, Changshou… if you had chosen to cultivate the Three Corpse Severing Method I gave you back then, I truly would have given you the position of Dao Ancestor, and then I would have gone to explore the path back to that blue planet.”

Li Changshou shook his head: “That version of me would be too unstable. I'm the type who doesn't even dare to let my paper effigies gain consciousness. Stop with these sentimental words, fellow Daoist. Such rhetoric doesn't hold much meaning.”

His words ceased. Li Changshou looked down and saw, reflected in the magic mirror on the desk, that Sun Wukong had opened his eyes and was gazing at the overcast sky, slightly lost in thought.

“He's awake.” The Dao Ancestor's smile deepened. “Before you and I spar, why not see how far he can go?”

Li Changshou smiled, “Fellow Daoist, you're also stalling for time, aren't you?”

“Oh? What makes you say that?”

“You're just seizing the time to devour the Heavenly Dao,” Li Changshou raised a hand and pointed, and a scene slowly emerged behind the Dao Ancestor. Outside Zixiao Palace, a jade plate spun rapidly, suppressing a large cauldron beneath it. Inside the cauldron, a colorful figure sat quietly, being continuously refined by the Qiankun Cauldron, with streaks of light shooting into the jade plate. Outside the cauldron, four grey-robed old Daoists sat cross-legged, extending their palms towards the Qiankun Cauldron.

Seeing this, Li Changshou remained composed, and calmly said:

“To be able to trick the Heavenly Dao's selfish desires into destroying the Heavenly Dao's will—fellow Daoist is truly impressive. However… The Heavenly Dao's will was originally induced by you at the end of the ancient era. Even if you devour the Heavenly Dao's will, it will only strengthen your control over the Heavenly Dao, not making much difference from now.”

Hongjun said, “You, it seems, are not worried about this humble Daoist gaining complete control over heaven and earth.”

Li Changshou smiled without speaking, gazing at Sun Wukong's figure as it began to be enveloped in flames, and laughed:

“A trump card, as they say, must be used at a crucial moment to deliver a decisive blow. Fellow Daoist, feel free to take your time. Once you are fully prepared, I will certainly give you the appropriate sense of ceremony.”

The implied meaning was: if his true body could be here now, he would have acted long ago to utterly defeat him.

However, Li Changshou had no intention of being crude with the Dao Ancestor. His method of 'defeating' the Dao Ancestor was not through a grand battle of spells; Grand Pure Master had tried that, and it couldn't solve the fundamental problem.