Chapter Five: Opening Heaven

  Countless years had passed, and Zhou Cheng suddenly felt a little strange. He woke up from his quiet cultivation to find that Pangu had already woken up beside him and was staring at him. Zhou Cheng's heart skipped a beat: "Pangu, you've finished your cultivation so early?" Pangu said, "Brother, after such a long period of quiet contemplation, my understanding of the Tao has taken another step forward. What you said before was right, my mission is to open up the sky. I was too complacent about my current situation... Ah, thanks for reminding me."

  Pangu stood up straight, dancing with the axe in his hand: "I feel that this is the day I will open the sky, but breaking through the chaos is not easy, even if my current magical powers are quite strained." Zhong Cheng said gloomily: "Big brother, I can help you."

  "I have calculated that the opening of heaven must require someone to sacrifice their life. All things have a cycle of fifty, and the great way has forty-nine. It seems that this time, I am destined to complete the last step, breaking through the void and creating the universe. After the opening of heaven, the world may be quite unstable. This time, I will use my own body as the price to complete the merit of opening heaven. In the future, the new world will not need to be taken care of, but it will still rely on you to take care of it. You are a person with deep good fortune, and your brother has already seen this. Perhaps in the future, you will attain the mixed yuan way and become an immortal saint, which is also very possible."

  Pangu took a step forward, instantly appearing tens of millions of miles away. He then turned his head and pointed at Zhou Cheng from afar. Suddenly, a transparent shell-like object appeared beside Zhou Cheng, tightly wrapping around him. Meanwhile, Zhou Cheng's Ding of Heaven and Earth flew towards Pangu. Pangu said, "Younger brother, your cultivation is still insufficient, the power of Opening Heaven is not something you can resist. To prevent your cultivation from suffering greatly, I will set up a grand formation to protect you. This Ding of Heaven and Earth will be borrowed temporarily, first to refine the chaotic flow of the universe, second to help you obtain part of the merit of Opening Heaven. In the future, it will certainly benefit you."

  Zhou Cheng felt a bit unwell after hearing Pan Gu's words. Although he wasn't a good master, he still understood the importance of repaying kindness. He hated that his cultivation was insufficient and couldn't help Pan Gu in any way, so he secretly made up his mind that one day he would not let Pan Gu's descendants disappear, especially those from the Wu tribe who had the most resemblance to Pan Gu.

  Pangu said, not looking at Zhou Cheng again, raised his axe to his chest, took a light breath, and immediately made a straight cut. Suddenly, the chaotic space was like torn white silk, spreading out from Pangu as its center. The clear and turbid airs rose and fell, with the clear air rising up to form the sky and the turbid air sinking down to form the earth. Thus, the chaos opened up.

  Next, Pangu shook his body, suddenly growing to a height of billions of feet. Then, with both hands like claws, he let out a mighty roar, tearing the sky and earth apart. The sky rose higher and the earth sank lower. At this time, there were still places where the sky and earth were connected, but in between them, chaotic air flowed wildly. Pangu was seen holding an axe in his left hand and a ladle in his right, sometimes using the axe to chop and sometimes using the ladle to scoop up.

  But gradually, the distance between heaven and earth was shrinking, and some places were returning to chaos. Pangu looked at it anxiously, threw his axe into the air, and saw the axehead bursting open, while three rays of light broke through the void, truly a thousand auspicious airs and ten thousand lucky clouds. Zhou Cheng looked and found that it was the famous Taiji diagram, Pangu coiled around the Chaos Bell.

  Pangu stretched out his hand and pointed, the Taiji diagram appeared, Pangu's Pan Guan flew straight into his hand. Pangu shook the Pan Guan vigorously, a destructive force instantly shot towards the place where the chaos was about to re-form, then threw out the Taiji diagram, only to see a white jade golden bridge slowly sinking between heaven and earth, supporting heaven and earth. Seeing that heaven and earth were slightly stabilized, Pangu struck the Chaos Bell again with even greater force, wave after wave of pale yellow light rippled out, only to see that the shape of heaven and earth had become more solid, some turbulent air flows also seemed to be fixed in place. Next, the Qiankun Ding floated towards the space between heaven and earth, instantly filling it, a thread of chaotic air flow was sucked into the cauldron, while a clear and elegant yet vibrant air flow floated out and fluttered about between heaven and earth. The entire space gradually revealed a faint Taiji pattern, with yin and yang generating each other, the four phases and eight trigrams interacting, the mysteries of the five elements, six harmonies, seven killings, and nine palaces gradually appearing.

  Zhou Cheng was stunned on the side, shocked by Pangu's great method, and he himself benefited greatly. Watching the scene of opening up the sky, Zhou Cheng's understanding of Taoism deepened, but as the saying goes, standing high can see far, but cannot reach or understand more places that are inaccessible. In the beginning of chaos, before all things were born, there was a chaotic creature called Wújí. Ji refers to the extreme, pointing to yin and yang. Wújí is the state where yin and yang have not yet separated. Wújí gave birth to Taiji, Taiji gave birth to yin and yang, so Wújí is also Tao. Tao gives birth to one, one is Taiji, one gives birth to two, two is yin and yang. The original Taiji diagram was an empty circle, representing the state of Wújí. Because of the entry of a point of Tao into its heart, it became yin and yang. Tao is an absolute whole, without division, without beginning or end, without shape, and no object can be pointed to. All things in the universe are reflections of Tao, and they are infinite complex mirrors of Tao.

  The outline of the universe is becoming clearer, and the yin-yang fish illusion between heaven and earth is gradually disappearing into nothingness. Zhou Cheng was silent, knowing that the Tao in the universe had finally been established, and the Great Way's principles had been set up. The heavenly truth that had been gestating since the beginning of chaos would soon be performed on the world from Honghuang onwards. Cause and effect cycles, right and wrong, gratitude and resentment will entangle everyone in the world except for saints. He dared to snatch away the 12th-grade Golden Lotus during the chaos because the Heavenly Way was not yet manifest, and cause and effect were not yet linked, so he could act as he pleased; but from now on, he would have to be more careful.

  At the time of Zhou Cheng's contemplation, Pangu's opened space was still unstable. Although it can be said that compared to the great gods with great magical powers, the newly opened heaven and earth have already made a big difference from the chaos, but in the end, the heaven and earth are just opened, and the dead air is heavy. Pangu thought for a moment, threw out three treasures, and the Taiji diagram was hidden in the sky and disappeared. The heaven and earth were unstable and needed spiritual treasures to suppress them. Then he stretched his body, supported the sky with both hands, and stepped on the ground with both feet. The misty air also emanated from Pangu's body and entered the heaven and earth.

  It's been many years, and Zhou Cheng has unconsciously fallen into cultivation several times. When Zhou Cheng woke up again, Pangu had undergone tremendous changes. Only to see that Pangu was full of energy, seemingly in the midst of his most intense life combustion. Seeing Zhou Cheng wake up, Pangu smiled slightly and said...

  "Brother, how's the sky I opened? This sky is indeed as you said, much better than the Chaos Space." Pangu smiled very sincerely, and Zhou Cheng felt that he might not have encouraged him to open the sky prematurely.

  "Ah, what a pity that this world is so dull and lifeless. No life! I've opened the sky, how can I allow such a situation to exist? Wait till I finish my last step, brother, you will see a brand new world." Pangu was overjoyed, Zhou Cheng had once felt that joy too, in kindergarten when he received 2 yuan as "June 1st Good Boy Award" and spent it all on ice sugar gourds for his classmates, earning their admiration and respect. That's what you call a sense of accomplishment!

  "Pangu, why don't we take a break and then continue to open up the sky?" Zhou Cheng was still worried, after all Pangu was powerful, but not to the point of opening up the sky with just a chat.

  "Brother, my mind is made up. Today, I'll have a final conversation with you." Pangu gazed deeply at the place where Zhou Cheng was standing. "When I opened up the sky, I caught a glimpse of the great heavenly mechanism. Therefore, your moral character and human nature have both improved. You will definitely become a saint in the future, so I don't need to worry too much about you. As for me, I will also perish, but the person I will transform into has nothing to do with me. If there's any trouble, just take action. Just remember to take care of all living things under heaven."

  "Haha, thank you big brother for the auspicious words." Zhou Cheng was overjoyed, what's this? This is Pan Gu's version of golden words, Pan Gu said he would become a saint, haha, made a huge profit. Zhou Cheng also understood that Pan Gu did not ask himself to take care of those ancestral witches and Three Purities, his love had merged into the newly opened heaven and earth and all things in the future, this is great love, supreme love.

  "But I observe that people of later generations are cunning and fond of fighting, even if they become saints, they will eventually be affected by the great Tao's fifty and heaven's forty-nine, thus the heavenly way has its shortcomings. And saints, after all, are made by humans, it is hard to escape cunning and struggle. I think you have a strong defense, but it's hard to avoid being influenced by that unyielding energy. I originally wanted to leave the Heaven-Cleaving Axe with you, but at the time of opening heaven, one must obtain the axe-spirit treasure to suppress the Hongmeng heaven and earth, so in the end, I left this sharpest Heaven-Cleaving Axe blade and the object transformed by the billion-year-old creation method instrument that nurtured me with you. One is for main attack, one is for main defense, even Pangu cannot break it." Pangu looked at Zhou Cheng with a deep gaze, his friend's nostalgia and brotherly love coexisting. "Do you want to know what shape these two treasures are? Big Brother will help you refine them together."

  "One is Pan Gu Sword and the other is Pan Gu Tower." Zhou Cheng was so happy that afterwards, hitting the drum and striking the board bricks also had a few more points of safety.

  Pangu nodded in approval and took out two objects, wiping them with his hand to reveal a sword and a tower. The tower had eighteen layers and the sword was three feet long, both were in a primordial color. "Well done, you have not forgotten our brotherly bond. These two treasures are from the Taiji diagram, Pangu's ring and the Hunyuan bell. However, remember this: a commoner is innocent, but possessing these treasures is a crime. They are your life-saving objects, do not use them lightly unless it's a matter of life and death, lest you attract unwanted attention." Pangu gave the two great primordial treasures to Zhou Cheng, he was truly worried that his brother would be bullied. After all, as long as one has life, how can they not have emotions? Did Hongjun not have any? Not necessarily! Perhaps Hongjun's emotions were towards heaven and earth, while Pangu had both heavenly emotions and emotions towards Zhou Cheng.

  Zhou Chengle was ruined. He thought that this kind of lifesaving thing, he would definitely not use it indiscriminately. He wouldn't even use his own magic treasure, but instead specialized in snatching others'. Hahaha...

  Zhou Cheng immediately had an idea, "Big brother, I see that in your future reincarnation, there is a tribe that seems to be without the care of Pangu's original spirit. They only cultivate their physical bodies and do not obtain their original spirits. Why don't you share some with me? When the time comes, we can help each other."

  "Alright, that makes sense. I'll give you the Heavenly Creation Heart Method and one of Pangu's Seals. This will help you in your future cultivation. As for the other seal, it's as you said."

  Zhou Cheng numbly accepted it, knowing this was Pangu's will.

  "Brother, Big Brother is gone, and I will transform into the heaven and earth and all things. From now on, the world will rely on you to take care of it." Pangu looked at Zhou Cheng for the last time. Zhou Cheng replied: "Big Brother, rest assured, I will not betray your trust."

  Pangu's mouth corner revealed a final smile, and 12 strands of essence and 3 strands of yuan spirit flew out from his body in an instant. The Qiankun Ding also flew towards Zhou Cheng, and then transformed into the heavens and earth. His exhaled breath turned into clear wind and clouds, his voice turned into thunderous thunder, his left eye turned into the sun, his right eye turned into the moon, his four limbs and body turned into the four poles of the earth and the vast mountains, his blood turned into surging rivers, his tendons turned into mountain roads, his skin and muscles turned into fertile fields and rich soil, his hair and whiskers turned into stars in the sky, his skin's sweat hairs turned into grass and wood, his teeth and bones turned into metal and rocks, his marrow and skeleton turned into pearls and jade, and his dripping sweat turned into nourishing dew for all things. Pangu contributed everything to the birth of a beautiful world, leaving behind Zhou Cheng as a legacy.

  Change! Change! Change!