The Three Teachings Converge into One: The Path of the Mortal and the Saintly is the Same

Poetry:

A bomb shattered the apricot altar, and a hundred wisps of her delicate soul turned into cold smoke.

A surge of grief and indignation shattered his spirit, stirring up dark waves in the foundation of the Dao that has stood for millennia.

It is said that Su Qingxuan witnessed firsthand a century-old girls' school,

It was blasted into scorched earth by the Xuanjing Bomb of the Canaan City-State.

Countless young girls in the prime of their lives lay buried beneath the rubble before his very eyes.

They didn't even have time to utter a final cry for help.

What shattered his spirit even more was that he knew clearly that...

The bomb was aimed at him.

He came to rescue people, but unexpectedly became the cause of this disaster.

In fact... in his mind, he was the one who caused this tragedy.

Guilt gnaws at my heart like a venomous snake, anger surges in my chest like lava.

Two emotions intertwined and fermented, stirring up a raging storm in his heart.

He cultivated for ten thousand years and experienced countless tribulations in the mortal world, believing his Daoist heart to be as firm as a rock.

But now, looking at the hundreds of innocent lives lost because of him,

Finally, a crack appeared on that rock...

Why?

Why did he try so hard to mediate for ten days, but ultimately couldn't stop the war from breaking out?

Why did his desperate attempt to save people lead to even greater bloodshed?

Why should these children, who haven't even grown up yet, suffer such an undeserved calamity?

"It's not fair..." Su Qingxuan's voice trembled, her fingertips still covering that cold little hand, her knuckles clenched white.

"This is not fair..." Tears mixed with dust streamed down his pale cheeks.

Chi Ying noticed that his breathing had become completely disordered and said urgently:

"Young master, calm down! This is not your fault!"

It was the city-states of Canaan, the Empire of Eagle, those who started the war…”

"But I'm here!" Su Qingxuan suddenly looked up, her eyes already bloodshot.

"If I hadn't come, if I hadn't stopped here to save people..."

They might be able to hold on a little longer, maybe they can wait for rescue...

It was me, it was my kindness that triggered the bomb, it was my existence that killed them…

"Young master, you..."

"And them too!" Su Qingxuan looked around at the rescuers and parents lying on the ground.

"They died because of me too."

If I hadn't forcibly activated the protective barrier, if I had dodged immediately...

Perhaps they...wouldn't have ended up like this...

Su Qingxuan was incoherent, his mind beginning to crumble under the weight of extreme guilt.

The three meridians of true energy within his body, which were originally balanced and harmonious, suddenly became agitated.

The underlying principles of morality are questioning: You claim to be benevolent and righteous, so why can't you even protect the child in front of you?

The Heavenly Dao of the Two Meridians observes coldly: Cause and effect are predetermined. Do you think you can reverse the universe with your own strength?

The compassion of the three lineages sighed: If they cannot even save the sentient beings of this moment, how can they talk about saving all the people in the world?

Three forces collided and tore at each other, rampaging through the meridians.

In the deepest part of this chaos, a wisp of darkness that had slumbered for millennia quietly awakened.

That was after Su Qingxuan led his army to conquer the Di barbarians in his previous life, and quelled the demonized army.

A wisp of extremely subtle demonic energy slipped into the Mountain and River Seal while his mind was slightly relaxed.

Later, the three treasures merged into one and his soul became one, and this wisp of demonic energy transformed into a demonic seed.

It was buried deep within his soul.

For thousands of years, this demonic seed has never had the slightest chance to grow.

Because Su Qingxuan possessed a clear Daoist heart and acted with integrity, even amidst battles and warfare,

All of this was done to protect the common people, and they had no regrets or hindrances in their hearts.

The demon seed received no nourishment and remained dormant.

But now, everything is different.

The deaths of hundreds of children left a deep, unresolved knot in his heart: "They died because of me."

That kind of guilt, "Though I did not kill Bo Ren, Bo Ren died because of me,"

That feeling of helplessness when you try your best but fail miserably.

That absurd feeling of good intentions leading to bad consequences...

All sorts of negative emotions, like fertile soil receiving sweet rain, instantly awakened the seed of evil, causing it to sprout and take root.

It doesn't directly control Su Qingxuan's mind, but subtly amplifies the emotions already present in his heart:

Let guilt gnaw at your heart, let anger burn your lungs, and let helplessness lead to despair.

It was like a distorted bronze mirror, reflecting all the dark corners of his heart that he had never faced.

"How many people did I kill during the Northern Expedition against the Di and Man tribes?"

Were all those people vicious and wicked?

Perhaps there were also tribesmen who were caught up in the situation, and innocent herders…”

"Haven't I stained my hands with enough blood from my missions to the Western Regions, my suppression of bandits, and my quelling of rebellions?"

At that time, I told myself that this was a necessary evil, for the peace of more people.

But is necessary evil not evil?

"On the Celestial Meteor Plain, I led my army in a bloody battle against the Guixu Demon Army, slaying more than ten million demons."

Did I hesitate even for a moment then? Did I feel even a trace of pity?

No, I only considered them demons, who deserved to be exterminated...

"It turns out I've always been burdened with the karma of killing; it turns out my so-called justice has always been stained with blood..."

These thoughts were usually suppressed by his Daoist aspirations and ideals.

It was firmly suppressed by the belief that "what I do is the right path".

But now, under the extreme stimulation and catalysis of the demonic seed, all of it surged up.

It broke through the gap in his defenses.

Su Qingxuan's eyes grew increasingly red.

It wasn't a dense network of blood streaks, but a deep, somber red, like congealed blood, like the color of an abyss.

The aura emanating from him also changed abruptly—

No longer the dignified and peaceful aura of a saint, but rather violence and melancholy...

It carries a demonic intent with the power to destroy the world.

"Young Master!" Chi Ying exclaimed in surprise.

She could clearly sense that the person in front of her had become unfamiliar and terrifying.

In fact, Su Qingxuan had once been on the verge of becoming a demon.

That was during his battle against demonic thoughts in the depths of Kunlun; his mind went mad from his thirst for power sufficient to destroy the demon.

Later, inspired by the resonance of the four women's true spirits, he stopped in time and suddenly realized his mistake.

However, after that battle, everyone fell into a coma, their memories were wiped clean, and no one knew about this past.

This time, however, the danger is far greater than before.

Firstly, only Chi Ying was by his side; the other three women were not present.

Unable to form a true spiritual resonance, unable to hold back his lost spirit;

Secondly, what fueled the demonic seed was his deep-seated sense of guilt and self-reproach.

It is the accumulated karma of killing over thousands of years of cultivation that resonates with the demonic seed deep within the spiritual realm.

This level of collapse of the Dao heart has long exceeded the limits of what human cultivators can intervene in.

In other words, apart from Su Qingxuan waking up on his own,

No one in the human realm could pull him back from the edge of the abyss of demons.

If he were to completely succumb to demonic possession today, it would be a catastrophe for the entire human realm.

……

The surrounding Zhulong Guards also noticed the abnormality and quickly gathered around.

But no one dared to take a single step closer—

That aura carried an instinctive oppression, instilling fear in them from the depths of their souls.

Su Qingxuan slowly straightened up.

He released that small hand, his movements as gentle as if afraid of disturbing a sleeping soul.

But when he turned to face northwest—

When he turned toward the direction of the city of Canaan, his entire demeanor underwent a complete transformation.

"Since reasoning doesn't work..." he muttered to himself, his voice as cold as the deepest hell.

"Since compassion cannot save people...since this world..."

Ultimately, it only recognizes the strength of the opponent...

He raised his right hand, palm up.

The three streams of true essence surged forth from within the body, but they were no longer the three colors of blue, gold, and white.

Instead, they were all covered with a dark, blood-red color.

The three forces no longer coexist harmoniously, but instead tear each other apart and devour one another.

Ultimately, they merged into a chaotic, violent energy filled with destructive energy.

"Then let's stop the fighting with war."

"Kill them until they dare not commit the crime again, kill them until they pay the price."

Slaughter all those who start wars and treat human life like dirt.

They all knelt before the departed souls to apologize.

With each word he spoke, the energy in his palm expanded by one unit.

The surrounding space began to distort, rubble floated in mid-air, and the ground cracked inch by inch.

Centered on him, an invisible force field slowly unfolded.

Wherever it passed, all the sand and gravel turned to dust.

Chi Ying and the Zhulong Guards were forced to retreat repeatedly, making it difficult for them to even breathe.

"Young master... wake up!" Chi Ying cried out in a pitiful voice.

"You are not that kind of person! You are Su Qingxuan, the Saint of the Three Lineages!"

He is the leader of the righteous path, the unification of the three lineages... You must not succumb to demonic possession!

"The righteous path?" Su Qingxuan laughed, a laugh filled with sorrow and mockery.

"The righteous path cannot protect these children, nor can it stop the flames of war."

I spent ten days mediating and trying every possible way to reconcile, and what did I get in return?

It was a massacre caused by bombs; it was the deaths of women and children.

He gazed at the night sky, as if he could pierce through a thousand miles of clouds and see the capital of the city-state of Canaan.

Those who sit high in the temple are raising their glasses to celebrate the victory of the first round of attacks.

"In that case, I will settle this score with them in a way they can understand."

He formed hand seals, and the chaotic energy suddenly split into countless fine, blood-red runes.

It wove together in the air into a vast, complex magic circle filled with an ominous aura.

In the center of the magic circle, the phantom of a blood-red longsword slowly solidified.

The sword was seven feet six inches long, and its blade was wrapped in twisted demonic runes.

A dark red light pattern slowly pulsed along the spine of the sword, like a beating heart.

"This sword is named Sin and Punishment." Su Qingxuan gripped the hilt, and his aura surged once more.

Having already broken through the shackles of the Mahayana realm, they are moving towards some indescribable state.

"With my guilt as the sharp edge, with the resentment of all living beings as the blade, and with this sky full of blood and fire as the sacrifice..."

Today, I will take the life of the ringleader from afar.

He raised his sword, pointing it towards the northwest.

The dark red patterns on the sword suddenly glowed with a blood-red light, piercing through the clouds.

The coordinates were locked thousands of miles away.

The capital of the city-state of Canaan is Blue Ash City, and the central government is Blue Radiance Palace.

Chi Ying was utterly desperate.

She knew that if she unleashed this sword strike, Su Qingxuan would never be able to turn back.

It wasn't the physical body that perished, but the complete collapse of one's Daoist heart, the utter destruction of ten thousand years of cultivation.

From then on, he became a demon who only knew how to kill.

Even more terrifying is that, given Su Qingxuan's cultivation level, once he falls into demonic possession...

This would be a catastrophe for the three realms.

When a saint becomes a demon, no one can stop him!

"Young Master—!!!" She rushed forward desperately, trying to stop him.

However, he was violently repelled by the force field surrounding Su Qingxuan, spitting out a mouthful of blood and falling to the ground.

She could only watch helplessly as the demonic sword grew more and more solid, its power becoming increasingly terrifying.

Within a radius of ten miles, the sky and earth changed color, dark clouds gathered, and lightning flashed and thunder roared.

That wasn't a calamity descending, but rather some more sinister force awakening.

The earth trembled slightly, the vegetation withered instantly, and even the distant firelight...

They all turned into an eerie dark green.

The last glimmer of clarity in Su Qingxuan's eyes was rapidly fading away.

Just then, an old, peaceful voice, seemingly from ancient times,

A voice echoed deep within his consciousness:

"Foolish child, wake up."

These five words, like the morning bell and evening drum, like a sudden awakening, like a thunderclap resounding in the deepest part of the soul.

Su Qingxuan trembled violently, and the demonic sword he was about to unleash suddenly froze in mid-air.

The voice continued, unhurried and measured, each word striking the very soul:

"You only see the blood before your eyes, but not the demon in your heart."

"You only see the sins of others, but not your own delusions."

"Everyone has the seed of demons; even saints are not exempt."

However, what makes a sage a sage is not the absence of demons, but the skillful control over the demons within one's heart.

The dark red in Su Qingxuan's eyes flickered violently. He gritted his teeth and hissed:

"Taiqing Tianzun...I...couldn't control it...they're dead..."

I died because of me... I hate... I hate myself...

I hate those who wield knives even more…

"Can hatred bring the dead back to life?" the Heavenly Venerable asked.

Su Qingxuan was taken aback.

"Can killing end the bloodshed?" the Heavenly Venerable asked again.

Su Qingxuan's hand holding the sword began to tremble slightly.

"If you were to unleash this sword strike today, taking the life of this wicked man from afar, then what?"

The Celestial Venerable's voice was calm and serene, yet it was like a sharp sword piercing through layers of mist.

"With the death of Chancellor Canan, the Eagle Empire will surely seize the opportunity to launch a large-scale military campaign."

The entire western desert will be engulfed in war, and millions of lives will be displaced.

Is this what you wanted to see?

"I..." Su Qingxuan was speechless for a moment.

"Or perhaps, your bloodlust knows no bounds, and you slaughter all those in power in both countries, and all the soldiers who participated in the war."

Slaughter all those you deem guilty, and then what?

The seeds of hatred have already been sown; the survivors will seek revenge.

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth—is this what you want to see?

Su Qingxuan broke out in a cold sweat.

"Or perhaps, in the heat of the moment, your demonic nature completely consumes your sanity."

From then on, he made killing his way and hatred his strength.

When that time comes, what difference will there be between you and the Demon Lord of Guixu?

The person you risk your life to save today may be destroyed by you with a single stroke tomorrow.

How are you any different from those who wage war and slaughter civilians?

boom--!

These words struck Su Qingxuan's Dao heart like a heavy hammer blow.

How am I different from the Demon Lord?

If I were to become a demon, how would I differ from those warmongers who treat human life as worthless?

No, it will only get worse.

Because I have greater power, and can cause more complete destruction.

Su Qingxuan looked down at the demonic sword in his hand.

The dark red patterns on the sword pulsated slightly, conveying a seductive intent:

Kill them, kill them, avenge the children, and avenge yourself...

"roll!"

With a roar, Su Qingxuan gripped his sword with both hands, frantically circulating the remaining true energy from his three meridians.

Fight fiercely against the demonic forces that have invaded your soul.

Dark red and tri-colored light alternately appeared on his body.

His face was sometimes contorted in rage, sometimes contorted in pain.

This is a war fought deep within the soul, a war a thousand times more dangerous than any external enemy.

The Celestial Venerable's voice rang out at the opportune moment, like a bright lamp in the dark night:

"The demon seed is not the enemy, but the mirror of the heart."

It illuminates the unresolved attachments, unresolved emotions, and unresolved karma in your heart.

"Back then, you led a northern expedition against the Di barbarians, pacifying the demonized army deep in the grasslands."

Although they averted the catastrophe in the northern frontier, they still had to trace the source of the demonic energy after the war.

In that brief moment of relaxation, the demonic seed infiltrated the three treasures.

This is not your fault, but rather a tribulation you were destined to face.

In Su Qingxuan's mind, distant memories from ten thousand years ago surfaced.

Yes, that was him in his previous life, full of vigor and commanding the armies of the world.

After eight years of troop deployment in northern Xinjiang, the final battle finally took place deep in the grasslands.

In that battle, he led his troops from the North Pass to a victory against overwhelming odds.

The demonized Di barbarians were completely wiped out, bringing a century of peace to the northern frontier.

As he was withdrawing his troops in triumph, a wisp of demonic thought seized the opportunity while he was tracing the source of the demonic energy.

In a brief moment of distraction, it silently infiltrated the Mountain and River Imprint.

He wasn't completely unaware at the time, but his perception was too faint.

Like a gentle breeze across a deep pool, it vanishes in an instant, quickly replaced by the weariness of the battle.

It was completely covered up by complicated military affairs and was never investigated in depth.

It turns out that the seeds of disaster had already been sown back then.

"This demonic seed has been with you for ten thousand years, yet it has never been able to cause trouble. It is not because it is powerless, but because your heart is righteous."

The Celestial Venerable continued, "Your northern expeditions, western campaigns, and bloody battles in the celestial realms have indeed left you with a legacy of killing."

But every time you take action, you do so with a clear conscience, always for the sake of protecting the common people.

Therefore, killing does not become a karmic debt, but rather a meritorious act of protecting the path.

This is all because of your unwavering resolve in pursuing the Dao.

"But killing is still killing, and it follows you like a shadow."

An ordinary cultivator will develop inner demons after killing ten people, and will fall into the demonic path after killing a hundred.

You have killed countless people, yet you have remained safe until now. Why is that?

It's because you never saw killing as an end in itself, but only as a means to stop war.

When the mind is free from obstruction and hindrance, the karma of killing will not taint the spirit.

But things are different today.

The deaths of these children make you feel inescapably guilty, and you'll carry that guilt for the rest of your life.

A gap was then breached in his defenses.

The karma of killing takes advantage of the situation, and the seeds of evil sprout.

Your anger right now is three parts hatred for your enemy and seven parts hatred for yourself.

I hate my own powerlessness, I hate my own incompetence, I hate myself for not being omniscient and omnipotent.

To save all those who suffer.

Su Qingxuan was struck dumb.

Hate oneself.

Yes, he hates those who start wars.

But what I hate most is my own powerlessness.

I hate myself for not being able to prevent the negotiations from breaking down, and I hate myself for not getting to the school sooner.

He hated himself for not being able to completely block the bomb, and he hated himself for not being able to save everyone.

This inward hatred is more poisonous and deadly than outward anger.

Because it undermines your faith from within.

"Qingxuan," the Celestial Venerable sighed softly.

"You are not the Heavenly Dao, nor a god, but merely a cultivator."

Even with extraordinary cultivation, there are limitations and things beyond one's control.

This is the way of the world, why be so hard on yourself?

"But...they're dead..." Two lines of tears streamed down Su Qingxuan's face.

"Right in front of me... I could have..."

"What could you have done?" the Celestial Venerable retorted. "You could have chosen not to come to the Western Wilderness Sand Sea?"

These rescuers and parents will still die from the bombs.

These children will still perish in the first round of air raids.

You could have dodged it.

The shockwave will sweep across the entire playground, and even more people will die.

You could have arrived much earlier?

You might be ambushed along the way, and you yourself might perish there.

"All things in the world are intertwined by cause and effect, arising and ceasing according to conditions. How can everything be as one wishes?"

You've done your best, and you have a clear conscience; that's enough.

"But I feel guilty!" Su Qingxuan roared.

"I can't forget what they looked like, I can't forget that schoolbag."

I'll never forget those hands that still held onto hope!

"Then remember it." The Celestial Venerable's voice suddenly turned stern, carrying a deafening power.

"Remember this guilt, remember this pain, remember the brutality of war, remember the fragility of life."

But don't let memories become inner demons, and don't let pain turn into hatred.

We must transform this pain into a stronger force of compassion;

Let this sense of guilt transform into an even more unwavering determination to save lives.

Only in this way will their deaths not have been in vain, and only then will your cultivation have not been in vain.

Su Qingxuan stood there, stunned.

Remember, but don't cling to it; suffer, but don't wallow in it;

Feel guilty, but don't destroy yourself.

The delicate balance involved is as subtle as walking a tightrope.

But this is cultivation...

It is:

Heaven's ways are never always as we wish, and human effort can never always be sufficient.

Do not let shame and resentment cloud your mind; instead, transform sorrow into protection.