Dao Equaling the Heavens
Chapter 331 - 211: Gu Wen Becomes Immortal!

Chapter 331: Chapter 211: Gu Wen Becomes Immortal!

Throughout the year’s end, Three Pure Mountain no longer rained down Spiritual Mountains, and the canopy of the Jianmu tree ceased to gleam brightly. The split forms of the Twelve Demon Ancestors stood tall as mountain ranges just outside Nanshui, with demons and humans alike preparing for the funeral of an Immortal. As Qingcang should be entering slumber to accumulate power,

she continued to dedicate herself to improving the techniques of Five Spirits Valley, printing, and papermaking, as well as contemplating the future advancements and reflections on the human race’s systems.

She carved out new paths, even if it was just laying the first brick.

Finally, Qingcang fell, her powers beginning to converge and accumulate according to the original plan.

Lying on her deathbed, Yun Miao and Huayang, accompanied by many great powers of the human race, cast down their avatars. For the first time in thousands of years, all sects and factions, great powers of every discipline, even ancient foes who had once obstructed the Daoist Sect, were present.

All mortal powers had arrived, with hundreds of people filling the house inside and out, silently awaiting her last words.

Qingcang gazed at the ceiling for a long time, her voice steady without fluctuations and utterly devoid of fear of death.

"In my life, I made three mistakes. The first was not being able to pull out the Jianmu, leaving trouble for future generations. The second was failing to consider the ordinary people; we cultivators moved too quickly and stood too high, no longer seeing the people on the ground. Now, even if I want to remedy this, I can only leave it to my successors."

Her eyes filled with regret as she looked towards Gu Wen.

"The third mistake: not fulfilling my duties as a master. I couldn’t nurture you to grow, couldn’t protect you to adulthood. My disciple, you needn’t emulate me, do not follow my example. If the human race is doomed, run far, far away."

"And you, after I’m gone, let the Sanqing Taoist Sect disappear. Turn it back into the sects of Yuqing, Upper Pure, and Taiching. In doing so, it might not be impossible to seek allegiance to Jianmu in the future."

Yun Miao and Huayang slowly knelt down, saying in unison, "If Upper Pure (Taiching) falls, only in our death shall we battle."

Following that, numerous great powers from all schools and factions slowly knelt down. Some swore to fight to the death, while others remained silent, yet even those not intending to battle thought it right to kneel.

"In the end, I have one request, my disciple, come closer."

Gu Wen approached the bedside on his knees, and Qingcang whispered a few words in his ear, shielded by mana so the others couldn’t hear.

The next moment, Gu Wen’s eyes widened slightly, and Qingcang spoke with an awkward expression, "Is that not possible?"

"Of course, it is," said Gu Wen with a resigned smile. "It’s just that Master, you always surprise, even at a time like this, to ask for this."

"What do you mean, ’even this’? This is a matter of great personal significance to me."

Qingcang waved her fist feebly, her lack of strength making her seem adorable. It was only at this moment that Gu Wen was reminded of her name.

Li Yunshang, a person of flesh and blood, not a fully-fledged Saint.

With those words, Qingcang slowly closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, the spark of divine light had disappeared.

A tear slid down Yu Hua’s cheek; she wiped it away and turned to ask Gu Wen, "What did the Great Master say?"

"The Master didn’t permit me to speak of it."

Gu Wen shook his head as the words echoed in his ears,

’My disciple, in the future, could you not take anyone else as your master?’

That was her final, trivial private desire, both laughable and touching in its cautiousness.

One by one, the great powers departed, stopping to bow their respects again as they reached the edge of the heavens.

Yu Hua had fully awakened, but Gu Wen didn’t linger in conversation with her. He turned back to his quarters to cultivate the True Sword Dao incessantly, with every moment consumed by practice.

[True Sword Dao is fulfilled, the ultimate understanding of the Sword Dao is realized, yet while the path of Immortality has its place, there is no way to become immortal.]

-----------------

The nineteenth year of Daxia.

The transported herbs began to decrease year after year. It wasn’t that Jiang Jucai was incompetent, but the opportunities in Immortal Land were shifting from prosperity to decline.

What were once harvests of herbs every three months have now turned to once a year, with the frequency bound to lessen further.

To use Qingcang’s words, the Spirit Ancestor’s first breath was nearing its end, and the next would not come for another thousand years.

That same year, Yun Miao and Huayang descended to seek out Gu Wen, and the three of them gathered together.

"Since the Great Master can no longer manage affairs, the future direction of the Daoist Sect should be guided by us. I believe we should not separate," said Yun Miao, in what was an extreme act of defiance.

Huayang’s brows furrowed as he responded, "We are merely upholding her long-standing wishes. As long as Jianmu is not eradicated, the Daoist Sect shall not split."

"It’s all the same," Yun Miao said, waving his hand dismissively before looking towards Gu Wen, "What do you think? Our little Yuqing Venerable?"

Gu Wen countered, "Without splitting, where would we find the means to sustain so many cultivators?"

Cultivation relies on Spiritual Mountains and Spirit Fields. The Daoist Sect, with its large population, hence the need to split.

Yun Miao clenched his fist with a smile, his eyes sharp, "The frontier. If there aren’t enough Spirit Fields, we’ll slay devils and consume Demon Cores."

Gu Wen nodded, "That is doable."

It was the predetermined final day for the last three Spiritual Mountains of Three Pure Mountain to descend.

Powers from all directions set their sights on the Nine Heavens, as the last three Spiritual Mountains of Three Pure Mountain descended, moving slowly across the sky like shooting stars and breaking through the clouds.

On Bihua Continent, Xuanhuang Continent, and Yunyin Continent, great powers had already moved mountains aside, using Divine Powers to excavate hundred-mile wide pits, while cities for temporary residence of Daoist Sect disciples had been built beneath the mountains a decade ago.

One by one, cultivators soar through the sky on swords; at a given moment, they all collectively look up to see the clouds collapsing, revealing shimmering Spirit Veins holding up a massive mountain range.

Yuqing Main Lineage stretched three hundred miles to each side and rose nine thousand zhang high, with numerous Daoist temples faintly visible on its heights.

Yuqing Mountain glided across the sky of Xuanhuang Continent, and with countless mortals and powers looking on, it continued westward without descending.

Simultaneously, Taiching Mountain and Upper Pure Mountain did the same, not falling according to the original plan but moving west, arriving at the desolate frontier.

The canopy of Jianmu was almost within reach; shadows of devils abounded, and the aura of death was pervasive.

Boom.

Three mountain ranges fell, tightly interlocking with each other, becoming the only patch of greenery in the barren wilderness aside from Jianmu.

Cranes soared from the mountains, crossing through clouds, green hills, and Taoist temples.

Yun Miao and Huayang stood atop their respective Spiritual Mountains, backed by a hundred thousand disciples of the Three Pure Ones, gazing toward the distant Jianmu and the encroaching Devil Clan near the Earth Realm with eyes imbued with spirit light, gleaming like countless shimmering stars.

The green hills loomed over the world, with five hundred Demon Kings tumbling out of their caves, the eight great Devil Emperors streaking through the wind, and the myriad Devil Clan retreating three hundred miles.

-----------------

Inside a small compound in Immortal Land, Gu Wen slowly closed his eyes.

Within his Qi Sea, a Divine Mountain stood firm, and he had already reached the summit.

Ninety-nine levels, fulfilled!

He gazed at his Fate Diagram; the full Heavenly Marrow and Emperor’s Essence transformed into a blazing sun, with strands of information coming through.

"[Heavenly Marrow fulfilled for ten thousand years, Emperor’s Essence fulfilled for ten thousand years, one can become Immortal in the prime of life.]"

Immortality was now within arm’s reach.

"Dao Foundation’s path to Immortality requires restarting Qi Cultivation, while Fate Diagram’s path waits until eighty years old, is this what you call Immortality?"

Gu Wen let out several light chuckles and then murmured, "Those who stand between heaven and earth are human, and those who shoulder the mountains and rivers become Immortal."

He had already reached Dao Foundation Perfection, he had already gathered what was needed for Immortality in the Fate Diagram, he had already obtained everything.

But this was still not enough, nowhere near enough, I must become truly invincible, unmatched by anyone from the past or the future!

Were I to raise a Dharma Form to the heavens, all spells fulfilled, an unparalleled combatant.

Would Jianmu possibly stop me, or heaven and earth prevent me, or would things not be fulfilled?

Ten thousand feet of Heavenly Marrow infused into the Flame Dharma, Flame Spear Skill, Swordsmanship, movement technique, mental method, Divine Soul skills...all fulfilled!

Ten thousand feet of Emperor’s Essence into the Flame Dharma Form; when the Dharma Form reaches ten thousand feet, even from a height of a thousand feet, transcendence is achieved!

All Heavenly Marrow and Emperor’s Essence surged into the Flame Skill, with all learned Divine Skills and Immortal Skill blended into the Flame Dharma Form.

The initial version of him, who dared to defy Daqian, brutally killing the Crown Prince, hence the name "Flame" was born.

Now, he dared to defy the overwhelming trends.

-----------------

In the twentieth year of Daxia, the Three Realms fell silent, all sides no longer restless, nor daring to be restless.

Everyone was waiting for one outcome, the conclusion of the strife between Jianmu and Qingcang.

Gu Wen opened his eyes, sat at his usual spot by the window inside the house, basking in the moonlight, flipping through a book.

She looked up at Gu Wen, a flash of confusion in her eyes, and said, "Why can’t I see your cultivation anymore, have you reached full completion?"

Gu Wen nodded and then stood up to say, "I am going to the Devil Domain for a while, to take back the last part of the Immortality Pill."

The Immortal Sword suddenly emerged from his body, hovering in front of him, its thoughts resonating powerfully.

"No, the Twelve Devil Ancestors and Jianmu’s avatar are there; you going alone would be a death wish."

"I must save my mentor, even if I face the thirty-six Devil Ancestors, I will still storm into the Devil Domain."

Gu Wen spoke with a calm yet determined tone, one word at a time.

Save the familiar rather than the world, that is who he is.

He reached out and grasped the Immortal Sword, and between the hand and the sword hilt, endless divine light seemed to bloom, the two engaged in a pull of power, with the balance tilting step by step towards Gu Wen.

The Immortal Sword couldn’t contend with him and was ultimately held firmly in one hand, sheathed back into its scabbard.

Yu Hua came back to her senses; rather than stopping him, she reached out to straighten his collar, saying, "The Longevity Pill has not yet been refined; you only need to take back that part of the Immortality Pill, and you can still save the mentor."

"I have already lost the power of my mentor, this time I will have to rely on you."

Stepping out of the house, Gu Wen no longer concealed his aura, revealing the power of his fully completed Dao Foundation.

All beings lay underfoot, with mountains encircling him, shoulders rivaling the bright moon, looking down upon the world.

With giant hands that could support the heavens, he pushed aside the clouds and the moon, and in one step, he entered the Devil Domain.

The canopy stretched across the cosmos, Jianmu’s divine light illuminating the entire Cultivation World, with a light in the far west stretching shadows over countless mountain ranges.

Even from the Nine Heavens, the Three Pure Mountain radiated dazzling light, falling from the Eighth Level Heaven down into the Seventh Level Heaven!

The Half Immortals of the Void, and the great powers of cultivation, all across the world, held their breath and focused their spirits at this moment.

In the end, they saw that towering figure, black robes billowing in the wind, long hair draped over his shoulders, the glint in his eyes dark and deep.

Gu Wen stood at the edge of Nanshui, facing the primordial forest-like Devil Domain, he struck out with his sword.

The sword light split the group of mountains and forests in twain, leaving a sword scar that ran for hundreds of miles.

It was not Qingcang?!