Journey to the West: Starting with the True Lord of the Pure Land

Chapter 422 The Tribulation of Dao and Demon Arises from the Release, Jade Emperor Daojun Haotian

The misty air and the gathering and dispersing clouds of immortals made the outer garden as serene and secluded as ever.

Chen Jiao and Qinglin Immortal sat facing each other before a jade table. There was no tea or wine on the table, only a faint spiritual mist swirling around it.

Hearing that Qinglin Immortal Lord implied it was still early, Chen Jiao pondered for a moment before asking, "Immortal Lord, you are a remnant of ancient times, with vast knowledge and experience. I have a question that has been lingering in my mind for a long time, and I wonder if I should ask it?"

"Fellow Daoist, please ask without hesitation," said Immortal Lord Qinglin, lightly placing his whisk on his arm and smiling.

Chen Jiao asked, "I have heard that in ancient times, there was a fierce battle between the Dao and the Demon that swept across the heavens and earth and overturned the universe. It was so brutal that it caused all the sages to disappear and the lineage of Dao to almost be wiped out."

"I wonder if the Immortal Lord here knows the details?"

Upon hearing this, Immortal Lord Qinglin's smile gradually faded, and he gazed at the silhouette of the towering Jianmu tree, remaining silent for a long time.

A gentle breeze swept through the outer garden, lifting the hem of his moon-white Taoist robe, adding a touch of desolation.

He remained silent for a moment before letting out a soft sigh and saying, "I didn't expect you to know about such long-forgotten matters—well, since we are destined to meet, I will briefly explain."

"Fellow Daoist, having heard this, let it go. The key points are far too complex to be explained in a few words, and involve many karmic consequences and taboos."

Chen Jiao nodded slightly, and then listened to Qinglin Immortal Lord recount: "The calamity at that time was indeed extraordinary."

As evil rises and the Tao declines, calamity arises from the depths of the underworld and from the evil thoughts in people's hearts, eventually becoming a calamity that sweeps across all the heavens.

The rise of demons is not limited to one race or lineage.

Those with physical form gather the malevolent energy of heaven and earth, the evil power of stars, and the wicked thoughts of all living beings to form a demonic body, with overwhelming ferocity;

The formless arise from the desires of the human heart, the gaps in the Daoist heart, and the contradictions of law and reason, and are all-pervasive.

Their forms vary, but their nature is evil. Their aim is to corrupt the pure spirit with demonic energy, to usurp the heavenly way with demonic power, to confuse the natural order, and to overturn the universe.

"Our Xuanmen lineage inherits the true teachings of Pangu, adheres to the Great Dao, and is therefore obligated to defend the Dao."

The Three Pure Ones, transcending worldly affairs, reside in the celestial capital, upholding the principles of purity and turbidity, and ensuring the Great Dao does not fall, thus preventing its emergence except in the face of annihilation.

The Five Heavenly Emperors, leading all the celestial immortals, the myriad righteous gods, and even virtuous cultivators and enlightened demon spirits from the lower realms, waged a fierce battle against the demonic forces in their respective celestial domains and lower continents.

Immortal Lord Qinglin's tone turned somber, a hint of pain appearing in his voice, as if he were carefully choosing his words, or perhaps reluctant to recount the details: "That battle—the sun and moon lost their light, the stars fell. The Milky Way overflowed, and the earth's axis collapsed. Immortal blood was spilled throughout the heavens, and divine bones were buried in the nine netherworlds."

Even the Five Emperors, whose cultivation was as high as the heavens, suffered injuries to their Great Dao and depleted their original essence in the repeated fierce battles.

After the calamity, they successively transformed into Daoists, spreading their Daoist essence to mend the heavens and earth, born in the vastness and returning to the vastness.

This was also the long-held ambition of Your Majesty, in order to fulfill the will of Heaven.

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Immortal Lord Qinglin looked at Chen Jiao, his tone returning to calm, yet carrying an indescribable sense of desolation, and said: "From this point on, the golden age of ancient immortals gradually faded into oblivion. Many traditions were broken, many fellow Daoists scattered, and many mysteries of heaven and earth were thus hidden from view."

The teachings transmitted today have undergone many modifications and evolutions compared to those of ancient times, to the point that they are quite different in appearance. Many of the key points and obstacles originated in that era.

"As for the source of the demonic calamity—"

Immortal Lord Qinglin raised his eyes and looked towards the western horizon. Although he was inside the cave, his gaze seemed to be directed towards the western Niuhe Continent. He said, "Your Majesty the White Emperor, who controls the killing and destruction of the western Geng metal, was originally the key to suppressing demons. However, that place has suffered the most calamities, and the killing and violence are difficult to eliminate, causing the balance of heaven and earth to be disrupted."

The Buddhist lineage, due to past causes, made a great vow to forever guard the West, using Buddhist teachings to dispel malevolence and atone for the transgressions that arose from Buddhism.

Chen Jiao's eyes flickered slightly: "To atone for past transgressions?"

Immortal Lord Qinglin nodded and said, "Because the origin of that catastrophe was related to the Western Buddhist lineage, it can be said that the catastrophe originated from Buddhism."

The specifics involve fundamental secrets of Buddhism, which I, a humble monk, am not entirely aware of; I only know that this is predetermined.

His Majesty mentioned it in the past, only sighing, saying that this was a calamity in the destiny of Buddhism, but also the foundation for its survival; fortune and misfortune are intertwined, difficult to separate and understand.

At this point, Immortal Lord Qinglin's expression softened slightly, revealing a hint of respect, and he added, "However, although this calamity is severe, there is ultimately a pillar of strength."

Amidst the calamity, a powerful being emerged who, at the moment of collapse, turned the tide, mediated the crisis, and ultimately stabilized the world, ending the demonic scourge.

Its merits and virtues have attracted the attention of the Three Pure Ones and the favor of the Heavenly Dao.

At that time, all the celestial beings and saints revered him; his name was Haotian, and his title was Jade Emperor Dao Lord!

Upon hearing this, Chen Jiao's heart skipped a beat.

The Jade Emperor Daojun? Isn't that the Great Heavenly Venerable?

Unexpectedly, the Great Celestial Venerable earned his fame in the war between the Dao and the Demons.

Therefore, Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun and the Jade Emperor Da Tianzun can be considered comrades-in-arms, which explains why he is one of the Jade Emperor's attendants.

Chen Jiao's thoughts wandered aimlessly.

After Qinglin Immortal Lord finished speaking, he remained silent for a moment before letting out a soft sigh and saying, "This matter involves a great deal of complexities and is of great importance. Even I, a humble Daoist, only know a fraction of it."

Before their passing, it seems that His Majesties made other arrangements, but I cannot know for sure.

But the past is like smoke, and recounting it only evokes sighs. Yet the world has its order, calamities have their end, only the Way endures.

The rise and fall of the Dao and the Demonic are a calamity in the operation of heaven and earth, but their devastation is something I really don't want to mention again.

Although the calamity has temporarily subsided, demonic thoughts are like weeds, impossible to extinguish and always springing back to life with the spring breeze. In this world, there has never been lasting peace.

This humble Taoist priest only wishes that future generations will carefully guard their Taoist heart, lest demonic thoughts arise and cause another catastrophe.

As Chen Jiao listened, the situation gradually became clear to him.

After the war between the Dao and the Demon, the Five Heavenly Emperors successively transformed into Dao and returned to Heaven and Earth to replenish the Qi of all living beings.

Many immortals and saints also perished and went into hiding, and the fortunes of heaven and earth shifted for a time.

Thus, the ancient Demon Court arose and flourished for a time, with Demon Emperors and Demon Kings standing side by side to rule over all the demon races in the world and exert their power over the entire universe.

However, whether due to a shallow foundation, a flawed position, or insufficient achievements, their actions gradually became disorderly, and their prosperity was short-lived.

Only when the Jade Emperor, who made unparalleled contributions during the calamity, perfected his cultivation and attained the level of creation, was he able to inherit the Heavenly Dao, establish the Heavenly Court, govern the Three Realms and Ten Directions, the Four Births and Six Paths, restore the order of Heaven and Earth, and usher in a new chapter for the present era.

"I see."

Chen Jiao nodded slightly, gaining a deeper understanding of the origins of the Heavenly Court and even of the Great Heavenly Venerable sitting in the Lingxiao Palace.

Calamities arise and fall, destiny flows, and the weight of countless causes and effects far exceeds the imagination of ordinary immortals and gods.

Chen Jiao remained silent for a moment, then bowed to Immortal Lord Qinglin and thanked him, saying, "I am grateful for Immortal Lord's explanation. The past serves as a lesson for the present."

Immortal Lord Qinglin returned the greeting with a smile: "Fellow Daoist possesses the Metal Element Thunder Technique, is ambitious and decisive in killing, and has the style of the White Emperor."

What's even more remarkable is that one can inherit the foundation of the Jia wood Dao in this Jianmu Palace, which shows the wonder of fate and the mystery of the way of heaven.

I urge you, fellow Daoist, to make good use of this body and not to betray this world that your predecessors sacrificed themselves to protect.

Chen Jiao listened attentively, his expression solemn.

Just as he was about to speak again, he suddenly heard the sound of light piercing the air coming from the distant corridor, mixed with some human voices, indicating that the cultivators who had gone to explore other places were returning one after another.

Immortal Lord Qinglin also sensed something, and his face regained its gentle expression. He said to Chen Jiao, "It seems that the fellow Daoists who went to Changqing Garden and Lianzhen Platform have returned one after another."

The past is but fleeting smoke. The path ahead lies beneath our feet. Fellow Daoist, let us look to the present.

Chen Jiao nodded, suppressing the surging thoughts in his heart, and looked up at the returning figures.