Chapter 971
Heavenly Secrets
"Tianji Pavilion..."
Song Changsheng's thoughts were somewhat chaotic. The art of divination, which reveals the secrets of heaven, is itself a power comparable to a taboo. When a group of people who possess taboo powers gather together, even if they do nothing, they are still an extremely unstable factor.
Moreover, they can't just do nothing.
No one knows exactly when the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion was established. They are usually incredibly low-key and rarely come into the public eye, but there is always a period in each era when they are exceptionally active.
From a historical timeline perspective, it is highly likely to be the period around the time of the catastrophe.
They wandered through every corner of the cultivation world, speaking in seemingly ambiguous and incomprehensible words. No one knew what they were plotting, only that they had repeatedly avoided calamities by using their ability to deduce the secrets of heaven.
This led people to firmly believe that they had deduced the secrets of heaven, seen a glimpse of the future, and were able to foresee the time when the catastrophe would come.
They seem like messengers before a catastrophe; whenever they are seen engaging in large-scale activities outside the mountains, it almost always signifies that a new catastrophe is about to descend.
Although the astrologers of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion have not yet made a large-scale appearance, they have already been making frequent moves, which is consistent with what the old national advisor said about the impending calamity.
Descending from the mountain during times of chaos and retiring to seclusion during times of prosperity has almost become a stereotype of divination masters.
Song Changsheng used to think so too, but at this moment, he began to doubt a certain pattern. Judging from the experience of the Reincarnation True Monarch, the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion had clearly begun its planning ten thousand years ago.
Could they really see the future ten thousand years from now?
Song Changsheng was skeptical, but he didn't dare to be too definitive.
But one thing puzzled him greatly: ten thousand years ago, the message that the Reincarnation True Monarch received was a golden age, and his own deductions also matched it. How did it turn into a cataclysmic disaster?
Could it be that this so-called golden age is actually after the catastrophe, and they are doing this in order to avoid the catastrophe, recreate the golden age, and compete for the opportunity to become immortals?
If that's the case, it does seem to make some sense.
Throughout history, whether it is the human race or any other race, those who ascend to immortality almost always appear in times of chaos or prosperity, which means that the two are strongly correlated.
The so-called opportunity to become an immortal, as mentioned by Tianji Pavilion, may simply refer to a period of time, rather than any specific fortuitous encounter or treasure.
So here's the question: if it's the key to becoming an immortal, why would the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion tell others?
Moreover, it wasn't just the Wheel of Reincarnation that was informed; perhaps many other people were also informed.
The allure of becoming an immortal is simply too great, especially for these cultivators whose lifespans are nearing their end. Others have no choice, but they still have one last chance.
If it were a normal cycle of reincarnation, it would take countless reincarnations over ten thousand years. Each reincarnation is a reshaping process. Even with spiritual awakening, one can only retrieve memories of the previous life and some earlier ones. Moreover, one's talents are uncontrollable, making it impossible to seize opportunities in a prosperous era.
Rebirth is different. Everything from one's peak period will be preserved. As long as one succeeds, one can rise rapidly. Whether in chaotic times or prosperous times, formidable strength is the foundation for maintaining everything.
In contrast, reincarnation is an alternative form of death. It doesn't kill your physical body, but your true soul. Your memories will gradually disappear with each reincarnation. Once the memories are gone, the person is completely dead, and in the next reincarnation, they will be complete strangers.
Rather than reincarnating and living a miserable life again, it's better to choose rebirth and take a gamble. This is probably the thinking of most cultivators who choose rebirth.
Unfortunately, no matter how brilliant they were in life, they could not interfere with what happened after they died. It is unknown how many people the divination masters of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion said the same thing to, or how many schemes and plans they made. In the end, most of them failed due to various accidents.
There are several cases that Song Changsheng knows, and the number of cases he doesn't know is at least dozens or even hundreds of times greater.
However, just as there are failures, there are also successes.
The Reincarnation True Lord's technique of extreme yin returning to yang was extremely exquisite, and he was very well prepared. If it weren't for the incompetence of his descendants, which led to the current decline, he would have had a very good chance of succeeding.
If the process had not been unexpectedly interrupted, he could have lived out his second life in a hundred to several hundred years.
Judging from his progress, it's likely that a group of former veteran powerhouses have been reborn and are secretly accumulating strength for the future.
A group of reborn old monsters will stop at nothing to become immortals, which is not good news for the people of this world.
People in this world live in the light, while these people live in the shadows; the unknown is always the most terrifying.
If the Chen family of Dongtian could have been more ambitious and waited for the Reincarnation True Lord to be reborn and return to the Nascent Soul realm, and then made a move at the crucial moment, the Giant Sun True Lord would have had no chance of survival.
A once-powerful and declining family suddenly produces a Nascent Soul True Monarch; anyone who comes will suffer a crushing defeat.
If it were just a few people, it wouldn't have much of an impact, but who knows how many people the divination masters of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion have said similar things to?
Even if only one out of ten succeeds, the number is still quite terrifying.
The current situation is already quite unstable, and with the addition of these old monsters who have been reborn, the situation will only become more chaotic. From the perspective of Yin and Yang, the original order and balance of this world have been broken.
Moreover, this is the result of human intervention, using methods that obscure the natural order.
Celestial strategists are skilled at deducing the Heavenly Way and foreseeing the future. Therefore, they actually have the most contact with the Heavenly Way and are among the people who understand it best.
It is precisely because of this understanding that their actions seem so incomprehensible.
Don't they know what the consequences of doing this will be?
The way of Heaven cannot be deceived!
The Way of Heaven is compassionate, so even if you defy the heavens and forcibly change your destiny through cultivation, the Way of Heaven will tacitly approve of your actions, at most setting up thresholds. As long as the balance of heaven and earth is maintained, it will not interfere too much.
It can obscure the way of Heaven and influence the general trend of the world. This is a great taboo under the rules of Heaven, because the balance has been broken.
Once Heaven becomes aware of this, it will unhesitatingly unleash its wrath with thunder, restoring balance to the world. Those involved will not have a good end.
These are principles that everyone understands. It's impossible that these divination masters, who deal with the rules of Heaven every day, are unaware of this. This can only mean that there are deeper calculations involved.
He even had reason to suspect that the current turbulent situation was exactly what they wanted, and might even have been orchestrated by them, because turmoil represents variables and the unknown, and the established rules of nature would be challenged.
Such an environment was perfect for these astrologers; they could freely influence the course of events and fully display their talents.
As for the people of the world, what does it have to do with them?
People both feared and hated this group, yet they were powerless to do anything about them, and in many ways, they relied on them. Lingji Zhenjun was always an honored guest, and even those dissatisfied with the Tianji Pavilion had to serve him carefully, hoping to extract some useful information from him.
Sometimes, a single sentence can give you a head start and help you avoid countless risks.
Take the old Grand Preceptor, for example. With just one sentence, he pointed out the impending catastrophe, avoiding unfounded speculation and eliminating any wishful thinking. This allowed him and the entire Song family to prepare ahead of others.
"Besides these, are there any more specific things?" Song Changsheng pressed further.
The drawbacks of the Soul Searching Technique are still too obvious. Xie Kui inherited the complete memories left in the spirit body by the Reincarnation True Lord. He had been as careful as possible at the time, but he still missed such important information.
If his divine soul hadn't acquired some more fragments of memory, he might never have known these inside stories.
"It's too fragmented. The other original beings should already know this. Maybe I'll gain some new insights after I reassemble it."
"Yes, hurry up and integrate with this body, and take control of its power as soon as possible. A great calamity is coming, and the family needs you very much right now," Song Changsheng said earnestly.
"Rest assured, I have a premonition that as long as I can fully merge with this spiritual body, I should be able to attract a heavenly tribulation. At that time, this extremely yang land will probably be exposed."
Upon hearing this, Song Changsheng shook his head slightly and said, "So what if it's exposed? It's an enclave far from the family anyway. My only concern now is whether the Heavenly Dao will notice your existence, given your special circumstances."
If the Heavenly Dao cannot perceive it, then there is no such thing as Heavenly Tribulation; if it can perceive it, would the Heavenly Dao allow your existence?
Song Changshou's current situation is rather unique.
He is essentially a part of Song Changsheng, not just a separate entity. After the [Divine Soul Avatar] is cultivated to perfection, it needs to be reunited with the original body. Only in this way can Song Changsheng's own Daoist essence be considered perfect and can he break through to a higher realm.
Therefore, Song Changshou is not an independent individual. Logically speaking, he does not need to experience the Heavenly Tribulation and the Tribulation of the Heart Demon in his cultivation, because Song Changsheng has already experienced these. As a divine soul incarnation, he can directly inherit these achievements, at the cost of his cultivation level being relatively unstable.
He is now merging with a spirit body, which is essentially a form of possession. Possession usually only happens to the original body, but he is now possessing a spirit body that has no independent consciousness.
This was something Song Changsheng had never heard of before.
If a heavenly tribulation were to descend and Song Changshou were to survive it, it would mean that the Heavenly Dao had recognized him as an independent individual. At that point, would they still be able to merge?
If he cannot integrate, a part of his own Daoist essence will be missing, which can never be made up for, and may even affect his future cultivation.
If no heavenly tribulation had descended, none of the above problems would have occurred, but other problems would have arisen. Without a heavenly tribulation, it would mean that the Heavenly Dao had not recognized the cultivation realm, and the true potential of the spirit body of the Reincarnation True Monarch could not be fully realized, which would not meet his expectations.
"As for the specific outcome, that can only be left to the will of Heaven."
"Before I leave, I will set up an array for you that can gather and attract sunlight. Combined with my [Tai Chi Hunyuan Scripture], you can absorb more [Sun Essence Qi] and your progress will be faster."
"As ordered."
……
After setting up the formation, Song Changsheng walked out of the canyon, identified the direction, and then set off for the Chaotic Ancient Domain. The plan had been going on for so many years, and it should have yielded some results by now.
Panshi City is exactly the same as I remember, but with the Song family's secret support, it is even more prosperous than before.
He did not conceal his aura. After Mingtai Zhenren sensed it, he immediately went out of the city to greet him, and he even brought several elders of the Chen family with him before he came.
"Greetings, clan chief."
"Fellow Daoist Mingtai, there's no need for such formalities. How have you been lately? Has the corpse poison from back then left any hidden dangers?"
Upon hearing this, Master Mingtai chuckled and said, "Thank you for your concern, Clan Chief. Everything is fine. The corpse poison has been completely removed, and even some lingering ailments from my youth have been cured. In a little while, my cultivation level might even reach a higher level."
Song Changsheng's gaze passed over him and landed on the Chen clan elders behind him. Looking at their fawning smiles, he felt a little bored. In his eyes, these people had no value for growth.
Among the Chen family, only one person still gave him a glimmer of hope.
Where is the spirit and beauty?
Upon hearing this, an elder of the Chen family immediately stepped forward and said respectfully, "Lingxiu has gone to the Eastern Heaven Cultivation Realm to carry out the plan."
Song Changsheng's eyes turned slightly cold: "Is that so? Then why are you all here? Is the responsibility of reviving the Chen family of Dongtian solely Lingxiu's?"
The smiles on the faces of the Chen family elders froze instantly. They dared not utter a word of rebuttal, awkwardly forcing a smile and stammering without daring to speak.
That's why he looked down on this group of people. They were able to grovel and beg for mercy from him back then, and they would do the same with any other person at any other time.
The so-called family honor and hatred have long been forgotten.
The Eastern Heaven Cultivation World is now completely under the rule of the Eastern Heaven Alliance. It is easy to imagine the difficulty for Chen Lingxiu to carry out the infiltration plan alone. If she is not careful, she will die without a burial place and there will be no one to meet her.
These so-called elders just live a life of leisure and wait to die without a care in the world.
Master Mingtai also looked down on them from the bottom of his heart. Since arriving in Panshi City, these people only knew how to enjoy themselves and had not done anything useful. They just kept quiet out of respect for Song Changsheng.
However, now is clearly not the time to talk about these things. He bowed deeply and said, "Although Lingxiu went alone, the plan to infiltrate the Eastern Heaven Cultivation World was executed very well. Some time ago, he also learned some very important information. I will discuss it with the clan leader in detail after we enter the city."
Upon hearing this, Song Changsheng raised an eyebrow. For Master Mingtai to say such a thing, it must be no ordinary information.
Upon entering the city lord's mansion, Master Mingtai dismissed the servants and said, "According to the information Lingxiu gathered, some time ago, True Lord Juyang was severely injured in a battle. With the Eastern Heaven in turmoil and leaderless, this is the perfect opportunity for infiltration!"
……
P.S.: Something came up at home, sorry to have kept you all waiting. (End of Chapter)