Discussing the Dao and Feasting Over a Demon Menace, Paying Respects to an Old Woman at the Ancestral Shrine

According to what Gada said, although this Mani Treasure Leaf was not well-known outside, it was related to his spiritual practice and cultivation as a Buddhist disciple of Original Response Temple, so it was definitely a crucial item.

But Gada actually said that as long as he captured a third-tier Demon Beast alive, he would generously give it to him.

This is something worth pondering. Sect Leader Kang Da certainly doesn't think his good deeds are that valuable. This also means that capturing the Mystic Mist Hidden Scale Beast might not be as easy as Gada said.

However, since I need someone's help, I have to try even if it's difficult.

Afterwards, Kang Dabao bid farewell to Gada and ignored the fragrant breeze of Mingfei that had approached him before leaving the White Pagoda Temple under the guidance of the Shannu.

When Sect Leader Kang Da left the temple, the Exoteric Buddhism temple across the street was still thriving. Even though Kang Dabao was outside, he could almost feel the fiery red glow in the incense-burning courtyard of the temple.

However, he had important business to attend to at the moment, so he did not linger and went alone to the Fei Household mansion.

Fei Wanqing was not the only senior cultivator from the Fei Household who came from the capital region. Apart from the two ancestors, Fei Ye Shui and Fei Tianqin, about half of the nineteen senior cultivators from the Ying Prefecture Fei Household were now gathered in Phoenix Cry Prefecture, including even the two senior elders, Fei Dongwen and Fei Donggu.

Even the most dim-witted person, upon seeing this scene, would understand its profound meaning.

The Great Wei Immortal Dynasty has never had an invincible sect or Aristocratic Clan. In recent years, even the Nascent Soul sects have been in danger of collapse, let alone the Ying Prefecture Fei Household, the so-called number one family in the world.

Just like the two veiled maids at the White Pagoda Temple, the Fei Household residence early on.

This Elder Zong is Fei Nanxi from the Qiu River Hall. Because Third Master Jiang received a lot of care from this elder when he was refining the Azure Firmament Spirit Root in the Fei Household's Ying Prefecture clan territory, Jiang Qing always mentioned this elder. Therefore, Sect Leader Kang Da also had some impression of him.

Kang Dabao rarely took his status and rank seriously. Even when meeting an elder from the Fei Household whose cultivation was far inferior to his own, he did not act arrogantly and immediately bowed and paid his respects.

The Marquis of Martial Peace in front of her was not the son-in-law of the Qiu River Hall, and she had no favor to offer him. Fei Nanxi, with her Golden Core Early Stage cultivation, dared not accept the title without a second thought. After saying a few words of humility, she returned the courtesy to Sect Leader Kang Da.

Apart from this elder of the Fei Household, Fei Nanfeng, who had already achieved the False Core, and the increasingly composed Fei Enhua also came to greet them.

The former is Fei Shuhe's uncle, and the latter is Ice Leaf Dao Foundation, who has already obtained Core Formation spiritual object. Logically, they should be the next Fei Household member to obtain the Golden Core. They also have some connections with Kang Dabao, so it is appropriate for them to be the greeters.

After exchanging pleasantries, Fei Nanxi invited Kang Dabao to ride together in a jade palanquin to the Qingcheng Hall of the Fei Household.

Upon arriving at the Ying Prefecture Fei Household's meeting place in the Mountain North Circuit, Sect Leader Kang Da saw Fei Nanying sitting at the head of the table. He was surprised to find that Fei Boyue had already advanced to the Late-Stage Golden Core stage.

However, upon further reflection, it wasn't too strange, since even the storytellers in the teahouses of Shannan Circuit knew about Fei Ye Shui Yuanshou's limited information.

Regardless of whether the Fei Household's treasures were already abundant, enabling Fei Nanying, a Middle-Grade Golden Core cultivator, to advance so rapidly, or whether the Fei Household elders truly forced him to grow faster, it is all within reason.

Although Sect Leader Kang Da was not surprised, Fei Nanying's eyes showed surprise when he saw Kang Dabao again.

This surprise was not due to the latter's Late-Stage Golden Core cultivation.

After Kang Dabao celebrated Lian Xuepu's birthday at Azure Rosy Cloud Mountain, news of his improved cultivation had already spread throughout the surrounding area. At only two hundred years old, he was a Late-Stage Golden Core cultivator, and even if you counted from the Capital Circuit to the outer sea Shattered Star Island Region, you would probably find very few like him.

Fei Nanying knew that his advancement was due to the support of his clan and even the backing of his Yue Household. But for Kang Dabao, with his humble background, to have such good fortune was truly astonishing.

If it were just a matter of faster progress, that would be one thing. But in Fei Nanying's eyes, the purity of the spiritual power Sect Leader Kang Da was incredibly solid, even somewhat frightening.

This contradicts the previous consensus among the Fei Household members that Kang Dabao had used potent drugs and become mentally unstable.

However, when Fei Nanying put aside this worry, he was filled with mixed feelings, because the aura emanating from the current Sect Leader Kang Da felt somewhat familiar to him.

Fei Nanying came from a noble family and was married to a noblewoman from the Han Household, inheriting the Fei Household lineage. Since he began his cultivation, he had seen many superior cultivators.

There are countless people among them with profound cultivation, but the sheer amount of spiritual power emanating from Kang Dabao today involuntarily reminds him of a revered being:

"This child vaguely reminds me of the Old Ancestor Tianqin."

Even among the upper echelons of the Fei Household, few possess such insight. Apart from Fei Nanying, only the two elders, Fei Donggu and Fei Dongwen, exchanged a tacit glance, but neither of them rushed to speak.

After receiving a deep bow from Sect Leader Kang Da, Fei Nanying, with mixed feelings, finally spoke, "Why did you go to the White Pagoda Temple first after entering the city? Is there something important you want to discuss with Gada?"

Upon hearing this, Kang Dabao was startled. "Is this Mani Treasure Leaf really that important? Could it be that neither of you elders has even told me, your Boyue?"

He didn't know whether Fei Nanying was pretending to be ignorant to deliberately mislead others, or whether he truly didn't know that Fei Ye Shui had conveyed the message to him through Fei Wanqing.

Unfortunately, it was precisely the time when all the cultivators of the Fei Household had gathered in the local area, so Kang Dabao had no choice but to bring up the words he had spoken to Gada at the White Pagoda Temple.

"All that trouble, and the debt owed to the Buddhist disciple, was for the sake of a Foundation Establishment junior brother who's over two hundred years old, to make a plan."

The thought flashed through the minds of all the Fei Household in Qingcheng Hall, but their expressions varied.

At this moment, Fei Nanying also took another look at Sect Leader Kang Da. He recalled the judgment he had made about Kang being "unfit for great use" when Kang had stood up Elder Ye Shui's summons to save the sect. He couldn't help but feel a little sad.

This was because at this moment, even though he, the designated successor of the Fei Household, now held a more prestigious position and had a higher level of cultivation, he was still extremely grateful that his son-in-law was a man of deep feelings and true character.

After Fei Nanying speaking, it was then that Sect Leader Kang Da and the other Fei Household elders greeted him.

More than a hundred years have passed, and Kang Dabao is no longer the nameless nobody who was neglected and left without a seat by Fei Granny Liu. Every Golden Core Fei Household in this hall has a illustrious reputation, but none of them dare to presume upon their abilities in front of Sect Leader Kang Da.

Even Fei Donggu and Fei Dongwen returned the greetings formally, without any perfunctory attitude.

After the ceremony was completed, Fei Donggu finally spoke:

"I heard about the Mysterious Mystic Mist Hidden Scale Beast that Gada mentioned a few years ago. This Demon Officer has Spirit Awakening for a long time. Since Fengwen, the Demon Lieutenant, was beheaded, it has been wandering around with its followers, doing things like raiding sects and Aristocratic Clan and devouring mortal towns."

Not only did your Chongming Sect family go to fight, but the Lord Lian also sent the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard Sha Shan, to launch multiple expeditions. However, that beast's ability to hide is exceptionally good in the Golden Core realm, causing Sha Shan to repeatedly fail in his attempts, so he temporarily shelved the mission.

Kang Dabao asked curiously, "May I ask Elder Zong, how can this beast, who roams the world, still lead a group of followers?"

"Its body is always shrouded in a thick, dark fog. The fog is only six zhang in diameter, yet it can contain thousands of its kind, hiding within it like shadows. It is indeed quite remarkable."

Moreover, that Demon Officer named Yongli was once considered on par with Zeng Zhang, the Demon Officer who died at the hands of the Duke, under the command of the Zeng Zhang Demon Lieutenant Fengwen. He was Fengwen's right-hand man. During the battle in the southwest, he had at least three or four Golden Core cultivators on his hands, so he was not someone to be trifled with.

Because Fei Nanying been forced to focus on cultivation due to various external factors over the years, Fei Donggu has often helped him travel outside in the name of the Fei Household.

Therefore, this old man seemed to be quite aware of the recent events at Yongli Demon Officer, but I noticed a slight pause in his words, and his tone carried a hint of warning:

"I heard that a few years ago Gada had invited three or five acquaintances, along with Mingfei's eunuchs, to try and stop that beast. Not only did they fail, but they also heard that one or two families in the vicinity of the Golden Core Realm were holding funerals."

Therefore, Da Bao, if you are going to find the Mystic Mist Hidden Scale Beast, you must not go alone; you must be careful.

"Thank you for the reminder, Elder Zong," Sect Leader Kang Da bowed in thanks, at which point Fei Dongwen chuckled and said:

"Brother's words have reminded me. If you're short-handed on your end, Da Bao, there are quite a few juniors in this hall who are available and can certainly help you out."

Kang Dabao was slightly surprised after hearing this, and then glanced at Fei Nanying on the high seat.

Seeing that the latter also had an approving look on his face, and that none of the cultivators in the hall showed any resentment, it was only then that Sect Leader Kang Da realized that he could truly be considered the legitimate son-in-law of the Fei Household.

However, he had already planned out his scheme regarding the Mystic Mist Hidden Scale Beast, so he simply thanked the elders in the hall for their kindness.

However, Fei Donggu, based on his knowledge, immediately had a Jade Slip engraved and handed it to Kang Dabao as a preparation.

At this moment, the upper-level cultivators of the Fei Household had little leisure time. The fact that they could pay their respects to Sect Leader Kang Da to this extent already showed that they valued this son-in-law of the Fei Household very much.

With Fei Nanying's permission, most of the Golden Core experts in the hall dispersed to various places to attend to important matters.

Fei Dongwen and Fei Donggu were left alone to chat with Master Fei Nanying Sect Leader Kang Da.

This was something Fei Nanying hadn't been particularly keen on doing before, but he spoke first this time. After Fei Nanying inquired about the recent situation of the Sect Leader Kang Da the Double Brightness Kang Household, Chongming, the latter answered them one by one, and the father-in-law and son-in-law greeting was finally completed.

At this moment, the four people in the hall were all top figures in the Golden Core stage, and they were also close friends. Since it was a rare occasion for them to meet, they naturally wanted to have a discussion on the Dao.

The "Profound Clear Withering and Flourishing Secret Manual and Flourishing" that Kang Dabao studied is one of the sect's signature Cultivation Method of the Green Goat Palace. It was a first-class and wonderful method written by several top -True Person notch practitioners of wood magic who were summoned by the sect's founder ten thousand years ago to observe the changes of withering and flourishing, deduce the evolution of heaven and earth, and attempt to explain the life and death of all things.

Even though the loss of the classic text caused the "Profound Clear Withering and Flourishing Secret Manual" to drop to the Zhou Grade Supreme-Grade, it was still more difficult to cultivate than ordinary people could imagine.

However, thanks to the three jade pendants, Sect Leader Kang Da was able to thoroughly understand this wonderful technique, and even after more than a hundred years, he was still able to vaguely grasp and fill in the gaps in his knowledge.

This was quite remarkable. The three senior cultivators of the Fei Household had only spoken with him for half a day, and they couldn't help but exclaim in their hearts at the truth of his reasoning and the orthodoxy of his lineage.

"I have studied the 'Profound Clear Withering and Flourishing Secret Manual' for decades, and often observe the trees in the courtyard at night: withering and flourishing are not two separate phenomena, but rather the hidden and manifest aspects of the Qi mechanism of heaven and earth. In the past, the Qingyang Patriarch summoned the immortals of the Wood Law to observe the changes of plants and trees in order to deduce the primordial chaos. This was not to describe birth and death, but to break through the barrier of 'constancy'."

The young man once sat in meditation for three months, observing the sprouting of buds to know the beginning of calamity, and observing the falling of leaves to understand the condensation of elixir. Withering is not stillness, but the vital energy hidden beneath the soil; flourishing is not prominence, but the essence released from the tip of the tree.

Following this path, one realizes that the condensation and dissipation of spiritual energy follow the laws of flourishing and decay; the elixir light appears and disappears as if in harmony with the beginning of chaos. The so-called 'Changsheng' is simply following this principle without going against it. Furthermore...

Fei Dongwen was the most accomplished cultivator outside of the two patriarchs of the Fei Household. Before Fei Nanying attained the Middle-Grade Golden Core, he had been secretly groomed by Fei Ye Shui as her successor for one or two hundred years.

Moreover, he was also a man of great integrity. Even when Fei Nanying, a younger generation, rose to prominence, he was sensible and willing to step down and give way to a more capable person.

Even so, his knowledge was clearly a level higher than the other two.

Even so, hearing the words of Sect Leader Kang Da this time was like hearing the resounding sound of a great bell, and I gained a deep understanding.

Although Fei Donggu, who sat next to him, was slightly less skilled in Daoism, he was not stupid. The more he listened to Kang Dabao preach, the more alarmed he became.

In the end, he became less concerned with the reasoning he heard, and only exclaimed in his heart, "I feel that this child's chances of becoming Nanying are perhaps even greater than those of Nan Ying, whom the entire clan has been supporting."

However, this thought quickly vanished, for which cultivator Nascent Soul Formation didn't require a massive amount of resources?

Fei Nanying had the blessings of his ancestors and the long-term planning of Fei Ye Shui, the restorer of the dynasty, which gave him the confidence to claim that he had a chance to achieve the Nascent Soul stage. However, ordinary Golden Core cultivators would never achieve this without such opportunities.

Otherwise, there wouldn't be only three renowned rogue True Person at the Rogue Cultivator Nascent Soul in the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty.

Of course, Kang Dabao currently has a degree of administrative power, and a fiefdom of a prefecture can be helpful. However, these are held on his behalf by the Kuang Household, and are quite different from the real land grants and titles bestowed upon him back then at the Star-Picking Pavilion.

Everyone in the Office of the Duke of Qin's mansion knew that what Kuang Liuting valued most about Kang Dabao was his business acumen.

This also means that he certainly cannot exploit his subordinates as excessively as other households. Moreover, this young Kang seems to be obsessed with cleanliness, and I wonder which moral texts he has read, which makes him treat his subordinates so kindly.

Furthermore, he had many disciples who needed to be supported. Considering all these external factors, Fei Donggu couldn't have imagined that his son-in-law wouldn't be able to accumulate enough resources for his Nascent Soul Formation wealth.

As soon as Kang Dabao finished speaking, Fei Nanying patted his knee, nodded, and slowly began to speak:

"I inherited the 'Immortal Wei Thirteen-Story Ascension Method,' which is an illusion of my body's essence, energy, and spirit intertwined and in harmony with the primordial energy."

When the elixir is formed, the qi entering through the navel is not merely collected, but truly like the clouds hidden in the vast sky;

When clouds gather, the Qi condenses like cotton; when clouds disperse, the Qi permeates like threads, subtly conforming to the rhythm of the heavens and earth's breathing at dawn and dusk.

The flow of energy through the body is not like the pulling of ordinary silk threads, but rather like the guiding light of the moon;

When practicing movement, the vital energy flows through the meridians; when practicing stillness, the profound mysteries accumulate within the meridians, subtly conforming to the order of yin and yang waxing and waning.

Concentrating one's mind is not like an ordinary mirror reflecting objects; it is like an autumn mirror suspended in the water. When the mirror is clear, one's mind is clear and can see even the smallest detail; when the mirror is still, one's mind is hidden and can merge with the vast emptiness.

This path is not merely about piling up spiritual materials and resources to build a foundation for the elixir; rather, it involves following the hidden mechanisms at each level of the cultivation process, step by step questioning the wondrous harmony between heaven and earth and one's own body, only then can the elixir's light illuminate the three apertures, gradually drawing closer to the Dao.

Only after Fei Nanying explained his reasoning did the two elders of the Fei Household feel they had won a point and breathed a sigh of relief. The Sect Leader Kang Da also showed a look of sudden realization, full of praise and admiration.

Seeing that his son-in-law's expression was sincere and without any pretense, Fei Nanying knew that this was just a show of respect put on by Sect Leader Kang Da.

He knew that Kang Dabao was now no less capable than him, his Boyue -law, yet he still didn't change his attitude, which truly made him somewhat gratified.

The fourth discussion at Qingcheng Hall lasted only ten days, but because of the close relationship between the participants, they held little back and all gained a great deal.

After the discussion, Fei Nanying hosted a banquet.

The meal consisted entirely of the Fei Household's most prized spiritual delicacies, and even the tableware was made of spiritual glaze porcelain cups with delicate Jinyun patterns on the rims, making the ingredients stand out even more.

Each Golden Core cultivator had a bowl of "Cloudy Moon-Bearing Soup" placed on their desk. It was made from the spinal cord of Third Tier Demon Officer. The soup was milky white like solidified fat, with tiny pearl-like foam floating on top. One spoonful was taken into the mouth.

The aroma of marrow mixed with the freshness of shellfish melted on the tip of the tongue, spiritual energy slid down the throat, and a warm halo appeared in the Dantian, as if the meridians were being nourished and became more unobstructed.

With dishes like "Rosy Clouds and Dried Mushroom Rolls," "Dewy Snow Lotus Root Cake," "Purple Mist and Congealed Fatty Cheese," and "Moonlight Soaking Jade Water Chestnuts" served one by one, even entertaining high-ranking officials would not seem stingy.

In addition to Zhenyu wine, Qinglu tea was also provided as a beverage.

This tea is a rare variety from the Lingya Mountain in the capital region, harvested by Foundation Establishment cultivators using their spiritual power before the morning dew dries. It is brewed in a small purple clay teapot, producing a light green tea soup like jade, with fine white down floating on top. Drinking it can calm the mind and soothe the spirit, making it a truly Higher Vehicle tea.

Kang Dabao had a penchant for witty remarks, Fei Nanying's arrangement inevitably raised suspicions that it pandered to his tastes.

However, Sect Leader Kang Da had important business to attend to and could not stay at the banquet for long. The elders of the Fei Household did not want to ask him to stay, so they sent Fei Enwen and Fei Enhua, two peers who were familiar with him, to see him off.

However, it took the two quite a while to return to their seats. The elders found this strange, Fei Donggu was the first to ask, "Why did it take you two so long to see your guests off?"

The Golden Core Seed born from the Fei Enwen family is now almost on par with Fei Enhua in terms of status.

Therefore, as soon as he heard the elder's question, he generously replied, "The Marquis of Martial Peace said that he did not hear of the passing of Granny Liu when he was in seclusion. Now that he has come to visit, he wanted to offer incense and pay his respects to the elder. So he asked my two servants to take her there, and that's why we've returned."

These few dozen words alone were enough to stir the Golden Core within the hall.

Fei Nanying and Fei Dongwen felt this more deeply, because they had witnessed how Kang Dabao Fei Granny Liu back then.

Now that Sect Leader Kang Da has gained power, not only does he disregard past grievances, but he also goes to pay respects at the memorial tablet of this old woman who has not yet achieved the Golden Core.

Objectively speaking, this has a sense of repaying evil with kindness, which shows magnanimity.

Fei Nanying slowly put down the cup in her hand. The image of Kang Dabao solemnly offering incense before the memorial tablet of Fei Granny Liu flashed through her mind, and she couldn't help but murmur to herself:

"People always say that my ancestor Ye Shui's ability to judge people surpasses his Daoist cultivation, and now it seems that this may be true. The Ying Prefecture Fei Household bet on the Office of the Duke of Qin, not expecting that the clan would continue to prosper after the ancestor's death, but they are sure to ensure that their family's power will not decline and their bloodline will not be cut off."

But now it seems that compared to the above-mentioned profitable deal, or perhaps to disregard sectarianism, properly cultivating Kang Dabao's son shows the ancestor's foresight even more.

The future rise and fall of the Ying Prefecture Fei Household may indeed be closely related to this Marquis of Martial Peace.

After paying his respects to Fei Granny Liu, Kang Dabao left the Fei Household ancestral hall feeling relaxed and without any unusual feelings.

This is because Fei Granny Liu's past mistreatment now seems trivial, and the old woman hasn't done anything excessive to Sect Leader Kang Da since, so there's no need to hold a grudge.

He was unaware that his actions had stirred up some ripples in the hearts of the Fei Household's Golden Core cultivators. He was only Yixin on capturing Yongli Demon Officer alive and requesting the Mani Treasure Leaf, so he quickly stepped out of the Fei Household residence.

However, he did not expect that as soon as he stepped out of the gate, before he could even return the greeting to the Fei Household members standing at the door, he would see an old acquaintance in a scarlet official robe standing outside.

"Brother Qin?!"