A Century of Preaching the Dao, One Beating for the Two "Saints" of the West

Withering Prosperity Mountain, located less than a thousand miles east of Spirit Mountain in the Western Realm, was renowned for its unique geographical features. The mountain was not particularly tall, but its ridgeline served as a boundary, presenting two completely contrasting scenes: the western slope was lush with forests, vibrant with life, with Spiritual Springs murmuring, exuding a flourishing green vitality; the eastern slope, however, had chaotic earth energy, sparse vegetation, and exposed rocks, permeated with a dead, withered yellow like deep autumn or harsh winter. Tracing back to its roots, this peculiar landscape was greatly connected to Li Cha.

Back when he observed the conflict of the Demonic Path, he had destroyed this place entirely, then used his Great Mana to sort out the Earth Veins. The final boundary of his sorting was set at this very Withering Prosperity Mountain. West of the mountain, the Earth Veins were unobstructed, Spiritual Energy gradually recovered, hence life flourished; east of the mountain, his mana had been insufficient to continue the work, so the earth energy remained stagnant and chaotic, thus appearing withered and decayed. This mountain served as a stark footnote to his past achievements and unfinished business.

Today, Li Cha chose to establish his Dharma altar on this mountain, a decision of great significance. Once the altar was set, it meant he would conduct a systematic Preaching the Dao here, doing his best to answer questions for all listeners, unlike his previous travels where he stayed at most three days in one place. This Withering Prosperity Mountain would be forged into another important Dao field for the Tea Dao, second only to Yun Hua Grotto-Heaven, and in the future, disciples would even be stationed here to spread the essence of the Tea Dao.

When the news spread, countless living beings and cultivators in the Western Realm, like parched land receiving sweet rain after a long drought, swarmed in from all directions, gathering at the foot of Withering Prosperity Mountain. Even some who leaned toward the Western Teachings felt curious and secretly came to listen.

Li Cha ascended the Dharma altar, his expression peaceful, the Dao rhythm around him flowing naturally, resonating faintly with the heaven and earth he had personally sorted out. He did not immediately speak of profound methods but began with the most basic nature of "tea," progressing from shallow to deep, narrating unhurriedly. He spoke from the mundane picking of fresh leaves... to the cultivation of spiritual tea, the harmony between harvest seasons and the Spiritual Energy of heaven and earth; from tasting the myriad flavors of life in a cup of Pure Tea... to tempering the Soul Will; from the four truths of the Tea Dao—"Tranquility, Harmony, Joy, Truth"—to how to integrate these concepts into cultivation, stabilize the Dao Heart, and Clear the Mind and See the True Nature.

This lecture spanned a leisurely hundred years. Li Cha elaborated on the Tea Dao from a mundane skill all the way to a complete system of how to use the Tea Dao to comprehend the Heaven and Earth Laws, condense the Five Qi in the chest, and achieve the Golden Immortal fruit. He deliberately stopped at the Golden Immortal realm, because for the vast majority of listeners below the stage, the Golden Immortal was a goal both reachable and worth striving for. The Da Luo path was too profound and mysterious; knowing it too early could easily give rise to delusions and lose the true heart of gradual cultivation.

The hundred-year lecture brought no heavenly phenomena, but the spiritual energy on the western side of Withering Prosperity Mountain grew increasingly abundant, faintly spreading toward the withered yellow eastern lands. The listeners below the stage were utterly captivated; countless broke through bottlenecks that had troubled them for a long time, listening to Li Cha's Tea Dao as if hearing the true words of the Great Dao.

Just as Li Cha finished his lecture and began answering questions for the crowd, the "ultimate combination" carefully prepared by the two from the Western Realm made its entrance. Led by Maitreya, along with Kasyapa, Mahakasyapa, Ananda, and others—the sixteen most eloquent and highly cultivated disciples under Jieyin and Zhunti—they Arrived Together. Each of them had profound auras, at least at Early Da Luo cultivation, with Maitreya at the lead being Late Da Luo, his sharpness barely concealed by his harmonious Buddha Light. They carried with them the most thorny, heart-confusing questions meticulously deduced by the two Western masters and a host of wise men, aiming to gain the upper hand in debate, break the supreme Dao rhythm Li Cha had created here.

The first to challenge was the Venerable Kasyapa. His face was gaunt, his eyes piercing, and he pressed his palms together and asked, "Senior Yun Hua, the Tea Dao advocates a 'non-contention' heart, viewing all things as equal, without discrimination. Yet, if there is no contention, why go everywhere preaching the Dao and promoting your own philosophy? If there is no contention, why cultivate mana and divine powers, raising one's cultivation level—who are you contending with? Is this not self-contradictory?"

Li Cha smiled faintly at this, his voice like a clear spring flowing, soothing the restless hearts of the crowd: "Daoist Kasyapa's question lies in the appearance of 'contention.' The non-contention of the Tea Dao is not cowardly retreat, but a transcendence of the mind, not being enslaved by external things, not moved by gain or loss. However, the Primordial Wilderness is not a utopia; the Great Dao also needs protection. Non-contention is the ease of 'none can contend with you.' It means: if you are willing to discuss the Dao and reason with me, I will naturally treat you with reason; if you intend to act with brute force, I, this poor Daoist, also know a few punches and kicks. Spreading the Dao in the Primordial Wilderness, without the power to protect it, even if you have ten thousand truths, they are but flowers in a mirror, the moon on the water, a castle in the air. This is not contention, but 'upholding.'"

This speech clarified that the true meaning of the Tea Dao's "non-contention" was inner detachment rather than inaction, while also pointing out the necessity of maintaining power in the real Primordial Wilderness. The logic was rigorous and unassailable. Kasyapa was momentarily speechless and silently withdrew.

Seeing this, Maitreya knew he could not find an opening in Li Cha himself. He stepped forward, his face wearing its trademark smile, but his tone carried a sharp edge: "Senior Yun Hua's Dao arts are profound, and this junior admires them greatly. I wonder if this junior might seek guidance from one of your esteemed disciples?"

Li Cha's gaze swept over Maitreya, understanding his intent, but did not stop him. He nodded and said, "You may. Whom do you wish to ask?"

Maitreya turned his gaze to Wu Zhiqi, who was fidgeting with hyperactivity, and smiled, "Then I ask Daoist Wu Zhiqi to kindly enlighten me."

Wu Zhiqi was picking at his fur. Hearing someone call him, he froze, then grinned foolishly and walked forward: "Ask me? Hehe, I just joined not long ago, I don't know much."

Maitreya's expression changed, his tone taking on a heavy, compassionate sorrow: "I have a great vow: may this Primordial Wilderness have no more strife or killing, and all beings live in peace. I wonder if the Tea Dao has a method to resolve this?" This question was extremely insidious, directly throwing an almost unsolvable problem at the seemingly reckless Wu Zhiqi. No matter how he answered, it would be hard to be satisfactory.

Wu Zhiqi scratched his head in confusion. The question was too profound for him. He fidgeted anxiously, constantly looking at Li Cha.

Li Cha's expression did not change. He transmitted his voice: "Just answer according to what you think in your heart. Don't be constrained. Speak your mind directly."

With his master's approval, Wu Zhiqi steeled himself, puffed out his chest, and declared loudly, "Daoist Maitreya, my answer only represents myself, not my master, and not the Tea Dao! My view is—stop killing with killing, resolve conflict with strong authority! I wonder if this answer satisfies you?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire audience was shocked. This answer was practically the opposite of the peace and tranquility advocated by the Tea Dao!

A hint of triumph flashed in Maitreya's eyes, and he immediately pressed further: "Daoist Wu Zhiqi, your answer goes against your master's Tea Dao. How can it satisfy me? Moreover, how do you define who deserves to be killed? Killing itself is the source of conflict—how can you stop killing with killing? Under strong authority, there is only fear and suppression. How can that truly resolve conflict?"

Although Wu Zhiqi was straightforward, he was not stupid. Being pressed repeatedly only stirred up his ferocity. He bared his teeth and said, "Kill? Naturally, kill those who actively stir up conflict and create killing! Remove the source of chaos, and that stops the killing! Under strong authority, set rules and laws, enforce orders and prohibitions, and severely punish violators! When everyone knows that causing chaos will surely be severely punished, they will naturally restrain themselves, and conflict will decrease! Isn't that a form of resolution? Or should we, like you, just talk with our mouths and expect those vicious thugs to put down their blades? Old Wu doesn't believe it!" Although his words were rough, they carried a straightforward logic born from the law of the jungle, which made some listeners accustomed to the convoluted reasoning of the Western Teachings pause to think.

Maitreya was momentarily speechless. He hadn't expected Wu Zhiqi to answer like this, nor that this twisted reasoning would gain recognition. Seeing that they could not gain an advantage in debate, Jieyin and Zhunti, sitting high on Spirit Mountain, grew anxious. They began to disregard their status, secretly transmitting divine thoughts, their voices directly sounding in the sea of consciousness of Li Cha's disciples, sowing discord, hinting that Li Cha had not taught them the true core Dao, mocking them for disgracing their master, and trying to use their Mid-Stage Quasi-Saint pressure to disturb the minds of Shi Qing and Forget Worry.

Such actions were no longer debate—they were despicable!

Having been pestered by all sorts of strange questions for days, Li Cha had remained calm. But now, the other side was bullying the weak, secretly harming his disciples, trying to shake their Dao Hearts!

This was the last straw!

Li Cha's expression suddenly darkened. The peaceful aura around him instantly turned sharp as a sword! He rose to his full height, his gaze cold as he looked toward Spirit Mountain, and snorted coldly, "Fine Western methods! Unable to win in debate, so you resort to such filthy tricks! Do you truly think this poor Daoist has no temper?!"

Before his words had even faded, his form had transformed into a brilliant streak of light, tearing through the sky, carrying overwhelming momentum, and shooting straight toward Spirit Mountain! His speed far exceeded the perception of everyone present.

The next moment, from the distant western horizon came earth-shaking roars of energy! "Crackle, crackle!" "Boom, rumble!"

Mixed in were uncontrollable cries of pain and screams, ringing through the heavens. The sound was beyond the word "miserable."

At the foot of Withering Prosperity Mountain, there was dead silence. All the listeners stared dumbfounded at the western sky, where the laws were in chaos, treasures occasionally exploded, accompanied by the continuous sounds of "sparring" and the miserable howls of those two. Maitreya, Kasyapa, and the other Western disciples turned pale with fear, trembling all over, forgetting all about debate, their hearts filled only with boundless terror.

This one-sided "exchange" lasted nearly an hour. Then, two extremely disheveled figures, their monk robes torn, faces bruised and swollen, their Buddha Light dimmed to the extreme, supporting each other, staggered and tumbled down from the clouds. They barely managed to stabilize themselves with all their might, not daring to look back, and fled in panic toward the depths of Spirit Mountain!

Li Cha's figure then reappeared on the Dharma altar at Withering Prosperity Mountain, his robes fluttering, spotless, his expression calm again, as if he had just taken a stroll. He sat down serenely and continued answering questions for those who had not yet had their doubts resolved.

By now, the minds of the crowd below were no longer on the questions. Their eyes were bright, full of curiosity and excitement, whispering and discussing among themselves:

"My heavens... those two, they got beaten badly!"

"Ancestor Yun Hua is truly... mighty!"

"An hour! They screamed for a whole hour! The Western Teachings have lost so much face this time!"

Seeing this, Li Cha did not call them out, but the corner of his mouth curled up almost imperceptibly. His action today was both a punishment for the despicable deeds of the two Western masters and a defense of his disciples, but it was also an opportunity to show the entire Western Realm—the Tea Dao is not a path to be bullied! If you want to block my preaching, first weigh your own strength!

After this battle, the last obstacle to the spread of the Tea Dao in the Western Realm was thoroughly cleared by Li Cha in this domineering manner. The Withering Prosperity Mountain Dao field was henceforth as stable as a rock.