"Not moved by feelings, nor troubled by them. Heartlessness is also my Dao and I will not abandon it," Xuan Du indifferently said.

As a Supreme Daoist, Xuan Du excelled in Taoist teachings and possessed his own understandings. He knew that Forget Love is not synonymous with heartlessness, yet in his view, Forget Love and heartlessness were no different, as both meant not being ensnared by feelings.

Xuan Du, who had walked this path since childhood, did not plan to experience emotions again, only to then forget them; he was resolute in his path, moving ever forward.

"The Dao Heart of a Daoist friend is exceptionally steady," Qing Yu praised.

What is called having emotions, forgetting emotions, or being heartless, when spoken of, sounds grand, but in reality, is merely a state of mind. Each person's circumstances differ, and so do their choices.

Some are deeply emotional by nature, naturally emotional, and the path they walk is naturally romantically brilliant and exceptionally vibrant.

Some have a cold nature, finding it difficult to harbor emotions; their path may seem monotonous and colorless, but it might just suit their inclinations perfectly.

In the Dao, there is only a sequence , no hierarchy. To arrogantly assert a hierarchy is nothing but the meddling of a haughty heart.

Qing Yu was not intentionally demeaning Xuan Du's path, but his skills in verbal spars had increased recently, and he wanted to debate with everyone he met. In the end, Qing Yu himself was also a person without emotions,—cold-hearted, but not visibly emotionless like Xuan Du.

These days, Qing Yu had encountered many masters. Most of them, in terms of their own strength, exceeded Qing Yu who had not absorbed the Earth Essence Qi to enhance himself.

However, of these people, none could match Qing Yu in terms of mental state. For those like Xin Hui and Lin Qiuxuan, finding their mental weaknesses, with Qing Yu's control over the psyche, could easily breach their defenses and make their mental states unravel.

But Xuan Du was different. His nature was firm, unaffected by external objects. As he himself said, "Not moved by feelings, nor troubled by them."

His entire nature was like a cold, calculating machine, filled with rationality and wisdom.

Such individuals, as long as their mental state remains intact, would be terrifyingly strong. Being heartless is not the strongest, but it certainly has the least vulnerabilities. With such people, only sheer power can overwhelm them.

Of course, should their mental state shatter, such people could also be extremely miserable.

Historically, many ruthless tyrants indeed died because of matters of the heart.

So, in Qing Yu's view, if there was a choice, his own path was still the best. Even if moved by feelings, he would not be ensnared by them, and this choice was indeed the most superior.

After all, in one's life, who can guarantee never being moved?

Only by being between having emotions and being emotionless can one avoid the disadvantages of both. Simply put, one wants it all. To enjoy the benefits without bearing the disadvantages.

Qing Yu was just that greedy.

"Heaven and earth endure forever. The reason they can last is that they do not exist for themselves, thereby achieving longevity. Thus, the Saint retreats in the face of matters, yet advances ahead of others; he places himself last, yet his presence remains. It's not because he is selfless. Daoist friend, what do you think?" Xuan Du suddenly asked.

The general meaning of this statement was, heaven and earth endure because they operate naturally, not for their own survival. Saints humble and yield in conflicts but can lead amongst people; by setting themselves apart, they preserve their own lives. It is because he is selfless that he fulfills his own existence.

Well, Qing Yu was no longer interested in a verbal spar, but it seemed Xuan Du wanted to discuss further.

"Being emotionally detached and selfless, Daoist friend, your thoughts are somewhat different from mine," Qing Yu said.

Qing Yu's understanding of being heartless leaned more towards being selfishly heartless, somewhat akin to the Demon Path's ruthless ways. However, Xuan Du's version of heartlessness leaned towards the Taoist ideal of non-action, lofty and profound, like the heavens and earth, overlooking all beings.

"Heaven's utmost selfishness is used for the public good. Only the utmost selfishness can achieve true equality and fairness," Qing Yu countered.

"No, Daoist friend, it is said that good and evil shall be rewarded, the Qiankun must have selfishness. If it's utmost selfishness, wouldn't it effectively mimic the Buddhist notion of karmic retribution?"

"This is the mentality of ordinary people; we should not possibly..."

The two of them went on like this, each statement from one provoked a vigorous response from the other, pointedly targeting each other's weaknesses.

As the discussion intensified, True Qi surged around Xuan Du's body, a Mystic Energy of Xuan Xu emanating from his crown, supremely pure and boundless in power, seemingly tangible but actually pervading the heavens and earth.

The entire world seemed to merge with Xuan Du, endless power rolling in.

The confrontation was about to escalate to a martial contest.

Countless words fail to persuade as much as a single punch. This wasn't a crude shift from being unable to argue to fighting, but because in Martial Arts, only through action can true principles be revealed.

Higher or lower realms naturally involve a difference in strength. A comparison would clearly reveal the difference between the two.

Was it to be an equal stand-off, or would one outshine the other and suppress his opponent? This contest would reveal it all.

The formless power spread throughout the heavens and earth. Though Xuan Du was right before his eyes, it was as if he was everywhere.

"Should this be said as the turning of the wheel of fortune?" Qing Yu chuckled.

In the past, it was always he who used his alignment with the heavens and the earth to suppress his opponents, but now, Qing Yu was experiencing for the first time what it was like to contend against the heaven and earth.

"Disperse form into Qi, gather form into the Supreme. Supreme Taoist Sect's 'Supreme Heaven Opening Scripture,' impressive!"

Qing Yu felt the ever-increasing oppressive force and couldn't help but praise it.

Heaven and earth were vast yet converged within one body; at this moment, Xuan Du merged with heaven and earth, indistinguishable from each other, and every move he made was a manifestation of overwhelming force, bearing down irresistibly.

When Qing Yu was in the Innate Realm, he had contended with Qiao Baixuan of the Fate Altar. Qiao Baixuan's 'Heavenly Destiny Palm' leveraged the Heavenly Destiny to be omnipresent, pressing down with immense force, but compared to this 'Supreme Heaven Opening Scripture,' the 'Heavenly Destiny Palm' undoubtedly paled.

One leveraged the great momentum of heaven and earth, the other merged with heaven and earth. The difference was clear.

As he pondered, the invisible force grew heavier, making Qing Yu feel as though his body was being flattened.

"Taiji Xuan Yi, Yin and Yang Qi."

Pure Yin Xuan Qi and Fierce Yang Gang Qi suddenly burst forth, forming a Taiji Formation outside his body, propelling back the oppressive force.

"Daoist friend, Supreme Heaven Opening, where Yin and Yang originate. If this is all your skill, it seems this philosophical debate is mine," Xuan Du noticed Qing Yu's resistance but remained unmoved, speaking calmly.

He was right; Yin and Yang Qi couldn't overcome this formless force of heaven and earth. The 'Supreme Heaven Opening Scripture' contained True Qi that was supremely pure, embracing the force of heaven and earth, and even a Return to Nothing couldn't dissolve it.

The Dao Ancestor truly was the progenitor of the Qi Cultivation Technique; his 'Supreme Heaven Opening Scripture' represented the ultimate in Qi, possessing an unbeatable force.

To contend with Xuan Du, it wasn't about relying on Mysterious Techniques, because no matter how profound, it was difficult to surpass the 'Supreme Heaven Opening Scripture'; only strength against strength, a clash of strong forces, could successfully resist.

Qing Yu's eyes, unbeknownst to when, started to churn with a deep, dark essence. The Taiji Diagram revolving outside began to slowly distort, the Yin and Yang Qi no longer separate, beginning to truly merge.

At their confluence, Destruction began to materialize.

PS: I went out for a late-night snack, couldn't help it, someone urged me. As always, I'll make up for it tomorrow.

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