This is so dishonest!

Epilogue to Chapter 532: The Gods and the Hundred Schools of Thought

The Holy Emperor Yu, having achieved perfect merit, used the Nine Tripods to suppress the river of time, thus ushering in the first glorious era of the Age of Gods.

As a result, the human realm gained immense prestige. In the council of gods in the Great Luo Heaven, the human gods acted and spoke with confidence, enjoying boundless glory.

The way former colleagues who pioneered the universe together greet each other has changed from "How are you today, fellow Daoist?" to "I heard that your human universe has recently produced another extraordinary genius. I'll bring him over another day so everyone can broaden their horizons."

However, even the most magnificent epics eventually fade into the mundane.

As time flows by, millions of years are but a fleeting moment for the saints to take a nap.

After its most glorious period, the era of Yu the Great gradually entered a stable, yet... somewhat dull, period of peace.

Without the Time Flood and the threat of world destruction, life in the Great Luo Heaven became somewhat leisurely, even boring.

Aside from daily discussions, secluded cultivation, star-sea chess games, and inter-universe visits, the saints seem to have found no other new sources of amusement that can truly ignite their long-dormant Daoist hearts.

It wasn't until Emperor Yu established the order of time and space, divided the land into nine provinces, and diligently governed the human universe for another million years.

He felt he had already given enough to the universe, reviewing more memorials every day than the stars in the primordial chaos, and it was time to enjoy his retirement.

Therefore, he followed the virtue of "abdication" of the ancient sages and chose his capable assistant, Boyi, who was also recognized by the entire universe as a virtuous and talented minister, as his successor.

After a grand abdication ceremony of unprecedented scale, with representatives from eighty major universes attending.

Emperor Yu personally handed the Seal of the Human Emperor, which symbolized the highest authority in the human universe, to Boyi.

Then, feeling relaxed and content, he ascended to the Great Luo Heaven, ready to begin his leisurely old age of "union with the Dao".

As a result, Emperor Yu hadn't even had a chance to warm his seat in the Holy Emperor's Palace in the Great Luo Heaven.

On the other side of the human universe, something happened that shocked everyone.

Bo Yi, the virtuous and capable successor carefully chosen by Emperor Yu, was surprisingly outmaneuvered by his own son, Qi, in the game of power.

After a friendly competition filled with "fatherly love and filial piety, brotherly affection and respect," and some mysterious maneuvers that "represented the will of the people and the mandate of heaven," the position of the Human Emperor eventually fell into Qi's hands after many twists and turns.

Qi carried out sweeping reforms, innovatively changing the "abdication system" into a "hereditary system" where the country was ruled by the family.

"That brat!!!"

While in the Holy Emperor's Palace in the Great Luo Heaven, Emperor Yu saw Qi sitting on the throne with great pride, receiving the worship of all people. He was so angry that he tore the "Huang Ting Jing" in his hand to shreds on the spot.

He pulled the [Mountain-Splitting Axe] he used to control the floods back then directly from the wall, exuding a terrifying aura of "I'm going to descend to the mortal realm to clean house and let him know what fatherly love is like a mountain," and was about to rush into the human universe.

As a result, a group of saints who had already brought out small stools, prepared melon seeds and tea, and were ready to watch the fun hurriedly stepped forward and stopped the furious former emperor.

"Hey, hey, Fellow Daoist Wenming, calm down, calm down! Calm down, calm down!"

Zulong put his arm around Yudi's shoulder, a bright smile on his face that seemed to enjoy watching the drama unfold, and began to persuade him.

“We must respect the objective laws of the development of things. Since you have already chosen to step down and give way to a more capable person, there is no reason for you to return to the world and disrupt the normal operation of the order. This is against the rules.”

“Yes, yes, yes!” Yuan Huang nodded repeatedly from the side, and handed Emperor Yu a cup of cool tea brewed with Nirvana Fire, which was said to calm the mind.

"In our opinion, Qi's abilities are quite impressive!"

"Look at him, how decisive and innovative he is! This 'family-run' system is so stable and has such a strong sense of continuity!"

The holy beings of the Great Luo Heaven are all troublemakers.

Back then, the eight rulers of humanity in the ancient primordial world were all chosen for their virtue and ability, and they abdicated the throne. Each of them was a moral exemplar, and their stories were written into textbooks and passed down as timeless tales.

Unexpectedly, in this new era, just after the Human Emperor had successfully completed the handover process, such a dramatic change occurred.

Moreover, he was Emperor Yu's own son, and he openly defeated the successor personally chosen by Emperor Yu.

This is something even the gods have never tasted before.

This is so novel and exciting!

Therefore, no matter what, we must stop Emperor Yu and make him stay in the Great Luo Heaven to keep watch. We must not let him go down and disrupt this annual drama of family ethics and power struggles.

As expected, after Qi established the Xia Dynasty, it lasted for thirteen generations, totaling more than four hundred and twenty generations.

During this period, a series of grand court dramas unfolded, delighting all the gods of the Great Luo Heaven, far surpassing any vernacular novel in their brilliance.

Such stories include "brothers fighting for the throne," "fathers and sons turning against each other to seize military power," and "uncle and nephew fighting for outside help."
Its plot twists, rich emotions, and frequent reversals are even more captivating than the tear-jerking and heart-wrenching novel "Three Lives Three Worlds, Ten Miles of Peach Blossom Spring," written by Houtu Niangniang herself and adapted by Yaochi Shengmu.

Especially Jie, the last ruler of the Xia Dynasty.

The abstract nature of his personal performance art amazed and impressed even the most knowledgeable and experienced gods in the Great Luo Heaven.

"Wait, guys, could it be that some fellow Daoist has followed the will of Heaven and reincarnated to experience life in the mortal realm? This is going a bit too far."

At one point, people seriously suspected that this Xia Jie was actually one of their own people who had descended to earth to cause trouble.

After all, what normal mortal emperor could be so abstract as to point to the sun in the sky every day and tell his subjects and concubines that he was standing shoulder to shoulder with the sun?
"Huh? Wait, the sun?"

The gods, who were enjoying watching the drama unfold, were suddenly put on pause as if by a pause button.
They all turned their suspicious gazes toward the two brothers, Di Jun and Tai Yi, who were sitting upright, pretending to be observing a cosmic star map.

Upon careful consideration, it becomes clear that during Jie's era, the development of the divine path in the human universe was indeed exceptionally rapid, almost surpassing that of the immortal path.

And this Jie, by some secret method that descended from the sky, actually stole part of the sun's authority and obtained the temporary status of "Sun God".

"What...does this mean?"

Di Jun's face darkened instantly; he felt an invisible pressure coming from all directions.

“In the Great Luo Heaven, there are many gods who possess the status of the Sun God.”

"Why are you specifically targeting us brothers with suspicion? This is prejudice! This is blatant slander!"

Upon hearing this, the gods all revealed knowing smiles, as if they all understood each other.

Styx chuckled and nudged Kunpeng beside him with his elbow, saying:
"Fellow Daoist Di Jun, we haven't even said anything yet, look at you, why are you getting so worked up?"

Taiyi, always honest and kind, quickly shook his head and, in an extremely sincere tone, clarified for his elder brother:
"Jie's affairs really have little to do with us brothers! I swear by the Eastern Emperor Bell!"

"is it?"

The gods asked a meaningful question, then said nothing more and continued to watch the show with their heads down.

Then, not long after, the Humanity Universe's storyline received another exciting update.

The Heavenly Mandate of the Black Bird descended and gave birth to the Shang Dynasty.

Cheng Tang, in accordance with the will of Heaven, rallied the feudal lords of the land, launched a revolution, and successfully overthrew the tyrannical rule of the Xia Dynasty.

This time, all the gods turned their gazes to Di Jun once again.

"What does this have to do with us?"

This time, Di Jun was truly anxious. He stood up directly from his sun throne and loudly defended himself.

"Black Bird! Look carefully, the Black Bird belongs to the Phoenix Clan! You should go see Fellow Daoist Yuanhuang! Don't try to pin the blame on us Golden Crows!"

"Furthermore, didn't you all see? This Shang Emperor reveres the Jade Emperor!"

"Instead of doubting me, you should believe that Haotian won the revival match."

The gods still didn't believe it, but their smiles grew even brighter, and some even started secretly taking out recording stones to document Di Jun's embarrassment.

Taiyi explained from the side, "Haotian cultivated the 'Heavenly Emperor's Reincarnation Scripture' back then, and it is only natural that he has returned now."

“You may not believe in us brothers, but you can always believe in the Heavenly Emperor’s Reincarnation Scripture.”

"It will bring each of its owners back safely after their tribulations."

As he spoke, Taiyi actually started selling the "Heavenly Emperor's Reincarnation Scripture" on the spot.

"Come on, come on, a clearance sale of scriptures! Genuine, essential cultivation techniques for the Heavenly Emperor!"

"You won't lose out, you won't be cheated!"

However, the gods of the Great Luo Heaven avoided this at all costs.

"We cannot afford to use the Heavenly Emperor's required cultivation method!"

The experience of the previous era taught them that being the Heavenly Emperor was a high-risk profession!
Whoever touches it will be unlucky!

Who dares to study this "Heavenly Emperor's Reincarnation Scripture"?

Buy it today, and tomorrow it might be because your left foot steps out the door first, and then you die!

Seeing that the gods were unwilling to pay, Taiyi shook his head: "Alas, everyone has truly missed a great opportunity!"

His interruption caused the gods to stop discussing who was secretly supporting the Shang Dynasty.

Later, the Da Shang dynasty passed down the Six Hundred Yuan Society.

It was eventually replaced by Tianzhou.

Jiang Shang, who helped the Zhou Dynasty establish its rule over the world, was actually a hapless little squirrel who spent his days fishing on the Ferry of the World and never caught anything, and who was playing a role in the mortal world.

Now, the gossip-loving spirit of the gods was completely ignited.

People discovered that personally going into battle or sending an avatar or a clone to "experience life" in the human universe seems... much more interesting than sitting idly in the Great Luo Heaven!
On this day, in the Great Luo Heaven, a routine tea party was held once again.

At the Great Luo Heaven Conference, all the gods gathered together, discussing with great interest what new things they should do next to add some fun to this peaceful era.

"I think we could create a 'Investiture of the Gods' script, with everyone divided into four camps: Chan Sect, Jie Sect, Human Sect, and Western Sect. We could then descend to the mortal realm and fight a real battle. That would be really exciting!"

Someone made the suggestion, and it immediately drew a chorus of agreement.

"No, no, fighting is so boring. Didn't we fight enough in the last era? Now it's a peaceful era. We should fight with reason, not violence."

"In my opinion, why not start a talent show called 'Epoch Trainees'? Let all the beautiful fairies from all the heavens and myriad realms participate, and we'll be the judges to select an 'Epoch Goddess' to debut in the center position!"

"That's great! I support that! I, Yaochi, am willing to be the chief producer!" Yaochi Holy Mother was the first to respond. The discussion was heated, and the ideas became more and more outrageous. Some even started to suggest holding a "Great Luo Heaven Chef Competition".

"This competition is great! I think we should hold it in the Demon Realm!"

Rahu surprisingly chose to support him.

The gods asked, "Is there a demon king in the demon realm who has cultivated culinary skills?"

"That's not it!"

Luo Hou smiled and said, "Our Demon King is all-knowing and all-powerful, and his cooking skills are also quite good. Everyone can take this opportunity to try his cooking!"

Xuan Qing, who had been silent and watching their antics, coughed softly.

His calm voice seemed to possess a magical power that made his words come true, instantly silencing the entire Great Luo Heaven.

"Gentlemen, playing and fooling around is not the way of the Great Way."

"In my view, although the human world and the universe have gone through the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties, its ideological traditions are still in a state of ignorance and chaos, lacking systematic theoretical guidance."

Xuanqing's gaze swept over everyone, his expression becoming solemn and dignified, and he slowly made a suggestion.

"I believe we should usher in an era of 'a hundred schools of thought contending'."

“We, the holy beings, will enter the human universe by supporting our representatives or by personally creating incarnations and reincarnating to spread our ideas.”

"Let the myriad traditions collide and merge freely on this land full of infinite possibilities."

"Ultimately, this sets the tone for this era and for the spread of the great way of the gods."

This proposal instantly ignited all sacred passion.

This is much more classy and interesting than simple fighting or talent shows!

It can both entertain and enlighten you, it's a win-win situation!
Seeing that no one had any objections, Xuanqing took the lead and said, "Since that's the case, I'll offer my humble opinion as a starting point."

He looked at Guang Chengzi, the most respected disciple of his Chan Sect, who had once served as the teacher of the Yellow Emperor.

"Guang Chengzi, you shall lead your fellow disciples to reincarnate into the human universe and establish the 'Legalist School'."

"Using the law as the standard, tactics as the means, and power as the authority, we will establish an absolutely just and inviolable order for this world!"

Upon hearing this, Guang Chengzi immediately bowed and accepted the order, his eyes gleaming with excitement for the upcoming challenge.

When the Holy Emperor Fuxi heard the words "Legalist," his eyes lit up instantly, as if he had found a kindred spirit.

He has recently become obsessed with deducing a completely new way of "divine secrets".

This "heavenly secret" is not the mystery of the heavenly way, but the secret of "the heavens are dead, the mechs must rise".

He felt that Xuanqing's "Legalist" ideology, that pursuit of absolute order and rules, was a perfect match for his own "Mecha Path," the most perfect combination of cold steel and ruthless laws.

So he took the initiative to speak up: "Heavenly Venerable, I feel that if the Legalist school only emphasizes order, it is too cold and lacks efficiency and power in execution."

"How about adding some elements of 'technology' and 'mechanisms'?"

As he spoke, he looked with great interest at Yu Chen Daojun on the other side.

Yu Chen Daojun immediately understood. He stroked the Qingping Sword in his hand and laughed, "Brother's 'Legalist' style is too ruthless; Fellow Daoist Fuxi's 'mecha' style is too cold."

"In my opinion, it would be better to combine the three, and add the core ideas of my Jie Sect of 'education for all' and 'universal love and non-aggression,' so that the three of us can jointly support a brand new 'Mohist' school of thought!"

"Use the art of machinery to benefit all people; use universal love to resolve worldly disputes! If there are those who do not comply, then use physical means to deliver them from suffering!"

Xuanqing and Fuxi exchanged a glance and both thought the proposal was excellent. It had a theoretical basis, technical support, and a practical framework—it was simply perfect.

Thus, the "Mohist School," a school that integrates the essence of the three schools of thought—"Chanjiao Order," "Humanistic Technology," and "Jiejiao Universal Love"—and is full of a strong cyberpunk style, was born through friendly consultation among the three leaders.

Seeing that the three of them had quickly formed a team, Laozi, who had been resting with his eyes closed as if it were none of his business, slowly opened his eyes.

He didn't say much, but simply blew a breath gently into the void.

That breath transformed into a wisp of green smoke, drifting and swaying, ignoring the barriers of time and space, and falling into the human universe.

A moment later, an old man with white hair and beard, an air of otherworldly grace, and a profound and unfathomable aura appeared in the water mirror, riding backwards on a blue ox.

"This humble Taoist has descended to the mortal realm not for contention, but solely to spread the Tao."

Laozi's calm yet profound voice resonated directly in the hearts of all the gods.

"I am a Taoist, Lao Tzu."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Kunpeng, standing to the side, suddenly let out a hearty laugh.

"Hahaha! Since Laozi has already made the first move, then this humble Taoist will add a touch of carefree ease to this 'Taoism'!"

With a wave of his sleeve, a cyan clone emerged from his body, transforming into a man with flowing robes and a free and unrestrained demeanor, as if he might ride the wind away at any moment, and also entered the human universe.

"I am Zhuangzi, the Master of Nanhua and a great master of Taoism! Fellow Taoists, remember to give me a thumbs up!"

Lao Tzu and Zhuangzi, the two giants of Taoism, have both entered the fray!
The two saints, Jieyin and Zhunti, exchanged a smile and sent their most outstanding disciples down to the mortal realm to establish the "Buddhist School," intending to guide those with affinity through "karma."

Seeing everyone having so much fun, Hongyun couldn't resist the urge to join in.

He felt he couldn't be a pushover anymore; this time he wanted to do something more sophisticated.

So he created an incarnation named "Guiguzi" and founded the "School of Diplomacy," intending to use his silver tongue to stir up the winds of change and make the whole world feel the fear of being dominated by debate.

Zhen Yuanzi looked at Emperor Yan: "Fellow Daoist Shennong, let's go back to our old ways!"

"Alright!" Emperor Yan smiled.

Together with Zhen Yuanzi, he found an agent—Xu Xing.

Xu Xing founded the "Agricultural School," claiming to "cultivate alongside the people, and for the wise to till the land and eat with the people," and posed a profound question to all schools of thought:

"If we don't farm, what will you eat?"

Seeing this, the other deities also began to make their own plans, fearing that they would fall behind.

Di Jun and Tai Yi joined forces to select the "Yin Yang School".

The two supreme beings, the White Tiger and the Azure Dragon, were sitting in front of a sand table, strategizing military formations. They smiled at each other and tossed two scrolls of military treatises into the mortal realm.

Military strategists emerged in response to this need.

Houtu did not choose to intervene personally, but instead casually manipulated the fate lines of a few destined individuals.

Thus, a group of storytellers appeared in the bustling city restaurants and teahouses.

With their boundless imaginations, they began to vividly recount various strange tales of gods, ghosts, heroes, and beauties to their audience.

They were the pioneers of the "novelist" genre, believing that stories had the power to change people's hearts.

Even Meng Wuyou, the goddess who controls dreams, couldn't resist taking a turn.

She did not establish any school of thought; she simply constructed one beautiful utopian world after another in the dreams of many people, allowing them to experience absolute happiness and freedom in their dreams.

Over time, this has even formed a unique school of thought – the “Daydreamers”.

……

Just as all the great sages were busy planning the "Hundred Schools of Thought Contend" movement.

Styx, who had been sitting in the corner silently observing everything with his eyes flickering, suddenly chuckled, revealing an expression that sent a chill down the spines of all the surrounding deities.

Unlike others, he did not support any school of thought or establish any new ideas.

He glanced at the busy "representatives" reflected in the water mirror and curled his lip in disdain.

“Establishing a school of thought and educating the masses is so troublesome. You also have to accumulate reputation little by little and debate with others.”

Styx muttered to himself, his voice filled with impatience with this “slow-paced” game.

"What's so great about becoming the emperor directly?"

Then, the humane universe.

A new generation of emperors has made a dazzling debut.

After a period of diligent governance, Ji Man suddenly said in the court: "My beloved ministers, I suddenly feel that dealing with these trivial state affairs every day is too tedious and an insult to my status."

"I have made my decision. From this day forward, I will travel west to the distant Kunlun Mountains to meet the legendary Queen Mother of the West!"

"I will show her what the true 'Way of the Emperor' is! What the true 'Demonic Path' is!"

As soon as this statement came out, everyone in the court was shocked.

All the ministers thought their emperor had gone mad.

The Great Luo Heaven fell into a deathly silence in an instant.

All the saints stared in disbelief at this scene, dropping their melon seeds to the ground, speechless for a long time.

"The Styx...!"

"You idiot, you really don't do anything right at all!!!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

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It's almost the end of the month, friends, if you have any monthly tickets, could you please cast them?

Please! (bows)
(End of this chapter)