Chapter 829 - 576: Five Hundred Years Later
[Mysterious Gate]
In an instant, the entire world seemed to come to a halt.
Purple energy rolled backward, and the Dao Sound emerged from the void, pulling Chen Sheng into a realm of chaotic desolation.
An overwhelmingly ancient and simple portal slowly materialized before him.
The height of the door was unknown, its width immeasurable. The patterns on the door were mysteriously profound, resembling mountains and rivers, the sun, moon, and stars, as well as the tracks of life being born, and the nurturing of all souls.
Each pattern was filled with infinite creation!
Though it was merely hovering quietly, it made Chen Sheng feel a deep sense of insignificance and awe before the origin of the Great Dao, the foundation of heaven and earth.
He unconsciously widened his eyes, his mind trembling violently.
In front of this door, all cultivation, all power, all Dao countries and doctrines, seemed insignificant.
What shook him was not strength, but the source of all life, all Daoist techniques, all existence.
At that moment, an ancient and indistinct Dao Sound, as if it had existed since the beginning of creation, slowly echoed in the depths of his soul.
"Before the chaos was divided, there was initially one Qi; once heaven and earth split apart, the Mysterious Gate was born."
"Deep and obscure, it establishes the root of Yin and Yang; dim and silent, it is the pivot of creation..."
"Though invisible, through it all things are born; though inaudible, through it myriad forms arise. Neither existent nor nonexistent, with no beginning nor end; neither born nor extinguished, eternally enduring..."
The Dao Sound washed over his divine soul repeatedly, and countless profound principles surged into his sea of consciousness like a tide.
Chen Sheng closed his eyes, focused his mind, quietly comprehending, unaware of the passage of time, unconcerned with the years passing.
He seemed to witness the beginning of chaos, one Qi transforming into Yin and Yang;
witness the nurturing of the Mysterious Gate, the beginnings of all life;
witness the origins of life, aging, illness, death, becoming, dwelling, decaying, and void, all tied to this very gate.
He did not know how much time had passed.
Chen Sheng finally exhaled a long breath of impure air and slowly opened his eyes.
The chaos in his eyes dissipated, replaced by a clarity and profundity that understood the source.
He softly murmured, each word carrying the tremor of enlightenment:
"The Mysterious upon Mysterious, the gateway to all wonders; the Mysterious as a valley, the mother of all souls!"
"The Mysterious Gate... is truly the gate to the Great Dao!"
He looked up again.
The door, clearly within reach, seemed touchable, yet upon close inspection, appeared to be far beyond the ninth heavens, shrouded by a dense mist of chaos, visible yet unreachable.
Within the door lay endless mysteries, supreme power, ultimate truth, yet they were far beyond what he could fully grasp or master at this moment.
At this moment, a memory suddenly surfaced in his mind.
It was the warning words of Gu Youming before his death:
"The Ancient Race, Blood Race, Taiyin Body Refining, Corpse Dissolving Immortal... Digging into the essence of power."
Chen Sheng gently nodded, his eyes glowing even brighter.
"Before, I did not stand high enough, nor did I see far enough!"
"Now, standing tall, I have seen the Great Dao and witnessed the essence of all power with my own eyes."
Whether it was the strangeness of the Blood Race, the heritage of the Ancient Race, or the likes of Taiyin Body Refining, Corpse Dissolving Immortal, in the end, they were merely aspects of the Great Dao.
But he had already seen the source.
Chen Sheng, with firm eyes, looked towards the hazy Mysterious Gate, with no more confusion in his heart:
"Excavate!"
"Excavate the source and carve out my path."
"Someday, I will fully penetrate this layer of mist and push open the Mysterious Gate!"
...
Time flows gently, years leave no trace, and in the blink of an eye, five hundred years passed.
Qinghe City!
Skyscrapers stood like a forest, amidst the jungle of steel, floating traffic flowed ceaselessly, and neon lights outlined the city’s silhouette.
In a warmly decorated residential home, soft yellow light spilled over the wooden dining table.
The dishes weren’t luxurious, but they were steaming hot, filled with the steady warmth of home.
A family of three sat around the table, not immediately starting to eat but straightened up, pressed their hands together, with respectful faces, closed their eyes, and silently chanted.
"Thank the Supreme Saint Chen Celestial King for protecting the wellbeing of all beings, safeguarding our family’s peace, abundant harvests, and that everything proceeds smoothly."
Their three voices intertwined, devout and solemn.
After the prayer, they all picked up their bowls and chopsticks, eating quietly.
Halfway through the meal, the father put down his bowl and chopsticks, let out a long sigh, an uncontainable worry between his brows:
"Recently, it’s getting harder and harder to do the work of salvaging at sea."
"Qinghe City has just formally enacted the Marine Species Stage-wise Protection Law, clearly demarcating the protected habitats of the lobster and king crab species, strictly prohibiting unauthorized fishing and salvaging, with severe penalties for violators."
The mother’s hand paused slightly, and she responded softly, her tone filled with helplessness:
"Understandable!"
"Those marine clans submitted a joint petition. The Marine Species Protection Law has been implemented in major cities for seven or eight years. Our Qinghe is a small place, among the last batch to implement it."
Seeing her husband’s discouraged expression, she softened her tone and advised:
"If it really doesn’t work out, sell that old salvage ship, fill in the family’s losses."
"And you, honestly go to the community service station, sign up, get assigned a role and find a job, and live steadily."
The father opened his mouth, his throat moving as if to say something, but ultimately he only let out a deep sigh, focused on the rice in his bowl, and said nothing more.
The young Zhang Jie, who was quietly eating, seemed obedient and well-behaved, but a storm was raging in his heart.
A strong sense of discord and strangeness surged within him continuously.
Not long ago, he had an extraordinarily vivid and terrifying dream.
In the dream, he found himself on a planet called Blue Star.
There, no Daoist techniques, no deities, and no bizarre alien races existed—only pure humans.
In the dream, he experienced nearly a hundred years from 1930 to 2029 as an observer—witnessing the tumult of war, the hardship of hunger and cold, and the prosperity of the new era!
Upon waking from the dream, he looked at this world and found it absurd everywhere.
Humans had split into thousands of tribes: pure humans, fox people, lobster people, crab people, clam people... aliens mingled, each with different forms.
Ruling the world was the Supreme Dao Country, which had lasted for five hundred years.
Everyone worshipped Celestial King Chen Sheng, believing that faith was the foundation of existence and the stairs to advancement.
This system was entirely different from the Blue Star era, making him feel both unfamiliar and stunned.
"Xiao Jie, remember to go to the community temple to worship after dinner."
His mother’s voice pulled him back to reality, with a serious tone reminding him,
"You haven’t met this week’s prayer duration yet. Be devout and have the right attitude. Don’t leave a bad faith record."
"Our family is counting on you to cultivate your faith well, entering the system in the future, and holding a stable job."
Zhang Jie suppressed the myriad distractions in his heart, obediently nodding:
"Understood, mom. I’ll go after I finish eating."
After hastily finishing his dinner, Zhang Jie pushed open the door, ran towards the southwest side of the community, embracing the slightly cool evening breeze.
Sunset Red Community Supreme Sub-temple!
Though the temple was small, it was ancient and elegant, with a golden plaque hanging above the vermillion door, a faint incense aroma lingering.
Residents walked by with calm steps, all appearing respectful.
To the west of the entrance, there was a small shrine, the altar tidy, incense smoke delicately rising from the incense burner.
At the center of the altar stood a statue of a young man in a Daoist robe, quietly standing, with a gentle face and clear brows and eyes, surrounded by a subtle golden light.
The shrine’s door plaque was carved with ancient golden script: Sunset Red Community [Guiding Virtuous Individuals] Work Point.
Beside it stood a bulletin board, the text clearly listing various civic matters:
Work consultations, refuse removal, flower maintenance reports, searches for people and items, water and electricity maintenance, parking coordination...
Items were categorized, marked "Resolved" or "Pending," all clear at a glance.
Next to it was a wooden suggestion box, with a note attached: Public Opinion Submissions, Problem Feedback, Privacy Deliveries.
Zhang Jie understood.
This was the responsibility of the community’s Guiding Virtuous Individuals, dealing with all household trivia, akin to street office and property management during the Blue Star era.
Yet, with just one Guiding Virtuous Individual, everything was managed in an orderly manner.
The community was clean, parking orderly...
It could even address requests by dreaming, protecting believers’ privacy throughout, efficient and considerate.
Thinking of this, he felt genuine respect in his heart.
He quickly walked to the altar, picked up three sticks of incense, lit them with the candle flame, and held them in both hands. Facing the statue, he bowed deeply three times, solemnly placing the incense in the burner.
At the moment the incense settled into the burner.
The young man’s statue on the altar slightly raised its corners, revealing an extremely subtle and gentle smile.
Zhang Jie clearly caught this scene and smiled too, speaking:
"Thank you for your hard work, messenger!"
He swiftly passed through the small shrine and headed towards the main hall deep in the temple.
In the main hall, incense smoke swirled, and at the center, a vivid virtual deity statue!
Dozens of believers sat cross-legged on cushions, eyes closed, hands gesturing, chanting to themselves, all devoutly worshipping Celestial King Chen Sheng.
Zhang Jie found an empty spot to sit down, mimicking others, closed his eyes, calmed his mind, and prayed quietly.
In the past, his faith merely followed the tide, barely meeting the Level One Believers standard.
But now, the century of turmoil, hardship, and displacement witnessed in his dream of Blue Star, clashed fiercely with the peace, tranquility, and carefree life of the world before him.
That gratitude and reverence for Celestial King Chen Sheng’s protection of all living beings, grew increasingly heartfelt, fervent, and profound.
As he prayed devoutly.
A wisp of light golden cloud qi slowly floated above his head, within which lines of gilded characters emerged, clearly appearing:
Weekly Prayer Duration, Prayer Quality, Devotion Level, Faith Ranking...
The surrounding believers’ cloud qi was mostly pale and thin, with levels stopping at Level One, Level Two.
Only Zhang Jie’s golden cloud qi was dazzling, with his faith level prominently marked:
Level Three!
Among many believers, he stood out, exceptionally noticeable.
No one knew how long had passed when the bell in the main hall rang softly.
The prayer ended, and people gradually opened their eyes, rising one after another.
Zhang Jie’s golden cloud qi gradually dissipated, but the earlier vision had already caught the attention of the surrounding uncles and aunts.
They gathered around Zhang Jie, expressing words of praise and encouragement.
"Isn’t this Xiao Jie? So young, yet already a Level Three believer, quite impressive!"
"Indeed, indeed, Level Three Believers, this kind of talent in our community is outstanding. He has a promising future for entering the system!"
"To be so devout at such a young age with a stable mindset, he’ll surely accomplish great things. The Zhang Family is truly blessed."