Under One Person: I Opened the Age of Mythology

Chapter 426

With the successful conclusion of the Three Realms Trial, many positions in the Three Realms now have suitable candidates.

The forces among various parties are reshuffled and a new pattern is gradually taking shape.

Inside the Heavenly Palace, the monks each performed their duties, busy and orderly.

In the mountains and rivers of the mortal world, demons gather in groups, creating a prosperous scene.

The independent cultivators were also making steady progress on their respective paths, and the Three Realms seemed to have entered an unprecedented period of harmony.

Sun Xiaosheng stood outside the gate of the Qitian Temple, holding a newly issued volume of "Rules and Regulations of the Three Realms Grand Examination" in his hand, looking a little dazed.

Ever since the competition with Red Boy ended, the doubts in his heart have been lingering.

Although Master Sun Wukong repeatedly emphasized that the rules of the competition were fair enough, he always felt that some details were still worth pondering.

"Xiaosheng, what are you daydreaming about?"

Red Boy's voice came from behind, with his usual teasing tone.

Sun Xiaosheng came back to his senses and turned to look at Red Boy. He saw that Red Boy was leaning lazily against the temple door, holding a string of candied haws in his hand and eating it with relish.

"How did you come?"

Sun Xiaosheng frowned, his tone a little wary.

Red Boy approached with a smile, put the last candied haws in his hand into his mouth, and said vaguely:

"I am one of the winners of this exam, so why can't I come? Besides, I came here specially to see you. I want to talk to you about something."

"What to talk about?"

Sun Xiaosheng's brows furrowed even more tightly, and there was a hint of vigilance in his tone.

Red Boy did not answer directly, but patted his shoulder with his hand and smiled meaningfully:
"Let's go and find a quiet place to talk."

Sun Xiaosheng hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded.

The two walked one after the other through the winding path of the heaven and came to a remote bamboo forest.

The bamboo leaves rustled in the wind, and the sunlight shone through the branches and leaves onto the ground, casting mottled shadows.

"Can we talk now?"

Sun Xiaosheng stood in the bamboo forest, staring at Red Boy.

Red Boy folded his arms across his chest, leaned against the bamboo pole, and looked serious for once:
"Xiaosheng, do you think there are still some problems with the rules of this big test?"

Sun Xiaosheng was stunned for a moment, then nodded:

"I feel the same way. Although Master and his team have made a lot of changes, some areas are still not perfect."

Red Boy smiled, with a hint of deep meaning flashing in his eyes:
"In fact, I also feel that it is somewhat unfair. For example, the rights of the Heavenly Court cultivators to use the natural treasures are still much looser than those of us casual cultivators. Although there are supervisory agencies, their response speed is too slow, and many things are still overlooked."

Sun Xiaosheng pondered for a moment and said in a low voice:

"But Master and the others have tried their best. After all, Heaven has more resources than we do."

“That’s why we have to fight for more rights.”

Red Boy's voice suddenly became louder, and a strange light flashed in his eyes.

Sun Xiaosheng was startled by his tone and asked subconsciously:

"What do you want to do?"

Red Boy took a step forward and stared at him intently:
"Xiaosheng, are you willing to join me in proposing more reform suggestions to the Heavenly Court? Only those of us who actually participate in the competition know the loopholes in the rules. If we don't speak up, the problem will never be solved."

Sun Xiaosheng hesitated.

He knew that Red Boy's suggestion was correct, but when he thought about questioning his master, he felt an inexplicable pressure in his heart.

"You don't have to answer me now."

Red Boy seemed to see his concerns and softened his tone a little.

"Go back and think about it carefully. I'll wait for your answer."

After saying that, he turned and left the bamboo forest, leaving Sun Xiaosheng standing there alone, lost in thought.

At the same time, in another corner of the Heavenly Palace, Qing Yunzi was sitting in a pavilion with Zixia Zhenren, drinking tea and discussing Taoism.

"Brother Qingyun, are you satisfied with the results of this test?"

Zhenren Zixia took a sip of tea and looked at Qingyunzi with gentle eyes.

Qing Yunzi smiled, stroked his beard, and said with some emotion:

"Fellow Daoist Zixia, why do you have to ask questions when you already know the answer? Although this grand test had many twists and turns, the final result was satisfactory. The rules of the Heavenly Court were revised in a timely manner, and the three-party supervisory agencies also played their due role."

Master Zixia nodded, a hint of deep meaning flashed in her eyes:
"However, I always feel that some aspects are still not perfect. For example, the resource advantage of the Heavenly Court monks still exists."

Qing Yunzi sighed and frowned slightly:

"There's nothing we can do about it. The resources in Heaven are much richer than those in the mortal world and the demon race, so it's almost impossible to be completely fair. However, at least the current rules have allowed all parties to see the sincerity of Heaven."

Master Zixia put down the teacup, with a firm tone:

"Even so, we cannot be satisfied with this. Only by continuous improvement can we truly win the trust of all beings in the three realms."

Qing Yunzi nodded, his eyes gradually deepened:

"Fellow Daoist Zixia is right. As supervisors, we have the responsibility to continue to promote reform."

The two smiled at each other and raised their glasses again, as if everything was said without words.

In the Qitian Hall, Sun Wukong was discussing the follow-up arrangements with Yang Jian and Nezha.

"Monkey, this big test has finally come to a successful conclusion. What are your plans next?"

Nezha sat on a stone bench, chewing a peach and asked vaguely.

Sun Wukong stood in the center of the hall, his hands behind his back, looking into the distance, his tone full of thought:

"Although this great test was successful, the situation in the Three Realms is not yet completely stable. We need to continue to consolidate the authority of the Heavenly Court, while also creating more development opportunities for the mortal world and the demon race."

Yang Jian nodded, his tone calm:
"The Great Sage is right. We should strike while the iron is hot and further implement reforms to ensure harmony and prosperity in the three realms."

Nezha spat out the peach pit, wiped his mouth, and said with a smile:

"You two are really worrying about your lives. But since you said so, I'll just follow your lead!"

Sun Wukong smiled, reached out and patted Nezha on the shoulder, with a hint of approval in his tone:

"Nezha, although you have an impatient temper, you are never vague at critical moments. The success of this test also has your share of credit."

Nezha smiled and waved his hand:

"Monkey, don't give me that! I didn't think that much, I just thought that this is the way it should be done."

The three of them smiled at each other, and the atmosphere was relaxed and harmonious.

At this moment, there was a sudden sound of hurried footsteps outside the hall. The God of Land hurriedly walked in with a scroll in his hand.

The God of Land walked up to Sun Wukong, handed him the scroll respectfully, bowed slightly and said:
"Great Sage, this is a joint petition from Little Sage and Red Boy, suggesting that the rules regarding the use of natural treasures be amended."

Sun Wukong looked up at him, took the scroll, and unfolded it to take a closer look.

The handwriting on the scroll was neat and sincere, listing many unfair aspects regarding the use of natural treasures.

Sun Wukong's brows gradually furrowed, his eyes swept back and forth between the lines, his expression becoming more and more solemn.

Nezha came over and took a look. Seeing the contents on the scroll, he curled his lips and said with a bit of disdain:

"These two little guys are really restless! Not long after the game, they started to do these things again."

Yang Jian walked up to Sun Wukong with a serious expression, his eyes fell on the scroll, and he whispered:

"This matter is of great importance and we need to treat it with caution."

Sun Wukong nodded and continued to review the contents of the scroll.

After a moment, he closed the scroll, looked up at Yang Jian, and said in a steady tone:
"Master Erlang, what do you think?"

Yang Jian took the scroll, thought about it carefully, and a trace of deep thought appeared between his brows.

He said in a deep voice:

"The content of this joint petition does point out some loopholes in the rules. The right to use natural treasures is indeed unfair, especially for independent cultivators and demon cultivators."

After hearing this, Nezha was a little disapproving. He raised his hand and waved his flaming spear, saying:
"Erlang, you are taking it too seriously, aren't you? Natural resources and treasures are scarce, isn't it normal for the monks in the Heavenly Palace to have priority in using them? We can't just divide all the resources equally, right?"

Yang Jian shook his head and looked at Nezha firmly:

"Nezha, this is wrong. The distribution of natural resources and treasures is related to the progress of cultivators' cultivation. If the rules are biased, it will not only make the independent cultivators and demon cultivators feel disheartened, but also affect the fairness and harmony of the three realms."

Sun Wukong nodded in agreement, his tone full of deep thought:
"Yang Jian is right. The content of this joint petition is well-founded and we cannot ignore it. We set up the supervisory body to ensure fairness. Now that someone has raised the issue, we must take it seriously."

Seeing the two people's firm attitude, Nezha said nothing more, but just curled his lips and muttered in a low voice:

"It's really troublesome. Reforms are always needed."

Sun Wukong ignored Nezha's complaints and turned to look at the Earth God and ordered:

"Lord of the Land, you must immediately notify representatives of all parties, including the scattered immortals, demon elders, and heads of various departments of the Heavenly Court, to hold a meeting to discuss this matter."

The God of Land bowed respectfully and said:

"As you command, Great Sage. I will do it right away."

After saying this, he hurriedly left the Qitian Palace, leaning on his crutches.

After the God of Land left, Yang Jian raised his hand and gently stroked the three-pointed, double-edged sword in his hand, and whispered:
"Great Sage, I'm afraid there will be some controversy at this meeting. The distribution of natural resources has always been a focus of attention for all parties, especially the conflict of interest between the celestial cultivators and the independent cultivators."

Sun Wukong smiled slightly, with a hint of confidence in his eyes:
"It doesn't matter. Since the problem is obvious, we must face it. As long as we communicate honestly, we can always find a balance."

Nezha scratched his head, with a helpless tone:

"Monkey, you are always so optimistic. But then again, if this meeting can solve the problem of natural materials and treasures, it would be a good thing."

Yang Jian nodded in agreement:

"Indeed, if we can find a reasonable solution through this meeting, it will not only calm the dissatisfaction of all parties, but also enhance the credibility of the Heavenly Court."

As the three were talking, footsteps were heard outside the hall.

The immortals, demon elders and heads of various departments of the Heavenly Court arrived at the Qitian Palace one after another.

The expressions on their faces varied, some were serious, some were worried, and some were expectant.

Sun Wukong stood in the center of the hall, looking at everyone, and said in a steady tone:

"Everyone, we have gathered here to discuss the reform of the rights to use natural treasures. Xiaosheng and Red Boy have jointly written a letter pointing out some loopholes in the existing rules. We need to discuss together and find solutions."

When everyone heard this, they began to discuss in low voices.

A wandering immortal in a white robe stepped forward, cupped his hands and said:

"Great Sage, if this reform can solve the problem of unfair distribution of natural resources and treasures, we, the independent cultivators, will naturally give our full support."

An elder of the demon tribe also stood up and spoke in a deep voice:
"If the Heavenly Court can treat cultivators of all races fairly, the demon race is willing to continue to cooperate with the Heavenly Court and jointly maintain the stability of the three realms."

An immortal official in charge of material distribution in the Heavenly Palace frowned slightly, with a worried tone in his voice:

"Great Sage, natural treasures are already scarce. If we completely open up the right to use them, it may cause a shortage of resources and affect the cultivation progress of the Heavenly Court monks."

Sun Wukong nodded, speaking calmly:

"Everyone's concerns are justified. The purpose of this meeting is not to completely abolish the existing rules, but to find a balance that can both protect the interests of the Heavenly Court cultivators and provide more opportunities for the independent cultivators and the demon cultivators."

After listening to Sun Wukong's explanation, everyone nodded to show their understanding.

Afterwards, the meeting officially began, with representatives from all parties taking turns to speak and expound their own views and suggestions.

As time went on, the atmosphere of the meeting became increasingly heated.

Some representatives spoke harshly, while others made suggestions calmly.

Yang Jian and Nezha also actively participated in the discussion and put forward their respective views from the perspectives of fairness and resource allocation.

Sun Wukong sat on a high seat, his eyes moving among the crowd, sometimes nodding in approval, sometimes frowning slightly.

He always remained calm and listened carefully to every representative's speech.

The meeting lasted for a long time, and finally, under the guidance of Sun Wukong, everyone reached a preliminary consensus.

All parties agreed to make moderate adjustments to the rights to use natural materials and treasures, increase support for independent cultivators and demon cultivators, while retaining some priority rights for heavenly cultivators.

Sun Wukong thought for a moment, glanced at everyone, and said in a calm tone:

"Now that everyone has reached a consensus on the adjustment of the rules, the next step is to implement the details. Yang Jian, you are responsible for drafting a new distribution plan for natural resources based on the meeting resolution and the opinions of all parties. It must take into account both fairness and efficiency."

Yang Jian nodded slightly, holding the pen in his hand, with a look of concentration between his brows:

"Don't worry, I will consider it carefully to ensure that the plan can balance the interests of all parties."

Sun Wukong turned to Nezha with a look of expectation in his eyes:
"Nezha, you are responsible for collecting more specific opinions, especially the needs of independent cultivators and demon cultivators. We cannot miss any details."

"understand!"

Nezha nodded.

After the meeting, everyone left one after another.

Yang Jian walked up to Sun Wukong and whispered:

"Great Sage, this meeting went smoothly. We still need to further refine the specific rules for the next step."

Sun Wukong nodded, with a hint of relief in his eyes:
"Yes, the road to reform is never smooth. But we have taken the first step, and the next step is to see how to implement it."

(End of this chapter)