Chapter 687: The battle of heaven

The Utmost Person, completely resurrected from the Dao, opened his eyes.

But what greeted his sight was the perfect Heavenly Dao surrounding him.

"Merging with the Dao?!" He immediately exclaimed, then formed hand seals.

Heaven manifests its phenomena, and Sages follow them. Heaven does not change its spring and winter due to the passage of time, which means that the Heavenly Dao rarely changes its ways; it treats all things equally.

So he had a way to solve the problem of merging with the Dao.

But... what he didn't expect was—

The perfect Heavenly Dao before him changed.

This instantly stunned him.

The Heavenly Dao... changed?

Are you kidding me!

What kind of selfish Heavenly Dao is this!?

This goes against common sense!

However, no matter how surprised he was, it was useless, because the Immortal Heaven itself was completely different from Haotian.

Haotian does not change its spring and winter due to the passage of time, treating all living beings equally for countless years as if it were a single day, but the Immortal Heaven is not like that.

Everything in the Immortal Heaven is for itself.

In a sense, this is also the unique 'equality' of the Divine Dao.

Equally despising all living beings, all things must be contained within Heaven.

Behind all double standards lies a hidden, single standard.

People don't have double standards; they just make different choices when faced with different situations, and the Immortal Heaven is the same.

Its only standard is one: everything revolves around itself.

For this, it stifled the civilizations within its own world, manipulating them as its nourishment, allowing them to use their advanced intelligence to research various 'possibilities', and then devouring them.

The Immortal Heaven is a gluttonous beast that devours civilizations.

It cultivates one civilization after another within its body, then devours them to compensate for its own shortcomings.

These civilizations are generally deformed, just like the Mortal world and the True World now, because their very existence is merely to serve as 'inspiration' for the Immortal Heaven.

This Third Rank Supreme Being immediately understood his current predicament.

Even if the Heavenly Dao changes, he can't possibly sit idly by and wait for death. He still has many methods. The other party is only passively devouring; it hasn't actively shown malice. If it's just like this, it can't easily devour him!

The next moment, his Dharma Idol expanded, and his Spiritual Artifact appeared in his hand.

Unlike Shaman Dao, the Human Dao is extremely skilled at using Spiritual Artifacts.

His Spiritual Artifact was a green bamboo slip.

The law of two feet and four inches is the same throughout ancient and modern times, whether it leads to order or Chaos.

In ancient times, all written laws and decrees were on bamboo slips two feet and four inches long, and when speaking of a large number, they were called 'three feet'.

Holding this law, one can command the world.

This is shared by the world; if it wavers, people will be at a loss.

In other words, the bamboo slip in his hand was the Incarnation of law.

His Dharma Idol unfolded the bamboo slip, and characters flew out from within, establishing themselves all around.

"By the Supreme's command, my name is Xing Guanqing, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Justice of the Great Tang. Hereby, I establish the system of criminal law." With a graceful wave, the flying characters were like a torrent of sparks, surging forth, actually forcing back the Dao of the Immortal Heaven!

"Indeed, humans are the most spiritual of all living things. However, their claws and teeth are insufficient to satisfy their desires, and their running is insufficient to avoid harm. They have no fur or feathers to ward off cold and heat, so they must use objects for sustenance, relying on wisdom rather than strength. Therefore, if they are not benevolent and loving, they cannot form groups, and if they cannot form groups, they cannot overcome other creatures. Since humans live in groups, they cannot be without feelings of joy and anger and contention, hence the principles of severe and light punishments!"

Then, he continued to recite: "Sages, based on Heaven's punishment, created the Five Punishments. The Great Punishment uses armor and weapons, followed by axes and halberds; the Middle Punishment uses knives and saws, followed by drills and chisels; the Light Punishment uses whips and flogs."

As he spoke, his long robe was covered by armor and weapons, and then axes and halberds, knives and saws, drills and chisels, and whips and flogs appeared behind him.

These are the Five Punishments.

Punishment is of great importance in royal governance.

Then, he raised the bamboo slip in his hand and said solemnly: "By the Supreme's decree, I now administer punishment for the Supreme. Here, I control penalties."

As soon as these words were spoken, a heavy will descended!

The Human Emperor!

In the entire Universe, the entire world, only one person is qualified to bear the title of 'Supreme'.

As a Deputy Minister, his duty is to administer punishment. Using his own official position as a guide, he invoked the Supreme's power at this moment, drawing the Human Emperor's gaze to this place!

Wherever the gaze reached, it was Tang Nation!

The nature of this place immediately changed, even though it was inside the Immortal Heaven.

Thus, at this very moment, the muddled Li Qi suddenly sobered up.

The first thing he realized upon opening his eyes was that his plan had succeeded.

A Third Grade Great Being indeed has some tricks up his sleeve!

Li Qi looked up again.

Before him was the magnificent Third Grade Dharma Idol, along with the Immortal Heaven that was changing its nature.

Li Qi immediately realized that this was an opportunity!

After more than a billion Reincarnations previously, the nature of the Immortal Heaven had never changed at all; it had always been perfect.

But now... the Immortal Heaven had actively changed its nature.

Why?

Li Qi was puzzled for a moment, but he was a clever man after all. When he saw the almost infinite power behind the Third Grade Great Being, and the sense of being bound by rules on his own body, he immediately understood the Immortal Heaven' reaction.

The Human Emperor's gaze had fallen upon this place.

Thus, the nature of the Immortal Heaven was forced to change. The interior of the Immortal Heaven had already become the land of Tang Nation, and the Third Rank Supreme Being before him was carrying out a Great Punishment on the land of Tang Nation.

The Five Punishments behind him, each possessed a power that Li Qi could not comprehend. It seemed they could inherently bind all things with precepts.

Understanding the Five Punishments, to assist the Five Teachings. Aiming for my governance. 'Bi' means to assist, 'Qi' means to be fitting. It marvels at how punishment can assist teaching, fitting the body of governance.

These Five Punishments implements themselves were used to govern the state. This place was already the land of Tang Nation, so the Five Punishments were stationed in five directions, forming an insurmountable high wall!

If the Immortal Heaven wanted to invade, it would need to invade the territory of Tang Nation, bypass the protection of the Human Dao's principles, and even confront the Human Emperor directly.

Clearly, the Immortal Heaven had this ability, but it needed some preparation, after all, it only needed to face a tiny bit of the Human Emperor's leaked gaze, not truly battle the Human Emperor.

In a few seconds at most, this territory would be breached.

But within these few seconds, Li Qi had already awakened and also witnessed the Immortal Heaven transforming its form.

This was what he wanted.

This was the 'flaw' of the Immortal Heaven!

A perfect thing cannot change.

Just like the Heaven Demon.

The Heaven Demon itself can transform into all things, capable of manifesting the sum of all things in the real world, hence it is called the 'Heavenly Demon of Enjoying Others’ Emanations'.

And the sum of all things in the real world can be called 'perfect'.

This also led to the Heaven Demon's current predicament.

As a freely transforming entity, the Heaven Demon achieved perfection, but... this also meant that it completely lost the ability to change, because the sum of all things cannot change; once it changes, it is no longer perfect.

So the Heaven Demon tried every possible way to find its flaws, to find things it could not change or understand, so that its transformations would have room for maneuver, and it could escape from this awkward situation.

And the Immortal Heaven, being forced to change its nature, was because it was not perfect enough.

It had only hidden its imperfections, rather than truly reaching the Realm of perfection like the Heaven Demon.

The moment it transformed was the moment its flaw was revealed!

True Knowledge Dao Resonance fully activated, all perceptions maximized!

— — — — — — — — — —

No sooner said than done, only a few seconds had passed since the Third Rank Supreme Being awakened.

Yes, from beginning to end, it didn't exceed ten seconds.

Yao Ji, who had been fighting alone, also accurately realized this point.

Yao Ji didn't know about the existence of backtracking, but she immediately realized that Li Qi had done something.

She frowned slightly.

This Mortal...

Meddling.

However, he truly forced out the opponent's flaw. Yao Ji hadn't expected him to carry a Third Grade with him when he went out.

But the flaw of the Immortal Heaven had already been revealed under the Human Emperor's gaze.

Since that was the case... she didn't want to miss this opportunity either.

Yao Ji closed her eyes, allowing her essence to expand.

Her essence, of course, was a part of 'Haotian'. As Haotian's daughter, she was one of the First Gods born directly from Haotian's own body.

However, Yao Ji disliked this idea very much, so she chose to cut herself off from Haotian, weaken and die, and enter Reincarnation.

After Reincarnation, she transformed into the essence of a Spiritual Plant and was reborn, but found... there was no change at all.

She had been confused, and she had resigned herself to fate, but people eventually grow. She finally understood Haotian and ultimately chose to join Shaman God Mountain, becoming a Invoker of the Heavenly God lineage.

The reason she chose this Dao Orthodoxy was because she wanted to understand her father more deeply and extensively, to communicate with that great 'Haotian'.

She had many questions she wanted to ask Haotian, such as: Why did you choose to give birth to me?

As a naturally First Grade, Haotian didn't need to procreate, nor did he have a consort. Why did he give birth to Yao Ji?

Her visit to the Immortal Heaven this time was also for this purpose, so from the very beginning, she directly ignored Li Qi and went to the uppermost layer of the Immortal Heaven herself.

Perhaps through the Immortal Heaven, she could understand Haotian better.

And now, she suddenly discovered...

Li Qi, perhaps, could perceive the answer?

Interesting.

And now, let me help him get the answer.

So Yao Ji revealed her essence, allowing the Haotian Dao Resonance within her to expand.

Yes, Yao Ji's true foundation.

The Dao Resonance from the Lord of the Heavenly Court, Haotian, The Supreme God of Heaven.

Haotian, the Origin Qi of the Primordial Chaos, vast and boundless, hence called "Haotian."

The Heavenly Dao operates through the four seasons, and thus all things are born. There is nothing that is not the ultimate teaching, nothing that is not the ultimate virtue. The profound transformation of great virtue is none other than this.

Heaven embodies all things without omission, just as benevolence embodies all matters without being absent.

Heaven takes the Great Void as its body, and the harmonious Qi fills it, hence there is nothing that it does not embody as its nature and life.

There is nothing that does not have a body, so there is nothing that can go against Heaven.

Haotian, trustworthy without speaking, fills the Great Void, and its Qi does not move erratically; it has its utmost constancy.

If the characteristic of 'Immortal Heaven' is ultimate goodness, then the characteristic of 'Haotian' is ultimate constancy.

Nothing can go against Heaven, hence it is trustworthy without speaking.

Everything in the world is within Haotian.

Before Heaven and Earth existed, Chaos was like a chicken egg. The primordial mist began to sprout, and the vastness germinated. In the year of Sheti, later, the Origin Qi began, Haotian was born, and all things flourished.

Heaven has no substance; one looks up and gazes at it. It is high and far without limit, blurring the eyes and straining the vision, appearing vast and blue.

The four seasons are Heaven's officials, the sun and moon are Heaven's envoys, the stars are Heaven's appointments. All things manifest under Heaven. With the power of 'Heaven', the expanding Dao Resonance emanates a gentle, warm power.

This is the gentleness of 'Heaven'.

It provided peace to all living beings, offering a stable environment to all worlds at the beginning of all civilizations.

The First Gods, led by Haotian, calmed the violent Chaos, and then they began to forge Heaven and Earth, repairing the chaotic celestial times.

The Star Officials forged the stars, and the First Gods transformed into the sun and moon.

The sun and moon cycle, separating day and night.

The stars revolve, revealing the solar terms.

Thus, based on the sun, moon, and stars, the earliest civilizations in the world had stable four seasons and solar terms, no longer having to face suddenly descending chaotic Origin Qi, and civilization could begin its initial cultivation.

Even at this very moment, with many First Grade beings already born in the world, there are still countless billions—no, probably quadrillions of worlds—that still rely on the order forged by Haotian to live.

They still revere Haotian, and perhaps they will use their incomprehensible rituals to express gratitude to Haotian; this is primitive 'sacrifice'.

Many of them still regard Haotian as their parent, worshipping him, but many others are not even aware of Haotian's existence, merely enjoying the stable environment Haotian provides.

Haotian feels nothing about this worship; he doesn't care at all. Regardless of whether he is worshipped or not, he continues to nurture all Mortals as always, just as he cared for those earliest civilizations when Heaven and Earth first opened.

This is the gentleness of the Heavenly God towards all Mortals.

The Heavenly Dao is utterly impartial, never selfish.

This is the biggest difference between the Immortal Heaven and Haotian.

On the other side, Li Qi, within these few seconds, simultaneously felt the aura of two First Grade Heavenly Daos.

These auras were very faint, because they hadn't invested too much power. The Immortal Heaven was merely instinctively devouring the merging with the Dao, and Haotian only had a wisp of Dao Resonance here.

But this was just right; Li Qi could process two pieces of information simultaneously.

The Immortal Heaven, which was changing its posture, and Haotian, which remained eternal and unchanging.

Feeling these two pieces of information... Li Qi pondered the Haotian Dao Resonance.

Li Qi suddenly had a feeling.

The existence of 'Heaven' is truly peculiar.

Everyone knows that there is such a 'Heaven' behind the scenes, manipulating everything. All that is familiar was forged by the First Gods.

However, people cannot perceive their actions, just like an extremely profound magician. He plays tricks on the audience in broad daylight; you know he's performing magic, but people cannot discern his methods, nor even see his movements.

Is this how the Immortal Heaven and Haotian influence the world?

As he thought this, these few seconds passed.

Tang Nation, shattered.

Li Qi trembled.

The Human Emperor's gaze, coupled with Haotian's aura, truly attracted the attention of the Immortal Heaven.

This First Grade was no longer in a state of slacking off; he had already focused his attention here.

Time was running out for Li Qi.

Meanwhile, the Third Rank Supreme Being next to him also noticed this.

He let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head slightly and sighing.

No hope.

With a First Grade's gaze upon him, he probably wouldn't be able to escape.

Then... before that, I'll kill the two Young Master of Shaman God Mountain next to me.