Chapter 138 Forum

After all the guests finished their tea and once again turned their gazes toward Lin Yang, Lin Yang picked up his chopsticks first.

Because none of them had ever tasted medicinal cuisine prepared with such high-grade spiritual materials, nor such extravagant feasts featuring all kinds of exotic beasts and rare seafood, no one stirred up any trouble at that moment. Everyone was simply trying their best to conquer the delicacies set before them.

It was precisely these culinary masterpieces that created a deceptive illusion of harmony among everyone. Fortunately, not a single person caused any trouble while dining. Perhaps because they had never partaken in such an extravagant meal, most of them ate to their hearts' content, which resulted in a single banquet lasting a full three double-hours.

The fundamental reason such medicinal cuisine was so rare elsewhere was that the mainland, with its limited landmass, suffered from a scarcity of resources. In contrast, the entire ocean of the Chaotic Star Seas belonged to the cultivators above, rendering resources quite abundant and consequently giving rise to so many novel culinary creations.

This luxury also made everyone deeply aware of Lin Yang's financial prowess and the high regard in which he held them. However, when Lin Yang would later receive the ledger, his heart would ache as if it were bleeding; the value of these provisions alone was enough for him to forge three Wuji Swords.

That, however, was a matter for the future. For now, he remained blissfully unaware of the rapid depletion of his purse.

Once everyone had finished dining, Lin Yang had attendants clear away the remnants and led the fellow cultivators to another massive circular table. The seats surrounding Lin Yang were occupied primarily by cultivators from Yue State and various smaller nations. On the other two sides, the Righteous Path and the Demonic Path sat in stark, clear opposition—one side radiating a pristine white, the other a deep, ominous black.

At this point, the latent hostility between the two factions grew even thicker, teetering on the verge of open combat.

Noticing this atmosphere, Lin Yang quickly took the initiative to speak.

"I am deeply grateful to all fellow Daoists for not spurning my humble insights. Over the past few decades, I have gained some minor understandings regarding cultivation. Allow me to expound upon a few common and troublesome bottlenecks encountered during cultivation."

Lin Yang took the lead in addressing several relatively common issues. To a certain extent, these problems might seem trivial, yet in other aspects, they were of paramount importance. For those in dire need of guidance, they were profoundly valuable. Therefore, everything he shared was solid, substantial knowledge, which allowed both the Righteous and Demonic factions to perceive his genuine sincerity.

This caused the antagonistic atmosphere among the crowd to subside once more. After he spoke for a quarter of an hour, the insights he provided drew a round of enthusiastic applause from everyone present.

"Never did I imagine that Fellow Daoist Lin, having cultivated for merely sixty years or so, would have resolved so many ordinary obstacles that we constantly face. Truly, Fellow Daoist Lin is a peerless talent gifted by the heavens."

"Allow me to present a question first. I wonder if Fellow Daoist Lin would be so kind as to answer?"

Just as the applause died down, an elderly white-bearded man from a Righteous Path sect, whose entire body emanated the strong fragrance of medicinal herbs, stood up to inquire.

"Please, Senior, ask whatever you wish. I shall tell you everything I know, and hold nothing back."

Seeing someone stand up so cooperatively, Lin Yang was quite pleased. After all, his Cloud-Breaking Mountain Range simply could not withstand a full-scale battle breaking out between these two factions right here.

"When refining high-grade elixirs, this old man always inexplicably feels a sense of exhaustion and powerlessness midway, as if my strength fails me. I wonder if Fellow Daoist has a method to resolve this?"

Listening to his query, Lin Yang felt slightly puzzled, as if he could not quite grasp the specifics of the man's predicament. Thus, he retrieved a Projection Stone.

"Since this junior has never witnessed Senior refining elixirs, I am unaware of precisely where Senior's flaw lies," Lin Yang replied. "However, I can display the scene of my own elixir refinement for all fellow Daoists to observe and understand my entire alchemy process."

With that, he placed the Projection Stone in the center of the circular table and activated its projection function. Instantly, an illusionary scene of Lin Yang refining elixirs materialized in the air.

Because Lin Yang was only at the Core Formation stage, the techniques he employed were numerous and dazzling, leaving the viewers overwhelmed and scrambling to keep up. Yet Lin Yang had no fear of them stealing his craft; at most, they might glean one or two techniques from a single viewing. At best, it might slightly improve their pill success rate. To truly master the art, merely watching once was far from sufficient—it likely required hands-on, personal instruction.

As they watched, every single one of them felt a sense of profound wonder at these techniques. The myriad intricate details embedded within left them clicking their tongues in praise.

"I once harbored doubts, thinking that Fellow Daoist Lin's title as the premier alchemist of the cultivation world might carry some exaggeration. To think it was merely my own superficiality."

"After witnessing this projection, I am convinced from the bottom of my heart. It was indeed my own shallowness."

After watching the entire recording, the white-bearded old man stood up once more and declared, "Since Fellow Daoist Lin has been so magnanimous, this old man shall not conceal my own拙见 either."

Having said that, the white-bearded elder began to share several minor techniques and tips he had summarized himself. Perhaps wishing to save face and keep pace with the magnificent display that had preceded him, he too delivered substantial, high-value insights that proved immensely helpful to everyone present.

Perhaps because Lin Yang had set such an excellent precedent, the individuals who followed delivered one profound lecture after another, transforming the gathering into something akin to a grand academic forum.

By this time, a cheerful and harmonious mood permeated the grand hall. Even the Righteous and Demonic factions temporarily discarded their rigid stalemates, mutually suppressing the deep-seated hatred within their hearts.

In truth, the war between the Righteous and Demonic paths was never truly a war of differing doctrines, but rather a war for resources.

Through his observations, Lin Yang had noted that during this period, the resources within Yue State were steadily dwindling while the number of cultivators continued to rise. Put simply, resources experienced no growth whatsoever and even decreased, yet the population of cultivators multiplied.

For cultivators, who were accustomed to consuming and destroying rather than creating, when resources fell short, the only solution was to plunder. Coincidentally, the existing frictions and ideological differences between the so-called Righteous and Demonic paths provided the perfect pretext, culminating in the Righteous-Demonic War.

Eventually, when the war had claimed enough lives and both sides considered themselves victorious, the hostilities would naturally pause.

As for the future Nine-State Alliance—formed by the union of eight surrounding nations and Yue State—it would bear the direct brunt of the overwhelming pressure from both the Righteous and Demonic sects, suffering utterly atrocious misfortune.

Then there was the Heavenly Dao Alliance, which later on coasted effortlessly to absolute victory. Their sects were originally situated in remote, secluded places blessed by the spiritual energies of heaven and earth. It was not until the later rise of Old Devil Han that the Falling Cloud Sect ascended effortlessly to become the premier sect of Southern Reach, dragging the Heavenly Dao Alliance along with it into unchallenged supremacy.

Therefore, what the entire world lacked at this moment was simply a figure capable of unifying the entirety of Southern Reach. Of course, every time a Deity Transformation cultivator intervened, their remaining lifespan was diminished, meaning they rarely took direct action. Consequently, whoever reached the late Core Formation or nascent Soul stage could reign supreme as a king. This was precisely why the three greatest powerhouses of Southern Reach were all at the Late Nascent Soul stage.

Among the four major factions that would subsequently emerge, every single one possessed Late Nascent Soul combat power, which ultimately resulted in the prolonged, protracted stalemate.

Before long, three days and three nights elapsed, yet the guests remained immensely enthusiastic in their lectures and discussions. Everyone felt as though they had attained profound and enlightening revelations.