Chapter 117: How to Leave the Heavenly Dao Divine Office

You woke up, gazing at the purple‑clad woman before you, feeling somewhat lost.

"Yang Zu? How did you come here?"

Since our last parting, you and Yang Zu each held the Heavenly Dao Divine Office, and we have not met or communicated since.

Divinity entwined, you seemed to have nothing to say to anyone.

The Chaos Immortal Treasure that Yang Zu oversees is called the Hundred Aspects Bell, used to balance the equilibrium between mortals and cultivators, governing the way of merit and fortune.

"I came to see you."

Yang Zu spoke with a faint smile.

Her smile was so natural and relaxed; you deeply know how difficult this is for the holder of the Heavenly Dao Divine Office.

You asked, "Why aren't you staying in the Nine‑Color Realm? What brings you here to see me?"

Nowadays, aside from the vast world where the Star Realm and Mundane World's sentient beings reside, there are two other extremely special worlds.

The Hell you are in is one of them.

The other is the Nine‑Color Divine Realm where the other eight holders of the Heavenly Dao Divine Office dwell.

"I've grown tired of staying in the Nine‑Color Realm."

Yang Zu's answer was light and breezy.

You increasingly felt something was off; this is not something a holder of the Heavenly Dao Divine Office would say.

"You seem different from me."

On Yang Zu's person, you sensed a breath of sentient beings, and divinity had not completely suppressed her sentient desires.

Yang Zu laughed, saying, "But you can be like me."

You remained silent.

For you, walking the sentient path again holds no meaning.

Yang Zu added, "When you held the Heavenly Dao Divine Office, you also retained a trace of sentient desire, right?"

You gave a slight nod.

The humanity you retained is guilt over Xiao Ya Huan and Ye Xue; their departure is your greatest regret over the years.

But they are gone now, and you won't think of them anymore.

Most of the time, divinity keeps you from touching that memory.

Yang Zu continued, "Have you ever thought that after leaving here, you might still see them again?"

"But..."

You hesitated, "If we leave, the order we oversee will become vacant, and heaven and earth will fall into chaos."

The life and death of heaven and earth's sentient beings may lie in a single thought of yours.

Divinity lets you maintain absolute rational thought.

You said, "I will not leave, and Heaven's Will does not permit me to leave."

Yang Zu said, "Heaven's Will does not control us; it is shaped by the wishes of all beings, intended to balance heaven and earth."

"As long as we can find sentient beings to take over our positions, we can leave the Heavenly Dao Divine Office and depart from here."

Yang Zu's words awakened that faint, almost inaudible sentient desire deep within you.

You looked at her and asked, "Have you been planning this step all along?"

"Yes!"

Yang Zu nodded without hesitation.

"I've said before that we, united with the Chaos Immortal Treasure and holding the Heavenly Dao Divine Office, are engaged in a transaction with Heaven's Dao."

"We help Heaven's Dao establish a complete rule‑order, protect sentient beings through their initial hardships, and Heaven's Dao aids us in comprehending higher realms."

"But Heaven's Dao also limits our progress toward higher realms."

"Now that this transaction is complete, I wish to ascend as an immortal rather than merely hope for immortality; to transcend beyond Heaven's Dao, I must first leave the Heavenly Dao Divine Office, free from Heaven's Will's bonds."

Yang Zu seems to have planned everything already.

From the start, her goal has been clear.

By contrast, you appear rather muddled.

Yang Zu said, "We have done what we ought to, we owe nothing to Heaven's Dao or to sentient beings; it is time to seek the true essence of the Chaos Great Dao."

You asked, "Why did you choose me?"

Yang Zu said, "Before we held the Heavenly Dao Divine Office, we fought side by side; choosing you now is not strange."

You asked, "Will the other holders of the Heavenly Dao Divine Office obstruct us?"

"No."

Yang Zu replied, "The only possible scenario for a great war among the holders of the Heavenly Dao Divine Office is during the degenerate age when Heaven's Dao collapses."

"When divinity is sufficiently abundant, such a thing cannot happen."

"As long as we steadily transfer the Heavenly Dao Divine Office to another powerful sentient being capable of upholding all this, nothing will occur."

"Of course, more important in this process is that we assist each other."

"This is also why I came to find you."

Yang Zu explained everything.

You felt moved, "What do I need to do?"

Yang Zu laughed, "Each time we reveal a sentient desire, it brings us a step closer to divinity afterward, so our time is limited."

"The plan had best succeed in one attempt."

"First, you must manifest a dharma body and go to the Two Realms to find someone you deem trustworthy and willing to inherit the Heavenly Dao Divine Office."

"Ideally, a strong True God Realm cultivator would be most secure!"

"When the Heavenly Dao Divine Office is being transferred, another holder of the Heavenly Dao Divine Office must assist to temporarily uphold order."

"Otherwise, any turmoil will cause the living beings to suffer."

"You can help me escape first, or I can help you escape first—either works."

"Yang Zu laid out her plan in full."

"As she said, you have little time left; each of your thoughts consumes the scant remaining essence of the living beings."

"Okay."

"After a brief hesitation, you agreed to cooperate with Yang Zu."

"You manifested a dharma body, and you and Yang Zu each went to seek a successor for the Heavenly Dao Divine Office."

"Stepping into the Living World once again feels wondrous; the Heavenly Dao Divine Office is like a cage binding you, and you increasingly want to break free."

"When your last lingering desire as a living being fades, you will fully accept the life of the cage."

"As a living being, you are engaged in a final confrontation with your divine self."

"You hold a list in your hand."

"The list records thirteen names, representing the thirteen True God Realm experts of this era, the strongest under the Heavenly Dao Divine Office."

"Among the thirteen True God Realm experts, one comes from each of the Nine Major Star Regions, and the remaining four are from the Mortal World."

"There are five human True God Realm experts."

"The patriarchs of the Three Teachings occupy three spots; the remaining two are a Sword Cultivator and a Ti Xiu."

"You spent some time interacting with the five human cultivators as a wanderer, but the Three Teachings patriarchs all need to guard the Daoist orthodoxy, so they obviously cannot help you."

"The Sword Cultivator looks down on the Heavenly Dao Divine Office even more, intent on shattering realm barriers with his own strength."

"The Ti Xiu is even more arrogant, determined to break laws with force."

"You reluctantly chose to give up and seek other True God Realm experts; after comparing them, you approached the most special of the thirteen True God Realm experts."

"He is a fox."