Trinity Traitor: From One Person to the Other

Chapter 862 Zhang Sanfeng Discusses the Dao

What made Song Mian lose his composure was not the vast difference between himself and the immortals. He was just a mortal, and he certainly couldn't compare to the immortals. Song Mian understood this.

The problem is, the celestial palace I saw, the immortal I foresaw and achieved by comprehending the path to immortality in the Nine-Bend Cave, seems far weaker than Zhang Sanfeng and He Songling!

At this moment, Song Mian's state of mind was almost no less than that of Zuo Ruotong, whose three layers of power had been broken by Wugensheng.

Does this mean that after all the hardships I went through to ascend to immortality, all I can do is stand among 100,000 heavenly soldiers, waiting to be beaten by a monkey wielding a stick?

"Old Song, have you lost your mind?"

He Songling's voice suddenly rang in Song Mian's mind.

"What?" Song Mian was taken aback when he received He Songling's mockery instead of the monkey's stick.

He Songling knew this was a crucial moment, allowing no room for delay. A slight misstep could lead to Song Mian suffering the same fate as Zuo Ruotong in the original story. Therefore, he didn't mince words and spoke directly:

“Even those ancient old men know that ‘knowledge gained from books is ultimately superficial; true understanding comes from practice.’ You haven’t even done it yet, and you’ve already determined your future based on just a glimpse? With the eyes of a mortal, how can you possibly see the whole picture of an immortal? The reason you think you are a mayfly is because you are a mayfly now. When you ascend to the heavens, you will naturally no longer fear the heavens.”

"But……"

"There are no buts. You will never become an immortal in this lifetime, so you can't verify it, but I have become one, so you have to believe me."

Song Mian's mindset wasn't so simple. He didn't care if he couldn't become an immortal in this lifetime, but he cared about whether his path to immortality would lead him to immortality. It didn't matter if he couldn't become an immortal, but if he couldn't become an immortal by the end he could foresee, then that would be terrible.

Just like Zuo Ruotong, who is at the second level, he never worries about what will happen if he can't reach the third level. If he doesn't reach the third level, he can only say that he is not good enough. But if the third level is broken, then the "Dao" is blocked.

Song Mian's understanding of the Reverse Rebirth Triple Stage differs from Zuo Ruotong's back then. He is now convinced that this path can lead to immortality, a belief supported by the teachings left behind by Zhang Boduan and Zhang Sanfeng, and even the direct certification from He Songling, a true immortal. Yet, he fears that even if he ascends, he will still be at the very bottom.

Wudang is one of the most prestigious schools in the Xuanmen lineage. You originally thought it was the direct path to the Three Pure Ones, but you ended up as a sweeping Taoist boy, a fire-working Taoist, or a golden-armored warrior. Can these things be considered "immortals"? The complexity of your feelings and the magnitude of the disparity are probably even more distorted than Zuo Ruotong's mind after her cultivation was broken in the original story.

“Back when I was only at the fourth level, I met a mountain god in the mountains of Northeast China. He said that mortals could not understand immortals, so I believed him; he told me how to become an immortal, and I did as he said. So, I became an immortal. It’s that simple.”

He Songling's voice, like a gurgling stream, flowed into Song Mian's already chaotic and darkened state of mind.

"An immortal is an immortal, there is no difference, no distinction between high and low. The mountain god in the Northeast was just an ordinary animal that attained enlightenment. Although his vision and application methods are not as good as those of the masters of the Xuanmen, in reality, Zhang Boduan, that old idiot, would not dare to say that he is worse than that weasel mountain god. He is already dead, but the other one is still alive."

"Really? You are the same?" Song Mian finally asked, suppressing his emotions.

"Oh, no. I'm taller than them."

"You son of a bitch..." Song Mian cursed, but only then did he fully come to his senses. Right, being lower than his own ancestor wasn't a big deal; after worshipping him for so many years, it would be abnormal for him to suddenly ride on his head. As for He Songling? That was pure pervert.

Only then did Song Mian realize that in addition to He Songling's voice, there was also a constant cracking sound in his head. "What are you doing!" Song Mian exclaimed in shock.

“Dismantle the laws and principles left by your ancestors,” He Songling said matter-of-factly. “Otherwise, do you think I have anything to fight with you? You’d be down with just one move. I’ve come all this way, so of course I have to exchange a few blows with Zhang Sanfeng, gain some experience, and then go after Zhang Daoling.”

"You really do this? Aren't you afraid I'll die?" Song Mian couldn't help but feel a little scared, no, scared now.

"What's there to be afraid of? Even if you die, the 'god' in your Niwan Palace hasn't dissipated in an instant. With my help, I can bring you back to life. If all else fails, I can turn you into a ghost like those in the West! You should know about your sworn brother Hu Haiwang back then, right?"

He Songling had absolutely no sense of public morality and gambled Song Mian's life completely.

"You bastard..."

It is said that monks should cultivate their character and not utter vulgarities. Wang Ye uttered a vulgar word that was not actually vulgar, and he still had to ask the gods and Buddhas for forgiveness. As the leader of Wudang, Song Mian should have been even better at controlling his temper. However, the fact that he could still restrain himself and be polite when he encountered He Songling shows that he was no ordinary immortal.

And so, Song Mian continued to circulate his energy, and He Songling continued to dismantle the puzzle. Suddenly, He Songling felt a burst of light, and then time around him stopped, as if his soul had entered another space.

He Songling did not hesitate. He was now able to completely control his innate soul and was confident that he was superior to everyone in the past and present, including immortals, in terms of soul level.

He strode forward, and soon, a slovenly-dressed Taoist priest appeared in the light ahead.

"Master Zhang Sanfeng?"

"Indeed, it is the old master."

The Zhang Sanfeng before us is not a clay or iron sculpture on a shrine, or a golden portrait; he is just an ordinary human figure, so ordinary that one might mistake him for an ordinary monk begging for alms.

"Let me be frank, I have no interest in the riddles left by you local immortals, but my friend wants to become an immortal, so I have to help him. Therefore, I have to solve your riddle." He Songling did not act like a senior expert at all; instead, his tone sounded a bit like that of a bully.

"Including myself, none of us who have become immortals have any intention of restricting anyone." Zhang Sanfeng was not annoyed by this, completely unconcerned about the attitude of a junior towards him, and said with a smile, "As long as you can reach that state, it will naturally be resolved. If you can't reach it, then there's nothing we can do."

"Nonsense."

He Songling dismissed Zhang Sanfeng's statement with disdain, saying, "You dogs just want to become immortals yourselves and not let others become immortals. No matter how high-sounding your reasons are, such as how becoming an immortal consumes too much spiritual energy and that immortals may not be able to cultivate at all in the future, that's exactly what you've done."

"Now that you've spoken your mind, why blame us?"

Zhang Sanfeng was a little puzzled. These immortals were basically righteous people. Even if they didn't have a heart full of concern for the country and its people, they still had some common sense. But this person in front of him obviously didn't care about these things.

(End of this chapter)