Volume 4: The Revelation Unveiled Chapter 417: The Discussion on Circuity

Hearing this, the Three Pure Ones remained unperturbed. The destruction of the Netherworld and the Jade Emperor’s arrival to seek their help were exactly as they had anticipated.
Yuan Shi Tianzun said calmly, “Tell him to wait outside.”
When the disciple left, Yuan Shi continued, “The difficulty in all formations under heaven lies in the fact that they are ‘incomprehensible’.”
At that moment, Xuan Nu suddenly opened her eyes and said, “Those who can see through them don’t understand the formations, while those who understand them can’t see through them. I wonder why you haven’t studied the secrets of the Mysterious Void Technique?”
Yuan Shi was stunned but did not reply.
Xuan Nu laughed and said, “You’ve studied Taoism for so many years, yet you’ve become foolish. Tens of thousands of years pass in the blink of an eye, and eras change. You and I are just ordinary people—what is there to compare?”
Yuan Shi’s thoughts were exposed by Xuan Nu’s words, leaving him momentarily speechless. Was he really comparing himself to her? As the head of the Three Pure Ones in Taoism, the principles of Tao were deeply ingrained in his heart—there was not a trace of falsehood. But he clearly knew that the secrets of the Mysterious Void Technique were a miraculous power to see through all formations under heaven. Why then had he never tried to learn it? He had indeed thought of creating a unique technique through his own efforts, but unfortunately, he had never succeeded.
Now, Yuan Shi finally had an answer. He refused to learn the secrets of the Mysterious Void Technique because it was created by Xuan Nu. There was a hint of mockery in her words, but Yuan Shi was not annoyed at all. He stood up from his seat, bowed deeply to Xuan Nu, and sighed, “Thank you, senior sister.”
Xuan Nu smiled joyfully and said, “This technique originated from Pangu and was meant for those who follow the path of creation. You certainly needn’t be polite. How many things in the world can escape the control of creation? You, my dear.”
Yuan Shi laughed loudly and said, “The wise see wisdom; the foolish see foolishness…” As he spoke, he turned and headed toward the back hall.
Laojun and Lingbao Daozun were also delighted to see Yuan Shi come to his senses. They exchanged a smile, and Laojun said, “I’m going to the Jade Pool. The Jade Emperor already has an idea in mind but still pretends to make a fuss. It’s utterly boring.”
Xuan Nu asked, “What idea does he have?”
Laojun replied, “Great chaos is about to arise! Great chaos is about to arise!”
After leaving the Jade Pure Palace, Xuan Nu glanced at Lingbao and said, “Could it be that the Jade Emperor dares to commit acts of slaughter?” Lingbao Daozun gave a fierce look and said, “If he really dares to do so, don’t blame the Three Pure Ones for keeping their promise!”
Standing outside the Jade Pure Palace was the Lingguan. He had waited for a long time without daring to show the slightest displeasure. Seeing Laojun emerge, he said respectfully, “Venerable Taoist Lord, this humble immortal pays his respects. The Jade Emperor and Empress are waiting at the Jade Pool and have sent me to invite you.”
Laojun waved his hand and floated off toward the Jade Pool.

In the Jade Pool, a sumptuous feast of immortal delicacies was prepared. When the Jade Emperor and Empress saw Laozi arriving, they forced aside the worries on their faces and welcomed him with smiles, seating him at the table. Once seated, Laozi asked, “With the Netherworld destroyed, what will the Supreme Heavenly Emperor do?” The Jade Emperor wasn’t expecting Laozi to be so direct; he was momentarily stunned and said, “I was just about to ask Laozi for advice.” Laozi smiled silently and turned to the Empress. She naturally understood his intentions—what the Heavenly Court needed most at the moment was creative energy, as that was the urgent issue. Without complete honesty, Laozi wouldn’t offer any advice. The Empress said, “Laozi, over the years, the two of us have regarded the Three Pure Ones as teachers and fathers, never failing to show them respect. Is that false?” Laozi nodded, “It’s not false.” She continued, “Without the Three Pure Ones, there would be no us either—this is also true.” Laozi nodded again. She said, “The Netherworld was destroyed. Those present included the people from Qitianling, as well as the Holy Mother of Lishan, the Great Emperor of Ziwei, the Goddess of Earth, and Buddha and his followers.” She paused here. Laozi asked, “From what you’ve seen, who exactly destroyed the Netherworld?” The Empress sighed, “To be honest, it must have been Buddha. I know this for sure.” Laozi nodded and said, “In that case, you must also be aware of matters related to the Buddhist hell?” She replied, “We are.” The Jade Emperor said, “But right now, refining the heavens is at a critical stage. If we stop, all our previous efforts will be wasted. Compared to that, investigating the culprit can wait.” Laozi agreed, “That makes sense!” Seeing that Laozi was merely echoing their words, the Empress thought derogatorily of him but still said with a smile, “Before this, most of the creative energy the Heavenly Court needed came from the Netherworld. Now that it’s destroyed, it must be rebuilt—this is the long-term solution.” Hearing this, the Jade Emperor grew angry and said, “That wretched culprit almost wiped out all the ghostly servants. The Ten Kings of Hell are not a big issue; we can find a few easily. But we need hundreds of thousands of minor ghosts. It will take at least ten years to rebuild. How can we get through this time?” Finally, Laozi spoke up, “What exactly is being refined in the Creative Energy Furnace for refining the heavens?” The Empress, who had been prepared, recited her prepared explanation: “We’ve all been around since the last cycle, and we know about the disasters of each cycle. But does Laozi know why these disasters occur?” Laozi shook his head. “I don’t know.”

The Queen Mother said, “Thinking back to when I first arrived in this world, the creation energy here was extremely scarce. Yet from that scarcity, life emerged, and it grew increasingly abundant over time. Eventually, when the creation energy reached its peak, this world could no longer hold it, and the heavens would be torn apart.”
“Ah!” Laozi’s shock was genuine—he had never heard such a thing before and couldn’t tell whether it was true or not. He certainly knew that creation energy grew more and more in the world, but for the heavens to be torn apart… Could something beyond the heavens be so terrifying as to turn this world into chaos?
The Queen Mother racked her brains to invent this lie. Seeing that Laozi was truly concerned, she felt pleased and continued, “The Creation Furnace in the heavenly court was actually created for the sake of all living beings. All things are born from creation energy, which is the inherent nature of the world. Only this Creation Furnace consumes creation energy, aiming to use it up to preserve the heavens intact.”
“That’s why I raise the peaches of immortality, sustain thirty-six heavens, maintain the flow of time, and support the eight or nine Golden Immortals—all to consume creation energy. As long as the balance between creation and destruction is maintained, the calamity of Huizhuan will not return!”
Laozi nodded and said, “I see. In that case, the eight or nine Golden Immortals are merely tools to amplify creation energy.”
The Queen Mother nodded firmly. “Exactly!”
The Jade Emperor then said, “Now that the netherworld has been destroyed and countless beings have perished, the creation energy is scattered across the world and cannot be gathered. It seems this balance is about to be broken.”
Laozi thought for a moment and said, “If that’s the case, gathering the creation energy is the top priority. Rebuilding the netherworld will take ten years. But why did the Jade Emperor say earlier that enduring these ten years was the most urgent task?”
The Jade Emperor was stunned. He had indeed been too hasty, revealing a flaw in his words. The Queen Mother then explained, “Laozi is unaware that the cultivation methods of the eight or nine Golden Immortals are very special. Once they stop, their ability to absorb creation energy slows down, and it takes a long time to return to normal. Moreover, the Creation Furnace can only accommodate seven thousand two hundred people. If creation outpaces destruction, it will be even harder to reverse the situation, which is why we are in such a hurry.”
Laozi murmured and nodded. “Now I understand. If we need creation energy, what’s the difficulty?”
The Queen Mother was delighted. “Please guide us, Laozi!”
Laozi said, “The heavenly court controls the four seas and four continents, with countless precious medicines. With the power of the whole world, supplying seven thousand two hundred people should not be difficult. Even just the ten continents and three islands could last at least five years. Those thousand-foot-long jades… tsk tsk.”

The Queen Mother was slightly disappointed upon hearing this. It was indeed a solution with no alternatives, but Laozi truly didn’t know how much essence the Eight or Nine Golden Immortals required. She and the Jade Emperor had already calculated that even all the precious medicines in the Ten Continents and Three Islands could only last for two years. If there was truly no other way, then they would have to start by using those resources first.

Laozi said, “There is still another method.”

The Queen Mother asked, “How?”

Laozi replied, “It’s the method we discussed before—unifying with heaven.”

The Queen Mother asked, “Unifying with heaven… Is it feasible?”

The Jade Emperor seemed to have made up his mind firmly. He said, “Even if it’s not advisable, we must do it when there’s no other choice!”

Laozi said, “There are many ways to obtain essence, as long as one does not violate the harmony of heaven. I will surely lend my full support. If all else fails, we can use some immortal herbs; I can also refine pills for you.”

The Queen Mother thought to herself that once something entered his pill furnace, at least half of it would be taken away. Which fool would ask him to refine pills? But since Laozi spoke so sincerely, she still had to express her gratitude with a smile.

Upon hearing the words “do not violate the harmony of heaven,” the Jade Emperor’s eyes trembled involuntarily. He had considered killing millions on Ling Mountain before—it was the fastest way to acquire essence. The Four Great Continents were vast; what harm was there in finding a remote place to destroy a hundred or so kingdoms? But since Laozi had spoken, the Jade Emperor naturally dared not do so. If abandoned by the Three Pure Ones, the Heavenly Court’s current strength would make it difficult to survive in the world.

Laozi said, “You must be aware of the drastic changes on Ling Mountain in the Western Heaven.”

The Queen Mother replied, “How could we not know such a major event?”

Laozi continued, “The Ancient Buddha Ran Deng has always been on good terms with me. He is humble and generous. Even he has broken ties with Buddha Tathagata, which shows that what Tathagata does truly goes against heaven’s will. With the Western Heaven divided, Tathagata’s strength has greatly diminished; he no longer has the authority he once had as the ruler of the world.”

The Queen Mother pretended to be confused, feigning ignorance of Laozi’s implication.

Laozi smiled and said, “Tathagata destroyed the Netherworld out of a pretense of strength. To be blunt, it was his way of warning others not to underestimate him, but it actually shows a lack of confidence.”

After pondering for a while, the Queen Mother nodded and said, “Laozi is right. Once we sort out the matter of obtaining essence, we will definitely investigate this thoroughly!”

Laozi replied, “Come to me then when the time comes!”

The Queen Mother said, “Of course. We surely will trouble the Three Pure Ones.”

Laozi stood up and bid farewell to the Queen Mother. She and the Jade Emperor saw him off to the Jade Pool until his figure disappeared before returning to sit down.

The Queen Mother said, “Human hearts are like foxes—more cunning as they grow older.”

The Jade Emperor replied, “I knew it wouldn’t work. The Three Pure Ones are always hypocritical. How could they agree to our plan of destroying kingdoms to obtain essence?”

The Queen Mother said, “Since he refuses, it can’t be done. There’s really no way. We still have such a large Peach Garden—we must be able to get through these ten years somehow!”
The Jade Emperor pondered for a long time before murmuring, “I still can’t figure it out. It was he who initially asked us to refine the heavens, and it was also him who went back on his word and destroyed the Netherworld. What exactly does he want?”