Undying Life

Chapter 1034: Chapter 1034: The Location of Earth

"Pangu? He might be the most powerful being I've ever encountered. Although he has perished, his grandeur will never be forgotten. Back when the Seven Sages defied the heavens, we were all, to some extent, influenced by him," Jieyin reminisced.

"Pangu was very powerful?" Zhong Shan asked.

"Powerful? By today's standards, perhaps not as overwhelmingly so, but in that era, he was a figure that all of us looked up to," Jieyin said with solemnity.

"Please, tell me more," Zhong Shan requested.

"You may already know this: I, Zhunti, Hongjun, Nuwa, Taishang, Tongtian, Yuan Shi, and the early-deceased Fuxi—all of us came from a small world! The primordial chaos surrounding that small world had an incredibly thick barrier. For countless years, no one could break through it. Then Pangu emerged, becoming the first among us. He was the one who shattered the barrier of primordial chaos," Jieyin explained.

"Pangu created the heavens and the earth—was it just a small world he created?" Zhong Shan asked, slightly frowning.

"Indeed. It was similar to your act of opening the heavens, but with one crucial difference," Jieyin remarked thoughtfully.

"Oh?"

"Pangu didn't establish a dynasty; he created the world with his own power alone. You, on the other hand, leveraged the power of the world. Pangu did it all by himself," Jieyin sighed.

Zhong Shan's expression flickered with contemplation.

"Can someone from a small world become that powerful? Can a mortal attain strength beyond that of ancient immortals?" Zhong Shan asked, surprised.

"Isn't Ying an example of that?" Jieyin replied with a smile.

Zhong Shan fell silent. Indeed, Pangu's strength was astounding—he created a world without relying on the momentum of the universe, purely through his own power.

"Back then, not many witnessed the event, but those who did were among the top beings of that small world. The Seven Sages, Fuxi, Kong Xuan, and others all observed Pangu's creation ceremony," Jieyin recalled.

"And then what happened?"

"Unfortunately, the damage Pangu sustained from creating the world was too severe. In the end, after creating the heavens and the earth, he perished. It's a great pity; had he lived, Pangu's power would have undoubtedly caused great upheaval in the Great Thousand World," Jieyin said with regret.

"After Pangu created the heavens and the earth, where did that small world end up?" Zhong Shan asked.

"These Four Great Continents are part of it," Jieyin replied.

"Oh?" Zhong Shan was slightly taken aback.

The Four Great Continents are only a part? Considering that the small world he created only occupies one-fifth of Fengzhong's territory, and the Four Great Continents are not smaller than Fengzhong's territory, how large was the small world that Pangu created?

"Only a part? Why just a part?" Zhong Shan asked curiously.

"The other part, even I don't know where it is now," Jieyin said.

"What do you mean?"

"This requires an explanation starting from when we defied the heavenly mandate. Do you know why we defied the heavens?" Jieyin said with a bitter smile.

"Why?" Zhong Shan asked, intrigued.

"You see, the Great Thousand World is composed of three thousand Daos. These three thousand Daos form all things in existence."

"Yes," Zhong Shan acknowledged, listening intently.

"However, there is more to the story," Jieyin continued, "The three thousand Daos are not just the foundation of the Great Thousand World—they are also interconnected with the fundamental laws that govern every world. When we, the Seven Sages, sought to defy the heavens, we aimed to break free from the constraints of these Daos. Pangu, with his unparalleled strength, had already begun this process by breaking the chaos barrier and creating a new world. But his actions also fragmented the original small world, scattering parts of it across the cosmos."

Zhong Shan's thoughts raced as he tried to grasp the implications of Jieyin's words. The idea that a portion of Pangu's world was still missing, and perhaps lost within the Great Thousand World or beyond, suggested a mystery with profound significance.

"So, this missing part of the world... could it still exist somewhere?" Zhong Shan asked.

"It could, but finding it would be like searching for a needle in a cosmic haystack. However, the potential power and secrets it holds could be beyond imagination," Jieyin replied, his tone hinting at the enormity of the unknown.

Zhong Shan pondered this new information, realizing that the Great Thousand World and the history of its creation were far more complex and intertwined with cosmic forces than he had ever imagined.

"But the three thousand Daos have no consciousness; they are merely phenomena. Otherwise, how could Ancestral Immortals manipulate the Daos? How could they manipulate the fundamental forces of the world?" Zhong Shan nodded, prompting Jieyin to continue.

"And the concept of 'heavenly mandate' (天数), it's said to be a product of the Daos, but it's a unique entity with intelligence," Jieyin explained.

"How so?" Zhong Shan asked.

"Heaven and Earth are not benevolent; they treat all things as straw dogs. This 'Heaven and Earth are not benevolent' refers to the heavenly mandate. The heavenly mandate is an intelligent force, acting like a grand mechanism that governs the development and order of the world," Jieyin said.

"Fate?" Zhong Shan speculated.

"Precisely. You could say it controls the destiny of all things in the world. This is the heavenly mandate. Once the heavenly mandate is set, no one can defy it. In other words, the general direction of the future is already fixed. Anyone who dares to go against it will face annihilation," Jieyin explained.

Zhong Shan's heart raced at the thought.

"Do you know what being a Sage really means?" Jieyin asked.

"Uh?"

"A Sage is a kind of cosmic office, also known as a 'habitual position' (习气位), the most supreme position in the universe. This Sage position is jointly endorsed by both the Daos and the heavenly mandate. The Daos have no consciousness—they are merely phenomena—but the heavenly mandate is intelligent. While Sages are seen as the most powerful beings in the eyes of the world, only they know that above them, there is still the heavenly mandate," Jieyin sighed.

"The heavenly mandate restricts Sages?" Zhong Shan asked, frowning.

"Restricts? It does much more than that!" Jieyin said with a bitter smile.

"How so?" Zhong Shan asked, puzzled.

"Not being a Sage has its advantages. Take you, for example—you still have the unknown ahead of you. Some say the unknown is frightening, but to a Sage, the unknown is the most desired thing."

"A Sage has no unknowns because the future has already been arranged by the heavenly mandate. Whatever the heavenly mandate wants a Sage to do, the Sage must do. For example, if the heavenly mandate decrees that someone must die, but the Sage wishes to save them, the heavenly mandate will prevail. The Sage will have no choice but to watch that person die, powerless to change it. That is the power of the heavenly mandate."

"While Sages enjoy the respect of the world, who knows that they are merely following the heavenly mandate? The heavenly mandate is fixed, and while a Sage may see the future, they cannot change it. This might not seem like a big deal at first, but after tens of thousands of years, what then? A grand Sage, reduced to a puppet, carrying out preordained instructions. Emotionless and detached—that's the reality of being a Sage," Jieyin lamented.

"Sages are emotionless, but it's because they have no choice!" Zhong Shan said, feeling a pang of sympathy.

"Exactly. It's a case of being forced into it. But that's the reality: in the face of the heavenly mandate, even Sages gradually lose their emotions and become like slaves. Who would want to be such a Sage? Of course, everyone has their own path—take Sage Mitian, for example, who seems quite content with his position. But the seven of us couldn't stand it, which is why we chose to defy the heavenly mandate!" Jieyin explained earnestly.

"The heavenly mandate? Does that mean everyone's future is predestined?" Zhong Shan asked, his brow furrowed.

"It's not that extreme. If that were the case, what use would Sages be? The heavenly mandate only concerns itself with the grand development of the world. For instance, in a war between two nations, Nation A is strong, and Nation B is weak. But under the heavenly mandate, Nation B is destined to win. The heavenly mandate doesn't concern itself with every individual detail, but the overall outcome is unchangeable. Heroes from Nation A may fall, while powerful heroes will rise in Nation B to turn the tide," Jieyin explained after some thought.

"So the heavenly mandate cares only about the result, not the process?" Zhong Shan asked seriously.

"Exactly. It only cares about the result. The process? With Sages to manage things, there shouldn't be any issues. As long as the main outcome is determined, the heavenly mandate doesn't bother with the minor details. And you haven't been targeted by the heavenly mandate because, frankly, you're still far from being on its radar," Jieyin said, shaking his head.

"Yes, in the face of the heavenly mandate, I am just an ant. Why would the heavenly mandate pay any attention to me?" Zhong Shan said with a bitter smile.

"And as for Nuwa's successful alteration of the heavenly mandate to save the fox clan, that was only possible because she didn't interfere with the main trajectory of the heavenly mandate. The main course of fate is untouchable. Back when Hongjun led us in defying the heavenly mandate, we tried to alter that main trajectory, which led to the fall of many Sages," Jieyin explained after some thought.

Zhong Shan remained silent for a moment, pondering before asking, "So what about that other part of the small world that Pangu created? What happened to it?"

"The other part is where Hongjun's residence, the Purple Heaven Palace (紫霄宫), is located," Jieyin replied after thinking for a moment.

"Purple Heaven Palace?" Zhong Shan asked.

"Yes, the area around the Purple Heaven Palace was vast. When the Seven Sages failed in defying the heavenly mandate, Hongjun sealed the surrounding area of the Purple Heaven Palace, compressing it. He then cast it deep into the starry sky," Jieyin explained.

"Compressed? What do you mean by that?" Zhong Shan asked, his tone serious.

"Hongjun Daozu mastered the art of time, among other techniques that I might not even be aware of. At that time, he effortlessly compressed the area around the Purple Heaven Palace into a spherical object, resembling a small star system," Jieyin explained.

"A small star system?" Zhong Shan's expression grew more curious.

"Yes, the center was a small sun, and around it orbited nine major planets. This was the result of compressing the Purple Heaven Palace and everything around it," Jieyin continued.

"A sun? Nine planets?" Zhong Shan's curiosity deepened, as this sounded increasingly familiar.

"Yes, and the third planet from the sun—that's where the Purple Heaven Palace is located. It's also the only planet where Hongjun left life intact," Jieyin said.

"The third planet? A life-bearing planet?" Zhong Shan felt as though he was getting closer to an answer.

The place Jieyin described sounded eerily similar to Earth. Could it be that the Purple Heaven Palace was actually Earth?

"How did the Purple Heaven Palace become a planet?" Zhong Shan asked, puzzled.

"This technique isn't too difficult to understand. You'll grasp it once you reach a certain level of understanding. After transforming the palace into a planet, Hongjun also shaped some of the Great Thousand World's mountain formations on it. You'll find Mount Tai, Mount Hua, the Yellow River, and other geographical features there. However, the people on that planet are all mortals—there isn't a single cultivator," Jieyin said, shaking his head.

"All mortals? If the planet was originally the Purple Heaven Palace, wouldn't the world be rich in spiritual energy? Even mortals could eventually cultivate," Zhong Shan remarked.

"The spiritual energy on that planet is indeed abundant—so abundant that it's too dense for mortals to absorb. It's so dense that it's almost solidified. How could a mortal absorb something so dense? It would take decades of relentless effort just to absorb a tiny bit, but that wouldn't be enough to make a significant impact. Their lifespan would run out before they could make any progress. Of course, if mortals can't absorb it, neither can the plants," Jieyin sighed.

"And when did this happen?" Zhong Shan asked.

"A long time ago—several hundred thousand years, perhaps. It was around the time when the Seven Sages fell, and the Hundred Schools of Thought emerged. During that period, the Four Great Continents referred to it as the 'Spring and Autumn' era," Jieyin recalled.

"The Spring and Autumn period?" Zhong Shan felt a mix of emotions.

If that's the case, then Earth is actually the compressed form of the Purple Heaven Palace, and the history before the Spring and Autumn period was the history of the Great Thousand World. After the Spring and Autumn period, Earth's history continued to evolve on its own.

But wait, there was also a Qin dynasty during Earth's history, wasn't there?

"Oh, and by the way, that world sealed by Hongjun has very peculiar time laws. The flow of time there is incredibly slow. While hundreds of thousands of years might have passed outside, only a few thousand years might have passed inside," Jieyin added.

"Where is that world now?" Zhong Shan asked curiously.

"No one knows. All we know is that Hongjun cast it into the starry sky, and it's never been found since. Rumor has it that Hongjun sealed a great deal of his power within it as well. Even Sages have been searching for it, but no one has ever found it," Jieyin replied, shaking his head.

Zhong Shan, however, had his own thoughts. He was convinced that Ying had found it before, as the Qin dynasty during the Warring States period must have been influenced by Ying through some dream connection to the heavenly mechanism.

The realization that Earth was once the Purple Heaven Palace and that the Purple Heaven Palace was now Earth left Zhong Shan feeling unexpectedly shaken.

To read the manga version, please click the YouTube link https://youtu.be/GnU613H6xm8