Chapter 1: Pangu Opens Heaven and Changes Fate

  I have been wanting to write this chapter clearly, but it seems to be still a bit confusing, let's separate a chapter in the relevant works later ??????

  As mentioned in the previous chapter, Xuán Wēi was momentarily bewildered by the worldly aura and later fell into a demonic obstacle, suffering from backlash. After being forced to recuperate, he quietly waited for Hóng Jūn's second sermon. As a bell tolled in the vast expanse, audible only to those of the Mahārāja realm, Xuán Wēi suddenly opened his eyes and rose to head towards the outer reaches of the Thirty-Three Heavens.

  The crowd sat in their original seats, and then saw the Daozu Hongjun appear to lecture on the Dao. As soon as his voice came out, 72 kinds of colorful lights appeared, and countless colorful lights transformed into large Daoist symbols. The mysterious and profound changes took place in the Purple Mist Palace, one by one explaining the process of the birth of the Great Dao, which was like the difference between simple addition and calculus compared to last time.

  On top of the Daozu's head was a huge jade plate with a radius of 10,000 miles, shining brightly like a full moon hanging in the sky. The moon god was reborn, and the mysterious purple light filled the void. The purple air swirled around, forming an array of 81 purple airs, transforming into one yuan, two instruments, three talents, four phases, five elements, six combinations, seven stars, eight trigrams, and nine palaces.

  The cycle repeated endlessly, yet giving people a different feeling each time. It was truly the Great Dao that is simple and direct, pointing directly to the core.

  The mighty beings below also listened with shaking heads, their expressions changing. Laozi was the first to appear changed, as the auspicious clouds above him churned like boiling water, the cloud energy surging and rolling like a startled wave, his body's aura fluttering and unstable, no longer calm and serene. One moment it was gentle breeze and light rain, another moment it was clear and quiet, one moment it was peaceful and content, another moment it was wildly restless. Suddenly, a middle-aged man with a coronet on his head, wearing a pale yellow eight-trigram robe, holding a lingzhi scepter in his hand, sat calmly above the auspicious clouds. At this point, Laozi beheaded one of his corpses and advanced to the rank of quasi-sage.

  Under the stimulation of this old man's aura, Yuanshi and Tongtian's celebratory clouds also began to churn ceaselessly. In a short while, Yuanshi and Tongtian broke through the quasi-sage boundary one after another, their celebratory clouds gathering, radiating colorful lights, and their five-colored divine lights shining brightly. A middle-aged Daoist wearing a golden Daoist robe with an aura that seemed to be woven from the very fabric of the heavens appeared, his brow furrowed in a cold glare, as the majestic and awe-inspiring green-robed sword immortal transformed into his true form.

  Sanqing is indeed the incarnation of Pangu's primordial spirit, possessing the secrets of Pangu's creation of heaven and earth. Now, under Hongjun's preaching, his Dao cultivation grows the fastest, so he will soon enter the quasi-saint realm. Moreover, in the brief moment when his quasi-saint Dao cultivation stabilizes, he immediately surges up layer by layer, standing out among the crowd.

  Then, on the pink auspicious cloud of Nüwa Niangniang, a woman with a human head and snake tail appeared. She looked seven-tenths similar to Nüwa Niangniang, her snake tail coiled around her, eyes closed in meditation, sitting upright on a pink lotus flower. Later, the clouds churned and it was clear that she had gained something. The ability of Queen Nüwa can be seen as ordinary.

  The eyebrows of the guide are white and spinning faster and faster, the twelve-colored treasure light is becoming more and more dazzling, like a bright moon hanging in the air, clear and bright. Above the top of the head, three large, shining, milky-white sarira float, like three suns, illuminating all directions, benefiting all living beings. The six-foot golden body sometimes appears illusory, sometimes solid. It is there that with hands clasped together, eyes closed, reciting scriptures, not disturbed by external things. Truly, it does not rejoice in material things, nor sorrow for oneself!

  The Guanyin Bodhisattva on the edge of the lotus platform was sometimes frowning and looking worried, sometimes laughing loudly, and sometimes crying bitterly. However, as the golden body of the Guanyin Bodhisattva fully appeared, the sarira on top of his head also became more golden and radiant. The golden body of the Bodhi instantly condensed and successfully beheaded a corpse.

  Xuanwei closed his eyes and sat quietly, celebrating the emergence of clouds, waves rising and falling, like a gentle breeze brushing against his face. It was truly wonderful, but unfortunately, none of the six people above could observe it carefully, they all felt that Xuanwei's celebration of the clouds was quiet and unknown to anyone, no one could see through it, no one could detect its foundation, they only felt that it was mysterious and didn't dare to be careless.

  Actually, the six people above didn't know that Xuanwei had taken a big advantage. Perhaps the concept of San Shi is too vague for the powerful beings of Hongyuan, after all, no one has specifically studied it, so naturally, it's hard to see and understand. However, in reality, Xuanwei knew something in the future that allowed him to have a relatively accurate understanding of San Shi, making it not as difficult for him to sever San Shi like the powerful beings of Hongyuan.

  In terms of future theory, San Shi can be seen as a kind of alternative self, super-ego and id.

  In future theoretical frameworks, the "I" represents a person's primitive desires that form a lock, all instinctual survival desires are the "I", such as when you're hungry and want to eat bread, when bread is placed in front of you, you'll salivate and want to grab it, these are all reactions of the "I", just human instincts, everything that stems from bodily needs can be seen as the "I". In other words, the desires locked up by the "I" can be understood as chaotic and disorderly, representing the evil corpse among the three corpses, because in front of the "I", everything follows bodily needs, without being suppressed by moral or social views, no different from beasts, must be cut out.

  The superego is a moral baseline formed by a person's acquired values, also known as the moral shackles. After all, in the process of growing up and learning, one will come to know that wanting bread requires buying it rather than stealing it. If someone truly acts according to these moral shackles, they would be an extremely good person. Therefore, this superego can represent the benevolent corpse among the three corpses. However, being overly enthralled by moral constraints and unable to transcend them also necessitates their elimination.

  The final self is produced when the ego and super-ego are in conflict with each other. It's like when a person sees bread, the id thinks it should be taken directly, while the super-ego thinks it should be bought with money. At this time, the self acts as an intermediary decision-maker and decides the ultimate way to obtain the bread. This is a kind of acquired self, which is also the representative of obsession in the three corpses. The obsession in the three corpses does not mean that you are obsessed with something, but rather it explains a kind of self-imposed constraint within yourself, unrelated to any specific thing. It is the self-built shackles formed by your own desires and moral choices. This is why there is an old saying: "The three corpses can easily be killed for good or evil, but why does no one know about obsession?"

  The so-called beheading of the three corpses is completely devoid of emotions and is utterly absurd. The three corpses represent the innate desires that bind one's soul, the moral shackles imposed by society, and the self-imposed shackles of personal choice. Once these three corpses are eliminated, one returns to their true self, no longer constrained by innate desires or societal morals. This means that from then on, one is completely unshackled and unrestricted, truly achieving great freedom and liberation.

  In the Purple Palace, auspicious clouds meet the sky and cover the sun. Clouds of various colors flow, turn over and roll, different breaths scatter and spread out, yet they are clearly distinct and never interfere with each other. The moral classics resonate through the void, golden flowers and auspicious energy condense into a radiant rain, countless starlight hangs down from the nine heavens, twinkling points of light, flashing incessantly, making people drunk.

  The ancestor of Tao appears in the void above, manifesting a vast world. That world is again manifesting countless worlds, feeling wonderfully endless. The law of creation and transformation is constantly unfolding, depending on individual karma!

  As the cultivation of the people present continued to improve, the sermon slowly came to an end. The thunderous voice of the scriptures in the void gradually turned into a whisper, like a child's murmurs, barely audible. Finally, it was quiet, and even the sound of a needle falling to the ground could trigger a stormy wave!

  "The Taoist's lecture has now been fully explained. If you have any doubts, please raise them." The first to speak was actually Hong Jun Dao Ren.

  As soon as Hongjun's voice fell, Laojun stepped forward and asked: "Master, I don't know what is the true saint? Can cutting off the three corpses prove the way of mixed yuan?"

  "Almost saint is between Hunyuan and Daluo, it's the first threshold of Hunyuan. Achieving almost saint means stepping into Hunyuan. The way of Hunyuan starts from one, stands on three, forms on five, flourishes on seven, and reaches its peak on nine. The number for perfection is ten. Twelve heavans return to transcendence, each heaven surpassing the previous one, with great difficulties and hardships. However, if you can achieve the ninth small perfection, you can choose to open up the sky and earth. If successful, you will naturally attain the Tao of Hunyuan. If not, your soul will disappear in the cycle of life and death.

  Achieving the tenth major perfection is no longer the way of almost saint, but rather stepping into the great Tao of Hunyuan. At this time, you will achieve a body that is neither saint nor immortal, yet it's difficult for even Hunyuan saints to move you. You will be beyond worldly things, carefree and at ease. Not even countless kalpas can affect you.

  If you reach the twelfth transcendence, whether or not you have achieved the body of Hunyuan saint is no longer important. You have already reached the realm of Hunyuan with a non-Hunyuan body, without being bound by Hunyuan, yet obtaining the position of Hunyuan fruit. This is called great self-at-ease and great carefreeness.

  The three corpses' great Tao is a method for transcendence, assisting you in breaking through the nine heavens of almost saint. As for whether the three corpses' great Tao can attain the Tao of Hunyuan, it's possible or not.

  Hongjun paused and continued: "You should know that after cutting off the three corpses, you will gain self-at-ease and carefreeness, understand the heavenly numbers, and know the great Tao. You can live for countless kalpas, and after countless kalpas, you will naturally become Hunyuan."

  Alright, although we now know the grade of Quan Sheng, but about Zhan San Shi it's still not very clear. Everyone secretly pondered in their hearts, seeing Lao Jun retreat, Yuan Shi immediately stepped forward and asked: "May I ask, Master, is there a way to verify the Dao of Hunyuan?"

  As soon as everyone heard this, their spirits were shocked, and they immediately perked up their ears to listen to what Hong Jun had to say. Hong Jun looked at the crowd calmly and said: "There are three ways to attain enlightenment. The first is to cultivate oneself to the point of perfection, which can be assisted by the Three Corpses Technique. The second is the World Perfection Method, which has two approaches. One is to open up the sky and earth in the Nine Heavens of the Primordial Chaos, using one's power to attain enlightenment, creating a great world, and achieving enlightenment when the world is opened up. The other is to create a small world early on and continuously perfect it until it becomes a great world, at which point the Primordial Chaos will naturally be achieved. The third is to accumulate infinite merit and virtue, borrowing the power of Heaven's Way to assist in achieving the Primordial Chaos Method. Although these three methods are not very powerful, each has its own strengths. The first one achieves personal perfection, free from disasters and calamities, with cultivation that reaches the heavens. The second one creates a world that will not be destroyed, making you immortal, with every move having the power of the world. The third one is the weakest in terms of actual power but is also the most provocative, as it can easily provoke Heaven's displeasure, causing great loss of fortune and merit, or even inviting heavenly punishment, requiring a long period of recuperation."

  Everyone was speechless and tears fell, but Xuan Wei suddenly became deep in thought. This was clearly different from the past life. There were three corpses proving the way, and although the first type of the second method could be considered as proving the way with force, the second type seemed to be a technique of the Buddhist Palm Buddha Country and the Heavenly God's Heavenly Kingdom Law. Just as Xuan Wei was thinking, the third person, Tong Tian Dao Ren, stepped forward and asked: "I dare ask Master, what is the purpose of cutting off the three corpses? Why did we become quasi-saints after cutting off the three corpses? What are the requirements for cutting off the three corpses?"

  Everyone continued to look at Hong Jun with expectation, Hong Jun thought for a moment and said: "Cutting off the three corpses can improve one's cultivation and break through the bottleneck. Each time one of the three corpses is eliminated, it will naturally increase your cultivation by some extent, which is also the reason why you have achieved quasi-sainthood. After cutting off the three corpses, they can be stored in the Primordial Spirit Treasure, achieving enlightenment and from then on, one's magical powers will become even more vast and boundless, and one can also obtain the primordial rhythm of the treasure as well as the favor of the heavens."

  Everyone's eyes lit up, and then they whispered to each other about how to find the Pre-Heaven Spirit Treasure to cut off the Three Corpses. Zhunti was in a great hurry, after all, everyone knew that the Pre-Heaven Spirit Treasure of the Western Pure Land was extremely rare. So, he hastily stepped forward and asked: "May I ask, Master Hongjun, is it necessary to use the Pre-Heaven Spirit Treasure to cut off the Three Corpses?"

  Nüwa herself didn't have a good impression of Zhu Ti's sudden question, but thinking about the barrenness of the Western world, Zhu Ti's words were somewhat understandable. She coldly snorted and stopped speaking, quietly listening to Hong Jun's explanation. Hong Jun looked at Zhu Ti and said: "There is no must-have requirement, but it would be best to use a pre-heavenly spiritual treasure to sever the three corpses. Next in line would be the original body of a pre-heavenly divine being or a pre-heavenly spiritual root. The Sarira golden body comes after that, and post-heavenly objects are the worst. However, the Sarira golden body is also prone to attracting karmic entanglements due to its post-heavenly nature, lacking the pre-heavenly spiritual treasure's pre-heavenly Dao rhyme and the heavenly favor of pre-heavenly spiritual objects. When severing the three corpses that rely on external objects, it becomes even more impossible to obtain a hint of heavenly law feedback through the subtle connection between pre-heavenly objects and the heavens. Therefore, the Sarira golden body is naturally far inferior to pre-heavenly spiritual treasures in terms of advancing one's cultivation path. If we say that the Sarira golden body surpasses post-heavenly objects, it's because they are subject to fewer restrictions from the post-heavenly world, making it easier to increase their cultivation and transform into avatars during battle, with abilities not inferior to those of pre-heavenly objects. I have told you all about these mysterious and profound matters; you can choose for yourselves."

  Zhun Ti heard the words and took a deep breath, while his originally bitter face also subtly revealed a bitter smile. The Buddha's light throughout his body was also subtly more vibrant. It was clear that Zhun Ti was expressing his gratitude. Xuan Wei smiled and nodded in agreement. In short, in the future, all the golden bodies of Buddhism would be tempered by the red lotus industry fire, and their merits and virtues would be nourished. As a result, not only would the entanglements of karma on the golden body be reduced by the burning of the industry fire, but also the strength of the golden body could be enhanced. This is similar to the saying that one can put down the butcher's knife and attain Buddhahood immediately. Although there are some misunderstandings about this in later generations, when the two Buddhist saints created this method, they must have thought of this point. The entanglements of karma and the great Dharma of the two Buddhist saints can be seen from this.

  Ps: Beheading the three corpses, I remember that one of the twelve ancestors of the Wu clan, Zhou Qing's three corpses, seemed to use the ancestral witch seal and the flag of the Twelve Heavenly Kings. This is not a pre-heavenly object, and it seems that the relics are not naturally formed either. So, in this setting, there is a pre-heavenly Dao rhyme within the pre-heavenly spiritual treasure. It's like your golden immortal-level pre-heavenly spiritual treasure, beheading corpses. After beheading, the transformed body immediately obtains the pre-heavenly Dao rhyme contained within the pre-heavenly spiritual treasure, which is equivalent to obtaining a golden immortal's cultivation experience and insight. Even if you have seen the pre-heavenly Dao rhyme in the pre-heavenly spiritual treasure many times and have a deep understanding of it, there is still a difference between reading books and personal experience. This naturally greatly benefits one's cultivation. On the other hand, post-heavenly objects are prone to being entangled by cause and effect, and they require self-refining. The Dao rhyme originates from oneself or others, but whether it is right or wrong is unknown, so it cannot provide much help in cultivation.