Hongjun united with Dao, and the Heavenly Dao was complete.
This newborn force of Order, covering every corner of the Primordial Era, was not a raging tsunami.
It was more like a silent tide seeping in, quietly changing the world's very foundation. For Myriad Dao Academy, this change was especially obvious and profound.
Invisible Shackles, Subtle Influence
The most direct impact showed itself in the disciples' daily cultivation.
In the past, when Academy disciples drew upon Literary Qi and comprehended principles, they relied more on their own Literary Hearts and their resonance with the natural Dao rhythm between heaven and earth that leaned toward "wisdom" and "Order."
But now, every circulation of Literary Qi and every deduction of principles seemed to have to pass through an invisible yet dense "filter." That filter was the Order of the perfected Heavenly Dao.
It did not forbid Literary Dao cultivation. Rather, it naturally and continuously infused the concepts of the Mystic Gate Immortal Path, along with the established rules and values of the Heavenly Dao,
into the cultivators' minds, reflecting them there. When studying the classics, disciples would involuntarily see corresponding supreme principles of the Heavenly Dao emerge in their minds;
when using Tongue-and-Sword, they would vaguely sense an underlying prompt: "Follow Heaven's Will; do not defy the Heavenly Mandate";
even when condensing a Literary Heart and constructing a Literary Palace, the Order of the Heavenly Dao would resemble an omnipresent "standard template."
It subtly influenced their form and direction, causing them to unconsciously move toward a path more "compliant" with the Heavenly Dao's standards.
It was a gentle yet all-pervasive assimilation!
After persisting for more than a month, several Registered Disciples with somewhat weaker resolve were horrified to discover that a trace of Immortal Spirit Qi had mixed into their Literary Qi, impossible to disperse.
The radiance of their Literary Hearts had also taken on a measure of the "Clear Light" acknowledged by the Heavenly Dao. Though their cultivation seemed to progress faster,
they were terrified to find that their understanding of certain core concepts of the Confucian Dao, such as "Control the Heavenly Mandate and Use It" and "Man Can Conquer Nature," was growing hazy. They had even begun to doubt them!
In the end, whether willingly or unwillingly, they gradually strayed from the pure Confucian Dao, turning instead to cultivate—and even primarily cultivate—the Mystic Gate Dharma Techniques more "favored" by the Heavenly Dao.
The loss of talent and the wavering of Dao Hearts became the first trial facing the Academy.
Deepening the Principles of Change, Seeking Vitality
Faced with such a situation, the pressure on Xuanjizi and the others increased sharply, but their resolve to seek a way forward through their own principles only grew firmer.
He devoted most of his energy to deeply excavating the realm of principle within the Unchanging Change.
Under Wanhua's guidance, Xuanjizi realized that the principles of Change could not merely be used for passive defense or temporary stabilization.
More importantly, they had to actively use its core of Change and the Unchanging to analyze, adapt to, and even to a certain extent "make use of" the perfected rules of the Heavenly Dao.
He led Mingxin and other disciples skilled in deduction to establish a Heaven Gazing Pavilion deep within the Academy, where they ceaselessly used the principles of Change to deduce the patterns of the Heavenly Dao's operation.
They discovered that although the Heavenly Dao was complete, its workings were not rigid and unchanging. Variables still existed in the waxing and waning of yin and yang, the cycle of cause and effect, and the rise and fall of fortune.
Like even the most precise clock, it had its inherent frequency of vibration and observable intervals.
"The Heavenly Dao has its constants, but Change never rests," Xuanjizi realized. "We need not oppose the Heavenly Dao's 'constants'; we should move with its 'changes.'
Within the cracks of the Heavenly Dao's rules, in the low points of fortune's flow, lie the very 'vitality' where the ideals of our Confucian Dao can take root and reveal themselves!"
They began trying to adjust the Academy's daily rhythm.
At certain times when the pressure of the Heavenly Dao weakened somewhat and the flow of opportunity leaned toward Humanities and "wisdom," they would concentrate on important lectures and breakthroughs;
while at times when the Heavenly Dao's rules manifested strongly and Order was strict, they would focus instead on the accumulation of foundational Literary Qi and the practical "action."
Xuanjizi even began preliminary attempts to incorporate a trace of his understanding of the Heavenly Dao's "variables" into his own Literary Palace.
This allowed it to "resonate" to a certain degree with the fluctuations of the Heavenly Dao's rules, reducing rejection and improving cultivation efficiency.
This was undoubtedly a perilous path, like walking on thin ice. One misstep could result in complete assimilation by the Heavenly Dao.
But under Wanhua's protection and Xuanjizi's cautious guidance, the Academy's core inheritance, beneath this omnipresent pressure of assimilation,
managed with great difficulty to hold its ground and began exploring a unique path of "symbiosis" with the Heavenly Dao rather than "opposition."
Wanhua Made His Moves, Laying Plans for Eternity
Within Chaos Space, Wanhua's gaze was not confined to the Academy alone.
He knew well that passive defense and internal adjustments alone would not last. He had to place pieces across a broader heaven and earth, securing room for the Confucian Dao to survive and develop.
His first move fell upon reincarnation.
Taking advantage of the early stage after uniting with Dao, when the Order of the Heavenly Dao had not yet completely solidified and certain ancient rules were still being adjusted, Wanhua used immense power and his profound understanding of the essence of souls
to quietly scatter some Seeds of Principle containing the Confucian Dao's core ideals, like motes of dust, among the souls sinking within the Sea of Blood.
This would be the place where Ancestral Witch Houtu later transformed herself into reincarnation. He needed to bury some contingencies and add to his bargaining chips.
These seeds did not forcibly alter the rules of reincarnation. Instead, they served as a latent "inclination."
They influenced the reincarnation paths of souls naturally attuned to "Order," "wisdom," and "benevolence."
This made them more likely to resonate with the Confucian Dao in the future, perhaps even granting them a measure of Literary Qi aptitude while still ignorant and unknowing. This was a foundation for countless ages; its effects would be slow, but far-reaching.
His second move concerned Civilization.
Through divine sense, he sent an inspiration down to Xuanjizi, encouraging those disciples who had already stabilized their Literary Palaces and possessed firm resolve to, during their travels in pursuit of Unity of Knowledge and Action,
no longer limit themselves to improving their surroundings and mediating disputes, but to try integrating the simple ideals of the Confucian Dao, such as Respect the Old and Love the Young, Integrity and Keeping Promises, and Diligent Study and Self-Cultivation,
into the tribes of Houtian Beings that remained in a state of ignorance, in the most unadorned way possible. Establish no writing, impart no supernatural powers—only sow the sparks of Civilization.
These sparks could not directly create powerful cultivators, but they could subtly change the hearts and natures of living beings, winning the Confucian Dao the broadest foundation of recognition among the lower ranks of All Beings.
In the future, they might form the fortune of Humanity Dao, creating a delicate balance against the Heavenly Dao.
His third move pointed toward the variables themselves.
From the Primordial Chaos Realm, Wanhua silently deduced the major future turning points of the Primordial Era.
He noticed that although the Heavenly Dao had been established, the baleful aura of the Witch-Demon War had not dissipated. Instead, beneath the clearer Order, it was brewing at an accelerated pace;
the Formless Heavenly Demons that had been startled into retreat would never accept defeat; even the Dragon Race, forced into submission, had never truly shed its resentment...
These future calamities and upheavals were troublesome for the Heavenly Dao, which needed stable Order, but for the Confucian Dao, which needed to seek vitality in the gaps of Order,
they might be opportunities to stir the situation and seize the initiative. He began consciously guiding the Academy to accumulate strength and cultivate the ability to handle complex circumstances.
Internal Troubles and External Threats, First Signs Emerging
However, just as Wanhua was secretly laying his plans, new trouble had already come knocking.
One day, a cultivator clad in Mystic Gate Daoist robes, holding a jade talisman and surrounded by Clear Light, rode the clouds to the outskirts of Myriad Dao Academy. In an arrogant voice, he delivered a "Heavenly Court decree":
"By decree of His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor, we inspect the Primordial Era and set Order in order. Myriad Dao Academy stands in the East Sea and enlightens the people of a region; this is originally a good deed.
"However, according to our investigation, the Dao teachings you impart differ considerably from the orthodox Mystic Gate Immortal Path of the Primordial Era. This may disrupt the Order of the Heavenly Dao and confuse the hearts and natures of All Beings.
"Therefore, you are hereby ordered to submit the core scriptures of the Dao teachings you impart to the Heavenly Court for registration and review within a prescribed time. There must be no mistake!"
The visitor was none other than a newly appointed Sky Patrol Immortal Official of the Demon Race Heavenly Court! Dijun and Taiyi had established the Heavenly Court and ruled over the Primordial Era, so naturally they intended to bring all "unusual" powers under their jurisdiction.
Myriad Dao Academy's distinctly different Dao Lineage was the first to bear the brunt.
At the same time, within the Academy, the cultivator Huiming from the West often had a trace of struggle flash through his eyes after sensing the completion of the Heavenly Dao.
Though he agreed with some of the Confucian Dao's ideals, his roots remained more deeply tied to the Way of the West.
Now, under the Order of the Heavenly Dao and the faint summons from the Western Sect, he fell into deep confusion. His very presence had become a potential destabilizing factor within the Academy.
Inside, there were struggles of weighing and choosing; outside, the coercion of the Heavenly Court.
Under the Heavenly Dao, Myriad Dao Academy's small boat had not yet fully steadied itself from the stormy waves of uniting with Dao when it was met by new wind and waves.
Could Xuanjizi properly deal with the Heavenly Court's envoy? Where would Huiming go from here?
When would Wanhua's many arrangements begin to show their effects? The path of Dao Struggle was thorny at every step, testing the wisdom and courage of every steadfast defender within the Academy.
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