Dao Equaling the Heavens
Chapter 441 - 42: Magical Duel

Chapter 441: Chapter 42: Magical Duel

Three Pure Mountain, a small courtyard with blue roof tiles.

Huayang and Yun Miao quickly walked into the courtyard, greeting the snoring White Fox at the gate with a bow, and then they stood three steps away from the gate and bowed, saying in unison, "Master, Huayang seeks an audience."

"Come in."

A familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar cold voice came from inside the house; they pushed the door open and saw a woman with a serene and beautiful face sitting on a chair, constantly threading a silver needle through white satin, seemingly tailoring a Daoist robe.

Qingcang Immortal, the currently acknowledged strongest being between heaven and earth.

Her fame reached beyond the Nine Heavens above and touched the Yellow Springs below. No one, alive or dead, in the eight hundred years of heaven and earth, trembled before her.

The strength of Qingcang lay in her unmatched might among all beings. Her prominence lay in creating eight hundred years of peace for the Human Race, enduring through three eras of universal harmony.

She educated the masses and enlightened the people, spreading Daoist Skills widely.

She had too many achievements, so many that history books could hardly encompass her entire life.

Simultaneously, she was a guillotine hanging over the heads of all powerful beings. The Human Race never lacked those acting in society’s interest, and numerous true advocates of the Righteous path emerged during these eight hundred years of peace. But eventually, they would die, their powers limited and few.

Yet Qingcang was nearly immortal, possessing unrivaled majestic power that never twisted to the will of all things.

Every century, she resiliently wrestled with the beings of heaven and earth, relentless and indifferent.

Just within the Daoist Sect alone, more than a dozen great powers had been executed by Qingcang Immortal.

People sought justice, but the great powers never favored justice, especially not the justice that they could not administer themselves.

Qingcang raised her eyebrows, her clear grey-black eyes no longer carrying the majesty of the past, calm like a tranquil spring.

"You and Gu Wen’s karma has come to an end, at least his life is no longer in jeopardy."

"All thanks to Master’s grace."

Huayang showed no hint of secret joy, respectfully lowering his head to the master who had secured a chance for him.

That past incident had no right or wrong, only karma.

As the Venerable leader of the Daoist Sect, Huayang had never held a measure for right or wrong in his heart; he only pursued advantage and disadvantage. Everything could be cast aside as long as it removed the obstacles to the resurrection of the Immortals.

But at the same time, as a Venerable, he had immense power but also had to bear great responsibility.

Getting things done right brought merit; failing brought demerit—a simple truth.

"Your temperament is suited for sitting in the hall but not for becoming an Immortal," Qingcang said somewhat helplessly shaking her head, "If you were as slick as Yun Miao, bowed and admitted your wrongs first, this matter would not be so troublesome."

Huayang said, "Disciple acknowledges the mistake, yet it’s not something an apology can solve. In the future, as Yuqing Heavenly Venerate is destined to take charge of the Jade Palace, the resulting karma might disrupt the justice of the Daoist Sect, better to settle it all at once."

Qingcang, with a hint of reproach, said, "But doing so gave him an excuse to leave, and I have met him no less than two hundred ninety-nine times."

"..."

Huayang suddenly looked up, somewhat incredulous at Qingcang.

This was the first time he had heard Qingcang Master reveal such evident emotion.

Yun Miao, less rigid than him, had long understood the loving heart of his own master and said somewhat helplessly, "Master, he has only been in the Daoist Sect for three months and yet has met you three hundred times."

Two hundred seventy days—meeting three times a day still wasn’t enough; no wonder Gu Wen wanted to leave.

"Isn’t it normal to see each other in the morning, noon, and evening?" Qingcang said matter-of-factly, "I see that among mortals in modest households, they eat three meals a day together."

Yun Miao felt helpless but could not say much more.

Huayang felt puzzled but was never one to gossip, saying, "Master, Yuqing Heavenly Venerate seems to have caused a stir on Sumeru Mountain, do you want to go and see?"

This was his main purpose; news of Yuqing Heavenly Venerate causing trouble on Sumeru Mountain was known to the Daoist Sect in a very short amount of time.

Currently, in the Buddha State, across eight provinces, eighty thousand Taoist Soldiers had been assembled, ready to completely eradicate the entire Buddha State if necessary.

Of course, this was so long as the Buddha Ancestor did not intervene.

"I have been watching all along."

Qingcang’s Divine Thought spread across hundreds of thousands of miles, looking at Sumeru Mountain enveloped in Buddhist light, saying, "This monk has some skills, capable of isolating from heaven and earth, already carrying a bit of the Buddhist realm’s essence."

Cultivators imitate heaven and earth; Saints create heaven and earth.

Due to her part of the Daoist essence left in the Book of Life and Death to counter the Earth Saint’s Law, protecting the lives of Gu Wen and Yu Hua, she still did not have her small heaven and earth.

Qingcang planned to fill it with endless grains to once again push for a world of great harmony.

Huayang asked, "Will Yuqing Heavenly Venerate’s actions interfere with the plan?"

"That’s Chi Yu Zi, but it doesn’t matter which of them it is," Qingcang replied, "If we can proceed slowly it would be good, but given the Buddha Ancestor’s current rate of enlightening the Jade Sword Buddha, it is unlikely to proceed as we wish."

Originally, the Daoist Sect had planned for the Jade Sword Buddha to continue suppressing the Buddha Ancestor for as long as possible, but it seems now that it could not be sustained.

Huayang asked further, "What are the chances of the Jade Sword Buddha’s success?"

"One percent."

Qingcang paused, then praised, "This girl’s talent is probably second only to Gu Wen, but considering the Buddha Ancestor represents the desires of heaven and earth, having one percent is enough to be proud of."

Huayang’s gaze carried myriad considerations, deliberating several times; a trace of murderous intent emerged.

"Since the Jade Sword Buddha is unlikely to succeed, then eradicate Buddhism, flatten the million Buddhist temples in the Buddha State; perhaps this way, the Jade Sword Buddha might still have a sliver of chance."

Yun Miao frowned and said, "What about after that? Buddhists do not cultivate Spiritual Energy; as long as sentient beings have desires, Buddhism will not vanish. Buddha State, being the flourishing ground of Buddhism, is also its prison and must not be lightly disturbed."

For the Daoist Sect, eradicating Buddhism was merely a thought away.

The Buddha Ancestor could not defeat Qingcang Immortal, and Buddhism was no match for the Daoist Sect that governed the world.