Chapter 250: Chapter 245 Yuxu Temple and Mo Sect
August 13, the year of 1995, Xinyou Month, Wuzi Day, an auspicious day.
Above Dinghu Yunlai Island, yellow clouds floated, occasionally evolving into the shapes of dragons and phoenixes, Qi mechanisms sinking, as if returning to the era before the End of Dharma when spiritual mechanisms were vibrant.
Jiang Li came alone by boat, glimpsing this scene from afar, and his heart was moved.
Yunlai Island was the residence of the senior brother Yun Jiuye. Now that such a phenomenon appeared on the island, it was most likely caused by Yun Jiuye.
Considering this phenomenon, Yun Jiuye’s power was even stronger than that of Jiang Li, who had opened up four Qi Seas. If it were before the End of Dharma, he could have moved the Spiritual Energy of thousands of miles with just a thought, creating a tide of Spiritual Energy, which would have been a hundred times more spectacular than what was currently seen.
’After all, he is qualified to be promoted to a fifth-rank Heavenly Immortal. Yun Jiuye’s foundation is even deeper than that of Zhong Shenxiu and Yuan Zhen,’ Jiang Li thought to himself.
Zhong Shenxiu’s essence resided in understanding objects and will, while Yuan Zhen was a Sword Cultivator who excelled with the sword rather than competing with power. There was also Monk Hui Neng, but since Jiang Li had not sparred with him in reality, it was difficult to judge.
Even so, it showed how profound Yun Jiuye’s foundations were.
However, a foundation is a foundation. To truly know whose strength was higher, they would need to compete directly.
As he pondered, Jiang Li’s flat boat moved on its own. Both the wind and the water turned into its force, propelling the boat forward.
Before long, the buildings of Yunlai Island came into view.
"Fellow Daoist, please stay."
From the side came a loud shout, followed by an auspicious cloud flying close to the water’s surface, with a dignified Daoist standing atop it.
"I am Daoist Xuanming from Yuxu Temple, and I have met Fellow Daoist."
As the Daoist approached Jiang Li, he gave him a salutation and spoke with evident goodwill.
"Jiang Li from Dinghu Sect, I have met Fellow Daoist." Jiang Li returned the gesture.
"I recognize Fellow Daoist."
Xuanming smiled and said, indicating that Jiang Li needed no further introduction, "Three days ago, I personally witnessed Fellow Daoist commanding the forces of heaven and earth with great power. At that time, I wanted to befriend you, but important matters at hand sadly prevented it. However, it is fortunate that you are also coming to Yunlai Island today, allowing me to make up for that regret."
Daoist Xuanming was quite familiar. There was not a hint of hostility, which was starkly different from other members of the Three Pure Ones Sect.
In fact, this was also the general situation of Yuxu Temple. Although this sect belonged to the Three Pure Ones Sect, it had a deep connection with Dinghu Sect, and there was always interaction between the two. Otherwise, members of Yuxu Temple would not have so easily resided within Dinghu Sect.
Additionally, Yuxu Temple practiced an elitist strategy. Each generation of disciples intentionally keeps the number to twelve when taking disciples. If a contemporary passes away, the remaining disciples share the number; if not, each only takes one disciple.
Throughout the generations, the number of Yuxu Temple disciples has always been twelve, neither more nor less.
That is to say, even if two, three, or even four generations were alive at the same time, the number of people in Yuxu Temple would not exceed fifty. Such a number fundamentally determines that Yuxu Temple cannot occupy a large territory nor needs to widely spread its sect’s beliefs, fundamentally differing from the Shangqing Sect and Daode Sect.
Without these interest-related factors, the conflicts between the Three Emperors Sect and the Three Pure Ones Sect naturally do not concern Yuxu Temple. Thus, the relationship between Yuxu Temple and other Three Emperors sects is not too bad; even if they are not close, they are not hostile.
"Fellow Daoist is too kind," Jiang Li responded with appropriate courtesy, like a humble gentleman, "It is merely a minor skill, nothing grand."
"If that is considered a minor skill..."
Daoist Xuanming stepped onto the light boat after approaching, felt the power propelling the boat, and sighed, "Then I do not know what counts as Divine Skills."
Indeed, this light boat was propelled solely by the force of wind and water, without any trace of True Qi driving it, and the person standing at the bow, as if merged with heaven and earth, couldn’t even be sensed unless one looked directly at him.
Such harmony between Heaven and Man indeed aroused the envy of Daoist Xuanming.
At this moment, as the ship approached Yunlai Island, a sense of vast solemnity overwhelmed them, the Yellow Cloud above growing denser—boasting the loftiness of mountains and the profound depth of the earth.
Xuanming suddenly sensed that Jiang Li and the surrounding environment were slightly separated, only to become aligned the next instant.
"Who would’ve thought this Fellow Daoist Yun is destined with the Earth Element, what a surprise..." Xuanming, while speaking, unconsciously glanced towards Jiang Li.
Jiang Li was destined with the Fire Element, and Yun Jiuye with the Earth Element. Fire births earth; in terms of destined elements, Yun Jiuye may not overcome Jiang Li, but neither could Jiang Li conquer him, even possibly empowering Yun Jiuye.
For Jiang Li, this was hardly good news.
"Ha, the theory of Destiny exists if you believe it and likewise vanishes if you don’t—it should only be taken as a reference. To adhere to it as a criterion would be downright laughable," a sneer came from the nearby shore, tinged with disdain.
Upon hearing it, Jiang Li turned to see a small boat reconstructing and combining, alongside a series of impressive mechanical alterations, transforming into a Mechanical Iron Box, stationed behind a young girl.
The pattern on the box bore some resemblance to Jiang Li’s Mo Wu Battle Box.
And beside the young girl was the speaker.
"Skewed fallacies."
Daoist Xuanming’s face immediately grew cold. "Yan Hanqing, your Mo Sect also speaks of ’Enlightening Ghosts’; how come you wish to contradict your own Sect’s principles?"
"Daoist Xuanming, your understanding only scratches the surface, not the essence beneath," the young Yan Hanqing sneered. "Our Mo Sect’s ’Enlightening Ghosts’ is about warning sovereigns with the notion of ghosts and spirits, urging them not to recklessly take lives or harm the innocent, to avoid retribution. However, we disciples of the Mo Sect do not believe in fate but in the philosophy of ’Man’s Will Overcomes Heaven.’"
"You only mention Enlightening Ghosts, but you omit that our Mo Sect’s ten doctrines include ’Defying Destiny.’ Everything in this world is the result of human actions, not predestined fates."
Indeed, the Mo Sect was essentially the philosophically evolved form of the ancient Mo Family, which Jiang Li knew from a previous life.
The Mo Sect staunchly believed in Man’s Will Overcomes Heaven, which dramatically countered the mainstream ideology of the Mystic Sect, especially the Three Pure Ones Sect that advocated conforming to Heaven’s will, hence making them quite incompatible.
Furthermore, if Jiang Li remembered correctly, the representatives for this Sword Discussion Conference were the Mo Sect and Yuxu Temple. This truly was a clash of ideologies, no wonder the atmosphere bristled with tension at their meeting.
Qi Changsheng had mentioned that the last Sword Discussion Conference nearly escalated into a full-scale martial contest; now it seemed, this statement wasn’t exaggerated at all.
The younger generation alone was so volatile, not to mention those elders who truly embodied these ideologies.
The older generation might not be as impulsive as the younger, but if their fundamental principles were breached, lives could genuinely be at stake.
They had shed their youthful impetuosity, replaced now by a resolute determination to pursue their goals; they were indeed the main combat power of the Sword Discussion Conference.
"Twisted logic," Daoist Xuanming scoffed.
"Deviant path," Yan Hanqing retorted sharply.
Despite his stoic demeanor, his verbal quickness matched any, suggesting he was from the Mo Bian of Mo Sect, specialized in debating with logic. Yet, his concealed Sword Qi implied he was more like a Mo Xia, skilled in both verbal and physical combat.
Neither yielded in their verbal sparring, their Qi Mechanisms gradually becoming unsettled, showing signs of heading towards a confrontation.
As the main topic that had sparked this discussion, Jiang Li found himself oddly sidelined.
Fortunately, at this moment, the flowing Yellow Clouds above seemed to guide them, prompting the two to temporarily set aside their dispute, lest they breach etiquette on another’s territory.