23 The Seventh Day

Lu Changsheng fell silent.

He couldn't help but be lost in his thoughts once more.

Who did this to him again?

"Senior Brother! Senior Brother!"

At this time, Liu Qingfeng hurriedly ran toward Lu Changsheng with a big smile on his face.

Suddenly, Lu Changsheng seemed to have realized something.

"Qingfeng! What did you say this time?!"

Lu Changsheng stared at Liu Qingfeng.

Liu Qingfeng shook his head. "Senior Brother, I'm not that kind of person."

He looked rather serious while he said this.

The serious look on Liu Qingfeng's face made Lu Changsheng feel that the former was very suspicious.

However, it wasn't the right time for him to blame Liu Qingfeng now. Lu Changsheng was unwilling to reveal his fears in front of people after all.

Rubbing his temple, Lu Changsheng felt quite anxious.

Losing face wasn't Lu Changsheng's main concern, however, the consequence of losing the debate was too severe for him to handle. All the Dao sects would be badly humiliated if he didn't succeed.

He would be the one responsible for the entire blame.

Lu Changsheng took a deep breath.

After letting out a long sigh, he felt much more peaceful.

Perhaps it was because Lu Changsheng was currently in the mood of a dying man.

"Are you afraid, Senior Brother?" Liu Qingfeng could tell something was wrong from Lu Changsheng's face, this was why he asked.

"Do you think I'm afraid?" Lu Changsheng picked up his tea cup, looking rather calm. Since he couldn't change anything, then he had nothing to be afraid of.

If he was going to be a dead person soon, he would choose to stay relaxed rather than to keep complaining and whining about it.

This situation was like if Lu Changsheng was bitten by a serpent, he would rather find a shady place to wait for his death than to cry out loud and annoy other people.

"Of course not! You're the incarnation of a celestial deity! A monk is nothing to you, Senior Brother! I should congratulate you on your victory in advance! You're representing the honour of the entire Daoism sects!" Liu Qingfeng grinned.

However, he felt a bit bad because for a second there, he underestimated Eldest Senior Brother.

"I'll leave you alone, Senior Brother."

Liu Qingfeng bowed to Lu Changsheng before leaving the palace.

Lu Changsheng was alone in the palace once more.

Should I use Tao Te Ching1?

Lu Changsheng wondered to himself.

On the grand ceremony, the many dictums cited by Lu Changsheng caused the unusual phenomenon to happen again.

Because of this, Lu Changsheng finally realized that things that he learned on earth could be extremely useful in this world.

Take Tao Te Ching, a Chinese classic text, for example, the influence of Tao Te Ching was relatively limited on the earth because Daoism didn't prevail over a large area.

However, in this world, this story was totally different.

This was a world of cultivation. The path to ultimate Dao was amazing and filled with challenges.

Tao Te Ching should be able to shine brilliantly in this world.

More importantly, no matter what Lu Changsheng did, the unusual phenomenon would always follow him. If he recited Tao Te Ching, he believed that the effect would be really impressive.

With Tao Te Ching as his arsenal, the disparity between Master Xuan Xin and Lu Changsheng shouldn't be too wide at least.

This part of his thoughts was the most pessimistic side in his mind.

In fact, Lu Changsheng had the confidence that Tao Te Ching wouldn't lose.

Tao Te Ching was a fundamental and the most influential text for Daoism. Reciting it would make it beyond extraordinary in this world.

Lu Changsheng's only concern was that he was uncertain about the possible consequences if he chose to recite this classic Dao literature work.

He shook his head.

There was no way for him to know what was going to happen. At the very least, he had Tao Te Ching as his ultimate weapon.

If using Tao Te Ching was too much for the debate, he still had Huang Ting Jing, Yu Huang Jing, and Chongxu Zhenjing.

Lu Changsheng believed that at least one of them would beat the monk during the debate.

At this time.

In the Zenith Palace.

Liu Qingfeng entered.

The Senior Leaders of Zenith Heaven were all here.

"Sect Master. Uncle-masters."

Liu Qingfeng bowed to them, he looked rather innocent and honest.

"You can skip the formalities. Did you get any news when you visited Changsheng?" Perfected Qing Yun asked.

"Sect Master, I asked Eldest Senior Brother his opinion on Master Xuan Xin and about the debate. I even asked him if he was afraid of Master Xuan Xin's arrival.

"Eldest Senior Brother was surprisingly confident, he even asked me—

"'Do you think I'm afraid?'

"Eldest Senior Brother is the incarnation of a celestial deity, he's our pride and joy. Even though Buddhism has Xuan Xin, but Daoism also has Senior Brother Changsheng. Daoism will win for sure."

It was rare for Liu Qingfeng to stick to the facts instead of exaggerating.

But this time, his words were reliable.

Liu Qingfeng's report ended here.

In an instant, the Senior Leaders that gathered released a sigh of relief.

"I see. You can leave now. but remember, don't let anyone interrupt your Senior Brother. At this crucial time, we can't afford any accidents to happen," Perfected Qing Yun said to Liu Qingfeng.

Liu Qingfeng knew that this wasn't a joke. He nodded in seriousness and left the palace.

In the Zenith Palace, solemnity prevailed.

The usual jokes and arguments during the ordinary days had now been replaced by a serious atmosphere.

"Buddhism has already made up their mind this time to promote Dharma in Middle-Earth. What should we do if Changsheng loses?" Perfected Qing Yun asked the rest of the leaders in a serious tone.

"Changsheng won't lose," one of the senior elders said.

"That's right. Changsheng won't lose."

"I agree."

"I've seen countless geniuses, but Changsheng is above all of them. Even Master Jie Kong isn't a threat to Changsheng."

For some reason, the Senior Leaders of Zenith Heaven all believed in Lu Changsheng's victory. This seemingly ludicrous confidence actually stemmed from Lu Changsheng's outstanding appearance.

"I share the same sentiments as all of you, but we must consider all possible contingencies just in case," Perfected Qing Yun looked at them as he said this.

For a while, silence roamed the gathering.

Finally, one of them spoke up and broke the eerie atmosphere,

"Even if we lose, no matter how disgraceful it is, we can't allow Buddhism to enter Middle-Earth."

"That's right. Xuan Xin isn't going to end the confrontation between Buddhism and Daoism just like that. We won't let this happen."

"Cultivators seek for the ultimate Dao while Buddhists believe in the world to come. Buddhism will take its roots in Middle-Earth within a thousand years if it's allowed to be promoted in Middle-Earth. We can't let it happen no matter what."

They were all determined in their answers.

They would try their very best to prevent Buddhism from sprouting in Middle-Earth.

"With this being the case, we should all be prepared for an upcoming bloody war if Changsheng loses. Middle-Earth is expecting a series of great changes soon. Since Buddhism has resolved themselves, then so shall we. Do the rest of the Sect Masters also agree?

"If Changsheng defeats Xuan Xin, then our concerns will become totally unnecessary; but if he ever loses, we'll fight," Perfected Qing Yun solemnly said.

"Yes, Sect Master." They all stood up, looking rather brave.

The meeting ended.

Time went by.

Three days later, news of the Saint Land of Tai Chu came, and they were defeated.

Five days later, news of the Saint Land of Yin and Yang came, and they were defeated.

Six days later, news of the Saint Land of Ling Long came, and they were defeated.

Finally, it was midnight of the seventh day.