Immortal Mystery Sequence: I Establish a Divine Duty for Heaven and Earth

[Sequence Evolution Log]

[Year 71]

July.

The Buddhist, Taoist, and agricultural figures faced off in mid-air, their brows furrowed in a cold stare.

The three colors of blue, white, and gold divide the sky into light and shadow, day and night.

Luo Jin's aura rose and fell, and the hundred-foot-long dragon beneath him exhaled smoke and clouds, rising with intense light. The spiritual light condensed and did not dissipate as the dragon's mouth opened and closed.

The white-robed Taoist stood atop the Dao Sword, the sword emitting white light, like a bolt of silk piercing the clouds, its true energy domineering and unparalleled. The old monk sat upright in a golden lotus, bathed in Buddha's light, like an ancient bell tolling in the sky.

Luo Jin laughed, "So, you bald-headed thief have finally shown yourself? Which of you two will be the first to die—?"

Heng Jianzi, upon hearing this, remained unperturbed and laughed heartily: "Hahaha! Bald monk, don't you possess the Vajra Wrathful Eyes to wreak havoc? Today, this noisy insect has come to challenge you, insulting the dignity of Buddhism. Why not kill this fiend?"

The old monk clasped his hands together, and the ancient well remained calm.

"Amitabha Buddha, the Buddha is merciful. I never kill unless absolutely necessary. Please do as you please, Taoist priest. I will not interfere. A monk does not lie and will not deceive the Taoist priest... Please."

"The bald monk goes first."

"Please go first, Taoist priest."

"Killing this boy would greatly enhance the prestige of your Taoist sect. Let's leave such a good opportunity to you, benefactor."

"Killing this brat will demonstrate the wrath of your Buddhist Vajra sect, so I'll leave it to you."

"I have never liked to seize opportunities from others; let me give this opportunity to the Buddhist community."

"The idea of ​​serendipity is illusory. This humble monk has long since become indifferent to victory, defeat, honor, and disgrace through a thousand years of arduous cultivation. Let it be left to the Daoist Master."

The two men pushed and yielded to each other, neither making the first move to defeat the other.

High above.

The people in the city looked at each other, bewildered and confused: "?"

Buddhist disciples and Taoist followers outside the city: "???"

What's going on?

Are you kidding me?! In such a solemn and intense occasion, why are these two great cultivators from Buddhism and Taoism being so polite and deferential to each other?

Let's do it! Why don't we join forces and wipe out the entire agricultural road?

At a time like this, what's the point of talking about chivalry and one-on-one combat? Do you think we, the great cultivators of Buddhism and Taoism, are afraid of a grass dragon? Or a mere farmer?

Everyone was utterly puzzled, completely bewildered by the strange and eerie atmosphere.

high in the air.

Luo Jin saw through everything perfectly, and his mind was as clear as a mirror.

He deliberately lured the two into the trap, knowing that things would turn out this way!

"So, the so-called Buddhist monks and Taoist masters are such despicable villains? Calling you bald monks and thieving Taoists is really giving you too much credit! You are now seriously injured and your cultivation has been greatly reduced. If you were to fight against the dragon formed by a hundred of my Farmer's Path members on your own, you would not be entirely confident... Even if you could kill me here, you would inevitably suffer a great loss of energy, and at that time it would be difficult to guard against the remaining one taking advantage of the situation."

"Ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous!"

As it turns out, the triangle is the most stable configuration, proving that science still has some applications in the world of fantasy and martial arts.

The three parties were in a standoff, each guarding against the others and each having their own calculations, which gave him the opportunity to mediate and plan for the survival of the farmers!

The white-robed Taoist's face turned cold.

He never expected that Luo Jin knew that he and the bald monk were not in stable realms, yet he dared to expose them in front of hundreds of thousands of people inside and outside the palace. This grasshopper has a lot of guts!

Perhaps it was precisely because he knew all this that this young man forced the two of them to show themselves. What a cunning scheme! I truly underestimated him!

"You noisy insect, utterly ignorant! The bald monk and I are ancient masters, how could we possibly bully a mere newcomer like you? It's simply a matter of who came first—"

But the old monk beside him slowly closed his eyes, not giving the former a chance to continue his stubbornness, and retorted, "Since this benefactor already knows the current state of our Buddhist and Taoist sects, what's the point of the Taoist priest continuing to deceive us?"

"You bald monk..."

The old monk interrupted calmly, facing Luo Jin directly: "What you say is true, benefactor. I may also speak frankly. After the decisive battle at Xinping City, both I and the Taoist priest were seriously injured and have not yet recovered. If we were to kill you, it would certainly take a great deal of effort, and the balance between our Buddhist and Taoist sects in the Northern Frontier would be broken! Therefore, neither of us will forcefully kill you at this juncture."

"But have you forgotten, benefactor? The dragon beneath you, which combines the life force of a hundred people, is merely a temporary threat. It will naturally dissipate once the time is up... At that time, this humble monk and the Taoist priest will kill you as easily as crushing insects. And even if you combine the power of the dragon now, do you think you can stand against the Buddhist and Taoist sects?"

"A short-term stalemate is inevitable, and you are only speaking out of momentary urgency... You are too attached to appearances."

Luo Jin felt a chill run down his spine.

As expected, the Buddhist and Taoist masters were all old hands and experienced people, and his little tricks couldn't fool the two of them.

The old monk was right. The Panlong technique was a deadly move created by hundreds of seventh-rank cultivators with their lives, but it would eventually dissipate. At that time, he would completely lose the right to openly confront the two great cultivators, and the destruction of Xinping City would be repeated in Taiping City.

But...who says this is his only bargaining chip?

He spoke again, and his words immediately caused both of the great cultivators to freeze in surprise.

"I know where the Fairy of Gusha has gone."

Swish!

The old monk slowly opened his eyes and scrutinized Luo Jin. His gaze gradually became solemn. With a wave of his hand, a golden barrier descended from the void, isolating the three of them from the area below. This secret must not be known to outsiders.

"You actually know the true name of the ancient immortal...?"

The white-robed Taoist's expression also changed.

The name of Gu She Xian is extremely secretive, and ordinary people would never know it!

It would be impossible to know this name unless one had direct contact with him and knew each other.

Could it be that after leaving Xinping City, Gu Shexian actually appeared in Taiping City?! This is truly a case of searching high and low without finding it, only to have it unexpectedly come to pass!

"Your words have revealed the whereabouts of the ancient immortal," the old monk said with a smile.

The white-robed Taoist priest also said, "That's right, little insect. Since you know such earth-shattering secrets, then this humble Taoist priest cannot let you live. When your dragon disperses, it will be the time for the entire city of Taiping to be annihilated. Not a single person here will be spared!"

"Do you really think that just because Gu She Xian bears the name of an immortal, she can guarantee the safety of your Taiping City? She is currently in her twenty-fifth tribulation, with not a trace of her cultivation left. She may have the strength of a low-level cultivator to cast some subtle spells, but how can she refuse to cooperate with my Buddhist and Taoist sects? You have already lost the ability to contend with my Buddhist and Taoist sects!"

Luo Jin smiled, revealing her teeth. Her smile was sunny and radiant, yet it inexplicably sent chills down one's spine.

"The Immortal Gushe is not in Taiping City. Only I know her exact whereabouts. Even if you slaughter my entire Nongdao family, you still won't find her."

"So what? The bald monk and I have been searching for the ancient immortal for sixty years. Even if we dig three feet into the ground in the northern border, we will only be looking for traces again. What harm is there in killing you?"

"But what if she's about to give up this life and undergo another tribulation? When she vanishes into nothingness, how will the two of you find her?"

"No, this shouldn't be! She hasn't reached the end of her tribulations in this life, why would she rather give up her cultivation from several lifetimes to forcibly reincarnate and undergo tribulations? You're just spouting nonsense!"

"This involves a prophecy mentioned by the Immortal Gu She before her departure. You two great cultivators should have already heard of its prophetic power, right? Today, I will use this prophecy as a basis to seek a way out for my farming profession!"

"This humble Taoist priest cares nothing for prophecies or omens!"

"What if it involves the safety of this sacred land, or the annihilation and decline of Buddhism and Taoism? Can you two be equally indifferent? To kill me now, to destroy my agricultural path, is to dig your own graves, and we will go to the Yellow Springs together to die!"

"you--!"

The white-robed Taoist was clearly enraged, glaring at Luo Jin as if he were truly about to kill him!

Luo Jin squinted at the other person, feeling that the person's emotions fluctuated too much, unlike the demeanor of a great Taoist cultivator. Could it be that the mutation of the Buddhist inheritance was the mutation of the golden body and flesh, while the mutation of the Taoist inheritance was the intense emotions containing madness?

After a long silence, the old monk finally spoke, his Buddhist chant forcefully drowning out the clanging of the swords: "If this prophecy truly involves a great calamity for the auspicious land, this humble monk can make an agreement with you, benefactor, to spare your life as a farmer."

"Bald monk!"

"What? Does the Daoist priest intend to bring about another cataclysmic collapse without warning? Does he want our Buddhist sect to be overthrown along with you? If we had received the ancient immortals' prophetic guidance before the collapse, we wouldn't have suffered such great losses!?"

The white-robed Taoist priest's face turned ashen, and he ultimately refuted the accusation.

Swish!

The old monk stopped arguing and suddenly raised his hands to form a mudra.

A dazzling golden Buddha seal shot into the sky, followed by boundless golden light that suddenly appeared and spread out. The light was as warm as water yet as heavy as a mountain, illuminating all directions and turning the sky into a clear golden sky.

The old monk sat upright on the lotus platform, his voice as loud and clear as a great bell, each word ringing out.

"This humble monk, Fakong, the abbot of the Buddhist sect in the northern border of Ruitu, hereby makes an eternal vow: if the prophecy spoken by you truly concerns a great calamity for the millions of people of Ruitu, this humble monk and the Buddhist sect will not wantonly kill a single farmer until the calamity ends!"

Swish swish!

Golden light condensed into a swastika symbol, suspended in mid-air, ancient and vast, a vow that could not be reversed.

"This vow will not be broken as long as my Buddhist sect exists; otherwise, all Buddhists throughout the Northern Frontier will suffer a fierce backlash and their fortunes will decline drastically!"

Luo Jin turned to the white-robed Taoist priest: "—You thieving Taoist, what about you?"

The white-robed Taoist priest glared at him coldly, hesitated for a long time, his face showing a struggle and a hint of ferocity, which he then forcibly suppressed and restrained.

"Daoist Master, the prophecies of the Gushe Immortal Sect cannot be disregarded! If a great calamity truly is imminent, the Agricultural Path will not only be a disaster but also an aid in overcoming it. Why not allow it to survive until the day the calamity ends, so that it can face the calamity together with you and me?"

The white-robed Taoist pondered for a long time before finally raising his hand and casting a spell.

Swish!

Another beam of white light shot out and merged into the golden light of the swastika symbol.

The powers of Buddhism and Taoism intertwined in the void, condensing into a black and white Dharma seal that hung in the heavens.

"I, Heng Jianzi, in the name of the Supreme Master of the Northern Frontier Daoist Sect of Ruitu, hereby swear an eternal oath—! If what you say is true, and the prophecy truly concerns the calamity of Ruitu, then I and the Daoist Sect will not wantonly kill a single member of the Agricultural Daoist sect until the calamity ends!"

As the seal took shape, a flash of white light appeared! It exuded an aura of an irreversible Daoist divine power.

Upon seeing this, Luo Jin let out a long breath of stale air.

Become!

Although the oath is not permanent, at least until the great calamity breaks out, the agricultural path will no longer be in danger of being slaughtered and annihilated by the Buddhist and Taoist sects.

As for whether they can survive the great calamity in Ruitu, who can know? Let's just focus on surviving first!

But then, Heng Jianzi spoke again.

"However, this oath is conditional upon the fact that you, little grasshopper, must die today!"

"If anyone who challenges the dignity of my Daoist sect can live on, what will become of my reputation as Hengjianzi? I'll trade your life and a prophecy for the survival of your entire Nongdao family... Do you dare?"

This moment.

Luo Jin looked at Heng Jianzi with no expression of joy or sorrow. From the moment he left the pass, he never thought he would survive today.

The fact that the oath has been fulfilled now has exceeded his expectations; his life is now over.

Looking back at the many farmers and peasants in Taiping City, they were all together, young and old. The joys and sorrows, life and death of these 100,000 people were all within his control. Then he raised his head, stood solemnly, and laughed heartily, showing the demeanor of a great ruler.

"Hahahaha—Heng Jianzi, you dare to call yourself the leader of the Daoist sect? You think too highly of yourself and look down on me, Luo Jin! My old friend from the Farming Dao can die, a seventh-rank official can die, so why can't I, Luo Jin, die?!"

boom--!!

The next moment, he suddenly raised his hand, and green light shot into the sky!

A powerful surge of agricultural energy burst forth from his body, tearing apart the protective barrier of the old Buddha below!

In the instant that heaven and earth are connected, the scenes and storms here can be seen from all directions!

"Today," Luo Jin stood atop Panlong, his voice resounding throughout the four corners of the earth, "I, Luo Jin, have sacrificed my life to attain enlightenment, so that my people may live on!!"

"Though I die, my spirit of farming will never die!!"

"We farmers must remember my principles for generations to come, taking it upon ourselves to revitalize agriculture, to be devoted to the land, and to embrace all farmers, so that we may greatly promote this path in the future!"

Whoosh—!

A dazzling beam of light shot into the sky, forcefully penetrating the oath seal.

The three colors of light merged, solidified, intertwined, and swirled... The vow that would never be broken through generations was fulfilled.

A solemn silence fell over the world!