Chapter 1000: The River's Waters Descend from Heaven

On the Debate Platform, Bai Tang also did not waste words. As soon as he opened his mouth, it was: “The highest goodness is like water. Water benefits all things and does not contend, it dwells in places that all men despise, therefore it is close to the Dao.”

At once, a spiritual manifestation appeared: the waters of the Yellow River came down from the heavens!

It gave the Vermilion Bird Taoist quite a fright. When Bai Tang spoke this sentence, his momentum and everything else were sufficient—at least seventy percent of it—so that the power of “The highest goodness is like water. Water benefits all things and does not contend, it dwells in places that all men despise, therefore it is close to the Dao” was expressed.

The Vermilion Bird Taoist, single‑mindedly devoted to the Dao, also felt grateful that Bai Tang had told him that this sentence had been left behind by the Wutian Celestial Emperor and the Dao Emperor.

To the ear, it carried deep meaning.

But he would not concede so easily. Standing upon the Debate Platform, he immediately chanted: “Bent, it will be preserved whole; crooked, it will be made straight; hollow, it will be filled; worn, it will be renewed; little, it will be gained; much, it will be delusion.”

To have water is a good thing,

but too much water will become a flood.

Immediately, a manifestation of yellow sand appeared. Yellow sand and the great waters crashed together, stirring up a vast and mighty roar.

Before their eyes, the water was about to be buried beneath the yellow sand.

Bai Tang’s face, however, remained calm as he said, “Heaven and earth join, and sweet dew descends; no one commands the people, yet all things are evenly nourished.”

These words seemed to grant the water a new power. At once, the water gained the ability to wear through stone drop by drop.

The yellow sand, instead, was broken apart layer by layer.

…”Dad, why are you saying so many Daoist sentences about water?”

Below the platform, the little one looked at Wu Tian in frustration. She knew these lines definitely came from Wu Tian’s mouth.

Wu Tian smiled, and simply recounted an episode from the past. In earlier times, before the concept of well‑water existed, the Human Clan’s access to water was limited.

Back then, Wu Tian had not yet become an Emperor, but he invented the existence called the “well.”

At that time, the Human Clan learned to make “wells.”

Wu Tian and the Dao Emperor held a round of discussion about water. Those Daoist sentences concerning “water” began to spread from that time onward.

The little one nodded.

…”This Bai Tang is not bad.”

On the high pavilion of the loft, as he sized up Bai Tang on the Debate Platform, the Sect Master could not help but speak: “What is his background?”

The Eight‑Gate Elders looked at one another. Because Bai Tang understood the “Dao” relatively well and worked relatively hard, he had become a True Disciple.

But in truth, not a single Elder took him seriously. Now that the Sect Master asked, the Elders all knew nothing and could only vaguely say: his family has no money, his temper is bad, he doesn’t know how to submit, and so on.

The Sect Master nodded.

The Old Sect Master said, “This is a good seedling. His cultivation is poor because his resources are poor. If we were to place resources on this child…”

“No need.” The Sect Master waved his hand in refusal. A person who does not know how to submit,

what use is there in cultivating him?

…Over on the side of the Heavenly One Monastery and the Taoists of the other monasteries, all of them were astonished.

The Human Daoist Sect had grown more and more deviated from the “Dao.”

The common people did not know this, but they were Taoists; they could still see it.

What amazed them was… within the Human Daoist Sect, there was actually still a genuine Taoist?

A Taoist ought to do the things that a Taoist should do.

And the Human Daoist Sect?

They were Taoists, yet they did the work of the Dynasty. They fought for gain, they waged wars, they dressed in gold and silver. The system of their Dao Sect was the same as that of a Dynasty.

Within the Sect there were Elders, True Disciples, and Disciples,

but they were also divided by official rank: First Rank Taoist, Second Rank Taoist, and then things like Ministry of Revenue Taoist, Ministry of Rites Taoist, Ministry of War Taoist…

“The soft and weak overcome the hard and strong. Fish cannot be taken from the depths; the sharp weapons of the state must not be shown to others.”

As the water surged toward the Vermilion Bird Taoist, the Vermilion Bird Taoist immediately chanted this line.

At once, a strange manifestation was born, as if an invisible wall blocked the great water.

“All things under heaven are born from being; being is born from non‑being.” Bai Tang shouted.

He was different from the others in the Human Daoist Sect. He collected some of the Wutian Celestial Emperor’s Daoist sayings, and some of the Dao Emperor’s words,

not by buying them with money, but through humble inquiry.

Thus, he treated others with sincerity, and most others treated him with sincerity in return. What they told him was absolutely true.

As his voice fell,

in an instant,

the invisible wall vanished.

The great water surged in a single rush toward the Vermilion Bird Taoist. The tremendous force struck him, sending him flying backward. His feet scraped across the surface of the platform, leaving a shallow furrow seven meters long. Of course, these furrows quickly disappeared. This was another ability of the Dao Emperor’s blood.

Once he steadied himself, the Vermilion Bird Taoist felt a sweetness in his throat and could not help but spit out a mouthful of blood. His entire aura grew listless.

He looked as if he had just gone through a serious illness,

which made those on the Heavenly One Monastery’s side extremely worried.

The Monastery Master Azure Dragon even shouted, “Victory or defeat is unimportant, your body matters more. Why don’t we just concede?”

Victory or defeat is unimportant?

These words made the Taoists of the Human Daoist Sect curl their lips in disdain.

…”Look, look, didn’t you say my son would only fight to a draw with the other side? Clearly, my son has the upper hand.” Farmer Bai Song was overjoyed, and feeling that reason was on his side, he began shouting at Wu Tian and the others.

“Keep watching,” Wu Tian said.

Bai Song felt that Wu Tian and the others were pretending to understand when they did not. Laughing, he said, “Fine, fine, fine, you’re not convinced? Then let’s keep watching. You’ll soon see how formidable my son is. You people don’t understand anything, yet you speak nonsense. The Human Daoist Sect, the greatest blessed land in the Mortal Realm—my son being able to enter and study there is a tremendous fortune, yet you say he is suffering calamity. Utter nonsense.”

The more he talked, the more delighted he felt, and he wanted to keep on talking.

“Noisy, noisy. Old man, say one more word and I’ll smash you to death.”

Li Yuanba, with a bad temper, lifted his Drum Urn Golden Hammer and set it right on top of Bai Song’s head.

This hammer was who‑knows‑how many times larger than Bai Song’s head.

As soon as it rested there, Bai Song’s legs began trembling with fright, and he did not dare make a sound.

…”This poor Daoist does not care about winning or losing.”

“But this poor Daoist does care about the two words ‘not giving up.'”

“If I do not persist to the end and choose to give up, I fear I will form a habit, and later it will be the same with everything. Then this poor Daoist’s Dao will be lost.”

The Vermilion Bird Taoist gritted his teeth.

He refused to step down from the Debate Platform, wanting to think again on what other words he still remembered from the discussions between the Wutian Celestial Emperor and the Dao Emperor.

These words,

at this moment,

were they of use?

…This round was very similar to the first: one‑sided suppression. Only this time, it was the Taoist of the Heavenly One Monastery who was being suppressed.

The little one watched with great interest. She knew that if it continued like this, Bai Tang would win. But her dad had said it would be a draw. Bai Tang held an absolute advantage—so how could the Vermilion Bird Taoist possibly argue the Dao to a draw with Bai Tang?

…”The utmost softness in the world gallops through the utmost hardness in the world. That which has no substance enters where there is no gap; from this I know the benefit of non‑action.”

In the end, the Vermilion Bird Taoist thought of this sentence.

At once, a wad of cotton went toward the great water.

Cotton against great water?

How could that be possible?

At first, the cotton retreated again and again in defeat, but the cotton was like the Vermilion Bird Taoist’s heart—unyielding. If a single piece of cotton was not enough, then a mass of cotton. At last, they managed to block the great water.

Everyone, seeing this manifestation,

was stunned.

Bai Tang said, “I still have one more sentence from the Wutian Celestial Emperor regarding the Dao. Be careful.”