Chapter 744: The Strife of True and Xuan Cultivators
Of course, saying "scheming" isn't entirely accurate, for a mortal attempting to scheme against a True Immortal is an almost impossible task.
Immortals possessing abilities akin to sudden premonitions are practically cheat-like existences when it comes to foresight and calculation.
Unless a being of the same tier actively conceals their actions, any malevolent intent would be perceived the very moment it surfaced.
Naturally, they wouldn't normally concern themselves with these little bugs that could be wiped out with a single breath. Which immortal, having ascended, doesn't have a long list of enemies trailing behind them?
In reality, Yun Ru and her companions merely intended to be the tiny spark that ignited the powder keg, much like the fuse of the First World War in Earth's history, which was also just an ordinary person.
The fierce internal contradictions within the Human Federation had previously been barely suppressed only due to immense external pressure. They feigned harmony to unite against external threats, precariously maintaining a fragile balance.
Ultimately, they were just an organization reluctantly glued together, having been at odds with each other from the very beginning.
Now that the Human Federation fleet had moved far from the Sun, no longer under the threat of the Land of White, the entire expeditionary fleet was like a powder keg ready to explode at any moment, needing only a tiny spark.
Clashes of interest, clashes of ideology, clashes of faith, clashes of paths—all old grievances and new animosities were thoroughly intertwined. Anyone could become the one who, by chance, ignited all the problems.
"War is coming." In a certain coffee shop in Marijoa, two men dressed rather anachronistically chatted with each other.
Anyone familiar with the fashion history of the Human Federation would surely wonder why these two were still wearing styles from over a hundred years ago. Nowadays, apart from custom orders, no manufacturers would even produce such outdated clothing.
Unless it was for a "period drama," no one would dress like that anymore.
Yet, this peculiar attire did not, in fact, draw any attention. The other customers in the coffee shop seemed to be completely oblivious to them.
The bustling waitstaff likewise entirely ignored the two men.
"The Xuan Cultivators and the True Cultivators, the trailblazers and the inheritors, it was time they finally settled things. If not for your interference, this war would have erupted at least fifty years sooner."
"I have never interfered with anyone."
"Your very existence is the greatest interference."
"..."
"Do you really intend for your daughter to be the one to light the fuse? Interfering in a True Immortal-level battle leaves little room for a mere mortal to survive." Having said that, he picked up the coffee in front of him and drained it in one gulp.
"I didn't expect you'd start using your hands again."
"If I stray too far from humanity, I'll never truly return."
"So you're learning to be a human again?" The other man, clad in ancient attire and possessing a pair of phoenix eyes, smiled, as if he had just heard the most amusing joke in the world.
"One day, you will understand."
"I hope I never have that day."
"A new era is about to begin. If they don't undergo a tempering of life and death, how can they truly come into their own?"
"A new era?"
"Your brilliance was too dazzling, too overbearing, suppressing all other vitality. The so-called 'new era' is naturally the era without you," Yun Jie frankly stated.
"Only when no one can again dominate the world will it truly usher in a blooming of a hundred flowers."
"..."
Bai Mo was momentarily silent.
...
The Xuan Cultivators in the Strife of True and Xuan Cultivators refer to the high-tier existences within the Human Federation who advocate for superhumans to enter society and live alongside ordinary people.
They believe cultivators should personally participate in social governance and utilize their advantages to propel human society forward, leaning towards maintaining the Human Federation's current status quo.
The True Cultivators, conversely, hold the exact opposite view. They are more accustomed to extracting themselves from mundane society, allowing superhumans to establish their own separate social structures.
As for the affairs of mortals, they should be left to mortals themselves. The mundane world, much like in a Xuanhuan novel, would exist solely as a designated reserve base for superhuman talent.
Immortals and mortals would be separated, never to interact in life or death.
Once one enters the Immortal Gate, it's as deep as the sea.
Each year, as long as qualified candidates for cultivation are sent to the Spirit Realm, all other matters in the mundane world would be handled independently.
As for the Mundane Empire, as its name suggests, it clearly bears the shadow of the True Cultivators behind it. It is precisely they who have supported the Mundane Empire in its decades-long struggle against the Human Federation, which is dominated by Xuan Cultivators.
Both sides had their reasons.
The Xuan Cultivators consistently argued that everyone is human, and therefore, artificial boundaries should never be forcefully drawn to separate them into people of two worlds. Cooperation and mutual development, they believed, was the righteous path.
Moreover, many individuals' social ties are inextricably linked with ordinary people, especially younger, low-tier cultivators. Who among them doesn't have a host of mundane relatives and friends? Forcibly severing these ties would be tantamount to abandoning their wives and children, and parting from their parents.
Conversely, the True Cultivators felt that living alongside ordinary people was too restrictive. Every day, they had to move gingerly, painstakingly controlling the power in their hands, lest they accidentally kill a few passersby with a single lapse.
Especially for Martial Path cultivators, even a slight slip in control could cause nearby mortals to die from heart rupture due to resonance, or be brainwashed into idiocy by overflowing martial will.
Daily interactions required even more delicate handling. What a cultivator might consider a light pat on the shoulder to greet someone could, for an ordinary person, result in their flesh and bones turning to pulp.
If everyone was so uncomfortable living together, it was better to separate completely.
As for the opinions of ordinary people... according to numerous covert public opinion surveys over the years, most actually approved of the True Cultivators' proposal.
Immortals to immortals, mortals to mortals.
This wasn't a matter of resignation.
Living under the same blue sky as monsters who could kill you with a single breath was simply too insecure. The news reports each year, detailing mortals accidentally killed by cultivators suffering qi deviation, were countless.
Not to mention, in a society dominated by superhumans, the upper and middle echelons were entirely occupied by cultivators, leaving mortals no opportunity whatsoever to rise. It was better to completely break away and govern themselves; that way, mortals would at least have room for advancement. To be a chicken head was far better than being a phoenix tail forever.
...
"Why did you choose the True Cultivators?" After a long silence, Bai Mo suddenly asked.
"Because my daughter likes it!" Yun Jie gave an answer no one could have possibly expected.
"..."
"I actually don't care much about the Strife of True and Xuan Cultivators; it's all the same to me. But since Yun Ru has sided with the Mundane Empire, then I will support her."
"..."
"Don't make fun of me. I'm not like you, who can cultivate to the point of almost severing the seven emotions and six desires, and then have to learn human habits just to regain a semblance of humanity.
Becoming an Immortal, to me, is simply about living more freely and happily. If I were to lose the ability to feel joy from the very beginning, then what would be the purpose of my cultivation path?
Perhaps in ten thousand years, I'll become numb to familial affection, friendship, and love, but at least not now."
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