The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors are legends of the Human Dao as well as myths of Heaven and Earth.
Throughout the myriad realms of the heavens, there is no one who does not know of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.
The Three Sovereigns refer to Fuxi, Nüwa, and Shennong.
The Five Emperors are the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan, the Green Emperor Taihao, the Red Emperor Kuiwei, the White Emperor Shaohao, and the Black Emperor Zhuanxu.
Regarding the legends of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, there are no records in historical texts; they have always been passed down through generations. Precisely because of this, some believe that the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors are not true legends but perhaps merely ethereal myths.
Whether the legends of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors are true or false has always been debated. Gu Qingfeng himself wasn't clear either. Over the years, he had heard many legends about the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, and they were all over the place.
For example, some say the so-called Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors did indeed exist, but they were not Ancestral Patriarchs of the Human Dao. Their true identities were complex. For instance, regarding Fuxi, some say he was an Ancestral Patriarch of the Heavenly Dao; otherwise, he wouldn't have been honored as the Heavenly Sovereign.
As for Nüwa, needless to say, she was an Ancestral Patriarch of the Earthly Dao, the well-known Mother Earth, honored as the Earthly Sovereign.
There are also claims that the Green Emperor Taihao was an Ancestral Patriarch of the Immortal Dao, and the Black Emperor Shaohao was an Ancestral Patriarch of the Demonic Dao, and so on.
In some mythological tales, it is said that Lady Nüwa united the Great Daos of Heaven, Earth, Immortals, Buddhas, Demons, and Monsters to jointly create the Human Dao. The purpose of creating the Human Dao was for the vitality between Heaven and Earth and to cultivate the foundation of the Three Thousand Great Daos.
This is the most widely circulated legend about the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors throughout the myriad realms.
Of course.
Many also believe this legend was deliberately fabricated by the Three Thousand Great Daos to deceive the masses, all to cover up the truth of how they slaughtered the Human Dao and extracted its Source's three souls back then.
There are even some conspiracy theorists who say that the identities of the so-called Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors were indeed related to Heaven, Earth, and even the Three Thousand Great Daos. However, legend has it that a long, long time ago, the Three Thousand Great Daos frequently fought and killed each other, openly and covertly contending. Each wanted to dominate Heaven and Earth, and none would submit to another.
Lady Nüwa deeply hated this slaughter, so she united with Ancestral Patriarchs of other Daos like Fuxi and Shennong to create the Human Dao. The purpose was not to cultivate the foundation of the Three Thousand Great Daos but to balance their conflicts and also to create the Human Dao as an existence that combined the strengths of all Three Thousand Great Daos.
Besides this, Gu Qingfeng had also heard an even more sinister, more conspiratorial claim.
It said that several Ancestral Patriarchs of the Great Daos, like Fuxi, Shennong, Taihao, and Shaohao, betrayed their own Daos and united with Lady Nüwa to gather the strengths of the Three Thousand Great Daos to create a perfect Human Dao, aiming to rule over the Great Daos and dominate Heaven and Earth.
To be honest.
Gu Qingfeng had truly heard far too many legends concerning the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. Some claims, though sounding quite unreliable at first, upon careful thought, seemed to make some sense.
"Da Xing, in the legends, the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors are not the true Ancestral Patriarchs of the Human Dao but are related to Heaven, Earth, and even the Three Thousand Great Daos. You must have heard of this."
"Didn't I just say? Regarding matters of the Great Daos contending, kid, you'd best just listen to them as stories. Don't take them seriously."
Da Xing the Mad Monk tilted his head back and took a swig of wine, saying, "The affairs of the Great Daos and the affairs of the Nine Heavens are both deep waters. Apart from those Ancestral Patriarchs of the Great Daos, no one else can explain them clearly, not even Gengu Wuming."
He sighed, as if lamenting something, then continued, "If Heaven and Earth are a chessboard, then those Ancestral Patriarchs of the Great Daos, even if they are pieces, are the first few pieces placed on the board, influencing the overall situation."
Da Xing the Mad Monk was hailed as the Living Buddha of the Myriad Realms. His previous life belonged to the Desolate Ancient Era, and this lifetime he had lived from the Primordial Era all the way to the present. What others knew, he knew; what others didn't know, he also knew. What others had seen, he had seen; what others hadn't seen, he had also seen. The experiences he had undergone were countless, and he increasingly felt that Heaven and Earth had been a chessboard from the very beginning.
As for who exactly was playing the game, he might not know, but he could guess the rules of this chessboard: it was cause and effect.
After all, all things in Heaven and Earth operated in cycles according to the law of cause and effect.
As he said, if those Ancestral Patriarchs of the Great Daos could be considered pieces, they were inevitably the first few pieces placed on the chessboard of Heaven and Earth. Before placing them, they must have been carefully calculated. Once the Ancestral Patriarchs of the Great Daos made their moves, it was like the framework of the chessboard being formed.
This framework of Heaven and Earth was none other than the Three Thousand Great Daos.
All the so-called Great Dao Mandates were also just pieces of the Great Daos, some belonging to the Heavenly Dao, some to the Earthly Dao, some to the Immortal and Buddha Daos, some to the Demon and Monster Daos. Even if they shared a common goal, they were absolutely all calculating their own little schemes.
Thinking of this, Da Xing the Mad Monk suddenly laughed. It seemed like a bitter laugh, yet also like a mocking one. Gu Qingfeng glanced at him, finding it rather baffling, and asked, "What are you laughing foolishly about?"
"Suddenly remembered something and found it quite amusing."
"What is it? Say it and let this master be happy too."
"Don't even say it. If I tell you, kid, you'll definitely be happy."
Da Xing the Mad Monk also imitated Gu Qingfeng by casually sitting on the ground. Then he deliberately used his finger to draw a chessboard and drew several circles, saying, "These circles are like those Ancestral Patriarchs of the Great Daos."
Gu Qingfeng couldn't quite understand what he was saying. "And then?"
"Let's not worry about what these Ancestral Patriarchs of the Great Daos want to do or what schemes they have. No matter what they do, the first game collapsed right at the opening."
"Collapsed? What do you mean?"
Da Xing the Mad Monk drew some messy pieces on the chessboard. These pieces were everywhere, almost covering the entire board. As he drew, he said, "Kid Gu, you must have heard that many people tainted by Original Sin appeared in the Desolate Ancient Era, right?"
"I've heard."
"You should also know that the Age of No Dao was opened during the Desolate Ancient times, right? It was precisely because the Age of No Dao was opened that it directly led to the end of the Desolate Ancient Era."
Before Gu Qingfeng could speak, Da Xing the Mad Monk spoke first and said, "Don't ask me why opening the Age of No Dao caused the Desolate Ancient Era to end. I want to know that answer too."
"You said 'collapsed' earlier. Did you mean the Desolate Ancient Era?"
"Exactly. After the Desolate Ancient Era ended, although many people tainted by Original Sin died or were destroyed, those Ancestral Patriarchs of the Great Daos didn't fare well either; almost all of them perished. Fortunately, the framework of the Three Thousand Great Daos remained and grew even more powerful. Unfortunately, unfortunately, Original Sin was not completely eradicated either. While the Three Thousand Great Daos developed, Original Sin wasn't idle either."
Da Xing the Mad Monk erased all the pieces he had drawn on the chessboard earlier, then drew some white pieces, saying, "These pieces represent Great Dao Mandates."
He then drew several black pieces, saying, "These black pieces represent Original Sin."
"From the Primordial Era onward, whenever Original Sin appeared, the Three Thousand Great Daos would destroy one!"
"The Primordial Era was like this, the Ancient Era was like this, and the Archaic Era was the same. As long as Original Sin dared show itself, it was either erased or cast into the Guixu or Huangxu."
"Until the Present-Ancient Era arrived!"
Da Xing the Mad Monk erased all the black pieces representing Original Sin, then redrew a single black piece, saying, "This piece represents you, kid."
"From the Primordial Era, it was the Three Thousand Great Daos destroying Original Sin. By the time it reached you in the Present-Ancient Era, it reversed. It became Original Sin destroying the Great Daos."