"Junior Brothers, if you have any doubts about cultivation, Senior Brother will answer them one by one today. As for discussing the Dao and giving lectures, Senior Brother's learning is shallow, so I won't bring it out and make a laughingstock of myself."
Lu Changsheng spoke. He had prepared for an entire day, originally planning to bring out the Huangting Jing again, but after thinking it over, he decided it was pointless.
It was not that the Huangting Jing was inadequate, but when preaching and teaching these disciples, some would understand while others would not. That would defeat the purpose of teaching the Dao.
He might as well let the disciples ask their own questions and answer them one by one. That was quite good too.
"Senior Brother! This disciple has a question! I hope Senior Brother can answer it!"
A disciple immediately rose to his feet.
Seizing the initiative, he drew the envy of many disciples.
"Speak."
Lu Changsheng spoke, appearing exceptionally extraordinary.
"While practicing the Great Flame Fire Dragon recently, this Junior Brother discovered that its power was weak, and I cannot unleash even thirty or forty percent of its might. I hope Senior Brother can instruct me."
That was what he said.
Great Flame Fire Dragon?
What kind of Dao technique was that?
Why did it sound so ridiculous?
Did adding "dragon" make it powerful?
Lu Changsheng had absolutely no idea.
This had touched upon a blind spot in his knowledge.
No, Lu Changsheng thought slightly. When he had first arrived at the Great Luo Holy Land, he seemed to have seen an explanation concerning Dao techniques.
He had forgotten whether that jade booklet had been called Five Thousand Years of Dao Techniques or The Origins of Dao Techniques.
But he more or less understood some of it. Lu Changsheng slowly answered.
"Everyone has their own methods. If its power is weak, perhaps it is a matter of physique. Some people are suited to fire-element Dao techniques, while others are not. You can try changing to another Dao technique."
Since the other party had asked such a question, Lu Changsheng could only answer normally.
After learning this, the latter could not help nodding. "Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother. This disciple understands."
Fortunately, he gladly accepted this answer, so he would not keep pestering him over a single question.
"For the following questions, do not ask about Dao techniques. There are three hundred and sixty thousand ancient books in the Ten Thousand Books Pavilion. Read more and study more; the means to resolve your doubts lies within them."
Seeing the other restless disciples, Lu Changsheng spoke at once, stopping their various questions in advance.
If they all asked about Dao techniques, his head would explode.
"Senior Brother, this disciple boldly wishes to ask: what is cultivation?"
Since they were not allowed to ask about Dao techniques, many disciples lost interest, but a disciple still stood and asked.
What was cultivation?
Lu Changsheng pondered for a moment before speaking.
"Cultivation is not about fighting and killing. Cultivation is about human relationships and worldly affairs. We cultivators must not let the fleeting clouds before our eyes obscure us. Whether fame and profit, Dao and techniques, we must view them more lightly, let go of some obsessions, and experience the myriad states of the mortal world. Only then can we better stabilize our Dao hearts."
"If cultivators place great importance on fame and profit, what kind of cultivators are they? They are merely somewhat stronger mortals."
Lu Changsheng answered.
"But the ancients said that we cultivators, having been born into this life, should strive for an ethereal Great Dao. I ask Senior Brother to explain."
That disciple continued.
Lu Changsheng answered without hesitation.
"The ancients were not wrong. You merely saw the surface, but not what lay beneath."
"Struggle against Heaven, and seize a thread of survival! Struggle against others, and win confidence! It is not about competing in strength or being eager to fight. If you must struggle, struggle to surpass yourself. If you regard others as your goal, then where would the end be?"
"The Outer Sect envies the Inner Sect, the Inner Sect envies the core disciples, the core disciples envy the True Disciples, the True Disciples envy the Holy Son, the Holy Son envies the Holy Lord, and the Holy Lord envies an even stronger Holy Lord. If this continues, it will be endless. Do you understand?"
That was what Lu Changsheng said.
"This disciple understands."
The disciples all nodded. Some were lost in thought, some suddenly enlightened, and some utterly entranced.
In truth, Lu Changsheng himself did not even know what he was talking about. These people liked listening to lofty principles anyway, so he simply gave them some.
Yet this time, there was actually no omen during his lecture and preaching.
That made Lu Changsheng somewhat curious.
Could it be that they had become immune to it?
Or was it brewing?
He withdrew his wild thoughts.
Lu Changsheng continued answering questions.
A hundred thousand disciples meant a hundred thousand questions. Naturally, Lu Changsheng could not answer all hundred thousand.
He merely selected a few disciples who were rather pleasing to the eye and answered their questions.
Of course, "pleasing to the eye" meant they were good-looking.
There was no helping it. This was, after all, an Immortal Cultivation World where looks reigned supreme.
In fact, Lu Changsheng had once been curious.
Why was the xianxia world he had transmigrated into utterly different from the novels he had read?
Wasn't it supposed to be a world where the strong reigned supreme?
How had its whole style turned into looks reigning supreme?
Lu Changsheng had even once felt that if his story were written into a novel, its synopsis should be something like this.
This was a world where looks reigned supreme. There were no tropes of broken engagements and face-slapping, only appearance arts developed to the utmost extreme.
Appearance Practitioners, Appearance Masters, Great Appearance Masters, Appearance Spirits, Appearance Kings, Appearance Emperors, Appearance Ancestors, Appearance Venerables, Appearance Saints, Appearance Deities.
And the youth Lu Changsheng, having transmigrated here, was the strongest Appearance Deity.
The story began here.
He withdrew his strange and bizarre thoughts.
Lu Changsheng began answering questions one after another.
Until it was nearly dark.
Lu Changsheng slowly spoke.
"In one hour, the discussion of the Dao will end."
From daytime until night, a full eight hours had passed, and Lu Changsheng had not even taken a sip of water during those eight hours.
It was not that he was tired, only somewhat weary.
The main issue was that most of these disciples' questions were about how to cultivate, how to raise their strength, and how to become stronger.
Was there not even one asking how to improve their appearance?
No wonder they had muddled along for so many years and were still Outer Sect disciples. There truly was a reason for it.
But just then.
A disciple stood up. He was a True Disciple and looked toward Lu Changsheng.
This man was extraordinary. Purple lightning surrounded him, and merely standing there gave off an exceedingly terrifying aura.
His only flaw was that he looked utterly ordinary. If not for the special effect of that purple lightning, thrown into a crowd, he would have been just one among the masses.
"Eldest Senior Brother, this Junior Brother has a question."
"Speak."
"Senior Brother, we cultivators fight Heaven, fight Earth, and fight others, paying far too much for the Path to Immortality. Yet throughout the ages, only a handful have been able to become immortals. This Junior Brother is untalented; it took me a hundred years to reach the Nascent Soul Middle Stage, yet after more than two hundred years of stagnation, I remain at the Nascent Soul Middle Stage. In this way, though it appears glorious, I will still find it difficult to become immortal in my entire life."
"This Junior Brother is untalented, yet I barely became a True Disciple. Even so, I already know that my immortal path has been severed. Then where are the Paths to Immortality for these core Junior Brothers, Inner Sect Junior Brothers, Outer Sect Junior Brothers, and even the countless masses?"
"The sages said, 'Of the fifty avenues of the Great Dao, one escapes into transformation.' I ask Eldest Senior Brother to tell us: where is this thread of survival?"
That disciple knelt upon the ground and asked sincerely.
At this moment, every disciple was moved. They all knelt in unison, kowtowing to Lu Changsheng as they asked this question.
The other party's meaning was very simple.
I am a Great Luo True Disciple. I have cultivated for merely a hundred years and already reached the Nascent Soul Middle Stage, but as my realm grew higher and higher, I gradually became unable to continue. Even after two hundred years, I could not break through to the late stage.
Even I, a Great Luo True Disciple, can no longer become immortal.
Then what should these people do?
The immortal path was so difficult.
What should we do!
This question was of an exceptionally high standard.
Lu Changsheng did not answer immediately, instead thinking carefully for a while.
After a moment.
Lu Changsheng spoke.
"Heaven's movement is vigorous—"
The instant those three words emerged.
At this moment.
The stars shone brilliantly!
As though an omen that had brewed for a long time had finally appeared.
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