Chapter 299: line with translation of chapter title, then ===GLOSSARY=== with list of named entities appearing in these lines

299. Chapter 299: Formation for converting innate spiritual energy, to cope with the great change of heaven and earth and speculation.

Qi strained to open their eyes; although they had slept for a long time, about three thousand years or more, they still felt extremely weary.

Qi reached out and randomly grabbed at their hair, which was still as white as frost and jade, yet they always felt it wasn't quite as smooth.

The snake tail swayed unconsciously, causing ripples in the lotus pond below; Qi gazed toward the horizon, their pupils slowly focusing, after a while they came to, murmuring:

«The heavens have changed; spiritual vitality flourishes, yet spiritual energy is no longer pure, losing the innate wholeness, making it hard for later cultivators to attain the Dao. »

Qi then sensed carefully, and only then felt disheartened as if losing the Dao: «Having cultivated for so long, I considered myself righteous, yet now I must resort to thievery? »

Qi twisted their body, transformed into a Dao body, and walked to the edge of the lotus platform; they did not use the levitation technique, allowing themselves to fall freely into the pool below.

Water splashed high, exceeding ten zhang; Qi sank into the water, and after a while floated up, motionless, drifting on the surface.

After a long while, Qi suddenly rose from the water, as if standing on a mirror, and said: «You seek righteousness; why commit the act of stealing the Dao? With my Dharma Dao, I can directly take the chaotic qi and transform it into innate wholeness. »

«It would merely take a bit more time; how could we abandon righteousness, become thieves of heaven and earth, and commit the act of stealing heaven? »

Having made up their mind, Qi immediately headed for the Heavenly Court, intending to set up a formation, personally gather chaotic qi, transform it into innate spiritual energy; relying solely on their own strength would be foolish.

In the Heavenly Court, those skilled in formations are countless; pooling everyone's wisdom would surely surpass the strength of any one person.

Moreover, the Heavenly Realm also lies within the Primordial Wasteland; although it currently has formation protections and has not taken part in the primordial changes of the Primordial Wasteland, over time it would inevitably be affected.

Now, having made plans early spares later regret; moreover, the Heavenly Court is the righteousness of heaven and earth, and if we were to maintain the innate by taking the essence of the Primordial Wasteland, that too would be theft, inevitably contrary to our hearts.

«Since the membrane of heaven and earth transforms chaos into innate spiritual energy, and we have some strength to spare, we naturally can lend a hand. »

«Furthermore, mastering the method by which the Primordial Wasteland gives birth to innate spiritual energy naturally allows us to control its subsequent course; the myriad clans cannot escape it, and it will surely be used for our benefit. »

«The difference between innate and acquired is such that the gap can even compare to that between immortals and gods; the single word "purification" is not understood by outsiders, how could I, a cultivator of the purifying Great Dao, not know it! »

«Moreover, not only in cultivation, but all spiritual medicines and mineral deposits likewise depend on spiritual energy and vitality; if the Heavenly Court could control future innate spiritual energy, would it not reap all the advantages? »

Thinking of this, Qi became ever more excited; the shift in heaven and earth is actually the most unwelcome matter for the Heavenly Court that now controls the Primordial Wasteland.

But if we could seize the initiative, relying on the Heavenly Court's foundation, we would surely advance further, strengthening our advantage against any resistance.

Qi at this time also felt fortunate to have earlier destroyed the Immortal Court; although Dong Wanggong seemed not to have affected the Heavenly Court, he was truly a rare hero of the world.

His keen eyesight, bold yet meticulous heart, daring to attempt what others would not, often achieving astonishing feats; moreover, his high wisdom always yields gains.

In just over ten yuanhui, he had developed the Immortal Court to rank among the top three in the Primordial Wasteland; although he relied on the rise of the Immortal Dao, this also shows his keen judgment.

If the Eastern King Palace and the Immortal Court still existed now, Qi dares to guarantee that he would surely stake the rise and fall of the Immortal Court on this innate spiritual energy in one fell swoop.

Moreover, the Immortal Court is not lacking in talent; if he succeeds, they might truly be able to contend with the Heavenly Court.

Fortunately, the Heavenly Court acted swiftly, not giving Dong Wanggong a chance; otherwise it would have forced the Heavenly Court to expend extra thought and effort.

A streak of escape light pierced Tian Ji, invisible to ordinary folk, but the primordial deities who had been watching the Heavenly Court's movements immediately began to feel excited.

Not all primordial deities are skilled in formations; to cope with the change between innate and acquired, most primordial deities can only preserve their own Dao Chang and a surrounding area unaffected.

If any farther, they would be willing but unable, for relying solely on divine power to sustain changes lasting three yuanhui would be overly demanding.

Qi also had the aid of the Innate Yunmze Star Array, the Innate Twelfth-Grade Purifying World White Lotus, the Water Hua Awakening World Drum, the Water-Subduing Subduing God Staff, and other treasures; thus they could protect the entire Yunmze Marsh and still have spare strength to expand outward.

As for the others, lacking such foundation, this change would likely cause them heavy losses.

Upon arriving at Mount Buzhou, Qi was immediately spotted by the guarding divine general Teng Hao, who hastily ushered Qi into the Heavenly Realm with respectful conduct, daring not to slack in the slightest.

However, Qi had no leisure for conversation at this time, merely nodding in acknowledgment before hastily activating the formation and rushing toward the Divine Firmament Heaven.

Fuxi and Nüwa were already in the Hall of Soaring Heavens, waiting early for Qi's arrival.

Their Dao Chang, Phoenix Perch Mountain, lies beside Mount Buzhou, one of its subpeaks, not far beneath the Heavenly Gate; they need only guard the Heavenly Realm while expanding a bit, without having to go themselves.

During the time when Qi and Di Jun Taiyi departed, it was also they who managed the Heavenly Court, receiving guests and regulating the Primordial Wasteland.

As Qi had just entered the Hall of Soaring Heavens, Fuxi spoke first:

«Qi, you have come at the right time; this occasion has important matters requiring you to take the lead, while Kunpeng, Bai Ze, and others will assist from the side. »

«Nevertheless, the main burden must still be borne by you, for although they are wise, they are too superficial in the way of formations. »

«Di Jun Taiyi and the others have not yet returned; Nüwa is not skilled in formations, I still need to hold down the Heavenly Court to control the Primordial Wasteland's overall situation, unable to divert my attention, so I can only ask you to endure a bit more hardship. »

Upon hearing this, Qi knew that Fuxi had thought of the same thing; after all, one must understand the way of formations profoundly, and besides drawing chaotic qi to transform innate qi, Qi could think of nowhere else that would make Fuxi so urgently crave a formation expert.

Without waiting for Qi's reply, Fuxi spoke again: «I wish to set up a formation, breaking an opening in the membrane of heaven and earth to attract chaotic qi and transform it into innate spiritual energy; the only person capable of undertaking this is you, Qi. »

Qi merely nodded and said:

«I have rushed here precisely for this reason; you and I have indeed arrived at the same thought, which cannot be called anything less than tacit understanding. »

«However, this matter is of great importance; relying solely on the Heavenly Court's strength, even if successful, would certainly consume considerable time. »

«As for this formation, you and I have only a conception, never having put it into practice; starting from scratch would be overly difficult. »

«Why not select some skilled in formations from the mountain and river deities of the Primordial Wasteland, join them together, and pool wisdom; perhaps we could gain more inspiration. »

«Furthermore, we could have the myriad clans of the Primordial Wasteland contribute formations, drawing analogies for reference, thereby strengthening the Heavenly Court's foundation while weakening the clans' resistance to it. »

«As for those unwilling, we need not worry; simply let the heavenly troops investigate on the spot, and if anyone violates heavenly statutes, execute them outright. »

«As for those clans capable of controlling formations, I do not believe all their members are law-abiding good folk; perhaps we could have overlooked them before, but now that heaven and earth are at stake, we cannot tolerate their defiance of the great trend! »

Having said this, a flicker of killing intent flashed in Qi's eyes; the Heavenly Court has always been unable to finely govern the Primordial Wasteland, previously relying on the cooperation of the various clans for minor details.

Although many mountain and earth deities assist, compared to the number of beings in the Primordial Wasteland, such few divinities are still too few.

Observing the general situation of a place is fine, but if one wishes to personally handle everything, extending power downwards, knowing everything about the Primordial Wasteland like the back of one's hand, that would be making things difficult for them.

They are merely minor deities appointed by the Heavenly Court, their stipends and the fortune they enjoy tied to a single locality, naturally possessing little divine power.

Fuxi nodded at this, without objection; the matter of transforming innate spiritual energy concerns the Heavenly Court's grand plan, and cannot allow them to refuse.

Qi then asked: «When I was previously in the Yunmze Marsh, you and Nüwa had sent me messages; you naturally know the situation there. »

«But at that time I was wholly focused on the Yunmze Marsh, never asking how Di Jun and the others were; do you know if you can contact them? » «The starry sky is the foundation of the Heavenly Court and the place nearest to the membrane of heaven and earth; setting up a formation there is unavoidable. »

«Now that I have returned, I do not know whether their situation is serious; the very basis of the Heavenly Court's existence is those star deities, which cannot be neglected. »

Fuxi, hearing this, frowned deeply, feeling somewhat embarrassed, but did not conceal it, speaking frankly: «The changes in the starry sky far exceed our expectations; their impact is great and astonishing, with many stars showing signs of collapse. »

«The sun and moon stars have lost their source; many nameless stars have been destroyed; if not for Di Jun and the others arriving in time, the former starry sky would no longer exist. »

"In the future, within the wilderness, the Three Lights Divine Water will probably never again be as abundant as before, for every place where heaven and earth gather spiritual essence will retain some."

The origin of the Moon Star is severely damaged; moonlight is barely enough to reach the Wasteland, and the lunar divine power therein can hardly affect the Wasteland any longer.

We'll produce: 【61】 "And in the future wilderness, the Three Lights Divine Water will probably never again be as it once was; wherever heaven and earth gather spiritual essence, there will still be some left."

As for the Sun Star, its fiery toxicity erupts almost incessantly; the solar yang marrow it produces is all laced with deadly poison, and ordinary contact must be avoided.

Thus: 【61】 "And in the future wilderness, I fear the Three Lights Divine Water will no longer be able to be as it was before; wherever heaven and earth gather spiritual essence, there will also be some retained."

Qi fell somewhat silent; the starry sky had almost entirely been destroyed, which Qi had not anticipated; by ordinary reasoning, Hongjun should not be so foolish.

「From now on, aside from the Heavenly Court, the outside world will mostly be unseen; even the Heavenly Court will need to be used sparingly from now on。」

This also shakes the very foundation of the Heavenly Court's rule; this is where the Heavenly Court's true foundational strength lies.

We need to keep the colon and quotes. We'll produce exactly.

The formation for converting innate spiritual qi is also imminent; all these major matters have gathered together, making Qi's head almost split with headache.

After a long while, Qi finally stopped pacing, sat back down in his seat, and unconsciously tapped his fingers on the tabletop as he spoke: "Spread this matter throughout the Wasteland, send word to Di Jun Taiyi and the myriad star gods, telling them to halt the transmission of all starlight except that of the Moon and Sun Stars, preserving primarily their own starry essence."

"Aside from moonlight, the Moon Star will no longer leak moon essence; instead, we will gather lunar power to irrigate the Sun Star, prioritizing the removal of its fiery toxicity."

"As for the Sun Star, we will regulate the time and area of sunlight shining upon the Wasteland's land, as long as we ensure that the land's yang qi is not lacking."

"We can start from east to west; thereafter, when the Eastern Continent has daylight, the Western Continent will be night, cycling in this way, which can reduce the Sun Star's energy output while maximizing the preservation of the Wasteland's yang qi."

"Then let them devise a way to separate the starry sky from the newly born stars, trying to avoid contact with the Wasteland so as not to suffer further infection."

"As for the innate spiritual qi that the starry sky receives from the transformation of the embryonic membrane of heaven and earth, we will temporarily intercept it for now, and only after the starry sky recovers will we channel it into the Wasteland."

"On the contrary, the spiritual qi of heaven and earth today is extremely abundant; although somewhat mottled, it is still cultivable, and indeed even richer than before; outsiders ought not to notice."

"The starry sky is of utmost importance to the Heavenly Court and must not be lost; as long as a plausible reason can be given, any clan aware of this will absolutely not dare to oppose the Heavenly Court at this time."

"As for those mundane beings and weak clans, the changes in the seasons have no real effect on them; it is merely a temporary alternation of day and night."

"They won't even notice it, after all, the places where mundane beings pass and where they can be active are just a few mountain peaks at most—meaning they merely get to sleep an extra half day."

"I will do my best to set up the formation quickly, to ensure the abundance of innate spiritual qi in the heavenly realm and Mount Buzhou; only then can we have a chance to catch our breath."

"If there truly is a traitor who wants to cause trouble at this time, kill without pardon!"

"If the opponent's status is special and we cannot lightly speak of killing them, then we will simply release the Wu Clan from their cage; they will be the sharpest weapon in the Heavenly Court's hand."

"Don't worry that they will take the opportunity to grow stronger; in the future, the protagonists of the great calamity will surely be the Heavenly Court and the Wu Clan; those innate divinities are unwilling to have a great mountain constantly pressing down on their heads."

"Even if we do not indulge the Wu Clan now, restricting them completely with no chance to develop, when the time comes the myriad gods will naturally help them rise."

"As long as the great calamity has not yet arrived, the Wu Clan can only be manipulated by us; even if we let them slay the myriad gods who aid the Wu Clan, Emperor Jiang and the others will have no choice but to do so."

"This is not a time of past tranquility; as an extraordinary time, we must naturally take extraordinary measures—the Heavenly Court has the capacity for trial and error, and also has sufficient foundation to bear the consequences of mistakes!"

"If it truly comes to the point of no return, we might as well let the Wasteland and the myriad gods perish together with the Heavenly Court!"

"A Wasteland without the Heavenly Court, a Wasteland not under the Heavenly Court's control, holds no meaning for us whatsoever!"

"Although the words are extreme, yet under the gods, the mundane beings of the Wasteland truly have no chance left."

Qi saw that Fuxi and Nüwa both seemed somewhat unable to accept this, and he couldn't help but sneer: "Don't forget what we previously guessed—that the ferocious beast calamity remains a mystery to this day, and even Yangmei Dashen avoids speaking of it."

"If there is nothing secret, how could an unborn innate divinity be devoured by the ferocious beast? Do you really think that innate gifts and heavenly favor are false pretenses?"

"Primordial Chaos has the Dao; gods and Dao are one; as children of the Great Dao, the innate divinities—how could the Great Dao abandon them?"

"Even Pingyi, born of the Yunmeng Marsh, if not guided by fortune's decree, I cannot bear to see the marsh's consciousness point at him."

"Could it be that Shen Ni truly has such an opportunity, able to devour an innate divinity who carries the God‑Slaying Spear as its companion spirit treasure, while wearing the ferocious beast's form?"

"Know that Yangmei Dashen and his ilk can follow after the Three Sovereigns, even inheriting their Dao lineage; yet even so, they also avoid mentioning this."

"We must prioritize preserving ourselves before anything else; in short, I do not believe that the starry sky farthest from the Wasteland, without external influence, would suffer the worst damage!"

Qi's voice rang out like metal striking metal; although he did not explicitly say where the scheme came from, it also pointed to the Dao Ancestor who has now united the Dao—after all, only two beings in the present Wasteland could possess such divine power.

One is Yangmei Dashen, the other is Hongjun; Yangmei Dashen is far away in Chaos, but is Hongjun truly still united with the Dao?

Qi recalled the instant when the Bell of the Eastern Emperor rang; at that moment heaven and earth seemed to have undergone a sudden change, yet the change was delayed until the Heavenly Court assembly, when it finally began to show.

Regarding this, Qi could not help but harbor doubts; he simply could not fathom why the Heavenly Court would invite such a scheme.

A Wasteland without the Heavenly Court, a Wasteland not under the Heavenly Court's control, holds no meaning for us whatsoever!

Although the words are extreme, yet under the gods, the mundane beings of the Wasteland truly have no chance left.

Qi saw that Fuxi and Nüwa both seemed somewhat unable to accept this, and he couldn't help but sneer: "Don't forget what we previously guessed—that the ferocious beast calamity remains a mystery to this day, and even Yangmei Dashen avoids speaking of it."

If there is nothing secret, how could an unborn innate divinity be devoured by the ferocious beast? Do you really think that innate gifts and heavenly favor are false pretenses?

Primordial Chaos has the Dao; gods and Dao are one; as children of the Great Dao, the innate divinities—how could the Great Dao abandon them?

Even Pingyi, born of the Yunmeng Marsh, if not guided by fortune's decree, I cannot bear to see the marsh's consciousness point at him.

Could it be that Shen Ni truly has such an opportunity, able to devour an innate divinity who carries the God‑Slaying Spear as its companion spirit treasure, while wearing the ferocious beast's form?

Know that Yangmei Dashen and his ilk can follow after the Three Sovereigns, even inheriting their Dao lineage; yet even so, they also avoid mentioning this.

We must prioritize preserving ourselves before anything else; in short, I do not believe that the starry sky farthest from the Wasteland, without external influence, would suffer the worst damage!

Qi's voice rang out like metal striking metal; although he did not explicitly say where the scheme came from, it also pointed to the Dao Ancestor who has now united the Dao—after all, only two beings in the present Wasteland could possess such divine power.

One is Yangmei Dashen, the other is Hongjun; Yangmei Dashen is far away in Chaos, but is Hongjun truly still united with the Dao?

Qi recalled the instant when the Bell of the Eastern Emperor rang; at that moment heaven and earth seemed to have undergone a sudden change, yet the change was delayed until the Heavenly Court assembly, when it finally began to show.

Regarding this, Qi could not help but harbor doubts; he simply could not fathom why the Heavenly Court would invite such a scheme.

PS: Finished writing 6 minutes late, sorry everyone! The Phoenix King apologizes here: Sorry! (End of chapter)