This ancient grinding mill is named the Water Moon Grinding Mill.
In the past, the "Water Moon Gazing at the Heavens" divine ability did not exist in the Three Realms. It was only after a powerful cultivator at the Thirteenth Realm observed the water and moon before this mill and achieved enlightenment that the Great Dao Wheel seemed to "unlock" this ability. From that moment on, any human cultivator who ascended to the Star River could gaze at the heavens through water and moon.
Now, four "founding ancestor" level human ancestors have descended upon the Water Moon Grinding Mill, each occupying one of the four cardinal directions: East, South, West, and North.
The one in the true North, clad in scholarly robes, possessed a sturdy build, resembling an unassuming old scholar.
The August Sage Ancestor, the supreme being of the Confucian Dao.
In the true South stood an old Taoist, a sword on his back and a gourd at his waist, his face radiating kindness.
The Dao Ancestor, who had not appeared in the ancestral court of the Taoist lineage for a long time.
In the true East was an elder dressed in white, enveloped by a potent aura of the Military Dao.
The Ancestor of the Military Dao, Lu Shang.
In the true West, the old man's figure was hunched, and he carried a meticulously crafted mechanical chest on his back.
The Originator of the Mohist School, Mo Zi.
Four individuals, two of them at the Fifteenth Realm.
...
"Esteemed sirs, have you all made up your minds?"
The Dao Ancestor smiled gently and said, "The strategist for the human world, once chosen, will not be changed."
"Indeed."
The August Sage Ancestor nodded, "Naturally, there will be no change."
The Ancestor of the Military Dao's gaze fixed upon the Water Moon Grinding Mill. "Matters of the human world should be handled and resolved by humans. This is the Heavenly Dao. We old fellows... can do little, but we must still do what we can."
Mo Zi looked at the August Sage Ancestor. "While the human world has many outstanding talents, few can truly be called strategists. The most exceptional often emerge from the Confucian school. If the strategist indeed comes from the Confucian school, then the Confucian scholars participating in the annihilation of inner demons in the Outer Heavens can be reduced by five."
"There is no need."
The August Sage Ancestor cupped his hands in salutation. "Thank you, Mo Zi, for your consideration. However, countless scholars within the Confucian Dao's literary world are willing to venture into the Outer Heavens. With the Three Realms on the brink of collapse, scholars will not flinch and will absolutely not seek to preserve their own lives by compromising their principles."
"Good."
The Ancestor of the Military Dao nodded. "Then... shall we begin?"
"Agreed."
The four ancestors simultaneously placed their left hands upon the grinding mill. Instantly, the radiance of the Great Dao seeped into the mill. The Great Dao Wheel of this realm began to turn slowly. For a time, the heavens and earth themselves seemed to shift in color. The ancient Water Moon Grinding Mill, dormant for so many years, finally began to spin once more, bathing the entire upper realm's sky in auspicious light.
...
The Ruins of the Investiture of the Gods Platform.
Upon a desolate peak, a scholar in green held a wine gourd, savoring the lingering taste of Dongting Red Bamboo wine. He gazed into the distance and saw streaks of auspicious light enveloping the area. He chuckled, "It has finally begun?"
"Indeed."
Beside him, Dao Saint Lie Yun's lips curved upwards. "I wonder who this human world's strategist will be."
Not far away, Wei Hua Rou, standing on a wispy floating duckweed, held her long sword, her brows slightly furrowed. "There are not many individuals in the human world who are adept at strategy and judgment, aligning with the Heavenly Dao. Among them, Lin Zhao's mind is the most prudent and steady. He will undoubtedly be one of the candidates for strategist."
"I rather hope my junior brother is not."
The scholar in green frowned. "A hundred years ago, he lost his life for a mere title of Grand Commander of the Human World's Three Armies, bestowed by imperial decree. Junior brother's temperament is too unyielding; he always believes that if he possesses the ability, he must step forward without hesitation. Furthermore, he carries a great deal of guilt towards Qin Suihan, Chu Huaixi, and others. If he truly becomes the strategist for the human world this time, the outcome might not be too favorable."
"What can be done?"
The Dao Saint said calmly, "If the four ancestors truly choose him, even if you, Ding Muchan, are unwilling, he, Lin Zhao, must bear the mission of supporting the human world to survive. As for his personal life and death, he can only put it aside."
The scholar in green gritted his teeth. "Alas, I truly wish I could take my junior brother's place as the strategist."
Wei Hua Rou couldn't help but let out a giggle. "Lord of the Military Dao, please stop joking. In terms of swordsmanship, you are indeed far superior to Lin Zhao. But when it comes to human strategic planning, battlefield judgment, and troop deployment, even you, the Lord of the Military Dao, might not be able to suppress Lin Zhao."
"Stop talking."
The scholar in green's eyes reddened. "My junior brother is a man of destiny. When it comes to commanding the three armies, he is indeed better than me, his senior brother. But it is precisely this that led to his demise."
"There is no need to worry."
The Dao Saint counted on his fingers. "I have divined it; it will not lead to death, it will not lead to death..."
"Forget it."
The scholar in green laughed. "The Heavenly Dao karma of this matter has already surpassed your cultivation. You cannot divine it."
The Dao Saint let out a light chuckle. "Why expose me? Very well, very well..."
At this moment, the scholar in green, the Dao Saint, and Wei Hua Rou all looked up. They saw strands of golden light descending from the upper realm, eventually piercing through the barrier and reaching the lower realm. These lights transformed into almost imperceptible ribbons, scattering throughout the human world.
...
Late at night.
Bai Di City, White Deer Academy.
In a relatively secluded courtyard, moonlight spilled down, illuminating a budding peach tree. Inside the room lay a scholarly young scholar, a righteous aura radiating from his brows.
Zhou Yan Run, a cultivator at the Eleventh Realm of the Confucian Dao, was the head of the branch sent to White Deer Academy.
Zhou Yan Run, while asleep, suddenly knitted his brows and moments later entered a dream.
In the dream, a colossal figure of a sage appeared before Zhou Yan Run, radiating an immense wave of Confucian Dao destiny. His appearance was shrouded by the divine radiance of the Sage Dao, making him impossible to discern clearly. However, Zhou Yan Run knew that this was undoubtedly the projection of a true great sage of the Confucian Dao. He immediately knelt in reverence.
"There is no need for such formality."
The voice of the sage's manifestation was ethereal. "How many results can you deduce?"
"Disciple..."
Zhou Yan Run frowned, looked up at the sage's manifestation, and clasped his hands. "Disciple is incapable. I can only deduce from a few clues that the inner demons from the Outer Heavens are about to descend upon the human world. As for when and where, or by what means they will infiltrate, I am currently unaware."
"Good."
The sage's manifestation smiled. "Continue your cultivation diligently."
"Yes!"
...
Lower Realm, deep within Qilin Mountain.
At a subordinate sect of the Mohist School, a middle-aged man wearing the attire of an elder from the subordinate sect lay on a green rock, dreaming under the moonlight and gentle breeze.
His name was Li Yun Ting, at the Eleventh Realm. He was one of the most outstanding disciples of the Mohist subordinate sect, possessing not only profound achievements in machinery and Mohist scholarship but also a meticulous mind. He excelled in deduction, often earning praise from elders in the ancestral Mohist court for his ability to discern the subtle and grasp the profound.
At this moment, within Li Yun Ting's dream, a sage's manifestation appeared and revealed its purpose.
Li Yun Ting sat on the ground and spoke eloquently, as if engaging in a philosophical discussion.
"The will of heaven is about to change, and the point of change lies in the Northern Domain."
"In the demon realm and the northern regions of the human world, strange individuals wielding oil-paper umbrellas have appeared. They cannot be killed; upon their demise, they dissipate into black smoke."
"Disciple has scoured the bamboo slips in the library and finally learned from a scroll of mountains and seas that these strange beings are a creation beyond the Three Realms, known as Umbrella-wielding Inner Demons."
"In the upper realm, I have heard senior brothers in the Ascension Realm speak of the rampant inner demons in the Outer Heavens. It seems related to those demonic fiends."
"The five military camps of the demon race and those in the vicinity of Pan Yun Mountain have all migrated north. This is extremely peculiar."
"If my deductions are correct, the future battlefield will be in the vicinity of Pan Yun Mountain. The retreat of the five demon race camps is not to feign weakness, but to clear space and select a battlefield."
After speaking, Li Yun Ting clasped his hands. "Disciple has only been able to deduce this much. I hope the senior will discern it."
"Good."
The sage's manifestation's voice was ethereal. "Understood."
...
Great Shang Dynasty, Jizhou.
Ji Yun Du, a great canal within Jizhou's territory. On this canal stood an isolated island, and upon the island, the Imperial Water Pavilion.
At this moment, moonlight fell upon a room in the Imperial Water Pavilion, casting its glow upon the sleeping face of a young strategist.
This young strategist was none other than the reincarnation of Wen Shuo Yang, the Marquis of Wen from years past.
Wen Shuo Yang's reincarnation was a secret of immense magnitude, known to very few. Even the young Emperor Zhao Jing Heng was unaware of it. In the court of the Great Shang Dynasty, only the Grand Princess Zhao Shu Tong knew this secret.
It was precisely because Zhao Shu Tong had followed subtle clues and found Wen Shuo Yang after his reincarnation through soul dissolution, entrusting her master to arrange for him to reside in the Imperial Water Pavilion of Ji Yun Du. Her purpose was not for any other reason than to have a second option should the Great Shang Dynasty face imminent collapse in the future.
After all, Lin Bai Yi of the Snow Domain Heavenly Pool had saved the Great Shang Dynasty once. Zhao Shu Tong did not know if he could save it a second time. Ultimately, Lin Zhao was an outsider. Zhao Shu Tong could not place all her hopes on Lin Zhao alone.
At this moment, Wen Shuo Yang, after his reincarnation, had entered a dream under the moonlight. In his dream, he saw a sage's manifestation that resembled a deity.
He frowned and clasped his hands towards the sage, understanding everything. He stood in a small pavilion of the Imperial Water Pavilion, maintaining his salutation, and spoke eloquently.
"The true root of the chaos in the Three Realms still lies with the inner demons."
"In both human and demon territories, strange individuals wielding oil-paper umbrellas have appeared. If nothing is amiss, these are the legendary Umbrella-wielding Inner Demons. Their descent upon the human world must have a purpose."
"Blacksmith shops in Yun Zhou, Yan Zhou, and Ning Zhou have received numerous orders for the casting of bronze urns. I sent people to investigate, and these bronze urns contain sealing inscriptions, bearing some resemblance to the methods used by ghost cultivators to store Yin spirits. Based on my deductions, these bronze urns might be used to contain the Umbrella-wielding Inner Demons."
His gaze turned cold. "The Umbrella-wielding Inner Demons wreaking havoc in the human world is akin to re-shuffling the luck and cultivation resources of the lower realm. Who will be the ultimate greatest beneficiary? It will likely still be the demon race. This catastrophe, initiated by the demon race, will conclude with the human race's demise. This is a great misfortune for the human world."
The sage's manifestation nodded. "The result?"
Wen Shuo Yang said solemnly, "The origin of the great war, the vicinity of Pan Yun Mountain, and the direction of the conflict. In the human world, the Snow Domain Heavenly Pool will be the first human force to be attacked. Additionally, the Neon Robe Realm will also participate. The demon cavalry is stockpiling provisions east of Mirror Lake, precisely for their southward march."
"Understood."
...
Mountain Peak Villa, Tian Ran Ju.
After cultivating the Eternal Sword Scripture for nearly an hour, Lin Zhao felt exhausted and dizzy. He returned to his room and fell into a deep sleep.
A ray of moonlight streamed in from his bedside, and in an instant, he entered a dream.
In the dream, as Lin Zhao opened his eyes, he knew what he was facing and what the other party sought.