Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao-Chapter 408 - 185: The Old Days

Both individuals returned from beyond the heavens; above the Thirty-Three Skies, All Saints had descended. In the West sat Jieyin, Bodhi, and Tathagata upon their lotus thrones, surrounded by the grand sounds of Zen chanting, with golden Shariputras atop their heads casting brilliant light.

To the East were the three purities of the Taoist Sect: Yuqing, Taiqing, and Shangqing, standing upon the void, representing the beginning, development, and termination of the world. Beside them were Nuwa and Hou Tu, two divinities, one with the phantom of the Six Paths Reincarnation Disk behind her head and the other with the Nuwa Palace, formed from accumulated virtue.

There stood also the Demon Lord and Lu Ya, one with sky-reaching Demonic Qi and the other with blazing flames. These were all beings in the Three Realms possessing the qualifications for Transcendence, the major figures who ruled over everything; many of the past struggles were instigated by them.

At this moment, their Fruits of Tao materialized behind them, their vast and powerful auras sweeping across the Thirty-Three Skies. The intense pressure was almost tangible. If anyone were to intrude at this moment, they would find the space here had seemingly turned to mud, making movement incredibly difficult.

The few exchanged courteous greetings, after all, they were individuals who had interacted for many years. Now faced with a common formidable enemy, their relationship was a mix of cooperation and competition, thus there was no need for pretense.

"I’d appreciate it if fellow Daoists would share the information they’ve obtained with the rest of us," spoke the Grand Supreme Elderly Lord gently, and immediately all eyes gathered onto the Demon Lord, who seemed preoccupied with his own thoughts.

At that moment, the Demon Lord suddenly felt a powerful pressure descend upon him—this was the gaze of the most powerful beings in the Three Realms. Even without a hint of ill-intent, the pressure was enough to weigh heavily on him.

"These Giant Beasts from Chaos claim to be from the days of old. Since this universe was born, they have existed; Pangu was once one of their kind."

"The olden days represent the forces within the universe, embodiments of the primal source, and thus they were born with great power, which can be broadly categorized into two groups. One represents the positive aspects of the cosmos, incarnations of order; the other represents the negative facets, with chaos as their essence."

"These two factions of the olden days are hostile toward each other, mutually exclusive. In this boundless universe, an encounter signifies a terrifying war. Every olden day being possesses a colossal form and frightening power, so the fall of one often heralds the birth of a new world."

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"In these worlds were born endless life forms, and over a long passage of time, through the sacrifices of countless beings, splendid civilizations arose in each world. Moreover, there emerged individuals who constantly broke their own limits, striving for higher realms."

"Among them, one who touched the threshold of Transcendence, a force far surpassing the olden days, sending shivers through them. They sensed the breath of death from him, a higher-level power born from fear, and they killed this forerunner."

"However, knowing of a greater power, some of the olden days were not content with their current state. They began to tirelessly seek the path to Transcendence, but since they were essentially incarnations of the universe, Transcendence was an incredibly arduous task for them. This led to an even more brutal devouring, as they believed by continuously seizing others’ powers, they could become the true One, thereby gaining the power of Transcendence."

"That was when Pangu, tired of endless wars and solitude, left the center of the universe, wandering until he finally settled in our midst. He created a world here, pouring all his power and being into it, in the hopes that the beings of this world might, on his behalf, witness the vistas from greater heights. That is the origin of our world."

All Saints held their breath and focused intently as they learned from the Demon Lord’s words of a grander and more splendid world within Chaos, realizing that beyond their own, there existed many more worlds.

"That’s right, the universe should not be so empty; the Great Dao should not be so limited," said the Elder Lord with a relieved smile, seemingly very pleased with this outcome.

His eyes shimmered with excitement. Such a splendid world deserved to be fully explored. He suddenly understood why his teacher had become fond of wandering through Chaos in later years.

"Because our world is located in a remote area, far from those olden days, it has smoothly traversed its early eons until the Eastern Emperor Taiyi and the Ancestral Master began to touch upon Transcendence. Their auras attracted the olden days from distant places, leading some to locate this world."

"However, Pangu’s strength exceeded theirs; the membrane of the world he left behind was too tough for the olden days to penetrate."

"The Ancestral Master’s Transcendence changed everything. He was not only the first true Transcendent of this world but also the first in this universe. His Transcendence drew countless olden days to him as they began to furiously attack the world’s membrane. Although the membrane, full of cracks, teetered on the brink, Hong Jun seized the fleeting opportunity to leap out of the river of time and fate and Transcended."

"In the interval of his departure, Hong Jun demonstrated to all olden days in the universe the might of a Transcendent, causing numerous olden days to perish. Their essence scattered across the universe, bringing activity back to a region that had long been solitary."

"Many of the olden days thus abandoned this world. Having witnessed the power of Transcendents, they began to wholeheartedly search for their own paths to Transcendence. Yet a few olden days remained unyielding, yearning to devour the essence of this world, convinced that swallowing Pangu’s remnants would bring them closer to Transcendence."

Jieyin breathed a sigh of relief, "This is good; it means our enemies are likely just those few lingering outside our world. The other olden days are either dead or have forged new paths, no longer fixating on this place."

This also meant that their own hopes for Transcendence had greatly increased. They were now familiar with the might of the olden days, a formidable challenge for them as they were. If they were careless and missed the chance for Transcendence, it would be too late for regrets.

"Please enlighten us on their identities and capabilities so that we may be prepared!" Bodhi softly chanted a Buddha’s name before speaking.

The Demon Lord continued to relay the information he had gathered from Hou Yi’s memories: "Currently, there are four olden days fixated on this world, all from the lineage of chaos, filled with destructive desires."