Chapter 155: Discussing Mount Tianzhu

Throughout history, countless individuals have possessed heaven-defying talents, hailed as the darlings of the cosmos. Yet, in the end, they unconsciously dissolved themselves into the Heavenly Dao, resulting in their complete assimilation and dissipation.

There is another type of person who is rejected by the Heavenly Dao and instead regards the Human Dao as the Great Dao, ultimately using the Human Dao as the foundation to attain enlightenment. Although their fortune is unrivaled for a time, as eras change and human hearts grow chaotic, they eventually lose their true selves, becoming puppets of the Human Dao and transforming into the consciousness of the Human Dao itself.

They fail to realize that humans encompass all living creatures. From grand beings like Kunpengs and giant whales to microscopic organisms, all belong to the "Human" category within the ternary framework of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity, rather than referring exclusively to mankind. Consequently, their understanding is biased, leading them astray into a sub-category of the Great Dao.

Neither of these two paths represents the supreme and infinite Great Dao, yet both belong to the Dao—they can be considered a part of it.

Once Wang Yuanteng figured this out, his spiritual platform instantly cleared up significantly. His internal sword qi grew active, and every single cell in his body came alive, inhaling and exhaling as if possessing an awareness of its own. With just a single thought, he could perceive the precise condition of any cell. The rhythm of his embryonic breathing drew in a breath from the void—a primordial breath capable of engendering all things and regenerating severed limbs.

Filled with joy, he drew his treasured sword and slashed a two-foot-long gash across his arm. Although the flesh was torn, not a single drop of blood escaped, as if his blood had formed an independent system within his body, circulating entirely on its own.

Directing the primordial breath, he made it circulate through his body once before guiding it to his wound. The cut on his arm began to sprout granulation tissue at a visible rate, quickly restoring itself to its original condition.

It was as if he had never been injured at all. Moreover, the newly grown skin was noticeably finer and smoother than the surrounding flesh, gleaming like white jade. This was the power of the primordial breath.

"So this is how limb regeneration works!"

Wang Yuanteng sighed in wonder. Moving forward, as long as he protected his primordial spirit, even if his arm were chopped off, he could grow it back at will. Furthermore, by sensing the consciousness of his cells, once he attained an even higher realm, he truly could achieve rebirth from a single drop of blood and manifest thousands of avatars.

The fundamental purpose of cultivation is to elevate one's level of existence. In a sense, practitioners can be reductively called life scientists.

"Ah—"

Overwhelmed with high spirits, he let out a long whistle. His body spun, transforming into a streak of sword light that hurtled toward the sphere of influence of the Taiyuan Lake. The speed was so intense that with a single hum, the sword light had already vanished.

Meanwhile, in the main camp of Taiyuan Lake, Erqing was seated at a desk managing various official documents. Taiyuan Lake spanned four to five hundred miles—neither too large nor too small—with a population numbering over a million. Coupled with aquatic tribes, wild beasts in the mountains, birds, and countless spirits and monsters, the administrative burden was immense even when divided by region; otherwise, chaos would have ensued long ago.

Originally, these tasks were handled by Horned Wood Dragon, but Horned Wood Dragon had entered his own conscious reincarnation cycle, taken away by the Dragon Maiden to some unknown location to recover from his injuries. Thus, this burden had inevitably fallen upon Erqing's shoulders.

At this moment, three people were seated inside the tent. Erqing was busy handling documents, beside her a man clad in dark red attire was organizing various materials, and Xiaoqing was gazing at Erqing with an expression of envy, appearing intensely fascinated by the prospect of administrative work.

After processing several documents, Erqing felt a slight throbbing in her head. She stopped to massage her temples, circulated her demonic essence, and stretched lazily, only then feeling somewhat better.

Suddenly noticing Xiaoqing's envious gaze and her frequent peeks at the documents, Erqing shook her head. She knew Xiaoqing only envied the superficial power and prestige of holding great authority, entirely oblivious to the hardships involved.

With a smile, she asked Xiaoqing, "Would you like to try?"

"Yes, absolutely!" Xiaoqing agreed instantly without a second thought.

Erqing prepared to dampen Xiaoqing's enthusiasm a bit to prevent her from making a mess of things, but at that moment, the man in dark red attire standing nearby stepped forward and said, " Lady Erqing, I have compiled the intelligence from Mount Tianzhu. Please review it, Lady Erqing."

Hearing this, Erqing took the document, opened it to read, and casually said, "Commander Yin, tell me your perspective."

Unbeknownst to them, Xiaoqing had quietly pilfered a stack of unreviewed documents, slipped them into her bosom, and—after casting a covert glance to ensure her second sister and Commander Yin were still deep in conversation—snuck out unnoticed.

Commander Yin, the man in dark red attire, was an earthworm who had attained the Dao, capable of moving freely through both water and earth. He belonged to the same generation as Horned Wood Dragon, possessed considerable cultivation base, and had a nimble mind, earning him the position of commander within the Taiyuan Lake forces specifically tasked with intelligence operations.

Commander Yin pondered for a moment and said, "This faction has risen very rapidly, yet its development is unhindered, proceeding as if aided by divine intervention. To my knowledge, no hidden power is backing them. That leaves only one possibility!"

Erqing nodded, prompting Commander Yin to continue: "It is the trend of the times and the will of the people!"

Erqing nodded again and asked, "How do you suppose they will develop?"

Commander Yin thought for a moment and replied, "Although Mount Tianzhu's sphere of influence is currently inferior to ours and radiates only around the mountain itself, they possess numerous high-tier martial forces, rigorous systems, and a consummate framework. Judging by their current trajectory, there is not a single flaw; everything aligns with the principles of heaven and earth. Based on my speculation, it will not be long before they incorporate southern Zhongzhou into their grasp, and this pace will only accelerate."

Listening to Commander Yin's analysis, Xiaoqing nodded repeatedly. As cultivators, they could easily perceive such underlying truths. If one were to follow the old, conventional path of development, such cosmic principles would remain obscure.

Yet once someone brought them to light, their own deductions could piece the general picture together.

Hearing Commander Yin conclude that Mount Tianzhu's development would only grow faster, Xiaoqing asked, "Commander Yin, why are you so optimistic about Mount Tianzhu?"

"Lady Erqing, please look here!" With a wave of his hand, Commander Yin conjured a map in mid-air and said, "This era marks the culmination of the grand trend of Heavenly Dao—the legacy of the ancient struggle for fortune between humans and demons. It is a time for overturning heaven and reshaping earth."

Erqing nodded. Everyone was well aware of this fact, yet they all kept it suppressed, because intensifying the conflict would result in massive bloodshed.

Following that, he pointed a finger toward Shengjing in Zhongzhou and said, "According to information provided by our scouts, my analysis is that Shengjing has already fallen into internal strife. This internal friction and contradiction are escalating daily. The new and old principles of the grand cosmic trend are wrestling for the divine vessels of the state, leaving them with no spare capacity to attend to the external world for a short time."

Erqing pondered this and said, "Indeed. The two factions within the imperial court represent two ideologies and two sets of interests. To safeguard their own interests, they have no choice but to fight a life-and-death battle, because no one will willingly yield what they possess to another. Conflict is inevitable."

Commander Yin glanced at Erqing, thinking to herself that Erqing's insight was truly exceptional. Anyone capable of handling these affairs was clearly no ordinary person, and he quickly suppressed any lingering sense of condescension toward her.

He then pointed to the west and continued, "Although the folk customs in Xizhou are fierce and unyielding, and venomous creatures and fierce demons emerge in endless succession, they are utterly incapable of uniting, leaving the imperial court with no choice but to gradually civilize them. Mount Tianzhu is entirely different. It is an alliance of a hundred clans and all living beings, boasting an immensely powerful system and gradually forming a formidable army of cultivators. Once they are allowed to develop for a time and form a genuine military powerhouse, no matter how fierce the vicious demons of Xizhou may be, they will be crushed by the cultivator army like rotting wood and dry weeds, utterly vulnerable."

Xiaoqing pondered for a moment, shook her head, and said, "Although Mount Tianzhu's strength will grow formidable, Xizhou still possesses certain factions, especially those commanded by Bi'an. That demon is upright and impartial, acting as an arbiter of fairness among the tribes. If Mount Tianzhu attacks, at a single word from him, an alliance of the hundred tribes is not beyond the realm of possibility."