Under One Person: The Seeker of the Dao in the Lü Family

Chapter 251 Returning Home

"Execute you, you thief, first."

With a flick of his sleeve, Lü Qian caused the three calamities that had been surrounding Elijah to tighten suddenly.

"Click click click..."

Amid the rhythmic clanging of the chains, the three calamities of wind, fire, and thunder manifested simultaneously, raging towards Elijah in the center. But as Lü Qian stared at his figure, his brows suddenly furrowed.

"May all that I have... return to the tree!"

Faced with the surging three plagues, Elijah simply watched as his skin and flesh vanished in an instant, revealing his stark white bones, which suddenly emitted a faint golden light.

The golden light appeared and disappeared intermittently, revealing a section of withered wood.

This piece of dead wood did not protect Elijah from the three plagues; instead, it acted like a plunderer, draining Elijah's life, including his soul.

This piece of dead wood is a branch of the sacred tree on Nathan Island, and it is also proof that Elijah was the protector of the sacred tree.

With this branch, the guardians of the sacred tree on Nathan Island can communicate with the sacred tree and the king, and can teleport freely on the island.

But now, the proofs and tools of the past have transformed into deadly reapers, reaping the remaining value of Elijah, the believer.

Standing outside the Three Calamities prison, Lü Qian observed the changes in Elijah. A flash of crimson-gold light appeared in his fiery eyes, and his previously furrowed brows relaxed once more.

"So it was an ancient ritual of divine sacrifice. You've raised a monster that eats human flesh and souls?"

The system on Nathan Island is very simple; their existence is more like a religious belief.

The Divine Tree is the highest point in this belief system, the King is the representative of the Divine Tree, the Guardians protect the King and the Divine Tree, and the ordinary islanders are the foundation for the birth of the King and the Guardians.

The existence of the "Divine Tree" makes everyone born on Nathan Island an extraordinary being and a devout believer in the Divine Tree.

But now it seems that those islanders are not only believers in the sacred tree, but also resources kept by the sacred tree.

The supreme sacred tree was a "sacrificial spirit" created through ancient witchcraft similar to a ritual; it was both a tree and a "technique."

"You've turned the law of faith into this mess; no wonder you lost the struggle for the path a thousand years ago."

Under the combined effects of the Three Calamities and the Divine Tree, Elijah was now nothing but a mangled body. He looked at Lü Qian and said, "I don't understand what you've figured out, but can you do me a favor? In exchange, I can tell you the identity of the person behind it all and our deal."

However, before he could finish speaking, a sword light burst forth.

"I have no interest in your petty schemes and underhanded plots. I only believe in my own fist and sword."

The sharp sword light destroyed Elijah's remaining remains in the blink of an eye. Then, the sword stirred up the three calamities, and a drop of pale white Samadhi Fire fell, igniting the branch of the divine tree.

"boom!"

A few scattered flames touched the dry, less than three-inch-long branch, and suddenly burst into a fierce fire, with intense flames rising up.

"Sizzle—"

A powerful force of faith emanated from that withered branch, only to dissipate in an instant under the scorching heat of the Samadhi Fire, emitting a sound like red-hot steel being tempered.

Meanwhile, on Nathan Island, far overseas...

In a secluded spot on the island, a seemingly ordinary dead tree grows, with only a little over ten feet tall visible above the ground.

A group of people were gathered under the tree. A young woman collapsed to the ground in pain, with more than a dozen roots extending from the ground and piercing into her body.

"king!"

"Don't come any closer!"

The others, young and old, watched this scene with great eagerness, but dared not step forward.

……

Inside Tongtian Valley, Lü Qian sheathed his sword and made a hand seal. Under his control, the Samadhi True Fire repeatedly tormented the withered branch, as if trying to burn away all the power of faith contained within it.

"If you dare to reach out, then be prepared to have your claws chopped off."

"Snap!"

A crisp snapping sound came from the flames, as if some connection in the void had been severed. Then, the severed branch, like a normal rootless tree, was turned into nothingness by the Samadhi Fire.

"Hmph, I'll settle accounts with you another day."

Seeing this, Lü Qian rolled up his sleeves, and the Samadhi True Fire flowed back into himself. Then he shouted at the group of golden monkeys pretending to be dead on the mountain wall.

"My children, your king has avenged you."

"Squeak squeak squeak..."

Before he finished speaking, the golden monkeys, who had died tragically in various ways, suddenly sprang to life. They surged down the mountainside like golden waves, rushing towards Lü Qian.

"Squeak squeak squeak..."

The golden monkeys, who acted fiercely in front of outsiders, became very gentle and cheerful when they met Lü Qian, as if they had met one of their own.

"Wow, this animal protection device feels really nice to the touch."

"唳~~"

Just as Lü Qian was stroking the smooth fur under his hand and looking at the golden line of monkeys in front of him, feeling quite moved by this group of monkeys who had become so clever, a clear and melodious crane cry came from afar.

The tall and elegant white crane landed on the mountainside, spreading its wings toward Lü Qian as if preparing to take off.

"You've come at the right time; it's time to go home."

Lu Qian covered his collar and sleeves as he waded out from the monkey troop, then leaped up the mountainside and landed on the white crane's back.

"Master, please help me train my White Tiger. This tribulation is over, and I will now return home."

"唳~~"

A gentle mountain breeze swept by, carrying the white crane's outstretched wings and propelling it upwards. In the blink of an eye, the figures of the young Taoist priest and the white crane disappeared into the clouds.

"The dream of wealth and glory fades, the innocent return home, and wings spread across the vast sky."

"Through numerous tribulations, I continue my spiritual practice; as the years turn, I walk the path of enlightenment."

Lu Qian sat on the white crane, watching the clouds drift by, pondering the information he had previously obtained from Xia Liuqing.

Those unfamiliar with Taoism might think that "劫" refers to a calamity, but in Taoism, "劫" is actually a unit of time, with one 劫 being 129,600 years.

In Journey to the West, the Buddha Tathagata discussed the Jade Emperor's cultivation, saying that the Jade Emperor cultivated freely and endured 1,750 kalpas, each of which lasted 129,600 years.

This passage does not mean that the Jade Emperor only experienced 1,750 tribulations in total, but rather that he cultivated for a total of 1,750 units of time, with each tribulation being a unit.

Recalling the novels and stories he had read, as well as his insights from the Daoist canon, Lü Qian shook his head. "Sometimes the concepts that people speculate about and set up are actually quite reasonable."

In some novels and stories, the Great Tribulation is seen as a mechanism by which Heaven and Earth settle karmic debts and restore order to development.

Heaven and earth are not benevolent, and all things are dogs.

But whether you say that Heaven and Earth are indifferent or compassionate, it's a matter of perspective from the individual beings themselves.

Heaven and earth have their own laws of operation. The way of heaven is constant. It does not exist for Yao, nor does it perish for Jie. Thus, in this "fairness", all kinds of living beings strive to survive and progress.

The fates of all kinds of living beings intertwine, forming various causes and effects. As time goes by, these causes and effects become increasingly complex, to the point that they can be triggered at any moment, thus forming what is known as a "great calamity".

Now, Lü Qian has some new insights into these past experiences: "It is called a great calamity, but it is more like a choice made by civilization when it faces development."

As a civilization begins to emerge and continues to develop, the intricacies of that civilization become increasingly complex.

The people, events, and things that make up a civilization constantly collide and become entangled, like threads intertwined, eventually evolving into chaos that affects the entire civilization.

Similarly, this confusion marks both the end of the old era of civilization and the beginning of a new era of civilizational development.

The old path collides with new paths under various possible circumstances, giving birth to the path to the future of civilization.

The cycle of cycles and alternations is both the way of the universe and the way of the development of civilization.

Thinking of this, Lü Qian suddenly realized something. He looked up at the sky and then looked down at the mountains and rivers below.

"Following the laws of Heaven and Earth, Dao Ancestor, are you still here?"

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The author needs to think about the upcoming arrangements; things have been too chaotic lately.

I need to take a break to work out the outline.