Transmission of the Dao

Li Qi noticed that everyone on the rooftop seemed quite refined, ordering only a few dishes and then slowly savoring them.

By scanning the surface-level thinking of those around him, he learned that, firstly, this was considered more refined and showed better taste, rather than being a boorish person who would readily accept superficiality.

Secondly, the dishes here are very rare and quite expensive. Someone like Li Qi, who ordered more than 400 dishes, only ate a bite of each. Only the dozen or so eighth-rank subordinates in the city could do that.

Oh, this place isn't called the Eighth Grade, it's called the Primordial Spirit Realm.

It's just that kind of thing anyway.

Others may not necessarily be unable to afford it, but they obviously won't waste the money, since it's quite an expense.

Therefore, when Li Qi did this, he naturally attracted a lot of attention. Many people began to observe Li Qi in secret and ordered their subordinates to investigate this sudden eighth-rank official.

Yes, everyone naturally regarded him as an eighth-rank official because... if someone doesn't have that level of competence and does such ostentatious things, their fate would probably be quite ugly.

The principle of doing what level of work according to one's rank is a deeply ingrained rule in this world.

Of course, Li Qi didn't know this, and even if he did, he wouldn't care, because he really was just there to eat.

After tasting more than four hundred dishes, Li Qi put down his chopsticks.

It's alright, barely passable. But compared to the takeout he'd had from Zhu Fengdan, it's far inferior. It can't even compare to ingredients like swordfish. It's only considered decent among eighth and ninth-grade dishes, just ordinary food, not rare treasures.

After Li Qi finished eating, he patted Ju Ye on the shoulder and said, "You eat first. If you can't finish, pack it up and take it home. I'm going to go over there and enjoy the scenery. Call me when it's time to pay the bill."

After saying that, Li Qi stood up from the dining table and walked towards the floating rooftop outside under the gazes of many.

There, an eighth-rank official was watching Li Qi was the strongest person in the area.

Li Qi walked over, and the other person was slightly taken aback, then immediately realized that the person in front of him had discovered him.

So he went up to Li Qi and said, "You certainly have a good appetite."

"Just something to eat, that's all I like," Li Qi said with a smile.

"Which dish do you find most palatable?" the other party asked again.

"That one," Li Qi said, pointing to one of the plates on the table.

The other party clapped his hands and immediately praised, "What a discerning palate! This is Slope Bird, originally weighing a hundred pounds, with a bland taste. But it is infused with flavor by being smoked and roasted with spices, then dried in the wind, reducing the hundred pounds to fifty pounds. After being sun-dried, it is reduced to twenty-five pounds. Then it is cooked until done and tightened using Secret Method, reducing the hundred pounds to only one pound. It shrinks to just one piece, concentrating all the flavor into a single bite. That's how it has such a delicious taste. Moreover, only experts at the Primordial Spirit Realm can capture the Slope Bird alive. It is extremely difficult to capture and cook. Within a radius of 100,000 miles, only this place can serve it. You took a liking to it after just one bite, which shows that you are indeed an expert in this field."

Li Qi glanced at the other person's superficial thinking.

He discovered that this person was not just flattering him, but genuinely praising Li Qi, and even felt a sense of kinship with Li Qi.

So Li Qi cupped his hands in greeting and pointed to another dish. "You flatter me. However, besides this dish, I think that root vegetable dish is also quite delicious. Compared to the others, it can be called a superior dish."

It was the root of a plant, but Li Qi didn't know what it was. It tasted a bit like bamboo shoots, but its crispness was comparable to yam. It was also very moist, so it was probably an aquatic plant, but it was different from lotus root. It was obviously a species unique to this world.

It was indeed delicious, and the cooking was also very skillful.

The man was overjoyed, feeling a sense of kinship, and began to speak eloquently again, "There are five qualities to the beauty of vegetables: first, they must be clean; second, they must be pure; third, they must be fragrant; fourth, they must be crisp and tender; and fifth, they must be free from greasiness."

"Homegrown vegetables are the most filthy. The five types of vegetables can only be crisp and tender because when they are fertilized, they must be watered with the roots and leaves. The accumulated manure over time has completely destroyed their cleanliness and fragrance. They should not be eaten unless absolutely necessary."

"Wild vegetables from the mountains are slightly better, possessing both crispness and fragrance. Because they are born in the mountains and have the spirit of the forest, but they are ultimately born from the soil, and with the baseness of the soil on them, cleanliness is hard to say."

"Next up is something like bean sprouts. These water-soaked things are clean and free from the smell of soil. They are crisp, tender and fragrant. With three out of the five qualities, they are just barely edible."

"Next up are mushrooms, which have no roots or stems, appearing and disappearing suddenly. They have form but no body. Things with bodies must have residue. Since there is no residue, they have no body. Therefore, things without bodies are both clear and clean, with excellent fragrance and tenderness. Having four of these five qualities, they can be called top-grade. However, mushrooms are still similar to meat, too greasy, and lose some of their flavor."

"As for the finest, it is the vegetables from the water. They grow in water and are not tainted by the fishy smell of mud. They are crisp, tender, fragrant, clean, white, and have a delicate aroma. They are all pure and wonderful things. Eating them is like fish and shrimp drinking water, or cicadas drinking dew. They are elegant and fragrant. With all five qualities, this is the finest."

"Just as the dishes you ordered, so are they."

The other person was so engrossed in the conversation that their excitement was hard to describe, and it seemed they genuinely enjoyed the food.

Li Qi also likes to eat, but only to the extent of liking, not to the point of pursuing it. He likes to eat delicious food, but he doesn't love it to that extent, so he can't empathize with the other person.

However, this pursuit of what one loves is one of the driving forces behind the path of cultivation, so although Li Qi could not empathize with it, he could understand it very well.

Li Qi nodded slightly. "Since you like it so much, it seems that you take this as your path?"

"Huh? What do you mean by taking this as the way?" This eighth-rank official was somewhat puzzled and didn't quite understand what Li Qi was talking about.

Li Qi frowned slightly.

Indeed, the Dao Path of this world is not one that I can pursue.

Their practice is not for pursuing the Dao, but for becoming stronger.

"So, you're saying that incorporating the method of diet into cultivation, isn't that wonderful?" Li Qi said with a smile.

The other party shook his head. "Hey, what has this become? It doesn't help your strength at all, it's just a waste of time. If cultivation can't make you stronger, what's the point? Forget it, these things are just for fun."

"If one cannot pursue what one loves, what is the point of cultivation?" Li Qi countered.

"The more this is the case, the more important strength becomes. After all, you can only have hobbies if you are alive, and live better." The other person just smiled. Although he did not agree with Li Qi's words, he still tolerated Li Qi, a rare confidant.

At this point, he suddenly clapped his hands. "Oh right, I forgot to mention who I am. My surname is Ou, my Ou Xianqing, and I am at the Primordial Spirit Realm. This restaurant is my property. What do you think?"

"My name is Li Qi, and my cultivation level... is a bit higher than the Primordial Spirit Realm," Li Qi said.

He didn't address himself as "this humble one," as the other person might not be comfortable with such a form of address.

"So you're a great master at the Ascension Realm? It's quite an honor to meet you today, senior." The other party immediately bowed and said this.

The reason for bowing was simple: Ou Xianqing had checked Li Qi's cultivation level.

I can't see through it.

This is indeed a master. Even if the opponent is not at the Ascension Realm, they are probably not far off, otherwise they would not be so completely unable to see through his abilities.

"I think it's pretty good. By the way, the meal cost hasn't been settled yet. I don't have Spirit Stone on me. How about this, I'll also contribute a dish. If you think it's acceptable, could you waive the cost of this meal?" Li Qi said.

"Oh? Senior Li, I'm intrigued. Please." Ou Xianqing immediately became interested.

It's rare to find a gourmand who shares your tastes; the food they can offer must be quite something.

Li Qi himself wasn't very good at cooking; his skill level was only slightly higher than those of the eighth-rank officials. He did have some skill in brewing wine, but it was mostly wine for sacrificial purposes. Standards were important, but taste wasn't the primary consideration; everything was geared towards the characteristics of the sacrificial ceremony.

As for Shen Shuibi, over the past few hundred years, because of Li Qi's love for food, the rabbit has actually developed excellent cooking skills. Although it can't compare to her alchemy skills, it's enough to allow Li Qi to comfortably enjoy family life.

Li Qi was grateful for this and felt very proud.

Therefore, what Li Qi took out was definitely not something he made himself, but rather Zhu Fengdan's takeout.

That's right, Zhu Fengdan often orders takeout. Although it's called takeout, it's all high-quality food. The ingredients may not be expensive, but the cooking skills are absolutely top-notch.

After all, eating doesn't necessarily mean eating the ingredients. Sometimes it's about appreciating the cooking techniques and the chef's skill and skill, which can be quite interesting. Besides, Zhu Fengdan often couldn't finish her food, and would even order a whole table of dishes but only eat a few, so Li Qi naturally put them away.

Why not take advantage of a free lunch?

At this moment, Li Qi naturally couldn't send out the precious ingredients. It wasn't that he was stingy or unwilling to part with them; it was mainly because these eighth-rank people would probably explode after just one bite and wouldn't be able to enjoy such delicacies.

So he chose a dish that required skill and set it out.

This move caused Ou Xianqing's pupils to shrink slightly.

Where did you take it from?

Li Qi also noticed the other person's gaze and scanned their superficial thoughts to understand their intentions.

In the mortal realm of the immortals, there is no Mustard Seed Bag.

Indeed, the Mustard Seed Bag of the world are essentially extraterrestrial spaces opened up by powerful beings, allowing people to send things in. The immortal realm doesn't have such benevolent powerful beings, which means they don't have storage Law Treasure. After all, Divine Ability involving space are all quite advanced, and an eighth-rank cultivator isn't qualified to get involved.

But it didn't matter to Li Qi; he didn't care anyway. After all, he had ulterior motives for letting the other party taste the food.

A plate of ordinary noodles was served, or even a bowl of vegetarian noodles, made with only grade eight Qingyang Wheat.

Of course, eighth-grade ingredients are ordinary ingredients for Li Qi, so he can make a dish that requires skill, but it is not for Ou Xianqing.

He could only feel a refreshing breeze wafting towards him.

Li Qi waved his hand slightly, and the bowl of noodles quickly went from cold to hot. It was leftover food that had been sitting for quite a while, and Li Qi just thought it was wasteful, so he put it away.

Once the noodles were heated up and the aroma filled the air, Ou Xianqing couldn't wait to reach for them. Ignoring the dignity of the Primordial Spirit Realm expert, she picked up her chopsticks, slurped up a mouthful of soup, and then tasted a bite of noodles...

Then, he narrowed his eyes slightly.

This feeling...

One's own inner world—

Indescribable.

His cultivation was surging, and his Cultivation Method seemed to be echoing the bowl of noodles.

He seemed to sense that the chef who made this bowl of noodles had poured his heart and soul into it, using extraordinary skills to infuse his understanding of the world and of noodles into this bowl of noodles.

In the past, Ou Xianqing would have said that this was complete nonsense.

It's just cooking and eating. Although he likes it, it's not something that can be taken seriously. How can it be compared to Divine Ability with immense killing force?

But after eating that bowl of noodles, he suddenly felt...

This is not funny.

There's nothing funny about it; this bowl of noodles still contains an understanding of the world.

Yes, that's the most important thing.

When you have your own unique understanding of the world, then whether it's cooking, blacksmithing, fighting, or studying, the essence is the same.

It all comes down to putting your understanding and perspectives on the world into practice.

Can't the understanding you gain from making noodles, and the way you use ingredients and knives, be applied to other things?

That doesn't make sense.

Everything is interconnected. The insights you gain about the world through cooking, if deep enough, can resonate with other places.

This is a 'commonality'.

The commonality of the world, when pursued to the end, is the "Tao" that Daoism has created.

The root of everything, all things are contained within it.

The beginning of heaven and earth, the mother of all things, mysterious beyond mystery, the gateway to all wonders.

The Dao is the uncarved block of wholeness. The Dao generates all things and is contained within all things. The Dao is in things, and things are in the Dao. All things, though different in their paths, lead to the same destination: the Dao.

This "Dao" is the origin of the name "Daoist School".

So why can't food lead to battle?

Through food and drink, one enters the 'Tao', and then through the 'Tao', extends it into battle.

Everything originates from the Tao, which is the origin and mother of all things in the universe. The opposition and unity of Yin and Yang is the essential manifestation of all things.

Or rather, why be so fixated on categorizing things as 'food,' 'fighting,' and 'manufacturing'?

What's the point of this classification? It's just a personal preference of practitioners.

Once you can explore the 'Tao', you can develop your own unique understanding of everything, whether it's fighting or eating, you can delve into it deeply.

Ou Xianqing seems to have figured it out?

So this is what cultivation truly is.

It was just a bowl of noodles, yet the profound Daoist principles within it resonated within him, allowing him to suddenly gain some insight—

To accumulate Law Power, to increase killing power, to become stronger, but... can this really make one stronger?

Perhaps, but it's definitely not as powerful as directly grasping the essence.

It's like this: no matter how exquisitely you make your bow and arrow, or how sharp you grind the arrows, you still can't beat a musket.

Why?

Because firearms utilize 'force' more deeply, and the 'Tao' applied by firearms is more profound than that of bows and arrows, the power they exert is naturally stronger and has a higher upper limit.

All that Ou Xianqing had done before was to create more powerful bows and arrows, but he had never thought of making guns.

At that moment, he became aware of the gun's presence.

This is what Li Qi wanted to do.

He wants to preach in the heavens.