Chapter 305: with translation of chapter title

Moral Heavenly Venerable refined purple qi, increased his authority, and established himself as a Saint.

Once his achievement was complete, when he looked again at the mountains and rivers of Honghuang, they were utterly different from just a moment before.

Although this was external power, it still contained profound mystery, helping him advance further.

The Venerable rose calmly, his gaze surveying the ages, his spirit illuminating the Myriad Heavens, naturally bearing an exalted, unsurpassed aura.

But he was not particularly happy; indeed, the corners of his mouth twitched, his mindset on the verge of exploding.

"This... really gives this old Daoist plenty of face."

What did the Moral Heavenly Venerable see?

Not far from the gate of Mount Buzhou, in a small mountain hollow, dozens of powerful divine-ability cultivators gathered in the woods, including demon kings, demon marshals, and top-tier demon divinities.

Besides that.

Neither more nor less, 360 demon divinities stood, each holding a star-dipper battle flag.

Such a formation...

No wonder the Moral Heavenly Venerable needed to comment—it really gave him a lot of face!

"Fortunately! Fortunately!"

A sense of relief welled up in the Venerable's heart.

He was relieved that he had been decisive enough to become a Saint, rather than considering returning to Kunlun Mountain for further promotion.

Otherwise?

The moment he stepped out of Mount Buzhou marked the beginning of a tragic life!

With so many strong ones gathered... saying they wanted to invite the Moral Heavenly Venerable to a meal—who would believe that?

That's not right either.

Perhaps it really was an invitation to dine... but only the kind of treatment given to Rahu the Demon Ancestor.

To entertain guests in prison, they let him eat prison food.

And that invitation might well be the Great Calamity, never to see the light of day again.

As for that, Rahu the Demon Ancestor would surely laugh—

"My Dao is not alone!"

The Venerable felt relieved, having returned from the Gates of Hell.

On the other side, the mighty demons dispatched by the Heavenly Court felt deep regret.

"Moral... he's got a big life."

"Taiyi of the East holding the Chaos Bell, shook his head, 'Alert enough... otherwise we would have just cut him down directly.'"

"Killing a preparatory Saint would give the remaining few a long look... and at the same time we could bargain with the Dao Ancestor."

"Yes!" Di Jun sighed long, then gave a cold laugh, "Our demon race has the greatest power and deepest foundations; we should have had a big advantage... but!"

"Too many people scheming for petty gain!"

"As for the Wu Clan, let's not mention them."

"Even the Dao Ancestor, although he supports us, has his own calculations ticking away like crackling fire."

"He plots and promotes the emergence of Saints in order to open another path, wanting to have his own force outside of us, waiting for a moment to strike out as a surprise force."

"But that's also interesting." Di Jun's eyes narrowed, "These preparatory personnel of the Saints, as things stand now, each harbor their own thoughts; there's hardly any loyalty to speak of toward him."

"Loyalty is itself a false proposition," said Bai Ze the Yao Marshal with a laugh, "Everyone here is a figure striving for the peak; at this point, talking about loyalty is almost like dreaming."

"Even if there were loyalty."

"That would mostly not be loyalty to a particular person, but loyalty to an ideal, a belief."

"When aspirations align, the Dao joins."

"When the Dao differs, they do not plot together."

"Even if they are temporarily allied for profit, there will eventually come a day when they part ways."

Bai Ze said, raising his head slightly, his eyes deep, 'I think the Dao Ancestor should also see this principle quite clearly.'

"But he ultimately still willingly granted the Saint position... most likely after weighing gains and losses, able to achieve some purpose through this act."

"Oh? What lofty insight does Yao Marshal Bai Ze have?" Di Jun asked with a smile.

"Not worth calling a high opinion, just a personal guess." Bai Ze waved his hand, not arrogant, "You say, what is the Dao Ancestor most proud of...?"

Before anyone could answer, he continued himself, 'It should be his strength.'

"In this era, he is unquestionably the number one of Honghuang!"

"That is the strongest combat power that requires the combined might of our three thousand Great Luo to suppress; pure demon or Wu Clan forces would inevitably be defeated against it."

"So, he was actively united with the Heavenly Dao." Donghuang said.

"Yes, the Dao Ancestor is going to unite with the Dao." Bai Ze nodded, his eyes flickering, "But after uniting with the Heavenly Dao, is it absolutely impossible to escape that state?"

"He made a great vow." Another Yao Marshal shook his head, "Bound together with the Great Calamity."

"Hmm, I know." Bai Ze's face turned solemn, "But nothing is absolute."

"Perhaps he could bypass this restriction through some clever means... like these Saints, what is their main responsibility when they appear?"

"On one hand, it is to bear the duty of educating and transforming humanity; on the other, it is to assist the Heavenly Dao in handling affairs, alleviating pressure!"

"Saints, to some extent, are extensions of the Dao Ancestor's will... and thus may give rise to some wonderful manipulations."

Bai Ze said meaningfully.

Among the Great Luo present, some were confused and didn't understand; others half-grasped, feeling they'd understood something but like seeing flowers through mist.

Still others had a flash of realization in their eyes, as if they had penetrated the unexplored meaning.

"Substituting one thing for another?" Di Jun's eyes flashed with a hint of deep light.

"Golden Cicada shedding its shell?" Shangyang Yao Marshal pondered, "The Saint makes the shell, taking the place of the restraints received, the Dao Ancestor extracts himself from within, able to intervene in the battle at a critical moment, or to strike at us, who have swollen after defeating the Wu Clan, and bring that military authority under our control?"

"Hongjun's imperial heart technique, could it be that powerful?" Shangyang had doubts.

"I don't know that." Báizé shrugged, "I'm just speculating some possibilities and then sharing them with you all, so everyone can develop more caution."

"As for how the situation will develop… we still have to take it step by step."

"For a moment, this place fell into silence."

After a while, Di Jun finally broke that atmosphere, "Alright, we should pay attention to this matter but not worry too much… as long as we defeat the Wu Clan cleanly and neatly, even if the Dao Ancestor has ideas, what of it? We must still jointly rule the world with him."

"What we should consider now is facing the humans' ever-accelerating development; we need both a method to suppress them and a way to strengthen the foundation of the Heavenly Court and boost our base."

"Suppressing them… there's no good way in the short term to counter the performance of the Moral Heavenly Honored One." Jimeng Yao Marshal advised, "But regarding the Demon Race, we can make some minor adjustments."

"The great battle is about to begin." He turned his palm into a blade and swung down fiercely, "Before that, we must gather our scattered strength into a fist!"

"To repel external threats, we must first secure internal stability!"

"Some of the powerful beings currently scattering our strength ought to be made to see reality clearly."

"If they refuse… then kill them!"

"Just like now, concentrate our forces, surround and annihilate them!"

"In Jimeng Yao Marshal's words, killing intent surged and boiled."

"Hongyun, who masters cloud cultivation and can allocate the vital force of lower realm beings."

"The giant peng can subtly interfere with the thought states of our Demon Race people and exert sufficient influence."

"Zhenyuanzi, who operates the Earth Immortal Blessed Land platform, enhances various resource usage efficiencies, and has accumulated a considerable network."

Promoting the 'Heaven-Earth-God-Person Scatter' five-immortal occupational training system, the Eastern Great Emperor survived the difficult transition and began to bear fruit.

……

Jimeng Yao Marshal named many top-tier experts of the present age.

Furthermore, he listed their career achievements.

If you don't count them, you wouldn't know.

Once you count them, you'll be startled.

If these figures band together, calculating their total volume, their influence on the Demon Race is too great!

"Incorporating them, our Demon Race's cohesion can at least increase by fifty percent."

Jimeng Yao Marshal concluded.

"Indeed..." Di Jun nodded in approval, sighed, "I never expected that, unnoticed, we actually have so many peripheral talents grasped by those who have drifted away."

"Although the Demon Race's foundation is still in our hands, looking at those numbers on paper is still quite frightening."

"It's time to cut down these big leeks."

Di Jun said with interest, "Grasp the chips they've accumulated in our hands, to use against the Wu Clan."

"According to your opinions, if we were to act, who should be the primary target?"

"I think this Red Cloud... should be listed as the first target for attack." Jimeng said faintly, "After all, in his cloud cultivation platform, he has accumulated too much wealth belonging to all beings."

"If it were transferred away, or if the data were modified, deleted, or added, leaving a mess of bad accounts, even if we let the Heaven-Earth Bank handle it afterward, it would probably be difficult."

"So, if we don't act, fine; but if we do, we must be swift, accurate, and ruthless!"

The Yao Marshal said this, and the killing intent grew even fiercer.

"If Red Cloud joins the path, merges with our Heavenly Court, and agrees to let the Heaven-Earth Bank supervise him, then naturally it would be good for everyone."

"If he is not sensible?"

"Then we will kill him as quickly as possible while completely freezing his assets, so he cannot later escape."

"That makes sense." Several Yao Marshals echoed in agreement, and added, "The Kunpeng faction looks dangerous and disgusting, able to interfere with the human spirit... but as long as we cut off their network, no great waves can be stirred."

"As for Zhenyuanzi, although he has wide connections, he said it's ultimately just a platform; swapping in another person would still allow it to operate."

"The Eastern Great Emperor has always been on good terms with our Demon Race; we can leave him for last."

"Only this Red Cloud Divine, cultivating the Way of Clouds, possesses the ability to gather and disperse invisibly, change unpredictably; he is the hardest to handle and also the most needing to be handled."

These Yao Marshals made enthusiastic proposals.

Di Jun glanced at them, suddenly laughed, "I have understood your opinions."

"Since that's the case, after we return we will make some preparations and wait for the opportunity to meet with Fellow Daoist Red Cloud..."

……

The speed at which the Moral Heavenly Virtue came ashore was fast enough to make the Heavenly Court's mighty figures deeply regret.

"However, after a reasonable refuge Saint fled, they turned their intentions toward other great divine-ability persons."

To some extent, this is because the rapid rise of humanity puts pressure on the Demon Race's upper echelons—two Saints' showy performances and advertising have driven humanity to frenzied acceleration and rapid advancement, prompting the Heavenly Court to begin some radical actions, seeking to concentrate all power into a single fist.

"Regarding this, the Moral Heavenly Virtue and the Supreme Saint, as the direct sparks, show no self-awareness, still leisurely handling the newly established Ren Sect affairs."

"To be frank, the establishment of this Ren Sect is merely this Heavenly Virtue's advertisement and propaganda for humanity."

"In fact, he hardly has any intention of taking disciples and transmitting the Dao."

"Under the pretext of consolidating cultivation, after dispersing the countless billions of beings who came to listen to the lecture, the Moral Heavenly Virtue and the human leaders had a discussion, laid bare their positions, and reached a consensus."

"The human Wise Men, starting from practicality, do not want the Moral Heavenly Virtue's Ren Sect to grow large, with disciples and descendants filling humanity."

"Their reasons are ample."

"The Ren Sect already has a 'person' character in front, plus the earlier showmanship; to most people it will likely be seen as an orthodoxy of human thought."

"Indeed, this ideology is good and could become mainstream... but we do not want to see a mountain representing orthodox interpretive authority arise within humanity, which would trouble us greatly."

"The right to interpret ideology can only belong to the leaders... if it is seized by any school, used for profit, creating a so-called pure stream, openly interfering in important decisions, and even emptying and deceiving the emperors?"

"That would be a disaster."

"The human leaders consider things very far-sightedly."

No one can guarantee that the Dao lineage transmitted by the Moral Heavenly Venerable will remain uncorrupted, that future disciples and descendants will not cause mischief, or that they won't be so bold as to distort the teachings handed down by the Venerable beyond recognition, then seize the right to speak for their own gain.

It is just like a certain sage who wrote 'benevolence and righteousness'; he originally advocated the correct principle of 'repay resentment with virtue, how to repay virtue?' but people deliberately ignored the latter half and openly promoted only the former 'repay resentment with virtue,' thereby misleading the world.

If that sage were aware, he would surely be so angry as to leap out of his coffin… With such disciples and descendants, who wouldn't be angry?

Regarding this, the Moral Heavenly Venerable expressed understanding.

The ideas of you sages, this old Daoist, I fully approve and endorse.

You can rest assured.

Even if I establish the Ren Sect, this sect will absolutely not interfere in the governance of the Human King… unless the mountains and rivers are shattered, humanity withers, and acting from a public heart, I will take action.

The Heavenly Venerable gave the leaders of the human race a calming pill.

Afterward, he laughed again, saying, 'Moreover, I only leave the scriptures, not transmitting the main Dao lineage, precisely to see a hundred flowers bloom.'

What would become of a thought that is passed down, interpreted and extended by one successor after another using their own wisdom?

I am very curious.

After all, the highest good is like water… I wish to be that vast sea, with the broadest mind, to receive one stream of thought after another.

Let's see what kind of miraculous achievement will ultimately arise.

The Moral Heavenly Venerable said thus.

Then we wish our fellow Daoists smooth paths on the Dao and a boundless future!

The leaders of the human race laughed loudly.

They conversed happily, reaching a result satisfactory to all.

Finally, in the farewell gesture of the human leader, the Moral Heavenly Venerable mounted the green ox; a boundless, vast, profound purple qi spread, sweeping across the universe, and thus he departed from Mount Buzhou.

Ascend beyond heaven, open the profound yellow!

(End of chapter)