Chapter 231 The Glorious and Righteous Powers
Joining the Heavenly Court at this moment would be the greatest disadvantage for Feng Zichen.
Whether Kunpeng's invitation to join the Heavenly Court was good or bad, the future it would create would inevitably be unfavorable.
As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together.
Being able to become close friends with the known good-natured Hongyun Daoist, Zhen Yuanzi's character couldn't be much worse.
It's just that, compared to Hongyun Daoist, he knew better how to advance and retreat.
Therefore, with such a personality, Zhen Yuanzi, upon hearing Kunpeng Daoist's words, fearing that Feng Zichen would be deceived by Kunpeng, quickly spoke up.
"Zhen Yuanzi, you've gone too far!"
"The Heavenly Court is not something you can speak of so casually!"
As one of the leaders of the Heavenly Court, Zhen Yuanzi speaking ill of the Heavenly Court to its face—if Kunpeng didn't react, wouldn't this make people look down on the Heavenly Court once the matter spread?
Immediately, Kunpeng flew into a rage, shouting at Zhen Yuanzi,
"Zhen Yuanzi, you've come to the North Sea to cause trouble without cause. I respect you as the ancestor of the Earth Immortals, for your great contributions to the Eastern Lands, and have been extremely tolerant of you."
"I never expected that not only would you not show restraint, but you would also dare to slander the Heavenly Court before me. Do you really think I, Kunpeng, am afraid of you?" "Know that this place is the location of the Demon Master's Palace of the Northern Underworld! not your Wuzhuang Temple on Longevity Mountain!" As he spoke, behind Kunpeng, a palace surrounded by the Great Dao slowly emerged, its powerful demonic aura permeating the entire North Sea.
This was the Demon Master's Palace, the place where Kunpeng created the Demon Script, containing the merit of educating the demon race, and one of the demon race's most treasured artifacts. A top-grade innate merit treasure, it could draw upon the power of the demon race's destiny, its power astonishing the world.
"The affairs of the Heavenly Court are known to all in the primordial world; why should I, a humble Taoist, slander them!"
First, he gave a disdainful smile, then Zhen Yuanzi's face suddenly turned cold, and he said coldly to Kunpeng: Making trouble for no reason? Fellow Daoist, you really have a good memory, forgetting about my friend Hongyun in the blink of an eye! However, you may forget, but I cannot forget! Let alone the North Sea, even if this were the Heavenly Court, I would still venture here and make you pay the price you deserve, to comfort my friend's spirit in heaven!" A yellowish-brown book flew from Zhen Yuanzi's hand, transforming into a boundless continent that floated beneath his feet.
Instantly, the earth's turbid energy surged forth, incredibly heavy, pressing down the surrounding void by a third.
This was the Earth Book, formed from the earth's membrane, containing the power of the earth's origin, recording the changes of the primordial land.
It was a natural map of the primordial world, like the Hetu and Luoshu, blessed with supreme fortune.
A single strike was like the primordial earth crashing down, terrifying beyond measure. It was a top-tier innate spiritual treasure, one of the three books of Heaven, Earth, and Man. The two had been fighting in the North Sea for tens of thousands of years, only temporarily ceasing their battle due to the changes in the world caused by Feng Zichen's birth.
Now, because of a verbal dispute, their murderous intent rekindled, and their previously accumulated anger erupted, ready to fight.
"Fellow Daoists, you mustn't! What kind of strength do you possess? If you were to fight, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that you would destroy the heavens and the earth, and countless lives would be affected and lost. They are utterly innocent, suffering this calamity for no reason. Isn't it the fault of you two fellow Daoists? I hope you two fellow Daoists will have compassion and temporarily cease hostilities. Then, the beings of the North Sea will surely be grateful for your kindness!"
Seeing the situation escalating to a point of no return, Feng Zichen quickly stepped forward to persuade them.
Not to mention the countless beings of the North Sea, many of whom would die needlessly because of their battle, even he, Feng Zichen, was caught in the middle. If they were to fight, his cultivation as a Great Luo Golden Immortal would be completely insufficient.
A slight misstep could lead to his demise.
Therefore, Feng Zichen dared not allow them to fight. At the very least, he couldn't allow it to happen in the North Sea.
Meanwhile, he inwardly grumbled, "If you two were to truly fight to the death, in the boundless chaos beyond the heavens, no one would care how fiercely you fought. In the North Sea... " What were they planning?
Feng Zichen's words were reasonable and well-founded, but the two were consumed by rage and wouldn't listen. Each wielded their magical treasures, ready to clash.
Rumble!
Just as the two top-grade innate spiritual treasures were about to collide, a divine light suddenly descended from the heavens, majestic and vast. Though called divine light, it was more like a boundless, endless galaxy, hanging down and engulfing Zhen Yuanzi and Kunpeng, forcibly separating them.
Then, amidst the roar of the Great Dao, a magnificent figure emerged from the void and descended upon the world.
It was none other than the Daoist Master Zhen Yuanzi.
"Fellow Daoists, please cease your actions! You are both among the most powerful beings in the primordial world, figures who coexist with the Dao. Do you not know that Heaven cherishes life and that humanity possesses compassion?"
"Why fight like this, harming countless lives and creating endless bloodshed?"
"Even if you are not afraid of karmic retribution, you should consider the well-being of your disciples."
"They joined your sect seeking the Great Dao, hoping to transcend fate."
"Don't let karma bind you and prevent your disciples from making any further progress in their cultivation!"
"That would be a laughing stock of the primordial world."
After Nuwa appeared, she first withdrew the divine power that had enveloped the two, then bowed before slowly advising them.
"Fellow Daoist Nuwa is right. We were rash!"
Forcibly separated, Zhen Yuanzi and Kunpeng calmed down, straightened their Daoist robes, bowed to Nuwa, and said in unison, "I never imagined that my momentary lapse would lead to such a grave mistake, harming countless lives in the North Sea. It is truly my fault!"
Looking at the devastated North Sea, Zhen Yuanzi said with some sorrow.
Then, He picked up the Book of Earth and waved it, causing boundless turbid air from the earth to descend, surging continuously on the sea surface and gradually forming a continent.
"I possess nothing of value, but the only thing I can do for the creatures of the North Sea is to create a blessed land for them to inhabit and multiply."
"This blessed land, created by the Book of Earth, possesses a profound and abundant source, no weaker than ordinary blessed lands in the primordial wilderness. Consider it my compensation!"
Zhen Yuanzi said, pointing to the continent.
The Book of Earth is connected to the origin of the primordial Earth. Blessed lands created by it contain a trace of the earth's primordial power, possessing immense mystical power and boundless potential, continuously absorbing the earth's energy to grow.
Only the power of the earth's primordial source can withstand the innate chill of the North Sea. Otherwise, with Kunpeng's abilities, he would have already created many blessed lands in the North Sea.
It wouldn't be the North Sea today, a frozen wasteland, sparsely populated.
The innate cold was simply too strong; no matter how many blessed lands the North Sea possessed, they couldn't withstand its onslaught, gradually turning into wasteland and glaciers.
"Hmph!"
Seeing this, Kunpeng snorted coldly but said nothing more. He was the de facto ruler of the North Sea, and Zhen Yuanzi's actions benefited him the most; what could he say?
Feng Zichen, watching this scene, was secretly astonished.
Ultimately, it was a difference in strength; the same words spoken by people of different strengths had different consequences.
Sure enough, Zhen Yuanzi and Kunpeng didn't even listen to Feng Zichen's words. Upon Nuwa's words, they immediately stopped, looking deeply regretful, and quickly made amends. The moment the two stopped, the gloom that had shrouded the hearts of countless beings in the North Sea dissipated, easing their anxieties.
Then, they saw a piece of land appear out of thin air above the North Sea, filled with innate energy like clouds and mist, surrounded by the aura of creation, displaying its extraordinary nature.
The divine revelation immediately made them understand that the ancestor of the Earthly Immortals, seeing the bitter cold of the North Sea and the suffering of countless beings, felt compassion and
specially used his great divine power to create a primordial blessed land for them to inhabit and multiply.
Ultimately, he was an embodiment of the Great Dao, a primordial god-demon born of heaven and earth, a child of the world, and a top-tier being of great divine power in the primordial world. The Heavenly Dao, wanting to save face for them, spontaneously concealed the truth.
It beautified the great calamity they caused due to personal grudges, transforming it into an act of benefiting the beings of the North Sea. It made no mention of the slaughter caused by their previous battle.
However, the Heavenly Dao is ultimately impartial; though it doesn't speak of it, it secretly records a grave offense to be settled later.
For the Heavenly Dao, merit is merit, and transgression is transgression; only merit can weaken calamities, but they can never be offset against each other.
Otherwise, why would there be a practice of punishing first and then rewarding? Wouldn't it be simpler to just cancel each other out?
"Earth Ancestor, have mercy!" "We will never forget your kindness today!"
...
In an instant, the creatures of the North Sea knelt down, kowtowing to the Earth Ancestor's great kindness, repeatedly praising his benevolence. Clearly, they had long forgotten who was responsible for the calamity in the North Sea.
Indeed, at the moment the heavenly secrets appeared, an invisible force descended, distorting all cause and effect in this place. Making everything appear as the heavenly secrets revealed.
This is the tragedy of lower-level cultivators; their cultivation is inferior to that of a Great Luo Golden Immortal, and they cannot even perceive the silent alteration of their memories.
Secretly, Feng Zichen glanced at Zhen Yuanzi and found that his expression was normal, without the slightest embarrassment. Clearly, this was not the first time he had experienced something like this.
"No wonder, in later legends, every powerful being still alive is portrayed as incomparably virtuous and righteous. Any one of their deeds would inspire endless admiration in later generations!"
"It turns out that their darker pasts were concealed by the Heavenly Dao, making them invisible and untraceable to posterity. That's why they all appear to be embodiments of justice." "
Only those powerful beings who perished in the long river of time, abandoned by the Heavenly Dao, had their deeds of harming the primordial world passed down and known to posterity."
"Later legends are unreliable!"
At this moment, Feng Zichen seemed to understand something.
It's not that all dead, powerful beings are bad; it's only when dead, powerful beings lose the concealment of the Heavenly Dao that they become bad.
Living powerful beings, protected by the Heavenly Dao, are naturally all good.
As for the true nature of those remaining powerful beings, only Heaven truly knows.
(End of Chapter)