Originally, in Yujing Mountain, he discussed the Dao with the sect master of Yujing Mountain.

He was still only a cultivator in the spirit-arrival stage within the Taixu, when he uttered that grand statement:

“Cultivators of our generation, I am willing to be beneath others.”

It was precisely this single sentence that led the sect master of Yujing Mountain to allow him to descend the mountain.

From then on, he left the Dao Gate and sought truth in the world.

Only then was the Taixu Sect established in the year 1350 of the Dao calendar.

This great sect, transcendent and detached from the world, has long been perceived by people as mysterious and ethereal. Many didn’t even know of its existence… until the sudden appearance of the Taixu Huanjing.

From the age of three, Taixu began learning the Dao, always standing on mountain peaks, overlooking all beings. Although there were many heaven-favored talents in the world, few could compare to him.

Yet, he actually made a grand vow, wanting to stand at the very bottom of all beings, wanting to be beneath others.

No one knows exactly what he experienced or saw during that period of verifying his spirit arrival and traveling the world.

People only know that at that time, he was publicly recognized as the foremost in spirit arrival. He walked and sought the Dao all the way. But with creation, there must be dissemination. Following the example of the ancient sage Han Gong, he was absolutely not stingy with talent and wisdom.

Later, he created the Taixu Huanjing, also with the intention of gathering the great flow of human Dao, collecting the vast waves from every drop of water.

There will always be very few people with outstanding talent in this world. But when the mediocre majority gather together, their wisdom is enough to change heaven and earth.

Why did the feudal lords of various countries and the great sects all agree to the construction of the Taixu Huanjing?

Because they all saw the immense potential of the Taixu Huanjing, and saw what great power could be generated when the wisdom of all people was gathered.

Just as Cangjie created characters, allowing ordinary people to also “state the Dao,” thus stirring up the great flow of human Dao.

Just as Bingwu created the soldier array, gathering the masses as one, only then did the human race truly have the power to confront the demon race.

The various ancient sages widely opened people’s wisdom, united all sides, and then won the final victory.

The Taixu Huanjing can be the ferry boat across the bitter sea of the new era, a divine vessel for crossing disasters.

But precisely because the Taixu Huanjing is so important, it cannot again be held by the Taixu Sect.

Only the name and the tool, cannot be falsely given to others. A grand emperor, how can they give the handle to others? This is the fundamental reason why so many strong individuals have gathered at the Taixu mountain gate today.

Moreover, their timing for the visit is just right, precisely when the Taixu Huanjing is rapidly expanding, all constructions are already perfect, and Taixu has not yet transcended.

A step too early or a step too late would not have been ideal.

Now.

Both Taixu and his Taixu Sect must welcome their fate.

This is the common will of the emperors of the six great hegemonic countries. In an era where the state system greatly prospers, this is the grandest voice in the world, with absolutely no possibility of reversal.

At this moment, Taixu is actually very calm.

And appears very silent.

After a moment of silence, he opens his mouth and says: “Then, what do you all think?”

He seems to be speaking of a matter unrelated to himself, the emotions within his voice are stripping away: “I am asking—how do you all plan to dispose of my Taixu sect people?”

Jiang Mengxiong walks down step by step from above the high vault, each step grinding against people’s heartbeats. Just like this, he walks directly in front of Taixu, stands face to face with him, standing on the same piece of flat ground surrounded by void.

He doesn’t speak any empty words, nor does he need to be grand and proper; those are meaningless to Taixu, and to himself as well.

So he says starkly: “After this matter, the Taixu Sect can no longer be trusted by us. We have unanimously decided to separate the Taixu Sect and the Taixu Huanjing. Cut the cause and break the fruit, sever fate and cut thoughts.”

Taixu quietly looks at him, waiting for his “then.”

Jiang Mengxiong then continues: “But such a result will inevitably cause resentment in all of you. The Taixu Huanjing was jointly built by forces from all sides, it is a heavy tool of my human race, a necessity for the great flow of human Dao. And all of you in the Taixu Sect understand the Taixu Huanjing very well, there is a possibility of it being taken advantage of by outside thieves.”

The meaning of this sentence is so cruel… the entire Taixu Sect is to be wiped out!

Taixu is silent for a moment, then says: “Understood.”

When he was thirteen years old, he mistakenly entered Jing Yan, then debated scriptures, debated laws, debated Dao, won against three famous scholars, and became famous in one fell swoop.

During his spirit-arrival realm, he was publicly recognized as the foremost in eloquence, the foremost in Dao law, and the foremost in spirit arrival.

After entering the Grotto-heaven True Monarch realm, he rarely debated with others again. His thoughts and ideas were all written in books, abundant and accumulating into profound metaphysics. After deriving the Dao, he became even more reclusive and silent. In public occasions, he never spoke again.

Everyone understands that he has too many words to say, and he is also very skilled at expressing himself.

But today, at such a moment, he actually only says one sentence…

“Understood.”

“I don’t understand!”

Taixu Jingxuan lifts his head from the ground, fresh blood on his forehead blown by the wind. The cultivator who usually possessed immortal grace and bone, at this moment is like an evil ghost, blood and tears mixed together, his expression ferocious: “Ancestor, I don’t understand!”

He turns his head again to look at Jiang Mengxiong, to look at the other strong individuals in the high vault, and hoarsely says: “I, Taixu Jingxuan, don’t understand! All thirteen hundred and seven people of my Taixu Sect… don’t understand!”

“Yes, now you all can say, the Taixu Huanjing was jointly built by forces from all sides!

“But it was the idea proposed by my Taixu ancestor. Its earliest prototype was built bit by bit by our Taixu Sect. All the accumulations since the establishment of my Taixu Sect have been invested into it. All the disciples of my Taixu Sect, from top to bottom, have wholeheartedly worked for it. The Performance Dao Platform, the Discuss Sword Platform, the Star River Space, the Hongmeng Space, the Taixu Scroll… from nothing to existence, gathering sand into a tower!

“Your disciples wear fine clothes and ride spirited horses, their heaven-favored talent renowned throughout the world. My sect’s disciples have disheveled hair and dirty faces, secluding themselves to research laws.

“The earliest cultivation methods, Dao law secret techniques within the Taixu Huanjing, were all the core secrets of my Taixu Sect. We revealed them without concealment, without reservation, only seeking to widely gather talents, only seeking for more people to be able to participate in this place!

“We even offered up the Chaoxu Taixu Heaven!

“Using this twenty-third ranked Grotto-heaven, in exchange for the usage rights of the seventy-two blessed lands from all sides, solely to enhance the Taixu Huanjing’s attraction to spirit-arrival cultivators. To make the Taixu Huanjing grow faster! What more could we offer?!

“You wanted monitoring rights, we acknowledged. You wanted management rights, we gave. Monitoring experts from all sides were stationed directly at my Taixu mountain gate! How much more could we yield?!

“We did everything we could, gave our all, and now you all say, you want to separate the Taixu Huanjing from us?!”

“How can I understand!?”

His cries were mournful, his heart sad and sorrowful.

Jiang Mengxiong didn’t care.

None of the strong individuals suspended in the high vault paid attention either.

Taixu Jingxuan’s mournful cries and wails, the entire Taixu Sect’s unwillingness and pain, were no more intense than the sound of wind brushing against the corner of clothes.

All were meaningless.

At this time, it was instead Taixu who spoke: “From the moment of its birth, the Taixu Huanjing was destined not to be held in the hands of a single force. How can the great flow of human Dao suffer from a sole ruler? The handle of the world, the various honored ones cannot possibly give it away.”

He should be comforting Taixu Jingxuan, but the emotions within his voice, like sand between fingers, were continuously flowing away.

“So I introduced monitoring from all sides, opened the handle of the Taixu Huanjing… but truthfully, it was finally inevitable to reach this step.”

“Only…” he looks at Jiang Mengxiong, and slowly asks: “Since you have already made such a decision, then what was the necessity of informing me?”

The military force gathered by all sides at the Taixu mountain gate today is enough to wipe out the Taixu Sect in an instant. There is truly no necessity for any dialogue.

They made their decision without providing a window for dialogue!

Jiang Mengxiong says faintly: “We greatly respect you, and also respect the foundation you created. We do not want this matter to end ambiguously, nor do we want you to disappear without a sound. We are willing to give you a final moment, to listen to your conception of the future. History will render its verdict on you, and the Taixu Huanjing and metaphysics will receive continuation.”

“No.” Taixu shakes his head, his face expressionless as he emphasizes: “I am being calculated to death, someone calculated to my last road.”

This should have been a sentence that shook the heavens and broke the stones, but because the emotions within his voice were almost nonexistent, it appeared so calm.

Jiang Mengxiong raises an eyebrow, but does not speak.

“As of now, I have only one curiosity—I want to know exactly who set this game, who understood me so well and could calculate me so clearly.”

Taixu asks faintly: “Yan Ping? Wang Xiyu? Luqiu Wenyue? Or… Zixu True Monarch?”

His voice is so faintly indifferent, even mentioning Zixu True Monarch.

Zixu True Monarch is the sect master of Yujing Mountain, and strictly speaking, also Taixu’s former teacher. If this person participated in this game, then Taixu indeed had no too many secrets to speak of.

Jiang Mengxiong shakes his head: “No single person set the game, this is our common decision.”

“Understood.” Taixu says thus again.

If the six great hegemonic countries, together with the various sects of the world, were to do one thing, and there could still be unexpected twists, then the human race would no longer have the qualification to dominate the present world.

Taixu is undoubtedly a strong individual, a living legend.

But he is also no exception.

Below transcendence, no one can be an exception.

Jiang Mengxiong takes a step back: “Then please just take this last step.”

In front of Taixu, there are two paths to heaven. The development of either metaphysics or the Taixu Huanjing both have the opportunity to push him beyond the absolute peak of transcendence, to achieve the transcendent realm.

His best outcome is for metaphysics and the Taixu Huanjing to mutually assist each other and simultaneously achieve transcendence. The next best outcome is for either of the two paths to achieve it.

And if none of these outcomes

Can be obtained, then before his ten thousand years of lifespan are exhausted, he still has one retreat—that is to turn his body into the Taixu, to merge with the Taixu Huanjing into one, achieving eternity in another sense.

If the Taixu Huanjing exists, then he is eternal.

This is his greatest secret, something only possible after the Taixu Huanjing is thoroughly formed. But he should have known early on that under the gaze of the six great hegemonic countries, he had no secrets to speak of.

All the strong individuals have arrived today, cutting off the past, present, and future of the Taixu Sect, letting this unexpected retreat become his only choice.

They need him to complete the Taixu Huanjing!

Of course, he can refuse. But even if he vanishes into smoke and clouds now, dying completely, everything related to the Taixu Huanjing will still be captured, will be filled into the Taixu Huanjing, to carry out that final part of completion.

Those who set this game calculated every aspect long ago. This game perhaps began from the very concept of the Taixu Huanjing, when it first received preliminary approval from the various countries… it had already started.

The emperors of the various countries are very willing to forge the sword Tai’a, but absolutely unwilling to hand over the handle of Tai’a.

And how could he not have considered this possibility?

From the moment he entered the Grotto-heaven True Monarch realm, he spoke few words. From the moment he derived the Dao, he secluded himself behind closed doors, and even the entire Taixu Sect always kept its mountain gate tightly closed, rarely entering the world.

Was it not seeking to accumulate fewer causes and effects, to avoid being stained by favor and enmity?

But the Taixu Huanjing itself is the biggest cause and effect.

And he clearly knew it, yet could not give it up.

Of course, he also strove for himself, but all his efforts were not enough, even successfully creating a school of thought, even already so close to transcendence… he was still unable to save himself, truly transcend all.

Of course, he knows how difficult all of this is.

Of course, he understands that the ending was perhaps fixed early on.

He is willing to walk towards the destined ending.

Because this is his Dao.

“I have only one condition.” Taixu says.

Jiang Mengxiong says: “We will try to satisfy it.”

Taixu’s gaze sweeps over every person of the Taixu sect. Looking at these painful and weary sect members, in that pair of chaotic eyes, the last wisp of emotion finally appears, a very complex emotion, mixed with heartache, pity, apology… various ineffable feelings.

After this wisp of emotion also disappears.

From the moment he walked out of the stone house of the ancestral hall, he had already been preparing, and now, it is all complete. Finally… supreme forgetfulness of emotion.

Only forgetting emotion can be selfless, only being emotionless can be greatly public.

But he still remembers his last emotion, so he says: “My people of the Taixu sect, I want to take them away one by one. Their memories and thoughts cannot be erased. Even if the present world cannot accommodate them. They should at least, live eternally within the Taixu Huanjing.”

Jiang Mengxiong thinks for a moment, does not turn back to look at others, and directly replies: “This is your authority.”

Taixu looks at him faintly, looks at every single person faintly.

His momentum begins to rise, rising almost infinitely!

He also steps away from that flat ground, leaves the “bottom of the bottom,” and begins to tread the void, ascending high.

The first step is the absolute peak.

He stands on the absolute peak of transcendence, wanting to walk above the absolute peak, to approach that ancient and hard-to-reach great realm. And he is substantially approaching!

All the strong individuals in the field are silent, no one reacts.

Rumble!

Rumble, rumble!

The sound of the Dragon Palace is the earth drum, thick virtue carrying all things.

The sound of the Taixu victory scene is the heaven drum, heaven’s punishment without emotion.

They echo each other from afar, and each rumbles.

Taixu has already ascended the stairs, Jiang Mengxiong still stands on that piece of flat ground, silently suppressing this place, letting the strong wind blow through his temples.

If not for the situation today, he would actually be very willing to fight Taixu. But now he can only watch him walk forward.

The barrier of transcendence is already broken, the limitations of the world no longer exist.

Taixu’s aura has become extremely terrifying, enough to crush any True Monarch in the field!

But within this terrifying momentum, he only gently smooths his Daoist robe and proclaims—

“Cultivators of our generation, I am willing to be beneath others.”

“I should be beneath all beings, I should be the ladder for all beings.”

“My Dao is not achieved.”

“The Taixu is already achieved.”

His voice is faintly calm, without waves, without ups and downs. Just like this story, no accidents happen.

His Dao body, between virtual and real, at this moment crushes starlight, surging into the star river.

Splash la la.

A vast star river also appears in the void, covering the sky and hiding the ground, covering the thunder clouds, brilliant and boundless.

Taixu turns into a branch of the star river and connects with it, intersecting with it naturally, as if this river becomes a branch of that river.

And within that vast star river, vaguely can be seen ancient mottled stone platforms whistling past… the Taixu Huanjing Discuss Sword Platform!

That Taixu Huanjing, existing in illusory time and space, appears so clearly in the sight of the crowd even without the Taixu Corner Tower and the Moon Key.

It is Taixu, using his body as a bridge, breaking the limit between being and non-being, communicating illusion and reality.

Taixu turns into a branch of the star river, and then divides another wave, rolling back towards the Taixu victory scene, sweeping in all the people of the Taixu sect, including Taixu Jingxuan and Taixu Zeming.

Their souls all leave their physical bodies, drifting in the star river at this moment, like a school of fish swimming against the current, swimming into the Taixu Huanjing. From now on, they will all live within the Taixu Huanjing, gaining eternal life in a new life form.

Or they can be called “Taixu Spirits.”

And the Taixu ancestor, Taixu, is near transcendence but not transcended, near eternity but not eternal. Supremely forgetting emotion, forever governing the Taixu.

Or he can be called—

“Taixu Dao Master”!