Chapter 547: Not a Vessel

"The Unadorned Divine Lord?!"

Gazing at the solemn figure seated cross-legged at the center of the Merit Golden Lotus, shrouded in hazy divine radiance, Hua Changxi's eyes flickered unceasingly.

It was actually a deity!

Earlier, when she saw the characters 'Unadorned' on the well wall, she only thought it was the name of the Soul Well, never imagining that this was the honorific title of a Divine Lord.

"Is this what a god is?"

"Gods consume incense and offerings; the power of incense and offerings is a form of merit. So, when they come to listen to the Dao, they must pay merit as an offering?"

Just as Hua Changxi's thoughts were turbulent, a faint, ancient, calm, and emotionless Dao sound slowly echoed through the void, not piercing the eardrums but directly resounding deep within the soul.

The Unadorned Divine Lord began to expound the Dao...

"What is a vessel?"

"A vessel is that which is used. All living things have their uses; all living things can become vessels."

"All beings who study, cultivate abilities, and refine skills do so to become vessels. Those who become vessels are useful, needed, and obtain glory and high status."

"To be used by others, one must naturally first reveal one's own usefulness."

"But if one acts this way and becomes a vessel, does everything truly go smoothly, free from trouble?"

"At the beginning of becoming a vessel, one can certainly rejoice and celebrate. However, after a long time, a problem arises—others, as well as yourself, will subconsciously treat you as a 'usable' tool."

"What is a tool?"

"In the eyes of others, what they see of you is not your complete life, but your usefulness."

"Who you are is unimportant, because what I need is your usefulness, not you."

"Over time, living beings become tools."

"After becoming a tool, when sentient beings look at you, they do not see your true heart, your virtue, your feelings or righteousness; they only see your usefulness."

"They draw close if you bring profit, distance themselves if you bring no benefit; they honor you if you are useful, discard you if you are useless. Utilitarianism is fully revealed, and affection and loyalty are thin."

"People of the world all believe that those who become vessels are worthy, and those who are useful are noble. Little do they know that those who become vessels ultimately become tools—used by all beings, driven by profit, bound by circumstance."

"A vessel emphasizes use, not the living being."

The divine sound echoed leisurely, each word landing upon the soul.

Hua Changxi had originally held the mindset of a bystander, seeking a chance encounter and listening casually, but unexpectedly, the words caused her heart to tremble and her soul to shake.

According to her understanding, wasn't what the Unadorned Divine Lord called 'those who become vessels' simply referring to 'tools'?

Come to think of it, to some extent, she too was pursuing 'becoming a vessel.'

For her, becoming a vessel was the only way to survive in this world, to avoid being restricted by others, and to have the power of choice.

For instance, why was she cultivating so desperately? It was nothing more than self-preservation, growing stronger, establishing herself in this chaotic world, and then being able to freely choose the life she wanted to live.

Currently, in the eyes of many, she was precisely a great vessel.

She was like this, and the people of the world were also like this.

It seemed that everything one did in life was to become a vessel.

Did Hua Changxi want to become a vessel?

Yes.

But did she want to become a pure tool or an instrument?

Of course not.

Therefore, on one hand, she raced against time to cultivate; on the other hand, she instinctively resisted becoming a 'tool.'

For example, she kept her distance from the Hua family.

Outsiders saw this as her eccentric nature and weak familial bonds, but in reality? Perhaps it was her subconscious engaging in instinctive rebellion.

Rebelling against the Hua family members who only saw her 'usefulness,' instinctively resisting being reduced to a 'tool' for revitalizing the family.

Another example: she refused to step forward and raise the banner of the Alchemy Saint Hall, and she kept delaying the announcement of her identity as the Lord of the Mausoleum Light Hall.

At the end of the day, she simply didn't want to be put on a pedestal and turned into a so-called 'great vessel.'

Before this, perhaps she had never deeply introspected on what exactly was driving her to make such choices in her actions.

Now, after listening to the sermon of the Divine Lord of No-Vessel, she understood: the reason she did these things was that she didn't want to be objectified, ultimately reduced to a tool or instrument in the struggle for power.

No matter how high her cultivation or how strong her power, what the world would always see was her utility, her value, her ability—never the person Hua Changxi herself.

The reason she always felt there was something between her and the Hua family was simply this: the Hua family only 'used' her.

"Whoosh~"

The Divine Lord of No-Vessel gently raised a hand, and a ball of light flew out. In an instant, a huge screen of light coalesced high in the sky.

Hua Changxi suppressed the tangled thoughts in her heart and looked up.

Once the light screen stabilized, countless vivid images scrolled swiftly, reflecting the myriad states of life in one race after another.

Some people knelt and kowtowed, some offered up their family wealth, some fawned and groveled in humble flattery—all just to gain a chance at becoming a 'vessel.'

All living beings strove to show their usefulness to others, then used 'useful' or 'useless' as the standard to choose to draw near or distance themselves from others.

Because all living beings weighed everything by 'useful or useless,' and so...

Those with outstanding talent, because they could be put to important use, held high positions, but once they became useless, they were cast aside like a worn-out sandal.

Those with unique skills were flocked to when there was profit to be gained; when no profit was to be had, no one paid them any mind.

The old, weak, and incompetent, the disabled and those of little use, were shunned and cold-shouldered by the crowd, regarded as burdens.

Over time, this formed the cruel chaos of 'honored if you become a vessel, despised if you don't'—seeing only function, not the essence; caring only for profit, devoid of feeling or righteousness.

Hua Changxi stared at the light screen, her brow furrowing deeply.

She instinctively resisted being reduced to a tool or instrument, yet, searching her heart, when it came to her own actions and dealings with people, the principle she subconsciously followed had never really left the scope of 'is it useful?'

Hua Changxi grew somewhat confused again—was it wrong for people to strive to become useful and accomplished?

Was the Dao of the Divine Lord of No-Vessel perhaps encouraging all beings to become useless?

"What is 'No-Vessel'?"

"'No-vessel' does not mean abandoning utility, nor does it mean incompetence."

"Possess a hundred skills but not be trapped by them; have great usefulness but not be enslaved by profit. First establish the person, then pursue the task; first preserve your original heart, then speak of utility."

"'No-vessel' means letting living beings see the virtue of all beings, not just their utility. All beings are real living creatures, not merely objects to be exploited."

"'No-vessel' does not mean making you all into useless people, but rather not confining yourselves within the framework of 'usefulness.'"

Hua Changxi suddenly saw the light.

She had thought, how could a divine being encourage all beings to become useless?

'No-vessel,' as she saw it, meant that your value lies not in what you can do for others, but in what kind of person you are.

You can be useful, you can become a vessel, but your essence should not be only a vessel.

You should be a real, complete, flesh-and-blood person.

In short, what is called 'no-vessel' is not treating yourself as a tool, nor treating others as tools.

The Divine Lord of No-Vessel continued.

"When something is profitable, do it with all your heart, but do not be driven by profit; when something brings no profit, if it aligns with your original heart and righteousness, still hold fast to it without slackening."

"Do not act based on reward, punishment, advantage, or disadvantage; persist only because of the righteous path in your heart."

"The worldly chase after vessels: they chase efficiency, utility, gain and loss."

"Those who become vessels gain temporary use; those who are no-vessel guard their original heart for a lifetime, and become their true self for a lifetime."

Hua Changxi let out a soft breath. She realized that the Dao of the Divine Lord of No-Vessel ultimately came down to self-discipline, self-cultivation of the heart and mind.