Immortality begins with meditation puppets

Birds of a feather flock together; people of similar kind form groups. Forming cliques is the nature of all living things. Regardless of the internal conflicts among the various sects and races of the Tianyuan Realm, when pressure from the heavens comes, the relatively weaker local forces of the Tianyuan Realm will naturally gather around a central figure, a backbone, and unite as one.

This central figure, if placed a thousand years ago, could have been the prosperous and legitimate Immortal Qin Martial Kingdom, or the Xuanyuan Immortal Kingdom with the bloodline of the Human Emperor and the innate nobility. It could also have been the absolute overlord of the Western Sea, the celestial island of Penglai Immortal Kingdom, or the demon leader of the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom. The Hanging Buddhist Temple, the last remaining place of incense offering for Buddhism, and the Landuo Buddhist Kingdom would also have considerable influence.

But that was the power structure of the Tianyuan Realm a thousand years ago. In the last thousand years, from south to north and from east to west, the only power in the Tianyuan Realm that can truly win everyone's hearts and minds and make them take it as their leader is the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom.

This status wasn't earned by the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom; it was created by the various puppets of the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom scattered throughout Tianyuan, helping all sects and nations resist evil spirits. It was Su Qing who, under pressure from all the heavens and myriad realms, did her utmost to speak out and fight for the rights of the local forces of Tianyuan.

This is a position that even the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom doesn't want, but the local forces of Tianyuan all want to place on his head!
"Ah Su, I'm troubling you to be at the forefront again this time. Don't worry about charging ahead, we'll be your strong support and protect you!"

"Our Desire Demon Immortal Kingdom has always stood shoulder to shoulder with the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom, and this time will be no different. Even if the Primordial Sect bullies and oppresses us, we will never back down. We swear to share glory and disgrace with Lord Su Tianjun, and to share both fortune and misfortune!"

"I, Princess Fire Phoenix, representing the Fire Phoenix Immortal Kingdom and also the Myriad Demon Kingdom, hereby declare that I care not what the myriad realms do to the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom, but if any traitor appears on our Tianyuan homeland, we will not let him off the hook!"

The cultivators of Tianyuan were all well aware that the debate between the Yuanshi Sect and the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom was not only a clash between the old and new paths, but also a conflict of interests between the myriad worlds and the Tianyuan Realm itself.

If we follow the path of the Primordial Sect, the strong will always be strong and the weak will always be weak. The power structure of the myriad realms will remain stagnant. The major sects in the myriad realms will be major sects in the myriad realms and will still be major sects back in the Tianyuan Realm. The best resources and the most benefits will all belong to them. The forces in the Tianyuan Realm will always be overshadowed by them and will never be able to challenge them or rise to the top.

If we follow Su Qing's path, the capable will rise and the weak will fall, with full competition across all realms and no limits on upward mobility. Under such circumstances, given the preferential treatment and support given to local forces within the Tianyuan Realm, the future development of the various sects and nations within the Tianyuan Realm will obviously be more secure and more in line with the long-term interests of the various sects and nations within the Tianyuan Realm.

Thus, even sects like the Immortal Qin Martial Kingdom, the Xuanyuan Immortal Kingdom, and even the Penglai Immortal Kingdom, which have received substantial investments from major sects such as the Yuanshi Sect, the Lingbao Sect, and the Dongwang Sect, now know which side they are on and that they should help Su Qing and the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom withstand the pressure from all the myriad realms.

As for the Desire Demon Immortal Kingdom, Fire Phoenix Immortal Kingdom, Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom, and Hanging Buddhist Temple, these forces that were already on good terms with Su Qing need no further explanation. Just as the various sects in the heavens have always trusted the Primordial Sect to be right and always win, these forces have followed Su Qing for years, eating nine meals a day. Just as Su Qing himself said, the glory of the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom will not be enjoyed alone. These people who follow behind can also eat meat and drink soup!

Furthermore, regarding the Divine Kingdom of Punishment and the Immortal Kingdom of Langya, it's only natural for the eldest and second eldest brothers to help the third.

Today, Su Qing, Gao Erqiang, and Tong Chang, as well as all the cultivators in the heavens, have come to understand that the former Three Heroes of Yunshan were actually the Three Heroes of Tianyuan.

He is the chosen one of destiny in the Tianyuan Realm, a representative of destiny pushed forward by the destiny of the entire Tianyuan Realm over so many years.

The three of them walk the Xuanmen Dao, the Tianshi Rendao, and the Shenling Tiandao, representing the three Daos that Tianyuan Realm has favored from ancient times to the present. In the past, present, and future, all three of them have been blessed with good fortune and have a bright future in their respective Daos. Whether they can ultimately meet the expectations of Tianyuan Realm is another matter. Just for now, their abilities are already not to be underestimated.

Leaving Su Qing aside for now, let's talk about the Heavenly Master Tong Chang.

Since the incident at the Lingxiao Palace, Tong Chang, who has fully inherited the legacy of the Four Celestial Masters of antiquity, is no longer a joke with the title of Celestial Master. Instead, he is a Celestial Master recognized and respected by all the heavens and myriad realms. His abilities and influence in the myriad realms are vastly different from before. During his seclusion to digest the Celestial Master legacy, he has entrusted all matters related to the Langya Immortal Kingdom and the Celestial Master to Su Qing. Su Qing's will is Tong Chang's will.

Gao Erqiang, the Heavenly Origin War God, may not be particularly skilled at managing his divine kingdom, but he is very self-aware. He had long ago entrusted part of the divine kingdom's business to the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom, putting it under the management of Su Qing, so that Su Qing could concentrate on his divine cultivation.

On the path of divinity, he follows the path of Erlang Shen, the ancient God of Justice and War, a peak seventh-level Dao Lord who achieved physical sainthood. His strength, abilities, and combat prowess have been evident in his repeated campaigns alongside Su Qing. He is a powerful fighting god who can compete with the Great Sage of the Overturning Sea who has received the Great Sage's blessing without being at a disadvantage.

The powerful god and his execution god kingdom, like Master Tong's Langya Immortal Kingdom, form an inseparable trio with Su Qing and his Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom. The alliance between the three is also an important foundation for the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom to become the unanimously recognized leader and overlord of the Tianyuan Realm.

Su Qing looked around, scanning the various local forces of Tianyuan.

He understood that the support from the Immortal Kingdoms like the Immortal Qin Martial Kingdom and the Xuanyuan Immortal Kingdom was not unconditional or unreserved, because there was still some competition between them for the position of Human Emperor. They could not maintain a completely confrontational relationship with the great sects of the heavens, such as the Yuanshi Sect, without communication or cooperation. In the competition for the position of Human Emperor and in the development of their own immortal kingdoms, they still needed the support and assistance of these great sects.

But that doesn't matter. The relations between the major sects of the Immortal Kingdom and the outside world have never been black and white. Su Qing is not the kind of iron-blooded ruler who is either absolutely loyal or absolutely disloyal. No, in his eyes, he has never been a ruler of the Immortal Kingdom, Qin, Wu Kingdom, or other Immortal Kingdoms. They are partners and have a cooperative relationship.

Regarding the issues concerning the local forces of Tianyuan and the myriad worlds, everyone should just keep in step. As for other matters, those who should cooperate should cooperate, those who should compete should compete, and those who want to curse should continue to curse!
He also understood that the reason why forces such as the Desire Demon Immortal Kingdom, the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom, and the Hanging Buddhist Temple stood on his side was not only because of their past relationship, but also because they now needed the help of the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom.

The Desire Immortal Kingdom hopes to introduce the puppet production line from the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom to drive the upgrading of their own immortal kingdom's various arts and crafts industries and achieve the great revival of the demonic path.

The Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons hopes to receive financial assistance from the Kingdom of Kaiyuan to develop the unique arts and crafts of the demon race, thereby gaining an advantage in competition with the demon races of the heavens.

The Hanging Buddhist Temple and other Buddhist kingdoms hope to receive more of the ancient Buddhist heritage from Xiong Er, a Buddhist monk, so that Buddhism can be made great again.

He knew all this, but that's how cooperation works. It's based on mutual needs and desires. For example, his Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom has always maintained close exchanges and friendly cooperation with various sects and countries in this world, providing support and assistance to many immortal kingdoms. It has also made concessions to various sects and countries in trade relations. Even the Penglai Immortal Kingdom, which could have been annexed long ago, is still given the right to independence.

This is certainly not because Su Qing is sentimental and can't bear to see his fellow villagers suffer, so he uses the benefits of Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom to subsidize other immortal kingdoms in Tianyuan.

Ultimately, the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom also operates the entire Tianyuan Realm as its base, just like it is now.

With the Yuanshi Sect and the Dongwang Sect joining forces, they are fully capable of driving out the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom in the Heavenly Market. So why does Su Qing still have the confidence to confront these two sects head-on?

It's not because the Zhutian Market is gone, but he still has the huge Tianyuan Market as the sales place for Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom's various craft products. Against the backdrop of Tianyuan's revival, the strength of the cultivators in the various immortal kingdoms of Tianyuan is increasing day by day, and the resources in each immortal kingdom are also springing up like mushrooms after rain. This market alone is enough for the current Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom to digest.

Once these markets have been absorbed, the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom will have already achieved several leaps in strength. At that time, when it opens up markets in the heavens, it will not be something that the Yuanshi Sect and the Dongwang Sect can block at will!

"I understand your intentions and am very grateful for your support. However, we must also understand that in this world, the common enemy of our Tianyuan Realm and all the myriad realms is still the evil forces led by the Demon Buddha."

Even if we have some conflicts with the myriad realms, we cannot simply cut off all contact with the major sects of the heavens. We should seek cooperation through struggle and then compete through cooperation. This is the best course of action for all the myriad realms and all living beings.

Of course, if the major sects of the heavens attempt to restrict or suppress the development of our Tianyuan Realm in this process, we cannot sit idly by and wait for our doom, nor can we allow them to act recklessly.

Our various sects and nations in the Tianyuan Realm have stood firm in their own realms, weathering the storms of the Dharma-ending Age together with our respective worlds. Now, the bitterness has finally given way to sweetness, and we are reaping the rewards. We do not keep the fruits of victory to ourselves, but are willing to share them with our fellow practitioners in all the heavens and myriad realms. However, they want to take most of the benefits and only give us a little bit of broth. We cannot agree to that.

However, although my Tianyuan Realm is developing rapidly, the gap in strength between us and the great sects of the heavens cannot be closed overnight. With the power of a single immortal kingdom and sect, we are completely unable to withstand the crushing power of the great sects of the heavens.

Therefore, we should unite and consolidate the strength of our entire Tianyuan Realm to compete with all the other realms for the interests that rightfully belong to us. I propose that our Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom take the lead in establishing the Tianyuan Alliance. All immortal kingdoms, sects, and races of this realm are welcome to join this alliance. Within the alliance, trade will flow freely, technology will be without borders, and talent will be unrestricted by region. We will support each other internally and act in unison externally to cope with the increasingly fierce competition between the other realms and our Tianyuan Realm.

Establish a unified Tianyuan market and use the Tianyuan Alliance to counter the Zhutian Alliance represented by the Yuanshi Sect.

This is a new large-scale organization established within the framework of the Anti-Demon Council.

When Su Qing voiced his suggestion, the expressions of all the cultivators present changed.

For example, Peach Blossom True Lord, who represents Peach Blossom Sect, does not meet the conditions to become a member of the Heavenly Origin Alliance because his sect is located in the myriad heavens. He can only cooperate with the alliance as a friendly force. Therefore, he is not very concerned about the establishment of the alliance. At most, he is thinking about how the conflict between Heavenly Origin and the myriad heavens will intensify after the alliance is established, and how Peach Blossom Sect can navigate between the two forces to protect itself.

What truly concerns their vital interests are the sects and immortal kingdoms of the Tianyuan Realm.

The Martial Emperor of the Immortal Qin Kingdom, the Holy Son of the Xuanyuan Immortal Kingdom, the Sect Master of the Desire Demon Immortal Kingdom... they were all somewhat conflicted at this moment.

The establishment of the Tianyuan Alliance will not only give the Tianyuan Realm more say in its competition with the other realms, but also help the various countries and sects in this realm to better allocate resources and develop their power.

The problem is that this alliance was initiated by Su Qing, and it will most likely be led by Su Qing's Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom in the future. Given Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom's current leading position in the arts and crafts industry, if they join this alliance, the entire alliance may become a dumping ground for Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom's arts and crafts products. The arts and crafts industries of each country will never have the opportunity to develop and rise under the ravages of Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom.

This is something they absolutely cannot accept. They can accept that the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom's various arts and crafts industries are stronger than theirs now, and they have a strong desire for the many arts and crafts products of the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom, but they cannot accept that the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom will always suppress them in this regard. If so, the role played by the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom is actually similar to that of the Yuanshi Sect. They are unwilling to be suppressed by the Yuanshi Sect, so how can they accept being suppressed by the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom?

Su Qing observed the changes in the expressions of the cultivators and understood their concerns. He was not surprised by the current situation with so few responding. Seeing their faint smile, he added:
"The development of the Hundred Arts industry is an issue that all sects and countries in the world attach great importance to. In recent years, our Tianyuan Realm has also made remarkable achievements in the Hundred Arts industry and laid a certain foundation."

Although our current developments differ, I believe that given enough resources and time, with the resilience and creativity of the cultivators of the Tianyuan Realm, catching up with or even surpassing the heavens in the future will not be difficult.

In order to enable all sects and immortal kingdoms to develop their own unique arts and crafts industries, the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom hereby announces that, starting from today, many of the traditional arts and crafts techniques of our immortal kingdom will be gradually made public within the alliance, so that all sects and kingdoms can develop their own arts and crafts industries on this basis. Furthermore, the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom will donate 30% of the profits it earns in this world to sponsor the development of related industries in all countries and sects of this world.

In this way, the advanced will lead the less advanced, and the wealthy will help the less wealthy, so that all sects and nations in our Tianyuan Realm can have something to rely on and something to depend on, thereby driving the progress and development of all arts and crafts industries in the entire Tianyuan Realm!

The support of old brothers and new friends is the source of Su Qing's confidence to confront Yuan Shizong.

He was willing, as always, to lead these old brothers and new friends in one last charge for Tianyuan. (End of Chapter)