The Fear of the Obsolete Forces
In the high heavens, where golden radiance and chaotic darkness converged in stillness, tier upon tier of obsolete Old Forces and malevolent deities sat enthroned within the void. Their gazes, cold as ice accumulated over ten thousand winters, stared down at the mortal realm. They perceived it with absolute clarity: the light of the Fa-Rectification was spreading across the ten directions of the cosmos like an unquenchable sacred flame. This energy had ignited embers of hope within unnumbered lost sentient beings, weaving a field of pure energy that caused their dimensions to tremble.
Yet, this trembling arose not from reverence, but from dread—the fear of transgressors who knew that their obsolete existence was soon to be purified and swept away by the law of elimination governing the new cosmos.
The Conspiracy of the Degenerate
The vast cosmos had long since arrived at its final era. The heavenly decree was thrown into chaos, and the grand cosmic structure was fractured like an ancient jade tablet on the verge of shattering to dust. Who could turn the cosmic gears of fate? Who could deliver unnumbered species from total annihilation?
The Holy King—the Creator bearing boundless compassion—had comprehended the celestial mysteries since primordial time. Voluntarily, He descended into the mortal world, journeying through unnumbered heavens down into the Three Realms to execute the Fa-Rectification, spreading the Great Fa widely to offer salvation to all sentient beings. Though the Three Realms were lower and denser, they were safely enveloped to be rectified at the very end, serving as the core crucible of the cosmos—the sacred ground where disciples cultivate their Xinxing and assist the Master in delivering all states of existence. As the old universe faced elimination, those beings residing beyond the Three Realms were left with but two choices: either to be purified into nothingness, or to be benevolently resolved and assimilated into the new cosmos.
Nevertheless, certain ancient evil deities beyond the Three Realms, blinded by selfishness and hubris, were plotting within the shadows.
A malevolent deity unleashed a chilling laugh:
“We represent the highest heavens; why should we descend to the mortal world to endure suffering? We need only sow the most perverted dregs of the old universe into the Three Realms: wicked entities, desires, contention, and jealous suspicion. Those demonic attributes shall stir the mortal realm, transforming the Three Realms into a battlefield to forge the Dao-heart of those who follow the Fa.”
Another interjected, his voice steeped in fear:
“If that light truly reaches perfection and delivers all sentient beings... will there still be an eternal station for us within the newly born cosmos?”
Those malevolent words echoed through the expanse like muffled thunder—a harbinger of a violent storm. They feared not a mere display of power, but the day when the light of the Fa-Rectification would become so all-encompassing that it would no longer require darkness as a counterweight to justify its existence.
The Slumber of the Ancient One
At a tier of heaven even higher, where the boundary between golden light and chaotic darkness blurred into nothingness, the chasm plunged into absolute hush. From the deepest layers of nameless particles, a solitary figure materialized—so colossal that it stretched beyond all horizons, transcending the comprehension of any mortal mind.
Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.
He gazed down at the Three Realms with a lonely, inscrutable look. When the light of the Fa-Rectification touched this dimension—though it was but a spark arising from the human world—it caused the vast expanse of ten thousand leagues to vibrate in resonance. He tilted his head slightly, not out of fury or fear, but from an awakening realization—the feeling when a familiar order is about to be replaced by something transcendent.
He had once believed that all lives required opposition to exist: Light needed darkness, and Righteousness needed Evil to validate its worth. Yet now, the light of the Fa-Rectification radiating from the mortal realm sought no adversary to combat or destroy. It merely utilized its compassion to offer salvation, to harmonize, and to purify all creation.
He turned his face away, refusing to confront the terrifying truth: that when that light reached ultimate Consummation, the new cosmos would hold no place for those who existed solely to act as an unthinking counterweight. The abyss returned to stillness, but within the silence of that ancient entity, an obsolete law of the universe had already collapsed within his consciousness.
The Undercurrents Sown Into the Mortal Realm
Following the indifferent turn of the ancient entity, the evil deities knew they had no path of retreat. To preserve their existence, they initiated their malice, mobilizing torrents of black mist that descended through layer upon layer of dimensions to breach the Three Realms.
This negative energy possessed no tangible form, imperceptible to mortal eyes; yet, it crept into every crevice, acting directly upon the minds of ordinary human beings. Within the hearts of the greedy, it mutated into an abyss of insatiable desire. Within the minds of the contentious, it ignited flames of hatred to consume the last remnants of human conscience. Within the thoughts of the doubtful, it wove a veil of suspicion to suffocate their Righteous Thoughts.
This undercurrent made no clamor, yet bit by bit, it was weaving a colossal snare across heaven and earth, preparing for the most sweeping persecution in human history.
The Premonition of the Cultivator
Though Giang Long, residing in the mortal realm, could not yet pierce through the conspiracies unfolding across the higher realms, he continued to diligently cultivate alongside his grandmother beneath the thatched roof of Van Lac, preserving his soul as pure as a mirror. However, owing to the sublimation of his energy field, he began to perceive an abnormal shroud of energy gradually enveloping the space.
The wind whistling through the bamboo groves carried a strange chill—not the cold of winter's passage, but the cold of malevolent threats. As night fell, the hazy moonlight seemed choked by an invisible mist. In the depths of his samadhi, vague visions manifested within the youth’s mind: a sea of humanity fighting frantically for fame and profit, cold eyes filled with jealous suspicion, and hands reached forth—not to offer salvation, but to drag other lives down into the abyss of annihilation.
Giang Long opened his eyes, cool sweat drenching his shoulders. He understood that the most ruthless trial was drawing near. The undercurrents from the high heavens had begun to shake the fabric of the Three Realms. The impending battle between Righteousness and Evil would not be waged with blades alone, but would reverberate within every thought and every choice of every human soul.
Yet, no fear arose within his heart. For he knew that no matter how many degenerate dregs the malevolent deities sowed, no matter how dense the darkness of this final era became, the supreme light of the Fa-Rectification stood immutable and majestic. The spark of Righteous Thoughts within his breast and those of unnumbered practitioners across the world had merged into one, crystallizing into an undying faith—ready to step into the tempest to assist the Holy King in unfolding a completely new era for the cosmos.
CANTO XXXII: UNDERCURRENTS IN THE HIGH HEAVENS
High heavens churn as evil deities scheme,
They sow the dregs, and the Three Realms lament.
A net of grief is cast upon the stream,
To stain the mortal world with grim intent.
The youth awakes, his Dao-heart guarded well,
The True Sutra illuminates the grand design.
Though unnumbered waves of undercurrents swell,
The Righteous Fa shall forever shine.