Huoyun Cave Discusses the Dao

"How lonely it is to be invincible."

Invincible is so, so weathered.

Alone at the summit

Cold winds constantly blow..."

In the quiet great hall, an extremely familiar great cauldron was placed. Beneath the cauldron, a cluster of flames danced and flitted with vitality, giving off an incomparably comfortable warmth.

Beside the cauldron were plates of crystal-clear, rosy, and glossy slices of meat. Rolling spiritual energy emanated from them, yet it was blocked by a protective shield shaped like a "turtle shell." Finally, it flowed over the meat slices like a stream, making one's mouth water.

Hot pot!

In this era, it was called Ding Shi (Cauldron Cuisine), a delicacy exclusively for feudal lords and nobles. "A true man does not live without Ding Shi, and upon death, is cooked in a Ding," referring to this very practice.

And Di Xin's pot, though just a clear broth, was unparalleled in its extravagance. It was likely that no one before him had achieved such a feat, and no one after would likely surpass it.

The cauldron bore the imprint of the Shen Nong Cauldron, the fire was the Fire of Humanity, the turtle shell was imprinted with the River Diagram and Luo Script, the meat was leftover phoenix meat from some time ago, and even the sword used to slice the meat was imprinted with the Xuanyuan Sword.

And the instigator of it all, the Human King Di Xin, suddenly stopped his chilling song.

Huoyun Cave

The Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan stared at the descendant Human King who appeared before him with a sinister grin, charging forward with the Great Treasure Sword in hand.

"Good boy, you've gotten addicted to slicing meat! Let's see if you find my treasure sword sharp enough when you try it yourself!"

"Holy crap! Senior Xuanyuan!"

In a dizzying spin, Di Xin had just regained his senses when Xuanyuan kicked him flying.

"Hehehe! Kid, I'm not the only one giving you trouble today, you've angered the masses!"

The Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan swung his sword in mid-air, causing visible ripples in space. The next second, Di Xin was split in two at the waist. The surrounding Human Race Destiny furiously filled the void, instantly repairing his body.

"No, no way."

He touched his perfectly intact kidneys, feeling the waves of intense pain wash over him, and a terrifying guess suddenly formed in his mind: he was enjoying hot pot and singing songs, only to be suddenly robbed by bandits...

The next moment, Sui Ren Shi appeared from the south, a ball of flame in his hand bringing Di Xin a warmth like that of a mother's womb. The flames flickered and surged, enveloping him and protecting a wisp of his Primordial Spirit within the body formed by Human Race Destiny.

"Hehehe, don't be afraid, young man. My fire is harmless to humans and can even heal injuries."

To Di Xin's east, an ancient cauldron appeared in the void. Herbs of all kinds materialized on its body, and a sturdy figure appeared behind it.

Shen Nong, with a benevolent expression, unleashed the essence of a hundred herbs from the cauldron, engulfing Di Xin like an ocean.

"My cauldron makes for delicious soup, add more."

Subsequently, a golden light enveloped the ocean of herb essence along with Di Xin, transforming into a turtle shell shape. It was the supreme Innate Spiritual Treasure: the River Diagram and Luo Script.

"My magical treasure is perfectly suited for this purpose."

Fu Xi appeared in the west, a zither placed on a jade table before him. He plucked the strings, and a profound, ethereal melody echoed throughout the space, stirring the power of the River Diagram and Luo Script, as if containing infinite mysteries.

Di Xin sat cross-legged in the void, greedily absorbing the essence of the surrounding herbs. Through the Kongtong Seal, he continuously fed it back to his main body in Qingxian Hall.

"Heartbreak Grass, upon consumption, causes the intestines to rot, spasms throughout the body, and excruciating pain..."

"Heart-piercing Flower, consumption feels like a thousand arrows piercing the heart, pain penetrating to the bones, highly toxic..."

"Hundred Rivers Seed, consumption causes the five internal organs to rot, making life worse than death..."

The essence of various medicinal herbs entered his body, counteracting each other and detoxifying, ultimately transforming into potent remedies that forged Di Xin's body to be immune to all poisons.

Of course, the pain was unavoidable. He would experience all the suffering Shen Nong endured when tasting herbs, and Sui Ren Shi's Fire of Humanity was there to ensure that his wisp of Primordial Spirit wouldn't dissipate, thus preventing the failure of the inheritance.

"Above Golden Immortal is Taiyi. The cultivation of Taiyi is the pursuit of the Dao."

"What is Dao? All things are Dao! What is not Dao? All things are not Dao!"

"Dao resides in the four directions, and also to your left and right. It cannot be seen, cannot be heard. Only by contemplating and pondering can its form be perceived and its power be grasped."

Fu Xi spoke, the sound of the Great Dao hidden within the zither's melody, directly entering Di Xin's Primordial Spirit, "displaying" the mysteries of the Great Dao to him.

"Holy crap! I don't understand any of this!"

Di Xin gritted his teeth, forcing himself not to cry out in pain. However, the originally light and pleasant zither music, mixed with the Great Dao by Fu Xi, suddenly became chaotic and jarring, stirring up vexation in his heart.

"Stop playing, stop playing! I don't understand, it really hurts! Ahhh!"

The essence of a hundred herbs surged into his body. Di Xin instantly broke free and lunged forward, throwing a punch at the golden barrier before him, venting his inner unease and anger.

--Bang!

A human-shaped artistic spread.

Although the River Diagram and Luo Script were not spiritual treasures dedicated to defense, their inherent defenses were not something just anyone could break.

"It's a failure."

Fu Xi put away the Fu Xi Qin and stood up, looking at the dejected Di Xin. His brows slowly relaxed.

"This is quite normal, after all, he has never come into contact with the 'Dao' before. How could he suddenly awaken to his own Dao, enter the Dao realm, and step into the Taiyi realm?"

Shen Nong also put away the Shen Nong Cauldron. Di Xin's true body was still digesting the essence of the hundred herbs, refining a body impervious to all poisons. Only a wisp of his Primordial Spirit was captured by them to serve as a medium.

"The Demon Race transmits the Dao through bloodlines, the Witch Race's Dao is imprinted on themselves from birth, and the Xuanmen simplifies the Great Dao into Supernatural Powers, allowing one to naturally enter the Dao path through them. However, none of these are suitable for our Human Race!"

Xuanyuan, the Yellow Emperor, put away the Great Treasure Sword and strode over, fierce energy swirling around him. He slammed his hands onto Di Xin's shoulders:

"I've forged a Postnatal Divine Weapon for you, modeled after the Xuanyuan Sword. Stop using my Xuanyuan Sword's imprint to chop vegetables from now on!"

"Hehehe, actually, I just wanted to consult with all of you seniors on some matters. I didn't expect... Di Xin is untalented but shamelessly accepted it."

Di Xin grimaced in pain, but it was a pain mixed with joy.

"Supernatural Powers, bloodlines, and so on can all transmit the Dao, but these require a long time to cultivate and comprehend. As Xuanyuan said, they are not suitable for our Human Race to use. Especially for a king, if they were to seek the Dao path all the way, it would inevitably affect the development of the Human Race, which goes against the original intention."

Fu Xi nodded. This was precisely what they had been troubled by.

"Um, seniors, I actually wanted to ask about this matter too."

Di Xin rubbed his shoulder with a sheepish grin:

"Is Human Race Destiny a type of Great Dao, or perhaps the Fire of Humanity?"

"This..."

Fu Xi's eyes lit up. He carefully pondered Di Xin's words. As the saying goes, the darkest place is under the lamp; they had overthought things and overlooked this point.

"Human Race Destiny is a type of Destiny Great Dao, so it can naturally be called that."

"Then I think I might have found a method..."