A private discussion

Xu Qi'an laughed:

"Your Majesty, I have successfully fulfilled my mission!"

"After many twists and turns, countless hardships, and near-death experiences, he finally advanced to the level of Half-Step Martial God."

Leizhou has been temporarily saved, and the Buddha has retreated to the Western Regions.

The Nine-Tailed Fox next to him rolled its eyes.

Half-Step Martial God, he really advanced to Half-Step Martial God. Huaiqing got the answer he wanted, and the heart that had been in his throat immediately fell back down, but the joy and excitement did not diminish, instead surging up into his heart.

Her cheeks flushed, her eyes sparkled with joy, and she couldn't help but smile.

As expected, he never disappointed her, whether it was the Copper Gong back then or the now world-renowned Silver Gong Xu.

Huaiqing always had the highest expectations for him, but he repeatedly exceeded her expectations and brought her surprises.

With Ningyan's advancement to Half-Step Martial God, coupled with the veteran Half-Step Martial God Shenshu, they finally have the confidence to challenge either the Shaman God Cult or the Buddhist Order. This game is still worth playing. Sigh, that naive young man back then is now Half-Step Martial God; it feels like a lifetime ago. Wei Yuan felt relieved, but his emotions were complex, a mix of sighs, relief, satisfaction, and pride.

Considering his status and the presence of numerous experts in the Imperial Study, Wei Yuan maintained a calm and composed demeanor befitting his position, speaking unhurriedly:

"Well done."

Half-Step Martial God! If I remember correctly, he should be the first Half-Step Martial God of the Central Plains Human Race, as unique as the Confucian Sage, and must be recorded in history: Silver Gong Xu studied at the Cloud Deer Academy from a young age, becoming a disciple of Dean Zhao Shou. Zhao Shou, thinking of this, felt excited and was about to step forward to congratulate him, intending to fabricate history, when he noticed Wei Yuan's calm and composed demeanor. Therefore, he had no choice but to maintain the calm and composure befitting his status and slowly said:

"Very good!"

Great Feng is saved! Once again, he has escaped death. Xu Qi'an has successfully become Half-Step Martial God. My judgment was right. Hmm, these two old guys are very calm. Wang Zhenwen seemed to have returned to the day when he passed the imperial examination. He wished he could sing a song and get drunk all night.

Seeing that both Zhao Shou and Wei Yuan remained calm, he also maintained a composure befitting his status and slowly nodded.

Congratulations on your promotion!

"These are truly seasoned veterans of the political arena; they never show their emotions," Xu Qi'an thought to himself, secretly admiring them.

"Unfortunately, I have no clue how to advance to the Martial God."

"You have to eat one bite at a time!" Wei Yuan almost started to teach him how to do things, but then he remembered that his former subordinate was now a real big shot who didn't need his constant instruction, so he held back.

He then asked:

"What's the situation in Leizhou? How many people have died?"

As the Transcendent beings pondered, the Arhat Du'e spoke:

"Only one large town was destroyed, with a little over two thousand people killed."

Daoist Jinlian and Hengyuan opened their mouths, but hesitated for a second.

This detail reveals that Arhat Du'e is the one who cares most about all living beings; he has truly been brainwashed, no, baptized, by Mahayana Dharma. Xu Qi'an thought to himself.

Huaiqing nodded with a rather grave expression, looked at Xu Qi'an, and said:

"During your absence overseas, the Buddhist Order held Dharma Assembly. According to the Arhat Du'e, it was during this assembly that a terrible transformation occurred in the Buddha's life."

"We don't know the specific reasons, but you probably know the result: He turned into a monster that devoured everything."

She took the initiative to tell the whole story of this "disaster" and explained the situation to Xu Qi'an.

Daoist Jinlian continued:

When Arhat Du'e left the Western Regions, the Buddha did not harm him. However, when Mahayana Buddhism was established and the Buddhist Order's Fate declined, the Buddha was eager to devour him.

"It is obvious that the Buddha's unusual Fate; this is very likely what is known as a great calamity."

Wei Yuan sighed:

"From the Buddha's behavior, we can infer the situation of the Gu God and the Shaman God after they broke free of the seal."

"However, we still don't know the meaning or purpose behind Transcendent Rank's actions."

The Transcendent individuals frowned and remained silent. They vaguely felt that they were close to the truth, but they couldn't pinpoint it accurately or provide a detailed account.

But it's just that one thin layer of paper is missing, making it impossible to break through.

Isn't it all about replacing the Heavenly Dao? The Nine-Tailed Fox was about to speak when Xu Qi'an spoke first, sighing deeply:

"I already know the truth about the great calamity."

Inside the imperial study, everyone stared at him in astonishment.

You know?

Asuro scrutinized the Half-Step Martial God, finding it hard to believe that someone who had been at sea for months knew the secrets of the Great Calamity.

Daoist Jinlian and Wei Yuan were both intrigued.

Seeing Xu Qi'an nod, Yang Gong, Sun Xuanji, and the others were slightly moved.

This story begins with the beginning of time. Amidst the eager and expectant gazes of the crowd, Xu Qi'an said:

"I know everything, including the first great calamity, when Gods and Devils fell."

The truth behind the fall of Gods and Devils was finally about to be revealed. Everyone's spirits lifted, and they listened intently.

Xu Qi'an said slowly:

"This all started at the beginning of time, with the birth of Gods and Devils. How much do you know about Gods and Devils?"

Asuro answered first:

"Gods and Devils are born of heaven and earth, inherently powerful. They do not need cultivation to wield the immense power to move mountains and fill seas. Each Gods and Devils possesses a core Spiritual Essence bestowed upon them by heaven and earth."

No one added anything; what Asuro said was probably all they knew about Gods and Devils.

Xu Qi'an sighed:

"Born of heaven and earth, dying of heaven and earth, this is the inevitable cause and effect."

The inevitable cause and effect. Everyone frowned, feeling inexplicably that there was a great mystery in this sentence.

Xu Qi'an didn't keep them in suspense and continued:

"On this voyage, I passed by an island. That island was vast and boundless. According to the descendants of the Gods and Devils who lived there, it was an island that was transformed from an ancient Gods and Devils after its death."

"Gods and Devils are born from heaven and earth, and are themselves a part of heaven and earth; therefore, they undergo this change after death."

Du'e's eyes lit up, and he blurted out:

Buddha!

"The Buddha can also transform into Aranda, and now He has even become the entire Western Regions; there must be a connection between these events."

After speaking, the old monk stared at Xu Qi'an with a look of inquiry on his face.

Ancient Gods and Devils transformed into islands after their deaths, and the Buddha possesses similar characteristics. In other words, are the Buddha and the ancient Gods and Devils the same in some sense?

Everyone had a variety of ideas and inspirations.

Xu Qi'an chuckled, put his hands behind his back, and said:

"The first and second great calamities both had the same purpose."

"What's your purpose?" Huaiqing immediately pressed.

Others also want to know the answer.

Xu Qi'an did not answer immediately, but paused for a few seconds before slowly saying:

"To replace the Heavenly Dao and become the will of the Nine Provinces world."

A thunderclap from out of nowhere stunned all the Transcendent experts in the imperial study.

Daoist Jinlian took a deep breath. This shrewd and calculating leader of the Earth Sect was unable to remain calm and asked blankly:

"What did you say?"

Xu Qi'an glanced at everyone and found that their expressions were not much different from those of Daoist Jinlian. Even Wei Yuan and Zhao Shou looked blank.

"In the beginning, the world was in chaos, Nine Provinces was shrouded in ignorance. Many years later, Gods and Devils were born, and life began. In this stage, order was disordered, there was no distinction between day and night, no seasons, and yin and yang Five Elements were in complete chaos. There was no spiritual power in the world for Human Race and Demon Race to cultivate."

"Many years have passed, and with the evolution of heaven and earth, the Five Elements and the four poles established, but this world could not continue to evolve. Do you know why?"

No one answered him; everyone was still processing this earth-shattering news.

Xu Qi'an then looked at the Ruler of the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons. The Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox reluctantly played the role of a straight man, trying to save face for the stinky man, and said:

"You can probably guess it already. It's because the universe is flawed, Gods and Devils have stolen its power."

"Clever!"

Xu Qi'an praised him and then said:

"Thus, in ancient times, a gate of light appeared, a gate leading to the ' Heavenly Dao.' Gods and Devils are manifestations of the rules of heaven and earth, which means they can pass through this gate. As long as they successfully push open the gate, Gods and Devils can ascend to the Heavenly Dao."

Luo Yuheng suddenly realized:

"Is this why Gods and Devils kill each other? But in the end, all Gods and Devils perished. Or perhaps, the current Heavenly Dao is a product of one of those Gods and Devils from the past?"

She voiced the question that had been puzzling everyone.

Under everyone's gaze, Xu Qi'an shook his head:

"Gods and Devils and demons fought each other, and the Spiritual Essence returned to heaven and earth. In the end, the Nine Provinces seized enough Spiritual Essence and closed the Gate to Heaven."

So that's how it is. No wonder the Buddha underwent such a strange transformation.

The Transcendent present were all intelligent. Recalling the Buddha's incarnation in the Western Regions and having witnessed it firsthand, they had no further doubts about Xu Qi'an's words.

"It's unbelievable that living beings can transform into heaven and earth, replacing the Heavenly Dao," Yang Gong murmured. "If Ningyan hadn't told me, I truly couldn't have imagined that this was the truth."

As soon as he finished speaking, a beam of light shot out from his sleeve and struck him hard on the head.

"I am his teacher."

Yang Gong scolded the ruler in a low voice, then quickly put it away, looking somewhat embarrassed.

It's like when your own child acts up and makes a fool of themselves in public, making you feel embarrassed.

Fortunately, everyone was too shocked to pay attention to him.

Wei Yuan said in a deep voice:

"Was the second great calamity brought about because the Gate to Heaven opened again?"

Xu Qi'an shook his head:

"This great calamity is different from that of ancient times. This time there is no portal of light, Transcendent Rank have taken a different path: plundering Fate."

Next, he told everyone the details of how absorbing Fate could gain "recognition" and naturally replace the Heavenly Dao, including the secret that the Gatekeeper could only come from the Martial Warrior System.

"So that's why the Transcendent Rank plunder Fate." Wei Yuan pinched his brow and sighed.

Daoist Jinlian and the others remained silent, lost in their own thoughts, processing the earth-shattering news.

At this moment, Huaiqing frowned and said:

"Is this the result of the current stage of evolution? Or is it that the Heavenly Dao of Nine Provinces has always been replaceable?"

This was very important, so everyone suddenly "woke up" and looked at Xu Qi'an.

"I cannot give an answer. Perhaps this is just how things are here, or perhaps, as Your Majesty said, this is merely the current situation," Xu Qi'an said thoughtfully.

Huaiqing nodded while thinking, and said:

"Therefore, we need a Gatekeeper at this stage, and you are the Gatekeeper chosen by the Superintendent."

"Dao Venerable!" the Orange Daoist Cat suddenly exclaimed.

"I finally understand why the Dao Venerable established the Three Sects of Heaven, Earth, and Man; it was all to replace the Heavenly Dao and become the will of the Nine Provinces."

After saying that, he looked at Xu Qi'an, seemingly wanting to get the correct answer from him.

Xu Qi'an nodded:

"The method of devouring Fate to replace the Heavenly Dao was researched by the Dao Venerable and was created by Him."

The Dao Venerable created it? He truly is an unparalleled figure throughout history. Everyone was both amazed and shocked.

Wei Yuan asked:

"You learned these secrets from the Superintendent?"

Xu Qi'an said frankly:

"I met with the Superintendent overseas. He is still sealed away by the Desolate One. By the way, I have some bad news for you all: the Desolate One is currently in a deep sleep. When he wakes up again, he will most likely have returned to his peak."

Yet another Transcendent Rank. Huaiqing and the others felt a bitter taste on their tongues, and the joy of defeating the Buddha and taking over Leizhou vanished completely.

If the four Transcendent Rank — Buddha, Shaman God, Gu God, and Wilderness—join forces, the Great Feng will have absolutely no chance of turning the tide; they won't even have the slightest hope.

Master Hengyuan, who had remained silent all along, finally spoke with a bitter expression:

"Perhaps we can try to divide the enemy and win over one or two of their Transcendent Rank."

No one spoke.

Master Hengyuan looked around, and finally looked at Silver Gong Xu, with whom he had the best relationship:

What does Lord Xu think?

Xu Qi'an shook his head:

"The Wilderness and the Gu God are Gods and Devils. One has been sleeping in the Southern Frontier for countless years, and the other has been wandering overseas. They are not like the Buddha and the Shaman God, who established religions to gather Fate."

"Once born, the first thing to do is to gather Fate. But the population of Southern Frontier is sparse and its Fate is weak. If you were the Gu God, what would you do?"

Master Hengyuan understood:

"Attack the Central Plains and annex the territory of the Great Feng."

The Western Regions have already been replaced by the Buddha, and the Northeast will certainly not escape the clutches of the Shaman God, so heading north to annex the Central Plains is the best option.

The same goes for the wilderness.

"What about the Shaman God and the Buddha?" Hengyuan asked, unwilling to give up.

Asuro scoffed.

"Of course, it's about taking the opportunity to divide up the Central Plains. Why would we help the Great Feng protect the Central Plains? Would the Great Feng simply hand over its territory as a sign of gratitude?"

"You monk are truly foolish."

The Arhat Du'e's expression was solemn:

"In the face of Transcendent Rank, any scheme is laughable and pathetic."

Xu Qi'an let out a breath and said helplessly:

"That's why I said earlier, it's a pity we haven't found a way to advance to the Martial God."

At this moment, Wei Yuan spoke up, "It's not entirely hopeless. Now that you've advanced to the Half-Step Martial God, go to Jingshan City and see if you can destroy the Shaman God Cult. As for the Southern Frontier, relocate all the Gu Race members to the Central Plains. This will both consolidate our strength and indirectly weaken the Gu God."

"Once you've resolved these two matters, Xu Ningyan, go out to sea again. Perhaps the Superintendent waiting for you there."

"Your Majesty, the arrangements for the Mahayana Buddhism should be implemented as soon as possible; this will better consolidate the auspicious Fate."

He arranged what needed to be done next in just a few words.

Suddenly, Chu Yuanzhen asked:

"Where is Miaozhen? Why didn't Miaozhen come back with you?"

Oh right, and Miaozhen too. Everyone immediately thought of the Flying Swallow Heroine.

Xu Qi'an was stunned for a moment, his heart sinking:

"The situation was urgent at the time, so I teleported back immediately and didn't see her on the way. She shouldn't still be looking for me overseas, right?"

The members of the Heaven and Earth Society bowed to him, indicating that he should take the blame.

Daoist Jinlian, being very understanding, said:

"I'll let her know for you."

He bent down, took out the Earth Book Fragment, and privately messaged Li Miaozhen:

[Nine: Miaozhen, come back, the Buddha has already departed.]

[Two: Huh?]

[Nine: Xu Ningyan has already returned and, together with Shenshu, repelled the Buddha, bringing temporary Peace.]

There was a long silence on the other end. [Two: Why didn't you notify me?]

Daoist Jinlian could almost see Li Miaozhen's eyebrows furrowed and her teeth clenched.

[Nine: Xu Ningyan said he'd forgotten about you.]

[Two: Oh!]

There was no sound.

Daoist Jinlian put down the Earth Book and said with a smile:

Miaozhen is indeed still overseas.

Xu Qi'an coughed:

"You're not angry, are you?"

Daoist Jinlian shook her head:

"Very calm, without any anger."

The members of the Heaven and Earth Society bowed to Xu Qi'an again, telling him not to trust the old silver coin.

Xu Qi'an returned the greeting with a solemn expression.

After a brief private conversation, everyone dispersed.

"Silver Gong Xu, wait a moment. I have something to ask you."

Huaiqing deliberately kept Xu Qi'an behind.

"I'll stay and listen too," the Ruler of the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons said with a smile.

Huaiqing glanced at her unhappily, but the vixen was oblivious and shameless, and didn't take it seriously.

Huaiqing didn't actually have anything major to ask him; he just inquired in detail about the voyage and learned about the world overseas.

"Overseas resources are abundant and inexhaustible, but unfortunately, the Great Feng navy is limited in its capabilities and cannot sail far. Moreover, there are many descendants of Gods and Devils, making it too dangerous," Huaiqing said regretfully.

Xu Qi'an casually echoed a few words; all he wanted was to go home, arrange flowers, and reunite with his long-lost wife.

The Nine-Tailed Fox's eyes darted around as she chuckled:

"Speaking of treasures, Silver Gong Xu did manage to obtain a precious item for His Majesty on Merfolk Island."

Huaiqing immediately became interested and looked at Xu Qi'an with anticipation.

The Merfolk Pearl. Xu Qi'an glared at the Nine-Tailed Fox, "Still causing trouble."

The Nine-Tailed Fox kicked him with her toes, urging him on:

"The Merfolk Pearl, bring it out quickly! It's a unique pearl, priceless."

Xu Qi'an thought about it seriously for a long time and decided to go with the flow and cooperate with the fox spirit's nonsense.

Because he also wanted to know what Huaiqing's true feelings were for him.

This empress was the most cunning woman he knew, with a strong desire for power and ambitions that rivaled any man's.

She is a rational, career-oriented, and strong woman.

She's completely different from that love-struck, foolish princess in Lin'an.

Huaiqing's closeness to him stemmed from his dependence on the powerful and his exploitation of his value.

Or is it a genuine liking or admiration for him?

If you like someone, how deep is it? Is it just a slight attraction, or is it love to the core?

Let the Merfolk Pearl verify it.

Xu Qi'an immediately took out the Merfolk Pearl, held it in his palm, and smiled:

"That's it."

The Merfolk Pearl is milky white, round and translucent, emitting a faint glow. It is clearly priceless, and any woman who loves jewelry would be delighted to see it.

Huaiqing, being a woman herself, immediately took a liking to him, saying, "Let me see him."

With a flick of her wrist, Xu Qi'an sent the Merfolk Pearl from his palm flying toward Huaiqing.

P. S.: I'd like to recommend a new book, "The Scholars of the Great Wei Dynasty." It's a story about finding enlightenment through reading. Readers who are interested can check it out; there's a link below.