The Dispute of Buddha Dao

Wealth, companions, methods, and location.

There's reason wealth is placed first.

Refining a single Pill for Cultivating Origin equals several days of Zhou Yi's cultivation.

By that reckoning, Old Daoist Zhengyang has spent a hundred and eighty years refining countless pills and spiritual items, his True Essence vast as an ocean.

Zhou Yi sat down beside Yan Chixia and heard his senior brother's voice transmission.

"Don't be discouraged, Junior Brother. Old Daoist Zhengyang is already a hundred and seventy years old—not of our generation."

"Didn't they say those past their Lifespan all seal their blood and pulse? How can Zhengyang still act freely?"

Zhou Yi had heard Ku Bu Luohan explain that the Buddha Dao possessed many life-extending secret arts. Some elders who exceeded their Lifespan limit sealed their blood and pulse, unable to act lightly unless the sect faced a crisis.

Some undying ones over two hundred years old were even like living corpses, communicating only through divine thought.

"See the Eight Trigrams Jade Platform beneath Zhengyang? One of Laoshan's treasures—it stabilizes the body and nurtures the soul, profoundly mysterious."

Yan Chixia transmitted: "As long as Zhengyang doesn't leave the Eight Trigrams Platform, he can roam freely for another thirty years. But at two hundred, the Five Decays of Heaven and Man will strike, and no artifact can shield him."

Zhou Yi asked: "How many experts like Zhengyang are there in the world?"

"What are you thinking? Only five of those old relics remain, all within the Buddha Dao."

Yan Chixia sighed: "Fifty years ago, there were over a dozen, but Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy grows thinner, their Lifespan couldn't hold out, and they passed one by one."

Yan Chixia had roamed the world for decades, knowing the secrets of every sect.

According to him, the Buddhist Sect had two old monks—one open, one hidden—while the Dao Sect had only Old Daoist Zhengyang before them, and Lu Changsheng of Qingcheng Sect.

Zhou Yi wondered: "Who's the last one?"

"The last one is me, Senior Brother. I just turned a hundred and fifty two years ago. I went to find you to settle my affairs, but unexpectedly gained insight, grasped a sliver of Primordial Spirit mystery, and extended my Lifespan by decades."

Yan Chixia's transmission carried no small pride—not to show off to Zhou Yi, but to share his joy.

Countless heroes and talents roamed the world, yet not one besides Yan Chixia had extended life through cultivation.

"Congratulations, Senior Brother. You've taken another step on the Great Path."

Zhou Yi had now concluded that Yan Chixia was a Child of Destiny of his era—how else could such coincidences happen?

Mingling among mortals, he stumbled upon top-tier martial arts secrets.

With martial arts achieved, he fell into an ancient cultivator's legacy.

With Lifespan nearly spent, he comprehended the mystery of the Primordial Spirit.

Zhou Yi had to admit—he was jealous...

Yan Chixia laughed heartily and introduced the old woman to Zhou Yi: "You already know Xuan Qingzi and Zhou Xiaoyi. This is Daoist Friend Jingyue, master of Lingzhu Nunnery's abbess on Qingcheng Mountain. Daoist Friend Xuanyue excels at alchemy—that Pill for Cultivating Origin was personally refined by her."

Zhou Yi rose and bowed: "Greetings, Daoist Friend Jingyue. I hope to seek your guidance on alchemy someday."

Jingyue said: "No need for formality, Daoist Friend. Alchemy is profound, and I'm only a beginner. Let's exchange knowledge in the future."

"Then it's settled. After the discourse, I'll visit Lingzhu Nunnery to learn alchemy."

Zhou Yi knew Jingyue was being polite, but a man must seize the opportunity—learn the alchemy arts first, then worry about the rest.

Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy grew thinner by the day; cultivators already lamented their short Lifespan, with no time to study alchemy.

Thus, Zhou Yi had met many cultivators, but not one mastered alchemy—not even a single practitioner.

Origin in hand, but no alchemy to use it.

Jingyue was stunned. She never expected the famed Guo Bei Sword Saint and Great Jing's Grand Tutor to care so little about face.

By the time Xuan Lingzi rode his qi to the mountain peak, he saw Zhou Yi chatting cheerfully with several fellow Daoists.

He knew he'd lost in speed, but Xuan Lingzi's nature was carefree—win or lose didn't matter. He casually sat cross-legged on a patch of Greenstone.

Seeing everyone had arrived, Zhengyang spoke loudly.

"This gathering invites you all to discuss the Dao, but there's another matter—the conflict between Buddha and Dao."

Zhengyang paused here, glancing meaningfully at Zhou Yi, then continued: "Ever since Pu Du Ci Hang ascended to Imperial Preceptor, the Buddhist Sect has flourished across the land, even bringing Buddhist disciples near Laoshan."

Laoshan was Great Jing's Dao Sect stronghold, passed down and managed for a thousand years. For a hundred miles, not even a Buddhist disciple or a single martial sect existed.

Buddhist disciples daring to operate near Laoshan relied on Pu Du Ci Hang's authority.

Xuan Lingzi and Xuan Qingzi were of Laoshan's lineage, Jingyue came from Qingcheng's, and Yan Chixia could represent the Dao Sect's scattered cultivators. Only Song Xiaoyi of the Lingnan Song Family had somehow gotten involved in the Buddha-Dao conflict.

Xuan Qingzi said coldly: "I thought our sect taking the Grand Tutor position would turn the tide, but heaven doesn't obey man's will..."

"Hmph, blaming others for your own incompetence?"

Yan Chixia mocked: "I heard from Daoist Friend Guanlan—who ran the fastest back then?"

Xuan Qingzi's face flushed red. Faced with Pu Du Ci Hang's invincible might, he had been the first to use Lightning Escape and flee.

Zhou Yi wasn't angered by Xuan Qingzi's jab—only losers barked impotently. A thought stirred in his mind: perhaps the Buddha-Dao conflict was an opportunity.

Seize this chance to expose Pu Du Ci Hang's true face, and let the Dao Sect of the world strike together.

Zhou Yi had no obsession with fighting alone—if he could gang up, he would never duel.

"Fellow cultivators, do you know that Pu Du Ci Hang is not human, but a demon in disguise?"

As soon as Zhou Yi spoke, he indeed piqued the interest of the others.

"Pu Du Ci Hang was originally a Centipede Spirit Beast of the Buddhist Sect. Fahong, nearing the end of his Lifespan, sought to devour Dragon Qi to extend his years, but feared the karmic consequences."

Zhou Yi continued, "The Buddhist Sect devised a method of transference: Pu Du Ci Hang would bear the backlash of fate, prolonging Fahong's Lifespan."

A glimmer of realization flashed in Xuan Qing Zi's eyes. He still harbored doubts about that battle back then—Ku Bu Luohan had acted far too strangely.

Zhou Yi pressed on, "If we join forces to slay Pu Du Ci Hang and expose his true form, we can surely deal a heavy blow to the Buddhist Sect, perhaps even cripple it!"

Yan Chixia clapped in approval, itching to draw his sword and head to the capital right then to kill Pu Du Ci Hang.

Xuan Qing Zi suddenly spoke, "Has Pu Du Ci Hang already broken ties with the Buddhist Sect?"

Zhou Yi frowned slightly. "Daoist Xuan Qing, what are you driving at?"

"Since Pu Du Ci Hang has severed ties with the Buddhist Sect, a battle between them is inevitable."

Xuan Qing Zi said, "We need only watch from the sidelines. Two tigers fight—one wounded, one dead. We just pick up the spoils."

"Good! This plan is excellent!"

"Why should our Daoist Sect clean up the Buddhist Sect's mess?"

"Pu Du Ci Hang's strength is actually limited. Perhaps we could lend him a hand, let him fight the Buddhist Sect to the death."

"Old monk Fahong claims to be a Buddha Reincarnation—let Pu Du Ci Hang send him into true reincarnation!"

"Haha! If Fahong passes into nirvana, won't the Buddhist Sect stand alone with no support?"

Several Daoist True Men, in their back-and-forth chatter, were actually planning to help Pu Du Ci Hang against the Buddhist Sect.

"Senior Zhengyang, Pu Du Ci Hang not only devours Dragon Qi but also brings calamity to the world. If you do this, won't it throw the realm into chaos?"

Zhou Yi didn't claim to be a good man, but he couldn't bring himself to slaughter the innocent.

These Daoist True Men, regarded as immortals in the eyes of mortals, had already stopped caring about Pu Du Ci Hang's evil for the sake of the Buddhist-Daoist conflict. They fought for sectarian rivalry, utterly indifferent to right and wrong.

Yan Chixia was far more direct. He burst into curses.

"Zhengyang, you old fool!"

"Take your grandfather's sword!"