Taoist Master Xuanhuang

"Nonsense!"

Seeing the arguing crowd, Yan Lai shouted a reprimand.

It truly reflects the decline of a dynasty.

All sorts of unbelievable things will appear, and they will also appear with righteous indignation.

It's ironic that they always claim to have done something for Confucianism.

Yan Lai still exuded authority. As soon as he spoke, the arguing below ceased, and everyone stood solemnly, heads bowed, brows furrowed, filled with resentment.

When the three supreme deities announced that killing demonic saints would bring merit, they discussed it and hurriedly came to the headquarters, hoping that the headquarters would take action.

"You wanted the split up, you wanted the divine positions, and we've given them to you. How can you expect to gain merit without the headquarters intervening? Do you know how much damage it would do to us if we used certain methods? Our trump cards for survival cannot be wasted."

Yan tried to persuade everyone.

Unfortunately, it didn't work.

"We can't do anything about it, Sect Leader. The three lords said they won't wait for us. Once someone has accumulated enough merit, there will be no place for us. Losing our divine positions is a small matter, but the loss of prestige for our Confucian school is a big one!"

"Yes, Sect Leader, we are already dispensable. In the early years, we gave our all for the Confucian school, leaving irreparable damage. The fourth rank is hopeless. The only thing we want is to become a god. At that time, we can continue to shine for the Confucian school. Even if our status changes, we will still be gods of the Confucian school..."

"Sect Leader, it wasn't us..."

After one of them spoke, they all spoke.

He talks about the Confucian school all the time, but then he claims he deserves all the credit and shouldn't be treated this way. It's disheartening.

They even shamelessly claimed that they had suffered irreparable damage. Anyone who didn't know better would think they were practicing some kind of evil martial art.

None of the three great laws of Xuanhuang are incapable of making up for damage; in fact, the more one harms oneself, the faster one progresses.

They were right about only one thing: there was no hope of reaching the fourth level, a judgment that could be sensed.

They originally had a sliver of hope of becoming fourth-tier true kings, given the era they lived in and their advantageous position.

Each of them was a pioneering force, and people of this age and status usually achieve great things.

As the saying goes: Powerful is not necessarily ancient, but ancient is always powerful.

But gradually they realized that they had no chance to advance to the fourth tier.

As for the cause?

The main reason is that their hearts have changed.

The "heart" here is not simply the physical heart; it is the heart of the Tao, perseverance, fearlessness, and the sum of all opportunities.

The pursuit of the Way always requires a steadfast heart and unwavering perseverance.

But after they became high-ranking members of a powerful force like the Confucian school, they became timid and afraid of trouble, and dared not fight anymore.

Once such a change occurs, it signifies the decline and ruin of one's Daoist heart.

While it may seem that the most difficult aspects of seeking the Dao are aptitude and opportunity, a steadfast and unwavering commitment to the Dao is also crucial.

It's impossible without great perseverance and persistence.

For example, they could be sent to fight a life-or-death struggle. This struggle might seem perilous, but it would be their only chance to advance to the fourth tier.

Will they?

Will not.

Having already reached such a high position and enjoyed such glory, why bother with the life-or-death struggle? Wouldn't it be better to spend time enjoying life instead?

For those seeking the Tao, indulging in pleasure is not good. The moment you relax, your resolve to pursue the Tao takes a big step back.

The pursuit of the Way has always been like this: a long journey with no end in sight, where there can be no slackening.

Some people fail to achieve enlightenment or attain great success, not because of their lack of talent, but because they give up on themselves.

Currently, there are many such individuals in the middle and upper management of the four major companies.

This is why the four superpowers were bound to split up; the tree was simply too big.

When something is big enough to actually block out the wind and rain, it's not necessarily a good thing.

Sometimes it's actually a bad thing.

Their good fortune and luck, coupled with their own talent, meant that if they hadn't been in this position, but instead were just a rogue cultivator struggling to make ends meet, their achievements would likely have been far from what they are today.

The second tier is currently the standard by which the four superpowers measure a strong person.

They were stuck at the peak of the first tier, which shouldn't have happened.

They have the resources, the techniques, and all sorts of auxiliary means; the only difference is that they haven't crossed the threshold to the second tier.

Because of this gap, seeing their peers who were once on the same path as them advance to the second tier or even higher, they began to worry and feel resentful.

Driven by worry and resentment, they became hysterical, as if possessed.

They are completely self-serving and will snatch anything that offers them a chance to improve themselves, like a mad dog.

In fact, they all understood that what prevented them from entering the second stage was not these resources, but their own Dao heart being clouded and flawed.

What needs to be done is to brush away the dust, stabilize one's Dao heart, and bravely and resolutely take that step.

I understand, but I don't want to admit it, and I won't admit it.

If I admit it, wouldn't that mean I've been wrong all these years?

People are complex and don't easily admit their mistakes.

"You should go back first. This is a very important matter, and we need to discuss it."

Yan Lai sighed and said to them helplessly.

"this?"

"Sect Leader?"

"..."

Yan Lai was speechless: "Don't worry, I keep my word. I'm not just giving you a perfunctory answer. Give me some time."

"Thank you, Master Xie. We knew you wouldn't forget us. We've done our service, we..."

"Thank you, Sect Leader..."

"..."

They left happily, having succeeded once again in forcing the emperor to abdicate.

Yan Lai felt very disappointed after the group left.

"Fellow Daoists, am I, Yan Lai, a complete failure?" Yan Lai was speechless.

How come there are so many of these kinds of things in the Confucian school that I painstakingly built? Is this still the Confucian school that I was so proud of?
Was all that effort I've put in over the years really worth it?
For these things?
"Master, you are overthinking it. They are just a few parasites, nothing to worry about. This is unavoidable."

Zeng Wu, in his warm-hearted manner, offered words of comfort.

"Master, please change your perspective. Actually, this is a good thing. Our split is not a bad thing. After weeding out the dross, what remains is the essence. Besides, the four super powers and eight major powers are all the same, or rather, it is inevitable for any power to grow to a certain level."

"Master, you don't need to be sad, it's not worth it."

"..."

Everyone comforted Yan Lai.

Of course, it wasn't a genuine attempt to comfort her. Yan Lai wasn't that fragile; it was just a sudden outpouring of emotion. After all, anyone would feel bad in such a situation.

We've worked diligently to develop and expand the Confucian school, but then these kinds of people have emerged, which is very upsetting.

"Their seemingly frantic demands are actually quite pathetic; they have lost their way in the Dao, and the tribulations of the heart have already taken their toll on them, but they are unaware of it."

"Yes, they shout about slaying demons and monsters to gain merit, but little do they know they've already fallen into demonic possession." "Truly pitiful. Their talent and opportunities were so much greater; what a pity, what a lament!"

"Seeing them is upsetting. Sect Leader, don't delay the split any longer. Let them all leave. It would be better if they left."

Some high-ranking officials with short tempers even said this.

"Haha, it's probably too late. Before, they couldn't wait to leave headquarters so they could go to a place where they could be the masters and become mountain kings. But now?... With the merit gained from killing demonic saints, they won't leave easily. They'll stay and refuse to go. I know them too well."

"Yes, that's true!"

In order to slow down the split, Yan Lai and others deliberately delayed, so as not to split suddenly and to give themselves some time to prepare.

Unexpectedly, every action has its consequences; delaying progress comes with its own price.

"But it doesn't matter. Overall, our division has been achieved according to our plan, which is the best option. It's fine."

There is a high-rise road.

The deliberate delay in differentiation is an achievement.

Over the years, although they have been divided, it has always been the most reasonable division.

There were no major changes, such as sudden malfunctions or dramatic rises and falls in the branched-out forces.

It's like an old man preparing for his funeral.

Knowing that he didn't have long to live, he made the best arrangements for his affairs and property.

Even if it dies, it won't cause a huge stir.

This old man can be understood as a member of the Confucian school. The Confucian school has already taken care of the aftermath and is no longer afraid of any turmoil. This is the result of their efforts over the years.

"Do you all think it's necessary for us to use some means to kill some of the demon-possessed saints?"

After hearing the comforting words and advice from his fellow Daoists, Yan Lai quickly came out.

I'd like to ask for everyone's advice on what to do.
Although these people are crippled, they cannot be completely ignored. Although their cultivation levels are not strong, they are deeply rooted and have a large network of connections.

Completely ignoring it is not an option either.

"What do you mean, Master? That we can?"

The higher-ups, except for Yan Lai, were all shocked. Could we really kill a holy being?

Isn't this news deliberately released by the three supreme gods to put pressure on us?

"No, don't misunderstand, I didn't hide anything from everyone... Besides, if I could hide it from others, could I hide it from you? What I meant was the issue of holiness, not that we have the ability to kill holiness that we're hiding and you don't know about."

"call--"

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, almost taking over Yan's emo and then another emo.

They thought the sect leader had some real method to kill holy beings that they themselves didn't know about.
"The sect leader said that the divine has flaws, so the three great gods said we can?"

"Yes, the Holy One has no ranged attacks and no battery life. To put it simply..." Yan Lai explained to everyone.

"hiss--"

"I see, so it has this flaw..."

"I knew it! The three of you wouldn't make such a statement without reason."

"In that case, there really is a chance."

"..."

After Yan finished speaking, everyone was surprised.

"Senior Zuo Qiuming just told me this. He said it to me after the three great gods released the message. I didn't know it before."

Yan Laishun then explained how he knew this secret.

Zuo Qiuming awaits the second gathering of the eleven families.

Suddenly, the news released by the three great gods disrupted the plan. When the time was right, they told Yan Lai.

By the way, Yan said they were well prepared and had no weaknesses.

Furthermore, they said that if there were any deities they couldn't deal with, or anyone who dared to offend the Confucian school, they could contact them at any time, and they would take action.

In short, Confucianism is sacred and inviolable; don't forget that we old folks are still here.

We are a family.

"It seems we overestimated the Divine. Such a huge weakness makes them too easy to target. Although they have gained a very high starting point, the price they paid is also very high," a senior member of the Confucian school sighed.

It is unclear when it started, but no cultivators have come to admire the sacred.

This can be seen from the fact that many holy beings are trying to change their spiritual path.

The sacred admire those who truly cultivate themselves. Since we are already on the most correct and best path, why should we admire the sacred?

It's just that their sacred and noble birth is something that makes people a little envious.

But now even that filter has been broken.

If you put yourself in someone else's shoes, but you are a saint, yet you are constrained by boundaries and have this or that shortcoming, would you be content with that?
I'm afraid not.

Fortunately, the two temples of civil and military affairs responded promptly and started looking for solutions early on; otherwise, they would have faced the same situation.

In an era when the four superpowers were teetering on the brink of collapse, it was quite encouraging to see one that we once admired now find ourselves in dire straits.

Coupled with what they had just witnessed, they saw how mad their former colleagues would go once their Dao heart was lost, and the remaining high-ranking members more or less strengthened their Dao heart.

The concept of Dao Heart seems to be nonexistent, yet even the slightest change can be directly manifested in every aspect of life.

"Sect Leader, if that's the case, we can agree to their request, not for their merit, but for our own. We also need to prove ourselves by slaying a holy being, and then... let's all go our separate ways!"

That last sentence was a little heartbreaking.

Not just anyone can stay at Qingyun Mountain if they want to, unless they are a direct disciple of the Dao Master.

Otherwise, whether it's them or the 30,000 legends, they will eventually have to leave.

Moreover, this time is not too far off; previously, it was estimated that this would be sometime after the fourth-tier True King.

However, judging from the current situation, it seems that once they enter the third stage on a large scale, they will urgently need to leave.

The most important thing in advancing from the third to the fourth stage is to gain insights.

While Qingyun Mountain is still the best place, one cannot stay in one place for too long.

It requires a combination of active and passive understanding, rather than prolonged periods of seclusion for exploration.

Finding a suitable enemy to fight and gain more insights than spending all day in seclusion, and experiencing life-and-death trials is a key to rapid progress.

This means that once the third tier arrives on a large scale, it will be the time for them to leave Qingyun Mountain and head towards the wider world.

They are indeed very united, but they will eventually break apart.

It's impossible for them all to stay on Qingyun Mountain.

Therefore, when he needs to come to Qingyun Mountain for enlightenment, he will return to Qingyun Mountain for seclusion; otherwise, he will be outside.

This means they also need to separate, even if they don't want to.

They wanted to make one last effort, one last collaboration.

It blooms brilliantly like fireworks, then fades away.

Their final collective display was to join forces to slay a holy being.

After the bloom, there will be a long period of peace and quiet for each other.

...(End of chapter)