But if Fusheng Dijun and Changfeng Great Emperor could gradually comprehend the true meaning of this Calamity, then why couldn't the Nine Sons of the Sage Dao and the Nine Sons of the Heavenly Dao, who are also destined to face this tribulation, comprehend the true meaning of this Calamity?
And what about Elder Tai and Elder Miao of the Xuantian Immortal Dao, the Old Immortal of Xuantian, and even those so-called Sage Elders of the Holy Lands and those so-called Heavenly Elders of Shangqing Heaven? They are not just old hands of the Great Dao; they have been guarding the Three Thousand Sources of the Great Dao all along. It's impossible that they don't know the true meaning of this Calamity, right?
One must know that the Three Thousand Sources of the Great Dao were all slaughtered and perished by the Venerable of No Dao during the Desolate Ancient Era.
After their fall, they began to recover during the Tai Gu Era.
The fallen Three Thousand Sources would definitely not recover for no reason; it must have a great deal to do with those Immortal Elders, Heavenly Elders, and Sage Elders.
In fact, they likely deduced the Original Sin Calamity of the Desolate Ancient Era long ago, clearly understanding that the Three Thousand Sources of the Great Dao were doomed in this tribulation. Therefore, they secretly made preparations, and immediately after the Desolate Ancient Era ended, they set about reviving their own Great Dao Sources, seizing this opportunity to covet the position of Head of the Great Dao.
If that's truly the case, then those old fellows couldn't possibly not know the true meaning of this Calamity.
When he asked this, Lady Heishui beside him said, "Your guess is correct. The Immortal Elders of Xuantian, the Sage Elders of the Holy Lands, and the Heavenly Elders of Shangqing Heaven—they indeed all know the true meaning of this Calamity. And...
I dare assert they understand it better than anyone else."
"Good heavens!"
The Old Beggar was greatly shocked and hurriedly pressed, "Since they know, why do they still want to use this Calamity to covet the position of Head of the Great Dao?
Don't they want to redeem themselves?
Don't they want to transcend their fundamental selves?
Don't they want to seek their True Selves?"
Lady Heishui did not respond to this question, but the Old Beggar already knew the answer.
When he asked this question, he already knew the answer. To be precise, the question he asked was the answer itself.
Obviously.
In the minds of those Immortal Elders, Heavenly Elders, and Sage Elders, compared to self-redemption, compared to transcending the fundamental self, compared to seeking the True Self, having the Three Thousand Great Daos ascend to the position of Head of the Great Dao to dominate Heaven and Earth is far more important!
They themselves do not wish to redeem or transcend, nor do they want others to redeem or transcend, and they certainly don't want the Great Dao to redeem or transcend. They only want their own Great Dao Sources to dominate Heaven and Earth.
As for whether this Great Dao is riddled with holes or utterly rotten, they simply don't care.
Thinking of this, the Old Beggar couldn't help but suck in a cold breath, angrily saying with indignation, "These old fellows are truly shameless!"
The Old Beggar didn't understand before.
He didn't understand why the Three Thousand Sources were the root cause of the Great Dao's utter rottenness.
Now he understood.
As long as the Three Thousand Sources exist, anyone within the Great Dao can never transcend themselves and attain the true Great Dao.
Any Great Dao Source can establish the Laws of the Great Dao, and these Laws are like an invisible net that envelops all those within the Great Dao, akin to imprisonment and sealing. They make you believe these Laws are the true Laws of the Great Dao, unaware that the Laws of the Great Dao are merely an invisible net established by the Great Dao Sources.
Previously, the Old Beggar always believed that karma created fate—what kind of cause you sowed, you would reap what kind of effect, and thus possess what kind of fate.
Now he realized he was wrong, and terribly wrong at that!
He finally understood why those so-called Sage Elders, Heavenly Elders, and Immortal Elders would rather give up the chance to seek their True Selves and spare no effort to covet the position of Head of the Great Dao.
Because becoming the Head of the Great Dao allows one to dominate Heaven and Earth. Dominating Heaven and Earth enables one to use the Sources of Heaven and Earth to establish the Laws of Heaven and Earth.
Mastering Heaven and Earth means mastering the fate of all living beings!
They can make you live or make you die, and if you die, you can only die.
If you dare touch these Laws of the Great Dao and Heaven and Earth, or challenge and question the hegemony of the Great Dao and Heaven and Earth, judgment will immediately descend, annihilating you to ashes.
Because the Laws of this Great Dao and the Laws of this Heaven and Earth were established by them. You cannot avoid them, shake them off, or escape them. Unless you can leap out of this Heaven, Earth, and Great Dao, you can only be at their mercy.
Understood.
The Old Beggar completely understood.
He even understood why, since ancient times, no one in Heaven and Earth has become a True Buddha, a True Sage, or a True God.
Ever since the Desolate Ancient Era began, the Sage Dao became the dominant hegemon of Heaven and Earth, then the Heavenly Dao dominated Heaven and Earth. Both wove an invisible net for all living beings across the myriad realms, imprisoning them within. No one could jump out of this invisible net. Whoever dared to jump would be judged. As long as one cannot jump out of this invisible net, naturally one cannot transcend, nor can one seek the true Great Dao. If one cannot even seek the true Great Dao, how can one become a True Buddha, a True Sage, or a True God?
No wonder some say the truth is often cruel.
This truth was indeed too cruel for the Old Beggar—cruel not only in being hard to believe but also impossible to accept.
He took several deep breaths in succession but still couldn't suppress the fury in his heart.
For no particular reason.
The Old Beggar suddenly remembered a sentence shouted by the Venerable of No Dao when he slaughtered the Three Thousand Great Daos in the Desolate Ancient Era: "If karma does not die, original sin will not cease; if fate does not end, original sin will not decay; if the Great Dao does not perish, the path of No Dao will not open!
If Heaven and Earth do not perish, the universe will not emerge; if falsehood is not broken, truth and falsehood will not be clear!"
Back then, he didn't understand, but now he was gradually understanding the meaning of these words.
The so-called karma, the so-called fate, the so-called Great Dao—from the very beginning, they were false illusions created by the Three Thousand Sources!
Taking another deep breath, the Old Beggar said tremulously, "So, the Nine Sons of Heaven and the Nine Sons of Sage, these destined tribulation figures, are they the same as those old fellows?"
"The Nine Sons of Heaven?
The Nine Sons of Sage?"
Lady Heishui shook her head slightly and said faintly, "They do not know the meaning of this Calamity. They don't even know the tribulation they themselves are destined to face."
"This...
That's not very likely, is it?
Even if they can't comprehend it, they should at least know about it, right?
I think at this critical juncture, those old fellows shouldn't hide it from them. Even if they wanted to hide it, they probably couldn't. The Nine Sons of Heaven and the Nine Sons of Sage aren't fools."
"Knowing is one thing; comprehending is another. These are two completely different concepts."
Lady Heishui glanced at the Old Beggar and asked nonchalantly, "You also count as knowing the true meaning of this Calamity, but do you know how to redeem yourself?
How to transcend your fundamental self, how to seek your True Self, and how to seek the true Great Dao?"
"I..." The Old Beggar was momentarily speechless. He indeed didn't know how to transcend himself and seek his True Self.
"You don't know. Most of the Patriarchs present also don't know, including those Sage Elders, Heavenly Elders, and Immortal Elders. If they could truly comprehend the meaning of this Calamity, they wouldn't be coveting the position of Head of the Great Dao."
"Coveting the Head of the Great Dao is an obsession in their hearts. They simply cannot let go of this obsession in their hearts, so how can they transcend themselves?
How can they seek their True Selves?"
"They are like this, and so are you. Including all the Patriarchs present, no one is an exception. You all have obsessions in your hearts. Where there is obsession, there are shackles. Where there are shackles, you cannot redeem yourselves. If you cannot redeem yourselves, you cannot transcend your fundamental selves. If you cannot transcend your fundamental selves, you can never awaken your True Selves. If you cannot awaken your True Selves, you will never comprehend the meaning of this Calamity."