Tao and Heaven

Chapter 222 Entering the Cultivation World
In spring, cicadas chirp and Ganoderma lucidum grows on the ground.

The Taoist priest sat cross-legged in the middle, surrounded by thousands of spiritual medicines, and his every breath caused the heaven and earth to resonate.

Suddenly, the white jade bracelet on his hand glowed, and the white light took root on the ground. An ancient tree quickly grew out, and in the blink of an eye it was more than ten meters high.

The roots become feet, the branches become arms, the leaves become hair, and the trunk becomes the body.

A graceful woman landed on the ground, her white soles stained with mud, and she looked at the man in blue in front of her.

The Taoist robe woven with some kind of magical silk and magic has become an ordinary item after eight hundred years of transformation. It is dull in color and the fabric is rough and fuzzy, but the exposed skin of the person wearing it is as white as jade.

He is not dead, and he can never die again.

The woman looked at him quietly and waited for a long time, without any intention of taking action.

The sun rose, set, and rose again. Gu Wen slowly opened his eyes and looked at the woman who used to go by the alias 'Qing Rui'.

The two looked at each other, and there was only calmness.

Qing Rui said: "You have changed a lot in just eight hundred years."

He has become calm and no longer has the youthful vigor.

Gu Wen replied calmly, "In terms of human standards, eight hundred years is enough for three dynasties to come and go and dozens of people to die of old age. Master, there is something I agree with. People should not use length as the standard for everything."

"These eight hundred years."

He paused for a few breaths, then exhaled slowly, his aura pressing down on the Jianmu clone in front of him like a sacred mountain.

"very long."

Qing Rui's eyes flickered slightly, and she held her forehead as if she had a headache, and said:

"You still have a million years ahead of you. These eight hundred years of silence are relatively short."

"The little saint can only live for a million years?"

Gu Wen noticed the key information: he could no longer feel the end of his life, but death still existed.

Jianmu replied: "All things are born and die, and there are endless disasters. Even the heaven and earth themselves will eventually perish. However, the life span of the heaven and earth is calculated in Yuanhui, and one Yuan is 129,600 years. It may take another 9,000 Yuanhui for the heaven and earth to perish."

"An immortal has a calamity of 100,000 years, maybe 20 or 30 years, but it can't escape 100,000. The same is true for a minor saint's calamity of 1 million years. In the past, the Heavenly Emperor and the Lord of the Palace all had 9 million years. If they hadn't become saints, they would have died today."

Gu Wen asked, "Where is the saint?"

"The saint lives as long as heaven and earth, and heaven and earth still have nine thousand yuan."

"After all, I haven't completely transcended it."

Gu Wen chuckled, but felt it made sense.

Transcendence is relative, and those who have not yet become immortals are struggling in the mortal world. Monks can easily live for thousands of years, but their time spent in seclusion and cultivation occupies the vast majority of their lives. Ninety-nine percent of a monk's life is spent in cultivation and qi training.

Just as ordinary people work all their lives, how many days can they have leisure?

Immortals are different. Theoretically, they have an infinite lifespan. They don't need to work hard, and don't need to work hard to practice Qi and break through. They can enjoy a hundred thousand years of leisure.

But if you want to become a saint, immortals also need to work hard.

Qing Rui saw this attitude and said, "You are still as arrogant as before. Now you even look down on the saints."

“I’m just on a path that’s further along than you guys.”

Gu Wen shook his head, and Qing Rui became even more confused.

As both are minor saints, how can he go further than the saints?
Gu Wen did not continue the topic and asked, "Are you here today to seek death?"

"To settle the cause and effect."

"Can you kill me?"

Gu Wen asked back. Now he could see Jianmu's strength clearly, which meant that the other party was at least equal to him.

So far, he has never encountered anyone who can defeat him at the same level.

"If you come to Jianmu now, I might be able to kill you, but this is obviously impossible." Qing Rui shook her head and said frankly: "I am here to cooperate. I am willing to combine my body with your great way, so that I can become a saint in one step and have no worries for eternity."

Gu Wen was a little surprised. He had already prepared for a fight, but he never expected Jianmu to retreat before the fight.

In line with my great principles, this is no different from becoming a slave, or this is a trap.

Qing Rui saw his concerns and continued, "You and I are both saints, there will be no more bloodshed. If we fight, one will lose and the other will be injured. What's more, your master is already half-crippled."

As soon as these words were spoken, heaven and earth became dark.

Gu Wen's calm face showed a hint of coldness as he asked, "Are you stupid or ignorant?"

Qing Rui didn't care.

"She went deep into the underworld to see the Lord of the Mansion in order to save you, and then she was seriously injured. Four hundred years ago, when I led my army to invade the human race, she dragged her broken body to fight against the eight demon ancestors to protect the eight thousand miles of territory. If it weren't for those few bugs interfering, she might have died."

The sky became increasingly darker, her charming face lost its color, and the clone seemed to have fallen into an icy cave.

If it were an ordinary creature, it would know that this is not the way to talk about peace. But Jianmu is the spiritual root of heaven and earth, neither human nor animal, born sacred, and he looks at everything rationally.

The basis of cooperation is deterrence rather than begging.

"And the woman you cared about is now dead."

Gu Wen's eyes revealed murderous intent, and when he looked up, he saw the sky was already blood red.

The immortals can move mountains and rivers, while the saints can move heaven and earth.

He became calmer and colder, and said, "You are seeking death."

"No, what I mean is that as long as you and I are in harmony, all of this can be resolved in an instant. And I am rooted in the world of cultivation, destroying the tree is equivalent to destroying the world."

Qing Rui stretched out her hand, and the next moment another hand reached out and grabbed her white neck. Gu Wen lifted her up a foot off the ground.

"Then I will open another world."

After saying this, he closed his five fingers, and the graceful woman turned into a magic pill in his palm.

After swallowing the elixir, he looked inward at his Qi Sea. There was no more elixir or soul, only a crystal clear, palm-sized figure without any facial features.

The emerald green energy of Jianmu flowed into the little man, and a tiny hair grew out.

The appearance of the Little Saint is different from that of others. Gu Wen is not based on anything in the heaven and earth, and what he comprehends is not the laws of heaven and earth.

Don’t keep the past, present or future, just keep your own heart.

He was not on the path of becoming a saint by merging with the Tao, but on the path of true transcendence. He wanted to escape from the Three Realms and not be within the Five Elements, and before that he needed to study, research, and absorb the laws of the Three Realms.

Perhaps in the end, his road can become a new world.

"I should get out now."

Gu Wen raised his head and looked toward the sky. There was a rainbow bridge above the nine heavens, and at the end of the rainbow bridge was the Two Worlds City. That was the world he longed for but could not reach.

He took a step forward and ascended into the sky. Then countless white jade chains stretched out from the void. The clear sky became shackles and the vast earth became a cage.

Just to imprison one person, an eight-foot body.

As he took the second step, the shackles broke one after another.

Gu Wen stepped onto the Rainbow Bridge. His gaze seemed to be directed from eight hundred years ago. He saw countless familiar figures. Countless geniuses ascended to the sky and stood on the Rainbow Bridge, looking down at him.

Now he finally stepped onto the Rainbow Bridge, but they had already walked for eight hundred years.

The third step has reached the end of the Rainbow Bridge, where a thousand-foot bronze gate stands like the gate to heaven.

Gu Wen touched the door and said with a bleak smile: "It took me eight hundred years to walk these three steps."
-
The city of two realms.

After eight hundred years of silence, the three lists that had turned into blank stone tablets suddenly lit up.

Then after three breaths, rays of divine light moved across thousands of miles from all over the heaven and earth, and the powerful men from all forces ran wildly with their descendants.

The rainbow bridge gate leading to the immortal land is a thousand feet high and a hundred feet wide. The gray stone passage stretches for hundreds of miles and is surrounded by wisps of white smoke.

It is said that there is a divine beast guarding the place, making it difficult for outsiders to get in, and sharp scratching sounds can be heard day and night.

Squeak!
The sharp scratching sound was heard again, and the white fog blocked everyone's steps until they stopped.

There were thirty people in total, divided into three categories: the dignified and vigorous contemporary geniuses, the slightly less talented guardians, and the elderly sect guardians. "Master, Master, I haven't put on my clothes yet!"

"What are you wearing? Has the Immortal Land opened in advance? If you go in now, you can get a head start. There will be less competition."

An old master dragged the young man to the ground. The young man saw that there were already dozens of people present and said with frustration, "Master, you are not the only smart person."

"Fool! Didn't you see that the geniuses of the big sects didn't show up?" The old master slapped him on the head and said, "In holy places like the Three Pure Ones Sect, people don't covet spiritual objects. They go in just to practice and become immortals."

"Besides, their descendants are extremely valuable, and each one of them is of Heavenly Venerable material. Before entering the Immortal Realm, various backup plans must be made. I can recall that eight hundred years ago, a Taoist Heavenly Venerable died just to give a life-saving magic weapon to a Heavenly Pride."

When these words were spoken, everyone pricked up their ears, and a few people looked thoughtful.

Eight hundred years ago, the disputes inside and outside the Immortal Land were a secret to those who were not born or qualified to be involved at that time, and even these new-age geniuses did not know about it.

But there is no wall that is impenetrable in the world. As geniuses and proud figures from various immortal sects, they can always hear some snippets.

All we know is that eight hundred years ago, the Sanqing Taoist sect resurrected an immortal, who is now the immortal Qingcang who rules over all religions and people.

The young man asked curiously, "What kind of talent can make a Heavenly Lord sacrifice himself?"

"You don't need to know so much about this. You should first get on the Heaven and Earth Ranking."

The old master suddenly changed the subject, and he almost said something out loud because he spoke too quickly.

Because that is the regret of their human race and also a scar that the Immortal Qingcang cannot touch. Once, the Immortal was almost beaten to death for speaking out of turn after drinking.

"Is this door still open?"

Someone nearby answered, "Just now, a senior in red clothes stopped us and said we had to wait a little longer because he had to talk to the guardian beast."

"Is there a divine beast guarding this gate?"

In the distance, there was another harsh scratching sound.

Penetrating the white fog, a handsome man in red clothes stood in front of the gate.

He looked down and saw a cave under the gate. A ball of fur could be vaguely seen inside.

"Little guy, even if you break this door, he won't survive. You have been guarding it for eight hundred years without eating, drinking or practicing. If you continue like this, your innate foundation will be destroyed."

"The Immortal is not dead!"

A crisp voice was heard, and the fur ball retreated from inside, looking dusty and dirty. Only the big sun on its chest could symbolize its noble status as a divine beast.

It bared its teeth and said viciously: "The Immortal is still alive, the cat can feel it."

"What if he dies later?"

"The Immortal will not die!"

The kitten suddenly became furious and started hissing.

Wukong was quite troubled as he had no way to deal with this little divine beast. When Qingcang wanted to take it away, he was scratched in the face.

Suddenly, the kitten's ears trembled, and then it said excitedly: "It's the Immortal! The Immortal is here to pick me up!"

Wukong looked confused. He probed his mind to the other side of the door, but did not sense anything.

"Senior, can we enter the immortal land?"

Dozens of people were coming from behind, some of them impatient, and every minute of delay meant losing an advantage.

Rumble!
The door shook slightly, Wukong's eyes widened, and the people behind him were getting closer without knowing what was going on.

The thousand-foot-long giant door was slowly pushed open, and a figure appeared behind the door. He had black hair and black eyes, and wore a green Taoist robe. He had an ordinary appearance.

He walked out of the door lightly and came to the world beyond the sky without causing a ripple.

He had a shallow smile, desolate eyes and a calm voice.

"Senior, long time no see."

Wukong's eyes were filled with disbelief. He took a step back and asked, "You made a breakthrough?"

Eight hundred years! Eight hundred years of the Little Saint!

Back then, Qing Cang had only achieved immortality after eight hundred years, but now, was it possible for Gu Wen to become a minor saint after eight hundred years? This was impossible!
Gu Wen nodded slightly, then leaned over and picked up the bouncing ball of fur. The heirloom immediately licked his face until saliva was all over it.

"Master! Master! Cat misses you so much. Cat doesn't want to see people anymore. Woo woo woo woo"

"Okay, okay, it's all over."

He patted the fur ball apologetically. It was hard to appease the fur ball after eight hundred years of waiting. He could only let the fur ball curl up on his shoulder and bury its head in his neck.

I only accompanied it for a dozen years, but it guarded it for eight hundred years.

"Master, let's go home."

The heirloom voice is as clear as it was back then, and eight hundred years seems like time has stood still for it.

Apart from sleeping and digging holes every day, the only thing he comes into contact with is Wukong.

"Let's not go back. Let's go and see this world. It's vast and the sky is high. Before that, let's go to Sanqing Dao Sect and meet the master."

Gu Wen had a constant smile on his face, and the bright future was better than anything else.

I can also see my old friends and relatives and wonder how they are doing.

He walked away, and the people in front of him subconsciously made way for him. Suddenly, one of the old masters asked Gu Wen to stay.

"You look familiar."

The old master came back to his senses from his daze and quickly replied, "When the dispute between Luoshui and Tianquan Mountain occurred, I was standing under the restaurant."

"I see."

Gu Wen continued to walk forward. He heard discussions from behind. The old master was surrounded by dozens of people, who were vying to ask about his identity.

He quickened his pace, ignoring what others said, and ran quickly towards Liangjie City.

It is called a city, but it is actually a boundary.

The city is divided into two sides, big and small, east and west, and two places for humans and demons.

The demon tribe has a large space, and in order to accommodate its body, it has built huge palaces thousands of feet high like mountains. Many of them simply hollow out a mountain, and open up caves in the green mountains. The big demons with names and surnames will invite human craftsmen to add some decorations and build palaces.

The territory of the human race is much smaller. It is a real city, covering an area of ​​no more than 5,000 square kilometers, and only 60 miles from the east to the west.

There are exquisite attics of various sizes lined up in the city, with dark green glazed tiles and bright-tiled pagodas.

The average person is six feet tall, and a residence can be built ten steps away, so this one is even smaller and more refined.

This year's Two Worlds City is as lively as ever. No matter whether they are humans or demons, no matter how high their cultivation level is, they will inevitably come to this transportation hub that connects the heaven and earth and can be moved to most places in heaven and earth.

The human city was bustling with traffic and people.

Along the ten-foot-wide street, there are fairy shops that are more magnificent than any mortal palace. Everywhere you look, there are silver flowers and fiery trees. The 3,333 blocks are all lit up, sparkling like a star market in heaven.

All Gu Wen saw was a prosperity that was beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Suddenly, three stone tablets as tall as mountains in front of them suddenly lit up with golden light. The mysterious light fell from the sky, taking away the prosperity of the three thousand palaces.

Countless people looked up in confusion, only to see the two words "Gu Wen" shining brightly. There was only one person on the three lists, and it had been hanging high for eight hundred years.

And today, the number one on the three lists, who has been late for eight hundred years, has finally arrived to receive the glory he deserves.

In the void, the immortal who knew everything about the universe picked up a pen with a smile on his face. He was smiling for the peerless person, and also because he was happy that he had won a prize.

For a little saint who has been around for eight hundred years, even if it is just a tiny favor, it is precious, not to mention that he helped in times of need.

"Unparalleled in the world, number one on the three lists, unprecedented and unrivaled, must be peerless."

Thousands of auspicious lights fell like flowers, and Lang Lang's praises resounded through the heaven and earth.

The Taoist in green raised his head among the crowd and glanced at the three lists with a calm gaze, then turned around and disappeared into the world.

I am already peerless, so why should I add more words?

(End of this chapter)