Beishan Hu indeed knew what the Great Dao was.
Within Heaven and Earth, there were countless Daos.
All Daos converged together like a vast, profound ocean, immeasurable and boundless.
Yet the tributaries that formed this ocean of Dao varied in greatness and rank.
Among them,
the most supreme ones, the very foundations that sustained the workings of Heaven and Earth, were called the Heavenly Dao by Immortal cultivators.
The Heavenly Dao was composed of one Great Dao after another.
Every Great Dao was incomparably exalted and influenced the laws governing the operation of Heaven and Earth.
And the Great Daos themselves were formed from countless Lesser Daos.
For instance, the Rainwater Sword Domain Ji Ning had displayed during the wager battle earlier
was the manifestation of the power of the Lesser Dao, the Way of Rainwater, after it had reached a certain realm.
Though it was quite rare to see it displayed by a Purple Mansion cultivator,
in the eyes of truly great clans and major powers, it was nothing remarkable.
But the Great Dao of Life and Death was different.
As one of the incomparably lofty Great Daos,
even merely taking the first step and comprehending a trace of Great Dao True Intent was exceptionally difficult and rare.
Its difficulty was even greater than comprehending the Domain of Dao for an ordinary Dao.
If only a tiny number of geniuses among ordinary Wanxiang Daoists could reach the Domain of Dao for an ordinary Dao,
then Great Dao True Intent was a level of Dao that only a tiny number of Primordial Spirit Daoists, or even a few Earth Immortals and Loose Immortals, could comprehend.
Yet Xia Manggan was only at the Purple Mansion stage and already possessed such a Dao Comprehension Realm.
In the future, he was practically destined to enter the Return to Void stage and become an Earth Immortal.
He might even have the slightest chance of challenging the Heavenly Immortal realm, fulfilling the greatest lifelong wish of countless Immortal cultivators.
Thinking of how he had provoked such a terrifying monster of a genius, Beishan Hu wanted nothing more than to slap himself across the face several times.
Wasn't it just two thousand jin of Essence Liquid?
He should have just given it to him.
Why had he insisted on getting angry over it?
"Hmm?"
Beishan Yin keenly noticed that something was wrong with his son's emotions. "What? Do you have some conflict with that young man?"
"Yes." Beishan Hu hurriedly recounted everything that had happened that day.
He even dared not conceal in the slightest how he had previously interfered with Ji Ning's attempt to take the Heaven-Splitting Sword Sect as his master.
He knew full well how capable his father was.
No matter what trouble he had caused in the past, as long as he did not hide it from his father, his father would always find a way to resolve it.
This was also the tacit understanding the father and son had built up over the years.
"That youth wearing beast hides?"
Beishan Yin glanced at Ji Ning.
Although Beishan Hu had indeed offended him,
he had later taken the initiative to ease the tension, and the other party had said nothing further. It was equivalent to letting the matter pass.
Moreover, although that youth in beast hides possessed astonishing aptitude and talent,
compared to the gray-robed youth who had comprehended the true intent of the Great Dao of Life and Death, he was nothing at all.
"Father, what should we do?" Beishan Hu sent mentally.
"No matter. Later, just compensate him with the Essence Liquid without hesitation. Leave the rest to me."
As he spoke, Beishan Yin shook his head. "You did not even know the other party's background, yet all you knew was to stubbornly nurse your anger. Fortunately, you did not use any underhanded means in the end and offend him beyond reconciliation. But if you do not change this temperament of yours, you will suffer a great loss sooner or later."
"Yes."
Hearing his father say there was no problem, Beishan Hu agreed aloud, but his expression had already relaxed.
Seeing this, Beishan Yin inwardly sighed.
It was easier to change rivers and mountains than a person's nature.
Knowing his son's disposition well, he had never expected a few words to change Beishan Hu.
So-called enlightenment
was a sudden realization achieved in an instant, when one's heart, thoughts, environment, and countless other factors perfectly aligned.
It was unlike ordinary Dao comprehension.
It could not last for very long.
Thus, just as the mental exchange between Beishan Yin and his son ended, Xia Manggan awoke from his enlightenment and opened his eyes.
The moment he opened them,
he saw that more than a dozen imposing elders had appeared in the hall.
The distinguished guests who had previously occupied the private rooms of Myriad Phenomena Hall
were now all hiding in the corners as though mice that had seen a cat, looking at him only with curiosity, astonishment, or envy.
"Young master," Beishan Yin said with a smile the moment he saw Xia Manggan open his eyes.
But before he could finish speaking, Xia Manggan closed his eyes again.
"The enlightenment has not ended?" Beishan Yin was slightly stunned.
Afterward, he did not seem anxious at all and simply continued standing there, waiting.
[67 Fortune Value, 335 Merit Points.]
Xia Manggan glanced at the system panel and felt quite satisfied.
He had sensed the system notification earlier,
but he had been transforming the experiences of his previous life into this life's Dao Comprehension Realm.
Thus, he had only checked it now.
These newly gained Fortune Value and Merit Points, added to what he had previously received from Silver Fox Celestial and Ji Ning,
had changed the [Fortune Value] field to 187/10000,
while [Merit Points] had become 435.
He was only 65 Merit Points away from exchanging for Super Epiphany, which cost 500 Merit Points.
In other words, if he gained another 13 Fortune Value, then with the fivefold reward feedback, he would reach it.
After reviewing everyone's "contribution" records and combining them with the Fortune Values he had seen earlier,
Xia Manggan made a rough estimate and gained a general understanding.
As long as he made someone feel shocked and astonished by him, he could obtain roughly one percent of that person's Fortune Value.
For example, Beishan Hu's Fortune Value was 332. After Beishan Hu was shocked and astonished by him, he gained 3 Fortune Value.
Correspondingly, the Merit Points awarded by the system were five times that amount: 15 Merit Points.
Only after figuring this out did Xia Manggan open his eyes again and look at the tall, thin middle-aged man watching him from not far away.
He did not know this man.
But considering how Beishan Hu had behaved and looked when facing this man earlier, his identity was self-evident.
"You are Beishan Yin?"
Xia Manggan spoke calmly. "You came to settle your son Beishan Hu's debt?"
"You—"
Beishan Hu opened his mouth furiously, but Beishan Yin raised a hand to stop him before smiling. "Four thousand jin of Essence Liquid is nothing. Being able to meet a monstrous genius like you, young master, is more than worth it. I am Beishan Yin. May I ask how you are addressed, young master, and what brings you to Anchan Commandery?"
When the other onlookers heard Xia Manggan directly call Beishan Yin by name, the way they looked at him changed slightly.
Jade Sea Daoist, for instance, now felt a trace of regret in his heart.
The Earth Immortals and Loose Immortals who had clearly already pledged themselves to Beishan Yin showed faint anger on their faces.
In their eyes, he was merely a youth at the Purple Mansion stage.
No matter how exceptional his talent or monstrous his gifts, it could not change the gap in strength and status between him and Beishan Yin.
It was not a bad thing for an extraordinary youth to possess pride.
But being too arrogant and too disdainful of others was a flaw.
Young people who could not see the situation clearly would suffer greatly.
"My name is Xia Manggan."
Xia Manggan said casually, "I came to Anchan Commandery because I wish to join a sect and take a master for cultivation."
The Xia Mang Clan?
The Imperial Clan!?
Beishan Yin's eyes lit up.
The expressions of the other Earth Immortals and Loose Immortals, including Jade Sea Daoist, also changed.
Although the Xia Mang Clan had multiplied over the years, and no fewer than a hundred billion members possessed the status of Great Xia Imperial Clan,
to be able to cultivate a descendant who comprehended Great Dao True Intent at the Purple Mansion stage...
the elders behind this youth could not possibly be ordinary members of the Imperial Clan.
Moreover, even if they took ten thousand steps back,
even if this youth truly was just an ordinary member of the Xia Mang Clan,
with the monstrous Dao Comprehension Realm he had displayed, he would surely receive the Great Xia Imperial Family's focused attention and cultivation.
No wonder he directly addressed Beishan Yin by name.
Once their mindset changed, everyone looking at Xia Manggan again felt that the youth naturally exuded an air of nobility.
Even the gray mortal clothes Xia Manggan wore
were interpreted as disdain for luxurious attire and external objects used to flaunt one's status.
And upon hearing Xia Manggan say that he had come to Anchan Commandery to find a sect and take a master,
the higher-ups of several top sects in Anchan Commandery, especially the Loose Immortal Grand Elder of the Heaven-Splitting Sword Sect, had their eyes light up.
However, all of them first looked warily at Jade Sea Daoist.
After all,
the Black-White Academy was the publicly acknowledged number-one sect in Anchan Commandery.
Furthermore, among the sects of Anchan Commandery, the only one whose reputation could truly spread beyond the commandery and attract monstrous geniuses to come specifically to seek apprenticeship was the Black-White Academy.
Jade Sea Daoist paid no attention to those looks.
Because he was currently caught in a dilemma.
[According to Academy rules, disciples may only be recruited once a year, in the twelfth lunar month.] [At ordinary times, no matter how talented or monstrous one may be, they cannot be admitted in advance.] [But there is still nearly a month until the twelfth lunar month recruitment.] [If some sect lures him away with generous terms...]
Jade Sea Daoist glanced at the sect leaders and grand elders of the other top sects.
Seeing that every one of them had shining eyes and looked eager to make a move, he became even more conflicted.
Being a sect leader was truly difficult.
No wonder those senior and junior brothers had all refused to do it.
The third update is here. More tomorrow.
Before you continue