The Heavenly Dao

Zhuang Yan's cultivation has now reached the peak of Refining Spirit Returning to Void, needing only one opportunity to step into the realm of Refining Void into Dao.

In these three months, Zhuang Yan has accumulated eighteen strands of power. Of these, Refining Spirit Returning to Void yields three strands per month, and the seventh-rank Immortal Official divine position also grants three strands monthly.

Gazing at these Heavenly Dao powers, Zhuang Yan mused inwardly. If he were to repair a major divine ability, these eighteen strands would be far from enough, requiring long-term accumulation. However, if he were to add or enhance a minor divine ability, it would be more than sufficient. Major divine abilities refer to status buffs, while minor divine abilities encompass specifics like Weakness, Evasion, Inevitable Hit, Self-Healing, and Critical Hit.

After careful consideration, Zhuang Yan decided to temporarily postpone the enhancement. Although his current ten-zhang evasion range was slightly insufficient against behemoths like Garuda, he preferred to accumulate up to two hundred strands to upgrade to a major divine ability, which would then allow for boundless evasion.

He then thought of the matter of Garuda's seal being broken by a powerful being from the Heavenly Court, and Zhuang Yan felt rather at ease. Those powerful beings all understood the power of laws, so breaking his seal was not surprising. His own power was also a law, merely transcending the Heavenly Dao. Once fully recovered, he would naturally reign supreme over all laws.

After finishing his meditation, Zhuang Yan rose and stretched his limbs in the meditation room. He took out the Thousand Light Cloud Talisman, intending to patrol his jurisdiction—after all, he hadn't fulfilled his duties for three months. As soon as he stepped out of the room, he saw that the offering table in the temple had been completely renewed; the damaged old table had been replaced with a brand-new peach wood one.

Stepping out of the Mountain God Temple, he saw that all the roof tiles had been replaced, a new flagpole had been erected in front of the temple, and colorful flags fluttered all around. Knowing it was the work of the villagers from the foot of the mountain while he was in seclusion, Zhuang Yan didn't pay much mind. No matter how magnificent the temple, he only resided in a corner of the meditation room; it was best to let things be.

After patrolling Spirit Platform Mountain for three hundred li on his cloud, Zhuang Yan finally landed in front of the Cave of the Slanting Moon and Three Stars on Mount Fangcun. Amidst the swirling white clouds, young Taoists were practicing martial arts in front of the cave. Seeing him appear, the Taoists all turned their attention to him.

As Zhuang Yan entered the mountain gate, a Taoist stepped forward to bow: "This humble Taoist greets the High Immortal." Zhuang Yan returned the bow and said, "I have come specifically to pay respects to Patriarch Bodhi."

Just as the Taoist was about to go inside to announce him, Cloudy Boy happened to emerge from the cave. Upon hearing his purpose, the boy immediately declared to the assembled disciples: "You all remember this: this is the Mountain God of Lingtai, an old friend of the Patriarch. If you see him in the future, do not obstruct him." The Taoists heard this and became solemn, responding in unison.

Cloudy Boy walked up to Zhuang Yan and bowed respectfully: "Lord Mountain God, the Patriarch has said that if you visit the Cave of the Slanting Moon and Three Stars in the future, you may enter and see him at any time without needing to announce yourself."

Zhuang Yan immediately returned the bow: "I am grateful for the Patriarch's favor. This deity has emerged from seclusion to patrol the earth veins and happened to pass by Mount Fangcun, so I came to pay my respects."

"The Patriarch has prepared Immortal Tea. Please follow me, Mountain God," Cloudy Boy said, leading the way.

Entering a small pavilion within the cave dwelling, Zhuang Yan bowed to Patriarch Bodhi: "Patriarch, have you been well since we last met?"

Patriarch Bodhi gestured with a smile: "Very well. Young friend, please sit."

Zhuang Yan calmly took a seat and accepted the teacup personally poured by the Patriarch.

"Congratulations, young friend, on your achievements and advancement," Patriarch Bodhi said, stroking his beard.

"Thank you, Patriarch," Zhuang Yan said, taking a sip of the Spirit Tea. "I came specifically to visit this time; there is no other matter."

Patriarch Bodhi nodded: "I had intended to teach you some protective techniques. Now, seeing your cultivation, few in this world can harm you."

Zhuang Yan said earnestly: "Without performing the ceremony of apprenticeship, how can I presume to receive true teachings?" Although he said this, he actually had no desire for spells, as he possessed his own extraordinary destiny.

After chatting and drinking tea for a while, Zhuang Yan rose to take his leave. Patriarch Bodhi personally escorted him to the cave entrance and watched his cloud light disappear before returning.

In the following days, Zhuang Yan patrolled the three thousand li of mountains and rivers in Guangci Prefecture. After confirming the stability of the earth veins, he was about to return.

Suddenly, he heard the faint sound of prayers reaching his ears: "...Above all deities of the four directions, this lesser demon Lu Hanzhi humbly reports..."

It turned out to be Lu Hanzhi, a White Deer spirit from Green Duckweed Mountain who had transformed, offering incense and praying. As the Mountain God governing Guangci Prefecture, these prayers naturally reached Zhuang Yan first.

Upon listening closely, he learned that this Deer Demon had fallen in love with the mortal Zhong Jing, but Elder Guangde of Tianci Temple had discovered them. The Elder took Zhong Jing away and also obstructed her with a magic tool. Lu Hanzhi sought to confront him but was instead injured. Helpless, she could only pray to the deities to uphold justice.

Amidst the swirling incense smoke, Zhuang Yan manifested his true form: "Lu Hanzhi, I am the Mountain God of Lingtai. I heard your prayer and have come to meet you."

Lu Hanzhi was overjoyed upon hearing this and immediately prostrated herself: "This humble cultivator Lu Hanzhi greets Lord Mountain God."

Zhuang Yan said calmly: "I am already aware of the matter you spoke of, but I regret that I cannot uphold justice for you."

"Why?" Lu Hanzhi asked urgently. "Lord Mountain God, as a righteous god of the Heavenly Court, do you also fear those Buddhist monks?"

Zhuang Yan gazed at her: "How many years have you cultivated until now?"

"Including the time before I took human form, a total of three hundred and seventy years," Lu Hanzhi replied.

"With three hundred and seventy years of Dao Cultivation, you are still so naive and ignorant of the world. In your state, you should have continued to cultivate in seclusion in the mountains, not meddled in mortal affairs, and certainly not fallen in love with a human."

Lu Hanzhi did not understand: "Lord Mountain God, are you saying that pursuing love is wrong?"

"Love is not wrong, but the love between a demon and a human violates the natural order of the Heavenly Dao."

Lu Hanzhi stubbornly said: "I don't understand what the natural order of the Heavenly Dao is; I only know to follow my heart. I love Zhong Jing, and I will spend my life with him."

Zhuang Yan shook his head: "Following your heart does not work in the mortal world. Humans and demons have different paths and belong to different realms; how can they walk together?"

"The distinction between humans and demons is fundamentally absurd!" Lu Hanzhi retorted. "Since I have taken human form, how am I different from a human? Why can't we be together?"

Zhuang Yan chuckled and, with a flip of his hand, produced a vibrant, two-hundred-year-old spirit grass and offered it to her.

Lu Hanzhi's eyes lit up, her nose twitched uncontrollably, her throat bobbed, and a crystal-clear drool seeped from the corner of her mouth.

"Does it smell good?" Zhuang Yan asked.

She nodded repeatedly, completely unaware of her loss of composure.

Zhuang Yan said: "Even though you have taken human form, your beastly nature has not been extinguished. If you were a mortal, would you covet a blade of grass like this? This is the natural order of the Heavenly Dao."

Lu Hanzhi hastily wiped away her drool, still unwilling: "But we truly love each other."

"It is merely a fleeting romance. If he truly cared for you, how could he have been easily taken away by Elder Guangde? And how could it be so difficult for you to see him?"

Lu Hanzhi was stunned for a moment, but still stubbornly said: "I still don't want to give up."

"Very well," Zhuang Yan proposed. "Since you are convinced of each other's sincerity, come with me to Spirit Platform Mountain and enter seclusion for three years. After three years, I will personally take you to see Zhong Jing. If he is still waiting for you and has not moved on, this deity will fulfill your wish. How about it?"

Lu Hanzhi's eyes brightened: "Really? Three years is but a blink of an eye for her."

"Would this deity lie to you?"

She smiled slyly: "Does Lord Mountain God dare to seal this with a pact?"

"Why not?" The two clapped hands and made their agreement.

Suddenly, Zhuang Yan took out a ceramic pot, aiming its opening at her and shouting:

Amidst the humming sound, Lu Hanzhi was caught off guard and sucked into the pot. She cried out in panic, "Why is the Mountain God capturing me?"

Zhuang Yan's voice drifted over, "Cultivate here peacefully for three years, and I will take you to see him then."

With that, he rode the clouds back to Spirit Platform Mountain and placed the ceramic pot beneath the statue.

Incense smoke curled in the air at Tianci Temple. Elder Guangde was chanting scriptures in the main hall. Suddenly, a young monk rushed in, clasped his hands, and reported, "Master, Master and Madam Zhong are here to fulfill their vow."

The Elder finished the last verse and slowly opened his eyes, saying, "Lead them to the Mahavira Hall."

In the solemn Buddhist hall, Master Zhong and his wife devoutly offered incense and made offerings. After the ceremony, Master Zhong asked the monk in charge, "May I ask if Elder Guangde is available?"

The monk replied with clasped hands, "The Elder will be here shortly. Please, esteemed patrons, move to the side hall for tea."

After three rounds of tea, Elder Guangde arrived gracefully. The Zhong couple quickly rose and bowed, "Thank you, Elder, for saving our child's life. We have come today to fulfill our vow."

The Elder helped them up and smiled, "Good deeds. Since your son has recovered, it is the Buddha's mercy."

Madam Zhong's face lit up with joy, "Our son is now clear-headed and refreshed. The day before yesterday, he met Miss Li from the west of the city, and they got along very well."

With the Deer Demon's illusion removed, his mind was naturally clear. The Elder twirled his prayer beads. Although the demon had not taken his life, prolonged entanglement would have likely drained his son's vital energy, leaving him a cripple.

As they were speaking, a monk came to invite them for a meal. Master Zhong bowed repeatedly in thanks and followed the monk to the dining hall.

Amidst the evening drum, the setting sun cast a golden border on the temple. Outside the meditation room, the Wenshu Orchid swayed in the wind. Elder Guangde suddenly stopped chanting, straightened his robes, and opened the door.

He saw a woman in red standing in the courtyard, her robes like fire, her black hair flying. Her phoenix eyes held authority, and her voice was like ice, "The three-year period for debating the Dao has ended. Today, we shall settle this."

The Elder stepped out of the meditation room and sighed, "This old monk has been waiting for a long time."

The woman waved her sleeve, and the fallen leaves on the ground swirled to form a seat.

The two sat facing each other. She coldly raised her hand, "Fellow Daoist, please speak."

Elder Guangde pondered for a long time before finally beginning to lecture on the scriptures.

This debate on Buddhist scriptures lasted for a full three hours, but the outcome was no different from usual. As a high-ranking monk of the Buddhist Sect at the Earth Immortal realm, Elder Guangde was utterly defeated in the debate by the woman before him.

"This poor monk concedes," Elder Guangde said, lowering his head and sighing.

The woman stood up and said, "Since you concede, you should tear down all the statues of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Arhats, and other deities in the temple. From today onwards, this will be my Daoist dojo, and the beings of Guangci Prefecture can only worship me, the Fire Spirit True Immortal."

Elder Guangde remained silent. The Fire Spirit True Immortal sneered, "What? Still not convinced?"

The Elder suddenly stood up and said, "Fellow Daoist, Tianci Temple is willing to build a new temple for you and share some incense and fire with you, how about that?"

"Dream on!" the Fire Spirit True Immortal flatly refused. "Tianci Temple is an ancient temple of ten thousand years with abundant incense and fire. I want this temple!"

Elder Guangde said sternly, "Fellow Daoist, although you have cultivated to the Earth Immortal realm, you do not have a Buddhist fruition. This matter goes against heavenly principles."

"Are you trying to renege on the deal?" the Fire Spirit True Immortal glared.

"If that is the case, I will have to resort to force." Flames suddenly erupted around her. Elder Guangde quickly chanted a spell: "Three-Tiered Body!"

In an instant, three clones appeared, each holding a golden pestle, a bronze staff, and a silver shovel, attacking the Fire Spirit True Immortal. She spread her arms, and dozens of fire dragons roared out, instantly engulfing the three clones.

Elder Guangde revealed his true form, and the Fire Spirit True Immortal struck with a palm. In a critical moment, golden light flashed from the Elder's chest, shattering the fiery palm. He then retaliated with a Great Compassion Hand Seal, its power astonishing.

The Fire Spirit True Immortal transformed into a sky full of flames, which were all extinguished by the hand seal. At the same time, a spirit fire ignited from Elder Guangde's chest, burning him black all over in an instant, causing him to lose all his magical power.

The spirit fire retreated gracefully, and the Fire Spirit True Immortal reappeared ten paces away. Elder Guangde collapsed on the ground, at the end of his strength.

The Fire Spirit True Immortal grabbed the Elder and flew to the Mahavira Hall. The monks were greatly alarmed and rushed forward with weapons. She casually struck them down and grabbed the Elder by the neck, shouting, "Quickly summon all the monks in the temple! If you dare to play any tricks, I will take his life immediately!"

The monks' expressions changed drastically, and they all looked at Elder Guangde. Elder Guangde suddenly woke up and said urgently, "Benefactress, please do not harm the Fangzhang's life. This humble monk will immediately gather all the monks in the temple."