My brother is so cunning

Chapter 1198 Immortals are not good at scheming
Taiyi Zhenren bowed respectfully and slowly spoke: "Master, do you know that the so-called 'Heavenly Tribulation' that Wen Rui previously triggered did not truly gain the approval of the Heavenly Dao? I have been observing carefully in the safe area outside the formation for a long time, and as the saying goes, 'the one involved is confused, while the bystander sees clearly.' I discovered that he was actually using technological means to coerce the will of all living beings and forcibly disrupt the operation of the Heavenly Dao. Such power may seem to be in line with the will of the people, but in reality, it is a destruction of the order of the Heavenly Dao. It is like throwing a huge rock into a calm lake. Even if it stirs up huge waves, it will ultimately violate the natural order of heaven and earth."

He paused briefly, his tone becoming increasingly resolute: "When Heaven sent down the tribulation lightning that day, it was not out of favor of Wen Rui, but rather because it regarded Master and him together as 'the root of the disturbance of Heaven's Way' and 'the source of the disturbance of Heaven's Way'."

"Master has already angered the Heavenly Dao by destroying the city and killing the people. Wen Rui is a person from outside the realm, and he is not someone that the Heavenly Dao of our Primordial World can tolerate. The Heavenly Dao is simply choosing the lesser of two evils and using him to warn Master."

"Master, consider this: how could he, a mere outsider, gain the complete acceptance of our Primordial World and its Heavenly Dao? The merits he has gained are merely compensation for the Heavenly Dao's temporary tolerance of his efforts to restore order in the Primordial World."

These words struck like a thunderclap, startling the Primordial Celestial Venerable.

He was previously deeply mired in the humiliation and anger of defeat, and had never pondered the deeper meaning behind the calamity.

He immediately sat cross-legged and began to manipulate the hand seals to deduce the secrets of heaven. The divination results confirmed the judgment of the Taiyi Zhenren: Wen Rui’s “degree of harmony with the heavenly way” was gradually increasing, but there was always a faint “repulsion” around him. The golden light of merit around him was also mixed with a very faint “chaotic impurity”.

"Good! What a brilliant 'choose the lesser of two evils' strategy!"

The Primordial Celestial Venerable suddenly opened his eyes, the anger in them vanished, replaced by a cold calculation: "He relies on the will of all living beings, then I will start from the two places of 'the people's hearts' and 'the Way of Heaven' to destroy his foundation."

He rose and walked to the ancient map hanging in the hall, pointing his finger directly at the heart of the Central Plains: "Wen Rui's purpose in rebuilding the Free City is nothing more than to stabilize the hearts of the people and accumulate merit. I will make his 'merit' completely transform into 'sin' in the eyes of the world!"

A hint of doubt flashed in Taiyi Zhenren's eyes: "What does Master mean?"

"While Wenrui's technology can repair the land, it cannot eradicate the people's inherent fear of 'external forces'."

The Primordial Celestial Venerable's lips curled into a sinister smile: "You shall immediately depart for the Central Plains and secretly spread rumors that his nanobots devour the essence of living beings and that his quantum technology is an extraterrestrial demonic art intended to erode the foundation of the primordial world. At the same time, I will contact several other primordial saints and, under the pretext of 'protecting the local Heavenly Dao,' jointly pressure him to cease using all technological means and hand over the Immortal Slaughtering Formation Diagram and the Six Soul Banner."

He added, “If he refuses to obey, he will be at odds with all the forces of the primordial world, and the people’s hearts will inevitably be scattered; if he chooses to obey, without the support of technology and magic weapons, how can he contend with me with his existing merits alone? At that time, when the Heavenly Dao sees that he has no value in ‘restoring order’ and has angered the masses, it will naturally withdraw its previous tolerance. With this shift in power, I can not only avenge the Chan Sect, but also use the power of the Heavenly Dao to completely eliminate this major threat!”

Upon hearing this, Master Taiyi's eyes revealed admiration: "Master's plan is ingenious. Without having to lift a finger, you can use the situation to force Wen Rui into a dilemma. It is truly a brilliant idea!"

Yuanshi Tianzun waved his hand, signaling Taiyi Zhenren to step back and proceed according to the plan.

Silence returned to the main hall. He stared at the location of Freedom City on the map, his eyes filled with resentment and certainty. After a moment of contemplation, he raised his hand to brush the dust off his robes. A golden light flashed around him, and he transformed into a stream of light that broke through the dome of Jade Void Palace, flying straight towards the Doulu Palace in the Thirty-Third Heaven. The outcome of this battle was crucial to the fate of the Chan Sect. The Chan Sect alone could not contend with Wen Rui, who possessed both technology and immortality. Only by summoning the senior brother who had long resided in the Doulu Palace could they find a way to break the deadlock.

At the same time, Master Taiyi led dozens of his "vegetative" disciples to stand on the cloud steps outside the Jade Void Palace.

He looked at his disciples, who varied in height and build, and frowned slightly: "Although your physical bodies are made of plants and fruits, your immortal foundations have not been damaged. When you go down the mountain to spread rumors, you must use transformation techniques to conceal your true forms and transform into ordinary mortals. Remember not to reveal your immortal traces."

Having said that, he flicked his fingers repeatedly, and hundreds of beams of azure light fell upon the disciples.

The lotus boy transformed into a boy in green with his hair in a topknot, the pine branch transformed into a dark-skinned woodcutter, and even the disciples transformed from radishes and watermelons became peddlers and farmers. However, the faint scent of grass and trees could not be completely eliminated no matter how much magic was used to conceal it.

"From here we will depart to the four continents of the primordial wilderness."

Taiyi Zhenren took out a stack of bamboo slips covered with writing: "The nursery rhymes and prophecies on these slips should be spread in markets and villages every day. On the shores of the East Sea, stone figurines inscribed with 'Foreigners from beyond the borders, usurping the Heavenly Way' can be buried as relics of 'extraterrestrial demons'; near the fox dens of the Western Mountains, demonic energy should be stirred up so that night travelers can hear the cry 'When the auspicious omen is heard, the primordial chaos will prosper'; on fishing boats in the water towns of Jiangnan, a plan should be made to hide the words 'Slay technology, restore the immortal order' inside the bellies of the fish—this is an ancient method of spreading rumors, most effective in shaking the hearts of the people."

The disciples accepted the order in unison, transforming into ordinary figures and scattering throughout the prehistoric world.

Three days later, in a market in Jambudvipa, a child in blue was clapping his hands and singing a nursery rhyme: "Green bamboo tips, lotus flowers sway, demons from beyond the realm flee for their lives; nanobugs, sucking souls, Heaven's justice will not forgive, who can live?"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a bespectacled student scoffed, "This nursery rhyme is so poorly made up. What kind of insect is a 'nanoworm'? Nano is a unit of measurement. Nanorobots are ultra-miniature devices based on the nanoscale. And they can even absorb souls? This is probably some charlatan who made it up to scam money."

A nearby stall owner chimed in, "Yesterday at the market in the east, someone said they'd dug up an 'extraterrestrial demon fossil.' I went to see it, and the carvings were crooked and obviously newly made; there wasn't even any moss growing on them."

In a teahouse not far away, a storyteller was recounting the recent strange tale of "words hidden in fish bellies." Immediately, a fisherman shouted from below the stage, "Sir, don't scare people! Although I make a living by fishing, I have attended online school and obtained a correspondence diploma. It is a very normal biological behavior for fish to have notes in their bellies. Some swallowing fish eat everything."

"The pollution in the sea has been quite serious in recent years. Fish often have plastic in their stomachs. As for the words written on the notes that are inflammatory, there is no doubt that someone did it on purpose, with ulterior motives and to create a mystery!"

(End of this chapter)