Demon Cultivator with Celestial Book-Chapter 125 - 107: The 8 Sects Have Decided: You Are the One to Fight Ji Fuyao
Jiang Yi was no fool. As the Dao Inheritance revealed itself piece by piece, he had already begun to notice a pattern.
The Qi Cultivation General Outline—"Mixed Refining Origin, Commander of Ten Thousand Truths"—was designed to absorb a vast measure of all kinds of Spiritual Energy to build a shockingly robust foundation.
And the Hidden Element Secret Skill for "Nurturing the Dao Embryo and Condensing the Dao Body" was even more inconceivable. It could actually break through all constraints, allowing the conflicting Bing and Ding Fire to be reconciled.
The Dharma Gates that the Cat Master’s former master had seemingly devised at random were, in fact, all centered around how to control the [Five Elements] and unify the [Five Qi].
Having cultivated to the Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer, Jiang Yi’s knowledge and perspective had broadened, and he was gradually coming to understand that there was indeed a hierarchy among All Techniques.
This hierarchy wasn’t determined by a Cultivation Technique’s Level, but rather stemmed from the root of its Dharma Lineage.
Just as [Blood Qi] was suppressed by the [Five Elements], the [Five Elements] were in turn suppressed by the [Tai Yang].
In the current era, it was an immutable principle that Yin and Yang were supreme within the Great Dao.
"Xiao Jiang guessed correctly... meow."
True Master Xuanmiao replied listlessly.
It had never intended to deliberately hide anything. If not for the overwhelming might of the Immortal Dao Emperor, Ji Fuyao, which made many details difficult to speak of, it would have laid everything bare for Jiang Yi long ago.
"I can’t say exactly which Dao it is, but it is indeed of the [Yin and Yang] path."
Upon receiving a definitive answer, Jiang Yi felt no joy in his heart.
The reason was exceedingly simple.
He had already witnessed the dominance of that Immortal Dao Emperor. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺
He had dared to cross continents, ride the sun across the sky, and display the might of the [Tai Yang].
According to the Cat Master, he had already embodied the concept of "True Ruler of the Great Dao, Lord Above Myriad Heavens" to the absolute extreme.
Moreover, the more the [Tai Yang] manifested in the world, the more blazing its might became.
After five thousand years of being blessed by fate, he had clearly reached an unprecedented state of power.
’I’m supposed to fight an Immortal Dao Emperor?’
The moment the thought flashed through his mind, Jiang Yi couldn’t help but feel a wave of dread wash over him.
But he also knew that, in the end, he would have no choice but to confront the [Tai Yang].
This was determined by his Dao path; it could not be defied or changed.
To cultivate [Yin and Yang] meant he had to face Ji Fuyao directly.
If he only cultivated the [Five Elements], he might avoid this confrontation, but he would be crushed underfoot with absolutely no room to fight back.
"Don’t worry, Xiao Jiang! Our Dharma Lineage is famous for being unkillable!"
True Master Xuanmiao stood up, extended a forepaw to stroke Jiang Yi’s face, and said comfortingly:
"After my former master achieved the Dao, while he was still just a Foundation Establishment True Master, he was plotted against by ten True Monarch Level figures. But every time, he escaped by faking his death."
"If you encounter danger in the future, you can very well follow his example."
Telling a mere Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer cultivator like Jiang Yi that his future rival in the Dao struggle was Ji Fuyao—the master of the [Tai Yang] who had been invincible for five thousand years—was indeed too cruel.
Even a True Disciple from an Ancestral Sect Dharma Lineage would probably fall into utter despair and have their Dao heart shattered upon hearing such news.
"Cat Master, if I may be so bold as to ask, why did your former master lose to that Emperor?"
"Was the status of his Dao path a tier lower, or was it something else?"
Jiang Yi wasn’t as pessimistic as True Master Xuanmiao had expected. He couldn’t just stop his Cultivation and wait for death simply because he knew Ji Fuyao was his great rival in the Dao struggle.
No matter how bitter or difficult it got, could it be more hopeless than this lifetime’s alternative? Spending his days in the Quenching Room on Red Flame Peak as one of the Mortal Servants, painstakingly saving seventy or eighty thousand talisman coins just to get a wife and have three children, only to then toil as diligently as an ox for their future?
Now, he had at least managed to turn his life around, donning a Magical Robe to focus on his Cultivation.
As for whether he could truly "change his fate," that was something to be seen later.
"Umm."
True Master Xuanmiao pondered for a long time, its round face filled with an awkward, "too-embarrassing-to-say" expression.
"My former master... didn’t have the best reputation. He wasn’t very popular, made many enemies, and couldn’t compare to Ji Fuyao’s massive following."
Jiang Yi’s brow furrowed slightly. ’This situation... why does it sound like a Fate Shuzi, like Xuan Chanzi?’
He casually followed up with a question:
"Did the Cat Master’s former master also cultivate the [Sword Dao]?"
"Never, but he had some dealings with it."
True Master Xuanmiao shrank its neck, its voice growing increasingly vague, and it even tucked its tail between its legs.
"The ’Sin-Cutting Buddha Sword’ from the Buddha Elder of Ximizhou Continent, the ’Six Calamities Proclaim Profound’ from the Dragon Monarch of Beiju Continent, and the ’No-Tribulation Sword’ from a Sword Immortal of the [Sword Dao]... my former master ’borrowed’ all of them."
The word "borrowed" was spoken very lightly, but Jiang Yi heard it clearly, and the corner of his mouth immediately twitched.
It certainly fit his stereotype of a Demon Path True Monarch.
"So... were they returned?"
"My former master used to say, ’Why return something you borrowed with your own skill?’"
True Master Xuanmiao blurted it out. The moment the words left its mouth, it realized its mistake. Its ears immediately drooped as it added in a small voice:
"They’re all... all stored in his secret treasury."
Jiang Yi now understood completely.
No wonder more than twenty True Monarchs had joined forces to shatter his Golden Position back then.
So he was a master of troublemaking with sticky fingers who never returned what he borrowed.
"Cat Master, why do you say our lineage is unkillable? Is there some wondrous aspect to it?"
Taking advantage of True Master Xuanmiao’s lowered guard, Jiang Yi planned to squeeze out some more solid information.
"[Tai Yang] is about manifestation, about dominion, about supreme rule, about being the ultimate sovereign."
"Therefore, wherever Ji Fuyao’s might passes, all bow and submit. He is born with the conceptual power to command myriad heavens and suppress all other Daos."
True Master Xuanmiao struggled to squeeze out these words, as if it was a great effort to recall them.
"But our Dharma Lineage is about nascent beginnings, about waxing and waning, about inclusivity."
"My former master once said that this Dharma Lineage has both an outer and inner face, as well as an internal and external distinction."
"Right now, the inner and outer faces are not yet clear, but the principle of ’outwardly manifesting a Yang aspect while inwardly concealing a Yin foundation’ has become clear..."
Speaking to this point, True Master Xuanmiao suddenly froze, its amber eyes staring blankly.
In its memory, that white-robed figure was right before its eyes, but his gentle voice was as if wrapped in a thick cocoon, becoming blurred and indistinct amidst the thunderous roar of the great soundless sound.
"I remember!"
True Master Xuanmiao suddenly clapped its paws, its voice brightening considerably.
"’Outwardly manifest a Yang aspect, inwardly conceal a Yin foundation’!"
It paused, then laboriously added the second half:
"And, ’Flourish without recklessness, wane to conceal the celestial light’! That phrase holds the profound secret to shaking the [Tai Yang]!"
...
...
「Nanzhan Continent. A magnificent Daoist Palace.」
Beneath a white jade plaque that read "Reigning Over Myriad Heavens, Upholding the True Dao Inheritance," a white-bearded old man with a high, prominent forehead and a face full of fury strode into the hall.
The interior was as wide as the cosmos, vast and boundless, empty and ethereal.
Only a high dais remained, upon which three Lotus Dharma Platforms were arranged in a row.
As the white-bearded old man stepped inside, immeasurable, brilliant light illuminated the great void, revealing lofty Daoist forms.
On the far left was a child in green robes, his face full of youthful innocence, yet with an inexplicable ancientness between his brows.
Seeing the white-bearded old man, he was the first to speak:
"Wei Guang, my child, why are you in such a temper?"
The white-bearded old man’s seniority and age were among the highest in the Demon Dao, yet he showed no anger at being called "my child." He replied in a low voice:
"Ji the Kid has gone too far! He actually dared to ride the sun on a tour of Nanzhan Continent! Are you, esteemed Ancestors, truly going to remain indifferent?!"
On the right was a dignified, middle-aged man wearing a Fish Tail Crown, holding a Jade Ruyi, and dressed in an Xinghuang Daoist Robe:
"Should we follow your example and launch a sudden sneak attack on that junior? It’s not that a sneak attack is improper, but with Upper Profound, Upper Yuan, and Upper Origin watching, we are destined to fail to harm Ji Fuyao in the slightest."
"Besides, with the [Tai Yang] manifest in the world, his Golden Position is indestructible. Even a Great Divine Power User would find it difficult to extinguish him."
The white-bearded old man’s whiskers bristled and his eyes widened, his voice suddenly rising in pitch:
"We can’t just let the Immortal Dao ride on our necks and take a shit!"
This Great Power of the Demon Dao had always carried the air of the common marketplace, and his skill in arguments and shouting matches was considered number one among his peers.
Even the Venerable Bodhisattvas of the Buddhist Dao, with their eloquent tongues and unimpeded mastery of debate, were helpless against him.
"The Great Dao turns without constancy, why be in such a rush? With the [Tai Yang] manifest, Ji Fuyao has merged with the fate of his Daoist Lineage. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing."
The green-robed child said with a grin, swinging his feet:
"The more that ’Mingyang Imperial Dao True Monarch’ shows off his splendor, the more uncomfortable the other Daoist Lineages will become."
"The Dragon Monarch and the Buddha Elder will sooner or later have to stand on the side of our Dao. At that time, the great trend will be with us."
The dignified, middle-aged man said indifferently:
"Do you think Wei Guang, my child, can’t see this? He’s merely speaking out for Yu Shenxiu, resenting us for being short-sighted and allowing Yu Shenxiu’s Golden Position to be shattered, which led to Ji Fuyao now being uncontrollable."
The white-bearded old man hastily bowed his head.
"This disciple wouldn’t dare."
The green-robed child said, "Oh?" and his smile vanished.
"I was quite fond of Xiao Yu. A pity. Has his Dharma Lineage found a home? I recall you all planned to give it to the Zhongyi Sect, to have him merge it with the [Sword Dao] and challenge the [Tai Yang]."
The white-bearded old man answered truthfully:
"There was a mishap along the way. It was not delivered into Xuan Chanzi’s hands."
The dignified, middle-aged man was unconcerned:
"As long as it’s still within the Demon Dao, it’s fine. Before Taiwei left Yanfu, he calculated that Ji Fuyao has a ’Human Tribulation’ that will fall upon Nanzhan Continent. When one’s fortune reaches its absolute zenith, the Great Dao itself will naturally suppress it."
The white-bearded old man had finally been waiting for these words and hurriedly said:
"I ask the Ancestor to reveal the whereabouts of Xiao Yu’s Dharma Lineage, so we can capture the cat and the Dao Inheritance’s successor and cultivate them with great care."
But the one in the center had the form of a woman. She finally spoke, her voice like a solitary moon hanging high, illuminating the ten directions:
"Our Dao’s Eight Sects are not lacking for True Inheritances, so why the rush? Wei Guang, rein in that impatient nature of yours. If you feel so unhappy about being suppressed by the Immortal Dao, then I permit you to go on a campaign in the ’Fuli Grand Heaven.’ You may return to Yanfu when you have conquered five hundred minor realms."
The fearless white-bearded old man instantly deflated upon hearing this. Like an eggplant hit by frost, a bitter expression appeared on his face, yet he dared not utter a single word of rebuttal.
The woman moved her fingers, calculating. Illusory, ethereal numbers shifted and changed indeterminately.
After a moment of close observation, she chuckled softly:
"I actually do miss that little cat a bit. Yu Shenxiu’s Dao Inheritance will finally appear at the North and South Dipper Sword competition in eight years."
"This is the heavenly fate calculated by Taiwei. Do not interfere any further."
Wei Guang bowed deeply. When he looked up again, the Lotus Dharma Platforms were empty and formless.
"Eight years! Motherfucker! I’ve got to go put some pressure on the Taifu Sect and the Innate Sect. Make them organize a grand event, build up the hype!"
"Welcoming back a Daoist from Taiwei’s line... an event this important can’t be shabby!"
