226: Fifth Incarnation: Heavenly Physician (18)

As soon as Chen Feng said this, Li Mubai’s eyes beside him lit up. Although he didn’t speak, he was clearly listening intently.

Even the usually cold Tenth Senior Sister, Liu Jiu, glanced over slightly, seemingly interested in this topic.

Xu Yuan chuckled inwardly; this Eleventh Senior Brother was quite an interesting person with very "flexible" ideas.

However, he was also somewhat curious: being the host, could they really have some advantages?

However, upon hearing this, Zhao Qian was first stunned, then a wry expression appeared on his face. He reached out and gave Chen Feng a light rap on the forehead: "You rascal, Eleventh! Always thinking of devious ways!"

He put away his playful expression and said solemnly, "Stop your wild fantasies! Do you think this is a mundane imperial examination where you can cheat? This is the 'Minor Derivation Dharma Assembly,' co-hosted by the seven lineages. It’s a major event concerning the Legacy and reputation of our Kunlun and I Ching Dao! The rules are stricter than you can imagine!"

His gaze swept over Chen Feng and Li Mubai, finally lingering on Xu Yuan for a moment. His tone was serious: "What kind of person is Revered Master? He is an Array Deduction Dao Fruit Position True Person! Even looking at the entire Shangqing Dao Lineage, he is an existence standing at the Peak! His honor and the reputation of our Zhenyan Lineage are not matters to be taken lightly!"

"If we were to leak questions or collude secretly just for an internal competition, where would Revered Master's honor be if word got out? Wouldn't our Zhenyan Lineage become the laughingstock of the entire Kunlun and I Ching Dao? At that time, not to mention Revered Master's fury, even our fellow practitioners from the other six lineages would look down on us!"

Zhao Qian's tone grew heavier: "Furthermore, the theme of the Dharma Assembly has always been decided by highly respected elders from the seven lineages after joint consultation and deducing the secrets of heaven. The process is secret and definitely not something one or two people can influence. Even I am completely in the dark. You must not harbor any thoughts of luck; you should attend the assembly with integrity and rely on your own abilities!"

His words were so righteous and severe that Chen Feng and Li Mubai immediately wilted. They smiled sheepishly and repeatedly said, "Ninth Senior Brother is right to lecture us; we were being reckless." "Yes, yes, we were thinking wrongly."

Liu Jiu also spoke up indifferently, her voice cold: "Rules are rules. Don't overthink it; just prepare well."

Xu Yuan also expressed his stance at the right time, looking serious.

Seeing their proper attitude, Zhao Qian's expression softened, and his tone relaxed: "It's good that you understand. In fact, although the theme is unknown, all changes follow the same principle; it will ultimately revolve around the word 'Derivation.' You only need to thoroughly grasp the fundamental principles of 'Kunlun and I Ching Dao,' and you will be able to handle any theme with ease."

He paused slightly, a profound light flashing in his eyes as he continued, "Moreover, this Dharma Assembly might just be a rare Opportunity for you all to comprehend the Dao."

"An Opportunity?" Chen Feng and Li Mubai perked up again, and even Xu Yuan listened intently.

"Correct." Zhao Qian nodded. "Although that 'Dharma Derivation Small World' is a Spiritless Land where one cannot directly channel the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, making it difficult to perform heaven-peering secret arts or deduce great Karma that requires massive spiritual power support... however—"

He emphasized: "The Foundation of Kunlun and I Ching Dao lies in the insight and application of 'change,' 'laws,' and 'connections,' not just on the amount of Spiritual Qi! In that spiritless environment, it can precisely strip away the interference of external power, allowing you to focus more on the essence of 'Principle' and 'Trend,' and train the purest abilities of deduction, layout, observation of trends, and adaptability!"

"Imagine," Zhao Qian's gaze swept over everyone, "when you are in a completely unfamiliar world, losing your cultivation reliance, and relying solely on your understanding of I Ching principles and Array Dao to perceive the leanings of people's hearts, grasp the changes in the situation, guide the rise and fall of trends of thought, and even... push for a tiny shift in the progress of civilization. This kind of experience, in terms of tempering one's Heart-Nature and comprehending the 'Dao,' is far more profound than closed-door cultivation or simple fighting and killing!"

Liu Jiu nodded slightly at this point, her cold voice adding, "Indeed. When I participated in the 'Contention' back then, although I didn't win, I gained deep insights that were also beneficial for my future condensation of the Golden Core."

Zhao Qian smiled. "Exactly! Junior Brother Chen Feng, Junior Brother Li Mubai, both of you are at Foundation Establishment Perfection, just one step away from the Golden Core. In this Dharma Assembly, if you can immerse yourselves and realize deeply, using that special environment to strip away distracting thoughts and point directly to your true hearts, perhaps you can capture that mysterious Opportunity to condense the Golden Core!"

He looked at Xu Yuan again, his tone gentle: "Little Junior Brother, although you have just entered Foundation Establishment, your Foundation is deep and your Comprehension Ability is superb. This experience will be crucial for you to solidify your Dao Foundation and clarify your future path. Make sure to seize it."

After hearing Zhao Qian's analysis, a raging fighting spirit ignited in the eyes of Chen Feng and Li Mubai. Their previous small thoughts of fishing for information were long gone, replaced by a longing to find the Opportunity for a Golden Core Breakthrough.

Xu Yuan felt even more enlightened, and his evaluation of the Minor Derivation Dharma Assembly's value rose to another level.

"Thank you, Ninth Senior Brother and Tenth Senior Sister, for clearing my confusion!" Xu Yuan bowed sincerely.

Chen Feng and Li Mubai also hurriedly thanked them, their expressions solemn.

"Alright, I've said all that needs to be said." Zhao Qian waved his hand. "Go back and prepare. Remember, solidify your Foundations, broaden your thinking, and stay focused. Three months from now, on Kunlun Peak, let our Zhenyan Lineage shine once more!"

The four of them agreed in unison, then bowed again to take their leave, turning into streaks of light as they returned to their respective Immortal Caves.

Xu Yuan returned to his Secluded Chamber and sat cross-legged, his heart unable to settle for a long time.

Zhao Qian's words about "tempering pure deduction and layout abilities in a spiritless world" and "using this to comprehend the Dao or even touch upon the Opportunity for the Golden Core" echoed repeatedly in his mind.

"'Stripping away external interference, pointing directly to the essence of principle and trend... pushing for a tiny shift in the progress of civilization...'" Xu Yuan repeated in a low voice, the light in his eyes growing brighter.

"This is simply... the perfect sterile laboratory for me to verify certain microscopic hypotheses of the 'New Dao of Civilization'!" A bolder and clearer plan took shape in his mind.

"In a spiritless environment, using methods consistent with 'Kunlun and I Ching Dao' to try and guide trends of thought, influence systems, and observe the stress and evolution of civilization units... isn't this the safest and most compliant 'early exploration'?"

"If I can gain insights during this process, it might truly be of great help to my understanding of the 'laws of gathering the Power Of Will of all living beings' and 'principles of order construction' within 'Karma and Heavenly Mandate,' and even... accumulate precious 'experimental data' and 'theoretical prototypes' for opening a new branch within the framework of 'Dao of Karma and Heavenly Mandate' in the future!"

Thinking of this, Xu Yuan no longer hesitated and immediately began to adjust his detailed plan for the next three months.

"Consolidating cultivation and polishing Divine Sense cannot be relaxed; these are the absolute basics."

"The deduction, layout, and trend observation techniques of the Array Deduction Dao need to be studied intensively."

"Regarding knowledge reserves, in addition to continuing to deepen my study of the core scriptures of 'Karma and Heavenly Mandate' and 'Kunlun and I Ching,' I must sweep through the 'Other Mountains' Stones' section of the Scripture Pavilion a few more times!"

"Perhaps..."

Xu Yuan felt his thoughts were clearer than ever before, his goals distinct, and his motivation high.

"Three months... time is tight, but it's enough for me to make many preparations."

"This Minor Derivation Dharma Assembly might just be a turning point!"}],