Chapter 2490: The Will of Immortal Gate Citizens, the Dao Heart of True Immortals

A heated debate arose among the citizens.

Each side held its own view, arguing from material, Dao-heart, and the historical development of Daoist science, seeking stability, seeking the Dao, not in agreement.

There was no right or wrong; any path seemed correct.

As long as it ultimately succeeded.

A citizen representative spoke; finally, the elder representative with white beard and hair, after hearing all views, slowly stood and said: "Fellow citizens, the Ancient Emperor once said: In the Daoist path, idealism and materialism coexist; Dao-heart and heavenly materials and earthly treasures are equally important, neither dispensable, the principle of heaven and earth."

"Without material foundation, there is no basis for attaining the Dao."

"Without Dao-heart, one cannot effectively utilize Daoist materials; even if one enters the treasure mountain, in the end one returns empty-handed, gaining nothing."

He did not immediately state his own view, but instead recited a sentence often found in the Tai Shang Da Ri Gu Huang's numerous Daoist treatises.

"What does this mean?"

"Are you saying that without a steadfast Dao-heart, a true immortal of the Immortal Gate cannot become emperor? This need not worry, for the true immortal of the Immortal Gate is a collective-will true immortal, different from ordinary true immortals, and they cannot be equated—"

The interrupting citizen representative suddenly froze, stunned like a wooden chicken.

Likewise, many Immortal Gate citizen representatives present trembled in their bodies, showing traces of panic and terror.

"It seems,"

"that among you, someone should understand my point."

The white-bearded citizen representative calmly said: "The importance of Dao-heart in the Daoist path needs no elaboration; if we regard cultivators as an efficiently operating Daoist composite system, then the soul is the central control of this Daoist composite system, constantly processing countless magic power, divine sense, and treasure data within the body; if Dao-heart is disordered, the soul is confused, the entire Daoist composite system will instantly collapse, leading to qi deviation."

"Hard to imagine how a coward, one who constantly doubts himself, could become a Daoist powerhouse."

"Yes, the Immortal Gate collective-will true immortal lacks Dao-heart and can at any time halt the process of becoming emperor, without the deep-seated obsession of ordinary true immortals."

"But does the Immortal Gate collective-will true immortal truly lack something like Dao-heart?"

"Ah? Does it have it?"

The white-bearded citizen representative suddenly fixed his gaze on all citizens and shouted sternly: "Yes!"

"The Immortal Gate collective-will true immortal possesses its own Dao-heart, and it is clearly written in its very name—you blind?"

"Collective will! True immortal!"

"The Dao-heart of the Immortal Gate collective-will true immortal is the courage, talent, wisdom, perseverance, greed, desire, and everything of all Immortal Gate citizens!"

"Today, if Immortal Gate citizens falter in courage before the emperor's trial, how will the Dao-heart of the Immortal Gate collective-will true immortal be?"

"We may fail, we may sacrifice, we may die on the battlefield."

"But we cannot flee the battlefield out of fear!"

"Cowards, the weak-willed of collective will, can never become emperors, whether for the individual or for collective will."

"This is my view, thank you all."

The white-bearded powerhouse bowed and sat down.

More roars and shouts did not erupt; this is a tribulation, a heart-devil tribulation, unique to the Immortal Gate collective-will true immortal; a single person passing it is meaningless, requiring the vast majority of citizens to undergo it together, to acknowledge it together, for most people cannot.

The path of the collective-will true immortal overemphasizes internal cohesion, unable to march lightly like individual cultivators.

The meeting hall fell into silence.

For a long time.

"Fellow citizens, begin voting."

The Immortal Gate executive announced in a calm tone.

"If the Immortal Gate lacks the courage to become emperor, and citizens lack sufficient awakening, then it should not become emperor; further words are useless."

The Great Sun Forbidden Zone.

The countless generations of soul fragments pay special attention to the Immortal Gate, recording even such trivial matters.

"The Immortal Gate collective-will true immortal also could not escape the strong aspiration of past true immortals to become emperor, so intense as to be unstoppable, the heart toward the Dao."

"This seems to be a two-sided unity."

"Without such a steadfast and fearless citizen body, it would be impossible to give birth to a collective-will true immortal that wins the final emperor's battle, so there is no question of choice."

"On this day, according to the collective resolution of the Citizen Assembly, within the will of countless Immortal Gate citizens, the Immortal Gate collective-will true immortal stepped onto the path of uniting with the Dao to become emperor."

"On this day, the Immortal Gate collective-will true immortal united with the Dao at the Innate Wealth Fortune Great Dao."

"The Innate Wealth Fortune Great Dao surged mightily, having arisen since the birth of the second sentient being, influencing the long river of ancient time, influencing the operation of matter, as the heavenly hall's great Dao; the Innate Wealth Fortune Great Dao manifested from the starry sky, uniting with the Immortal Gate collective-will true immortal as one."

"The great Dao's golden light blazed, covering the boundless starry sky, countless torrents of coins reflecting heaven and earth."

"The hazy crown of the Innate Wealth Fortune Great Dao emperor condensed from the void, stirring the three thousand great Dao of the boundless starry sky, countless rules, the long river of time."

"Immediately, the Immortal Gate collective-will true immortal merged into the great Dao."

"Immediately, the Immortal Gate collective-will true immortal collapsed, soul and spirit destroyed, heavenly blood rain fell, endless sorrow wept, blood-colored light illuminated heaven and earth, countless citizens cried out in unison in grief."

On this day, the fifth Tai Shang Da Ri Immortal Dynasty true immortal of the Immortal Gate ruling the boundless starry sky collapsed.

The financial fortune order primordial ancient scripture remains in heaven and earth, and will collapse at most in ten million years, letting the boundless starry sky fall again into island-age chaos.

The soul fragments in the Great Sun Forbidden Zone record everything of the mortal realm.

Time flows swiftly.

Flows.

Everything in the mortal realm changes as swiftly as slides in a slideshow, major historical events continuously flashing past, until finally they blur.

At a certain moment, it suddenly halted.

In the image, the scorching and destructive light illuminated the boundless starry sky, a terrifying sword cultivator stood firm in the boundless starry sky, beneath his feet were mountains of corpses and seas of blood, the starry sky scorched earth.

One person, one sword, alone standing in the starry sky.

This time, thirty million years had passed since the fifth Tai Shang Da Ri Immortal Dynasty, and the ultimate victor was the Great Sun Sword Immortal! The extreme orthodox Great Sun Sword Immortal, with one person and one sword, slaughtered throughout the entire boundless starry sky, exterminated all Dao soldiers, slew all under heaven who dared to be arrogant and rebellious Great Sun sword cultivators, and won all victories!

"Become emperor!"

This Great Sun Sword Immortal, at the moment of victory, whispered.

The vast and mighty Solar Dao manifested from the starry sky, merging with this battle-hardened Great Sun Sword Cultivator into one, as boundless radiance filled the heavens and a blazing, molten-gold Dao crown descended from the void.

After several breaths.

The Dao crown shattered, the Great Sun Sword Immortal collapsed in the starry sky, and heaven and earth wept in sorrow.

This sight caused all cultivators beneath the stars to feel their bodies turn cold, as an intangible fear seeped into every corner of their souls, plunging them into utter despair.

Could it be that, in the era after the Tai Shang Da Ri Gu Huang, becoming an emperor is truly impossible?