302: One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones

Stepping into the Eight Views Palace, Li Chengqian did not hesitate.

Inside the palace, it was unexpectedly simple, one might even say crude. There were no carved beams or painted rafters, no swirling Immortal Qi; there was only a meditation cushion, a Pill Furnace, and a bookshelf.

An old man with white hair and beard, wearing a simple Daoist robe, was sitting cross-legged on the meditation cushion. He had his eyes closed, as if he had been sitting for millions of years, having merged with the entire space, or even the entire Chaos.

He was the Taiqing Sage, Laozi.

Li Chengqian could feel that the moment he stepped into the palace, everything around him changed. The concepts of time and space became blurred here, and the clamor of the outside world was completely cut off. This place formed a world of its own, a world dominated by the will of this Saint.

The National Destiny Golden Dragon beneath his feet felt immense suppression here and emitted an uneasy low growl. That ubiquitous "inaction" Dao rhyme permeated like water, attempting to dissolve the Human Race's will condensed upon its body.

"You have come."

Laozi opened his eyes.

What kind of eyes were those? There were no stars, sun, or moon within them, no cosmic creation or destruction, only emptiness. It was as if everything in the world held no meaning in his eyes.

This was the Supreme Forgetting of Emotion.

Li Chengqian felt a chill in his heart. He knew that the true "Dao debate" was only just beginning.

He did not pay respects, but simply looked Laozi in the eye. Before the confrontation between the Human Dao and the Heavenly Dao, there was no status, only positions.

"I am here." Li Chengqian answered calmly.

"Do you know that what you shattered was not just a door?" Laozi's voice remained flat, revealing neither joy nor anger.

"I know." Li Chengqian nodded. "What I shattered was the illusion of the Saint being eternal and supreme. What I shattered was the shackle of the Human Race's blind awe towards the Heavenly Dao."

"Oh?" The corners of Laozi's mouth seemed to twitch, but it was as if they hadn't. "You think that is an illusion? A shackle?"

"Is it not?" Li Chengqian retorted. "If Saints do not die, the Great Thieves will never cease. You sit high in the Nine Heavens, viewing all living beings as straw dogs, using the world as a chessboard, manipulating the Calamities, and deciding life and death. Is this not the greatest thievery?"

His words pierced the heart with every syllable. If any Immortal in the Primordial World heard this, they would likely be frightened to the point of Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering. Li Chengqian was the first person since the opening of the world to dare to call a Saint a "thief" so directly.

Laozi was not angry.

He just shook his head gently, as if looking at an ignorant child.

"You are wrong." He said slowly. "The Heavenly Dao is ruthless and treats all things as straw dogs. Saints act in accordance with Heaven to maintain the balance of the world. The rise and fall of Calamities are the world's method of self-purification, not something we can manipulate, nor what we desire."

"What a fine 'treats all things as straw dogs'!" Li Chengqian couldn't help but laugh, his laughter filled with thick sarcasm. "What fine words! If you treat all things as straw dogs, why were the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin tribes nearly extinct during the Dragon-Han Calamity? Why did the two great clans vanish into smoke during the Lich War? Why was it that when it came to the Investiture of the Gods Calamity, most of those who died were Immortals of the Jie Sect who originated from my Human Race, and the Mortal soldiers of my Human Race?"

"Every time a Calamity occurs, aren't those who benefit in the end the so-called Saints like you? Your Daoist traditions become more stable, your Profound Sect becomes more prosperous! And what about my Human Race? We are reduced to cannon fodder time and time again, rebuilding our homes on the ruins time and time again!"

"Is this the 'balance' you speak of? Is this what you call 'acting in accordance with Heaven'?"

Li Chengqian's voice grew increasingly impassioned. The sense of injustice in his chest had completely erupted after seeing this "inaction" Saint.

"As the leader of the Human Teachings, enjoying the Luck of my Human Race, what have you done for us? Where were you when the Human Race was slaughtered by the Yao Race as food? Where were you when the Human Race was razed to the ground during the war between Immortals and Gods? Where were you when the Human Race was wailing and struggling through one natural and man-made disaster after another?"

"You did nothing! You just watched with cold eyes! Your 'inaction' is the greatest selfishness! You are simply not worthy of being the leader of the Human Teachings!"

Every question was like thunder, exploding in this silent space.

The National Destiny Golden Dragon felt its master's rage, let out a heaven-shaking roar, and fought fiercely against that invisible "inaction" Dao rhyme.

Facing Li Chengqian's near-roaring accusations, a change finally appeared on Laozi's face.

It was not anger, but a kind of... pity.

"Foolish child." He sighed softly. "What you see is only the surface. You are addicted to love, hate, and grievances, trapped by fleeting joys and sorrows, so your Dao is a minor Dao, a path of the lowest order."

"The Dao of an Emperor lies in struggle, in desire, in the entanglement of Karma. By using a Dynasty to prove the Dao, you appear powerful, but in reality, you have bound yourself to the Karma of billions of living beings. If one prospers, all prosper; if one suffers, all suffer. This kind of Dao has an unstable Foundation, like a tower on sand; a gust of wind, and it will crumble."

Laozi extended a finger and pointed at Li Chengqian.

"Do you know what kind of catastrophe your actions today have brought upon your Human Race and your Great Tang? You seek momentary satisfaction, but you are dragging billions of your subjects to their graves with you. This is not protection; this is destruction."

His voice was not loud, but every word was like a heavy hammer, striking fiercely at Li Chengqian's spirit.

This was not a magical attack; this was an interrogation of the "Dao."

He was denying Li Chengqian's Dao, fundamentally denying everything Li Chengqian had done.

Li Chengqian's face instantly turned somewhat pale.

He felt his beliefs and persistence waver slightly under Laozi's ruthless words, which felt like the Heavenly Dao itself.

Yes... is what I am doing really right?

For a void and ethereal "dignity," for an uncertain "future," to gamble with the entire National Destiny of the Great Tang Immortal Kingdom, to gamble with the lives of billions of subjects... am I being too selfish?

If I retreat today, the Great Tang will still be the Immortal Kingdom that dominates the three thousand worlds, and my subjects can still live and work in peace. Although there is still a Saint pressing down on our heads, at least... they are still alive.

But I came today and tore the mask off the Saint. Even if I am lucky enough to survive, will the Saint let the Great Tang go? Will he let my Human Race go?

Did I... do the wrong thing?

As this thought arose, the light of the National Destiny Golden Dragon beneath Li Chengqian's feet instantly dimmed, and it let out a mournful cry.

He was one with the National Destiny; if his heart wavered, the National Destiny would naturally become unstable.

"Do you see?" Laozi's voice sounded again, like a curse. "Your Dao is vulnerable. Because it is built upon fragile emotions. Let go; put down your obsession, convert to the Great Dao, and you may still seek a trace of peace and freedom."

"Let go..." Li Chengqian muttered to himself, his eyes beginning to grow dazed.

He seemed to see himself giving up the throne, giving up his responsibilities, walking alone into the depths of the Chaos to comprehend the Supreme Dao. No more worries, no more attachments, achieving eternal life...

That seemed... quite nice, didn't it?

Just as Li Chengqian's spirit was about to sink completely, voices suddenly rang out in his mind.

"Your Majesty, we are willing to coexist with the Great Tang!"

"Father Emperor, this son will certainly not fail your trust!"

"Long live Your Majesty! Long live the Great Tang!"

That was Wei Zheng's voice, Li Jing's voice, the voices of his loyal ministers, the heartfelt cries of his billions of subjects!

He gave a sudden jolt, and his eyes instantly regained clarity!

"What a fine Supreme Forgetting of Emotion! What fine words to pierce the heart!"

Li Chengqian raised his head and stared fixedly at Laozi, his eyes burning with raging flames.

He had almost fallen for it just now!

Laozi didn't use magic power, yet it was more dangerous than any magic. He attacked his Dao Heart directly, attempting to make him collapse from within!

"You are wrong, Saint!" Li Chengqian's voice was hoarse but incomparably firm. "My Dao is not built upon fragile emotions! It is built upon 'responsibility'!"

"I am their King, I am their Heaven! They trust me, respect me, and have entrusted their lives to me! If I cannot hold up a sky for them, if I cannot fight for fairness for them, then what kind of Emperor am I!"

"You say my Dao is a minor Dao, a path of the lowest order? Then I will let you see just how strong this power you look down upon really is!"

Li Chengqian roared, his will becoming as firm as rock once again.

"Ang—!"

The National Destiny Golden Dragon seemed to have been reborn, erupting with light even more brilliant than before, completely dispelling that pervasive "inaction" Dao rhyme!

Li Chengqian stood straight, like a sharp sword about to pierce the firmament.

"You say my Dao is a tower on sand, that it crumbles with a gust of wind?"

"Then today, I, the Emperor, shall use this tower on sand to shake your eternal... Heavenly Dao!"

Laozi watched the revitalized Li Chengqian, and a ripple finally appeared in those eyes that were like an ancient well without waves.

It was a kind of emotion... called "surprise."

He had not expected the Dao Heart of this Human Emperor to be so firm to this extent.

He slowly stood up.

The entire Eight Views Palace began to tremble violently as he rose. The previously quiet Pill Furnace surged with flames, as if it wanted to incinerate the heavens. On that unassuming bookshelf, a copy of the "Dao De Jing" moved without wind, and every word emitted a terrifying aura that suppressed the ages.

An indescribable, terrifying pressure emanated from Laozi.

That was the might of a Saint!

"Very well."

Laozi looked at Li Chengqian, his voice carrying a hint of coldness for the first time.

"Since you are obsessed and refuse to repent, then let this poor Daoist see if your 'Human Dao' can withstand my 'Heavenly Dao'."

"This path of yours was destined to be... a dead end from the very beginning!"

"A dead end?"

Hearing these two words, Li Chengqian suddenly laughed.

In that smile, there was no fear, no retreat, only an indescribable tragic heroism and resolution.

"Saint, do you know that my Human Race has been walking a dead end since the day we were born?"

He looked at Laozi, his gaze burning, as if he wanted to see through this Saint.

"Fighting against Heaven, fighting against Earth, fighting against the Yao, fighting against the Gods... when was it not a narrow escape from death? When was it not searching for that single ray of hope in despair?"

"The civilization of my Human Race, the Legacy of my Human Race, was paved on these dead ends with the blood and bones of countless ancestors!"

"Therefore, what I, the Emperor, fear least is a dead end!"

His voice was sonorous and powerful, every word like a flame bursting from his chest, carrying a momentum of a prairie fire.

"If your so-called 'Heavenly Dao' requires my Human Race to remain slaves forever, to be sacrifices for generations, then I, Li Chengqian, would rather lead my billions of subjects to trample this Heaven and overturn this Dao!"

"My fate is decided by me, not by Heaven!"

"Boom!"

With his final roar, the National Destiny Golden Dragon behind him went completely berserk.

Its massive body was no longer confined within the Eight Views Palace; instead, it burst through the palace roof, thrusting its entire dragon head into the endless Chaos.

In this moment, the will of the Human Dao and the Dao Aura of the Saint collided with the utmost intensity!

Inside the Eight Views Palace, it was no longer a tranquil place for discussing the Dao.

Between the two of them, in that small space, all sorts of incredible phenomena began to emerge.

At times, it was a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood—the microcosm of the Human Race's history of struggle.

At times, it was thirty thousand miles of purple Qi coming from the East—the majesty of a Saint expounding the Dao.

At times, it was the heartwarming scene of a million lights in Chang'an City.

At times, it was the cold, indifferent operation of the Xuanhuang Heaven and Earth and the primordial Universe.

This was a conceptual collision between the "Human Dao" and the "Heavenly Dao." It appeared silent and motionless, yet it was dangerous to the extreme.

A single moment of carelessness would result in a shattered Dao Heart and an irredeemable fate.

Li Chengqian held firm to his focus. Behind him, countless phantoms emerged.

There were his civil and military officials, and his common people; they stood together with him, jointly resisting that force of assimilation coming from the "Heavenly Dao."

"Is this your reliance?" Laozi looked at those phantoms, a trace of disdain appearing on his face.

"The joys and sorrows of Mortals are nothing but flowers in a mirror and the moon in the water. Their beliefs are even more fragile. You build your own Dao upon such ethereal things; it is foolish beyond compare."

As his voice fell, he pointed a finger.

The phantom of Chang'an City, constructed by the will of the Human Dao, instantly began to collapse. The faces of the common people in the city revealed expressions of terror and doubt.

"Your Majesty... can we really win?"

"The opponent is a Saint, after all..."

"Are our prayers really useful? Perhaps, we were wrong from the very beginning..."

Negative emotions began to spread like a plague.

Li Chengqian's face paled further; he could feel his connection to the National Destiny being eroded by this doubt and fear.

"Hold steady!"

He roared at the void, as if shouting to all his subjects.

"Believe in Us! Believe in the Great Tang! Believe in ourselves!"

"We have said that We would lead you to walk a brand-new path! We will never break Our word!"

His will, through the National Destiny, was transmitted to the distant Great Tang Immortal Kingdom.

In the Heavenly City of Chang'an, all subjects, whether Immortal or Mortal, felt as if they had heard the voice of their Emperor.

That doubt and fear, stemming from their hearts, was forcibly suppressed by this roar.

"Your Majesty..." An old farmer working in the fields raised his head and looked at the sky, which had become somewhat dim. A light rekindled in his cloudy eyes.

"I believe in Your Majesty! Your Majesty is our heaven! If he says we can win, then we will definitely win!"

"That is right! Everything we have was given by Your Majesty! Now that Your Majesty is in trouble, how can we waver!"

"I am willing to offer all my belief to help Your Majesty!"

"I am also willing!"

"I am also willing!"

One, ten, a hundred, billions... countless strands of the power of belief, like trickling streams, converged into a mighty river, crossing endless space and time, and surged toward the Eight Views Palace in the depths of the Chaos.

The collapsing phantom of Chang'an City instantly stabilized, becoming even more solid than before!

The doubt on the faces of the common people in the city vanished, replaced by a fanatical worship and trust!

"Do you see, Saint?"

Li Chengqian felt the power within him become vast once more and stared directly at Laozi.

"This is Our Dao! This is the strength of our Human Race!"

"It may not be perfect, and it may have flaws, but it truly exists! It is indestructible!"

Laozi looked at that re-stabilized phantom city, and looked at those Mortals in the city with fanatical expressions. In those eyes that were like an ancient, still well, for the first time, a trace of genuine surprise finally appeared.

He could not understand.

Why could the belief of Mortals be solidified to such an extent?

In his long life, he had seen too many races rise and fall, and had seen too many civilizations change.

Any ethnic group, when facing absolute power or the threat of death, would expose their selfish and cowardly nature.

Why was the Human Race of this epoch different?

He did not know how much Li Chengqian had sacrificed to gather this collective heart. He did not know what unprecedented dignity and abundance the subjects of the Great Tang enjoyed. Their trust in Li Chengqian had long since transcended the rites of ruler and subject, approaching a form of faith.

"Interesting."

Laozi withdrew his finger. The indifference and pity on his face vanished, replaced by an unprecedented gravity.

He finally placed Li Chengqian on a position equal to himself.

"It seems that merely discussing the Dao cannot make you turn back."

He slowly raised his hands and brought them together in front of his chest.

"Since that is the case, this poor Daoist can only let you experience for yourself what it means that the might of Heaven is unfathomable."

"Let you see with your own eyes how vulnerable everything you protect is in front of the true 'Heavenly Dao'."

Following his movement, the entire Eight Views Palace, along with the surrounding Chaos, began to shake violently.

A pressure, billions of times more terrifying than before, crashed down!

Outside, in the Primordial World.

All the great beings felt a trembling originating from their Souls.

"The Saint... is getting serious!"

"The Taiqing Sage is about to make a move!"

"That Human Emperor... is doomed!"

At the Yuxu Palace on Kunlun Mountains, a cold, satisfied sneer appeared on the face of the Celestial Venerable of Primordial Beginning: "A clown, finally about to pay the price for his arrogance."

At the Biyou Palace on Golden Turtle Island, Sect Master Tongtian's smile vanished. He furrowed his brows and stared intently into the depths of the Chaos, while the Qingping Sword in his hand emitted a faint humming sound.

At Mount Sumeru in the West, the expression of suffering on the face of the Daoist Jieyin deepened, and the joy on the face of the Daoist Zhunti also subsided significantly. They both understood that when a Saint is enraged, millions of corpses will fall; this was no empty threat.

Inside the Eight Views Palace.

Li Chengqian endured that world-destroying pressure; his bones were creaking, and his dragon robe was shattering inch by inch.

Under this pressure, the massive body of the National Destiny Golden Dragon behind him was continuously compressed and shrinking, emitting painful wails.

But he still stood straight!

In his eyes, there was not the slightest bit of retreat, only soaring Battle Intent!

"Come!"

He opened his arms, as if to embrace this power capable of destroying the world.

"Let Us see if your so-called 'Heavenly Dao' can truly crush the spine of our Human Race!"

Laozi looked at him and shook his head lightly.

"Ignorant."

As his voice fell, his joined hands slowly separated.

Following his movement, the aura of his entire being underwent a heaven-shaking, earth-shattering change.

One Laozi turned into three. One from the past, one from the present, and one from the future.

Each one exuded a terrifying pressure identical to the original body.

The supreme Divine Ability of the Daoist Sect—One Qi Transforms into Three Purities!

The three Laozi formed a triangle, surrounding Li Chengqian in the center.

One had an ancient and simple appearance, as if coming from the beginning of the creation of the world, representing the "Past."

One was identical to the original body, indifferent and heartless, representing the "Present."

One had a phantom figure, as if not existing in this time and space, representing the "Future."

Each one was a genuine Saint!

Although they were only Incarnations, a Saint is still a Saint; every action they took carried the might of the Heavenly Dao.

Li Chengqian instantly felt the pressure he was bearing increase by more than three times!

Under this pressure, the light of the National Destiny Golden Dragon behind him had dimmed to the extreme, its massive body compressed to only a hundred zhang in size, and its scales were covered in cracks, as if it would collapse at any moment.

"Is this the strength of a Saint..."

Li Chengqian gritted his teeth, a trace of golden blood spilling from the corner of his mouth. That was his Origin blood essence, connected to the National Destiny.

He knew that he had been overconfident.

He had attained the Dao through the Luck Dynasty, and his power had indeed reached the Hunyuan level, allowing him to wrestle with a single Saint.

But facing a bug-level Divine Ability like "One Qi Transforms into Three Purities," he was still not up to the task.

This was not as simple as one plus one equals two.

The suppressive force formed by the three Saint Incarnations joining hands increased exponentially.

"It is still not too late for you to turn back now."

The Laozi representing the "Present" spoke, his voice still as flat as ever, yet carrying a sense of final judgment.

Li Chengqian laughed instead.

He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, raised his head, and swept his gaze across the faces of the three Laozi one by one.

"Turn back? In Our dictionary, these two words do not exist!"

"Isn't it just three? We would like to see if your Three Purities Incarnations are more powerful, or if the Power Of Will of the living beings of Our Great Tang is stronger!"

He slammed his hands together and issued a loud decree:

"Subjects of the Great Tang, heed Our command!"

"Civil and military officials, return to your positions!"

"Common people, offer your sacrifice!"

"Using the National Destiny as the guide, and the living beings as the fuel, condense Our Human Dao Dharma Body!"

His voice penetrated the Chaos, penetrated the Thirty-Three Heavens, and clearly echoed across every inch of the territory of the Great Tang Immortal Kingdom!

In the Heavenly City of Chang'an.

Wei Zheng, Fang Xuanling, Li Jing, Qin Qiong, and others, upon hearing this decree, did not hesitate in the slightest.

"Your subjects obey the decree!"

They responded in unison, and then, their bodies began to transform into beams of light.

Wei Zheng transformed into a beam of righteous, awe-inspiring energy and merged into the phantom of the "Zhenguan Zhengyao."

Li Jing transformed into a beam of iron-blooded Evil Qi and merged into the phantom of that peerless, fierce sword.

Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Zhangsun Wuji... Qin Qiong, Yuchi Gong, Cheng Yaojin...

One familiar name after another, one civil or military official after another who had established illustrious merits for the Great Tang, in this moment, sacrificed themselves without hesitation, turning everything they had into the purest power and injecting it into the National Destiny!

They had not died; rather, they had merged into one with the Emperor they pledged allegiance to, and the kingdom they protected, in a different way!

At the same time, within the Great Tang Immortal Kingdom, in the three thousand worlds, billions of people all knelt on the ground, facing the direction of Chang'an, hands together, praying piously.

"Your Majesty..."

"Please, you must win..."

Their belief, their Power Of Will, their yearning for a better life, and even their life force... in this moment, were all offered up without reservation.

Beams of visible golden light points rose from the bodies of every Great Tang subject, converging into golden streams, and finally, like all rivers returning to the sea, they all surged toward the depths of the Chaos, toward Li Chengqian's body!

"Boom—!!!"