Chapter 489: The Struggle Over the Dao

The mountains were shrouded in mist, spreading across the four wilds—

At this moment, the red sun was just about to rise, its faint glow visible only at the horizon, while countless nearby peaks remained hidden within rolling clouds, as if swaying with them.

From the cliff’s edge, it seemed as if the feet below were an endless sea, with mountains and ravines slowly sinking and rising within its waters, their depths unfathomable, stirring an inexplicable chill in the heart.

At that moment, as the Kongkong Daoist let out a hearty laugh, a young woman wearing a star-adorned crown and a robe of rainbow silk stepped forward, bowing respectfully:

“Master, do you have any instructions?”

“No need.”

Kongkong Daoist saw the majestic, chaotic auspicious cloud hovering above her head, within which a faint green light flickered like a lotus.

He smiled warmly and nodded in satisfaction:

“Your cultivation has made progress—this benefits both you and me. You need not remain here; return now and refine your practice, first solidify your realm.”

In three hundred years, I will allow you to return here to hear me expound the Pure Yang Dao.”

“By the way, one more thing…”

Kongkong Daoist paused, then added:

“Your fellow disciple from Xu Doushan has sent his Tribulation Beast here again—no telling what he wants. Bring that Tribulation Beast to me, then return to Zhengxu Heaven.”

As for the trivial matters of your clan, pay them no mind—focus solely on your cultivation.”

In a few days, someone from Duyu Heaven will deliver what you need.”

The young woman’s heart leapt with joy, yet a thoughtful expression soon flickered across her face.

“My fellow disciple from Xu Doushan… could it be that demonic master Chen Yu shu?”

Though countless thoughts surged through her mind, she dared not delay—Kongkong Daoist had given his command. Soon, she summoned a clear wind and vanished from sight.

Not long after, a thin, ancient monkey dressed in a bright red Daoist robe was brought to the cliff by the woman.

If Chen Hang were here, he would instantly recognize this monkey as the one he had seen in Nian Yu.

Since Chen Yu shu had discovered the “Book of Raising Humans” in that remote realm, the monkey had remained ever at his side.

In Chen Yu shu’s early days, it was this monkey who lent great strength in seizing Chen Ziding’s life and enabling his escape from Xu Huang Heaven—truly risking his own life.

Yet now, the monkey’s expression was far from its usual ease and composure; it was one of deep deference and caution.

When his peripheral vision caught sight of the cloud sea below, his pupils shrank slightly—he was plainly still shaken.

The place where the monkey now stood was called Tianyu Mountain, Kongkong Daoist’s most frequently used retreat within Duyu Heaven.

But this place was less a blessed mountain than a perilous, deadly ground, littered with ever-shifting killing arrays; one misstep, and one would instantly face annihilation of body and spirit.

The thick mists lingering among the peaks were even more terrifying, filling the monkey with an instinctive dread as if facing a primordial enemy—every hair on his body trembled, screaming warnings into his mind.

It seemed that if he so much as touched those mists, something unspeakable would happen in an instant.

Had it not been for the young woman’s talisman opening a path and personally guiding him, the monkey, knowing his own limits, would never have dared enter.

Yet he remembered clearly: when he last came to Duyu Heaven on Chen Yu shu’s orders, such mists had not existed.

But now…

“That Yu clan woman? She truly has extraordinary fortune—she can now enter and leave Tianyu Mountain at will. Has the Old Ancestor taken her as a recorded disciple? What blessings must she have accumulated over countless lifetimes—truly enviable!”

The monkey mused inwardly.

At this moment, the young woman bowed to Kongkong Daoist and respectfully withdrew.

Within her shadow, a red-faced, yellow-bearded long-armed ape faintly emerged.

After locking eyes with the ape, the monkey realized it must be the Tribulation Beast of the Yu woman.

But before he could speculate on the abilities of this Tribulation Beast, born like himself, Kongkong Daoist’s voice suddenly rang out:

“How is Yu shu lately?”

“Report to Old Ancestor: he is well—very well!”

The monkey quickly stilled his thoughts, knelt low, and after several deep bows, continued:

“He now controls the qi of the Six Sects with ease, having unlocked boundless profundities from them. Moreover, the Primordial Demon Sect’s Xuanming Five Manifest Dao Lord personally reforged Yu shu’s broken sword—now sealed within the embryonic wall of Shen Yu Sect.”

Once matured, the sword will ascend in quality, becoming a true immortal weapon!”

Kongkong Daoist showed no surprise, smiling faintly:

“The Dragon Horn Great Killing Sword—the very blade Chen Xiangxian shattered by hand? It suits Yu shu well. If it ascends to an immortal weapon, it will grant him another advantage—good indeed.”

The monkey bowed repeatedly, then, when Kongkong Daoist asked his purpose, his face turned solemn. He swiftly reorganized his carefully prepared words and bowed low to speak.

But halfway through, Kongkong Daoist’s attention seemed drawn elsewhere—he gazed into the void beyond the cosmos, lost in thought.

Though the monkey was puzzled, even a thousandfold courage would not have let him disturb Kongkong Daoist’s reverie.

He could only grit his teeth and finish speaking…

“I understand. Since Yu shu wishes to cultivate the ‘Primordial Ancestor Lineage,’ I shall transmit it to him. As for the remaining Tribulation-Transcending Talisman…”

Soon after the monkey finished, Kongkong Daoist shifted his gaze and said calmly:

“Very well. Kanli Daoist still has some left—he owes me a considerable favor.”

Since Kanli Daoist is soon to visit Wenhuan Sect, have him make one more trip to the Primordial Demon Sect and deliver the Tribulation-Transcending Talisman to Yu shu.”

The monkey could barely conceal his delight.

The Tribulation-Transcending Talisman was personally forged by a Tribulation Immortal Ancestor—its value needed no explanation.

The monkey had expected Kongkong Daoist to refuse; both Chen Yu shu and he had long prepared for this outcome.

Yet today, he had received such wonderful news!

“Kanli Daoist—the nearly universally acknowledged top third-generation disciple of a Tribulation Immortal—is going to Wenhuan Sect? I don’t recall Kanli Daoist having any ties to Wenhuan Sect…”

The monkey was puzzled.

He waited a long while, but Kongkong Daoist gave no further instructions.

This left the monkey utterly at a loss—he could only lower his head and wait patiently.

“Have you heard of Donggaozi and Jingcang Bianji Buddha?” Suddenly, Kongkong Daoist asked.

The monkey opened his mouth in surprise, but before he could suppress his confusion or choose his words,

Kongkong Daoist’s voice continued, laden with meaning:

One is the Lord of the Thunder Bureau’s Heavenly Gang Manifestation Hall; the other, an ancient Buddha who established his own path. These two rarely crossed paths—who could have imagined they would clash? How fascinating.

Jingcang Bianji Buddha truly possesses great ability. Had he not pursued the Six-Winged Celestial Cicada in the hands of the Six-Eared Macaque, my Lingming Stone Monkey avatar would never have entered the boundless Tai Xu.”

There, I sensed a resonance and happened upon the Buddhist realm where the two were fighting to the death—uncovering a great secret from primordial antiquity.”

The monkey pondered a moment, then ventured cautiously:

“Wasn’t Donggaozi said to have already entered Nirvana within Gui Xu long ago, perishing alongside two great figures of the Shao Yuan Heresy? How could he now confront Jingcang Bianji Buddha?”

And as for Jingcang Bianji Buddha—Baoya Temple claims he entered the Gate of All Wonders—why then…?”

“Died in Gui Xu? Ha—this is precisely the cunning of Donggaozi and Da Xian.”

These two seemed to have foreseen the unprecedented cataclysm, so they arranged beforehand: Donggaozi feigned death and escaped, while Da Xian and Donggaozi operated openly and covertly, preserving the Yucheng faction’s strength.”

When primordial antiquity collapsed, Yucheng suffered minimal losses.”

Aside from Le Quan, who courted death, none of Yucheng’s immortals were utterly annihilated by the calamity.”

A faint smile touched Kongkong Daoist’s face;

“As for Baoya Temple’s claim that Jingcang Bianji Buddha entered the Gate of All Wonders—that is merely deception, unworthy of mention!”

The monkey now understood: Kongkong Daoist was not seeking to discuss such divine secrets with him—he was merely speaking aloud, lost in thought.

He was wise enough to play along, smiling awkwardly:

“Old Ancestor, if Donggaozi and Jingcang Bianji Buddha had no prior grudge, why did they clash?”

“Naturally—because of the struggle over the Dao!”

Kongkong Daoist spoke slowly:

“In my view, this struggle over the Dao surpasses even family annihilation or sect destruction. Once begun, there can be no reconciliation!”

These two concealed it well—who could have guessed they both sought the ‘Virtue and Fortune’ path?”

But now, with that Buddhist realm shattered and the Great Vajra Barrier destroyed, all ancient mysteries will emerge into the light—no more secrets remain…”

Kongkong Daoist’s gaze pierced the cosmic void, landing upon Baoya Temple in Wuliangguang Heaven.

It was a land of pure, majestic splendor—lecture halls, hermitages, pavilions, and temples all glowed with seven-jewel radiance.

Eleven towering, boundless mountains, eleven seas of golden sand; in the jeweled groves, blue lions and white elephants walked or lay at ease, fragrant incense drifting gently.

But as the Buddhist realm collapsed, the statue of Jingcang Bianji Buddha, towering ten thousand zhang in the main hall, began to rumble—and its light abruptly vanished.

The monks within stared in terror as fine cracks suddenly appeared on the ancient Buddha’s statue; within moments, the cracks deepened.

The colossal head cracked first, and before it could fall, it exploded midair into countless golden lights—like sudden, torrential rain!

For the Great Vajra Barrier above the Buddhist realm not only sealed the surrounding void, but also possessed the supreme ability to confuse heavenly omens and fate divination.

Over countless eons, many great beings in the myriad heavens had suspected the true fate of Jingcang Bianji Buddha.

Yet no matter how they wielded great spiritual powers or activated their Destiny Perception, they could never trace the karmic flow to uncover the truth.

Precisely because of this, the abbot and several bodhisattvas of Baoya Temple dared to spread falsehoods, claiming Jingcang Bianji Buddha had entered the Gate of All Wonders to undergo trials.

The monks of Baoya Temple sought to intimidate enemies and protect their temple’s foundations.

This was also Jingcang Bianji Buddha’s own hidden intent.

He had once expended immense effort to forge a majestic realm, using his ultimate techniques to bind it with a Great Vajra Barrier—so firm, so deeply attuned to the essence of Vajra Samadhi.

Not only to secure a pure, stable place for cultivation after defeating Donggaozi, so he could carefully organize his gains,

But also to have a refuge should he lose—where he could recuperate, hidden from all eyes, his true condition concealed.

Thus, even if he remained unseen, Baoya Temple’s status in Wuliangguang Heaven would remain secure.

Other monasteries, even if they considered attacking Baoya Temple, would still hesitate, mindful of his presence, unable to act recklessly.

But such expectations, though pleasant, ultimately came to nothing on both fronts.

Jingcang Bianji Buddha not only failed to defeat Donggaozi and claim temporary victory in this struggle over the Path of Virtuous Merit, but even failed to escape.

Donggaozi, exerting his full strength, first shattered Jingcang’s Golden Body of Merit with a single finger, then struck the top of his head with divine thunder—thus, Jingcang Bianji Buddha sat in final nirvana within his own Buddha realm, unable to even send a single thought fleeing into the void.

Even Jingcang’s much-praised Great Vajra Barrier proved far less magnificent and perfect than he had believed…

Less than a thousand years after the end of that struggle over Virtuous Merit, a strange old Daoist riding a six-tusked white elephant suddenly burst in.

No one knew what method he had used to trace the Buddha realm’s location—even Donggaozi himself was taken aback.

…

…

“Fate decrees it, beyond the reach of spiritual power—spiritual power cannot rival fate?”

Watching the many monks of Baoya Temple panic and lose their composure after the Buddha statue collapsed, Kongkong Daoist chuckled with a sigh:

“Jingcang Bianji, though all your preparations were in vain, your Great Vajra Barrier did at least help preserve Baoya Temple to some degree—but now…”

He suddenly turned his head toward the old monkey, gesturing slightly to signal the demonic beast not to kneel—rise, that’s enough.

“You’ve had some luck—you happened to arrive just in time, so now come along and watch the show with your old ancestor.” Kongkong Daoist said.

Before the old monkey could bow in reply, he suddenly saw the thick white mist below the cliff coalesce into hundreds of white clouds, each a hundred mu in size.

Through those clouds, faint glimpses of the different landscapes of the myriad heavens appeared, causing the old monkey to gasp in shock.

“Donggaozi—the one who, in ancient Dao Court days, was famed far and wide, the one most likely to inherit the authority of Great Xian Immortal and become the next Lord of Thunder of the Thunder Bureau.”

That man not only did not die back then—he actually pursued the Path of Virtuous Merit, and even killed Jingcang Bianji, an ancient Buddha, losing him in the struggle over the Dao.

Once this astonishing truth spread, it could no longer be concealed…

How would Yu Yuchen’s enemies react?

Would the old Heavenly Venerable of Shanjian Temple avenge Jingcang Bianji?

What of other immortals and gods who walk the Path of Virtuous Merit—or even the elder who now holds that Path?

How would Donggaozi’s ‘fellow travelers’ respond upon hearing this news?”

Kongkong Daoist clapped his hands and laughed loudly:

“Fascinating—truly fascinating! Let’s watch this spectacle properly today!”

As he spoke, the Buddha realm deep within the cosmos could no longer hold together—it exploded in a thunderous collapse, and the great statue of Baoya Temple turned to dust, vanishing instantly into the void.

Almost simultaneously, with the Great Vajra Barrier utterly gone, the disturbance caused by Jingcang Bianji’s nirvana could no longer be hidden.

The Path of Virtuous Merit stirred in response—void echoed with mournful cries, celestial rain fell in dazzling showers, but before it touched the ground, it turned blood-red, a horrifying expanse stretching tens of thousands of miles, like a floating sea of blood.

Immortals, Buddhas, and divine beings across the myriad heavens all felt the disturbance, one by one activating great spiritual powers, directing their gaze toward the Buddha realm, beginning to calculate its meaning.

Not long after, in a wild and primitive heaven, a cry of shock rang out first.

“Donggaozi—was your death fake all along? You’re still alive?!”