[Where People's Hearts Turn Lies the Greater Trend]

Cough!

Even Lord Zhí Míng, with all his vast experience, froze upon hearing Xuan Qing's words. Then he shook his head. "You are a Sage's disciple, after all, and represent the Sage's dignity. Don't go coveting my spiritual treasures!"

Dignity?

Could it be eaten?

Or traded for a few Innate Spiritual Treasures?

Xuan Qing grumbled inwardly.

Although he had comprehended the method of the Other Self, and could theoretically manifest countless Other Self Incarnations, without Innate objects to bear the thoughts of those other selves, they would be like duckweed without roots, unable to advance their cultivation through self-cultivation.

Otherwise, he would not have separated only one Other Self Incarnation—Suiren Shi.

That thought of his other self was entrusted to the high-grade Innate Spiritual Root, the Suiming Tree. It possessed boundless potential and could also draw upon the power of faith from countless humans.

Xuan Qing did have several Innate objects on him, but the Purple Lightning Hammer, the Sudden Thunder Zither, and the Innate Thunder Pool were all lightning-attributed Innate objects.

They did suit Lei Ze's authority as the Thunder God.

Unfortunately, lightning-attributed Innate objects were utterly rigid and yang in nature. Coupled with the conflict between their Great Daos, they simply could not bear Yu Jiang's two authorities.

He needed Innate objects compatible with the authority of the Wind God and the authority of the Plague God.

Seeing this, Xuan Qing refined the Essence of Gui Water while forcing out a smile. "Senior, you do not even like traveling. Wouldn't those Innate Spiritual Treasures simply gather dust?"

"That has nothing to do with you!" Lord Zhí Míng snapped. "Every Innate Spiritual Treasure contains at least one law. Each one is unique and exceedingly rare. Can't I keep them to comprehend the Great Dao within?"

Of course he could!

He very much could!

That was precisely what Xuan Qing had in mind as well.

That was why, when he saw Lord Zhí Míng take out nearly a hundred Innate Spiritual Treasures, he had been so shocked that he nearly wanted to hug the other's thigh and practice the Dao of Gnawing.

Other than lacking an Innate Supreme Treasure, Lord Zhí Míng's fortune was nearly comparable to that of his own teacher.

What was more, among that pile of spiritual treasures, he spotted one of the Innate Five Directional Flags, the Mysterious Origin Water Control Banner, as well as the Northern Black Chi Gun Horn Demon-Slaying Sword, which the future True Martial Emperor would wield to slay demons and devils!

I originally thought the True Martial Emperor was the reincarnation of the Mysterious Black Tortoise of the North Sea, but now it seems more likely that he is a fragment of Lord Zhí Míng's soul!

The True Martial Emperor treads upon turtle and serpent, wielding his sword to slay demons and devils. That fits the image of the Black Tortoise even more closely, and the ritual artifact he will use to attain the Dao is also in Lord Zhí Míng's possession!

Though Xuan Qing appeared to be lost in thought, he was secretly pondering within. Since the True Martial Emperor is a fragment of Lord Zhí Míng's soul, then what about the Mysterious Tortoise of the Northern Abyss? After Empress Nuwa cuts off its four legs to support the heavens, could it truly perish?

A tortoise?

Tortoise Spirit?

A conjecture suddenly flashed through his mind. He immediately looked at Lord Zhí Míng. "By the way, Senior Zhí Míng, I heard that there is another senior Mysterious Tortoise in the Northern Abyss. I intend to pay a visit. Might I ask whether that senior is a male immortal or a female immortal?"

"Since you are acquainted with it, Senior, could you tell me?" Xuan Qing paused, then asked cautiously, "So that I do not accidentally breach etiquette when paying my respects!"

Lord Zhí Míng answered casually, "Innate Divine Beings do not distinguish between male and female. Generally speaking, they only choose a male or female form after taking shape. That Mysterious Tortoise has yet to take shape, so how could there be any distinction of gender?"

"You may simply address it as Senior."

Suddenly, Lord Zhí Míng seemed to think of something. His expression changed drastically. "Wait, the Innate Eight Trigrams excel at deduction. Did you see some fragment of the future?"

Xuan Qing was startled by his words, then countered, "What did you see, Senior?"

Great Divine Power Users, more or less, all deduced the Heavenly Secrets. They might occasionally glimpse a corner of the future, but the future was ever-changing. No one dared claim that the future they saw would definitely become reality.

An existence like Lord Zhí Míng might truly have seen something.

As Lord Zhí Míng brought out the Myriad Tribulation Chessboard to conceal the Heavenly Secrets, he sighed softly. "I saw the Mysterious Tortoise perish, its four limbs used by others as materials for Artifact Refining!"

"And you?"

Only after a long while did Lord Zhí Míng continue, "When heaven and earth were first opened, Daluo was originally omniscient and omnipotent. But as the number of Great Golden Immortals increased and all manner of Innate Spiritual Treasures emerged one after another, their authorities interwove and concealed one another. The River of Time and Space thus developed countless branches, while the mists of fate obscured the Heavenly Secrets!"

"Generally speaking, only Daluo can possibly glimpse the future. Yet you seem somewhat unusual. Though you are still Taiyi, you have already condensed some of Daluo's characteristics!"

"Together with the Innate Eight Trigrams, it is not impossible for you to glimpse a corner of the future!"

After considering his words carefully, Xuan Qing said, "I saw Buzhou Mountain collapse, the Heavenly River overturn, and the Sages mend the heavens to save the world. The Mystic Tortoise's Four Legs replaced Buzhou Mountain and became the new Pillar of Heaven!"

He had indeed seen the future.

After comprehending the Innate Eight Trigrams, he had used certain mythological details from later generations to deduce events that might occur in the future.

When ordinary people made deductions, they could only glimpse a general direction and arrive at a vague result.

But Xuan Qing was a transmigrator, making deductions while already knowing the outcome.

Thus, even under normal circumstances, he naturally saw more than other cultivators.

He had come to the North Sea precisely to see whether he could first befriend the Mysterious Black Tortoise of the North Sea, seize a portion of the initiative, and perhaps gain some Merit by following the greater trend.

Upon hearing this, Lord Zhí Míng became even more certain of his conjecture. "It seems the futures we saw are similar! Fellow Daoist Mysterious Tortoise is destined to face this calamity!"

"Can the future be changed?"

Xuan Qing voiced his doubts.

Different people had different answers to this question. He had also asked Taiqing Laozi and Sect Master Tongtian, and both had answered that minor trends could be changed, while the greater trend could not.

"What is the greater trend?"

Rather than answer directly, Lord Zhí Míng asked Xuan Qing this question.

Without waiting for Xuan Qing to answer, he continued on his own, "Where people's hearts turn lies the greater trend! To Sages, whatever benefits themselves is the greater trend!"

"Do you understand?"

Xuan Qing frowned slightly and cupped his hands toward Lord Zhí Míng. "Please enlighten me, Senior!"

Lord Zhí Míng gave Xuan Qing a meaningful look, then turned his gaze toward the void. "Put another way, what do you think the Great Divine Power Users of the Primordial World fear most?"

"It is Pangu's return!"

Lord Zhí Míng glanced toward Buzhou Mountain. "The Primordial World was formed from Great God Pangu's physical body! We living beings all revere Great God Pangu. Your teacher, your two senior uncles, and the Witch Race's Twelve Ancestral Witches all claim to be Pangu Orthodox! But only a dead Pangu is a good Pangu!"

"Even when a Great Golden Immortal falls, there remains a sliver of a chance to return. Let alone Pangu, who opened heaven and earth!"

"In the vast Primordial World, aside from the Witch Race, I fear not a single living being wishes for Pangu to revive and return from that endless expanse of time and space!"

"If he returns, what would we living beings become?"

"Would we vanish completely?"

"Or would we become part of Pangu's Great Dao, becoming existences akin to Other Self Incarnations?"

Xuan Qing was stunned.

He came from later generations and revered Pangu as well, but this was indeed something he had never considered.

The Three Pure Ones had been formed from Pangu's Primordial Spirit. If Pangu returned, could they continue to exist?

Most likely not!

It was like a living being losing a few drops of essence blood. At most, it would be weakened for a time.

But if it lost its primordial spirit, how would that differ from death?

Therefore, if Pangu returned, then aside from the Twelve Ancestral Witches, most living beings of the Primordial Wilderness, including the Three Pure Ones, would likely become part of Pangu!

Of course, this was merely a conjecture!

But that was enough!

Even if it was only a conjecture, they would eradicate it, eliminating Pangu's traces as much as possible and preventing Pangu's true spirit from returning from that endless expanse of time and space.

And this, ever since the Primordial World was opened and countless living beings gained consciousness... was the greatest trend of all!

New book, please follow, vote with monthly tickets, save it to your collection, and recommend it.