Dao Equaling the Heavens
Chapter 130 - 109 Daoist Sect Treats Me As An Immortal Talent_2

Chapter 130: Chapter 109 Daoist Sect Treats Me As An Immortal Talent_2

"These are the orbs atop the entrance gate of the Sanqing Taoist Sect, and every new disciple must bow to them upon entering the mountain,"

Yu Hua’s face revealed a trace of reminiscence, "That year, when Master led me through the sect’s gate, he pointed to the Life-saving Pearl and told me to bow to it, informing me that it was an object from the founding of the Daoist Sect."

The old donkey by their side added, "The Life-saving Pearl is not the best treasure of the sect, but it is the most special because it was the personal protective Magic Treasure of Qingcang when he was young."

"Sanqing was not established by Qingcang, but the Sanqing Taoist Sect was indeed integrated by him."

Gu Wen immediately understood, this was like being wrapped in the national flag of the founding country. But wasn’t this a bit too good?

He said, "This is a bit too heavy a responsibility for me, actually, just any Magic Treasure would have sufficed."

His five years in Bianjing had made him accustomed to relying on himself, completely forgetting what it felt like to rely on others. Yu Hua was the first to make him feel like he had someone to depend on. But she could be the exception, and now, unexpectedly, he had a group of elders he had never met before.

To force a cultivator of the Mahayana Realm to fight desperately and then bestow the Life-saving Pearl upon him.

This feeling of others’ high expectations was overwhelmingly heavy, much like facing one’s parents’ expectations to perform well in school in his previous life; failing to do so carried a sense of guilt.

The heavier the gift, the harder the debt of gratitude to repay, and he feared that it might not be so easy to distance himself from the Daoist Sect in the future.

But to say he was resistant, he didn’t dislike it; after all, they had given him a Magic Treasure to protect his life. Gu Wen actually thought that the upper echelons of the Daoist Sect were very clever, knowing very well how to win people’s hearts.

The word "honor" was most effective in capturing hearts.

Ao Tang nodded in agreement, "Indeed, it’s not that there are no other treasures of the same level; suddenly giving you this is like putting you on a hot griddle, isn’t it? If the other Three Pure Daoists see this and feel discontented, what then?"

The Three Pure Daoists had not been able to secure the Life-saving Pearl for themselves, and now here it was, given to Gu Wen, a protector who hadn’t yet practiced within the sect. Perhaps there was an element of compensation involved, but even so, that was no reason to use this item.

Yu Hua had intended to object; could you, an old dragon in the Mahayana Realm, see more clearly than Venerable Yun Miao?

However, as the words reached her lips, she suddenly noticed an aura, one equivalent to her own fully fulfilled Dao Foundation, radiating from Gu Wen.

Ao Tang, still unaware, tried to comfort, "You, as a Second Ancestor, just think that those above you are ignorant. Don’t feel too much pressure. Maybe this treasure was originally meant for Yu Hua, and since she didn’t want it, they just handed it over to you."

Sometimes too much pressure wasn’t a good thing. Ao Tang didn’t want this burden of hopes, clearly beyond Gu Wen’s level, to crush him.

Gu Wen asked, "Yes, the favor is indeed too great to repay, but can Ao Tang still send a message back?"

Ao Tang shook his head in response, "How could it possibly be returned? Just keep it, it’s alright."

"No, I only wish to inform the Daoist Sect of something."

A gentle breeze blew by, and the nun who had been sitting in a daze, her back against the moonlight, suddenly lifted her head, while the Heavenly Girl, with a smile on her face, and the True Dragon, transformed into a donkey, had their gazes frozen.

Gu Wen spread his hand open, and a dazzling sword light converged in the palm, the sword like white mist containing all phenomena, as if it were the source of all Sword Dao.

"The Daoist Sect has treated me as an Immortal talent, and I shall repay it in kind. The Thirty-Six Immortal Skills, the True Sword Dao, I have already mastered."

Displaying talent was originally for acquiring treasures; now to display it again was to respond and also to secure a higher status for oneself.

The sect’s ethos cherished talent above all else, therefore he displayed his abilities; otherwise, he would have kept them hidden.

"Ah? Ah? Ah?"

For a long while, until the sword light of the True Sword Dao dissipated, Ao Tang stood frozen like a wood-carved chicken, unable to comprehend how Gu Wen could have mastered the True Sword Dao.

This was the foremost Sword Dao of the world, the origin of myriad swords; over many years, countless great powers from Broken Sword Mountain were driven mad by it. To the degree that it had become a sort of tradition, in each generation of Broken Sword Mountain, there was a sword maniac who warned the disciples not to pursue the True Sword Dao.

If so many generations from Broken Sword Mountain’s elites hadn’t mastered it, how did Gu Wen, a man who hadn’t even set foot through the gate of Broken Sword Mountain, achieve it?

This shock was even greater to him than reaching the ninth level of Jade Clear Dao Base; it implied that Gu Wen had mastered two Immortal Skills simultaneously.

The protector was underestimating himself a bit too much.

Yu Hua didn’t really have the heart to continue striking down Ao Tang, so she answered for it, "Going back to Heavenly Pillar Mountain now is not worth it, but there’s a method you can try."

"What is it?"

"Climb the Heavenly Spring Mountain and also enter the top three of the Earthly Rankings."

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Back in his room, Gu Wen investigated the Life-saving Pearl for a long time before slowly saying, "The top three of the Earthly Rankings will be difficult indeed."

The current third place on the Earthly Rankings was Chi Yu Zi; only in terms of strength, his present self couldn’t surpass him in the short term, but could the second level of the True Sword Dao compete?

Chi Yu Zi allegedly possessed the Nine Revolutions Golden Pill, also an Immortal Skill.

With only the second level of the True Sword Dao, it probably wasn’t enough; he would need to add something else. Gu Wen remembered that Lu Chan ranked fifth because she excelled in three aspects: Illusion Technique, Alchemy Dao, and Array. And he could do the same.

But if he couldn’t defeat her with the True Sword Dao alone, he might as well aim for fourth place.

Gu Wen took a Pill and sat in meditation, introspecting his Qi Sea.

His Fate Diagram hung over everything like the boundless cosmos, with Heavenly Marrow and imperial jelly interweaving within, the Yuqing Dao Base Divine Mountain standing tall, and the three swords coexisting to give rise to the True Sword Dao, while the sole dharma form of the True Dragon and the Life-saving Pearl circled around.

The thick medicinal power from the Pill, like fine rain, moistened everything within the Qi Sea, the Dao Base, Buddha, Tao, and Demon Swords, and the True Dragon dharma form all receiving subtle enhancements.

Such was the special nature of the Immortal Land; with Pills, anyone could swiftly improve their cultivation, expand their limits, and even nurture dharma forms.

Suddenly, the True Dragon dharma form underwent a slight change, and a glimmer of spirituality appeared in its previously dull dragon eyes, and without Gu Wen’s command, it let out a long and autonomous roar to the heavens.