The Great Way to Truth, Starting from Jiazi Laodao

Chapter 248 Finally Meeting the Dao Lord, Gazing at the Heavens

"This is Taiping Palace, the residence of the Daoist Master."

The nine-tailed fox demon put away her alluring smile and seductive gaze, and her red clothes were replaced with a red Taoist robe.

At this moment, she was aloof and pure, with a devout expression and fair skin, resembling a Taoist master even more than a Taoist master himself.

While the nine-tailed fox demon went inside to report, Xuanming surveyed the Dao Palace, which appeared no different from any other ordinary Dao Palace.

It simply bears the marks of time and the vicissitudes of history, and because it is the residence of the Dao Lord, it has an added touch of sanctity.

Looking up at the plaque, the three large characters "Taiping Palace" were unremarkable, as if they were just ordinary characters.

But Xuanming knew it wasn't that simple. Could ordinary handwriting withstand the test of time without fading?

The nine-tailed fox quickly emerged and bowed respectfully to Xuanming: "Fellow Daoist, the Dao Master invites you."

After saying that, she walked out of the Taoist palace.

Before harnessing the escape light, he suggested:
"If you are willing, fellow Daoist, you may send Changning to my Taiping Sect so that he may see the scenery of this world."

Although the child doesn't say it, she's actually quite concerned about her half-demon identity. Once she stays here for a while, her inner demons will naturally dissipate.

After a pause, the nine-tailed fox added, "Don't worry, unless it's voluntary, I won't force her to join the Taiping Cult. Besides, she should meet her father soon."

After bowing in return, Xuanming watched the nine-tailed fox's disappearing light and pondered, "I will consider it."

A silvery laugh rang out.

"Thank you, fellow Taoist."

Shaking his head, Xuanming straightened his clothes to make himself look less sloppy before walking into Taiping Palace with his head held high.

Talk about it.

This should be the first time he formally met a great being.

Blind old beggars and fortune tellers don't count.

Night Demon doesn't count either.

---

As far as the eye can see, everything is orange-yellow.

Separated by only one door, it felt like two different worlds.

Loess, yellow sand, yellow sky, yellow trees, yellow flowers, Yellow River, Yellow Mountain, yellow hills, cucumbers...

Deep yellow, pale yellow, orange yellow, goose yellow, bright yellow, gamboge, earth yellow, golden yellow, realgar...

Xuanming's eyes were completely clear.

After the initial shock, he quickly accepted it.

With firm steps, we move forward slowly.

Take every step firmly and steadily.

Each step is the same distance.

Each step was neither too light nor too heavy.

This is his respect for the strong.

It has nothing to do with right or wrong, or with any particular stance.

After half a cup of tea, Xuanming saw a figure.

Dressed in a dark yellow Taoist robe, he stood with his hands behind his back on a nine-zhang-high platform, exuding an air of authority even in quiet stillness.

It is both ordinary and like the center of the world.

Ordinary and great are intertwined in him.

"Come up!"

Xuanming walked off the stage and heard a voice in his ear. The voice was very ordinary, but the more you listened, the more interesting it became.

He bowed deeply before ascending the steps.

Upon reaching the platform, the Taoist priest turned around.

He then realized that the leader of the Taiping Dao was a middle-aged Taoist priest with an ordinary face and a unique temperament.

His eyes were the deepest and most weathered.

Xuanming bowed and paid his respects.

"Juniors have met seniors."

The Master of Taiping Dao smiled and raised his hand, a surge of magical power lifting Xuanming up, his eyes filled with admiration as he said:
"You've already achieved the Three Flowers Gathering at the Top of Your Head before you're even a hundred years old. You're quite remarkable, several times better than I was back then."

"How dare I, a mere firefly, compare myself to a pearl? You flatter me, senior."

The Master of Taiping Dao laughed and said, "Facts are facts, and facts are meant to be spoken."

Xuanming remained silent.

At this moment, silence is worse than a thousand words. The Master of Taiping smiled slightly.

He didn't mind Xuanming's restraint.

When I visited the great master back then, I wasn't much better than him; we were about the same.

"I have read your 'Huangting Waijing Jing' and found every word to be precious and the principles profound. It is a classic of Taoism, and even I have benefited from it and gained some insights."

When the Taiping Dao Master spoke again, Xuanming was flattered and said, "I am deeply honored that this scripture can be of any help to you, senior."

He was fully aware of the value of the "Huang Ting Jing" and was not surprised that it could be of assistance to powerful beings. However, he was still delighted to receive praise from top-tier powerful beings.

"There are exterior scenes, but are there also interior scenes? I wonder if you could write them out?"

Xuanming was not surprised that the Taiping Dao Master had guessed the Huangting Neijing Jing, since the inner and outer are inherently relative concepts.

Anyone with a modicum of common sense could guess that.

He was just surprised to be urged to update his work.

Suppressing his thoughts, Xuanming bowed and said, "I am sorry to disappoint you, senior. Although I am willing to write the Inner Scripture, I have no clue what to do at the moment. If I have the opportunity to write it in the future, I will definitely send it to you for a look."

Although disappointed, the Master of Taiping Dao did not force the issue and was mentally prepared. If Daoist scriptures were so easy to write, how could the Great Dao be so difficult to find?

However, the *Huangting Waijing Jing* is so amazing that it is comparable to the *Taiping Jing*.

He had expectations, which is why he asked the question.

---

I stopped getting bogged down in trivial matters.

The leader of the Taiping Dao summoned Xuanming to come forward.

Despite his confusion, he still stepped forward.

"Are you looking at the sky?"

Xuanming did as instructed.

But no matter how you look at it, the sky is still the sky.

"Did you find anything?"

"I am too dull to have made any discovery."

The Master of Taiping Dao laughed and said, "This heaven has never changed since the beginning of time, so naturally you wouldn't notice anything."

Changing the subject, the Master of Taiping asked, "When things age and become sentient, do you think the heavens are the same?"

Xuanming was completely confused.

"Senior is joking. How could the heavens become spirits?"

"Yes, how could the sky become a spirit?"

As he muttered to himself, the Master of Taiping looked up at the sky with a deep gaze, and Xuanming followed his gaze to look up at the heavens.

But he looked and looked and found nothing.

Perhaps my understanding is insufficient.

A moment later, the voice of the Taiping Dao Master rang out again, changing the subject:

"I heard you like reading scriptures. My Taiping Sect has millions of Taoist scriptures, including many ancient ones, and even my own Taiping Scripture and parts of the Nanhua Taoist Canon. As long as you are willing to join my Taiping Sect, you can read these books at your leisure."

Xuanming bowed and said, "Thank you for your kindness, senior. However, I already have the Qiuzhen Temple and only wish to be a Taoist priest there in this life. I am afraid I have no affinity with the Taiping Sect."

A powerful pressure descended.

Xuanming's forehead was covered in cold sweat.

At that moment, he felt like a small boat sailing on the sea, navigating through a raging storm, with thunder and lightning overhead and towering waves in front of him, threatening to capsize at any moment.

"You choose to assist Da Xuan?"

Gritting his teeth and enduring the pain, Xuanming tried to calm his fear and anxiety, and said firmly:
"This junior will not join either side. I only wish to roam freely in the world and comprehend the Great Dao. I am willing to offer my Dao heart as proof and ask the senior to understand."

The terrifying pressure dissipated like smoke.

Xuanming breathed a sigh of relief and gasped for breath.

The Master of Taiping Dao continued to stare at the sky and muttered to himself, "Living a carefree life, like a hermit, I once thought the same way."

Memories come flooding back.

The leader of the Way of Peace seemed to see his past self, full of vigor, single-mindedly devoted to the Way, and carefree and unrestrained.

Unfortunately, that boy can never go back.

After expressing his feelings, the Master of Taiping Dao turned to look at Xuanming and said, word by word:

"If I were willing to take you as my disciple and guarantee your success in becoming a great master, would you be willing to join my Taiping Sect?"

(End of this chapter)