Chapter 810 - 316: This Is the Real Pit
"First it’s live commentary, then image fragments entering the market... What exactly are they trying to do?"
Celestial Venerable Shangli stood with his hands behind his back on the terrace of Zizai Palace, gazing out at the Mortal World, his brow furrowed in deep thought.
Celestial Venerable Baiyu commented with a smile,
"Their boldness in critiquing the Terminal Daoists is truly reckless."
Celestial Venerable Shangli replied,
"Obviously, it’s a deliberate result orchestrated by the Demon Extermination Bureau. They wish to dismantle the lofty image of the Dao Guardians."
"But those words truly express their hearts and can represent their personal views," Celestial Venerable Baiyu said, "That worries me."
"I still hold to my earlier words—the identity of the Terminal Daoists is granted by the Heavenly Dao and never represents the will of the cultivators and seekers. Rather, it is the cultivators and seekers who should advance according to the will of the Dao Guardians," Celestial Venerable Shangli said. "Their cultivation is deep, their realm high, their Dao heart resilient, and their Dao insights far superior. What’s wrong with ordinary people following their will? In the event of significant calamities, on whom else should we rely if not the Dao Guardians?"
Celestial Venerable Baiyu didn’t directly respond to this query,
"In ordinary secular nations, order is maintained by the rulers. Even when one cultivates immortality and enters the Dao, this situation cannot be avoided. In a world of wise beings, it is always the few leading the many. Here lies the problem."
"What do you mean?"
"Self-interest is unavoidable; everyone has desires, often hidden by the group. The smaller the group, the more distinctive its characteristics, and the harder it is to conceal self-interest," Celestial Venerable Baiyu said. "People of the Daoist School cultivate various Dao intentions, Supreme Forgetting Emotions, Selflessness, Fish Leaping the Dragon Gate, Freedom... Essentially, all are solutions to this problem. Ancestor Qing once divided White Jade Capital into parts of Carefree Heaven and Freedom Heaven to strengthen collective will. The Primordial Ancestor’s proposal to ’preserve heavenly principles, eliminate human desires’ was likewise."
"Then what are you worried about?"
Celestial Venerable Baiyu said, "Although all Daos ultimately converge, my thought is whether the Demon Extermination Bureau and the powerful forces behind them are aware of this point, whether they aim to gather the collective will of the world’s people. After all... the Heavenly Dao is the aggregate of all beings’ wills."
Celestial Venerable Shangli shook his head,
"Whether they think this way or not, it’s impossible for them to achieve."
"Indeed," Celestial Venerable Baiyu chuckled.
Celestial Venerable Shangli felt some pressure,
"However, their means are quite numerous indeed. I must admit, live broadcasting and commentary are incredibly creative expressions. But using them for this purpose is a major misallocation. If entrusted to White Jade Capital, the world’s Dao would advance further, and opposing forces would find nowhere to hide."
"What about Heaven and Earth Bank? How to handle them? With their capabilities, it won’t be half a year before the deeds of the Dao Guardians are spread across the land, becoming household stories. At that point, it’s hard to say it won’t affect everyone’s fortune."
In any world governed jointly by rules and morality, reputation is of utmost importance.
The Cultivation Realm is no exception.
An individual of transcendent cultivation, if of good reputation, is a hero, a paragon, a Saint.
If of bad reputation, they are a Great Demon.
Celestial Venerable Shangli said,
"Heaven and Earth Bank is truly too unique, dominating the world’s Spirit Stone trade. Too many forces are closely related to them, and turning faces easily with them is absolutely inadvisable. But let’s be clear, no matter how special their position, they are still merchants. Merchants are adept at gauging the winds. If the Demon Extermination Bureau falls today, then tomorrow they’ll cease selling image fragments. And if we compromise, they will not only continue selling but also hire people to write articles, novels, plays... to seek more profit."
"But is the price of a single Low-grade Spirit Stone truly for profit? It seems like a losing game."
Celestial Venerable Shangli replied, "Looking over Heaven and Earth Bank’s history, they excel at making concessions to attract customers, and they’ve often engaged in free giveaways. Just like previously on Sword Continent, they provided free flying sword embryos to Sword Cultivators, though these embryos were quite special, requiring materials mostly controlled by Heaven and Earth Bank for their forging. Thus, Sword Cultivators had to spend more Spirit Stones to buy materials and crafting techniques."
Celestial Venerable Baiyu laughed, "Celestial Venerable Shangli knows these matters well."
Shangli shook his head,
"It’s merely my duty to observe the activities of the major factions."
Zizai Ancestor pays no attention to worldly affairs, so Shangli is mainly in charge of managing Freedom Heaven.
And indeed, he does so responsibly.
Celestial Venerable Baiyu acknowledged this.
Celestial Venerable Shangli said, "However, we must also prepare for the worst-case scenario."
"Are you implying Heaven and Earth Bank openly supporting the Demon Extermination Bureau side?"
"Indeed," Celestial Venerable Shangli said, "When necessary, we must eliminate this uncertainty."
"So, what’s the actual level of Heaven and Earth’s strength?"
During their discussion, a young Daoist delivered a message.
The two learned about the matters involving Thunder Shock, Hai Power, and Celestial Venerable of the Falling Abyss going to Heaven and Earth Bank to hold them accountable, prompting them to pay close attention.
Finally, they witnessed the result where the three Terminal Daoist Celestial Venerables were effortlessly subdued by the Wealth-Attracting Pixiu.
"Piqiu... it truly is an Immortal Beast Pixiu..." Celestial Venerable Shangli said, "I’ve heard of it always, and seeing it today, it certainly is remarkable."
He disclosed some worry with his brow,
"Baiyu, did you see? It seems Pixiu’s will possesses some unique power, able to suppress the Terminal Daoists’ ultimate Innate Dao."
"I saw."
"What do you think that is?"