I Am Your Natural Enemy

”Which Ancestor?” Upon hearing this, the Old Celestial Master’s last bit of desire to persuade and enlighten was gone.

Ji Mingzi had already suffered qi deviation; while not yet dead, he had already stepped onto the Evil Path.

”Taiyi Observatory has stood for over one thousand and seven hundred years, but the current philosophy came into being only nine hundred years ago.

Which ancestor’s ideals do you follow?

Chongyang?

Or those ancestors from over a thousand years ago, suppressed with those aristocratic family clans in the Tang Dynasty?

None of those were qualified to enter the Celestial Court after death. Taiyi Observatory as it stands today was rescued from their hands by your current elders.

Strictly speaking, your Taiyi Observatory has less than a thousand years of history.

So, whom do you actually follow?”

Ji Mingzi’s face shifted slightly; for a moment he could not offer a retort.

Normally, when spoken of, Taiyi Observatory was always said to boast nearly two thousand years of history, treated as one continuous whole.

Yet at this moment, the Old Celestial Master divided it sharply and clearly; his understanding of Taiyi Observatory went even deeper than most of its own disciples.

The Taoist temple was still the same, but in different eras, it was no longer the same people—the core philosophy itself had changed entirely.

As a successor to the later generation, do your actions now follow the former, or the latter?

The Old Celestial Master watched Ji Mingzi fall silent, unable even to offer a firm answer.

He formed a seal technique with his hand, chanted low, his spiritual light flaring and turning into a slender beam hurtling skyward.

In an instant, a purple radiance descended from the heavens, and a Taoist in a plain robe walked down from on high, stepping along the beam of purple light.

The Old Celestial Master saluted, gazed at the Taoist, and bowed respectfully.

”Greetings, Immortal Chongyang.”

The Taoist returned the salute.

The Old Celestial Master traced a talisman in midair, letting it fall into the Taoist’s hand.

The Taoist caught the talisman, his expression calm as he glanced at Ji Mingzi, then turned to the Old Celestial Master.

The Old Celestial Master spoke in a deep tone.

”May I abolish the talismans conferred by Ji Mingzi?”

Through the talisman, the Taoist now understood all that had transpired.

”You may.”

”May I revoke Taiyi Observatory’s qualification to impart talismanic authority?”

The Taoist glanced at the Nether Path Soul Lamp present, then looked to Wen Yan, sensing the Big Executioner’s Nail, Calamity Protector Water Official Talisman, and the wristband upon him.

As for Ji Mingzi, when he heard that his own conferred talismans would be abolished, he remained unmoved—as expected.

But when the revocation of Taiyi Observatory’s right to impart talismanic authority was mentioned, he instantly dropped to his knees with a thud.

”Ancestor! Absolutely not! This disciple is willing to be punished, willing to die, Ancestor, you must not destroy Taiyi Observatory’s millennium-old foundation!”

Ji Mingzi slammed his head into the ground in frantic supplication, blood already running down his forehead.

The other surviving disciples of Taiyi Observatory, when the Taoist appeared, had already unanimously knelt in obeisance.

”Old Celestial Master, we beg for your mercy! Ancestor, we implore you for compassion!”

The Taoist suspended midair surveyed the assembly, then nodded slightly to the Old Celestial Master.

”You may.”

The Taoist stretched out his hand and grasped at empty air: instantly, a talisman flew from Ji Mingzi’s body and landed in his hand.

Then at the spot where Taiyi Observatory stood, he snatched at thin air again, and another radiant talisman flashed forth, falling into his palm.

The Taoist inclined his head slightly to the Old Celestial Master, transformed into flowing light, and vanished from sight.

This Taoist, having ascended, long ago lost self-awareness; only his former discernment and instinct remained.

Summoned by the Old Celestial Master, upon grasping the situation, he would swiftly render a verdict.

As the founding ancestor for the latter thousand years of Taiyi Observatory, enshrined in the main hall,

He, more than anyone else, could not tolerate such a fate for Taiyi Observatory.

Rather than let it wholly degenerate onto the Evil Path, it was indeed better to simply revoke its qualification to confer talismanic authority—at least to preserve the last shreds of its good name.

Ji Mingzi collapsed upon the ground, eyes vacant, a mouthful of black blood gushing forth as his dao heart shattered utterly.

He had been prepared to gamble everything; even if Taiyi Observatory were ruined, he believed it could be rebuilt.

Even if he died, it did not matter.

For the right to independently confer talismans lay with the Three Mountains and Five Ridges—this not even the Scorching Sun Department could alter.

So long as this remained, Taiyi Observatory would still be Taiyi Observatory.

Still able to represent Mount Zhongnan.

With this foundation intact, at worst it would decline for some years.

Just like Fuyu Mountain, which had languished for decades but, as a withered camel remains bigger than a horse, would one day again rise.

Yet he never foresaw that the Old Celestial Master would intervene personally—even directly inviting down Taiyi Observatory’s own founding ancestor.

Within that talisman, who knew what message it contained, yet Ancestor personally struck to destroy the foundation Ji Mingzi had built with his own hands.

And with not a hint of hesitation.

Ji Mingzi kept spitting blood; it was clear he had little life left in him.

Wen Yan, too, stared on in stunned silence.

Now he understood what the Old Celestial Master had meant about shouldering some measure of infamy.

He had been wondering before—when inviting a deity, why not call down the ascended founding ancestor of Taiyi Observatory?

He did not believe that a being devoid of self, exemplifying immutable, ever-faithful adherence to his ideals, would reject his own philosophy on account of a descendant who had suffered qi deviation.

He had even considered summoning Ji Mingzi’s own ancestor to purge the sect personally.

But never did he anticipate that the Old Celestial Master, acting in person, would prove far more ruthless than himself.

He knew not by what means the Old Celestial Master convinced Taiyi Observatory’s ancestor himself to consent, directly revoking the sect’s right to confer talismanic authority.

Henceforth, from Three Mountains and Five Ridges, it became Two Mountains and Five Ridges.

The Old Celestial Master was right: such an act, for whatever reason, set a precedent—and looking far into the future, it might not be a good one. Whoever performed it would have to bear, for good or ill, a colossal burden of praise and blame.