The paths of the Hundred Schools and the contentions of their doctrines are established by the worthy and passed down through virtue. But to reach the level of a Saint...
...is to be undying and immortal for myriad ages and myriad kalpas.
A worthy one’s words carry reason. Even in a mortal body, they can contend with peak Earth Immortals.
The virtuous achieve the Unity of Virtue and Conduct. With every move, they are blessed by virtue and can fight and kill ordinary Grand Grade beings.
But to beco a Saint is to have your Words Beco Law. A single statent can beco the law of the world, a single sentence can define the Third Celestial Realm. Even an immortal Celestial Venerable or Buddha would greet them with courtesy. And should a conflict with a Celestial Venerable arise, it is not impossible to fight and win.
’So this is what it ans to be a Human Saint?’
Lu Xuan felt the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth coursing through his body. He could feel himself rging with the heavens and earth of the Human World.
He felt as if he had flown to a branch and beco a sparrow; as if he swam the rivers and lakes and beco a kun-fish; as if he gathered nectar among flowers and beco a bee; as if he stood between heaven and earth and beca heaven and earth itself!
’This is what it ans to be a Human Saint!’
He lowered his head, not looking at the myriad people and spirits prostrating themselves around him, not looking at the countless immortals and buddhas bowing in the heavens, nor at the salutes of the ghosts and gods beyond the Ghost Gate and upon the Yellow Springs River.
Lu Xuan held the ordinary-looking Ancient Tree Branch, his eyes closed, and murmured:
"I sought the Dao day after day, not knowing it was within ... So that’s how it is."
Sixty thousand li of purple qi churned in the sky. Half descended upon Confucius, the other half upon him. The Ancient Tree Branch in his hand trembled and humd softly, an impossibly profound aura of the Mysteries of Heaven and Earth swirling around it.
This principle had transford the branch: a swing could shake the world, a thrust could summon thunder and lightning, a flick could conjure howling winds and tsunamis, and a chop could make the sun and moon lose their light. It could even lash at tribulations and tap at fortune. It had beco a Supre Treasure.
Lu Zi turned back. With a single step, principles ford a staircase beneath his feet, and he ascended it to once again sit atop the Cyan Bull’s back.
He contemplated the changes within himself. It seed as if heaven, earth, and the Dao itself were all within a single thought, a single word.
At this mont, though Lu Xuan was still at the level of a Nine Tribulation Earth Immortal, such realms had already lost all aning for him.
Even if an immortal Celestial Venerable or Buddha stood before him, he could fight them on equal terms!
If he brought all his wondrous skills to bear, even an immortal being might not be unkillable.
Just then, Confucius, who had been ditating with his eyes closed, opened them. He stood there peacefully, yet he exuded the majesty of the heavens and earth, the grandeur of mountains and rivers.
He bowed, his heart full of sincerity:
"Teacher, your sermon on the Dao has benefited this student imasurably."
"Good."
Lu Xuan replied with a smile, patting the Cyan Bull’s head before adding:
"Let’s go, let’s go..."
"Confucius, you have already traveled the many states. Now that you have entered sainthood, you should carry out the work of cultivating the Human World. Though I have expounded upon the Great Dao here, I have not yet preached it to all of heaven and earth. I must continue my journey."
Confucius bowed again.
"I respectfully see you off, Teacher."
"Compassion."
With this brief exchange, under the gaze of countless eyes, the old farr led the Cyan Bull, which carried Saint Lu, and they slowly made their way toward the capital of the Chu Kingdom.
The bull’s steps were slow, but as it carried a Saint, lotuses blood where its hooves touched the ground. Immortal Music drifted on the air as mountains and rivers sang his praises and heaven and earth offered hymns.
Zhao Zheng snapped back to his senses, glanced at Lü Niangrong, and said quickly:
"If fate allows, we may et again in the Qin Kingdom... If you can’t find Zhao Zheng then, just look for Ying Zheng."
With that, he waved his hand, creating a ripple of Primordial Qi that plucked the sweetly sleeping little girl from a grand courtyard in Jiangling City.
Cradling Lu Jianxue in his arms, Zhao Zheng took off at a dead sprint under the silent watch of countless people, chasing after the Cyan Bull.
The Eighty-One Armors and the Eight Hundred Spirits and Monsters, having finished their disaster relief efforts, all followed him.
The Immortals, Gods, Buddhas, and Ghosts looked on. The myriad people and spirits bowed once more. Confucius watched until the Cyan Bull’s figure had completely vanished, yet he remained standing there, motionless.
In the heavens, an Immortal from the West Pole Celestial Palace suddenly spoke in a low voice:
"Since we have listened to Saint Lu’s sermon, what shall we do if he cos to the heavens to hold us accountable one day?"
Beside him, another Great Immortal Official from the Central Celestial Court, who was acquainted with him, chuckled.
"Naturally, we’ll accept the punishnt... Setting aside the grace of Saint Lu’s sermon and the might of a Human Saint, just think about his master... Besides accepting punishnt, what else could you possibly do?"
He paused, looking down upon the Human World, upon the mountains and rivers. He let out a soft sigh and whispered:
"Everyone, it would be wise to restrain yourselves from now on. The Human World now has a Saint."
"No." Another Great Immortal Official with a profound gaze shook his head. "A Human Saint, at best, can only rival an immortal being with the support of the doctrines of the Hundred Schools. That’s not what’s terrifying."
"Or rather, the terrifying one isn’t Saint Lu, it’s Supre Profound Clarity."
All the Immortal Officials and Divine Officials fell silent. No one spoke another word.
......
「Above the Thirty-Three Celestial Realms, beyond the flow of years.」
Two majestic Daoist Palaces stood side by side. Two Great Dao Monarchs sat facing each other, unmoving, allowing the chaos of nirvana to swirl around them.
Spirit Treasure Great Heavenly Venerate’s gaze was profound.
"Primordial, if we must take such a risk, now is not a good ti."
Primordial Great Celestial Venerable nodded slightly and said nonchalantly:
"Supre acted ungraciously first. If you and I hadn’t reacted so quickly this ti, Xiaoxuan would have already inherited the Dao of Taiqing..."
He paused, toying with the Three-Bejeweled Ruyi in his hand, and continued:
"After Xiaoxuan achieves immortality, we’ll send him back to The Beginning of Ancient Tis to pass on our Dao. At the dawn of the world, when Yin and Yang were just being decided, he will beco the Daoist Ancestor."
"I’m still worried about Supre..." the La Daoist said, his anxiety returning.
He touched his still-swollen cheek, shuddering at the mory of the nacing Supre, who had arrived carrying Douluo Palace.
’It hurt. It really hurt...’
The Blind Daoist was silent for a mont, then coughed softly and said:
"This is the best way."
The two Great Dao Monarchs looked at each other and said no more.
......
「The Spring and Autumn Period.」
In the seventh year of Lu Zi’s preaching, he t Confucius again. Confucius asked about the Great Dao, Lu Zi expounded upon it, and both beca Saints.
In the eighth year, Saint Lu preached a Chapter of the Tao Te Ching in the capital of the Chu Kingdom. The spirits and monsters following him now numbered nine hundred.
In the tenth year, he preached a Chapter of the Tao Te Ching in the capital of the Wei Kingdom. The spirits and monsters following him now numbered one thousand.
In the twelfth year, in...
By the twenty-first year, in the capital of the Sui Kingdom, he had finished preaching the tenth Chapter. Seventy-one Chapters remained, and the number of spirits and monsters following him had reached 1,200.
Saint Lu’s na and influence blazed like a wildfire, growing ever stronger.
......
The Cyan Bull stood by the river, lowering its head to drink. The Eighty-One Armors stood respectfully to the side, attended by the 1,200 spirits and monsters ford from plants, beasts, and birds.
Fourteen years had passed. Lu Jianxue, now seventeen and grown into a graceful young woman, cupped a handful of clear lake water and washed her face.
Droplets of water slid down her clean, fair, jade-like face. She glanced to the side and smiled faintly.
"Brother Zheng, we should be reaching the Qi Kingdom soon, right? How much longer will it take for Grandpa Lu to finish his preaching?"
As she spoke, she filled a flask with clear river water and walked toward the old farr who was resting by the edge of the woods.
Zhao Zheng shook his head and said:
"How would I know? You’ll have to ask your foster grandfather."
Lu Jianxue gave an obedient "oh," then offered the water flask, her eyes curving into crescents.
"Old Li, Old Li, have so water. It looks like you haven’t had a drink all day..."
Fourteen years had not aged the old farr one bit, but no one found this strange; they all subconsciously ignored it.
The old farr took the flask with a wide grin and said:
"Little Jianxue, you’ve listened to Daoist Lu preach for fourteen years. Even without cultivating, your body is filled with extraordinary principles. Why would you still need to eat or drink?"
Lu Jianxue, without a trace of ladylike grace, plopped down on the ground, propped up her head, and grinned.
"Old Li, you don’t understand. Eating and drinking are perfectly natural. I may not need to, but I still miss the taste of food and water. Even though Brother Zheng says it will increase the ’impurities’ in my body, what are a few impurities compared to the joy of following Nature?"
The old farr was stunned for a mont, then stroked his long beard and burst out laughing.
"Excellent, excellent! Well said, very well said..."
Seeing him laugh so heartily, Lu Jianxue felt a little puzzled, but didn’t dwell on it. She turned, lay down comfortably on the grass, and, with a blade of grass she’d sohow picked up now dangling from her mouth, she stared blankly at the night sky.
She said:
"Ti really flies. In the blink of an eye, it’s been fourteen years... Grandpa Lu preaches so slowly. Will I get old before he even finishes that volu of the Tao Te Ching?"
Zhao Zheng walked over at that mont and said with a smile:
"Jianxue, even though you don’t cultivate, your physique is woven with the Dao and its principles. How could you possibly grow old?"
"I won’t?" Lu Jianxue asked, confused.
"You won’t."
An aged voice spoke. The old Daoist walked over calmly and also sat down in the shade of a tree, saying with a smile:
"You little rascal. You’ve listened to the Daoist Virtue for fourteen years and have a thorough understanding of the Mysteries of Heaven and Earth, but you’re completely oblivious to everything in the human world... I wonder if that’s a good thing or a bad thing."
Lu Jianxue propped her head up and tilted it curiously.
Beside them, the old farr began to speak slowly:
"A heart like glass, clear and unstained by dust, is naturally a good thing. Daoist Lu, you preach one Chapter of the Daoist Virtue every two years. To finish this scripture, you’ll need another one hundred and forty years."
The old farr paused before continuing:
"And even after one hundred and forty years have passed, as long as Little Jianxue is protected by the truths of heaven and earth and has not yet trod the Red Dust, she will remain unstained, pure and clean, utterly tranquil and sincere."
For an old farr to speak such words so calmly, neither Zhao Zheng, nor the nearby Eighty-One Armors and 1,200 spirits and monsters listening respectfully, found it strange in the slightest.
Lu Xuan, however, nodded thoughtfully and said with a smile:
"Old Li, are you saying that as long as she doesn’t personally walk the Red Dust, even after another one hundred and forty years, Jianxue’s mind will remain just as it is now?"
"Indeed."
"Can that really be called a good thing?"
Lu Xuan shook his head and sighed softly. His gaze deepened slightly as he ruffled the girl’s hair and chuckled.
"Forget it. Letting you walk the Red Dust on your own... who knows what sort of trouble you’d stir up. We’ll talk about it later, later."
Although Lu Jianxue was almost eighteen, she had spent the last dozen or so years by Lu Xuan’s side. Her mind was filled with principles, having never been exposed to the secular world, nor did she understand it.
In other words, at this mont, in terms of temperant alone, she was not much different from a child of a few years old... She had been protected too well.
But since the master deed it alright, then it was best left alone.
After resting for a night in the cool mountain breeze, Lu Xuan continued his journey the next morning. Every two years, he would preach a Chapter of the Daoist Virtue, bestowing his blessing upon a new region.
In the flow of years, another 142 years passed in a flash.
Without breaking through to a new realm or increasing his Magical Power, simply by relying on his Saint’s body nourished by principles, Lu Xuan’s physique in these 142 years had beco comparable to a True Immortal of the Upper Three Grades.
As for his comprehension of various wondrous skills and Divine Techniques, it had reached a divine level.
"Only the last Chapter remains."
The Daoist rode the Cyan Bull, holding the Tao Te Ching. Beside him, Zhao Zheng was the sa as ever. The old farr hadn’t changed at all; he was still just an ordinary old farr.
And Lu Jianxue? She was over a hundred years old now, yet her figure remained graceful, her gaze clear and unstained by dust.
Behind him, the Eighty-One Armors had all reached the True Immortal Realm, and the number of accompanying spirits and monsters had swelled to nine thousand!
"Once this Chapter is preached, my Dao will end here. It will be complete."
Before Hangu Pass, the Daoist spoke these words leisurely.
’I’ve been in these Ancient Tis for 163 years. After I finish explaining this Dao and make one more trip to the West Pole Celestial Palace... it should be ti to go back.’
Sitting atop the Cyan Bull’s back, gazing at the incomparably magnificent Hangu Pass before him, Lu Xuan’s expression gradually grew profound.
During his 163 years in the Spring and Autumn Period, his na was chanted by all, in heaven and on earth.
And he had a premonition, a feeling from the unseen world.
’A Saint is different from the worthy and the virtuous. The state of a Saint is born from the doctrines of the Hundred Schools, yet it also transcends them...’
’In other words, even if I return to the Current World, I will still be a Saint.’
’A Saint powerful enough to slay an immortal.’
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