Wandering Gods of Day and Night

At that moment, just like this moment...

Zhou Xuan almost without hesitation, shouted: "Tao Ancestor."

"Young lad, calling me Tao Ancestor, this old one hardly dares to accept it."

"May I ask where Tao Ancestor is heading?"

Tao Ancestor pointed ahead towards the sandstorm and said, "West of Quicksand, there are barbarians who are ignorant of enlightenment. This old one intends to travel to the Western Sand Country. However, the beautiful rivers and mountains of Jing Country, with war arising again, weigh heavily on my heart. It's hard to distract from traveling.

Young lad, are you willing to relieve this old one of some worry, and bring those battle fires to cease?"

"I am willing, but my abilities are inadequate. I'm afraid I cannot do it unless Tao Ancestor could..."

Zhou Xuan, whether this Tao Ancestor was an illusion, a reflection, a mirage, or existent reality—regardless, asked directly for the Taoist's Divine Skills.

Tao Ancestor then laughed heartily and said, "The young lad reminds me, without the arts of subduing demons and evil, not knowing the mysteries of the world, how can battle fires be quelled?

So be it, if the Heavenly Mechanism isn't revealed in scrolls, people remain lost forever. I shall compose five thousand words, leaving them to you, young lad."

Tao Ancestor pointed with his right hand towards Zhou Xuan, and a piece of Taoist scripture settled into Zhou Xuan's brow, every word a gem—this scripture was the source of the "Valley True Inheritance"—the "Taiqing Taoist True Scripture."

"The Dao that can be spoken is not the eternal Dao; the name that can be named is not the eternal name. If one can comprehend this scripture, they shall enter the gate of all mysteries, Xuan upon Xuan."

"Thank you, Tao Ancestor, for gifting the scripture."

"The scripture is gifted, but comprehension of the Heavenly Mechanism is not guaranteed. Young lad, do you perceive the methods to subdue demons and evil from my True Scripture?"

"Naturally comprehend."

Zhou Xuan hearing this, knew that Tao Ancestor's question was key to the success of the Promotion Ceremony.

"Tell this old one."

"Knowing its glory, keeping its disgrace, being the valley of the world," Zhou Xuan said.

"This is the infinite Saint, though it is a wondrous method, it isn't quite enough to subdue demons." Tao Ancestor shook his head.

"Knowing its male, keeping its female, being the stream of the world," Zhou Xuan continued.

Tao Ancestor shook his head again, saying, "This is the non-action of the Daoist, one of many Xuan, yet cannot cease battle fires, still insufficient."

Zhou Xuan solemnly then slowly recited, "Knowing its black, keeping its white, being the form of the world."

Upon hearing this, Tao Ancestor gently stroked his long beard, satisfied, riding a buffalo westward, saying as he went, "Abandon ships and carts, cease battles, return to natural simplicity, live in comfort, honoring folk customs, neighboring countries visible, the sounds of chickens and dogs heard, yet old and dying without interactions...

Young lad, you are a promising youth. After ceasing battles, if you have interest, travel with this old one west of Quicksand."

Clearly, Tao Ancestor was quite pleased with Zhou Xuan's answer,

Tao Ancestor headed west out of Valley Pass, and before the pass, the valley was shrouded in purple mist.

Purple mist for ninety thousand miles, all coming from the east.

Within the purple mist, appeared an elder's mask, identical to Tao Ancestor's face.

After Dragon Seeking and Dun Jia combined incense and burnt together, only a mask was obtained.

But this mask,

its status is high, it comes from Tao Ancestor.

"If Tao Ancestor's Xuantong doesn't appear in the world, Jingguo Taoist is forever trapped in confusion."

Zhou Xuan reached out, drawing the mask from the purple mist, wore it on his face, standing on one foot, body leaning, drifting amidst the ninety thousand miles of purple mist, feeling Tao Ancestor's demeanor.

When the purple mist dispersed, yellow sand ceased, within Zhou Xuan's Secret Realm, everything returned to normal. On this day, Zhou Xuan simultaneously completed the Dragon Seeking and Dun Jia Tangkou, advancing five incense sticks...

...

Zhou Xuan suddenly opened his eyes, at his waist, there was a Tao Ancestor mask, at this moment exuding an innate air of immortality, in every gesture, naturally returning to simplicity, causing Mo Ya Monk to feel unsettled.

"Great sir, advancement of five incense sticks?"

"Have you seen Tao Ancestor Master?"

Master Wu Ya asked.

"The gate of all mysteries, Xuan upon Xuan." Zhou Xuan recited scripture.

Zen Master clapped and laughed, "Then you have seen."

Zhou Xuan looked towards the chessboard, seeing the Ancestor Tree Golden Bell about to take shape, then said to Master Wu Ya, "Ancestor Tree and Golden Bell have already united Dao?"

"It will take some time before Ancestor Tree Golden Bell truly unites Dao."

"Since I have seen Tao Ancestor, there is no need for Ancestor Tree and Golden Bell's Dao to unite."

Snap!

While Zhou Xuan and Master Wu Ya were discussing, Mo Ya Monk placed a black stone, saying, "Great sir, you advance five incense sticks, you can enter the game controlling double dragons, to turn the tide, but at this moment, the grand dragon on the chessboard has already been slaughtered by my black stone, without the position of the grand dragon, even if you control double dragons, what use is it?"

"You have already lost your momentum, a step too late."

Mo Ya Monk's move completely blocked the position of the grand dragon, the whole board slaughtered.

Zhou Xuan was not surprised at all, instead exchanging a smile with Zhao Wuya, saying, "Zen Master, the demon monk is already in the trap, the rest is for Zen Master to catch the turtle in the urn."

"I am already in the urn?"

Mo Ya Monk was somewhat enlightened, but not completely clear, he realized he seemed to have fallen into Zhou Xuan's trap, but did not know where the trap lay.

"Monk, thank you for slaying the dragon, the situation seems lost, but the true situation has always been within the plan of the young monk and the great sir."

After the grand dragon was slaughtered, Master Wu Ya began to quickly place stones.

White stones filled possible spots, and Mo Ya Monk did not slacken, placing stones and fighting back, in no time exchanging dozens of moves—the grand dragon already slain, the chess position established, the rest is the phase of filling and calculating stones, further thought is useless,

After dozens of moves were settled, Mo Ya Monk looked at the chess position again, seeing some mystery in it—the black and white stones intermingled, the whole board viewed as black within white, white within black,