The Holy Maiden's Dao

Kill Miaozhen? Surely not. Xu Qi'an raised an eyebrow, changed direction, and flew towards the northeast. If he remembered correctly, Tianzong was not far from Jianzhou.

This was revealed by Li Lingsu.

Among the three major sects of Daoist School, the Heavenly Sect lives in seclusion and has almost no contact with the mortal world. Only every few decades or decades, they send their holy sons and daughters down the mountain to travel and cultivate their minds in the mortal world.

Therefore, Xu Qi'an had not deliberately inquired about the location of the Heavenly Sect before, and had put it "later" on his mind. He originally planned to go to the Heavenly Sect in the future when he was strong enough to ask about the truth behind the mysterious disappearance of the Heavenly Venerables of the past.

But he later unraveled the secret of the Celestial Venerable merging with the Heavenly Dao.

Upon seeing Li Lingsu's plea for help, the members of the Heaven and Earth Society were startled. Then, Chu Yuanzhen sent a message questioning:

[Four: Should we kill you or Li Miaozhen? You two are equally bad. Does the Heavenly Sect favor sons over daughters and only kill Miaozhen but not you?]

Li Lingsu thought to herself, "What kind of talk is that? Isn't the key issue that those old scoundrels want to kill Miaozhen? Does my being killed bother you?"

While inwardly complaining, he didn't slow down his message transmission speed and quickly explained:

[Seven: The Celestial Venerable believed that Miaozhen and I were entangled in too much karma, destined to fall into depravity and unable to transcend emotions, so he planned to erase our memories. I was a wise man and didn't fight a losing battle, so I agreed, but as you know Miaozhen's personality, she absolutely refused.]

[He even argued with the Celestial Venerable, saying he could kill me or cripple me, but he couldn't humiliate me.]

The members of the Heaven and Earth Society sighed inwardly, realizing that Li Miaozhen was indeed capable of such a foolish act.

That girl was nothing like the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Sect should be; she was strong-willed and unyielding.

Master Jinlian sent a letter saying:

[Nine: The Celestial Venerable's assessment is very accurate. Regarding your situation with Miaozhen, it will be difficult for you to achieve transcendence of worldly attachments in this lifetime.]

[8: Since the Heavenly Venerable has already transcended emotions, why is he still fixated on whether his disciples have also transcended emotions?]

Asuro asked questions when he didn't understand.

Although he had lived for hundreds of years, the Buddhist School and the Tianzong sect were far apart and had no contact for thousands of years. Even he did not know much about the situation of the Tianzong sect.

[Nine: Passing on the family line and continuing the sect are, in the eyes of the Celestial Venerable, rules, not emotions. This is like the alternation of the sun and moon, the changing of the seasons; it has its own rules of operation, so what does it have to do with emotions?]

Li Miaozhen is a saintess and one of the future successors to the position of Heavenly Venerable. When the saintess deviates from the doctrine, the Heavenly Venerable will intervene.

Just as battles between extraordinary beings can disrupt the elements of heaven and earth, the laws of heaven and earth will intervene to restore the elements to normal.

Asuro understood:

No wonder the Celestial Venerables of all ages merged with the Heavenly Dao.

He gained a deeper understanding of the Heavenly Sect.

The news that the Celestial Venerables of all generations had merged with the Heavenly Dao was information that Xu Qi'an obtained from the White Emperor during the Tribulation Battle, and he was also present at the time.

Later, it was shared with members of the Heaven and Earth Society.

[Seven: The sect gave Miaozhen a day to reflect, but she still refused to submit. The Celestial Venerable decided to administer a whipping punishment at noon, intending to scatter her soul.]

Li Lingsu thought to herself, "Stop talking, please save the child!"

[Three: I'm heading to Jianzhou; I should arrive before noon.]

Perfect timing! I can take this opportunity to chat with the Celestial Venerable about the secrets of the Daoist Venerable, the secrets of the conflict between Celestial Person and Man, and the secrets of the Celestial Venerables throughout history.

Xu Qi'an believed that the Celestial Venerable definitely knew some other inside information.

[Nine: I shall go too. Miaozhen is a member of my Heaven and Earth Society, not just the Holy Maiden of his Heavenly Sect.]

[8: I happen to be free.]

Ah, this... Li Lingsu was both surprised and worried. She was surprised because she hadn't expected everyone to be so loyal, and this crisis was finally over.

His concern stemmed from the belief that too many extraordinary beings had arrived. He only wanted to save himself and Li Miaozhen, and didn't want these guys from the Heaven and Earth Society to destroy the Heavenly Sect.

[One: I'm informing Luo Yuheng!]

Huaiqing chimed in.

Although she didn't particularly like the Flying Swallow Heroine who was always threatening to kill the Emperor of Great Feng, she was still willing to lend a helping hand because they were members of the same organization.

Moreover, since the man surnamed Xu is getting married soon, he will definitely invite Li Miaozhen to his wedding banquet.

Li Lingsu had only one thought in her mind:

We can't stay at this Heavenly Sect any longer!

Tianzong.

Li Lingsu breathed a sigh of relief, put the fragment of the Earth Book back into her bosom, and quietly left her master's meditation room.

Upon returning to the Heavenly Sect, their Earth Books were taken away by their respective masters, and the Holy Son personally witnessed Master Xuancheng placing the fragments of the Earth Books into a wooden box.

Taking advantage of Master Xuancheng's absence, he secretly slipped in and sent a letter to the members of the Heaven and Earth Society seeking their guidance.

As for now, Xu Qi'an will arrive soon, and he will definitely leave Tianzong with his junior sister, so there's no need to put the Earth Book fragments back.

Li Lingsu quietly left the courtyard and headed towards her residence. Halfway there, she happened to bump into Daoist Xuancheng returning.

"Master!"

Li Lingsu bowed respectfully, revealing a subtle hint of melancholy.

Neither what Li Miaozhen is about to face nor the punishment of having his memories erased are pleasant things.

Master Xuancheng nodded slightly and said expressionlessly:

"The elders have gathered the disciples outside the Heavenly Venerable Hall to watch the punishment of the Thunder Whip."

"Come with me. After we deal with the Holy Maiden, the Celestial Venerable will erase your memories."

Li Lingsu maintained her somber expression and said in a low voice:

"Yes!"

The plaza outside the Heavenly Venerable Hall.

Li Miaozhen sat cross-legged on the high platform, meditating with her eyes closed.

Below the high platform were more than three hundred inner disciple the Heavenly Sect, men and women, young and old. They looked at Li Miaozhen on the platform. Most of them remained silent, while a few whispered among themselves.

Very few in the Heavenly Sect can achieve the state of complete detachment from emotions; even the Holy Sons and Holy Daughters have not yet forgotten their feelings, let alone these inner disciple.

"Master, what's wrong with the Holy Maiden? What mistake has she made?"

A little girl with chubby cheeks tugged at her master's sleeve.

"The Holy Maiden descended the mountain to travel, lost her Daoist heart, and is to be executed by her sect."

The master sighed.

The chubby-cheeked little girl, around eleven or twelve years old, was horrified upon hearing this, her face filled with anxiety.

How could a saint be executed?

In her view, the Holy Maiden was one of the future successors of the Heavenly Venerable, a high and mighty figure whose status in the Heavenly Sect was second only to the Heavenly Venerable and the elders.

"She's dead, so you'll have hope, won't you?" a middle-aged Daoist priest sneered.

"It's not just you; all the female disciples have the hope of becoming a Holy Maiden. Our Holy Maiden here, instead of being the proper Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Sect, has become the Flying Swallow Heroine."

Waiting, it's almost noon.

At this moment, the old Daoist priest with gray hair, standing under the eaves of the Heavenly Venerable Hall, spoke in a loud and clear voice with a cold tone:

"Holy Maiden, I'll give you one more chance. If you're willing to erase your memories, I'll forgive and forget what happened."

On the high platform, Li Miaozhen opened her eyes, glanced at the sky, and then looked away with some disappointment, saying:

"Elder, Miaozhen's mind is made up; there's no need for further words."

The Grand Elder, as expected, stopped wasting words, shifted his gaze to the densely packed crowd, and called out loudly:

"The Holy Maiden Li Miaozhen, during her travels after descending the mountain, disregarded the sect's rules and the instructions of her master, and became too deeply entangled in karma, thus losing all hope of achieving the state of detachment from worldly desires."

"The Heavenly Venerable was willing to give her a chance, but she was stubborn and repeatedly defied him."

"Today, we will scatter his soul with a thunder whip as a warning to others."

"You must take this as a warning and not repeat the same mistake."

Many disciples in the crowd echoed this sentiment, angrily accusing:

"It seems the Holy Maiden has truly fallen to demonic possession, which explains her stubbornness."

"Look at what she's doing in the mortal world—suppressing bandits in Yunzhou, quelling rebellions in Yongzhou, enjoying the feeling of being revered, she's almost forgotten who she is. Her sect raised her, nurtured her into a capable person, and this is how she repays them?"

"The Celestial Venerable gave her a chance, but she didn't cherish it. Does she really think the sect rules are just for show? She deserves to die!"

"No one can save her."

"I even begged my master a few years ago to plead with the Heavenly Venerable to let me and the Holy Maiden become dao companion. Now it seems, thankfully, the good thing didn't happen."

The holy sons and daughters of each generation were all carefully selected by the Heavenly Sect, nurtured with all available resources, personally taught by extraordinary masters, and enjoyed the respect of their disciples, living in a position of great power and prestige.

In the eyes of the Tianzong disciples, Li Miaozhen's "unyielding to the death" behavior was a betrayal of the Tianzong and a despicable act of selfishness.

The Grand Elder turned his head and looked at Bingyi Yuanjun beside him, and said:

"Execute!"

This was something that Bingyi Yuanjun had already agreed to when she pleaded with the Heavenly Venerable yesterday.

If the saint does not repent, then she will take action herself.

Bingyi Yuanjun rose into the air on the wind, her Daoist robes fluttering and her sleeves billowing. She looked down at her beloved disciple from her high position, reached into the void with her right hand, and grabbed a crimson soft whip.

"Disease!"

Bingyi Yuanjun formed a hand seal and raised the soft whip in her hand.

Boom!

A bolt of lightning, as thick as a finger, struck the soft whip directly from the sky. The lightning remained, transforming the entire whip into a bright, crackling whip of lightning.

Bingyi Yuanjun glanced deeply at the disciples on the high platform, then flicked her wrist.

The gleaming lightning whip flashed by in the eyes of the onlookers, followed by a sharp crack that echoed in their ears.

Li Miaozhen felt as if she had been struck hard by a whip kick, and she slammed onto the stage like a broken sandbag.

Her robe ripped open on her back, revealing not tender white skin or a bloody wound, but a charred mark as black as charcoal.

However, compared to the physical pain, what truly nearly killed the saintess on the spot was that the whip tore apart her Primordial Spirit and lashed deep into her soul.

Cold sweat instantly poured from her pores. Li Miaozhen curled up on the high platform, her face deathly pale, her lips bleeding from being bitten, stubbornly refusing to make a sound.

Bingyi Yuanjun's cold and beautiful face remained expressionless. With a flick of her wrist, the second whip followed immediately.

"Smack!"

Another lash struck Li Miaozhen, leaving a scorch mark with crackling electric arcs.

Li Miaozhen's body suddenly stiffened, then went limp. Her pupils began to dilate, and the light in her eyes quickly dimmed—her Primordial Spirit was dying.

If she continues to be drawn into the body, she will become a living dead person with a living body but Primordial Spirit. After a period of time, her physical body will also slowly die.

Among the Tianzong disciples watching, those who were close to Li Miaozhen couldn't bear to watch any longer and turned their heads away.

"Junior sister."

Upon seeing this, Li Lingsu cried out.

While cursing Xu Qi'an for not arriving yet, she glanced at Bingyi Yuanjun, stalling for time, and called out:

"Uncle-Master Bingyi, you raised her yourself. Your mortal heart is with her. How could you be so cruel as to kill her?"

Bingyi Yuanjun held the thunder whip, but this time she didn't strike. She looked at Li Miaozhen with a cold expression and said indifferently:

"As your master, I will give you another chance. If you are willing to sever your memories and distance yourself from mortals, you will still be the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Sect."

"Nod if you're willing."

Under the eaves of the Heavenly Venerable Hall, the elders watched indifferently, showing no dissatisfaction with Bingyi Yuanjun's unauthorized actions, adopting an attitude of neither supporting nor opposing them.

But she was met with silence.

"Holy Maiden, nod!"

"Cultivation is not easy; do not make mistakes for yourself."

Before Li Miaozhen could speak, those in the crowd who were on good terms with her or who couldn't bear to see the Heavenly Sect lose a Holy Maiden began to speak up.

A female Daoist priest wiped away her tears and cried:

"Senior Sister, please nod! What's more important than living? It's just erasing your memories. Can't you tell which is more important, memories or life? Senior Sister, please nod quickly, don't make Master feel awkward."

"You've been traveling the world for three years, righting wrongs and saving so many people, but who will come to save you?"

As True Intention gradually returned, she heard the cries around her and weakly said:

"Master, I have been down the mountain for three years, and I have not gained nothing. I have found my own path. As the sage said, 'If one hears the Way in the morning, one can die content in the evening.'"

Miao Zhen died without regret.

During her time back at the Heavenly Sect, she had already thought things through.

To be precise, when she died in Yongzhou that day, she suddenly understood many things. Today, she is determined not to erase her memories, not only because there are people and things she cannot forget, but also because she has found her own path.

She is the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Sect, but the Heavenly Sect's Dao is not necessarily her Dao.

Rather than living against one's true nature, it is better to understand one's own death.

Li Miaozhen's eyelashes trembled. She glanced at the blue sky, the sunlight somewhat dazzling. She didn't see the person she wanted to see, so she closed her eyes in disappointment.

At this moment, the Grand Elder slowly spoke:

"The Holy Maiden is determined to die, Bingyi, do it!"

Bingyi Yuanjun's beautiful face remained completely expressionless as she flicked her wrist and unleashed her thunder whip. At that moment, the sky above everyone's heads suddenly trembled violently.

The space was like a rippling surface of water, with ripples spreading outwards in concentric circles.

"Someone is attacking the mountain-guarding formation!"

The disciples were shocked and incredulous. How dare someone attack the Heavenly Sect's mountain gate? Did they have a death wish?

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

The mountain-guarding formation did not last long before collapsing into a raging storm and spiritual energy that swept in all directions.

In the azure sky, several figures floated in the air. The one in the lead wore a blue robe embroidered with cloud patterns, and had a tall and handsome figure.

Behind him stood a celestial being dressed in feathered robes, exuding a cool and aloof beauty; an old Daoist priest with gray hair; and Asura, who was nine feet tall, with prominent brow bones and an ugly-handsome appearance.

It is worth mentioning that Asura has changed out of his robes, and his bald head is now covered with beautiful black hair; he has returned to secular life.

"Luo Yuheng, it's her."

"The Golden Lotus of the Earth Sect? What are those two doing here?"

"Who is that young man, and why are two Daoist masters standing behind him?"

The disciples of the Heavenly Sect did not recognize Asuluo, nor even Xu Qi'an, but they immediately recognized Luo Yuheng and Jinlian, who were also from the Daoist School.

Master Xuancheng said calmly:

"Xu Qi'an, what are you doing at the Heavenly Sect?"

Xu Qi'an?

Great Feng Silver Gong Xu Qi'an?

The Tianzong disciples' expressions changed. Although they had little contact with the outside world, they were not completely isolated. The Tianzong still paid attention to the changes in the situation and the influential figures in the Nine Provinces.

Otherwise, Tianzong wouldn't have known what Wolong and Chufeng were doing in the martial arts world.

The biggest event in Kyushu recently was the suppression of the rebellion in the Central Plains. Luo Yuheng and Xu Qi'an were promoted to the first rank, and from then on, Kyushu had two more true peak powerhouses.

Why did he come to the Heavenly Sect?

In the crowd, Li Lingsu breathed a sigh of relief, wishing she could throw herself into Xu Qi'an's arms, punch him in the chest, and say, "You rascal, why did you take so long to get here!"

Li Miaozhen half-opened her eyes, and in her no longer bright eyes, she saw the figure of the young man in the green robe. She slowly closed her eyes.

You're here!

"Did the Heavenly Sect ask for my permission before they wanted to harm my people?"

Xu Qi'an stood with his hands behind his back.

Bingyi Yuanjun said calmly:

"My disciple, when did you become your person?"

"Li Miaozhen has rendered meritorious service in suppressing the rebellion, and His Majesty has rewarded her by appointing her as a Cavalry General, a fifth-rank official. Does Great Feng Tianzong have any respect for this Silver Gong?"

Xu Qi'an took the initiative and immediately started by slapping a huge label on someone.

Of course, he was telling the truth. Li Miaozhen did indeed hold the military rank of General of the Vanguard, which was personally conferred by Emperor Huaiqing.

Master Jinlian chuckled and echoed:

"Li Miaozhen is a member of my Heaven and Earth Society. I cannot stand idly by and watch her perish. I hope the Heavenly Sect will grant me this favor."

These four extraordinary beings, for the sake of the Holy Maiden, joined forces to force her at her doorstep?

The elders of the Heavenly Sect exchanged a blank glance, then turned towards the Heavenly Venerable Hall and said in unison:

"Please, Heavenly Venerable, decide!"

Without being defiant or blaming, driven by pure calmness and rationality, and after assessing the situation, they decided that the matter should be left to the Celestial Venerable to handle.

The disciples fell silent, trembling with fear.

They found it unbelievable that these extraordinary experts would actually risk a feud with the Heavenly Sect for the sake of the Holy Maiden?

"This is the good fortune my senior sister has cultivated; it's her good fortune."

The young female Daoist covered her mouth, both crying and laughing.

The majestic and powerful voice of the Celestial Venerable resounded from within the hall, devoid of emotion, as if he had anticipated it all along:

What do you intend to do?