Xihe gazed at Wu Wang, fell silent for a while, then spoke again, "Some things are actually acts of helplessness. How much do you understand about the Candle Dragon?"

"Not much," Wu Wang tensed inwardly, but his expression became even more relaxed.

Show weakness to the enemy.

He said, "I only know that the Candle Dragon was a loser in the divine war back then and was expelled from the world."

"The Candle Dragon was not really defeated," Xihe sighed. "At that time, we had exhausted our efforts, yet we still could not see a chance to defeat the Candle Dragon. In the end, it was the Star God who stepped forward, fought desperately, and banished the Candle Dragon to the Outer Sky, while we built the order of Heaven and Earth. Using the Power of Order and the Great Dao of the gods, we formed the Heaven and Earth Seal, pushing the Candle Dragon out of Heaven and Earth. This is an oft-told tale, easy to mention, but the price paid back then was too great…"

"I seem to have heard someone mention it," Wu Wang said with a smile. "The Heavenly Emperor's rise to power nowadays benefited from the support of the Dao of Life. The once-dominant Candle Dragon was actually not weakened but was expelled during its prime."

"Right."

"Yet the Heavenly Emperor still treats such a significant contributor this way," Wu Wang mused for a moment with furrowed brows.

Xihe was momentarily speechless. It was evident from the Queen of Heaven's expression that there was a hint of amusement. Wu Wang's ability to stave off people's arguments was also unparalleled.

Xihe spoke softly, "The matter of the Head Manager is actually not that simple. If you have a chance in the future, you can go and see, listen for yourself. It's not convenient for me to say too much. My visit here today is to formally extend an invitation. The Heaven Palace would like to invite you to help. What happened in the past remains in the past, and the Heaven Palace has changed with His Majesty's return. Wu Wang, have you ever thought about how this world can be stabilized, how living beings can live in peace? Have you ever had the ideal of using your own Great Dao to establish the order of all Daos?"

"Both His Majesty and I think you are someone capable of great responsibilities."

Wu Wang's expression froze. "Me?"

"What's the matter? Don't you have that confidence?"

"Indeed not," Wu Wang admitted frankly. "I am just a carefree individual who craves pleasure, content with insignificance. I truly cannot accept such misplaced affection from the Heavenly Emperor and an elder like you."

"Don't be so modest."

A faint golden light radiated around Xihe. The vitality and charm emanating from her whole being wielded an astonishing power of influence.

She said, "Don't you want to explore the future of the Human Domain? You are also aware that the Human Domain has only one Dao of Fire. The individual Daos of other living beings, limited to the acquired, will ultimately be no match for the Heaven Palace. I can confidently assert here that even if the Human Domain defeats the Heaven Palace one day, for the living beings, it would just be another Heaven Palace rising. The world needs a ruler, and this ruler will inevitably oppress the weaker ones. What you and I can do is create enough buffer zones to infinitely lessen the intensity of this oppression. Don't you think that such a task is what you should truly be doing? If you could support the Heaven Palace, with no worries of the Heaven and Earth Seal being destroyed, we could then focus on building a new, more stable order for the world."

Wu Wang was silent.

If it hadn't been for the three rewinds he had previously seen, in which the Heaven Palace successfully upgraded the order of Heaven and Earth, oppressing living beings and harming the Human Domain, he might have actually believed it. This Xihe is really something. Her skill in offering alluring promises is indeed unparalleled! But after all, he has a 'home' that is completely different from the Great Wilderness. When it comes to the power of making promises, confronting the Heaven Palace in this lifetime is just amusement. If one truly wants to observe, it's the 'Buying-is-better-than-making Great Honored One,' the 'Overtime Blessings Great Bodhisattva.'

Suddenly, Wu Wang let out a long sigh. He looked up at the sky with a sparkle in his eyes and spoke slowly, "Elder, do you know where the root of the current dilemma that the Heaven Palace faces lies?"

Xihe laughed. "I would like to hear Wu Wang's insights."

Then listen carefully.

Wu Wang, with his hands on the desk and a light flickering in his eyes, said solemnly, "The current predicament of the Heaven Palace lies in the disconnection between divine authority and living beings."

"Oh? I would like to hear more."

"How many are the Innate Gods? How many are the Great Daos?"

Wu Wang said aloud, "The number of Innate Gods is far less than the number of Great Daos that maintain the operation of this world. What does this tell us? Heaven and Earth Daos can operate on their own even without the Innate Gods; Innate Gods are just the sentient manifestations of the Daos, thus creating conscious entities of the Daos. Now let's look back at the ancient god wars. Who won the ancient god wars? You did, but the victory was somewhat reluctant because, with the power of living beings at that time and the rapidly growing Dao of Life, you could only barely defeat the Candle Dragon Divine Faction by a slight margin. But what about now? The Human Domain, constructed purely by living beings, has been able to battle the Heaven Palace for tens of thousands of years. If the Dao of Life were unified, the Innate God who controls this Dao would have power close to that of the Heavenly Emperor. This is probably why the Heavenly Emperor has always wanted to suppress the Head Manager—the Young Master is a bit naive and easier to control. In other words, the strongest Daos in the world today are those of Order, Life, Yin and Yang, Divine Punishment, and others. But the divine authority of the Heaven Palace is completely disconnected from the living beings. The Heaven Palace insists on exploiting and suppressing the Hundred Races, nurturing their elites to drive them like cattle and sheep, or even worse than cattle and sheep. The Hundred Races have long held endless grievances against the Heaven Palace, and this resentment has been brewing and now threatens the reign of the Heaven Palace. In the past few years, I've learned that many tribes in the Eastern Wilderness and Western Wilderness have been rising. Queen of Heaven, you need to consider that this is just the Heaven Palace losing to the Human Domain in one battle in the Southeastern Region. If the Heaven Palace continues to suffer defeats, giving the impression that the tide has turned... Not to mention the various tribes, wouldn't the Innate Gods consider changing their tune?"

Xihe couldn't help but fall silent.

"Elder, the times have changed."

"The times have changed?"

"Exactly."

Wu Wang, tapping his fingers on the table, smiled and said, "Heaven and Earth are no longer what they once were; the will of living beings is awakening, and this will also be the main force against the Candle Dragon in the future. The Heaven Palace needs to consider not only adjusting its own system but more importantly, changing its perspective on living beings. How to establish a fundamental connection with living beings? How to let living beings know that they too have a share in the order of this world? And how to achieve harmonious coexistence among gods, humans, spirits, Heaven, and Earth? Elder!"

Xihe blinked lightly, her smile somewhat strained.

Wu Wang stood up, slightly agitated, and declared loudly, "Our ideal should be that the strong have their rewards, the weak have their reliance; that effort will be rewarded, and that Heaven and Earth will continue to flourish. Divine Spirits are born from the Great Dao, and the Great Dao is born from Heaven and Earth. Shouldn't the Divine Spirits give back to this world? Heaven and Earth need us. Heaven and Earth need Divine Spirits! Just 'Order' alone is too superficial and too weak. I have been wondering why the Heaven Palace has fallen into the present state of chaos and confusion among the gods. Quite simply, it's due to the lack of a leader and the absence of a core. Now that the Heavenly Emperor has returned, Emperor Shun has come back and is starting to recognize the role of living beings in Heaven and Earth, which is a good thing. But I hope even more that the Heavenly Emperor can put aside his pride and carefully reflect on what he has seen and encountered in the Human Domain, to become a true Heavenly Emperor. A new Heavenly Emperor who belongs not only to the Innate Gods but also to all beings, to the Great Dao, and to the Great Wilderness."

Having said this, Wu Wang lowered his head and made a formal bow. "This gesture is for the order that the predecessor has established. But the Heaven Palace can no longer be complacent with these achievements. It is time to advance our understanding of Heaven and Earth. The Way of Heaven reduces the excess and supplements the insufficient."

Xihe sat there, her gaze still fairly calm. But beneath this calmness, there was a light shining.

...

When Xihe left, the look she gave Wu Wang seemed even warmer.

In front of all the Cultivators of the Human Domain, Xihe asked directly and openly, "Wu Wang, friend of the Dao, the Heaven Palace is willing to offer you the position of a genuine main god and invite you to counsel on the affairs of Heaven and Earth. If you find this position of rank too low, you are free to state your conditions."

The expressions on the Cultivators' faces at that moment were somewhat frozen.

Wu Wang replied with a smile, "The elder flatters me too much. I am but a humble son of the human race and fear that I'm not up to the task. Moreover, as I cultivate in the Human Domain, it is only right that I serve the Human Domain."

"The Human Domain is but a part of Heaven and Earth after all."

Xihe said with a smile, her long hair fluttering slightly as she already displayed her dignity. Yet her dignity didn't have much of a sense of pressure.

She said, "Wu Wang, the strategies you have bestowed today, I will report to His Majesty in full without omission, and We shall discuss them in detail. Should they prove beneficial to the Heaven Palace, I will personally offer a generous reward."

Wu Wang was stunned.

Murdering by striking the heart! Murdering by striking the heart, indeed! This Sun Goddess had nonchalantly pushed him to the opposing side of the Human Domain. Especially given her identity, status, and the reputation she had built up before, it would create a considerable force of 'absolute conviction'.

Wu Wang swept the area with his Immortal Consciousness. As expected, many elders around him were already frowning. But Wu Wang didn't take this matter too seriously. He knew his place and didn't aspire to become a 'high-ranking official' in the Human Domain; at most, people would just gossip about him.

Once the carriage pulled by six dragons, along with the thousands of Divine Guards, had gradually flown off into the distance, Wu Wang took a light breath. Ling Xiaolan seemed a bit unsteady on her feet, sweating coldly, and her pale face evoked considerable sympathy.

"What's wrong, Xiaolan?"

Wu Wang hurried over to ask, with Lin Suqing and the Blue Bird also rushing to her side immediately.

Wearing a veil, Ling Xiaolan gently shook her head. "Facing such a powerful being, my Dao heart was inevitably a bit tense, and I was slightly affected by the pressure. I'll be fine after some rest."

"Go and rest," said Wu Wang. "I'm sorry to have troubled you."

"As long as I can help you," Ling Xiaolan whispered, her gaze shifting to the side.

Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Wu Wang smiled. Ling Xiaolan, with her head lowered, hurried back to the cabin where she was originally staying. A Transcendent from the Xuan Nu Sect had already laid out several layers of Barriers.

Following Fairy Ling's habits, it seemed she wouldn't settle without a bath.

"Wuwang Palace Lord..."

A few Transcendent beings from the Human Domain descended and stood behind Wu Wang, each apparently having something to say but holding back.

"What's the matter?"

Wu Wang asked with a smile, turning to look at these Human Domain experts.

"We have not the slightest doubt about Wuwang Palace Lord's intentions," said a Supreme Elder from the Xuan Nu Sect in a soft voice, "but could you give us a clear picture of what strategy you offered the Heaven Palace?"

Without much explanation, Wu Wang found a middle-aged male Cultivator nearby, grabbed the man's arm, and whispered six words, "He has told me everything."

After releasing the man's arm, he bowed to the Human Domain experts and left them with a "Just ask him," before turning and heading back to his cabin.

The middle-aged male Cultivator's face was awash with confusion as several Transcendent beings quickly surrounded him.

"Nephew Liu," they pressed, "what did the Palace Lord tell you?"

"He didn't say anything," the male Cultivator hurriedly responded. "He didn't tell me a thing, just that he told me everything."

"Your words make no sense! You're not coherent!"

"Since he told you everything, then spit it out! This concerns the honor of our Wuwang Palace Lord!"

"Er," the male Cultivator became visibly flustered. "The Wuwang Palace Lord just said, 'He told me everything!'"

"Right, he told you everything."

"Just those six words, 'He told me everything!' The Wuwang Palace Lord told me, 'He told me everything!' Then, he asked you all to ask me!"

The Transcendent beings were momentarily stunned and then burst into resigned laughter.

The Supreme Elder of the Xuan Nu Sect lamented, "It's nothing more than a stratagem by the Heaven Palace to sow discord."

"To think we believed this Sun Goddess was different from the other Innate Gods, yet it turns out she, too..."

Emitting sighs of contemplation, their conversation quickly spread amongst those nearby.

In the cabin, Wu Wang sat in a wooden chair, listening to the incessant questions of his elder brother, the Sleep God, while sinking into his own thoughts.

From the perspective of standing against the Heaven Palace, this Xihe was indeed a formidable opponent.

When Wu Wang came back to his senses, a large thumb was already thrust before his eyes.

"Impressive, little brother! Even Xihe was bamboozled by you! Had you been born in ancient times, what need would there have been for Emperor Shun? Ahahaha!"

The Sleep God was laughing and slapping the table, nearly toppling from his chair. Clearly, the recent conversation had not escaped the probing of the Sleep God.

The fleet had once again set sail, this time much more discreetly. The sixteen large ships initiated Formations to conceal themselves and avoid detection, skimming the sea's surface as they sped towards the Northern Wilderness at top speed.

Wu Wang let out a gentle sigh, leaned back in his chair, and settled comfortably.

Facing Xihe, he, too, felt the pressure.

He chuckled and said, "What I did wasn't deception, but rather a philosophy, an ideology."

"Yeah, I get it, I get it."

The Sleep God continued with a smile, "You've got me startin' to talk like a bureaucrat with all this maneuvering."

"No, it's truly how I see things," Wu Wang insisted. He spread his hands helplessly. "These days, no one believes you even when you tell the truth."

The Sleep God's laughter faded as he pondered for a moment before asking, "How do you plan to explain this to the Human Domain?"

"Explain what? To whom should I explain?"

Wu Wang replied, "The advice I gave to the Heaven Palace, if it actually takes effect, wouldn't it be a good thing for the Human Domain, the human race, and the living beings between Heaven and Earth?"

"Indeed," agreed the Sleep God. "If your words truly reach the Heavenly Emperor's ears, it would be a beneficial affair."

But then, the Sleep God muttered in a transmitted message, "But you need to think about this—if the Heaven Palace truly changes and the resentment the living beings hold towards it lessens, your chances of bringing down Emperor Shun will be slim."

"If I truly wish to take down Emperor Shun, I'm not doing it to take his place," Wu Wang stated earnestly. "We all have different pursuits. You should know, elder brother, I respect strength but do not blindly chase after the powerful. I wish to become stronger, but not to stand atop others. If I were to elaborate, it would take too much, far too much explanation. Consider me an anomaly of the Great Wilderness. This concept is deeply rooted and would be quite troublesome for me to change."

The Sleep God chuckled. "You are quite the strange one... but that's not bad at all."

Wu Wang smiled silently, a serene look in his eyes.

It's time to return to the Northern Wilderness. Gather your spirits, contemplate the plans for the future, and embark anew.

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