Noe ??, after elevating Li Bing ?? and Elder Gui ?? to godhood, returned to his spiritual beast garden to rest. He hoped for more side quests, but found no one assigning him anything. Feeling bored ??, Noe decided to journey to the small city governed by Duan Zheng ??. The trip went smoothly, except for some remote areas where malevolent energy surged through the skies ??. However, since no deities requested him to cleanse or guide, Noe decided to bypass these places, unwilling to risk exploring the mysteries within.
Duan Zheng, upon hearing the news of his master's arrival, was overjoyed ??. As soon as he saw Noe, he bowed down in a deep salute ?? right in front of a large crowd. The city residents buzzed with whispers, pointing and ceaselessly wondering about the strange visitor who prompted their City Lord to perform such a grand gesture. Noe, unused to being watched by so many, quickly pulled Duan Zheng out of the city to a secluded spot to talk.
Noe ??: "Why did you use such a grand ceremony for me? You know I don't like complicated, elaborate rituals. Tell me what you wanted to say."
Duan Zheng dared not stand up, remaining kneeling from the moment they arrived. He stammered:
Duan Zheng ??: "Master, I apologize. When my family and I arrived here, the people in the city were very fond of us, gifting many presents and inviting us to many events. Afterward, my family joined the largest religion here. I felt pressured, so I finally followed this religion too. I cannot follow the path of Divine Cultivation (Shen Xiu) that you practice..." (His voice grew softer, filled with worry.)
Noe frowned unhappily, fearing Duan Zheng had strayed onto some wicked path. He pressed him:
Noe ??: "What religion?"
Duan Zheng mumbled:
Duan Zheng ??: "The Buddhist Sect, the Celestial Dragon Temple (Tian Long Si)."
Noe burst out laughing ?? and sighed in relief.
Noe ??: "So that’s it! The Buddhist Sect and our Path of Divine Cultivation are from the same branch, both emphasizing the accumulation of merit (Gongde). I don't belong to any sect either; we are merely master and disciple. Your following the Buddhist Sect is fine, just don't follow any wicked path."
Hearing Noe’s words, Duan Zheng's spirit lifted, and he became cheerful again. He had only feared his master would be enraged for joining a religion without permission. A huge burden was lifted from Duan Zheng's heart; he worried his master would force him to leave the Buddhist Sect, while the pressure from his position as City Lord, from his family, and from the followers of the Buddhist Sect—the largest religion here—left him confused about what to choose. Now, everything was resolved.
Noe stayed near Duan Zheng for a long time. The City Lord had built a small house ?? for his master in the Bamboo Forest City ??, near a small river, far from the markets and main road, exactly as Noe desired for peace and communion with nature. Duan Zheng also planted many medicinal herbs around this house so Noe could concoct medicine to cure common folk. Noe truly loved this house; it perfectly suited his taste. He frequently visited, helping the locals with healing and teaching Duan Zheng more about Divine Cultivation.
Part 2: Branches of Divine Cultivation and the Nature of the Soul ??
Noe explained that Divine Cultivation has three main branches, which are also three directions for collecting merit (Gongde):
- Yang Merit ??: Helping living beings, using this type of merit to connect with Nature ??, trees, wild beasts, the spirits of water, fire, earth, storms, thunder, wind, etc. In Atlantis, this profession is called Druid.
- Yin Merit ??: Helping deceased beings, such as performing salvation rituals, resolving grievances for the dead, delivering messages to relatives, etc. In Atlantis, this profession is called Shaman. Both these professions are collectively referred to as Spiritual Sorcerers (Pháp S? tam linh) ?? here.
- Divine Merit ??: Assisting the Heavenly Dao, the Gods in the God Realm, and the White Immortals in the Immortal Realm, such as relaying messages to the Heavenly Dao, conferring godhood, saving divine creatures or forests to assist the White Immortals, etc.
Noe ??: "The Buddhist Sect in general, and the Celestial Dragon Temple specifically, follow the path of seeking Yin Merit, helping the souls of the dead. You can use Yin Merit to control Devils (Ma qu?) ??, and at a higher level, Demon Soldiers, Ghost Soldiers, the souls of Great Generals, or civil officials worshipped by the common people."
Duan Zheng ??: "Why distinguish between animal souls and human souls? I have never encountered any wandering animal spirits, only human ones."
Noe ??: "Humans are different from animals. We have the full spectrum of emotions: love, hate, resentment, and vengeance, making it difficult for us to be content and accept leaving. Animals have fewer emotions; they live comfortably with those emotions without regret, thus departing gently."
Duan Zheng ??: "Humans are getting better and better, and there is a saying, 'At birth, human nature is good,' so why do people suffer more and more, each day harder than the last? Is the Heavenly Dao unjust?"
Noe ??: "No, humans are getting worse. The accurate saying of the ancients is, 'At birth, human nature is wicked.' People learn to lie just a few years after birth. Ancient people were simpler and more sincere than now, and increasingly, humans are changing for the worse. People are not evolving upward but degenerating. Look at the ancient six-fingered giants, thirty meters tall; their character was simple and pure."
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Noe ??: "Modern people call them foolish, too easy to deceive. They boast of being smart, but they are truly just better at lying and more wicked than in ancient times."
Duan Zheng ??: "Yes, so why? Why are humans getting worse?"
Noe was silent for a long time before saying:
Noe ??: "I don't know either! And it's not just humans. The whole world is like this. Long ago, all creatures lived in harmony; no beast preyed on another. But today, eating meat has become commonplace..."
Duan Zheng ??: "Yes, so why did you ask me to only listen to what the Buddhist masters say, and not look at what they do? Isn't it easier to look and then imitate?"
Noe ??: "Because many Buddhist masters, when they attain high status and great benefits, become swayed by those things, no longer acting in accordance with what they preach. That is the reason I and many others dislike fame, just like you. You used to be very free. Since becoming City Lord, are you still free, or do you have to act for the sake of power and status?"
Duan Zheng stammered after hearing this because the words were too true, perfectly describing his current situation and status.
Duan Zheng quickly changed the subject:
Duan Zheng ??: "Please explain to me about a ghost soul possessing a body, and the case of a Sorcerer allowing a ghost soul to enter their body."
Noe ??: "That only happens when the Sorcerer, specifically, and ordinary people, generally, allow the ghost soul to enter. This is very rare because the physical body is always protected by the Divine Soul (Th?n h?n), especially humans, who have extremely powerful Divine Souls."
Noe ??: "For possession to be successful, a complex ritual is needed to confuse the Divine Soul or weaken it, only then does the ghost soul have a chance to enter. For example, using opium, drinking until drunk, which weakens the mind, or in a state of extreme fear, or extreme emotional collapse like heartbreak. Or, at the very least, they must be heavily infected with Malevolent Energy (Ma khí) for Devils to enter, but Malevolent Energy is highly toxic; too heavy an infection leads to immediate death."
Noe ??: "When a ghost soul possesses a body, there are different forms:
- Scenario 1: The Sorcerer or ordinary person is a commoner with little knowledge or no energy. The soul will easily take control, and the Sorcerer will know nothing, like a deep sleep. But not frequently—only when the Divine Soul is weakened, such as when using opium, being drunk, or in an extreme emotional state. Similar to a Berserker (chi?n binh ?iên cu?ng) or Shaman (pháp s?), who must drink a special concoction before battle. To control one person requires hundreds of ghost souls, or thousands of common ones. Beast control only requires a few ghosts
- Scenario 2: The Sorcerer or ordinary person is a mortal with a fair amount of energy, like you now. They are still controlled, but with great difficulty. Even if controlled, the Sorcerer knows everything that has happened, and if they try hard, they can still win and regain control. Only high-level ghost souls living for hundreds or thousands of years can do this.
- Scenario 3: The Sorcerer is a Superhuman (Siêu Nhan) with abundant energy accumulated over many years. The ghost soul is powerless; even if permitted, it cannot enter. At this point, to be able to utilize these ghost souls, you must create a Puppet (Kh?i L?i) by implanting the soul into a human-shaped object, such as a statue, a painting, a corpse, etc. In Atlantis, they are called Golems—stone men, wood men, iron men, or bronze men—who work on our behalf, such as fighting, going into dangerous places, etc."
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Duan Zheng ??(Doan Chinh) asked: "Master, please teach me more about the book of Genesis?"
Noah replied: "Of course."
Outsiders and the Mandate ??
The curious Outsiders (Ngo?i Tinh) ?? wished to enter this world. They boldly demanded the position of the Majestic Heavenly Emperor (Thiên ?? oai nghi), full of ambition. The Supreme Deity refused, yet they still attempted to sneak in, at any cost. The Forbidden Zone (C?m Khu) punished them, their ranks vanished, they paid a heavy price.
Even the Lords of the Outsiders became mere worms, losing all prestige. Easy to enter, but hard to exit, they were trapped by the new rules. Unable to comprehend the rules, what could they do? Sufficient merit and virtue, no matter how hard, would lead to success—that was the only path ??.
The Outsiders were not forbidden; they could enter through the main gate. They should not climb the fences and suffer more hardship, they should obey the rules. The purpose of the higher layer was universal harmony, without distinction of wealth, status, or rank. That was the intention of the Creation Wargod (Sáng Th? V? Th?n) ???, not mere coincidence.
They should not think that the new stars could cause chaos at will. Climbing walls and sneaking through crevices, harboring wicked intentions, would surely be punished. They should not follow the habit of stealing and robbing houses, such evil deeds. That intention was not good; they would see the consequences.
The Outsiders could not grow if they kept their old ways. Seeing wrong but not correcting it, imposing military zones, would only lead to failure. Testing the realms, drawing in the Gods, was all useless. They did not realize that the Heavenly Scroll ?? had been written from the beginning, everything had been foreseen.
The Wargod had issued the examination right there, a grand trial. To see how they would pass or fail. From there, judgment and assessment would be made for each place, fairly and transparently. What was history, and why did it exist from the start? Changing white to black was exhausting, futile against the Law. Fighting for strength and talent was also for nothing, because victory and defeat were predestined.
Victory and defeat were predetermined; they should not worry, they should accept and learn. But they must not give up; once they believe, they must not abandon it. Unaware of the ordinary matters, but loyal and faithful, these were the precious qualities. The Wargod approved, choosing those who were worthy. Those entering the New World must not be lukewarm, they needed passion and determination.
In this era, intellect was blocked, wisdom was like nothing. Intelligence was dismissed, rituals were disregarded. Loyalty was sufficient, benevolence was better. Whoever achieved it was fortunate, and they should bring more companions, to move forward together.