The person who gained the most from the unexpected visit of the Moral Lord was undoubtedly Yang Jian. After all, one moment he had been desperately fleeing from the Great Golden Crow's relentless pursuit, and the next moment he had become a direct disciple of Saint Taiqing himself.
In a single transformative instant, he had ascended from being a potential third-generation disciple of the Explanation Sect to becoming a second-generation disciple of the prestigious Human Sect—a dramatic improvement in both status and spiritual lineage that few mortals could ever dream of achieving.
While Yang Jian had gained the most substantial benefits from this encounter, the happiest person was undoubtedly Gustave, who had suddenly found himself elevated to the position of disciple under the legendary Daode Tianzun. Although he held only the status of a registered disciple rather than a direct inheritor, he was still officially a disciple—and that represented an incredible achievement by any measure.
Moreover, judging from the demonstrated fact that the Moral Lord possessed the power to forcibly breach the Gate of All Worlds, Gustave had truly secured the most unshakably powerful supporter imaginable. Previously, he had harbored concerns that the World Government might cause serious trouble once the Gate of All Worlds became widely known, but now such worries seemed completely insignificant. What was the World Government compared to cosmic entities of this caliber? Gustave no longer took their potential interference seriously.
With the backing and protection of the Moral Lord, Gustave would possess the confidence to keep any party in line, even if the Gate of All Worlds brought in additional mythical figures in the future. However, after experiencing this particular incident, the Gate of All Worlds would need to exercise considerably more caution when selecting guests, no longer daring to operate with such casual randomness.
"Master, our ship limited and simple—please bear with our humble accommodations," Gustave said respectfully after the formal discipleship ceremony had concluded.
He led both Daode Tianzun and Yang Jian down to the first floor of the restaurant. After inviting them to take comfortable seats, Gustave requested that Po and Tom attend to their distinguished guests while he personally went to prepare appropriate refreshments.
Po handled the situation with his characteristic equanimity. Although Gustave's previous behavior had clearly indicated that the Moral Lord was an extraordinarily important figure, Po continued to behave exactly as he always did, maintaining his natural gentle demeanor.
Tom's response was dramatically different. His perception was far more acute than Po's, and recognizing that the Moral Lord was infinitely more terrifying than even that old God from his own cartoon universe, Tom transformed his behavior completely. He rubbed against their legs affectionately, performed adorable tricks, and displayed none of his usual lazy attitude—clearly putting forth his absolute best effort to please their cosmic guest.
"Master, this is tea that I acquired from another world. It's called Da Hong Pao—please taste it and share your thoughts," Gustave announced as he returned from the kitchen.
In order to properly entertain the Moral Lord, he had brought out all of his finest quality Dahongpao tea that he had obtained from the Dragon Raja world, this was chosen because of the Moral Lord origin. Although Gustave understood that what he considered top-quality might not even compare to common weeds from the Moral Lord's cosmic realm, it still represented a sincere token of his respectful intentions.
Taking the delicate teacup that Gustave offered, the Moral Lord blew gently on the steaming surface, then began to taste the beverage with unhurried appreciation. It was completely impossible to discern that this was a being who could create entire universes with a single thought—he appeared exactly like any ordinary elderly gentleman enjoying his afternoon tea.
"Very good, quite good indeed," the Moral Lord commented after sampling the brew. "Although this is merely ordinary tea by cosmic standards, it possesses a unique and pleasant flavor profile."
"Thank you for your gracious evaluation, Master," Gustave responded quickly, expressing heartfelt gratitude for the positive assessment.
Unlike the Moral Lord's sophisticated appreciation, Yang Jian didn't experience any particular sensations after drinking the tea. He simply recognized that this beverage was vastly different from anything he usually consumed in his own world. However, since his master had praised it, he felt obligated to echo similar sentiments.
"Master," Yang Jian began, setting down his teacup and assuming a position of formal respect, "the Emperor of Heaven completely ignored the familial relationship between my mother and himself. He sent the Great Golden Crow to murder my father and elder brother, then used Peach Mountain to imprison my mother beneath its weight. My sister and I have barely managed to survive under the relentless pursuit of the Great Golden Crow. If it weren't for Junior Brother Gustave's miraculous treasure, both my sister and I would have perished at the hands of that solar deity."
"I humbly beg you, Master, to teach me powerful skills so that I can rescue my mother from her suffering and exact righteous vengeance upon that hateful Emperor of Heaven for destroying my family!"
After finishing his tea, Yang Jian once again knelt before the Moral Lord, desperately pleading for instruction in the arts that would enable him to avenge his family's destruction.
"Foolish child," Daode Tianzun replied with a gentle sigh, observing Yang Jian's prostrate form. "Do you understand that the Emperor of Heaven killed your father and brother and imprisoned your mother out of cosmic necessity rather than personal malice?"
"Master, Yang Jian only knows that the Emperor of Heaven murdered my father and brother and destroyed my entire family," the young man responded with unwavering determination. "If I fail to take revenge for such a tremendous injustice, I would be completely unworthy of being called their son!"
Yang Jian possessed no knowledge of whatever reasons the Emperor might have had for his actions, nor did he care about the cosmic motivations behind such decisions. He only understood the simple truth that the Emperor had killed his father and brother while trapping his beloved mother beneath Peach Mountain.
"Very well, very well," the Moral Lord conceded, recognizing the futility of rational argument. "I understand that the hatred burning in your heart cannot be extinguished by mere words or explanations."
The Moral Lord understood that regardless of what philosophical wisdom he might offer at this moment, Yang Jian would remain deaf to such counsel. As a teenager who had witnessed the brutal murder of his father and brother, seen his mother imprisoned, and endured relentless pursuit while protecting his young sister, it would be impossible for anyone to simply release such justified anger.
"I shall offer you two distinct methods of cultivation, and you must choose between them," the Moral Lord continued with solemn gravity. "The first is the Method of Love and Hate. This technique draws its foundation from the seven emotions and six desires that define human existence. The greater your love and the deeper your hatred, the more powerful your magical abilities will become. This represents a rapid cultivation path—within three years, you will possess sufficient power to rescue your mother. However, the foundation of this method remains fundamentally shallow. Should the love and hate in your heart ever be shattered or resolved, your power will disappear completely and permanently."
"The second option is the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Art. This represents the cultivation method of Father God Pangu himself. This technique is extraordinarily difficult to learn, and you may never succeed in mastering it. Even after achieving basic mastery, it will require several complete epochs to attain meaningful accomplishment. However, this method provides an absolutely solid foundation. Once you master it, you will possess limitless mana. If you practice it to its ultimate extreme, you will gain the opportunity to eliminate the three corpses and achieve true sainthood."
The Moral Lord presented Yang Jian with these two vastly different paths of power.
"Master, may I ask how long constitutes a single epoch?" Yang Jian inquired after contemplating the choice for an extended period.
"One epoch equals precisely 129,600 years," the Moral Lord replied matter-of-factly.
"One hundred and twenty-nine thousand six hundred years..." Yang Jian repeated in a whispered murmur, trying to comprehend such an incomprehensible span of time.
"Master, I choose the Method of Love and Hate!" Yang Jian declared after struggling with the decision for several minutes.
Although the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Art clearly represented the superior long-term option, 129,600 years was simply too vast a timeframe to contemplate. Moreover, the technique would require several such epochs to master, with no guarantee of success. The Method of Love and Hate, which drew upon the love and hatred already burning in his heart, would grant him the power to rescue his mother within just three years. Not only Yang Jian, but countless powerful beings throughout the heavens and myriad realms would choose the Method of Love and Hate when faced with such alternatives. After all, the cultivation speed offered by this technique was almost beyond belief.
"Very well, then I shall teach you the Method of Love and Hate," the Moral Lord announced, having anticipated this choice.
Seeing that Yang Jian had made his decision, the Moral Lord placed his hand gently upon the young man's forehead, and countless streams of knowledge began flooding into his mind like an overwhelming torrent.
The massive influx of information threatened to overwhelm Yang Jian's mortal consciousness. Cold sweat poured continuously from his forehead as he struggled to process the divine wisdom being transmitted directly into his brain. However, when he thought of his beloved mother still suffering beneath Peach Mountain, Yang Jian gritted his teeth and endured the excruciating mental pressure.
Soon, the knowledge transmission was complete, and Yang Jian's entire body was thoroughly soaked in perspiration, as if he had just been pulled from a deep river.
Observing this dramatic physical response, the Moral Lord couldn't help but sigh inwardly that the Method of Love and Hate seemed perfectly tailored for Yang Jian's specific circumstances. His inner love for his family and burning hatred toward the Emperor of Heaven had both reached truly extraordinary levels of intensity.
"Yang Jian, there's a complete bathing facility available in the guest room on the third floor," Gustave mentioned helpfully when Yang Jian opened his eyes.
Recognizing his disheveled state, Yang Jian agreed that it would be inappropriate to remain in such condition before his master, so he followed Gustave up to the third floor for instruction in the modern bathing facilities.
After explaining how to operate the shower equipment in the guest room, Gustave prepared to travel to the Dragon Raja world to purchase appropriate robes for Yang Jian. After all, there were no suitable traditional garments aboard the ship, and that romantic city had served as the location for numerous period dramas, making antique-style robes readily available throughout the commercial district.
However, just as Gustave was preparing to make the dimensional crossing, he realized a crucial problem: without Chu Zihang serving as an anchor point, he couldn't successfully traverse to the other world. This unexpected limitation placed him in a genuinely difficult situation.
Fortunately, Tom came to the rescue. After listening carefully to Gustave's description of the problem, Tom produced a pair of scissors from seemingly nowhere, gathered several pieces of white cloth through cartoon logic, and created a perfectly fitted robe with just a few expert snips and adjustments.
After Gustave carefully stored the robe that Tom had crafted with characteristic efficiency, he returned to seek out the Moral Lord.
"Master, since you have already transmitted powerful techniques to Yang Jian, perhaps you could take a look at my situation as well..." Gustave approached the Moral Lord—who was engaged in pleasant conversation with Po and Tom—with the same shameless boldness he had displayed when requesting discipleship.
"The techniques will naturally be passed on to you in due time, but there are certain conditions that must first be met," the Moral Lord replied, observing Gustave's expectant expression with amused tolerance.
"What conditions? Master, please tell me!" Gustave responded with an expression that suggested he was prepared for any reasonable demands.
"The requirement is quite simple," the Moral Lord explained with a gentle shake of his head. "Your physical body is far too weak in its current state. You must at least reach the peak of this realm before you can safely learn the techniques I would teach."
"No problem whatsoever, Master! I will definitely work harder than ever before!" Gustave agreed immediately and enthusiastically.
He understood perfectly that although his strength was considered quite formidable in both the One Piece world and the Dragon Raja universe, in the cosmic realm where the Moral Lord existed, he might not even compare favorably to a newborn infant.
After Yang Jian completed his refreshing bath, he discovered the white robe waiting outside the shower room and immediately understood that Gustave had thoughtfully provided this garment. Rather than engaging in false modesty or unnecessary ceremony, he simply picked up the robe and put it on, appreciating both its quality and the consideration behind the gesture.