Taoist Master Xuanhuang

"Ahem, Sect Leader, please calm down!"

A senior executive nearby spoke up to remind him.

They told him not to be angry, but didn't say he said anything wrong, which clearly shows that these higher-ups also thought the sect leader was right.

Those Taoist predecessors were really stubborn, like stubborn oxen, too free and undisciplined, too unambitious.

The reason is simple: the deities of the Wenwu Temple are very proactive. They not only get close to the true practitioners, but also take everything to heart.

Putting aside other things, just consider his initiative to request entry into the Divine Kingdom's Heavenly Network, his willingness to travel abroad, and his treatment of the Martial Arts Alliance and the Confucian School as his own family.

The top-level deities of their Taoist and Buddhist sects would not do such a thing.

They appear carefree and undisciplined, not that they don't participate, but rather that their participation is insufficient, falling far short of the standards of the Wenwu Temple.

After the deities of the Wenwu Temple were able to freely roam the Divine Kingdom's Heavenly Network, it took them a very long time to realize that they also wanted to enter the Divine Kingdom's Heavenly Network.

But during that period, there was no one who could make decisions; without Xuanhuang's approval, it was impossible to get in.

It's not that the Taoist and Buddhist sects don't want to work hard, but you realms should at least pay some attention.

For example, you could come up with a detailed plan, preferably one that includes recognition and agreement from your respective lords, so that we can give you some support.

But these Buddhist deities are unaffected.

Ask them if this is the shared sentiment of your entire realm.
They said: No, a small number or most want to enter the Divine Kingdom Network, so I came to ask.

The high-ranking members of both the Buddhist and Taoist sects were speechless and retorted: "Do you think the Divine Kingdom's Heavenly Network is yours to enter as you please? Your own lords haven't even spoken, yet you come alone, and on behalf of a portion of them. How are we supposed to plead with the Taoist Lord?"

Besides, look at how the Civil and Martial Temples did it. From the sixth-level Venerable Lords to the fourth-level True Kings, everyone worked together with one heart and one mind, and they even sought it out themselves. What about you?
I'm angry at their lack of ambition.

Since they are not united and their respective leaders have not spoken, neither the Buddhist nor the Taoist sects can offer any assistance.

Therefore, apart from the deities of the Civil and Military Temples, no other deities from top-level realms have been able to enter the Divine Kingdom's Heavenly Network.

I admire it, but I don't do much of it.

Being unable to access the Divine Kingdom's Heavenly Network is equivalent to falling behind the Civil and Martial Temples, and it also reduces contact with the cultivation world.

If the deities of the Taoist sects were also within the divine realm's celestial network, like the Temples of Literature and Martial Arts, they wouldn't be under so much pressure right now.

Like knows like best.

The divine knows the divine better than oneself.

Perhaps the saints can see clearly why the Confucian school split itself after entering the divine realm's net once.

Those in the Daoist sect, including Jiutong, knew that Yan Lai had led high-ranking members into the Divine Kingdom's Heavenly Network once, and that this split occurred shortly after they emerged.

That's all I know; I don't know the rest.

But it's definitely not simple.

"Human holiness and divine holiness are still different, alas!"

Jiutong sighed.

The leaders of the Zhongdao Sect nodded in agreement after hearing this.

The so-called human holiness refers to the holiness represented by the Civil and Military Temples. They are all human beings who, after death, were resurrected by fate due to their fame and great achievements, and became the holiness of the realm.

Divinity and holiness are myths that circulated among the people in the past. Because they were widely believed, they became sacred.

If we were to categorize them by civilization, one would be the essence of human civilization, and the other would be the quintessence of divine civilization.

These two are very different because of their different natures.

The sacred humanity is more like a human being, and it identifies more with the identity of humankind. They were originally human beings, and it is the descendants of later generations who commemorate them, so they have stepped out of time and space.

Because of their human-centered concept and the achievements they have made, they firmly believe that even if they are considered sacred, they are still human beings who are sacred.

Ultimately, all of this is created by the concept of humanity.

Because there are more human beings, there are more human desires, such as ambition, and the concept that only humans possess, like the saying "As heaven maintains vigor through movement, a gentleman should constantly strive for self-improvement."

This is why the two temples of civil and military deities, at the forefront of human religion, always seize opportunities and demonstrate great effort in everything they do.

Divinity and holiness are different. Since they are gods, they inherently feel superior and think they are gods. How can a god be the same as a human?

God is proud, ethereal, and powerful.

Because of these characteristics, even if one acknowledges the concept of Xuanhuang, in practical terms, it still cannot compare to the sacredness of human nature.

This is not their fault; it is determined by their very nature.

That's just how it is; there's no way to change it.

Furthermore, it cannot be said that the sanctity of human nature is superior to the sanctity of divinity.

The reason it appears strong at this moment is because of the presence of Xuanhuang and human cultivators; humans hold absolute dominance over Blue Star.

What if we change the environment?

I'm afraid that the sacredness of human nature wouldn't bring so many benefits.

Human greed, selfishness, and other human traits, if placed in a different environment, would certainly not behave as well as divinity and holiness.

Humanity's gentleness, greatness, and love mean that it may not be as ruthless as divinity in some matters.

It can only be said that environmental factors have caused the sacredness of humanity to outweigh the sacredness of divinity at this moment.

Ultimately, it was the emergence of Xuanhuang that shaped this environment.

Even saints are subject to environmental determinism; don't think they can escape it.

The environment that suits a person best will make them stronger; this is a fundamental truth.

The sacredness of a religious nature can be categorized as divine sacredness. Although the religious nature within the Xia Kingdom is not quite the same, there are still significant differences in this respect.

The Taoist Jiutong and the Buddhist Minghui admired the Martial Arts Alliance and the Confucian School.

With a fusion of Confucianism and martial arts, what does it matter if the four superpowers split up in the future?

It remains powerful and unshakeable.

Moreover, since the human nature of the Xia Kingdom is sacred, it must follow the concept of humanity and the customs of the Xia Kingdom's civilization.

For example, there's no need to worry too much about these sacred beings usurping the throne.

Let's not say that this is invalid.

Assuming this holds true, setting aside the immense power of Xuanhuang, the sacred temples of Wenwu would not usurp the throne.

Because this is not in line with the culture of the Xia Kingdom. Not being in line with the culture means not being in line with the civilization. Once you are not in line with a civilization, you cannot exist, whether you are human or god.

Civilization is the combination of all things, including humans and gods.

Which deity would dare to do such a thing? They would be morally inferior from the outset, bullying their own descendants. What kind of behavior is that?
Such an existence naturally loses the support of the people and morality. Losing the support of the people and morality means losing fortune and merit.

Even without the concept of Xuanhuang, the divine nature of humanity would not feel that it naturally rules over everything, just as the divine nature does.

The essential difference lies in their existence.

God is the ruler of all. You all believe in me, so who else should I rule over if not you?
If we switch to the side of human sanctity, we would be questioned: Ancestors, how can you enslave your descendants like this? Where is your face? Do you have any semblance of being elders?
The art style will be completely different.

Jiutong admired these virtuous ancestors who, even after joining the Confucian Martial Arts Alliance, wouldn't seize power; at most, they would offer advice and exert influence behind the scenes. Otherwise, the very essence of their existence and their civilization would be challenged.

The reason why the Confucian School and the Martial Arts Alliance dared to contact and integrate with the two temples of literature and martial arts is largely due to this factor.

The Taoist and Buddhist sects had some reservations.

What if those divine elders said: "You should all step down, and we, the holy ones, will take charge of Taoism and Buddhism?"
If this is true, then it will definitely happen.

Once such a problem arises, it will shake the entire Taoist or Buddhist community.

Jiutong and Minghui have these concerns.

Especially after the split, when one can no longer control the scattered disciples, and the emperor is far away, after these separated disciples come into contact with and merge with the sacred deities of their own sect, is the sect still the sect?
Is it the Taoist sect for cultivators, or the Taoist sect for the saints?

……

Fear stems from the unknown, because the detailed reasons for the split within Confucianism are not known.

The higher-ups in both Taoism and Buddhism were terrified.

Unlike them, the Confucian school was beginning to split, and the Eight Great Schools and other forces suddenly breathed a sigh of relief, as if the mountain that had been pressing down on them was finally beginning to shake.

The four superpowers have truly begun to split, and a glimmer of hope has finally appeared.

This is an era of great change, with subordinate cultivators rising to prominence on one side and the four superpowers, the dominant forces of the past century, beginning to diverge on the other.

It also involves spirit beasts, divine cultivators, and various small world sects, and the grand scheme of conflict slowly unfolds.

The first thing the cultivators felt was that the world had become more cruel.

Proportionally speaking, the day before, there was only one reported fight that resulted in one death.

At this moment, three fights can be heard in a single day, resulting in more than three deaths.

The proportion of conflict has tripled, indicating that the cruelty of this world has increased by at least one, or even more than two times.

The pressure was overwhelming, and the prices of various resources, elixirs, and spirit talismans all began to rise.

It even feels like there's only income and no output; the elixir of life is hard to come by.

People start hoarding; before the autumn wind blows, the cicadas sense it. When great turmoil is coming, hoarding resources is an instinctive action.

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.

"Oh no, prices have gone up again! How can anyone afford to buy one now!"

"Too expensive, too expensive! How can it be so expensive? It shouldn't be this price. How can I cultivate in peace if this continues?"

"It's terrible. Fighting over such a trivial matter, to the point of no return. There's no need for this. Why are you all so short-tempered, fellow Daoists?"

“These cultivators from another world are too arrogant. They weren’t like this before. They’ve lost their fear. They will definitely be punished.”

"The people are suffering terribly. The demonic path is too arrogant, openly robbing people. I, a poor Taoist, worked so hard and almost died in the secret realm to obtain the spiritual treasure. Damn those demonic cultivators."

"Why is that? Isn't everyone saying that we're suffering because the four superpowers monopolize the most resources? They say that as long as the four superpowers disperse, our good days will come, right? Why isn't it like what everyone says?"

A monk was filled with deep doubt.

That's not what's commonly said.

Some say that the four superpowers are the biggest predators, monopolizing the most resources, and that our suffering is due to their excessive tyranny and the resulting uneven distribution of resources.

Once the four superpowers fall or split up, resources will become more abundant, and everyone can live a better life.

But this is just the beginning; we haven't seen much more resource yet. Instead, the world is more chaotic, the death toll is higher, and people's hearts are more volatile.

It's completely different from what's been circulating.

"Yes, isn't it said that the Four Superpowers are like giant leeches, clinging to us and sucking our blood? Our weakness is caused by the Four Superpowers. As long as the Four Superpowers split, we will usher in a new era, right?"

Many others shared his confusion.

Although... I can't say all of them, but eight or nine out of ten are younger cultivators who strongly believe in what was said before.

“No matter who taught you, whether it was your teacher or elder, they were all unqualified,” an elderly cultivator with white hair and a youthful face said to a group of young cultivators, shaking his head with a heavy heart.

"Please enlighten me, senior!" a young man said sincerely, bowing with his hands clasped.

Because they had been severely affected, they were able to listen at this moment. If it had been before, and an older cultivator had given them a few words of advice, they certainly wouldn't have listened.

They might even accuse you of being in cahoots with Si Chao, and of having a servile mentality.

I've been taught a lesson by reality, and it's been quite a blow; my face is all swollen. So right now, I'm hoping someone can give me some guidance.

Upon seeing this, the elderly cultivator said, "The Great Way is simple: prosperity brings suffering to the people, and so does ruin. That's all."

After saying this, when the young people looked somewhat confused, he continued, "In short, turmoil is a feast for the strong and a disaster for the weak. Do you understand now?"

"But, but, but..."

The old cultivator said, "No buts. If rumors couldn't bewitch people, how could you have naively believed them before? You wouldn't have believed that the Four Super Decomposition was your opportunity."

"I, I, we..."

“You’re not wrong. Everyone gets taught a lesson by reality. You’re just repeating the path we’ve walked before. Just let it go.”

The old monk was unwilling to say more; he too had been drawn into the situation and was experiencing the pain of soaring prices.

I felt bad about teaching these young people, but I also had to make a living.

Let's wander around and see where the pills are cheap, so we can buy more.

The old monk was gone, his wrinkles barely visible on his face. But now, they looked nothing like wrinkles; they were clearly the marks left by the harsh lessons of reality.

In the past, when these young people were in such a miserable and confused state, many senior cultivators would step forward to educate them.

First, it's for showing off and saving face; second, it's for fame; and third, it's for personal satisfaction.

But now, only an old cultivator said a few words, and then left immediately.

The environment is different now, so fewer people are out showing off and seeking satisfaction.

Survival is the primary reality.

When survival is difficult, pretentious self-satisfaction, face-saving, vanity, and other such things become unimportant.

That's the kind of emotional value we need when we're safe.

What a pitiful young man. The message spread by certain forces is that once there is turmoil, they will not suffer so much, and they will get many things they could not get before, everything they wanted before.

Therefore, they were misled and spontaneously joined in, spreading rumors that the Four Supermen were vampires.

But when the real turmoil came, they found it even more unbearable.

The guarantee of safety is gone.

What they didn't know was that the person who was instigating them only told half the story: Si Chao was indeed a vampire, but this vampire was also the mountain that stabilized everything.

When a mountain collapses, the strong gain more.

The weak are simply swallowed up along with the rest of the population.

...(End of chapter)