Chapter 243: The Heroes Arrive—The Warning of True Monarch of the Lantern
Chapter 243: Chapter 243: The Heroes Arrive—The Warning of True Monarch of the Lantern
Zhu Ge had never seen such a serious expression on True Monarch of the Lantern’s face.
Although he had only met True Monarch of the Lantern once, his impression was that the True Monarch was the type of person who wouldn’t bat an eye even if Taishan itself were to collapse before him.
"Zhu Ge, you are gifted and intelligent, with a reserved personality and a vast world within your heart. But your wings have yet to fully grow, so you must heed my words."
As True Monarch of the Lantern spoke, a lantern hanging from a wooden stick suddenly appeared in his hand.
He thrust the wooden stick into the soil. The lantern swayed. Though it held no flame, a fiery glow emanated from within.
"Right now, no fewer than twenty people are rushing here from various territories," said True Monarch of the Lantern.
"Some of them harbor malicious intent, while others come with good intentions. But you must understand that one can easily turn into the other."
Zhu Ge nodded, his expression grave.
’It was easy to figure out. He had written the *Book of Changes*, prompting a response from heaven and earth and adding another Dao to the world. His act was tantamount to the ancient sages pioneering the Daos of the Human Race.’
As a result, his *Human Scripture* had become the ultimate treasure of the Yi Dao, a branch of the Confucian Dao.
The problem was, while he possessed the ability to pioneer a Dao, rivaling the ancient sages, he lacked the strength to match them.
Innocence is no crime, but possessing a treasure is.
One could only imagine how many people would covet a child carrying a fortune through a bustling city.
Zhu Ge believed that, given the right opportunity, even those who initially had good intentions wouldn’t hesitate to turn them malicious.
"But that isn’t the most critical part," True Monarch of the Lantern sighed. "What’s most critical is that I am the Guyu Official. I oversee all records and cannot travel the mortal world for long."
As he spoke, he looked at True Monarch Minmian behind him, snorted coldly, and waved his hand. "I’ve removed the restriction. Let Minmian tell you the rest."
True Monarch Minmian had been holding it in for ages. Seeing the restriction lifted, he immediately grinned and whistled at Zhu Ge.
"Hey! Nice work, big brother! What do you say, miss your little bro?"
"Little bro..." Zhu Ge smiled, about to say something.
But then he saw True Monarch of the Lantern glare at True Monarch Minmian. "Minmian, be serious."
True Monarch Minmian immediately put his hands behind his head, cradling it in his palms, and said in a relaxed and carefree manner, "Alright, alright! Your cultivation is higher now, so I’ll listen to you..."
Then, True Monarch Minmian looked at Zhu Ge, flashing a toothy grin. "To put it simply, I’ve gone limp."
Hearing this, Zhu Ge raised an eyebrow, not quite getting it.
Seeing True Monarch Minmian’s antics, True Monarch of the Lantern waved his hand and sealed his mouth again. "Stop dragging this out. I swear..." he said irritably. "Ahem, Zhu Ge."
Just as True Monarch of the Lantern was about to speak to Zhu Ge, he saw the lantern he had planted in the ground begin to shake violently, though there was no wind.
He frowned and continued, "You created a New Confucian Dao. True Monarch Minmian and I were both delighted to see it. Of course, even if you hadn’t created a new Dao, we both still hold you in high regard."
"Back when we parted ways that day, True Monarch Minmian had already decided to guide you for a while, fearing you might go astray."
"But now, I must tell you... True Monarch Minmian has lost all his cultivation and become a mortal..."
Lost all his cultivation and become...
A mortal?!
Zhu Ge’s eyes widened, unable to process it for a moment.
Meanwhile, True Monarch Minmian gave his hair a rather dashing flip, striking a cool pose.
"Yes. A single punch from you right now could pulp his body into a pile of dog shit." True Monarch of the Lantern rolled his eyes at True Monarch Minmian. "As for the other matters, you’ll naturally find out when the time comes."
"So, I cannot act, and True Monarch Minmian cannot protect you. The rest is up to you."
With that, True Monarch of the Lantern sighed.
"The world is in chaos. According to the Historical Record, this is surely the work of Demons, Ghosts, Spirits, and Monsters. But the root cause is still the internal strife of our Human Race."
"The selfish elites do not think of unity. They sit in high positions only to scheme for their own private gain. This... is a great scourge."
"You are a prodigy the likes of which we haven’t seen in a century. Your personality also suits our tastes. We don’t wish to see you die."
"If you get the chance, you should join a Sect."
True Monarch of the Lantern shook his head and patted Zhu Ge’s shoulder.
"Is there a downside to joining a Sect?" Zhu Ge asked, confused.
He had originally been thinking of joining a Sect himself—either an academy or a Martial Arts Hall.
That way, the Six Paths Palace could also benefit.
"Yes," True Monarch of the Lantern nodded. "If you join a Sect, everything you have will become a meal for others. That Hongmi Immortal may have been crude, but one thing he said was right: this is a man-eating world."
"If you join a Sect, your Confucian Yi Dao might become fish on someone’s chopping block, a delicacy on their plate, before it ever has the chance to become powerful."
"For people at our level, breaking through to the next realm requires a path with a trailblazer—like the Confucian, Immortal, Martial, or Historical Daos. All of them have had someone who reached the next realm."
"For paths that don’t have one, the only option is to pioneer your own Dao, but that is far from easy. Most people lack such talent and courage; they’ve already exhausted their life’s potential just by reaching our realm."
"Therefore, your new Dao will be a hot commodity. Countless people will try every method imaginable to strip the Yi Dao from you and make it their own."
"Even if they don’t make it their own Dao, they could snatch it to forge a supreme treasure, or even save it for the younger generation of their family."
"And another thing..."
True Monarch of the Lantern began speaking faster and faster, pouring out more and more information.
Even Zhu Ge, who was used to his mind working at high speed, couldn’t help but be taken aback.
He was even tempted to activate [Kunpeng] and [Spider] to help him think.
When True Monarch of the Lantern finally finished, True Monarch Minmian couldn’t help but yawn. This made Zhu Ge glance over, and he too felt the urge to yawn.
Yawning is contagious.
Fortunately, Zhu Ge held it in.
Still, he couldn’t resist asking, "True Monarch of the Lantern, what if I just kill myself?"
True Monarch of the Lantern shot Zhu Ge a glare. "Don’t be like your little bro. So improper."
At that moment, the lantern on the ground began to shake even more violently. It felt as if something was about to pierce through the fabric of the calm, clear world.
Seeing this, True Monarch of the Lantern waved his hand and removed the restriction on True Monarch Minmian.
"Hey there, Zhu Ge, I can talk again..." True Monarch Minmian said with a wide grin.
But before he could start spouting nonsense, True Monarch of the Lantern warned him, "If you say one more useless word, I’m leaving!"
True Monarch Minmian was completely unconcerned. "You’re just leaving. It’s not like you don’t love me anymore. What’s there to be afraid of?"
True Monarch of the Lantern was at a loss. He looked back and forth between True Monarch Minmian and Zhu Ge, his face a mask of helplessness. "Fine, fine, I can’t win an argument with you. You’re my elder and the one who led me onto this path. I guess I’m stuck with you for life."
With that, his expression returned to the stillness of a placid well as he waited for True Monarch Minmian to speak.
Beside him, the wooden stick holding the lantern was swaying so violently it was about to snap, and the fiery glow within the lantern began to flicker erratically.
True Monarch Minmian, completely unbothered, smiled at Zhu Ge. "At a critical moment like this, I’m acting so idle and lazy. Tell me, is that right or is that wrong?"