togophonebook Chapter 341 The Birth of Self-Awareness in the Heavenly Dao
Chapter 341 The Birth of Self-Awareness in the Heavenly Dao
Upon entering the Zixiao Palace, Niu Ben felt as if he had entered another world.
Outside the Zixiao Palace, turbulent chaotic energy surged, while inside the palace, there was an extreme emptiness and stillness.
Here, there is neither light nor darkness, neither up nor down.
Only the most fundamental Daoist essence, like mercury spilling onto the ground, is omnipresent yet leaves no trace.
At this moment, deep within the palace, an old man sat upright on an ancient futon.
The old man had white hair and beard, wore a gray robe, and exuded a harmonious aura, seemingly in harmony with the Purple Cloud Palace.
Who else could it be but Dao Ancestor Hongjun?
Upon approaching, Niu Ben bowed deeply to Hongjun:
"Disciple Niu Ben pays respects to Grandmaster!"
Hongjun was the teacher of the Three Pure Ones, and it was proper for Niu Ben, as the eldest disciple of the Supreme Sage, to address him as his grandmaster.
Upon hearing this, Hongjun, who was sitting on the futon, slowly opened his eyes. His eyes were incredibly deep, as if they contained the birth and death of the endless world.
Hongjun glanced at Niu Ben briefly, then smiled slightly and exclaimed in admiration:
"Not bad, the primordial energy is perfectly condensed."
Niu Ben remained calm and then asked aloud:
"I wonder why my master sent me to Zixiao Palace?"
Previously, when Niu Ben was undergoing the Great Tribulation of Chaos in the Netherworld Abyss of the Underworld, at the last moment, it was Dao Ancestor Hongjun who descended and helped Niu Ben withstand the last tribulation of Chaos Thunder.
In addition, Hongjun did not hesitate to directly confront the will of Heaven in order to help Niu Ben.
This puzzled Niu Ben greatly.
After all, in his impression.
Dao Ancestor Hongjun was one with the Dao of Heaven and was its spokesperson.
Logically speaking, it should be on the side of Heaven.
He attained the Primordial Chaos on his own, rather than the Primordial Chaos of the Heavenly Dao, and was thus rejected by the Heavenly Dao. That is why the Heavenly Dao sent down its will into the Primordial Chaos Tribulation, wanting to completely annihilate him.
However, Hongjun intervened and helped, openly defying the Heavenly Dao.
After successfully helping Niu Ben through the Great Tribulation of Hunyuan, Hongjun sent a telepathic message to Niu Ben, asking him to come to Zixiao Palace when he had time.
That is why Niu Ben came to Zixiao Palace after arranging his wedding with Xihe.
Upon hearing Niu Ben's question, Hongjun smiled slightly and said meaningfully:
"Niu Ben" (牛犇).
"A great change is about to occur in the primordial world."
As he said this, Hongjun's expression became much more serious.
"What?"
"A major change?"
Niu Ben exclaimed in surprise, his heart filled with turmoil.
But he quickly recovered and thought to himself:
"Could the great change the Dao Ancestor spoke of refer to the war between the Lich King and the Demon King?"
Others might not know this, but Niu Ben knew it very well.
According to the current primordial timeline, what is about to happen is a war between the Lich King and the Demon King.
After a slight hesitation, Niu Ben glanced at himself and asked:
"What specific changes does Grandmaster refer to?"
Hongjun did not rush to answer. Instead, he slowly rose from the futon and said calmly:
"I don't know exactly what it is."
"It's just a premonition."
"The workings of Heaven are chaotic, and even an old Taoist priest cannot fully comprehend them."
As he spoke, Hongjun looked on with a sigh of regret.
"Um?"
Upon hearing Hongjun's reply, Niu Ben's heart skipped a beat, and he muttered to himself:
"Isn't this the Lich War?"
"But if not, then what major change would it be?"
Niu Ben's thoughts raced.
This great calamity of the Lich King is a predetermined destiny of Heaven, and Dao Ancestor Hongjun is well aware of it.
But at this moment, Hongjun spoke vaguely, saying that this great change was just his vague premonition.
In Niu Ben's view, either the great change Hongjun mentioned did not refer to the war between the Lich King and the Demon King, or Hongjun was deceiving him.
After a moment's thought, Niu Ben came to his senses and looked at Hongjun with eyes full of doubt.
"Grandmaster, you...you're telling me all this, is it because you want me to do something?"
Niu Ben asked tentatively.
He knew very well that Hongjun had helped him overcome the Great Tribulation of Hunyuan and even defied the will of Heaven, so there must be more to this than met the eye.
Perhaps, it is Dao Ancestor Hongjun who needs him to do something.
Hearing what Niu Ben said, Hongjun smiled faintly and said:
"Niu Ben, I have summoned you to Zixiao Palace because I have something important to tell you."
"You don't need to do anything."
Upon hearing Hongjun's words, Niu Ben's brows furrowed even more deeply.
Before he could even think of anything, Hongjun continued:
"The Primordial Heavenly Dao is the supreme collection of rules that naturally formed after the creation of heaven and earth, when all things operated and laws intertwined."
"Logically speaking, the way of Heaven is without emotion or desire, and is perfectly just and impartial."
"However, after countless eons, absorbing and expelling the primordial energy, and circulating through the eternal cycle of reincarnation..."
"To this day, this collection of rules has given rise to a trace of its own will."
Upon hearing this, Niu Ben was greatly shocked.
"Self-will?"
He couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, staring at Hongjun in astonishment.
Naturally, he knew what Hongjun meant by "self-will."
It should be noted that when Niu Ben was undergoing the Great Tribulation of Hunyuan, the Heavenly Dao sent down its will, first recruiting him and making him the Hunyuan of the Heavenly Dao.
Niu Ben did not agree, and only then did the will of Heaven amplify the final three lightning tribulations, attempting to completely annihilate Niu Ben.
The will of Heaven here is not the same concept as one's own will.
It can be said that the will of Heaven is the willpower required within the framework of the collective rules.
Niu Ben wanted to attain the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm and transcend the rules, so the Heavenly Dao naturally had to intervene and restrain him.
But the will of Heaven is different from this.
If what Hongjun said is true, then it means that the Heavenly Dao has its own ideas and no longer represents justice.
"How is that possible?"
After thinking for a moment, Niu Ben exclaimed in surprise, looking somewhat incredulous.
Hongjun didn't seem to care and continued:
"This will is newly born, ignorant and chaotic, yet it has already begun to instinctively condense into a true form."
"If it succeeds one day, it can break free from the form of pure rules and pursue a more real and independent existence."
After Hongjun said this, Niu Ben was even more shocked.
In Niu Ben's understanding, the Way of Heaven is inherently cold and ruthless, and its ultimate program, which operates like a precise machine, is the principle and law that maintains the existence of the primordial world.
But if the Heavenly Dao truly developed its own will, then it would be more like a living being, capable of generating its own self.
The more Niu Ben thought about it, the more unbelievable it seemed, and he also realized the seriousness of the situation.
Just as Niu Ben was stunned, Hongjun frowned and said with a solemn expression:
"If the Way of Heaven is merely a collection of rules, then all things still have the opportunity to transcend them."
"Because the rules can be followed, and they can be broken."
"However, if it condenses its true form and becomes a being of the Heavenly Dao, then its will will be above all rules."
"When that time comes, the beings of Heaven will be able to do as they please."
"All things in the primordial world, including sages, will become mere playthings in his hands, with no possibility of transcendence."
"Its very existence is the ultimate obliteration of all variables and free will in the primordial world."