Beyond the Nine Heavens, in a realm that transcended mortal comprehension, an unspeakable and inexpressible existence slowly opened his ancient eyes. These divine orbs seemed to contain countless worlds within their depths, encompassing all existence and knowledge throughout the infinite cosmos.
When Yang Jian had first passed through the Gate of All Worlds, this supreme being had sensed the boy's sudden disappearance from his native reality. He had performed various divination techniques and calculations, but remained unable to determine where Yang Jian had vanished to—a mystery that intrigued him greatly.
"Interesting... most interesting indeed!" this cosmic entity mused to himself with growing fascination.
This being became deeply invested in Yang Jian's unexpected adventure. The vast universe contained infinite worlds, as countless as grains of sand in the Ganges River, but for an existence of his caliber, observing or even manipulating them was merely a matter of focused thought.
Just as this supreme entity was preparing to investigate Yang Jian's disappearance more thoroughly, the young man reappeared. However, this time the being sensed something entirely different about Yang Jian—traces of foreign rules and cosmic laws that had never before appeared in this chaotic world or any of its trillions of affiliated dimensions. Although the spiritual aura from this unknown world was extremely faint, it was more than sufficient to generate tremendous excitement in this ancient consciousness. The transcendent opportunity he had been seeking for billions of epochs seemed to have finally arrived.
Therefore, when Yang Jian began making subtle preparations to escape with his sister, this supreme being placed a minute trace of his divine consciousness upon the boy's spiritual essence.
When Yang Jian passed through the Gate of All Worlds the second time, this existence followed his own consciousness fragment and forcibly broke through the dimensional barrier. This intrusion was precisely the reason why the Gate of All Worlds had issued its severe alarm warnings.
This mysterious being originated from the rich tapestry of Chinese mythology and Taoist philosophy, particularly the classical novel "Journey to the West" and its expanded universe of Chinese mythological literature. In traditional Chinese cosmology, he represents the supreme deity known as Taiqing Daode Tianzun also called Taishang Laojun or the Moral Lord. He is the first and most senior of the Three Pure Ones, the highest trinity of deities in Taoist belief. As one of the earliest manifestations of the Tao itself, he embodies wisdom, natural law, and the fundamental principles that govern all existence. In various adaptations, he appears as the ultimate sage who created the elixirs of immortality, taught the ways of the Tao, and serves as the spiritual ancestor of all Taoist practitioners. His appearance often signals moments of cosmic significance, as he rarely involves himself directly in worldly affairs unless fundamental universal principles are at stake.
Yang Jian had just passed through the Gate of All Worlds while carrying his unconscious sister Yang Chan when he noticed Gustave, Po, and Tom regarding him as if they were facing an imminent catastrophe. Yang Jian couldn't understand why this reaction was so dramatically different from their previous friendly encounter.
Suddenly, Yang Jian felt an overwhelming presence materializing directly behind him.
"Oh no! Could it be that I've somehow brought the Great Golden Crow here?" Yang Jian thought with mounting horror and guilt.
He deeply regretted opening the Gate of All Worlds while under the direct surveillance of the Great Golden Crow. If he had inadvertently brought that solar deity to this peaceful place, he would have implicated Gustave and his friends in his own desperate situation—a burden of guilt that Yang Jian found almost unbearable to contemplate.
However, when Yang Jian gathered the courage to turn around, he discovered that the figure behind him was not the massive Great Golden Crow as he had feared, but rather a kindly elderly man dressed in pristine white Taoist robes.
At first glance, the old man appeared completely ordinary and harmless. But upon closer examination, Yang Jian found himself becoming helplessly entranced and absorbed by the figure's presence.
In Yang Jian's altered perception, the elderly man he was observing suddenly began transforming into a middle-aged man, then a young man, then a teenager, and even shifting into a woman and a baby—cycling through thousands upon thousands of different appearances and forms. Meanwhile, stars flashed by in cosmic procession, and a majestic, ancient breath washed over him, threatening to drown his consciousness in its overwhelming grandeur.
Yang Jian struggled desperately to awaken himself from this hypnotic trance, but no matter what mental techniques he employed, he remained unable to break free from the supernatural influence.
Suddenly, the protective jade pendant that Yang Jian wore around his neck began emanating a warm, comforting breath of spiritual energy. Yang Jian grasped at this familiar sensation as if it were a life-saving rope and fought with all his willpower to break free from the mystical entrapment.
When Yang Jian finally regained his normal consciousness, he found that the old man had returned to his original kindly appearance, observing him with an approving smile.
"Very good! Excellent indeed!" the elderly sage declared, expressing his satisfaction twice over.
Although there was reasonable suspicion that Yang Jian had relied heavily on his protective treasure to escape the mystical influence, there were countless beings throughout the cosmos who could never break free from such an encounter, no matter how many treasures far more powerful than his jade pendant they might possess.
One need look no further than Gustave, Po, and Tom for immediate evidence—despite the Gate of All Worlds being infinitely more powerful than Yang Jian's jade pendant, all three restaurant staff members remained completely unable to extricate themselves from their current entranced state.
Yang Jian's ability to awaken through his own will represented a talent that was truly rare throughout both ancient and modern times.
Just as the old sage was preparing to release Gustave, Po, and Tom from their current condition, Tom suddenly opened his eyes and stared at the elderly man with obvious terror and recognition.
Tom swallowed hard, his throat working nervously. Although he was clearly terrified and his legs were trembling uncontrollably, he still managed to position himself protectively in front of Gustave and Po, spreading his arms wide to shield them from potential danger.
"Beyond all rules, yet operating within all rules," the old sage observed, seeing through Tom's peculiar nature at a single glance.
He had already thought it remarkable to encounter someone like Yang Jian today, but he never expected to also discover such a uniquely special existence as Tom.
"Don't worry, little kitten. I harbor absolutely no ill will toward any of you," the elderly man said to Tom with a genuinely warm and reassuring smile.
"Disperse!" the sage commanded with gentle authority.
At his single word, both Gustave and Po immediately emerged from their trance-like states, blinking in confusion.
Gustave and Po were now completely bewildered by their situation. They could only remember that when Yang Jian had arrived through the portal, the Gate of All Worlds had continuously sounded alarm warnings in their minds. Assuming that some hostile enemy was approaching, they had gathered all their available strength and prepared to launch immediate defensive attacks.
Instead, a seemingly ordinary and kindly old man had appeared before them. The moment their eyes had met his gaze, they had been instantly drawn into the mystical trance and remembered nothing of what transpired afterward.
Regardless of what had actually occurred during those lost moments, Gustave instinctively understood that the seemingly ordinary and benevolent old man standing before them was definitely a supreme boss among all bosses.
"This damn Gate of All Worlds!" Gustave cursed internally. "Why did it have to drag in a figure like Yang Jian for no apparent reason? Now look what's happened—you've hit an iron wall! People are literally coming through the Gate of All Worlds to eliminate us!"
After awakening, Gustave mentally berated the Gate of All Worlds for lacking any sense of tact or discretion when selecting guests to invite.
The Gate of All Worlds responded defensively in the spiritual connection they shared:
"I'm completely innocent here! I really do just pull people randomly! When I select guests, I also automatically block the will of worlds and the Heavenly Dao. How was I supposed to know I would provoke such an incredibly powerful entity?"
"So this remarkable treasure is called the Gate of All Worlds," the elderly sage commented with obvious interest.
Just as Gustave had been mentally cursing the Gate of All Worlds, the old man had suddenly spoken, revealing that he had been listening to these private thoughts.
"Oh no! This supreme boss can actually read my thoughts directly? I should have realized that mind reading would be just a basic skill for someone of his caliber," Gustave realized with growing alarm that his mental defenses had been completely compromised.
"Please don't worry, young friend. I have absolutely no intention of harming any of you," the old man assured him with a smile that felt like being bathed in warm spring breezes, completely devoid of any malicious intent.
"Who exactly are you, honored sir?" Gustave asked with careful respect.
If you couldn't defeat them, the wisest course was to submit gracefully—this had always been Gustave's practical life philosophy. Therefore, when confronted by this supreme power who could forcibly breach the Gate of All Worlds, Gustave immediately adopted a respectful posture and carefully requested the great being's name.
"My friend, you don't need to be quite so formal with me. We can simply treat each other normally," the sage replied with gentle humor.
"As for my name, people generally refer to me as the Moral Lord, though I am also known as Taiqing Daode Tianzun."
The supreme being smiled warmly as he revealed his identity.
"So it's the Saint Taiqing! I was completely disrespectful in my thoughts!" Gustave exclaimed with genuine alarm.
"Po, Tom, come with me immediately and pay proper respects!"
When Gustave heard that the person before them was Taiqing Daode Tianzun—one of the most supreme deities in all of Chinese mythology—he immediately pulled Po and Tom down with him into respectful bows.
Po had no idea who Saint Taiqing was, but he faithfully followed Gustave's lead and performed the proper worship; as for Tom, the moment he had awakened, he had immediately recognized that the entity before them was immeasurably more powerful than even the old God from his own cartoon universe, so prostrating himself seemed entirely natural and appropriate.
"There shouldn't be any danger now," Gustave thought with relief. "The Moral Lord represents an incredibly powerful connection—I absolutely must maintain this relationship at all costs."
Hearing Gustave's thoughts as he observed the prostration, Daode Tianzun couldn't help but smile with genuine amusement:
"What an endearingly practical little fellow."
Yang Jian felt tremendous shock after hearing the conversation between Gustave and the Moral Lord.
During his desperate flight with his sister Yang Chan, Yang Jian had realized that if he truly wanted to rescue his imprisoned mother and avenge his father and brother, he would need to become the disciple of someone who was not afraid to oppose the Heavenly Court directly. Only by learning a complete set of powerful skills could he hope to avenge his family's destruction!
Through careful inquiries along their escape route, Yang Jian had learned that only disciples of the three great religious sects—Human, Explanation, and Interception—possessed the power and independence to stand against the authority of Heaven.
However, the Human Sect had long ago stopped accepting new disciples, and the Interception Sect was located far away on the overseas Jin'ao Island, leaving only the Explanation Sect in Kunlun Mountain as a realistic possibility. Therefore, Yang Jian had been desperately hoping to find Kunlun Mountain and become a disciple of Yuanshi Tianzun.
Unfortunately, Kunlun was not something that Yang Jian—still a mere mortal—could locate on his own. Moreover, he was carrying his unconscious sister and being actively pursued by the Great Golden Crow, making any extended search impossible.
But now, the supreme head of the Three Pure Ones, the Heavenly Lord of Moral Virtue himself, was standing directly before him! How could Yang Jian possibly miss such an incredible opportunity?
Therefore, Yang Jian carefully placed Yang Chan in a safe position and knelt directly before the Heavenly Lord of Moral Virtue, declaring with absolute sincerity:
"Please, Saint Taiqing, accept Yang Jian as your humble disciple!"
After making this formal request, he began kowtowing continuously with such force that the floor resonated with loud banging sounds.
"Yang Jian, although you will indeed become a member of my Xuanmen sect in the future, you are not destined to be my Human Sect disciple," the Moral Lord replied with a gentle shake of his head.
Before the great catastrophe would begin, he had already calculated through divination that the future guardian deity of the Xuanmen sect would be Yang Jian. However, this guardian protector was destined to be the disciple of his nephew, the True Person Yu Ding.
Gustave refrained from speaking on Yang Jian's behalf. Although he didn't know which specific version of Yang Jian this was, in most mythological traditions his master was indeed Master Yu Ding, with Daode Tianzun serving as Yang Jian's great-uncle rather than his direct teacher.
"I beg Saint Taiqing to accept me as a disciple!" Yang Jian persisted with intelligent adaptability. "Although I does not understand how he will become a member of the Xuanmen in the future, I has already formed a karmic bond with Saint Taiqing through these circumstances. I only beg the Saint to teach Yang Jian some essential skills!"
Yang Jian demonstrated considerable wisdom by changing his approach, followed by several more forceful kowtows that echoed through the room.
After hearing Yang Jian's revised appeal, the Moral Lord felt somewhat moved by the argument. After all, the concept of "karmic fate" was extremely mysterious and significant in cosmic terms, and he had never anticipated the existence of something like the Gate of All Worlds. But now he and Yang Jian were indeed connected through this interdimensional portal.
The Tao Te Ching emphasized the philosophy of natural non-action and following the flow of destiny. If he rejected Yang Jian under these circumstances, would that truly represent natural non-action?
The Moral Lord recalled what had occurred before he achieved sainthood. At that time, he had already eliminated his three corpses and his cultivation had reached a seemingly insurmountable bottleneck. If he could successfully integrate the Hongmeng Purple Qi, he could achieve sainthood immediately.
However, regarding the Hongmeng Purple Qi, the Moral Lord had always harbored certain doubts. If he could become a saint by relying on this external element, could he, as such a saint, truly transcend the limitations of the Heavenly Dao?
Later, when Nuwa created humanity and achieved sainthood through the combination of merit and Hongmeng Purple Qi, becoming the first saint besides Hongjun to appear in the world, the Moral Lord felt a sense of urgent pressure.
Eventually, after many unsuccessful attempts to break through using conventional methods, the Moral Lord abandoned his obsession with eliminating the three corpses to achieve sainthood. Instead, he decided to follow Nuwa's example and become a saint by combining Hongmeng Purple Qi with accumulated merit.
Unexpectedly, after gaining merit through establishing his religious sect, the opportunity that the Moral Lord had long sought finally arrived precisely when he released his desperate attachment to the outcome. Thus, he became the only saint besides Hongjun who achieved sainthood through eliminating the three corpses. However, at that time, under the concealment provided by his religious merit and the Hongmeng Purple Qi, others believed that he and Nuwa had achieved sainthood through identical methods.
Although he had not actually become a saint by relying on Hongmeng Purple Qi and accumulated merit, the Moral Lord had still integrated these two elements into the good corpse and evil corpse among his three corpses. In this way, the Heavenly Dao mistakenly believed that the Moral Lord was also a saint bound by the Heavenly Dao's authority.
Because of this unique spiritual camouflage, after the Gate of All Worlds had blocked the Heavenly Dao's observation, it was still discovered by the Moral Lord. After all, he was nominally a saint of the Heavenly Dao, but in reality possessed the ability to break away from the Heavenly Dao while remaining eternally immortal.
Contemplating all these cosmic implications, Daode Tianzun released a long sigh and declared:
"Very well, very well. You and I are indeed connected through the Gate of All Worlds. I shall accept you as my disciple. From this moment forward, you will be my direct disciple within the Human Sect."
Yang Jian felt tremendous excitement upon hearing Daode Tianzun's words, and kowtowed several more times with overflowing gratitude:
"Thank you, Master!"
Gustave was completely stunned by this development. Just with that simple argument about "karmic fate," Yang Jian had managed to secure the incredibly powerful protection of the Moral Lord himself?
"Saint, how about me?" Gustave declared with absolutely shameless boldness.
Hearing Gustave's words, the Moral Lord almost burst into outright laughter. This little fellow truly knew how to apply lessons immediately after learning them! The sage initially wanted to refuse, but after consideration, he realized that what Gustave said was indeed accurate. He had forcibly broken through the Gate of All Worlds and had therefore formed a genuine karmic bond with him. Besides, it would be quite enjoyable to have such an amusing friend around.
Therefore, the Moral Lord announced:
"You are indeed a shameless little fellow, but I do share a connection with you as well. I shall accept you as my registered disciple."