Death of Dao Master Hua

Xu Ying arrived at Tianjue City and shared his concerns with Qingxuan and Jiu Zeng, saying, "If Dao Master Luo learns of this matter, I fear he will be thoroughly enraged. Not only will he strike at me, but he will also implicate you all." Jiu Zeng hesitated for a moment, then suggested, "Could Sect Master follow precedent and expel yourself from the Taiyi Dao Sect, allowing me to succeed as sect master to avert this catastrophe?" Xu Ying glanced at him and sneered, "Two generations of 'loyal stalwarts' of the Taiyi Dao Sect have both rebelled! Would Dao Master Luo still permit the Taiyi Dao Sect to exist in this world? With a flick of a single numinous treasure, he could reduce Tianjue City to flying ashes!" Jiu Zeng inwardly lamented, What a pity. I haven't even become sect master yet! The Holy Venerable said, "Could we relocate the Taiyi Dao Sect to the Three Realms? However, if moved to the Three Realms, most disciples would be unable to withstand the Three Realms' new Dao patterns and would dissolve straight into Dao ash." Xu Ying said, "That is ill-advised. Traveling to the Three Realms now would very easily expose its location, and the Three Realms is already very close to the other shore!" Qingxuan said, "Rather than sending them to the Three Realms, it would be better to send them to other universes under the other shore's jurisdiction. Right now the other shore is in turmoil, but only the other shore itself is in disarray; the myriad universes under its dominion are not yet thrown into chaos. Even if Dao Master Luo wanted to exterminate the Taiyi Dao Sect, he would need to cross the Chaos Sea and descend into those other universes. Spending that much time is something he might not be willing to do!" Xu Ying shook his head. "Dao Master Luo possesses an ability that can pierce through the myriad universes. Back then, he struck directly into the Zhao Realm universe and transferred the calamitous destiny onto the Zhao Realm!" Everyone frowned. Jiu Zeng said, "There is another way: break into smaller groups and disperse. Have the disciples of the Taiyi Dao Sect leave Tianjue City and scatter across the other shore. Even if Dao Master Luo wants to slaughter us, he couldn't possibly kill everyone!" Xu Ying frowned. "Right now, Dao Master Luo is scouring every corner for the Dao Masters he once suppressed, reviving them. The other shore will only descend into deeper chaos! Even if you scatter and hide, surviving will be impossible; the vast majority would perish in the calamitous destiny. What is more..." He exhaled a breath of stale air and continued, "Dao Master Luo is, after all, a Dao Master of the other shore. To exterminate the Taiyi legacy is child's play for him; he could wipe everyone who cultivates the Taiyi Great Dao from existence all at once." The crowd was at a loss for what to do. After pondering for a long while, Xu Ying said, "Our only option now is to first return the Taiyi Dao Sect to Dao Master Taiyi!" Everyone was startled. Xu Ying stretched his body and smiled. "I have served as sect master on his behalf for several centuries. It is high time he took back his identity as the Taiyi Sect Master!" The Holy Venerable was the first to realize the wisdom in this and praised, "A splendid idea. Let Dao Master Taiyi worry over such matters himself." Xu Ying chuckled. "If my prediction holds, Dao Master Taiyi will arrive within the next few days!" Sure enough, only a few days later, Dao Master Taiyi led nine Dao Masters to Tianjue City. Xu Ying handed over Tianjue City and the Taiyi Dao Sect to him, saying, "The matter of my paralyzing Dao Master Luo has been exposed. Dao Master Luo will certainly seek to kill me, and I fear Tianjue City will be caught in the crossfire. Now, only you, Dao Master, can protect this city." Bright King Lingyan said, "If that is the case, why not go all the way and use that art of traveling into the past to kill people, sending Dao Master Luo on his way?" Xu Ying shook his head. "Before that, we must first send Dao Master Hua on his way. If I am not mistaken, Dao Master Hua is cultivating the Taiyi Great Dao at this very moment! He plans to counter the Chaos Oath with Taiyi." The crowd exchanged glances—some puzzled, some excited, others worried. Dao Master Qixian said, "Legends of the Chaos Master have existed for ages. Back when our other shore first began scouring the Chaos Sea in search of other universes, we heard tell that within the Chaos Sea was a Lord of Great Dao whose name none knew, so people provisionally referred to him as the Chaos Dao Master, hence 'Chaos Master.' But can the Chaos Oath truly deal with Dao Master Hua?" Holy King Xuan Nü, possessing broad horizons, said, "I too have heard tales of the Chaos Master. The man is elusive and unfathomably deep. If one swears an oath to him, it resonates with his Great Dao. Should the oath be breached, one will hear the toll of a bell, after which all Daos will dissolve entirely into chaos, resulting in an unnatural death. If Hua Shengsheng breaks the oath, he will unquestionably die." Dao Master Shi Lan shook his head. "Not necessarily. Hua Shengsheng's strength far surpassed ours even back then. For over a hundred million years, he ruled the myriad universes, and his strength penetrated multiple universes, touching the true essence of attaining the Dao through strength. If he uses that foundation to comprehend Taiyi, I fear he will not be far from the fabled end of the Great Dao." Dao Master Taiyi said, "The sheer magnitude of Dao Master Hua's magic power defies imagination. If he masters Taiyi, it will only be more astonishing. The Chaos Oath may not necessarily be able to do anything to him." He glanced at Xu Ying, thinking to himself, Xu Ying must have imparted the true Taiyi transmission to Dao Master Hua this time, which is why Dao Master Hua was willing to brave such enormous peril and enter seclusion to cultivate the Taiyi Great Dao. The Taiyi Great Dao is on equal footing with the Chaos Great Dao. I fear Xu Ying has outsmarted himself this time. Xu Ying hailed from the Three Realms and was not even of the New Sacred Clan; in the eyes of Dao Master Qixian and the others, he was an inferior being and heavily disdained. If the fact that Xu Ying had imparted the true Taiyi transmission to Dao Master Hua were exposed, the Dao Masters by Taiyi's side would surely turn on Xu Ying. Thinking of this, Taiyi refrained from laying it bare. Xu Ying smiled and said, "I once saw a great bell in the Chaos Sea that was likely the Chaos Master's magic treasure and obtained its Great Dao patterns. I believe that even if Dao Master Hua comprehends Taiyi, the gulf between him and this Chaos Master will still remain unimaginably vast!" Dao Master Lü Gang sneered, "Sect Master Xu, you merely come from the Three Realms and your horizons are far too shallow. What do you know? A Dao Master is a master of the Great Dao. Reaching this stage already represents the pinnacle of cultivation realm; between the Chaos Master and us, there is no difference in realm." Xu Ying said, "I do not know whether a disparity in realm exists between a Dao Master and the Chaos Master. However, in the Spirit Realm, I once encountered a Dao Master named Zuo Lian, who could only evade the Chaos Oath and could not confront it head-on. Many Dao Masters in the Spirit Realm died precisely because Zuo Lian breached his oath..." Dao Master Shi Lan chuckled. "The Spirit Realm? Merely an insignificant little universe. How capable could a Dao Master there possibly be? How could they compare to our other shore? As for your Three Realms, you don't even have a single Dao Master to this day—you're even inferior to the Spirit Realm, and you had to come to our other shore to steal our skills. Sect Master Xu, your insight is by no means superior to ours." Taiyi frowned slightly. Knowing that if this went on, these Dao Masters would inevitably end up in an unpleasant clash with Xu Ying, he said, "Whether Dao Master Hua lives or dies is indeed of utmost importance. We will deal with Dao Master Luo after Dao Master Hua meets his tribulation." Dao Master Qixian suddenly asked, "How did Dao Master Hua learn the true Taiyi transmission? Who gave it to him?" Before his words had fully faded, pair after pair of eyes settled upon Xu Ying. Dao Master Taiyi inwardly grimaced, thinking, Not good. Xu Ying said indifferently, "I gave it to him!" Dao Master Qixian sneered, "As expected! Xu Ying, you imparted the true Taiyi transmission to Dao Master Hua and enabled him to cultivate the Taiyi Great Dao—you are aiding the enemy! The people of the Three Realms truly harbor insidious motives." Xu Ying grew angry and said with a faint, mocking smile, "Had I not imparted the true Taiyi transmission to Dao Master Hua, you would still be hunted by him even now, running around like stray dogs in panic. How could you be standing here speaking with me?" Qixian, Shi Lan, and the others were furious, laughing from sheer outrage. "Scoundrel of the Three Realms, you bully us too far!" Holy King Xuan Nü stepped in front of Xu Ying, swept her gaze across the crowd, and said, "Xu Ying is my benefactor. If anyone dares touch him, I will show no mercy." Dao Master Lü Gang sneered, "Holy King, this is no longer the era of ancient gods. Even your ancient god Great Emperor, Luo Taizong, has perished. Be careful not to stand on the wrong side, or you might end up gone as well! If that happens, you ancient gods will be completely extinct." Holy King Xuan Nü flared with fury and was about to fight him. Taiyi roared in anger, "Enough!" His voice was like thunder, vibrating everyone's eardrums until they hummed. The Taiyi Great Dao bore down, striking fear into the crowd. Worthy of one of the Nine Innate Daos. Though Taiyi attained the Dao not long ago, his cultivation is already so profound! Taiyi's face was flushed with anger, his aura surging as he said coldly, "The three Dao Masters are your true enemies! They killed you, suppressed you, and used you to wash away their own calamitous destiny. We share a single goal: to overthrow the three Dao Masters. Before that is done, anyone who dares stir up internal strife will be executed without mercy!" Bright King Lingyan laughed heartily and said, "Brother Daoist Taiyi speaks the truth. Right now, our strength is weak, and we are grasshoppers tied to the same string. Let alone facing the three Dao Masters head-on, if we encountered even a single one of them, we would be slain. Our best course right now is to unite as one." The expressions of Dao Master Qixian, Shi Lan, and the others softened, and they chimed in with smiles: "Dao Master Taiyi's reprimand is well-taken; we acted rashly!" "Whatever Brother Daoist Taiyi says we should do, we will do." Dao Master Taiyi said, "It will take some time for Tianchengzi to reach Tianjing. We shall await our opportunity." The tense atmosphere gradually eased, but Xu Ying frowned slightly, feeling displeased. The Holy Venerable sent a voice transmission: "Dao Ancestor, Taiyi cannot suppress these ravenous wolves. In the future, they will inevitably become a grave disaster." Xu Ying glanced at him and walked outside. The Holy Venerable hurriedly followed, and Qingxuan lazily trailed behind as well. The three arrived at Xu Ying's study. Xu Ying produced an emerald-green oil lamp and lit it. The faint glow illuminated the dark room. "We can speak freely here without being overheard by outsiders," Xu Ying said. The Holy Venerable said solemnly, "Taiyi's current situation is somewhat like Emperor Qingxuan's back then. Among the rebel kings from all quarters, Emperor Qingxuan was merely the largest force. While he commanded respect, he could not suppress every rebel king! If they succeed in the future, Taiyi will inevitably suffer chaos at their hands." Leaning against the doorframe, Qingxuan remarked, "These people are Dao Masters, unlike the Miaojing and Supremes of back then. If Taiyi acts merely on a heart full of ideals, he will certainly fail in the future." The Holy Venerable said, "Dao Ancestor, make your plans early." Qingxuan nodded slightly. "After all, we are people of the Three Realms. No matter how well Taiyi treats us, to the people of the other shore, we are still of an alien race!" The Holy Venerable said, "Taiyi can tolerate us, but the other Dao Masters of the other shore may not. From my experience in rebellion, they might not even tolerate Taiyi himself in the future." Qingxuan said, "We came to the other shore for two reasons: first, to seek learning and strengthen the Three Realms; second, to eliminate all who pose a threat to the Three Realms. Dao Ancestor, please do not forget this, and do not let personal feelings jeopardize the grand plan." Xu Ying exhaled a breath of stale air and bowed deeply with clasped hands to the two of them. "I understand. Your admonitions are right, Brother Daoists." "We wouldn't dare!" The two hurriedly returned the courtesy. Xu Ying straightened his posture and said in a heavy voice, "The other shore has become extremely perilous. Anyone—including Dao Masters—runs the risk of perishing! Brother Daoists, it would be best for you to return to the Three Realms and quietly await developments!" The Holy Venerable and Qingxuan exchanged a glance and suddenly burst out laughing together! The Holy Venerable said nonchalantly, "Back when I rebelled, I had my head tied to my belt. When have I ever feared danger?" Qingxuan said leisurely, "The more chaotic the other shore becomes, the faster one's cultivation improves. Although Dao Ancestor Xu is the Dao Ancestor of the Three Realms' New Dao, you were not the first person in the Three Realms to attain the New Dao Supreme realm!" The Holy Venerable laughed. "Nor were you the first to achieve New Dao Immortality." Qingxuan said, "And in the future, I fear you won't be the first to attain New Dao Master either!" Xu Ying snorted. In overall cultivation realm, Qingxuan and the Holy Venerable were indeed considerably ahead of him! These two were monstrous geniuses who had crawled out from mountains of corpses and seas of blood. The Holy Venerable's talent was already freakish, and Qingxuan's was even more so! Both had attained Immortality several centuries before Xu Ying and progressed at astounding speed. If I am careless in the slightest, it truly is possible they might reach the Dao Master realm ahead of me. Xu Ying thought to himself that although his attainments in the Chaos Great Dao and Grand Primordium Great Dao were profound and he had comprehended the cyclical proof of the Nine Daos, bringing each Great Dao closer to the same realm, his time spent cultivating was ultimately still short. Several months later, outside Qionghua Island in Daoji Heaven, Xu Ying stood aloft in midair with a composed expression, gazing upon Qionghua Island shrouded by various innate numinous treasures. He had been keeping watch here for several days. Just then, a world-shaking aura rose abruptly from Qionghua Island! Its Dao was primordial unity: yin formed the earth, yang formed the heavens, and harmony at the center formed man; the three divided and settled, all things came into being, sun and moon shone in order, and the five phases were named. This was the omen of the Great Dao's primordial unity! Dao Master Hua had thus become a Dao Master of the Taiyi Great Dao! In an instant, the heavenly and earthly Daos of the other shore resonated, and countless rays of radiant dawn mist surged forth, pouring into Qionghua Island in dazzling brilliance. Feeling the peerless aura climbing steadily within the island and the cultivation growing ever more majestic, Xu Ying's expression shifted slightly. Dao Master Hua is truly formidable. He is not merely aiming to prove himself the Taiyi Dao Master of the other shore universe; he intends to prove himself the Taiyi Dao Master of the myriad universes! Just as this thought crossed his mind, he suddenly sensed a boundless, ancient Dao force descending from the unseen void! Spacetime abruptly detonated. The Jade Emperor Bell, the Chaos spirit root of the Zhong Realm universe, let out a tremendous CLANG as it was blasted out of the void. Next, the Three Lives Flower, the Chaos spirit root of the Jun Realm, burst into bloom; countless dense petals grew wildly, only to be annihilated swath by swath. The Seven Stars Pavilion, the Chaos spirit root of the Hua Realm, shook violently, all seven stars shattering. The Thirty-Three Heavens Xuanhui Pagoda, the Chaos spirit root of the Yun Realm, wobbled precariously, blasted straight through Qionghua Island, and plunged toward the lower realms. In the blink of an eye, more than three hundred Chaos spirit roots and innate treasures from various universes, as if struck by an invisible hammer blow, fell into disarray and suffered severe damage to their might. At the center of Qionghua Island, Dao Master Hua laughed boisterously. Suddenly, his colossal physical body burst through the immortal palace, revealing an unparalleled ancient god physique! "I, too, wish to experience the Chaos Master's Great Dao!" His voice shook heaven and earth. In an instant, the immeasurable void behind him split open, revealing visions of the myriad universes under the other shore's dominion. Countless rays of Dao light flew out from these universes and converged upon his body—those were the heavenly and earthly Daos from each universe, joining together into Taiyi. At this moment, Xu Ying felt a terrifying magic power no less dreadful than Luo Taizong's. Having cultivated to Dao Master Hua's level, he no longer bothered with merely harvesting the myriad universes; what he sought was to unify the heavenly and earthly Daos of the myriad universes for his own use. This was the true harvesting method employed by a Lord of Great Dao of his caliber. His strength was far beyond what ordinary Lords of Great Dao could reach. The Dao power he could mobilize was such that even Luo Taizong or the Dao Venerable would have had to admit inferiority upon witnessing it. "CLANG—" The toll of a bell rang out, melodious yet booming. Dao Master Hua, whose aura had just been boundlessly immense, froze on the spot, utterly motionless!