Chapter 438: "Chaos Scripture"
“According to the system’s timeline, I survived by desperately resisting those two bastards’ attacks until Commander Liu and Venerable Sumeru Buddha arrived, then reached the Tribulation Transcendence Stage through system rewards?” Jiang Li’s expression turned strange. In reality, he hadn’t relied on the system at all—he’d directly comprehended the secrets of tribulation during battle, successfully advancing to the Tribulation Transcendence Stage and killing both enemies alone.
“Whatever, let’s check this ‘Chaos Scripture.’ As long as it’s not teaching how to cook wontons…” Being a system reward, Jiang Li didn’t expect much from it.
“Hmm, this ‘Chaos Scripture’ actually has substance.”
“Form arises from formlessness—thus heaven and earth find their origin. Chaos describes the state where all things intermingle yet remain undivided. Invisible to sight, silent to hearing, untraceable to touch—thus called the Change. The Change transforms into One, and One begets all things…”
“This is an ancient celestial scripture. According to its teachings, after transcending tribulation and ascending, one becomes an Earthly Immortal observing heaven from earth, then a Celestial Immortal, followed by gathering three blossoms atop the head and converging five energies toward the origin to become a Golden Immortal, finally attaining the Dao Fruit to achieve the position of Primordial Chaos and Limitlessness.”
“The Primordial Chaos and Limitlessness position—also called the Primordial Chaos and Limitless Immortal—is the final step of the immortal path, the realm of figures like the Dao Ancestor and Confucius Sage.”
“This reward is so generous?”
Jiang Li was surprised. This felt like drawing a golden card on the first try at Daoist Dongxu’s cave.
“But cultivating this technique requires celestial energy, which seems rather useless.”
Overall, it was a good reward—just unusable. Jiang Li understood why the system gave him this “Chaos Scripture.”
According to the system’s timeline, after completing the Path of the Human Sovereign and reaching the Tribulation Transcendence Stage, his next step would be immortal ascension. By then, the special mission “Seeking the Celestial Ladder” would be nearly complete—assembling the Celestial Ladder would make ascension effortless.
“I just wonder if the system has follow-up missions.” Jiang Li mused aloud. Given the celestial realm’s situation and the system’s arrangements, the moment of ascension would be his death.
“If the system has more missions, I might survive. But if this completes my counterattack and the system’s purpose is fulfilled, I should die. Moreover, the Celestial Ladder connects the Nine Provinces to the celestial realm, putting the Nine Provinces in grave danger.”
“Wait, there seems to be another special mission called ‘Celestial Realm’s Trace’ that I never activated. This mission probably isn’t just about finding the celestial realm—if that were the case, the ‘Seeking the Celestial Ladder’ mission alone would suffice. ‘Celestial Realm’s Trace’ seems redundant.”
The system had issued three special missions: Celestial Realm’s Trace, Seeking the Celestial Ladder, and Path of the Human Sovereign. Celestial Realm’s Trace failed at the initial stage without activation, Seeking the Celestial Ladder was ongoing, and Path of the Human Sovereign was completed rapidly.
“Considering the situation nine thousand years ago and the mission name, ‘Celestial Realm’s Trace’ likely involves unveiling the celestial realm’s secrets. Perhaps this special mission exists to pry open Immortal Elder Changcun’s mouth… no, to make him speak truthfully.”
“Since the system intends for me to know the celestial realm’s truth, there should be a way for me to secretly infiltrate it to cultivate… right? Otherwise, why reward this ‘Chaos Scripture’?” Jiang Li speculated uncertainly.
As for the truth, only future ordinary missions from the system could confirm.
“Damn it, the system’s ordinary missions still think I’m at the Nascent Soul Stage.” Jiang Li’s face darkened at the thought. How long would he have to wait?
Jiang Li wished the system would release ordinary missions all at once like it did with “Path of the Human Sovereign.”
Reviewing the thirty-three Path of the Human Sovereign missions, Jiang Li fell into reminiscence.
Most system-described missions were familiar, with only minor discrepancies—likely caused by Jiang Li not following requirements precisely, creating timeline deviations.
These deviations were minimal since all Path missions involved tests from the previous Human Sovereign, who wouldn’t drastically alter trials just for Jiang Li.
At most, minor modifications.
Jiang Li sighed nostalgically: “Those were better days—fooling around daily with Bai Hongtu and Yu Yin without worries. Now… wait, now seems the same?”
He’d meant to lament how times change and people must mature, but halfway through realized something was off.
Before, he’d fooled around cheerfully with Bai Hongtu and Yu Yin. Now? Still fooling around cheerfully with them.
Nothing had changed.
“Might as well initiate the Human Sovereign selection now.” Jiang Li murmured.
Not that he planned to retire soon, but the selection process was lengthy. If he waited until wanting to retire, he’d have to endure the delay.
Better to preselect candidates now for flexible retirement timing.
After the meeting, Jiang Li remained in the Human Sovereign Hall. Wanting to begin selections, he went directly to the Earth Vein.
“The Earth Vein seems thicker.” Jiang Li was certain he wasn’t mistaken.
The Earth Vein had changed—grown. Spiritual energy around it had increased, making it easier for cultivators to enter states of heavenly-human unity and selfless enlightenment.
“Because we made agreements with six worlds?” This was Jiang Li’s first hypothesis, growing more plausible upon reflection.
“Immortal Elder Changcun said the celestial realm grows stronger with more worlds under its rule. His ‘strength’ likely referred to the Heavenly Dao—its power relates to world numbers?”
“Following this logic, does that mean the Nine Provinces’ Earth Vein is the Heavenly Dao? No—a proto-Heavenly Dao. The current Earth Vein remains too weak to qualify.”
“Those fallen immortals feared the collective will of dying mortals—were they afraid of the Earth Vein?” Jiang Li pieced together some truths.
He also realized the Earth Vein’s emergence inevitably set the Nine Provinces against the celestial realm.
The celestial realm would inevitably seek to destroy what it feared.
“What I don’t understand is why they haven’t sent anyone to destroy it yet. Doesn’t the Executor of Karma know his plan failed?”
Jiang Li considered contacting the Executor to kindly inform him his scheme had failed, inviting him back to the Nine Provinces.
Unfortunately, contact was impossible.
Jiang Li bowed toward the chamber housing past Human Sovereign statues.
“Witnessed by all previous Human Sovereigns, I, the 72nd Human Sovereign Jiang Li, hereby initiate selection for the 73rd Human Sovereign.”
Then he crouched, reaching into the Earth Vein. Its cool touch felt soothing.
Infusing it with magic power, he reactivated the Earth Vein’s dormant functions after five centuries.
Jiang Li’s consciousness connected with the Earth Vein.
He felt like boundless spiritual energy, infinitely extending—through the Nine Provinces Continent, starry skies, other worlds…
The Earth Vein calculated and tested endlessly, evaluating temperament and talent until finally selecting candidates.
Those chosen found a mark quietly appearing between their brows.