Immortality Through Array Formations Chapter 2221 Chapter 1033: Asura (Part 3)
Previously on Immortality Through Array Formations...
"The Sword Discussion Conference was meant for 'discussion,' not for 'killing.'
"Bringing it back now would simply push our disciples toward reckless slaughter. What would that say about the spirit of our Qianxue to the world?"
A few voices rose in dissent.
An Elder focused on Sword Cultivation, his face rough-hewn and his look severe, declared:
"Defeating demons and rooting out evil demands fierce, unyielding tactics. To defend the Dao, a warrior needs the fierce resolve of a Shura."
"Those demonic beasts are sly and brutal."
"To wipe them out, we must outsmart and outmatch their cruelty."
"Lacking a firm intent to strike down foes, you'll end up as prey for the demons."
"That's the true purpose behind the Shura battle."
"Without the sharp edge of battle and the unyielding spirit forged in the Shura fight, us Righteous Cultivators could never have toppled the Demon Palace, founded the Taoist Court, expanded the Righteous Dao, and protected all living things..."
Yet these statements sparked even stronger pushback.
"That's all old tales...
"The era has shifted. When demons rampaged everywhere, sure, ruthless action was vital. But with peace reigning now, why keep harping on 'Righteous versus Demonic'?
"Precisely, this is the Sword Discussion Conference, where noble Righteous clans stand proud and talents converge—where do 'demons' fit in?"
"Always bringing up Righteous and Demonic feels overly fearful..."
"This Shura battle doesn't sit right with me..."
"Agreed, I'm against it as well."
"If you oppose the Shura battle, then what? Are you planning to ignore the rulings from the Dao Discussion Heaven Instrument?"
"Well..."
The assembly paused once more.
The Dao Discussion Heaven Instrument remains, after all, a cherished heirloom of Mount of Tao, enduring for millennia, and nobody really has the nerve to outright reject its judgments.
"It's not rejection; it's just putting it on hold for now," explained an Elder skilled in smooth talk.
"Yes, just holding it back. For the ultimate rankings in the Earth Rank sword discussion, we'll sort them out on our own..."
"But then, who gets to handle this ranking?"
"No matter who does it, how do we ensure no bias or underhanded dealings sneak in?"
"No matter who steps up, how can we be sure it stays untouched by influence?"
The key issue boils down to, "no matter who handles it, will it win over the trust of all?"
The Dao Discussion Heaven Instrument's verdicts aren't always logical, and its produced rankings frequently leave various sects unhappy, leading to resentment among many disciples.
However, nobody ever openly challenges it.
For it stems from the forebears of Mount of Tao.
It's a tradition upheld for the Sword Discussion Conference through the ages.
It's the one thing that can truly 'earn trust.'
Should they stray from the Dao Discussion Heaven Instrument and craft the list by hand, even with the Four Great Sects and Eight Gates uniting, it wouldn't hold real weight.
Human tendencies are far too intricate, after all.
In this cutthroat setting, any plan hashed out by cultivators won't stand up to close examination.
Whatever way the list comes together, it'll draw endless 'suspicions.'
As for relying on 'random draws' to fate's whim, forget it.
These folks are the top Elders from mighty factions, grand sects, and noble houses, possessing sharp insight and vast experience, so they know full well that supposed chance isn't ever pure chance.
Certain gifted cultivators can wield Heavenly arts to twist cause and effect, even bending destiny to their will.
They might outright alter fortunes.
"So, do we have the Dao Discussion Heaven Instrument judge again?"
"No way," replied a Mount of Tao Elder, "once the Dao Discussion Heaven Instrument decides, that's final and unalterable."
"It's not a matter of unwillingness; it's impossibility."
"Even cautiously, if the Dao Discussion Heaven Instrument was indeed meddled with, would a fresh judgment bring a new outcome?"
"If it's alterable once, it could be twice...
"Erm..."
The Elders knit their brows tightly, genuinely stumped this time.
No path forward seemed clear for a choice.
Within the grand hall, hushed talks started up again as the Elders from different sects huddled together, furrowing their brows in debate over the issue.
After some time passed, an ancient figure with snow-white hair and beard, his years a mystery, gradually lifted his eyelids and let out a raspy sigh:
"Very well, let the Shura battle go on. The Dao Discussion Heaven Instrument's outcome stands firm and unchangeable..."
Noticing lingering doubts among the others, this Elder continued:
"The Dao Discussion Heaven Instrument is a relic of our ancestors."
"Its mechanisms are intricate, its links to fate deep-rooted."
"What makes it truly remarkable is that its judgments always offer the optimal path under the present conditions."
"Even if the verdict feels odd or unexpected, without the genius of Mount of Tao's founders, we shouldn't casually discard it."
"Following its guidance might lead to trouble."
"Defying it would only breed greater chaos..." "Life's paths often force picks between 'trouble' and 'disaster'!...
"Don't overestimate your own judgment; instead, revere the works of the ancients."
These insights struck deep, silencing the room as they sank in.
The hall plunged into a momentary hush.
"Moreover, for most of your sects, this turn of events isn't actually harmful..."
The elder with flowing white hair shone with keen understanding in his gaze:
"It presents a chance for all of you."
"The Shura battle holds immense importance, powerful enough to 'shake up the order.'
"Remember, long ago, it went by a different title..." The elder's stare grew intense, his tone booming like thunder:
"The Heaven Rank Ascension Clash!"
Only those who weather the brutal Shura trials and rise as true prodigies earn the right to climb Xuantian Peak, joining the ultimate Heaven Rank sword discussion at Mount of Tao's summit with their era's greatest.
This had been the Heaven Rank Ascension Clash once. These heavy revelations made every Elder's heart race with tension.
At the same time, their gazes shifted, minds buzzing with personal schemes.
The arguments at Mount of Tao came to an end.
Ultimately, the decision stood, and by dusk, word spread to every sect.
The closing stage of the Earth Rank sword discussion would revive the old sword discussion method:
"Shura Battle."
"All disciples in the Earth Rank will dive into a frenzied fight to the death for dominance."
"The last ones standing claim victory."
Once this news reached the sects and clans, it ignited uproar in every corner.
Even the attending cultivators, there just to observe, erupted in shock.
This development was utterly astonishing.
It shattered nearly everyone's assumptions.
The Earth Rank sword discussion, thought to be all but wrapped up, now whipped into a massive tempest like a storm unleashed.
At this point, nobody could predict the unfolding chaos...
Meanwhile, the Four Great Sects, Eight Gates, Twelve Streams, and even select groups from the Qian Learning Hundred Gates who made it to the Earth Rank sword discussion—all their senior Elders and Sect Leaders called urgent gatherings through the night to tackle the abrupt twist from the Sword Discussion Conference.
From twilight till the dead of night, lanterns blazed in every major sect. Sleep evaded almost all.
At Taixu Gate, within the Elder's Quarters.
Since the previous evening, Elder Master Xun had paced uneasily, and staring now at the divination compass ahead, his expression turned profoundly somber.
In the end, the veteran Elder Master Xun breathed a heavy sigh:
"The tempest is upon us at last..."
This brewing tempest had... plummeted from the heavens without warning.
Qianxue's heavens were on the verge of upheaval.
And right then, in the Disciple's Quarters.
Mo Hua gazed at the phrase 'Shura Battle,' feeling equally stunned and adrift in his mind.
Along with it rushed a wave of sudden worry.
The slim hope he'd yearned for had at last materialized.
In a daze, Mo Hua's vision swam, and he imagined his master's kind smile beaming toward him...