A hundred years after Hongjun's second preaching, the once-empty valley outside Yun Hua Grotto-Heaven had undergone tremendous changes.
Following Li Cha's instructions, the head steward Mo Ran personally oversaw the construction. Using numerous spiritual materials, they built an ancient yet imposing preaching platform a hundred zhang tall. The entire platform was fashioned from Azure Jade, with only a tea table and several prayer cushions atop it—simple yet solemn. Surrounding the platform was an exceptionally vast plaza, large enough to seat hundreds of thousands of living beings. Considering the number and varied cultivation of those coming to hear the Dao, no restrictions had been placed over the plaza, allowing cultivators to listen while floating in the air.
On this day, a sea of people gathered outside Yun Hua Grotto-Heaven, and countless spirits converged.
Besides the ordinary Primordial Wilderness creatures, spirits, Demon Clan members, and even some Witch Race members drawn by Li Cha's reputation, the most eye-catching arrivals were the three thousand guests of Purple Firmament Palace. More than two thousand great powers had come! Most possessed unfathomably deep auras and were at least at the Da Luo realm. Among them were supreme great powers such as Zhen Yuanzi, Ancestor Hong Yun, Queen Mother of the West, East King Duke, Kunpeng, and Ancestor Minghe. There were also some senior experts concealed in the void.
These great powers had come with a clear purpose. None had chosen Hongjun's Sect Three Corpses method, and doubts remained in their hearts. They wished to personally hear and experience the difference between the Tea Dao and the Three Corpses Method, so they could make the right choice for their future paths.
"Clang!"
The sound of a gong rang out across the land, suppressing all the noise.
A figure in azure quietly appeared atop the platform. It was Li Cha. He did not ride auspicious clouds, summon myriad rays of light, or create a spectacle of golden lotuses springing from the earth and Heaven Flowers raining from the sky. Like the most ordinary lecturer, he simply appeared and calmly sat cross-legged upon a prayer cushion.
His tranquil gaze swept over the hundreds of thousands of beings packed beneath the platform and in the air. Li Cha slowly opened his mouth. His voice was not loud, yet it clearly reached every listener's ears and struck directly at their souls.
"Today, I shall preach the Tea Dao. The way of tea is neither a technique of conflict and slaughter nor a strategy of scheming for power. It is a way to cultivate oneself, clarify the mind, and harmonize with all things..."
He quoted no obscure ancient texts, nor did he mystify matters by speaking of vague, incomprehensible "ultimate truths of the Great Dao." Instead, he used the simplest and most direct language possible, drawing upon things the beings of the Primordial Wilderness encountered and understood in their daily lives to explain the spiritual core of the Tea Dao.
He spoke of how a cup of tea could calm an agitated heart and help one think more clearly about problems—Clear the Mind and See the True Nature.
He spoke of how the etiquette of tea ceremonies could teach one to respect others and reconcile interpersonal relationships—harmony being most precious.
He spoke of the "sweetness after bitterness" contained within the Tea Dao, using it as a metaphor for perseverance and reward on the path of cultivation—tempering one's Dao Heart.
He spoke of the countless flavors produced by different tea leaves and brewing methods, symbolizing the diversity and inclusiveness of all things in the Primordial Wilderness—embracing all rivers into the sea.
He did not merely speak of the benefits the Tea Dao could bring. He also frankly pointed out the difficulties one might face in cultivating it: slow progress, a lack of prowess in battle, the possibility of suffering losses in the early Primordial Wilderness where the strong devoured the weak, and the need for a powerful heart to persist on one's own path...
His words were like a trickling stream, Moistening Things Silently. There were no earth-shaking phenomena, yet countless listeners fell into deep thought. Especially for the lowly beings, it was the first time they realized that cultivation did not consist solely of increasing one's magical power, fighting for resources, and killing others. The richness of one's inner world, harmonious coexistence with all things, emotional experiences such as love and friendship, and developing one's own interests and hobbies... these things that seemed unrelated to "strength" could likewise become part of life, even something to pursue as the "Dao."
Li Cha's Tea Dao poured a clear, warm spring into the bloodstained desert that was the Primordial Wilderness. It quietly began changing certain things. Conflict still existed, but some corners gained a trace of ease and peace. The law of the strong devouring the weak had not vanished, but the concept of "reconciliation" advocated by the Tea Dao was like a lubricant, allowing some originally sharp conflicts the possibility of easing. The Primordial Wilderness was no longer merely a cold, cruel battlefield of slaughter. It had begun nurturing a warmth uniquely its own.
A thousand years of preaching passed leisurely.
When Li Cha's voice fell silent, the entire valley, inside and out, was utterly quiet. Countless beings remained immersed in the new insights and thoughts brought by the Tea Dao.
Only after a long while did cultivators regain their senses. They respectfully bowed toward the platform and asked the question that had long lingered in the hearts of many Purple Firmament guests:
"Thank you, Tea Ancestor, for preaching the Great Dao! This junior has a question that has troubled me for a long time. At Purple Firmament Palace, the Dao Ancestor once said that Saints and Primordial Grand Unity Golden Immortals were both unfettered and no different from one another. In Tea Ancestor's view, are the two truly... no different at all?"
This question instantly drew the attention of every great power. Even the Three Pure Ones and Nuwa focused their gazes on him.
Li Cha smiled faintly upon hearing this, his expression carrying the calm detachment of one who had seen through the essence of things. He would not be evasive like Hongjun. His Tea Dao sought truth and substance; it did not allow him to deceive the masses.
"Of course there is a difference, and it is a fundamental one." Li Cha's voice was clear and certain as it echoed between heaven and earth.
"The Saints of whom the Dao Ancestor spoke must entrust their primordial spirits and merge themselves beneath the Three Daos, relying on the power of the Three Daos to attain immortality. A Primordial Grand Unity Golden Immortal, however, has perfected their own Dao. Their inner landscape becomes a universe of its own, independent of all else. Even if one day the Heavenly, Earthly, and Human Daos were all destroyed, a Primordial Grand Unity Golden Immortal could still attain great freedom and great ease!"
"The Three Daos?" An uproar immediately broke out below the platform. Many great powers revealed puzzled expressions. "Tea Ancestor, does the Primordial Wilderness not only possess the Heavenly Dao? Where did these Three Daos come from?"
Li Cha swept his gaze across the crowd. Knowing that he needed to dispel certain misconceptions today, he continued, "The Primordial Wilderness is vast and rich in origin. How could one Dao alone stand supreme? The so-called Three Daos are the Heavenly Dao, the Earthly Dao, and the Human Dao! The three should have stood side by side, equally noble, jointly supporting the operation of the Primordial Wilderness and maintaining the balance of heaven and earth. Yet now, the Heavenly Dao has appeared and holds dominion over the greater trend. The Earthly Dao is still gestating, while the Human Dao has only just been born in ignorance and has yet to truly awaken and manifest in the world."
"The Earthly Dao... the Human Dao..." The beings below muttered to themselves. Li Cha's words had opened the door to a new world for them, and their eyes were filled with shock and disbelief.
At once, an impatient cultivator pressed on, "Tea Ancestor! When will the Earthly Dao and Human Dao appear in the world? There are Saints beneath the Heavenly Dao; will there also be Saints beneath the Earthly Dao and Human Dao? How many will there be?"
This question had already touched upon the Primordial Wilderness's most central secrets and its future order!
"Rumble!"
The instant the question was asked, the previously clear sky above the nine heavens abruptly filled with dark clouds! An invisible pressure, cold and majestic and carrying a powerful warning, came crashing down and enveloped the entire valley! Lightning churned within the clouds, as though the Heavenly Dao Eye were glaring furiously at Li Cha, displeased that he had revealed so many "heavenly secrets"!
Li Cha raised his head and glanced at the rolling Tribulation Clouds. His expression did not change. He merely shook his head lightly and said to those below:
"Enough, everyone. What has been discussed today is already sufficient. These deeper heavenly secrets cannot be explained in further detail. Otherwise..." He pointed at the increasingly gloomy clouds overhead, where flashes of lightning were beginning to appear, and smiled helplessly. "Someone will lose their temper, and that would not be good for you."
Feeling the heart-palpitating pressure of the Heavenly Dao, everyone immediately understood Li Cha's intentions. The might of the Heavenly Dao was not something they, who had yet to become Saints, could contend with. If they continued asking, disaster might befall them. Though their hearts itched with curiosity, they could only suppress the urge to question further. After bowing to Li Cha once more, they began quietly reflecting and comprehending.
Just as the myriad spirits sat in silent contemplation, several concealed strands of divine sense quietly connected with Li Cha atop the platform.
They belonged to Laozi, Yuanshi, Tongtian, Nuwa, Fuxi, Houtu, and the others.
Unlike the other great powers, they had not immersed themselves in contemplation. Instead, while everyone else was distracted, they secretly exchanged voice transmissions with Li Cha. Clearly, the secret of the "Three Daos" Li Cha had revealed today had deeply moved them. Secrets concerning their future paths, how to seize the greatest initiative amid the coming upheaval, and even... transcendence, quietly unfolded within this soundless exchange. Because of Li Cha's "public lecture," the future course of the Primordial Wilderness became even more unfathomable—and filled with infinite possibilities.
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