"Hehe, so that's why the True Martial Sect is so confident." A hint of an inexplicable smile emerged on the corners of Pei Xuanjing's mouth. He gazed into the distance, thinking, "It seems that all these factions have their own plans, none of them are kind."
On Shenxiao Mountain, Deer Elder was telling Pei Xuanjing about some changes in the world over the years. Deer Elder, seeing Pei Xuanjing suddenly smile, asked puzzledly, "Master, is there something on your mind?"
"I just realize that I have underestimated the True Martial Sect. It controlled the Taoist School for more than six hundred years – it must be extraordinary," replied Pei Xuanjing without hiding his thoughts.
True Martial Sect?
The confusion on Deer Elder's face didn't dissipate but deepened. He didn't understand what Pei Xuanjing meant.
Although Deer Elder had been in this world for decades and had limited knowledge of some forces in the Sky Wasteland, he was quite familiar with the many local forces of the Daming world. He didn't need to make a special effort to understand the True Martial Sect, one of the main factions of the Taoist school; he could access a lot of information about them.
In Deer Elder's understanding, the True Martial Sect, as one of the major forces of the Taoist School, was a truly strong force before the world recovered and before the various forces of the Sky Wasteland arrived.
However, the True Martial Sect has now fallen behind. Whether it's in terms of their position in the world or within the Taoist School, their lag has been visible. Compared to the Shenxiao Sect with Pei Xuanjing at the helm, and Dragon Tiger Mountain with the ancestral vein of the Sky Wasteland, the True Martial Sect has no strong force and no ancestors to rely on. They no longer have the qualifications to command the Taoist School.
What's more, the True Martial Sect has been closed to the outside world for many years, rarely sending disciples down the mountain. Their influence is even weaker than that of Both Chunyang Sect and Baiyun Temple. They are almost becoming the weakest among the several branches of the Taoist School.
If it hadn't been for Qingxu, who represented the True Martial Sect on Shenxiao Mountain at the Symposium, many forces in the Sky Wasteland would have overlooked the existence of the True Martial Sect and treated it as a vassal of the Shenxiao Sect.
"A six-hundred-year legacy is really nothing compared to the brutality of the wasteland," thought Deer Elder.
Having lived in the wasteland world for thousands of years, he has seen how brutal it could be. Therefore, he did not truly appreciate the six-hundred-year lineage of the True Martial Sect, believing it was nothing special.
So, hearing his master praise the True Martial Sect so much now, he was perplexed. Did the True Martial Sect have anything extraordinary, worth praising?
Seeing Deer Elder's continuing puzzlement, Pei Xuanjing laughed and explained the information he had just obtained from the avatar he left at the True Martial Sect. This was what truly surprised him about their plans.
Pei Xuanjing had already known about the True Martial Sect's Zhenwu Plan. They wanted to forge the Divine Position of the True Martial Emperor and push for the birth of a deity as their guardian, as their foundation for survival.
Pei Xuanjing was approving of this plan, after all, if successful, the Divine Position of the True Martial Emperor would at least exist in the Spirit Realm – Seventh Level.
If it was just a Divine Position at the Seventh Level of the Spirit Realm, even if it could give birth to a deity, it was not worth Pei Xuanjing's attention, let alone leaving an avatar at the True Martial Sect to keep track of their movements.
The True Martial Emperor, this Divine Position is not ordinary. If you really count it, the Jade Purity True Monarch of Pei Xuanjing may be of higher rank. Still, in terms of spreading teachings and their scope of propagation in the world, the True Martial Emperor is superior. Many living beings worship this Divine Position.
If the True Martial Sect manages to form this Divine Position, even with the strength only at the Seventh Level of the Spirit Realm, they could use the Power of Incense Fire of faith in the True Martial Demonslaying Emperor accumulated over countless years in this world, and greatly enhance their power in a very short time. Their realm would probably peak at the Spirit Realm Eightfold, even breaking into the Nine Realms of Spirit if the fusion of the two worlds was complete. This is what Pei Xuanjing valued.
However, the most important point is the question Pei Xuanjing finally asked and the answer given by Daoist Qingxu.
During the last incarnation simulation, Pei Xuanjing collaborated with many immortal sects to establish a Divine Court. In the Nine-fold Heavenly Palace, he meditated for hundreds of years, improving his understanding and realization of the Divine Tao. Therefore, he was able to help them speed up the formation of the True Martial Emperor's Divine Position.
In addition to this, the deeper Pei Xuanjing's understanding of the Divine Position, the clearer he understood the difficulty of the birth of the Deity. Perhaps in many newly opened worlds, heaven and earth could independently give birth to deities, but in this powerful world like Daming World, it becomes more difficult. It is exactly because Pei Xuanjing had the experience of transforming worshippers into gods in the Divine Court, he knew clearly how difficult it was for a Deity like the True Martial Emperor to be born. Therefore, after helping them, he asked Daoist Qingxu a question:
"How should we go about awakening this True Martial Emperor?" This was Pei Xuanjing's question.
It seemed like one question, but in fact it was more than just one.
When Pei Xuanjing asked this question, he wanted to see Daoist Qingxu's response and answer. If Qingxu's response was confusion, it meant Daoist Qingxu did not know that the birth of a deity required awakening.
If Qingxu could answer, it would mean that Daoist Qingxu knew both that the birth of a deity required awakening, and how to carry out the awakening.
After Pei Xuanjing asked the question, Daoist Qingxu looked startled. But it was not because of confusion, but because he was caught off guard. Seeing Pei Xuanjing's calm demeanor, he gave his answer reluctantly: Ancestor Sanfeng's relic, a divine sword carrying a hint of Ancestor Sanfeng's True Spirit, was the key to awakening the Deity."
It was not hard to imagine Pei Xuanjing's surprise when he got this answer. He did not expect such a revelation from a casual question. The possibility it revealed was completely beyond his imagination.
The ambition of the True Martial Sect was so grand, not only did they want to forge the Divine Position of the True Martial Emperor, but they also wanted to use this opportunity to resurrect Master Sanfeng.
Their intention to bring back Ancestor Sanfeng, the founder of the True Martial Sect and unmatched figure in the Taoist School, from the cycle of reincarnation, was incredibly shocking, whether they could succeed or not.
Using Master Sanfeng's relic, which carries a trace of his True Spirit, as the spiritual awakening object for the birth of the True Martial Emperor – this really is a grand plan.
This is the true stratagem of the Zhenwu Plan formulated by the True Martial Sect. Although Heaven and Earth had not yet revived back then, Master Sanfeng managed to break through the Spirit Realm by using the Refining Spirit method before his death. Otherwise, he would not have achieved a lifespan far exceeding that of a common first-grade Martial Artist.
Even after his death, a trace of his True Spirit lingered over his relic and had not completely dissipated.
In a rather coincidental turn of events, Heaven and Earth revived at this time, and it was only after the Taoist Qingxu entered the Spirit Realm that they discovered this trace of the sect founder's True Spirit. Otherwise, this trace of True Spirit would have completely vanished after another hundred years.
After discovering the founder's True Spirit, an elder of the True Martial Sect proposed this incredible idea. It was subsequently accepted by everyone, which led to the implementation of the Zhenwu Plan.
They wanted to redeem the sect's founder from the cycle of reincarnation and resurrect him between Heaven and Earth, leading the True Martial Sect to flourish once again and stand at the pinnacle of Heaven and Earth.
"This is using humans to replace gods, with such a bold plan born of extraordinary thoughts. It's truly impressive – I can't help but admire it," Pei Xuanjing marveled in his heart.
Having cultivated to Pei Xuanjing's level, standing at the pinnacle of Heaven and Earth, he displays several characteristics of a True Immortal even without the use of a simulator. After opening up a Small Thousand World and depending on the Longevity World, Pei Xuanjing could resurrect slowly within the Longevity World even if he died. Although doing so would take an inordinately long time, spanning countless epochs, it could at least be considered a unique form of longevity.
However, apart from this method, Pei Xuanjing did not know of any other resurrection methods.
Even with several pages of the Netherworld Book in his possession, Pei Xuanjing's constant exploration and research over many years made him realize that the existence of these remnants of the Netherworld Book served more as a magical artifact. Although it might prolong a cultivator's lifespan, it would be difficult to say if it truly had life-defying abilities, allowing the deceased to be reborn.
Otherwise, the remains of the Netherworld Book wouldn't have scattered so, and the original holder of the Netherworld Book's fragments wouldn't have perished.
Or perhaps, the Netherworld Book has yet to be fully assembled from its fragments. Under such circumstances, it isn't capable of such powers.
As of now, while Pei Xuanjing could potentially resurrect by leveraging the Longevity World, he wasn't completely certain whether the legendary cycle of reincarnation truly existed, allowing for the dead to be truly resurrected.
However, the current actions and behavior of the True Martial Sect left Pei Xuanjing utterly astounded.
In terms of cultivation alone, the combined strength of all members of the True Martial Sect would not amount to even one ten-millionth of Pei Xuanjing's. Yet, their thoughts, actions, and deeds encompassed things that Pei Xuanjing had never even considered.
"Indeed, I was right in my earlier thoughts. No matter how much a person contemplates during their cultivation, oversights can't be avoided. Only through the collision of wisdom and ideas from many different individuals can one attain greater enlightenment," Pei Xuanjing mused.
There are times when the inability or unwillingness to do something is not truly due to its impossibility or difficulty, but rather, an individual's thought process might be skewed or limited, often overlooking many things easily.
Only when more people unleash their thoughts, colliding their wisdom and ideologies with one another, can more inspiration and knowledge be gained.
Regardless of whether the True Martial Sect's plan will eventually succeed or not, their actions alone have given Pei Xuanjing countless ideas, sparking numerous thoughts in his mind.
"Indeed, as the master said, if their plan is successfully completed, this deity could potentially traverse the seemingly impossible barrier of the Spirit Realm Eightfold, seizing the opportunity of the merger between the two worlds to step into the Strongest Realm?" the awestruck Deer Elder asked.
Atop Shenxiao Mountain, amid the howling peaks, a storm of astonishment raged in Deer Elder's heart. He could never have expected such lofty ambitions from the seemingly unremarkable True Martial Sect.
For a thousand years, Deer Elder has been stuck in the Spirit Realm Eightfold, both here and in his original world, Tianhuang; he knows clearly how difficult it is to overcome this final hurdle.
Despite the comprehensive guidance from Pei Xuanjing, Deer Elder realized that he was still far from reaching the breakthrough. Even though he was considered a powerful figure in the Spirit Realm Eightfold, he still hadn't reached its extreme limit.
But now, the extraordinary courage of the True Martial Sect in unveiling this cunning plan, which if successful, could potentially birth a deity of the Strongest Realm – the Nine Realms of Spirit – it was simply unimaginable.
Living in this world for many years, he was well aware of how prominent the name True Martial Emperor was and how many believers it amassed. The Power of Incense Fire accumulated from countless believers would, if elevated to the Strongest Realm and favored by the will of Heaven and Earth, yield a combat power that could potentially rank among the Strongest, in no way comparable to the newly elevated Taixu Venerable.
"Exactly, regardless of whether Master Sanfeng would be summoned back and truly resurrected in this world, as long as this divine position successfully forms and waits for the merger of the two worlds when Heaven and Earth become stronger, this deity will certainly step into the Strongest Realm," Pei Xuanjing agreed with this viewpoint.
According to the conjecture of the Strongest beings from the Sky Wasteland, the shackles of Heaven and Earth have limited cultivation to this extent, which is why countless Strongest beings throughout ancient times have died with regrets. If the world advances again, it may be possible to break these chains and truly accommodate an Immortal Path.
In light of his partial agreement with this conjecture, Pei Xuanjing is willing to work with them to integrate the Sky Wasteland into the Daming World, aiming to elevate the Daming World.
And if this conjecture stands true, as the Daming World ascends and the tides rise, the Divine Tao might embrace a greater development. The will of Heaven and Earth would grant the Divine Position an increased level of authority, leading to an increase in the holder's strength.
Under such circumstances, even if the divine position of the True Martial Emperor was initially insufficient to support the Strongest Realm, it would inevitably gain the strength of the Strongest and stand at the ultimate pinnacle with the aid of this prevailing trend.
In such a situation, the True Martial Sect, barring any accidents, will undoubtedly become one of the top forces in the world.
Pei Xuanjing thought back to a phrase he once heard: strive for the best, and you will achieve the great; strive for the great, and you shall be average; strive for the average, and you will find yourself below it.
At times, the goals we set determine the end results. Even if the goals appear daunting at the beginning, as long as one strives tirelessly towards them, the results will exceed expectations.
No matter the current state of the True Martial Sect, the very setting of their plan signifies that even if they fail, their gains will exceed what many average native forces of Daming World could possibly achieve.
If they had not set such a grand goal, only cautiously advancing step by step, they might have walked steadily, but with little opportunity, the chances of reaching the peak would be slim, or it may consume countless years.
So what is the current situation?
In this era of rejuvenated Heaven and Earth and the return of several forces from Sky Wasteland, it is the most chaotic, brutal era. But for certain rising forces, it is an age where hard work and seizing opportunities could transform them into soaring dragons.
The rise of any influence depends mainly on their efforts, but also on the changes in era and circumstances. In a stable era, an influence may grow steadily, but trying to break free from its constraints can bring unimaginable hardships.
Even pigs can fly in the wind. Flow with it, and the surge of the era will propel you forward and upward.
The same applies to both influences and individuals.
Pei Xuanjing's present achievements are not only due to his hard work but also his ability to seize opportunities and create momentum, thus allowing him to soar high.
In the current situation, there might be great peril, but there are equally great opportunities. Seizing these opportunities could save countless time and lead to rapid ascension.
Of course, without luck and strength, the inevitable result would be complete annihilation.
The True Martial Sect has recognized this situation, which is why they gambled all they had on the creation of the Zhenwu Plan, even prepared to face failure.
For the strong in the True Martial Sect, it's better to riske it all for a bright future, rather than silently fading away.
The True Martial Sect thinks like this, the Alliance of Outsiders thinks the same way, as does the Demonic Cult.
Although they are unaware of the True Martial Sect's betting, the Alliance of Outsiders and the Demonic cult have formed a tighter union in recognizing the situation.
"Mr. Xue, long time no see. Have you been well?" Zhao Baiyang addressed Xue Wuheng with a hearty smile.
Sometimes, people need to compare themselves to others.
Zhao Baiyang now bears the onus of the Alliance of Outsiders, working day and night tirelessly for their rise. Though not to the exaggeration of being sleep-deprived and food-deprived, he is genuinely striving for the ascension of the Alliance.
However, when he saw Xue Wuheng, he realized that despite his pressures, they are much smaller compared to the Demonic Cult Master before him.
At least in the Alliance of Outsiders, besides him, there are Zi Tianxiong, Tie Qianshan, and Diamond Sect's Master who can share his burdens. Even if these three do not intervene in the affairs of the Alliance, having three strong individuals by his side relieves a lot of worries.
But Xue Wuheng's situation is different. The Demonic Cult was originally fragmented, and it took considerable effort for Xue Wuheng to reunify it.
Even now, the Demonic Way has a significant drawback: aside from Xue Wuheng, there are many core cultivators, but none who can truly stand by his side to share his burdens.
It can be said that Xue Wuheng's pressure is much higher than Zhao Baiyang's, and the situation he faces is more complicated.
Although Pei Xuanjing's intervention blocked the issue with the Hell Demon Sect, this prevented the sect from immediately acting against Xue Wuheng's Demonic Cult, saving them from many crises.
However, while they can't retaliate overtly, subtle troubles persist. With the Hell Demon Sect's influence, it would not require too much effort to cause problems for Xue Wuheng.
Over the years, as other forces have been expanding silently and gathering strength, the Demonic Cult, under the Hell Demon Sect's secret opposition, has expended much energy, making it difficult to expand. If this continues, even if the two worlds merge in the future, the Demonic Cult will not reap significant benefits, leading to a series of consequences.
In such a predicament, Xue Wuheng had no choice but to reach out to Zhao Baiyang proactively.
"You, there's no need for formalities. I'm sure you already understand the purpose of my visit today. What's your opinion?" Xue Wuheng asked straightforwardly.
As for his intention of forming an alliance, he did not beat around the bush but spoke directly.
He and Zhao Baiyang had a previous agreement for mutual defense. However, it was more to resist the encroachment of the Taoist School and Buddhism School. With the growing power of the Taoist School and Pei Xuanjing's apparent non-interference, this agreement became practically meaningless and was not brought up for a long time.
However, facing the Hell Demon Sect's secret ploys, Xue Wuheng realized that he could not delay any longer. If he continued to delay and miss this opportunity, when the Sky Wasteland fully joined the Daming World, the prohibition of powerful forces on other influences will disappear, and it will be difficult for his Demonic Cult to survive.
Indeed, after the successful integration of the Sky Wasteland and the Daming World, it will be an unprecedented era. All cultivators could use this opportunity to break through to great benefits. This is apparent to everyone.
However, what many cultivators see but keep silent about, is that not every cultivator can truly enjoy these benefits. It will inevitably become more chaotic, resulting in a reshuffle of all forces. Only those who survived this reshuffle will really have the qualifications to take advantage of these benefits.
This is what Xue Wuheng, Zhao Baiyang, and Taoist Qingxu, the powerful figures of the local forces, realized. It's why they are frantically trying to boost their own forces because in those times, they can only survive by relying on themselves. Even Pei Xuanjing won't be able to protect them anymore.