There was no denying that the alliance with Pei Xuanjing had allowed Baiyun Temple to rapidly elevate itself over these decades, with powerful experts continually emerging and their strength increasing by a manifold. Although this was the mutual agreement during the formation of the alliance, when they really received such benefits, Daoist Xuanming knew that they owed significant gratitude to Pei Xuanjing.
But now, Pei Xuanjing was too powerful, so powerful that it suffocates people. His current fame is spread among countless martial artists, who regard him as a saint.
One could say, while they view Taoism as an alliance, from the perspective of outsiders and some regular disciples, Taoism is a whole entity, and the leader of this entity, the supreme ruler, is the undeniable Pei Xuanjing.
This made Daoist Xuanming and those elders behind him somewhat panicked, as they could still hold firm now, stabilizing the hearts of the sect's disciples.
But if this situation continues, just over a few decades more, a new generation of juniors who hold Pei Xuanjing in high esteem will rise, and the entire Taoist School will inevitably have to submit to Pei Xuanjing. If Pei Xuanjing is willing, he could even reorganize the Taoist School, making it obedient to one person, similar to the Demonic Cult.
This was something Daoist Xuanming and many other experts could not bear. The Baiyun Temple has a heritage of thousands of years, and it is also a renowned Great Taoist School. They might temporarily let go of the leadership of Taoist School, but they are unwilling to let Baiyun Temple become someone else's subordinate, and might even vanish completely.
Would Pei Xuanjing really decide to unify the Taoist School?
In Daoist Xuanming's view, there was a high possibility.
After the rise of the Shenxiao Sect, ever since that Feather Guest from Jinmen developed the Shenxiao Sect to its peak, he not only led the Taoist School with the Shenxiao Sect but also wanted to suppress the Buddhism School and Demonic Way. This was no secret to anyone.
The current reputation and strength of Pei Xuanjing surpass that of the Feather Guest from Jinmen by countless times. At this stage, he merely needs to nod and he could do it, so why wouldn't he?
The corners of Daoist Xuanming's mouth revealed a hint of bitterness as he lamented, "Among the major sects in the Taoist School now, I am neither as treacherous as the old Celestial Master from Dragon Tiger Mountain, nor as strategic as the Taoist Brother Qingxu from Zhenwu Sect, nor as decisive as the Chunyang Sect's Taoist Friends, nor as clearly planned as your Feather Guest. So, I have to take a risk to ask, so as not to let the heritage of Baiyun Temple be destroyed in my hands."
Daoist Xuanming's own aptitude and comprehension were among the top in this world, and being able to manage Baiyun Temple for several decades also proved his extraordinary means. However, sometimes strength and weakness are comparative. Among the circles Daoist Xuanming mingled in, even if he was pretty good himself, he was still at the bottom.
The old Celestial Master was the oldest among them. When he was involved in the world, these people were not born yet. The old Celestial Master had been managing Dragon Tiger Mountain for nearly two hundred years and his deep calculations were unquestionable.
Moreover, the old Celestial Master had recently suppressed the strong practitioners who returned from Dragon Tiger Mountain in the Sky Wasteland and thus obtained the Zhengyi Seal. He also received the inheritance of his ancestors. With the support of Dragon Tiger Mountain in the Sky Wasteland, as long as the powerful ancestor Celestial Master in the Nine Realms of Spirit realm exists, Dragon Tiger Mountain is not at all worried about the possibility of being assimilated.
As for Taoist Qingxu from Zhenwu Sect, he was another leader of Taoist School who rose up after the old Celestial Master's disappearance. Before the rise of Pei Xuanjing, Zhenwu Sect ruled over the Taoist School, and its orders were followed by all sects, with almost no one daring to violate them.
These years, even though Taoist Qingxu has stayed very low-profile due to the rise of Pei Xuanjing, but no one dares to underestimate him. Moreover, the fact that he sends his junior to the Taoist Academy to help Pei Xuanjing shows that he is very supportive of Pei Xuanjing and does not seem to worry about Pei Xuanjing's intent of unifying the Taoist School.
Although Daoist Xuanming did not know whether Taoist Qingxu was indifferent to these or had other supports, he knew clearly that he could not equate himself with the latter's calmness and composure.
The case with the Chunyang Sect was even simpler. It should be more appropriately called the Chunyang Sword Sect. There weren't many disciples under Chunyang Sect, and apart from cultivation, they only practice a single divine sword.
Such cultivators and martial artists only focus on the sword and Taoism in their hearts. They won't be disturbed by too many external things. When they joined the Taoist Alliance initially, it was merely for the sake of following the trend, and they did not participate much in the affairs of the Taoist School.
Therefore, the Chunyang Sect was least worried about the things influenced by Pei Xuanjing.
As for Bai Xiaosheng's faction, putting aside the fact that although they joined the Taoist Alliance, they were not considered Taoists. Even if Pei Xuanjing was to unify Taoist School, he would absolutely not be foolish to include his subordinate people.
Even if such a situation exists, I believe that Bai Xiaosheng had enough tricks or abilities to stop and avoid it.
As for the many forces that joined later, there's no need to overthink it, they were merely dependent on the powerful forces of Taoist School. If Pei Xuanjing really wanted to unify the Taoist School, for them, after careful consideration, this might not be a bad thing.
In other words, among the various forces of the Taoist Alliance, it is Baiyun Taoism that is most affected and most worried.
"So, you want me to inquire on your behalf of brother Pei's true thoughts to see what he is really thinking?" Bai Xiaosheng looked at him, finally understanding the real reason for his visit.
"Exactly," Daoist Xuanming straightforwardly said.
This was his real purpose for coming here today.
Bai Xiaosheng did not respond but instead asked, "Why don't you ask directly? From what I see, if you ask, Pei Xuanjing will definitely not hide anything."
From his understanding of Pei Xuanjing, he was not a person who liked or even deems worthy of playing tricks. If Daoist Xuanming approached him with his question, Pei Xuanjing would surely give him an answer.
Daoist Xuanming was silent for a long time before he solemnly said, "To tell you the truth, I do not dare to ask directly because I am afraid."
Although he was well acquainted with Pei Xuanjing, as Pei Xuanjing's strength steadily increased, gradually very few people could confidently treat Pei Xuanjing equally.
Strength grants authority and strength is the foundation of confidence. A strong person can lower their ego, but the weak cannot take it for granted.
When your own strength cannot keep up with the other party, and you are far surpassed by them, even if you know Pei Xuanjing does not have a high ego, Daoist Xuanming also knew his position, and he would not truly believe that he could have an equal conversation with him now.
Especially now, what he wanted to ask was perhaps trivial to Pei Xuanjing, but it was nonetheless very important to him and the entire Baiyun Temple.
Therefore, Daoist Xuanming dared not directly seek and probe the other party himself. He could only hope that Bai Xiaosheng would ask on his behalf, which would give him some room for flexibility.
"I understand your meaning." Bai Xiaosheng nodded, understanding what the other party meant and agreeing to it: "I can ask for you, but I can't guarantee whether the answer will meet your expectations. I also won't argue excessively with Brother Pei about this."
Bai Xiaosheng agreed to his request and also expressed his thoughts.
He still had a lot of collaboration with Pei Xuanjing, so although he agreed to ask on behalf of the other party, he would not strive for anything and absolutely could not let this matter affect his own affairs.
"Please rest assured. Regardless of the circumstances, I dare not have even a bit of complaint." A smile appeared on Daoist Xuanming's face as he said, "I will naturally present you with a gift of gratitude afterwards."
Bai Xiaosheng's willingness to help him probe for this answer was enough to satisfy him completely; naturally, he wouldn't expect Bai Xiaosheng to argue with Pei Xuanjing on his behalf.
"It really is lonely at the top!" Pei Xuanjing sighed, his expression somewhat solemn.
He remembered the time when he and Daoist Xuanming first met, the high-spirited discussions, martial arts debates, and casual discussions about the world. What free and relaxed days they were, he almost missed them.
Yet now, only several decades have passed, and just because the strength of both sides had changed, the other party had already altered their attitude, no longer daring to treat him as an equal.
This situation undoubtedly made Pei Xuanjing sigh. So, is it really true that it is lonely at the top?
As it stands now, as his cultivation continues to elevate in the future, would he have fewer and fewer Taoist friends by his side until he became a solitary individual?
"This is also something that can't be avoided." Bai Xiaosheng sighed.
Loneliness at the top, it was an old adage. In this world of cultivation, it was even more apparent.
Pei Xuanjing mused, "If one attains Taoism and becomes immortal, the disappearance of friends and family,what would it feel like after waiting for thousands and millions of years from now? Would it feel lonely?"
Cultivation itself is an evolution of life. As the essence of life is elevated, it results in powerful strength, long lifespan, unmatched might, it's unimaginable.
However, not everyone in such constantly evolving cultivation can continue to move forward. Perhaps one day they might gain the ability of immortality, but their friends and family would be gone. How great would that loneliness and solitude be?
The Fairy Gods in the legends have become indifferent to emotions because they have experienced the erosion of time, and countless friends and family have passed away. The only things accompanying them are their Fairy Gods on the same path and the endless Great Tao.
Perhaps when Pei Xuanjing becomes a True Immortal in the future, his state of mind will change and metamorphose towards those Fairy Gods. However, at least for now, Pei Xuanjing does not like such a feeling.
Therefore, this revelation has undoubtedly strengthened Pei Xuanjing's inner thoughts. He does not want to become immortal alone; he wants to bring all beings to immortality together, creating the path of immortality, so he won't be lonely, becoming a Fairy God devoid of emotions.
Perhaps many people think that once Pei Xuanjing has reached his current position, he would fulfill the ambitions of his predecessors in the Shenxiao Sect, reorganize the Taoist School, and push the Shenxiao Sect to a commanding position.
Regrettably, they are mistaken.
Pei Xuanjing's plan is absolutely not like this. This strategy may be viewed by others as incredibly ambitious. However, to Pei Xuanjing, it is simply not worth mentioning.
One attains Taoism, everyone becomes immortal. This is Pei Xuanjing's true ambition, and it has never changed from the beginning.
He told Bai Xiaosheng, "You can tell Daoist Xuanming that I have no intention of reorganizing the Taoist School. He can rest assured that such a day will never come. This is my promise to a former Taoist friend."
Pei Xuanjing made a promise. He had no intention of consolidating the Taoist School or harboring thoughts of annexing other Taoist inheritances.
"Good!" Bai Xiaosheng nodded, seemingly not surprised by Pei Xuanjing's answer.
In fact, among them, he had quite a lot of contact with Pei Xuanjing. Moreover, Pei Xuanjing had once talked to him about these things, so Bai Xiaosheng naturally understood Pei Xuanjing's ambitious aspirations.
To consolidate the Taoist School, suppress the Buddhists and the Demonic Cult, and push the Shenxiao Sect to the peak, these actions might be rare feats in the eyes of others. However, Bai Xiaosheng believed them to be trivial for someone like Pei Xuanjing, who didn't need to do any of these.
"Indeed, in my opinion, Daoist Xuanming is simply worrying too much!" Bai Xiaosheng said with emotion.
Although he agreed to Daoist Xuanming's request and understood his concerns, that did not mean he agreed with his point of view.
"Hmm?" Pei Xuanjing raised an eyebrow. He only heard Bai Xiaosheng disdainfully say, "His current worries are completely meaningless. The root cause is the issue of strength. Even if you make a promise now, Brother Pei, there may come a day when even if you don't want to lead the Taoist School, Daoist Xuanming and others may change their minds and seek your consolidation of the School."
"It seems that Brother Bai has a different perspective?" Pei Xuanjing's mouth curved into a smile.
Bai Xiaosheng spoke in a deep voice, "The most important reason Daoist Xuanming had such thoughts was that even though your current strength far exceeds theirs, Brother Pei, he did not face reality and let go of the pride of the Baiyun Temple's inheritance. In his heart, there is still a hint of expectation and he considers himself equal to you, thus he is not worried that you might annex the Baiyun Temple with your influence."
After saying this, Bai Xiaosheng scoffed, "However, that's just his thought. He may see through it or he may be lucky, but all these don't matter. What matters the most is, Daoist Xuanming and even the Baiyun Temple backing him do not have the qualifications to be compared with you, Brother Pei."
This was Bai Xiaosheng's true thought. The root cause was that the other party had not seen through their status. Perhaps these years of modesty from Pei Xuanjing, or the development of the Baiyun Temple, had led them to feel a sense of crisis. However, they have yet to truly understand the reality, assuming they were on equal footing with Pei Xuanjing.
"When it comes to dealing with you all, I have never thought of using my power to oppress others." Pei Xuanjing shook his head.
Ever since he formed an alliance with people from the Taoist School, even when Pei Xuanjing later had the qualifications to suppress everything, he still maintained his original aspirations. He didn't interfere with many affairs of the Taoist School and maintained the original status and fairness.
"Indeed, brother Pei's conduct is very admirable." Bai Xiaosheng first bowed with a smile, then his face turned serious as he said, "However, the weak should not take the strong's tolerance for granted."
Upon hearing Bai Xiaosheng's words, Pei Xuanjing's calm gaze was as still as an ancient well. He had taken his own desired actions, yet others saw this as leniency – a notion which he found quite commonplace.
The world indeed followed such rules, and despite the grand aspirations of many predecessors, the divide of classes was ultimately ingrained and hard to break, even for someone like Pei Xuanjing.
Before he could respond, he heard Bai Xiaosheng continue, "Why did you choose to establish the Taoist Academy on your own, Brother Pei? Could it be because you didn't want to suppress others with your power? Otherwise, with your status and influence, if you had decided to enforce this within the Taoist School, who could have stopped you? Yet, you chose to give up this path."
Indeed, with Pei Xuanjing's strength and influence, who in the Taoist School could have stopped him from collectively enforcing the establishment of the Taoist Academy?
No one! Neither Daoist Qingxu, nor the Old Heavenly Master, Daoist Chunyang, Daoist Xuanming, or even oneself, could directly refuse Pei Xuanjing. He could have easily pulled along the entire Taoist School with him.
But Pei Xuanjing gave up that approach, undeniably demonstrating his integrity. This was why Bai Xiaosheng was willing to sincerely cooperate with him. Pei Xuanjing was without a doubt, a reliable ally.
"We came together for a common goal. Now that the original objective is achieved and we are unable to reach consensus on new goals, why should I force the issue?" Pei Xuanjing responded lightly to Bai Xiaosheng's question.
His perspective on matters was open; the original purpose of union among Taoist practitioners was to break the Heaven and Earth seal, promote the ascension of the Great Ming Divine Dynasty, and then obtain the Divine Position and the Qi Luck.
Now that all objectives were accomplished, their alliance's initial purpose was complete.
Although he does have new plans and goals, he could not get their approval. Therefore, Pei Xuanjing surely won't choose to force them into anything.
The education and environment he experienced in his past life gave Pei Xuanjing a differing perspective than the people of this world. Though he possessed great power and had killed his enemies, his core views hadn't oozed into this world completely, leaving him steadfast with some of his original mindsets in certain matters.
"Honestly, I'm quite curious about everything you experienced before you turned sixteen. What did your esteemed teacher teach you to have cultivated this kind of mindset?" Bai Xiaosheng asked, his gaze toward Pei Xuanjing filled with curiosity.
Bai Xiaosheng was well aware of Pei Xuanjing's experiences, hence his curiosity about what he could have encountered at a young age to have developed a perception so different from the ordinary.
"Hehe." Pei Xuanjing smiled, thinking there was no need to explain, because it was meaningless even if he did.
In the world he came from, not everyone agreed with these concepts. Pei Xuanjing just happened to be part of the elite that these ideologies served, which is why he accepted and chose to use such methods.
People's experiences and perspectives differ greatly. To the powerful figures of the Taoist School, they desired different things from Pei Xuanjing. Their comprehension of various aspects was vastly dissimilar.
Pei Xuanjing could accept equality for all, believing that everyone should have the right to education, an opportunity to obtain skills, and a chance to ascend in the world.
However, for many in the Daming World, the notions of clans and religious sects had been deeply ingrained in their hearts. The skills they inherited were essential to their status. Pei Xuanjing's actions were seen as undermining their foundation, indicating the fundamental differences in their perspectives.
If anything, it wasn't that they were narrow-minded and short-sighted. Instead, it was Pei Xuanjing's act of indiscriminately imparting skills to everyone that made him the outlier.
Therefore, Pei Xuanjing couldn't force them into doing things he wanted, nor had he ever considered urging them with power.
Seeing that Pei Xuanjing didn't want to elaborate, Bai Xiaosheng didn't press further. Everyone has their secrets. The most important rule for their current relationship was to respect each other's privacy.
He sighed and said, "I don't know why you're doing this, but there's no denying that I admire your approach."
Perhaps it was because of his increasing interaction with Mr. Wu that Bai Xiaosheng began to understand the strategies and rules of the Sky Wasteland more thoroughly.
With a deeper understanding, Bai Xiaosheng realized that in Sky Wasteland, the rule of the strong prevails. Weaklings have no right to defy the strong. There are only two options: to submit or die. There is no third option.
With Pei Xuanjing's current strength and aptitude, and expected to step into the seventh level of the Spiritual Realm in sixty years, he is undoubtedly a major force within the Sky Wasteland. Moreover, with his unprecedented aptitude, even the strongest being of the Nine Realms of Spirit would not oppose Pei Xuanjing without just cause.
Such a powerful figure, who managed to treat them with benevolence and respect, opting not to exert his strength, stands out starkly. It only reinforces the feeling of luck at having an ally like Pei Xuanjing.
Bai Xiaosheng changed the topic to the real purpose of his visit, "The true revival of Heaven and Earth will occur in just thirty years. In such a short amount of time, it's impossible for me to possess the strength to resist the strongest beings of the Nine Realms of Spirit. Therefore, I hope, Brother Pei, that under possible circumstances, you could lend me your aid in the future."
Once Sky Wasteland's strong return, he will be facing top powers such as Sky Mechanism Pavilion, which even has a Master of Nine Realms of Spirit. Such formidable power is nearly irresistible for the current Bai Xiaosheng.
Even if Bai Xiaosheng had his own trump cards, regardless of his confidence, he wouldn't fool himself into thinking he could resist a Master of Nine Realms of Spirit in just thirty short years.
The Nine Realms of Spirit are so challenging that the divide between the eighth and ninth realms is almost insurmountable. From ancient to modern times, countless individuals were blocked by this divide. After all, if it were truly that easy to breach, there wouldn't be so few masters of the Nine Realms of Spirit.
Even if Master Tianji himself remains aloof, the power of his followers is also a great threat to Bai Xiaosheng.
Therefore, Bai Xiaosheng hoped that, when necessary, Pei Xuanjing could aid him by restraining some people.
After all, according to Mr. Wu, Pei Xuanjing, who cultivates all three aspects of spirit, qi, and body, could demonstrate true power beyond a simple realm understanding. Having now entered the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm, solidifying his Taoist Foundation, and controlling the supplementary copy of the Golden Book and Jade Scroll, he can at least defeat anyone within the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm, and potentially face those within the Eightfold Spirit Realm.
Although Mr. Wu's speculation about Pei Xuanjing's true fighting power was inaccurate, since he could never have predicted that Pei Xuanjing possessed the Life Simulator, his increase in power far exceeded his expectations.
But Bai Xiaosheng found Pei Xuanjing's combat prowess far more exceeding of his expectations. Because, even at the very beginning, he never imagined that Pei Xuanjing could possess such strength at this moment.
He involuntarily turned his gaze towards Pei Xuanjing.