Kunlun, in the eyes of the world, has always been full of mystery.
In mythological legends, the Daoist Taiyuan Palace, the residence of the Yellow Emperor, is situated on it, so it has another name, "Jade Heaven Mountain".
Also, because Kunlun is located above the northwest Qian position, it is also known as Tianzhu (heaven's pillar).
Kunlun Mountain is connected to the Pamir Plateau to the west and extends into Qinghai Province to the east. It is extremely high and precipitous, with many snow-capped peaks and glaciers.
In ancient myths and legends, there are fairylands such as Yao Chi, Long Yuan, Zeng Cheng, and XianPU on Kunlun Mountain.
Chen Yun followed the Dragoness of Queen Wuding's throne and came to the Kunlun Fairyland.
Aurora City lies ahead, with nine levels of colorful clouds, atop a peak tens of thousands of feet high, directly under the Azure Roof and the North Star of the Big Dipper.
Majestic, magnificent, grand, and awe-inspiring.
Here, Chen Yun encountered many characters and objects from mythological legends.
For example, the Kunlun in this fairyland extends up to the nine heavens, and below it is the nine levels of the Weak Water and towering waves tens of thousands of feet high.
Again, for example, the guard mountain god Lu Wu has the body of a tiger and the nine tails of a dragon, with human face and tiger claws at the foot of the mountain.
Riding the whirlwind vehicle with feathered wheels over the Weak Water, they arrive inside the AurorCity.
Here are thousands of golden cities, twelve jade pavilions, the Qionghuá Crest, the Light-Blue Hall, the nine-layered Azure Platform, the Purple-Green Palace, and a Left-Handed Jade Pool and a Right-Handed Greenwater Pool.
Chen Yun looked at the marvelous sight and couldn't help but quietly marvel.
He entered inside.
Chen Yun saw it: the Jade Gate and Heaven, the Green Platform supporting the Azure Sky, the Blue-Green World, the Red-Purple Palace, the Connecting-Lynn Canopy, the Bright Moon shining four times brightly.
The Dragoness waited outside the palace gate for a while and then, after informing Queen Wuding, came out to lead Chen Yun in.
As soon as they entered the palace, Chen Yun heard a series of melodious, ethereal sounds, which were the legendary eight assemblies' music.
In the next moment, he saw a dignified and majestic woman sitting on the throne in front of him.
On her left was a maiden attendant, and on her right, a feathered child attendant. The canopy foot rest cast its shadow, and the pennon's shading graced the hall.
The couplet hanging on either side of the pillars read:
The upper half of the couplet reads:
The lower half of the couplet reads:
The horizontal couplet reads: "Whatever prayer is offered, it shall be answered."
Chen Yun did not directly admire the appearance of Queen Wuding, but he directly fell to his knees and loudly said: "Jingnanyang Cave in Zhongshan Mountain for Daoist teachings, Chen Po, a disciple of Zhenyang Zhēnrén, greets the Grandmother of Gold.”
After saying this, he made a solid triple bow with nine kowtows as a grand gesture of respect.
At this moment, a voice like that of an ethereal woman came from the ear, "Pardon the courtesy, grant a seat."
Chen Yun dared to stand up and take a look, and he saw that Queen Wuding sat on the throne in front of him, wearing a golden garment, adorned with vibrant patterns and dignified grace, holding the flying Great Sash of Spirituality, wearing the Divided Vision Sword on her waist, with a Great Mountain Gorge hairstyle on her head, wearing the Grand True Morning Fetal Crown with the Jade Phoenix Textile slippers.
Looking upon her, he saw that the Immortal Mother of the Jade Pool had a celestial beauty that was concealed and enigmatic, with a countenance that was unparalleled.
Chen Yun couldn't help but secretly praise.
To be honest, he had seen countless goddesses, and each one was of unparalleled beauty.
But no matter how beautiful the immortal maidens or Xie Ziran were, they could not be compared to the unparalleled beauty of the Immortal Mother.
The beauty of Queen Wuding seemed to enter one's soul as if it were the most beautiful thing in the world.
So sacred and inviolable.
Chen Yun suddenly recalled the records of Queen Wuding in the "Record of Immortals in Yōngchéng."
The Queen Mother is the Jade-Crested Golden Mother, who is the Jade-Crested Immortal Lady of the nine-hearted and mysterious Guandi Mountain.
The first Jade-Crested Golden Mother is the Ninth Heart of Great Deity's Nine Star Turtle, who is also known as Queen Wuding. She is the supreme and most revered in the Western Paradise.
In ancient times, when the Taoist Qi condensed into silence and the body was devoid of action, with the intention to enlighten the mystical functions and give rise to all things, first with the pure Qi of the Eastern Paradise, she transformed and gave birth to Shu Gong. Shu Gong was born above the Azure Sea and in the realm of Cangling, where he generated the Qi of Yang He, ordering it in the east, and was also known as Wang Gong.
Again, with the divinity of the Western Paradise, she was born as Jade-Crested Golden Mother. She was born in the Divine Continent and State of I Chuan, and her surname was Gou. Born to fly and rule over the Qi of Yin, she ordered it in the west, and was also known as Queen Mother. All of them were outstanding in nature and endowed with profound wisdom, and contributed greatly to the nurturing of heaven and earth and the cultivation of all things in the vastness.
She embodies the essence of gentleness and conforms to the extremity of yin, occupying the Western Paradise, nurturing all creatures. All daughters who ascend to immortality and achieve Daoism in heaven, earth, and all realms are under her command.
It is rumored that Queen Wuding, born from the divine essence of the Western Paradise, naturally possesses a peerless beauty.
A fey maiden brought over a large armchair painted in red for Chen Yun to sit down.
After a word of thanks from Chen Yun, he carefully sat down.
Up to this point, he still didn't know what task Queen Wumen had summoned him for.
Queen Wuden said: "ChenPo, do you know why I called you?"
Chen Yun respectfully replied, "I do not know, please grant me your guidance, Grandmother."
Queen Wuden nodded slightly and said: "A few days ago, you led the masses to destroy the stars in the Sea of Stars and its whole family. This is why I called you here."
Chen Yun thought Queen Wuden was going to punish him, so he quickly stood up and bowed, "The disciple offended the grandma. I hope the grandma can forgive me."
"You are an outstanding successor in my lineage of Taoist practices. This is a trivial matter, and I do not blame you." Queen Wuden first assured Chen Yun that she would not scold him, then slowly continued, "I called you here to remind you that the path of Taoism values life, and retribution is intertwined. If one harbors too much killing intent, blessings and misfortunes are interconnected, which is not beneficial for your unity with the Tao."
Chen Yun still stood there and said, "Your teachings are right."
Queen Wuden said: "Perhaps you don't think highly of my words. Let me ask you, if you had not gone to Kunlun to destroy the star host sea a few days ago, and your father wanted to see you off, would you have gone back?"
Chen Yun hesitated for a moment and spoke truthfully, "Although the spirit of the land in Dahei Mountain had not revealed the truth before, I was quite resentful towards my father. However, if he truly wanted to see me before leaving, I should have gone back to take a look."
Queen Wuden asked again, "If you went back, would you find out from him the reason for selling you?"
Chen Yun nodded and said, "Yes."
Queen Wuden asked further, "Since you can understand your father's good intentions, then I ask you, with your level of cultivation and possession of many celestial and earthly spiritual roots, if you went back and saw that your father was at the end of his life, could you extend his life for him?"
Chen Yun laughed bitterly and said, "Yes, I can't say how long, but perhaps ten or twenty years."
At this moment, Queen Wuden spoke a profound truth that left Chen Yun speechless.
"Therefore, I say that retribution and blessings are interconnected," Queen Wuden taught with earnestness, "If you had not been blinded by hatred and could save your father's life, the grudge can be avenged another day, but your father's life cannot be reborn."
Upon hearing this, Chen Yun was greatly shaken.
According to Queen Wuden's implication, his father could have been saved from death.
It was just that his own eyes had been blinded by hatred, leading him to desperately search for the location of the Star Host Sea right away.
Furthermore, upon learning that he had the ability to take revenge, he immediately rushed over here.
Therefore, he missed the opportunity to save his father's life?
If the spirit of the land in Dahei Mountain had not revealed the truth to him, Chen Yun might have only felt regret.
However, now that he knows the true reason why his father sold him and understands his father's good intentions, Chen Yun is really stunned.
A wave of regret emerged spontaneously.
He felt a deep sense of guilt spreading through him, and he was overwhelmed with confusion.
Yes, the grudge can be avenged later, but his father cannot be saved.
For a moment, Chen Yun felt as if his Dao heart was on the verge of shattering, and he was overwhelmed with extreme self-blame.
Fortunately, at this moment, Queen Wuden spoke up, "Although you have the ability to save your father, you can only save him for a moment but not for all his life. In this world, all things that have not realized Tao and become immortals have their own destiny."
As she spoke, a piece of bamboo appeared in her hand, "Please observe it."
Chen Yun hurriedly looked up.
Queen Wuden bent the bamboo strip at both ends.
The straight bamboo piece was almost a circle.
After that, she let go of it.
Pop!
The bamboo piece bounced back, returning to its original straight state.
Queen Wuden said, "The destiny of all things in the world is like this bamboo piece. Even if you try your best to bend it, although it is temporarily curved, it will always return to its original straight state and follow its own path."
Chen Yun suddenly awakened to the truth.
Perhaps the details of all things in the world can be changed.
But like the bamboo strip, it will always return to its original state.
If he saved his father once, could he be certain that he would be able to save him again and again, for the second, third times?
Moreover, he has a father, mother, and brothers and sisters.
Does he have to keep bending the destiny of all things in the world?
Queen Wuden continued her teaching, "The greater the curvature of the bamboo strip, the greater the force of its rebound. There are some burdens that you cannot bear. Otherwise, even with boundless power, if you have not united with the Tao, you will be destroyed by the great power of the Tao."
Chen Yun faintly understood something, "Grandma, I understand."
Queen Wuden hmmed and let out a voiceless sound, "Perhaps the history of this era, the one you will read in your future books, is what has already been changed by your sudden arrival. However, to maintain the original trajectory of the Tao, countless evolutions have taken place to produce unforeseeable changes. Over these days, I have used great laws to simulate and perceive the future, which is full of blurriness. Therefore, I do not know what the future holds. However, I know that you are a key figure. Remember that you should not act on a momentary temper and make regrettable things for your whole life."
Chen Yun could still understand something about the matter of retribution and burden that Queen Wuden had previously told him.
However, the sentence really didn't make much sense to him.
I have changed the history of the current era, and the Dao will be like a bamboo strip, rebounding to correct the history.
If Queen Wuden is advising not to act out of momentary anger and do something that would regret for a lifetime, what aspect of this is she referring to?
As for why Queen Wuden knows that he is from the future, Chen Yun does not find it particularly strange.
It's not surprising that she, as the essence of the Tao and condensed into form, can feel information about herself from afar.
Queen Wuden asked, "Chen Po, have you remembered my words?"
After careful consideration, Chen Yun decided to answer according to his heart, "Grandma, the Dao may be irresistible, but it can change everything. However, my heart is different. It can also change." Therefore, the things I do may be regrettable, but I will still follow my own heart and do what I want to do."
Queen Wuden stared at him with deep and endless eyes for a while.
Then, she heaved a long sigh, "It's time and destiny. I have said everything that can be said to you. What happens next is up to fate. Well, you may return to Qingcheng Mountain."
At that moment, Chen Yun wanted to bid farewell to Queen Wuden.
Suddenly, he remembered something. The text on the 'Pan Gu True Body Sutra' was unintelligible to him. Could Queen Wuden know?
(Chapter ends)
