When the world had first opened, the beings born within it were either ferocious beasts formed from the baleful qi of heaven and earth, or deities who governed a Dao. They were born wielding various authorities and were even more ancient than the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin Clans. Yu Jiang had simultaneously governed the authority of three Daos, making him undoubtedly one of the foremost Innate Divine Beings.
Unfortunately, Yu Jiang's fortune had been poor. The Daos he governed had become an obstacle to the Dragon Clan's domination of the Four Seas, so Ancestor Dragon had led the Dragon Clan to kill him.
At that time, the Ferocious Beast Tribulation had only just ended, and the Primordial Wilderness was still in its barbaric age. The Innate Divine Beings of that era would instinctively fight over Fortune and authority.
Since the Dragon Clan wished to rule the Four Seas, how could they possibly tolerate a Sea God above them?
"Such was the time! Such was fate!"
Xuan Qing could not help but sigh. He then looked at Zhi Ming and asked, "Senior, aside from the authority of the Wind God, may I also take the authority of the Plague God?"
"As you wish!"
Zhi Ming was somewhat taken aback, then chuckled. "Too many authorities are not necessarily a good thing! You are an Immortal Dao cultivator, so it does not suit you to become entangled in too much karma. However, that fellow Mengzhang will likely be happy to see it happen!"
The current cultivation system was vastly different from that of the archaic era. By comprehending various divine abilities, Immortal Dao cultivators could likewise leverage the laws of heaven and earth.
If one governed an authority related to one's own Dao, cultivation might advance by leaps and bounds. If it was unrelated, however, it might even hinder one's cultivation.
Xuan Qing did not care.
The path he walked was one of fusing all methods, and he had also comprehended the method of the other self. He could entirely use an Other Self Incarnation to bear this karma in place of his true body.
Moreover, he had his own ulterior plans. He knew that the Witch and Demon Clans would suffer mutual destruction, Di Jun would perish, and Haotian, the Dao Ancestor's attendant, would become the new Heavenly Emperor.
Haotian would have no one at his disposal. Coupled with the Twelve Golden Immortals' arrogance and their involvement in the Karmic Tribulation, all these causes and effects would converge to give rise to the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation.
But what if the Heavenly Court did not lack people?
Having comprehended the method of the other self, Xuan Qing could completely make one person serve as several.
In truth, after splitting off his other self, "Suiren Shi," he had conceived of a bold idea.
Were the disciples of the Chan and Jie Sects not looking down on Haotian and the Heavenly Court, believing the Immortal Dao to be free and unfettered, unwilling to submit to Haotian's command?
Then he would be invested as gods all by himself!
The Heavenly Court's Upper Four Departments: Thunder, Fire, Dou, Plague; the lower four departments, the Assembly of Stars; the Three Mountains and Five Peaks; bringing rain and moving clouds; the Gods of Good and Evil—did they not all represent various authorities?
For Xuan Qing's fusion of all methods, they held unimaginable benefits. They could help him better perceive the heart of heaven and comprehend the many Daos of the Primordial World.
One man's poison was another man's honey!
Once Haotian became Heavenly Emperor, he would take the initiative to ascend to the Heavenly Court. First, he would have "Suiren Shi" contend for the Fire Department's authority. Then, using the Authority of the God of Thunder, the authority of the Wind God, and the authority of the Plague God he had obtained from Lei Ze and Yu Jiang, he would split off several Other Self Incarnations, seize divine positions, and strive to control the authorities of all eight departments by himself.
Let Haotian be the Heavenly Emperor!
What he needed to do was seize all kinds of divine positions and hollow out this Heavenly Emperor's power.
Countless thoughts flashed through Xuan Qing's mind. If he could refine these authorities of the Wind God and Plague God, then becoming a Wind God and Plague God in the future would be only natural.
He had refined the Innate Thunder Pool and governed several kinds of divine lightning. Becoming a Righteous God of the Thunder Department would not be a problem either, would it?
"Suiren Shi" had ignited the fire of civilization and had now fused several divine flames. Once humanity became the protagonist of heaven and earth, it would not be difficult for him to obtain a position as a Fire Department True God.
Later, once he found the Treasure-Dropping Coin, established a monetary and trading system, and took charge of the Department of Wealth, becoming a God of Wealth who governed the financial fortune of all living beings would not be excessive, would it?
Xuan Qing had originally been somewhat dissatisfied with Mengzhang's scheme against him, but once he thought of the two great authorities soon to be his, he tossed that dissatisfaction to the back of his mind!
Zhi Ming's voice rang out again. "Why not reconsider? Authorities may be good, but bearing karma will also consume your own Fortune."
"Thank you for informing me, Senior!"
Xuan Qing had already made up his mind and naturally did not hesitate. "I will not regret it! Senior Zhi Ming, please tell me how to refine Great God Yu Jiang's authorities!"
"Very well!" Seeing this, Zhi Ming no longer tried to persuade him. Instead, he explained, "Before Yu Jiang died, he fused his authorities of the Wind God and Plague God into a spiritual treasure called the Myriad Tribulation Chessboard! The space you are currently in, as well as the demon beasts within it, were all evolved by the Myriad Tribulation Chessboard!"
"And the Sea Eye you saw was formed from Yu Jiang's resentment. Use the Merit upon you to purify the resentment within that Sea Eye, and you will naturally obtain the authorities inside the chessboard."
Upon hearing this, Xuan Qing immediately understood.
As one of the Four Pole Sacred Beasts, Azure Dragon Mengzhang continuously accumulated Merit for every day he suppressed the Land of the Eastern Extremity. Yet all of his Merit had been used to wear away the Dragon Clan's karma.
How could he have any to spare?
No wonder Azure Dragon Mengzhang had schemed against him!
So he had set his sights on the Merit Xuan Qing had gained from drilling wood to make fire and evolving the Innate Eight Trigrams!
Karma manifested in every aspect of life and could erupt at any moment. This was especially true for those who had karmic ties with the Dragon Clan; they might bring about a catastrophe that would exterminate the clan!
Though Yu Jiang and Lei Ze, the two beings with karmic ties to the Dragon Clan, had already fallen, their Grand Unity True Spirits remained undying. What could be destroyed were only their fleshly bodies and primordial spirits. Perhaps one day, drawn by karma, they would be reborn from the endless reaches of time and space!
Both had been among the most ancient Innate Divine Beings, born when heaven and earth first opened. They were even more ancient than the renowned Three Thousand Guests of Zixiao Palace.
If they returned and settled their karma with the Dragon Clan, then given the Dragon Clan's current state, even if they were not exterminated, they would suffer an extremely devastating blow.
They might never recover from it!
Although the Dragon Clan's might was far inferior to what it had once been, it could still barely sustain itself for the moment with its former foundations. If those foundations were exhausted or it suffered a severe blow, it might truly face utter destruction!
He had heard that not long ago, Eastern Emperor Taiyi had led the Demon Clan's elite in a great battle over the Eastern Sea against several of the Dragon Clan's old ancestors.
Following Zhi Ming's instructions, Xuan Qing first used the Purple Lightning Hammer to strike the Sea Eye, forcing out Yu Jiang's resentment. He then slowly enveloped it with the Golden Light of Merit from his body.
Merit truly deserved its reputation as a universal solution. In only a moment, it erased Yu Jiang's lingering thoughts. One black and one white chess piece shot out from the Sea Eye.
They were the incarnations of Yu Jiang's authorities as the "Wind God" and "Plague God."
"Refine!"
Xuan Qing hurriedly activated the Forge of Creation.
Who knew how much time passed before the authority of the "Wind God" was refined first. It intertwined with Lei Ze's authority of the "God of Thunder" and began slowly transforming Xuan Qing's Innate Wind-Lightning Dao Body. In the void, the Power of Wind and Thunder intertwined, and the Great Dao rumbled. Their union caused waves of immortal light to radiate from Xuan Qing's body, as though he were ascending amid rosy clouds.
At that moment, Xuan Qing immediately sensed his aptitude beginning to transform once more, evolving from the root of a high-grade Innate Being toward that of a top-grade Innate Being.
The Dao Tree in his Inner Scenery Land also began to grow wildly. In only a moment, it broke through from its former height of several dozen zhang to several hundred zhang.
Its trunk had also become much thicker!
Moreover, as Xuan Qing's understanding of the Way of Wind and Thunder deepened, the Dao Tree continued growing. Faintly, it already showed signs of breaking through a thousand zhang.
Xuan Qing immediately struck while the iron was hot and refined Yu Jiang's authority of the "Plague God" in one go.
"What a creation!"
When he opened his eyes again, Xuan Qing saw a being with a human head and fish body nod slightly at him. It then transformed into specks of light and swiftly dissipated into the void.
Afterward, the void shook violently. A dizzying sensation overwhelmed him, accompanied by a powerful repulsive force that sent Xuan Qing out of this strange space.
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