Chapter 170: Discourse on the Dao

The four human Soul-Refining masters exchanged glances, puzzled by the Sorcerer-Demon King's true intentions. Would opening a medium-scale Dao field that benefited the human race not simply strengthen human power?

The Demonic Cloud Relic was a supreme enchanting treasure of the demon race, brimming with pure demonic qi. Carrying it meant one would never suffer from depleted magical power, effectively equivalent to possessing a spiritual vein of demonic qi—its value was unimaginable.

Qian Feng remarked, "This trade is quite favorable. The combined value of the medicinal herbs gathered by our thousands of cultivators will far exceed that of the Demonic Cloud Relic. Add to that a ten-thousand-year spiritual ginseng and a Nascent Breakthrough Pill? We certainly won't be at a loss."

He Changqi added, "For them, this is also a form of tempering."

Facen agreed, "That is true. Let them go and temper themselves."

Meng Jian said coldly, "We cannot let the demon race look down upon us. The disciples of the Formless Gate shall take the vanguard without any hesitation!"

Thus, driven by the lure of benefits, the human cultivators ultimately chose to enter the Dao field.

He Changqi spoke in a resonant voice, "The Sorcerer-Demon King's willingness to make such a contribution to both the human and demon races commands my admiration. We of the human race have decided to help you search for the Demonic Cloud Relic!"

The Sorcerer-Demon King burst into laughter and said, "Fellow human Daoists, thank you for your contribution to the peace between the human and demon races. There are still ten years before the Dao field opens. The reason I invited everyone here in advance is that ten years pass in the blink of an eye for us cultivators. I have specially invited Fellow Daoist Yueying Qianqing from the Grim Netherworld, Fellow Daoist Xuanye, a royal prince of the Vermilion Bird Continent, Fellow Daoist Earth-Terminating Granny from the Vermilion Bird Continent, Fellow Daoist Wu Yu from the Heaven-Earth Demon Cave, Fellow Daoist Yun Qi from the Cloud Sect of the White Tiger Continent, and the four Soul-Refining Daoists of the human race—making ten in total. Before the juniors of the world, we shall engage in a Dao discourse together to deepen their understanding and comprehension of the Dao. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for both the human and demon races! Does anyone have any objections?"

He Changqi frowned slightly and said, "No objections, it suits my wishes perfectly! Let us begin then!"

Even if he did have objections, in front of the cultivators of the world, he could not afford to lose public support.

All the Nascent Soul and Core Formation cultivators cheered with joy. Quite apart from entering the medium-scale Dao field to gather spiritual herbs, merely being able to listen to the discourse of ten Soul-Refining realm masters was already immensely beneficial.

Soul-Refining realm masters possessed profound insights into the comprehension of the Dao, the application of magical power, and the distinctions between realms. To listen to their discourse might just allow one to break through a bottleneck.

People buzzed with discussion, all declaring that the Sorcerer-Demon King was acting in good faith for the sake of both races, and that this discourse alone was a long-dreamed-of blessing for cultivators.

He Changqi thought to himself that this old fox was merely buying people's hearts. What could the underlying purpose be? To invite so many Soul-Refining powerhouses must have cost an immense price. It seemed the Myriad Demon King was plotting a major move. According to Li Qing's report, the Myriad Demon King intended to gradually assimilate the human and demon races. How could he, He Changqi, let him have his way?

Meanwhile, the Sorcerer-Demon King had his own calculations. He intended to dismantle human strength while simultaneously discovering human prodigies through the discourse and recruiting them for his own use. Opening the Dao field also served another hidden, untold secret.

The Sorcerer-Demon King asked, "What is the Dao, and where does it reside?"

He Changqi smiled faintly and replied, "The Dao resides within the heart; it is formless and ever-changing. To inquire about the Dao, one must first enter the Dao!"

Yueying Qianqing said in a sweet voice, "Though the Dao resides in the heart, people often remain unaware of it. If the Dao is unclear, how can one enter the Dao?"

As the ten Soul-Refining masters debated the Dao, the cultivators below reacted in various ways: some experienced sudden enlightenment, some remained muddled, some understood vaguely, some achieved instantaneous comprehension, and others remained lost in confusion.

Hearing this, Ge Qian integrated the teachings with his own understanding of the Dao, cross-verifying them. His comprehension of the Dao came from the Tribulation Dao Monarch, and the profoundness of his insights was unmatched by anyone. However, those insights originated from the Spirit Realm and differed from the laws of the Mortal Realm. Hearing the discourse of the ten Soul-Refining masters today made many clouded mysteries suddenly crystal clear.

He reflected that the Sorcerer-Demon King gathering so many Soul-Refining cultivators could not be as simple as a mere Dao discourse; there had to be an ulterior motive. Could it be that under the guise of the discourse, he hoped to discover human prodigies and recruit them? There were still ten years before the medium-scale Dao field opened; he had time to condense a primordial core and thereby attract the Sorcerer-Demon King's attention, ultimately infiltrating his hierarchy.

With this thought, his mind cleared. Raising his gaze to look around, a long-missed, exquisite figure caught his eye.

The young woman appeared to be around sixteen years of age, with skin like ice, bones like jade, and a tall, well-proportioned figure. Her lips were red, her teeth white, and her eyes like stars. Her breasts were full and her waist slender, drawing anyone who laid eyes upon her into an involuntary, inescapable descent.

Dressed entirely in snow-white robes, she looked even more like a fairy descending from the heavens—a devastatingly beautiful woman whose temperament and beauty rendered any vocabulary utterly eclipsed. Yet, her face carried an ice-cold, bone-chilling air brimming with towering resentment.

She stood quietly behind Earth-Terminating Granny, listening intently to the discourse.

Ge Qian's Sword Qi of Love stirred restlessly. The true qi of love he absorbed from the world, no matter how vast, belonged to others and not to himself. But now, that wave of affection genuinely originated from his own heart. Thinking of the disparity between himself and the woman, he felt a rising terror and a turbulent mix of emotions.

If a person were devoid of emotion, how could the seven emotions arise? If a person were devoid of desire, how could the six desires exist? Love was not about possession and restraint, but about blessing and letting go. Greater love under heaven was nothing more than this.

At this realization, the barrier preventing him from condensing the Human Dao Core shattered on its own accord.

Ge Qian deliberately let out a long whistle, his aura surging. He immediately sat cross-legged, and a shroud of the six desires—sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, and thought—alongside the seven emotions—joy, anger, sorrow, fear, love, hatred, and desire—condensed above him into a hundred-zhang-wide seven-colored auspicious cloud.

The Sorcerer-Demon King immediately noticed Ge Qian, sweeping his divine sense over him and thinking to himself: As expected, this child is a talent. He cultivates the Six Paths Sword Decapitation Technique, condensing six cores. Once the six cores merge into one, he will break through to the Nascent Soul stage on the spot.

The Sorcerer-Demon King had studied various secret manuals and scriptures, and he had once attempted to comprehend the Six Paths Sword Decapitation Technique himself without ever finding the entry method. Discovering today that someone had achieved a breakthrough in core formation while listening to the discourse filled him with immense joy. This child had to be secured; once the youth advanced to the Nascent Soul realm, he would extract the secrets of the Six Paths Sword Decapitation Technique from him.

Ge Qian stabilized his aura and spoke in a loud voice, "Senior Soul-Refining ancestors, it is not that Ge Qian intends to show disrespect, but listening to your teachings triggered a sudden enlightenment, and I am unable to control my impending core formation. The spiritual Qi here is insufficient, so this junior will take his leave first and return after advancing, in order to enter the Dao field!"