Wang Wei watched Mo Yuan disappear and could only sigh. He cupped his hand before bowing deeply; he showed respect for a senior who walked the same path. Maybe in the future, his fate will be the same. No, the only difference is he won’t be alone if it ever ends for him. At least, he hoped it would be so.
He looked in the direction of the Wrath Territory before continuing his original objective: contact Heavenly Dao and have a conversation. Soon, Wang Wei found himself standing in an all-white space with an enormous eye above him.
[My son, what can I do for you?]
‘Son? Well, technically, all creatures of the Myriad Emperor World are Heavenly Dao’s children.’ thought Wang Wei. Of course, he would not call her mother or father. Their relationship only recently became decent, and depending on how today goes, it might sour again.
“I came to convince you to refuse the merger with the Nine Devil God World,” said Wang Wei.
[Why would I do that? The merger will drastically increase my World Source and benefit the world.]
“But what about the downside?” countered Wang Wei. “The devil race is hated by every plane in the lower dimension. Once they know we accept them as one of our own, many will react negatively.”
[I know the danger, and they are worth it.]
Wang Wei squinted his eyes as many things flashed in his mind. He knew Heavenly Dao was not stupid, nor did it rely on emotion to make decisions. Everything it did was based on pure logic and with an objective in mind.
“You want to use the pressure of the other planes to forcibly accelerate the rate of the Myriad Emperor Plane’s recovery?”
[Yes. The new era will need some time before it can revitalize the world. However, foreign pressure is a great way to accelerate the process.]
Wang Wei controlled every fiber in his body to not call this thing stupid; he never thought that his Willpower would work so hard for self-control one day.
“There is a time for everything. The Myriad Emperor World needs a period of peace to lay the foundation. Then it can interact with other planes. It does not require to be constantly overcoming enemies.
“And this is exactly what will happen if we accept the devil race. Other factions will use this excuse to justify war against us. Under the banner of avenging the atrocities of the devil race, any faction with some influence can rally hundreds of planes–if not more–against us.”
[I have faith in you.]
“You shouldn’t,” replied Wang Wei. “As the ruler responsible for the development of the Myriad Emperor World, you should never place all your eggs in one basket.
“What if Di Tian is the one who is the final winner? Do you think he would care if a bunch of planes invaded? As long as he revives his wife, he will sell the world if necessary.
“What about the others? On the likely chance they are the last man standing, would they have the strength to stop an invasion on such a large scale? The answer is obvious.
“Finally, there is me. Do you think I would just accept becoming the enemy of the entire Endless Void? I am a person who learns from his history: the devil race suffered a catastrophe of annihilation because they were enemies with the whole world. Why would I repeat their mistake?
“Furthermore, you overestimate how much I care for the Myriad Emperor World. I want it to prosper beyond any era that ever existed because it will bring me merit, luck, destiny, and protection. If I had to face an invasion from so many planes, I would just ensure the survival of my sect. That is the ugly truth.”
Heavenly Dao did not immediately answer as it calculated the effect of its decision, taking every word of Wang Wei into account. It calculated Wang Wei would set up the foundation of a brilliant era. Unfortunately, it did not know the exact plan.
However, no matter the era, it will take a couple of generations to show any real effect. So, Heavenly Dao wanted to accelerate the process. Taking into account Wang Wei and Di Tian’s strength after proving the Dao, they should be able to stop any invasion and use war to accelerate the recovery and growth of the plane. It even prepared to negotiate with Di Tian using his wife’s imprint.
Now, Heavenly Dao wavered on its decision–especially after the recent things that occurred outside of the plane with the foreigners.
“Furthermore, you need to see things from a long-term perspective instead of short-term,” continued Wang Wei. “And as long as the devil race is part of our plane, these factions will have a justification to wage war against us. We might defeat them now, but a few hundred generations later, they can use the same excuse to start a war and rally allies.
“Then there is the integration of the devil race. Their hatred for humans is ingrained deeply in their bloodline. After integration, such intense emotions are bound to create chaos, contradictions, and in-fighting. At first, the problem won’t be as big because of how weak they are. However, when a mighty Great Emperor appeared in their ranks, the same situation with the Golden Ape Emperor might occur–but even worse.”
[I considered this possibility and hoped you used your diplomatic capabilities to deal with this issue–just like you did the demon race.]
Wang Wei’s lips twitched. He did not know whether to be thankful Heavenly Dao thought so highly of him or should he complain that the latter overestimated him.
“The demon race is still a ticking time bomb despite my effort. I will spend some time appeasing them and making their situation better. But even then, I will not be able to completely garner their trust nor remove their hatred for humans.
“And in the case of the devil race, their hatred and distrust are a hundred times worse. Even If I did my best to alleviate the situation, after leaving, everything could revert to the way it was. To be honest, this is one of my worries for the demon race.”
[The demons are a rigid and unmalleable species. So, there is a high possibility of that happening.]
Wang Wei agreed with that statement.
“Back to the devil topic. Accepting them in our midst has other repercussions. We do not know how it will affect the Great Emperors from our plane after they ascend. From my knowledge, they are also greatly hated in the upper dimensions. Maybe, some powerhouse will begin to attack members of our plane for accepting the devil race as our own.”
[The Upper Dimension is outside the scope of my duty. I did not consider this possibility.] Heavenly Dao knew it benefited greatly when its Emperors reached higher cultivation stages or accomplished extraordinary feats in the upper dimension. However, once an Emperor ascends, they are beyond the scope of its programming.
“Finally, there are the devil cultivators in the western continent. Recently, they have been quiet and docile because of the pressure from other fractions and the lack of power. But after the devil integration, these devil cultivators will definitely ally with the devil race to increase their strength; they would soon become more restless and cause more chaos.”
Wang Wei has not decided what to do with the devil cultivators. A part of him wants to eliminate them since they are a source of trouble, a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. Another aspect of him felt they could be helpful since their craziness and brutality make them some of the greatest military strength when used appropriately.
Heavenly Dao considered everything his chosen champion stated and calculated the world’s future, weighing its previous decision. It also took into account the possible selfish motive of his chosen son. But it did not mind since it understood humans–the protagonist of its plane–was a race driven by emotions like selfishness and desires. It weighed the pros and cons.
[After hearing your argument, I conclude my initial decision was flawed.]
“So, you’ve agreed to stop the merger?”
[Yes.]
Wang Wei breathed in relief. He did not want to do something drastic and forced this merger to stop.
“I thank you for granting me an audience.”
Heavenly Dao did not say anything else and sent Wang Wei back. The main reason for such a swift decision was that it did not want to fall out with its chosen son.
After years of calculation, Heavenly Dao concluded he was the only one who could create a brilliant era. Anyone else who received the title of Era Son could, at best, create an era on par with the past but never surpass them. And such a person was rare to find amongst the current Heaven Chosens. Many had the strength to establish the era but lacked the foresight, ingenuity, intelligence, charisma, and desire to make the world better.
The truth is that if Di Tian were more malleable and open to working together, Heavenly Dao would not place all its eggs on Wang Wei and decided quickly to end this merger.