Taiwu Zhenren held the formation eye staff in his left hand and the formation disk in his right. Behind him, the fierce-looking Yama appeared. He stepped onto the great Dao and gazed calmly at Zuo Mingqiu.
Zuo Mingqiu raised an eyebrow. The brilliance of the Three Flowers Lotus Crown atop his head solidified, swaying in the wind.
"Taiwu!"
Zuo Mingqiu remained silent, but Bi Xu Zhenren shouted the name, his expression grim.
He couldn't believe that the words asking Zuo Mingqiu to abdicate were spoken by the impartial head of the Law Enforcement Hall, who had cultivated with him for decades.
"Anyone could rebel, but I never doubted you." A moment later, Bi Xu Zhenren calmed down slightly, looking at Taiwu Zhenren with a pale face. "Tell me, why!"
Taiwu Zhenren turned to Bi Xu and said:
"Sect Leader Zhenren, you indeed have no reason to doubt me, for I am absolutely loyal to Tianshi Mountain."
"I raised the thunder snakes because I was worried about unforeseen circumstances. The facts have proven me right."
Bi Xu Zhenren was silent and asked again:
"So, why exactly?"
"What benefits did Lan Qi Zhenren give you!" Du E Zhenren pointed at Taiwu and asked angrily.
Taiwu Zhenren turned his head, scanned the crowd, and looked at the faces filled with doubt or mockery. He calmly said:
"I am doing this only for Tianshi Mountain."
"Zuo Mingqiu has sufficient talent; no one in the entire Daoist sect can surpass him. If he were given another thirty years to grow, no, even fifteen years, by the time he breaks through to the Domain Lord realm, even if the old Celestial Master were resurrected and refused to let Zuo Mingqiu be the next Celestial Master, I would fight to protect him, for he is the hope for the entire sect's revival."
"But now, it's different."
Taiwu Zhenren's gaze was solemn as he looked at everyone, his voice serious and tinged with loneliness:
"The entire Tianshi Mountain has been torn apart by this selection for the position of Celestial Master. Although Zuo Mingqiu has great talent and strength, and defeated Zhao Qingdong, he still cannot change the fact that half the elders want Zhao Qingdong to ascend."
"For this reason alone, you would rebel?" Bi Xu Zhenren scoffed and mocked, "Did you ever consider what would happen if Zhao Qingdong became the Celestial Master and the faction supporting Zuo Mingqiu disagreed?"
"Would you then rebel again?"
Taiwu Zhenren shook his head and said:
"That is precisely the problem."
"If Tianshi Mountain were merely split into two factions due to their contention, then the outcome would be similar regardless of who won or lost. Of course, I would have followed the old Celestial Master's wishes."
"But Xianyou Peak has also rebelled."
"Baoyun Zhenren, along with a group of elders, supported Liangduan Zhenren's ascension. While Liangduan's talent is inferior to Zuo Mingqiu and Zhao Qingdong, he is still a top prodigy among his generation, at the peak of the fifth stage.
"I believe that if he were to assume the position of Celestial Master, even if Zhao Qingdong's faction and Zuo Mingqiu's faction had objections, there wouldn't be any major upheaval, because Liangduan is difficult to kill, and even more so with the Celestial Master's Edict.
"If the Celestial Master's Edict were given to Zuo Mingqiu, it would at most create another promising genius. But if given to Liangduan Zhenren, who is in his prime, I believe it won't be long before Tianshi Mountain has a Half-step Human King. At that point, regardless of what happened before, the internal unity of Tianshi Mountain would be restored."
"This is my reasoning."
Taiwu Zhenren finished speaking and fell silent.
His words quietly spread through the space. Bi Xu Zhenren listened to the explanation, his face stunned for a long time. Then, he sighed heavily, his clenched fists loosening.
Below, Xu Mu, riding a Qiongqi, also looked pale. He could find no reason to refute Taiwu Zhenren.
What the latter said was correct.
Given the current state of Tianshi Mountain, whether Zuo Mingqiu or Zhao Qingdong ascended, they would face danger. They could not be protected by Bi Xu Zhenren at all times, nor could they be constantly shielded by Tianshi Mountain's great formation.
Daoist cultivation requires descending the mountain.
Especially for geniuses like them, they needed to roam the martial world and experience life and death to grow. But how could a Celestial Master die?
"Your worries are unnecessary," Zuo Mingqiu said earnestly to Taiwu Zhenren, his eyes serious. "I guarantee you, I will not descend the mountain before the fourth stage."
"The fourth stage is one stage behind the fifth stage," Taiwu Zhenren shook his head, looking at Zuo Mingqiu with pity. "You are not a caged bird; you cannot remain within Tianshi Mountain forever."
"Think about what Lan Qi and Wuji did. To ensure Zhao Qingdong's ascension, they could assassinate you once, and they could do it a second and third time. With internal strife and external threats, how can a young person like you survive?"
"And if you die, and the formation eye staff and formation disk of the Tongtian Great Formation fall into the hands of those with ulterior motives, what kind of predicament will Tianshi Mountain be in?"
Taiwu Zhenren spoke with utmost seriousness:
"I cannot stand idly by and watch the thousand-year foundation of Tianshi Mountain be ruined by our generation. Therefore, you must step down. Currently, there are only two people in the entire Tianshi Mountain capable of bearing the position of Celestial Master: one is Liangduan, and the other is Sect Leader Zhenren Bi Xu."
"However, Bi Xu Zhenren is inherently carefree. As the Sect Leader, he spends the least amount of time in Tianshi Mountain. Although there are unavoidable busy schedules, even when he has free time, he would not, like the old Celestial Master, reside on Shengyang Peak year-round. Otherwise, I would not have chosen Liangduan."
"Am I right, Sect Leader Zhenren?"
Taiwu turned to look at Bi Xu.
At this moment, Bi Xu had fully understood Taiwu Zhenren's intentions. Although he was angry and had countless things to say, such as how his actions betrayed the old Celestial Master, he ultimately suppressed them all.
He looked at Taiwu Zhenren and said with a wry smile:
"I truly do not wish to be the Celestial Master."
Taiwu Zhenren nodded and calmly revealed a little-known secret: "Yes, how could you possibly want to be?"
"The old Celestial Master once intended to abdicate to you, but you refused. Now that you are accustomed to freedom, how could you be willing to return to a cage?"
"The old Celestial Master... intended to abdicate to Bi Xu?" Baoyun Zhenren's expression was incredibly complex upon hearing this.
The reason he had done such a thing in his twilight years, on the brink of death, was purely to vent his anger. He had competed for the position of Sect Leader of Tianshi Mountain three times but had lost to three different people.
He hadn't lost in combat. Although he had defeated a young Bi Xu back then, the position of Sect Leader still didn't go to him.
Because Bi Xu wanted to be Sect Leader.
So, he suddenly burst out in a torrent of abuse:
"Bi Xu!"
"You refused to be the Celestial Master and took my position as Sect Leader! Where did I ever offend you!"
Bi Xu Zhenren glanced at Baoyun Zhenren and retorted sarcastically:
"If someone your age were to become the Sect Leader of the ancestral court of the Daoist sect, Tianshi Mountain's fortune would likely come to an end."
"Enough nonsense!" Baoyun Zhenren's facial muscles twitched, and then he grinned ferociously, "To put it bluntly, in the end, we win!"
"Taiwu, since you support my nephew Liangduan's ascension, then quickly kill Zuo Mingqiu and seize the Celestial Master's Edict!"
Zuo Mingqiu's expression suddenly became solemn upon hearing this.
Bi Xu Zhenren and a group of elders blocked Zuo Mingqiu, staring vigilantly at Taiwu, and simultaneously shouting:
"Do not harm the young Celestial Master!"
"Don't worry, I won't kill you," Taiwu Zhenren said earnestly, looking at Zuo Mingqiu.
"Tianshi Mountain's future still lies with you. Liangduan is merely a temporary measure. Moreover, although he is young, he is quite old compared to you."
"And when he truly grows old, it will be your time to become the Celestial Master."
Zuo Mingqiu remained silent.
Liangduan Zhenren's face paled slightly. If that were the case, he would only be Celestial Master for less than thirty years?
"I'm curious, why are you so sure? What if Liangduan doesn't want to hand over the position of Celestial Master? What if he secretly kills me?"
Zuo Mingqiu asked with some confusion.
"He won't," Taiwu shook his head, turned to look at Liangduan, and said, "The position of Celestial Master is merely an empty title; it serves no purpose for you. The truly useful thing is the Celestial Master's Edict."
"After several decades, you will also be old and at a point where your cultivation cannot advance. You will have no reason to cling to this position."
Liangduan Zhenren felt that it made sense, but he was still somewhat uncomfortable.
After all, he was meant to be the Celestial Master, and Taiwu had arranged everything for Tianshi Mountain's future. What was the point of his position as Celestial Master?
"Even if it's useless, what if he passes it to Zhao Qingdong, or someone else? How can I be sure that person will be me?" Zuo Mingqiu asked again.
Taiwu Zhenren fell silent for a long time, then said, "That is not something you should be considering now, nor is it something you can decide."
"The formation eye staff and formation disk of the Tongtian Great Formation will be held by myself and Bi Xu Zhenren, not given to Liangduan. In a sense, this also ensures your safety."
Everyone present was once again shocked.
Throughout the history of Tianshi Mountain, only the Celestial Master had the right to control the Tongtian Great Formation, yet Taiwu Zhenren did not intend to give it to the next Celestial Master and wished to keep it himself?
Baoyun Zhenren's expression turned grim, and he asked:
"Taiwu, are you planning to be a regent ruling from behind the curtain like an emperor in the mortal world? This is unfair to Liangduan!"
Taiwu Zhenren, however, felt there was nothing unfair about it and calmly replied: "I don't think there's anything unfair about it."
"He has ascended to the position of Celestial Master, possesses the Celestial Master's Edict, and enjoys the reverence of the entire Daoist world for decades. He has all the rights the old Celestial Master possessed, except for the Tongtian Great Formation."
"And even if he had the Tongtian Great Formation, he would have no opportunity to use it. Tianshi Mountain has not had the chance to activate the Tongtian Great Formation for a very long time."
"So, Zuo Mingqiu, abdicate. I will definitely ensure your safety."
Zuo Mingqiu looked at Taiwu, his pupils constricting.
A moment later, he smiled brilliantly, removed the Three Flowers Lotus Crown from his head, and handed it over:
"Alright."