Chapter 1061 — Proving the Dao Through Law
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 5
" Heavenly Venerable Moon had never considered the question either, and turned to look at Shen Mu. Shen Mu said, "There is something you do not know, old Daoist. The reason it is called the Divine Realm is to shatter the god in the heart.
God is the name for the ancient gods. The ancient gods were born bearing the great Dao of heaven and earth; they commanded powers inconceivable in mortal eyes, they were deathless, coeval with heaven and earth.
Through cultivation and training, mortals too command powers inconceivable, are deathless, and are coeval with heaven and earth. In this way the fear of the ancient gods in people's hearts can be broken. " "So that is it. " The Dao Ancestor was suddenly enlightened. Shen Mu went on: "In those years Heavenly Venerable Yu was in fact unwilling to call it the Divine Realm.
The seven realms of the Heavenly Palace are merely realms, no different from the seven realms of the divine treasury.
In his eyes and mine, the Heavenly Palace is in truth a great divine treasury, and ought to belong to the eighth realm of the divine treasury; those who cultivate to godhood are in truth nothing more than divine ability users. But for the sake of people's confidence in shattering the god in the heart, the name Divine Realm was kept. " Heavenly Venerable Moon was astonished. "Daoist Yun, you have never spoken of this before! " Shen Mu hesitated. "But I have a worry.
I fear that in the future, divine ability users who complete the Heavenly Palace will become beings like the ancient gods.
That is why I have always hesitated to call the Heavenly Palace realm the Divine Realm. " Heavenly Venerable Moon fell into thought. The Dao Ancestor said sullenly, "This sort of scheming business is for you to think over. I am going to the next tribe to preach. " With that he walked off. Shen Mu too stood staring blankly, lost in thought. The establishment of the realm of godhood had in fact been decided by Heavenly Venerable Yu, Heavenly Venerable Hao, and himself together.
Yet the essence of the seven realms of the Heavenly Palace was a vast Heavenly Palace divine treasury.
So-called deities were merely deathless divine ability users, not ancient gods in the traditional sense. The reason they had all, without prior agreement, called it divine was precisely to break the worship of the ancient gods. Yet as Shen Mu looked at the demigod idol in this tribe, he could not help but feel dazed.
The people of the Longhan Era had never shaken off their worship of the ancient gods; and now they had instead come to worship demigod deities who wielded power greater than that of the human race.
Heavenly Venerable Moon entered the thatched hut to teach. Just then the people of the tribe fled in all directions, wailing, "The Great King of Lingshan is coming!
" "Quick, bring out the offerings!
" The people of the tribe drove cattle, sheep, pigs, and dogs to a wooden altar in the middle of the village; the beasts stood on the altar trembling. Men and women, old and young, knelt beneath the demigod idol, knocking their heads without cease, murmuring words under their breath. Suddenly the sky darkened. A demigod descended from the heavens riding wind and thunder, two thick bird claws landing before the altar, wings folding.
Behind him a Heavenly Palace swayed, blotting out half the tribe.
The Great King of Lingshan glanced at the altar and was much displeased with the cattle and sheep upon it. His voice was shrill and grating: "Today your king will not eat livestock. I fancy a change of flavor.
Bring up some young boys and girls for me to enjoy! " The tribe's old chief quavered, "Great King, these beasts are offered to you.
If they are not enough, we can scrape together a little more.
. . " Boom!
Lightning flashed and thunder rolled around the Great King of Lingshan, the ground shaking. "Silence!
Cattle and sheep are livestock. Are you not livestock too? You are merely the clever livestock I keep.