Chapter 1679 The Dao Lord on the Dao Discussion Platform

The cultivators of this realm have truly integrated cultivation techniques into every aspect of their lives, elevating them to an unimaginable level.

In contrast, the cultivation world outside focuses on killing and warfare, appearing utilitarian and monotonous.

Seeing Zhang Xuan engrossed in the discussion, Deacon Qinghe explained, “We cultivators of the Xuanhuang Realm firmly believe that the Dao resides in the vessel and the Dharma in nature. Every drink, every bite, every vessel, and every object can contain the profound principles of the Great Dao. This Hundred Arts Banquet is a grand gathering for everyone to exchange ideas and showcase their ingenuity.”

He led Zhang Xuan to a seemingly ordinary stall in the Spirit Food area. The stall owner was an old man wearing an apron embroidered with Taotie patterns, and his aura was clearly that of a mid-stage Integration Realm cultivator!

"Taoist Master, bring two servings of your Hundred Flavors Enlightenment Soup, so that this newcomer, Fellow Daoist Zhang, can have a taste!" Deacon Qinghe called out familiarly.

The fat cultivator, known as the Gluttonous Elder, smiled and responded, skillfully scooping out two bowls of seemingly light soup from a large purple-gold cauldron, the soup containing countless tiny specks of light floating inside.

"Fellow Daoist Zhang, please." Deacon Qinghe gestured.

Zhang Xuan thanked him and accepted the bowl. It was warm and smooth to the touch, like fine jade.

He scooped up a spoonful and put it in his mouth. The soup melted in his mouth. It was not a single flavor. A hundred different delicious flavors bloomed on his tongue one after another. Each flavor was clearly distinguishable, yet they blended together harmoniously.

Even more miraculously, as the flavors changed, he saw the evolution of mountains and rivers, the withering and flourishing of plants, the turning of stars and rivers... all sorts of extraordinary phenomena flashed through his mind.

Although not profound, it was full of flashes of inspiration, and it even had a slight, almost imperceptible, promotion and sorting out of the flow of myriad true meanings within myself!

"Excellent soup!" Zhang Xuan exclaimed sincerely. "This soup can actually inspire enlightenment about the Great Dao?"

Tao Lao laughed heartily and patted his round belly: "A mere trifle, a mere trifle! It's nothing more than using spiritual materials of different attributes, guided by their flavor and charm, to harmonize and balance them, simulating the growth and development of all things. Once you've had too much of it, it's all the same. The main thing is to enjoy something new and interesting."

Zhang Xuan remained silent. To be able to make spiritual food to the point of triggering enlightenment of the Great Dao was merely a trivial skill in this world, just for novelty.

Deacon Qinghe then led him to taste a memory pill given to him by a female alchemist in the Danxiang District. After taking it, the beautiful scene he saw within the next incense stick's time would be imprinted in his consciousness and he could relive it at any time.

Along the way, Zhang Xuan experienced nothing but hardship and misery, with very few beautiful sights to be seen.

However, after Zhang Xuan took the medicine, he saw many friends and his deceased grandfather, which warmed his heart.

Zhang Xuan's eyes were opened wide, and he deeply felt that the arts of this world had reached a state of perfection, which was due to the meticulous control over various fundamental laws.

Just then, in the center of Yingxianping, on the highest natural platform formed by the Xuanhuang divine stone, a flash of clear light appeared, and an old man dressed in an elegant Taoist robe quietly appeared.

The moment he appeared, the previously noisy Yingxianping fell silent.

All the cultivators, regardless of their cultivation level, showed a respectful expression.

“It’s Lord Baicao!” Deacon Qinghe whispered to Zhang Xuan. “One of the Ten Great Vehicles, in charge of spiritual plants and alchemy in our realm. He is an extremely kind senior.”

Bai Cao Dao Jun's gentle gaze swept across the entire room, his voice not loud, yet clearly reaching everyone's ears:

"On this auspicious day, seeing the myriad arts at play, I am moved by a thought. I would like to offer a preliminary discussion with you all on the roles of the principal, assistant, and adjuvant herbs in alchemy, exploring how they can go beyond the properties of medicine and emulate nature to harmonize the spiritual essence of all things..."

He did not expound on profound and obscure alchemical formulas, but started with the most basic pharmacological compatibility, extending to the principles of mutual generation and restraint of the five elements in the universe, and then integrating them into the timing and intensity of alchemy.

His words were simple yet went straight to the heart of the matter, interspersed with many interesting examples he had gained from cultivating spiritual plants and observing all things. The cultivators below the stage listened with rapt attention, and even Zhang Xuan felt that he had benefited greatly, gaining a new understanding of the properties of medicine and even the harmony between the myriad paths within himself.

After speaking, Baicao Daojun smiled slightly: "Talk is cheap. I recently obtained a batch of Seven-Aperture Exquisite Lotus seeds. This lotus needs to be watered with seven different spiritual springs according to a specific rhythm in order to activate its exquisite Daoist charm. Today, I will try it with you fellow cultivators."

With that, he waved his sleeve, and hundreds of lotus seeds shimmering with seven-colored light flew evenly towards the many cultivators below the stage who were skilled in spiritual plants or interested in them, including Zhang Xuan, in front of whom one of them floated.

"The key to cultivating this lotus lies in rhythm and harmony. Everyone is welcome to demonstrate their skills. After one month, we will see whose exquisite lotus has the most profound Daoist charm, and I will present a small gift to them."

Everyone was both surprised and delighted, and they quickly put away the lotus seeds, eager to try their luck.

Zhang Xuan also curiously put the lotus seed away.

Just as the Hundred Herbs Daoist Lord stepped down from the platform, another Mahayana Daoist Lord ascended the stage.

This Daoist master, known as the Heavenly Craftsman Daoist, lectured on the infusion of spirituality and the natural formation of Dao patterns in the art of weapon crafting. His lectures were equally profound yet easy to understand, full of wit and humor, drawing rounds of applause.

After Tiangong Daojun stepped down from the Dao Discussion Platform, a stream of clear moonlight flowed out, instantly attracting the attention of everyone present.

As the light faded, a graceful figure quietly stood on the platform.

She was a woman dressed in an elegant moon-white Taoist robe, with her black hair flowing like a waterfall. She loosely tied up with a simple jade hairpin, and a few strands of hair fell to her temples, adding to her casual and natural appearance.

What is most striking about her are her eyes, which are like autumn water, clear and pure, without any impurities, and even carry a kind of innocent purity.

The Taoist robe was loose, but it couldn't hide her slender figure underneath; her waist was so thin it could be grasped in one hand.

She simply stood there quietly, exuding an ethereal and otherworldly aura, independent and aloof, making her seem untouchable.

“It’s Fairy Miaoyin,” Deacon Qinghe’s voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement. “One of the Ten Great Daoists, she specializes in the Dao of Music and the Dao of Nature. She is the youngest, and also… well, the most unique Dao Lord in our realm.”

His tone implied an indescribable admiration.

The fact that such admiration could be directed at a cultivator at the Void Refinement stage speaks volumes about the woman's charm.

Zhang Xuan nodded slightly, but his gaze never left the Fairy of Wonderful Sound.

Such a woman, pure and ethereal, yet possessing the profound Daoist aura of a Mahayana cultivator, embodies the essence of heaven and earth—this is the first time I have ever seen one like her.

Especially his clear, autumn-water-like eyes, which could reflect the truest thoughts in people's hearts, even stirred a slight ripple in his heart, which had become somewhat hardened by killing and danger.

Fairy Miaoyin's gaze swept across the audience. When her eyes passed over Zhang Xuan, she seemed to pause for a moment on his unfamiliar face, whose aura was slightly different from the surroundings. A faint curiosity flashed in her clear eyes.

She didn't say much, but gracefully sat down cross-legged, and with a flick of her wrist, an antique-looking seven-stringed zither appeared on her lap.

The body of the zither appears ordinary, yet it subtly displays natural Dao patterns that flow seamlessly with her aura.