This is what the ordinary people truly think.
Zhao Baiyang's face was cold. Born in poverty, how could he not know?
The Mire Sect is known for winning people's hearts. Whenever there's a disaster, its followers are sure to be among those who appear.
He knew all too well what the victims thought.
Even in times of disaster, as long as relief was timely and they had enough to eat and wear, the victims wouldn't riot. They'd patiently wait.
But in Zhao Baiyangt s view, this was unbearable.
Perhaps because of his background, there were many times when he felt that he was one of those victims.
At those moments, he'd feel a heavy sense of injustice hanging over his head.
Why, why is it that some folk are decked in finery, feasting from gilded platters and drinking from golden goblets; whilst some only have ragged clothes, hunger pangs, and lives of wandering destitution?
So, why wouldn't these people desire Zhao Baiyang to reclaim what belongs to them? How could they not want that?
Pei Xuanjing scoffed, saying nothing.
But his attitude spoke volumes; he clearly did not agree with Zhao Baiyang's words.
"Do you think I'm wrong, Brother Pei?" Zhao Baiyang asked, his voice deep.
"Should I agree? How are you different from those ambitious oppressors? Are you not exploiting and inciting the common folk too?" Pei Xuanjing's face didn't change. He spoke coldly. "Even if you suppress these people and change the regime in the future, what will really change? Aren't you just replacing one group of people with another? Will that make any difference?"
His actions, in essence, were to incite the common people, using their blood and flesh to build his own glory.
"Naturally, I am different from those people!" Zhao Baiyang firmly denied Pei Xuanjing's claim, speaking coldly, "I won't oppress them, I won't treat them like worthless…"
No one had ever disputed these matters with Zhao Baiyang before. He had shared his plans with some people.
Those people either denied them, thinking he was daydreaming, or, in awe of his power, didn't dare to oppose him.
Only today, Pei Xuanjing leveled actual doubts against him, not simply dismissing his ideas outright.
Judging from the questions and doubts Pei Xuanjing raised, it's obvious that he shares many understandings with me, Zhao Baiyang thought. This realization stirred a sense of camaraderie in his heart.
So, facing Pei Xuanjing's doubts, Zhao Baiyang wasn't angry. Instead, he calmly explained to Pei Xuanjing, trying to persuade him to join him.
Pei Xuanjing sneered: "The founding emperor of the Great Ming thought the same way, didn't he? And how did that turn out? Six hundred years have passed. If it's really the same as back then, why would you, brother Zhao, need to repeat all this today?"
All Zhao Baiyang's words hung still in the air at this point. He was speechless, unable to refute Pei Xuanjing's rebuke.
Yes, when the founding emperor of the Great Ming established the dynasty, despite having countless schemes as a man of humble origins, he never foresaw that his descendants would become the very people he once fought to overthrow.
So, even if I succeed, might the same outcome await a few centuries down the line?
This inevitable issue must be addressed.
Zhao Baiyang didn't evade or surrender; he began to face this problem and sought solutions.
But that wasn't all, Pei Xuanjing continued speaking, his cold voice echoing over the mountain peak. "Brother Zhao, you talk about fighting injustice, overthrowing oppressors, and serving the world, but by what right do you allow the common people to sacrifice for your ambitions? How are your actions any different from those you claim to fight against?"
Why should the common people sacrifice for Zhao Baiyang•s plans and objectives?
How is Zhao Baiyang's manipulation of the common people different from those elites who look down upon them from their high places?
This is the difference between the two men.
Pei Xuanjing doesn't believe he has the right to let the common people sacrifice for his plans.
Even if one day Pei Xuanjing has to do such a thing, he'd rely on his own strength and would not incite the common people to senselessly march to their deaths.
Huh-huh-huh..
The entire mountaintop fell eerily silent, broken only by the sound of the wind.
After a long silence, Zhao Baiyang's voice broke the quiet once again.
He was a man of unyielding will. Even though he was struck by Pei Xuanjing's words, he wouldn't easily give up his plans.
With a determined look, he said to Pei Xuanjing, "I've thought of a solution."
"Hmm?" Pei Xuanjing looked at the once-again composed Zhao Baiyang.
Then Zhao Baiyang said, "Brother Pei, as you said, after the first emperor of the Great Ming died, his warnings were discarded like waste paper. But what if the emperor hadn't died? If he lived forever, he could always maintain it."
If the original problem was due to the death of the ruler, then as long as he could live forever, he could always maintain the rules he had established.
Looking at the confident Zhao Baiyang, Pei Xuanjing was silent. It seemed like he wanted to say something.
That even the bravest dragon slayers never thought they'd become the dragons they detested..
In the end, he still didn't say it because he knew it would be futile, meaningless; Zhao Baiyang would not listen.
Seeing Pei Xuanjing's indifferent response, Zhao Baiyang acknowledged he ultimately could not convince him.
He let out a sigh, "Brother Pei, I must take my leave."
Zhao Baiyang didn't try again to persuade Pei Xuanjing, as he had now understood his mind.
Both were individuals of resolute wills, just as neither could abandon their own plans, neither could persuade the other to join their path.
Given this, there was no need for further talk; it would only increase the burden of woes.
"Brother Pei, I will prove to you that my plan is not wrong." As Zhao Baiyang's figure disappeared, his voice echoed in Pei Xuanjing's ear.
Watching Zhao Baiyang's retreating figure, Pei Xuanjing thought calmly, "It seems, preparations are necessary."
Just like when he had stopped Ning King Zhu Chenhao, Pei Xuanjing only intervened when he couldn't bear to see the world fall into chaos.
Now, he naturally didn't want to see innocent people displaced or dying needlessly because of Zhao Baiyang's actions.
Therefore, he needed to prepare, to handle the situation without letting it escalate beyond control.
"Even if your plan is about renewing the world, there are too many inadequacies. If such a day comes, it would be better to follow my plan." Pei Xuanjing murmured to himself.
As he thought about it, Pei Xuanjing suddenly laughed at himself, "In this regard, I'm not in any position to underestimate others."
In essence, he and Zhao Baiyang were the same; both were robust in their convictions and biases, both thought their way was the only right way.
Pei Xuanjing lightly flicked his sleeve, revealing the plants hidden beneath the gravel.
Then, utilizing the Innate Thunder Gang Qi, the life-surging True Qi permeated the entire peak, giving new life to the wilted plants.
After doing all this, Pei Xuanjing slowly turned and headed towards the main peak.
What Zhao Baiyang was doing could wait, Pei Xuanjing had more important matters at hand.
For Pei Xuanjing, nothing was more critical than finding a way to break through his current realm.
Despite several unsuccessful attempts, it did enlighten him a lot.
At least for now, Pei Xuanjing was sure that there were three routes to realm breakthrough: the Way of Essence Refinement, the Path of Qi Refinement, and the Way of Spirit Refinement.
The Way of Essence Refinement should be the continuous evolution of the physical body, refining the body's acupoints, finally linking all acupoints, allowing the body to form its own entity, completely independent and immortal.
The Path of Qi Refinement refers to the energy itself, not just the Inner Qi and the True Qi, but all energy in nature. Fueling the Heavenly Earthly force with one's own Qi, born from Heaven and Earth yet surpassing Heaven and Earth.
As Laozi once said, 'To ride the righteousness of Heaven and Earth, and control the change of six Qi, is to wander the infinite.' The 'Qi' here should refer to the energy between heaven and earth.
As for the Way of Spirit Refinement, Pei Xuanjing didn't have much confidence in his judgement. He could only make an educated guess based on the collection of books he had gathered and the knowledge from his past life.
The refinement of the spirit, for ordinary people, refers to the heart, will, belief, and a series of intangible logic. If speaking from a cultivation point of view, it might refer to the soul or primordial spirit.
Even though he had a vague guess, Pei Xuanjing still didn't delve too deep and decided to put it aside for the time being.
He decided to wait for the days ahead, to find some martial studies on mental power, and see if he could learn something relevant.
For the time being, the most convenient routes for Pei Xuanjing to research were the Paths of Essence and Qi Refinement.
After restoring his Inner Qi, he entered his secret chamber again and sat on a meditation cushion, his heart aimed at the sky and his eyes slightly closed.
Threads of True Qi started gradually to circulate within Pei Xuanjing's body. Casting aside all distracting thoughts, he immersed himself in the flow of True Qi, sensing each movement.
He continued to use the True Qi to refine his body, aiming for further strengthening.
However, as he had anticipated, his physical enhancement seemed to have hit a limit. Despite exhausting much True Qi, there was no effect.
After a long while, Pei Xuanjing reluctantly gave up and thought, "It seems that simply using True Qi to strengthen has reached its upper limit. Surpassing this limit will be tough. Perhaps it's time to do that experiment."
Thinking of this experiment, Pei Xuanjing showed a serious expression, displaying a hint of hesitation and struggle in his eyes, but was soon replaced by firm resolve.
"I have been considering this plan for a while, why not give it a try?" he muttered to himself.
A long time ago, Pei Xuanjing developed a bold idea about his route of cultivation, but he never actually tried it.
Remembering his Dragon Elephant Art cultivation reaching the eighth level but stalling as it was restricted by the technique itself
After defeating Qian Ning in Xuanfu City, Pei Xuanjing conducted a life simulation. In this simulation, he acquired a complete version of Dragon Elephant Art that helped his subsequent body cultivation, even though he was unable to cultivate it.
What mattered was, during the final phase of that simulation, Pei Xuanjing used thunder power to refine his body.
Although the body refinement was accidental and ultimately unsuccessful, it did provide him with a lot of insights.
"Thunder Forging Body! Perhaps it's the only way to break through the constraints of heaven and earth before the world trulv regains consciousness." Pei Xuaniinz thought.
One's growth not only comes from their own efforts but also needs to align with the era's development.
Even powerhouses like Master Sanfeng and Baji Ba thought they were bound by the Heaven and Earth, and regardless of their talents, they were unable to break their shackles and transcend the realm.
Although six hundred years had passed, the world had not truly awakened yet. Pei Xuanjing was uncertain about whether he could break through these constraints.
He had yet to delve into the Way of Spirit Refinement deeply, and the Path of Qi Refinement was intricately tied with Heaven and Earth.
In Pei Xuanjing's view, only the Way of Essence Refinement might present some possibilities.
The Way of Essence Refinement, in the end, refers to the cultivator's own refinement. As long as he possessed enough power to refine his body, surely he could seize this opportunity to break through his current constraints and reach the next realm..