Jade Sea Daoist's Dilemma! (Please Bookmark, Please Vote!)

Beishan Hu truly knew what a "Great Dao" was.

Within Heaven and Earth, there were countless Daos.

All these Daos converged together like a vast, profound ocean, immeasurable in scope.

Yet the tributaries that made up this ocean of Dao varied in size and rank.

Among them—

The supreme ones, the foundations that sustained the operation of Heaven and Earth, were called "Heavenly Dao" by Immortal cultivators.

The Heavenly Dao consisted of individual Great Daos.

Every Great Dao was incomparably lofty and influenced the laws governing the operation of Heaven and Earth.

And what formed the Great Daos were countless lesser Daos.

Like the "Rainwater Sword Domain" Ji Ning had displayed during the wagered battle earlier—

It was the manifestation of the power of the lesser Dao, the "Way of Rainwater," after reaching a certain realm.

Though it was quite rare for a Purple Mansion cultivator to display it—

In the eyes of truly great clans and powerful factions, it was actually nothing remarkable.

But the "Great Dao of Life and Death" was different.

As one of the incomparably lofty Great Daos—

Simply gaining an initial understanding of it and comprehending even a trace of "Great Dao True Intent" was extraordinarily difficult and rare.

Its difficulty was even greater than comprehending the "Domain of Dao" of an ordinary Dao.

If only a very small number of geniuses among ordinary Wanxiang Daoists could reach the realm of "Domain of Dao" for ordinary Daos—

Then "Great Dao True Intent" was a level of Dao that only a very small 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 realm of Dao comprehension.

That meant he was practically destined to enter the Return to Void stage and become an Earth Immortal in the future.

There was even the slightest possibility that he could challenge the Heavenly Immortal realm and fulfill the greatest lifelong wish of countless Immortal cultivators.

Thinking that he had provoked such a terrifying monster, Beishan Hu wished he could slap himself several times.

Wasn't it just two thousand jin of Essence Liquid?

He should have simply given it to him.

Why did he have to stubbornly argue over it?

"Hmm?"

Beishan Yin sharply sensed that something was wrong with his son's mood. "What? Could it be that you have a grudge against this young man?"

"Yes." Beishan Hu hurriedly told him everything that had happened today.

He even dared not conceal in the slightest how he had interfered earlier 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.

That was the unspoken understanding the father and son had built over the years.

"That youth dressed in animal skins?"

Beishan Yin glanced at Ji Ning.

Although Beishan Hu had indeed offended him—

He had later taken the initiative to ease the situation, and the other party had not said anything further. It was equivalent to letting the matter pass.

Furthermore, although that beastskin-clad youth's aptitude and talent were also astonishing—

Compared to the gray-robed youth who had comprehended the true intent of the "Great Dao of Life and Death," he was nothing worth mentioning.

"Father, what should we do?" Beishan Hu transmitted mentally.

"It's fine. Just pay the Essence Liquid readily later. Leave everything else 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 quarrel. Fortunately, you did not resort to underhanded methods and offend him beyond reconciliation. But if you do not change that temperament of yours, you will suffer a great loss sooner or later."

"Yes."

Hearing his father say, "It's fine," Beishan Hu agreed aloud, but his expression had already relaxed.

Seeing this, Beishan Yin sighed inwardly.

A leopard could not change its spots.

Knowing his son's nature well, he had never expected a few words to change Beishan Hu.

So-called enlightenment—

Was a sudden realization that occurred when one's heart, thoughts, environment, and many other factors became perfectly aligned in an instant.

It was unlike ordinary Dao comprehension.

It could not last for long.

Thus, just after Beishan Yin and his son finished their mental exchange, Xia Manggan woke from his enlightenment and opened his eyes.

The moment he opened them—

He saw that more than a dozen extraordinary older figures had appeared in the hall.

The honored guests who had previously occupied the private rooms of the Myriad Phenomena Hall—

Were now all hiding in the corners as though mice had seen a cat, watching him only with curious, astonished, or envious gazes.

"This 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 hasn't ended yet?" Beishan Yin was slightly stunned.

Then, without showing any impatience, he simply continued standing there and waiting.

[67 Fortune Value, 335 Merit Points.]

Xia Manggan glanced at the system panel and felt quite satisfied.

He had sensed the system's notification earlier—

But he had been transforming the experiences of his previous life into a realm of Dao comprehension in this life.

That was why he had only checked it now.

With these newly acquired Fortune Value and Merit Points, added to what he had previously obtained from Silver Fox Celestial and Ji Ning—

The [Fortune Value] entry had become 187/10000—

While [Merit Points] had reached 435.

He was only 65 Merit Points away from exchanging for "Super Epiphany," which cost 500 Merit Points.

In other words, as long as he obtained another 13 points of Fortune Value, with the fivefold reward feedback, he would reach it.

After reviewing everyone's "contribution" records and comparing them with the Fortune Value each person had earlier—

Xia Manggan made a rough estimate and had gained a general understanding.

As long as someone was shocked and amazed by him, he could obtain approximately one percent of that person's Fortune Value.

For example, Beishan Hu's Fortune Value was 332. After being shocked and amazed by him, Xia Manggan had gained 3 points of Fortune Value.

Correspondingly, the Merit Points rewarded 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 nearby.

He did not recognize this man.

But judging from how Beishan Hu had acted and looked in front of him earlier, the man's identity was obvious.

"You are Beishan Yin?"

Xia Manggan spoke calmly. "Did you come to settle the bill on behalf of your son, Beishan Hu?"

"You—"

Beishan Hu opened his mouth angrily, but Beishan Yin raised a hand to stop him before smiling. "Four thousand jin of Essence Liquid is nothing. To make the acquaintance of a monstrous genius like you, young master, is more than worthwhile. I am Beishan Yin. May I ask how you are called, young master, and what brings you to Anchan Commandery?"

When the other onlookers heard Xia Manggan directly address Beishan Yin by name, their gazes toward him changed slightly.

Jade Sea Daoist, for one, now had a trace of a sigh in his heart.

Several Earth Immortals and Loose Immortals who had clearly already pledged allegiance to Beishan Yin showed faint displeasure on their faces.

In their eyes, he was merely a youth at the Purple Mansion stage.

No matter how outstanding his aptitude or monstrous his talent, it could not erase the gap in strength and status between him and Beishan Yin.

It was not a bad thing for an exceptional youth to possess pride.

But being too arrogant and looking down on everyone else 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 to the point where there were no fewer than a hundred billion members with Great Xia Imperial Clan status—

To nurture a descendant who had comprehended "Great Dao True Intent" at the Purple Mansion stage...

The elder behind this youth could not possibly possess an ordinary imperial clan status.

Moreover, even if one took ten thousand steps back—

Even if this youth truly were an ordinary member of the Xia Mang Clan—

With the monstrous realm of Dao comprehension he had displayed, he would surely receive the Great Xia Imperial Family's attention and cultivation within the imperial clan.

No wonder he had directly addressed Beishan Yin by name.

With this shift in mindset, when everyone looked at Xia Manggan again, they felt that the youth naturally exuded a noble air.

Even the gray mortal clothes Xia Manggan wore were interpreted as disdain for dressing extravagantly and using external things to display his identity.

And when they heard 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 shine brightly.

However, all of them first cast wary looks toward Jade Sea Daoist.

After all—

The Black-White Academy was publicly acknowledged as the 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 draw monstrous geniuses here specifically to seek a master was the Black-White Academy.

Jade Sea Daoist did not care about those looks.

Because he was currently torn with indecision.

According to the Academy's rules, disciples may only be recruited once each year, in the twelfth lunar month.

At ordinary times, no matter how talented or monstrous one may be, they cannot be admitted ahead of schedule.

But there is still nearly a month until the twelfth lunar month recruitment.

If some sect tempts him with generous terms...

Jade Sea Daoist glanced at the leaders and grand elders of the other top sects.

Seeing every one of them with shining eyes and eager expressions, he became even more conflicted.

Being an Academy head was truly difficult.

No wonder his fellow disciples had all refused to do it.

The third update is here. More tomorrow.