After the establishment of the Supreme Heavenly Court, nothing seemed to have changed for the Great Desolation aside from the disappearance of the Allheaven Jianmu Tree and losing the ability to travel freely between the Heavenly, Earthly, and Nether Realms. However, although mortals couldn't tell, many cultivators felt that it became harder to improve their strength, almost as if there was an additional layer of restriction.
Only the Saints of Heaven knew the reason.
The Heavenly Realm rested on the Allheaven Jianmu Tree's branches, the Earthly Realm existed around its trunk, and the roots secured the Nether Realm. However, the world tree was still growing. By absorbing the chaotic energy as nourishment, the branches grew thicker, and the roots grew longer. All over the world tree, little world seeds formed.
If the Earthly Realm was the primary world of the Great Desolation, then these world seeds would form minor worlds, the secondary worlds. By then, more and more life would propagate, and the Great Desolation would strengthen.
During these times, the Heavenly Court secretly cared for these developing worlds. After their birth, they would reap tremendous benefits and merits. Consequently, their workload would also increase. Time continued to pass, and the world seeds continued to mature, but they still needed time to be born.
Time flowed on, and the presence of the newly established Supreme Heavenly Court gradually faded from the minds of the major powers of the Earthly Realm. However, a new age was upon them, the age of humanity's dominance.
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In Eminence Heaven Palace, Tongtian sat on the Throne of Heaven with her eyes closed. Aside from waiting for her Past Incarnation to come back, she spent most of her time comprehending the Law of Time and merging it with the Law of Space.
After establishing the Supreme Heavenly Court, Tongtian had only assembled the court once to give orders. Then she left most of the duties to the great emperors to manage. Haotian took this chance to recruit the immortals he scouted beforehand under his banner, but Tongtian turned a blind eye.
Unless Haotian entered the Primordial Origin Realm, he wasn’t a threat in her eyes. Even if he did, by then, she would have more than enough power to suppress a Golden Immortal of Primordial Origin in the First Heavenly Layer.
What surprised Tongtian the most was Yaochi's actions. She didn't go out of her way to recruit external immortals. If they came, she would accept them, but she wasn't active like Haotian was. In fact, her interaction with him had only diminished after being enthroned as the West Great Emperor of Curved Array.
Tongtian opened her eyes as she heard rings from the Purple Gold Bell of Violet Heaven Palace. The Dao Ancestor has summoned the Saints of Heaven.
Her figure vanished from the Throne of Heaven and into the chaotic boundary. "Eldest Brother, Second Brother."
Laozi and Yuanshi, who also appeared, greeted her in return. Yuanshi smiled. "It has been some time since we siblings have gathered together. What do you think Master has summoned us for?"
Tongtian could feel the Kongtong Seal in her possession flicker. Through it, she could sense that humanity's Karmic Luck no longer grew. Sometimes it overflowed, but other times, it would leak out. Without something to anchor the Karmic Luck, humanity's prosperity will decline.
"It should do with humanity's status as the protagonist of the world," Tongtian said.
Laozi looked over with some surprise. He had already sensed humanity's Karmic Luck due to his status as the founder of the Human Way, but how did Tongtian know? Judging by Yuanshi's lack of surprise, he should already know too.
The Grand Purity didn't say anything as the trio arrived in front of Violet Heaven Palace. Not long later, Jieyin, Zhunti, Nuwa, and Redcloud Ancestor arrived one after the other. The seven shared a look, and all entered according to their relationship to the Dao Ancestor.
The first to enter were the Three Purities. Laozi entered first as the eldest disciple of the Immortal Path. Yuanshi entered second, and Tongtian followed behind him. Next was Nuwa, the Dao Ancestor's last personal disciple. Jieyin and Zhunti entered next as nominal disciples. Last but not least was Redcloud Ancestor.
Upon entering, Hongjun was already sitting atop the prayer mat in the center of the main hall.
"""Disciple greets Master!""" Hongjun's disciples said in unison, while Redcloud Ancestor said, "Redcloud has seen the Dao Ancestor."
After greeting him, all the Saints of Heaven sat in their designated seats. Only then did Hongjun speak. "The reason I have summoned you all here is for the development of the Three Realms."
Tongtian's eyes narrowed into crescents. Since Hongjun no longer called the world the Great Desolation, it meant the Way of Heaven acknowledged her act of renaming the world to the Three Realms. This acknowledgment only increased the orthodoxy of the Heavenly Court.
"Although humanity seems prosperous, something is lacking. The Karmic Luck constantly fluctuates," Hongjun continued. "When their luck disappears, the prosperity will decline into nothingness, and humanity will lose its rights as the protagonist of the world."
Aside from the Three Purities and Nuwa, all the Saints showed surprise at this news. Why would humanity decline? Weren't they the species chosen by the Way of Heaven?
"Humanity must stabilize their Karmic Luck, or they will lose the favor of the heavens," Hongjun finished. "As Saints of Heaven, your duty is to find a method to ensure humanity's prosperity."
Hearing the Dao Ancestor's words, the Saints began discussing amongst themselves and giving ideas.
"Since they must stabilize their Karmic Luck, I propose we use a spiritual artifact to anchor their luck so that humanity will forever prosper," Nuwa said.
"Senior Sister Nuwa's proposal is too simple," Jieyin interjected. "Ignoring where we would find a spiritual artifact capable of suppressing humanity's Karmic Luck, humanity is ultimately too weak. Owning a treasure beyond their ability to protect would only invite disaster."
Zhunti spoke up next, backing up Jieyin's words. "Humanity is the protagonist of the world. Perhaps only one of the three Heaven Opening Treasures is capable of anchoring their luck."
He cast a quick glance at the Three Purities but didn't say anything otherwise and continued speaking. "In my opinion, we shouldn't place our hopes on treasures. Instead, we should create totems for humanity. So long as humanity believes in the totems, their Karmic Luck can be anchored."
"And how does that help?" Nuwa asked. "True, humanity no longer has to worry about major powers stealing the luck-anchoring treasure. But the totems can be stolen, along with their luck!"
Zhunti smiled, having already expected this. "That's why I propose we create seven totems. Each of us will protect one so that the Karmic Luck of the human race won't decline."
Nuwa glared. If they did as Zhunti suggested, humanity's Karmic Luck would be split up. She wouldn't have minded if it benefited her, but it harmed her instead. She was the creator of humanity, and her luck would be split if Zhunti's proposal came through. Nuwa could already see Redcloud Ancestor moved by the proposal.
Luckily, she wouldn't be the only one harmed if Zhunti's proposal passed. Nuwa turned toward Laozi. "What does Senior Brother think?"
When Laozi formed the Human Way, he took part of Nuwa's stock in humanity. That meant his interest would also be split.
Laozi scanned the Saints. His eyes were like stagnant water, without ripples or any other changes. "Junior Brother Zhunti's proposal has some merit, but it is not perfect."
"Then what does Senior Brother suggest?" Jieyin asked. If Zhunti's proposal passed, then the West would rise even faster. He had hoped that the other Saints would stand on their side and take the benefits from Laozi and Nuwa, but it seemed that the Three Purities were still very united.
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"Instead of totems, concentrate the Karmic Luck on a few exceptional people," Laozi said. "The Karmic Luck would raise their strength to at least the Quasi-Saint Realm, and as humans, they would think of humanity first and foremost."
Nuwa's heart moved. She glanced toward Tongtian, who smiled at her. Suddenly understanding, she no longer hesitated. "Senior Brother's words are wise."
Seeing Nuwa agree and the Three Purities united, Jieyin and Zhunti knew that their plans had fallen through, but it was not all without hope. So, they could only agree.
As for Redcloud Ancestor, he was alone like Nuwa and had even fewer speaking rights than her. He could ally with Jieyin and Zhunti, but the benefits weren't worth it.
"Then how many humans should bear the Karmic Luck of humanity?" Zhunti asked. "I think seven is still a good number."
Yuanshi spoke up at this moment. "The number of humans bearing the fate of humanity should align with heaven and earth. First, there should be three sovereigns representing the three talents of heaven, earth, and man. The heavenly sovereign should establish etiquette and divide fortune and misfortune. The earthly sovereign should repel disease and stabilize the foundation. And the human sovereign shall unite and protect humanity."
The more the Saints heard, the more they felt that Yuanshi's words were correct. Even Hongjun's eyes focused on Yuanshi.
"The five emperors shall correspond to the five elements and four directions. Thus, they should be the eastern emperor representing the element of wood, the southern emperor representing the element of fire, the western emperor representing the element of metal, the northern emperor representing the element of water, and the central emperor representing the element of earth," Yuanshi finished and cupped his hand to Hongjun. "What does Master think?"
"The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors align with the Way of Heaven. In that case, let them maintain the prosperity of humanity." With Hongjun's decree, the matter was set in stone. However, Hongjun wasn't finished. "However, to ensure success, you must guide the future rulers of humanity."
At this, most of the Saint's hearts moved, especially Jieyin and Zhunti. Even though being the teacher of a human ruler couldn't compare to grasping a token in their hands, it still symbolized merit and luck. Naturally, the Saints wouldn't teach the rulers personally but their disciples. This was the best method to maximize benefits.
Tongtian didn't have much interest. She was the Jade Emperor, the master of the Heavenly Court. She already occupied a large amount of Karmic Luck, and her merits would only increase in the future. Not to mention both her disciples were similar, so she didn't need to fight for the position of the human ruler's teacher.
The only other person who didn't care was Nuwa. She didn't have a sect or disciples. What she cared the most about was her brother. "I wonder if my brother, Fuxi, can become the heavenly sovereign?"
All the Saints except Tongtian turned toward her. Hongjun didn't show any surprise as he answered her. "He can, but he must satisfy two requirements. First, he must shed his identity as a demon and become human."
Nuwa's heart throbbed, almost making her grasp her chest in pain. If Fuxi became fully human, wouldn't their relationship change from siblings to creator and creation? However, Nuwa couldn’t see any other hope in reviving Fuxi, so she could only grit her teeth and accept it.
"The other requirement is to gain Tongtian's approval." At Hongjun's words, Nuwa turned toward Tongtian. Why would she need Tongtian's approval? "As the master of the Kongtong Seal, Tongtian has the ability to abolish any ruler she deems inadequate."
Tongtian stared at Hongjun. She never expected that her master would expose it to everyone. She had planned to gain benefits with no one the wiser, but now it seemed that it was no longer possible. She waved her hand, and the Kongtong Seal appeared before her.
Although Nuwa had never seen the Kongtong Seal, she recognized the aura as the treasure she, Tongtian, and Kong Xuan had fought for. A million regrets appeared in her heart at this moment. If only she had persisted and attained it at that time.
Jieyin and Zhunti stared at Tongtian in envy, but this was nothing new. Redcloud Ancestor had envy, but it was only as deep as the previous two. Yuanshi's reaction surprised her as he had none, as if he knew it was in her possession.
Instead, it was Laozi's gaze that surprised her the most. His rippleless eyes showed a fervent desire for the Kongtong Seal in her hand, but it quickly disappeared, making Tongtian wonder if she had hallucinated it.
Still, she said nothing and just stared at Nuwa. Since her possession of the Kongtong Seal was revealed, it was better for her to gain some benefits. Tongtian wouldn't abolish Fuxi as the heavenly sovereign, but Nuwa didn't know that.
"Senior Sister Tongtian, as long as my brother can become the heavenly sovereign, I will owe you a favor," Nuwa said directly.
Tongtian didn't even think about it. She nodded in agreement. Next, Laozi chose this moment to speak. "Since that is the case, then my disciple, Xuandu, will become the heavenly sovereign's teacher."
No Saint disagreed, not even Nuwa. Laozi owed Nuwa karma for taking a portion of her Karmic Luck when he created the Human Way, so she could rest assured that he would wholeheartedly aid Fuxi. However, that wasn't enough. "Senior Brother, there is still the problem of my brother's reincarnation. When the time comes, I will need your aid in sending him to the Six Paths of Reincarnation."
Laozi agreed. With that matter done, the Saints moved to discuss how to distribute the rest of the human rulers. Laozi only had Xuandu as a disciple, so he would only take one human ruler. Nuwa only cared about Fuxi, leaving seven human rulers for five Saints.
"The West won't be greedy; we will take one sovereign and two emperors," Zhunti said.
Yuanshi sneered. "You major in the Law of Dreams, but I didn't think you would be dreaming while awake."
Zhunti's expression turned ugly, but Yuanshi didn't care. "What does the matter of the East have to do with you two westerners?”
"There are three sovereigns, it just so happened that there are Three Purities," Yuanshi continued. "Since Eldest Brother took the heavenly sovereign, then I will take the earthly sovereign. Third Sister can take the human sovereign."
Tongtian glanced at Yuanshi. She didn't really want to teach a human ruler, but since her second brother had already said this, she wouldn’t disagree. Besides, she could always hand it over to Wutian.
"That is improper," Jieyin interjected. "Senior Sister Tongtian is already the Jade Emperor, the ruler of the Three Realms. She cannot be a teacher of the human rulers."
Yuanshi's gaze turned downright lethal. Even Tongtian frowned. Her not wanting it was one thing, but someone forcing her away from it was another matter. "Nonsense. Third Sister's true body is the Jade Emperor. It's her Saint Corpse that will teach the human sovereign."
Jieyin and Zhunti felt as if their jaws would drop. A Corpse was just part of the cultivator. For Yuanshi to split Tongtian and Lingbao's identities was preposterous. They never thought there would be a day that Yuanshi would be more shameless than them.
They turned toward Hongjun, hoping he would reason with Yuanshi, but Hongjun stayed silent. Redcloud Ancestor took this moment to speak up. "Daoist Yuanshi is right. Daoist Tongtian's Corpse teaching the human sovereign does not conflict with her identity as the Jade Emperor."
Zhunti turned toward Redcloud Ancestor to see his resentful gaze and smiled helplessly. The enmity he sowed eons ago for not taking action during his moment of crisis was coming back to bite him.
"This is a matter of the East. I don't need too many spots. I just want to take two emperors. The rest can belong to Daoist Yuanshi and Daoist Tongtian," Redcloud Ancestor said.
Jieyin and Zhunti's expressions changed. If it went as Recloud Ancestor suggested, then they wouldn't even be able to pick up scraps.
"As Senior Brother Yuanshi said before, the five emperors represent the four cardinal directions. The western emperor has fate with the West. It is only proper that one of ours teaches him," Jieyin reasoned.
Redcloud Ancestor looked at Yuanshi. Yuanshi nodded. "Indeed, the western emperor is fated with your West, but the rest belong to the East."
Jieyin and Zhunti shared bitter smiles. From the steely determination in Yuanshi's eyes, they could see that they had no chance with the other human rulers.
"I don't want to teach the emperors, you can have them, Second Brother," Tongtian said. Her words pierced Jieyin's and Zhunti's hearts. She casually threw away the position they wanted. Not only that, it would mean Yuanshi occupied three human rulers.
Of the eight human rulers, not only did the Three Purities monopolize the three sovereigns, but they also got two emperors for a total of five! Redcloud Ancestor, the weakest of them, got two, while Jieyin and Zhunti only got a pitiful one. Still, they knew they could not change the outcome.
The Dao Ancestor dismissed them after everything had been ironed out. Now, they would simply need to wait for the human rulers to be born. While Nuwa and Laozi traveled to the Underworld, Jieyin and Zhunti returned to Mount Sumeru.
"Senior Brother, who is most suitable to teach the western emperor?" Zhunti asked. "Your disciple, Ksitigarbha, is excellent. I believe he would make an excellent teacher and help the teachings of the Liberation Sect prosper in the East."
Ksitigarbha was a shura that Jieyin had converted. In comparison to Maitreya or Dishitian, he was their equal, if not superior. Still, Jieyin shook his head. "I believe the chance should be left to your disciples. Don't forget about the forty-eight oaths you made. If you use this chance well, you can break free of your constraints faster."
"Senior Brother," Zhunti said, moved by Jieyin's words. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. In the end, he could only say, "Thank you."
"What thanks does there need to be between us?" Jieyin asked. "You should quickly decide who should become the western emperor's teacher."
Zhunti nodded and started to think. He couldn't really choose. Maitreya was his first disciple, but Dishitian had shown significant progress. If she continued at her current pace, she might enter the Great Unity Realm before the birth of the western emperor.
Should he prioritize his relationship with Maitreya and give him the position, so he could reach the Great Unity Realm faster, or give it to Dishitian and further invest in her growth?