Absolute Destiny Game.

Chapter 480 The Great Dao is Without Worry, Those Who are Punished by Heaven

After a moment's thought, Xiao Jie made his decision.

"Yes, of course I want it. As long as you hand over this 'Underground Passage' manual, I will spare your life."

Wang Xie, however, was not fooled. "Hahaha, you little brat, you are so ignorant. Now you are the butcher and I am the fish. My life and fortune are all in your hands. How can I believe you with your empty words?"

"Alright then, if you swear an oath of divine retribution that you and your men will not harm me, and that you will let me leave afterward, I will impart this nameless Daoist scripture to you."

"No need for oaths. A true man keeps his word. Teach me the Taoist scriptures first, and if I am satisfied, I will let you leave."

Wang Xie simply shook his head. "If you don't swear an oath, I absolutely refuse to believe you. If you kill me, this Nameless Dao Scripture will never reappear in the world."

Chen Tianwen snorted coldly, "You're not the only heretic in this world."

Wang Xie chuckled and said, "That's true, but do you think just any heretic knows this Earthly Path Manual? You must have met other heretics before, but did they receive the true teachings of this Earthly Path Manual?"
This "Terrain Chapter" is something I suddenly realized after my awakening. It must be a great Dao that the original being deliberately left behind. Only an awakened person like me can recall it when comprehending the Great Dao.

Ordinary heretics wouldn't do that. Enough with the nonsense, either swear an oath or kill me.

After saying this, Wang Xie stood with his hands behind his back and remained silent.

Seeing this, Xiao Jie was immediately conflicted. Killing Wang Xie would surely yield a bunch of legendary treasures, but the Nameless Dao Scripture would most likely be lost.

But if one were to swear an oath of divine retribution, use the nameless Taoist scripture, and turn back to release the person, the loss would be too great.

Besides, the brothers can't agree to this. They risked their lives to defeat the world boss, only to get nothing in return? How could they possibly accept that?

Just so you can learn a skill?
Of course, Xiao Jie had a third option: first, swear to obtain the Tunnel Chapter, then break the oath and kill Wang Xie, and then withstand another divine punishment.

While divine retribution is terrifying, it's not a death sentence; at most, it's a matter of life and death...

Something was amiss. Suddenly, a thought struck Xiao Jie.

Why did Wang Xie specifically make himself swear an oath, but not others? Does he trust himself that much?
And just now he said 'you and your men,' how does he know these people are his men?

Yes, that must be because he and the others are currently in a team, and he is the team leader.

Just like when you form a team to accept a quest, once the team leader accepts the quest, all team members will have the option to accept the quest together.

If I were to make a vow to be punished by heaven now, others would likely receive a similar prompt asking whether they would also agree to keep the vow.

What if I leave the team and then swear an oath? Does that mean the oath of divine retribution only applies to me? Then if someone else kills Wang Xie, it shouldn't be my problem, right?

I think it's worth a try.

Xiao Jie wasn't 100% sure, but playing games is inherently a gamble, so a 70-80% chance of success was enough.

Moreover, based on his understanding of the game mechanics, Xiao Jie believed that this was definitely a loophole that could be exploited.

Thinking of this, Xiao Jie opened YY.

"I'll leave the team first to get the mission. You guys can start dealing with the people after I get the loot."

The Sword Immortal said in a cheeky tone, "Haha, Brother Feng, you're so cunning, I like it."

Ye Luo, however, was somewhat worried: "Won't there be any risks? The Oath of Divine Punishment seems quite dangerous."

"It should be fine. The game's judgment should be based on our team status. If we're not in the same team, how could what you're doing be related to me? That's the game mechanic, it shouldn't be wrong." Xiao Jie was quite confident in his understanding of the game.

If you are in a team, your agreement means the entire team agrees, and if someone in the team breaks the agreement, you are also considered to have broken the agreement.

However, if you leave the team, then the oath only represents yourself, and it has nothing to do with you if others want to take action against you.

While I can't be 100% certain, I feel it's pretty close to the truth.

Thinking of this, Xiao Jie silently left the group, and then said to Wang Xie, "Alright, I'm willing to swear that as long as you hand over the Nameless Dao Scripture, I will let you leave."

Wang Xie breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this and said with a sinister smile, "That's more like it. Exchanging a life for a true scripture is called an equal exchange. So swear an oath, and don't play word games with me."

System notification: Special story event triggered [Wang Xie's Transmission of Scriptures].

Event Description: The Demon King Xie has agreed to teach you the Daoist scripture "Nameless Daoist Scripture: Earthly Dao Chapter". In return, you must swear a [Heavenly Punishment Oath] - you and your teammates must never harm him and must let him go freely, otherwise you will trigger the Heavenly Punishment and suffer a [Heavenly Tribulation] punishment.

Note: The Divine Punishment Oath is a special mechanism in the current game. You swear an oath to the heavens, and if the oath is broken, it will trigger a [Divine Tribulation] punishment. The more serious your breach of oath, the higher the level of the [Divine Tribulation] will be.

Xiao Jie solemnly said, "I swear that as long as you pass on the Earthly Path Manual to me, neither I nor my men will harm you and will let you leave freely. If I break this oath, may I be punished by Heaven."

[System notification: You have made a [Divine Retribution Oath].]

Wang Xie nodded in satisfaction, but then suddenly frowned. He glanced at the people around him, as if he felt something was amiss.

"what happened?"

"They are not allowed to lay a hand on me either?"

"Of course, I am the leader of this group. I think you can see that. I promised them that I would obey their orders."

Everyone agreed.

"Yes, yes, the boss has spoken, so of course he'll let you go."

"Don't worry, old Taoist, we keep our word."

Wang Xie looked left and right, feeling that something was wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"Hmph, I'll believe you this once, but don't try to play any tricks on me. This oath of divine retribution is a contract with the Heavenly Dao, and it cannot be easily deceived. Don't harm others or yourself."

Xiao Jie calmly said, "Of course, hurry up, what exactly is the structure of this underground passage? We can all learn it, right?"

"Hmph, it's not that easy. If you want to learn the Earthly Path Chapter, you must first learn the Human Path Chapter. If you don't have the previous accumulation, you can't learn the later ones. Moreover, you must have enough comprehension. If your comprehension is too low, you can't learn this true scripture."

As for who can learn it and who can't, that's your own problem.

Listen carefully, everyone…

Wang Xie immediately adopted the posture of preaching and began to speak eloquently.

Xiao Jie and Chen Tianwen listened attentively, and the others also listened with great curiosity.

This person was quite humane; he started by giving a recap, briefly introducing the contents of the first two volumes of the Nameless Daoist Scripture.

The first volume of the True Words states that humans understand the world through the five senses, but because human perception is limited, they cannot see the real world and therefore cannot cultivate immortality. To cultivate immortality, one must first understand what the real world is.

The second chapter of Volume Two, "Humanity," states that human nature determines the operating rules of human society, and therefore, one can understand humanity by understanding human nature. Humanity is also a component of the real world, thus allowing one to come into contact with the real world to a certain extent.

Volume Three, "The Path to the Underground," goes a step further, teaching people how to see and understand the essence of the world—that is, how to intuitively see the real world.

"Then how can we see the true nature of the world?" Chen Tianwen asked impatiently.

“It is simple,” Wang Xie said. “The reason why humans cannot see the true nature of the world is because they have seven karmic obstacles. As long as they get rid of these seven karmic obstacles, they can see the true world.”

The first level is called ignorance. Ignorance makes people short-sighted. The more you know, the more you understand the world, and naturally, the clearer your understanding of the world becomes.

The second layer is called prejudice. Prejudice distorts reality and prevents people from seeing the truth. Only by abandoning prejudice can we see reality clearly.

The third level is called fear. Look at those spiders and centipedes, they are terrifying and make people keep their distance, but in essence they are just tiny insects that can be crushed with one foot. Fear will affect your perception of the real world.

The fourth level is called affection. Look at those kittens and puppies, playful and cute, but little do they know that once they grow up, they will become ferocious beasts. Look at those beautiful women, as beautiful as paintings and jade, but little do they know that beneath their beauty lies hidden murderous intent.

The fifth level is called lust. You already have a decision in your heart, but as long as the other person is a handsome man or a beautiful woman, you can become infatuated, forget everything, and feel that even if the other person is evil, it is forgivable, thus corrupting your original heart.

The sixth level is called obsession. You know in your heart what you should do, but often you go astray because of your obsession, stubbornly sticking to one path and neglecting what is truly important.

The seventh level is called morality. This morality is the most difficult karmic obstacle, yet it is also the one most necessary to abandon.

Hao Mie asked, "Why?"

"Because morality concerns the human heart, if one cannot get past one's own hurdle, one will fall into internal strife, achieving half the result with twice the effort, and will be filled with turmoil and frustration throughout one's life. If one values ​​morality too much, one will be hesitant and miss the opportunity."

At this moment, the chivalrous peerless one suddenly interjected, "But now that we know good and evil, right and wrong, how can we let go?"

Wang Xie looked at him with a disappointed expression, "Foolish child, foolish child, don't you know that there is no such thing as good or evil in this world? Good and evil are defined by people, and as long as you are a person, you will have a stance."

From my perspective, you people who are hindering my great cause are evil.

From your perspective, my killing of countless people for the sake of a great cause is evil.

Rulers may change their concepts of right and wrong to suit their own interests.

Even bandits and thieves would shout "Acting on behalf of Heaven" to occupy the moral high ground.

Different perspectives lead to different standards of good and evil. As time flows, social customs change, and traditions evolve, these standards of good and evil also change constantly.

The rules of the world, ethical norms, moral etiquette, and public order and good customs are all like this.

Today's good is yesterday's evil, and today's evil is tomorrow's good. Is there any fixed rule for good and evil, right and wrong? Since there is no fixed rule, it is illusory; since it is illusory, then naturally there is no need to care about it.

An Ran said, "So you mean we don't need to care about good and evil, right and wrong? Wouldn't that mean everyone would be lawless?"

"No, no, the most important thing about putting aside morality is four words—having a clear conscience."

As long as you have a clear conscience, there will be no internal conflict. Without internal conflict, you can maximize your potential and touch the essence of this world.

As long as you walk your own path, understand your own principles, and have a clear conscience, you will naturally have no worries.

Only by being free from the constraints of moral preconceived notions can one truly understand reality and grasp the truth.

At this point, Wang Xie let out a long sigh of relief.

"So, do you all understand now?"

Xiao Jie thought to himself, "I understand, but what's the use?" It felt like just a bunch of vague philosophical theories. Could learning them make you an immortal? How could that be? It made absolutely no sense.

In Xiao Jie's opinion, what this "Becoming an Immortal" course should teach is the method of cultivating immortality and refining qi, or the technique of absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, or at the very least, incantations and spells. What the hell is the use of teaching a bunch of philosophical theories?

You swore an oath to be punished by heaven and got this piece of junk in return?
Fortunately, a system notification appeared on the screen, which finally made Xiao Jie feel a little better.

System notification: After Wang Xie's transmission of the scriptures, you have successfully comprehended the Nameless Dao Scripture - Earth Dao Chapter. Your comprehension has been permanently increased by 3 points, and you have obtained a bonus talent [Earthly Righteous Heavenly Scripture].

[Earthly Righteousness Scripture (Special): When you kill a player, you will not gain sin points. When you attack an NPC, you will not lose reputation points. Regardless of your choices in story events, you will not lose merit points.]

Gain the bonus skill: "Oh God—I didn't do anything wrong!" Removes one "Divine Punishment" status effect upon use (Cooldown: 365 days).

Huh? Wait, what the heck!

Xiao Jie was completely dumbfounded when he saw his newly acquired talent.

Is this thing really an ascension item? It doesn't seem like it.

Although the talent given was indeed very strong, there was absolutely no mention of becoming an immortal.

And how can the effect of this talent be so outrageous? Killing doesn't incur a red name, doing bad things doesn't deduct merit, and it can even—be immune to divine retribution?
A sudden thought struck him: immunity to divine retribution? What a coincidence! He had just sworn an oath against divine retribution and had already gained the ability to be immune to it…

Wait a minute, could it be that all of this was actually planned by the original being, and this thing was prepared specifically for me?

However, this also relieved him.

Since he is immune to divine retribution, he has even less to worry about killing Wang Xie.

However, if this was truly arranged by the true self—then the true self is incredibly ruthless. Isn't this blatantly telling me to feel free to kill Wang Xie? Perhaps in the true self's eyes, Wang Xie is merely a tool for transmitting the Daoist scriptures.

His purpose in being was to pass on the Daoist scriptures to himself and Chen Tianwen.

Xiao Jie had casually mentioned it during a verbal exchange with Wang Xie, but now he suddenly realized that it had come true.

It seems as if everything is predetermined.

Xiao Jie was startled by this conjecture. He had been acting according to his own thoughts and making choices freely, but at this moment, he felt as if he were being manipulated and controlled.

It's as if I've become a puppet on a string. What about all my past actions?
What do my revenge, my quest for immortality, and countless arduous battles matter?
For a moment, his Dao heart wavered slightly. He suddenly understood why Wang Xie was so determined to break free from the control of his original self. This feeling was indeed very unpleasant.

"Well, have you all understood?" Wang Xie asked again.

"I understand," Chen Tianwen said hesitantly, clearly having acquired the corresponding talent, but like Xiao Jie, he was doubting his own judgment.

Is this nameless Taoist scripture really an ascension tool?
Xiao Jie thought to himself that he should deal with this guy first, and laughed, "I understand now. This is how the Great Dao is. For example, right now, you said you would exchange the Tunnel Chapter for freedom, and I agreed to your request."

If I were bound by worldly morality such as right and wrong, I would inevitably be in a dilemma at this moment. If I were to release you, it might cause great trouble in the future, and the real people, governors, and heroes of the nine provinces would be furious.

But if I don't release you, I will be breaking my own vow. I will be tormented by the thought of breaking my promise, feeling like a bad person who has lost his word, and I will be condemned by my conscience for the rest of my life.

I was taught from a young age to keep my word, and it has become an obsession that I cannot change, even if it is wrong.

Now that I have seen through the truth, let go of the karmic obstacles in my heart, and have my own reasoning, there is no longer any distinction between truth and falsehood, good and evil, right and wrong; only whether it is beneficial to myself.

I could easily do this: first, pretend to agree to your request, trick you into giving me your Dao, then kill you, and tell others that you are a bad person who wanted to bewitch me with your evil scriptures and heretical teachings, but I was not fooled at all and did not learn your scriptures or transmit your Dao.

This way, I can gain everyone's admiration and receive the true teachings of the Great Dao. Who knows, I might even get some equipment from you.

Moreover, I believe I killed evil people and sought the Great Way, so I can ask myself if I have a clear conscience. False morality cannot bind me, and my heart remains unharmed. Isn't that good?

"Haha, you're a promising young man! That's exactly right—no, no, my Dao is not like that! A true man keeps his word, how can he go back on his word?" Wang Xie hurriedly denied.

Xiao Jie laughed heartily, "Thank you for imparting the Great Dao, Master. You need not be afraid. Although you are dead, the Great Dao is safe. Everyone—let's begin."

"Wait a minute..." Wang Xie still tried to struggle.

With a series of swift movements, the group unleashed their swords and blades, instantly hacking Wang Xie into a pile of minced meat.

As soon as Wang Xie fell to the ground, another system notification popped up in front of Xiao Jie's eyes—it was still a blood-red notification.

[System Prompt: Warning! You have violated the oath of divine retribution and triggered a divine punishment. The divine tribulation will descend within 24 hours. Please be prepared.]

Note: The type of Heavenly Tribulation will be automatically generated based on your current map environment.

A cloud of black mist instantly enveloped Xiao Jie's head, giving off an extremely ominous feeling. Even Xiao Jie's game-colored face turned bluish-black.

A debuff also appeared above Xiao Jie's head.

[The one condemned by heaven: You have suffered divine retribution; a calamity will soon descend upon you.]

Holy crap, it actually triggered!
Xiao Jie was both shocked and terrified.

I was too calculating; I thought I could exploit system loopholes to get a free task reward.

It's amazing that the calculation was wrong. How exactly did the system make that judgment? I clearly left the team.

Fortunately, this underground chapter gave me a chance to be immune to divine retribution.

This further confirmed Xiao Jie's suspicions; everything was indeed within the original entity's plan.

Others also noticed the debuff above Xiao Jie's head.

They all gasped in surprise.

"Holy crap, Feng, you've been cursed by the heavens! What do we do? What do we do?"

"Quickly find a cave to hide in. I have a feeling that this divine punishment must have come down from the sky. We should be able to hide in a cave."

"Go into the cave my ass, just log off already!"

"Let's find an exorcist to see if they can dispel it."

Everyone started offering their suggestions.

Xiao Jie did not hesitate. The description of this tribulation was that it would descend within 24 hours. Who knew if it would fall at any moment? He did not want to test the law with his own body.

Quickly activate the bonus skill granted by your talent.

Then his character suddenly looked up to the sky and roared, "God, I didn't do anything wrong, why are you punishing me?"

With that shout, a flash of white light appeared on his body, the black aura instantly vanished, and the Heavenly Punishment debuff above his head disappeared as well.

The divine punishment came and went quickly, taking less than a minute in total.

Everyone was shocked.

"Holy crap, Feng-ge, what kind of skill is that?"

Only Chen Tianwen was not surprised, after all, he also had the same talent skill.

Xiao Jie didn't explain. "Stop talking nonsense and hurry up and distribute the equipment. Then—" Xiao Jie looked at the light screen in the sky behind him. The battle between the five real people, the many players, and Long Wushang was still ongoing.

It looks like the fight will probably go on for a while.

If they act quickly enough, they might even be able to get involved, at least helping Hao Mie complete the Dragon Slayer's class quest.

(End of this chapter)