txolops Chapter 113 The Dragon and Phoenix Visit
Chapter 113 The Dragon and Phoenix Visit
Time seems to stand still in the mountains. Ever since a group of beings from Wuyi Mountain entered the Heavenly Court, this Taoist temple has become even more deserted.
Taibai remained seated cross-legged atop the mountain, meditating and comprehending the laws of heaven and earth.
However, during his century-long seclusion, he gained nothing in terms of understanding the laws.
"The road ahead is long and arduous; working in isolation is ultimately the worst approach."
Taibai sighed softly, rose from the futon, and his eyes narrowed slightly:
"It seems that I must eventually venture into the world and seek a breakthrough opportunity amidst the vast and boundless universe."
However, just as he was about to leave, two auras suddenly appeared at the foot of Wuyi Mountain.
One of the auras revealed a dragon's might, and it was none other than Yinglong, a dragon from the Dragon Clan whom I had met once before.
Another aura, carrying a familiar sharpness, was none other than the cultivator he had briefly encountered in the Taihang Mountains years ago.
Before long, Hongyun, who was in charge of welcoming them, led the two to the top of the mountain.
His gaze sharpened slightly, and he secretly transmitted his voice to Taibai:
"Fellow Daoist, the cultivation levels of these two are unfathomable. The elder from the Dragon Clan is likely at the mid-stage of Quasi-Saint, and the other has already reached the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm. Their intentions are unclear. Should we summon someone to be on guard?"
"It's alright, fellow Daoist, you may continue your cultivation."
Taibai replied with divine thought, his tone calm.
Upon hearing this, Hongyun said no more, and with a flicker of his figure, he quietly disappeared.
Taibai smiled faintly, raised his hand, and the clouds in front of him automatically gathered, transforming into two serene prayer cushions:
"My Wuyi Mountain is usually quiet and secluded, so it is truly an honor to have two fellow Daoists visit me today. May I ask what brings you here? Please speak frankly."
The handsome and extraordinary cultivator stepped forward and nodded slightly, saying:
"I am Kong Xuan of the Phoenix Clan. I have come here today with a request."
"Young friend, it has been ten thousand years since we parted at Mount Taibai. What I am doing today concerns the continuation of our race."
These two are the current leaders of the Dragon and Phoenix clans, and their biggest problem right now is the karma of their two clans.
They came today to ask Taibai for some merit money.
After the two spoke, Taibai immediately understood what they meant.
"It seems that both of you fellow Daoists are seeking merit, hoping to offset the karma of your clans through merit, is that right?"
Upon hearing this, both of them nodded.
"You two wouldn't be hoping I'll bestow merit upon you out of thin air, would you? Are you perhaps plotting to ask for something for nothing?"
"No," Kong Xuan of the Phoenix Clan said solemnly, "As long as you are willing to help my Phoenix Clan gain merit, my clan is willing to obey your command."
Yinglong glanced at Kong Xuan, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes, then said to Taibai:
"If you, fellow Daoist, are willing to use your merits to help the Dragon Clan resolve their karma, our clan is willing to offer up the entire Dragon Clan Treasury, and the entire clan will obey your command."
Upon hearing the conditions offered by the two, Taibai was secretly shocked by the severity of their attack.
But if he were to actually agree, regardless of whether his own merits were sufficient, the sheer force formed by the two races would be enough to arouse people's apprehension.
More importantly, the karmic burdens of the three innate races of dragon, phoenix, and qilin are so heavy that the amount of merit required to completely resolve them would probably be no less than the amount of merit required for Nuwa to create humans.
Taibai was also puzzled: Why did these two tribes specifically seek him out?
"My two fellow Daoists are too kind. You two should know better than I do the depth of your karmic burdens."
Even if I were to gather all my merits, it would be absolutely impossible to completely absolve any one race of their karma.
"Furthermore, how do you two fellow Daoists determine that I possess such a vast amount of merit?"
"Among all the beings in the primordial world, none is more likely to acquire merits more frequently and steadily than Fellow Daoist Taibai."
Since you, fellow Daoist, are able to continuously accumulate merit and are also a disciple of a sage, I believe you may have a glimmer of hope.
Upon hearing this, Kong Xuan nodded in agreement.
Upon hearing this, Li Bai felt a chill run down his spine:
As Yinglong said, since he took human form and was born, almost every meritorious act in the prehistoric world has been related to him.
"Fellow Daoists, please return. This matter is beyond my ability to resolve; such immense merit is far beyond my capacity to bear."
Taibai refused outright, leaving no room for negotiation.
The karmic burdens borne by the three primordial races were bestowed by the Heavenly Dao.
Firstly, it was to punish them for their past wars, and secondly, it was to prevent these three races from having any chance of revival.
If Taibai truly helps him offset his karma, Heaven might transfer that karma to him.
"As for the paths of the Dragon and Phoenix clans, you two fellow Daoists may send your disciples to serve in the Heavenly Court. There will be merit to be gained in the Heavenly Court's divine positions."
Furthermore, it can also bring rain and clouds to the human race. Now that humanity is the eternal protagonist of heaven and earth, assisting them in ensuring favorable weather will also bring merit from the heavens.
Having said that, Taibai said no more, his eyes slightly closed, as if seeing his guest off.
"Fellow Daoist, farewell."
After a moment of silence, the two bowed and left dejectedly.
After watching the two leave, Taibai stood still, the mountain breeze ruffling his robes.
He has already made predictions about the possible choices the two groups may make in the future.
Although the Dragon Clan suffered a great calamity and its strength was greatly diminished, even a weakened camel is bigger than a horse, and its power remains the most formidable among the three innate races.
They are arrogant by nature, live in the four seas, and are used to calling themselves kings and dominating.
It is absolutely impossible to make them submit to the new Heavenly Court.
Therefore, the dragon race is very likely to choose to cooperate with the human race.
As for Kong Xuan, although he is not directly entangled in karma, as the eldest son of Yuan Feng, the burden of the Phoenix Clan's survival naturally rests on his shoulders.
He is very likely to be on good terms with the human race while simultaneously establishing some kind of connection with the Heavenly Court, hedging his bets and leveraging the situation to his advantage.
This also explains why Kong Xuan appeared in the Shang camp and served as a general during the transition from the Shang to the Zhou dynasty.
That might be his attempt to use the merits and fortunes of the Yin-Shang dynasty to seek a turning point for the entire Phoenix Clan's karma.
Of course, the specific reasons are merely speculation by Taibai.
"Enough. These old grievances are far-reaching and have not been settled overnight."
The Phoenix Clan is debatable, but the Dragon Clan's deep-rooted arrogance is truly unappealing.
He stopped dwelling on it, and with a slight thought, transmitted his voice to Hongyun, who was cultivating in seclusion in the mountains:
"Fellow Daoist Hongyun, I wish to descend the mountain for some time to seek an opportunity for a breakthrough. I will trouble you to look after this place for the time being."
"Fellow Daoist, please go in peace. You can leave everything here to me."
After transmitting his voice to Hongyun, Taibai suddenly stood up and flew down the mountain.
He had no specific destination on this trip down the mountain and could only go with the flow.
On this day, he passed through a vast plain, and as far as his eyes could see, a sizable tribe had gathered on the riverbank.
However, what puzzled Taibai was that this tribe was not a purely human settlement.
It is a tribe that is a mix of humans and transvestites, and they even work together.
What's even more amazing is that the ordinary birds and beasts around the tribe live peacefully with humans and demons, and there is no sign of them being preyed upon or hunted.
However, whether they were humans, demons, or ordinary creatures, everyone was emaciated and pale.
Paradoxically, their faces showed little sorrow, but rather mostly a satisfied smile.
"It's really strange that these people, even in their current state, can still be so happy. Wait a minute!"