Chapter 105 - 71: The Xuan-Mo Contention: Who Is the Dao? (Part 2)

Chapter 105: Chapter 71: The Xuan-Mo Contention: Who Is the Dao? (Part 2)

A cluster of white clouds floated abruptly in the void, with Master Yuanhua’s figure appearing atop them. His features were the same, but he no longer had a decrepit air about him. His left hand hung low while his right formed a seal. Above his head manifested a pure white, auspicious cloud—serene, pristine, and swirling with immortal mist that glowed with a gentle light. Within this auspicious cloud, an Immortal Sword could be seen slowly rotating, its presence majestic and solemn.

Although Xuzhuang appeared calm, he only truly breathed a sigh of relief once he landed on the cloud. He bowed respectfully and said, "Greetings, Master."

Master Yuanhua smiled slightly but did not speak. Xuzhuang took the hint and retreated a few steps, standing quietly with his hands at his sides. A few breaths later, streaks of white light executed a Flying Escape and arrived, revealing Sun Suzhen, Yue Junlan, and Zhe Junyang.

The group greeted Master Yuanhua one by one and fell back behind him. Seeing Xuzhuang, they greeted him as well. Sun Suzhen’s expression suddenly changed slightly. He hurriedly stepped forward again, bowed, and asked, "Master, why hasn’t Senior Sister Bu arrived yet? Could it be..."

Master Yuanhua said, "Dao Zhen, do not worry. She used her golden sword to return to the sect before you."

Only then did Sun Suzhen’s expression relax. He retreated two steps and stood with his hands at his sides.

Xuzhuang asked, "Senior Brother Sun, did you manage to retrieve the Ten Thousand Rivers Return Flow Book?"

Sun Suzhen’s spirits lifted, and he smiled. "Naturally."

Zhe Junyang said, "Congratulations, Junior Brother, on adding a Pure Yang True Skill to our Tai Su Sect and achieving a peerless merit..."

Before he could finish, the light in the void suddenly warped and twisted bizarrely. A streak of black light shot across the sky, instantly appearing a hundred miles above the cloud. It revealed a Black Robe Taoist, standing with his hands behind his back. Sixty-four spheres of Yin Thunder flickered and spun around him in the void. It seemed a single, casual movement could unleash a world-ending Thunder Tribulation.

Above his celestial gate, an auspicious cloud rose. It was turbid and chaotic, yet showed no hint of filthiness.

The Daoist’s gaze fell upon the auspicious cloud above Master Yuanhua’s head. "Yuanhua!" he said leisurely. "No wonder you dared to fight me. So you’ve passed the wind calamity as well."

Master Yuanhua said, "You jest, Dao Brother. You’ve pursued me for ten thousand miles. What ’guidance’ might you have for me?"

The Daoist’s face darkened. He said grimly, "You snatched food from the tiger’s mouth. How could I let you retreat unscathed?"

Master Yuanhua laughed. "Not at all, not at all. The karmic responsibility for the Dharma Origin Sect’s legacy has been assumed by my Tai Su Sect. As for the matter of you destroying the Dharma Origin Grotto Heaven, Dao Brother, this old Daoist does not need to seek justice on behalf of our friends from the Dharma Origin Sect. However, all the inherited items within the Grotto Heaven should naturally be managed by my Tai Su Sect."

The Daoist sneered. "The Dharma Origin Sect’s fortune has run out, and its six generations of patriarchs have all perished. From where did your sect inherit this karmic tie? For those of us who have attained the truth, let’s not be so sanctimonious."

Master Yuanhua replied with grandfatherly calm, "The founder of the Dharma Origin Sect came from the Five Directions Five Elements Dojo and was a direct disciple of an Immortal Venerable. How could such a lineage be so easily extinguished? Dao Brother, you should not speak such wild words out of ignorance, lest you make a fool of yourself."

The Daoist fell silent for a moment, not angered, and simply said coolly, "This concerns my Yinji Sect’s plan of a thousand, no, ten thousand years. Further talk is useless. Allow this seat to experience your Tai Su Taoist Technique."

As he spoke, the sixty-four spheres of Yin Thunder had already begun to expand and contract, devouring the primal energy of the void. In an instant, they became as dazzling as stars, brewing with infinite destructive potential.

Master Yuanhua sighed and shook his head. He was in no hurry to respond. Instead, he calmly recited a Dao Technique and pointed a finger at Xuzhuang and the others. A white light coiled around each of them. With another gesture, the light enveloped them all, pulling them from the cloud and sending them escaping toward the Profound Yellow.

Xuzhuang had been holding his breath, trying to parse the conversation between the Primordial Spirit True Men. Hearing that a fight was about to break out, he was filled with boundless excitement, eager to observe it closely. He never expected Master Yuanhua to simply point a finger, and a white light to instantly wrap around him and carry him away.

The Primordial Spirit Escape Skill was unimaginably fast. By the time Xuzhuang reacted, he was already far from their original location. With no reference points in the void, he had no idea how far they had traveled.

Unwilling to miss it, Xuzhuang looked back, straining his eyes. In the deep void behind them, a boundless light erupted, as bright as a distant sun. Immediately after, a colossal palm that seemed capable of plucking the sun and moon rose high into the sky. With a single sweep, everything instantly dissolved into chaos...

A moment later, Xuzhuang could no longer see the battle. He remained stunned for a long time. Then, at some unknown point, a faint goose-yellow light bloomed in the endless, profound darkness, jolting him back to his senses. Looking in its direction, a goose-yellow celestial body that seemed not too far away came into view.

This goose-yellow celestial body was round like an egg, with the sun and moon traveling within it. The land was like the yolk inside the egg, situated within the heavens. At a glance, everything seemed hidden within a hazy glow, and nothing could be seen clearly. Yet, it also felt as if infinite lands, Divine Peaks, steep mountains, great rivers, and vast seas were leaping into his mind’s eye.

The Profound Yellow Great Thousand Worlds!

—

In the cosmos, what appears to be a vacuum, with the nearest stars separated by hundreds of millions of miles, is not truly empty. In reality, there are nebulae, dust, strange primal energies, void creatures, and even infinite Celestial Demons. No place is truly a void.

At this moment, an incomparably magnificent and handsome Daoist in a golden crown and golden robes was lounging in a cloud of shimmering, fantastically colored stardust. He was carefree and relaxed, seeming to hum a little tune, but the sound of his voice was utterly bizarre.

The music of bells and drums seemed to emanate from his mouth, echoing within a small area. It inexplicably formed a composition that was majestic, solemn, and grand. At its peak, it was as if a primordial scene of Celestial Gods at war and immortals and demons roaring would appear before one’s eyes.

Humming this part, the Daoist’s face lit up with delight, completely immersed. The music rose and fell like the tides, and after a few cycles, it finally reached its end.

The Daoist shook his head with a bit of regret, stretched his back, and stood up in the void. He recited, "Four, three, two, one..."

As the Daoist finished his count, a wail suddenly rose in the distant void. A mournful, ghostly wind tore through space and arrived nearby in an instant.

The Daoist smiled faintly and released a sliver of his aura. The ghostly wind, startled, revealed its form. A dim auspicious cloud rose above his head as he asked warily, "Which Dao Friend is this, blocking my path?"

The Daoist transformed into a streak of golden light and, in a single flash, appeared before the man. He smiled slightly and said, "Greetings, Master Xuanhu."

Master Xuanhu, now fully visible, asked in surprise and suspicion, "Dao Friend, your face is unfamiliar... May I ask which True Cultivator you are?"

The Daoist laughed heartily. "My name is Zhong Li Monarch, and I serve under the Taixuan Profound True Monarch."

"Supreme Profound!" Master Xuanhu was taken aback. His mind raced. ’A disciple of the Taixuan Profound True Monarch? Where did this mysterious Primordial Spirit True Man pop out from? Could he be a magic treasure from under the Taixuan Profound True Monarch’s command?’

If his speculation was correct, then this was tantamount to facing the Taixuan Profound True Monarch himself. His heart filled with immense apprehension. He cupped his hands in a bow, his tone now carrying a trace of reverence. "I wonder what guidance Dao Friend has for me?"

Zhong Li Monarch didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he sighed. "The Tai Su Orthodox Sect has spread its teachings for ten thousand years. A Pure Yang Sect with Primordial Spirits in every generation, its power is at an absolute peak. Compared to that, the Yinji Sect is teetering on the verge of collapse. It’s only natural that you wouldn’t dare to face them head-on."

Master Xuanhu sighed. "You misspeak, Dao Friend. Master Yuanhua is a cultivator who has also passed the wind calamity, and he has the Tai Su Void Sword. I am truly not his match."

Zhong Li Monarch was noncommittal. "Is that so? Then, with your plot for the Dharma Origin Grotto Heaven having failed, what will you do now?"

Master Xuanhu was silent for a moment before replying, "I wonder what Dao Friend would teach me."

Zhong Li Monarch smiled. "I know that the Innate Demon Sect has already consolidated the four great Demon Sects of the Profound Yellow Realm and wishes to initiate a calamitous war between the profound and demonic paths. However, your esteemed sect was unwilling to join them, which is why you made the desperate move of trying to seize a Grotto Heaven."

Master Xuanhu remained silent, his expression grim. Zhong Li Monarch paid it no mind and said leisurely, "You should be aware that my lord, the Taixuan Profound True Monarch, is spreading his teachings in the Profound Yellow and has established the Meteor Dojo. He is currently thirsting for talented individuals."

Master Xuanhu refused flatly. "To receive the True Monarch’s favor is this humble Daoist’s great fortune, but I have poured my heart and soul into the Yinji Sect’s lineage. I have absolutely no thought of switching my allegiance."

Zhong Li Monarch roared with laughter. "Who said anything about switching allegiances? You have misunderstood, Dao Friend!"

"My lord, the Supreme Profound, has refined Pure Yang and is on the path to the fruit of eternal indestructibility. Why would he resort to such unorthodox methods?"

Master Xuanhu asked doubtfully, "Then what Dao Friend means is...?"

Zhong Li Monarch gave Master Xuanhu a deep look and declared proudly, "My lord wishes to become the master of West Su. He will use Supreme Divine Techniques to harmonize the earth’s energy, nurture the Spirit Veins, and restore the ancient glory of the Western Continent. Since you are unwilling to join forces with the four great Demon Sects, why not bring the entire Yinji Sect to my Taixuan Western Continent and walk the righteous path of the orthodox!"