Chapter 335: The Sermon on the Cliff
Li Yuan sat cross-legged on the cliff, in front of him were more than 170 Anyue practitioners with serious expressions.
"Eternal life and immortality, the origin of heaven and earth, is the Tao."
"The falling flowers, the falling leaves, the grass, the trees, the snakes and the ants are all the Tao."
"Since everything can be transformed into Tao, then..."
"What is Tao, anyway?"
Li Yuan asked this question with a faint smile on his face after explaining Taoism.
There is no order of precedence in practicing Taoism, those who are accomplished are the teachers.
Among Anyue's ascetics, there are both old and young, sitting together.
Among them, the older ones already have white beards and wrinkles on their faces; the younger ones, like Xuan Chi, are still just young children.
At this moment, facing the questions raised by Li Yuan, everyone began to think deeply.
Before asking this question, Li Yuan had already told them many Taoist methods, all of which were basic immortal principles.
It also explains many things about spiritual practice and the state of mind.
They were all taught casually by a master.
For the human world where spiritual practice is not very popular nowadays, this is extremely valuable information.
After a long time, some practitioners gradually had sudden enlightenment.
Have your own opinion.
Li Yuan was very patient and waited from noon until dusk.
Then he spoke softly:
"Everyone, do you have an answer?"
Among a group of monks, an old man with wrinkles on his face stood up and bowed to Li Yuan.
"Master Mountain God, I have some understanding, but... maybe it is just a partial generalization and cannot be considered a true understanding."
Li Yuan was still sitting cross-legged with a serious expression.
"Thousands of people, thousands of paths, thousands of thoughts, thousands of methods."
"Your answer may not be suitable for everyone, but it may be the best for you."
"Go ahead."
He raised his hand slightly with a warm smile on his face.
The old man pondered for a moment, bowed to Li Yuan again, and then bowed to the cultivators around him, before he spoke slowly.
"The mountain god tells the way of heaven and earth, and everything is solitary."
"I have pondered for a long time and have come to some realization. I would like to take this opportunity to throw out some ideas. If I am seriously wrong, I hope you will not be offended."
The other monks all responded by bowing their heads, saying they dared not.
Only Xiao Xuanchi waved his hand sincerely:
"Don't worry, old man. Just speak frankly. Even if you are wrong, we won't blame you!"
Children's thinking and words may be very simple.
But it is not so pleasant to the ears of adults.
The old man was just being polite, he never expected someone to actually speak like that, and he immediately felt unhappy.
But when he thought about his age, he realized that there was no way he could argue with a young child and shook his head secretly.
"This old man... um, I will tell you what I have realized right now, and I hope you will carefully analyze and interpret it."
The old man was halfway through reading when he looked at Li Yuan's calm expression and changed his address.
After all, the identities of God and man are too different.
The old man was very cautious. Even though he knew that Li Yuan was always friendly, he didn't want to accidentally overstep his boundaries and offend him.
"The so-called Tao is the rules of heaven and earth, the order of all spirits."
“All principles are based on Tao.”
"For example, the burning of flames and the rippling of water all have their own fixed principles."
“Tao is the manifestation of everything, the foundation of all things, and contains infinite truth.”
“Practicing Taoism is the path to seeking true knowledge.”
“Practice is the path to seeing the truth.”
The old man spoke slowly, thinking deeply about every word.
As he spoke, a faint aura of Tao emanated from his body; with some insights, he attracted the spiritual energy of the surrounding heaven and earth.
The words he spoke also gave many practitioners some insight.
Tao...is the rule, is the truth.
Li Yuan nodded calmly, with a hint of admiration in his eyes:
"Not bad, I have gained some understanding."
The old man's face turned red and he quickly said he didn't dare.
He bowed deeply, and then quickly praised Li Yuan for his good teaching, which enabled even a dull boy like him to understand.
He even flattered Zhuge Laodeng who was standing behind Li Yuan, with a smile on his face, trying to establish a good relationship with him.
He thought that by getting closer to him, Li Yuan and others would take better care of him in the future.
Little did he know that, in Li Yuan's eyes, this kind of fawning smile completely destroyed his previous calm and detached demeanor of enlightenment.
Why would a god with infinite life need the flattery of mortals?
There is no benefit, nor will there be any pride in it.
If one is determined in seeking the truth and is not familiar with other ways, people will look up to him or her.
Li Yuan had a smile on his face and a warm expression, but he secretly shook his head with regret.
Social skills are one of the shortcuts.
But paying too much attention to human relationships and worldly ways is putting constraints on yourself.
Li Yuan gave the old man a precious elixir as a reward for his enlightenment and his inspiring words.
Many ascetics were envious.
The old man kowtowed three times and nine times, expressing his gratitude repeatedly.
With this magical medicine, he can increase his lifespan by at least five or six years by refining it during his practice!
Li Yuan waved his hand, and the old man tactfully stepped back and sat at the back, giving the opportunity to other practitioners.
When he did this, a hint of relief flashed in Li Yuan's eyes.
At least this person knows his limits.
The old man stepped back, and someone else stood up, his face full of excitement.
After telling the story, Li Yuan looked a little strange.
This person's belief in the Tao is immortality.
As long as you achieve immortality, all paths are at your feet.
In response, Li Yuan sighed and shook his head.
"The experiences on the path of seeking are far more exciting than the fruit of immortality."
"Eternal life is not omnipotent."
"Think more about what I said during my sermons!"
The man retreated with shame on his face, but there was still a hint of dissatisfaction in his expression.
People are like this. Once they have their own opinions, they find it hard to trust other people's ideas.
Even if you know in your heart that what the other person says makes sense, you will still stubbornly believe that you are not that wrong either.
And, for most mortals.
Becoming an immortal and enjoying eternal life is indeed a great fortune, surpassing anything in the world.
Li Yuan was not in a hurry to point it out.
The road to seeking the truth is never smooth.
How can you see the true meaning of the Tao without experiencing some setbacks and hardships?
He is an immortal god who has enjoyed eternity. With such a status, it is difficult for the other party to listen attentively if he preaches forcefully.
Seeing that Li Yuan was as calm as before, the practitioners spoke boldly and told about their own experiences.
Li Yuan generously bestowed spiritual objects on those who had gained enlightenment.
As for those who were misled... Li Yuan just explained it to them and did not blame them.
After all, everyone has his or her own understanding and his or her own path.
There are thousands of intersecting roads, and the ways and angles of advancement may be different, but as long as the final direction is correct, there is no need to force correction.
Li Yuan has always maintained a peaceful state of mind.
Until Xiao Xuanchi appeared.
“I think that’s what Tao is!”
Xuan Chi picked up a small stone, and with the magical power emanating from his body, he crushed it with one hand.
He punched another harder and larger rock beside the cliff.
The boulder did not move at all.
"I am stronger than this little stone that I crushed. I am the Tao!"
"For this solid rock, it is stronger than me, so I will find a way to break it!"
“This is seeking the truth!”
Xuan Chi's outfit was very quiet, but the expression on his face at this moment was filled with pride and arrogance.
The words he spoke were also very simple and crude.
Li Yuan pondered over this statement, which was correct in general but a bit extreme, and was thinking about how to explain and guide it.
Several monks were unhappy and had already started to reprimand.
"You kid, don't think you can talk nonsense just because you have some talent!"
"The Great Dao is invisible, the Great Dao is true knowledge, how can it be simply summarized by the word power?"
Xuan Chi was a small but courageous man, and he was not afraid at all despite the gazes of several cultivators.
"If you don't agree, come and compete with me!"
A glow of magical power emerged from his body.
The other monks were naturally indignant, but they also kept their face in mind.
"I can't wait to fight with you, little kid!"
Xuan Chi was unhappy, with his hands on his hips:
"That sounds nice, but I think... you know you can't beat me, so you're scared!"
"You don't have to believe in my teachings."
"But I can beat you so hard that you can't find the way!"