The myth begins with the Lotus Lantern

Chapter 203 General trend
"But it wasn't because of magical power or supernatural abilities. No, perhaps it could be considered a defeat. Back when I lectured at Zixiao Palace, I had already entered the Great Luo realm, while he was still immature, as if he had just been born. And now, I am still in the Great Luo realm, while Haotian has already caught up."

"Fortunately, I still had the upper hand in terms of minor realms and suppressed him. But just when I was about to win, he used the One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones technique, a divine power that the Supreme Sage was famous for. It was not surprising that Haotian, as his 'junior brother,' also knew it. With this divine power, he finally managed to fight me to a draw."

"Since it's a draw, then why..." Beidou Xingjun asked.

"Therefore, the Dao Ancestor asked all the immortals and gods to recommend him. As the popular choice was made, the Dao Ancestor, considering that Haotian had experienced 124,000 kalpas, cared for the Three Realms, and possessed a noble divine rank, conferred upon him the title of Supreme Jade Emperor of the Golden Palace of Haotian, who would rule over the Three Realms. As for me, I was only conferred the title of Great Emperor of the Purple Star and the North Pole of the Central Heaven. Although I also had the title of Emperor, I was only one of the Six Emperors, ranking below Haotian."

“In that case, Your Majesty, we should act now. This position should rightfully be yours,” said the North Star Lord.

"But it has returned to Haotian." Emperor Ziwei said calmly.

“Some of my old friends advised me to back down, saying that the Way of Heaven is flawed and that the Dao Ancestor was willing to merge with the Dao to make great contributions to Heaven and Earth. He said that any selfish desires he had before merging with the Dao should be satisfied.”

"Of course they can say that, after all, I'm the only one who has to pay, and it's the most cost-effective way to be generous with other people's money. In a fit of anger, I fell out with many old friends I had known for many years, which is why I always have very few friends."

"Through this, I also understand that the Great Dao is unpredictable, the trend is unstoppable, and it cannot be changed. Heaven's will is for Hongjun to merge with the Dao. Even if he has already ascended to the holy position and is revered by all living beings as the Dao Ancestor, he cannot go against it. His power and cultivation all come from heaven and earth, so he has naturally been bound by the cage. He was unaware of it when he was cultivating, but now that he is aware, he can no longer control himself."

"Heaven decrees that he must unite with the Dao, so he has no choice but to unite with the Dao!"

The words of the Purple Star Emperor were somewhat desolate.

"But the general trend cannot be changed, while the minor trends can all be defied. The Three Realms need a new Heavenly Emperor, which is the general trend. Ziwei Star inherits the imperial mandate, so Heaven favors me. Compared to before, this is the minor trend. Hongjun changed the imperial throne with a single thought, and the Three Realms still have an emperor. The general trend has not changed, so naturally there is nothing that cannot be done. As for me, it means that I have lost my destiny. In fact, in the end, it is just that I am not strong enough."

“What happened back then may indeed be as the Emperor said,” Nan Dou Xingjun’s eyes flickered as he continued, “but times have changed. Many years have passed since the Dao Ancestor merged with the Dao.”

"Those who are in harmony with the Dao may be incredibly powerful for a time, but they will eventually be transformed by the Dao and completely sink into it, losing their consciousness and their true selves. This is something that even the most insignificant immortals in the Three Realms know. After the Investiture of the Gods, the Dao Ancestor ordered the Three Pure Ones to take the Red Pill. Perhaps he had already sensed his own limits and was about to give up."

"In this world, the Dao Ancestor may have completely merged with the Heavenly Dao, the Three Pure Ones are intimidated by the Red Pill, the Two Western Saints are entangled in the great vows they made when they became saints, making it difficult for them to live in the world, and the Sage Nuwa, after the war between the Lich King and the Demon King, the fall of Emperor Xi, and the near extinction of the Demon Race, became disheartened and lived alone outside the realm, no longer interfering in the affairs of the Three Realms."

"The tide is surging, and we are all in the torrent. No one can escape. The Jade Emperor gained his position because of the Dao Ancestor, and now he should also lose his position. Cause and effect are cyclical. Isn't every drink and every bite a sign of the turning of the wheel of heaven, a way to set things right?"

The Southern Dipper Star Lord's gaze was intense.

The Big Dipper Star Lord temporarily set aside his opinion on the Southern Dipper and looked expectantly at the Purple Star Emperor.

The Ziwei Emperor remained silent. "Your Majesty, over the years you have been pacifying demons everywhere, while the Jade Emperor has remained in seclusion. The peace of the Three Realms is almost entirely in your hands. Now, in terms of prestige, in the hearts of the immortals, you are no less than the Jade Emperor. A few days ago, you even used a pretext to expel those descendants of the Jade Emperor from the star ranks, removing the last nail. Now our side is as solid as an iron wall, everything is ready, only the east wind is lacking!" Beidou Xingjun also said.

"The time is not yet ripe. You may all step back. The Southern Dipper is watching the Northern Dipper closely. I do not wish for any trouble to arise these days," said the Ziwei Emperor.

"Your Majesty!" Beidou Xingjun called out, wanting to say something more, but when his eyes met Ziwei Emperor's expressionless gaze, he was forcibly suppressed. He lowered his head, gritted his teeth, and bowed angrily to Ziwei Emperor. He turned away unwillingly.

"Your Majesty, Nan Dou takes his leave." Nan Dou Xingjun's eyes flickered, as if he were deep in thought. Then he also withdrew.

……

Only Emperor Ziwei remained in the main hall.

The Dao Ancestor and the Six Sages are all unable to emerge, the Jade Emperor is in seclusion, and the Queen Mother of Heaven is left to fend for herself alone. Then this whole substitution thing happens. It seems that times have changed, and emperors take turns ruling; this year it's my turn, but…

Ziwei's lips curled up, revealing a bitter smile.

Only the Ziwei Emperor himself knew that the Jade Emperor was no longer the same Jade Emperor he once was. Back then, the Jade Emperor had to exert all his strength to remain undefeated against him, but now, if he were to fight the Jade Emperor again, the situation would probably be reversed. No, he didn't have as many tricks up his sleeve as the Jade Emperor, and he would most likely be defeated.

Since the Jade Emperor took control of the Three Realms, he seemed to know that his position was not legitimate, so he delegated power and ruled by doing nothing. He spent most of his time cultivating outside the Thirty-Three Heavens. This behavior was highly praised by the Supreme Sage, who even sent an avatar to serve as a celestial official in the name of the Supreme Lord Laozi to assist him.

Looking at himself again, Ziwei realized that he had often been out suppressing rebellions over the years. Sometimes the Jade Emperor would also make small moves to send him down to the mortal realm to undergo tribulations. While he was suppressing rebellions, the Jade Emperor was cultivating. While he was undergoing tribulations, the Jade Emperor was still cultivating. Yes, all his hard work and toil had not been in vain. It had turned into prestige, adding luster to his path to becoming emperor.

"Only one's own strength is fundamental."

Emperor Ziwei murmured softly, raising his eyes as if his gaze could see through the thirty-three heavens.

When you are powerful, you can gain the whole world even if you are alone. Otherwise, no matter how high your reputation or how great your achievements, you are just like a cloud on a cloudy day, which lingers for a while and will disappear without a trace as soon as the wind blows.

“You have indeed grasped the crux of the matter,” said the Ziwei Emperor, “but how do you know that everything I’ve done isn’t just a smokescreen? We both cultivate the laws of the Emperor’s Way, but you occupy the supreme position in the Three Realms. No matter what, you will slowly catch up with me and eventually surpass me. This blatant scheme is indeed unsolvable. If it can truly continue indefinitely, then what’s wrong with me truly submitting to you and obeying your orders?”

"such a pity……"

(End of this chapter)