"The way of conducting oneself lies within oneself: understand gain and loss, distinguish good from evil, know when to advance and retreat, know what to do and what not to do. Why must one always make enemies of others?"
"Exalt the worthy, promote unity, practice frugality, revere Heaven—all these lie within oneself. How could they lie outside?"
"Heaven and earth endure, and man follows the tide..."
These words rang out one after another, as though someone were whispering into that god's ear without pause. Like scriptures, they were imprinted upon his heart and settled into the depths of his soul!
All these principles emphasized the self and the exploration of heaven and earth. They sought unity between man and Heaven, grounding the purpose of exploring heaven and earth in the development of the Human Path. None of these principles existed to strike at enemies, but to guide oneself. Even without an external foe, one must examine oneself and restrain oneself. They clashed with the god's beliefs, utterly contradicting them!
All-embracing, as the sea receives a hundred rivers.
Before long, these words filled his perception and gradually changed it. Even his Divine Sense began to twist, his thoughts becoming ever more muddled and chaotic.
Crack!
A faint sound rang out. Cracks appeared in this illusory world, then multiplied without end and rapidly spread, representing how this god's thoughts were splintering apart, no longer forming any coherent system!
"With the Heart Demon's power, holding the advantage, destroying a First Rank god would not have been difficult, though it would still have brought trouble. But since this god absorbed the Heart Demon's insights himself, he has walked straight into the tiger's maw. Still, my purpose is not to destroy him. If this god retreats and leaves his position vacant, White Emperor will