Erasing Duobao

Tongtian's gaze fell on the first page of Buddha Is the Dao.

It bore a string of words about the Dao.

At first, he did not understand them.

But the instant he fixed his gaze upon them,

Tongtian immediately grasped the information they conveyed.

[Introduction]

[The Heavenly Dao is ever-changing and merciless, encompassing all things yet remaining apart from them...]

[The Immortal Dao is the Dao, the Devil Dao is the Dao, the Demon Dao is the Dao, and Buddha Is the Dao. All things and all laws in the Primordial World originate from the Dao, belong to the Dao, and return to the Dao.]

[High above the ninefold clouds I recline; upon the prayer cushion I have realized the true Dao.]

[Beyond heaven and earth, black and yellow, I reign supreme as sect master. Pangu gave birth to the Taiji; the two aspects and four forms followed. One Dao was passed to three friends; the two teachings split into Elucidation and Interception. Leader of the Mystic Gate, one Qi transforms into Three Pure Ones.]

What a line: all things are the Dao!

What a line: the two aspects give rise to the four forms!

What an overbearing summation.

What profound Dao principles!

Which expert had written this!?

He had truly comprehended the laws of the Great Dao!

Boom!

After Tongtian read the introduction to the book,

even as a Sage, he felt a towering wave of astonishment surge through his heart!

A faint sense of understanding instantly settled over him!

Incredible bewilderment swept over him in turn!

If the introduction is right, then Buddhism seems to be a branch of the Dao too! In that case, couldn't disciples of the Mystic Gate cultivate Buddhism openly and legitimately!?

And in the end, it would all become the Dao?!

This would give me the best of both worlds.

After these thoughts flashed through his mind,

more than half the anger in Tongtian's heart vanished at once.

His profound eyes turned to Duobao.

"Where did you get this book?"

Duobao felt the oppressive power of the Sage's laws around him disappear.

The Sage's pressure shrouding him also vanished in an instant.

Duobao immediately breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly replied,

"Master, this disciple obtained the book from..."

Just as Duobao was about to mention Lin Tian,

he hesitated.

He suddenly realized that, since his master had asked,

didn't that mean his master still knew nothing about Senior Lin Tian?

And knew even less about the book coming from Senior Lin Tian!

Even his master did not know?

It seemed

Senior Lin Tian was even more mysterious than he had imagined.

His strength was probably formidable as well.

Had his treasure-finding ability not been astonishing, and had the Buddhist beads not been innately powerful,

and had he not been so close at the time,

he would have had a hard time discovering the courtyard's existence.

Perhaps Senior Lin Tian had some high-level magic treasure that concealed his Qi?

Otherwise, how could he have built a courtyard with spiritual Qi comparable to that of a Sage's Daoist sanctuary

inside a sanctuary where spiritual Qi had run dry?

And even his master had failed to notice it!?

Since his master did not know,

why not make up an excuse?

He would keep it hidden for as long as he could!

If his master found out,

he would no longer be able to seek instruction in Buddhist principles so openly!

At that thought,

Duobao immediately changed his answer.

"This disciple found the book at a mysterious cliff."

"This disciple already has the ability to find treasures, so it was not difficult to find."

"This disciple is somewhat foolish. I happened upon the Western methods and lost my footing, falling into them."

"This book is just what I need to refine away the Western methods and return to the Dao's methods."

Hearing Duobao's words,

a meaningful look flashed through Tongtian's eyes.

Without saying more, he gave a casual wave of his hand.

The book went straight back to Duobao.

"Take the book and cultivate diligently."

"This book is no ordinary thing. Study it carefully."

"Perhaps the Qi unique to the Western methods within your primordial spirit can be suppressed by the Dao, or even removed."

"If you can comprehend your own Dao from this book, I will no longer blame you for the fault of letting those two bald donkeys from the West influence your primordial spirit."

"But if you forget your roots, let the Western methods fill your primordial spirit and lose the foundation of the Dao, do not blame me for cleansing your primordial spirit and rebuilding your Dao foundation."

"After all, the Western methods are no wondrous methods, but dross!!"

Hearing Tongtian's words,

Duobao's heart tightened.

Sure enough,

although his master was no longer angry,

that was because of the book's title and introduction.

He was still deeply averse to the Western methods.

In the Interception Sect, there was no hope of openly cultivating the Western methods.

If Duobao wanted to ask about wondrous methods in the Interception Sect, no one would tell him anything.

At that thought,

Duobao could not help feeling somewhat relieved.

Fortunately, he had not told his master the truth just now.

Otherwise, even his last chance to cultivate Buddhist methods would have been gone.

His heart filled with apprehension,

Duobao took Buddha Is the Dao and bowed.

"Then this disciple will take his leave."

"Go."

Tongtian waved his hand.

Watching Duobao's departing back,

his eyes flickered ceaselessly.

"The origins of Buddha Is the Dao are very mysterious... To think it could make such an imposing declaration that all things belong to the Dao..."

"Before this, I doubt even the Dao Ancestor would have dared say such a thing. Otherwise, he would not have set the West apart."

As Tongtian muttered to himself,

a gloomy feeling spread through his heart.

Even though Duobao had obtained Buddha Is the Dao

and should be able to free himself from the influence of Buddhist methods,

Duobao's character left Tongtian somewhat uneasy.

Those susceptible to the influence of Western methods generally lacked firm enough resolve.

Otherwise, they would not have been affected.

But when he thought of how Duobao was the Interception Sect's senior disciple and bore its karmic fortune,

and how absolutely nothing could be allowed to go wrong,

Tongtian felt somewhat weighed down. He fell silent for a moment before finally letting out a long sigh and muttering helplessly,

"Forget it. I'll keep an eye on him at all times."

"The moment I notice anything amiss, I can only act personally to erase that consciousness."

"Then I'll find a suitable opportunity to settle the score with those two bald donkeys from the West!"

At that thought,

Tongtian's face grew even darker and more uncertain.

He took a deep breath and recalled what had just happened, still somewhat worried.

"Duobao's conduct just now was also somewhat puzzling. He actually concealed the origins of Buddha Is the Dao."

"Does he think I can't calculate it without searching his primordial spirit's memories?"

As Tongtian thought this,

his mind stirred.

A powerful and terrifying Sage's divine sense surged from Tongtian's body in an instant.

Bearing a power that seized the soul,

it rushed out of the Interception Sect's Daoist sanctuary

and spread in every direction.

Tongtian stretched out his palm as well,

calculating the secrets of heaven.

But before long,

the look of certainty on Tongtian's face gradually disappeared,

replaced by a trace of astonishment.

"Hmm?"

"I can't calculate it at all?"

"It's as if it suddenly appeared in the Primordial World."

"There were no particular phenomena or omens, either..."

Realizing this, a grave look crossed Tongtian's face.

He was a Heavenly Dao Sage, his primordial spirit entrusted to the Heavenly Dao.

If even he could not calculate it,

that meant the person who wrote this book far surpassed his abilities!

Could it have been the Two Sages of the West?

The moment the thought arose in Tongtian's mind, he snuffed it out.

"It definitely didn't come from the West. Even if those two bald donkeys' heads grew out of their asses, they could never have written the words 'Buddha Is the Dao.'"

"Besides, their strength is so feeble that they couldn't possibly have written a book like this."

"Then who could it be?"

Just as Tongtian was thinking this,

suddenly,

an inexplicable sensation came from the divine sense he had released.

Two familiar presences entered his divine awareness!

"Hmm?!"

"Those two bald donkeys from the West!?"

"Did you think I wouldn't recognize you just because you changed your appearances?"

Sensing the two of them,

Tongtian's expression turned ugly at once.

"I was just about to settle the score with you, and here you are, delivering yourselves to my door!"