Debate, Questionnaire, Resistance!

"Friend Dijiang, hear me out."

Great Sage Fuxi wore a beaming smile, looking like an exceedingly amiable old man. Yet the moment he began speaking, his words crashed down like rolling thunder, bombarding the Witch Clan's top experts.

"The Witch Clan has no future."

"Rather than wasting your time there on useless work, why not lay down your arms, defect, and surrender with proper courtesy?"

"I, Fuxi—the Demon Clan's Xi Emperor—will stake my personal reputation on this." Great Sage Fuxi slapped his chest. "If you are willing to join the Demon Clan, I will do everything in my power to recommend you, ensuring you receive a princely title and command over the boundless mountains and rivers of the Primordial World!"

The Xi Emperor's words left every Great Witch and Ancestral Witch of the Witch Clan present feeling terrible, as if they had been left floundering in the wind.

What the hell is going on?

He had started by trying to recruit them, attempting to poach the Witch Clan's top combat strength?

He was directly persuading Dijiang to switch sides... Could this be the Xi Emperor's response and counterattack to the situation earlier, when Nuwa had been rendered speechless by Dijiang?

His little sister had been bullied, so her elder brother was stepping up to settle the score—yes, perfectly normal and reasonable.

"Friend Fuxi, are you looking down on me?" Ancestral Witch Dijiang sneered. "If I were greedy for power and devoted to pleasure, why would I have waited until now to surrender?"

"With my strength, if I had applied to join when the Demon Clan was first founded, I would naturally have become a prince."

"Since I chose the path of the Witch Clan, it is of course because it contains my dreams and ideals... It allows me to pursue them regardless of the cost."

"Friend Dijiang's dreams and ideals?" The Xi Emperor smiled ambiguously. "Could you tell me about them?"

"Carry on Pangu's spirit and fulfill Pangu's Great Vow!" Dijiang declared solemnly. "Pangu created Heaven and Earth amid the chaos... At the final moment, when Heaven and Earth were formed, he even sacrificed himself, merging his flesh and blood into the universe and creating this colorful, beautiful world!"

—Pangu Creates Heaven and Earth, exhausting his strength and perishing.

After his death, his flesh and blood became mountains and rivers, his eyes shone as the sun and moon, the eternal stars revolved through the heavens, and his breath stirred the wind and thunder, balancing yin and yang... He had created a beautiful Primordial World!

"This world is beautiful." Dijiang spoke with deep emotion. "As the continuation of Pangu's bloodline, we Ancestral Witches have a duty to preserve this beauty..."

"To let the living beings of this universe build an ideal age, so that all under Heaven may live as one!"

"In that age, there will be no meaningless slaughter, and the myriad races will coexist harmoniously... The instinctive need of living beings to hunt and feed will be satisfied by a Cultivation Civilization developed to the utmost."

"Rather than following the law of the jungle like the Demon Clan does now..."

Ancestral Witch Dijiang's words rang out with power. Not far away, Feng Xi was leading the dragon carriage while dawdling and repeatedly looking back. He almost burst into cheers.

However, the Xi Emperor merely continued smiling at Dijiang's speech, showing not the slightest sign of being persuaded.

In the end, he only gave a reluctant "Oh," indicating that he understood, then commented blandly, "Your ideal is truly magnificent and deeply stirring."

"But this is your ideal, the Witch Clan's ideal... It is merely your ideal." The Xi Emperor abruptly changed tack. "Does all the world's living beings acknowledge it? Do they need this ideal of yours?"

"To impose your own ideal on everyone and force them to accept it... No matter how well-intentioned you are, that in itself is a trampling of other people's hearts."

"You believe that you hold lofty convictions and must change the age... But the living beings of this age may not accept your good intentions."

"Perhaps you understand this principle as well. That is why your Witch Clan built its own military force... You intend to use violence to drive the transformation of the age?"

"But do you know how many living beings will die in the process?"

Worry appeared on the Xi Emperor's face. He seemed saddened as he pitied the living beings who would face a horrific calamity in the future... The slight curl of his lips was the manifestation of even this Demon Clan Emperor's inability to control his turbulent heart, making his features seem twisted and unreal.

"Countless living beings, numbering in the trillions upon trillions, will be destroyed because of the Witch Clan's ideal... And then the Witch Clan will loudly proclaim that its ideal is meant to make the world a better place?"

"Ha!" Great Sage Fuxi laughed sarcastically. "Is there anything more laughable than that?"

"Friend Dijiang, wake up! Turn back from the wrong path and lay down your butcher's knife—that is what you truly ought to do!" he urged earnestly. "The Witch Clan should abolish its military establishment, withdraw from its confrontation with the Demon Clan, and even join us..."

"Then the future of the Primordial World will not be shrouded in smoke and flames, and the world will be at peace... Would that not be wonderful?"

There was a reason Fuxi had been judged one of the most troublesome figures among the Demon Emperors by Ancestral Witch Dijiang.

Compared with Nuwa, he was better at reasoning with people—so long as the option of overpowering them by force did not arise.

At that moment, the Xi Emperor began with all living beings and used the righteous slogan of protecting the lives of the Myriad Spirits to refute the position and foundation of the Ancestral Witches, even the entire Witch Clan, prying loose their cornerstone.

Grand and righteous, reasonable and proper, it was difficult to find fault with or refute.

Ancestral Witch Houtu frowned, while the accompanying Great Witches exchanged glances.

Fortunately, at the crucial moment, Dijiang was as dependable as before and argued back.

"As the saying goes, short pain is better than long pain." His expression was solemn. "That's right... War will indeed bring tremendous casualties."

"But!"

"War is also the best way to shatter the shackles and fetters of the old age and establish a more glorious future upon the ruins!"

"We can do the math." Dijiang remained composed. "Under the current conditions, how many living beings are sacrificed every moment because of predation along the food chain, and because the strong act without restraint or punishment?"

"With such conditions, every day of continued existence means constant bloodshed and a slow march toward death!"

"But if we establish a perfect order and then develop it on a grand scale... Even if countless living beings die in war, the loss can be recovered after the passage of long years."

"After that, we will surpass it!"

"In the long run, how can anyone say that the Witch Clan's path and ideal are wrong?"

Dijiang delivered his speech with passion. Fuxi listened while nodding along in agreement.

When he finished, the Xi Emperor even applauded him. "Makes sense, makes sense."

"I deeply admire your heart..." Great Sage Fuxi said. "How about this?"

"In a moment, I will use my authority and connections as a Demon Clan Emperor to conduct a questionnaire for you."

"Rest assured. I will be completely impartial and report everything truthfully."

"I will ask all living beings whether they are willing to make a temporary sacrifice for the sake of benefiting living beings in the future."

"Hmm..." The Xi Emperor pondered. "Questioning all living beings does seem somewhat difficult?"

"The Primordial World is too vast, and there are too many living beings!" he exclaimed. "Besides, many living beings are ignorant and unenlightened... They are simply unsuitable as survey subjects."

"There is no helping it... It seems I will have to define the survey's target group." The Xi Emperor sighed. "For example, cultivators with cultivation, spirits born with intelligence, and living beings who have received a good education..."

"Measured against the population of the entire Primordial World, these people can already be considered outstanding talents... Wouldn't you agree?"

"Given their wisdom and vision, surely the choices they make will also be intelligent and farsighted!"

"As for the Demon Clan's Demon Gods and the Great Divine Ability Users of Heaven and Earth, I will send the questionnaire to every one of them!"

While speaking to himself, the Xi Emperor arranged the entire questionnaire plan.

This action, which appeared to be treasonous and considerate of the Witch Clan, failed to bring even the slightest joy or smile to Dijiang's face.

"Xi Emperor... Your so-called survey has no sincerity whatsoever." Dijiang sighed. "You are asking the beneficiaries of the current order, the exploiting classes who profit from it, and letting their voices speak for every living being in Heaven and Earth... What meaning could such an answer have?"

"How could it have no meaning?" the Xi Emperor asked with a smile. "Am I not telling you who your enemies are?"

"I'm not even charging you for this, and you still can't recognize my good intentions?"

"Your Witch Clan seeks to reform Heaven, Earth, and the Dao... Since you have embarked on such a path, you must be mentally prepared to become the enemy of the entire world!"

"All beneficiaries will stand in the same camp and exert pressure on you—that is only natural." The Xi Emperor leaned forward slightly. "What else is something that is only natural called?"

Before the Ancestral Witch could answer, he said it himself. "It is called—the will of Heaven!"

"The Witch Clan's ideal appears grand, but it does not correspond with the great trend of this age, nor does it align with the wishes of the powerful beings who control strength in this era."

"Like a madman's dream, absurd and preposterous... The Witch Clan is so ignorant of the will of Heaven that it will likely meet an unfortunate end in the future." The Xi Emperor shook his head, seemingly pitying the Witch Clan.

"Recognize the will of Heaven?" Dijiang suddenly burst out laughing. "That word does not exist in my life."

"The so-called will of Heaven is merely the beautification of the choices made by those who possess great power, borrowing Heaven's name of fairness and justice to carry out their private will."

"To advise people to recognize the will of Heaven is merely an alternative way of telling them to accept their fate and lower their heads... With a casual mention of the will of Heaven, how many people's determination to strive and struggle has been crushed?"

"When facing powerful enemies and perilous circumstances, instead of raising the fist of resistance, they use the will of Heaven to define everything, obeying Heaven and accepting fate..."

"Most of those who advise people to recognize the will of Heaven are either accomplices of tyrants or bystanders unconcerned with the matter."

Great Sage Fuxi listened to Dijiang's accusations without moving. Instead, he watched with great interest, letting him continue and seeing how he would hold forth.

"What is the will of Heaven in this age? Which of us top experts does not know?" Dijiang said. "When all is said and done, it is merely Hong's thought, Hong's will."

"He wants to merge with the Heavenly Dao, control the Heavenly Dao, and thereby ascend."

"In the process, he needs to eliminate certain hidden dangers." The Ancestral Witch's voice turned cold. "These hidden dangers are not a single person... They are a will!"

"A Great Vow for the Human Dao to strike down Heaven, transform the world, and make Heaven and Earth turn for my sake!"

"He wants to eliminate this threat... So he will tacitly permit the Demon Clan to appear and permit the various social tiers to be arranged above and below one another."

"He will let many powerful beings become satisfied with this state of affairs and turn them into knives in his hand, into accomplices of the tyrant... Even if countless low-level living beings are sacrificed in the process."

"But how could he care about the lives and deaths of those beings?" As he spoke, Dijiang sneered. "If Hong obtained the essence of the Heavenly Dao, that would actually be a good thing. Because the true Heavenly Dao is impartial and emotionless, yet also utterly fair and just."

"It has never cared about gains or losses. It merely maintains the operation of the world in silence—like an intelligent existence."

"Unfortunately, as a living being possessing intelligence, Hong instead has thoughts and desires of his own. He does not merely want the position of the Heavenly Dao; he also wants to modify the scope of its authority!"

"Moreover, the Heavenly Dao is incomplete!"

"Many Innate Divine Beings born in response to destiny and created by Pangu naturally possess a share of the Heavenly Dao's holdings, manifested externally in the form of providence."

"If the divine authorities of the gods were combined, Hong would be completely unable to gain absolute control of the Heavenly Dao... That is why he convened the assembly at Zixiao Palace."

"In Zixiao Palace, all the gods took their seats. He wanted to buy up their shares and make himself the one in control!"

Dijiang directly revealed a secret known only to the top experts. He did not care how many Great Luo were watching or broadcasting the scene live.

"And as the exchange of benefits, he also had to tacitly permit the gods to divide up the benefits of the Primordial World." Dijiang continued. "Thus, Saints emerged to uphold the Dao in Heaven's stead."

"And the Demon Clan's Heavenly Court emerged to rule over the world."

"This exchange of benefits, binding the will of the powerful, created the so-called great trend and the so-called will of Heaven."

"But this will of Heaven originating from Hong is nothing more than poison wrapped in honey."

Dijiang's gaze was cold. "Can you guarantee that you will always stand on the same side as him?"

"Hong will keep reaching for more, with desires that can never be satisfied... His greed absolutely exceeds your imagination."

"The river of time, listening to the notes of the future..."

He spoke as if singing, as if chanting.

"Under the will of Heaven, the Witch Clan met a sorrowful end. I did not speak out—because I am not the Witch Clan."

"Under the will of Heaven, the Saints took pills and hid from the world. I did not speak out either—because I am not a Saint."

"Under the will of Heaven, the Age of Declining Dharma arrived, and the path of cultivation was severed... I wanted to speak out, but by then no one could stand forth and answer me."

"There was only a bolt of heavenly thunder crashing down, destroying every god and every form."

Dijiang sneered. "Oh, being struck to death by lightning may not be quite appropriate... The traces of the Heavenly Dao's intervention would be too obvious."

"It should be said that a demonic calamity came upon the world..."

"When the Dao rises, demons decline; when the Dao declines, demons rise!"

"Rahu shall reappear in Heaven and Earth!"

"Huh?" The Xi Emperor blinked, then blinked again. "Wait... Isn't Rahu dead? I heard he died by self-detonation and might sink into oblivion for an immeasurable length of time?"

"You believe that too?" Dijiang drew a deep breath. "Hong, the terrifying victor who seized the fruits of the previous era's final victory—what a frightening existence!"

"How could he let an enemy who had sworn to take revenge on him run free and pretend he did not exist?"

"Would he wait for that enemy to cause trouble in secret, rally opponents, and raise the banner of rebellion from the shadows?"

"If you were him, would you be so careless?"

Fuxi thought seriously for a moment, then shook his head. "Release a tiger back into the mountains... Of course not."

"Exactly!" Dijiang clapped his hands. "As far as I know..."

"Not long after Demon Ancestor Rahu swore his oath and died, Hong used a supreme divine ability to scour the entire era, summon souls, and forcibly call the Demon Ancestor's soul back. Then he looked at him with a sinister grin—"

"Are you surprised? Was it unexpected?"

PS: Let me tell you a horror story—once upon a time, there was a group of people who loved spoiling things, and then