The World and the Martial Dao, the Daoist School's True Person

Northern Chen, Cangping County.

As the warm spring breeze caressed his face, Lu Daolin, with his hands tucked into his sleeves and his eyes squinted, walked barefoot through the bustling crowd. His ancient-style long-sleeved clothes stood out from the surrounding people, but no one found it strange and ignored him.

He walked slowly along, surrounded by the sounds of vendors hawking their wares.

A peddler carrying a load shook a rattle drum, steam rose from the steamer baskets of a bun shop, a storyteller in a teahouse struck his gavel, and children chased and played along the street until they bumped into his leg. Only then did they seem to notice him and look up at the tall man with curiosity.

The man seemed to be in a good mood; the large hand that had easily crushed the head of an External Scenery crew member not long ago gently patted the head of a young child.

A Martial Fortune, coveted by countless people yet unattainable, was forcibly poured into the body of a child who seemed unafraid of him.

Not much, just enough for those juniors in the cave to fight tooth and nail for a single chance at destiny.

It's not enough to forge Immortal Foundation, but it's enough to slowly improve a child's physique Root Bone over the years to come.

If he can learn martial arts one day, before this bit of Martial Fortune runs out, this child will be able to experience what it means to be "blessed with Martial Fortune".

What are good fortune and extraordinary encounters?

That's it.

For Lu Daolin, it was just a small lucky draw.

He continued his stroll through the small town, the surrounding hustle and bustle, the vibrant life, all of which he found particularly enjoyable after being imprisoned for a thousand years.

A thousand years have passed in the blink of an eye. Mountains and rivers have changed, dynasties have risen and fallen, city gates have changed their plaques, and streets and alleys have changed their appearance, but the everyday life and mundane vitality of the Mortal Realm have never changed.

Passing by a steamed bun shop, Lu Daolin casually picked up a meat bun, took a bite, and immediately frowned, but in the end he still swallowed it.

It wasn't about reminiscing about past hardships. He came from a wealthy and powerful family and had lived a life of luxury since childhood. He had hardly ever experienced any hardship in his life. The only major hardship he had ever suffered was being imprisoned for a thousand years.

But these steamed buns were so unpalatable that they reminded him of a deceased woman. She was clearly a pampered daughter of a Aristocratic Clan, someone who never lifted a finger to cook, yet she always said that cooking was the true essence of the Mortal Realm. But she couldn't cook anything right, and in the end, he was the one who suffered.

Lu Daolin looked up.

The millennia-long plan has finally been broken free, but the only pity is that its scope was somewhat limited.

It's a pity that the guy surnamed Mo didn't make a move.

Of course, Lu Daolin wasn't sure if he could further restore his Dharma Aspect cultivation if that man surnamed Mo made a move.

After all, the Dao rules of Luofu Grotto-Heaven are far from reaching that level, unless he shatters the entire cave heaven and swallows it whole.

But he also felt uneasy, after all, when that wicked disciple measured the heavens and earth, he merged part of his own Yin Spirit into the cave heaven, as if he really regarded the cave heaven as his own coffin, obviously he was guarding against him.

In the end, it was as if they each took a step back; he only used the offerings prepared by his wicked disciple to stabilize the External Scenery level brought about by the blessing of the cave.

Even at the very end, he didn't move the guards who had imprisoned him for a thousand years.

Of course, this has nothing to do with that guy surnamed Mo.

He was afraid that if he stayed any longer, or if he took another look at some arrogant brat, he would lose his temper and kill him.

How dare someone with such a low level of cultivation, barely above the level of an insect crawling, criticize his Martial Fortune?

Why didn't you complain when I was building my Immortal Foundation?

Oh, you've put down your chopsticks and are starting to curse?

The man paused slightly, looked up at the sky, and a sharp glint flashed in his narrowed eyes.

So quickly, someone's already keeping an eye on me?

The four directions? Above the heavens? Or beyond the heavens?

He has always believed that, regardless of the era, the most majestic of all mountains is seen from the main peak.

In turbulent times, a steadfast pillar is needed.

A thousand years from now, who will be the main peak among the myriad mountains, and who will be the pillar in the midst of the torrent?

Lu Daolin longed to personally assess the Mortal Realm a thousand years from now.

Unfortunately, not now.

A group of evil and heretical good-for-nothings, though their Qi and Blood were abundant, were murky and impure. They helped him recover some of his strength, but he still had to waste time refining the impurities.

The man shook his head repeatedly.

You wicked disciple, wicked disciple, was this all part of your plan?

They want to release their master, but they also fear that if their master recovers too soon, he might stir up trouble in the world.

He made a casual gesture.

Not far behind him, Liu Qiandao, who had been silently following and had just paid for his steamed buns, immediately came closer. He was on edge, not daring to be the slightest bit careless in front of this man who was rumored to be unpredictable.

"What does that wicked disciple want to say?" Lu Daolin bluntly, his tone calm.

Liu Qiandao composed himself and said in a deep voice, "Reporting to Senior, Huaiqing has prepared a place for you to cultivate in the heavens, which can shield you from the secrets of heaven and allow you to peacefully shed your Martial Fortune!"

Lu Daolin sideways and said, "Didn't he tell you to bring Laozi things?"

Liu Qiandao's expression was tense as he cautiously said, "Huaiqing said that since you gave away the toys that children play with, you definitely won't take them back."

Lu Daolin laughed in exasperation.

It involves the old Heavenly Court, and is suspected to be fragments of the Nine Heavens —something children would play with?

Lu Daolin casually grabbed a meat bun and threw it at the head of a stray dog that was drooping by the roadside. The dog was startled and barked twice in panic, but when it saw the bun rolling on the ground, it grabbed it in its mouth and ran away without looking back.

Lu Daolin looked coldly at Liu Qiandao: "Do you understand what I mean?"

Liu Qiandao didn't dare to say a word and silently paid for the steamed buns.

Anyway, the "meat bun" is no longer in Huaiqing's hands, so even if it's a mongrel, it's not Huaiqing anymore.

Lu Daolin snorted coldly.

There's no need to guess; it was definitely given to the wolf cubs in the cave.

You, Lu Huaiqing, really consider him your heir before your death?

Just then, at the end of the street, a figure walked out. The person was dressed in ancient clothes, which was out of place with the surrounding people. He wore a green jade Daoist crown and carried a Daoist sword on his back.

The man walked up to Lu Daolin without hesitation, knelt down on both knees, then bent over and slammed his forehead heavily against the bluestone road, making nine solid thuds. The sound was dull and shook the surrounding dust.

Regardless of the family or clan, such a grand ceremony would be considered a formal apprenticeship ceremony, signifying recognition of one's ancestry.

"You've arrived quite early," Lu Daolin casually, seemingly unsurprised by the person before him.

The Daoist priest replied respectfully and calmly, "Upon hearing that Junior Master Lu had abandoned Northern Dark Sea, I knew he would not abandon Master Lu and had been waiting here for a long time."

Liu Qiandao, standing to the side, took a deep breath. Here it comes! It really is him!

The foremost figure in unorthodox practices today, the Daoist Xuanqi single-handedly founded the [Mending Heaven Pavilion]!

Huaiqing was right; this person was the only one in the town's history to have broken through the cave and then faked his death to escape from under the noses of all the major sects—that [Flying Vulture Palace] disciple!

This person's original name was Yang Ming, and his current Daoist name is Xuanqi.

Today, the Flying Vulture Palace has long since fallen into decline, but this person has risen to great heights through the Great Dao, single-handedly creating the Heaven- Mending Heaven Pavilion. On the Jianghu Wanted List jointly issued by various sects, he ranks only below a few Evil Dao figures, making him a true giant of the unorthodox path!

Lu Daolin to look at Liu Qiandao and said, "Does my unfilial disciple have nothing else to say?"

Liu Qiandao remained silent for a moment. The situation was exactly as Huaiqing had predicted, and he couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Couldn't you have made a slight miscalculation?

He cupped his hands and said, "Huaiqing invites you, senior, to ascend the great path!"

"Very well," Lu Daolin said calmly, "That's only right."

A thousand years of imprisonment could not diminish his ambition.

Before leaving.

Lu Daolin suddenly turned around and asked, "What's your name?"

"Junior Liu Qiandao!"

"Liu Qiandao, go and tell that wolf cub in the cave that if he dares to die before achieving the Dharma Aspect, I will wipe out everyone connected to him."

Liu Qiandao's expression tightened. "Senior, please be more specific. This junior is not familiar with the situation within the cave."

"It's fine if you don't know, but you can't be deaf," Lu Daolin sneered. "It's one thing if you don't recognize the successor chosen by Lu Huaiqing. But if you don't know who challenged me to a duel, then you might as well die."

Liu Qiandao was stunned on the spot, as if struck by lightning, his mind exploding.

Who else could it be but that young man who dared to roar from the mountaintop and challenge the world's number one martial artist a thousand years ago?

The later martial artist Yu Tunzhou ----

Is he the country boy Huaiqing had mentioned before?!

The Daoist Xuanqi standing to the side raised an eyebrow slightly.

In Luofu Grotto-Heaven, a place where a group of Qi Ingestion juniors hone their skills, who would dare to challenge the master?

Regardless of whether they knew the immensity of heaven and earth, such a feat alone was enough to make them famous throughout the martial arts world.

After leaving this small town.

The Daoist Xuanqi respectfully inquired, "Would Master be willing to visit my Daoist temple?"

Lu Daolin his hands still tucked into his sleeves, said calmly, "No rush."

"Master, do you wish to see an old friend?" Daoist Xuanqi asked tentatively.

Lu Daolin twitched the corner of his mouth.

No one I knew is here.

However, there are quite a few descendants of these "old friends".

Having just regained his freedom, he should have sought out an old haunt to properly dissipate his Martial Fortune luck in order to advance further, and then settle old scores with certain people later.

Unfortunately, one of his disciples had just died.

A worthy disciple who dared to scheme against him, single-handedly reversed the collapse of an entire continent, and even on his deathbed was still thinking of the world—

To die so silently?

He was prepared to show that wicked disciple a lesson through his actions.

Only when an unreasonable and wicked person like me appears in this world will the world, in its fear and trembling, suddenly remember that there was once a fool like you.

The news of Lu Daolin's departure from the cave was like a thunderclap, resounding throughout the heavens and spreading from Luofu Grotto-Heaven to the world in an instant.

There was no need for messengers or official documents.

A highly accomplished master was sitting quietly in his meditation hall when suddenly his heart tightened. He did some quick calculations with his fingers, and his expression changed drastically. He muttered to himself, "What does it mean for Martial Dao to welcome back its old master?"

Some wandering martial artists, far away on the frontier, looked up and saw a dramatic change in the weather, a faint sign that Martial Dao would become the sole dominant force.

There were also reclusive old monsters who, awakened from their slumber, sensed something and gazed in a certain direction for a long time.

--

language.

In an instant, people from all corners of the world were moved by it.

Today, most people have long forgotten who "Lu Daolin" was.

But what if this name were changed to Martial Ancestor?

Some people are sleepless in the imperial court, some are sharpening their swords in the distant world, and some are meditating in secluded paradises.

The prison of a thousand years has been broken in a single day. What kind of bloody storm will this newcomer unleash upon his return to the martial world?

The martial arts world is but a corner of the world.

In addition to the recent turmoil in the Great Yan Dynasty, the chaos in the Northern Dark Continent, and the undercurrents in the other three continents—

The chessboard of the world is already rife with undercurrents!

Some worry that this stable system, which has lasted for thousands of years, is about to collapse, and that there will be no more peace in the years to come. At that time, who will be able to truly remain uninvolved and unaffected?

Some were ambitious and wanted to take advantage of the chaos to rise up, after all, if the Great Yan could rule the world, why couldn't they?

Even the position of Martial Ancestor is not something that cannot be contested!

Many people in the world foresaw the wave that would soon sweep across the four seas and eight wastelands. Faced with this wave, most people were too insignificant and only qualified to go with the flow.

Even with their best efforts, a few can barely gain a foothold and have little freedom.

Only a very few who stand at the forefront of the tide are qualified to take advantage of this raging tide of the times to realize their ambitions: to become a hero in troubled times and conquer the world, or to become a pillar in the middle and hold up the sky with one hand.

But regardless -

This world has never belonged to one person alone.

This Martial Dao has never been the Martial Dao of one person alone.

Just as undercurrents were surging across the land.

After several days of turmoil, Luofu Grotto-Heaven finally regained a temporary semblance of calm.

The young man who had failed to get a chance to fight and instead shattered his Martial Fortune with a single punch not long ago finally woke up slowly. His eyes were clear and focused, his Immortal Foundation foundation was completely solidified, and a faint Daoist aura emanated from him and spread outwards.

--

A wisp of black and white energy accompanied him.

It is not Yin and Yang.

It's not about Dao and Virtue.

The "Dao and Virtue" here has absolutely nothing to do with ethical norms or moral cultivation.

In Daoist School, the two characters "Dao and Virtue" occupy the first position among the Five Virtues and are the source of all dharmas.

Upon seeing Senior Brother Yu awaken, Li Jingxuan, who had been waiting for a long time, smiled and said, "Congratulations, Senior Brother, on gathering the Qi of Dao and Virtue and seizing the position of True Person of the Daoist School."

True Person of Daoist School stand tall and upright.

It touches upon Dao and Virtue above and governs law below.

Throughout history, only Senior Brother Yu has ever condensed the black and white Qi of Dao and Virtue through the Qi Ingestion Realm.

If the Grand Purity Lineage hadn't long since vanished, with Senior Brother Yu's current achievements, he would surely be able to become a disciple of Grand Purity. As for which generation's disciple he would become, that would depend on the will of that Heavenly Venerable.

Yu Tunzhou looked down at his palm, where a wisp of black and white Qi of Dao and Virtue manifested, flowing erratically according to his will.

This energy----

It seems that his punch shattered the Martial Fortune destiny?

Li Jingxuan laughed and said, "Not long ago, Senior Brother accomplished two great feats. The first one goes without saying, but Junior Brother is only curious about one thing—what does it feel like to smash away the Martial Fortune that countless people crave but cannot obtain with a single punch?"

Yu Tunzhou closed his palms, and the black and white energy quietly dissipated without leaving a trace.

He carefully recalled everything that had happened before this period of seclusion and spiritual practice, a hint of melancholy in his eyes.

Master Lu left far too "quietly".

However, Yu Tunzhou believed that this should not be the case.

A true hero, after sacrificing himself for the world, should have a magnificent and glorious end, rather than dying so quietly, like a speck of dust falling to the ground, a passing Qingfeng, known only to a few in the world.

He originally intended to ask the Martial Ancestor of Fist, regardless of victory or defeat, and to use this battle to bid farewell to Master Lu.

But that person completely ignored him.

Therefore, that punch was like an impulsive act born from pent-up frustration and rage.

Looking back now, Yu Tunzhou also feels regret.

After all, that's a huge amount of Martial Fortune, far exceeding the sum of all the martial luck he'd cultivated in the past!

As for regret, there's no real regret, because if given the chance to do it all over again, Yu Tunzhou would still throw that punch.

Some things in this world cannot be measured by the concepts of gain and loss.