Wielding the Thunders Across Two Worlds

Three days later, the elixirs were successfully refined.

A single batch yielded forty-nine Red Centipede Ganoderma Pills, yet it only consumed a tenth of the ingredients. Taoist Ming Chong’s alchemy techniques were superb, fully activating the medicinal properties of the several Spirit Medicines. It was a case of achieving twice the result with half the effort.

Seeing that everyone was in high spirits, Gu Zhao decided to throw an elixir banquet that evening. He invited friends like Purple Cloud Monarch of Wuya Ridge, Xu Jing and his wife from Qianshan Prefecture, and Lu Zhengtang of the Yongding River. The Twenty-Eight Star Officials were in attendance, and they all enjoyed a lively night of feasting.

Early the next morning, Gu Zhao brought Taoist Ming Chong back across to relieve Jing Chun Taoist.

"Thank you for your hard work, Uncle. Has there been any news lately?" Gu Zhao asked.

"I’ve been resting for ten days. It was no trouble at all," Jing Chun Taoist said with a dismissive wave and a chuckle. "There’s news every day, but it’s nothing major, so I didn’t disturb you."

On a table in the main hall of the Taoist Research Institute lay several stacks of files, all containing recent information about Extraordinary phenomena.

Hearing it was nothing major, Gu Zhao was in no rush. He first sent Jing Chun Taoist back to the Otherworld. When he crossed back, he saw Taoist Ming Chong looking at the files and smiling.

"What are you smiling about, Uncle?" Gu Zhao asked.

"I’m laughing at the foolishness of Huaqi, the arrogance of Ah San, and the wishful thinking of the Sakura Paste," Taoist Ming Chong said with a smile. "To think they’re trying to stir up public opinion online to tie our hands."

Gu Zhao took the files from Taoist Ming Chong. "Summer’s almost over. Is this buzz still going?"

"Buzz like this doesn’t die down so easily," Taoist Ming Chong chuckled. "Quite the opposite. We get dragged into every trending story. The internet has become a complete circus."

Gu Zhao picked up the files and began to flip through them.

[The Huaqi Grand Commander has again emphasized the power of the Superpower Special Service Bureau. He has dispatched Extraordinary Beings to tour the country, appear on talk shows and other variety programs, and incite fervent support among the MAGA base, pushing his approval ratings to a new high.]

[Ah San arrogantly claims the most powerful gods in the world are still Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Over a thousand ’gurus’ have suddenly appeared across the country, each claiming to be the reincarnation of a god and vowing to lead Ah San to world conquest.]

[The Sakura Paste is claiming their Shintoism originates from Celestial Xia Daoism. They say it’s also called the Celestial Dao, is derived from the I Ching, and that our two nations share a common ancestry, separated only by a ’narrow strip of water.’ They are hoping Celestial Xia’s Daoists will visit the Sakura Paste to spread the teachings of The Three Pristine Ones and promote friendly relations.]

"Good grief!" Gu Zhao exclaimed.

It was just as Taoist Ming Chong had said: Huaqi was foolish and Ah San was arrogant, but the Sakura Paste’s claims were the hardest to stomach.

"This is just path dependency. Do they really think Celestial Xia is still the Tang Dynasty, willing to teach them everything?" Gu Zhao said with a disbelieving shake of his head.

"It’s because they’re afraid," Taoist Ming Chong said calmly.

"Afraid of what?" The moment Gu Zhao asked, he realized he already knew the answer.

He recalled that before Taoist Ming Chong and the others had acted, there were trolls online mocking them. "Where were they when the Divine Land was falling? Aren’t you plebs always crying for revenge against the Sakura Paste? Well, let them go and try."

Gu Zhao raised an eyebrow. "They didn’t actually put on a show of repentance and apologize, did they?"

Taoist Ming Chong shook his head. "No. After decades of that kind of education, the younger generation has no idea what really happened back then. Why would they apologize for a history they believe never occurred? In fact, ’Don’t pass the grudges of the older generation down to the next’ has become their mantra."

"That’s a relief," Gu Zhao sighed.

According to public opinion polls, eighty to ninety percent of Sakura Paste society holds hostile views toward Celestial Xia. Moreover, they don’t believe they were defeated by Celestial Xia in the great war back then, but only by Huaqi.

They believe that without Huaqi’s intervention in the war, they could have completely swallowed up Celestial Xia and established their so-called "Co-Prosperity Sphere." For an island nation to conquer the Central Plains would have been the pinnacle of Sakura Paste history.

Therefore, when dealing with Celestial Xia, they actually carry themselves with a victor’s superiority. It’s not a case of refusing to apologize after being defeated, as our people believe. They simply don’t admit they were ever defeated in the first place.

That’s why they don’t apologize, don’t reflect, worship war criminals, and revise history.

In the past, our people would have been enraged. But now, they don’t care.

Because, as the saying goes, fortunes change. The tables have turned.

If they actually apologized and repented, we’d lose our excuse to make a move.

Only by maintaining their superiority complex will they remain blind to reality and continue down the wrong path. Then, when a true opportunity for revenge presents itself, Celestial Xia, with its current overwhelming power, can settle the score once and for all.

This is accelerationism.

If the Sakura Paste were genuinely frightened by the old Daoists’ actions and changed their tune, it would actually be letting them off easy. They wouldn’t have received the punishment they deserve.

Taoist Ming Chong laughed. "And here I thought you were so disgusted by them that you wanted to step in and teach them a lesson."

Gu Zhao threw up his hands. "I’d love to, but we’re cultivators. We can’t just go and blow a hole through Mount Fuji, sink the entire country of Japan, and refine a Ten Thousand Souls Banner just to see if it shines with a golden light, can we?"

Taoist Ming Chong started, waving his hands in alarm. "Don’t even joke about it! I’m still counting on you to lead us to Ascension!"

Don’t be fooled by how ruthless the old Daoists of Daluo Palace seem in the Otherworld, killing without hesitation. Every single person they’ve killed has been irredeemably evil and insatiably greedy—Demons and Ghosts, mountain bandits, or corrupt officials. Not one has been innocent.

It’s not as if they’ve never taken action in the modern world, but all told, they’ve killed fewer than ten people. One could say they’ve shown immense restraint.

The Sakura Paste certainly owes Celestial Xia a blood debt, and the current generation of Sakura People are indeed full of malice toward Celestial Xia. But they have not yet committed any evil acts themselves. As a cultivator, Gu Zhao could not wantonly slaughter civilians.

Besides, if he were to accidentally kill the beloved "teachers" of his countrymen—like Saika Kawakita, Xiang Zemin, and Ryosuke Remo—Gu Zhao couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret. And if it were to affect his own Mental Realm and Dao Practice, it would be a terrible waste.

"But doing nothing at all leaves a bad taste in my mouth," Gu Zhao said, looking down at the files.

Last time at the Celestial Master’s Mansion, a couple of Sakura People tried to guilt-trip him. Now that a few old Daoists from Celestial Xia have made a public appearance, they’re trying to cozy up to us.

But it’s all just for show. The underlying societal hostility toward Celestial Xia hasn’t changed one bit.

They’re like fleas: not deadly, but disgusting.

The Sakura Paste did learn a great deal from Celestial Xia in the past. But perhaps due to their environment and circumstances, they lack the broad-mindedness of a great nation, possessing only the mentality of Islanders. As a result, they only ever learned the superficial aspects, failing to grasp the core philosophy.

In the words of the ancients: they understand petty courtesies but not great righteousness; they obsess over minor details but lack great virtue; they value trifles but neglect honor; they fear might but are not moved by grace. When strong, they are bandits; when weak, they are sycophants.

’Our ancestors were truly brilliant,’ he thought. ’Just a few dozen words, yet packed with so much substance. It perfectly captures the image of a treacherous, ungrateful backstabber with a smile on their face.’

"Then let’s do something. No killing, just a blow to their morale," Taoist Ming Chong said with a grin. "A while ago, some movie came out that mentioned the Eight Vast Universe Tower. How about we go and bring that tower back?"

Gu Zhao’s eyes lit up, and he nodded. "Now that’s an idea!"