Inside the Chessboard Mountain cave abode.
Zhou Yuan and Guizhenzi discussed the Dao.
Of course, Zhou Yuan did most of the talking while Guizhenzi listened.
He had already refined the Innate Spiritual Treasure, the Heavenly Machine Chessboard. Though his True One Realm strength made it difficult to refine it completely, his understanding of the laws of Heavenly Machine was still far beyond Guizhenzi's.
After a long while, the two stopped their discussion of the Dao.
Guizhenzi's aura surged around him, clearly showing that he had gained greatly.
"Dao Brother's Dao cultivation is profound. This discourse has benefited this old man immensely."
The Dao of Heavenly Machine was profound and obscure. If Zhou Yuan had not shared all his insights without reservation, he would likely have had to take many detours.
At that thought, the idea already forming in Guizhenzi's heart became even firmer.
He smiled at Zhou Yuan and said:
"Dao Brother can calculate Heavenly Machine and knows the general trends of the world. Do you know how the myriad living beings of the Zhou Tian Universe, the Four Seas and Eight Wastelands, are classified?"
Zhou Yuan raised a brow. This old turtle had a mysterious background and likely a remarkable origin. How else could an ordinary True One Realm cultivator casually produce something like a black turtle shell and vermilion bird feathers?
Yet now, he had abruptly brought up such a baffling question.
Zhou Yuan sat upright and cupped his hands.
"This humble Daoist's knowledge is limited. I ask Fellow Daoist to enlighten me."
"Since Pangu's World Creation, the clear qi rose to become the heavens, while the turbid qi descended to become the earth. Thus, all things and living beings came into existence."
"When all is said and done, these countless living beings can be divided into only four categories."
"The first consists of ancient survivors of chaos from Pangu Clan's era. My clan has records of them, but this old man has never encountered one. Perhaps those seniors have all gone far into chaos."
"The second consists of Innate Divine Beings born from heaven and earth. Such Great Divine Ability Users were born in accordance with the laws and Great Dao of heaven and earth, receiving the fortune of both."
"Innate Divine Beings possess varied temperaments. Some were born bearing Pangu Clan's legacy, while others descended from the Chaos Demon Gods. Yet all of them are powerful figures."
At this point, Guizhenzi sighed.
"The third are Innate Beings like Dao Brother. Without father or mother, they are creations of heaven and earth. Though their foundations are shallow, they at least possess foundations."
"The fourth are Postnatal Beings like this old man."
"Fellow Daoist is actually a Postnatal Being?"
Zhou Yuan asked in surprise:
"I perceive a dense water-element aura within Fellow Daoist, which belongs to the innate lineage. How can you be a Postnatal Being?"
Guizhenzi gave a strange chuckle.
"This old man was born from dampness and hatched from an egg. How am I not a Postnatal Being? It is merely that an ancestor of my main clan possessed immense divine abilities and passed down a method for us branch clans to Reverse to Innate. Only after enduring countless hardships in cultivation did I attain my present Dao cultivation and divine abilities."
The Turbid Fiend God-Demon Path valued one's foundations above all else. Had he not Reversed to Innate, achieving the True One Realm with a postnatal body would have required untold resources and wasted who knew how much time.
Zhou Yuan nodded. He did not trade empty pleasantries with the old turtle and instead spoke directly.
"Fellow Daoist has brought up the living beings of the Zhou Tian Universe. What advice do you have?"
"You and I have known each other for years. Just speak plainly."
Guizhenzi pondered for a moment.
"Since Dao Brother has said so, this humble Daoist shall be direct."
"What does Dao Brother think of Innate Divine Beings and Postnatal Beings?"
What did he think?
Zhou Yuan's gaze flickered. After considering it for a moment, he spoke solemnly.
"Innate Divine Beings are sacred from birth, favored by the fortune of heaven and earth. They stand high above, seated in the lofty heavens as they overlook the passage of time. This humble Daoist cannot put the profundity of their realms into words."
"But though Postnatal Beings are born lowly, so long as they possess perseverance and determination, they may not be unable to strive to become Innate Divine Beings."
"Dao Brother makes it sound simple."
Guizhenzi sneered.
"For those of us covered in fur and bearing horns, born from dampness and hatched from eggs, cultivation is incomparably difficult."
"Those lofty gods and demons regard Postnatal Beings as nothing more than food and ants."
"At a whim, they destroy mountains and exterminate clans, penning us up and slaughtering us."
"We dwell within the primordial wilderness, yet when have we ever possessed even the slightest freedom? Much less become Innate Divine Beings, or even attain the Dao Fruit."
Innate Divine Beings had differing dispositions. Some were detached from worldly affairs, transcendent and unworldly.
Some pitied all living things and possessed boundless compassion.
Naturally, there were also those who disregarded all life and were ruthless and cruel.
But regardless, Postnatal Beings were dust and ants in their eyes. From birth until death, Postnatal Beings had never enjoyed even the slightest right that residents of the primordial wilderness ought to possess.
After Guizhenzi finished speaking, he looked at Zhou Yuan with burning eyes.
"Now, Innate Divine Beings have taken pity on us myriad races, lonely and without support."
"They have made a great vow to establish the Myriad Races Alliance, using it to lead the myriad races and protect our clansmen."
"I see that Dao Brother possesses great perseverance, great determination, and great wisdom."
"Though you are an Innate Being, your nature is kind. You have been exceedingly friendly toward the postnatal races of Chessboard Mountain."
"Would Dao Brother be willing to join us and together establish a foundation that will last for ten thousand generations?!"
As Zhou Yuan looked at the animated old man before him, it felt as though a bolt of lightning had exploded beneath a clear sky in his heart.
What Myriad Races Alliance? It was undoubtedly the Demon Race.
Leading the myriad races and opposing the authority-bearing gods and demons born from heaven and earth, as well as the Divine Demon Cultivators of the Witch Gate—this was absolutely the Demon Race of later generations.
He had not even been out of the beginner village for long before becoming directly entangled with the great trends of the primordial wilderness.
Fate truly toyed with people, and karma was impossible to calculate.
Seeing Zhou Yuan remain silent in thought,
Guizhenzi secretly sighed.
This Dao Brother Taiyuanzi was good in every way, except that he was far too cautious in his dealings.
His own reason for joining the Myriad Races Alliance was indeed to seek refuge and protect his clan, but ultimately, it was also for fortune and cultivation.
In this world, when the time was right, heaven and earth would lend their strength; when fortune departed, even heroes could not act freely.
The various Divine Demon Dynasties and tribes vied for dominance across the primordial wilderness. Only by gathering immense fortune could they achieve the grand spectacle of gods and demons like clouds and cultivators like rain beneath their banners.
The Myriad Races Alliance had only just been established, but with the support of several Great Divine Ability Users, it would obviously become a major force.
Joining now would make one an elder from the founding days.
It was a tremendous opportunity for both one's clan and one's cultivation.
There would naturally be risks involved.
But in the primordial wilderness, as a small clan among the myriad races,
Taiyuanzi possessed great potential yet had no relatives to serve as his wings. He would be the perfect ally for the black turtle clan of his own Conglan River within the Myriad Races Alliance.
It seemed he would have to reveal more information, lest Dao Brother Taiyuanzi continue to hesitate.
In order to recruit an ally into the fold, the old turtle said mysteriously:
"Does Dao Brother know that the Myriad Spirit Mountain Range is actually one of the Myriad Races Alliance's bases?!"
Zhou Yuan revealed a curious expression, but inwardly shook his head frantically. As the saying went, the more one knew, the faster one died. Do not harm me.
Yet Guizhenzi did not treat him as an outsider and continued speaking on his own.
"This old man regards Dao Brother as one of his own."
"What is said today leaves my mouth and enters your ears. It must not be passed on any further."
"Our base comes from the Phoenix Perch Mountain lineage. Standing behind it are two Great Divine Ability Users: Dao Lord Fuxi and Empress Nuwa."
Fuxi, Nuwa!
So that was it.
No wonder those two of Phoenix Perch Mountain had preached the Dao here for several thousand years.
No wonder the Myriad Spirit Mountain Range alone contained several Grand Unity Great Sages and more than ten True One Realm cultivators.
Zhou Yuan suddenly understood.
He had wanted to improve his strength before the Witch-Demon Tribulation arrived, then find a place for secluded cultivation to seek fortune and avoid misfortune.
Yet he had not expected that, immediately after leaving home, he would arrive at one of the future Demon Race's gathering places.
"I never expected such hidden secrets to exist."
"This humble Daoist will carefully consider what Fellow Daoist has said."
Zhou Yuan did not wish to join the Demon Race and step into the great tribulation. But the Myriad Spirit Mountain Range was one of the future Demon Race's main strongholds. It would be inappropriate to refuse outright, so he could only evade the matter like this.
Guizhenzi did not know what Zhou Yuan was thinking.
Seeing him act this way,
he found it difficult to press further.
Yet he secretly thought that now Dao Brother Taiyuanzi knew that two Dao Lords of Phoenix Perch Mountain supported the Myriad Spirit Mountain Range from behind, he was likely more than willing to join the Myriad Races Alliance.
After all, the weight carried by two Innate Dao Lords could not be ignored.
Not to mention that they were two extraordinary Great Divine Ability Users.
He had not accepted my invitation earlier. Now that I have invoked Empress Nuwa and Dao Lord Fuxi, directly agreeing would make him seem like someone who fawned over power. Saying that he would consider it carefully now meant that he had actually agreed.
The black turtle clan of my Conglan River now had a powerful ally in the Myriad Spirit Mountain Range.
Guizhenzi stroked his grizzled beard and chuckled happily.
"Since Dao Brother has made up his mind,"
"this old man shall take his leave first."
"Oh, and great changes will occur within one Yuan Assembly. Dao Brother may restrain yourself and wait for the proper time."
"When the time comes, an envoy will conduct inspections. Fellow Daoist must not casually leave the Myriad Spirit Mountain Range."
The old turtle spoke with considerable meaning in his words.
"With Dao Brother's abilities, you will surely establish merit and achieve great things then!"
With that, Guizhenzi drifted away.
Only Zhou Yuan remained, watching his departing figure and feeling that Guizhenzi's final few words were rather strange.
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