Chapter 639 - 62: The Supreme’s Dog-Beating Stick, Converting Buddhism to Daoism, the Buddha’s Downfall

Chapter 639: Chapter 62: The Supreme’s Dog-Beating Stick, Converting Buddhism to Daoism, the Buddha’s Downfall

"Other teachers?"

Supreme Laojun paused, and Golden Horned and Silver Horned glanced over, their curiosity piqued.

Then, the old man simply smiled warmly.

"On the path of seeking the Dao, it is righteous to learn from the strengths of many masters. Isn’t that perfectly normal? In fact, the one who led you onto the path of cultivation wasn’t even me, but your Teacher Lu..."

After a pause, he said amicably:

"I’m aware of all that... Is this the only thing you wanted to tell me?"

"Not exactly."

Lu Xuan cleared his throat. His eyes darted about for a moment before he beckoned Lu Jianxue over.

She obediently walked over and stood before Lu Xuan, positioning herself perfectly between him and Supreme Laojun.

Feeling a bit guilty, Lu Xuan rubbed his nose and continued,

"To be precise, I took on... a Master."

Supreme Laojun froze, then asked in surprise:

"So that’s what this is about? No wonder you were so fidgety. It’s hardly a big deal. Like I said, on the path of the Dao, learning from many masters is the righteous way. I’m not some petty, narrow-minded sort..."

Stroking his long beard, he teased,

"What, in your eyes am I really that petty? Oh, you..."

Lu Xuan felt even guiltier. He hesitantly held up two fingers and whispered,

"I took on two."

Supreme Laojun’s expression froze for a second, but he quickly broke into a cheerful laugh.

"Like I said, on the path of the Dao... Wait. Two?"

The number seemed to strike a nerve. He narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Two... Don’t tell me it’s your Second and Third Uncles, is it?"

Lu Xuan gave a sheepish grin. He put a hand on the bewildered Lu Jianxue’s shoulder, keeping her firmly in front of him before saying:

"As expected of you, Teacher. Nothing escapes your notice!"

Supreme Laojun suddenly fell silent.

After a long moment,

He forced a benevolent smile onto his face.

"Jianxue, step aside for a moment."

Lu Jianxue obediently moved a bit to the left. A terrible premonition washed over Lu Xuan. His Innate Spiritual Light trembled frantically, and every cell in his body screamed a warning!!

He tried to bolt, shouting:

"Master! On the path of the Dao, learning from many masters is the righteous way!!"

"A teacher must be strict! Without strictness, there is no respect!" Supreme Laojun rose to his feet, grabbing his ruler and grinding his teeth.

"Come on, come on! Let your teacher help you cleanse your flesh and temper your Physique!"

With a grand wave of his hand, he sealed Time and Years. Lu Xuan was frozen in place, unable to move an inch no matter what he tried.

He could only watch in terror as the old man approached, ruler held high, getting closer... and closer...

"Master!!"

Lu Xuan roared:

"There are too many people watching! Too many people!"

The next instant, Golden Horned, Silver Horned, and Lu Jianxue were unceremoniously tossed out of Douluo Palace, their faces a mask of confusion.

They stared blankly as the great doors of the Daoist Palace slammed shut. From within, they could hear the sharp CRACK of the ruler, followed by the pained yelps of a certain Lord of the Dao Dynasty. They exchanged glances, and each of them swallowed nervously.

Inside the Daoist Palace, the ruler landed on Lu Xuan again and again. Even with his fearsome Transcendent Dao Body, the pain still made him grit his teeth and grimace.

The ruler’s blows didn’t cause much damage; in fact, strands of Supreme Dao Rhyme seeped into his skin with each strike.

But even for the Lu Xuan of today, this pure, unadulterated pain that struck directly at his True Spirit was nearly unbearable...

An unknown amount of time passed.

Fuming, Supreme Laojun waved his hand, releasing the restraints. Lu Xuan collapsed onto his rear, his face a twisted mask of pain as he winced.

’The Teacher really didn’t hold back. That really, really hurt...’

It took a while for the old man’s anger to subside. He sat down on his prayer cushion with a huff.

"So you’ve learned to fly on your own now, have you? Cultivating a Physique like this without a word... Hmph."

He slowly put the ruler away, took several deep breaths to expel his frustration, and said:

"Alright, out with it. When did this happen?"

Sprawled on the ground for a long moment, Lu Xuan struggled to his feet. He could feel the Supreme Dao Rhyme suffusing his skin as he stammered,

"It, it wasn’t that long ago..."

Supreme Laojun’s expression softened a little.

"Actually, I’ve had my suspicions recently. Oh, well. Those two do dote on you. Now that you are approaching the Dao Fruit, them taking you as a disciple can grant you a portion of their fortune, which will help you attain your Dao through strength..."

The old man sighed.

"So be it, so be it..."

Before he could finish, Lu Xuan added quietly,

"I mean, it wasn’t long after you gave me my Daoist name."

Supreme Laojun fell silent again.

CRACK!

The sharp crack of knuckles could be heard. The old man was clenching his fists so tightly his bones popped, a strained smile plastered on his face.

"’Not long after I gave you your Daoist name’... When, exactly, was that?"

Lu Xuan shivered and kept his mouth shut.

The Supreme spoke gently:

"Xiaoxuan, relax. First of all, I’m not a petty person. Secondly, you’ve already taken your punishment with the ruler. We can consider this all in the past..."

After a pause, he continued with a smile:

"So, when exactly did those two take you in? ’Not long after I gave you your Daoist name’... Could it have been during the period when I was performing the Hongmeng Cast Artifact for you?"

Lu Xuan said cautiously,

"It was a bit earlier than that."

The Supreme’s fists creaked as he clenched them, but he kept the smile on his face.

"Then was it during the Late Qin Dynasty?"

"It was... still a bit earlier than that."

The sound of knuckles cracking grew louder. The old man fell silent, merely staring at Lu Xuan with a broad smile that made his blood run cold.

After a moment,

Lu Xuan, mimicking the way Little Lu Nian had once done, grabbed his own earlobes with both hands and answered meekly:

"It was around... the time before I became a Celestial Human."

"’The time before you became a Celestial Human...’"

Supreme Laojun forced the words out through clenched teeth, his chest rising and falling dramatically.

’When did Xiaoxuan become a Celestial Human?’

’Was it the fourth month after he started cultivating?’

’Or the fifth??’

’Come to think of it, when did my own foresight become so clouded?’