142: Chapter 142, Sixth Debate: Summary
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Inside Zixiao Palace, there was a profound silence.
The voice of Yuanshi Tianzun still echoed among the pillars.
“The Sixth Debate, the Summary. Fellow Daoists, does anyone else wish to ask?”
No one spoke.
No one moved.
Every gaze fell upon Lu Mingyuan.
There were gazes of scrutiny, appreciation, doubt, and deep reflection.
But no one opened their mouth.
Lu Mingyuan stood there, waiting.
After a while, there was still no sound.
He suddenly smiled.
That smile was very light.
Light as the wind.
But in that wind, there was something.
The sentiment of finally having reached this point.
---
He spoke.
“Seniors, since no one has questions, would it be alright if this Junior said a few words?”
Below the stage, some nodded.
Some remained silent.
Some looked at him with eyes full of expectation.
Lu Mingyuan said:
“Over these past few days, this Junior has accepted five debates. Three questions from the Daoist Sect, one from the Buddhist Sect, one from the People's Sect, and one from the Loose Immortals. Every question was asked deeply. Every debate was argued thoroughly.”
He paused.
“But debating until now, this Junior has discovered one thing.”
He looked at the audience below.
“Debating is not for the sake of winning.”
---
Duobao raised his head and looked at him.
Jieyin's gaze fell upon him.
Xuandu sat quietly, like a statue.
Zhenyuanzi's eyes were still somewhat red.
Lu Mingyuan continued:
“When this Junior first began his cultivation, I also enjoyed debating. I debated with fellow disciples, with Senior Brothers, and with myself. If I won the debate, I felt my Dao was correct. If I lost, I felt my Dao was wrong.”
He looked below the stage.
“But later, at The Rift, this Junior understood. If I win the debate, the devil soldiers will not retreat. If I lose, the Loose Cultivators will not live. Debating back and forth, The Rift is still there, and the Devilish Qi is still gushing out.”
He paused.
“Only then did this Junior realize that debating is not for the sake of winning.”
---
Below the stage, someone nodded gently.
It was Jieyin.
He looked at Lu Mingyuan, his gaze filled with compassion.
Lu Mingyuan said:
“Debating is to make the truth clearer.”
He looked at the audience.
“It is like walking. When a person walks a night road, they cannot see clearly what lies ahead. But if they walk a bit, stop and look, then walk another bit, and stop to look again... eventually, the road becomes clear.”
He paused.
“Debating is that act of stopping to look. To see where one has walked, to see what is ahead, and to see if the path beneath one's feet is correct. Once seen and clarified, one continues walking.”
He looked at the crowd.
“Therefore, debating is not for winning. It is to see clearly. And after seeing clearly, to better continue the journey.”
---
Inside Zixiao Palace, someone sighed softly.
It was Zhunti.
He looked at Jieyin and said softly, “Senior Brother, this child truly understands.”
“Senior Brother, this child truly understands.”
Jieyin nodded.
“Yes. He truly understands.”
Lu Mingyuan continued:
“Through these five debates, this Junior has seen many things clearly.”
He took a step forward.
“The Daoist Sect asked if the ‘heart is the passage or the road.’ This Junior saw clearly—the heart is the passage, and it is also the road. The passage is for connecting, and the road is for walking. Only when it is connected can one walk; only after walking can one know if it connects.”
He paused.
“The Jie Sect asked ‘what to do if one stands in the wrong place.’ This Junior saw clearly—even if it is the wrong place, one must still stand. Only by standing incorrectly can one know where is right. If one does not stand, one will never know right from wrong.”
He paused.
“The Buddhist Sect asked ‘as people die one by one, where is the path to life.’ This Junior saw clearly—the path to life lies within the last person standing. Upon the last person standing, stand all those who have ever stood before.”
He paused.
“The People's Sect asked ‘to act or not to act.’ This Junior saw clearly—acting is also non-action. To do what must be done when it must be done, and to forget it after it is done—that is non-action.”
He paused.
“The Loose Immortals asked ‘to be carefree or not.’ This Junior saw clearly—to be carefree is when the heart is full of purpose, one has no need to think of being carefree.”
He raised his head and looked at the audience.
“All of these were things this Junior did not see clearly before the debates.”
---
Below the stage, there was total silence.
But in that silence, there was something.
The kind of thing that comes from listening, thinking, and realizing.
Lu Mingyuan continued:
“But this Junior also saw one more thing clearly.”
He looked at the audience.
“And that is—the Dao has no hierarchy.”
Below the stage, some people raised their heads.
Light flashed in some people's eyes.
Someone took a soft breath.
Lu Mingyuan said:
“The Daoist Sect has the Dao of the Dao, the Buddhist Sect has the Dao of the Buddha, the People's Sect has the Dao of the People, and the Loose Immortals have the Dao of the Loose Immortals. The Dao of the Confucians, the Dao of the Martial Artists, the Dao of the Yao, the Dao of the Magi, the Dao of the Ghosts—everyone has their own Dao.”
He paused.
“But among these Daos, which is high and which is low? Which is right and which is wrong? Which is good and which is bad?”
He looked at the audience.
“This Junior does not know. This Junior only knows that what allows a person to walk further is the Dao. What allows a person to stand firm before The Rift is the Dao. What allows the last person standing to carry everyone else upon them is the Dao.”
---
He took a step forward.
“The Dao has no hierarchy. People have delusion or enlightenment.”
He looked at the audience.
“In delusion, one thinks their own Dao is the only Dao. In enlightenment, one realizes that all methods share the same source, and all paths lead to the same destination.”
He paused.
“Lead to where?”
He looked at the audience.
“Lead to the heart.”
Below the stage, someone clapped gently.
It was Zhenyuanzi.
He looked at Lu Mingyuan, his eyes shining.
“Little friend, well said.”
Lu Mingyuan smiled.
“Senior, it is not that this Junior spoke well. It is that this Junior has walked the path, and only then did I know.”
---
He turned around and looked at Yuanshi Tianzun on the stage.
“Senior Yuanshi, this Junior has one more thing to say.”
Yuanshi Tianzun looked at him.
“Speak.”
Lu Mingyuan said:
“If this Junior has caused any offense during these debates, I ask for all Seniors' forgiveness.”
He looked at the audience.
“If there was anything said incorrectly, I also ask for all Seniors' correction.”
He paused.
“If there was anything said correctly, that was because the Daos of you Seniors were proven true through this Junior.”
He bowed deeply.
“Thank you, Seniors.”
---
Inside Zixiao Palace, there was a vast silence.
Then, someone stood up.
It was Duobao.
He looked at Lu Mingyuan, his eyes shimmering with both tears and light.
“Little friend, this Poor Daoist has no more questions to ask.”
He paused.
“This Poor Daoist only has one sentence to say.”
Lu Mingyuan looked at him.
Duobao said:
“Thank you.”
He sat down.
Another person stood up.
It was Jieyin.
He looked at Lu Mingyuan, his gaze full of compassion.
“Little friend, this Poor Monk also has no more questions to ask.”
He paused.
“This Poor Monk also has one sentence to say.”
He looked at Lu Mingyuan.
“Thank you.”
He sat down.
Another person stood up.
It was Xuandu.
He looked at Lu Mingyuan, his gaze entirely detached and indifferent.
“Little friend, this Poor Daoist also has no more questions to ask.”
He paused.
“This Poor Daoist also has one sentence to say.”
He looked at Lu Mingyuan.
“Thank you.”
He sat down.
Another person stood up.
It was Zhenyuanzi.
He looked at Lu Mingyuan, his gaze full of gentleness.
“Little friend, this Poor Daoist also has no more questions to ask.”
He paused.
“This Poor Daoist also has one sentence to say.”
He looked at Lu Mingyuan.
“Thank you.”
He sat down.
---
Then, one after another.
From the Chan Sect, the Jie Sect, Buddhism, the People's Sect, the Loose Immortals, the Yao Race, the Magi Race, and the Ghost Race.
One after another, they stood up.
One after another, they said:
“Thank you.”
Inside Zixiao Palace, the “Thank yous” rose and fell.
Like a tide.
Like a spring breeze.
Like the resonance when all methods return to their origin.
Lu Mingyuan stood there, looking at those people.
One by one, they stood up.
One by one, they said thank you.
His eyes grew a little red.
But he stood there, unmoving.
Just listening.
Listening to those “Thank yous.”
Listening to the sincerity in those voices.
Listening to the sense of relief in those voices.
Listening to the enlightenment in those voices.
---
Finally, the last voice faded.
Silence returned to Zixiao Palace.
But this silence was different from before.
The previous silence was waiting for someone to speak.
The current silence was because there was no more need to speak.
Because everything that should be said had been said.
Everything that should be debated had been debated.
Everything that should be realized had been realized.
What remained was to walk.
Each person walking their own path.
Each person proving their own Dao.
---
Yuanshi Tianzun's voice rang out.
“The Sixth Debate is concluded.”
He looked at Lu Mingyuan.
In his gaze, there was something.
The gratification of finally seeing someone who truly understands the Dao.
“Lu Mingyuan.”
Lu Mingyuan cupped his hands.
“Present.”
Yuanshi Tianzun said:
“In the Great Debate of Zixiao, you have debated six rounds. The Daoist Sect, the Buddhist Sect, the People's Sect, and the Loose Immortals—all have been debated. All that should be asked has been asked. All that should be answered has been answered.”
He paused.
“Do you have anything to say?”
Lu Mingyuan thought for a moment.
Then, he spoke.
“Senior Yuanshi, this Junior has one sentence he wishes to gift to all the Seniors present.”
Yuanshi Tianzun looked at him.
“Speak.”
Lu Mingyuan turned around and looked at the audience.
He looked at those gazes.
Those gazes from all corners of the Three Realms.
Those gazes from different Daoist lineages.
Those gazes from different Realms.
He spoke.
---
“Seniors, this Junior has come from the Dharma-Ending Age.”
He looked at the crowd.
“In the Dharma-Ending Age, Spiritual Qi is thin and cultivation is difficult. Many people say that the Dharma has ended. That the Dao has ended. That everything has ended.”
He paused.
“But this Junior walked out from the Dharma-Ending Age.”
He looked at the audience.
“What this Junior wants to say is—the Dharma will not end. The Dao will not end. What ends is the human heart.”
He took a step forward.
“When the heart is deluded, the Dharma ends. When the heart is enlightened, the Dharma is born. When the heart dies, the Dao is severed. When the heart is alive, the Dao is continued.”
He looked at the crowd.
“Therefore, the Dharma-Ending Age is not terrifying. What is terrifying is the ending of the human heart.”
He paused.
“But the heart can never truly end. Because the heart is connected to the Dao. As long as the Dao exists, the heart exists. As long as the heart exists, the Dharma exists.”
He looked at the audience.
“This is the reason why this Junior was able to walk out from the Dharma-Ending Age.”
---
Below the stage, there was total silence.
But in that silence, there was something.
The kind of thing that was listening, thinking, and vibrating.
Lu Mingyuan continued:
“Seniors, this Junior did not stand here today to win a debate. I came here to say thank you.”
He looked at the audience.
“Thank you to the Daoist Sect, for letting this Junior know that the heart is the passage and also the road. Thank you to the Jie Sect, for letting this Junior know that even if one stands incorrectly, one must still stand. Thank you to the Buddhist Sect, for letting this Junior know that upon the last person standing, stand all people. Thank you to the People's Sect, for letting this Junior know that doing what must be done when it must be done is non-action. Thank you to the Loose Immortals, for letting this Junior know that when the heart is full of purpose, one has no need to think of being carefree.”
He paused.
“Thank you, Seniors, for letting this Junior see these things clearly.”
He bowed deeply.
“Thank you.”
---
Inside Zixiao Palace, there was a vast silence.
Then, someone spoke.
It was Hongjun.
That phantom image had been sitting on the high platform all along without speaking.
Now, he spoke.
He said only two words.
“Excellent.”
Those two words fell within Zixiao Palace.
Like the tolling of a bell.
Like a clap of thunder.
Like the resonance when all methods return to their origin.
Everyone was stunned.
Then, everyone stood up.
Facing that phantom image, they bowed deeply.
Lu Mingyuan also stood and bowed.
He did not know what these two words signified.
But he felt something fall upon him.
That thing was very light.
Light as the wind.
But in that wind, there was something.
The recognition of the Dao.
The recognition of Heaven.
The recognition of all methods.
---
Yuanshi Tianzun's voice rang out.
“The Great Debate of Zixiao concludes here.”
He looked at the audience.
“Fellow Daoists, return to your places and prove your own Daos.”
He paused.
“Lu Mingyuan, you stay.”
Lu Mingyuan raised his head and looked at him.
In Yuanshi Tianzun's gaze, there was something.
A solemnity that suggested great matters were to follow.
Lu Mingyuan nodded.
“Yes.”
The people below the stage began to disperse.
Duobao walked past him and patted his shoulder.
“Little friend, take care.”
Jieyin walked past him and gave him a nod.
That gaze was entirely full of compassion.
Xuandu walked past him without speaking.
He only gave him a glance.
In that glance, there was something.
A sense of ‘we shall meet again.’
Zhenyuanzi walked past him and squeezed his hand.
“Little friend, come sit at Wuzhuang Temple when you have time. There will be plenty of Ginseng Fruits.”
Lu Mingyuan smiled.
“Alright. I will certainly go.”
---
The people had all left.
Only Lu Mingyuan and the Saints on the stage remained in Zixiao Palace.
Yuanshi Tianzun, Laozi, Tongtian Jiaozhu, Jieyin, Zhunti, Nuwa, and Houtu.
And that phantom image—Hongjun.
Lu Mingyuan stood there, being watched by those gazes.
He did not panic.
He just waited.
Waiting for them to speak.
Waiting for them to tell him what to do next.
Because he knew that the Great Debate of Zixiao was only the beginning.
The true path still lay ahead.
---
The phantom image of Hongjun spoke.
“Lu Mingyuan.”
Lu Mingyuan cupped his hands.
“Present.”
Hongjun said:
“Do you know why this Poor Daoist had you stay?”
Lu Mingyuan thought for a moment.
“Please provide your enlightenment, Ancestor of the Dao.”
Hongjun looked at him.
That gaze pierced through time and space.
Pierced through Karma.
Pierced through everything.
Then, he said:
“Because you are the one that escaped.”
Inside Zixiao Palace, there was total silence.
That silence was deeper than any time before.
Heavier than any time before.
More... solemn than any time before.