Chapter 2422: What Does the Great Vehicle Seek?

**Wuxia and Xianxia**

It sounds like the origin of this world is somewhat similar to that of the Talisman Realm.

"Is this world not naturally formed by heaven and earth?" Qin Sang asked. "What then is its foundation?"

The Talisman Realm was one of the Four Administrations of the former Dao Court, where the Divine Court carved out a separate world from the Great Thousand Realm. Is this world also born from some kind of treasure?

"As you can see, the Black Tortoise Saint Palace must be one of the cornerstones of this world. However, the true foundation of this world is a Post-Heaven Spirit Treasure called the 'Rivers and Mountains Scroll'!" Qingyuan said in a deep voice.

"A Post-Heaven Spirit Treasure! The Rivers and Mountains Scroll!"

This was Qin Sang’s first time hearing about this Post-Heaven Spirit Treasure. He didn't know which powerful being it belonged to. Noticing Qingyuan's expression, his heart stirred. "Is the promise you mentioned related to this treasure?"

"I have come specifically to retrieve the Rivers and Mountains Scroll!"

Qingyuan stated calmly, slowly revealing an ancient secret to Qin Sang.

"The owner of this treasure was a great human sage who once assisted the Jade Emperor. He entered the Dao through painting, and his artistry reached the pinnacle of perfection. The world revered him as the Painting Sage!

"The Rivers and Mountains Scroll is the Post-Heaven Spirit Treasure personally refined by the Painting Sage!

"Back then, the Jade Emperor led humanity to overthrow the Demon Court. The demon race became weak and was banished to the desolate wilderness. Humanity was poised for a great resurgence; if they had continued with one mighty push, they could have definitively crippled the demon race, completely subdued all other races, and taken control of the Spirit Realm.

"However, before the overall situation was settled, the Demon Realm suddenly arrived and collided with the Spirit Realm, shattering the terrestrial membrane and unleashing the demonic tribulation!

"At that time, the Spirit Realm had undergone multiple great wars, and all races were exhausted. Although humanity produced many heroes, they also suffered heavy losses. They had no choice but to abandon their dominance, unite with other races, and collectively resist the demonic tribulation.

"The Jade Emperor intended to forge a world barrier to repair the terrestrial membrane.

"The Painting Sage was ordered to assist the Black Tortoise Saint Race. Eventually, he teamed up with them to repel the Demon Realm army, using supreme treasures like the Rivers and Mountains Scroll and the Black Tortoise Saint Palace, along with the flesh and blood of countless living beings, to help the Jade Emperor forge the world barrier and suppress the terrestrial membrane fissure at this location!

"After this battle, the Black Tortoise Saint Race suffered heavy losses, almost facing extinction. The Painting Sage, along with the Black Tortoise Saint Race, fell into the Northern Pole, disappearing ever since, his fate unknown!"

Qingyuan’s words resolved many of Qin Sang’s doubts.

It turned out that the first demonic tribulation occurred at the tail end of the great war between the human and demon races. Qin Sang then connected this with what he had witnessed in the Foreigner Race's Holy Land, and the crucial timelines of several major events that happened around the time of the demonic tribulation finally became clear.

Wait!

Qingyuan was actually going to retrieve the Rivers and Mountains Scroll, and it was to fulfill a promise.

A promise to whom? Could it be the Painting Sage?

What era was Qingyuan from, exactly!

Qingyuan continued, "Nothing in this world is eternal. No matter how strong a world barrier is, it will eventually collapse! Once the seal loosens, this world will return to the Great Thousand Realm, and the Rivers and Mountains Scroll will reappear in the world. As for the Painting Sage, his fate is unknown. If he has already perished, the Rivers and Mountains Scroll would become an ownerless treasure. Moreover, the Rivers and Mountains Scroll has supported the seal for countless years, so it's uncertain if it's damaged. I must assist it to prevent anyone from snatching it..."

Qin Sang sensed an unspoken meaning in Qingyuan’s tone.

What if the Painting Sage wasn't dead?

The Painting Sage must have been a Mahayana cultivator, and Mahayana cultivators face no tribulations!

Powerful beings possess heaven-defying abilities. The Rivers and Mountains Scroll is the Painting Sage's Natal Spirit Treasure, so perhaps it contains a contingency plan left by the Painting Sage, allowing him to be reborn through the treasure.

He actually had a chance to meet a powerful being from the Jade Emperor's era!

This indicated that Qingyuan had an extraordinary relationship with the Painting Sage.

"However," Qingyuan paused here, his tone shifting. He frowned, looking into the depths of the void with some doubt. "The Rivers and Mountains Scroll should be within this Gui Xu, which is why it hasn't been discovered for so many years. I just cast a spell, but I didn't receive any response from the artifact spirit."

An artifact spirit!

Qin Sang's eyes narrowed.

The Painting Sage, the Rivers and Mountains Scroll, the Dao of Painting, ink landscapes, the inkstone...

He seemed to know the true origin of the inkstone!

Considering the inkstone's peculiar realm and its various unusual actions, Qin Sang made a bold guess.

Could it be that the inkstone *is* the artifact spirit!

What the inkstone had been searching for all along was actually its true form – the Rivers and Mountains Scroll!

In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through his mind. Qin Sang also thought of the Vermilion Bird and the Sky-Climbing Vine.

According to Qingyuan, the Rivers and Mountains Scroll must have transformed into the spiritual veins of this world, supporting this minor realm and hiding within the Gui Xu.

It was only when the inkstone entered the Gui Xu and the artifact spirit returned to its place that a heavenly secret was momentarily revealed, which was perceived by both the Sky-Climbing Vine and Qingyuan, who then sought it out. However, they then lost their target here.

What happened back then that caused the artifact spirit to separate from its main body is unknown. The inkstone transformed into a demon and wandered outside, searching for its true form. Recalling some of the inkstone's behaviors, they didn't seem feigned. Perhaps even it didn't know its true origin until it saw the Gui Xu, at which point everything became clear.

Qingyuan said the Rivers and Mountains Scroll might be damaged, and judging by the inkstone's state, that's highly probable.

The inkstone's current cultivation is only equivalent to the Void Refinement stage. A sudden return to its main body would undoubtedly cause a shock. Perhaps it's not that it doesn't want to respond, but that it cannot spare the attention, or even that it has fallen into a deep slumber.

"Oh? Daoist, have you seen the artifact spirit of the Rivers and Mountains Scroll?" Seeing Qin Sang's expression, Qingyuan showed a hint of delight.

Qin Sang then recounted the inkstone's behavior and his own speculations.

Qingyuan nodded repeatedly. "Even if this demon isn't the artifact spirit of the Rivers and Mountains Scroll, it's definitely related to it! I hope, Daoist, you can lend me a hand!"

Hearing this, Qin Sang hesitated, unsure how he could help Qingyuan.

"Daoist, through this pearl, you should be able to sense something, shouldn't you?" Qingyuan looked at the clam pearl in Qin Sang's hand.

Qin Sang nodded. "But I can only determine which direction is the deepest part of this void; I can't sense the Rivers and Mountains Scroll itself."

"That's enough! Daoist, you only need to point me in the right direction!"

Qingyuan didn't take the clam pearl directly because he still needed Qin Sang.

He didn't know the current state of the artifact spirit; it might not immediately understand his good intentions. If the artifact spirit mistook him for an enemy, it would be counterproductive, especially since he was only a clone here, with his true self still lingering outside.

Qin Sang had a connection with the artifact spirit. With Qin Sang present, the artifact spirit wouldn't immediately attack, at the very least.

Qin Sang hesitated for a moment, then decided to proceed. The chance to earn a powerful being's favor was extremely rare; even knowing there might be danger, he had to seize it.

Next, the two quickly exchanged words. Qin Sang voiced his questions, and with a few pointers from Qingyuan, Qin Sang exclaimed in realization, clearing up his confusion and gaining a deeper understanding of the clam pearl.

"There!"

Qin Sang raised his hand and pointed into the deep darkness.

Qingyuan made no visible movement. The surroundings were pitch black with no points of reference, yet Qin Sang felt the surrounding void twisting and stretching, as if they were moving at an unimaginable speed.

A moment later, Qin Sang again sensed the divine consciousness of Ghost-Treasury Great Sage.

Before, this divine consciousness had swept past him from ahead; this time, it was receding behind them.

No, it wasn't that the Ghost-Treasury Great Sage had withdrawn his divine consciousness; it was that their speed was too fast, even surpassing the speed of divine consciousness!

At this point, no matter how bizarre the things happening around Qingyuan were, Qin Sang would no longer be surprised.

He adapted to the current speed. Seeing Qingyuan look his way, he asked, "Who would try to snatch the Rivers and Mountains Scroll?"

"The demon race, of course!"

Qingyuan stated decisively, "The Demon Court! Dragon Island! Phoenix Pavilion!"

"The Demon Court?"

Qin Sang was startled, thinking he had misheard. "But wasn't the Demon Court..."

Qingyuan hummed. "It seems there are some things you are not yet clear about, Daoist. We were speaking of the ancient Demon Court earlier; now, there's a new one. As for the origin of this new Demon Court, that's a long story... Do you know of the Five Classes of Creatures: shell-less, scaly, furry, feathered, and insect?"

"Naturally, I do!" Qin Sang recalled the records in ancient texts.

The concept of the Five Classes divides all living beings in the world into shell-less, scaly, furry, feathered, and insect.

There are three hundred and sixty feathered creatures, known as Avian Beings, consisting of birds, with the Phoenix as their leader;Three hundred and sixty furry creatures, known as Mammalian Beings, consisting of beasts, with the Qilin as their leader;Three hundred and sixty armored creatures, known as Armored Beings, possessing shells, with the Black Tortoise as their leader;Three hundred and sixty scaly creatures, known as Scaly Beings, consisting of scaly creatures, with the Dragon as their leader;Three hundred and sixty naked creatures, without feathers, fur, scales, or armor, are known as Naked Beings, with the Sages as their leader.

These are the beautiful categories of the universe, representing the numbers of birds, beasts, and all creation.

However, humanity is currently dominant, proclaimed as the 'primates of all creation,' while all other races are categorized as demons.

Qingyuan nodded. "Then, Daoist, have you noticed that among the five races designated as leaders of the Five Classes, excluding our human race which is not counted among the demon races, both the Black Tortoise and the Dragon are among the Four Great Saint Races?"

Qin Sang truly hadn't considered it in detail. "Do you mean that the concept of the Five Classes' leaders originated from the Demon Court's Four Great Saint Races? But why the Phoenix and Qilin, and not the White Tiger and Vermilion Bird? Wait, could the Qilin be..."

Suddenly, Qin Sang thought of something, and his heart trembled.

"Precisely! The last Demon Emperor of the ancient Demon Court was indeed a Qilin!"

Qingyuan continued, "I don't know whether the Naked Beings were implicated by us humans, or if they have always been weak and disregarded throughout history. The Tiger is the king of beasts, a subject of the Qilin, governing beasts on its behalf. As for why the Phoenix clan didn't become a Saint Race, I also don't know. Perhaps the Demon Court couldn't force all demon races to submit; perhaps the Phoenix clan was unwilling to be beneath the Qilin and refused to accept an official title, so the Demon Court put the Vermilion Bird forward instead. However, times change, and prosperity and decline are impermanent. Since the collapse of the Demon Court, many powerful and prominent ancient clans perished alongside the last Demon Emperor in that exceedingly long war. Only the Dragon and Phoenix clans have continued to thrive."

"The Qilin race also perished?" Qin Sang was shocked. The Qilin race was, after all, the descendant of the Demon Emperor.

Qingyuan nodded. "Currently, there are still a few pure-blooded Black Tortoises in the world, but there hasn't been any news of the Qilin race for a long time. Perhaps there are still Qilin descendants, but their whereabouts are unknown."

He had a Qilin in his own small grotto-heaven!

Qin Sang's thoughts churned. He had long known that the Qilin was an ancient divine beast, but he never expected it to have such a significant background.

He wondered if the little Qilin was a pure-blooded Qilin.

Qin Sang recalled the golden light attracted by the little Qilin during its tribulation; no wonder the other party was so surprised after realizing it was a Qilin.

And the mysterious Storm Realm, from which a Qilin actually emerged!

Once a Qilin emerges, who knows what kind of stir it will cause. Qin Sang suppressed his thoughts and asked, "Is the demon race now led by the Dragon and Phoenix clans?"

"Precisely. Dragon Island and Phoenix Pavilion have become the two great holy lands of the demon race. However, not all demon races are necessarily willing to obey Dragon Island and Phoenix Pavilion. The Dragon is the leader of Scaly Beings, and the Phoenix is the leader of Avian Beings, so they naturally favor their own kind. This leads to injustice within the demon race, especially for the Mammalian Beings. They were originally the strongest, but with the Qilin in seclusion, no one champions their cause, and the Dragon and Phoenix clans probably don't want another Qilin Demon Emperor to emerge. The Mammalian Beings have been heavily suppressed, so it's understandable they feel resentment," Qingyuan explained slowly, clearly very knowledgeable about the demon race.

"So that's how the new Demon Court came about?" Qin Sang finally understood the internal situation of the demon race.

Just like humanity, the demon race was not a monolithic entity; it was rife with internal conflicts.

Or rather, the demon race was the least likely to be united. It was inherently a combination of countless races, with not only conflicts over the Great Dao but also racial strife.

Where there are conflicts, there are divisions. Unless another Demon Emperor emerges to subdue all demons, a full-scale rupture would eventually occur. It was only because of humanity's current dominance that it hadn't fractured.

Qingyuan assented, "Although the Demon Court collapsed, it left behind some relics. Coincidentally, as discussions about the Mahayana and Hinayana paths arose in the Spirit Realm, some demon cultivators stepped forward, established a new Demon Court, and pursued the Mahayana path. They gained widespread support, directly challenging Dragon Island and Phoenix Pavilion."

Discussions about the Mahayana and Hinayana paths again!

From Moon-Drowning Bay to Great Zhou, from Great Zhou to the Misty Sea, from the Misty Sea to the Wu Tribe, and then from the Wu Tribe to the demon race — no matter which race, they all seemed to be debating the Mahayana and Hinayana paths.

Furthermore, transformations were occurring within each race: the Foreigner Race turned their Holy Land into a dream, the Wu Tribe resurrected the five ancient tribes, and a new Demon Court appeared among the demon race. Internal affairs among humanity were even more tumultuous: the return of the Dao Court, numerous Buddhist Dharma Assemblies, the reign of Merit in Qianzhou, debates in the Great Zhou imperial court...

Undercurrents surged throughout the entire Spirit Realm. This was undoubtedly related to the world barrier's disintegration and the impending demonic tribulation, and certainly connected to the dispute between the Mahayana and Hinayana paths.

"The Mahayana path, the Hinayana path..."

Qin Sang murmured, "What is the new Demon Court like? Why, though both are Demon Courts, did the ancient Demon Court follow the Hinayana path, while the new Demon Court follows the Mahayana path? What exactly does Mahayana seek?"

Qingyuan saw Qin Sang’s confused expression and said, "That depends on how you view yourself and the Great Thousand World."

"I hope you can enlighten me, Daoist!" Qin Sang's expression was filled with urgency.

Qingyuan mused for a moment, then offered an analogy.

"If you consider the Spirit Realm to be a great tree on the earth, and the Immortal Realm to be a higher land in the heavens, then cultivators are like the fruits borne by the Spirit Realm. Most of these fruits can never ripen, but eventually, some will, falling naturally from their stems, leaving the Spirit Realm to ascend to vaster heavens and take root in the Immortal Realm! Even if the Spirit Realm eventually declines and perishes, it would have completed its propagation and ascension."

As he spoke, Qingyuan waved his sleeve, and a tree appeared before them, laden with abundant fruit, though most of it was unripe.

Qin Sang gazed at the fruit tree. Suddenly, Qingyuan waved his sleeve again, and another tree grew beside it. This new tree was immensely tall, making the fruit tree seem like a small sapling beside it.

Suddenly, the fruits on the original tree vanished, but countless roots of various sizes spread out from its base.

Qingyuan pointed to the large tree and said, "If you believe that the Immortal Realm, like the Spirit Realm, is merely another tree, only taller and more luxuriant, then why can't the Spirit Realm grow into such a large tree? Why must cultivators abandon their own world? In this way, cultivators can also be the roots of the great tree, helping the Spirit Realm take root in more fertile soil, absorbing more nutrients, pruning its branches, removing pests, and helping it grow robustly – or rather, growing together with it!"

"What is the Mahayana path? There was once a Daoist friend whose single statement astonished the world, and it may resolve your confusion!"

Qingyuan paused, then said solemnly.

"I shall ascend, bringing the realms with me!"