In the world around us, there are the warmth and coldness of worldly affairs, chivalrous hearts and tender affections, beloved companions and simple joys of everyday life.
There are also many extraordinary people. In Daoist temples, among millions of Daoist priests, there is only one true Daoist. In Buddhist monasteries, all things are said to possess spirits, and the Buddha’s teachings sweep across the world. In Confucian academies, one learns a breath of scholarly spirit and can go anywhere beneath the heavens. There are sword cultivators, who travel by sword and never draw it lightly or slowly. There are martial men, who can tread upon mountains and pluck the stars with one hand. Their fists shatter the Realm of No Delusion, and their bodies restore peace. There are also talisman masters, cunning strategists, feng shui mystics, dragon-backed power brokers, reclusive yin adepts... Each follows its own path of cultivation, each striving to lead the way beneath the heavens.
We see them uphold justice, decide victory and defeat, distinguish good from evil, and live with abandon. They rejoice at meeting beautiful women and give their hearts to kindred souls. When inspiration strikes, they can set their thoughts to paper and raise a glass; when chivalrous feelings surge, they can give the clouds away. They seem to have come from the heavens, unlike anything in the mortal world. Is that not enviable?
Then we see how a single word can establish order beneath the heavens, a single deed can sever the bonds of cause and effect, a single gesture can shatter mountains, and a single movement can descend into the deepest abyss. One technique can turn Heaven and Earth pale; one move can reduce human lives to grass. A smile can fill the world with joy; a fit of rage can plunge all things into ruin. They seem to have returned from hell, unlike anything in the mortal world. Is that not terrifying?
As for demons, monsters, ghosts, and spirits, they come in endless varieties, each with its own system. Among them are mighty beings who level the heavens, pierce the heavens, rival the heavens, subdue the heavens, and merge with the heavens... They burn mountains, boil seas, and claim cities as saints.
They hold the power of life and death and mock cause and effect! In the fever of a wild song, they find the chill; they see the abyss in the heavens, see nothingness in everything, and find salvation where there is no hope.
The Great Dao upholds the sky; alone, I challenge the immortals!
