Cultivation: When you take things to the extreme

Chapter 217: Chapter 155: Making Plans_1

Translator: 549690339

Three days later, the flames of war gradually died out, and the world was draped in mourning.

After the battle in the Capital Region, rivers of blood flowed, with countless dead and wounded.

With the Xuanyuan Sword’s slash, the elimination of Pudu demons was achieved. Although the greatest threat was removed, there were still many loose ends that needed to be tied up.

For instance, the three monstrous gods controlled by Cihang’s evil skills. After Cihang perished, these gods and the demons within the Capital Region did not regain their senses but instead went into a complete frenzy, threatening to drag everyone down with them in mutual destruction.

Fortunately, after slaying Pudu Cihang, the Xuanyuan Divine Sword still had some lingering power left to autonomously sweep through the hordes of demons. Coupled with the aid of numerous cultivators, the situation was ultimately brought under control.

Thus concluded the war that decided the fate of dynasties, and the flames of war gradually faded.

It also led to a world draped in mourning, tears of sorrow from all directions.

The major sects suffered grievous losses, especially the Northern Territory’s Taoists. Many True Men and True Monarchs who survived the Northern Territory’s Demon Catastrophe were heavily wounded or killed, with their sects’ potential completely drained. Some even lost their cherished Guardians of the Mountain.

Taoism fared thus, but Buddhism was even worse off. Having barely a tenth surviving initially, they then exerted their full strength, and the remaining high monks, seeking atonement for their sins, spared no effort in their struggle, eventually sacrificing their lives for righteousness and entering nirvana.

However, the heaviest losses were at Guo Bei Academy.

A million soldiers from Yin Mountain Mansion went to battle, and eighty percent of them perished, with innumerable Ghost Gods falling.

The scholars from the Nine Courtyards and the Mingxiao Taoists also suffered countless casualties, with generations of accumulated talent wiped out in a single battle.

Guo Bei Academy did not discriminate in its teachings; its students came from all over the world, representing all sects and schools of thought.

With such casualties, the world is naturally draped in mourning, shedding tears of sorrow, and now the seven provinces of the South hang white silks in grief.

This is the calamity brought by demons, the profound impact of disaster, the weight of immense suffering!

In the mourning hall of Guo Bei Academy,

Miss Xin Shisi, dressed in plain white mourning clothes, held a broken sword box and knelt in silence for a long time.

Above the hall, the memorial was not for a member of the Li Family but for Xin Family’s Fox.

In this decisive battle for life and death, Guo Bei Academy mobilized its full strength. As a member of the academy, the Xin Family’s Fox naturally joined the battle. Except for Miss Xin Shisi, who stayed alone at the academy, the other foxes with sufficient cultivation led by Old Man Xin joined the fight. In the end, several foxes unfortunately sacrificed their lives.

This mourning hall was set up for them.

But everyone knew that this hall was also meant for someone else, even if no one dared to openly say it, no one wished to admit it.

“Shisi…”

Old Man Xin approached, observing his daughter’s pale face and worn expression, wanting to comfort her but unsure where to begin, ultimately, he could only sigh in helplessness.

Then another figure approached, an elegantly dressed woman of regal bearing.

“Fairy Qingluan!”

Upon seeing her, even Old Man Xin had to bow respectfully.

Only Miss Xin Shisi, kneeling on the ground, seemed still lost and vacant of soul.

Fairy Qingluan shook her head, helping Old Man Xin to his feet and then approached Miss Xin Shisi, “Yun Er, before he left, the Taoist Master had something to tell me.”

At this, Miss Xin Shisi’s eyes finally showed a hint of life, and she quickly looked up at her.

Seeing her like this, Fairy Qingluan sighed softly, “The Taoist Master said, if he does not return, you shall take charge of the academy. I will support you, and together we will hold the Luotian Dajiao and give rise to the rightful Demon Immortals.”

With such words, Miss Xin Shisi’s eyes dimmed momentarily, but still holding the broken sword box close, she murmured, “The young master said he would come back, he will definitely come back. He never lies to Yun Er, never deceives!”

Seeing her insistence, Fairy Qingluan was at a loss for words, and in the end, could only agree, “The Taoist Master is no ordinary man. Perhaps, truly, there are ways to bring the dead back to life, to reincarnate once more. Therefore, Yun Er, you must take good care of this legacy and shoulder the responsibility of the academy!”

Though she said this, her heart was heavy with a silent sigh.

Pudu Cihang was extraordinary in strength, devouring the literati and warriors of the Chen Dynasty and the People of the Capital, as well as high monks from the Water-Land Dharma Assembly, raising his cultivation to the peak of the Seventh Realm.

He then proceeded to Zhongnan, breaking into the Palace of Longevity, consuming the Taoist followers there, and the beings of the Northern Territory. His cultivation continued to climb, nearly breaking through the limits of the Seventh Realm to become an Eight Realm monstrous god unseen in a millennium.

But fearing Guo Bei and the combined retribution of heaven and man, he used Demon Buddha techniques to suppress his advancement from crossing the tribulation, instead turning the capital into his stronghold with layers of arrays. He also wielded the Nailhead Seven Arrow Scripture, intending to first remove the cultivator’s human tribulation before facing the thunderous Heavenly Tribulation.

This illustrated the capabilities of the demon.

In both cunning and might, he ranked among the strongest.

Against such a demon, who could afford to hold back?

No one could!

It was necessary to use every ounce of power!

Because the consequences of a near success was something nobody could afford.

Not to mention Xu Yang, even she, if placed in the same situation, would have no reservations and would be ready to risk her life to draw upon the mightiest of heavenly lightning, inexorably putting an end to the calamitous demon.

No reservations could be made, no chances taken, because even the slightest hesitation or hope for luck could change the outcome, potentially allowing the sacrifices to be in vain.

A mountain built over nine rounds of work, only to crumble due to one basket unfinished!

If she understood this, how could Xu Yang not?

Thus, Xu Yang was undoubtedly fated to die, because he required it of himself.

Sparing no chance of survival for himself, where could there possibly be any hope of survival?

As for returning from the dead, reincarnation…

For a Seventh Realm cultivator to come back to life, one would either need to carry out a Yang God possession or be saved by the intervention of an Immortal.

The former had no chance of happening; slaying a demon requires all one’s strength—how could one preserve one’s Yang God?

The latter… was even more unlikely. Why would an Immortal concern themselves with the mortal world?

Reincarnation, however, had some hope attached to it.

But that hope was merely a consolation.

This world has its cycle of samsara, but it is not the same as others.

If the soul of a deceased being does not perish, it becomes an Underworld Ghost, possessing a lifespan known as “Yin longevity.”

Once Yin longevity is exhausted, they’ll enter reincarnation, their soul dispersed leaving only the True Spirit to cycle through the six realms.

Whether such reincarnation can be considered real rebirth is unclear.

Moreover, there was no certainty of reincarnation at all.

Though reincarnation is significant in this world, it’s not fundamental to all beings.

Even without the true spirits’ cycle of rebirth, life in the world will continue to arise spontaneously.

So, many people do not have a “past life”; they are true spirits newly born into the world.

Otherwise, this world would have withered away long ago.

After all, with the departure of the Ancient Immortal Gods, the order of the underworld collapsed and the cycle of reincarnation was in chaos for ten thousand years, making it impossible for the cycle to sustain itself.

Having no limit of reincarnation is both good and bad.

The good needs no explanation; as long as there is sufficient food, the population of living beings can increase endlessly. But the bad… once dead, one enters oblivion, with no chance of rebirth.

So… I’m afraid he won’t be able to return.

Otherwise, why would he entrust me with safeguarding Miss Xin Shisi and the legacy of the academy until the Luotian Dajao begins again and Miss Xin Shisi becomes a demon immortal capable of ascension?

“Taoist Master, rest assured, Fairy Qingluan will definitely live up to the great trust!”

Just as Fairy Qingluan was silently making her oath, another person stepped into the hall.

“Heavenly Master!”

Upon seeing the visitor, Old Man Xin paid his respects, and Fairy Qingluan also nodded.

True Monarch Changrong, looking at the scene in the hall, remained silent for a long time before finally saying, “My condolences!”

Having said that, he turned to Fairy Qingluan, “Before the Taoist Master left, he knew the true nature of that demon. It was not a demon of this realm, nor a devil of this realm, but something from beyond this domain that somehow sneaked in and wreaked havoc on the living.”

Fairy Qingluan nodded, “What does the Heavenly Master suggest?”

“Where there is one, there can be two, and where there is two, there can be three.”

True Monarch Changrong shook his head, “No one can guarantee that in the future, there won’t be a second Pudu Cihang or even demons from another realm invading en masse. We must be on guard against all these possibilities.”

Fairy Qingluan’s expression grew focused, “You mean…”

True Monarch Changrong spoke gravely, “Before he left, the Taoist Master had already made arrangements. I have spoken with allies from all quarters, and they are willing to set aside their sectarian views, integrate their traditions with the academy. Henceforth, there will only be one Taoist lineage in the world, with cultivators from all directions united in purpose, ensuring that an incident like Pudu Cihang’s will never happen again.”

“The Taoist Master has indeed left no contingency unplanned!”

Upon hearing this, Fairy Qingluan also sighed, “But without the Taoist Master, the stabilizing pillar is missing, and so sustaining the affairs of the academy will be challenging.”

“The Taoist Master had a grand wish before to unify the Dao Zang of the world and create a peerless True Scripture!”

True Monarch Changrong also sighed, “We must carry on the unfinished wishes of the Taoist Master, no matter how arduous the task, we must push forward!”

Having said that, he turned his head and looked towards Miss Xin Shisi and the broken sword box she held in her arms.

“This sword of the Taoist Master, gathered the essence of the Earth and aligned with the power of the heavens, slaying the cataclysmic demon, thereby accruing merit and becoming a truly sacred weapon.”

“Madam, with this, you can stabilize people’s hearts. By expanding the cultivation and agricultural systems throughout the world, we can increase the population and bolster the people’s strength… In this way, after a thousand years, the Taoist Master’s grand wish will certainly be realized!”

“What do you think, Fairy?”

“Let’s follow the words of the Heavenly Master.”

The two grand cultivators of the Seventh Realm determined the future development strategy with their words.

Miss Xin Shisi knelt on the ground, holding the sword box, silent as if all this had nothing to do with her.

Suddenly…

“Buzz!”

The sword box trembled, as if there was a resonance.

Miss Xin Shisi’s gaze sharpened, and she looked down.

True Monarch Changrong and Fairy Qingluan were also shocked, looking at the tremoring sword box with some disbelief.

Xuanyuan!

This sword had already advanced to be a Spiritual Treasure. This time, by slaying the demon with the combined forces of heaven and earth, it had undergone a complete transformation and become a sacred weapon of this era.

Such a treasure, now endowed with spiritual nature, would not act without cause nor move rashly.

So, what could be the reason for its vibration at this moment… could it be…

“Buzz!”

A light sound, divine light suddenly appeared, spewing from the broken wood box and shooting straight out of the hall.

“This…”

“Quick!!!”

Everyone was stunned for a moment, then snapped to awareness and hurriedly got up to chase out the door.

Yet, upon exiting the hall, they stopped in their tracks, uncertainly gazing at the figure before them.

A person stood in the courtyard, holding a golden miniature sword about three inches long, smiling at them.

“Taoist Master!”

“Young Master!!!”

Two of them stood in shock, while another flew forth and threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly, already weeping uncontrollably.

“Didn’t I say that I would come back?”

Looking at Miss Xin Shisi, who was in tears, Xu Yang smiled, gently patting her hand, “When have I ever lied to you, Yun Er?”

“Yun Er knows, Yun Er knows. The Young Master would never deceive me, never!”

Hearing this, Miss Xin Shisi finally confirmed that the man before her was real. She broke into a relieved smile, though she was still reluctant to let go.

Only when the other two approached did she come back to her senses in surprise and retreat shyly to the side.

However, Xu Yang was the picture of composure, facing the surprised duo who had rushed over, “Brother Dao, Fairy, thank you for all the trouble!”

“Taoist Master, this…”

True Monarch Changrong and Fairy Qingluan looked at him, also at a loss for words.

Xu Yang laughed without explaining much, simply saying lightly, “I intend to usher in a golden age of Daoism. Will you two lend me a helping hand?”

The two exchanged a glance and then answered with hands clasped, “How could we dare disobey an invitation from the Taoist Master?”

“Hahaha!”

And with that, the three of them looked at each other and smiled.

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