"Wait!"
Lei Lie seemed to recall something again and said, "That's not right!"
Old Huang asked, "What's not right?"
"Old Huang, you almost had me fooled. It might be true that there were no Human Dao Heavenly Destinies in the Ancient, Archaic, or Primordial Eras, but the Present Era already has Human Dao Heavenly Destinies, and not just one either. Not only are there Human Dao Heavenly Destinies, but several Human Kings have emerged as well."
Old Huang did not refute this, nodding instead. "What you say is correct. The Present Era has indeed seen quite a few Human Dao Heavenly Destinies appear."
"If the Immortal Dao suppresses the Human Dao by seizing its Heavenly Destinies, then how could these Human Dao Heavenly Destinies exist in the Present Era? Where did those Human Kings come from?"
Old Huang, unhurried, picked up his wine cup and took a sip before speaking slowly. "The reason Human Dao Heavenly Destinies have appeared in the Present Era is not because the Immortal Dao doesn't want to take them, nor because it doesn't want to stop them, and certainly not because the Immortal Dao has had a change of heart."
"Then why?"
"It's because in the Present Era, all things are reviving, and the Great Nature is returning. The Human Dao is no exception. This revival of the Human Dao carries the True Mandate. Not even the Immortal Dao can stop it, let alone the Heavenly Dao."
Old Huang continued, "Knowing it cannot stop the Human Dao's revival, the Immortal Dao has thus ceased erasing Human Dao Heavenly Destinies. Not only has it stopped erasing them, it has even sought to win them over, bestowing upon them Immortal Dao Edict Mandates."
He paused briefly.
Old Huang spoke again, "Young Brother Lei Lie, think carefully. Which of the several Human Kings of the Present Era does not bear an Immortal Dao Edict Mandate? Some Human Kings bear more than one Edict Mandate because other Great Daos also wish to win over the Human Dao Heavenly Destiny. Since fate decrees they cannot prevent the Human Dao's rise, the other Great Daos have no choice but to keep the Human Dao Heavenly Destiny under their own control."
Lei Lie thought it over and felt Old Huang's words made great sense. He sighed, "Old Huang's words are truly enlightening, like a sudden awakening that clears all confusion. It seems I, Lei Lie, am still too young and too ignorant. If I hadn't heard Old Huang speak of these matters today, I would never have known the waters of the Great Dao ran so deep, nor these hidden secrets."
"This old man is merely a few years older than Young Brother Lei Lie and has seen and heard a bit more. Having seen and heard more, one can roughly infer the general picture. This isn't really a secret; anyone around my age probably knows."
"But... Old Huang, perhaps I'm just too dull. After all you've said, I still don't understand. What exactly is a Worthy One?"
Lei Lie asked in confusion, "Could it be that a Worthy One is a Human Dao Heavenly Destiny? That can't be, right? A great fortune like a Human Dao Heavenly Destiny is extremely conspicuous, impossible to hide. The key point is that Master Chixiao... oh no, Fellow Daoist Gu doesn't have even a trace of fortune on him."
"Brother Lei Lie, this has nothing to do with being dull or not. You don't know because you are still young. Many things, for you, are not only unseen but perhaps unheard of."
Old Huang said, "Even I, having cultivated for nearly a hundred thousand years, would know nothing of the term 'Worthy One' if not for hearing other seniors speak of it."
Lei Lie stood up to pour wine for Old Huang, quietly waiting for him to continue.
"It is said that a very, very long time ago, likely before the Primordial Era, back when Heavenly Destiny had no Star Lords, Thrones, Imperial Seals, or Imperial Authority... it is said that in those times, Heavenly Destiny was not received from above but contended for. If an Immortal contended for Heavenly Destiny, they became a Celestial Immortal. If a Demon contended, a Celestial Demon. If a Monster contended, a Celestial Monster. And if a Human contended for Heavenly Destiny, they became a Celestial Human. This is the origin of terms like Celestial Immortal, Celestial Demon, and Celestial Monster."
Lei Lie exclaimed in surprise, "I have heard of Celestial Immortals, Celestial Demons, and Celestial Monsters, but a Celestial Human... this is the first I've heard of it. Could it be that starting from the Primordial Era, the Immortal Dao began erasing Human Dao Heavenly Destinies to suppress the Human Dao's rise?"
"Perhaps so. But it wasn't only the Immortal Dao that sought to dominate heaven and earth. Therefore, wanting to suppress the Human Dao's rise and erase its Heavenly Destinies wasn't solely the Immortal Dao's doing either."
"I see. Then what about Worthy Ones? What exactly is a Worthy One?"
"Don't be impatient. Hear this old man out. In the Primordial Era, Heavenly Destiny could only be contended for, not received from above. What could be received from above were Edict Mandates. Those who received an Immortal Dao Edict Mandate were called Worthy Immortals. Those who received a Demonic Dao Edict Mandate were Worthy Demons. Those who received a Monster Dao Edict Mandate were Worthy Monsters. And those who received a Human Dao Edict Mandate were Worthy Ones. This is the origin of the terms Worthy Immortal and Worthy One."
Finally, Lei Lie understood. He finally grasped what a Worthy One was, though the revelation left him somewhat disappointed. "I thought a Worthy One was some terrifying existence. Turns out, it's just someone who received a Human Dao Edict Mandate."
Receiving a Great Dao Edict Mandate—if such a thing happened in the Archaic Era, it might have been a rarity.
But in the Present Era, those who have received Great Dao Edict Mandates are far too numerous, almost countless.
Back when the Archaic Era ended and the Present Era had just begun, the Myriad Heavens and Worlds would give birth to many peerless geniuses, perhaps individuals born in response to fate.
And the Three Thousand Great Daos, in their competition for these geniuses, would bestow upon them an Edict Mandate.
To this day, no one knows just how many Great Dao Edict Mandates exist across the Myriad Heavens and Worlds.
There are simply a great many.
Every time Lei Lie ventured out for training, he would encounter at least a few bearers of Great Dao Edict Mandates.
Forget Edict Mandates; even Great Dao Heavenly Destinies, while not abundant in the Present Era, are certainly not few. Various Star Lords, various Thrones emerge every so often—now this monarch appears, now that sovereign emerges.
Having seen many Great Dao Edict Mandates, they cease to be particularly remarkable.
Wait.
Lei Lie thought more carefully and felt something was off. He had seen Immortal Dao Edict Mandates, Monster Dao Edict Mandates, and Buddha Dao Edict Mandates, but he had never seen a Human Dao Edict Mandate. Although the Present Era has produced quite a few Human Dao Heavenly Destinies, he had never heard of any Human Dao Edict Mandates.
That wasn't the important part.
The important part was this:
Any Edict Mandate requires reception from above. 'Reception from above' means a bestowal from the Great Dao.
And for a Great Dao to bestow an Edict Mandate, a prerequisite is that the Great Dao must exist. Not only must it exist, but there must also be a ruler presiding over that Great Dao.
For example, what presides over the Immortal Dao is the Nine Heavens. What presides over the Buddha Dao is the Western Heaven. What presides over the Demonic Dao is the Nine Nethers, and so on.
Although the Human Dao has been in decline since the Primordial Era, becoming subordinate to other Great Daos, it has always existed. If the Human Dao did not exist, then there would be no humans in the Myriad Heavens and Worlds...
However.
After the Human Dao declined, it lost its ruler. It is said that even the Human Dao's origin vanished without a trace.
This is like a dynasty without an emperor, perpetually controlled by other dynasties.
Since the Human Dao has no ruler, it cannot bestow Edict Mandates.
Then, how did Worthy Ones receive Human Dao Edict Mandates?
And where did they come from?