The Emperor Zhou, upon hearing the poem recited by Yun Zhongzi from the palace attendants, was furious and intended to have him captured. Unfortunately, Yun Zhongzi had already departed from Chaoge City.
Outside the city, Yun Zhongzi bowed his hands and asked, "Brother Kong Xuan, you are guarding this city by the command of the Sages of all beings?"
On the Altar of the State, Kong Xuan shook his head and replied, "Not by my master's command, but for my own personal reasons."
"Personal reasons?" Yun Zhongzi was quite surprised. "Brother dares to oppose the will of heaven and earth alone? The fall of the Shang Dynasty is the great trend of heaven and earth!"
Kong Xuan chuckled upon hearing this, "The great trend of heaven and earth? Before me, Kong Xuan, even the great trend of the Sages cannot change my original intention! Since Brother is not in a hurry to return to the mountain, then let me show you my manifestation of the unity of the Dao."
Yun Zhongzi was suddenly startled, "Unity of the Dao?"
As the words fell, on the Altar of the State, a giant phoenix spread its wings and soared into the firmament. Its wings covered the nine heavens, its tail stretched for three thousand leagues, stirring the winds of the nine provinces and gathering the clouds from the four seas. Wind and clouds met, and fortune intertwined.
The golden phoenix let out a long cry that shook all realms. In the realm of the Heavenly Phoenix, the Vermilion Bird's eyes held only pride. Whatever her child did, she supported, even the most fanciful ideas, which might not be fanciful for a phoenix.
Above Chaoge, millions of humans looked up, stunned, as the colossal and majestic phoenix passed overhead. The whistling of the wind filled their ears, and the cry of the phoenix resounded in their minds.
Kong Xuan sat down cross-legged. His form grew infinitely tall, surpassing Chaoge, as if the city of Chaoge rested in his embrace. Above his head, a golden phoenix flew and circled him.
Kong Xuan clasped his hands, and golden light gathered in his palms, transforming into a tripod. It was named the Social and State Tripod, also known as the Central Royal Tripod of the Nine Provinces Divine Tripods. In ancient times, Yu the Great forged the Nine Provinces Tripods to stabilize the world and suppress the boundless fortune of the human race. The Nine Provinces Divine Tripods were treasures of human fortune. The divine tripods stabilized the mountains and rivers, and the mountains and rivers could not be moved. The weight of this tripod was heavier than the Great Thousand Worlds, and even supreme beings could not lift it.
Kong Xuan could move it because the initial fortune of the Shang Dynasty originated from the ancient phoenix clan, which used the phoenix as its totem. As the young master of the ancient phoenix clan and the current lord of the phoenix clan, he naturally could lift it.
Kong Xuan's gray-robed phantom, as vast as ten thousand mountains, pointed a finger. The golden phoenix from the nine heavens descended with a long cry. He held the tripod in his left hand and opened his right, welcoming the golden phoenix of fortune into the royal tripod before sealing it.
In an instant, the mountains and rivers of the eight directions shook, the four seas of the nine provinces churned. The eight divine tripods from the eight directions suddenly emitted majestic light. Mountains and rivers were connected, and earth veins shifted. Towering mountains remained unmoved, and vast rivers surged, with the fortune of the eight directions pouring into Kong Xuan.
Kong Xuan let out a light cry, "Unite!"
His gray-robed figure became incredibly ethereal, as if disappearing, yet within the transparency, his form was both illusory and real, indistinguishable. Above Kong Xuan's head, the fortune of the human way gathered, the fortune of the phoenix clan vanished, and even his own supreme being's fortune disappeared. In its place was the vast fortune of the Shang Dynasty, "The mystic bird of destiny descended and gave birth to Shang!"
Outside Chaoge City, Yun Zhongzi's expression was shocked. "Kong Xuan has gone mad! He has staked his own fortune and the phoenix clan's fortune entirely on the Shang Dynasty. If Chaoge City falls, he will be destroyed!"
Kong Xuan's expression turned slightly cold. This was the influence of the will of the human way. His emotions had vanished, and reason now governed his Dao body. "Brother, from now on, do not enter Chaoge again. Not just you, but anyone who attacks Shang and extinguishes Tang. Otherwise, upon entering Chaoge, you will forever be a mortal."
Yun Zhongzi's heart trembled. Looking at Kong Xuan again, he felt an immense vastness, unable to discern anything. He sighed, "Brother's words, I will certainly inform my master. Thank you, Brother." With that, Yun Zhongzi disappeared from outside Chaoge.
Kong Xuan looked silently at the place where Yun Zhongzi had vanished. If anyone else had come, they would have been kept in Chaoge City. However, the one who came was Yun Zhongzi, the True Immortal of Blessing and Virtue. The only ones who could trap this great being in the world were Sages. This was what his master had told him personally. Although Kong Xuan appeared rash, every step he took followed his master's teachings. Missing this opportunity, there would be no era in the long future for him to achieve the Dao. He believed his master would only support his decision if he knew.
In the center of the Primordial World, at the heart of heaven and earth, the heart of the four continents, the World Tree stood eternally. At the top of the tree, Qing Ling stood alone with his hands behind his back. This was the highest point of heaven and earth, the only place in the Primordial World where he could stand.
Standing here, all the myriad worlds were beneath him, and countless beings were at his feet. This was also the closest place to the Heavenly Dao. Qing Ling asked, "You are no longer in the Primordial World. If you were, what would you do?"
No one could answer him. Those who could answer him were long gone from this world. Qing Ling glanced at the Primordial World, countless beings, the myriad forms of the world, and the myriad manifestations of people all entered his sight. "Such a beautiful world, how can it be shattered?"
Qing Ling slowly sat down cross-legged. The Dao of the primordial spirit manifested, transforming into a beautiful, blood-red Lycoris flower, swaying gracefully at the apex of heaven and earth. As one Lycoris flower bloomed, it scattered countless spiritual seeds. One by one, the flower seeds were cast down below the World Tree, rooting and sprouting on the boundary walls of various worlds. Thousands upon thousands of swaying Lycoris flowers bloomed outside the myriad worlds, enveloping and surrounding the Great Thousand Worlds.
In the Primordial World, on Mount Shouyang, Laozi frowned. He looked at Kong Xuan in Chaoge City and Qing Ling above the myriad worlds. They truly lived up to being master and disciple.
In Yuxu Palace, even though Yuanshi Tianzun, with his excellent composure, could not help but roar in anger, "Fellow Daoist Qing Ling, do you truly intend to fight me?" No one replied, for Qing Ling had already entered a dream. "Three thousand worlds in a great dream, a trace of Lycoris blood."
In the West, Jieyin suddenly stood up in shock, "A great dream of reception, three thousand floating worlds. Fellow Daoist's height is beyond my reach."
Zhunti was puzzled, "Senior Brother, what height are you referring to?"
Jieyin sighed, "It cannot be said."
Zhunti's confusion deepened, "Even I cannot speak of it?"
Jieyin shook his head, "Junior Brother, I only caught a glimpse in countless Ganges Dream Worlds for a moment. I have no definitive conclusion, so I cannot say."
In the East Sea, Tongtian's eyebrows twitched, but he restrained the urge to draw his Qingping Sword.
In the demon realm, Nuwa, though surprised, smiled. She liked such a bloody hue. The sunset glow of Wa Huang Heaven was as red as blood, perfectly matching the color of the flowers.
The six Sages had different expressions, yet none of them made a move, for they could not. Stirring one would affect the whole. Also, the Investiture of the Gods had begun.
The rulers of the myriad heavens looked at the other shore flowers that tightly surrounded their respective Dao realms with grim faces. However, few dared to act. Those who created worlds were all Great Golden Immortals or even higher beings. They would know that this was the divine ability of the Sages of all beings. The other shore flowers enveloped the entire Primordial World, the myriad heavens, and ten thousand worlds, for a thousand days and a thousand nights.
On the thousand and first night, the rulers of the worlds discovered that all the Lycoris flowers had disappeared. Most of them were relieved. The Sage of all beings had always been the most friendly and gentle among the Sages. It was thought that the Sage would have no intentions towards them. It was also on this night that in Chentang Pass, the young boy Nezha drew the string of the Heaven Shaking Bow and shot an arrow of heaven and earth.