Taoist Master Xuanhuang

"Is it related to momentum or luck?" Ji Zhongfu guessed.

"Yes, yes, we have them all," Bai Xiaosheng explained to him.

Power is different from an individual. No matter how great an individual's luck is, it can never surpass that of a single power (excluding Xuanhuang).

Predictions and calculations are essentially about predicting the future or crises of a person or a group, and the future and crises experienced are determined by fate.

"Therefore, I cannot calculate it. If I could, would you believe that my Listening Pavilion would be even stronger?"

“That makes sense,” Ji Zhongfu agreed.

This is why Xuanhuang is unwilling to let go of the deduction, after all, deduction and calculation is also a great path, which can also lead to higher levels.

However, the cultivators' cultivation levels were too low, making it impossible for them to delve deeply into the principles of destiny.

If you reach the fourth level, it's a different story. A fourth-level dantian becomes a small world, and it becomes a powerful anchor point in itself.

Whether it's calculation or prediction, it provides strong support.

"Besides, I've been having some trouble lately and need your advice, fellow Daoist," said Bai Xiaosheng.

It has nothing to do with cultivation level; it's purely a matter of personal experience and knowledge.

Bai Xiaosheng is the first and only one to embark on the path of cultivating immortality through loans; he has no fellow Daoists and no companions.

There wasn't even a chance to communicate.

Moreover, this secret cannot be told to anyone. If Ji Zhongfu hadn't pointed it out before, Bai Xiaosheng wouldn't have dared to communicate with him.

“Fellow Daoist, please speak freely. I will tell you everything I know,” said Ji Zhongfu.

He was quite satisfied that everyone owed him a favor for making such a prediction.

"It's like this... Because we've entered a stable period, the number of detectable and definable things is decreasing. I want to find more ways to repay. Do you have any experience in this area from your previous worlds?"

The cultivation world has entered a period of stability, which means there is less merit to be earned.

The less merit he accumulates, the greater the pressure he faces in obtaining loans.

"Has it gotten to such a critical situation?" Ji Zhongfu asked worriedly.

"No, it's okay for now, but I'll feel a lot of pressure when I reach the third tier. He who does not plan for the moment will not be able to plan for the future. I'm preparing for the worst," Bai Xiaosheng said.

"Oh, I was startled." Ji Zhongfu breathed a sigh of relief.

I thought Bai Xiaosheng was facing difficulties, but it turns out he was planning for the future.

Bai Xiaosheng wasn't stupid, so he naturally wouldn't put himself in that situation. He took out a loan to cultivate immortality, and he was well aware of the pressure of debt, so he had been planning ahead.

“Actually, you are already excellent enough, better than any other cultivator with great aspirations I know. As for giving you experience, I really can’t do it,” Ji Zhongfu said.

Although I really wanted to do this favor, after thinking about my memories, I realized there was no way to do it.

His understanding of cultivators with grand aspirations was that they were the kind who took out loans to cultivate immortality, and it took them a long time to make progress, unlike Bai Xiaosheng who made progress so quickly.

“Fellow Daoist, what’s the matter, Master Hongyuan?” Bai Xiaosheng noticed the problem.

"Okay, the so-called 'grand aspiration cultivator' is someone who makes a promise to the Heavenly Dao, and once the goal is achieved, they will be free of debt and at the same time gain the cultivation they deserve. However, grand aspirations are not simple matters; they require a long period of planning and layout, and they require large-scale actions."

"What plan? What action?" Bai Xiaosheng continued to ask.

Ji Zhongfu shook his head repeatedly when asked, "That's the problem. My memories are all about the grand aspirations of perfecting heaven and earth, such as vowing to clear away a swamp of miasma, or vowing to save all living beings from suffering. The key is that our world is incomplete right now. Even if you clear away some dangerous areas, you won't have any merit."

Now that you put it that way, Bai Xiaosheng understood.

This is a very critical point.

At this moment, the world is still evolving and is not yet a complete and perfect world, so many conceivable acts of merit are simply not valid.

For example, vowing not to become a Buddha until hell is emptied, or having great perseverance to cleanse the land devoid of spirits, etc.

This premise assumes a perfect balance between heaven and earth, which is not suitable for the world at this moment.

Bai Xiaosheng also thought of this point, and there was a reason why he didn't do it.

Doing this will not bring you any merit or good fortune.

The universe is in a state of evolution and change, and is not yet a complete and mature Dao.

That's why he regarded definition, name, and dissemination as the main means to gain merit.

Define a sacred body, define a divine embryo, define a cultivation method, define a name.

Spread the Daoist teachings of Xuanhuang, spread the name of Xuanhuang, spread the prestige of cultivators, and spread the content after various definitions.

It's like starting from scratch to create everything in the world of cultivation.

Giving a name to an unknown, extraordinary aura is also a definition; giving a name to an unknown spiritual herb or tree is also a definition.

and many more.

This is how large cities are divided into different sizes, and how a power is classified into large, medium, and small categories.

Even defining the clear hierarchy of power for large, medium, and small forces is a definition.

Just like in the earliest times, a symbol became a word, and that is destiny.

Examples include Suiren's invention of fire, Youchao's house, and Ziyi's clothes.

“I understand the shortcomings you mentioned, fellow Daoist. Indeed, without a complete Heavenly Dao, it is not suitable for an existence like me. If it weren’t for the Dao Lord’s pity on me, there would never be a Listening Tower.”

Any deduction or calculation is a product of the complete universe.

His birth was legendary; without Xuanhuang, there would be no way to understand the principles of destiny.

"Fellow Daoist, you have done very well. Don't worry, there's always a way out. Perhaps a turning point will come soon," Ji Zhongfu comforted him.

But he was right.

The turning point did indeed come very quickly.

The reason still stems from turmoil, and turmoil is the time when the all-knowing scholar shines.

The reason why we feel that we have entered a stable period is because it represents a world dominated by true cultivators.

The rise of subordinate monks signifies the emergence of something new, and this is his opportunity.

The birth of a lineage inevitably brings new knowledge and insights. The best fortune is to spread this new knowledge.

Moreover, the emergence of new forces means that the old forces need to be re-divided, which presents an opportunity for Bai Xiaosheng.

Bai Xiaosheng actually had a secret he hadn't told anyone.

He didn't even mention Ji Zhongfu.

That is, he actually expects subordinate cultivators to rise to prominence.

Diting Tower has the fewest members among the eight major sects, with only two main people: himself and Gao Ming. The others are all non-staff members.

They are so few as to be negligible, and they don't have their own territory, because they don't need it at all; they only need to set up some intelligence points in major regions.

Not all intelligence is obtained by oneself.

All the intelligence came from the vast number of cultivators. It was the cultivators who sold the intelligence to the Listening Pavilion, and then the Listening Pavilion resold it, becoming the largest source of intelligence.

There are no competitors.

First, there's the issue of trust. The Listening Pavilion is controlled by the Hall of Merit, and many outside cultivators directly regard it as a department of the Hall of Merit.

With such authority, everyone dared to sell intelligence to Ditinglou, and Ditinglou offered the most reasonable price.

Moreover, there is absolutely no need to worry about leaks; there hasn't been a single case in all this time.

There has not been a single case of leaks from Diting Pavilion, so the main focus is on providing peace of mind.

No matter what kind of information it is, as long as it is sold to Diting Tower, there is no need to worry that it was you who leaked it.

second.

Besides selling information, the all-knowing scholar can also perform calculations and predictions, which is his unique skill.

Besides this, there is no other school. Xuanhuang only allows the Listening Pavilion to do this; no one else has the ability to deduce it.

With these two prerequisites in place, the position of the Listening Pavilion is unshakeable. So unshakeable, even if a deity were to appear in the future, they wouldn't cause them any trouble, and might even become their customers.

Putting aside everything else, where do you think the otherworldly sects that secretly ally with the Holy Ones get their intelligence and information from?

It naturally also came from the Listening Pavilion.

They are already customers of Diting Tower.

Ji Zhongfu discussed future enemies with him, but he didn't care at all.

Fortunately, Ji Zhongfu didn't care about these things; what he cared about was the reduction of the small worlds. Neither of them had come together because of enemies.

"I'm sorry, I can't help you, fellow Daoist," Ji Zhongfu said finally.

“It’s alright.” He then changed the subject: “As for the crisis of the decreasing number of small worlds that you are worried about, I think you can take the initiative.”

"Take the initiative?" Ji Zhongfu asked.

“That’s right. Although sects in other worlds allow cultivation, only a minority can actually cultivate. I don’t believe that every being in such a vast other world is qualified to cultivate. Those who cannot cultivate, whose ancestors were never wealthy, are your target, fellow Daoist. Go and recruit them.”

Bai Xiaosheng offered an idea, which was actually quite simple.

Why couldn't Ji Zhongfu and others think of this? This comes down to their inherent nature.

Every force has its own inherent nature.

How was the Small World Alliance established?
There was no initiative involved; it was simply a group of lords naturally banding together for mutual support, and that's how it came about.

Since then, it has never taken the initiative to attack. Whenever a new small world appears, it will actively join them in exchange for protection and time to grow.

So the small world got used to this method.

If you forget, you can take the initiative and actively seek out the smaller world.

"It's like a sudden enlightenment, a real revelation! I've been making this habitual mistake all along!"

Ji Zhongfu suddenly realized the truth.

Yes, with fewer people joining, we can take the initiative.

Such a simple question.

"However, fellow Daoist, you should also be careful, after all, the Dharma should not be passed on lightly, you know that," Bai Xiaosheng reminded him.

“I understand, I understand, I will make a choice, and I have other methods,” Ji Zhongfu said, indicating that he understood.

This is an unwritten rule.

It means that all the cultivators started to become selfish without prior agreement.

They began to intentionally control the spread of the Xuanhuang Daoist teachings.

This is not something one person or one faction is doing; it is something all factions and all people are doing.

The saying goes, "One generation plants the trees, another enjoys the shade." Everyone knows this.

However, it is also true that some people in the past blocked the mountain path after climbing it.

That's exactly what they're doing.

It's not really selfishness, but rather a return to the right path of a normal world.

The spread of control laws requires rigorous testing before there is an opportunity to learn them.

Bai Xiaosheng added this reminder: Don't break the tacit understanding that everyone follows just to increase the number of lords. If you do, everyone will be unhappy, and you will incur public wrath.

Ji Zhongfu quickly understood and indicated that he comprehended it.

They will definitely control it, and there are other methods as well; they won't necessarily give all three invincible methods to everyone.

Most importantly, he doesn't accept everyone; he only selects those with talent and doesn't promote it widely.

"You understand. This way, we can also dismantle the sects in the other world. It's like a preliminary battle against future enemies, which has many benefits."

"Yes."

These are truly future enemies, not the first ones we face.

The first to face are subordinate cultivators. The sects from the other world are still a long way off. They will become your opponents at least after the true cultivators and subordinate cultivators have a decisive battle.

Even if you lose a competition with a subordinate cultivator, that enemy can become a fellow cultivator.

It can be converted.

Both of them received an answer, but neither received the best answer.

The results were quite good, and everyone left satisfied.

The other six families, each with their own close associates, chatted and laughed like the two of them.

The pressure they face is completely different from that faced by the top four.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"If it weren't for internal issues, I wouldn't think the so-called subordinate cultivators would be a problem. It's just that a storm is brewing and all the problems have come at once."

The Confucian school has always been the most powerful force.

The strongest force among the four superpowers.

Taoism, Buddhism, and martial arts have been trying to catch up for so many years, but they still can't catch up. Confucianism has always been the number one power in the world.

The more certain it is to be number one, the greater the challenges it faces.

Just as a tall tree catches the wind, the bigger the tree, the stronger the wind it blocks.

During the Confucian meeting, many high-ranking members were troubled, yet they spoke with unwavering resolve.

They know their problem, they know how to solve it, they're all clear about it, but they just can't solve it, and that's the biggest problem.

They knew that as long as they were united and did not split, they would have no fear of any enemy or challenge.

But that's too difficult to do; it's simply impossible.

After yet another unpleasant discussion, the senior executives, with nowhere to vent their frustrations, said the following.

This is the truth. If the Confucian school is united, it has nothing to fear from any enemy.

Three of the four superpowers are strong enough, right?

For decades, the three schools have formed alliances and counter-alliances. Even when they banded together, they still couldn't do much against the Confucian school.

If the three super powers are like this, are those subordinate to cultivators or saints ten times stronger than these three families?

The human heart is very complex and cannot be defined.

When we were weak, we banded together and became the dominant force.

But becoming powerful has led to a lack of unity.

It's impossible to say who the mastermind was, because there was no mastermind at all.

It is an inevitable outcome.

This is undoubtedly a very difficult question to answer. Although it is called the Confucian school, there are many factions within it, which are different in terms of their philosophies. Different philosophies mean different mindsets in cultivation.

If people's hearts are no longer aligned, how can they stay together for long?

The cost of staying together is greater than the cost of separating; everyone understands this.

If two factions have fundamentally different ideologies, the best solution is to break them up; otherwise, the conflict will only escalate.

"Alright, just proceed according to plan. The sky won't fall. We've faced bloodshed and challenges along the way, so let's not shy away from them. We should be grateful for these hardships and challenges. Without them, we wouldn't be who we are today. It's just internal division. Does that mean we're no longer members of the Confucian school? Does that mean we won't recognize me as the sect leader anymore?"

Yan Lai made the final decision.

Everyone smiled calmly.

...(End of chapter)