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Chapter 124 On the Way

Venus, along with the two Arhats, Dragon Subduer and Tiger Subduer, rode on auspicious clouds and slowly made their way to the summit of Mount Buzhou.

Along the mountain road, the clouds were like mist, and the clear light was like water.

The cliffside is covered with evergreen herbs, cranes fly in pairs through the clouds, and deer graze on the mushrooms.

Every inch of the mountain rocks exudes the pure and harmonious Taoist charm of the primordial chaos.

The once crumbling mountains and rivers, now transformed into a rare sanctuary for spiritual cultivation under Xu Xian's cultivation.

Auspicious clouds led the three immortals to the summit of Mount Buzhou.

Xu Xian sat upright on the futon, his plain white Taoist robe spotless.

A lotus lantern hangs overhead, casting a soft golden glow.

The Hunyuan Taiyi Sword lay quietly beside him, its faint chime revealing no sharpness whatsoever.

His eyes were slightly closed, as if he were in meditation, or as if he were observing the three realms.

His aura was perfectly integrated, as if he had merged with the entire Buzhou Mountain.

Upon seeing this, Venus and the two Arhats knew that Xu Xian's cultivation had improved again.

Even if they cannot compare to true great supernatural beings, they are still far superior to ordinary extraordinary beings.

That's absolutely terrifying!

The three immortals dared not be disrespectful in the slightest and bowed down in unison.

"Taibai Jinxing of the Heavenly Court greets the Great Immortal Xu Xian."

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"The dragon and tiger of Mount Ling are subdued; I pay my respects to the Great Immortal."

Xu Xian slowly opened his eyes, his gaze seemingly reflecting the rise and fall of the sun and moon, yet gentle as water.

He did not get up, but simply raised his hand gently, and a soft force lifted the three of them up.

"No need for formalities, I already know the purpose of your visit."

Venus quickly stepped forward and carefully explained the sincerity jointly presented by the Heavenly Court and Mount Ling, speaking with utmost respect: "Great Immortal, the matter of Yellow Wind Ridge is entirely a variable beyond the predetermined course of events."

"Today, the Heavenly Court and Mount Ling wish to hold a truly equal discussion on the Dao as a courtesy, and respectfully invite the Great Immortal and Zhen Yuanzi, the ancestor of the Earth Immortals, to open an altar at Wuzhuang Temple on Longevity Mountain to discuss the Great Dao, without regard to rank or status, to mutually verify the principles of the Dao, and to jointly comprehend the Dao fruit."

The Arhat Subduing Dragon clasped his hands together and said, "This discussion is not about listening to lectures or receiving instruction, but rather about two supreme masters pointing directly to the origin and exchanging knowledge."

The Arhat Subduing the Tiger added, "All who are fortunate enough to hear this can be touched by the essence of the Tao and benefit their spiritual practice."

Upon hearing this, Xu Xian nodded slightly, a faint smile appearing on his lips.

He had long seen through the Buddha Dipankara's decision to let go, the Heavenly Court's overtures, and the sincerity of Mount Ling.

He understood even more clearly that this debate was simply a part of the cause and effect that he was meant to experience on his path of cultivation.

He can also use this opportunity to discuss the Tao, reap the fruits of the Tao, and fulfill his small aspirations.

Therefore, Xu Xian replied with a smile, "In that case, I thank the Heavenly Court and Mount Ling for their kindness."

With just one sentence, he decided the fate of the three realms.

Xu Xian looked at the three immortals and knew, of course, that their purpose was not merely to discuss the Dao.

It was for the yellow-haired sable spirit on Huangfeng Ridge.

Xu Xian certainly wouldn't disappoint these two immortals.

He flicked his finger.

A faint golden light shot through the air, instantly traversing tens of thousands of miles, and landed on Huangfeng Ridge.

On Huangfeng Ridge, the yellow-haired weasel spirit was chatting with Sun Wukong.

Since the two are from the same school, there is naturally no need to distinguish between them.

The atmosphere was surprisingly harmonious.

Just then, a vast and powerful pressure, as immense as heaven and earth, descended from the sky.

The yellow-haired weasel spirit trembled, its mind and spirit shaken, and Xu Xian's indifferent yet majestic figure slowly appeared in the void.

"My disciple."

"I am passing on the Samadhi Divine Wind to you so that you may protect the Way, not so that you may cause chaos."

"I taught you the power to summon supernatural beings so that you could guard your heart, not so that you could seize treasures."

"The Wind-Fixing Pearl was returned to Bodhisattva Lingji, and the pilgrims were allowed to proceed. They returned to the mountain with me, secluded themselves to reflect on their mistakes, and made amends for their past transgressions."

The ferret spirit vaguely guessed what was going on, but still pretended to be enlightened.

He quickly and respectfully returned the Wind-Fixing Pearl to Bodhisattva Lingji, then prostrated himself on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly: "Disciple knows his mistake! I am willing to return to the mountain with Master!"

Xu Xian's figure flashed and he was already above Huangfeng Ridge.

With a mere flick of his sleeve, the raging Samadhi winds instantly vanished.

The dark, inky sky suddenly cleared, sunlight streamed down, and the grass and trees began to revive.

"Come with me back to Buzhou Mountain."

"Yes, Master."

The human and the demon transformed into a streak of light and disappeared into the horizon.

The Bodhisattva Lingji clasped his hands in prayer as they saw him off, while Tang Sanzang and his disciples bowed in gratitude towards the sky.

A calamity that nearly destroyed the pilgrimage was completely quelled by Xu Xian's nonchalant approach.

Upon returning to Buzhou Mountain, Xu Xian settled the yellow-haired weasel spirit in a cave on the side of the mountain, allowing her to cultivate in peace and reflect on herself.

After the discussion, a place will be assigned to guard the yellow-haired weasel spirit.

Xu Xian then closed his eyes to regulate his breathing and calm his mind, making full preparations for the Daoist discussion that would follow soon.

Venus and the two Arhats, Subduing Dragon and Taming Tiger, dared not linger.

After bidding farewell to Xu Xian, he immediately rode on a cloud and headed straight for the Wuzhuang Temple on Longevity Mountain in Xiniu Hezhou.

Longevity Hill is a place of outstanding natural beauty and ethereal charm.

The mountain is covered with ancient cypress trees reaching for the sky, and exotic flowers bloom all year round.

The stream murmurs softly, its melodies echoing.

At the mountaintop, a Taoist temple stands quietly, the three ancient and vigorous characters "Wuzhuang Temple" above its entrance, flanked by two lines of smaller characters:

The immortal abode of eternal life, the Taoist home of living as long as heaven.

The ginseng fruit tree in front of the temple stands tall and majestic, with lush branches and leaves.

Three thousand six hundred leaves shone brightly, and thirty-six ripe fairy fruits hung on the branches.

Its unique fragrance travels for miles; it is a primordial spiritual root that is unparalleled in the Three Realms.

When Qingfeng and Mingyue saw the three arrive, they quickly welcomed them into the main hall.

Zhen Yuanzi sat upright on a futon in the center of the main hall.

He wore a purple-gold robe with the Eight Trigrams symbol, a jade crown, and had an ancient and simple face.

Between the opening and closing of his eyes, there was the supreme majesty of the ancestor of earth immortals, yet he was not without gentleness.

He had already anticipated the three men's intentions, and before they could even speak, he stroked his beard and smiled.

"You need not say more. I already know about young friend Xu Xian's matter."

Venus was taken aback, then respectfully said, "Great Immortal, did you know this already?"

Zhen Yuanzi nodded slightly, a hint of reminiscence flashing in his eyes: "Many years ago, I met this person. At that time, his cultivation was still shallow, but he already possessed the Chaos Anomaly, and his Dao charm was extraordinary, not belonging to the Three Realms and Five Elements. To be able to discuss the Dao with him on an equal footing and mutually verify the Great Dao is something I could not ask for more."

He paused, then said firmly, "I agree to the discussion of the Dao. Go back and tell them that the discussion will take place in front of Wuzhuang Temple in three days."

Venus and the two Arhats were overjoyed. They quickly bowed in gratitude, bid farewell to Zhen Yuanzi, and returned separately to the Heavenly Court to report back to Mount Ling.

Within three days, a message quietly spread throughout the lower realms of immortals and gods.

Xu Xian, the Great Immortal, and Zhen Yuanzi, the Ancestor of Earthly Immortals, will have an equal discussion on the Dao at Wuzhuang Temple on Longevity Mountain!

The news caused a stir.

The gods had rarely heard of Xu Xian, but they all knew Zhenyuan Daxian, the ancestor of all earth immortals.

Since the ancestor of earthly immortals has publicly discussed the Dao, it is naturally of great benefit to the vast majority of immortals.

In the Heavenly Court.

The Twenty-Eight Constellations, the Five Directions Protectors, the Four Duty Officers, and the Righteous Gods of each mountain and cave were all overjoyed.

They have been practicing for a long time and rarely have such opportunities.

For them, a true discussion on the origins of the Tao is like climbing a ladder to heaven.

Within Mount Ling, all the heavenly dragons and gods, the Dharma protectors under the eight great Bodhisattvas, and the Pratyekabuddhas, Bhikkhus, and Novices in addition to the eighteen Arhats also packed their belongings and rushed to Mount Wanshou.

I only wish to be able to see the face of the Dao from afar and hear half of its words.

Immortals who have attained enlightenment, ancient demons, and lords of blessed lands and grottoes throughout the mortal realm.

They came in large groups, riding on clouds, without daring to make the slightest noise.

When the three days are complete, the day of discourse will arrive.

Above the Wuzhuang Temple on Longevity Hill, auspicious clouds gathered like a sea, and thousands of streams of auspicious energy flowed like waterfalls.

The spiritual energy of heaven and earth was so rich that it turned into liquid and flowed with the wind. Inhaling a single breath was better than a hundred years of cultivation.

The ginseng fruit tree shone brightly, its leaves fluttering, its divine fruit swaying gently, and its exotic fragrance spreading for miles, captivating the hearts of immortals and gods from all directions.

The square in front of the temple has long been cleared out. In the center, there is a black prayer cushion on each side, with no distinction between main and secondary cushions, and no distinction between high and low cushions.

In the distance, amidst the clouds, countless immortals and deities stood listening.

Everyone held their breath, stood with their heads bowed, and even their breathing was extremely soft, for fear of disturbing this once-in-a-lifetime event.

Before long, a golden light streaked across the eastern sky.

Xu Xian stood on the golden clouds of the Jade Terrace, surrounded by colorful light.

The Lotus Lantern accompanied him on either side, while the Hunyuan Taiyi Sword hung at his shoulder.

His plain white Taoist robe fluttered slightly in the wind, his figure graceful and his demeanor extraordinary.

With each step he took, the heavens and earth automatically became peaceful and serene, and all living beings automatically bowed their heads.

Zhen Yuanzi personally got up, walked out of the temple gate, and greeted them with clasped hands.

"Master Xu, I've kept you waiting."

Xu Xian quickly stepped forward and bowed respectfully, saying, "Great Immortal Zhenyuan, you are too kind to this junior."

The two exchanged a smile, said nothing more, and each took a step and sat down on the prayer mat.

Without hymns or ceremonies, the discourse begins.

Zhen Yuanzi spoke first, his voice deep and resonant like a long bell, each word clear and resounding throughout the ten directions: "In the beginning of heaven and earth, chaos was divided. The clear rose to become the sky, and the turbid sank to become the earth. Yin and Yang interacted and gave birth to the five elements. The five elements circulated and nurtured all things."

"I am the ancestor of the Earthly Immortals, guarding the land as my foundation, cultivating tranquility as my mind, and seeking longevity as my goal."

"May I ask, fellow traveler—"

"In the beginning of the Great Dao, was it finite or infinite?"

"Is the path to immortality one of following the will of Heaven, or defying it?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the land around Wuzhuang Temple rose slightly, and golden patterns spread out, transforming into thousands of Dao seals that surrounded Zhen Yuanzi.

The power of the earth gathered, forming an incomparably thick golden light shield, which was the supreme Dao of the Earth Immortal lineage.

Xu Xian closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them again, it seemed as if chaos had been cleared from his eyes.

His voice was clear and gentle, yet it reached straight to the soul, and the sound of the Great Dao resonated faintly in the void: "The Great Dao has no beginning, nor does it have an end."

"Extreme existence arises from infinity, and infinity returns to extreme existence; it is neither existence nor non-existence, yet it is both existence and non-existence."

"Heaven does not always grant our wishes, nor does fate always guarantee our safety."

"Those who follow the will of Heaven may live a lifetime. Those who defy the will of Heaven may live a carefree life."

"You guard the land, I guard my heart. You cultivate longevity, I cultivate transcendence."

"Earth can carry things, but it can also confine them. Longevity can be long-lasting, but it can also confine the mind."

As soon as he finished speaking, auspicious clouds rolled in the sky, sometimes transforming into a blue dragon, sometimes into a golden phoenix, their cries echoing through the heavens.

The Taoist energy of Buzhou Mountain and the earth energy of Wanshou Mountain merged in mid-air, forming a colorful pillar of light that reached the heavens and the earth, soaring straight into the sky.

The immortals and gods were greatly shaken upon hearing this, and many of them immediately closed their eyes, their faces showing signs of sudden enlightenment.

A glint flashed in Zhen Yuanzi's eyes, and he spoke again, his tone even deeper: "Within the Three Realms, there are immortals, humans, demons, monsters, ghosts, and gods, who are subject to the six paths of reincarnation, endlessly repeating themselves."

Can the path of a fellow Daoist transcend the Six Realms? Can it escape the cycle of reincarnation?

Xu Xian smiled faintly, raised his fingertips slightly, and a wisp of chaotic energy appeared in the void: "Reincarnation is a circle, and also a path."

Those who transcend this state are called immortals. Those who are trapped within it are called mortals.

"My path is not confined by circles, nor does it lead astray."

"Demons can become Buddhas, demons can attain enlightenment, immortals can fall to the mortal realm, and humans can ascend to heaven."

"The six realms are created by the human mind; reincarnation is but a thought away."

"I observe reincarnation as if it were the lines on my palm; it neither enters nor exits, neither dwells nor perishes."

As soon as the words fell, golden lotuses descended from the heavens, their petals crystal clear. They took root upon landing and instantly sprouted into countless spiritual herbs.

A clear spring gushes forth, its water as sweet as jade; wherever it flows, withered trees are reborn and stubborn rocks shine.

The two Arhats, Subduing Dragon and Taming Tiger, possessed clear and bright Buddha-minds, and their bodies radiated a burst of Buddha-light. The Buddhist doubts that had remained unresolved for many years were completely dispelled in one day.

Venus stroked his beard and smiled, feeling his Dao heart become clear and his cultivation subtly increasing; even a few white hairs at his temples had disappeared.

Zhen Yuanzi sighed deeply, completely convinced: "Fellow Daoist's words have broken through my century-old mental barrier."

"I have guarded the ginseng fruit tree for ten thousand years, guarding its spiritual root and my unwavering belief."

"Only today do I realize that the ancestor of earth immortals lies not in their physical status, but in their state of mind."

Xu Xian nodded slightly and asked, "Fellow Daoist, you take Heaven and Earth as your teacher and spiritual roots as your friends. May your lifespan be as long as Heaven's and your name resound throughout the Three Realms."

"May I ask—"

'

"If the heavens collapse and the earth caves in, will your immortality last long?"

"Is your attainment of enlightenment still stable?"

This question, which went straight to the source, startled all the immortals and gods in the distance.

Zhen Yuanzi closed his eyes and pondered for a moment. When he opened them again, his eyes were completely clear: "If the heavens collapse, my heart will not collapse. If the earth sinks, my path will not sink."

"Spiritual roots can be destroyed, lifespan can end, but the Dao heart will never perish."

"Only today do I realize that I am not Zhen Yuanzi, I am simply myself."

"The title of ancestor of earth immortals is nothing but an empty name."

As soon as the words were spoken, Dao patterns filled the sky above Wuzhuang Temple.

There are humans, immortals, demons, monsters, heaven and earth, sun and moon, yin and yang, and the five elements. Thousands of Dao patterns intertwine, imprinting themselves on the void, never to be erased.

The ginseng fruit tree shone brightly, golden chains of Dao wrapped around its trunk, and every leaf reflected the phantom of the Great Dao. Even the unripe fruit radiated a mature glow.

The entire Longevity Hill was trembling slightly, as if paying homage to the convergence of the great Dao of the two sages.

Xu Xian smiled slightly and slowly fell silent: "Today, our discussion on the Dao is neither superior nor inferior, nor does it determine victory or defeat."

"You find peace of mind, and I attain perfect enlightenment. That is enough."

As the sermon ended, the entire hall fell silent.

After an unknown amount of time, an uncontrollable cheer and hymn of submission erupted from the distant clouds.

Countless immortals and gods prostrated themselves on the ground, tears streaming down their faces. A single discussion on the Dao was more valuable than their thousands, tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of years of arduous cultivation.

Some people broke through their cultivation level on the spot, their spiritual light soaring into the sky.

Some people have a clear understanding of the Tao and are no longer confused.

Some people, through their diligent practice of Buddhism, attained the Arhatship.

Between heaven and earth, dragons and phoenixes soar, golden lotuses cover the ground, clear springs flow endlessly, and the sounds of Taoism linger.

Xu Xian and Zhen Yuanzi stood side by side, looking at the peaceful scene before them, and smiled at each other.

The turmoil at Huangfeng Ridge eventually transformed into this grand debate on the Dao that shook the immortals and gods of the Three Realms and has been passed down through the ages.

Meanwhile, on Mount Buzhou, the yellow-haired weasel spirit was quietly cultivating himself.

On their journey to the West, Tang Sanzang and his disciples set off again, heading westward step by step.

Xu Xian also gained new spiritual fruits and grand aspirations.