"Back to the main point, just what origin does this Dugu Qizhan have? Is he truly 'equal to heaven'?"
"To say Dugu Qizhan is 'equal to heaven' might be a bit of an exaggeration, but it's not far off."
"How so?"
"It is said that Dugu Qizhan was once a Heavenly General renowned throughout the Desolate Ancient Era."
"A Heavenly General?"
Gu Qingfeng's heart skipped a beat. Although he had never heard the name Dugu Qizhan before, he was somewhat familiar with the concept of Desolate Ancient Heavenly Generals.
The Desolate Ancient Era was a chaotic era.
It was also an era of Great Dao contention.
Although ever since the Primordial Era began, the Heavenly Dao had always kept a very low profile, remaining as mysterious as if it had declined, during that chaotic era of Great Dao contention in the Desolate Ancient times, the Heavenly Dao was the undisputed overlord that ruled heaven and earth!
As for the so-called Heavenly Generals, as the name implies, they were generals bestowed by heaven, generals who represented the Heavenly Dao in campaigns across the four directions.
It is said that in the early Desolate Ancient Era, the Three Thousand Great Daos were like a hundred flowers vying for brilliance. Whether it was the Immortal Dao or the Monster Dao, the Buddha Dao or the Monster Dao, each Great Dao had countless experts, contending against each other, fighting for the position of the leading Great Dao that would dominate heaven and earth.
In the end, the Immortal Dao was defeated, the Monster Dao was also defeated, the Buddha Dao and Monster Dao were all defeated—they lost to the Heavenly Dao.
And back in the Desolate Ancient Era, those who represented the Heavenly Dao in conquering the Three Thousand Great Daos were precisely the so-called Heavenly Generals!
In the Desolate Ancient Era, the Three Thousand Great Daos might not have had Heavenly Mandates, nor so-called imperial authority, emperor seals, throne star lords, and so on, but this did not mean the strength of the Three Thousand Great Daos was weak.
On the contrary.
The Three Thousand Great Daos were each more powerful than the last. If not, there wouldn't have been a situation of Great Dao contention with a hundred flowers vying for brilliance.
The reason the Desolate Ancient Era saw Great Dao contention was because the Great Nature was in full bloom, spiritual energy was abundant, resources were plentiful, incredibly pure, especially in the Innate Realm.
At that time, the Human Dao had not declined either, and humans did not need to cultivate to seek something like the Immortal Dao.
It is said that in the Desolate Ancient Era, there were no 'humans,' only 'Heavenly Humans.'
There were no 'immortals,' only 'Heavenly Immortals.'
No 'demons,' only 'Heavenly Demons.'
Only Heavenly Monsters, Heavenly Ghosts, and even including Heavenly Buddhas.
Yes.
In that era of Great Dao contention in the Desolate Ancient times, benefiting from the Great Nature's full bloom, akin to the Innate Realm, humans were Innate Humans, immortals were Innate Immortals, demons were also Innate Demons—they were born with immense power. Even a three-year-old child could move mountains and drain seas.
At that time, everyone cultivated solely to pursue the Great Dao. All kinds of divine abilities, all kinds of profound mysteries, all kinds of Great Dao treasures were also comprehended and refined during the Desolate Ancient Era.
Just think: in the Desolate Ancient Era, whether they were immortals, Buddhas, humans, spirits, or monsters, demons, ghosts, and fiends, they were all born with immense power. Even three-year-old children could move mountains and drain seas. How terrifying must the experts of each Great Dao have been?
As for how the Heavenly Dao later suppressed the Three Thousand Great Daos to become the leading Great Dao ruling heaven and earth, perhaps no one knows now.
But there is one point no one can deny: the existence of the Heavenly Generals who represented the Heavenly Dao in conquering the Three Thousand Great Daos absolutely exceeded imagination.
However.
What puzzled Gu Qingfeng was this.
With the end of the Desolate Ancient Era, the Great Daos fell one after another, and the Heavenly Dao seemed to be no exception. Many Great Dao Patriarchs died in the Desolate Ancient Era. Those who survived were either suppressed in the Ruins of Return or exiled to the Desolate Ruins. So why on earth could that Dugu Qizhan have survived from the Desolate Ancient Era?
Even if Dugu Qizhan was powerful, could he be greater than those Great Dao Patriarchs? Surely he couldn't be greater than the Heavenly Dao itself?
Taking a step back, even if Dugu Qizhan truly was 'equal to heaven.'
The Heavenly Dao perished along with the Desolate Ancient Era, so why could he survive?
"Brother Gu."
Mo Wentian smiled faintly and said, "In the Desolate Ancient Era, whether the Heavenly Dao truly perished or not remains an unknown to this day."
"That can't be, can it?"
Gu Qingfeng asked, puzzled, "Isn't it said that only when the Great Daos perish will the Daoless Era begin?
Didn't the Daoless Era begin during the Desolate Ancient times?"
"That is indeed the rumor, but it's just a rumor. Whether the Daoless Era only begins after the Great Daos perish, none of us knows for sure, nor can we be certain."
Mo Wentian continued, "Besides, there's another reason."
"What reason?"
"Whether the Heavenly Dao is one of the Three Thousand Great Daos has, to this day, also not been conclusively determined. Some say the Heavenly Dao transcends the Three Thousand Great Daos."
"Even if the Heavenly Dao transcends the Three Thousand Great Daos, it ultimately still belongs to one of the Three Thousand Great Daos, right?
It's like us humans: there are secular humans, cultivating humans, immortals, superior beings, and Heavenly Humans. Does that mean besides secular humans, those immortals, superior beings, including Heavenly Humans, are not human?"
"Brother Gu, that's not what I meant."
Mo Wentian explained, "If the Heavenly Dao merely transcends the Three Thousand Great Daos, then the Heavenly Dao indeed belongs to one of the Great Daos. But what if the Heavenly Dao is not merely transcending the Great Daos?"
Gu Qingfeng was somewhat confused. "The Heavenly Dao is not merely transcending the Great Daos?"
"Regarding the Heavenly Dao, have you ever heard another saying, Brother Gu?"
Mo Wentian said unhurriedly, "The Heavenly Dao is Fate, and Fate is the Heavenly Dao."
Hearing this.
Gu Qingfeng fell into deep thought.
He had heard this saying, and not just once. Not only had he heard it, he had also pondered it carefully. Sometimes he even suspected that the Heavenly Dao was Fate, and Fate was the Heavenly Dao.
After all, heavenly principles cycle, cause and effect bring retribution.
The so-called Heavenly Dao: the rules of all things, the principles of all things. Everything follows certain rules.
Isn't this precisely cause and effect? Isn't this precisely Fate?
Suddenly.
His heart thumped. He had once heard that behind Fate were the Ancient Clan. If Fate truly was the Heavenly Dao, then wouldn't the force behind the Heavenly Dao also be the Ancient Clan?
"Actually..." At this moment, Ren Tianxing, who had been silent all along, spoke up. "Whether the Heavenly Dao is one of the Three Thousand Great Daos is not important. Whether Dugu Qizhan truly survived from the Desolate Ancient Era is also not important. The reason Dugu Qizhan is called 'equal to heaven' is not because of these things."
"Then why is it?"
"Brother Gu should know about Great Dao Envoys, right?"
Gu Qingfeng nodded. Of course he knew.
The Immortal Dao had its Immortal Dao Envoys, the Monster Dao had its Monster Dao Envoys, and the Buddha Dao also had its Buddha Dao Envoys.
Most of these Great Dao Envoys were spread throughout the Myriad Heavens and Worlds.
Take the Immortal Dao, for example.
The Immortal Dao would establish Immortal Courts in the Myriad Heavens and Worlds. These Immortal Courts governed a world, and those in charge of the Immortal Courts were the Great Dao Envoys. For instance, in Gu Qingfeng's home world, the Immortal Court Envoy was a woman named Mo Ruyi.
Above the Immortal Court Envoys, there were also Heavenly Domain Envoys.
A Heavenly Domain contained numerous worlds. Naturally, a Heavenly Domain Envoy governed the many worlds within a Heavenly Domain. The Black Boar Monster King was once an Immortal Dao Envoy governing a Heavenly Domain.
In the Present Era, the Immortal Dao dominated heaven and earth, with Immortal Courts spread throughout the Myriad Heavens and Worlds. Therefore, the Immortal Dao had comparatively more envoys.
As for envoys of other Great Daos, it wasn't that they didn't exist. It was just that, due to the Immortal Dao's territory, they rarely showed themselves.