Chapter 342

342. Chapter 342: Drunken words in Five Zhuang Temple, simply helping oneself

Qi glanced at Taiyi and said:

「Well then, let's hear what you say. Those two in the West will surely not let Xifang Dalu suffer a loss; given their stingy nature, if they don't take some advantage, they'll surely be heartbroken. 」

「If we act this way, if they don't become Saints it's fine; but if they do become Saints, they will certainly come to the Heavenly Court. 」

「When that time comes, our conduct will naturally be unrestrained; I just didn't expect that you, Taiyi, usually carefree and honest, would harbor such darkness in your heart. 」

「Fuxi previously said you had changed, but now it seems it was merely that the past had no opportunity to show itself. 」

Qi spoke halfway, his mouth corners involuntarily curling into a smile; Di Jun and Fuxi were the same, while Taiyi seemed indifferent, chuckled:

「The wilderness naturally belongs to the Heavenly Court's domain; we have never relinquished our colors, so which Saint would dare oppose us? 」

「Although this Saint is the most exalted in the wilderness, if we do not acknowledge him, how could he be above others? 」

Although Taiyi wore a smile, his words were utterly rebellious.

Qi and Di Jun also just let things be as they please regarding this; the painstaking governance of countless aeons could not be easily replaced by a mere change of identity.

Although people's hearts may change, it cannot be denied that among those fickle hearts there are also individuals of unwavering resolve.

The Heavenly Court's actions were not in vain; although Di Jun could not attain the Dao through them, his achievements could not be erased by a mere change of status.

Fuxi, facing the words of the Great One, merely opened his mouth and laughed lightly:

The Heaven-ordained six sage positions now have five already set, but do not forget that although Zhunti possesses a strand of primordial purple qi, the Heaven-ordained sage position is not secure for him.

There is indeed room for us to act; observing the wilderness, there is never a lack of ambitious people, and now there is an empty sage's opportunity outside—who would not be moved by hope?

If we help each other, we can let the sage return to heaven and earth sooner, making up for the world's deficiency; this too would be great merit.

Di Jun, understanding Fuxi's meaning through their long-standing tacit accord, immediately grasped what Fuxi wanted and laughed: "Better to spread the word that there are seven sages in the world, but the fixed number is only six—this will surely bring much merriment."

Otherwise, given the current momentum of Xifang Dalu, if we do not press them a little, those two probably would not feel urgent.

By lending our aid, the Heavenly Dao will remember our merit, for after all, in the world, the early return of the sages to their positions is a great joy for the wilderness.

Qi nodded and said: "Better yet, in this great aeon, let all the sages return to their posts, then announce to the world that the Heaven-ordained sage positions number only six, while there are seven sages."

If so, the wilderness will surely stir up waves; as the waves rise, the great calamity draws near, allowing us to seek liberation sooner.

The four exchanged glances, and after a long while they spoke in unison: "Good!"

This great aeon has only just begun, with seventy thousand years remaining until its end.

As for the Heavenly Court, the long-time hegemon of the wilderness, to spread a message widely throughout the wilderness without revealing the slightest flaw would take less than a thousand years.

From the time Qi, Di Jun, the Great One, and others settled on this matter, within this great aeon, the news that all sages should return to their posts spread throughout the wilderness over a thousand years.

From the numerous primordial deities down to ordinary mortals, everyone heard of it.

At the same time, the Heavenly Court began levying taxes on the other half of Xifang Dalu; in an instant, the sound of Xifang Dalu's rise seemed to be snapped out of thin air, vanishing without trace.

Jieyin and Zhunti also found themselves in the most awkward predicament: above, they could not defy the Heavenly Court's tax demands; below, they were bound by the task of preaching to the Wu Clan.

Moreover, the gods continually cast their gazes upon them; over a thousand years, endless malice seemed to converge on these two, leaving Jieyin and Zhunti hard-pressed.

Even while preaching, many renowned figures in the wilderness, under the pretext of listening to the Dao, launched attacks, leaving the two exhausted and suffering greatly.

As for the Heavenly Court, it let things take their course, consistent with its usual practice, rarely intervening in the affairs of the wilderness gods.

Jieyin and Zhunti harbored doubts but could obtain no evidence, so they had to let it be.

After all, aside from being extra vigilant, they could do nothing against the Heavenly Court; those who came to attack from left and right could be resisted, but the two could only endure in silence.

Until among the attackers appeared a quasi-sage; the two then realized the danger and gradually gave up preaching to the Wu Clan, entrusting the task to their disciples.

Within the Five Zhuang Observatory on Mount Longevity, twelve people sat together in the courtyard; though seated separately, the atmosphere was extraordinarily lively.

Zhenyuanzi took the chief seat, lightly tapping his jade scepter; soon after, spirits presented ginseng fruits, which resembled infants in human form.

Their postures varied: some with five hearts facing heaven seated cross-legged, some playing and wailing, some appearing simple and lovable, as if they were real persons.

On the twelve seats, each person had three ginseng fruits, all differing in form, like a child cast upon a plate, causing ordinary viewers to feel dread.

Apart from Hongyun and Zhenyuanzi, the others were all friends of Hongyun: two Great Luo Golden Immortals, six quasi-sages, and two Hunyuan Dao practitioners.

Although their cultivations differed, the fruits and melons on the table were the same, accompanied by fine wine and dishes, with no distinction of status.

All twelve wore Daoist robes of various colors; the internal alchemists had inwardly gathered spirits, the Daoist practitioners were light in form and qi, with some in white robes, some in black, some in purple, some in gold.

Among them, two female cultivators and eight male cultivators sat barefoot on rush mats, their robes wide; though they did not deliberately conceal themselves, little was exposed.

In their every gesture they were extraordinarily carefree; when the wine flowed freely, though they were not drunk, the scene was nonetheless exceedingly lively.

Only when the wine sparked interest did someone taste the sweetness of the ginseng fruit; the two Great Luo Golden Immortals, after eating it, withdrew with delight.

Such a treasure should not be overindulged; having eaten three today, within this great aeon they should retreat into seclusion to cultivate, seeking only to refine its medicinal potency and avoid waste.

The remaining ten continued to discourse on the ancient and modern Great Dao, their words often clashing; the contention over the Great Dao admits no yielding.

Moreover, being friends, they naturally ought to do so; it is rare to have such like-minded companions, and thus they must contend for superiority.

All are quasi-sages and Hunyuan Dao adepts; their martial prowess may differ, but their realms are the same, so naturally none will yield.

Even between Hongyun and Zhenyuanzi, their speech was laced with thrusts and parries, unwilling to yield an inch; the wonder of discussing the Dao lies precisely here. Until the moon rose high, a Daoist in a red robe leaned slightly against his seat, his face flushed crimson, quite excited, and said: "Your Dao is simply outright rebellion! How could those who uphold righteousness in the world ever act so timid and shrinking!"

His words were full of the intention to look down on the world, spoken earnestly, which drew another white-robed Daoist to open his mouth in rebuttal:

We cultivators seek nothing in life but the Great Dao; having aspired to the Great Dao, how could we not spare our bodies and forget death? Surveying the vast heavens and earth, those who go ahead—who would not be fearless?

This is fallacious; who doesn't know that hearing the Dao in the morning makes one content to die in the evening? To see the Great Dao, one naturally should advance when it is time to advance; how can a little wind and wave be feared like a tiger?

Among heaven and earth, people differ, each having their own weight; speaking of us, who is heavier? The heaviest under heaven—could one dare say it surpasses the Heavenly Emperor?

Even the Heavenly Court's Emperor, noble as he is, still needs to lead troops through perilous terrain to seek a crossing; the Great Dao is so distant, yet we shy away from risking our lives—this shows how vast the Great Dao is!

The white-robed Daoist, hearing these words, immediately continued to speak in rebuttal:

The nobility of the Heavenly Court's Emperor—could it possibly surpass that of the Three Sovereigns? The Three Sovereigns, though exalted, still drowned in the great calamity, returning to the abyss to preserve themselves.

The nobility of the Heavenly Court's Emperor—could it possibly surpass that of the Sages? The Sages, though exalted, still roam beyond the primordial wilderness, daring not to involve themselves in the great calamity.

We cultivators do not take the Three Sovereigns and Sages as our benchmark, yet we choose the Heavenly Court's Emperor, using those of power and status as comparison—how could this lead to attaining the Dao?

Hong Yun, seeing the heated discussion among the crowd, and being in high spirits from drinking, could not help but join in, saying: "The path of cultivation is harder than ordinary people walking to heaven on foot; ordinary people still have Mount Buzhou to walk on, while we tread the illusory, ethereal Great Dao—how could there be no example of a route?"

In my view, cultivators should not fear risks, yet they must not blindly pursue visible benefits; rather than argue, we should instead plot the path to attaining the Dao.

You see, although the Emperor of the Heavenly Court is noble, compared to a sage, what nobility is there to speak of?

The sage's realm is equivalent to the Primordial Chaos Grand Luo Golden Immortal, and in battle power it is no different from the Primordial Chaos Luo Heavenly Venerable God; this is indeed what we seek.

Whether immortals or gods, only those who attain the Great Dao can speak of freedom; otherwise, bound within the wilderness, shrinking back yet pressing forward, what difference is there?

Zhenyuanzi also spoke up, saying: "Our discussion now seems heated, yet it has nothing to do with the Great Dao; what meaning does that have?"

Rather than esteem those unattainable persons and affairs, it would be better to consider what we can obtain; as long as it benefits the Great Dao, what harm is there in taking some risks?

If it is no different from the Great Dao, what use is there in being vigorous and spirited again? Although we have drunk wine today, we must not entertain false thoughts; we should stay grounded.

The previously silent black-robed Daoist, hearing Zhenyuanzi's words, glanced around and saw several people already drunk, but the atmosphere at the table was intense, so he spoke up: "Staying grounded? How could our words today not be grounded? Given my current cultivation, the realm of Primordial Chaos is still far off, yet it is not without opportunity to attain the Dao."

In the wilderness, it has long been said that within this cosmic cycle, the six sages destined by heaven will not return, yet now within the wilderness, seven strands of primordial purple aura remain.

You say, the position of a sage ought to be occupied by the capable; now there is an opportunity before us—how could we simply let it slip away?

The Great Dao numbers fifty, the heavenly derivation forty-nine, yet a sliver of life remains aside; such a fine opportunity, if we ignore it and casually let it pass, that would be timid and shrinking.

Now look, among the ten of us present, we are all Primordial Chaos cultivators; gathering our strength, we certainly could have an opportunity to attain the Dao.

As soon as the black-robed Daoist spoke, over half of the drunkards in the hall sobered instantly, their gazes burning and fixed upon him; the flicker in his eyes clearly showed he had already been moved.

Hongyun and Zhenyuanzi also broke out in a cold sweat from shock, yet their hearts could not help but stir; concerning the attainment of the Dao, whether gods and mortals, any cultivator—how could they not be moved?

The black-robed Daoist paid no heed, continuing with fervor: "We ten are all friends, our bonds deeper than mountains and oceans; if we join forces, Jieyin might yet escape by heavenly mandate."

How could that Zhunti escape? Given our friendship, if we slay Zhunti, the primordial purple aura he possesses could be jointly contemplated by us.

As for the opportunity to become a sage, let those who have the affinity go on their own; I consider myself dull-witted, harboring no expectation whatsoever for the sage's fruition.

If we succeed, I can say beforehand that I will not take the primordial purple aura; I only need to borrow it for a moment of contemplation.

I am an innate divine sage; my life has been spent pursuing the divine path, not seeking sagehood, only to forge my own way alone.

He has achieved the Primordial Chaos Luo Heavenly Venerable God, which is not inferior to the sage's fruition; compared to it, he possesses even greater freedom—how could this not be wonderful?

After some thought, the white-robed Daoist also spoke:

Given my friendship with Daoist Hongyun, I could also yield the primordial purple aura to him, though only after a little contention between us.

As a friend, I ought to do so; however, if Daoist Hongyun fails, I would also like to try, yet it would be improper to yield it to the other Daoists.

However, I can say beforehand that if we obtain the primordial purple aura, we may all contemplate it together, and those with affinity may go as they wish.

If I have the affinity, I will do likewise, and moreover, I will not yield!

Zhenyuanzi's heart startled—he did not know when the topic had turned to this, plotting against Jieyin and Zhunti, which also concerns the Great Dao, leaving him wondering how to dissuade them! After all, the two are closely related, one of them being a future heaven-ordained sage; if this attempt fails, how will the many friends present hereafter conduct themselves?

He possesses the Earth Book for protection, so he naturally fears no future sage's targeting, but who among those present has such a spiritual treasure? In the future, they will certainly not all remain confined to these five mansions.

Although Mount Wan Shou is a rare blessed land, it cannot sustain the cultivation of these dozen or so Primordial Chaos practitioners; a short gathering is fine, but over time the blessed land will be ruined.

Faced with this situation, Zhenyuanzi hastily opened his mouth to persuade:

What we seek is freedom; how can we be bound by a single strand of primordial purple aura to the sage's position? This is absolutely impermissible.

Such foolishness, no, no—seekers of freedom, compared to Chaos, the wilderness is too small; we must not act thus.

The red-robed Daoist, however, was indifferent, speaking thus:

Brother Zhenyuanzi, your words are too dismissive of the sage; know that he too follows the path to the Great Dao—how can you look down on him?

Although we are free, we should not abandon the Great Dao; gathering our strength, we will surely be able to obtain what we seek.

Hongyun, after hearing for a long time, finally came to his senses and said: (End of chapter)