Chapter 251: All Learners Seek the Ancient Past

“I would be honored to hear the details.”

Li Shun respectfully cupped his hands, sincerely seeking guidance.

“Just now, did you hear us mention the [Beyond Heaven Dao Marks]?” Ying Wuxiu asked slowly.

Li Shun nodded.

Only then did Ying Wuxiu continue.

“You should know that the Great Qian World is merely a fragment of the ancient primordial wilderness from ages past. Compared to the Great Dao of that ancient primordial era, the laws of heaven and earth we comprehend within the Great Qian World are actually incomplete.”

“As for what are known as Beyond Heaven Dao Marks, they are imprints of the Great Dao seized from beyond the heavens of Great Qian, originating from other worlds.”

“These things can be used to repair the Heavenly Dao of Great Qian. They can also serve as stones from another mountain that may be used to polish our own jade.”

Li Shun's mind was exceptionally sharp, and he immediately understood the implication behind Ying Wuxiu's words.

“Senior, do you mean that some of these so-called Beyond Heaven Dao Marks originated from the fragments of the ancient primordial wilderness, while others may not?”

“You little fellow, your comprehension truly is extraordinary.”

Ying Wuxiu stroked his beard with a smile of praise. Yet a moment later, his expression once again became solemn.

“Indeed. Within the chaos beyond the heavens, there are not only fragments left behind by the shattered ancient primordial wilderness, but also the remains of countless foreign worlds.”

“Some of these Dao Marks from other worlds conflict with the natural laws and spiritual resonance of the Great Qian World, making them completely incompatible. Others, however, can inspire one to draw inferences from one example and gain a certain degree of enlightenment.”

“Only an extremely small portion can truly merge into the Heavenly Dao of Great Qian and become the foundation for repairing Heaven.”

Li Shun silently repeated the words, “repairing Heaven.”

Zhao Cheng had mentioned something related to this before, but he had never brought up the existence of Beyond Heaven Dao Marks.

“Since the founding of Great Qian, all the Beyond Heaven Dao Marks we have captured have been preserved within the Taixue Academy.”

“Even those that have already merged into the Heavenly Dao of Great Qian have left behind imprinted copies. It can be said that the Taixue Academy is unquestionably the greatest sacred ground for seeking enlightenment throughout all of Great Qian.”

“For the students of the Taixue Academy, comprehending the Dao and repairing Heaven is an important part of their daily studies and cultivation. Beyond that, they must also undergo trials beyond the heavens.”

“Trials beyond the heavens?”

Li Shun's heart stirred. Recalling what Zhao Cheng had said earlier, he hurriedly asked, “Do you mean traveling through different worlds?”

Ying Wuxiu shook his head.

“Yes, and no. The other worlds within the chaos are filled with countless dangers. If one's physical body travels there, the slightest misstep can result in death.”

“Those capable of entering the Taixue Academy are all prodigies selected from among countless people, pillars of Great Qian's future. The loss of even one would be a tragedy for the entire dynasty. Since these are called trials, how could we possibly allow them to recklessly risk their lives?”

“The trials beyond the heavens conducted by the Taixue Academy actually involve severing a strand of one's primal soul and, through an unparalleled secret art, traversing the void to descend into another world.”

“Among these worlds are realms whose circumstances have been thoroughly investigated and understood, as well as unexplored lands whose future remains completely unknown. Although unknown worlds are extraordinarily dangerous, they often come accompanied by tremendous opportunities.”

“As for those realms that Taixue Academy students have already visited, there are detailed geographical records and accumulated experience to guide those who enter. Their dangers are practically nonexistent, making them the most suitable destinations for those who are just beginning to explore this path.”

…

Listening to Ying Wuxiu's explanation, Li Shun could not help but furrow his brows slightly.

This method was practically identical to the way he traversed worlds through the door formed from the Xuanhuang Qi of Heaven and Earth.

The only difference was that he relied on a puppet avatar, whereas the Taixue Academy relied upon a strand of one's primordial soul consciousness.

Seeing him frown deeply, Ying Wuxiu assumed that he had guessed the underlying connection. He could not help but laugh.

“Did this remind you of the words Otherworldly Celestial Demon?”

Li Shun's heart tightened.

He immediately nodded repeatedly, going along with the assumption.

“In truth, the Taixue Academy's method of traversing worlds with one's primal soul originated from an Otherworldly Celestial Demon who infiltrated Great Qian many years ago!”

Ying Wuxiu spoke in a heavy voice.

“If we speak of the depth of the poison it left behind, the calamity caused by that Otherworldly Celestial Demon was even more terrifying than that of the Beyond Gods and their evil manifestations!”

Li Shun was somewhat puzzled.

“Could it be that the strength of an Otherworldly Celestial Demon descending into this world is actually even more terrifying than that of an Beyond God?”

Ying Wuxiu solemnly explained, “The Outer Gods and their evil manifestations are, in essence, fundamentally inhuman. Even if they conceal themselves among the countless living beings of the world, there will eventually come a day when they reveal their true nature.”

“Although the power of an Outer God is formidable, when the projection or incarnation it sends into our world descends, we still possess the strength to fight it.”

“However, an Otherworldly Celestial Demon…”

Ying Wuxiu's expression suddenly became graver than ever.

“Once it infiltrates our world unnoticed, it becomes completely indistinguishable from the native living beings of Great Qian.”

“If such beings use the people of Great Qian as a disguise while secretly forming connections with others and committing acts of treason…”

“Before their schemes are exposed, they may be able to conceal themselves from the eyes and ears of the entire world until the very moment they reveal their true intentions.”

“But by then, the mistake has often already been made, and regret comes too late. An irreversible calamity will have already been inflicted upon the world of Great Qian.”

For some reason, Ying Wuxiu seemed to recall something from the past. His eyes were filled with regret and resentment.

“That is precisely why Great Qian's vigilance and fear toward Otherworldly Celestial Demons surpasses even our precautions against the Outer Gods.”

Only after hearing this secret did Li Shun finally understand.

The reason the people of Great Qian were so deeply guarded and unwilling to speak openly about the term 'Otherworldly Celestial Demon' was ultimately because that Celestial Demon which had infiltrated the world in the past had left behind a wound that this realm could never truly erase.

However, when Li Shun attempted to inquire about exactly what that Celestial Demon had done, Ying Wuxiu merely kept his mouth shut, shaking his head without saying another word.

“It is precisely because the students of the Taixue Academy have accumulated so much experience from traveling through different worlds over the years that our methods of defending against Otherworldly Celestial Demons have gradually become more complete.”

“So far, several hundred years have already passed without another…”

At this point, Ying Wuxiu suddenly stopped speaking, seemingly recalling something.

His expression darkened.

After a brief pause, he simply moved past the subject.

“Besides this, the students of the Taixue Academy have another important responsibility. One could say that only after completing it can they officially graduate and leave the Taixue Academy.”

Seeing the questioning look in Li Shun's eyes, Ying Wuxiu did not keep him in suspense.

Instead, he directly gave him the answer.

“That is…”

“Visiting the Ancient Past!”

“Visiting the Ancient Past?”

A look of confusion appeared in Li Shun's eyes.

“You have also visited the Mount Dai Primordial Wilderness Illusionary Realm, so you know that the power of an illusionary realm can reconstruct an actual world from the past.”

“And everything that existed in this world before the founding of Great Qian can likewise be reproduced through an illusionary realm.”

Ying Wuxiu spoke with unmistakable pride.

“Hmm?”

A sharp gleam flashed through Li Shun's eyes.

Everything that had existed before the founding of Great Qian had been erased by the Qian Emperor through his supreme power.

Only through the mouths of those who had personally experienced those events, or within the countless secret realms scattered throughout heaven and earth, such as the Qian Emperor's Mausoleum, could one glimpse fragments of that forgotten past.

Yet the Taixue Academy's so-called [Visiting the Ancient Past] could actually take them back to the era before Great Qian was founded?

“But what purpose does visiting the Ancient Past serve?”

Li Shun humbly sought clarification.

Ying Wuxiu let out a long sigh.

“For eight hundred years, Great Qian has seen no Sage emerge.”

“The purpose of the students visiting the Ancient Past is naturally to travel to the chaotic and war-torn era before the founding of Great Qian, personally meet the Sages, and seek an opportunity to break through and attain the Dao.”

“Even if they cannot truly break through to the Heaven-Earth realm, merely receiving guidance from a Sage is already an unparalleled opportunity!”

Possessing a Sage stone statue, Li Shun naturally understood the extraordinary effects of receiving personal instruction from a Sage.

Yet a question still remained in his heart.

“The Primordial Wilderness Illusionary Realm relies upon the Tongtian Divine Mountain.”

“But how, exactly, is this Visiting the Ancient Past accomplished?”