Dao Equaling the Heavens
Chapter 422 - 33 Heavenly Saint Appears_2

Chapter 422: Chapter 33 Heavenly Saint Appears_2

Yuqing Elder blushed with shame and for a moment dared not make a sound.

How could this be openly discussed? And to mention it to the Yuqing Heavenly Venerate, what if this reached the ears of their Ancestral Master...

Gu Wen shook his head and said, "A Qiankun Bag can only be considered a symbol of fame and fortune, just like a vestment robe or a magic treasure. Disciples of a major sect possess countless treasured items for protection, yet their cultivation does not increase with a magic treasure, nor does a beggar escape poverty with fine clothes."

Chi Yu Zi said, "And yet, on just the first day of entering the mountain gate, you’ve become an old and pedantic Daoist; will you not still go drinking with me once we descend from the mountain?"

When they reached halfway up the mountain, still five thousand zhang from the peak and with over a thousand Daoist temples yet to pass, Gu Wen stopped in his tracks.

It was a place concealed by dense vegetation, where a path of ancient bluestone suddenly emerged.

The elder from the Yuqing Sect looked puzzled, thinking it might be the secluded dwelling of some Daoist Sect predecessor, as rumors had it that within the Three Pure Mountain lay a vast expanse of three thousand li.

This spiritual mountain harbored countless hermit great powers, and sometimes even those Daoist predecessors who went into deep seclusion to pass away would leave their grotto heavens open to their disciples to pass on their mantles.

"Let’s stop here."

Without looking back, Gu Wen entered the ancient path, his steps suddenly quickening; Chi Yu Zi followed close behind.

In an instant, the ancient path again turned into mist and disappeared.

The elder from the Yuqing Sect clasped his hands in salute and took off into flight, not asking further. There were too many mysteries in this world, not all of which a mere cultivator in the Body Integration Realm could comprehend.

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The ancient path extended a hundred steps, with birdsong and flower fragrances on both sides; a secluded courtyard was half-hidden among bamboo groves.

"Have you been here before?"

Gu Wen, leading the way, asked the question; Chi Yu Zi shook his head and replied, "The Qingcang Immortal never mentioned where Sister Yu Hua might be located, nor did anyone dare to inquire about your and Yu Hua’s life or death."

"You all truly fear the master like a ferocious tiger or wolf."

Arriving at the entrance, in one corner of the small courtyard, by a quaint faux-mountain stone, a gentle stream flowed with a soothing ripple, falling into a pond below and splashing layer upon layer of delicate ripples.

In the center of the yard stood a two-story building with green bricks and black tiles, its walls covered in lush moss.

An elderly woman was watering flowers in the courtyard. In the perception of Gu Wen and Chi Yu Zi, this place formed an array, with boundless life force nurturing the small building at the very center.

Externally it appeared to be a building, internally it served as an array, and in essence, it was a furnace.

The entire courtyard was a giant pill furnace, with the spirit medicine, which should have been used for alchemy, serving as one of the foundations of the array, tirelessly supplying it with life force.

Seeing visitors, she put down her white jade watering can and asked, "Fellow Daoist, who might you be, and for what purpose have you come here?"

Gu Wen clasped his hands and replied, "I am a cultivator from the Red Dust, with my master’s permission, I have come to visit an old friend."

"I remember you, you were the top of the three rankings back then; everyone said you had died."

"Who might this elderly lady be, and what are you doing here?"

"I am Yue Ning, the head of the Yuqing Sect six thousand years ago. An Immortal entrusted me to allow someone to become a saint in their sleep. Therefore, I have set up this array to sustain day and night, to nourish the person within, allowing her to sanctify her fleshly body in her dreams."

"Does the elderly lady know how that person is faring now?"

"I do not know, I have never seen her, nor does the Immortal allow anyone to come within half a step."

"What’s the implication of this ’fleshly body becoming a saint’?"

"I don’t know that either. Only that the body which emerges from sleep, even if it becomes a saint, does not endure hardship."

The voice of the elderly woman was hoarse, and she was shrouded in a thick presence of death, such that even her eyes appeared somewhat murky.

"Moreover, not walking a single step for hundreds of years in this house, I fear it might not be a living person anymore; this body sanctification could give rise to some aberrations."

Chi Yu Zi communicated through transmission, "Her mind is unclear, probably so old that even her divine soul has decayed."

Six thousand years old in the Mahayana Realm was already an admirable age; considering the tribulation of lifespan, she probably did not have many days left to live.

Gu Wen took out a hundred-year-old spiritual herb from his Inheritance Treasure Cave Heaven and presented it to her, then he entered the small building.

What first came into view was a screen depicting green mountains and flying cranes; the room was neatly arranged with objects, and sunlight filtered through the translucent rice paper onto the indoor floor, creating a mottled play of light and shadow.

Moving past the screen, the bed was veiled by a thin gauze, within which a figure lay quietly, breathing silently as if in the land of dreams.

Gu Wen halted his steps and did not proceed further.

Chi Yu Zi blinked and asked, "Aren’t you going to take a look?"

"There’s no need."

Gu Wen shook his head then turned and left, with Chi Yu Zi following behind.

After they left the small building, the old woman who had taken the spiritual herb showed a hint of clarity in her eyes and said, "Yuqing Heavenly Venerate, the method of ’fleshly body becoming a saint’ takes a very long time. If you could plant some millennia-aged spirit herbs, perhaps it could be hastened."

"The herb I just gave should be from the Immortal Land, the more the better."

Gu Wen casually flung his sleeve, and a vast number of spirit herbs surged forth, instantly creating a small mountain and overflowing the courtyard wall.

Yue Ning was stunned for a moment, not expecting him to have so many spirit herbs.

She then selected three spirit herbs and carefully planted them in the soil, saying,

"Only these three are up to standard; the others are too young in years and, despite their great number, can only serve as fertilizer."

"How long will it take for her to become a Saint through her mortal body?"

"Originally a thousand years, but now that you’ve provided the Immortal Land Spiritual Medicine, nine hundred years should be enough."

"Nine hundred years is too long."

Gu Wen left a remark and turned away as if there was nothing he was reluctant to part with.

Chi Yu Zi still followed behind, wanting to say something but hesitating, cursing his own ineptitude at presenting a strong argument.

"How about we go down the mountain for a drink?"

"Let’s go."

That night, at the foot of Three Pure Mountain, in Xuanyong City, Qianfeng Tower.

The two of them were completely drunk, the floor littered with wine jars, having tasted every kind of fine wine there was.

Because of the vast territory, different regions produced different Spirit Fruits and Spiritual Medicines, hence each region’s liquor had its own uniqueness.

Gu Wen also discovered an interesting use for the white jade bottle; any liquid poured into it would be imbued with the essence of moonlight, and drinking the moonlight-infused liquid was akin to drinking a carbonated beverage.

Coupled with the fact that fruit wines were common in the Cultivation World, drinking them offered various sweet flavors, which along with the moonlight, were similar to the beverages from his previous life.

Chi Yu Zi was sprawled on the table, drooling while snoring loudly, his snores resembling those of a strong man nine feet tall.

Gu Wen held the white jade bottle, drinking cup after cup, as characters continuously flowed over its surface.

The inner thoughts of every person on the street fell into his ears.

The sheltered daughter who snuck out at night, the impoverished scholar accompanying her, the waiter soliciting customers, the Cultivators in the next room loudly debating...

Their innermost desires and thoughts, without missing a word, landed in his ears.

This feeling provided an inexplicable sense of security.

As long as he could see into people’s hearts, he wouldn’t fear being framed by others.

"Following Heaven and Earth, there shall be no third saint."

"Jianmu, Ancestor Dragon, Qingcang, Red Dust, Immortal Sword serve as evidence for those who may prove their Mixed Element nature, all may enter the Heavenly Court to prove their immortality, to live as long as Heaven and Earth."

Gu Wen’s expression was calm as he drank two more cups of orange-flavored Spiritual Wine.

Looking at these words, he seemed to see an immeasurable figure looming in the boundless beyond.

Heavenly Saint.

Its approach came without warning, silently.

Gu Wen did not find it strange, for the Great Saint was omnipresent. It was not the Heavenly Saint who came seeking, but It that spoke.

He asked, "So was Jianmu just busy for nothing?"

"Jianmu, with its roots in the great earth, belongs to the Earth Saint, and the position of the underworld should belong to it."

"So the unification of the underworld with the Heavenly Court is just a ploy to put us on a leash?"

"Great Saints are immortal and indestructible; the fruits of the Dao of Heaven and Earth are the same, with no distinction."

"If that’s the case, why go to such great lengths? Could it be that if the third saint appears, you will disappear?"

Gu Wen, with a hazy drunkenness, raised his cup and said with a smile, "So you’re not that impressive after all, constrained by others."

"Heaven and Earth divide into Yin and Yang, Yin and Yang into the Five Elements, beyond which there is no space for a third great Dao. If not checked, the cycles of Heaven and Earth will end, the Five Elements will collapse, until the integration of the three saints."

"Therefore, those who are entitled to prove their Mixed Element nature enjoy immortality via the Dao Fruit without competition."

The majestic entity in the obscure depths provided a reply.

It did not shy away or conceal anything, laying bare the cause and effect, and then presented another great Dao. There were no schemes or deceptions, It simply arrived with a choice.

And this immortal presence, overlooking the entire river of time, acted more ’gently’ than the myriad creatures it watched over.

While all beings complied with the law of the survival of the fittest, It brought a win-win choice.

Gu Wen finished the wine in his cup and said half-drunk, "If you can revive a person for me, then I shall not vie for the title of the third saint."

"Life and death are irrevocable laws of Heaven and Earth, which must not prevent the proliferation of living beings, nor allow the resurrected to return from death. To enjoy the fruits of the Dao of Heaven and Earth, one must abide by the decrees of Heaven."

"So, you can’t do it?"

"The laws of life and death of Heaven and Earth, cannot be exceeded."

"Can’t do it, then don’t bother."

Gu Wen flung his sleeves, stirring the Daoist harmony within a hundred miles into chaos, leaving no room for the will of Heaven.

"Why should I pursue immortality or prove the Dao if I must adhere to the decrees of Heaven?"

And with that, he too fell fast asleep.

Gu Wen knew he could not harm the Heavenly Saint, but the difference between a Little Saint and an Immortal was that he was qualified to refuse.

Immortals need not fret over life and death; Saints need not worry about Heaven and Earth.