Chapter 152: Reform of the Water Department (Second Update)

No one knows what kind of transaction took place between the Daoist Sect and the Heavenly Court.

Only the Jade Emperor and the Primordial Mother of the Great Dipper were privy to it. Afterward, Emperor Ziwei could not help but sigh with emotion: "If this matter succeeds, a monstrous entity will likely emerge in this world."

"In the past, Golden Immortals would steer clear of Da Luo immortals, but in the future, Da Luo immortals will be the ones steering clear of Golden Immortals."

The Primordial Mother of the Great Dipper smiled and said: "Isn't this precisely what the Heavenly Court is eager to see?"

"The Primordial Five Phases truly present a whole new landscape."

The nobility of a Da Luo immortal stems from their immortality and indestructibility, transcending space and time, manifesting billions of avatars, and perpetuating their myth for eternity.

If one were to compare the primeval universe to a video game, a Da Luo immortal would be a level-one-hundred VIP player who had long dominated the server with no rivals in sight.

However, when facing a Golden Immortal who has attained the Primordial Five Phases, even a Da Luo immortal runs the risk of capsizing.

The Primordial Five Phases are distinct from the acquired Five Elements. The acquired Five Elements are utterly useless against a born-innate Da Luo immortal—much like a two-dimensional attack can never destroy a three-dimensional being.

Yet, through the sequential cycles of Primordial Ease, Primordial Beginning, Primordial Origin, Primordial Element, and Primordial Ultimate, a Da Luo's privileges are stripped away entirely, leaving behind nothing more than a level-one-hundred cultivation base.

When it comes to the depth of foundational cultivation, Luo Feng has never feared anyone.

That is why Emperor Ziwei remarked that once someone attains the Primordial Five Phases, even Da Luo immortals will give them a wide berth.

Should they cross paths, the Da Luo would likely receive a severe beating, and at that point, where would their dignity as a Da Luo go?

Even if they threw away all pride and directly flipped the chess board to unleash a Da Luo's true combat power, do they really think the other Da Luo immortals who want to play the game are pushovers? The primeval world is a game of compromise for all the Da Luo of the heavens; it is not a playground for just one person.

The last Da Luo who tried to monopolize everything is still lingering in the ruins of the Return to Nothingness.

(Cough, let us name no particular Demon Ancestor who refuses to reveal his identity.)

Therefore, the Primordial Mother of the Great Dipper noted that once Luo Feng gains momentum, the dignity of the Da Luo will inevitably be diminished, while the authority of the Heavenly Court will simultaneously rise.

"However, another problem will have to be considered by then."

The Primordial Mother of the Great Dipper chuckled softly.

Emperor Ziwei asked with surprise: "Who could possibly oppose him by then?!"

With the Heavenly Court signing a covenant with the human race and forming an alliance with the Daoist Sect in the future, who could possibly resist?

The Buddhist Sect? Impossible. Those two fellows spend every day worrying about earning money to pay off their debts, and moreover, with a four-to-two ratio, they cannot stir up any major waves.

The Primordial Mother of the Great Dipper replied leisurely: "By that time, this brat will stubbornly refuse to take the field, holing up in the Heavenly Court to prepare for attaining the realm of a Great Supernatural Being. Even if he does take the field, he won't be using his true physical body."

Emperor Ziwei paused for a moment, then burst into laughter and said: "Your words are entirely correct, Mother."

Given Luo Feng's temperament, this scenario was extremely likely to occur.

Yet by then, the grand trend will have already been established, and whether Luo Feng personally takes action or not will no longer matter.

After developing for so many years, violent methods can certainly solve problems, but they cannot solve all problems.

Using violence is the most inferior approach and the absolute last resort.

Heading toward the Star of Dao Heaven, Luo Feng witnessed endless warring interstellar empires and void-crossing stellar behemoths all along the journey. He also observed the Fire Crow clan on the Great Sun Star and the civilizational evolution of indigenous celestial bodies.

The other side of the starry sky is a magical place where anything can happen and everything does.

Technology, immortal cultivation, magic, the Zerg race, the paranormal... all kinds of myriad paths and bizarre phenomena flourished there.

They remained entirely unaffected by the upper-layer immortal cultivation information projections of the primeval universe.

What he saw and heard along the way brought a trace of sudden enlightenment to Luo Feng's heart.

The so-called other side of the starry sky was presumably a universe independently created by the Primordial Mother of the Great Dipper herself, merely coexisting with the primeval macro-universe, opening up chaos and expanding territories for it.

If the primeval macro-universe was the central emperor, the universe of the Primordial Mother was a regional frontier official with troops and authority—obeying imperial decrees but not attending court audiences.

However, Luo Feng paid no heed to these matters and instead sped directly toward the domain of Star Lord Tanlang.

Utilizing the spatial passage, he returned to the Heavenly Court.

Gazing at the familiar immortal scenery before him, shrouded in ethereal clouds and mist, Luo Feng instantly let out a sigh of relief.

No matter how nice a golden or silver nest is, it cannot compare to one's own humble kennel.

In this cold primeval world, only by huddling in the Heavenly Court could he find a glimmer of warmth and solace.

After all, participating in such a monumental event as the alliance between the human race and the Heavenly Court involved countless conflicting interests, no matter how secretive it was kept.

Luo Feng constantly feared that one day, some random Da Luo immortal would suddenly pop out and deal with the Star Lord of Water Virtue, thereby causing him to lose a Golden Immortal avatar.

A few more days passed. Matters within the Ministry of Water remained calm and stable; the Jade Emperor issued no summons, and the Primordial Mother of the Great Dipper sent down no messages.

Luo Feng steadied his mind and once again secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

It seemed that the integration of the Heavenly Court and the Human Dao was sufficient to suppress any backlash.

Finding an opportunity, he petitioned the Jade Emperor and received an affirmative response. The heavy stone hanging in Luo Feng's heart was finally set down just a little bit, and he began to concentrate fully on deploying and organizing the affairs of his own Ministry of Water.

It is easy to cultivate while holding a powerful official post. Even though the Heavenly Court is not yet the undisputed ruler of the three realms, it remains the orthodox authority, and accumulating merit and fortune through it is simply effortless.

In Luo Feng's eyes, the Ministry of Water was no longer merely a governmental department; it was an ATM for merit and fortune.

Within the Ministry of Water, there were over thirty thousand red star-discs, ten million white star-discs, and as for the most critical black star-discs, there were unexpectedly one thousand one hundred and twenty-one.

The red and black star-discs had mostly been handled by Luo Feng's own astral deity avatars or puppet projections.

Through tackling these numerous incidents one by one, the accumulated merit was enough to form a tiny, faint halo of golden merit.

As for the white star-discs, Luo Feng had issued formal decrees instructing the deities of the Ministry of Water to execute them in accordance with celestial rules and heavenly statutes.

As the saying goes, save those in acute crisis rather than the chronically poor.

Red and black star-discs represented extremely severe situations, even matters hanging by a thread.

Thus, Luo Feng fought swift battles to secure prompt resolutions, solving the problems while securing the largest share of merit.

Secondly, white star-discs were different from the rest. Their appearances denoted ordinary water-source issues; this level of hazard was relatively minor and could be treated gradually. They were suitable for ordinary water deities to execute, allowing the decayed and loose Ministry of Water to reconsolidate its strength through dealing with individual cases.

Thirdly, it was far simpler.

The white star-discs were numerous in quantity yet low in danger, and every time they refreshed and appeared, they came in batches numbering in the hundreds or thousands.

This was evident from the contrast between the hundreds of thousands of red discs and the tens of millions of white discs.

By continuously sending the deities of the Ministry of Water to grind through these difficult dungeons and rescue the living beings of the world, Luo Feng, as the chief deity of the department, also reaped merit.

Though the amount per instance was minuscule, considering the vast expanse of time since the establishment of the Ministry of Water and the Heavenly Court, this was destined to be a steady and enduring stream of business.

Another crisp morning arrived, and the normally tranquil and leisurely Hall of Water Virtue appeared exceptionally bustling and lively.

Deities shuttled back and forth—all of them officials of the Ministry of Water. The higher-cultivation ones were Earth Immortal Venerables capable of summoning wind and rain, while the lower-cultivation ones were Golden Core True Persons who could manipulate water, summon spirits, and govern rivers.

Relying on the Ministry of Water's task network built upon the Heavenly Court's celestial legal net, fluorescent lights flickered as task after task was claimed.

This threw the entire Ministry of Water into a flurry of activity.

[Clearing the dungeon of the Water Cloud Realm requires three Primordial Spirits. Water-attribute practitioners prioritized, those proficient in opening up major rivers and streams prioritized. Assemble urgently!]

A water deity brandished a bronze alms bowl and shouted desperately.

[Emergency! Emergency! Urgently seeking fellow Daoists skilled in large-scale precipitation and rainmaking! Higher cultivation is better, Earth Immortals prioritized! Code red, hundreds of millions of living beings are waiting for you to save their lives!]

An immortal official holding a horsetail whisk paced back and forth, looking anxious as he loudly recruited personnel.

[Dredging water veins, one immortal official needed...]

[Investiture of a River God... Is anyone available?!]

Inside the grand hall, shouts echoed continuously, transforming a proper immortal-cultivation vibe into something resembling a video game lobby. The previously serene water deities were exceptionally busy.

Yet, even as they rushed about, the corners of their mouths all carried an open, upward smile.

Unlike the first six directorates of the Ministry of Water who achieved nothing, spent their days in leisure like disabled persons, and focused solely on grabbing personal benefits,

Luo Feng's predecessor had carried out various reforms regarding personnel, systems, and operational procedures...

Traveling down to the mortal realm to summon clouds, distribute rain, dredge water veins... although these tasks were arduous, they yielded merit and fortune!

Though the amount was small, even a mosquito's leg is meat. A life with hope is a good life!