The Quest for Immortality Chapter 2221: Asura (part 3)

"The Sword Discussion Conference was meant to focus on ’discussion,’ not on ’slaughter.’

"Reviving it at this point is like urging disciples to kill without restraint. How will people view the spirit of our Qianxue?"

Others voiced their dissent.

An Elder specializing in Sword Cultivation, his face rough and his demeanor severe, declared:

"Defeating demons and rooting out evil demands forceful approaches. Safeguarding the Dao calls for a heart like Shura’s.

"The demonic beasts are sly and brutal.

"To wipe out these demons, we must outsmart them and strike even harder.

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

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

"Without the sharp decisiveness and unyielding spirit forged in the Shura battle, we Righteous Cultivators couldn’t have toppled the Demon Palace, founded the Taoist Court, propagated the Righteous Dao, and protected all living things..."

Yet these statements drew even stronger resistance.

"That’s old tales from the past..."

"The era has shifted. When demons rampaged everywhere, ruthless killing made sense. 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 prominent and geniuses converge—where do ’demons’ fit in?

"Endlessly mentioning Righteous and Demonic feels overly paranoid...

"I think this Shura battle doesn’t suit us...

"Agreed, I oppose it as well."

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

"Well..."

The assembly wavered once more.

The Dao Discussion Heaven Instrument remains a sacred heirloom of Mount of Tao, enduring for millennia, and nobody dares outright reject its verdicts.

"It’s not outright rejection; it’s just putting it on hold for now," explained an Elder skilled in mediation.

"Yes, just a temporary pause. Regarding the final rankings in the Earth Rank sword discussion, we can handle them through other means...

"So then, who exactly will manage this ranking?"

"No matter who does it, how do we ensure no bias or corruption creeps in?"

"Whoever handles it, how can we guarantee it stays impartial?"

The key issue boils down to, "whoever takes charge, will they earn the trust of everyone?"

The Dao Discussion Heaven Instrument’s judgments aren’t always logical, and the rankings it spits out often leave numerous sects unhappy, leaving many disciples feeling resentful.

Still, nobody has the courage to protest openly.

Because it stems from the forebears of Mount of Tao.

It’s the time-honored mechanism for the Sword Discussion Conference from ancient times.

Something that commands universal respect.

Should they abandon the Dao Discussion Heaven Instrument and compile the list on their own, even with the united strength of the Four Great Sects and Eight Gates, it wouldn’t hold true credibility.

After all, the intricacies of human nature run too deep.

In this fiercely rivalrous setting, any arrangement hashed out by cultivators won’t hold up to close examination.

Regardless of how the list gets formed, it’ll invite waves of ’suspicions.’"

As for relying on ’drawing lots’ to let fate decide, that’s out of the question.

These are the pivotal Elders from mighty factions, grand sects, and prominent families, possessing vast insight and wisdom, fully aware that so-called ’luck’ isn’t genuine randomness.

Certain prodigies among cultivators possess talents that allow them to wield Heavenly secret arts, inverting cause and effect, even challenging destiny.

They’re capable of altering fates.

To say nothing of manipulating the ’luck’ in a lottery draw."

"So, do we let the Dao Discussion Heaven Instrument judge again?"

"No way," an Elder from Mount of Tao replied, "once the Dao Discussion Heaven Instrument activates, its decision stands firm and unalterable."

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

"To play it safe, even if the Dao Discussion Heaven Instrument was somehow interfered with, would a fresh judgment produce a new outcome?"

"If it can be altered once, it could be tampered with again...

"Um..."

The Elders furrowed their brows intensely, genuinely stumped now.

Every path forward posed tough choices.

Within the conference hall, hushed talks broke out anew, as Elders from various sects huddled together, pondering the dilemma.

After some indeterminate time, a venerable figure with snow-white hair and beard, his age a mystery, gradually parted his eyes and let out a raspy sigh:

"Very well, the Shura battle shall go ahead. The Dao Discussion Heaven Instrument’s outcome remains fixed...

Spotting lingering doubts among the others, this Elder continued:

"The Dao Discussion Heaven Instrument is a relic from our ancestors.

"Its mechanisms are intricate, its connections to causality vast.

"What sets it apart most is that its judgments reflect the optimal path under present conditions.

"Even if the result appears odd or peculiar, without the genius of Mount of Tao’s ancestors, we shouldn’t rashly discard it.

"Following its guidance might lead to unfavorable times.

"Defying it only invites even graver troubles...

"That’s how the world turns—one picks between the merely poor and the outright disastrous...

"Don’t overestimate your own wisdom; revere the works of the forebears instead."

These insightful words hung heavy, silencing the room as they sank in.

The conference hall plunged into a momentary hush.

"Moreover, for most of your sects, this development isn’t actually detrimental...

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

"It presents a chance for all of you.

"The Shura battle holds immense importance, sufficient to ’realign the board.’

"In truth, long ago, the Shura battle bore a different title..." The elder’s stare grew intense, his tone booming like thunder:

"The Heaven Rank Advancement Battle!"

Only those who withstand the grueling Shura trials and rise as exceptional talents earn the right to climb Xuantian Peak and join the ultimate Heaven Rank sword discussion on Mount of Tao among their era’s champions.

This marked the former Heaven Rank Advancement Battle.

These solemn declarations made every Elder’s heart pound.

All at once, their gazes shifted slyly, minds racing with private schemes.

...

The deliberation at Mount of Tao drew to a close.

Ultimately, the decision was finalized, and by dusk, the news reached every sect.

The concluding phase of the Earth Rank sword discussion would revive the age-old sword discussion format:

"Shura Battle."

"All disciples in the Earth Rank will clash in a fierce, life-or-death melee for dominance.

"The last one standing claims victory.

This announcement, upon spreading to sects and clans alike, ignited uproar in all quarters.

Even the spectators who came for the event buzzed with shock.

Such an event seemed utterly astonishing.

It defied nearly everyone’s predictions.

The Earth Rank sword discussion, thought to be all but resolved, erupted into a massive tempest like a gale sweeping through.

At this point, absolutely no one could foresee the unfolding events...

...

Meanwhile, the Four Great Sects, Eight Gates, Twelve Streams, and even certain members of the Qian Learning Hundred Gates who qualified for the Earth Rank sword discussion—all their senior Elders and Sect Leaders—convened urgent sessions through the night to address the abrupt twist from the Sword Discussion Conference.

From twilight till deep into the night, lanterns blazed in every major sect.

Sleep eluded nearly everyone.

At Taixu Gate, within the Elder’s Residence.

Elder Master Xun had been uneasy since the previous evening, and now, staring at the compass in front of him, his expression turned profoundly somber.

In the end, the veteran Elder Master Xun heaved a heavy sigh:

"The tempest is upon us at last...

This brewing storm had... plummeted from the heavens without warning.

Qianxue’s skies were on the verge of transformation.

And right then, in the Disciple’s Residence.

Mo Hua gazed at the phrase ’Shura Battle,’ equally stunned and deep in reverie.

A wave of sudden anxiety washed over him.

The slim opportunity he’d yearned for had materialized.

In a daze, Mo Hua’s vision hazed, as if catching sight of his master beaming at him with gentle warmth...