Chapter 221

All the ways spoken of are nothing beyond life and destiny; heaven and earth store the responding Dao, therefore one should seek it within oneself.

Everyone, the discourse on the Dao is over; please leave quickly.

Qi's voice rang out in the sky, accompanying the fading of the portent, gradually dissipating; all beings bowed and paid respect, saying:

We thank the Holy Emperor for his grace.

All beings spoke in unison; as the words fell, the crowd gradually withdrew, and Mount Buzhou returned to tranquility.

Those innate divinities naturally would not leave immediately like ordinary mortals; following the custom of the three clans, there would likely still be a banquet awaiting.

If one were to leave now, heaven knows whether one might become gossip; although the chance is small, it has happened before, and there is also the matter of impropriety.

Your Majesty, the Heavenly Court dominates the wilderness for eighty eons; the heavenly and earthly treasures it has stored are indeed vast, and after ten thousand years of consumption, there still remains so much.

Luwu followed beside Gouhu, popping into his mouth a spirit fruit no larger than an inch, crystal-clear and transparent; he felt it melt upon entry, extremely fragrant and sweet.

Gouhu also liked this fruit quite a bit, wanting some more, yet worried about encountering the previous phoenix clan incident, he hesitated.

Luwu noticed Houhu's embarrassment, glanced around, saw only music and dance in peace; his seat was high, just below the Three Pure Ones, so he casually summoned a serving heavenly maiden and asked:

What is the origin of this fruit, and what are its effects? I, though well-traveled and knowledgeable, have never seen it before; I quite like its taste—could I have some more?

The heavenly maiden lowered her head, confirmed what was spoken, then gave a slight bow and replied: "Reporting to Lord Luwu, this fruit is called the Washing Jade Pearl; it blooms every 1,700 years and bears fruit every 1,700 years, each yield producing over two thousand seeds, after which it must be nurtured for another thousand years before it can bear spirit fruit again."

If ordinary beings merely smell it, they can increase their lifespan by three hundred years; eating one grain adds seven thousand years. In the Heavenly Court it is mostly used medicinally; as for its exact efficacy, I do not know.

You, Lord, have never seen it, likely because this fruit is produced in the heavenly realm and has never flowed to the mortal world; even among Heavenly Court personnel, only a few can obtain it as part of their stipend.

As for the outside world, it is rarely seen; it is normal for you, Lord, not to have served in the Heavenly Court and thus not to know it.

This is the great banquet of Emperor Qi's Majesty; if you, Lord, like it, naturally you may have more; please wait a moment, I will go and return shortly.

Seeing the heavenly maiden drift away, Luwu turned his gaze to Gouhu and said: "The Heavenly Court differs from mundane forces of the outside world; Your Majesty likes it and says so, and Emperor Qi's reception of the gods will surely not be stingy."

Seeing Gouhu not respond, Luwu sighed: "The heavenly realm is inherently vast, only slightly smaller than the wilderness, and with the nine heavenly layers separated, each produces different things; the Heavenly Court's possession of this place can indeed be called a heavenly gift."

Gouhu saw Luwu behaving thus, frowned slightly, then suddenly laughed and said:

"The Heavenly Court possesses the four seas; my Western Kunlun, though it has not shortchanged you, still falls far short in comparison; seeing their extravagance now, if you wish to leave and join the Heavenly Court, I will not stand in your way."

"Your Majesty saying such things, could it be that you disdain Luwu's inability, that after long governing the great Western Kunlun you still cannot let Your Majesty enjoy heavenly grace; upon reflection, this indeed is Luwu's fault."

Forget it; since Your Majesty despises me, Luwu will just leave, and will not stay to be an eyesore.

Saying this, he turned to leave; Gouhu stared, bewildered—over the past few yuanhui, how has Luwu become so affected and pretentious?

Compared to that honest divine general of before, Gouhu for a moment could not tell whether this change was good or bad; but seeing Luwu truly about to leave, he could not help but glare at him.

Before he could speak to dissuade, he saw Luwu's eye signal, turned his head in doubt, and saw Fuxi and Nüwa approaching hand in hand.

Only then did Gouhu realize Luwu's departure was merely to make room for them.

Luwu saw the three chatting amicably, then turned and went to a lower table; he had already seen Fuxi and Nüwa approaching, knowing the status gap, he voluntarily yielded his seat.

Otherwise, if those top gods, in the heat of discussion, said things he ought not hear, the embarrassment would fall on himself.

Luwu's table change attracted no notice; Fuxi and Nüwa merely felt he was quite courteous.

They came this time also with a mind to make connections; Gouhu is the master of Western Kunlun, Kunlun Mountain being the ancestor of the eastern continent's earth veins, a special status, so its master Gouhu naturally deserves their association.

Luwu moved to the lower table, not going into the main area, which is reserved for top gods like the Three Pure Ones. Hmm, going there would only be asking for unhappiness; he has always been clear-headed and would not do so.

Given the Heavenly Court's current situation, it likely can still suppress the wilderness for another ten or more yuanhui; as for what comes next, it depends on when the remaining four heavenly emperors make progress.

If after the next Dao lecture, there are still two or even one person who attains the divine primordial Dao, then the Heavenly Court could truly suppress the wilderness.

Luwu looked at the secondary seats; these are not the seats of the slightly inferior innate divinities, whose difference from the main area is not great, whereas the secondary seats belong to the followers of those top gods.

Although they are secondary seats, there are still many spirit objects; only the number of premium innate spirit fruits is a few kinds less than in the main area.

Relying on the Heavenly Court's present wealth, absorbing the elites of all races into the heavenly troops, in basic strength the advantage over the wilderness beings is too great.

Just as when the Heavenly Court was first founded, composed of many new gods as its backbone, facing the wilderness after the three clans had fallen silent, lacking a primordial Dao strongman to lead, they were the foremost in the world.

But now, the Heavenly Court has given birth to a new primordial Dao; Luwu at this moment cannot help but seriously consider whether he truly ought to leave Western Kunlun and join the Heavenly Court.

And this is undoubtedly what, after Emperor Qi entered the primordial Dao, he proclaimed to the world, and what the wilderness beings ponder.

In Luwu's view, the best choice is undoubtedly the entire Western Kunlun, under Your Majesty's leadership, joining the Heavenly Court together.

Fuxi and Nüwa interacting with Gouhu, though they have a mind to make connections, their main purpose is precisely this: to absorb Gouhu, the master of Western Kunlun, thereby fully bringing Western Kunlun under the Heavenly Court's rule.

Qi naturally harbors the same thought, only the person he approaches to make connections is not Gouhu but the Three Pure Ones.

The Shangqing Lingbao Daoist, the Yuqing Yuan Shi Daoist, and the Taiching Moral Daoist—these three undoubtedly represent the pinnacle of the wilderness's foundation.

Its great prestige, the influence and fortune brought by joining the Heavenly Court, are not something that a mere nominal Heavenly King's position could bring.

What Qi and Di Jun now think is to bind the Three Purities completely to the Heavenly Court's war chariot, to grasp actual power.

Although this would reduce the current five Heavenly Emperors' control over the Heavenly Court, its gains would be enough to compensate for the losses of Qi and others, and even bring some profit.

Even in Qi's view, once the Three Purities truly and completely join the Heavenly Court, the future Heavenly Court might no longer be just the five gods and Daoist Mixed Yuan beings, but eight. This would be enough to permanently incorporate the Wasteland under the Heavenly Court.

Qi lightly held his wine cup and smiled at the Lingbao Daoist, saying:

"Shangqing Dao friend, you and Donghuang are close allies; given the current momentum of the Heavenly Court, if we join forces in a great undertaking, would it not be delightful? "By the power of the heavenly realm, one can reach the stars above, master the seasons, and control the Wasteland below; with your ability, a mere nominal Heavenly King's position is surely too light for you."

"If you join, what harm is there in sharing honor with you?"

Facing Qi's enthusiasm, Lingbao felt somewhat embarrassed, yet did not know how to refuse.

Given Qi's stature and his cultivation in the Mixed Yuan Dao, he willingly lowered himself to interact, treating them with courtesy and calling them equals, which deeply moved Lingbao.

But the Three Purities are one entity; although he was inclined, he ultimately had to consider the feelings of his two elder brothers, and was about to refuse when Qi saw his hesitation and immediately added: "I have heard that Dao friend loves formations and is skilled in their variations; in the Heavenly Court, I and Fuxi are also adept at this; if you join, all the accumulations of the Heavenly Court can be open for your inspection."

"If there are any doubts or unclear points, we will certainly impart all our knowledge without reservation."

Lingbao was just hesitating when the Taiqing Moral Daoist spoke:

"What Emperor Qi says is utterly unreasonable; we three brothers are originally members of the Heavenly Court, having received the Heavenly King's position—why would we now speak of joining?"

Qi's expression slightly tightened, but he had anticipated this in his heart, and immediately spoke:

"What you say is quite correct; this is my presumption, I should drink a cup."

Saying this, without waiting for them to stop him, he immediately drank the wine and then said: "Since you also feel this way, the Heavenly Court's Thunder Division currently lacks a person to hold the command; why not let you take charge?"

Yuanshi showed a smile, yet had no intention to agree; he merely refused politely: "We three have long been accustomed to tranquility, never had management experience, fear we cannot bear Emperor Qi's trust, and moreover the Thunder Department is crucial—it is a high position of the Heavenly Court, with far-reaching influence on the wilderness; if there is a mistake, I fear even ten thousand deaths cannot atone for the fault."

Although the Three Pure Ones were shocked by Qi's maneuver and pleased by his attention, they knew the Heavenly Court is a place of entangled karma; deeply involved, it is detrimental to cultivation.

Qi also did not feel disappointed; Lingbao's attitude made him feel there was still a chance—although they refused for now, it was not entirely impossible later.

Qi was not short of time; as long as there was a glimmer of hope, he would strive for it—after all, it was merely spending some words, and in his spare time it also served to pass the time.

After his departure, only the Three Pure Ones remained together; they then spoke from the heart: "Emperor Qi now stands at the pinnacle of the wilderness, yet still values us so highly; although we know he has his own plans, we cannot help but sigh for him."

The Upper Pure Lingbao Daoist asked, somewhat puzzled:

"Elder brothers, although the Heavenly Court is a place of entangled karma, its flourishing fortune is enough to compensate for its shortcomings, and moreover Emperor Qi humbly comes to us—why should we not accept?"

Yuanshi did not speak; he too felt puzzled, but presumably the elder brother had his own considerations, so although he did not understand, he did not object.

After a moment of silence, the Daode Daoist said: "It is not that I am unwilling, nor that I fear this entangled karma; it is simply that, for us now, the Heavenly Court is not a good opportunity to join."

"If we had already entered the Mixed Yuan Dao at this time, I would not dare to refuse."

Only then did Yuanshi and Lingbao understand the subtlety: the Daode Daoist was merely worried that it would affect the three brothers.

Although the Three Pure Ones' fame is widespread, they are still merely Gods of Luo Tian; Qi invites them to the Thunder Department, yet they have achieved no merit, so accepting such favor would be improper.

Furthermore, the three are not lacking in fortune; the Heavenly Court is not indispensable to them, so there is no need to trade their pure reputation for that heavenly position.

Jieyin and Zhunti were also present, though they were received by Di Jun; these two embodied the western qi rhythm, favored by heaven and earth.

Although there had been previous contradictions, they were not irreconcilable; Di Jun went to meet them, also hoping to draw them in to strengthen his control over the West.

Although the West is now impoverished, it still has many land beasts; for the currently unbalanced wilderness, there are too few land beasts on the earth.

Especially taking the East as an example, after dozens of cycles of regulation and management, there has been some effect, but it is still too slow.

Given their status in the West, once they join the Heavenly Court, the task of migrating land beasts will surely be accomplished in a short time.

The Heavenly Court has long been troubled by the imbalance among flying creatures, land beasts, and scaled beings; it had even considered forced migration, but leaving their native land is hard, and the effect would be extremely poor.

For the wilderness and the East and West, this is a solution that achieves both goals.

"Heavenly Emperor, your praise is misplaced; we two disciples have only just left the thatched hut—how could we receive such generous treatment from you? As for what you have spoken of, please allow us to refuse."

"The West is impoverished; after the great calamity, living beings are scarce. If there is yet another migration, I fear the West will remain weak and unable to recover."

Jieyin's face was sorrowful, his words showing even more weakness, yet in the face of the emperor's request he directly refused.

Di Jun said helplessly: "You two are mistaken; although migrating western land beasts to the east, it is not merely an outflow without inflow."

"Eastern scaled beings will also migrate into the west; this benefits the East, West, and the wilderness alike, being a great good."

"Now the West lacks the scaled clan; there are extremely few living beings in the water. Compared to the resources in its water system, if there are no living beings, would that not be a terrible waste?"

Unfortunately, Jieyin and Zhunti ultimately refused; no matter how much Di Jun persuaded, they would not agree, and so he had no choice but to leave.

"Senior brother, what Di Jun said does make some sense, but why must we refuse?"

Zhunti showed a puzzled expression, while Jieyin smiled and explained: "Junior brother, you are unaware; the Heavenly Court's migration of the three kinds began long ago, when it first gained control of the wilderness."

"Although this brings great merit, the West is impoverished and its spiritual essence barren; most of the gifted are land beasts. If we move them away, when will the West ever be able to flourish?"

"Moreover, although we refuse, the Heavenly Court will certainly not cease its migration efforts; although aquatic resources lack mundane consumption, they still exist."

"Furthermore, although we refuse to take charge of migrating land beasts, the Heavenly Court will inevitably not stop introducing scaled beings to the West; thus the West will always gain more benefits."

Only then did Zhunti suddenly understand, smiling as he said:

"Senior brother, you are truly cunning—you only want to absorb the scaled beings, not let the western living beings leave."

The two glanced at each other and burst into laughter, feeling they had taken advantage and gained much.

(End of chapter)