Ying Zhuan looked toward Daoist Ming Zhou. His eyes had now turned pitch-black, yet he said calmly, "This is my first time arriving in the Upper Layer. I ask Fellow Daoist Ming Zhou for guidance."
Daoist Ming Zhou smiled faintly and said, "When the various Profound Venerables arrive in the Upper Layer, there are no more than a few choices. Many Profound Venerables dislike worldly affairs and thus choose to cultivate in seclusion within the Clear Vault Cloud Sea. They are free from disturbance in ordinary days and gain a measure of peace. Yet those who cultivate in seclusion do not receive authority or responsibilities. Though their lifespan endures forever, apart from cultivation, they have nothing else to hold onto.
"Furthermore, the reason these Profound Venerables can enjoy peace and stability is because they are sheltered by all the people of Celestial Xia, above and below. Thus, if Celestial Xia encounters danger, they must emerge and share its life and death. They cannot avoid it and refuse to come forth."
He paused briefly before continuing, "There is another option: accepting authority and responsibilities. Because such a choice brings entanglements of circumstance and makes tranquil cultivation difficult, the Profound Court issues Mystic Grain to stabilize one's Dao achievement. With this, one will not fall behind peers who diligently cultivate and toil in practice; indeed, one's progress may even be doubled. But authority and responsibility stand together. If one lacks the strength to bear the position, one must be punished for one's failings."
Ying Zhuan asked, "Where does one go to receive authority and responsibilities?"
Daoist Ming Zhou answered truthfully, "Profound Venerable Ying came from the Outer Layer, so you should know that incarnations of Profound Venerables stand guard there one after another. Others guard the thirteen Upper Continents of the Inner