Chapter 478: Immortal Discusses the Dao

Since the people had not invited anyone from Mount Yuhuai, Ju Yuanzi and the others had no intention of shamelessly tagging along. They simply watched the escaping light disappear into the distance.

Above the white clouds, Ji Yuan stood with the ruddy-faced old beggar. Coincidentally, the old beggar was likely more familiar with Nine Peaks Mountain than the people from Mount Yuhuai, and Ji Yuan had some questions for him.

"Elder Lu, you are quite familiar with Nine Peaks Mountain, aren't you?"

The old beggar looked at the magnificent peaks around them and replied with a chuckle.

"Not intimately familiar, just acquainted at most. Of course, I'm certainly more familiar with it than those folks from Mount Yuhuai."

"Oh."

Ji Yuan nodded, his gaze sweeping over the distant mountains hidden beneath the clouds.

"How large is this Nine Peaks Grotto-Heaven? Are there mortals living within it?"

"I'm not sure how big it is. As for mortals, yes, there are. The Nine Peaks Grotto-Heaven not only has mortals but also mortal kingdoms—more than one, in fact. Of course, because it's an Immortal Mansion Grotto-Heaven, there are no demons or evil creatures, at most some nature spirits permitted by Nine Peaks Mountain to serve as local deities."

Ji Yuan let out a long "Oh" again.

"So, the Nine Peaks Grotto-Heaven is quite harmonious, then?"

Although the word "harmonious" might be uncommon, its literal meaning was discernible. Hearing Ji Yuan's remark, the old beggar scoffed.

"Then, sir, you are mistaken. It cannot be harmonious. Mortal kingdoms also attack each other and hold ancient feuds. Years ago, Nine Peaks Mountain would intervene to form a unified great dynasty. What was the result?"

When the old beggar asked this, Ji Yuan instinctively replied.

"It fell apart?"

"Precisely. The world descended into chaos, the dynasty crumbled, and before its split, countless disasters occurred. Ultimately, it led to a standoff between several nations, which was actually better than before. After several attempts, Nine Peaks Mountain realized that unless they maintained constant control, history would always converge to the same outcome, even damaging some immortal cultivators' dao hearts and vital energy. So, they simply gave up interfering."

Although he had guessed this possibility, the old beggar's words still made Ji Yuan ponder deeply.

"Mr. Ji, don't dwell on it so much. Nine Peaks Mountain will worry about its own Grotto-Heaven. Let's go watch the fun."

As his voice faded, the old beggar cast a spell to accelerate their escape light. The white clouds beneath their feet almost transformed into a beam of white light, instantly carrying him and Ji Yuan away, heading directly towards Nine Peaks Mountain's Illusory Separation Wheel Array. Clearly, the "fun" was outside the Grotto-Heaven.

As the light ahead shifted, the old beggar's escape light did not stop. Ji Yuan's right hand in his sleeve was already gripping the token given by Nine Peaks Mountain, while the old beggar, seemingly without any magical artifact or token, directly rode the clouds and plunged into the array.

Just like when they arrived, the light changed and a hazy mist appeared. After a few breaths of shifting reality and illusion, the white clouds carried Ji Yuan and the old beggar out of the Nine Peaks Grotto-Heaven, rising against the sky wind into the high altitudes of the outer world.

Ji Yuan subconsciously looked back and indeed still saw the nine massive peaks standing amidst the clouds. However, he now understood that without the proper method, even if an ordinary person could fly to this height, they wouldn't be able to touch Nine Peaks Mountain; they would only encounter an illusion similar to a mirage.

"Sir, stand firm, we'll be there in two or three days!"

"That far?"

Ji Yuan was stunned. "Two or three days? Why didn't you make that clear earlier, old beggar? How far must it be to take several days of flying?"

"Where exactly is it? The Immortal Roaming Gathering is supposed to start in midsummer; we won't miss it, will we?"

The old beggar shook his head.

"No, no, it's only late April. Besides, Mr. Ji, you seldom travel, so you're unaware of many strange things. Do you think this Immortal Roaming Gathering hasn't started yet?"

Hearing the old beggar's words, Ji Yuan understood and nodded.

"A gathering of immortal cultivators is about the people, not the event itself; it's about discussing the Dao, not politics. So, it should indeed have already begun... In that case, are we heading to the 'venue' this time?"

"Hahahahaha... Excellent, excellent, Mr. Ji, you used the word 'venue' perfectly! Indeed, we are heading to the 'venue,' hahahaha..."

Perhaps due to his excellent mood, the old beggar's hearty laughter echoed far and wide. Many cultivators in the air nearby could hear it, and even some sharp-eared individuals near Ruan Mountain Crossing could faintly perceive it, all thinking that a high-level master was passing by.

In a desolate coastal mountain range, there was a steep, flat-topped peak several hundred zhang high. No matter how experienced or agile a mountain traveler was, they couldn't ascend it. Even a martial artist with formidable skills would find it extremely strenuous to reach the top.

On this very flat-topped peak, two groups of people were seated on the ground.

On one side were about a dozen cultivators dressed in varied, somewhat informal attire. From their appearance, there were old and young, men and women among them.

On the other side were also about a dozen cultivators, uniformly dressed in white shirts and robes, wearing golden-edged,镂空 star crowns. They too comprised men and women of varying ages.

"It's agreed: first, no damaging the mountain's structure; second, no cursing; third, we will only reason, and try not to resort to physical action."

A cultivator from the informally dressed group spoke, and people from both sides nodded and voiced their agreement.

"Naturally, that's how it should be! Indeed, with these three rules agreed upon beforehand, we shall only discuss the Dao."

"Right, right, right, maintaining a calm mind is essential for cultivators like us to temper our spirits!"

The cultivators on both sides either nodded or smiled, their expressions as amiable and refreshing as the surrounding mountain breeze.

"Well then, shall we begin?"

"Yes, as the saying goes, 'no day like today.' Waiting until midsummer is too long; today is perfect."

"Indeed, indeed!"

The elders from both sides stroked their beards in agreement, then politely invited each other.

"Daoist friend, please go first?"

"Ah, Daoist friend, you go first!"

"No, Daoist friend, you go first. We cultivators from Great Wind Valley are more patient; we'll just listen first."

"Daoist friend, you speak incorrectly. Our Qianyuan Sect excels at nurturing qi and cultivating the mind; when it comes to patience, we are stronger. You should go first!"

The elders on both sides continued to stroke their beards, exchanging serene smiles, and fell silent for a moment.

"I... then..."

Both spoke almost simultaneously, each being interrupted by the other's voice, so they gestured for each other to proceed again.

"Please, Daoist friend! No, you go first, Daoist friend!"

"Hehehehe... Hahahahaha..."

The Qianyuan Sect cultivator stopped being polite, spread his hand, and conjured a shimmering, colored pattern. It depicted swirling clouds carried by the wind, the fury of thunder and heavy rain, and also gentle breezes alongside biting cold winds...

"Sixty years ago, all Daoist friends from Great Wind Valley said that wind is unpredictable. To control it, one must emulate the seasons, reflecting the changes in heaven and earth: powerfully sweeping across the land, and gently caressing all things. Is any method outside of this considered an unorthodox path?"

The person from Great Wind Valley nodded and said.

"Precisely, that's right. And your Daoist friends from Qianyuan Sect believe that wind has no constant form, just as water has no constant shape, and that controlling wind through the mind and intent, using spells, is the true principle; otherwise, it cannot even be called wind manipulation?"

"Correct!"

The cultivators on both sides smiled at each other.

"Unfortunately, our Qianyuan Sect has tested your esteemed Daoist friends' ideas, and they are not as brilliant as our Qianyuan Sect's method of control!"

"Haha, what a coincidence! Our Great Wind Valley also tested your esteemed Daoist friends' methods, and they are complete nonsense!"

The elder from Qianyuan Sect's side twitched his mouth and took a deep breath.

"Daoist friend, isn't the term 'complete nonsense' a bit too strong?"

"Oh, indeed. Then, how about I rephrase it as 'not very useful'?"

While immortal cultivators are often quite uninhibited, when debates on the Dao lead to disputes, especially minor frictions between two traditions, even the smallest matters must be argued clearly, to determine superiority. If argument proves ineffective, they might even need to demonstrate their wondrous techniques to show the truth.

As Ji Yuan and the old beggar were flying on clouds and had not yet approached the southeastern coast, the old beggar's escape light had to slow down because the area was already plagued by violent winds and flashing lightning.

"Whoosh... whoosh... whoosh... Boom!"

Lead-colored clouds rolled across the sky, obscuring the daylight, and lightning surged within the endless dark clouds.

The raging winds constantly shifted direction. Ji Yuan even saw a piece of dead wood, as thick as a thigh, being swept high into the sky, then carried far away, only to be blown back later, more exhilarating than flying a kite.

"Boom!"

A bolt of lightning struck down, nearly hitting Ji Yuan and the old beggar. The old beggar remained unmoving on his cloud, waving his hand to twist all the surrounding lightning bolts in other directions.

"Mr. Ji, it seems the 'discussion' phase is almost over. Alas, we're late; the most interesting part was the 'discussion'..."

Ji Yuan couldn't help but find the old beggar's eagerness for chaos amusing, and he pointed to the sky.

"Be careful not to get struck by lightning!"

"Crack... Boom... Boom!"

"Boom!"

Before his words had even finished, several bolts of lightning purposefully struck the white cloud where they stood, or rather, struck directly at the old beggar.

"Hm!?"

The lightning was too fast and too strange, appearing without warning. Caught off guard, the old beggar had no time to dodge and could only quickly gather his magic, extending his hand to brace against the sky.

"Crack... Boom... Splash..."

Bolt after bolt of lightning poured over the old beggar, making him glow like a luminous figure. Ji Yuan's heart leaped; he quickly raised his sleeve, and all the lightning was absorbed into it.

The old beggar, still riding the cloud, said nothing for a long time, then finally turned to look at Ji Yuan.

"Mr. Ji, do you have some grievance against this old beggar?"

"Uh, I, Ji, say it was an accident. Do you believe me?"

The old beggar stared at Ji Yuan intently, who, unusually, looked a bit embarrassed and spread his hands.

"It really was an accident. I had previously sustained some lightning injuries and later used that to practice lightning magic. Perhaps something changed."

The old beggar twitched his mouth. "Are you just trying to show off, Ji Yuan?"