Daoist Qin, while Zhu Tingzhi was visiting fellow cultivators elsewhere, swam freely through the water lake for a while longer. Then he suddenly said, "We should also make the rounds, visit our fellow Daoists, and explain the stakes involved."
Daoist Mi asked, "Elder Qin, do you intend to lend Zhu Tingzhi a hand?"
Daoist Qin sighed. "How would we be helping him? We would be helping ourselves. If matters turn out as Zhong Tingzhi and Chong Tingzhi fear, if no one speaks for us above, or if we True Law cultivators refuse to make changes ourselves and instead hand all authority over to the Profound Method cultivators, then in the future, I fear we will have no autonomy whatsoever."
Daoist Mi hesitated. "Surely it would not come to that?"
Daoist Qin shook his head. "Setting aside anything else, we are presently able to cultivate in the Upper Layer and thereby attain long life. But what if one day the Profound Court no longer forces us to enter the world and instead directly forbids us from cultivating in the Upper Layer? To obtain cultivation resources then, would we not still have to obediently follow orders?"
"This..." Daoist Mi found it hard to believe. "If the Profound Court truly did this, would it not fear arousing public outrage?"
Daoist Qin said, "So what if it did? Could we resist? If Fellow Daoist You and Fellow Daoist Yan do not stand with us, what would we have to resist with? Forget passing the Chief Executive's hurdle—even the one in Guardian of Rectitude Palace would likely be beyond us, would it not?"
Daoist Mi was immediately left speechless.
For he could only admit this point. Setting aside the Chief Executive's cultivation, even when the cultivators of Upper Firmament Heaven and Vast Yang Sect were