Immortality Through Array Formations Chapter 2221 Chapter 1033: Asura (Part 3)

"The Sword Discussion Conference was meant for 'discussion,' not for 'killing.'

"Bringing it back now would just push disciples to slaughter without restraint.

How would people view the spirit of our Qianxue Sect?"

Not everyone agreed.

An Elder focused on Sword Cultivation, featuring a rough-hewn face and a severe look, declared:

"Defeating demons and rooting out wickedness demands fierce approaches. Guarding the Dao calls for a heart like Shura's.

"Those demonic beasts are sly and brutal.

"To wipe out the demons, we need to outsmart them and strike even harder.

"Lacking a firm resolve to kill means falling prey to the demons for sure."

"That's the true purpose of the Shura battle."

"Without the sharp edge of killing and the unyielding spirit forged in the Shura battle, us Righteous Cultivators couldn't have toppled the Demon Palace, founded the Taoist Court, spread the Righteous Dao, and shielded all living things..."

Yet these statements faced even stronger pushback.

"That's old history...

"Times have changed. When demons rampaged everywhere, ruthless killing was essential. But now with peace reigning, there's no reason to keep harping on 'Righteous versus Demonic...'

"Precisely, this is the Sword Discussion Conference, where Righteous Clans stand proud and geniuses flock together—so where do the 'demons' come in?"

"Always bringing up Righteous and Demonic feels overly fearful..."

"This Shura battle doesn't seem right..."

"Yeah, I'm against it too."

"If you oppose the Shura battle, then what? Are you planning to ignore the rulings from the Dao Discussion Heaven Instrument?"

"Well..."

The group wavered once more.

The Dao Discussion Heaven Instrument remains a cherished treasure passed down from the Mount of Tao, enduring for millennia, and nobody really has the guts to outright reject its judgments.

"It's not rejection; it's putting it on hold for now," explained an Elder skilled in smooth talk.

"Right, just shelve it. For the ultimate rankings in the Earth Rank sword discussion, we'll handle them on our own..."

"But then, who's going to put together this ranking?"

"No matter who does it, how do we ensure there's no bias or shady dealings?"

"Whoever handles it, how can we be sure it stays unbiased?"

The key issue is, "whoever organizes it, will it win over everyone's trust?"

The Dao Discussion Heaven Instrument's decisions aren't always logical, and the rankings it spits out often leave many sects unhappy, leading to grudges among disciples.

Still, nobody dares to complain out loud.

Because it comes from the forebears of the Mount of Tao.

It's the longstanding method for the Sword Discussion Conference dating back to ancient times.

Something that can truly 'earn trust.'

If they skip the Dao Discussion Heaven Instrument and make the ranking themselves, even with the Four Great Sects and Eight Gates teaming up, it wouldn't hold water.

Human nature is just too tricky, after all.

In this cutthroat setting, anything cooked up in cultivator talks won't stand up to close inspection.

Whatever way they rank it, doubts will swarm in.

As for relying on 'lot drawing' and leaving it to fate, forget it.

These folks are top Elders from major forces, sects, and clans, with sharp insights and vast experience, so they know full well that so-called luck isn't pure chance.

Some gifted cultivators can wield heavenly secret arts to twist cause and effect, even challenging destiny.

They might alter fates entirely.

Not to mention the 'luck' in lot drawing."

"So, should we have the Dao Discussion Heaven Instrument judge again?"

"No way," replied an Elder from the Mount of Tao, "once the Dao Discussion Heaven Instrument locks in, there's no altering it."

"It's not that we refuse to alter it; we simply can't."

"Playing it safe, even if the Dao Discussion Heaven Instrument got manipulated, would a new judgment change things?"

"If it's tweakable once, it could be tweaked again...

"Uh..."

The Elders furrowed their brows intensely, genuinely stumped now.

No path forward seemed clear for decisions.

In the hall, hushed talks among individuals picked up again, as Elders from various sects huddled together, pondering the issue with creased foreheads.

After some unspecified time, a figure with snow-white hair and beard, age unknown, gradually opened his eyes and let out a raspy sigh:

"Fine then, let the Shura battle go ahead. The Dao Discussion Heaven Instrument's outcome can't be shifted..."

Noticing lingering doubts, this Elder continued:

"The Dao Discussion Heaven Instrument is an ancestral relic.

"Its mechanisms are intricate, its links to fate deep.

"What makes it most mysterious is that its judgments always pick the optimal path based on the present conditions.

"Even if the outcome looks odd or weird, without the Mount of Tao ancestors' prowess, we shouldn't casually reverse it."

"Following its outcome might lead to trouble.

"But ignoring its outcome would make things even worse..." "That's how the world works—you just pick between 'bad' and 'worse'!...

"Don't think too highly of yourselves; show reverence for the ancestors' inventions."

These deep words silenced the room as they sank in.

The conference hall quieted down for a moment.

"Moreover, for most of your sects, this isn't actually a bad turn..."

The white-haired elder's gaze sharpened with keen understanding:

"It's a chance for all of you too."

"The Shura battle holds real importance, strong enough to 'shake things up.'

"In the old days, the Shura battle went by a different title..." The elder's eyes fixed intently, his tone booming like thunder:

"The Heaven Rank Promotion Battle!"

Only those who survive the brutal Shura trials and rise as true talents deserve to climb Xuantian Peak and join the ultimate Heaven Rank sword discussion on the Mount of Tao with their era's champions.

This had been the Heaven Rank Promotion Battle. These heavy statements made every Elder's heart pound.

At the same time, their gazes shifted, minds racing with private schemes.

The argument at the Mount of Tao wrapped up.

Ultimately, the decision stood, and by nightfall, word spread to every sect.

The closing phase of the Earth Rank sword discussion would revive the old sword discussion method:

"Shura Battle."

"All disciples in the Earth Rank will dive into a wild, life-or-death clash for dominance."

"The last ones standing claim victory."

Once this news hit the sects and families, it sparked chaos everywhere.

Even the spectators at the event buzzed with shock.

This twist was utterly astonishing.

It caught nearly everyone off guard.

The Earth Rank sword discussion, thought to be almost wrapped up, exploded into a massive tempest like a sudden gale.

Now, absolutely no one could predict where things would lead...

Meanwhile, the Four Great Sects, Eight Gates, Twelve Streams, and even certain Qian Learning Hundred Gates that made it through the Earth Rank sword discussion—all their top Elders and even Sect Leaders called urgent gatherings through the night to tackle this abrupt shift from the Sword Discussion Conference.

From dusk till deep into the night, lamps blazed in every major sect. Sleep evaded almost all.

At Taixu Gate, within the Elder's Residence.

Since the previous night, Elder Master Xun had paced uneasily, and now, staring at the compass in front of him, his expression turned profoundly serious.

At last, the elderly Elder Master Xun breathed a heavy sigh:

"The storm has arrived at last..."

This brewing storm had just... plummeted from above without warning.

The heavens over Qianxue were on the verge of upheaval too.

And right then, in the Disciple's Residence.

Mo Hua gazed at the phrase 'Shura Battle,' feeling stunned and deep in reverie.

Along with it rushed a wave of sudden anxiety.

The slim hope he'd yearned for had at last appeared.

In a daze, Mo Hua's vision swam, and he appeared to glimpse his master beaming at him with gentle warmth...