Chapter 418 - 375, Taoist Establishment

Words : 1504 Updated : Oct 15th, 2025

Chapter 418: Chapter 375, Taoist Establishment Tu Shan Xiyu extended her fair hand and grasped the wooden stick, enveloping it with the pearly white power of the Fox Demon. The surrounding grass, influenced by the Fox Demon Power, grew at a visible rate, towering over the waist in moments, with flowers blooming all around, yet the Dead Wood Staff showed no change at all. Tu Shan Xiyu released her grip, incredulously staring at the Dead Wood Staff before her, murmuring, "Why is this happening? Why isn’t the Dead Wood Springing to life?" Panic surged in her expression, she quickly reached out her fair hand again, grasping a small branch of the staff and with a slight effort, snap—the dry branch was broken off, revealing the dried wood inside, where even a small white worm was writhing, no different from ordinary dead wood. "I don’t believe it, it must be possible, I must be able to bring life to this dead wood." Tu Shan Xiyu reached out again to hold the staff, continuously channeling the Fox Demon Power into the staff. She would rest when her mana was depleted and continue after rest, day after day, year after year, never leaving its side, yet becoming more and more desperate as the dead wood not only failed to spring to life but rotted even more. Elsewhere, Bai Jin followed Li Er through cities and saw the myriad states of being. The scroll in Li Er’s hand grew thinner, and yet, the Tao Rhythm grew denser. Years later, the trio arrived in a city and encountered people from the Zen School. After a debate before the king, the Zen School was utterly defeated, and Li Er was honored as a guest by Chen Wang, invited into the Royal Palace to teach Tao. In the twilight, with stars strewn across the sky, Li Er sat cross-legged in the courtyard, dipped his hand in water, and wrote the character "Tao" on the tabletop. The courtyard door creaked open, and a young monk in a hemp robe walked in, came to the table, bowed with a smile, and said, "Greetings, Senior Brother!" Li Er calmly replied, "Here, there are neither the Taishang, Saints, nor Senior Brothers, only the ordinary person, Li Er." "Then it is ’Greetings, Fellow Daoist’!" Li Er gestured with his hand and said, "Please, take a seat." The young monk sat cross-legged in front of Li Er. "How may I address Fellow Daoist?" The young monk smiled and said, "This humble monk too is just an ordinary mortal—Xu Puti!" "Serve the tea!" Duobao carried out the tea, placed it on the low table, and then retreated. Xu Puti watched Duobao leave and laughed heartily, "Interesting, Fellow Daoist, to have Tongtian’s disciple by your side to teach, surely Tongtian must be furious!" Li Er calmly replied, "Duobao still lacks in some areas. Teaching him the great Tao is sufficient for him to manage a sect on his own." Xu Puti suddenly said, "Do you intend Duobao to take charge of the Human Sect?" Shaking his head and sighing, "Ah, such is Tongtian, so innocent, what a pity for the brilliant Xuandu!" Li Er, assessing Xu Puti, smiled and asked, "Fellow Daoist, how do you find Duobao?" "A Senior Disciple of Jie Sect, naturally exceptional." Taishang nodded slightly and took a sip from the teacup. Xu Puti shifted the topic, "I hear Fellow Daoist intends to spread Tao in Chen State and expel the Zen School." Li Er nodded and said, "The thoughts of the Zen School are not beneficial to the state, it naturally has to be expelled." Xu Puti tried to advise, "The Zen School leads people towards goodness, how can it be not beneficial? Fellow Daoist, consider the benefits of both!" "Fellow Daoist need not say more, my mind is made, Chen Wang has already agreed." Xu Puti pondered for a moment, then stood up regretfully and said, "Fellow Daoist, in a struggle for the great Tao, there is no room for concession, please forgive me!" Li Er confidently smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist, employ whatever means you have." Xu Puti bowed, turned, and walked towards the outside, his figure flickering and then vanishing from sight. Bai Jin then emerged from the room, approaching Taishang, and asked, "Master, was the visitor just now a Buddha Saint?" "It was Zhunti’s mortal form." Bai Jin hesitated for a moment, then said, "Master, Junior Master Zhunti is very scheming, please be cautious." Li Er said with a smile, "Although I am not adept at strategizing, I am not afraid of calculations." Bai Jin was speechless, Master, you’re not good at strategizing? That’s quite an old-fashioned thing to say. Li Er changed the topic and said, "Bai Jin, I plan to establish a school." Bai Jin’s eyes lit up, and he joyfully said, "Master, have you finished compiling your book?" Li Er smiled and said, "Not quite yet. I plan to observe in Chen Country for a while, and then establish the Taoist school." "Congratulations, Master, I wonder what kind of school you will establish?" Li Er looked down at the character for ’water’ on the table and said with a smile, "The Tao!" As he said this, the stars in the sky seemed to brighten momentarily. ... On the other side, wearing a grey cloth robe, Xu Puti walked through the wilderness, passing through the night, dawn, and daytime, finally arriving at a lush hillside as the Great Sun rose. In the midst of the flourishing flowers and grass, stood a small wooden hut. In front of the hut, a thin girl was watering a dead branch, her eyes filled with sadness and dullness. Xu Puti, barefoot, approached the front of the hut and smilingly asked, "Miss, what are you doing?" Tushan Xi Yu, momentarily distracted, regained a bit of her spirit and sadly said, "I have lost the person I love and now I cannot find him." Xu Puti looked at the branch and said with emotion, "Space and fate move forward, they cannot flow backwards. This branch is already dead." Tushan Xi Yu shook her head, bit her lower lip, and firmly said, "He said that this branch could revive, he said it can, so it definitely can." Xu Puti said with relief, "Well said, well said~ In the Three Realms, life and death have their orders, but love is boundless. If you can shed genuine tears and water the dead branch, you could move the Heavenly Dao and turn impossible into possible!" Genuine tears? Tushan Xi Yu shivered, suddenly looked up at Xu Puti and urgently asked, "Are you telling the truth?" "Of course, it’s true!" After her excitement, Tushan Xi Yu grew cautious and asked, "Who are you? And why do you help me?" Xu Puti placed his palms together and said with a smile, "I am merely a wandering monk, I cannot help you. The only one who can help you is yourself." He touched the dry branch lightly, turned, and walked away, quickly disappearing among the flowers and grass. Tushan Xi Yu looked down at the stick in front of her and revealed a slight smile, saying, "Genuine tears? Brother Dan, wait for me, I will definitely make it bloom." ... Li Er wrote and sought enlightenment in Chen Country. Years later, in front of the Chen State Palace, a high platform was built. Li Er sat cross-legged on the platform, below him, the ministers and thousands of citizens all devoutly watched. Li Er’s grand voice resonated between heaven and earth: "The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao; The name that can be named is not the eternal name. The nameless is the origin of Heaven and Earth; The named is the mother of all things. Thus, always without desire, see the marvel; always with desire, view the boundaries. These two, differing in name, have the same origin. Both are called the mystery. Mystery of mysteries, the gate to all wonders..." Below, both ministers and commoners listened, enchanted. On a nearby pavilion, clad in a robe, Xu Puti stood, behind him a beautiful woman in white. The woman respectfully said, "Master, the Taoist school is about to emerge." Xu Puti smiled and said, "Ci Hang, there’s no need for concern. Li Er has promised someone something he hasn’t yet fulfilled; how could it possibly be complete so easily?" Ci Hang looked puzzled; had Li Er also made a great vow? "... All under heaven say my Tao is great, it seems unlike anything else. That which is only great, therefore seems unlike anything else. If it were like anything else, it would have diminished long ago. I have three treasures, which I hold and keep. The first is mercy; the second is economy; the third is daring not to be ahead of the world. Through mercy, one can be courageous; through economy, one can be generous; not daring to be ahead of the world, one can become a leader of vessels..."

Chapter 418 - 375, Taoist Establishment

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