Chapter 260: Chapter 165: The Dharma Assembly Begins_2
Translator: 549690339
Lu Yuan watched the scene unfold before him, listening to the various comments from the crowd. His expression remained unchanged, but a realization had already formed in his heart.
âIt seems that the Divine Officer Dao Qingying Master of the Daoist Path, who has challenged the Yue Country Dao Veins during this high-profile Inescapable Meeting, must be acting under the orders of the Liang Dynasty.â
Having received the support of the Liang Dynasty, he would inevitably be influenced by their court.
âThe unsuccessful Southern Expedition of Liang Dynasty two years ago must still be a sore point in their hearts. Thus, they have sent this Daoist Master to regain their pride in this grand meeting, right?â
Lu Yuan did not think that just because a Daoist claimed to be a transcendent figure, they would no longer be influenced by worldly matters.
As long as one has not achieved enlightenment, they cannot escape the support of the secular world.
Furthermore, before achieving enlightenment, their power has its limits, and they are subject to the influence and threat of the secular courts.
With all these factors in play, there is no Daoist who dares to say that they do not care about the opinions of the imperial court.
Even more so for the Daoist Path endorsed by the court from its birth.
âPerhaps only the Ziyun Daoist Path, with its Immortal Technique inheritance, can truly be fearless against the imperial threats and achieve true freedom.â Lu Yuan sighed inwardly.
At this point, no new challengers appeared on the platform, and the Qingying Daoist seemed to be growing impatient, showing signs of wanting to leave.
âIs there any Fellow Daoist willing to come and give guidance?â
The Qingying Daoist looked at the numerous whispering Daoists below, his face immune to the gossip and showing no signs of dissatisfaction. As if he had not heard anything, he solemnly asked.
However, after asking several times, still no one came forward.
Thus, the Qingying Daoist reluctantly said, âIt seems that no one else is coming today. In that case, todayâs debate will end here. At dawn tomorrow, I will continue to set up the lecture platform here. At that time, I kindly invite all Fellow Daoists to come and give guidance.â
After finishing his speech, the Qingying Daoist, surrounded by his disciples, turned and left.
Seeing that the debate was over, and that it was getting late, Lu Yuan turned to the few companions beside him and said, âQi Daoyou, Brother Shangguan, Miss Shangguan, now that the debate is over, letâs head back.â
âAlright.â Qi Yun and the others seemed to be somewhat unsatisfied, as if they were still immersed in the debate. They nodded and followed Lu Yuan back without saying much.
Upon returning to the inn, Lu Yuan retreated to his room and then closed his eyes to consolidate his thoughts, recalling the debate between the Qingying Daoist and Xuan Chongzi.
These two were the Grandmasters of the same Dao Veins, and one of them was even the founder of the vein. Naturally, their understanding of Dao Law was profound, sophisticated, and unparalleled.
Lu Yuan had merely listened to the debate and already felt a significant improvement in his state of mind, as if he had undergone several months of hard work.
After contemplating for a long time, he finally digested his gains and opened his eyes. He couldnât help but sigh, âI should attend more of these meetings in the future, and listen more. Even if I cannot go on stage to debate with others, being able to observe such grand meetings can be greatly beneficial to the improvement of my state of mind and the cultivation of Dao Law.â
No wonder Qi Yun would never give up attending Inescapable Meetings, despite the setbacks he faced each time.
Apart from anything else, having access to such a wealth of debates and lectures made all the setbacks worthwhile.
Being able to listen to top Daoist Masters share their insights and experiences was a privilege akin to watching numerous university professors debating and lecturing in a school setting.>
How could one not progress significantly in such an environment?
Lu Yuan decided at that moment that he would not miss any future debates during the Tianluo Grand Meeting and would attend them all.
There was still a month left before the Tianluo Grand Meeting ended. Listening to debates every day was equivalent to a month of intensive training. If he were to simply analyze his progress in terms of his Dao Law cultivation, this journey would be worth it.
Time slowly passed.
In the following days, as Dao Veins from various countries and regions arrived for the Inescapable Meeting, the small town at the foot of Tianluo Mountain became increasingly crowded with Daoists.
Now, every inn in town was fully booked.
Even those who arrived later and could not find rooms had to be accommodated in the homes of local residents to barely fit everyone. With the arrival of many Dao Veins, conflicts and contradictions between them became even more evident.
The Inescapable Meeting was not a recent event â it occurred once every ten years.
In previous meetings, many Dao Veins had formed disputes, grudges, or even blood feuds. Naturally, when these Daoists met again, tensions ran high, and there was an unmistakable smell of gunpowder in the air.
In the past two years, the Three Nations of Liang, Yue, and Zhou had been engaged in constant warfare, causing turmoil in the surrounding smaller countries as well.
As a result, this conflict between nations began to spill over into the Dao Veins affiliated with each country, causing those who initially had no grievances to become hostile due to national and family hatreds.
All these conflicts of interest and deep-rooted enmities had made the atmosphere of this Inescapable Meeting even more explosive.
Various lecture platforms sprung up like bamboo shoots after a rain, set up in the inns and restaurants of the small town.
Dao Veins from various countries found their targets and vied for supremacy, setting up numerous challenges and debates.
At any given time, there were more than a dozen lecture platforms hosting philosophical debates, with representatives from various Dao Veins discussing their doctrines and showcasing their principles to the audience.
This was a delight for Lu Yuan.
During this period, he spent his days attending various debates, listening to the arguments of the Daoists on stage. He felt his mindset expand, his insights improve rapidly, and his understanding of Dao Law reached new depths like an accelerator had been applied..