[Nothing But Fairness]

Nuwa had also heard Xuan Qing's sigh. In fact, as a Heavenly Dao Saint, she saw far more. She knew that the Witch and Demon Clans had incurred the wrath of the masses and were now on the verge of being abandoned by the Heavenly Dao, liable to face calamity at any moment.

That was why she had advised Fuxi to leave the Heavenly Court and find a way to sever his karmic ties with the Demon Clan.

But Fuxi believed that since the hearts of the people formed the greater trend, as long as the Demon Clan could unify the Primordial Wilderness and gather boundless Fortune, the greater trend of the Heavenly Dao would naturally favor the Demon Clan.

The two had argued over this several times.

Unfortunately, both were people of strong convictions, and neither could persuade the other...

A glimmer flashed through her beautiful eyes as she looked toward Xuan Qing. "People's hearts are fickle, good one moment and bad the next. What kind of Heavenly Dao do you think can guide all beings?"

That was right!

She, too, felt that something was amiss. In her view, the Heavenly Dao should guide all beings, rather than be swept along by the Will of All Beings.

"The Great Dao is formless, giving birth to Heaven and Earth. The Great Dao is without feeling, setting the sun and moon in motion. The Great Dao is nameless, nurturing all things!"

After giving it some thought, Xuan Qing said, "The Heavenly Dao in my heart should move closer to the Great Dao. In my opinion, the Heavenly Dao need not cater to the will of all beings, nor need it interfere with their choices. It only needs to preserve the world's fundamental workings while stopping acts that harm the world, such as those committed by Luohu!"

A Heavenly Dao without a fixed greater trend was the best kind of Heavenly Dao. If the future remained unchanged, or if it only developed by catering to the wishes of some beings, then the future would become stagnant water, and the Primordial Wilderness would inevitably decline.

In Xuan Qing's view, the Heavenly Dao only needed to operate in a fixed manner, like a program. Even if it needed to evolve, it should not evolve directly toward what all beings expected. It needed someone to help it find balance, balancing the laws governing the world's basic operations against the desires within the hearts of all beings in the Primordial Wilderness.

If the ideas of all beings were good, it could adopt them. If their ideas were detrimental to the world's development, there was no need for it to cater to their will.

What it needed was a central mind to weigh the pros and cons for it, not a Dao Ancestor who had merged with the Dao.

"You're only a Taiyi, yet you have quite a lot on your mind." Nuwa smiled, then took out a spiritual treasure. "I will not interfere with the greater trend of the Heavenly Dao, nor will I involve myself in karma. But I can lend you a magic treasure for your use. Whether you can rewrite the future and guide the greater trend of the Heavenly Dao in a new direction will depend on your own abilities!"

It was a scroll-like Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure. Within it, the mountains, rivers, and earth veins of the Primordial World appeared and disappeared faintly, while the Four Seas and Eight Desolations exuded an ancient, desolate aura.

"The Map of Mountains and Rivers!"

Xuan Qing could not help crying out.

This Innate Spiritual Treasure was absolutely one of the strongest magic treasures in Nuwa's possession. Only a few top-grade treasures, such as the Precious Lotus Lantern and the Red Embroidered Ball, could compare with it.

He did not understand. Had Nuwa not intended to remain a bystander? Why had she suddenly changed her mind?

As though she had guessed his thoughts, Nuwa slowly said, "This treasure is merely lent to you by me, just as I lent the innate gourd I obtained from Buzhou Mountain to Demon Emperor Jun to refine the Monster Summoning Banner! For the sake of fairness, since I lent an Innate Spiritual Treasure to the Demon Clan, I should naturally lend one to the human race as well!"

"Di Jun used the Monster Summoning Banner to gather the Demon Clan and amass the greater trend. I did not interfere. Whatever you use the Map of Mountains and Rivers for, I will not interfere either!"

"If you incur karma, you will bear it yourself!"

"Of course, when Di Jun returns the Monster Summoning Banner, I will also take back the Map of Mountains and Rivers!"

It had to be said that Nuwa had found an excellent excuse. Lending the Map of Mountains and Rivers to Xuan Qing was merely a way to correct the assistance she had given the Demon Clan.

Nothing but fairness—nothing but fairness. No one could utter even half a word of objection!

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Xuan Qing immediately bowed in thanks.

Though Nuwa spoke of fairness, he understood that she had already been moved by his words and was willing to offer some support for his attempt.

And with an opening now available, certain matters became much easier to handle.

"Ahem!"

Xuan Qing could not help coughing lightly as he shamelessly said, "I will certainly repay Your Majesty's great kindness a hundredfold, but I have one more presumptuous request!"

"No, two!"

"I hope Your Majesty will grant them!"

Nuwa's brows furrowed slightly, as though she had not expected Xuan Qing to be so troublesome. She immediately waved out a gust of Qing Feng. "Since you've already called them presumptuous requests, then don't mention them!"

In an instant, Xuan Qing felt the world spin. A surge of spacetime power enveloped him, and when he opened his eyes again, he was already within the earth vein where he had originally been.

"Your Majesty!"

He tried to call out, but Nuwa had no intention of paying him any attention. Only the Map of Mountains and Rivers crossed through time and space, landing with incomparable precision in the empty air before him.

A woman's heart was as unfathomable as the depths of the sea!

Xuan Qing could not understand why Nuwa, who had just been so pleasant and gentle, had suddenly changed her expression.

He had still wanted to ask her for two favors!

"Alas!"

Xuan Qing let out a long sigh.

What he wished to ask was not difficult. He merely hoped that Nuwa could imprint a copy of the Dao essence of the Innate Spiritual Treasures in her possession within his spiritual platform.

Besides that, he wanted to ask whether she could restore the Yin-Yang Two Qi Bottle he had obtained from the Golden-Winged Great Peng back to its original form as Innate Yin-Yang Energies.

Neither of these matters would affect the greater trend of the Heavenly Dao. They only concerned Xuan Qing's cultivation, and logically, they should not have caused her to become involved in any karma.

Yet Nuwa's attitude had changed abruptly, and she had directly thrown him out of Grand Simplicity Heaven!

"Forget it!"

"I'll talk about it later!"

As Xuan Qing put away the Map of Mountains and Rivers, he consoled himself. Once his cultivation improved, it was not as though he would have no chance to seek an audience with Nuwa on his own initiative.

Besides, the Map of Mountains and Rivers was still in his hands. If she wished to retrieve the treasure someday, she would sooner or later have dealings with Xuan Qing again!

There were hundreds of Innate Spiritual Treasure Dao essences within his spiritual platform. He had not even comprehended half of them yet, so he did not currently lack the Dao essences of the Innate Spiritual Treasures in Nuwa's possession.

As for restoring the Yin-Yang Two Qi Bottle to Innate Yin-Yang Energies, it would be the same if he returned to Kunlun Mountain later and sought help from Sect Master Tongtian.

There was no rush!

Xuan Qing consoled himself this way.

This trip to Grand Simplicity Heaven had not only brought about a transformation in his strength, but had also allowed him to temporarily wield the Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, the Map of Mountains and Rivers.

His gains were already immense!

"The Map of Mountains and Rivers is a map of the ancient Primordial Wilderness. It contains a world of its own. With the terrain within it as a reference, finding the legendary Wuyi Mountain and the Treasure-Dropping Coin will become much easier!"

Just as Xuan Qing was imagining the future, a furious shout suddenly rang out from the void. "Where did this little thief come from, daring to hide in the territory of the Witch Race?"

"Not good!"

Xuan Qing's expression changed at once, and he hurriedly announced his identity. "This poor Daoist is Xuan Qing, and my master is Tongtian..."

But before Xuan Qing could finish speaking, an incomparably powerful force plunged directly into the earth vein, crashing about in all directions and sending him flying!

Immediately afterward, a powerful surge of blood qi carrying baleful intent slammed directly into him, blasting him into a nearby mountain.

"It's a misunderstanding!"

Xuan Qing hurriedly shouted, "I am Xuan Qing, a disciple under Saint Tongtian! I was merely passing through this place. Great Witch Jiu Feng, please refrain from attacking for now!"

Just moments ago, Nuwa had teleported him back from Grand Simplicity Heaven. In his haste, he had forgotten to conceal his aura, and Jiu Feng, the great Witch Race shaman guarding this place, had discovered him!

He was helpless as well!

Fortunately, he had cultivated the Grand Unity Dharma Body. Otherwise, Jiu Feng's strike would have caused him severe injuries.

And after hearing Xuan Qing report the Sage's name, Jiu Feng did not act rashly. She merely watched the currently dusty and disheveled Xuan Qing with an extremely wary gaze.

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