The auspicious clouds rushed out, billowing endlessly. Everywhere the auspicious clouds went, the noble spirit scattered. As if a sovereign were arriving, even the noble spirit from the Supreme Ascendant Scripture moved aside.
The Grand Mohist’s eyes narrowed slightly, and horror flashed in her eyes.
She saw the surging auspicious clouds fly to the sky above the scroll on which Bing Ji wrote.
Boom!
The auspicious clouds suddenly changed shape, turning into an enormous purple pillar of light connecting the sky to the ground. Black and white energies revolved around the purple pillar, like Yin and Yang alternating.
“This is…” The pupils of Emperor Kong, the Azure Emperor, and the others constricted.
The Supreme Genesis’s expression changed as well. “This is just a small section? The laws of the Great Dao, an outline of laws?”
“He managed to manifest an outline of laws with just a small section?” The Future Buddha appeared shocked.
Gongyang Sheng and Sima Changkong stared at the Great Dao before them in shock. Is this real? This is just a small segment! A small segment!
The laws of this do not seem any weaker than those of the Supreme Ascendant Scripture!
Gu Hai composed this?
That’s right. This is a first edition. Only a first edition would manifest bit by bit from the start.
As Gu Hai dictated, Bing Ji continued to write.
“All in the world know the beauty of the beautiful, and in doing this, they understand what ugliness is; they know the kindness of the kind…”
Gu Hai continued dictating. At the same time, he closed his eyes, comprehending what Li Er imparted to him earlier.
Bing Ji was astounded. While she had written with black ink, the words strangely appeared purple-gold.
“The words turned holy, a holy Dao scripture!” Purple Subtlety said, wide-eyed.
Only four segments are written—only four! Yet, it already reached the level of a holy Dao scripture?
The Azure Emperor and Emperor Kong narrowed their eyes.
They saw huge tentacles formed of the laws of the Classic of the Dao and Virtue suddenly extend from the towering pillar of light. Although there were not as many tentacles as the Supreme Ascendant Scripture had, their thickness already surpassed that of the Blood River Scripture. Now, they moved towards the Supreme Ascendant Scripture’s law tentacles to clash.
Boom!
Two laws, apparently of similar origins, clashed. A loud sound rang out, and gusts kicked up in the sky above Heavenly Yin City.
Nearby, the Qian Heavenly Emperor narrowed his eyes.
Lifespan Beiming waved his hand without the Qian Heavenly Emperor needing to do anything.
Buzz!
Surging black energy appeared out of nowhere and sucked in the intense winds.
“This is a lifespan ritual array?” The Azure Emperor narrowed his eyes.
“The entire Heavenly Yin City is encased in a lifespan ritual array? What is the Qian Heavenly Emperor planning?” Emperor Kong narrowed his eyes slightly.
This was the first time the Classic of the Dao and Virtue and the Supreme Ascendant Scripture clashed.
This clash resulted in both tentacles getting knocked back, apparently even.
“A draw? What a pity!”
“Mister Gu’s Great Dao is so incredible. How could it be a draw?”
“I knew it! I knew that Mister Gu would be able to write something incredible!”
The spectators found this unfortunate. However, they felt incredibly excited at the same time. Earlier, the Qian Nation’s team suffered defeat after defeat at the hands of the Myriad Age Daoist Sect. There had never been a time when they drew. Sima Changkong even ended up with a crippled holy Dao scripture.
A draw?
While the ordinary spectators saw this as a draw, the pupils of the Supreme Genesis, the Grand Mohist, the Azure Emperor, and Emperor Kong constricted.
That is the Supreme Ascendant Scripture! You only brought out four segments—just four segments—and you already pulled a draw? The Supreme Ascendant Scripture is a complete holy Dao scripture, but yours is only a small portion!
The Grand Mohist’s face sank. “That’s impossible! The Classic of the Dao and Virtue and the Supreme Ascendant Scripture have similar origins. How could it be more powerful than the Supreme Ascendant Scripture?”
A draw? No. A draw already happened with four segments. What would happen when it is complete?
“The world is not benevolent, mowing down all things like dogs. Heaven and earth are like bellows, hollow but inexhaustible. The more they move, the more they blow. Speaking too much is pointless; why not just observe?”
When Bing Ji wrote down the fifth segment, everyone felt stunned.
Even the Qian Heavenly Emperor narrowed his eyes. “Gu Hai knows?”
“Know what?” Some officials at the side appeared confused.
“Your Holy Eminence, Gu Hai is indeed the reincarnation of some ancient powerhouse. He understands it! Rather, he might have had a deep connection with the Supreme Ascendant Dao in his past life. How funny! How humorous! To think that he dares to write it out!” Lifespan Beiming said with a cold smile.
Indeed, after Bing Ji wrote the fifth segment, the number of tentacles on the light pillar suddenly increased.
Auspicious clouds rushed out in all directions, spreading to the entire thirty-three layers of heaven. A strong might even pressed on the sages in the sky.
Boom!
The noble spirit sea in the sky churned, tossing the sages off their feet.
“You bastard! Gu Hai, how dare you?!”
“Gu Hai, how dare you disrespect Heaven? You are seeking death!”
“You bastard!”
The sages shouted at Gu Hai.
The spectators appeared strangely excited.
As Bing Ji wrote down the Classic of the Dao and Virtue, the strong aura no longer appeared weaker than the Supreme Ascendant Scripture’s. It even surpassed the Supreme Ascendant Scripture’s.
“The Supreme Ascendant Scripture appears; the Supreme Ascendant is infinite!” The Grand Mohist extended her hand and waved with a sullen expression.
Boom!
The laws of the Supreme Ascendant Scripture flared with dazzling light once more. The Grand Mohist appeared anxious. At the same time, a blurry giant manifested slowly from the Supreme Ascendant Scripture, standing in the center of the pillar of light.
The Supreme Genesis narrowed his eyes slightly.
“Father, what’s going on with the Supreme Ascendant Scripture? Why did it strengthen?” Yehua asked with a frown.
With narrowed eyes, the Supreme Genesis replied, “She is summoning the ancient Supreme Ascendant’s will, manifesting the legendary Supreme Ascendant.”
“The legendary Supreme Ascendant?” Yehua echoed in confusion.
“This is a legendary being manifested by the laws of the world using the Supreme Ascendant’s will. It is different from a real person. The laws of the Supreme Ascendant are omnipresent and lack nothing,” Supreme Genesis explained.
“The legendary Supreme Genesis? So…Father, can you use the Supreme Genesis Scripture to manifest a legendary Supreme Genesis?” Yehua asked curiously.
The Supreme Genesis nodded but did not elaborate.
The Grand Mohist continuously drove the Supreme Ascendant Scripture, and that figure became more distinct. The Supreme Ascendant Scripture’s might soared, immediately surpassing the Classic of the Dao and Virtue’s.
However, the Classic of the Dao and Virtue was not finished yet. This was only the fifth segment; there were eighty-one in all.
The spectators felt anxious upon seeing the Classic of the Dao and Virtue suppressed. However, Gu Hai did not rush in his recital. Bing Ji wrote with excitement.
Sixth segment…seventh segment…eighth segment…
Soon, Gu Hai reached the seventeenth segment.
“The Supreme Ascendant is one whose existence the people are barely aware of. Those under love and praise the Supreme Ascendant. Then, those under these fear. Further down come despisal and defiance. Those above lack faith and those below are unfaithful. The Supreme Ascendant rarely speaks, and when things are accomplished, the people say, ‘I did it by myself.’”
Buzz!
When the seventeenth segment was written, a huge, vague giant slowly manifested in the light pillar of the Classic of the Dao and Virtue.
“The Supreme Ascendant? Gu Hai is writing about the Supreme Ascendant? Is he correcting the Supreme Ascendant Scripture? Is this a holy Dao scripture that specially targets the Supreme Ascendant Scripture?” Emperor Kong said in shock, narrowing his eyes slightly.
The Azure Emperor’s pupils constricted. “A Supreme Ascendant is manifesting in the Classic of the Dao and Virtue’s pillar of light as well? Is Gu Hai using the Classic of the Dao and Virtue to prove that the Supreme Ascendant Scripture is just a false scripture?”
The knowledgeable among the countless spectators felt stunned.
This was the true battle. Using the Supreme Ascendant Scripture to prove the Supreme Ascendant Scripture was false? Gu Hai was doing the impossible. That was the Supreme Ascendant Scripture, which had been passed down and improved upon since ancient times.
The Qian Heavenly Emperor narrowed his eyes and focused.
However, Gu Hai stared at the giant that the Classic of the Dao and Virtue manifested. The Supreme Ascendant Scripture has been passed down since ancient times, but so has the Classic of the Dao and Virtue. If my earlier dream was real, then the Classic of the Dao and Virtue must have been perfected for even longer than the Supreme Ascendant Scripture on Earth. The Spring and Autumn Period? Perhaps the history of Earth is not reliable.
[TL Note: The Spring and Autumn Period is a period in Chinese history, about 771 to 476 BC. Here is its Wikipedia entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_and_Autumn_period.]
Gu Hai coldly watched the legendary Supreme Ascendant on the other side become increasingly clearer.
The Grand Mohist scowled at Gu Hai’s Classic of the Dao and Virtue ferociously.
“Humph! The Supreme Ascendant is infinite, the Supreme Ascendant is emotionless, the Supreme Ascendant is boundless, and the Supreme Ascendant is vast!” the Grand Mohist said with a glare.
Boom!
The legendary Supreme Ascendant became clear. It appeared to be three kilometers tall and exuded an overwhelming might in all directions.
“Salutations, Lord Supreme Ascendant!” the sages in the sky saluted respectfully.
The Grand Mohist pushed the Supreme Ascendant Scripture to the limit. The legendary Supreme Ascendant’s aura grew increasingly stronger.
Gu Hai continued dictating the Classic of the Dao and Virtue.
“The Dao birthed one, one birthed two, two birthed three, three birthed all things. All things bear Yin and embrace Yang, reaching a harmony of opposing forces. Men dislike being isolated, lacking, and worthless. Yet, the royals address themselves as such. People may lose from gains and gain from losses. What others teach, I teach as well: the violent man shall die a violent death…”
[TL Note: The words used for isolated, lacking, and worthless are words that members of Chinese royal or imperial families used to address themselves, like the royal we in English. I have been translating these words into the royal we in this novel.]
The more Bing Ji wrote, the more auspicious clouds appeared.
The auspicious clouds covered the place, pushing out the surrounding noble spirit.
On the other side, the Supreme Ascendant Scripture had manifested the legendary Supreme Ascendant.
The Classic of the Dao and Virtue also manifested someone. However, everyone soon discovered that it was not the legendary Supreme Ascendant but an old man. An old man with white hair and white eyebrows.
“It’s not the legendary Supreme Ascendant? Who is this?”
“Did the Classic of the Dao and Virtue manifest a legendary person?”
“Who is he?”
Countless people appeared confused, at a loss as to who the legendary person that the Classic of the Dao and Virtue manifested was. Only Gu Hai showed a slightly shocked expression.
“Brother-in-Law, who is this?” Long Wanyu asked out of curiosity.
“Laozi?” Gu Hai looked at the giant, legendary old man before him.
“Brother-in-Law, why are you using such crude language?” Long Wanyu rolled her eyes.
This great me? Those with sharp ears glared at Gu Hai. That’s right. Why the need for such vulgar language? If it is you, just say it is you. Why say this great me?
Is this you when you looked old in the past? You made yourself a legend?
The spectators did not understand what Gu Hai meant by Laozi; only Gu Hai did. The old man before him was the one he saw in his dream. That’s right. It’s him: Li Er, Laozi.
“Your Majesty, should I continue writing?” Bing Ji asked worriedly.
“Continue, continue.” Gu Hai sped up, speaking faster.
“…heaven’s Dao takes from those with excess and gives to those in need…”
