Yusu said, "Just now, an envoy from Upper Firmament Heaven arrived bearing a golden letter and presented me with a jade folio. The folio put forth three proposals. The last was that they would retreat and hold their ground for a hundred years in exchange for our abolishing the Heaven-Training Dao Canon. However, that proposal has already been rejected by the Court."
Zhang Yu's eyes flickered slightly. After some thought, he said, "I have a question. What gives Upper Firmament Heaven the confidence to make such a proposal?"
Judging solely from the current situation, it was already generous enough that Celestial Xia had not marched against Upper Firmament Heaven. Yet they still dared to put forward such terms. There had to be a reason for it.
Yusu said, "That is precisely what I came to discuss with you, fellow Daoist."
Zhang Yu made an inviting gesture. "Fellow Daoist, let us sit and speak."
Yusu nodded. The two took their seats in the hall. Sitting upright, he said, "You should know that Upper Firmament Heaven originally separated from Celestial Xia. In truth, Upper Firmament Heaven should be considered the Upper Firmament Sect, a sect that has endured since the days of Ancient Xia.
"Before Celestial Xia came to this world, the mainstream of Celestial Xia had long ceased to speak of sects. Only a handful of sects whose inheritances had never faded still remained. They were among them, chiefly because their strength was extraordinary."
Zhang Yu nodded. This was not hard to understand. Amid the great tide of sects collapsing, any sect that could preserve its own distinct character either possessed an exalted inheritance that could not easily be shaken, or had mighty powers supporting it from within. Upper Firmament Heaven clearly possessed both.
Yusu continued, "Yet this was ultimately a