Chapter 1068: Next step

What can contain subjective consciousness?

After the Devil King struck and erased Li Qi's subjective will and consciousness, where did Li Qi's consciousness go?

According to what the World Honored One Tathagata proclaimed, consciousness should be 'imperishable'.

Even if there is death, even if there is destruction, there is still 'Reincarnation'.

Through repeated Reincarnations, consciousness gradually becomes clear, gradually 'awakens', then perceives the truth of consciousness, gains long-term memory, and finally awakens to become a Buddha.

Consciousness is imperishable, consciousness is the foundation of all things, and everyone has their own 'consciousness'.

And the interaction between consciousnesses can only be achieved through a subtle, indescribable method that only 'consciousness' itself can understand.

But as mentioned before.

This method is 'self-proclaimed'.

So what is a method that is not 'self-proclaimed'?

A method that aligns with the imperishability of consciousness, while bypassing high walls and connecting with others.

Actually, there is one.

That is Hao Tian's favorite thing.

Music.

The origin of all music and its true meaning, which has been almost forgotten by the world.

In the distant ancient times, music, like dance and any other artistic activity, was part of Shaman Dao.

This was also one of the means of performing Shaman Dao.

It began with rhythm, developing into the art of drumming through clapping, stomping, and striking various primitive instruments such as hands and wood, making many people 'in sync' with each other.

Through this ritual, the Shamanes made their breathing, heartbeats, and emotions merge in the same rhythm, stirring up the power within people.

Thus, the initial power was born, and many warriors gained courage in such rituals; they could feel themselves merging with the people around them, and thus fought with incomparable bravery.

And music retains this primitive, pure essential characteristic—a characteristic related to 'consciousness'—its history is much longer than any other art form, and one only needs to briefly review the discussions of countless Great Powers on music to understand.

When the world is at peace and all things are tranquil, transforming upon it, then music can be achieved.

To achieve music, one must regulate desires. If desires are not avoided, then music can be pursued.

To pursue music, there must be a method, which must come from fairness. Fairness comes from impartiality, and impartiality comes from the Dao.

Therefore, only those who have attained the Dao can engage with music.

All music is the harmony of Heaven and Earth, and the调 of Yin and Yang.

Music plays a dominant role throughout the entire Universe.

From the baryonic acoustic oscillations in ancient times to the music controlled by Shamanes, it has always been so.

People even believe that the rise and fall of music are directly related to the state of culture, morality, and even the entire Dao Orthodoxy.

Great Powers skilled in music were entrusted with the heavy responsibility of strictly guarding the purity of 'tones', which was called 'Rectification', hence this title was also known as 'Grand Director of Music'.

Even in the Mortal Dao, the decline of music became a conclusive symbol of the demise of a Dynasty and a civilization.

The Mortal Dao recorded many terrifying stories, describing various Heaven-Defying decadent sounds, such as 'Qingshang' and 'Qingjiao', known as the 'Sounds of National Demise'. Once these blasphemous sounds were played in the imperial palace, the sky would darken, cities would collapse, walls would fall, and the Dynasty and civilization would perish.

Music, like ever-expanding ripples in a pond, spreads intentions and ideas, and people's hearts are brought together through music.

"So, did we get past them?" In the Heavens of the Formless Realm, the Grand Director of Music of Shaman Dao, 'Changqin', said to his younger brother.

Zhu Fengdan did not speak.

He just nervously stared at the Heavens of the Formless Realm; this thing was their only sanctuary and their only way to approach Taiyi's body.

As he spoke, he was also composing a new 'score'.

Music is not a five-line staff; in reality, the five-line staff is merely a description of 'music'.

This is similar to the role played by mathematical symbolic logic.

Those symbols are not mathematics, but merely tools to describe mathematics.

In the process of analyzing and studying music, people began to capture the flow of music with physical and mathematical formulas, forming visible 'scores'.

Soon after, music began to use this game method to measure the formation of language structures, just as physics measures the natural process of change.

Since then, people have continuously discovered abstract formulas obtained from this path, through new relationships, new analogies, and new commonalities.

For example, a series of components of a certain wave separated and arranged according to a certain variable characteristic, as the saying goes: 'Elegant music always creates movements before forming scores'.

First there is music, then there is a score.

A score is a formula that describes music.

And for other things, such as history and greater Dao, there is the description 'composing', and if you are not good at something or not trusted, you will be called 'unreliable'.

This shows the importance of 'scores'.

What they are currently composing in the Heavens of the Formless Realm is a 'score'.

A type of music that can communicate with and be understood by the consciousness.

At this moment, outside, there was a First Grade war, with the Devil King pushing the decay of Origin Qi with all his might, and Yao Ji doing the same, while Hao Tian was pleased to see it happen and chose to observe.

Other First Grades were doing their best to delay the decay of Origin Qi, using every possible method to prevent the arrival of the Age of Dharma Decline.

And Changqin, the Grand Director of Music of the Shamanes, was one of Shamansan's 'methods'.

Shamansan used many methods, no one knew how many, but Changqin and Zhu Fengdan clearly knew that they were one of the methods, and for this, Shamansan even forcefully seized the Heavens of the Formless Realm.

This was a difficult task; the Heavens of the Formless Realm was originally with the Demonic Prince, then taken by the Devil King, and Shamansan paid a huge price to retrieve the Heavens of the Formless Realm.

All of this was to utilize the Heavens of the Formless Realm's concealing ability, allowing them to sneak into Taiyi's body.

Taiyi's true form was defeated by Hao Tian, but his body remained with Zombie Li Qi.

Zhu Fengdan and Changqin were in this stealth operation.

If they could succeed, they might be able to reclaim Taiyi's body, and then, perhaps, find a chance to turn the tide.

"Almost done, it shouldn't have been discovered," Zhu Fengdan said.

"According to Shamansan's plan, this might be a major trump card. He really thinks highly of us," Changqin laughed.

Zhu Fengdan said nothing, continuing to compose the necessary form.

The personalities of the two brothers seemed to have reversed.

Normally, during their interactions, Zhu Fengdan was the talkative one, while Changqin was the one who smiled and listened quietly.

But in this great war, where even First Grades had to risk their lives, Taizi Changqin became more talkative, while Zhu Fengdan silently buried himself in his work.

"Brother," Zhu Fengdan suddenly said at this moment.

"Speak," Changqin smiled.

Zhu Fengdan then said, "Father is still serving Hao Tian, and Hao Tian is willing to accept the decay of Origin Qi just to see what all things will look like after the decay. You say, for him..."

However, as he spoke, he was interrupted by Changqin.

"There's no need to speculate so much. Father is the most orthodox Heavenly God, and our Dao is ultimately different from his. For him, following the Heavenly Emperor is the only choice," Changqin did not question Zhu Rong but stopped Zhu Fengdan from continuing to think in that direction.

There was no need.

Zhu Rong, as the Fire Master, the controller of 'Fire Qi' among the Five Elements Qi, he was almost one of Hao Tian's earliest witnesses, even among the First Gods, he was very senior.

Origin Qi becomes Chaos Qi, and then Chaos differentiates into Yin and Yang Qi, Five Elements Qi, and other lower Rank Qi.

The 'One Origin' in "One Origin, Two Forms, Three Powers, Four Symbols, Five Elements, Six Harmonies" refers to Origin Qi.

As one of the Five Elements, Zhu Rong was naturally a supporter of Hao Tian.

It was Emperor Hundun and Emperor Jun who, due to their differing attitudes towards Mortals, began to defy Hao Tian.

However, in this great war, when Hao Tian showed complete disregard for Mortals, Emperor Hundun also defected and returned to the Heavenly Emperor's command.

This is the Heavenly Emperor's leadership over all Heavenly Gods.

Although Yao Ji, as 'Hao Tian's remnant', became the main factor dominating the decay of Origin Qi, Hao Tian was still Hao Tian.

Truly... indescribably powerful.

After all, both Zhu family brothers once again witnessed Hao Tian's mighty power in suppressing almost all First Grades; Taiyi and the Human Emperor were completely no match for Hao Tian.

The Mortal Dao's attempt to replace Heaven with humanity still has a long way to go.

With two successive Human Emperors falling, the Mortal Dao is probably entering a severe period of decline. I wonder if the Three Dukes can hold on until the next Human Emperor takes the throne.

The Human Emperor's position being vacant has happened before, and at that time, the Mortal Dao almost split apart; that was also a chaotic era.

As they spoke, the two finally arrived at Taiyi's body under the protection of the Heavens of the Formless Realm.

Taiyi's body...

Just gazing upon that body, one could feel its greatness.

All 'beings' usually spoken of actually live within Taiyi's body.

Only the 'Heavens' and other spatial-temporal realms independently opened by beings of Third Grade and above exist outside Taiyi's body.

Of course, the various possibility branches independent of the Reality Universe opened by beings of Second Grade and above are also outside.

These independent spatial-temporal realms are, of course, also part of the 'Universe', as the Universe encompasses all time and all space, but not the 'Universe' in the sense recognized by beings.

The Universe recognized by ordinary cosmic civilizations is the Universe governed by the Star Officials, the Universe where Heavenly Gods truly exist.

The Reality Universe, as commonly referred to by higher intelligences, is Taiyi's body.

A supreme symbolic form that pursues harmony and perfection, a most subtle way of existence.

Taiyi's existence is to allow the individual to transcend all individuality and multiplicity to achieve a singular self-soul, that is, to achieve the complete manifestation of divinity.

This is a First Grade Heavenly God.

Those thinkers once regarded the lives of all sentient beings and their various goals as a 'process' leading to divinity, believing that the diverse phenomenal world could only reach perfection and its ultimate goal in divine unity and harmony.

And they were not wrong.

Taiyi is the complete embodiment of this ultimate goal.

The complete divinity gathered from all sentient beings is Taiyi, the Sovereign of the Star Officials.

The Star Officials dominate many things in the Reality Universe; civilizations also live on them, and all Star Officials collectively form Taiyi's chaotic and contradictory construct.

And now, Zhu Fengdan and Taizi Changqin, relying on their Second Grade power, independently of the Reality Universe, in their own spatial-temporal realm, quietly approached Taiyi's interior.

Keep moving forward, keep moving forward.

Finally, they arrived next to Zombie Li Qi.

Here, Zombie Li Qi was carrying Taiyi.

Zhu Fengdan's expression clearly became a bit annoyed, because he knew that what was before him was merely a zombie, not Li Qi.

However, he then relaxed.

He had come precisely to awaken this zombie.

Zombie Li Qi saw Zhu Fengdan, immediately transformed into his Dharma Body, and then bowed to Zhu Fengdan: "Teacher, Senior Martial Uncle, you've arrived? What is this?"

He looked curious.

Taizi Changqin glanced at Zombie Li Qi.

With just that glance, and Li Qi's words, he couldn't tell at all that the Li Qi before him was already dead.

The Devil King's methods are truly terrifying.

If he used this trick on certain specific people and then had the zombie do certain things, it would probably be impossible to find any flaws.

"Yes, we've arrived," Zhu Fengdan said.

"Teacher, Senior Martial Uncle, what is the matter? Is there anything I can help with?" Li Qi asked.

"Stand still," Zhu Fengdan said, "I have something for you."

"Oh." Zombie Li Qi indeed stood still, even opening his Inner World.

Even as a zombie, with memories and complete intelligence, he would still do what he felt he should do.

In the zombie's memory, this was what he should do at this moment.

Although the zombie itself didn't know what it was doing.

No... the zombie had no 'self' at all; it merely acted according to what it 'should' do. It couldn't even feel what it was doing.

Taizi Changqin sighed, "You didn't take this disciple for nothing."

"Of course not," Zhu Fengdan smiled.

Then, the two of them embedded the Heavens of the Formless Realm into the 'Three Realms' within Li Qi's body.

The Three Realms are creations mimicking the Immortal Heaven, composed of the Desire Realm, Form Realm, and Formless Realm. They are essentially First Grade entities. Li Qi and the Demonic Prince acted as 'thoughts' floating on the surface to manipulate the Three Realms, thereby participating in the First Grade war.

Although the outcome was tragic.

Just as tragic as the death of the Immortal Heaven.

The Immortal Heaven, after all, could not defeat true First Grades.

But, have you found the blind spot?

Li Qi and the Demonic Prince once transformed into 'thoughts' floating on the surface of the Three Realms, using that thin layer to control the entire Three Realms.

This is what Shamansan wanted to do.

Zhu Fengdan and Taizi Changqin began to assemble the Three Realms.

And then—

They played, utilizing music's ability to communicate with consciousness, using all the 'scores' of Changqin, the Grand Director of Music of Shaman Dao, to try and awaken Li Qi.

Then, with the help of the four Shaman Gods, they would possess Taiyi's body!