Chapter 26: The Resentment of Duobao

Although Duobao Daoren's words were plain, the sharpness within them could not be concealed at all.

Is the current rise of Buddhism not something caused by you, Taiqing Laozi?

Duobao Daoren was one step away from pointing at Taiqing Laozi's nose and cursing him.

The fact that Buddhism is now powerful and poses a threat to Taoism is all because of you.

Isn't everything as it is now exactly what you hoped to see?

Upon hearing Duobao Daoren's words, Taiqing Laozi flew into a rage and said, "Presumptuous."

In the Investiture of the Gods Great Calamity, the dispute between the Three Teachings resulted in the Western Two Sages plucking the peach.

For Taiqing Laozi, this was a matter of great humiliation.

Everything he does now is to make up for the mistakes of this Immeasurable Tribulation.

This Taiqing Saint himself knows clearly in his heart that ninety percent of the current situation of Buddhism is his responsibility.

But Taiqing Laozi is a Saint, and a Saint cannot be wrong.

Likewise, a Saint will not regret.

Now that Duobao Daoren has directly torn away this fig leaf, how could Taiqing Laozi possibly endure it?

Taiqing Laozi smiled lightly, yet his words carried a chill.

He spoke in a deep voice, "Duobao, you were supposed to meet your fate during the Investiture of the Gods Great Calamity and ascend the Investiture of the Gods. It was my mercy that spared your life, which is why you escaped the Investiture of the Gods."

Taiqing Laozi's gaze carried a dangerous light as he continued indifferently, "Look at your former fellow disciples; if not for me sparing your life back then, you would be just like them, having ascended the Investiture of the Gods."

Hearing Taiqing Laozi's words, Duobao Daoren lowered his head and remained silent for a long time.

Yet, this usually gentle eldest Disciple of the Jie Sect could not help but have a bit more ferocity on his face.

His heart was unwilling, his heart had demonic obstacles, and thus he was not at peace.

But this lack of peace was directed at a Saint.

In this World, the weak are prey to the strong and the strong are respected; what reason can you argue with a Saint?

It is only hateful that one is not a Saint!!!

Taiqing Laozi, however, thought he had persuaded Duobao Daoren, and he said with some gentleness, "Duobao, you entered Buddhism, Convert Barbarians into Buddha, joined that Fomen, became the Sect Leader of Buddhism, and seized the Qi Luck of that Buddhism; it is not impossible for you to use this Qi Luck to attain the Dao and become a Saint in the future."

If Duobao Daoren were not the best choice, Taiqing Laozi would not want to waste so many words on him.

Convert Barbarians into Buddha, seize the Qi Luck of Buddhism.

It is not as if just anyone can do it.

Otherwise, Taiqing Laozi would not have chosen Duobao Daoren.

Taiqing Laozi said with temptation, "Duobao, the Jie Sect has long since vanished into smoke and dust; think about it carefully."

Taiqing Laozi used both threats and temptation, thinking he could easily manipulate Duobao Daoren.

Duobao Daoren admitted that Taiqing Laozi's words had some truth; the Jie Sect had indeed vanished into thin air.

Converting Barbarians into Buddha, entering Fomen, and plotting the Qi Luck of Buddhism was indeed a good way out.

And facing a powerful Saint, Duobao Daoren seemed to have no room for resistance.

Duobao Daoren had too many reasons to convince himself to follow Taiqing Laozi's instructions.

But in the end, there was unwillingness in his heart.

This usually gentle eldest Disciple of the Jie Sect raised his head to look at Taiqing Laozi and suddenly laughed out loud.

"Great Senior Uncle, I admit that what you say makes a lot of sense."

Duobao Daoren continued with a piercing sharpness, "But Duobao, is unwilling."

Before Taiqing Laozi could say anything more, Duobao Daoren, suppressing his anger, had already spoken.

"My Jie Sect had Heavenly Prides like clouds and monsters like rain."

"My Jie Sect taught without discrimination, intercepting a glimmer of heavenly secrets for all living beings in the Honghuang to defy the heavens and change their fate."

"My Jie Sect was known as 'Ten Thousand Immortals Coming to Court'; at its peak, it suppressed all other traditions."

"The Investiture of the Gods Great Calamity swept through the Honghuang; some hid in small buildings to find unity, ignoring the spring, summer, autumn, and winter; some wept and wailed, living in a drunken stupor; only my Jie Sect preferred to sing loudly in the Great Calamity rather than hide from the rain under the eaves."

Duobao Daoren carried an innate pride.

This pride came from his identity; he was a Jie Sect immortal.

Look!

In the Investiture of the Gods Great Calamity, only my Jie Sect faced the Great Calamity directly, unafraid of a fight.

But why did my Jie Sect perish?

Duobao Daoren continued in a daze, "My Jie Sect had the outer sect eldest Disciple Zhao Gongming, who won every battle and defeated all immortals; there were Sanxiao, who used the Nine-Bend Yellow River to shave away the Five Qi in the chests and the Three Flowers atop the heads of those Twelve Golden Immortals."

Duobao Daoren finally looked at Taiqing Laozi and said with a bit of misery, "But, Great Senior Uncle, oh Great Senior Uncle, you tell me, why did my Jie Sect lose? You tell me, why were all my Jie Sect disciples sent to the Investiture of the Gods?"

By the end, Duobao Daoren's misery was laced with questioning and ferocity.

Why did the Jie Sect lose?

Clearly, in the disputes between the Three Teachings and the duels between disciples, the Jie Sect disciples had the upper hand.

Clearly, a single outer sect disciple of their Jie Sect could sweep away the Twelve Golden Immortals painstakingly cultivated by the Chan Sect.

Yet, why did their Jie Sect lose?

"Great Senior Uncle, oh Great Senior Uncle, tell me, why did my Jie Sect lose? How did my 'Ten Thousand Immortals Coming to Court' Jie Sect vanish into thin air in the blink of an eye?"

Duobao Daoren's voice was filled with blood and tears, nothing but unwilling questioning.

For a moment, Taiqing Laozi was silent.

Why did the Jie Sect perish?

Naturally, it was because the Jie Sect was too powerful; the 'Ten Thousand Immortals Coming to Court' Jie Sect made all other traditions unable to breathe.

Yuanshi Tianzun felt the pressure, and Taiqing Laozi also felt the pressure.

The Jie Sect was like a great mountain, suppressing the orthodoxies of the other Saints.

Only by removing this great mountain would their own orthodoxies have a chance to rise.

As one of the Three Pure Ones, why did Taiqing Laozi always favor Yuanshi Tianzun?

Why, at the final moment, did he choose to collude with the Western Two Sages?

There was no other reason; it boiled down to having shared interests.

Even the head of the Three Pure Ones, Taiqing Laozi, who had always advocated for following the natural course and governing through Nothingness, felt the pressure and could no longer sit still.

How much more so for the other Saints?

Of course, this was also because the Disciples of the Jie Sect failed to seize the opportunity themselves; they had already defeated their enemies, yet they did not execute them and send them onto the Investiture of the Gods.

The spots on the Investiture of the Gods were limited; for every extra enemy sent onto the Investiture of the Gods, one fewer of one's own people would have to go up.

It is a pity that the Jie Sect did not even understand this point.

Therefore, is it not deserved that the Jie Sect ended up like this?

Taiqing Laozi had long foreseen the fate of the Jie Sect; the only unexpected development was this.

He had not anticipated that Buddhism would take this opportunity to grow powerful.

The schemes within this are not to be spoken of to outsiders.

A Saint is never wrong.

These thoughts flashed through Taiqing Laozi's mind in an instant, and he spoke coldly, "The Disciples of the Jie Sect do not cultivate benevolence, are tainted by Causality, are entangled by Tribulation Qi, and have met their current end; being sent onto the Investiture of the Gods is merely bringing this upon themselves."

"To hell with your 'bringing this upon themselves'."

Duobao Daoren could not help but curse in anger, directly interrupting Taiqing Laozi.

(End of this chapter)