"What mistake did Golden Light make?"

Gao Xuan smiled, "I haven't really investigated that. It's not good to speak carelessly. But his biggest mistake was provoking me."

This statement was quite blunt, Jinshan's eyes grew cold, "Just because Golden Light provoked you, you decided to strike him down?"

Jinshan suddenly raised his voice, "Isn't the Celestial Master too domineering with this action?"

"There are always many reasons."

Gao Xuan calmly asked, "Jinshan, did you all come aggressively just to reason with me?"

Jinshan raised his head solemnly, "We of the Buddhist Sect, although we also perform Vajra's Furious Gaze to subdue demons, we must reason."

"In that case, let me try reasoning with all of you."

Gao Xuan looked at the endlessly flowing river ahead, "Monk, may I ask, do you know why water flows downward?" 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

This question stumped Jinshan.

Water flowing downward is the simplest reason. Even a three-year-old child knows it. But why it flows downward is a complex matter.

With Jinshan's wisdom and insight, he didn't know how to answer for a moment.

The other monks of the Buddhist Sect also looked at each other in confusion. The monks were good at debate, but at this moment, no one understood the situation, and nobody dared to speak carelessly.

Jinshan quickly reacted and asked, "What's the relation of this with my junior's death? Celestial Master, why avoid the topic..."

Gao Xuan laughed heartily, "You monk, I said reasoning isn't needed, act when you want. Yet, you persistently pretend. Now I reason, and you don't listen."

"Fine, I want to hear what reason there is. Please teach us, Celestial Master."

Jinshan has lived for several thousand years and has enough cultivation. Even though he couldn't comprehend, he remained calm.

The Buddhist Sect is known for adept debating; he didn't believe that dozens of high monks present could be outdone by Gao Xuan.

Gao Xuan nodded, "Water flows downward. It is the nature of matter, also the Heavenly Dao."

"That's it?" Jinshan questioned.

Gao Xuan shook his head, "I've always wondered why it is so!"

Water flows downward, apples fall to the ground; this is a physical law in the Star River Cosmos, a natural change due to planetary gravity.

However, the Cyan Celestial Realm is not a planet. Is there gravity here?

Gao Xuan, driven by exploration, studied the problem of water flowing downward. In terms of material rules, Cyan Celestial Realm and Star River Cosmos are alike.

But Gao Xuan felt there was a significant difference. Here, the changes in material nature are driven by more advanced Heaven and Earth Laws.

Small insights can reveal big truths; water flowing downward directly showcases the Heaven and Earth Law.

Gao Xuan thought for a long time, today facing the rushing river, when pressed by Jinshan and others, he suddenly gained insight.

In the Immortal Realm, purity ascends while impurity descends. Hence, the higher an immortal's Dao Practice, the purer their aura. An immortal is in a constant upward process, ultimately reaching above the Nine Heavens.

All mundane things are aggregations of impurity, naturally heading downward. Rivers are like this, apples too, all living beings are alike.

Only through continuous cultivation, eliminating impurity, transforming into a Pure Yang body, can one transcend life and death, no longer bound by impurity.

Gao Xuan said, "At the root, all changes are purity ascends, impurity descends. Thus the river flows downward and immortals soar upward. The Immortal Realm may be vast, but all changes arise from this."

This reasoning is actually simple, Jinshan and the others weren't unable to understand. It was only after hearing Gao Xuan speak that they suddenly realized this is a rule applicable to all natural changes in the Immortal Realm.

Though the reasoning seemed to have no practical use, it gave everyone a sudden epiphany.

It must be said that this simple reasoning was full of wisdom.

Jinshan was silent for a while before asking, "What does this have to do with my junior's death?"

"Purity ascends, impurity descends, your junior Golden Light was muddled and impure, destined for his soul to return to Hell."

Gao Xuan casually remarked.

Jinshan was infuriated, his muscles on his face tensed, he realized Gao Xuan was just making it up.

What's more infuriating is that he believed it.

Jinshan gritted his teeth and said, "So the Celestial Master is toying with us."

"The reasoning has been clearly explained. It's your choice to be stubborn."

Gao Xuan wasn't speaking nonsensically. He understood the nature of water flowing downward, suddenly grasping the Immortal Realm's most core law.

This insight was more significant than the Emperor's Nine Transformations or the Taiyi Primordial Scripture.

In this moment, all barriers between Gao Xuan and the Immortal Realm vanished completely. This wasn't a liberation at the level of Power, but the liberation of spirit and Divine Soul.

In this moment, Gao Xuan felt the vastness of the world, with limitless possibilities.

Towards Jinshan and the Buddhist Sect, he now held more tolerance. If they understood this reasoning, they should recognize how high his level was. Not something a few Golden Body Arhats could compare.

Unfortunately, Jinshan and the others lacked the wisdom to perceive this layer.

Jinshan loudly declared, "The Celestial Master first killed my junior, then disregarded us and mocked us with words. So don't blame us for being rude."

Gao Xuan curiously asked, "All of you plan to fight me?"

Jinshan sneered, "You killed Golden Light, making you the great enemy of our Buddhist Sect."

Gao Xuan ignored Jinshan and asked Xuan Xiang, "Master, after all, this is a private feud between me and the brothers Golden Light and Jinshan. Do you all plan to fight together, that's quite inappropriate."

This time, Xuan Xiang opened his old eyes, his gaze grayish-white, surprisingly without pupils, appearing as if blind.

He said to Gao Xuan, "Golden Light has rescued countless people over two thousand years, accumulating immense merit. Yet you killed him. With such sin, we have no choice but to help you transcend..."

Xuan Xiang paused then continued, "Our Buddhist Sect isn't unreasonable. You can serve in the Cave of Ten Thousand Demons for two thousand years, that may expiate the sin."

Xuan Xiang's voice was dry and aged, yet carried a sense of sacred dignity, compelling one to heed his words.