Chapter 57: Hongjun’s Decision

To govern the vast primordial land, is there truly only one way—to bring all beneath my rule? Of course not! Should one truly wish to nurture and manage the primordial world, to see it flourish and thrive, ever advancing with the passing of ages, there are many paths to take.

If one of supreme power—a Chaos Primordial God—were to preside over the world, allocating responsibilities wisely and managing affairs justly, then the prosperity of the primordial realm would not be a mere illusion. Yet, alas!

Though Hongjun devoted himself to arduous cultivation, seizing the opportunities of the primordial world to return to the realm of Chaos Primordial God—like a scholar passing the imperial exam with top honors—his motives were not for the good of all beings. Simply put, he cared only for power, not for governance!

Thus, the fate of the primordial world was sealed; tragedy was inevitable, and redemption impossible.

Many might claim that Gonggong’s anger, which shattered Buzhou Mountain, was solely his doing and bore no relation to Hongjun, the Dao Patriarch. When the War of Investiture broke out and the Master Tongtian shattered the primordial world to recreate earth, water, wind, and fire, that too was the doing of Tongtian and not Hongjun’s responsibility.

Yet, who was the supreme ruler of the primordial world during these epochs? Consider the reign of Emperor Chongzhen—when the people starved and rebelled, could the emperor truly be blameless? Everyone knows that during the Calamity of the Liches, Dao Patriarch Hongjun lectured in the Palace of Purple Clouds, teaching the method of severing the three corpses—a true act of benevolence, granting all beings the means to attain the Dao. Undoubtedly, this deed brought him great merit.

However, the path of severing the three corpses, in reality, bolstered the strength of the demon race. Originally, the war between the Wu and demon clans was unbalanced—too lopsided for true conflict to erupt. Yet, the teaching of the three corpses made the two sides evenly matched, instantly intensifying their rivalry and leading to their mutual destruction. No matter how one views it, part of this outcome stems from Hongjun’s decisions—this cannot be denied.

The Investiture Calamity is even harder to excuse. The calamity began because Heaven’s Court lacked enough officials, prompting Hongjun to set the Investiture Calamity in motion. The Investiture List and the God-Slaying Whip were bestowed by Hongjun himself! This half-hearted governance—shirking responsibility in times of crisis, pushing problems onto subordinates, and then punishing them for failure—what difference is there between this and the corrupt officials at the end of Ming?

Hongjun’s capabilities are extraordinary! Yet he is, at heart, hopelessly lazy. Thus, among the myriad methods to govern the primordial realm, he alone chose non-interference and a policy of stability.

Of course, Hongjun’s act of opening the Palace of Purple Clouds to teach the Dao and suppress the world beneath his rule did indeed bring great merit—this is beyond doubt. Some may believe that the method of severing the three corpses was flawed, or that the Primal Purple Qi was tainted—but such suspicions are unfounded. At this time, the Heavenly Dao has not fully formed, yet the Great Dao watches over all, impartial and all-seeing. If Hongjun had truly spoken falsehoods or taught a crooked Dao in such a crucial setting, while mere quasi-saints might not discern it, the Great Dao certainly would.

Were that the case, not only would Hongjun have failed to resolve karma or gain merit, the ninefold lightning tribulation would have long since struck him down—perhaps even the three thousand Great Daos would have united to destroy him! At a time when the Great Dao watches over all, even the Dao Patriarch could not dare to speak nonsense in the Palace of Purple Clouds, or else there would be no need for resistance—the Dao Patriarch alone could suppress the world.

At most, his teachings might contain some rhetorical traps, but nothing inherently wrong. In fact, Hongjun’s doctrine of “all beneath me,” while lazy and outrageous, did maintain a measure of stability in the primordial realm. This, too, brought him great merit.

After careful deliberation, Hongjun swiftly devised a comprehensive strategy and goal for governing the world. According to his plan, the alliance of three great powers posed the gravest threat—of this there could be no doubt.

“But it is of little consequence,” Hongjun mused silently, a plan forming in his mind. “Heaven’s Court has boundless merit, and if they refuse to establish a demon court or claim the orthodox line, it will be difficult to move against them.”

But then, Hongjun recalled the Creation Jade Disc. Within it lay the forty-nine strands of Primal Purple Qi, evolved by Pangu’s great power. Acquiring even one allowed union with a facet of the Heavenly Dao, binding its power, and, through the rainbow clouds of merit, establishing the merits of founding a sect and attaining the state of Heavenly Dao Saint.

Yet, at its peak, the Creation Jade Disc held forty-nine strands of Primal Purple Qi, but the one now in Hongjun’s possession was incomplete, broken.

Hongjun declared, “The Heavenly Dao is fiftyfold; I shall take forty-nine for sainthood!” In other words, although Hongjun wielded the Jade Disc, of the forty-nine strands compatible with the primordial Heavenly Dao, he only held thirty-six. The remaining strands and fragments were lost to the world.

Hongjun reflected, “If I bestow Primal Purple Qi upon Di Jun and Donghuang Taiyi, even with their vast merit, they could only unite with the Heavenly Dao and become saints thereof. By accepting them as disciples, I can further use them to monitor the world, saving myself much effort—truly a great advantage!”

Hongjun quickly reached a decision. Since Di Jun and Donghuang Taiyi had already established their dominance, it was better to guide rather than obstruct. Thus, two shares of the Primal Purple Qi could be given to them. After all, he possessed thirty-six, and during the division of saintly seats in the Palace of Purple Clouds, only seven were distributed.

“Next are the Three Pure Ones and Nuwa.” Hongjun frowned deeply. “The Three Pure Ones are protected by the merit of creation and are destined to advance further. Even without the Primal Purple Qi, they would still become stronger; with it, they would not surpass the balance, nor become so powerful as to destabilize the world.”

“So, the Three Pure Ones may each receive a strand of Primal Purple Qi as well.”

“And as for Nuwa—” Hongjun knew well that Nuwa was the saint of humanity and would achieve boundless merit in the future. If left unchecked, with the support of Heaven and Earth, she might one day reach the pinnacle, becoming a Great Dao Saint and Patriarch of Humanity, rivaling the Patriarch of the Heavenly Dao.

Therefore, “Nuwa should also receive a strand of Primal Purple Qi. In this way, humanity can be integrated into the Heavenly Dao—Heaven supreme, humanity beneath me… as long as Nuwa does not grow too powerful!”

Hongjun pondered silently: “If Nuwa, as Patriarch of Humanity, attains the position of Heavenly Dao Saint, then there will be one less Patriarch in the world, and all will be beneath my rule, ensuring eternal stability for the primordial realm. Otherwise, if Nuwa and I were to contend, with humanity and Heaven at odds, how could there be peace?”

“Then there are Jieyin and Zhunti, who must return what is owed in karma. Hongyun will gain great merit in the future, but he too has burdens of karma, and whether he attains the Dao is uncertain. These three may be named disciples and be given the Primal Purple Qi.”

“Finally—” Suddenly, Hongjun’s gaze swept toward the Chaos Shrine atop Buzhou Mountain. “The last is the Ancestral Sect, the Wu tribe!”