Volume One: Youthful Encounters in Subtle Times Chapter 119: I Wish to Transcend the Path

But the Daoist’s choice was to destroy the Heavenly Gate, not to find a way to open it. Even if the Heavenly Gate concealed danger behind it, given the Daoist’s strength, couldn’t he have challenged it? This was utterly baffling to the other five; they could not understand the Daoist’s true intentions.

The Primordial Way itself was an imperfect path—one of the reasons why the sages of old sealed it away. Those who cultivated it, if they did not ascend, would eventually enter the Dao Source realm, meaning the only possible outcome was to transform into the Dao itself. This was different from the complete annihilation of self and Dao; in transformation, no one knew whether one would return or even retain consciousness.

The Daoist’s power had long remained at the Fifteenth Human Realm, the same level as human sages. He had once held onto a slim hope, thinking his strength might suppress the other five saints absolutely at the Fifteenth Realm. But he was mistaken—or rather, he could not be mistaken. He had always known that transformation was his most likely fate, the only result he had deduced in many a late night.

Yet he still clung to a faint hope of survival, wondering if he could create the sole opportunity to escape it. He had underestimated the spirits of those five saints; indeed, those who reached the saintly realm were no ordinary figures. Thus, for his grand plan, he had to once again shatter the mirror, fully unleashing his Primordial Way, breaking into the Dao Source through the shattered path.

Only in this way could he complete the final step.

The five great saints’ paths, upon encountering the Primordial Way, utterly transformed into innate primordial energy. But this was not the end. In a single instant, the Primordial Way filled the entire domain. It was at this moment that Bai Ling finally understood what the Daoist intended.

When Sun Li arrived at the City Lord’s mansion, he just happened to meet Zhang Helun about to leave. Before Sun Li could ask, Zhang Helun said, “If you come because of the destruction of the lifeblood of the Heavenly Gate Town, follow me. Perhaps we can still remedy the situation.” With that, he took the lead and flew away.

Sun Li hesitated for a moment. His desire to act was not strong, but watching Zhang Helun’s departing figure, he knew clearly that if he did nothing, his cultivation might be completely lost. So he gritted his teeth and followed.

When they reached the lifeblood site of Heavenly Gate Town, Liang Hui had just arrived as well.

Zhang Helun noticed this and guessed Liang Hui also intended to help. After all, their Confucian sect had not paid much attention to Heavenly Gate before; the only thing left to interest them was the town itself. Understanding this, he asked Liang Hui, “Sir, is there any way to save it?”

Liang Hui had thoroughly examined the lifeblood site but had no immediate solutions. He shared all his observations. Zhang Helun’s expression grew grave and puzzled. “Yin and yang reversed, the five elements transformed—this is no trivial matter. To destroy the lifeblood of Heavenly Gate Town, many methods exist; there is no need to choose such an irreversible approach.”

Sun Li’s knowledge was limited, but his mind was sharp. Hearing this, he naturally suspected something and asked, “So you mean this was a premeditated scheme? Intended to destroy Heavenly Gate Town utterly?”

Neither Zhang Helun nor Liang Hui answered directly. Liang Hui continued, “Judging by the method, no one from the five great clans could have devised this. Moreover, this is clearly a Daoist technique, reversing yin and yang and transforming the five elements to cause earth-shaking changes in the lifeblood terrain of Heavenly Gate Town. At first glance, it seems to destroy the town, but from another perspective, it might be giving Heavenly Gate Town a chance for rebirth.”

Zhang Helun was puzzled and asked, “Rebirth?”

Sun Li felt his cultivation waning bit by bit, and his urgency outweighed all others’. He did not want to hear more and said bluntly, “No matter who is behind this or what their purpose is, as long as we interrupt their plan, all problems will be solved.”

Liang Hui and Zhang Helun exchanged a glance, seemingly agreeing with Sun Li’s stance. Indeed, if they could stop it, no matter the conspiracy behind, it would fail.

Zhang Helun acted first. With a hand formation, the earth trembled violently. He shouted, “Mountain collapse, earth裂!” The lifeblood site, sealed by the five great clans, was fully exposed. The two groups stared at each other warily, locked in deadly tension.

This was Zhang Helun’s first public display of power. Though everyone knew he was of the Thirteenth Realm, few expected his strength to surpass most present, at least above the five elders of the great clans.

The Yin-Yang Reversal Array required continuous power from the five elders, so they could not afford any lapse.

Wang Zhong looked at the three approaching with ill intent and told the accompanying scattered cultivators, “You must hold them off. Another incense stick’s time, and the array will fully merge with the lifeblood site.”

The scattered cultivators exchanged glances, knowing there was no room for regret. They had to hold fast, or when reckoning came, they would have no defense.

With that resolved, they engaged Zhang Helun and his two companions.

In truth, the four so-called scattered cultivators were once members of sects that had gradually lost vitality in the torrent of time. Only a small remnant survived, and from these few, they had reached their current heights.

Their fighting style combined the boldness of their former sect training with the ruthlessness honed in the precarious margins of the cultivation world. For a time, they matched Zhang Helun’s trio without falling behind.

Among Zhang Helun’s group, Zhang and Liang Hui had the highest cultivation—Liang was in the lower Fourteenth Realm, and Zhang was just one step shy. The slightly weaker was Sun Li, but as a disciple under the Imperial Tutor, he had learned many unorthodox arts, enabling him to barely hold his own against one of the four.

Seeing no way out, Sun Li grew increasingly anxious. He whispered to Liang Hui, “Sir, this isn’t a solution. They’re clearly stalling, neither fighting to the death nor giving us breathing room. They’re dragging time, waiting for the five elders to complete the array. Then we’ll have no chance.”

Liang Hui understood well. After assessing their opponents, he made a decision. He whispered to the other two, “I will hold off three of them; once you find an opening, go destroy the array.”

Then, two streams of pure energy rose from his head, swirling twice before forming two identical Liang Huis on the ground.

The others stared in shock at this divine technique. They knew of the “outer body” method but thought producing two powerful doppelgängers was no easy feat. Seeing Liang Hui do it effortlessly stunned them briefly—then they realized these copies likely lacked true strength. If so, what was there to fear?

So the four did not pay much heed to the projections, which gave Zhang Helun and the others a chance to break free.

The two sudden copies were not only identical in appearance but, astonishingly, nearly matched Liang Hui in strength.

In one move, the three Liang Huis blocked the four opponents. Each used a different Confucian technique: one wrote “A gentleman is not a tool,” another “A gentleman does not contend,” and the last “A gentleman is not perplexed.”

These three different principles, once inscribed, bound the four scattered cultivators.

The four had not expected the copies to match the original’s cultivation or even wield such arts, which instilled newfound respect and erased their previous disdain.

At this moment, Liang Hui signaled the other two, “Go.”

Zhang Helun and Sun Li were momentarily stunned by Liang Hui’s use of the outer body technique. Sun Li recalled from the Imperial Tutor’s library a record of the Daoist “One Qing Transforms into Three Qings,” which allowed outer bodies to replicate the master’s cultivation and abilities perfectly.

He wondered silently, “Isn’t he Confucian? Why does he know this Daoist secret?”

Indeed, this was a Daoist secret, known only to Daoist inheritors.

Sun Li’s limited vision kept him from seeing the subtle differences between this and the true “One Qi Transforms into Three Qings.”

Zhang Helun was different. Though he had never seen a true “One Qi Transforms into Three Qings,” he could clearly tell that Liang Hui’s copies were not that technique. The most obvious sign was that “One Qi Transforms into Three Qings” required Dao Qi, but Liang Hui only emitted orthodox Confucian righteous qi.

Still, it was clear Liang Hui must have seen the true “One Qi Transforms into Three Qings” in reality. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have borrowed this most secret Daoist technique so exquisitely.