[CHAT GROUP]
Howard Stark: "Group Leader, why do I feel that Honghuang Tiandao is essentially anti-monopolistic?"
Lucas: "Your intuition is correct—Honghuang Tiandao is anti-monopolistic. A monopolized market lacks vitality, which Honghuang Tiandao cannot allow. Forces that attempt to monopolize inevitably fall—that's why I say the Tongtian sect's demise was deserved."
Zhao Gongming: "Group Leader, is the Tongtian sect really so terrible?"
Lucas: "As a high-ranking member of the Tongtian sect, of course you speak in its favor. You probably know little about the middle and lower-tier members, and don't understand how many atrocities they've committed in the sect's name."
Lucas: "Moreover, while the Tongtian sect Leader has enlightened countless sentient beings, he's also brought members of varying quality into the sect. Do you know how many of them are villainous individuals?"
Zhao Gongming: "Shouldn't the Group Leader have methods to address such issues? He is, after all, a saint of heaven."
Lucas sneered: "Don't be naive! He couldn't even properly educate his direct followers, let alone manage the entire sect. During the decisive battle of the God-conferring War, the Tongtian sect Leader handed over his magical tool—the Six Soul Banners—to his attendant immortal, Long-Eared Dingguang."
Lucas: "The result? Long-Eared Dingguang, who had always been by the Tongtian sect Leader's side, surrendered the Six Soul Banners to the saints of the Chan and Human sects, and even directly defected to the Western religion."
Zhao Gongming was furious: "That damned Long-Eared Dingguang! How dare he commit such treachery? Unforgivable!"
Lucas: "Since the Tongtian sect Leader entrusted his crucial weapon to Long-Eared Dingguang, it demonstrates his complete trust in him. But even Long-Eared Dingguang, whom he trusted so deeply, betrayed him. Do you truly believe he could effectively manage the Tongtian sect?"
Zhao Gongming reluctantly conceded: "Very well! I admit the Group Leader's points are valid—there were indeed serious problems within the Tongtian sect. While teaching without discrimination strengthened the sect considerably, it also introduced numerous internal problems and attracted many individuals with malicious intent."
Howard Stark: "Is this the real reason for the Tongtian sect's decline? Market monopoly combined with internal problems—its downfall seems almost inevitable."
Lucas: "Not only that! None of the major participants in the Great Calamity Tribulation fared well. The Chan and Human sects suffered heavy losses, while conversely, the Western religion gained substantial benefits from the Calamity Tribulation."
Hongyun said angrily: "Those two shameless old bastards Jieyin and Zhunti—did they exploit the chaos?"
Lucas: "Indeed! In the final moments of the God-conferring calamity, the Tongtian sect Leader deployed the Immortal Execution Sword Formation—the premier killing formation in the prehistoric world. If wielded by a saint, it would be unbreakable to the four saints."
Lucas: "To overcome the Tongtian sect Leader's Immortal Execution Sword Formation, Taiqing Laozi and Yuqing Yuanshi invited the two Western saints to assist them. Together, the four saints broke the formation."
Lucas: "However, this caused Taiqing Laozi and Yuqing Yuanshi to incur a great karmic debt to the Western religion, obligating them to help it flourish. Of course, the more significant factor was Heaven's will."
Howard Stark: "Wait, I have a question. If the God-conferring calamity was the world's doom, why didn't it affect Western religions?"
Lucas: "Because the West lacked spiritual power and had few powerful monks. The East needed suppression, while the West needed support. Does that clarify matters?"
Zhao Gongming: "I understand! Jieyin and Zhunti frequently came East to acquire heavenly treasures, convert powerful cultivators, and restore the West. Unfortunately, the three Taoist sects opposed them, forcing them to operate covertly."
Lucas: "After incurring a karmic debt to the Western religion, they could operate openly. More importantly, Heaven's will remained anti-monopolistic."
Howard Stark said in surprise: "Anti-monopolistic? Whose monopoly was targeted this time?"
Lucas: "Xuanmen Taoism—Hongjun's legacy!"
Howard Stark: "I see! Saint Hongjun is the master of Xuanmen. This monopoly is far more significant than the Tongtian sect's. Even with Hongjun having merged with the Dao, Heaven's will wouldn't permit such dominance."
Lucas: "Exactly! To break Xuanmen Taoism's monopoly, Honghuang Tiandao implemented three strategies... First, it supported Xuanmen's mortal enemy—the Demon Gate. Unfortunately, after Demon Gate's loss to Xuanmen in the Dao-Demon battle, they declined and could no longer challenge Xuanmen."
Lucas: "With Demon Gate alone insufficient to compete against Xuanmen's might, Heaven's will began suppressing Xuanmen directly. Its second strategy was to split Xuanmen from within."
Lucas: "The two Western saints were merely nominal disciples of Hongjun and were the first to leave Xuanmen. Before the God-conferring Battle began, they established their own sect, completely independent from Xuanmen Taoism."
Lucas: "The God-conferring Battle was Heaven's will's third method to suppress Xuanmen, completely fracturing the Three Pure Ones and even turning them hostile toward each other. There was no alternative—after all, the Three Pure Ones occupied half of the six sage positions."
Lucas: "Additionally, Hongjun, Xuanmen's founder who had merged with the Dao, still commanded respect throughout the prehistoric world. Fortunately, as Hongjun served as Heaven's will's spokesperson, Heaven didn't overly oppress Xuanmen or completely sever the Three Pure Ones' connection to it."
Lucas: "However, while the Three Pure Ones could remain within Xuanmen, Xuanmen couldn't remain unified. Forcing conflict among the Three Pure Ones was another method to suppress Xuanmen Taoism and give other forces development opportunities."
Hongyun said unhappily: "I never expected those two Western bastards would have their day. They're so utterly shameless."
Lucas laughed: "The two Western saints are indeed shameless, but they genuinely dedicated themselves to developing the West. To restore the West's strength, they sacrificed even their dignity as saints. What commitment!"
Zhao Gongming: "It's understandable for Senior Hongyun to harbor resentment toward the Western saints. After all, they owe him a karmic debt they've never repaid. Though Hongjun orchestrated it, stealing his chance at sainthood created enormous karma."
Lucas: "The karmic debt was so substantial that the Western saints were too impoverished to repay it. That's why they stood by as Hongyun died—after all, 'when the person dies, the debt disappears.' With Hongyun's death, they were freed from repaying their karmic debt."
Zhao Gongming: "Can karma be resolved so easily? How utterly shameless!"