NOVPUBThe luminous core of Xuan Huang pulsed continually, like a beating heart, transporting strands of Xuan Huang color to every corner of the Xuanhuang World, including those green and black regions. Despite the gradual signs of assimilation among them, the relentless stream of powerful restoration forced them to maintain their original hue for the moment. Slowly, at last, even the outermost pitch-black lands of the Xuanhuang World began to show a barely noticeable taint of Xuan Huang.
"It is time to act," the Faceless Saint Emperor said gravely.
The Stone Tablet gave a slight smile as its form flickered, splitting in two within the Saint Emperor Seat. Then two became four, four turned to eight, and eight doubled to sixteen. In the blink of an eye, countless indistinguishable figures of Stone Tablet filled the Grand Hall.
"Change! Change! Change!" the Stone Tablets cried in unison.
In an instant, the Stone Tablet duplicates transformed into various real people of the Xuanhuang World, in all shapes and forms. There were dashing white-robed scholars, bent woodcutters, incomparably beautiful women, and irreverent old men... Every one of them was vivid beyond compare and showed no sign of having originated from the same person.
"I shall go now."
They each bowed to the Emperor, all wearing smiles, and disappeared from within the Emperor’s Seat. 𝘯𝑜𝘷𝘱𝘶𝘣.𝘤𝘰𝑚
At the same time, in various states of the Xuanhuang World, unnoticed by anyone, certain special beings appeared. When they had all gathered within the Saint Emperor Seat, it was rather crowded, but once they dispersed throughout the Xuanhuang World, they did not arouse even the slightest ripple.
"Observe the way of Heaven, execute the actions of Heaven."
"Heaven and Man unite, the myriad changes establish a foundation..."
They chanted softly as they headed toward the cities populated by mortals from various states.
The Emperor’s plan was, at its core, simple. It was to establish the foundation of Heaven through human will. Using the Stone Tablet’s ability to disguise itself as any form, it split into countless duplicates, infiltrating among the mortal populations. They subtly propagated the existence of the "Xuanhuang World" among all the mortal living beings.
The mortals of today knew only their own small corner of the world and had no special understanding of the larger world, the Xuanhuang World. The very concept of the Xuanhuang World did not even exist in their thoughts.
The first step to establishing the Xuanhuang Orthodox was to familiarize them with the existence of the Xuanhuang World where they lived.
Of course, this was not an overnight task—it would require years, maybe even more than a decade of dissemination. And to prevent drawing suspicion, it would need tireless, personal integration into the mortal population, spreading by word of mouth.
But with Stone Tablet’s power, even if it split into tens of thousands, achieving this task was not difficult.
A single mortal, or even hundreds or thousands, may be as insignificant as ants, but if you combine all the mortals of the entire Xuanhuang World, they represent a force that cannot be ignored.
When a consensus is reached among the mortal community of the Xuanhuang World, the second step of the plan can begin. Through the will of all living beings within "Heaven and Earth," synchronize a counter-attack to besiege, and devour the residual consciousness from the invasive cultivation remnants.
This step would require the help of Yin Shangren. As a being akin to a World Spirit, he possesses profound knowledge on how to devour world consciousness.
After cooperating with the Xuanhuang Heaven Path to besiege the remnants of cultivation realms, the final step is to help those realms fully merge into Xuan Huang.
In fact, most regions of the Xuanhuang World have already superficially merged. Only a few state regions, due to improper fusion, still experience strange phenomena frequently.
These abnormalities, akin to "festering sores," require thorough surgical cleansing, to break down and then establish anew.
If the first and second steps could be executed without detection, the third step would undoubtedly alarm the Alliance of Thousands of Immortals and even the Celestial Dharma Bearer beyond the Starry Sky.
When that time comes, they would inevitably clash.
However, according to the Emperor, as long as the second step is completed, even if the ultimate outcome is failure, the general trend would be set, and no one would be able to turn back the tide.
Unless, of course, more remnants of cultivation realms are found, with another nearly ten thousand years spent on dismemberment and reassembly.
Despite not having been excited about anything for a long time, Stone Tablet felt its blood surge with excitement for the Emperor’s plan. It would not only save the Xuanhuang World, but the benefits of success were self-evident. He would wield more power over Heaven and Earth and become an existence even stronger than immortality itself.
For any reason, Stone Tablet would not refuse the plan.
A decade or so, to him, was but the briefest of moments.
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...
In the Saint Emperor Seat,
Li Ping summoned Ruo Mu.
The true wise man would never put all his eggs in one basket.
Naturally, he would never entrust such an important task as establishing the Xuanhuang Orthodox to only the Stone Tablet.
Even if the Stone Tablet was trustworthy, even if the plan carried low risk.
He voiced words identical to those of the Stone Tablet, though clad in a different rationale.
The main subject of accomplishing the goal became Ruo Mu.
And the concept of [Heaven and Earth Wanspirit] to be implanted into the Xuanhuang World turned into the ordinary flora and fauna of the Xuanhuang World.
"You are the ancestor of all living beings; you should be able to subtly influence them."
"The will of [Mystic Yellow Realm] must be established."
To Ruo Mu, this matter was but a trifle.
And the fact that life had sprung from dead branches had revitalized his spirit.
He felt a rare surge of motivation and readily agreed.
"Ruo Mu, Stone Tablet."
"Just having them is not enough."
"In the end, I myself must personally take action."
"Triple insurance ensures true infallibility."
The Saint Emperor’s thoughts slowly flowed.
"Confronting the Alliance of Thousands of Immortals at Bingfeng is the open battlefield."
"While establishing the Xuanhuang Orthodox is the hidden battle."
"By comparison, this covert battle is even more important. There’s only one chance; lose, and it’s a complete loss."
While the Saint Emperor pondered, his forehead began to bulge slowly.
Amidst the swelling flesh, a protuberance grew larger and larger.
Li Ping appeared not to notice at all, motionless.
Until, after what seemed like an eternity, the flesh burst open, and a mass of Xuan Huang Qi sprang forth.
The Xuan Huang Qi enshrouded him, its inner images nebulous.
It seemed somewhat like Mr. Bai, but also somewhat like Li Ping himself.
"Kitty Treasure."
The Faceless Saint Emperor woke Kitty Treasure, who was dozing off.
By pinching the back of its neck, he got it to reluctantly deploy its duplication function.
Another identical mass of Xuan Huang Qi appeared in the Saint Emperor Seat.
"Go!"
With a light command from the Saint Emperor, the two masses of Xuan Huang Qi sliced through the void, leaving the Holy Dynasty’s Mini World and flying towards different state regions of the Xuanhuang World.
Instead of merging directly into the Heavenly Dao, they laid in quiet ambush.
The Saint Emperor coughed softly, feeling a momentary and slight weakness even with his strength.
The Xuan Huang Qi that had separated from his body could, in some sense, be considered the malevolent Xuan Huang thoughts he had devoured in the past.
But after his personal refining, which had mixed in the [Imperial Air Canon]’s Holy Dynasty’s Luck, it had become something akin to a tangible entity of Xuan Huang Qi Destiny.
Had he not ventured deep into the Star Sea to witness the true essence of the Star Sea, forming this tangible Qi Destiny would have been problematic.
"Each mass of tangible Qi Destiny can merge with and govern approximately three state regions."
"Leaving the Five Elders Organization aside for the moment and covering the Alliance of Thousands of Immortals completely, with Kitty Treasure’s help, shouldn’t take long."
A few breaths later, the Saint Emperor’s presence returned to its formidable pinnacle.
But Li Ping knew this was due to the reserves of Holy Dynasty’s Luck and the feedback of his own Enlightenment.
Should the condensation occur too frequently, recovery would not be this swift.
"Incorporating Xuan Huang Qi Destiny into Heaven and Earth is akin to redeclaring sovereignty."
"Even if Ruo Mu and Stone Tablet fail, the Xuanhuang Orthodox will still be firmly in control."
"Of course, it would be even better if they succeeded."
In Li Ping’s projections, it would be ideal to fight the Alliance of Thousands of Immortals after the establishment of the Xuanhuang Orthodox.
Because then, it would be as if he were fighting on home ground; with a single thought, he could mobilize the power of the Xuanhuang Heaven Path, heedless of spatial distances.
Because then, it would be as if he were fighting on home ground; with a single thought, he could mobilize the power of the Xuanhuang Heaven Path, heedless of spatial distances.
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