Chapter 311

【After two lifetimes, spanning a hundred years, you have finally achieved your wish and attained the position of a True God!】

【From now on, you are immortal and indestructible; time holds no meaning for you, you can easily live past a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand years…… your lifespan is unrestricted, and your strength has reached an invincible level in the mortal realm.】

【You are no longer a one-sided student of mortal flesh; your True God body, formed from a Dharma Form, is beyond mortal imagination…… At this moment, you are the return of myth—shattering stars with a finger, cutting the Nine Provinces with a sword—these are truly feasible descriptions for you.】

【You stand at the pinnacle of the mortal realm, and also at the pinnacle of the Way of the Gods; above that there is no further realm, so your strength will not be inferior to the Heavenly Emperor, nor weaker than those mortal emperors who have ascended to the Heavenly Realm.】

【In theory, you now possess the qualification to challenge the Heavenly Emperor!】

【Of course, just in theory.】

【If you really try to blow up the fucking Heavenly Court with your own power, you'll probably be surrounded and beaten to the point you can't even crawl……】

【So you decided to play it safe, first waiting for the monkey and the other six banner leaders to become True Gods before proceeding.】

【So in the days that followed, you used your True God power to reshape the lands again, making them favorable weather and pleasant climate…… Even the Northern Kuru Continent, known for its bitter cold, turned into a southern paradise, with population and economy continuing to grow.】

【The growing population brought ever more incense, and the cultivation speed of the monkey and the other six grew ever faster……】

【And just when everything was thriving, an unexpected guest suddenly arrived!】

【He came from the Heavenly Realm, bearing an edict of pacification from the Heavenly Emperor, and what shocked you even more was that his identity was……】

……

In the shogun's residence, two white-haired old men sat facing each other; one's eyes held shock and vigilance, while the other wore a smile.

「The shogun is indeed mighty! Not only did he cut off the Heavenly Realm's source of incense, but he also drove my good-for-nothing descendants from the throne and out of the palace…… and made the whole world shout, '【The general's kindness is endless!】'……」

「……」

Being teased like this to his face, even Lin Liu felt a bit embarrassed, coughed, and asked warily:

「You really are the Founding Emperor of the Great Shun? 」

「I am Li Ziliang, no doubt about it. 」

Li Ziliang, the Founding Emperor of the Great Shun who single-handedly founded the three-hundred-year Shun dynasty, Lin Liu eyed the old man calling himself Li Ziliang with suspicion:

The Founding Emperor of the Great Shun, back then he rose from a peasant rebel army, truly a mortal who rose from nothing, and after obtaining the Contemplation Method by chance became a god and proclaimed himself emperor—nothing like a rat's wild god lineage.

He is a truly ruthless person who fought his way out, yet this old man calling himself Li Ziliang looks nothing but kind, his kind eyes and benevolent brow showing no trace of that ruthless forefather……

「How so? Do you think I don't look the part? 」

「Hmm……」

Li Ziliang laughed upon hearing that and said: 「Back then I was indeed a fierce fellow, so the Heavenly Emperor granted me the title of Venus Star Lord, which exactly describes my murderous nature. 」

「But it's been three hundred years; I've spent a full three hundred years in the peaceful and tranquil Heavenly Realm, daily at ease with my peers, my hostility long worn away……」

He said a lot, and Lin Liu barely believed his identity, but then turned curious and asked: 「Is the Heavenly Realm truly peaceful and tranquil? 」

「Of course it's true! 」

Li Ziliang smiled and took out a mysterious edict: 「This is the edict the Heavenly Emperor gave you; have a look. 」

Lin Liu took it half-believing, half-doubting.

The gist of the edict is:

Since you have already become a True God, come to the Heavenly Court; I will grant you an office and title, so you may thereafter live at ease in the Heavenly Realm, no need to waste time in the mortal realm……

Really?

After reading it, Lin Liu still had a dreamlike feeling, and he couldn't help but say: 「I cut off your mortal realm's incense…… you're not punishing me? And you still want to give me an office? 」

"This Heavenly Court, is it made of cotton?! 'What use is human incense? Which true god cares about that thing?'"

"Li Ziliang said displeased: 'You're measuring a gentleman's heart with a petty mind!'"

"This..."

"Lin Liu still didn't believe it, frowning as he said:"

'"And what about you? I tore down your ancestral temple, drove your descendants from the throne, and even destroyed the Great Shun..."'

'"I don't care!"'

"Li Ziliang rolled his eyes:"

'"As a true god, why should I care about ants-like mortals? Even my descendants are just ants; abdicating is abdicating, losing a country is losing a country—none of it concerns me."'

"Ah?!"

His astonishing remark shocked Lin Liu: "Are bloodline descendants also ants? Is the hard-won realm also not a concern? Is this the worldview of a true god transcending mortals…"

'"I still have a question."'

"Lin Liu stared, then continued asking the question that had puzzled him for years: 'Back then, didn't you say you wanted to change the Heavenly Court's old practice of not seeking profit for humanity? Why did you end up colluding with them in the end?'"

'"Well…"'

"Li Ziliang pursed his lips:"

'"Those were just immature remarks from back then; I changed them after I grew wiser… Besides, what do you want me to do? I toiled for 120 years, serving the world as a beast of burden for 120 years… I'm not a masochist; I've long repaid any gratitude."'

"This… Lin Liu was stunned, never having imagined such an answer."

"But he still doubted and asked the next question: 'Then… why does the Heavenly Court just give up? Clearly it could let people live better, yet it does nothing… Also, the Underworld should be a place to help cultivators reincarnate, yet the Heavenly Court withdrew its yin gods, leaving everyone unable to reincarnate after death…'"

"Li Ziliang, however, laughed and said:"

'"On what basis do you think these duties are the Heavenly Court's responsibility?"'

"Lin Liu was stunned, and instinctively said:"

'"Because humans offer incense to the Heavenly Court; in exchange, the Heavenly Court should serve the people…"'

"Li Ziliang shook his head:"

'"The Heavenly Court never asked people to offer incense; it's entirely the people's wishful thinking that the Heavenly Court should serve them… Think about it, is that reasonable?"'

'"It's not like we actively levied a tax on them; this kind of wishful thinking is practically forced buying and selling!"'

'"With such forced buying and selling, the Heavenly Court certainly has the right to refuse."'

"Lin Liu was stunned again; he had never imagined such an answer… He instinctively wanted to retort, but the words just wouldn't come out."

Because the fact seems to be exactly this: the true gods of the Heavenly Court never said they would help mortals with affairs, and moreover, the true gods have long had no need for any incense offerings.

So‑called tribute is merely a one‑sided wishful thinking; mortals unilaterally believe that when the Heavenly Court takes their incense it is receiving a benefit, and therefore must help them.

Some even view the Heavenly Court as a high‑level regime governing the mortal realm, but in fact it should merely be a self‑governing organization of true gods, not a high‑level regime, and it bears no responsibility to any mortal…

"We never wanted any incense, nor have we ever forcibly levied taxes on them; it's all them buying and selling by force… What right do we have to manage the mortal realm?"

Gazing at the dazed Lin Six, Li Ziliang said slowly:

"There are always mortals who think highly of themselves, believing that actively offering tribute to the Heavenly Court will earn them blessings… yet they never consider that the Heavenly Court looks down on these so‑called benefits; mortals simply overestimate themselves!"

"So after you extinguished the Heavenly Court's incense faith, we felt no anger at all, because we lost nothing of value…"

"Now, do you understand?"

After Li Ziliang finished speaking, he pointed at himself:

"I knew long ago that serving the people was meaningless, yet I still laboured as a beast of burden for a hundred and twenty years… I have no shame before my oath!"

"Throughout all dynasties, no founding ancestor has ever oppressed himself for a hundred and twenty years like I have—never!"

He proudly lifted his head, his gratitude long repaid, he owes nobody! "True gods have never needed mortals, yet mortals always need true gods…"

Lin Six muttered to himself, the question that had troubled him for years was finally resolved, yet the answer was unexpectedly simple…

"Why don't gods serve people? This question should actually be turned around: why should gods serve people? Between a person and a god, there is fundamentally no obligation…"

Li Ziliang said slowly:

"As for why the Netherworld was abandoned… the same reasoning: there was never any need, cultivators' deaths are not our doing, so why should we be made to assist in reincarnation?"

"Back then, merely maintaining it was already giving them face… now the Heavenly Court simply doesn't want to handle it—nothing more."

Lin Six remained silent…

After a long while, he then said:

"This edict, must I accept it?"

"Huh?" Li Ziliang frowned: "You don't want to ascend to heaven and be ennobled?"

Lin Six slowly nodded:

"I don't want to go—is that all right?"

"Of course it's fine!"

Li Ziliang laughed readily: "The Heavenly Emperor is no tyrant, the Heavenly Court is not compulsory—whether you go or stay is up to you, and the Heavenly Court will have no objection."

"But if you refuse the edict, you cannot follow me into the Heavenly Realm; thereafter you can only linger in the mortal dust, mingling with ant‑like mortals… Are you truly willing?"

Li Ziliang didn't believe he would be so foolish, because people naturally seek company with their own kind, while the true gods' outlook is no longer that of mortals—they are essentially two different species.

How could anyone give up carefree companionship with their own kind to mix with a bunch of short‑lived strangers? What's the point? What's the benefit? He couldn't understand.

Lin Six also fell somewhat silent, for what he said was actually reasonable: like should naturally keep with like, and mortals and true gods have long gone their separate ways.

Thus he gradually grew perplexed on this matter: should he go or not? Going would let him wander freely with fellow true gods in longevity; not going would mean only staying with mortals…

【Ding! You harbor doubts about accepting the heavenly edict of Lord Tai Bai Star Li Ziliang, unsure whether you should take it and ascend.】

【You certainly want to play with them, but considering the mortal realm you painstakingly built, if you leave, once those monkeys become gods and ascend too, the future of the mortal realm will likely revert to its former backward state…】

【This is something you cannot accept; after great effort you overthrew the Great Shun Emperor, and if you all leave, won't a new emperor just pop up again? The promise you once made will be utterly broken! Serving the people will become an empty slogan…】

【At this moment of dilemma, you choose: (?)】

【A: Ascend to heaven—after a lifetime of battle, can't you enjoy yourself? Take this opportunity to indeed go and witness all the splendid legends of the Heavenly Court; if true gods don't go to the divine realm, wouldn't all those years of training be wasted? B: Stay in the mortal realm and continue toiling as a beast of burden—after all, you were born with a holy beast‑of‑burden physique; not using it would be a waste!】

……

(End of chapter)