"The Dao and all living beings under heaven?"
Chen Cuo narrowed his eyes. The answer was vague in the extreme. Had he heard it from anyone else, he would have thought they were brushing him off.
Yet coming from this long-haired man, it did not sound out of place.
After pondering a moment, he said, "In that case, Senior, you intend to use the Starweave Ranking to seize the opportunity offered by the Age of Great Strife and reunite the Daoist Order's Eight Gates into one?"
"Indeed. The Starweave Ranking holds true names. The disciples of the Eight Sects and their many branches are all recorded within it. When war breaks out, those caught in the calamity may yet have a chance to survive." The long-haired man smiled faintly, then changed tack. "Do not worry. What I seek is the combined strength of the Daoist Order, not a wasteland. But although I have no designs on Great Hua Mountain, whether anyone survives the Great Calamity will ultimately depend on them."
Chen Cuo fell silent for a moment before saying, "From what you say, Senior, this Great Calamity seems far-reaching."
"It is."
Chen Cuo said, "The war to unite the mortal realm should chiefly concern the Northern and Southern Dynasties. Even if cultivators become entangled in it and fight one another, only some will be involved. Yet the Starweave Ranking holds hundreds, even thousands of true names. Will they all be affected?"
The long-haired man laughed. "Master Soaring, Master Soaring. Only now do you sound like a junior cultivator. Earlier, when we spoke, I almost felt as though I were discussing the Dao with someone of my own sect and generation."
Chen Cuo took no offense. "I came to seek your guidance, Senior. Naturally, I am your junior."
"Some hear the