471 - Made-Up Martial Arts, Have You Really Mastered Them, Disciple?

Chapter 471: The Legend of Tai-Cang and the Origin of Heaven and Earth Li Xuan raised his hand, pointing first at Tian Zi, then at the sky, and finally at the earth, smiling as he said, "You, the spirit of heaven and earth, formed from the purple light!" Upon hearing this, Tian Zi's heart was filled with shock but also a sense of relief, no longer doubting Li Xuan's power. After all, knowing his identity and yet doing nothing indicated a lack of ill intent. Very few knew his identity as the spirit of heaven and earth, and even fewer knew he was formed from purple light. "So, the elder truly knew. It seems I was overly suspicious," Tian Zi replied with a wry smile. "You seem to be a young fellow with a story. Care to share it?" Li Xuan asked with a smile, seizing the opportunity. Tian Zi was silent for a while and then pointed at the sky, saying, "Beyond heaven and earth lies a realm of chaos—the unformed domain. Does the elder call it chaos?" Li Xuan smiled, nodding and shaking his head, "Yes and no!" The area beyond heaven and earth was a chaotic state filled with unformed energy. Li Xuan immediately thought of chaos, so he mentioned it. However, Tian Zi's inquiry suggested it wasn’t strictly called chaos. Li Xuan wouldn’t completely overturn his statement but neither would he fully dismiss the terms Tian Zi used, thus giving an answer that seemed to hold hidden depth. Some things should not be spoken with finality, for flexibility allows room for negotiation—something Li Xuan was proficient in. Tian Zi did not question why it was both and neither. Instead, his expression grew more solemn, his tone complex and reminiscent as he spoke, "Outside the heavens, the chaotic unformed is called the unformed domain or the chaotic unformed domain. In times past, the powerful within these heavens referred to it as the outer unformed domain... "The unformed domain seems to exist eternally, inhabited by true spirits akin to wild beasts. Although possessing great power and inherent abilities, they employ them crudely and do not cultivate, relying solely on natural growth. "No one knows when the beings of the unformed domain emerged or how long they've existed. Even the mighty Tai-Cang couldn't trace their origins or the exact truth. "Certainly, the elder must know. Once, I would have clung to the elder out of curiosity until all was clear. But now, such curiosity has left me." As he spoke, melancholy touched Tian Zi's features. Li Xuan listened silently, feeling a sense of lamentation. The state of chaos and not chaos of the past wasn’t so different from the chaos he was familiar with. Pouring Tian Zi a cup of tea, he positioned himself as a listener. Once Tian Zi began recounting these past events, it was as if he couldn't stop, continuing as expected after sipping his tea. "Tai-Cang was born in the unformed domain. According to him, he didn't know how he was born or what kind of creature he was. Initially, he was as ignorant as those true spirits, his intelligence yet unopened. "There were innumerable true spirits in the unformed domain back then, and the law of the jungle prevailed. The weak spirits were constantly at risk of being devoured. "Tai-Cang said he witnessed the brutal clashes of true spirits, and for some reason, his intellect gradually awakened, developing wit, and his form slowly shifted to resemble humans. "By observing the battles of various true spirits, both strong and weak, he gradually devised methods to evade and efficiently hunt the true spirits..." Tian Zi recounted slowly. The protagonist of this tale was named Tai-Cang. From Tian Zi's narrative, it seemed his relationship with Tai-Cang was extremely close. Clearly, these were tales Tai-Cang himself shared with Tian Zi. Li Xuan thought of Tian Zi's origins—Tai-Cang, the Spirit of Heaven and Earth, formed of primordial purple light. Evidently, his birth was related to Tai-Cang, perhaps even created by him. "The size of the unformed domain was unknown to Tai-Cang. He had no fixed abode, wandering the unformed domain, facing danger. Without a sense of time, he drifted aimlessly, proud in spirit due to his intelligence. "Eventually, Tai-Cang ceased to consider himself the same as those true spirits, believing himself unique. "It was unknown how long he traveled until Tai-Cang witnessed an immensely powerful true spirit that was near death due to old age. "Tai-Cang observed this spirit until it expired, its body being devoured by other true spirits to the bone. "Tai-Cang said this scene deeply affected him—realizing that beings would age and die even if not slain. Though he didn't know how long that spirit lived, it eventually died. "From that moment, Tai-Cang felt he should pursue something more..." Here Tian Zi paused, turning his gaze to Li Xuan. "Elder, do you know of Tai-Cang's pursuit?" Li Xuan nodded slightly, having already guessed some of it. "You mentioned that Tai-Cang was a talented young fellow, and Tai-Cang's talent is unmatched in my knowledge." Tian Zi, breathing a sigh, spoke in a solemn voice, "Tai-Cang was the first to cultivate in the unformed domain. His talents unparalleled, he founded the path of cultivation. "Tai-Cang practiced cultivation in the unformed domain, refining the fierce spiritual energy, continuously exploring and improving. "Throughout countless years, Tai-Cang grew stronger, capable of easily hunting those powerful true spirits he once couldn't contend with. "As his cultivation deepened, became more powerful, Tai-Cang expanded his range within the unformed domain, capable of hunting increasingly powerful true spirits. "Until one day, he encountered another true spirit of intelligence..." Tian Zi continued to narrate Tai-Cang's journey from birth, to gaining wisdom, and his rise. These stories were undoubtedly what Tai-Cang had once shared with Tian Zi. Li Xuan listened quietly, reflecting on the legend Tian Zi painted—Tai-Cang was truly remarkable. From the time Tai-Cang met the first intelligent true spirit onwards, changes emerged in the unformed domain. Intelligent beings became more common, their strength continuously improving, influenced by Tai-Cang, preferring human form, and devising their own cultivation methods inspired by Tai-Cang’s teachings. The practice of cultivation by the unformed domain creatures, tracing back, seemingly originated with Tai-Cang. Many were guided by him, earning him numerous followers. From being not the strongest among the unformed domain inhabitants, Tai-Cang eventually became supreme, few could rival him. Beyond Tai-Cang, the unformed domain saw the emergence of beings with extraordinary talents. "The unformed domain was chaotic without a concept of heaven and earth. Living aimlessly in it, Tai-Cang and others slowly grew tired of aimless wandering. He settled in the unformed domain, making it his home, and devoted most of his time to exploring the path of cultivation, occasionally venturing out to gather materials and conduct research. "The other beings similarly found places to settle, wandered occasionally, but otherwise lived in harmony. "After all, possessing intelligence made them unique in the chaotic realm, even when disputes arose, they exercised restraint or had a respected figure mediate, like Tai-Cang, who maintained fairness and mediated conflicts." Tian Zi sighed, continuing, "Ideally, such days could have continued indefinitely, yet worldly affairs seldom go as planned. "In the chaotic unformed, enlightened ones naturally desired more, wanting to change their living environment. "Hence, Tai-Cang collected materials and crafted treasures that emitted light. In the chaotic unformed realm, there appeared light of various colors, which some pursued for its beauty, leading to small factions, though it didn't affect Tai-Cang. "Tai-Cang was proud and the strongest, so naturally, he had the most followers. While other factions respected Tai-Cang, inviting him to mediate large conflicts..." As Tian Zi recounted, Li Xuan couldn't help but admire Tai-Cang's accomplishments. None of this yet explained the heaven and earth's origin or mentioned any significant changes, only that Tai-Cang forged light-emitting treasures in the chaotic unformed domain, adding beauty, but still, no heaven and earth existed. Tian Zi's narrative, though lengthy and rambling, delved into Tai-Cang’s routine, occasionally mediating or subduing challenging spirits. **New Terms:** 1. **Tian Zi (天紫)** – Translated as "Tian Zi" in pinyin. This highlights the meaning of his name "Heavenly Purple" while respecting the cultural element of naming conventions. Several alternatives could be "Heaven's Violet" or "Sky Purple." The character is identified as male. **Explanation:** - The passage provides a detailed account of Tian Zi's recount of Tai-Cang’s legendary past and the origins of the current realms, much of which appears to draw heavily on mythic elements of creation and the evolution of wisdom and cultivation from primordial chaos. The narrative touches on themes of discovery, conflict, leadership, and the pursuit of understanding the universe, aligning with similar cosmogony myths found globally. - No changes are required in the above list given the current context, except noting Tian Zi’s gender and refining translations related to his dialogue and story context. Occasionally, Tian Zi would display a melancholy expression, even chuckling at times, mocking Tai-Cang for being too presumptuous. However, Li Xuan could discern the profound affection Tian Zi held for Tai-Cang. After all, in a certain sense, Tai-Cang created him. "Tai-Cang grew increasingly powerful, and throughout the entire unformed domain, no true spirit could rival him. At that time, Tai-Cang was undoubtedly the foremost power in the unformed domain. "Of course, aside from Tai-Cang, there were six others who were also immensely powerful, surpassing the other beings by a significant margin. "However, they were still considerably weaker than Tai-Cang, and due to the differences in their nature and cultivation, they were divided into factions. "Occasionally, minor conflicts broke out, but they were trivial matters." Tian Zi paused at this point. Li Xuan made no haste, continuing to sip his tea, fully embracing the role of an attentive listener. "Elder, you likely know how the heavens and earth came to be, right?" Tian Zi's expression grew solemn. The emergence of heaven and earth was closely tied to his own birth. "In the chaotic unformed domain, only in the dwelling places of Tai-Cang and others was there any splendor, naturally attracting some unformed true spirits. Some were hunted, others tamed to become mounts. "Then one day, at the edge of the chaotic unformed domain, a beam of purple light appeared. "Whether or not the purple light originated from the edge of the chaotic unformed domain is unknown, but to Tai-Cang and the others, it seemed to emanate from the horizon. "The purple light illuminated the chaos, seemingly cleaving the unformed domain in two, traversing the entire unformed domain. This was the first time the chaotic unformed domain was illuminated. "Of course, this was the first time Tai-Cang and his companions witnessed such a sight. Whether it had appeared before their birth was beyond anyone's knowledge. "The appearance of the purple light signaled a great opportunity, and whether intelligent or not, the true spirits fled in terror, roaring away from the light, while Tai-Cang and his companions rushed towards it..." Li Xuan felt his heart stir with excitement. The appearance of the purple light also meant that the birth of heaven and earth was imminent. "Everyone vied for the purple light. Tai-Cang, being the strongest, naturally acquired the most and the brightest of it. "Each obtained a share of the purple light, but how to utilize it remained a mystery. "Tai-Cang, however, used the purple light to carve out a vast world in the chaotic unformed domain, thereby advancing further. "The other six emulated Tai-Cang, using the purple light to open up worlds. The rest just followed Tai-Cang and his six companions, carving out their own positions within the worlds. "I am a part of the purple light. During the creation of heaven and earth, Tai-Cang left a portion of the purple light, placing it within the earth to nurture me, leading to my birth. "Among the seven great heavens, Tai-Cang's is supreme, the most perfect and majestic." Tian Zi's eyes had reddened at this point, as if tears might fall at any moment. Li Xuan was deeply shaken, considering the seven heavens with Tai-Cang's as the most supreme. There existed seven heavens, with Tai-Cang's being the strongest and most grand. Besides the Tai-Cang heaven, six others existed. Li Xuan thought of Netherworld Abyss and Wushuang Pavilion... These were likely two of the remaining six heavens. "The elder once said that Tai-Cang's heaven lacked something, and that it was too weak, yet, in truth, Tai-Cang's heaven was the strongest and also the most perfect. "It operates according to the rules of the heavens and earth, with complete natural laws. The spiritual energy is gentle, and the essence of life and energy vibrant. Mountains, rivers, lakes are abundant, far surpassing the other six heavens. "Tai-Cang undoubtedly deserved to be regarded as the foremost leader and had been so since the beginning. "With the creation of the heavens and earth, initially it was in its growth phase; after long periods, it finally reached its peak, with the heavens and earth completely formed. "The true spirits from the outer unformed domain entered into the heavens, gradually gaining intelligence, thus dividing into heavenly true spirits and unformed true spirits. "After the heavens' creation, 'true spirits' became the term for those with intelligence, while 'unformed true spirits' designated those lacking it, meaning those uneducated and unenlightened. "The human race also came into being, and all beings preferred human form, influenced by Tai-Cang. "Tai-Cang spread the martial path, cultivators emerged in the world, and the seven great heavens interacted and exchanged ideas, each seeking suitable places to cultivate. "Everything was harmonious, flourishing, with Tai-Cang and the seven overseeing the heavens, Tai-Cang revered by all cultivators. "The heavens had time, had records of years, but from the heavens' creation to now, countless ages have passed, and I can no longer recall. "Until one day, Tai-Cang and the six gathered, peering deep into the unformed domain, seemingly discovering something..." **New Terms:** 1. **Tian Zi (天紫)** – Already discussed in prior translation. 2. **Tai-Cang (太蒼)** – Namesake and source of the primary discussion, left as pinyin to maintain cultural significance. Alternatives would include literal translations such as "Great Blue" or "Vast Cang." Tai-Cang is confirmed male. 3. **Netherworld Abyss and Wushuang Pavilion (冥獄、无双阁)** – As names of likely two of the seven heavens, their pinyin retains the mystique of the original. Alternates could include "Underworld Prison" or "Incomparable Pavilion.” However, stylistic choices reinforce the sense of place and belonging within the mythic construct. **Explanation:** - Throughout the narrative, the thematic focus aligns with mythologies concerning the universe's creation, the evolution of sentient life, and the pursuit of enlightenment. It draws from classic motifs like the hero's journey undertaken by Tai-Cang, paralleling mythic founders and legendary rulers who bring order and wisdom to chaos. - Emotional interactions between Tian Zi and Li Xuan reveal depths of reverence and admiration, enhancing cultural storytelling prevalent in eastern narrative traditions. - The mention of Tai-Cang’s abilities to carve worlds emphasizes themes of creativity and transformation, reflective in broader lore within wuxia and xianxia genres where cultivation represents more than personal growth—it represents the metaphysical shaping of reality.