The five Saints were all shocked by Nuwa's words. To excise the Heavenly Dao? Hongjun Dao Ancestor had poured his heart and soul into it, even merging with the Dao to complete the Primordial World and form the complete Three Daos: Heaven, Earth, and Man.
Now, Nuwa dared to remove the Heavenly Dao. Was she going to oppose all Saints, even Hongjun?
Qing Ling noticed the shift in the atmosphere among the Saints and sighed. "Fellow Daoists, let us first witness my Dao proving phenomenon, and then we can discuss Fellow Daoist Nuwa's intentions."
"Proving Dao?" Yuanshi was stunned. "Fellow Daoist, you are already Hunyuan, what more Dao do you need to prove?"
The five Saints looked at Qing Ling and then at Nuwa with confusion. They felt that these two were plotting something world-shattering, and though they sensed threads of connection, they couldn't grasp the most crucial point.
Qing Ling smiled. "I have only two ambitions in my life. One is the Great Dao's freedom and ease. Now that Hunyuan has been attained, transcendence is naturally achieved, so this first ambition is fulfilled.
My second ambition is to seek a sliver of hope for all beings in the world, to prevent the tragedy of the Dragon-Phoenix tribulation and the sorrow of the Wu-Ya tribulation from repeating."
Zhunti clasped his hands together. "Excellent! Fellow Daoist's heart, though different from my Buddhist heart, ultimately serves all sentient beings."
Jieyin nodded. "Fellow Daoist's heart, I aspire to it. I wish to walk this path with you."
Qing Ling smiled. "Thank you, both Saints!"
The Three Pure Ones, however, looked puzzled. Laozi fell into deep thought, while Yuanshi's expression was stern, fearing Qing Ling might do something untoward. Tongtian, on the other hand, appeared as an onlooker, waiting for the next development with an indifferent demeanor.
Qing Ling walked back to Jianmu, summoned it with a gesture, and the World Tree rooted in the chaos moved closer. Jianmu sprouted branches, Jianmu grew leaves, the World Tree and the phantom of Jianmu overlapped, reality and illusion merging.
Qing Ling's will connected to the roots of Jianmu, countless root tendrils merging with the earth. The crown of Jianmu, from the thirty-third heaven down to the first, branched out into countless pathways, sprouting innumerable green leaves.
Qing Ling pointed a finger, and the Wood Dao's Buzhou Mountain merged with Jianmu. Jianmu grew rapidly, its branches and leaves madly occupying the firmament of the Primordial World.
Countless beings looked up at the sky. In the center of heaven and earth, another Buzhou Mountain had appeared!
It was the Wood Dao's Buzhou Mountain, the Wood Dao's Jianmu.
Nuwa reached out and produced two items: the Three Light Divine Water and Nine Heavens Resplendent Soil. These two innate treasures fell upon Jianmu, nourishing its form.
Nuwa then summoned the Qiankun Cauldron again, pouring all the creation energy within it into Jianmu's body.
Qing Ling declared to heaven and earth, "Today, I, Qing Ling, have cultivated Jianmu from the creation of heaven and earth and become its master.
I sense the safety of heaven and earth, and thus wish to merge Jianmu with the world, to stabilize the Primordial World. As long as Jianmu stands, the Primordial World will not perish."
As his voice faded, Qing Ling pointed at Jianmu. Boundless verdant essence gathered between heaven and earth. The Wood Dao's power of the Primordial World condensed Jianmu, which from then on became the source of vitality, the Tree of Creation. As long as Jianmu existed, life would be in the Primordial World, and as long as Jianmu stood, the heavens and earth of the Primordial World would remain stable, never again to tilt or collapse.
Qing Ling merged his Wood Dao fruit into heaven and earth. Heaven rose, earth settled, Jianmu stood in the center, and as long as Jianmu was not toppled, the Primordial World would not be destroyed.
The beings of the world might not have fully understood the actions of this Hunyuan powerhouse, but the Daoists and Immortals understood the significance of this Hunyuan's actions. How many were willing to offer their Dao fruit to merge with heaven and earth for the benefit of all sentient beings?
Heaven bestowed Xuanhuang merit, and Earth gained immeasurable Yin merit. Jianmu merged with heaven and earth, and both the Three Daos and the Great Heavenly Dao were extremely pleased.
The immeasurable merit was divided into two: fifty percent fell upon Jianmu, and fifty percent fell upon Qing Ling.
Tongtian chuckled, "Fellow Daoist Qing Ling is now protected by the merit of heaven and earth. Are you perhaps worried that we Saints will suppress you in the Primordial World?"
Yuanshi, hearing this, sighed. "Perhaps. After all, I plotted against him once before he attained the Dao."
Nuwa raised an eyebrow. "Saint Yuqing, what has passed is past. Fellow Daoist Qing Ling will not hold it against you, nor will I.
However, if in the future, you stand against us again, there will be no room for turning back."
Yuanshi, hearing this, sighed. "Thank you both for your magnanimity."
Laozi frowned, unable to help but ask, "Fellow Daoist Nuwa, what exactly are you trying to do?"
Nuwa, now bearing the position of heaven and earth, possessed a boundless aura that made her inscrutable, yet commanded an involuntary respect.
Nuwa looked at Laozi, paused for a moment, and then said, "Since Saint Taiqing has asked, I will be direct. Sooner or later, you will all know. Since that is the case, it is better to declare our stance now, so that friends and foes can be distinguished.
Have any of you considered why there are Saints in the Primordial World?"
Yuanshi replied, "Heaven and Earth are chaotic, and beings lack order. Saints are needed to govern the world."
Nuwa asked, "In the end, it all comes down to sentient beings. But have you seen beings live in peace because of us? The five of us wished to spread teachings and change the so-called barbarity and chaos of the Wu and Yao tribes, yet the world has collapsed, beings have died miserably, and hundreds of millions of the Wu and Yao tribes have perished into reincarnation. Is this the contribution of us Saints?"
"This..." Zhunti paused, then smiled. "Reincarnation allows for the accumulation of blessings. If the Wu and Yao had not retreated, how would other beings in heaven and earth seek the Dharma?"
Nuwa continued, "All beings in the world are either Wu or Yao. The Wu and Yao tribes represent the grand tide of the Primordial World's sentient beings. Yet, it was merely the Heavenly Dao's grand tide that wished to destroy the Wu and Yao, leading to the war between them.
In essence, everything lies with the Heavenly Dao.
Do you all believe that the Heavenly Dao is the most suitable Dao for the Primordial World?"
Laozi replied, "Teacher Hongjun merged with the Dao and completed heaven and earth, giving rise to the Three Daos. The Three Daos are the manifestation of the will of heaven and earth, and should be the most suitable."
Nuwa shook her head. "The Heavenly Dao is not the Heavenly Dao that Dao Ancestor Hongjun merged with, but the will of the three thousand chaotic demons. If you do not believe me, let Fellow Daoist Qing Ling explain, for he is the only one among us who has experienced the ancient era."
The five Saints' hearts were suddenly awakened. Heavenly Dao, demonic gods, how could they be the same?
Qing Ling descended from Jianmu and said to the five Saints, "I experienced the ancient Dao-Demon struggle. The secrets buried in the years, even if concealed by the Heavenly Dao, still exist in the memories of those ancient mighty beings.
In a sense, I am also an ancient being. We know too many secrets of the Heavenly Dao, too much of the past of the Great Heavenly Dao. Our understanding of heaven and earth, the years before the Heavenly Dao established itself from the Dao-Demon struggle, are all sealed in our hearts.
This is why the Heavenly Dao so desperately wants to eliminate those old fellows from back then."
At the last sentence, Qing Ling specifically looked at Heavenly Lord Yuanshi.
Yuanshi was shocked, and he began to sense that something was amiss.
Qing Ling said calmly, "Today, I will clarify the origin of the Heavenly Dao to all of you. I will be the one to unveil the past of the Heavenly Dao and change its grand tide."
Rumble...
The firmament changed color, and dark clouds gathered. The Heavenly Dao sensed that someone was going against its will, attempting a heaven-defying act. The Heavenly Dao was enraged, its might vast and terrifying, meant to intimidate all beings.