Chapter 274: Chapter 274 Initial Discussion on the Dao (Part 1 to celebrate the third ranking of the alliance leader)

Yu Changqing had never heard of any sect announcing its presence in such a manner—”When the flowers fall, we meet again?”

What is this nonsense? She was a bit baffled, but since she had already immersed herself in the realm of cultivation, she wasn’t one to feign ignorance. To truly understand the self, the non-self, and the absence of self and to pursue the ultimate truth within the Great Dao of heaven and earth, is what a cultivator should be steadfast in.

Thus, she admitted candidly, “Sorry, this… I really haven’t heard of it, could you perhaps give a brief introduction?”

Feng Jun smiled indifferently, “It’s common for no one to be omniscient. If you don’t know, that’s normal.”

He himself didn’t know how to explain it and simply let his eyelids droop as if to say—start imagining, let your mind wander.

Seeing that he didn’t respond, Yu Changqing had no other choice. It was common for martial artists to debate cultivation principles without giving away the truth, and the same went for cultivators—responding was a courtesy, and not responding was within one’s right.

Nevertheless, she couldn’t help feeling that he was underestimating her cultivation level and snorted discontentedly, “I wonder what realm your cultivation level has reached?”

“That’s not something I can disclose,” Feng Jun said, grinning at her, “but… it’s slightly above the seventh level of Transcendence.”

“What keen perception!” Yu Changqing nodded, understanding that he was making a point about her cultivation level, but at that moment, she couldn’t muster any resentment—his ability to decipher her cultivation level was a testament to his strength.

Still, she wasn’t quite satisfied and asked directly, “After Senior Feng broke the formation, you did not take the damaged foundation, but instead, you picked up those useless flags. Is there a reason for that?”

Feng Jun felt a sinking feeling in his heart. It’s true that when an expert makes a move, they reveal their competence, and his previous actions had clearly been a mistake.

It’s said that one should be careful and cautious when trying to show off in an unfamiliar field since any unintentional actions could give you away to an expert.

Fortunately, Feng Jun was prepared for this. Coming from a modern society saturated with information, although not skilled at showing off, he had seen enough of others doing it to have learned a few tricks.

So he replied nonchalantly, “Oh, that green flag… Didn’t you notice it was intact?”

“The flag is… intact?” Yu Changqing was startled. She felt her intelligence was failing her; are you sure your answer relates to my question? “Isn’t it far less valuable than the formation foundation?”

“Your cultivation level limits your imagination,” Feng Jun shook his head and sighed, looking somewhat regretful, “It’s intact, which aids me in deducing the cause and effect… What use do I have for a shattered foundation?”

A shattered foundation is still precious, you know? Yu Changqing felt like her head was spinning. You chose that utterly useless command flag, just to deduce cause and effect? Wait, hold on—is it… deducing cause and effect?

The next moment, she inhaled sharply, her eyes widening, “Senior, can you actually deduce the workings of fate?”

“It’s hardly fate, merely some minor cause and effect,” Feng Jun spread his hands, feigning nonchalance, “I just happen to know a couple of little tricks… I’m quite eager to figure out who created this formation and whether someone is targeting me.”

Yu Changqing however, knew that while fate might not equate to cause and effect, cause and effect was indeed a part of fate.

Deducing fate is difficult, and deducing cause and effect… is equally challenging.

She nodded slightly, genuinely impressed, “That’s true, indeed my… what’s the word, thank you for enlightening me, Senior.”

Feng Jun shook his head with a smile, “You needn’t be so polite, fellow Daoist. Cultivation is all about wealth, companions, methods, and location… Since we are fated to meet, exchanging knowledge is only natural, don’t you think?”

Yu Changqing nodded absently, thinking to herself that elders truly were elders; with just a few words, he had articulated the essence of cultivation, and what’s more, he did not withhold knowledge.

Feeling elated, she could hardly wait to try, “Senior, might we sit and discuss the Dao?”

“Discuss the Dao?” Feng Jun rolled his eyes helplessly, thinking how he didn’t understand a thing about cultivation, and here he was trying to learn from her, yet she wanted to… discuss the Dao with him?

I am like Shakespeare’s brother—Shaxian Ya.

Of course, that was what he thought, but he couldn’t say that. He composed himself and said, “With my limited insight, it’s too early for discussing the Dao. If you wish to preach from the pulpit, I would listen respectfully.”

Yu Changqing blushed slightly at his words and waved her hands hastily, “If even the Senior feels his knowledge is shallow, how dare I, with my brazen face, presume to do so? Let’s not speak of preaching again.”

“But what you say is not right,” Feng Jun replied earnestly, “There is a sequence to hearing the Dao, and there are specializations in skill. A master need not be wiser than the disciple, and the disciple need not be lesser than the master… Even so among teachers and students, what signifies an elder?”

“It is said that ‘a wise man may make a mistake despite a thousand considerations; a fool, in his thousand considerations, will still have one insight.’ You surely wouldn’t be less than a fool, would you, Daoist Yu?”

Yu Changqing, who had been expressionless, couldn’t help but be amused by his comment, “Senior Feng really has a sense of humor. However, what I could share is only what was taught by my sect, and it seems… it seems improper to divulge it.”

More than just improper—if she were to impart the secret techniques of her sect, she would undoubtedly suffer a fate worse than death, and those who heard them would certainly be hunted down relentlessly.

So, her use of “improper” was merely to convey her stance, and not just to indicate inconvenience—surely the Senior would understand.

Feng Jun glanced at her sideways, exaggeratedly furrowed his brows and widened his eyes, displaying an unhappy demeanor, “So, you know it’s inconvenient? Then why do you still want me to discuss the Dao with you, are you expecting me to betray my sect?”

Observing his angry, bulging eyes, Yu Changqing’s face inexplicably flushed red, thinking to herself that his angry look was actually… actually quite handsome.

However, she wasn’t worried about him truly being angry, and simply replied with a smile, “I have no intention of prying into the secrets of Senior Feng’s sect, I just want to consult you on some common knowledge about cultivation.”

“Common knowledge about cultivation?” Feng Jun showed his teeth in a grimace, thinking to himself, you’ve come across a phony senior.

“For example… Wealth, Companion, Dharma, Land?” Yu Changqing tilted her head slightly, curiously looking at him, “What do these four words mean?”

Feng Jun had just taken out a cigarette and was about to light it, but upon hearing her words, paused mid-action, looking at her in surprise—you can’t be serious? This is a cultivation plane; you don’t have this concept?

The middle-aged man tilted his head, resting his chin in his hand, eyes wide with a curious baby’s expression. This scene looked… enough to make someone vomit blood three liters.

But seeing the innocence in her eyes, Feng Jun felt that she truly didn’t understand.

Putting aside the identity of a cultivator, she is just a twenty-year-old girl.

Feng Jun started to wonder, Earth clearly didn’t have immortals, it should at least be a magical era plane, then how could there emerge theories that even amazed the world of cultivation?

Could it really be due to the explosion of information?

After some thought, he finally smiled slightly, “These four words, your sect will explain them to you sooner or later… I’d rather not embarrass myself.”

However, although Yu Changqing was known for her cautious actions, if she had been taken in by immortals from a young age, her aptitude was definitely not poor, and her intelligence was certainly above the average standard.

Her eyes spun, and with a playful laugh, she said, “Senior Feng, since you think my sect is also aware of these four words, why not tell me in advance? My sect also says… in cultivation, every second counts.”

The playful laugh was quite sweet, but coming out of the mouth of a stoic middle-aged man…

Feng Jun rubbed his neck and muttered under his breath, “I’m getting goosebumps… Alright, let’s start with ‘Wealth’…”

The true essence of the four words Wealth, Companion, Dharma, Land is self-explanatory, any more would be watering it down.

Once Feng Jun finished explaining, Yu Changqing nodded thoughtfully, thinking to herself that although she had heard such arguments before, being able to summarize them so precisely, this person’s heritage… was indeed extraordinary.

In a society with limited information, the systematization of theory is crucial. Having a main thread, supporting evidence, and consistent logic constitutes a complete systematic heritage.

How to assess such a heritage mainly depends on its scope and interpretive power.

She blinked and then asked another question, “Could you perhaps explain the concept of Yin Yang separation used in your formation setup?”

If she had asked something else, Feng Jun wouldn’t have been quite sure how to handle it, but on this topic… he gave his ‘little sister,’ the young master Yu, a meaningful look and grinned, “Didn’t someone say… that what I set up isn’t a formation?”

The ‘little sister’s’ face darkened instantly, but she had already figured it out, and her sister had confirmed it—their visitor’s cultivation level was even higher than her sister’s; naturally, she dared not continue to be aggressive.

She stood up, gave a respectful bow to Feng Jun, and spoke respectfully, “Senior, I apologize for my previous disrespect. Zhu Er is young and ignorant, and I am here to make amends.”

“Forget it, I’m not one to hold grudges, it was just a joke,” Feng Jun waved it off, speaking casually, “Previously, you were willing to help me out, which is commendable… Let’s not dwell on this matter any further.”

Seeing this, Yu Changqing thought to herself that he truly lived up to the reputation of a senior, open-minded and magnanimous, and ventured, “Then, could you explain about the Yin Yang separation…?”

Feng Jun looked at her with a smile that was not quite a smile, “Changqing Dao friend, you are too impatient. How about we talk about something else for now? For instance… what sect does Wuyou Platform belong to?”

He could explain the theory of Yin Yang separation, even delve into metaphysics, but that’s not how things are done. He’d already justified their fateful meeting by explaining the “Wealth, Companion, Dharma, Land” concept.

Explaining more would be too enthusiastic, which doesn’t fit with his persona.

Excessive favors without reason suggest ulterior motives… Who knows whether this young lady has a jealous senior brother?

Alright, that’s a joke, but essentially, this plane operates on the principle of cause and effect. He had already created a suitable good cause, and anything beyond that would be excessive.

I take back the “open-minded and magnanimous” comment! Yu Changqing’s lips twitched slightly, but in the next moment, her eyes lit up…

(First update, in honor of Sect Leader Spiritual Fox’s third ranking.)