Dao Equaling the Heavens

He lowered his voice and said: "Visit your Little Heaven and Earth, since it's barren there anyway, and there are no outsiders."

"Alright."

Gu Wen touched the Jade Pendant, and slashed a rift in the void, revealing a world different from the Cultivation World.

The barren land had only a few weeds.

But after all, there were still new changes.

For instance, Gu Wen could now open a passage, instead of using Teleportation to drill inside as before.

Jun Yan bent down, picked up the head, gently wiped off the dirt, and walked into the Inheritance Treasure's Little Heaven and Earth.

The rift disappeared, and there was no sound anymore.

Thirty minutes later, Gu Wen suddenly felt an itch on his neck, and a black ball of fur appeared, hugging his neck like a towel.

"Immortal, there's a weird man inside laughing and crying."

"It's okay, that's my friend."

Three days later, Jun Yan emerged covered in blood, with no clean spot on his body.

Gu Wen pinched his nose and said: "Just a head, how did you get so dirty?"

"The old thing still had some strength left, so I made him regrow a body."

Jun Yan replied while performing a Spell, sending all the filth flying away like wind and sand.

Then he solemnly cupped his hands in salute and said: "A great favor is not thanked with words. If you ever need anything, just let me know."

Ten minutes later, Jun Yan left with a Token pinned on him, becoming the "Poverty Alleviation Director," officially titled Civil Envoy.

Gu Wen wasn't expecting him to truly do good deeds, just needed someone reliable and capable to keep watch, lest those below deceive.

He always believed the world was like a slapdash troupe, as the ancestors said, times create heroes.

Accomplishing something doesn't require a savior, as even his master with unparalleled great power couldn't achieve Universal Unity.

————————————

In a blink, it's the second year of the New Calendar, the Cultivation World remains calm.

Not only has there been no bloody turmoil like before, but thanks to Yuqing Heavenly Venerate clearing past debts, everyone feels more at ease than before.

Though it's not as lucrative as before, the wealth accumulated over the years prevents any destitution.

At most, the underlings' crony relationships have become less prosperous.

For ordinary people, changes are happening daily.

The once stagnant City Lord Mansion and officials are being replaced constantly, with various new rules introduced. People in Xuanhuang State even see various strange iron lumps used as models in many places.

The people find it very strange, and come to watch every day after finishing their farm work.

Thus, another year passed.

New Calendar, third year.

The first textile factory using steam machines was built, the first steam train ran, the first iron smelting plant was built, the first machine-operated iron mine, the first large coal mine...

All these startups utilized True Monarch-level great power, any difficulty solved directly using Daoist Skill.

Can't mine the mountain? Simply call upon the Mahayana Realm cultivators to lift the whole terrain.

Impassable roads in barren hills? Then move mountains to fill paths.

A scene of prosperity.

Gu Wen only needed to speak to achieve his goals, and the great power experts were also happy to easily earn money, both parties were very happy.

Even the people started benefiting, seeing a historic thirty percent drop in cotton cloth prices in Xuanhuang State.

But these made someone a bit dissatisfied.

——————————————

In the small courtyard in the mountains, Li Yunshang's residence.

Gu Wen, as usual, came monthly to pay respects, and could hear an extremely charming voice from afar, seemingly recounting recent changes over the years.

Amazed by the emergence of the steam engine, even though compared to the Spirit Stone's Mana, steam's power is negligible. But it's an energy that can be utilized besides Mana.

This is one reason cultivators are willing to cooperate, as not using Spirit Stones doesn't touch their interests.

Upon entering, Gu Wen found the atmosphere a bit off, Li Yunshang slightly frowned.

Seeing him come in, she didn't greet him with a smile like usual, inviting him to sit beside.

"Master, disciple is here to pay respects to you."

"..."

Li Yunshang did not respond. After a moment, in a somewhat muffled voice, she said, "Indeed, the matter of universal unity should be handled by you. It doesn't touch the interests of cultivators, yet it can improve the livelihood of the people. I've heard from Miaomiao that the price of cotton cloth is continuously dropping. If it spreads widely, who knows how many people it could save."

"But this isn't what I envisioned."

Gu Wen asked, "Master, what do you feel is different?"

"The machines you created all rely on cultivators for their production, and it must even be an artifact refining master with some Daoist skill. But this is still the power of cultivators and not them autonomously helping the common people."

Li Yunshang, with her keen insight, saw through Gu Wen's daydreams at a glance.

If there were no cultivators, if there were no powerful beings, these things might not even be possible to create.

Gu Wen countered, "Does Master mean it should be done entirely by mortals?"

"I know that's impossible, but completely relying on cultivators seems like repeating the same mistakes."

Li Yunshang shook her head, her face filled with conflict, unable to unravel the cause and effect in her understanding.

Perhaps because cultivators have always been the dominant party, often causing harm to the people. Li Yunshang, being a guardian figure, instinctively leans towards the weak.

Also, due to previous failures, her distrust in the group of cultivators grows increasingly.

Many times, it was Gu Wen who held Li Yunshang back, preventing her from committing murder.

Because it was unnecessary.

Killing them wouldn't produce food; retrieving the spirit stones was enough. As for setting an example by killing a chicken to scare the monkeys, her master had already done plenty of that in the past eight hundred years.

Even Chi Yu Zi was scared, showing her fierce reputation.

"You don't trust cultivators, but I am also a cultivator, as are Yu Hua and Chi Yu Zi."

Gu Wen came to Li Yunshang's side, employing the "softening policy," as his master was intolerant of evil and held onto rigid principles.

This was a very big uncertain factor.

If one day his master went on a killing spree, perhaps indeed it would punish the wicked, but it could also unsettle people's hearts.

There's a saying that could get him hit by master, that is, ordinary people's hearts don't count; the true hearts are in the sects, in the cultivators, in the great powers.

Especially after Huayang and Yun Miao's eight hundred years of operation, now everyone is eating from the same pot.

Gu Wen could leverage this, and he was even more unwilling to see his master flip the table.

Fortunately, his master had many shortcomings, but a very good one was that her ears were soft, easily placated by him.

Li Yunshang averted her gaze and said, "You are different."

"That's a bit biased; we aren't three-headed six-armed monsters. There are good people among cultivators. Can you say Xiao Yunyi is a bad person?"

"He can't be considered a bad person, but neither can he be called a good person. The Sword Dao is fierce; those who practice it often carry some viciousness."

"But no one is perfect. I can get drunk and lose myself for a moment, having intimacy with Chi Yu Zi. Can you say I am a perfect person?"

"What's wrong with that? The Daoist couple among cultivators is just a verbal agreement. I have never had a written edict, so naturally, there is no monogamy, especially since Yu Hua has become a living corpse."

Li Yunshang was full of confusion.

Li Miao, who had been silent on the side, couldn't help but speak up: "In other aspects, you're smarter than a fox, but surprisingly honest in this area. Luckily, you are Yunshang's disciple and also encountered Yu Hua and Chi Yu Zi, otherwise, you would have suffered greatly."

"..."

Gu Wen sighed helplessly.

The world is different; indeed, there's no way to communicate.

He changed the subject, "Give me another two years, and I can ensure that every commoner can wear a cotton-padded jacket. Master, don't you think that's a good thing?"

"Yes."

"I can enable a portion of commoners to leave the farmlands and enter factories to earn money, allowing them to have a better life. Isn't that a good thing?"

"Yes, but will they be respected?"

Li Yunshang was not led on; as if counterattacking, she asked, "Could they be equal to cultivators both in law and reality?"

She attempted many times, and the answer was always no.

Gu Wen shook his head and said, "Master, this question should be left to future generations. But I can guarantee you, after my time, everyone being able to afford a cotton-padded jacket won't disappear."

Good technology will always be passed down, but as for further development, it seems unlikely.

Because there is no oil.

As for higher technology, Gu Wen had only heard of it, and he didn't understand how to do it; most likely, it couldn't be done.

The so-called microscopic level, in a certain sense, refers to laws. How to achieve different rules?

Only boiling water is the same principle.