Chapter 223: with translation of chapter title

By order of the Heavenly Emperor, the Deer Qi tribe, Deer Spirit tribe, Goat Horn tribe, Goat Mi tribe, Tooth-eating tribe, Remaining Horn tribe, Horned People tribe, Dog-barking tribe, gather from today, set out within the seventh month, migrate eastward.

Let's produce: 【1】 "By order of the Heavenly Emperor, the Deer Qi tribe, Deer Spirit tribe, Goat Horn tribe, Goat Mi tribe, Tooth-eating tribe, Remaining Horn tribe, Horned People tribe, Dog-barking tribe, gather from today, set out within the seventh month, migrate eastward."

Check: "Heavenly Emperor" is Heavenly Emperor. Good.

The decree is here; the eight tribes have received orders, they shall depart immediately!

Shezhe wore white armor and silver spear, holding a white jade token, high above the clouds, standing with hands behind back, divine might revealed; the chieftains of the eight tribes below all knelt and could not rise until the white jade token fell, then they rose and replied:

Thus line 3: "Shezhe wore white armor and silver spear, holding a white jade token, high above the clouds, standing with hands behind back, divine might revealed; the chieftains of the eight tribes below all knelt and could not rise until the white jade token fell, then they rose and replied:" Need to keep Chinese punctuation? We'll just use English punctuation.

Let's produce: 【3】 "Shezhe wore white armor and silver spear, holding a white jade token, high above the clouds, standing with hands behind back, divine might revealed; the chieftains of the eight tribes below all knelt and could not rise until the white jade token fell, then they rose and replied:"

We solemnly obey the supreme deity's order!

Seeing them sensibly accept the order, Shezhe then landed, walked before the crowd and admonished:

Now the Heavenly Emperor's order has been conveyed; I hope you will act accordingly, make preparations swiftly, and dare not defy.

The crowd immediately replied: "General Shezhe's words, we will surely keep them in mind."

Shezhe was quite pleased, a smile on his face, about to turn and leave, but they stopped him; the chieftain of the Horned People tribe said: "As the supreme deity said, we will certainly hasten our actions, but we do not know why the Heavenly Emperor does this."

The others immediately echoed:

Yeah, supreme deity, we are just a few small tribes of the West; would we really be involved in the Heavenly Court's command?

Please, supreme deity, clear up our doubts a bit; we will be eternally grateful.

Our eight tribes together have a population of no more than over a billion, and the land we occupy is no more than a single hill; how could there be such an order!

「……」 => This is just an ellipsis indicating silence. We need to translate as an ellipsis? Probably keep as "……". The instruction: Render onomatopoeia / sound effects as English sound words. Ellipsis is not sound. We'll keep as "……". So 【13】 "……"

Seeing them chattering nonstop, Shezhe couldn't help but frown and shouted loudly:

The Heavenly Court's command, you just need to obey; the considerations are arranged by those great gods.

Not to mention I don't know; even if I knew I wouldn't tell you; moreover, moving from West to East is such a good thing, enjoy it secretly yourself.

The leader of the Deer Spirit tribe replied with a bitter face:

What the supreme deity said naturally makes sense; leading the tribe eastward is indeed an opportunity, but we are few and weak, worried that after reaching the East we might become food for those fierce people.

Shezhe gave them a contemptuous glance, his eyes full of disdain, ignored them, and as he turned to leave he said:

With your measly stature, do you deserve to be food for those fierce people? Your blood and qi are chaotic, unpleasant to behold; moreover, under the Heavenly Court's rule, such fierce people are not allowed to cause chaos.

You just go back, gather your people, pack your belongings, and wait until after the seventh month to depart together on my Heavenly Court's spirit vessel.

Shezhe was about to leave; they dared not stop him, could only linger a moment to discuss a few words, then helplessly returned to their tribes, gathered their people, and informed them of this.

Leaving this area, Shezhe returned to the clouds above; there was still one person waiting for him there.

"General Shezhe, your speed is a bit slow; for those mundane tribes, why did it take so long?"

The speaker, like Shezhe, is a spirit general of the Thunder Department, named Fengzhi, wearing embroidered armor, sash of variegated colors, head crowned with an amber purple orchid crown, indeed a fine appearance.

"General Fengzhi, you jest; although they are merely mundane, the tribes in my region are somewhat numerous; though they dare not defy the Heavenly Court's edict, they inevitably have some worries."

"We are spirit generals; we must explain a thing or two to them, lest we tarnish the Heavenly Court's name when the time comes."

General Shezhe laughed; Fengzhi and he are both gods of the Thunder Department, though there are finer divisions, they can still be considered one family; since the other spoke, he will certainly explain.

Fengzhi said somewhat surprised: "You are surprisingly patient; well, after this matter is settled, we should still hurry to meet with our fellow colleagues, and discuss in detail after this affair concludes."

Those mundane people, hardly any have become immortals; compared to these Heavenly Court spirit generals, they are not much stronger than ants.

Shezhe actually would explain to them; Fengzhi naturally would be somewhat surprised; in Fengzhi's view, allowing them to go east is already a great fortune; with such good fortune at hand, they should just listen, there's no room to waste words.

Anyway, in the end they can only obey; the will of the Heavenly Court will not shift because of them.

As for why the Emperor would issue such an order, Fengzhi doesn't know and is too lazy to ponder the intricacies; as Shezhe said before, it concerns the grand scheme of heaven and earth, and those great gods will consider it; he only needs to obey.

The two no longer spoke, turning into two streaks of escape light that vanished at the horizon.

Mount Sumeru.

Jieyin and Zhunti's faces turned iron-blue; they could only watch helplessly as many Heavenly Court spirit generals operated in the Western continent, continually migrating numerous tribes.

They wanted to stop it, but dared not intervene; after all, the Heavenly Court had already proclaimed to the world, this concerns the primordial cosmos, the two had no reason to refuse, nor dared to refuse.

Their previous actions in the Heavenly Court they knew had already offended Di Jun; now the Heavenly Court merely follows the momentum to strike, yet they already find it hard to withstand.

At this moment, Jieyin and Zhunti felt extremely anguished; Zhunti finally could not help but say:

"Senior brother, are we really just going to watch them divide the western living beings?"

"If we let them act so recklessly, the West will never have a chance to rise again!"

Jieyin's face was sorrowful; hearing Zhunti's words, he felt even more bitter; after a while he replied: "Junior brother's words, I naturally know, but how can we refuse in the present situation?"

"Regulate the three categories to seek balance in the primordial cosmos; first use one to supplement three, then use three to support one, establishing the sequence; for the primordial cosmos this is reasonable and proper; if we intervene, we would be enemies of the entire primordial cosmos."

Zhunti's voice suddenly rose, he shouted angrily: "What reasonableness? They are clearly intending revenge; it's merely because we previously did not agree with Di Jun's words; the Heavenly Court acting thus is out of selfish desire, reckless behavior!"

Jieyin naturally knows Zhunti's words have some merit; he also harbors considerable doubt about this, but given the Heavenly Court's great power and their righteous pretext, he finds it hard to speak out.

Yet seeing his junior brother act thus, Jieyin also could not refrain from advising: "Junior brother, still relax your mind; we are weak, cannot contend with them, otherwise we will surely invite disaster."

"We are the hope of the West, blessed by the West's fortune; we must not lightly court danger."

"The lecture at the Purple Cloud Palace is imminent; we should focus our efforts on our own cultivation, otherwise if we lose the present, how could there be a future?"

Upon hearing this, Zhunti could only restrain his anger, his face showing bitter sorrow; after a long while he actually burst into tears:

"Senior brother, I understand what you said, but I am unwilling!"

"Since the great calamity, the West has been impoverished to the extreme; recalling the past prosperity, compared to now we are powerless; how can I not be angry?"

Jieyin had no reply; after a while he murmured:

"Junior brother's words, I too feel heartbroken; although I have never seen it before, I also know a bit; but for now we need more endurance, later we will surely reenact the scene of the ancient East-West conflict." "Hmm."

Zhunti gave an "hmm", covered his face with his sleeve, wiped his tears a few times, then said: "Senior brother, the Heavenly Court thus targeting the West is a disgrace to us; if we ever rise again, I will certainly not spare those five."

Although Jieyin felt it improper, seeing Zhunti's appearance he was moved by compassion and did not refute Zhunti's words.

"By then, senior brother will accompany you; I will certainly not let those five escape easily."

The sorrow and weeping in the hearts of Jieyin and Zhunti are naturally unknown to Qi and the others; even if they knew, they would not take it to heart.

Given the Heavenly Court's present might, with the primordial cosmos' fortune supporting them, the five are all outstanding talents of heaven, confident they will not fall behind others.

When the time comes, if we must contend, we will compete with them; let us see who will win.

God-Heaven Heaven

Since Di Jun's plan began, his mood has been good; this move neither affects the Heavenly Court's grand plan, nor does it disgust Jieyin and Zhunti a bit, letting him vent his anger.

「Qi, Fuxi, you say, given the Heavenly Court's current strength, are there still any loopholes that need to be filled? Among the myriad races of the wilderness, is there still anyone who can contend? 」

Faced with Di Jun's inquiry, Qi pretended not to hear, continuing his game with Taiyi, while Fuxi smiled and replied:

「Your Majesty worries too much; given the Heavenly Court's present strength, who in the world could contend? As long as we two make no mistake, the Heavenly Court will be as stable as Mount Tai. 」

Upon hearing Fuxi's pleasing words, Di Jun couldn't help laughing heartily, and likewise praised, saying 「What Fuxi says is absolutely right; it truly pleases my heart. As long as we join forces, there will be no one in the world who can contend. 」

Nüwa, hearing the two mutually praise each other, couldn't help splashing them with cold water, reminding them of the stark reality, saying 「Rather than waste this energy on mutual flattery, it would be better to carefully examine those memorials, which come from all over the wilderness and concern heaven and earth; if a mistake occurs, I fear merit alone may not be enough to offset the karmic debt. 」

「Moreover, the myriad races of the wilderness have never been our rivals; if a true opponent appears in the future, it will necessarily be a force comparable to the Heavenly Court. 」

「Otherwise, with the Heavenly Court's present might, trying to contend with the strength of a single clan—even the ancient dragon, phoenix, and qilin—would not be a match for the two of us combined. 」

「Now, coincidentally, the Great God Hongjun is giving a discourse—a rare event that can gather myriad deities—and we share half a fellowship as former classmates; as long as well-meaning people have the intention, they can easily assemble a force. 」

Di Jun and Fuxi, hearing this, felt somewhat embarrassed; Fuxi, seeing the situation, begged for mercy, saying:

「Nüwa, it was no easy feat for the elder brother and Daoist friend Di Jun to steal a moment of leisure; now that the Heavenly Court has achieved such success, why not let us indulge in a little mutual praise? 」

「What you speak of, we two naturally know, and we harbor vigilance in our hearts; however, the Great God Hongjun's discourse cannot be stopped by us, nor can we intervene. 」

Nüwa then said: 「I, too, worry that you truly think this way; should complacency arise, the Heavenly Court, which concerns all beings of the wilderness, truly cannot tolerate any negligence or mistake. 」

「My earlier words were a bit of an overreaction on my part; please continue. 」

As she spoke, Nüwa again focused her gaze on the chessboard, occasionally offering reminders, without fixed allegiance to either side; whenever she saw someone falling behind, she would speak up to help, bothering Qi and Taiyi to no end, yet they enjoyed it.

Di Jun and Fuxi exchanged glances; having just been interrupted, they felt it inappropriate to continue mutual praise, so they started another game.

Nüwa instantly became the busiest person present, constantly circling around the four of them.

East Sea.

Yinglong continually pondered his idea, eventually feeling somewhat confident, and with great excitement exclaimed 「Several elder brothers, Yinglong has finally not lived up to the trust placed in him; after long and painstaking deliberation, he has found a glimmer of hope for the revival of the dragon clan. 」

「Although this method cannot immediately free the dragon clan from its bonds, it can ultimately relieve the dragon clan's urgent plight; as for how later generations will judge it—whether good or bad—let them decide. 」

Since Yinglong escaped the seal, he learned of the dragon clan's predicament and has continually thought of a solution; after many eons, he finally saw a glimmer of hope.

He comprehended the supreme treasure of the Scale-Armored clan, the Dragon Gate, and from it derived a method that can wash away the previous flesh of scale-armored beings, allowing them to shed their mortal bodies and be reborn, possessing a trace of true dragon blood.

Once they subsequently pass the Dragon Gate again, they can transform into true dragons and become members of the dragon clan.

These newly born dragon clans did not participate in the previous great calamity, so the karmic debt entangled in the dragon clan does not affect them, allowing them to possess free bodies and walk the wilderness as dragon clan members.

Moreover, these newly born dragon clans will strengthen the dragon clan's overall fortune, helping the present dragon clan escape its predicament and enhance its foundation.

The interaction between the two benefits both sides; this is a rare win-win strategy.

However, although this method is a win-win and currently the best option for the dragon clan, it naturally also has its drawbacks.

That is, the dragon clans born through this method, although they shed their mortal bodies and are reborn, obtaining true dragon bodies.

But ultimately, there will remain an immutable trace of origin; over time, this will inevitably give rise to many dragon clans with mixed, mottled bloodlines.

These mixed-blood dragon clans, although they are dragons, may appear in all sorts of strange forms, and their divine abilities and bloodlines fall considerably short of those of true dragons.

Moreover, their inner divinity is lacking, their aptitude is far inferior, and their temperaments and conduct are strange.

Their existence will undoubtedly affect the dragon clan's image and reputation, but the present Yinglong cannot manage all of that, and having no other recourse, he can only proceed this way.

Since this method is newly created, Yinglong cannot simply implement it outright; he needs to conduct a few experiments, identify and fill gaps. Thus, while the various tribes of the wilderness were busy with their migrations, Yinglong quietly gathered a number of disciples.

They cannot be called Yinglong's disciples, nor do they inherit his Dao lineage, yet they accept his teachings; they serve both as test subjects and as a new force within the dragon clan.

After Qi attained the Grand Primordial Dao, he was not simply idling away, indulging in pleasure; on the contrary, he fell into his busiest period, though his preoccupations had nothing to do with the Heavenly Court or cultivation.

While Qi and Taiyi continually maneuvered the wilderness's grand situation and migrated the various tribes, the time for Hongjun's second discourse drew near; suddenly, a voice like Yinglong's echoed through heaven and earth: 「I am the ancestor of the wilderness dragon clan, the dragon clan chief Yinglong. Feeling the suffering of all beings due to poor aptitude and foundation, and the difficulty of cultivation, I have devised this method: anyone who cultivates it may hope to attain a true dragon's body. 」

「From today onward, practicing this method, a great snake becomes a python, a great python becomes a boa, a great boa becomes a flood dragon, a great flood dragon becomes a hornless dragon, a great hornless dragon becomes a scaled dragon, and a great scaled dragon becomes a true dragon. 」

「Among them, those with scales are called jiaolong, those without horns are chilon, those with horns are qiulong, and those with wings are Yinglong……」

Yinglong's voice rose together with the Dao's resonance; countless merits rained down, and this method reverberated throughout the wilderness, all beings feeling it.

Countless tribes instantly grasped the ruthlessness of it; Yinglong's move undoubtedly severed the roots of countless tribes, attracting their elites to seek better foundations, and becoming a dragon undoubtedly is the best choice.

Moreover, this method will inevitably provoke curses from the myriad tribes, the snake tribe hating it most; snakes, originally the highest among the scaled after the dragon clan, will, because of Yinglong's method, henceforth be reduced to vassals of the dragon clan.

Fortunately, among the snakes there are still many top-tier bloodlines; although difficult to cultivate, they can at least preserve some essence, while those smaller tribes vanish unseen, turning to dust in history.

(End of chapter)