Investiture of the Gods: I am Bigan, the Master of Conspiracy

Chapter 148 A Hundred Schools of Thought Contend, A Battle for Fortune!

At this time, Yuanshi Tianzun summoned Guangchengzi, Antarctic Immortal, and Taiyi Zhenren to the Jade Void Palace.

"Disciple pays respects to Master and wishes Master a long and healthy life!"

"Rise, all of you!"

After the three stood up, Yuanshi Tianzun said, "Your senior uncle has already devoted his spirit to spreading the teachings of the human race to various countries. The Heavenly Dao will surely bestow great fortune upon the Three Realms, which is also your opportunity. You should also quickly spread the teachings of the human race!"

Guang Chengzi hurriedly asked, "May I ask what teachings Master will impart?"

The Primordial Celestial Venerable looked at the three and said, "The human race has fallen into chaos and disorder. Now is the time to rebuild the Zhou rites!"

"But, Master, because of the schemes of the High Priest of Yin Shang and Mi Fei, the Zhou rites have now become a laughing stock in the Three Realms. What should we do?"

When talking about the Zhou rites, one must mention that the Holy Dynasty governs the world with filial piety, and that all the emperors of the Zhou rites collapsed.

The Primordial Celestial Venerable said, “It’s alright, you can just change the title. Its way is based on benevolence, self-discipline and restoration of propriety. It uses the principles of ruler and subject, father and son to expound on education for all, so that all peoples can be influenced by this teaching. It teaches all beings to adhere to the Doctrine of the Mean. You will be the one to spread this way. The person who is destined to follow this way should be a person with the surname Kong. You can find a person with the surname Kong to take as your disciple!”

"May I ask, Master, where can one find someone with the surname Kong?"

The Primordial Celestial Venerable said calmly, "You may search for it within the Three Realms. It is a being born in response to the will of Heaven, and you will naturally find it by traveling through the Three Realms!"

Originally, the Antarctic Immortal was supposed to guard the East Sea and plan for its destiny to become a Quasi-Saint. However, due to Yin Ziyu's schemes in the East Sea, the Antarctic Immortal was forced to return to Kunlun Mountain in disgrace, and his reputation plummeted.

The fact that Zhou rituals have become a laughing stock and that the system has collapsed necessitates a return to the right path.

This opportunity was granted to the Antarctic Immortal by the Primordial Celestial Venerable, who was determined to help him enter the Quasi-Saint realm as soon as possible.

Now that Heaven has bestowed its blessings, this opportunity is especially important.

The Primordial Celestial Venerable informed the Antarctic Immortal of everything, including the doctrines and the search for destined individuals; it was practically a gift from heaven.

Given the current great changes in the Three Realms, will there still be someone with the surname Kong?

This was inevitable, because when the Way of Literature descends with its fortune, there will be those who are born in response. As for who this person is, the sage already has a general idea. All that is needed is to search diligently, and he will surely find him.

As for the issue of education for all, it has absolutely nothing to do with the Jiejiao's concept of education for all.

The Jie Sect's principle of "education for all" aims to balance the lower classes in the Three Realms, and this principle of "education for all" ensures that all beings in the Three Realms accept its teachings.

Just as Yin Ziyu mocked himself, the people of the Great Shang Dynasty were unteachable. Unteachable can be understood as those who cannot be enslaved and those whose education costs are high.

This principle of "education for all" means that all beings in the three realms can be educated, and after being educated, they can establish a foundation for the Chan Sect for all eternity!
This is a great opportunity. Since the matter in the East China Sea did not allow Antarctica to attain enlightenment, this matter must allow Antarctica to attain enlightenment.

"Taiyi!"

"The disciple is here!"

"Your path lies in relieving the suffering of all beings; you may cultivate in this way!"

"Disciple will humbly obey Master's decree!"

Yuanshi Tianzun finally looked at Guangchengzi and said, "Guangchengzi, the way of Yin and Yang, the distinction between leniency and severity, the restoration of Zhou rites in the South Pole, you should govern with severity, without distinguishing between relatives and strangers, without differentiating between the noble and the lowly, and judge all according to the law. In this way, you can make up for the fact that Zhou rites are too benevolent and righteous, and cannot govern the common people. You should pass on this way to the Three Realms. In the future, there will be someone who will master it. This way has its own karma, so you should expound on it. Do not take on disciples, just let them grow!"

"Disciple will humbly obey Master's decree!"

"."

At this time, the Chan Sect has three paths for all beings: first, to govern the people harshly, which is to bind their bodies; second, to use laws to restrict their thoughts so that they dare not overstep their bounds; and third, to relieve the suffering of all beings and to liberate them from their suffering!
These three points can be said to form a closed loop for all sentient beings in the three realms, preventing them from transcending the entire loop.

Laozi descended to the mortal realm in Luoyi. His birth was marked by unusual phenomena, with his hair turning white. After reaching adulthood, a green ox came to the Heavenly Court and began to preach to Li Er amidst the vast mortal world.

Li Er's white hair hung to the ground, and his gray robe was unembroidered with a single word, yet it subtly revealed the image of Tai Chi in motion.

He spread his teachings throughout the states and soon became famous throughout the world. Wherever he went, countless wise men came to listen to his teachings. Li Er tied his blue ox to an ancient cypress tree, dipped a bamboo branch in the Luo River, and drew a yin-yang fish on a blue stone. Before the ink was dry, heaven and earth suddenly became upside down, and the sun and moon turned into two black and white dots that fell into the eyes of the fish. This attracted countless people to worship him and venerate him as a sage.

Li Er sat on the ground and raised his hand to preach to his followers: "The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao."

Before Li Er finished speaking, the Luo River swelled by three zhang (approximately 10 meters), but before it touched the crowd, it transformed into countless characters.

Everyone sees the Way differently.

Some see the words "wuwei" (non-action) as shining with golden light, while others see the words "buzheng" (non-contention) as glittering like stars.

As Li Er's fame spread, countless people came to pay homage to him as he traveled to various countries. Li Er imparted many mysteries of heaven and earth, and wherever he went, the Dao was imprinted on the ground.

Whether one can comprehend it depends on the predestined person. Those who are predestined will naturally understand the Way, while Li Er will not say much to those who are not.

When the Supreme Being descended to the mortal realm to spread his teachings to various countries, it immediately shocked the immortals and gods of the Three Realms, who all sensed that the Heavenly Dao's fortune was beginning to decline.

This was a tremendous opportunity. In an instant, people from all directions of the Three Realms began to spread the teachings, and Luoyi began to spread the teachings to all human races.

When people from all walks of life in the Three Realms descended to the mortal world to spread their teachings, Luo Shen, Jin Ling, and the others could no longer sit still.

Yin Ziyu, observing the changes in the Three Realms, couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

"The Supreme Dao teaches humanity, enabling people to transcend, but the Great Dao is obscure; how can anyone but an immortal comprehend it!"

The Goddess of the Luo River asked, "This time, the Supreme One descended to Luoyi, right beside the Luo River. Ziyu, should we also go there to spread the Dao?" Yin Ziyu nodded, "We should spread the Dao. The Supreme One's teachings are the foundation of the Great Dao, but only a few can comprehend them. Yet, he gains a high reputation. Although it benefits all living beings, it is ultimately distant and unattainable for them. Only the most outstanding scholars can comprehend even a fraction of it!"

Yunxiao hurriedly asked, "In that case, how should we pass on our teachings?"

Yin Ziyu said, "Don't rush, let's wait a bit longer. Once the Chan Sect enters the world, we can then target them. The Supreme Dao is impossible to counter, and it's not something that beings in the Three Realms can comprehend. Only the Chan Sect's Dao, which transcends the world, can be considered a worthy opponent!"

The Holy Mother of Golden Spirit immediately asked, "To contend with them? Is this time to completely suppress the Chan Sect?"

Yin Ziyu shook his head: "My fairies, it's not about suppressing the Chan Sect. Only when the Chan Sect's path emerges can we contend with them. We need to borrow the Chan Sect's power to achieve our own path. Therefore, you should all abandon your hatred and regard the Chan Sect as achievers. That would be best. If there were no evil in the world, there would be no good. Without the Chan Sect's shackles, how can the Jie Sect show any hope of survival? I suspect the emergence of the Chan Sect's path is related to the Zhou rites. The collapse of rites and music necessitates the revival of the Zhou rites, which is the general trend of Heaven! The Jie Sect should contend with those who revive the Zhou rites, and naturally, they can become famous throughout the Three Realms. The higher this person's achievement, the greater the fortune of those who contend with them!"

Upon hearing Yin Ziyu's words, everyone in the Jie Sect was stunned.

The Golden Spirit Mother couldn't help but say, "This is what Ziyu meant by the path of worldly cultivation through the tribulations of the Great Calamity, and we, the enemies, are the achievers!"

Yin Ziyu nodded: "All karma has been borne by me, and resolving karma will also lead to the completion of my own path. Along the way, there have been no enemies, no opponents, only those who have helped me, only my teachers! With this in mind, only when opponents create opportunities can one have the chance to grow in one's own path!"

The growth of the Tao requires fertile ground. In a dark environment, light is what all beings yearn for, and those who bring light achieve the Tao.

Now, the Chan Sect is playing the villain. Although the Chan Sect also wields both darkness and light, in any case, this creates opportunities for those who are unwilling to do the dirty work.

If one wants to attain enlightenment in the primordial world, one must choose between great fortune and great prestige.

Great fortune requires militaristic conquest and occupation of the fortune of all beings in the three realms, while great prestige is achieved by saving beings from the desire of them not to be conquered.

The only chance for the Shang Dynasty to survive was that the sage planned to make the Shang Dynasty the evil one, and then Xiqi would quell it.

Yin Ziyu first established that the Shang Dynasty would not turn to evil by presenting three statements. Secondly, he ensured that the brutality would not spread downwards by presenting a corrupt ruler and a clean government. This prevented the Shang Dynasty from becoming evil.

If the Shang dynasty does not turn to evil, then evil will inevitably reverse its course, causing the fortune of Xiqi to be unable to bear it!
Ultimately, Xiqi descended into militarism, while the Shang Dynasty became a victim of defense. This gave them a glimmer of hope. The death of the emperor brought the people's acceptance to its limit, which in turn led to Xiqi being despised by the people.

"Ziyu is right. To still hold a grudge against the Chan Sect is too petty!"

Yin Ziyu nodded and said, "This is the time when the Heavenly Dao's fortune descends upon the Three Realms. The Supreme Dao cannot be relied upon, so we can only borrow its power from the Chan Sect. If nothing unexpected happens, the West will also spread its teachings here, paving the way for its future eastward spread. Only by competing with the two sects can we form a three-way balance of power. In this way, the Heavenly Dao's fortune will naturally be bestowed upon us. When that time comes, with the great fortune bestowed upon us, our own path will be complete!"

The goddess Luo then asked, "If the Chan sect adopts the principles of Zhou rites, how should we respond?"

Yin Ziyu pondered for a moment and said, "If the way of Zhou rites is as expected, it can only educate the people with ethics and moral principles. This is also the way of expounding teachings and following the will of Heaven. As for filial piety, if I were to respond, I would prioritize my own heart. If my parents raised me, my heart would naturally be filial to them. Why should this shackle bind my heart? If you treat me as a national hero, my heart would naturally be to repay you as a national hero. Why should loyalty bind my heart?"

At this time, the Dao of Chan Sect had not yet emerged. Without revealing the plot, Yin Ziyu naturally understood that it must be a return to the Zhou rites, a complete transformation, and he would simply respond with the Dao of his own heart.

Luo Shen nodded in agreement: "What Ziyu said is quite right. This is the method of teaching and indoctrination of Zhou rites. It seems normal to make them obey, but in fact it is a method of trapping their minds. They should be reshaped to deal with it!"

Yin Ziyu laughed and said, "Soon, the Chan Sect and the Western Sect will surely emerge. We can deal with them when they do, and Luoyi can take in disciples and spread its teachings far and wide!"

"good"

The process of proving the various schools of thought had just begun, and Yin Ziyu couldn't help but start scheming in his mind.

"This heavenly fortune has only just begun. Let them attain enlightenment first. This is indeed a great opportunity for all beings in the Three Realms. However, I must prepare for the Ullambana Festival. Only when the Ullambana Festival is held will this great fortune be bestowed upon us, and my path can be completed in due course!"

Yin Ziyu knew that this was only the beginning of a hundred schools of thought contending. After many people attained enlightenment, they would gather together in the West to start the Ullambana Festival.

At this opportune moment of intellectual ferment, let them take the lead.

This is to enable the West to attain enlightenment. This time, the heavenly fortune has descended upon the West, demonstrating the superiority of the Western Way. Then, the Way can be spread to the West in due course, which is why the Journey to the West exists.

Yin Ziyu will not stop this trend, but he will naturally compete for the destiny and his own path will also be discussed on the same stage with it. He will compete with the West for the ownership of the destiny of heaven this time, as this opportunity will not come again.

While the path from mortal to Great Luo Golden Immortal is an insurmountable chasm for most people, it is nothing more than a matter of course for ordinary powerful beings in the primordial world. With a little bit of luck, it is easy to cultivate such a path.

However, the gap between the Great Luo Golden Immortal and the Primordial Golden Immortal is truly insurmountable; even a sage needs to plan for great fortune to succeed.

Even if all the fortune in the entire Three Realms were drained, it might not be enough to elevate a Primordial Golden Immortal to a Primordial Daluo Golden Immortal.

The path from mortal to Grand Luo Golden Immortal is less than one percent of the path from Grand Luo Golden Immortal to Primordial Golden Immortal, while the path from Primordial Golden Immortal to Primordial Grand Luo is ten million times more difficult than the path from mortal to half-step Primordial.

This divine blessing is a preparation for the eastward spread of the West, but Yin Ziyu must seize this opportunity and even force the Heavenly Dao to bestow more blessings, but he must perfect his own path to surpass everyone else.

The Ullambana Festival following the conversion of Hu (a type of Chinese herbal medicine) is the most important!
Just as Yin Ziyu had predicted, not long after, the Antarctic Immortal went to the human race to search and finally found a strong man who was nine feet tall. He had a profound understanding of his own path and was surnamed Kong. The Antarctic Immortal was overjoyed and immediately knew that this person was the one who had appeared in time. He immediately took him as his disciple and taught him the way of the Chan Sect!

Seeing that this disciple greatly respected the Zhou rites and was quick to carry them on, the old man was overjoyed. After a moment of contemplation, he remembered that Ji Chang had not been able to better pass on the sixty-four hexagrams, so he imparted to him the great Dao of the sixty-four hexagrams.

Upon hearing this, the man suddenly understood everything and began to write commentaries on the sixty-four hexagrams, honoring King Wen as a sage of all time and naming the sixty-four hexagrams the Zhouyi (Book of Changes).

In a short time, phrases such as "As heaven's movement is ever vigorous, so should a gentleman constantly strive for self-improvement" and "As the earth's condition is receptive, so should a gentleman cultivate virtue and bear all things with magnanimity" were quickly spread throughout the states.

Its principles of self-discipline and adherence to propriety, which embody benevolence and the ethical principles of social order, have attracted the recognition of countless people.

The Holy Mother of Golden Spirit couldn't help but sigh, "Indeed, it truly evolved from the Zhou rites. If so, then our missionary work must be directed at this person!"

Yunxiao exclaimed in surprise, "I never expected that this person could elevate the sixty-four hexagrams to such a level. He is truly remarkable!"

Seeing that the surname was indeed Kong, Yin Ziyu said, "Heaven has bestowed its fortune upon us, and this person is destined to emerge to end the collapse of propriety and music. Therefore, he has this enlightenment and will write the commentary on the sixty-four hexagrams, making them truly complete. This person will surely have great merit in the future!"

(End of this chapter)