Free Web NovelChapter 523: Chapter 16: Primordial Doesn’t Spoil the Younger Generation, the Immortal Slaying Sword Array Stands
The peak of Jade Capital Mountain.
Gently stroking the Candle Dragon’s head, Lu Xuan noticed his second master’s arrival. With a thought, he spoke to the Candle Dragon:
"I have allowed you to see Emperor Jun again. Will you serve me?"
The Candle Dragon respectfully lowered its head, its voice hoarse.
"I serve only the Daoist Ancestor. But before the Daoist Ancestor appears in the Current World, I can take you as my master, as long as you... remain an enemy of Taiyi."
"Good."
With a thought, Lu Xuan recalled the Candle Dragon into the Heaven-Opening Banner. ’This being is not weak. It’s not a Daluo, but it’s comparable to one, similar to Senior Brother Xuandu and Lishan Old Mother.’
’If its mind hadn’t collapsed that day, and if I hadn’t been wielding the Heaven-Opening Banner, the outcome would have been uncertain.’
Composing himself, Lu Xuan gracefully rose and bowed.
"Second Master."
"You..." The Blind Daoist’s expression was incredibly complex, his eyes still holding traces of confusion and astonishment. He spoke softly,
"You... you underwent Celestial Transformation?"
"Yes and no,"
Lu Xuan replied with a frank smile.
"I’ve merely obtained some Transcendent Traits and a measure of Celestial Intent Dao Rhyme."
"Celestial Intent Dao Rhyme?"
Lu Xuan nodded and explained,
"It’s related to when Wa Huang mended the Celestial Palace back then. I’m not entirely sure of the details myself. After integrating it, I seem to have gained the power of Heaven, but it’s not complete."
After a moment of thought, he continued,
"Just now, I didn’t transform into the Heaven of The Beginning of Ancient Times. If I had, this disciple would have already achieved the Dao Fruit. But in doing so, I would have lost all emotion and desire, becoming neither benevolent, virtuous, nor malevolent..."
The Blind Daoist pondered for a long while, then seemed to have an epiphany.
"So, just now, you were merely temporarily acting as Heaven, rather than integrating your Dao with Heaven or incarnating as Heaven?"
"Exactly!"
Lu Xuan smiled.
"It was likely because the heaven and earth of The Beginning of Ancient Times had not yet formed a will, and the Heavenly Dao and Earthly Virtue had not yet been born. This allowed your disciple to take a shortcut. If it were in a later era..."
"It wouldn’t be impossible in a later era, either." The Blind Daoist’s eyes gleamed.
Lu Xuan was taken aback. Just as he was about to ask, he heard his second master explain,
"The Heavenly Dao and Earthly Virtue are, in essence, merely a manifestation of the fundamental rules of the Great Heaven and Earth. Although what you’ve obtained is an incomplete Transcendent Trait,"
"you might be able to try splitting off a part of your own will and attempt to replace the Heavenly Dao and Earthly Virtue, bit by bit. That is also a path!"
"Huh?" Lu Xuan was a little baffled.
But the Blind Daoist grew more and more excited as he spoke.
"The Great Heaven and Earth is the foundation of the Celestial Myriad Realms! In fact, both the position of the Celestial Emperor and the Six Paths of Reincarnation are manifestations of the will of the Great Heaven and Earth!"
Lu Xuan understood, his eyes flickering.
"You mean, I should try to use my own Celestial Intent Dao Rhyme to replace the true Heaven?"
He paused, his eyes gleaming.
"Can one achieve the Dao Fruit this way?"
"You can, but there’s no need... Transforming the will of the Great Heaven and Earth into an Illusory Dao Fruit might yield a complete one, but in the end, it’s still illusory."
"But if you can take control of the Great Heaven and Earth... the benefits for your future path will be immense! Even replacing just a part of it will bring endless advantages!"
Hearing this,
Lu Xuan had a sudden realization and bowed formally.
He muttered to himself,
"’Replace Heaven... supplant the Celestial Realm?’"
"’Perhaps I can give it a try in the Late Han Dynasty.’"
After speaking with his second master for a long time, the first millennium had passed. Lu Xuan bowed.
"Second Master, I must be going back now. There is one more thing I need to do."
"What is it?"
"Lamp Buddha once did me a great favor. He is trapped in the Demon Country, and I wish to rescue him. After that, I must head to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Late Han Dynasty."
"Go on, then. Go on."
The Blind Daoist said with a smile,
"My other self is currently teaching Little Lu Nian. You’ve been in The Beginning of Ancient Times for a thousand years, but for Xiaonian, it’s only been a few days. She can stay with me a while longer."
"You mustn’t spoil her!"
"Alright, alright, hurry up and go!"
The Blind Daoist chided him with a laugh.
"I’ll have to clean up your mess later. Those two Buddhas are sure to come asking me about ’Xuan Sheng.’ You... honestly..."
Lu Xuan looked a little embarrassed, but then spoke frankly.
"I just felt stifled and had to vent... In fact, it was effective. The Daluo Curse has dissipated."
The Blind Daoist nodded.
"After all, they’ve grown wary of the name ’Xuan Sheng.’ Forget it. It’s just cleaning up your mess. If it were Profound Clarity or Profound Yellow, I’d still be sulking. But you, Xuan Sheng, are a successor of my Yuqing Lineage. It is my duty."
Lu Xuan bowed again. Before leaving, he couldn’t help but say,
"You absolutely must not spoil Xiaonian!"
"The Three Pristine Ones never coddle the younger generation!" the Blind Daoist said irritably. "Aren’t you going to the Late Han Dynasty? I’ll just toss Xiaonian in there with you to get some experience!"
"That would be good, too."
Lu Xuan breathed a sigh of relief, chuckled, and stepped into the River of Time, flowing downstream.
After he left, however, the Blind Daoist found himself in a dilemma.
’Really throw her into the Late Han Dynasty...?’
’No, that’s not safe.’
’But that won’t do either. I’ve already said it, and I must keep my word!’
As he muttered to himself, inside a certain Daoist Palace...
"Xiaonian..."
The Blind Daoist looked at the little toddler who was curiously playing with the Three-Bejeweled Ruyi, his expression gentle.
"How about Grandpa sends you somewhere later?"
"Where? Is it fun?"
"Mmm, it should be fun, I suppose. But that period of time might see great changes, and you could easily be bullied... How about this!"
The Blind Daoist clapped his hands and gave the profound Qingyun he was sitting cross-legged on to Little Lu Nian.
"This is the Primordial Qingyun. In terms of defense, it’s second only to a certain old fool’s tower. Riding it also allows you to point to Cause and grasp Effect!"
He then snatched a golden bell hanging high in the Daoist Palace and handed it to her.
"This is the Jade Void Golden Bell. If anyone bullies you there, strike it once, and besides your father, your twelve uncles and aunts will protect you. If things look bad, strike it nine times in a row, and Grandpa will come get you!"
"Mmm, hold on to that Three-Bejeweled Ruyi in your hand, too. It’s no ordinary item. It has been with me for countless years, formed from my own Dao..."
"The Heaven-Opening Banner is with your dad, so it’s not easy to get it back... Take this Daoist Palace into your mind as well. When it comes to smashing people, it’s more effective than a certain old guy’s Douluo Palace!"
"And this..."
"Take that one, too..."
"Wear the Primordial Daoist Robe as well..."
A long, long time later.
Now wearing only ancient clothes and possessing nothing else, the Blind Daoist nodded in satisfaction. He patted Lu Nian’s little head and said amiably,
"There, now it’s perfect!"
"Go on, go... wait, memorize how to practice this Innate One Flame... Alright, now go!"
After sending Lu Nian—who wore a miniaturized Golden Bell around her neck, was dressed in the Primordial Daoist Robe, stood on the Primordial Qingyun, held the Three-Bejeweled Ruyi in her left hand, and a small-scale Jade Void Palace in her right—into the River of Time,
the Blind Daoist felt a little wistful.
Then he smiled.
"I didn’t follow her to be her personal protector. Hmph, when I say I don’t coddle the younger generation, I mean it!"
As he grumbled, two Daoists arrived, treading on the Great Chaos.
"Primordial," Supreme strode over. "About that Xuan Sheng... Huh? Where’s your Jade Void Palace?"
Beside him, the Lame Daoist also asked, puzzled,
"Where’s your Qingyun? How come your Daoist Robe is gone, too?"
The Blind Daoist’s expression didn’t change as he chuckled.
"Gave them away... Mmm, no, loaned them out."
"It wasn’t to Xiaoxuan, was it...?" Supreme narrowed his eyes dangerously, cracking his knuckles.
"What are you talking about? What kind of talk is that?!"
This time, the Blind Daoist’s voice was full of vigor as he stood tall and puffed out his chest.
"Give them to my disciple-nephew Lu Xuan? Supreme, you’re overthinking things. Do you think I’m like you two, giving everything away and spoiling the younger generation?!"
Supreme was skeptical.
"You really didn’t give them to Xiaoxuan?"
"Hah! As Heaven and Earth are my witness, I did not!" The Blind Daoist raised his head high, looking down his nose at Supreme and the Lame Daoist.
He was extremely confident.
......
「Current World, halfway up Taishan.」
In the quiet room, Lu Xuan slowly opened his eyes. Behind him, a brilliant 49-colored radiance shimmered, and a dark, silent cosmos ebbed and flowed around him.
After silently sensing his surroundings, he grew thoughtful.
’No wonder the Celestial Intent Dao Rhyme showed no divine peculiarities after countless years inside Sun Wukong’s body. This world already has a complete Heavenly Dao and Earthly Virtue...’
Pausing for a moment, Lu Xuan chuckled softly.
’Planning to supplant Heaven? That happens to coincide perfectly with the plan for Human Dao Dominating the Celestial Realm. The Late Han Dynasty, the Late Han Dynasty...’
Lu Xuan thought of a Daoist from the historical records named Zhang Jiao. The moment the thought arose, he suddenly felt the tremors of Cause and Effect.
’Hm?’
He made a soft sound of surprise and muttered to himself,
"’Interesting. It seems this Zhang Jiao has a significant causal connection with me? Where does it originate?’"
His interest piqued, Lu Xuan used his eyes to peer into the past causes and future effects. What he saw was a familiar figure during the Spring and Autumn Years.
"’It’s related to Teacher? Strange, very strange...’"
After a moment of contemplation, Lu Xuan didn’t dwell on it. He briefly sensed the passage of time; only eight days had passed in the Current World, not yet the ninth.
But this one day was enough to get some things done.
The thought had just formed when Lu Xuan’s figure suddenly dispersed within the quiet room.
In the same instant, in the Southern Continent, within the Demon Country, a middle-aged Daoist materialized out of thin air.
Finding himself in a continuous mountain range, Lu Xuan frowned slightly and looked around. Demonic energy surged to the heavens, plant and tree spirits were endless, and all birds and beasts had gained intelligence!
"’Worthy of the name Demon Country.’"
Muttering to himself, Lu Xuan cast his gaze toward the heartland of the Demon Country. He saw two Heaven-Reaching Divine Mountains, one as straight as a pillar.
The other was relatively normal, with what looked like a Great Palace situated on its peak. If he wasn’t mistaken, that must be the dwelling place of the Demon Ancestor Incarnation.
’But...’
’Where is Lamp?’
Subconsciously, Lu Xuan looked toward the straight divine mountain. It was shrouded in a thick, chaotic mist, completely obscuring the scene within, as if it were a world of its own.
"’Lamp Buddha is in the Daluo Realm and cannot enter this world. He must be inside that mountain that forms its own heaven and earth.’"
Lu Xuan narrowed his eyes slightly, straightened his Daoist Robe, and muttered to himself,
"’A mountain that can contain a Daluo... It shouldn’t just be Lamp inside, right? Which old acquaintance could it be? Which old friend?’"
Looking more closely, he saw demons coming and going around the two divine mountains. The occasional human figure he spotted was always bowing and scraping, being ordered about, a clear display of servitude.
Beside the mountain, there was a place like a pigsty, penning a hundred thousand barely clothed men and women, huddled in the mud and weeds...
"Good demons, very good demons..." Lu Xuan’s eyes lowered. His thoughts connected with the Origin mark on his left hand, and reaching into the Origin, he retrieved four long swords.
The four swords hummed softly.
......
「Beside the Buzhou Pillar, in the human pen.」
"The last time was truly an accident. A Great Saint was starving and ate all the people, which is why we had to trouble you two to bring some new ones."
A Demon Saint bowed respectfully and chuckled.
"These guys are probably still confused, having been personally delivered by the Dragon Tiger Holy Land and the Wudang Holy Land, ha!"
A look of struggle, as if they were about to weep tears of blood, appeared in the eyes of the Old Celestial Master and Zhang Jifeng. But in the next moment, a heavy Divine Thought descended from the Buzhou Pillar Peak, seizing control of their Divine Souls once more.
They returned to a state of calm, becoming wooden and unresponsive again.
In the human pen, countless people watched this scene, some cursing angrily, some weeping bitterly, some wailing in agony, some sinking into despair.
A human at the Earth Immortal Level cried out in grief,
"The Celestial Master and the True Martial Emperor’s Son have had their minds seized... Wake up, wake up!"
he shouted.
Many knowledgeable humans who had guessed what was happening began to shout together:
"Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!"
The shouts gradually grew into a continuous roar. Intense struggle once again appeared in the eyes of the Old Celestial Master and Zhang Jifeng.
But in the next instant, another terrifying Divine Thought swept down from the top of the Buzhou Pillar, shattering their will and seizing their souls!
The two men went as still as wooden chickens.
A Great Demon grinned.
"Noisy, so noisy! If you keep making a ruckus, we’ll cook this entire batch and just get a new shipment!"
As it hissed, it casually grabbed a nearby girl from the pen and devoured her alive, blood splattering everywhere. A heavy demonic energy swept across the vast human pen, silencing it completely.
「Meanwhile, at the top of the Buzhou Pillar.」
Gouchen yawned, patted the kowtowing Lamp on the head, and chuckled.
"These two juniors have some real willpower. This is the seventh time they’ve broken free from the restraints of my Daluo Thought. Not bad, not bad..."
Lamp coughed up a mouthful of golden Buddha Blood and said coldly,
"Gouchen, your doom is upon you."
"Doom?" Gouchen scoffed. "You’ve said that a hundred times. Where is this doom..."
The words had barely left his mouth.
HUMMM!!
Four Heaven-Reaching Divine Mountains plummeted from the sky, pinning themselves in the four cardinal directions—east, south, west, and north—and unleashing the true meaning of Annihilation and Slaughter!!
As the four divine mountains landed, the earth shook violently, throwing up billions of tons of dirt that covered the sky and sun!!
"The Immortal Slaying Sword Array?!" Gouchen’s face changed as he shot to his feet. Lamp looked up in pleasant surprise and laughed heartily.
"Your doom has arrived!"
