It was nearing sumr, yet Kunxu Mountain remained as snow-covered as ever.
The towering peaks ant that the snow at the summit never lted throughout the year, and the sprawling mountain range allowed these whites to occupy thirty thousand li of land.
Jiang Li appeared on a snowy peak, carried by the wind. The chilling wind swept over him, leaving him with an ice-cold yet refreshing sensation.
Ever since he and Tianxuan's master-disciple duo pulled that stunt in front of the senior sister, Gongsun Qingyue had been chasing him these days, launching one Drought God Palm after another. Even at night, when coupling, she would fully wield her Fla Qi, letting Jiang Li experience the senior sister's fiery nature.
Even though, with Jiang Li's strength and physical body, such heat could hardly affect him, he still pretended to be punished in order to appease Gongsun Qingyue. So, he spent his days sweating, experiencing once again the feeling of his past life.
Now, feeling the snow and wind of Kunxu Mountain, Jiang Li couldn't help but open his chest, welcoming the baptism of cold air.
After enjoying it for half a quarter of an hour, a flowing light flickered between his eyebrows, and his eyes manifested a divination sign, observing the Qi Fortune to the west. There, the solemn Pure Land ford by the paradise energy had hints of decay, yet the foundation remained intact, still able to maintain its wholeness.
However, within the Pure Land, the conflict between two Buddha's energies also began to reveal clues.
And outside the Pure Land...
Jiang Li's gaze shifted, and a pillar of light connecting heaven and earth entered his sight, the clear light revealing a hint of purple, signifying its identity.
And as Jiang Li gazed at this pillar of light, another gaze looked back from afar, an imnse and intangible Divine Sense eting Jiang Li's across the distance.
He had also discovered Jiang Li.
Seeing this, Jiang Li fell silent for a mont, then lded into the wind, heading toward the direction of the pillar of light.
Beyond Kunxu Mountain stretched a marshland thousands of li wide, with lush vegetation and an array of large and small pools, full of vitality yet hiding great peril.
Jiang Li flew three thousand li, and in the distance, a mountain range ca into view. His target was located on one of these large mountains.
Eventually, Jiang Li found him beneath a cliff.
It was a plainly dressed old Daoist, wearing a simple gray-white Dao robe made of the most ordinary fabric, with his hair tied in a Daoist bun with a wooden hairpin, sitting on a stone, brewing tea.
The thod of tea brewing was an ancient one. Not using a teapot but a pot. Nearby, split trees could be seen, the tea pot presumably made on-site. As for tea leaves...
Two zhang away, there was a wild tea tree.
He poured spices into the wooden pot, boiled for a mont, then added the ground tea leaves, controlling the fire.
The Daoist, while brewing, looked up at Jiang Li and smiled, "Fellow Daoist Jiang, it's been a while."
"The junior greets Senior Li."
Jiang Li stepped closer, bowing to the old Daoist.
Indeed, this plainly dressed old Daoist was none other than the "Daoist Lord" Li Boyang whom he had t at Laojun Temple.
"Why must a fellow Daoist be so courteous?"
The old Daoist, adjusting the large and small fires, said, "Confucianism says, in learning, there is no precedence; those who achieve first are the seniors. Seniors are thus, whereas the path of fellow Daoist is not far off from this old Daoist. Furthermore, the old Daoist always feels there is an ominous feeling in the titles fellow Daoist used, could it be that you, like young friend Shen Hou, have ever contained a special Dao Fruit?"
The distinguished Daoist Lord spoke with humor, showing a disregard for conventions.
Of course, it might also be because Jiang Li was a fellow Daoist, rather than a younger friend.
After the battle in Yong Province, even as a junior, Jiang Li had gained equal status with third-grade masters, and even the supre would not underestimate him.
As the Daoist Lord said, those who achieve first, even with the virtues of honoring the elders being embellished, cannot conceal the cultivation world's hierarchy based on strength and Daoist practice.
"Fellow Daoist jests," Jiang Li smoothly changed the title, smiling, "I always treat people with sincerity and would never contain a Dao Fruit aid at undermining others."
"So, are you not denying there's an ominous implication in calling 'Senior'?" The old Daoist Li Boyang hit the nail on the head.
"Absolutely not," Jiang Li said unflinchingly.
He would never admit those who considered themselves his seniors rarely t good ends.
For instance, Luu Tianpeng, who had already been slain by Jiang Li, although his true form remained, Luu Tianpeng was indeed dead. Then there's Tan Wuwei, whom Jiang Li also once called senior; previously, Jiang Li almost left Tan Wuwei behind.
With all honesty, Jiang Li swiftly skipped over the topic, looking at the Daoist Lord, he asked, "Were you waiting for , fellow Daoist?"
"Indeed." The old Daoist nodded.
"Were you sure you could wait for ?"
"This humble Daoist knows a thing or two about Yi Dao, and thus deduced fellow Daoist's path." The old Daoist said with a lighthearted tone.
But the next mont, he suddenly smiled, "Of course, that's a lie. This humble Daoist concluded fellow Daoist Jiang would head for Buddha Country, and thus, dispatched a Primordial Spirit ahead to wait."
Even great venerables may not accurately grasp Jiang Li's whereabouts, and although the Daoist Lord was unfathomably wise, suggesting that his Yi Dao attainnt exceeded that of a great venerable holding the Book of Luo River Map was impossible.
So, he simply waited along the way.
Yet, even waiting on the road, finding Jiang Li was no easy task.
Kunxu Mountain spanned a vast area, the greatest under heaven, not to ntion one person; even a hundred or a thousand people might not precisely intercept him. The Daoist Lord was able to find Jiang Li precisely because he anticipated Jiang Li would observe Qi Fortune.
'I was observed by him while studying the Qi Fortune of Daode Sect before,' Jiang Li mused silently.
It was because of this that the Daoist Lord knew the level of Jiang Li's Qi Observation Skill and judged that Jiang Li would observe Qi before entering Buddha Country. Subsequently, upon seeing the Daoist Lord's Qi Shu, the Daoist Lord also saw him.
The intricate loops seem complex, yet are quite simple in essence. They appear straightforward, but achieving this requires a very high Realm.
As they spoke, the tea's heat reached the perfect level. The Daoist Lord then picked so dicinal herbs from the mountainside beside him, tossing them into the pot. After a mont of brewing, dense tea aroma wafted up.
He took the wooden bowl crafted along with the wooden pot, scooped towards the pot, and a bowl of tea was ready.
The wooden pot was sourced locally, boiling spices and wild mountain tea, along with herbs picked on site. The richness of the tea's color was imaginable. Indeed, Jiang Li witnessed a turbid soup color, yet he also saw a crystal clear luster.
This bowl of tea was half clear, half turbid, swirling like a Yin Yang Fish, a bowl of tea representing a bowl of Yin Yang.
However, Jiang Li watched the Daoist Lord throughout the tea brewing process and did not notice any extraordinary Magic Doors.
In the Five Turbid Evil World, even the finest locations couldn't grow plants imbued with spiritual chanisms. Treasure dicines capable of absorbing spiritual chanisms planted outside Cave Heaven Blessed Lands would only absorb the full brunt of Five Vile Qi.
The tea leaves and herbs were ordinary items, possibly even carrying Dirt Qi.
The wooden pot and bowl were sourced locally too. While made by the Daoist Lord, they weren't even the lowest grade of Magic Artifact.
The fire used for brewing tea was ordinary fla, not True Fire or Divine Fire.
Simply put, this was using the most ordinary thod to cook the most ordinary materials to brew such an extraordinary bowl of tea.
The turbid half was obscure and unpredictable, while the clear half was utterly pure, even faintly glowing. This was a dish that glowed.
Now Jiang Li suspected that the Daoist Lord harbored the Dao Fruit of the Food God or Tea God.
"My lifelong wish as a humble Daoist is to discern purity from turbidity, to restore heaven and earth to its state before the End of Dharma. Hence, I created the Nine Heavens Demon Clearing True Technique, hoping to alter the heavens and earth. If everyone could master the Nine Heavens Demon Clearing True Technique, this Five Turbid Evil World should also be altered. Alas…"
Looking at the tea, the Daoist Lord lanted: "The cultivation threshold for this technique is too high. In the entire Daode Sect, only and my two disciples have mastered it. I seek collective wisdom, hoping to lower the cultivation threshold, so I let my disciple practice the Nine Heavens Demon Clearing True Technique outside, hoping soone might gain insight and could discuss it with ."
"The result, not to ntion discussing with the Daoist Lord, there weren't even many who dared to take it," Jiang Li said.
Powerful ones know how strong the Daoist Lord is and don't dare to take it.
Those who can't discern the Daoist Lord's strength may be misled and try to take it, but the problem is they can't succeed. Those who obtain the technique can't practice it, let alone improve it.
The Daoist Lord's wink is essentially cast upon blind eyes.
Of course, among them are those with both Eye Power and ability, as well as audacity, such as Jiang.
Yet even he wouldn't fully believe in the Daoist Lord's altruistic nature.
This is an age ruled by madn and the Sixth Brother. There may be good people, but such selfless ones are nearly impossible.
The Daoist Lord seemingly saw Jiang Li's suspicion and distrust. He rely smiled, not explaining, only saying: "Fellow Daoist should also be aware of the dangers within the Second Grade Dao Fruit. If everyone could practice the Nine Heavens Demon Clearing True Technique, they could break through with their cultivation without desperately pursuing the Second Grade Dao Fruit, giving those Gods, Buddhas, and demons a chance to resurrect. Thus, the world may have a future."
"But if everyone could transform Dirt Qi for cultivation, the destruction caused by cultivators would far exceed the past," Jiang Li said blandly, "Before the End of Dharma, cultivators could harness Heaven and Earth Qi, easily destroying mountains and breaking peaks. At that ti more people might die as collateral casualties in battles. Such behavior would contradict the Daode Sect's purpose."
The implication was still suspicion of the Daoist Lord's intentions.
"Disputes will never be few, whether before or after the End of Dharma."
The Daoist Lord calmly retorted, saying: "Even the most invincible strongman wouldn't claim to resolve disputes. Though I have compassion, my deeds as a humble Daoist are not to save all sentient beings, but to give the people a broader future."
"Moreover, if another path could erge, Third Grade cultivators would choose to explore this path instead of unsettling the world for advancent, causing unrest across the land."
If the current world were a cake, what the Daoist Lord wants is to enlarge this cake.
This way, with more choices, there would be fewer disputes about wrestling for the cake.
This could be incidental, whereas the Daoist Lord truly desires to chart a wider future, making the path of cultivation broader and possibly returning the world to its state before the End of Dharma. Additionally, sealing the Gods, Buddhas, and demons in their coffins.
This action could be for demonstrating Dao Fruit, or perhaps with other motives, yet his actions have clearly been elucidated.
As for the casualties caused by these changes, the Daoist Lord both cares and doesn't care.
Moreover, changes may not only have a bad side but also a good side.
It's difficult to judge such a person purely by good or bad, nor by common moral standards.
'Is this Supre Forget Love?'
Jiang Li didn't know how to describe the Daoist Lord's ntal State, but he knew how terrifying, or rather how strong the Daoist Lord with such a ntal State could be.
The terror isn't with the destruction he might cause, but with his power.
A formidable ntal State naturally wields formidable strength.
"Fellow Daoist, please."
No different color appeared on the Daoist Lord's face, as if the previous remarks were rely trivial, only holding out the tea.
Jiang Li took the tea, still feeling the warmth, but what he felt more deeply was the concept contained within the tea.
Distinguishing purity from turbidity, followed by separating Yin and Yang.
To use tea as a taphor for people is indeed thus.
Jiang Li gazed at the bowl of tea, his eyes lingering on the swirling purity and turbidity, black and white, for a mont before slowly picking it up and drinking it all.
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