Chapter 1263: Establishing the Orthodox Lineage of Xuanhuang
Chapter 1263: Establishing the Orthodox Lineage of Xuanhuang
"The primordial Dao intent of the Star Sea..."
Li Fan mulled over the sliver of insight that had just been transmitted from the Saint Emperor.
At the same time, he could faintly sense the Xuanhuang Realm reviving from the inside out.
"If it weren't for the New Method cultivators devouring heaven and earth from within, and the Immortal Ruins from without, perhaps the Xuanhuang Realm could truly be reborn."
"But alas... it's destined to treat the symptoms, not the root cause."
As he shook his head slightly, a thread of doubt surfaced in his mind. Logically, the Heavenly Dao of Xuanhuang couldn't be unaware of this. Instead of accumulating this nascent revival power to unleash in a future, decisive battle, it was eagerly evolving and spreading it out now.
What was its purpose?
"Hmph, I shall wait and see."
Upon noticing the anomaly in the Xuanhuang Realm, the Stone Slab immediately went to the Saint Emperor's throne. Seeing the Saint Emperor, whose body was also surging with a profound aura, the Stone Slab was taken aback.
"Are you already aware of what has happened in the Xuanhuang Realm?"
"Do not panic. It is beneficial, with no drawbacks," the Saint Emperor responded.
The Stone Slab's expression relaxed slightly. "I thought a great disaster was about to befall the Xuanhuang Realm, and this was just a final burst of life..."
"You're not entirely wrong. This burst of revival power, born from a moment of enlightenment, is destined not to last. But for us, this might be a golden opportunity," the Saint Emperor said slowly after a brief silence.
"You mean, the Xuanhuang Orthodoxy plan?" The Stone Slab was slightly startled, then quickly understood.
"Correct."
The Saint Emperor nodded, and a miniature view of the Xuanhuang Realm appeared before them.
The parts that had originally belonged to the Xuanhuang Realm appeared as a luminous yellow.
The grotto-heavens and worlds captured by the native forces of the Xuanhuang Realm, the Xuantian Sect, and the Ten Great Immortal Sects using the Floating Starry Sky Grand Array since the collapse of the immortal Dao, were shown in a strange green.
After the great calamity spread and the Star Sea was destroyed, the remnants of other cultivation worlds forcibly stitched on by outsiders appeared as a deathly black.
This was information transmitted from the Heavenly Dao of Xuanhuang.
It was clear that the yellow parts occupied less than a thirtieth of the entire miniature landscape of the Xuanhuang Realm.
The green, meanwhile, took up a tenth.
As for the rest, it was all vast swathes of black.
It seemed as if the Xuanhuang yellow was the anomaly.
But unlike the green and black, the luminous color representing the Xuanhuang Realm seemed to possess a life and consciousness of its own. With each flicker, it continuously overflowed and spread into the surrounding areas of different colors.
From a direct visual perspective, the green and black areas were not pure.
They were mixed with specks of dark yellow.
However, over thousands of years, this erosion had, in a sense, slowed down. There was even a trend of it being pushed back.
But...
With the recent sudden revival of life force in the Xuanhuang Realm, the spread of the Xuanhuang yellow had suddenly accelerated.
"The Xuanhuang Orthodoxy..."
The Stone Slab mused thoughtfully, "Needless to say, everything that happens in the areas that originally belonged to the Xuanhuang Realm is recorded in detail by the Creation Stone Slab. As for those green areas..."
The Stone Slab examined them carefully. "Some are within the scope of the Stone Slab's records, and some are not."
"As for the black areas, they are complete blind spots."
Saint Emperor Li Ping said, "If we do nothing, the ultimate fate of the Xuanhuang Realm will be to be swallowed by the black areas, which hold an absolute numerical advantage. In the future, this black will likely evolve into something else entirely."
"Therefore, we must act first and deeply instill the Xuanhuang Orthodoxy into these external remnant domains."
The Saint Emperor's voice was low, but the determination within his words was unmistakable.
"How do we do it?" The Stone Slab grew interested.
"Observe the way of Heaven, and carry out Heaven's will..."
The Saint Emperor explained slowly, and the Stone Slab listened attentively, nodding from time to time.
After explaining the method in detail, the Saint Emperor's tone became somewhat grave. "When you do this, you must be extremely cautious to avoid being discovered by the instigator."
Although the Saint Emperor didn't specify who, the Stone Slab understood his meaning.
The Stone Slab gave a rare, playful smile. "A subtle influence, like a gentle rain in the night. This method is so covert, and with the Heavenly Dao of Xuanhuang actively cooperating to conceal it, I doubt that person could detect it, even with their unparalleled cultivation."
The Saint Emperor said sternly, "You must not be careless. Even if he is not in the Xuanhuang Realm, you must still be wary of the various countermeasures he may have left behind."
The Stone Slab nodded, indicating it understood.
"For this matter, the fewer participants, the better. It would have been most efficient for that Ruomu to do it. After all, as an innate tree spirit, its connection to the Xuanhuang Realm is much closer."
"It's not that I don't trust him, but Ruomu's every move is watched by the other powerful experts in this realm. As the one taking action, it would be too conspicuous. You, on the other hand... everyone believes you are oppressed by the Creation Stone Slab, constantly under pressure. They will subconsciously overlook you." Perhaps because the future of Xuanhuang was at stake, the Saint Emperor was uncharacteristically talkative.
It seemed as if he were speaking to the Stone Slab, yet also as if he were addressing Ruomu.
"The darkest place is under the candlestick, is it?" The Stone Slab nodded in agreement. "I have now cast off the weight of my past. With another transformation, I guarantee no one in this Xuanhuang Realm will connect me with my former self."
"Then wait a few days. Act when the Xuanhuang Realm's burst of revival power reaches its peak. Your efforts will be twice as effective."
The Stone Slab immediately agreed.
It did not leave, but stood quietly in the great hall of the Saint Emperor's Throne, watching the miniature Xuanhuang Realm conjured by the Saint Emperor.
The light at the center of the Xuanhuang Realm flickered continuously, like a beating heart, pumping streams of Xuanhuang color to every corner of the world.
This included the green and black regions.
Even within them, there was a gradual trend of assimilation. But under the constant infusion of powerful revival energy, they were able to temporarily maintain their original colors. Slowly, finally, even the darkest lands at the outermost edges of the Xuanhuang Realm were tinged with an almost imperceptible shade of Xuanhuang.
"It is time to act," the faceless Saint Emperor said in a deep voice.
The Stone Slab smiled faintly. Its figure flickered, and in an instant, within the Saint Emperor's Throne, it split into two identical bodies.
Then two became four, four became eight, and eight multiplied to sixteen.
In the blink of an eye, countless identical, densely packed figures of the Stone Slab filled the great hall.
"Change! Change! Change!"
The Stone Slabs spoke in unison.
In an instant, the Stone Slab's clones all transformed into various different people who truly existed within the Xuanhuang Realm.
There was a dashing scholar in white robes, a stooped woodcutter, a woman of peerless beauty, a cynical old man...
Each one's appearance was incredibly vivid, with no hint that they had all transformed from a single being.
"Off I go."
They each bowed to the Saint Emperor, all with smiles on their faces, before their figures vanished from the Saint Emperor's Throne.
At the same time, across the various provinces of the Xuanhuang Realm, unnoticed by anyone, a number of special individuals appeared.
When they were all gathered in the Saint Emperor's Throne, it had naturally seemed quite crowded. But once they dispersed throughout the Xuanhuang Realm, they didn't cause the slightest ripple.
"Observe the way of Heaven, and carry out Heaven's will."
"When Heaven and Man act in unison, the foundation is set amidst myriad changes..."
Muttering these words, they made their way towards the mortal cities in the various provinces.
The Saint Emperor's plan was, in fact, quite simple.
It was, in essence, to establish the foundation of Heaven through the will of the people.
Using the Stone Slab's ability to disguise itself in any form, it would split into countless clones and infiltrate the mortal population.
They would subtly preach the existence of the "Xuanhuang Realm" to all mortal beings.
The mortals of this age only knew of the small corner of the world they lived in. They had no particular awareness of the greater world, the Xuanhuang Realm.
The very concept of the Xuanhuang Realm did not exist in their minds.
The first step in establishing the Xuanhuang Orthodoxy was to popularize the existence of the Xuanhuang Realm, the world they lived in.
Of course, this could not be accomplished in a single day. It would require years, perhaps even more than a decade, of dissemination.
Furthermore, to avoid arousing suspicion, they would have to tirelessly and personally integrate into mortal society, spreading the concept by word of mouth.
However, with the Stone Slab's power, even with thousands of clones, accomplishing this would not be difficult.
A single mortal, or even hundreds or thousands, might be as insignificant as an ant, but if all the mortals in the Xuanhuang Realm were added together, they would represent a force that could absolutely not be ignored.
Once the mortal population of the Xuanhuang Realm reached a consensus, the second phase of the plan could begin.
Using the will of the "Spirits of Heaven and Earth," they would launch a synchronized counterattack to besiege and devour the remnant consciousness of those foreign cultivation world fragments.
This step would require the help of Master Yin.
As a being with the nature of a World Ghost, he had a very deep understanding of how to devour a world's consciousness.
After completing the siege of the cultivation world remnants in cooperation with the Heavenly Dao of Xuanhuang, the final step was to help the remnants fully integrate into the Xuanhuang Realm.
In fact, most regions of the Xuanhuang Realm had already completed a superficial integration.
Only a very few provinces still experienced frequent strange phenomena due to improper fusion.
These existences, akin to "festering sores," would require a complete surgical removal—to be destroyed before they could be rebuilt.
If the first and second steps could be done covertly, then the third step would inevitably alert the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, and even the Dharma Spreading Heavenly Sovereign beyond the starry sky.
At that time, a confrontation would be inevitable.
However, according to the Saint Emperor, as long as the second step was completed, even if they ultimately failed, the momentum would be irreversible, and no one would be able to turn the tide.
Unless they could find more cultivation world remnants and spend another ten thousand years on a new round of dismemberment and reconstruction.
At the thought of the Saint Emperor's plan, the Stone Slab, which hadn't been excited about anything for a long time, actually felt its blood boil.
Besides being able to save the Xuanhuang Realm, if the plan succeeded, the benefits would be self-evident.
It would gain control over more of the authority of Heaven and Earth, becoming an existence even more powerful than a Longevity Immortal.
For whatever reason, the Stone Slab would not refuse this plan.
A little over ten years, to it, was but the blink of an eye.
...
In the Saint Emperor's Throne.
Li Ping summoned Ruomu.
A truly wise person does not put all their eggs in one basket.
Naturally, he would not entrust such an important task as establishing the Xuanhuang Orthodoxy to the Stone Slab alone.
Even if the Stone Slab was trustworthy, and even if the plan had a low risk.
He said the exact same thing he had told the Stone Slab, just with a different narrative.
The agent for achieving the goal became Ruomu.
And the "Spirits of Heaven and Earth" who were to be implanted with the concept of the Xuanhuang Realm became the ordinary plants, birds, and beasts of the world.
"You are the ancestor of all living things in the world. You should be able to exert a subtle influence on them."
"Establish the concept of the 'Xuanhuang Realm'."
This was a trivial matter for Ruomu.
The fact that withered branches had previously sprouted new buds had also revived its spirits.
Feeling a rare surge of motivation, it agreed readily.
"Ruomu, the Stone Slab."
"They alone are not enough."
"In the end, this matter will still require my personal intervention."
"A triple guarantee. Only then can it be considered foolproof."
The Saint Emperor's thoughts flowed slowly.
"The military confrontation with the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance is the overt battlefield."
"But this establishment of the Xuanhuang Orthodoxy is the covert war."
"Comparatively speaking, this covert war is actually more important. There is only one chance. To lose is to lose completely."
As the Saint Emperor pondered, his forehead slowly began to bulge.
Amidst the swelling of flesh and blood, a fleshy protuberance grew larger and larger.
Li Ping seemed completely unaware, remaining perfectly still.
Nearly half a day later, the flesh burst open, and a ball of Xuanhuang Qi leaped out from within.
The Xuanhuang Qi swirled, its inner image hazy.
It seemed to resemble Mr. Bai somewhat, and also Li Ping himself.
"Cat Treasure."
The faceless Saint Emperor woke the dozing Cat Treasure.
He pinched the scruff of its neck, making it reluctantly use its replication ability.
Another identical ball of Xuanhuang Qi appeared in the Saint Emperor's Throne.
"Go!"
With a soft cry from the Saint Emperor, the two balls of Xuanhuang Qi tore through the void, leaving the Sacred Dynasty's small world and flying towards different provinces of the Xuanhuang Realm.
They did not merge directly with the Heavenly Dao, but instead lay dormant in secret.
The Saint Emperor coughed lightly. Even with his power, he felt a brief, slight weakness at that moment.
That ball of Xuanhuang Qi that had separated from his body could, in a sense, be seen as the malevolent will of Xuanhuang that he had once swallowed.
However, after being refined by him and mixed with the sacred fortune of the Heavenly Emperor Qi Canon, it had become something akin to a physical embodiment of Xuanhuang's fortune.
If he hadn't ventured deep into the Star Sea this time and witnessed the true intent of its origin, he would have had some difficulty condensing this physical embodiment of fortune.
"Each ball of physical fortune can merge with and govern about three provinces."
"Setting aside the Five Elders Council for now, it won't take long to cover the entire Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance with Cat Treasure's help."
A few breaths later, the Saint Emperor's aura returned to its powerful peak.
But Li Ping knew this was because he was supported by the reserves of the Sacred Dynasty's fortune, in addition to the feedback from his own enlightenment.
If he condensed them too frequently, he certainly wouldn't recover so quickly.
"Integrating Xuanhuang's fortune into heaven and earth is equivalent to reasserting sovereignty."
"Even if Ruomu and the Stone Slab fail, the Xuanhuang Orthodoxy will still be firmly under control."
"Of course, it would be even better if they succeed."
In Li Ping's deductions, the battle against the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance was best fought after the establishment of the Xuanhuang Orthodoxy was complete.
Because by then, when dealing with "heretics" like the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, he would essentially have the home-field advantage. With a single thought, he could ignore spatial distance, mobilize the power of the Xuanhuang's Heavenly Dao, and bring down endless heavenly punishment.
He could win without losing a single soldier.
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