Chapter 501: Chapter 440 Zibu Yu, 3 Mao Worlds
"Forget it, the magic meeting will proceed as usual. I’ll go there myself."
Song Lin thought for a moment; the meeting would continue as planned.
The duel competition had concluded, and the first-generation champion was Wang Ziyue. This young man had cultivated his own Twelve Cloud Seals, mastering not only Taoist Soldiers but also reaching the third transformation of the Nine-Transformation Mysterious Skill.
He consecutively defeated Gu Yuchan, Yan Jiuge, and Qingyu, the three mighty figures, securing the leader title.
This was no surprise to Song Lin.
The second-generation champion was Luu Yunsheng, whose Nine-Transformation Mysterious Skill had reached the Fifth Transformation. Among those of the same realm, few could breach his defenses.
Forget it, I’ll go over myself.
Song Lin headed to the Taoist Method Meeting, where the first-generation duels were underway.
Taihua and Bai Mei had long departed, given the urgency of other events—they couldn’t afford to linger for the meeting but had to return to handle pressing matters for the sect.
Song Lin stepped out from the Heavenly Master’s Dojo.
The Eight Sceneries Platform was hosting the Taoist Method Meeting with various presiding hosts.
Seeing this scene, Song Lin felt no rush since the demons wouldn’t attack just yet.
Unhurriedly, Song Lin wandered around without disturbing others.
To his surprise, his observations yielded considerable insight: larger magic veins still failed to break free from their inherent frameworks, while most new ideas were merely extensions within those boundaries.
Smaller veins, such as Corpse Gu, Cultivation Refining Techniques, and Cultivation Alchemy, showcased innovative perspectives.
For example, the cultivator named Lus Yunqing had proposed a novel Cultivation Refining Method that greatly benefited Song Lin.
In the early stages of cultivation, practitioners rarely delve into profound Divine Soul transformations, rendering them unable to grasp deeper alchemical and refining techniques.
Lus Yunqing, however, ingeniously paved a new path.
"Since cultivation can only teach foundational refining methods, then we should start from the basics—repetitively refining and stacking layers until a qualitative transformation emerges."
Facing the crowd’s gaze, Lus Yunqing spoke confidently and eloquently.
"I call this the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Sha Skill. It starts with a single Earthly Sha Restriction, ascending to seventy-two Earthly Sha Restrictions to upgrade into Heavenly Gang Restrictions. Thirty-six Heavenly Gang Restrictions would reach completion. Beyond that, I have yet to conceive possibilities."
Thirty-six Heavenly Gang full completions mark the peak of Spiritual Artifacts, followed by Acquired Spiritual Treasures, Innate Spiritual Treasures, Acquired Magical Treasures, and Innate Magical Treasures.
This method, akin to cultivation methods, has straightforward entry requirements but demands extensive time and resources.
Additionally, if any restriction fails, all prior efforts are obliterated, making the barrier low but the risk high.
Overall, it aligns roughly with current refining techniques.
Cultivation methods are simple but demand time and complexity, while advanced practitioners can achieve completion in a single step.
Soon, the meeting was ending.
Now it was Song Lin’s turn to designate the Taoist Method Meeting’s compendium.
The Taoist Method Meeting compendium symbolizes the magic heritage of the Taoist School. Since Donghua Taoist Sect’s establishment, they had yet to formally compile their compendium.
Though the times were changing, magic research could not fall behind.
At the very least, the sect’s knowledge must be refined. Song Lin entrusted this task to Mei Hua, who enjoyed scholarly pursuits and was well-suited for this role.
Within a short while, Song Lin highlighted over thirty Chapters for the compendium, with Lus Yunqing’s proposal placed first.
Song Lin offered words of encouragement before dismissing the higher-ups.
Inside the Heavenly Master’s dojo.
To Song Lin’s left sat Zhonghuang Zi, alongside Zhengxin, Tiansha, Disha, Yuanbo... To his right were Shi Yinhua, Mei Hua, Qingyu, and Wang Ziyue.
In addition to the living, departed Yin Gods also arrived.
"Everyone here knows what’s transpired in recent days, so I won’t reiterate. What I want to hear are your thoughts."
"The demons are strong. My suggestion is retreating to the Eight Sceneries World to rebuild strength and launch a counterattack in the future," Zhonghuang Zi proposed.
Yuanbo and Disha echoed his sentiments; the demons’ overwhelming power made swift retreat the wisest choice.
Through magical techniques, they could seal all exits flawlessly, establishing a timetable before emerging again.
The Eight Sceneries World is a complete, high-integrity realm that does not rely on the primary world.
Unlike smaller Grotto Heavens, which could be traced via connections to the primary world.
Thus, retreating would be the prudent move.
A single sect could never fend off the demons.
"That’s not acceptable."
Zhengxin understood Song Lin well; he wasn’t one to cower in fear.
Moreover, chaos often presents the opportunity for breakthroughs.
"If we retreat, we lose the ability to influence the situation. By the time we emerge, the world might be entirely overrun by demons, leaving us forever trapped in the Eight Sceneries World to die."
Zhengxin’s argument found favor with many.
The debate grew heated, but Song Lin remained silent. The wisdom of listening to multiple viewpoints sometimes meant refraining from prematurely voicing his own stance.
Some even suggested venturing overseas—a notion raised by Xiangling, given that the Hidden Pulse resided there.
This perspective gained no traction.
Running overseas was a foolish idea.
After much debate, Song Lin finally spoke.
"Retreating to hide is not a viable strategy. While the demon forces are formidable, this is precisely an opportune moment for us to consolidate humanity."
Nevertheless..."
Song Lin shifted his tone, saying, "I’m not outright denying Zhonghuang Zi’s approach. If the time truly comes when survival hangs by a thread, retreating might be a necessary course of action."
In all sincerity, Song Lin did not wish to retreat, as that would signify abandoning their foundational advantages.
For now, consolidating the Taoist School amidst chaos to restore some semblance of order could attract other sects to join them.
The Donghua Taoist Sect boasts plenty of Primordial Spirit experts.
The Four Great Ghost Kings, Twelve Yuan Chen, Zhonghuang Zi, and himself.
Securing Yuzhen Sect’s support might enable them to carve out a region and withstand the demon threat for a time. By leveraging the story world’s resources to gain greater power, they might still rise.
If difficulties are met by fleeing, how could one then aspire to become the Small Heavenly Court Master?
"Hence, my recommendation is to stay for the time being and assess the situation, focusing primarily on resistance."
"Won’t this lead to significant casualties?" someone asked anxiously.
"Of course. Humanity is fractured, but only the Donghua Taoist Sect genuinely aligns with humanity’s broader interests. This isn’t self-aggrandizement; tell me, among the other sects, which commands such popular support?"
"Abolish the Six Layers, bring balance to the Three Heavens—this is the pursuit our generation must live for!"
Song Lin cast his gaze upon the newly joined cultivators, particularly those from the recently merged Holy Might sect.
The suggestion of surrender earlier had been voiced by them.
"Defending against external threats means many will die. More will perish than in peaceful times, potentially even resulting in extinction. But does that mean we shouldn’t fight?"
"Today, I declare: there will be no negotiations with demons. Humanity is the spirit of all beings, and with demons, there is no coexistence! Any who obstructs shall be destroyed—human or demon makes no difference. If Heaven decrees the extinction of humanity, it’ll have to extinguish me first!"
Not only must demons be eradicated, but also those who collude with them.
As he spoke, a radiant Pure Yang Qi emanated from him, illuminating him like a sun. The crowd couldn’t help but be moved to bow before him.
"We heed the Heavenly Master’s command!"
The meeting set the tone for resisting demons.
Retreat, guard, or flee—none of these would include surrender.
Ten days later, battles in the west remained deadlocked.
The Jiuxiao Dao Alliance and Miao Fa Netherworld combined forces with the Copper Dragon Tribes to form Jiuxiao Country, joining the demon ranks.
This led to the establishment of Wu Country by Black Heaven and the Witch God Dao Alliance in the southwest.
Wu Country now consisted only of a small territory held by Xuanzong Shangqing. Humanity had effectively splintered, with some factions even defecting to the demons.
...
On this day, Song Lin entered closed-door cultivation.
He prepared to open a new world.
[In Hua Yang Cave Mansion, time stands eternal; refrain from seeking life’s resting place in Immortal Country.]
[World]: Zibu Yu.
[Thirty-Six Heavens]: Heavenly Realm.
[Time Flow Speed]: One month per day.
[Descent]: Physical body.
[Category]: Near Ancient Myths, Weird Supernatural Myths, Taoist Myths.
[System]: Sanmao Divine System.
"Hmm? Sanmao Divine System? A story world based on the real world?"