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

Chapter 83: Master and Disciple Face Off - A Major Reveal; The Deer Spirit of the Forbidden Land Descends Weeping Blood (Fourth Update, Please Subscribe!)

Amidst the sea of ​​hatred and the sky of passion, lost in dreams and obsessions.

Wang Congyun repeatedly fell into despair.

In a daze, the farmers he had personally killed a few days ago seemed to appear before his eyes one after another, silently walking away and never returning.

No matter how hard one tries, one cannot grasp even a fraction of it; all that remains is a sigh from the heavens, and endless suffering churning within one's heart.

I don't know how many days and years have passed.

A lifetime may be a fleeting hundred years, or it may be just a brief moment.

He couldn't tell the difference, he really couldn't tell the difference.

suddenly--!

A powerful and domineering true energy, with overwhelming force, descended with a devastating roar, tearing apart countless dream demons and obsessions, clearing away the clouds and shattering all kinds of chaotic and complicated illusions.

Whoosh!

After a sudden storm, a flash of white light appeared before my eyes.

A warm feeling spread throughout his body, the nightmares vanished, and his broken and desolate Dao Heart remained as stable as ever, showing no signs of collapse.

Swish!

Wang Congyun suddenly opened his eyes and sat up.

As far as the eye could see, all was silent. The earth was stained red, and flesh and bones lay exposed in the wilderness, yet they brought vitality to the land. Grass and trees quietly grew and broke through the soil—his chest heaved violently as he gasped for breath.

Once he calmed down, he was surprised to find that he had inexhaustible strength all over his body. He felt light and agile, and his limbs and bones were all connected. It was as if he had turned misfortune into blessing and was not unstable at all. His true energy was fierce, and he could easily take off and ride the mist in the air!

Why has the price of repairs only skyrocketed over ten or even a hundred years?!

Even a disciple in the Taoist sect who has cultivated diligently for a hundred years may not have the same level of profound and powerful cultivation as him at this moment!

What...what...?! What on earth happened?!

He couldn't believe it and looked inside himself, becoming more and more shocked and astonished—he had thought that his Dao heart had been shattered during the massacre, and he was surely dead, but not only had he not died, he had also received an extremely strong boost to his cultivation?!

"You're awake?"

A loud voice came from afar, humble and unpredictable, as if it came from all directions.

Swish!

Wang Congyun felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave. He snapped back to reality and looked in the direction of the sound. He saw Dong Daozi sitting cross-legged not far away, with his whisk lying on the ground beside him. His face was expressionless, but his complexion was quite pale and his aura was chaotic. It was clear that he had paid a great price to save him.

Wang Congyun was somewhat bewildered, but he immediately prostrated himself on the ground, kowtowed, and said, "Disciple Wang Congyun greets Master! This disciple is unworthy; before, I merely—merely killed a few mortals, yet I so easily overturned my Dao heart and failed to uphold my true nature. This is truly one..."

He wanted to say something more, but Dongdaozi stopped him with a raised hand, the latter looking at him with a detached and disdainful expression.

We're all seasoned foxes, so let's stop playing these hypocritical games.

Wang Congyun wisely shut his mouth, staring intently at his master's expression, but couldn't discern anything strange. However, his heart was in turmoil.

After a long pause, he tentatively spoke, "Master—you, could it be that you have received the Dao for me three times? Otherwise, how could my cultivation have made such terrifying progress in such a short period of time?"

"Not only did you receive the Dao three times, but your Dao heart was shattered and you were almost driven mad by demons! I saved you by strengthening your heart and Dao meridians. From now on, your path of cultivation in the Daoist sect will be unobstructed and you will make great progress. You will be able to receive the Dao four times in no more than ten years. Moreover, you will no longer be so easily entangled by demons, and your mind will be as stable as a rock."

Wang Congyun's pupils suddenly contracted, which was utterly baffling.

The gateway to the heart and the path to enlightenment?!

That is a Dao meridian that only a true person who has received the Dao five times can open with a little bit of luck. It is the first of the three great Dao meridians in the human body!

Once this meridian is opened, it surpasses all others before it, the Dao body is formed, and one is almost reborn, shedding the mortal body, and from then on, one is completely different from ordinary people.

Their lifespan will also skyrocket to over 500 years, which can be considered longevity.

Even with Dong Daozi's cultivation level, it would take at least a hundred years of cultivation to force him to receive the Dao three times and open his heart meridians, greatly shortening his lifespan!

This—Master didn't need to pay such a high price to save me!

He hesitated for a long time, unsure of how to begin or what to say.

His attitude towards Dong Daozi changed dramatically in an instant!

What was initially a deeply feared and dreaded old silver coin, an old thing, a great demon, has gradually transformed into a figure who is both a teacher and a father.

Looking back, apart from his parents who gave him life and raised him, and his brother Jiang who taught him the profound truths of life, no one in the world has ever treated him so well!

Dongdaozi remained silent, then raised his hand and waved it.

Swish swish!

A thick stack of yellow paper flew out of his sleeve and landed in Wang Congyun's hand.

The man took it and then noticed that they were not in any other place, but at the very spot where the massacre had taken place that day. Corpses lay everywhere, and the bones and blood had blended into the earth, bringing new life and fertility to the plants. The other Taoists were long gone, and only he and his disciple sat there facing each other in silence.

Dongdaozi gave him the yellow paper, clearly knowing his inner pain and giving him an opportunity to commemorate the dead.

Wang Congyun pondered for a moment, then raised his hand and lit the yellow paper, immediately prostrating himself on the ground and kowtowing repeatedly.

Tears streamed down his face, and his head was covered in blood. This continued for a long time, as if only in this way could he soothe the endless pain and sin in his heart.

After this incident, he and his disciple were almost of one mind, and they no longer needed to pretend or feign their true feelings in front of their master.

Much later.

The yellow paper burned out, and the smoke dissipated and vanished.

Dong Daozi sighed deeply and said, "Cong Yun, do you know why you were so shaken that day, why you instantly felt murderous intent, and why you faced the great danger of your Dao heart being shattered and your life and Dao being extinguished?"

Wang Congyun shook his head and said, "This disciple does not know—please enlighten me, Master."

"Do you know that after the collapse of the heavens 30,000 years ago, the lineages of both the Eastern Daoist school and the Western Buddhist school were actually severed? The path to immortality was blocked, and no one could inquire about the Great Dao and ascend to immortality anymore. Cultivation stopped at a maximum of six times of receiving the Dao. This is one reason—but more importantly, our cultivation has also suffered from unknown and significant changes!"

boom!

Wang Congyun was greatly surprised, as if struck by lightning.

He had long suspected that there was something unusual about the Taoist lineage, but he never expected that his master would reveal such a secret that had been hidden for thousands of years to him!

I felt both surprised and a sense of impending doom, as if I were walking on thin ice on a precipice, and that the cliff might collapse at any moment.

This... this is something you can actually talk about?!

"This anomaly isn't entirely bad; one major advantage is that after the collapse of the heavens, cultivators of the same realm in our Daoist sect are far stronger than those before the collapse!"

"Now, after receiving the Dao twice, one can fly through the sky on a sword and use the Five Thunder Dao Techniques to subdue the world! After receiving the Dao three times, one can use the Thirty-Six Heavenly Gang Dao Techniques, and after receiving the Dao four times, one can wield the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiend Secret Techniques and the Twelve Lesser True Dao Techniques————"

"If placed before the collapse of the heavens, it would already be comparable to the top Dao cultivators of the fifth, sixth, or even seventh and eighth realms. At that time, there were thirteen ancient realms in Daoist cultivation, with the thirteenth realm being the realm of tribulation and ascension."

Wang Congyun felt increasingly uneasy listening to this, yet he also found it quite enjoyable.

The doubts that had troubled him for years were gradually dispelled, giving him a sense of sudden enlightenment.

He held his breath and listened attentively, memorizing everything he heard.

"Of course, there is a price to pay for becoming stronger. Leaving aside other minor costs, the most important cost is that one contains a mad and obsessive demon within. If it is not restrained, there is a risk that one's Dao heart will be shattered in an instant. After death, there is also a great chance that one's body will not dissipate but will be devoured by the obsessive demon and transformed into a Dao-obsessed evil monster, whose strength far exceeds that of other ordinary monsters and evil monsters."

"Our Daoist ancestors, in their quest to find a way to suppress the madness of this mutation, searched high and low, seeking countless methods. Finally, inspired by the 'Myriad Tribulations Dao Heart' of an ancient immortal, they found a method to stabilize the Dao Heart, which they named the 'Five Paths of Severing Emotions and Opening the Three Gates' method."

"Heartless—Open the Meridians—"

Wang Congyun murmured to himself, and at that moment, all the confusion in his heart suddenly cleared up, and all his thoughts became clear!

"When you receive the Dao for the first time, your cultivation level is still low, so there's no need to suppress your delusions and evil thoughts. But by the second time, things have changed. The two emotions you must avoid most are pity and compassion for the weak!"

"Anyone who is compassionate and kind to the weak risks having their Daoist heart shattered and being devoured by demonic obsession."

"Therefore, the Taoist sect sends its disciples who have received the Tao down the mountain to experience the trials of the mortal world, constantly instilling in them the principle that mortals are like pigs and dogs. This practice has existed throughout history, mainly to prevent their hearts from breaking in the future due to pity for the weakness of mortals and their inability to bear their short lives and deaths!"

"Not everyone in our Taoist sect is heartless and indifferent to life and death. On the contrary, it is precisely because those who are not indifferent to life and death do not live for more than a hundred years. They either become just ordinary people or die violently on the spot."

"If this continues, the Daoist sects will become increasingly indifferent, caring nothing for the common people, and the arbitrary slaughter and extermination of those who use them for resources will gradually become fashionable—this is truly a deep despair under heaven, stemming from the despair of the collapse of the immortal path after the collapse of the heavens, and it is difficult to eradicate!"

"Your Daoist heart was unstable before because you violated the great taboo of showing compassion and pity to the weak! The danger was immense, and you were on the verge of death."

Upon hearing this, Wang Congyun was struck by a sudden realization, and his heart was filled with mixed emotions.

I see—I see!

It turns out that the true nature of Taoist cultivation is so cruel and despairing, and the root cause of the Taoist sect's indifference to all living beings lies in the collapse and distortion of the path to immortality!

"Now that you have received the teachings three times, you must not only avoid the first two, but also avoid the thoughts of killing and lust."

"Once these four factors become uncontrollable, one is in danger of shattering their Dao heart in an instant! Therefore, one must constantly cultivate one's mind and character, and safeguard one's Dao lineage. The higher the cultivation level of a Daoist cultivator, the calmer their heart. This is not because they are truly like a still well, but because once there are ups and downs, they may completely go mad and lose control!"

Wang Congyun nodded earnestly, noting down all the hidden details, his heart already in turmoil.

A review of the actions of the high-ranking Taoist masters provides an explanation.

After pondering for a long time, he decided that since today was the day to lay his cards on the table, he would no longer hold back and immediately asked, "Master, you know why my Dao heart was shattered that day, so you should know that I am not of one mind with the Daoist sect. I have even—already betrayed the Daoist sect."

Dong Daozi said without surprise, "I have known this for a long time. From the moment you first went down the mountain for training and returned, I knew that you must have done something to betray the Daoist sect during the strange disaster in Dajiang County—perhaps you saved the people of the Agricultural Dao, but I cannot confirm it and have only guessed for many years."

"Therefore, all these years I have been secretly observing you and testing you, until your Daoist heart was shattered, at which point you truly passed my test!"

"I know that no matter how many times you are destroyed, even if you die nine times, you will not be of one mind with the Taoist sect, nor will you be assimilated by it. That is why I dare to completely trust you and use you."

"You're pretending, but aren't I pretending too?"

"I, a humble Taoist, pretend to be mediocre and unknown among the true masters. I flatter elders and deceive my disciples. My actions are no different from yours; it's all about concealing my incompetence."

Wang Congyun felt a chill run down his spine for a while, and every time he tried to recall even a little bit, he broke out in a cold sweat!

He thought his disguise was flawless, but he never expected that his master had already seen through it.

These are all seasoned veterans with a century of experience—truly extraordinary individuals!

"Master, then—after testing and observing me for so long, what exactly do you intend to use me for?"

Dong Daozi remained calm, showing neither joy nor sorrow, and said, "I need someone I can absolutely trust to become a True Person and join the Elder Council to accomplish great things! There are people who are wary of me, which is why I have never been able to enter the council. You are the most suitable person."

The Elders' Council?!

Wang Congyun was taken aback.

Above the Twelve True Men are the six Elders of the Elder Council, all of whom are True Men among True Men, with unfathomable cultivation. They do not leave the mountain gate unless absolutely necessary, and are stationed at Lingjiang Temple year-round.

There is also a major unspoken rule within the Taoist sect: only those who come from the Elder Council are qualified to become the sect's leader.

The sect leader has been in seclusion for hundreds of years without any movement, leading many in the sect to speculate that he has passed away in seclusion.

Could it be that Master is aiming for the position of sect leader?

If his master were to support him to become a True Person, then an Elder, and eventually the Sect Leader, there might truly be an opportunity to change the world!

As he was lost in thought, Dongdaozi had already stood up, shaking off the ashes without leaving a speck of dust.

"You've been unconscious for a whole month, you should rest well. This is the end of what we have to say, master and disciple. Let's not mention it again, just like before."

"Yes."

Wang Congyun rose to pay his respects, but when he looked up again, Dongdaozi had vanished.

He stood alone in the desolation, surrounded by scorched earth, his blood and tears still wet.

After this brush with death and a heart-to-heart talk with his master and disciple, the pent-up frustration that had been weighing on his heart for decades was finally dispelled. At least he knew that he was not alone in this great Dao Sect, that there were others who shared his thoughts and intentions, and that he was not entirely without support!

His master was his only support!

Just as I was about to step away, suddenly, the ground beneath my feet trembled and shook faintly.

The majestic agricultural path, imbued with profound and dramatic energy, can suddenly surge and gather together, its waves crashing in all directions.

Just like a flood bursting its banks or a volcano erupting, greenery bursts forth.

Immediately following, accompanied by boundless agricultural inspiration, a flash of light appeared before his eyes, and countless mists of blood from the endless life of farmers materialized, and he saw a deer.

It emerged from nothingness, its entire body a deep crimson, devoid of any auspicious sign, covered in wounds, and its hooves trodden out mournful cries.

It held its head high, gazing at him from afar.

Wang Congyun was stunned and speechless. What—what kind of strange phenomenon was this?!

How could a blood deer, half-real and half-illusory, have emerged from the sea of ​​blood in Hushan?!