Atmosphere

This news perked Li Qi up.

That's really interesting.

In the True Dao Sect, someone is about to ascend to immortality.

In other words, one person rose to the seventh rank within five hundred years.

Well...

It can't be called fast, but for a Dao Lineage starting from scratch, this is an extremely impressive achievement. Although their path has some references, they actually have to figure out many things on their own.

Five hundred years is about five generations for a cultivator of the ninth rank. Did they figure out the method of Longevity in just five generations?

That's really commendable.

Upon learning this news, Li Qi felt much more motivated to continue his journey. He was curious about how the True Dao Sect had managed to do it.

Along the way, he arrived at the city below the gate of the True Dao Sect.

This city was entirely built upon the foundation of the True Dao Sect.

Li Qi only needed to glance down from the sky to perceive the operation of the entire city, a city that existed entirely to supply the True Dao Sect.

The city was built around the mountain gate of the True Dao Sect, where a large amount of resources and labor were stockpiled, most of which were to be sent up the mountain.

Five hundred years is enough time for the True Dao Sect to grow into a Great Things. For mortals, five hundred years is enough to change the world, from the feudal era to the modern industrial society.

However, the True Dao Sect did not develop into an industrial society. After Li Qi paid the head tax to enter the city, he looked around.

He heard it and argued.

Numerous debates circulated, even among peddlers and laborers, or in teahouses and taverns.

Their debates were quite interesting, such as whether the sun is closer to the ground in the morning or at night.

The discussion revolves around whether offering sacrifices to the mountain god is based on offerings or sincerity.

Is the world finite, or infinite?

What is the center of the world? Is it the earth we live on or the stars we see in the sky?

The questions were so interesting that Li Qi would occasionally stop to listen, because he was very curious that these mortals, who didn't even have Divine Ability and only knew basic cultivation Cultivation Method, were not even as good as Li Qi during his time as a boatman.

How can someone like that talk about the essence of the world, the center of the universe, or the position of the sun? How interesting.

After listening for a while, he nodded slightly, shook his head with a smile, and then left.

Most of these discussions lacked concrete evidence; the arguments were almost entirely based on conjecture, and the points were completely arbitrary. The topics would often veer off into other areas, leading to arguments and even physical altercations.

For example, when discussing whether the universe is infinite, those who support the idea of infinity argue that shouting at the horizon without receiving an echo proves the universe is infinite, and that sound can never reach the boundary and therefore cannot bounce back, thus garnering much applause.

To be honest, this idea is interesting, but it's really too crude.

However, Li Qi still found it very interesting.

Because these are just ordinary people who haven't read many books, it won't do them any good to talk about these things, and to be honest, many of their ideas are actually the best arguments they can come up with in their barren minds.

They were genuinely thinking seriously, even though their thinking was crude and ridiculous.

The conclusion is funny, but the atmosphere of this kind of thinking is respectable and should not be ridiculed. As long as we fill in the gaps in our knowledge and have sufficient knowledge as a foundation, such thinking will surely produce sparks.

Thinking is the flame, knowledge is the fuel.

With the support of firewood, the flame can burn brightly, illuminating the dark world and pointing the way forward.

This made Li Qi have some expectations for the atmosphere of the True Dao Sect.

If this is true for ordinary people, then what about those who cultivate themselves?

Therefore, Li Qi quickly bypassed these residential areas and headed towards the gathering place of young cultivators.

Yes, it is a gathering place for young practitioners; it could even be called a 'school'.

Based on his scan of the surrounding superficial thoughts and information such as maps, Li Qi could confirm that the True Dao Sect had been cultivating young people, and if they passed the assessment, they could join the True Dao Sect and become formal disciple.

There are many, many such gathering places.

Li Qi speculated that it was precisely because of the existence of these schools that these students brought the trend of critical thinking to the outside of the True Dao Sect, which is why the city was filled with such a strong atmosphere of debate.

Full of anticipation, Li Qi arrived at the school that represented young cultivators.

He didn't register; instead, he simply Body Merged with Nature and entered silently.

There are many young people here, mostly children around ten years old, that is, junior high or high school age. Most of them have some cultivation. They come from different backgrounds, including children of great cultivators, children from wealthy families, and peasants who have just climbed out of the mountains by relying on their talents.

But they all have one thing in common: they are all young and impetuous.

Li Qi discovered that the threshold for entering these schools was actually quite high. Those who could come here were all young geniuses, after all, this was considered the training ground for the youth of major sects.

The spirit of critical thinking among ordinary people outside also originated from here. Because of this, the spirit of critical thinking here is even stronger. After entering, Li Qi discovered a large number of students who, in addition to their cultivation, were constantly debating with others.

Only...

Li Qi discovered something.

As practitioners, the content of their contemplation is almost exactly the same as that of ordinary people outside, except that they add some content of practice and empirical evidence.

Upon closer examination, this makes perfect sense.

If this is the origin of the spirit of critical thinking, then people outside will naturally learn from here, and the topics will definitely be directly copied from here. After all, this place is not far from the outside world, and it is normal for ordinary people to follow suit.

However, this kind of topic is fine for ordinary people to talk about, but these practitioners and students are only talking about this kind of thing.

If they talk about how to manage their cultivation, how to specifically arrange their cultivation time to achieve the best results, or how to statistically summarize the efficiency of different Technique Method, they will be ridiculed for talking about mundane matters and mocked by their friends.

Therefore, what they like to talk about are things like universal truths.

This is not speculation, this is metaphysics.

The truth of the universe is not something that cannot be discussed; on the contrary, people should explore the truth more, but the premise is that it must be combined with practice.

Speculation that is not connected with practice is meaningless.

Mathematical formulas are just empty words on paper if they are not combined with engineering.

If philosophical thought does not guide social production and moral development, then philosophy is merely a spark in one's own mind, invisible to anyone else.

This made Li Qi shake his head. What kind of people would this kind of atmosphere produce? Wouldn't they all be a bunch of good-for-nothings?

However, one thing that could somewhat reassure Li Qi was that these students were at least quite skilled in cultivation. Although they enjoyed discussing metaphysics, they did more than just talk about metaphysics.

"Perhaps they are all students, so they have no way to practice?" Li Qi thought to himself, feeling that it was quite possible.

With that in mind, he simply found a student who seemed rather aloof and sat down next to him.

This is a young man. While everyone else is discussing Discussing the Dao and the mysteries of the universe, he is here quietly pondering the most basic cultivation path.

However, the basic cultivation path is not simple; it is even more difficult than those cosmic mysteries.

The more fundamental it is, the more solid it is. In particular, the early Cultivation Method of the True Dao Sect were actually given by Li Qi. It was the cultivation guide that Li Qi gave to Ju Ye. These foundations were personally formulated by a great Daoist master.

When trees grow big, pruning branches and flowers is easy, but have you ever seen the root system pruned?

Of course, you can force it to be pruned, but that will only cause the tree to grow crooked. After that, it will be up to it how far it can go, having lost the magnificent foundation laid by the great masters of the Daoist sect.

So, in essence, he and his classmates who talked about metaphysics were doing the same thing.

But the motivations are clearly different.

So, Li Qi watched curiously as he prepared to make the changes.

After watching for a while, the boy hung his head in dejection and chose to give up.

There's nothing that can be changed.

This system is so perfect that any slight change in any part will worsen the result, making it seem like this is the optimal solution at present.

"Young man, what are you researching? Why don't you go and Discussing the Dao with others?" Li Qi suddenly appeared and asked the young man.

The young man was startled, put away his pen and paper, and looked at Li Qi with a puzzled expression. He asked, "What I do is none of your business. Go away, don't bother me."

Li Qi, who had been chased away by the boy, smiled and said, "I'm just curious. Everyone else is so sociable, so why is my classmate all alone?"

He already knew why he was alone.

His reaction to being greeted by others clearly indicates that he was all alone.

"What others are talking about is useless for cultivation, what's the point? I went through all the trouble to get in here for cultivation, not to talk nonsense with them. Alright, move aside, I'm leaving." The other person carefully put away the paper and pen, and left timidly.

This amused Li Qi somewhat, but he also gleaned the boy's name from his superficial understanding.

Chang You.

Li Qi had a very strange feeling.

Chang You has a... feeling of being from outside. He doesn't seem to have grown up in the True Dao Sect, but rather like those barbaric natives of the Immortal Realm who don't pursue the Dao but only want to cultivate and ascend to immortality.

However, in this city of the True Dao Sect, such people seemed so down-to-earth.

Yes, be down-to-earth.

The True Dao Sect's more than 500 years of development have fostered this atmosphere of refined conversation. The powerful sect has given them the confidence to be so detached. The True Dao Sect... is already too strong.

If pursuing the Dao is like opening one's eyes to look at the sky, then the young students of the True Dao Sect have already raised their heads too high, constantly discussing the origin of the universe, so high that they can't see the path beneath their feet at all.

However, people in the celestial realm and the mortal realm are too focused on practicality, so much so that they can only see the one or two steps under their feet, crawling like mice, but can never look up to see the deep and vast sky.

After the students finished reading, Li Qi took a closer look at the young man and then began his ascent up the mountain.

After all, he originally came to see the ascension ceremony of the True Dao Sect.

So, Li Qi Body Merged with Nature and quietly went up the mountain.

Upon arriving at the gate of the True Dao Sect, Li Qi immediately sensed that they had actually been divided into several Dao Lineage, each with its own distinct gate.

Interesting. Is it inevitable that the prevailing ideology will lead to a division within the Dao Lineage, and then a struggle between different schools of thought?

With that thought in mind, Li Qi arrived at the mountain gate.

He spent five days visiting all the mountain gates.

It was indeed a struggle over the Dao, but a very primitive one. They hadn't yet reached the point where their interpretations of the world were completely different, to the point of being irreconcilable.

Interesting.

Li Qi observed all of this, and then climbed to the very top of the mountain.

At the very top of the True Dao Sect's mountain gate, where all spirits gather and flourish, a Supreme Ancestor of the True Dao Sect is in seclusion.

This is the one who is about to ascend.

Of course, although he is called the Supreme Ancestor, he is actually only at the peak of the eighth rank, just one step away from the seventh rank. Everything is ready, and he can step into the seventh rank with just a push of the door. Everything will be in the right place.

Having reached this point, you would have already broken through to the next level in the world. After all, once you break through, no one will care. Your relatives and friends might even come to congratulate you and throw you a banquet to celebrate.

In Wushen Mountain, you will receive a gift when you break through to the seventh rank.

In Human Path areas, if you break through to the seventh rank, the imperial court will issue you a plaque, because once you reach the seventh rank, you can finally enter the ranks of the immortals and serve the court's many long-term plans.

They would not stand in the way of others getting promoted.

However, the Immortal Heaven, as First Rank World, is completely different.

To advance to the seventh rank, they need to undergo a heavenly tribulation.

Li Qi wanted to see what this heavenly tribulation was all about.

It is said that this heavenly tribulation has three stages: the lightning tribulation, the mortal tribulation, and the tribulation itself. Only one in ten people can successfully overcome the tribulation.

Seventh-rank talents are extremely valuable; it's astonishing that ninety percent of them must be eliminated before one can ascend...

That's really strange.

Speaking of this, Li Qi even went to observe this Supreme Ancestor of the True Dao Sect.

He had a sliver of hope in his heart, hoping that the other person was Ju Ye.

After all, if Ju Ye is good at maintaining health and has a slightly better natural constitution, perhaps with the help of some Evil Method, it wouldn't be impossible for her to live for five hundred years.

This might give you the feeling of seeing an old friend.

However, when Li Qi went to check, unfortunately, it wasn't.

I'm afraid Ju Ye is already dead.

I wonder what happened to Ju Ye and her senior sister in the end.

Perhaps, like most people's experiences, they have been buried in history, and no one will remember what happened to them.

Only a minority will ultimately be remembered in history.

Li Qi sighed for a moment, then sat down.

Waiting for the heavenly tribulation.

But as he waited, Li Qi suddenly looked up at the sky.

A communication Technique Method descended from the sky.

It is the innate True World.

Hmm, someone saw us.

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