Chapter 332: Taiping Dao

Merely whispering the words, a rustling sound arose at his ears, as if ripe grains were dancing within golden, ripened husks.

Yuan Qi surged, giving birth to all things.

A pair of deep green pupils, brimming with boundless vitality, gazed through infinite distance, fixed directly upon him.

Jiang Lin the old Taoist felt a chill crawl up his spine.

【Deity: Emperor Sui Zu (??)】

【Resides in the Azure Heaven of the Mystic Womb, governs the authority over Yuan Qi of this realm, creates and transforms all things, saves and guides all beings】

【Authority: Four Seasons——……】

【Solar Terms——……】

【Five Grains——……】

【……】

【Dao:??】

【Law:??】

【Current Status: Summonable】

Unlike during the Spirit-Invoking Ritual, the eyes appeared for only an instant, so Jiang Lin the old Taoist had seen only a small portion of them.

The rustling of the rice husks beside his ear vanished as well, yet even so, he could not suppress the chill crawling up his spine.

"Master…"

The boy beside him watched him with concern.

"I'm fine." Jiang Lin the old Taoist suppressed his emotions and forced a smile.

Without another word, he turned and led his disciple back.

But as soon as he returned, he saw his second disciple Jiang Cheng emerge from the house.

"Master, I've already informed Elder Brother."

"Mm." Jiang Lin the old Taoist paused, then gazed past his disciple toward the porridge tent behind him, "I've sent men to procure grain; we should gather one hundred thousand shi within three days."

Jiang Cheng nodded: "If so, even if more people come later, we can sustain them for a while…"

He hesitated, as if wanting to say more but holding back.

"Speak. Do we still need to be so awkward between master and disciple?"

"Master, the whole world is like this. Even if we continue like this, we won't save many."

Jiang Lin the old Taoist fell silent, then shook his head: "Save as many as we can."

Saying this, he stepped past his disciple, preparing to enter the house.

"Master!" Jiang Cheng called out, kneeling on the muddy ground where snow had melted, "If you're going to do this, you must think ahead!"

"If all else fails, at least set up a framework!"

Hearing his disciple's voice behind him, Jiang Lin the old Taoist hesitated, his next step frozen.

His face showed inner turmoil—he had felt this way many times these past days, yet every moment he asked himself—

Did he even have the right?

After a long while, he exhaled slowly, lifting his gaze toward the horizon.

Snow still fell heavily, as if determined to bury the entire world, or to entomb the crumbling dynasty once and for all.

Fine. Let it be shameless.

As if struck by sudden inspiration, a name quietly surfaced in his heart.

"Then… 'Taiping Dao.'"

He stepped into the house at once, leaving the boy staring curiously at his stunned second brother.

…………

Great Tong Dynasty, imperial capital.

As the most powerful dynasty of this world, it gathered not only many cultivators of the Spirit-Invoking Dao and the Spirit-Stealing Dao, but also drew the attention of numerous deities.

Yet now, within a heavily guarded garden,

Two figures sat leisurely in a pavilion by the lake.

"Taiping Dao…" Hong Zun murmured the name, then turned to Xu Xing across from him, "Brother Dao, what does this mean?"

Previously confined to the Supreme Dao Sect, this journey—though forced—was a rare chance to venture out, so naturally, he wished to see more.

Thus, after leaving the Celestial Palace, the two came directly to the Great Tong Dynasty's capital.

"To name that young disciple."

"…"

I'd believe you if I were a fool.

"Still, the young disciple you chose this time is indeed impressive," Xu Xing added.

"Naturally," Hong Zun did not deny it.

If he had remained too 'cautious,' it would have been truly unbearable to watch.

Good thing he wasn't.

"Since Brother Dao also admires that young disciple, why not lend him a hand?"

"Fine." Xu Xing agreed with startling directness, leaving Hong Zun momentarily stunned.

The next moment, Xu Xing raised his hand.

The falling snowflakes outside the pavilion were drawn inward, swirling around his fingers before hovering above his palm.

Boom~!

Flames erupted, translucent as jade, shimmering with flowing light, as if life itself churned within them.

Swirling snow and wind churned unpredictably within, the snowflakes growing ever more crystalline, until even the "wind" seemed to take on a tangible "form."

The Fire of Creation refined the snow and wind.

A truly mysterious sight.

Hong Zun felt a deep sigh within.

Though Brother's primary path is the Sword Dao, beyond this, he has not neglected any other arts.

Alchemy, weapon forging, array formation, talisman drawing—he excels in all hundred arts of cultivation.

Indeed, for beings of the "Immortal" tier, mastering the hundred arts is not difficult, nor can ordinary cultivators compare.

But Brother's mastery of the hundred arts stands among the very best even among his peers!

The flames grew fiercer, eventually reaching the pavilion's roof.

More miraculously, under the fire's heat, the roof did not catch fire—instead, new sprouts emerged. Leaves grew, flower buds bloomed.

Petals withered, withered leaves drifted down.

In the blink of an eye, decay and renewal merged; the withered leaves and petals were swept by the firelight into the snow and wind, merging with them.

Gradually, they took shape.

Resembling a handful of snow-white fine sand, closer inspection revealed they were in fact countless tiny "seeds."

The firelight abruptly ceased.

The snow-white seeds, like fine sand, fell into his palm; he tossed them carelessly beyond the pavilion.

Scatteringly, the seeds vanished into the swirling snowstorm, drifting far away toward Jiang Lin's location.

One seed landed on the ground; instantly, dense clusters of snow-white tender sprouts burst forth from the garden floor, growing at visibly rapid speed.

Eventually reaching about a foot tall, entirely snow-white, round, translucent "fruits" the size of thumbs hung down, each wreathed in a thin mist that seemed to form two characters—Tai Ping.

!. Read

"Using Yuan Qi as fire, simmering snow and wind, aided by the concept of decay and renewal, thus this 'Tai Ping Dan' is obtained."

A few sprouts also grew along the railing; Xu Xing plucked two fruits and tossed one to Hong Zun.

The fruit dissolved instantly upon ingestion, sweet and refreshing, sliding down the throat as a warm, nourishing Yuan Qi rose, replenishing the body.

"With this pill to aid them, the common people of this realm can survive this winter."

This winter, snow and wind never cease; this pill is inexhaustible.

A common person needs only three per day to remain unfamished for twelve hours.

"So Brother has been helping that young man in this way…"

Just as rebellion was about to break out, he has just saved the Da Tong Dynasty's life.

Who rebels when they can eat?

"In the shifting eras of Immortals and Gods, the mortal world should not be touched," Xu Xing said, pinching the fruit between two fingers. "To spread the Dao of Tai Ping—isn't that precisely what he seeks: the people's full bellies and warmth?"

"Moreover, I have already transmitted the method of crafting this Tai Ping Dan to that young man."

If, after surviving this winter, the Da Tong Dynasty still shows no progress, it is destined to be destroyed.

The winter revealed divine traces; all these effects will eventually be absorbed by this realm's "Tai Ping Dao."

"Brother is still the same," Hong Zun sighed.

Xu Xing smiled silently, gazing beyond the pavilion.

Heavy snow fell, the sky and earth all white, every surface clad in silver; every branch hung heavy with snow.

The snow piled thickly on the branches, the Tai Ping Dan fruits dotting the ground below—truly evocative.

Perhaps influenced by Yuan's "literary plagiarist" behavior.

"This truly fits the saying: 'Suddenly, as if overnight, spring wind arrives; a thousand trees, ten thousand trees, pear blossoms bloom…'"

"Brother has also heard Yuan's half-poem?" Hong Zun suddenly asked.

"Hm?" Xu Xing paused.

He remembered this half-poem—Yuan should never have recited it in the Tai Xuan Realm.

After all, those who recorded Yuan's recited poems on the Spirit Net have documented them meticulously.

Seeing Xu Xing's confusion, Hong Zun explained: "Yuan never recited this half-poem publicly—only mentioned it to Ba Zun."

Then, Ba Zun specifically sought out an island perpetually buried in snow and wind, since the Long Xiang Qing Tian Sect's sect grounds had every kind of environment.

He took a photo and posted it in the group, using this half-poem to show off.

Naturally, he was quickly exposed.

A physical cultivation brute has no such refinement—what a pathetic attempt at elegance!

"So there was this incident."

Xu Xing fell silent; his fellow countryman was truly the supreme literary plagiarist.

Ordinary people—even those who crossed over—could never remember so much.

"By the way, Ba Zun only knows this half-poem. Brother must know the full version, right?"

Hong Zun now realized—this was surely a poem from Xu Xing's homeland.

"Indeed, I remember." If an ordinary person, they'd have forgotten long ago—but he was a True Immortal: "The north wind rolls across the land, bending white grass; in the barbarian sky, snow flies by the eighth month. Suddenly, as if overnight, spring wind arrives; a thousand trees, ten thousand trees, pear blossoms bloom…"

His voice echoed through the snow and wind.

After hearing the full version, Hong Zun nodded slightly: "So that's it. Now I see—most of the poems Yuan recited are likely from Brother's homeland? No wonder he never claimed them as his own."

Most?

emm…

There are certainly modern people who write poetry, but Yuan clearly isn't one of them.

Forget it—better not expose his old secrets.

"Sort of," Xu Xing replied evasively.

"By the way, since Yuan often recites poems from his homeland, why have you never recited any?"

That's because I have no interest in being a literary plagiarist...

That's obviously fake!

Actually, there's no other reason—it's simply that at first I could remember only a few poems, mostly fragments.

By the time I reached a higher realm, I had neither the time nor the need to show off like that.

"I don't remember many. If you ask about the allusions or meanings behind them, I wouldn't be able to answer, so I just don't recite them."

"You're truly candid..." He gazed outside the pavilion. "Then, do you still remember any lines from your homeland that match the scene before us now?"

Match the scene before us now?

"The ones I know, Yuan has probably already recited—no need to repeat them."

"No matter. Aside from Ba Zun, I've had little contact with Yuan among the other companions."

"..."

After a brief pause, Xu Xing gazed at the snow-laden sky.

"Perhaps a celestial being drunk with madness, wildly crushing white clouds to bits."

"Tsk! Truly fitting," Hong Zun clapped his hands and sighed. "Was the author of this poem perhaps another cultivator?"

Another cultivator?

"In a certain sense, yes, you could say so." (End of chapter)