143: Chapter 143 Debate Ends in Vain
---
Within the Zixiao Palace, the people had all dispersed.
Lu Mingyuan stood there, the words still echoing in his ears—
"Because you are the one that escaped."
He froze.
It wasn't that he didn't understand the meaning of the words.
It was that he understood them too well, and thus didn't know how to react.
the one that escaped.
That was the single variable beyond the Heavenly Dao since the creation of the world. It was the 'one' that always found a chance for survival amidst calamities. It was the 'one' that all Dao-seekers wished to become, yet never knew who it was.
Now, someone was telling him, it was him.
He stood there, looking at Hongjun.
Hongjun also looked at him.
That gaze pierced through time and space, through Karma, through everything.
Then, Hongjun spoke.
"Do you know what the one that escaped truly is?"
Lu Mingyuan thought for a moment.
"Please enlighten me, Dao Ancestor."
Hongjun said:
"The Heavenly Dao is fifty, the Great Derivation is forty-nine. the one that escaped is not within the Heavenly Dao, yet it exists within the Heavenly Dao. It is not a deficiency of the Heavenly Dao, but its leeway."
He paused.
"Leeway left for variables. Leeway left for chances of survival. Leeway left for... the human heart."
Lu Mingyuan listened.
As he listened, he suddenly felt something click into place.
He looked at Hongjun.
"Dao Ancestor means—the one that escaped is not a single person?"
A light appeared in Hongjun's gaze.
"Continue."
Lu Mingyuan said:
"If the one that escaped were a single person, what if that person died? What if that person fell into depravity? What if that person no longer wished to act? Wouldn't the Heavenly Dao then be finished?"
He looked at Hongjun.
"Therefore, the one that escaped is not a person. It is a position. A position that can change. A position from which variables can arise. Whoever sits in that position is the one that escaped."
Hongjun did not speak.
But that silence was acknowledgment.
---
Lu Mingyuan continued:
"At The Rift, this Junior has seen many who were the one that escaped."
He looked at Hongjun.
"There was a Loose Cultivator named Iron Ox. He could have fled, but he did not. He took a blade meant for his sworn brother and died. The moment he died, he was the one that escaped."
He paused.
"There was a scholar named Li Haoran. He could have stayed at the academy, but he did not. He brought his students to The Rift and stood at the very front. The moment he stood, he was the one that escaped."
He paused.
"There was an old monk named Fa Ming. He could have spent his remaining years in peace at Shaolin, but he did not. He led the warrior monks to The Rift and fought to the last. The moment he fought, he was the one that escaped."
He looked at Hongjun.
"the one that escaped is not a fixed 'who'. It is every person who makes a choice at a critical moment. Every person who refuses to give up in a desperate situation. Every person who stands and dies in a place of certain death."
He paused.
"This Junior is merely the one among these people who survived."
---
Within the Zixiao Palace, a profound silence fell.
That silence was deep.
Deep as Chaos.
Yet within that Chaos, there was light.
Light in the eyes of several Saints.
Yuanshi Tianzun looked at Lu Mingyuan, something in his gaze.
"Do you know that the words you just spoke are themselves the Dao?"
Lu Mingyuan shook his head.
"This Junior does not know. This Junior merely spoke the truth."
Laozi smiled faintly.
That smile was very light.
Light as non-action.
Yet within that lightness, there was something.
Something like the gratification of seeing 'this is the inheritor we have been waiting for'.
He looked at Lu Mingyuan.
"Child, come here."
Lu Mingyuan walked over.
Laozi reached out and placed his hand on Lu Mingyuan's head.
That hand was very gentle.
Gentle as the wind.
Yet within that wind, there was something.
The Legacy of the Dao.
The true meaning of the Dharma.
The root of One Qi Transforming into Three Pure Ones.
---
Laozi said:
"This humble Daoist transmits One Qi Transforming into Three Pure Ones to you, not for you to learn it. For you to understand it."
Lu Mingyuan asked:
"Understand what?"
Laozi said:
"Understand that the One Qi is not the Three Pure Ones. The Three Pure Ones are not the One Qi. One Qi Transforming into Three Pure Ones is about transformation. What transforms are the Three Pure Ones, what does not transform is the One Qi. Where the One Qi exists, the Three Pure Ones exist. Where the Three Pure Ones exist, the One Qi exists."
He looked at Lu Mingyuan.
"Your Dao is the same. Your heart is that One Qi. The path you have walked, the people you have met, the deeds you have done, the Dao you have comprehended—all are the transformed Three Pure Ones. Where the heart exists, the Dao exists. Where the Dao exists, the heart exists."
Lu Mingyuan stood there, listening.
As he listened, he suddenly felt the true meaning of One Qi Transforming into Three Pure Ones click into place.
It was not learned.
It was understood.
It was something he should have understood all along.
He looked at Laozi.
"Many thanks, Ancestral Master."
Laozi shook his head.
"No need for thanks. This is what you deserve."
---
The Lord of the Dao of Interception walked over.
He looked at Lu Mingyuan, something in his gaze.
A kind of familiarity, as if looking at one's own child.
"Boy, this humble Daoist will also transmit something to you."
Lu Mingyuan asked:
"What is it?"
The Lord of the Dao of Interception said:
"The true meaning of the Intercepting Sect."
He looked at Lu Mingyuan.
"The Intercepting Sect is not about intercepting a single chance of survival. It is about intercepting that tiny bit of heart left behind in the world by those who have died."
He paused.
"During the Investiture of the Gods Calamity, so many of the Intercepting Sect died. But their hearts remain. They remain with this humble Daoist. They remain with Duobao. They remain with those who are still alive. They remain along the paths we have walked."
He looked at Lu Mingyuan.
"You carry it for them. This humble Daoist carries it for them. We all carry it for them. As we carry it, they live again. Not living in the heavens, but living in our hearts. Living in the deeds we do. Living in the paths we walk."
Lu Mingyuan listened.
As he listened, he thought of Iron Ox.
He thought of those Loose Cultivators.
He thought of those who fell at The Rift.
He suddenly understood what the Lord of the Dao of Interception was saying.
He looked at the Lord of Interception.
"Senior, this Junior understands."
The Lord of Interception asked:
"What do you understand?"
Lu Mingyuan said:
"I understand why one must stand, even if standing is the wrong choice. Because when one stands, those who have died are standing upon the one who stands. As long as the one standing does not fall, they do not fall."
The Lord of Interception's eyes reddened slightly.
He patted Lu Mingyuan's shoulder.
"Good lad. The Dao of the Intercepting Sect is entrusted to you."
---
Jieyin walked over.
He looked at Lu Mingyuan, his gaze filled with compassion.
"Young friend, this humble monk will also transmit something to you."
Lu Mingyuan asked:
"What is it?"
Jieyin said:
"The application of Emptiness and Existence are Not Two."
He looked at Lu Mingyuan.
"Emptiness is not nothingness. Existence is not solid reality. Emptiness and Existence are Not Two means Emptiness and Existence are one and the same. But what this humble monk transmits to you is not this principle. It is its application."
He paused.
"How to apply it? In application, if your heart holds it, it exists. If your heart does not hold it, it does not exist. When it exists, do not cling to existence. When it does not exist, do not cling to emptiness. To have without clinging, to be without yet not empty—that is application."
He looked at Lu Mingyuan.
"What you did at The Rift was the application of Emptiness and Existence are Not Two. When the demon soldiers came, you stood. That was applying existence. When the demon soldiers retreated, you did not dwell on it. That was applying emptiness. To have without clinging, to be without yet not empty. That is the true meaning of Emptiness and Existence are Not Two."
Lu Mingyuan listened.
As he listened, he suddenly remembered the question Jieyin had asked him.
"If they keep dying one by one, where is the path of survival?"
He had answered then: On the last person standing.
Now he understood.
The last person standing is existence. The ones standing upon that person are emptiness. Between emptiness and existence lies the path of survival.
He looked at Jieyin.
"Many thanks, Ancestral Master."
Jieyin smiled.
That smile was full of compassion.
---
Zhunti also walked over.
He looked at Lu Mingyuan, a light in his gaze.
"Young friend, this humble monk has nothing to transmit to you. I have only a single phrase to offer."
Lu Mingyuan asked:
"What phrase?"
Zhunti said:
"Those who travel far do not do so because they travel fast. They do so because they travel long."
He looked at Lu Mingyuan.
"If you travel long, you can travel far. In the end, you will find that the path you walk is the Dao. The place you stand is the Dharma. The deeds you do are the Sutra."
He paused.
"At that time, you will no longer need to ask. Because you yourself are the answer."
Lu Mingyuan listened.
As he listened, he suddenly remembered the words of his Master, Xuanweizi.
"Cultivation is walking a path. Walk the path beneath your feet well, and you will naturally know how to proceed."
So, Ancestral Master Zhunti was saying the same thing.
He looked at Zhunti.
"Many thanks, Ancestral Master."
Zhunti smiled.
That smile was very light.
Light as the wind.
---
Nüwa walked over.
She did not speak.
She merely reached out and touched a point between his eyebrows.
In that instant, Lu Mingyuan saw.
He saw the process of creation.
He saw life emerging from nothingness.
He saw the growth of all things, their flourishing and propagation.
[part:gemini-3.0-flash]
She saw those Loose Cultivators, those Mortals, those lives that were like ants, thriving endlessly between heaven and earth.
Nüwa withdrew her hand.
She looked at Lu Mingyuan.
"Within you, there is Creation. It was not given by this humble Daoist. It was walked out by yourself. You saved so many people at The Rift and protected so many lives; that is Creation."
She paused.
"Remember, Creation is not about creating. It is about letting what should be born be born, what should grow grow, and what should live live. You let those Loose Cultivators live, let them go home, and let them continue on their own paths—that is Creation."
Lu Mingyuan bowed deeply.
"Many thanks, Lady Nüwa."
---
Lady Houtu walked over.
She looked at Lu Mingyuan, her gaze filled with gentleness.
"Little friend, this humble Daoist has nothing to transmit to you. I only wish to say thank you."
Lu Mingyuan was stunned.
"Thank you? How could this Junior deserve..."
Lady Houtu said:
"Thank you for standing for those who died at The Rift. Thank you for still remembering them after their deaths. Thank you for seeing their hearts within them."
She paused.
"This humble Daoist governs Reincarnation and has seen too many who have died. After death, they forget the matters of their lives. They forget who they were, what they did, and who they loved. But you are different. You remember for them. You live for them. You continue to walk for them."
Her eyes grew slightly red.
"On behalf of those who have died, this humble Daoist thanks you."
Lu Mingyuan stood there, listening.
As he listened, his eyes also grew red.
He thought of Tie Niu.
He thought of those Loose Cultivators.
He thought of those who fell at The Rift.
He looked at Lady Houtu.
"My Lady, there is no need for thanks. It was they who first stood for this Junior. This Junior is merely continuing to stand for them."
Lady Houtu looked at him, her gaze containing something.
It was that kind of 'This is the person I have been waiting for' look.
---
Finally, everyone had finished their transmissions.
Lu Mingyuan stood there, his body laden with many things.
The true meaning of One Qi Transforming into Three Pure Ones.
The Dao of the Jie Sect.
The application of Emptiness and Existence are Not Two.
The heart of Creation.
The sentiment of Reincarnation.
And that sentence: 'The one who goes far is not the one who goes fast, but the one who goes for a long time.'
He stood there, filled by those things.
Filled to the brim.
So full it was about to overflow.
But at that moment, he suddenly felt that something was wrong.
Those things were too many.
There were so many that he didn't know which one was his own.
Those Daos were too deep.
They were so deep that he didn't know how to walk them.
Those methods were too profound.
They were so profound that he didn't know how to use them.
He stood there, looking at those Saints.
They were all looking at him.
In their gazes, there was expectation.
There was gratification.
There was that kind of entrustment that said, 'From here on, it's up to you.'
But Lu Mingyuan suddenly felt very tired.
It wasn't physical fatigue.
It was a weariness of the heart.
It was the kind of exhaustion from being weighed down by too many things, unable to catch one's breath.
---
He spoke.
"Seniors, this Junior has a question."
Yuanshi Tianzun looked at him.
"Ask."
Lu Mingyuan asked:
"With so many Daos, so many methods, and so many Legacies, how should this Junior choose?"
He looked at those Saints.
"The Dao of the Dao Sect, the Dharma of the Buddhist Sect, the heart of the Jie Sect, the nature of the Ren Sect, the leisure of the Loose Immortals, Lady Nüwa's Creation, Lady Houtu's Reincarnation—they are all good. They are all incredibly good. So good that this Junior does not know which to choose."
He paused.
"If I choose the Dao Sect, I fail the Buddhist Sect. If I choose the Buddhist Sect, I fail the Jie Sect. If I choose the Jie Sect, I fail the Ren Sect. If I choose the Ren Sect, I fail the Loose Immortals. If I choose the Loose Immortals, I fail Lady Nüwa. If I choose Lady Nüwa, I fail Lady Houtu."
He looked at them.
"What should this Junior do?"
Inside Zixiao Palace, there was a patch of silence.
That silence was deeper than ever before.
Deep like Chaos.
Deep like there was no answer.
---
The several Saints looked at one another.
In their gazes, there was something.
There was that kind of realization that said, 'It's finally here.'
Yuanshi Tianzun spoke.
"No one can answer this question for you."
Laozi nodded.
"Correct. No one can answer it for you."
Tongtian Jiaozhu looked at him.
"You must walk it yourself."
Jieyin looked at him.
"Only what you walk out yourself is yours."
Zhunti looked at him.
"A path given by others will not go far. Only a path you walk yourself can reach the end."
Nüwa looked at him.
"If you cannot choose, then do not choose. If you cannot walk, then do not walk. Stand for a bit, stop for a bit, think for a bit. Once you have thought it through, then walk."
Lady Houtu looked at him.
"There is no rush. Take it slow. Cultivation is not the matter of a day. It is the matter of a lifetime. It is the matter of many lives and many generations."
Lu Mingyuan stood there, listening.
As he listened, he suddenly remembered a sentence.
That sentence was spoken by Master Xuanweizi.
"Cultivation is walking. Walk the path beneath your feet well, and you will naturally know how to walk thereafter."
He looked at those Saints.
"Seniors, this Junior understands."
Yuanshi Tianzun asked:
"What do you understand?"
Lu Mingyuan said:
"I understand why it is called 'Debate without Result'."
He looked at them.
"After debating so much and transmitting so much, in the end, one still has to walk for oneself. One still has to choose for oneself. One still has to realize for oneself. Others cannot give the answer. The answer is in one's own heart."
He paused.
"This is 'without result'. It is not that there is no result. It is that there is no result given by others. The result must be walked out by oneself."
---
Inside Zixiao Palace, light appeared in the eyes of the several Saints.
That light was gratification.
It was satisfaction.
It was that kind of relief that said, 'I've finally waited for you to say these words.'
Yuanshi Tianzun looked at Lu Mingyuan.
"Go."
Laozi looked at him.
"Go."
Tongtian Jiaozhu looked at him.
"Go."
Jieyin looked at him.
"Go."
Zhunti looked at him.
"Go."
Nüwa looked at him.
"Go."
Lady Houtu looked at him.
"Go."
Lu Mingyuan stood there, watched by those gazes.
He did not move.
He only bowed deeply.
"Many thanks to all the Seniors."
Then, he turned.
He walked toward the outside of Zixiao Palace.
---
Behind him, those gazes watched him constantly.
Watching him step by step, toward the palace gates.
Watching him step by step, toward the Chaos.
Watching him step by step, toward his own path.
When he reached the palace gates, he suddenly stopped.
He did not turn back.
He just stood there, his back to the Saints.
Then, he spoke.
"Seniors, this Junior has one more sentence."
Yuanshi Tianzun asked:
"What sentence?"
Lu Mingyuan said:
"Debate without Result is the true result. Because the true result is not in the debate, but in the walking. It is not in the answers given by others, but in the path one walks out oneself."
He paused.
"Thank you, Seniors, for letting this Junior see this clearly."
Then, he took a step.
He walked out of Zixiao Palace.
He walked into the Chaos.
He walked into that boundless gray haze.
He walked into his own path.
---
Inside Zixiao Palace, the several Saints watched him depart.
No one spoke.
Only their gazes followed him constantly.
Following him into the Chaos.
Following him into the future.
Following him into that distance that no one could see.
Finally, his figure disappeared into the Chaos.
Yuanshi Tianzun spoke.
"He understands."
Laozi nodded.
"He understands."
Tongtian Jiaozhu said:
"He understands earlier than we did back then."
Jieyin said:
"He walks faster than we did back then."
Zhunti said:
"But he still has a very long road to walk."
Nüwa said:
"There will be Heart Demons."
Lady Houtu said:
"There will be calamities."
Yuanshi Tianzun said:
"There will be calamities that we cannot help him with."
Laozi said:
"He must cross those himself."
Tongtian Jiaozhu said:
"If he crosses them, he will be a Saint."
Jieyin said:
"If he cannot cross them..."
Zhunti said:
"There is no 'cannot cross'. He is the one that escaped."
Nüwa said:
"the one that escaped can also get lost."
Lady Houtu said:
"But even if he is lost, he can walk out. Because he has the path in his heart."
Yuanshi Tianzun nodded.
"Correct. He has the path in his heart."
He looked into the depths of the Chaos.
"Then we shall see how he walks."
---
Outside Zixiao Palace, the Chaos was silent.
Inside Zixiao Palace, all laws returned to stillness.
Debate without Result.
The result is in the walking.