Chapter 344 - 145: Unyielding Desires, a Dao Talisman Breaks the Deadlock! Trampling the Branch Sect

"I... I’m not dead..."

Amidst mountains reduced to rubble, Taiqing Daoist felt the ice-cold ground against him. As if in a dream, he realized that despite the terrifying surge of power that had erupted, he had actually survived!

He’d actually survived!

Though injured, he was, in the end, still alive.

’How could this be?’

Bewildered, he pushed himself up. He saw that amidst the rubble, others were also stirring and sitting up. He wasn’t the only one who had survived.

Yi Pavilion Master, Zilei Master, Zihuang Daoist, Zen Master Gu Yue, and Elder Bai Shen were all alive.

Even True Man of Heavenly Tiger, the first to attack, was still alive, though he was heavily injured.

Looking around, he saw that of the more than one hundred Daoists present moments ago, over twenty had survived.

In contrast, Long Ya Dharma King, Mie Du Master, Venerable Black Pig, and others like them had been annihilated without a trace.

Taiqing Daoist’s mind reeled. He couldn’t help but recall the words the Celestial Secret Sect Master had spoken earlier.

Thinking about it more carefully, he realized that most of those who had died were indeed notorious, fiendish individuals with long records of evil deeds.

An incredible thought began to form in his mind.

’Could it be... that he did this to eliminate the wicked?’

"Amitabha Buddha..."

The many Monks behind the Rebirth Buddha Venerable watched the scene, chanting the Buddha’s name. Their faces were ashen as they inwardly considered themselves lucky.

Without the Rebirth Buddha Venerable’s Shelter, they feared they would have been either killed or gravely injured.

"Huineng..."

The Rebirth Buddha Venerable, however, let out a soft sigh. He had not been able to protect all of his disciples.

It was not that he lacked the means to provide Shelter, but that he already understood what this Fellow Daoist Su truly intended to do.

Therefore, he did not intervene to provide Shelter.

"Master..."

In mid-air, Tianyunzi was still reeling from the shock. The scene had been too terrifying. Without the Celestial Secret Sect Master’s protection, he feared he would have been doomed as well.

WHOOSH!!

As the wind howled, Su Bai strode through the air.

Watched by the many True Masters—their gazes a mixture of shock and utter terror—Su Bai came to a halt in the sky above the Da Yu Capital City.

"Daoist Master, you truly have remarkable composure."

Su Bai gave the Celestial Secret Sect Master a deep look, then glanced at the Rebirth Buddha Venerable.

"And Master, you have impressive fortitude."

He had not spared the Rebirth Buddha Venerable or the Celestial Secret Sect Master in his killings. Among those he had just slain were disciples and subordinates of them both.

However, these two had endured the tyrannical behavior of the Leader of Gui Chen Sect for many years; their temperaments were naturally extraordinary.

Forcing them to act was no easy task.

Especially the Rebirth Buddha Venerable. His tolerance was likely at the level of Perfection.

One would never guess that in his youth, he had been an unorthodox monk with overwhelming killing intent, quick to strike with the Tathagata Seal, a decisive and ruthless killer.

Hearing this, both the Rebirth Buddha Venerable and the Celestial Secret Sect Master’s expressions remained unchanged.

The former began chanting sutras, seemingly to guide his disciples’ souls, while the latter simply shook his head and said with a faint, detached smile,

"This old man’s sect is vast, with a legacy stretching back tens of thousands of years. It is inevitable that some unworthy disciples will emerge and commit heinous sins."

"Since Fellow Daoist Su was willing to act and uproot this scourge, this old Daoist is naturally happy to be spared the trouble."

"It was no trouble at all. Why thank me, Daoist Master?"

Su Bai replied coolly.

’This Celestial Secret Sect Master is a master of Divination and Deduction. While there are many things in the world he does not know, there are far more that he does.’

’He couldn’t possibly be ignorant of the true nature of his own disciples and subordinates.’

’His words are rather sanctimonious.’

The Celestial Secret Sect Master’s smile froze. A strange ripple flashed in the depths of his eyes before he sighed softly.

"So, Fellow Daoist Su, you intend to establish a new rule for all the Cultivators in the world..."

He had naturally guessed Su Bai’s intentions. It wasn’t surprising; throughout history, all sorts of people had appeared.

’There had been other self-righteous oddballs like Su Bai before.’

"What if I am? And what if I’m not?"

Su Bai retorted indifferently.

’Even now, this Celestial Secret Sect Master remained somewhat of a mystery in his eyes, making him want to test the man’s limits.’

"The Netherworld Venerable Master once attempted something similar. The result speaks for itself. Do you know why, Fellow Daoist?"

the Celestial Secret Sect Master asked in return.

Su Bai stood with his hands clasped behind him, listening intently.

"Pray, elaborate."

"What do you think we seek, Fellow Daoist, when we cultivate the Dao?"

"We pursue eternal life, Feathered Ascension to Immortality, and ascent to a higher realm. However, the vast majority of Martial Arts Practitioners will never have that chance."

"They cultivate for hundreds, even thousands of years, enduring countless hardships to master their Divine Techniques. What they seek is freedom from all constraints. What they want is to do as they please."

"And what will you use to restrain them?"

The Celestial Secret Sect Master’s gaze was profound as he spoke,

"By what right do you set rules for them?"

The Celestial Secret Sect Master’s gaze bore into Su Bai, carrying a power that seemed to pierce through to the very soul.

Humans have a spectrum of emotions and desires—joy, anger, sorrow, and delight. From these feelings, all manner of wants are born.

For mortals, these desires manifest as ambitions: to become a Sealed Marquis or a high minister, to be crowned a Sealed King with their own lands, to hold power over the world, to possess land and beautiful women, to bring glory to their ancestors, to return to their hometown in splendor...

But for a Cultivator, the so-called luxuries of mortals—fine food, rich clothing, power, wealth, money, and beautiful women—are all easily obtainable.

Because of this, their desires transcend anything a mortal could imagine.

They constantly cultivate, their Realm ascends, they forge an Extraordinary body... They seek long life, absolute freedom, an unfettered existence, the Feathered state, deathlessness, indestructibility...

Not a single one of these is something a mortal could even conceive of.

Rules, restraints... these are not what they desire.

The very purpose of cultivating the Martial Dao is to break free from worldly conventions and act as one pleases. Why would they ever want to be shackled?