The Dao discussion ends! Zhou Ming: Fellow Daoist, you took the wrong path!

Golden Ao Island.

Jade Palace.

The boundless Dao Rhyme that had evolved for nearly a Eon finally dissipated slowly, returning to silence once more.

Zhou Ming and the Tongtian Sect Master opened their eyes at almost the same time.

Zhou Ming let out a long sigh, tinged with regret and a hint of relief.

"This discussion of the Dao Eon, and can be considered a small success."

He sighed, then looked at Tongtian and nodded slightly.

"Many thanks to Fellow Daoist Tongtian for this."

However, upon hearing this, the Tongtian Sect Master showed no joy on his face, but instead a deep sense of shame.

"If you say that, fellow Daoist, I am truly ashamed."

He gave a bitter laugh, looking rather dejected.

"I'm afraid your gains from this discussion have been minimal, fellow Daoist?"

"On the contrary, under your guidance, my understanding of the Great Dao has reached a new level."

"Even his understanding of the Father God's Heaven-Opening Mark far surpasses his previous billions of years of arduous cultivation!"

The more Tongtian spoke, the heavier his guilt became.

"It's all my fault for having such a shallow understanding of the Heaven-Opening Mark left by the Father God."

"I have failed to provide you with the enlightenment you deserve, and I am truly ashamed before you and the legacy of the Father God!"

Tongtian's heart was filled with regret and self-reproach.

Before discussing the Dao, he thought that he, bearing the Heaven-Opening Mark, would be of great help to Zhou Ming.

But once the discussion truly began, he was horrified to discover this.

Zhou Ming's understanding of what he sought was found in the Heaven-Opening Mark.

He himself only has a superficial understanding, and what he can show is just the tip of the iceberg.

Throughout the entire discussion, Zhou Ming was almost entirely explaining the Great Dao, while Zhou Ming listened from the sidelines.

Zhou Ming's occasional questions about the Heaven-Opening Mark often hit the nail on the head and were incisive.

Instead, it enlightened the owner of the mark, surpassing his own arduous cultivation over several Eon.

This is hardly a discussion of principles.

This was clearly Zhou Ming giving him instructions on his own.

This caused the usually arrogant Tongtian Sect Master to feel an unprecedented sense of defeat.

He felt like a petty person who had taken advantage of Zhou Ming and wasted Zhou Ming's precious time.

He had no doubt that Zhou Ming had gained almost no substantial benefit from this discussion.

Zhou Ming relied entirely on his unfathomable level of understanding to forcibly deduce some things from his own shallow insights.

Zhou Ming noticed his embarrassment and guilt, and calmly shook his head.

Fellow Daoist, there's no need to feel guilty.

"Having reached my level, advancing any further is as difficult as ascending to heaven."

"Even the slightest gain can save one from Eon hours of arduous cultivation."

"This discussion has been incredibly rewarding for me."

Zhou Ming's statement is true.

Although the gains were not significant, it did give him a vague understanding of the realm of the Hunyuan Grand Unity Golden Immortal.

That's enough.

Tongtian was well aware that Zhou Ming's words made sense, but the sense of indebtedness in his heart did not diminish in the slightest.

He considered himself to be proud and disliked owing others Karma.

But this time, the Karma he owed Zhou Ming was far too great.

Zhou Ming was of great help to him, but he was of little help to Zhou Ming.

This made Heavenly Heart very uneasy.

Zhou Ming looked at his conflicted expression, pondered for a moment, and then suddenly spoke.

"Fellow Daoist Tongtian, I'm wondering if I should say something?"

Tongtian immediately raised his head.

"Fellow Daoist, please speak freely. There's no need for reservations between us."

Zhou Ming organized his thoughts before slowly speaking.

His words were more solemn than any of his previous pronouncements.

"Fellow Daoist... your understanding of the Father God's legacy is far too superficial."

"We are all Pangu Descendants. The legacy left by our Father God is our true foundation and our greatest treasure."

"Fellow Daoist, you possess one-third of the Heaven-Opening Mark —such Heavenly Secrets!"

"If one cannot fully comprehend it, wouldn't that be a waste of its potential?"

"Fellow Daoist, you should take this seriously. In the future, you should study the Father God's legacy more diligently."

Upon hearing this, the bitterness on the face of the Tongtian Sect Master deepened.

He sighed deeply, his expression filled with helplessness.

"What you say, fellow Daoist, is something I am well aware of."

"How could I not know the power of the Father God's legacy?"

"Since attaining sainthood, I have frequently secluded myself for meditation and enlightenment, and have never slackened in my practice."

"But... no matter how hard I try, I only ever gain a superficial understanding."

"I'm not afraid of being laughed at by fellow Daoists, but over the years, my comprehension of the Heaven-Opening Mark has almost stagnated."

"If it weren't for this discussion with you, fellow Daoist, allowing us to mutually verify each other's wisdom..."

"This allowed me to barely take another step forward in my understanding of the Father God's legacy."

Even so, fully comprehending it remains a long way off, with no hope in sight.

After hearing Tongtian's words, Zhou Ming also fell into deep thought.

At this point, Tongtian exuded a desolate aura.

He, the Heavenly Dao Saint and the leader of the Interception Sect, appeared so insignificant and helpless when faced with the Supreme Dao of the Father God.

Zhou Ming listened to his words but did not respond immediately.

He fell into deep thought.

Something's not right.

This is very wrong.

Although the Father God's legacy is obscure and difficult to understand, it shouldn't be to this extent.

He himself possessed the Essence Blood of Pangu and also inherited the legacy of the Father God.

Although it is quite difficult to understand, as long as you put your heart into it, you will always gain something.

Tongtian was transformed from the primordial Primordial Spirit of the Father God. In terms of background and aptitude, he was among the top in the entire Primordial Wilderness.

There's no reason why it should be so difficult to understand!

Millions of years have passed, and we've only grasped the basics?

This is highly unusual.

"How so?"

Zhou Ming muttered to himself.

"With your talent, fellow Daoist, you shouldn't be finding it so difficult to comprehend."

Could it be...?

A bold idea popped into his mind.

Seeing that his expression was strange, Tongtian immediately pressed him for an answer.

"Fellow Daoist, is it something?"

Zhou Ming remained silent for a moment, but decided to give Tongtian some pointers.

"Perhaps it's because... you've chosen the wrong path, fellow Daoist?"

"That's why you, fellow Daoist, are unable to comprehend the Heaven-Opening Mark."

These words were like a thunderclap from a clear sky, exploding loudly within the silent Jade Palace!

The Tongtian Sect Master Leader froze on the spot.

He did not refute, did not defend himself, and did not even make the slightest move.

There was only silence.

A deathly silence.

When Zhou Ming uttered those words, he couldn't even muster the slightest thought of rebutting them.

Because, deep down, he too had such doubts.

He tried to turn back and retrace the Path of Laws, wanting to Prove Dao with Strength, just like Zhou Ming.

He never gave up trying to comprehend the Heaven-Opening Mark, attempting to find a breakthrough from the root.

But the result was...

All have been fruitful.

Now, having been exposed by Zhou Ming's words, he suddenly realized the truth.

I think I... really did go the wrong way.

Looking at the deathly Tongtian, Zhou Ming knew how impactful his words had been.

He softened his tone.

"This is just my guess, fellow Daoist, you don't need to take it entirely seriously."

"Perhaps it's just not the right time yet."

"Fellow Daoist, you possess the supreme inheritance of the Father God. As long as you calm your mind and contemplate it more deeply..."

"One day, I will be able to completely comprehend that Heaven-Opening Mark."

Zhou Ming's words sounded like words of comfort, but to Tongtian, they sounded rather weak.

After a long while, Tongtian finally managed to recover from the enormous impact.

He raised his head, his once sharp, sword-like eyes now filled with confusion.

"I hope so..."

Seeing this, Zhou Ming said no more.

He has already planted the seed; how it will sprout in the future is up to Tongtian himself.

However, he wouldn't mind watering it to help the seed germinate.

"Fellow Daoist, this discussion on the Dao has come to an end."

"I need to return to Buzhou Mountain for some seclusion and reflection. I'll take my leave now."

Zhou Ming cupped his hands in farewell to Tongtian and took his leave.

"Fellow Daoist, my words today may have been somewhat abrupt; please forgive me."

"You should also go into seclusion, calm your mind, and digest what you've learned from this discussion."

Tongtian forcibly suppressed the myriad thoughts in his mind and nodded.

Tongtian nodded, forcing himself to cheer up.

"Fellow Daoist is right."

"I'm seeing you off, fellow Daoist."

After saying that, he personally escorted Zhou Ming all the way out of the Jade Palace and to the outside of Golden Ao Island.

"Fellow Daoist, until we meet again."

Until we meet again.

Watching Zhou Ming's figure take a step forward and disappear into the horizon of the East Sea, Tongtian did not return for a long time.

He stood alone on the edge of Golden Ao Island, letting the biting sea wind blow against his Daoist robe.

"Did we... take the wrong road?"