On the imperial dais, the Great Xia Emperor, having successfully entered the Dao, was smiling, yet everyone could sense a feeling of detachment, as if he were entirely isolated from all living beings in heaven and earth.
Just as Ke Anran, his close attendant, had felt, after taking the Three Talents of Heaven, Sage, and People as the foundation of his orthodox tradition, the Great Xia Emperor had become increasingly non-human. Although joy, anger, sorrow, and delight still flickered across his face, these emotions felt more like a mask worn to project the appearance of a mortal man.
In reality, the expression hidden beneath that mask was identical to the statues of the sages currently being erected in every major academy throughout Tianjing: seemingly compassionate toward the suffering masses, yet in truth looking on with cold detachment.
Chapter 462