Chapter 26: The Old Taoist Explains the Scriptures and Dispels Doubts

  "Haha!" After hearing the monk's words, Wang Guang just dryly laughed a few times and didn't respond.

  Wait a bit, the two of them repeatedly confirmed that the two Qi practitioners did not chase after them before taking advantage of the darkness to carefully drill into the underground secret room, sitting cross-legged in front of the huge Wan Zai Qing and starting to transport their Fa Li.

  Time is like water, for practitioners of Qi Gong, three to five years is just the time it takes to study a complex formation, or to refine a magical treasure.

  In these three to five years, Wang Guang and the monk would go to various gathering places of demonic beasts at intervals to fight with other Qi practitioners. If they could fight, they would fight; if they couldn't, they would run away with their legs. Relying on the two men's divine powers and a large amount of purchased Yin Lei Lie Huo, as long as they didn't provoke those obviously powerful Qi practitioners, they hadn't encountered too much danger.

  Normally, they would defeat each other and then search for crystal materials on the opponent's body to trade in the underground secret room for the materials needed for the forbidden array. They wouldn't hurt anyone's life. However, there was an unlucky time when two people robbed a female Qi cultivator of nearly a thousand crystals, which got them into big trouble.

  Also don't know that the female cultivator met a large number of fellow disciples in that place, dozens of powerful cultivators searched for them in the area within a radius of ten thousand miles around Qingfeng Mountain for more than half a year. During this time, the two were like mice, hiding in an underground secret room and didn't dare to move anywhere. In the end, it was still under duress that Wang Guang had no choice but to secretly find an inner sect senior brother and let that senior brother handle the situation before they dared to leave the underground secret room.

  After that incident, the two of them were quite honest for three to five months. However, as time went on, their desire to fight with others could no longer be suppressed. At this point, they didn't dare to provoke other cultivators to fight again, but instead sought out some familiar cultivators to engage in mutual combat. Although this kind of fighting didn't have the danger of life and death, the gains were much greater than when the two of them fought against those demonic beasts alone, and it was also more stimulating.

  On this day, Wang Guang was idle and had nothing to do. After just having a fight with a Qi practitioner from the inner gate, he didn't even bother to go to those places where monsters gathered to find some spiritual fruits or precious medicines to improve his Golden Claw's divine powers. Instead, he bid farewell to that big monk who wanted to break through the Dharma Gate and went to listen to the old Taoist in the inner courtyard talk about the scriptures and the Way.

  But just as Bao Guang rolled down to the old Taoist's feet, nearly a thousand Qigong practitioners were already seated cross-legged around the old Taoist, listening intently. These Qigong practitioners did not become noisy or surprised when Wang Guang arrived, and the old Taoist paused for a moment before continuing his lecture.

  It is also unknown whether this old Taoist was a teacher in the mundane world before, but as soon as he starts talking, as long as no one interrupts him and someone listens to him, he can talk for ten days and ten nights without resting.

  He would only talk about the practice of Qigong, the cultivation of Taoist techniques. Sometimes he would switch to the forbidden law array, and sometimes he would mention Dan medicine and talismans. If any Qi Gong practitioners didn't understand, they could ask questions at any time and get answers immediately. When thirsty, drink some water; when tired, move around a bit; occasionally stroke his mustache under his forehead, swing his hand-held duster to exercise his limbs, and he was completely carefree and content.

  All the practitioners who came to listen were from the same estate as Wang Guang, and they took turns coming and going, so there were always some people listening. However, after a long time, when the old Taoist started repeating what he had said before, the number of practitioners gathering here gradually decreased.

  "Little Daoist, why haven't you left yet? I'm already tired and need to rest." After the inner disciples who were listening to the lecture had all left except for Wang Guang, the old Daoist waved his hand with a dustpan and asked, "Is there something on your mind? Tell me about it."

  "Boundless Heaven Venerable! Master, I have a friend who cultivated and had the opportunity to ascend to the Free Sky Realm about three to five years ago. However, since his first failure in ascending to the Free Sky Realm, he has been unable to further advance despite having extremely abundant and pure internal energy over the past three to five years. I don't know why this is." Wang Guang took a deep breath, bowed his head, and paid respects.

  "Has he ever used crystal stones or elixirs to enhance his magical powers?" The old Taoist closed his eyes and leaned lazily against the big tree behind him. "Has he never used the sect's secret methods to forcibly enhance his magical powers? Is it just like you, wholeheartedly moving your magical powers, polishing your magical powers, and diligently cultivating them with a single mind?"

  "Just as Shixiong said, he didn't resort to trickery and relied solely on his skills honed through hard work." Wang Guang hastily nodded in agreement.

  "Then let's continue to use this water mill work, Master Brother, I don't have any good methods either." The old Taoist put down the feather duster and grabbed a gourd, taking a mouthful of it. Only after hearing a series of gulping sounds for over ten breaths did he finally put down the gourd. "Since the barrier between the two realms disappeared, practitioners like you who use water mill work to improve their own strength have gradually decreased. They focus on using various techniques to enhance their own magical powers, seemingly making rapid progress and becoming brave, but unknowingly taking a detour and losing opportunities."

  "It must be the influence of those newly arrived sect disciples!" Wang Guang turned his head and took a glance at the dense houses in the distance. In these three to five years, he didn't know what kind of means the sect had used, but they had actually brought in tens of thousands of Innate Great Circle cultivators into the inner sect. For a time, the entire inner sect was much more lively than when he first arrived.

  "What you said is both right and wrong." The old Taoist let out a cold snort and tossed the gourd aside. "This world of cultivating energy has always been connected to the mundane world, with the two influencing each other. Ever since the downfall of the ancient era, things have been changing for the worse. It's just that in the past it was a gradual change in the subconscious, whereas now it's sudden."

  Wang Guang listened silently, while the old Taoist also looked gloomy after saying this. "If I had listened to the sect's advice back then and not done that deceitful thing, I wouldn't have ended up like this today, lecturing you younger generations on scriptures and doctrines without anyone accepting it. It's really depressing."

  Upon hearing the old Daoist's words, Wang Guangyang was about to ask a question when the old Daoist seemed to recall something and continued: "The One Qi Sect is also known as an evil demonic sect, and it's not unreasonable. In the sect, no matter what method of cultivation, if one relies solely on normal methods, the speed of progress is extremely fast, three to five times or even ten times faster than those so-called prestigious orthodox sects. However, there are always some geniuses who find the various methods to have bottlenecks, so they rack their brains to use elixirs, crystal stones, and secret techniques to break through these bottlenecks, making their cultivation speed even more rapid. As a result, however, it makes the cultivator's foundation unstable, and in the long run, they cut off their own immortal destiny, losing all possibility of reaching the ultimate limit."

  "Brother, are you joking? I haven't practiced other schools of thought, so I don't have the right to evaluate them. Let's just talk about my own practice of 'Taiji Golden Elixir Guiding Technique'. This school has 24 levels, and the last level can condense the golden elixir. I've been practicing for over a decade, but I've only reached the second level. Although my spiritual power is full and pure, I still can't break through to the third level. Is this considered rapid progress?" After hearing the old Taoist's muttering, Wang Guang suddenly felt displeased in his heart.

  "Haha! It seems you've really put in the effort over these years." The old Taoist stroked his three strands of beard and said, "Your true purpose for coming here is to ask why your cultivation still can't break through, right? Listen as I'll tell you one by one."

  "The 'Tai Zhou Tian Jin Dan Dao Yin Shu' you've been practicing has existed since ancient times, and the Qi Sect, which has been passed down from ancient times, is also vigorously promoting this method. The second layer breaking through to the third layer doesn't depend on whether your skills are thick and pure or not, but rather depends on personal luck." The old Taoist paused for a moment before continuing: "If you have the luck, you can break through naturally after a good night's sleep; if you don't have the luck, even if you practice diligently for over a hundred years, there won't be any other changes. It's precisely because of this reason that many talented Qi practitioners have modified the method of breaking through the first layer, deriving countless techniques and secret arts. Once you break through the third layer, you'll know whether your cultivation is fast or not."

  "Boundless Heavenly Venerable! If in ten years, I, the poor Daoist, still can't break through the third layer of this cultivation method, then I will use a secret technique to break through." Wang Guang furrowed his brow and bowed respectfully.

  "If you can wait for ten years, why can't you wait for a hundred years? You are innately perfect and have a lifespan of 500 years. Wasting a few hundred years won't delay your cultivation of the Golden Elixir." The old Taoist said this as he waved his sleeve to signal Wang Guang to leave.

  "Is it just a personal coincidence?" Wang Guang stood up and asked in a low voice.

  "Depends on personal luck."

  "I bid you farewell."

  "The mundane etiquette of the red dust world is useless to me. If you have nothing better to do, don't spend your days fighting and competing with others. Go to the scripture library and read the Taoist classics instead - it's more practical than showing off your superiority. As for truly mastering the combat skills that only Qi-refining warriors possess, you'll understand when you're about to condense your golden elixir."

  "Why tell me in such detail?"

  "The rules of our sect are strict, I dare not disobey."

  "Don't frame me."

  "What use are you to me? What benefits can I gain from you? Can you help me condense the Golden Elixir?" As he spoke, the old Taoist suddenly opened his eyes and stared fiercely at Wang Guang. "I have been in the sect for over 400 years, and more than 300 years ago, I had already cultivated to the highest level of our sect's teachings, yet I still couldn't condense the Golden Elixir. Unwilling to give up, I then cultivated several other techniques, each to their highest level, but the Golden Elixir remained unattainable. Our sect is filled with Golden Elixirs, and there are countless powerful cultivators, yet no one can help me condense it. Can you?"

  "If it weren't for the sect's rules and regulations, I would have chopped you up and steamed you to eat a long time ago." A bloody and cruel aura suddenly emanated from Lao Dao's words. The thick bloody aura was something that even Wang Guang, a demon dao who had killed countless people, couldn't resist.

  "Hurry up and leave, don't linger here." The old Taoist said with a wave of his robe, a strong gust of wind burst out from the robe, instantly sweeping Wang Guang, who had turned pale, to the front of the house he was in.

  Mother and daughter are safe and sound - back home - thanks for the blessings from brothers - Little Qi says thank you. Thank you!