The speaker was an elderly man with white hair and beard, his hair tied in a square bun with a white jade hairpin, his long eyebrows as white as snow, falling to his shoulders. He appeared to be very old, yet his complexion was still ruddy and without wrinkles, and his eyes were bright and clear when he looked around.
"Benefiting future generations? What immense merit must one possess to be able to bring blessings to one's descendants while still alive?"
Upon hearing this, a celestial being nearby also cast a glance, looking Feng Bingwen up and down, and sighed, though not with much envy.
Merit and fortune are ethereal and intangible to lower-level cultivators, but they are real and even visible to powerful cultivators who have embarked on the path of immortality.
"hehe!"
Feng Bingwen wore a reserved yet polite smile and offered no further explanation.
His father distributed his wealth to relieve the suffering of countless people, and the merit he received was far more than one-tenth or one-twelfth of that.
The main reason his father was able to accumulate such a huge fortune was because of him; otherwise, he would have been killed long ago. With his honest and kind nature, how could he possibly become rich and a tycoon? Dream on!
"Merit is good, but it can be accumulated or dispersed. We should not become too obsessed with this path. We cultivators should still focus on our own achievements, as this is our foundation."
Another old monk spoke, but not in praise; instead, he offered a warning.
All cultivators like to accumulate merit to ward off disasters and difficulties, but few powerful cultivators will deliberately accumulate merit, because merit often means cause and effect.
Every drink and every bite has its predetermined course; there is a balance between gain and loss.
"Thank you for your guidance, senior. I will keep it in mind."
Feng Bingwen bowed in thanks. These were all powerful cultivators who were qualified to be called patriarchs. The reason they treated him so well was firstly because of his ethereal master standing in front of him, and secondly because of his own talent.
"Brother Bingwen, come quickly!"
In the distance, a young man in armor greeted Feng Bingwen. It was Wang Yuan from the Blood Qin Empire, whom Feng Bingwen had defeated when he first entered the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.
"Go on! A vibrant young man like you should interact more with people your own age, and not hang out with us old fogies!"
An old cultivator heard the voice and smiled as he spoke to Feng Bingwen.
"Master, esteemed seniors, I'll head over now!"
Upon hearing this, Feng Bingwen bowed respectfully and stepped back. Standing among these powerful figures with their imposing auras made him feel uncomfortable; he disliked this feeling.
Go!
Zhao Junxian glanced at them, then casually waved his hand, instructing his disciple to interact more with people of the same age.
Feng Bingwen instantly transformed into a streak of light and landed on a small island covered with lush vegetation.
Although it is called a small island, compared to this vast and shimmering swamp that once nurtured a true dragon, this seemingly insignificant water island from the air is actually quite large.
The central mountain peak has been leveled, becoming wide and flat, with pavilions and towers stretching endlessly, adorned with rare flowers and herbs, jade trees and orchids, and auspicious cranes and deer roaming the forest, while phoenixes and bluebirds soar on the branches. Clouds and mist shroud the area, and the verdant peaks stand tall and ethereal, free from the turbidity of the mundane world, presenting a scene of otherworldly beauty.
Before a jade palace, two young men met Feng Bingwen as he landed. One was dashing and full of vigor, while the other wore a tall hat and wide belt, exuding an otherworldly air. They were Wang Yuan and Ji Changqing.
"Fellow Daoist Feng, you've finally decided to come down!"
Ji Changqing smiled, grabbed Feng Bingwen, and headed deeper into the palace complex. There, many prodigies from the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths were gathered.
"Brother Bingwen, it seems you are quite favored by your elders!"
"If I were one of those old guys, I would also admire a junior like Fellow Daoist Feng who possesses unparalleled talent!"
"You two are joking. It's just following behind the teacher and listening to some useless words."
Feng Bingwen chatted and laughed with the two familiar people and was led into a palace. Looking up, he saw a hall full of geniuses, all around twenty years old, but all of them were elites of the human race, and their demeanor and bearing were amazing.
Some are as still as a deep mountain, their aura calm and composed; others are sharp and ruthless, like a peerless sword, radiating murderous intent; still others are cold and sinister, exuding a strong aura of bloodlust; yet others are lively and spirited, full of vitality, carefree and unrestrained...
When Feng Bingwen stepped into the Jade Palace and looked at the prodigies, all of them, regardless of what they had been doing before, now focused their gazes on him.
Respect, admiration, reverence, awe, curiosity, eagerness to try, and so on... Some people here have personally witnessed Feng Bingwen's two moves, while others are engrossed in enlightenment, but soon after they come out, they hear about Feng Bingwen's deeds.
"So it's Fellow Daoist Feng Bingwen, please take a seat!"
The strong are respected wherever they go. Even a group of proud and arrogant geniuses will appreciate the strength of their contemporaries more, and they also have the magnanimity to tolerate others.
The standoff lasted only a moment before someone rose to invite Feng Bingwen to sit at the head of the table, acknowledging his status. Feng Bingwen naturally accepted without hesitation, taking the highest seat and looking down upon the many prodigies.
Some of the prodigies who had never met him before were not used to it, but most of them looked at him with reverence. Before long, some people came up to him to chat, introduce themselves, and ask Feng Bingwen for advice on cultivation.
Faced with these challenges, Feng Bingwen was able to handle them with ease, offering only a few pointers. Although he was not born into a major Taoist sect and instead began practicing Taoism later in life, he had a solid foundation thanks to the 100,000 Taoist scriptures given to him by his master. Moreover, he had come into contact with many scriptures, and in terms of profound knowledge, there were very few people of his generation who could compare with him.
Feng Bingwen handled the situation with ease, and his fluent and insightful answers, which puzzled the other prodigies, naturally earned him even more respect and awe.
Before long, the Heavenly Sword Daoist and the Netherworld Daoist arrived one after another, accompanied by many talented cultivators from the same sect, who were the main force.
This grand gathering of geniuses from the Ironblood faction of the human race brought together elites from the three continents bordering the human race to exchange ideas, discuss principles, and compete in combat.
Because some prodigies, after entering the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, have been comprehending the Dao and studying the Dharma without ever having any conflicts with anyone, now that they have come out of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, they naturally want to exchange ideas with like-minded people and verify what they have gained.
The atmosphere among the prodigies was very lively. Every now and then, someone would get up from the futon while talking, holding a magic weapon, surrounded by mysterious light, rushing out of the island and fighting together.
This is the simplest way to prove right and wrong. If my fist is bigger than yours, then obviously my way is correct. If your way is not as good as mine, then it must be wrong. Otherwise, why would you lose?
Some prodigies even stood up to ask the Heavenly Sword Daoist and the Netherworld Daoist for guidance, or even challenged them to a duel. After suffering defeat, even the status of a Daoist was not enough to intimidate these prodigies.
This situation greatly displeased the cultivators of both the Netherworld Path and the Heavenly Sword Path, because there was one person in the arena whose situation was completely different from theirs.
He was a young cultivator surrounded by many geniuses. No one challenged him; in front of him were only cultivators who wanted to learn from him and discuss the law.
This infuriated many cultivators from the Heavenly Sword Path and the Netherworld Path. This was clearly the kind of courtesy that only a Dao Child should receive, yet that person had not even obtained the status of a Dao Child.
Feng Bingwen didn't feel much about it. Looking at the lively and bustling scene around him, he felt a little lonely. He felt out of place with the atmosphere here, and these geniuses didn't treat him as an equal at all.
Those irritable and easily angered cultivators who were always arguing with others about the law became more docile than sheep in front of him. They only verbally asked him for guidance and had no intention of fighting him, giving him no chance to make a move.
Even so, Feng Bingwen was in a particularly good mood, after all, the merits recorded in the Heavenly Book were increasing at an extremely gratifying rate.
Of course, the rate at which evil deeds increase is also extremely alarming, but compared to the amount of good deeds increasing, this amount of evil is insignificant. He can eliminate it once the gathering ends.
This debate among the prodigies lasted for nine days and nine nights. It wasn't until the very end, when his master took his leave and led him away, that he finally agreed to depart.
How are you feeling?
Above the Hidden Dragon Abyss, the ethereal and otherworldly immortal asked in a gentle voice, but Feng Bingwen, who was very close to him, could feel the immense blood energy hidden within his master. This was a ruthless person who could fight a true dragon with his physique.
"A great deal!"
Feng Bingwen replied with a smile.
"You brat, you won't even tell me the truth? But speak freely."
Zhao Junxian was not satisfied with this answer at all. She raised her hand and tapped Feng Bingwen on the forehead, then laughed and scolded him.
"Wasting time!"
Rubbing the spot on his forehead where he had been hit, Feng Bingwen helplessly expressed his true feelings.
"Haha, those who cultivate themselves should be humble, constantly introspective, and self-examining. How can they be so arrogant and conceited?"
“Master, this is far too unreasonable of you. You asked me to express my true feelings and communicate with them. They can benefit from me, but I can't gain any insights from them. Isn't this just a waste of time?”
"Is it a waste of time to guide your peers? It is also a test of your cultivation. Can you explain the principles and truths you have come to understand to others, so that they may know and comprehend your meaning?"
"This disciple has learned much!"
Feng Bingwen bowed respectfully.
"Don't try to pull that on me. Do you think I don't know what you're thinking?"
"Ah, teacher, you also possess supernatural abilities like telepathy in Buddhism?"
Feng Bingwen was taken aback.
"Won't."
Zhao Junxian rolled her eyes, then added,
"But I have a similar experience to yours; I was scolded by my mother back then. Although we are all one in our spiritual practice, on the day we attain enlightenment, let us not forget all living beings!"
"Disciple will obey Master's orders!"
"Go and summon your followers! I will take you all back to the mountain gate!"
"Thank you, Master!"
Feng Bingwen was overjoyed upon hearing this.
His father's actions, which exhausted the family fortune and benefited countless people, although resulting in good deeds, had a profound and boundless karmic consequence that needed to be carefully examined to prevent a backlash that could lead to irreparable harm.
Human strength has its limits. Even immortals, who possess the power to move mountains and overturn seas, have times when they cannot attend to everything. How much more so for him, who was merely an ordinary cultivator diligently seeking the Dao.
Therefore, he now needs additional power to help him sort out the cause and effect; otherwise, even the five accompanying spirits will not be enough.
"What's there to thank me for?"
Zhao Junxian shook her head helplessly.
Feng Bingwen had already turned and flown down to find those alien followers who were particularly anxious.
This is a gift prepared by the Ironblood faction of the human race for their most outstanding junior disciples and new blood. As for the alien races that are allowed to enter the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, their role is that of the human race's war servants and mounts.
Many other races knew this, after all, their respective races were vassals of the human race, and no matter how illustrious their status, they could not escape the fate of being dependent on the human race.
Because refusing to submit is seen as tantamount to betrayal in the eyes of humans, and traitors are not to be treated with any mercy.
Just like that candidate for king from the Longbo Kingdom, his status was already noble enough, but his purpose in entering the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths was to plunder the fortune of the human race's geniuses.
If he can fight his way out of the heavens and earth on his own, his people can guarantee his life and even make him the next ruler.
Unfortunately, he failed. The consequence of his defeat was that the Netherworld Dao Child erased his will, leaving only his soul and body, turning him into a mindless war slave.
As for the other alien races that were subdued by the human prodigies, their future fate was to follow these human prodigies onto the battlefield of foreign conquest, and to expand the territory of the human race.
This is why powerful alien races actively seek out masters; they need to follow a sufficiently strong prodigy to ensure their survival in future battles.
However, this time the situation has changed. A prodigy from the Supreme Dao has infiltrated the group. The Supreme Dao advocates following the natural way and is a non-competitive sect in the Xuanmen (Taoist sects). It does not belong to any faction of the human race.
The question of who belongs to the followers of the Supreme Dao's prodigies is also quite controversial, since these followers were originally prepared for the Iron-Blooded faction.
"Master, can I really go with you to the Supreme Dao?"
"Can!"
Feng Bingwen patiently answered his followers' questions until he brought them before Zhao Junxian. Only then did they quiet down, though none of them showed any excitement.
Not only could they be spared from war, but they could also join the Supreme Dao. Although they wouldn't become disciples, just being able to enter the sect was enough to make others envious.
Whoosh!
Seeing Feng Bingwen surrounded by his entourage, Zhao Junxian said nothing, but reached out and pulled out a beam of golden light, then threw it in front of him. The brilliant golden light spread out, transforming into a golden road that stretched into the depths of the sky, its destination unknown.
baimengshu.
"Come, follow me to pay respects to my father!"
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