Chapter 897 - 347: For the Ever-Continuing Future_2
"But lies only make things worse."
"Then you should think about who suffers the most in an unstable world."
Celestial Venerable Baiyu opened his mouth, speechless.
The common people, the countless beings.
Celestial Venerable Zizai said,
"We are merely choosing survival over freedom. This world has Fan Wubing, but not everyone is Fan Wubing. As the Immortal Dao Master, our priority is to ensure everyone’s survival. And Shangli, and you, are doing just that. You have already done everything you needed to do."
Celestial Venerable Baiyu was somewhat saddened, "But if that’s the case, why didn’t you say these words to Shangli? If he could have received the comfort of the ancestor, maybe he wouldn’t have taken his own life."
Celestial Venerable Zizai lowered his gaze slightly,
"Yes, if I could have returned sooner at that time, he wouldn’t have died."
Celestial Venerable Baiyu couldn’t blame anything. He weakly asked,
"Ancestor, are you leaving again this time?"
Celestial Venerable Zizai shook his head, "I won’t leave again. This time, I want to stay, with this world, with the White Jade Capital, with all of you. Until the dust settles."
Celestial Venerable Baiyu’s eyes rose with a hint of hope,
"But what has the ancestor been doing all these years? Do I have the right to know?"
Celestial Venerable Zizai, seeing the childlike hope in his eyes, took a slight breath, his expression growing softer, and said softly,
"Since that’s the case, let’s sit down and talk about the Dao, as we’ve long missed."
After she finished speaking, she lightly tapped the space with her left hand. The surroundings were enveloped in radiance, not a Daoist Palace, but merely an empty cloud platform. She held her Daoist robe and sat down casually and freely.
Celestial Venerable Baiyu, like a student about to attend class, sat upright and attentive, expectant yet earnest.
As if returning to the first time he heard Celestial Venerable Zizai teach the Dao.
"First, we must start from the story of the Dao Ancestor." Celestial Venerable Zizai lacked the usual ethereal demeanor; her form and voice were so real. "For most people, from the moment they are born, the leader of the Daoist School in their memories is the Dao Ancestor. Almost no one wonders who held the leadership before the Dao Ancestor."
Celestial Venerable Baiyu asked, "Isn’t Dao Ancestor just a title?"
Celestial Venerable Zizai shook her head and said, "From the beginning of the Daoist School, the Dao Ancestor was already the leader of the Daoist School."
Celestial Venerable Baiyu didn’t quite understand,
"The Daoist School was founded when the heavens were first formed, right? Was the Dao Ancestor already there at that time?"
"Yes."
Celestial Venerable Baiyu was shocked by this truth. In the common perception of the world, the Dao Ancestor became Dao Ancestor only after the previous Dao Ancestor stepped down. Now he knows that the Dao Ancestor was Dao Ancestor from the very start.
"But why? Doesn’t the Dao Ancestor ascend?"
Celestial Venerable Zizai’s gaze drifted slightly into the distance, "It’s not that the Dao Ancestor didn’t ascend. On the contrary, he counts among the earliest people to ascend in this world. You’ve probably heard the story of the Celestial Court."
"Yes."
"The Three Pristine Ones of the Celestial Court are the incarnations of the Dao Ancestor."
Celestial Venerable Baiyu was too shocked to speak. After a long time, he barely digested this truth and asked with difficulty,
"Why did they return?"
Celestial Venerable Zizai said, "It’s nothing but destiny. Returning with the Dao Ancestor were the Confucian Master and the Buddha. They witnessed the mighty power of destiny on the Path of Eternity, at the Everlasting Mountain, seeing the boundary of fate. Thus, they embarked on the return journey, wanting to do something for this world."
"Destiny... is it that Destiny from the Destiny Dao?"
Celestial Venerable Zizai said, "The Destiny Dao... is a kind of Dao for us, but in fact, it should just be ’Destiny’ itself, without a Dao in the sense. After returning to this world, they founded the Daoist School, Confucian School, and Buddhist School, bringing this world into a great New Era. They knew that relying solely on themselves, they couldn’t save the world; only the beings, only the beings who hold belief and hope can save it."
Celestial Venerable Baiyu tried his best to imagine that great era from her words.
But the clearer he felt, the more painful it was.
Because the current situation has already shown, the Dao Ancestor and the others failed, unable to escape the mighty power of destiny.
Celestial Venerable Zizai said,
"But the reason destiny is called destiny is precisely because it cannot be defied. Even though they gave everything, they could not pull this world even slightly out of the predetermined trajectory. Everything continues towards its destined end. And what can they do? Nothing but giving their last breath to the world."
The Dao Ancestor left for the Mortal World, creating countless Cave Heaven Blessed Lands.
The Confucian Master returned to the starry sky, watching over the vast cosmos.
The Buddha sat in the hearts of beings, planting enlightenment in everyone’s heart.
Three who pioneered a great era also departed at the end of that great era.
Celestial Venerable Baiyu asked a fundamental question,
"What are we ultimately pursuing?"
Celestial Venerable Zizai said, "The pursuit of a future that continues to extend forward."
Celestial Venerable Baiyu thought of the ancestor’s previous words, lowered his head, and asked,
"And now, have we reached the final threshold?"
"Yes."
"Because even the ancestor can’t see hope anymore? So, chose to stand with us."
Celestial Venerable Zizai said,
"Maybe, hope is right by our side."
Celestial Venerable Baiyu didn’t ask what hope was. That must be an elusive answer.
"But what about Ancestor Qing?"
Celestial Venerable Zizai’s light-colored pupils slightly deepened,
"He has chosen another path."
This was an unspecified, somewhat ambiguous answer.
But Celestial Venerable Baiyu still realized something, choosing not to pursue the matter further.
He took a deep breath and said seriously,
"I will ensure the success of this Human Dao Assembly."
...
The next day, White Jade Capital reopened its gates, and the first thing it did was announce to the world the intention to hold the Human Dao Assembly in three months.
This news was very unexpected for most people.
They believed that with White Jade Capital facing internal strife and external threats, it would choose to shrink its core, recuperate and delay, or even abandon the holding of this millennial Human Dao Assembly. Unexpectedly, White Jade Capital not only did not abandon it but even advanced it.
It couldn’t help but spark discussions on what kind of confidence White Jade Capital had now to hold the Human Dao Assembly.
The Terminal Daoist system collapsed, under the double blow of heaven’s fall, White Jade Capital’s status as the leader of the Immortal Dao was effectively defunct. It was not just badly injured but at a point where it should consider whether it can continue to survive.
Hosting the Human Dao Assembly under such circumstances, is it a last gasp of desperation, or do they truly have the ability?
Most people thought it was a last gasp of desperation.
Wenxin Heaven, upon learning White Jade Capital’s plans, also held a discussion. Because the timing of the Human Dao Assembly clashed with the recently set date for the university assembly.
Most people believed that if the university assembly and Human Dao Assembly were held at the same time, the forces of the world would surely lean towards attending the university assembly rather than the Literary Dao Assembly. This would inevitably deliver a fatal blow to White Jade Capital.
If White Jade Capital completely fell, Wenxin Heaven would undoubtedly become the sole order controller, with an unshakable position.
But Guan Xin opposed the majority, not only delaying the holding of the university assembly but also deciding to help White Jade Capital successfully complete the Human Dao Assembly.
A considerable portion of the Saints didn’t understand Guan Xin’s decision.
And Guan Xin had only one sentence,
"The Human Dao Assembly belongs to the Human Dao. Was White Jade Capital wrong in using it to solidify the Daoist School’s position in the past? Yes. But the mistake was White Jade Capital’s, not the Human Dao Assembly’s. Now, we should let the Human Dao Assembly return to its proper position and not let it cease to exist."
"But if White Jade Capital collapses, Wenxin Heaven can still hold the Human Dao Assembly. Why not let White Jade Capital fall?"
Guan Xin said,
"The Cultivation Realm needs a presence like White Jade Capital, just as the Mortal World needs a presence like Wenxin Heaven. Wenxin Heaven cannot maintain both the Mortal World and the Cultivation Realm. If it were to do so, it would no longer be Wenxin Heaven."
After a round of discussions, everyone agreed with the viewpoint of this newly appointed Ming Ancestor.
With the help of Wenxin Heaven, White Jade Capital began to fully prepare for the Human Dao Assembly.
At the same time, the leaders of beings were not idle, preparing for the final welcome of the "visitors from beyond the heavens."