Chapter 171: Refining the False to Cultivate the True, Attaining Dao Through Strength

"May I ask, Great Emperor, does the Ghost Immortal path also have a ultimate method to attain Dao-certification?"

A question echoed from the Nine Heavens of the Celestial Palace.

"Of course it does!"

Ming He didn't even hesitate—he immediately affirmed it.

"Can it also certify as Great Great Pangu?" The immortal lords stared intently.

"It can!"

Ming He answered with unwavering certainty; after all, He only had to draw the pie—making the pie was Xiang Xiang Xiang Xuanqing's job.

Meng Meng Wu You smiled and said: "The Ghost Immortal path is a path of facing death to attain life—it allows one to return from utter annihilation."

"In the Chaos Era, the three thousand demonic gods ultimately perished, yet they still returned to this world."

"So, aren't the returning Chaos demonic gods themselves Ghost Immortals?"

As Meng Meng Wu You spoke these words, Xiao Xiao Qian Kun, Yin Yang, and Sanqing Dian Dao all turned to look at her at once.

We suspect you're hinting at something—aren't you mocking us?

Hong Jun and Yang Mei remained calm.

The three thousand demonic gods of the Chaos Era? What do they have to do with us?

We are the primordial deities of the Great Great Pangu Epoch.

"Since the Chaos demonic gods can return from annihilation, have you ever considered this question—when Great Great Pangu Divine Lord transformed himself into Hong Huang, sacrificed himself for all living beings, did He die? And if so, will He return? How?"

Huh???

Is this even a question we're allowed to discuss?

Upon hearing Meng Meng Wu You's words, all the Tai Yi deities present could no longer sit still.

They all stared at Meng Meng Wu You, silently signaling: Friend, if you want to get axed, we don't!

Meanwhile, Jing Yao Shang Zun and Master Yuchen Dao Jun turned their gazes toward Xiang Xiang Xiang Xuanqing.

There, Xiang Xiang Xiang Xuanqing was pretending to look utterly shocked.

"Acting!" Jing Yao and Master Yuchen muttered in unison.

"Of course, today our main topic isn't this question—it's the Ghost Immortal Dao."

Meng Meng Wu You smiled slightly, patching her own topic.

She said: "I believe that Great Great Pangu True One opened heaven and created the world by choosing to annihilate the three thousand, annihilating His own form to become the Hong Huang True Realm, giving birth to all beings—this too is Great Great Pangu's great transcendence."

"And my Ghost Immortal Dao, facing death to attain life, achieving the ultimate fruit of all worlds, emulates Great Great Pangu's Dao."

"One day, Ghost Immortal cultivators, amidst endless annihilation and the cycle of life and death, may seize a sliver of possibility, gather Great Great Pangu's soul, and become Great Great Pangu True One!"

"In that case, isn't this precisely Great Great Pangu Divine Lord returning from annihilation?"

Wow, you actually managed to circle it all back?

Ming He, beside Meng Wu You, internally held his breath for her.

In the span of just a few sentences, the Tai Yi deities' hearts were tossed about.

After hearing Meng Meng Wu You's words, everyone's gaze toward her changed.

Why?

Because, theoretically speaking, this speculation was possible.

The Ghost Immortal path truly bore a striking resemblance to Great Great Pangu Divine Lord's final act of opening heaven and transforming into Dao.

If the Ghost Immortal path truly could achieve the ultimate fruit of all worlds, then perhaps…

Cough, cough—no more thinking. Think further, and it becomes a ghost story.

The deities quickly extinguished the thoughts in their minds.

Some things shouldn't be thought about too deeply—the more you think, the more you dwell, the more unpredictable things may become.

Hong Jun glanced at the founder of the Five Xian of Zhou Tian, feeling deeply satisfied.

Great Great Pangu was a Celestial Immortal, an Earth Immortal, and could also be a Human Immortal, a Divine Immortal, a Ghost Immortal.

Great Great Pangu himself had no idea he'd been defined this way.

While everyone was still stunned by the nature of the Ghost Immortal path, Ming He suddenly told them another ghost story.

"The Ghost Immortal Dao transcends Yin—thus, the living find it nearly impossible to truly cultivate this path."

"To cultivate the Ghost Immortal Dao, you must all die once, becoming ghosts of the Yin Realm."

Huh?

Must die once?

The immortals remained calm, but the mortal cultivators listening were genuinely startled.

Who in their right mind wants to die?

"Can't one become a Ghost Immortal without dying?" The mortal cultivators, still outside the realm of transcendence, felt uneasy.

Just moments ago, they'd been savoring the pie, dreaming of a bright future—overlooking the fact this seemed a path of the netherworld.

Now back to reality, they felt a sudden wave of concern.

Ming He looked at the frightened cultivators, a faint smile curling on His lips: "Don't worry—death isn't terrifying."

"Between life and death lies great terror, but also great opportunity, great creation."

"For the Ghost Immortal, death is merely the beginning of the Dao."

"When a living being dies and becomes a ghost, the ghost dies and becomes Zhu Zhu Jian, Zhu Zhu Jian dies and becomes Xi, Xi dies and becomes Yi, Yi dies and becomes Wei, Wei dies and becomes formless." (Zhu Zhu Jian: Zhu Zhu Jian)

"This is the inevitable path of certification for the Ghost Immortal."

Ming He said earnestly: "Thus, what I meant by 'facing death to attain life' isn't empty talk—cultivators must undergo countless cycles of life and death."

"If you cannot comprehend the true meaning of life and death, how can the Ghost Immortal control fate? How can they achieve the ultimate fruit of all worlds?"

"Moreover, the more you die, the more you get used to it." Ming He spoke with gravity, in the tone of one who'd been there.

It carried the unmistakable vibe of "Death is like the wind—always by my side."

"You cultivators seek eternal life. But know this—immortals live extraordinarily long lives. One day, you'll grow tired of living."

"Then, even without external calamities, you'll find ways to kill yourselves."

"Perhaps you'll study sufficiently netherworldly scriptures, draw your sword and slit your throat, or venture out seeking death—you'll always find a suitable way to die."

But we haven't even become transcendent yet—die once and we're gone… Most mortal cultivators, though drawn to the Ghost Immortal Dao, still naturally resisted the idea of death.

After Ming He clarified the basic condition of the Ghost Immortal path, Meng Meng Wu You stepped forward to add further.

"Of course, that doesn't mean you can't cultivate the Ghost Immortal method while still alive."

"In fact, you can cultivate even before death—and prepare for becoming an immortal after death."

"For instance, Ghost Immortal cultivators while alive may traverse both Yin and Yang realms, maintaining balance between them; such cultivators accumulate immense Yin virtue, their names recorded in the netherworld even before death, allowing them to instantly transition into the Ghost Immortal path upon death, achieving immediate transcendence."

As Ghost Immortals, you may assume positions in the various hells scattered across the boundless heavens, becoming one of the enforcers of the Yinming laws.

Next, Meng Meng Wu You detailed the numerous advantages of becoming a Ghost Immortal and joining the Yinming hells.

How could the three leaders of the Yinming hells attend the Wan Xian Assembly without promoting their fledgling Yinming hells?

Just opened for business—hiring staff right now.

Our Yinming hells offer not only a glorious future but exceptional benefits, with abundant positions and countless opportunities—what are you waiting for?

Positions in the hells throughout the myriad heavens? That sounds quite appealing… The cultivators of the Nine Heavens of the Celestial Palace perked up again—the Yinming hells' benefits eased their fear of death.

If after death one could not only become an immortal but also join a decent faction and gain countless advantages, perhaps it wasn't so unacceptable after all.

What they didn't know—none of them knew—was that across the myriad heavens, only one hell had been opened.

And it was merely a branch.

The main Yinming headquarters hadn't even hung up a sign yet.

Everything Meng Meng Wu You said afterward was pure pie-in-the-sky.

Yet Hong Jun and Yang Mei, as the founders of the Immortal Dao, did nothing to stop Meng Meng Wu You's promotion of the Yinming hells.

After all, they had already agreed: the Immortal Dao would split into numerous Dao lineages.

Let the immortals go to the hells if they wish.

The hells could grow stronger through the Immortal Dao.

The Immortal Dao could freely borrow the hells' fortune.

Mutual aid—win-win.

Once Meng Meng Wu You had finished presenting the two grand promises—the Ghost Immortal Dao fruit and the Yinming hells—it was time for Dong Hua Di Jun and Yao Chi to take the stage.

"The essence of the True Immortal lies in one word: True!"

Dong Hua Di Jun said: "Condense a True Dao Seed, refine all three thousand into truth! True Immortals may become sovereigns, governing the True One, ruling the True Self—this is the path of refining the false into the true."

"To cultivate the True Immortal method, one must gather the Great Dao's True Seed, penetrate the principle of Ultimate Truth, illuminate the mind and perceive one's nature, and forge the True Self across all worlds and timelines."

"Thus, one comprehends past and present, observes ten thousand eons—true and false, clearly discerned."

"The laws of cause and effect, the principles of right and wrong, the nature of illusion and reality—all are crystal clear to the True Immortal."

"With a single thought, the True Immortal may conjure countless illusory bodies across the heavens and timelines—who is true, who is false, decided by a single word."

"As long as the illusory bodies endure, the True Immortal cannot perish."

"Thus, governing the True One, discerning true from false; ruling the True Self, defining one's own essence—this is a modest success."

Yao Chi continued: "After the True Immortal reaches great attainment, they may influence the external world."

"Transform the false into the true, refine the true into the false—true and false defined at will."

"Illusion and reality, true and false, right and wrong—all exist within a single thought."

"The True Immortal may observe all beings of the cosmos, the boundless universe—all as illusion, all as dream."

"True Immortals can refine all absurdities and endless delusions into truth and reality."

To demonstrate to all what it means to refine falsehood into truth, the Eastern Lord Emperor plucked a flower at random from Jade Capital Mountain.

"This is a flower, correct?"

The immortals nodded.

The Eastern Lord Emperor smiled: "No, this is a star."

With that, he tossed the flower into the sky, and it instantly transformed into a star hanging above the Nine Heavens.

"The True Immortal's path of refining falsehood into truth is the mastery of defining concepts."

"The True Immortal's Dao Fruit is achieved through countless cycles of refining truth into falsehood, and falsehood into truth."

"If one day a True Immortal journeys beyond the Primordial, wielding the power of refining falsehood into truth, they might even define themselves as Great Great Pangu the True Man."

Hearing you say that, am I not also a True Immortal...? 【Story Immortal】 Seeing Hou Tu glanced at the Eastern Lord Emperor; she thought of the myths she was currently crafting.

Isn't the very purpose to make these stories spread across the myriad worlds, and ultimately refine falsehood into truth?

After Emperor Dong Hua and Yaochi, Daoist Daoist Kunpeng began to expound on the Dao of the Profound Immortal.

"The Profound of the Dao, more profound still, has no before or after, no above or below."

"The Profound Immortal comprehends the profundity of the Dao, opens the Gate of All Wonders, generates being from nonbeing, self-realizes the myriad Dharmas, and awakens the Supreme Divine Powers — the origin of all Dharmas, the beginning of all arts."

"The Profound Immortal Lord generates being from nonbeing, and confirms nonbeing from being; they coexist with Dharmas and endure with arts."

"If a Profound Immortal attains great perfection, all myriad Dharmas become My Dharmas, all myriad Daos become My Dao; they can condense a Great Dao Net, enveloping Chaos and spacetime, embracing all myriad Daos, and achieving transcendence amid the beginning and end, amidst all wondrous existences."

"They can also pierce through the entire river of spacetime, from beginning to end — having beginning and end, yet without beginning or end; within the wondrous existence and wondrous nonexistence, the Profound Immortal Dao endures!"

"Thus, the Three Flowers of the Profound Immortal are essence, qi, and spirit; they are Dao, Dharmas, and arts; they are origin, existence, and termination!"

Daoist Daoist Kunpeng spoke eloquently, revealing the Profound Immortal's method.

"At the moment the Profound Immortal opens the Gate of All Wonders, they draw near to the Dao, penetrate the principle of being and nonbeing, and naturally possess great divine power and great divine abilities."

"With this great divine power and great divine ability, the Profound Immortal can ascend to encompass all being, and descend to confirm nonbeing."

"They can confirm the past, the present, and the future."

"They can also abandon the past, the present, and the future."

"The Three-Era Dao Fruit coexists, yet does not coexist."

"Profound beyond profundity — this is called Supreme Profound."

"This Supreme Profound path of being and nonbeing is the Profound Immortal Dao."

After the immortals swallowed this big pie, Daoist Daoist Kunpeng used the opportunity to elaborate on their own Profound Immortal Dao.

They said: "The True Immortal who refines falsehood into truth is the master of all Daos, possessing the ability to define all things — this is called concept-based cultivation."

"My Supreme Profound path of being and nonbeing is the Dao Lord of all Dharmas, possessing the great divine power to pierce through the Three Eras of spacetime and confirm being and nonbeing — this is called power-based cultivation."

"It is widely known that Great Great Pangu the Great God is the Supreme One who achieved cultivation through power, slaying all three thousand."

"My Profound Immortal method imitates Great Great Pangu the Great God."

You too seek to cultivate Great Great Pangu?

Jieyin could no longer hold back and glanced at Daoist Daoist Kunpeng.

Can great divine power even be considered the Dao of Power?

After finishing, Daoist Daoist Kunpeng noticed Jieyin's gaze and smiled faintly.

How isn't great divine power power?

Didn't Great Great Pangu cleave through the Demon Gods with great divine power?

Who dares question it? Go ask Great Great Pangu the True Man at the dawn of creation!

Jieyin, understanding Daoist Daoist Kunpeng's meaning, fell silent.

Then, Daoist Daoist Kunpeng stepped down.

All the immortals' gazes turned to Jieyin.

Everyone has spoken; now the pressure falls on Jieyin.

Heaven, Earth, Humanity, Gods, Ghosts — True Immortals and Profound Immortals have all cultivated Great Great Pangu. Will you or won't you?

Jieyin smiled slightly: "I am the Ancestor of Jin Immortals, Qianti Daoist!"

Once the disguise is worn, no one matters!

Besides, humiliation isn't mine to bear.

"Jin Immortals are imperishable!"

"Thus, the Jin Immortal Dao is the Dao of imperishability."

"Cultivate my Jin Immortal method: contemplate a single point of golden nature within the spirit platform, and condense a thread of immortal light within the heart-mind."

"Over countless years and eons, through trials of myriads of calamities, the Jin Immortal's fundamental nature remains unharmed — thus, that single point of golden nature ascends, imperishable and indestructible; that thread of immortal light transcends, neither increasing nor decreasing."

"The two merge, harmonize, and mutually enhance, transforming into the Primordial Indestructible Divine Light."

"At this moment, the Jin Immortal imprints their Dao upon the void, cultivates the imperishable law, comprehends the order of all Daos, and gathers all fruits within boundless spacetimes, achieving the First Cause of the myriad heavens and worlds, thereby condensing the embryonic form of the imperishable, indestructible Dao Fruit."

"This is the Taiyi Jin Immortal."

"If perfected, it becomes the Great Luo Jin Immortal."

"The Great Luo Jin Immortal: the Three Flowers gather at the crown, the Five Qi converge at the source; boundless karma does not touch them; they endure through countless calamities without perishing, tower above all, transcend all, attain great freedom, great ease!"

Jieyin gazed toward Hongjun and Yang Mei on the high platform.

He smiled: "Our founders of the Immortal Dao are all Great Luo Jin Immortals."

The immortals in the Nine Heavens looked up at the platform.

Hongjun and Yang Mei nodded silently.

At this point, even if it isn't true, it must be.

Jieyin continued: "Above the Great Luo Jin Immortal lies the Achieving Achieving Hunyuan Jin Immortal."

"The ultimate cultivation method of the Jin Immortal is to use karma as a guide, reverse effect into cause, and re-attain Great Great Pangu's First Cause!"

"Great Great Pangu is the origin of this eon, the source of all Dao orders, the imperishable of imperishables, the cause of all fruits."

"If my Jin Immortal Dao seeks to cultivate Great Great Pangu, it must cultivate this First Cause of Great Great Pangu!"

As everyone listened with rapt attention, Jieyin suddenly changed course.

"My exposition on the Jin Immortal method ends here."

"Next, let us hear the Ancestor Daoist analyze the Achieving Achieving Hunyuan Great Method."

Huh?

Why are you kicking the ball to me?

Hongjun glared.

I just covered for you, and now you kick me? Really?

That's not fair!

—

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(End of Chapter)