Chapter 49: The Grand Dao is the Simplest, an Archaic Oil Lamp

Radiant sunlight scorched the earth, making it feel as though the ground itself were on fire.

Hidden Dao Peak, Asking Dao Courtyard.

Having refined the purple qi of the rising sun, Xuantong and Xuanyu exchanged bows of respect and departed together.

The spirit deer that Xuanming had bestowed the name Longevity last night trotted out of the courtyard on brisk hooves, bouncing with energy as it made a straight beeline for Changning's dwelling to show off its handsome new pattern to its younger sister.

He was, without a doubt, the most dashing deer now.

After partaking in a light morning meal, Xuanming bent over his desk once again to study insights on Qi condensation, wholly focused and undivided. He recorded his thoughts as they came, occasionally pausing his brush to ponder, sometimes comparing and corroborating arguments, and at times cross-referencing them with Daoist scriptures.

By afternoon, having streamlined portions of the Yin-Yang Foundation Establishment chapter, he once again immersed himself in contemplating the Qi condensation insights, his heart entirely detached from external matters.

In the evening, he gathered the moonlight, slept on his side, and practiced the sleeping technique to nourish his spirit and mind.

The people upon the mountain practiced quiet self-cultivation, paying no heed to the mundane world.

The people below the mountain attended grand gatherings and sought old vendettas, each busy with their own affairs.

Time slipped away like flowing water; in the blink of an eye, two days passed.

Fengyang County, Hutian Palace.

Xuanxu sat upright on the spectator platform, watching the competitions unfolding below with a faint smile.

The hundred arts of immortal cultivation demanded a tremendous amount of effort and dedication.

For instance, alchemy and artifact forging could not be achieved overnight; they required at least several days to successfully condense pills or forge items.

Since the participants chose different crafts and the required durations varied, the Heaven and Earth Academy had balanced all factors long ago, following established precedent to set the uniform duration at seven days.

Today happened to be the final day.

As the setting sun dipped below the horizon and the examinations concluded, the trial of the hundred arts of immortal cultivation finally drew to its curtain call, bringing forth the results.

Though the Seeking Truth View did not achieve the stunning success of the previous round, its performance remained commendable, with two of its ten disciples breaking into the top hundred: Changqingzi and Changanzizi.

Xuanyang excelled in artifact forging, and Changqingzi, as his disciple, possessed no small mastery in the craft, securing the ninetieth position through it.

Changanzizi, on the other hand, specialized in talismanic arts and ranked fifteenth. Although he fell short of the runner-up title, his achievement carried considerable weight.

Upon hearing his ranking, Changanzizi ignored the diverse gazes of the surrounding crowd, a surge of even deeper gratitude welling up in his heart toward Uncle-Master Xuanming.

Before his Uncle-Master had entered the Dao, he frequently studied Daoist scriptures by candlelight late into the night, rising early and sleeping late, entirely forgetting to eat or sleep. Concerned for his Uncle-Master's frail constitution, Changanzizi had racked his brains, yet the effects were always negligible.

It was not until he pandered to his interests, accompanying him in reading scriptures and practicing calligraphy, that he caught his Uncle-Master's eye, and only then did the situation begin to improve.

Five years of practicing calligraphy, pursued with absolute dedication.

Without realizing it, his mastery of penmanship grew increasingly profound.

Characters and talismanic scripts shared a common foundation; with thousands of changes rooted in the same origin, Changanzizi drew inferences from one instance to another, and his progress in the Dao of talismans advanced by leaps and bounds.

Especially after resolving to participate in the Dao Origin Grand Assembly, he squeezed out time amidst his cultivation to comprehend the Dao of talismans.

His Uncle-Master had also given him meticulous guidance, revealing the profound truth shared among calligraphy, talismanic seals, and painting: "Calligraphy, talismanic seals, and painting are like different branches growing from the same mighty tree. No matter how many leaves sprout, how many blossoms open, or how lush and colorful they appear, they all share a single root.

The Great Dao is simple; complex principles amount to nothing more than the most fundamental horizontal and vertical strokes, the falling left and rising right slashes."

He memorized these teachings firmly in his heart, never daring to forget them.

Following his reconstruction after a setback, he had more time to refine his talismanic techniques. Practicing diligently without ever laying down his brush, he managed to stand out from the crowd.

Gazing at the rankings displayed on the water mirror, Changanzizi silently set a new goal for himself.

Runner-up in Dao Debate.

Fifteenth place in the Hundred Arts of Immortal Cultivation.

As long as he could also break into the top ten in the martial examination.

Securing a place among the top ten of the Dao Origin Grand Assembly should not prove too difficult.

***

The Dao Origin Grand Assembly was remarkably considerate.

Once the literary examinations concluded, participating disciples were granted a three-day rest to recover their physical and mental vigor and adjust their personal states.

They were merely restricted from leaving Fengyang County; personnel from the Heaven and Earth Academy and hidden deities kept watch in secret, observing the actions of the participating Daoists and judging their moral character.

Any violation of the rules would result in immediate disqualification, stripping away any possibility of ever participating in the assembly again. Even their affiliated sects would be implicated, bearing the blame for poor instruction and being barred from participating in the next Dao Origin Grand Assembly.

Consequently, even though Changanzizi longed to return to the Seeking Truth View to thank his Uncle-Master in person, he endured the urge.

Even the widest wanderings remained within bounds, and certain rules still had to be respected. Moreover, the stakes were exceedingly high, and his sect had shown him kindness as vast as the mountains; Changanzizi could not afford to drag his sect down with him.

On the very night the literary examinations ended, the autumn moon hung bright and clear in the firmament, the entire city was ablaze with lights, and the streets and alleys shone with dazzling brilliance. A thousand lights illuminated the lantern trees, seven-branched floral fireworks bloomed in the sky, fire dragons danced through the air, silver lions bounded across the ground, and magic-enhanced lantern bridges spanned the vault of the heavens—stretching in all directions, connecting the four quarters and linking the eight extremities to form a complex character of the Dao.

The silver flowers of fire trees intertwined, and the iron locks of the starry bridges swung open.

This was a lantern festival hosted by the Heaven and Earth Academy, intended specifically to help participants relax their bodies and minds while sharing the joy with the common folk, benefiting the populace and demonstrating the Daoist sect's guiding principle of saving and delivering humanity.

Within these three days, the Heaven and Earth Academy would also host peace offerings, during which perfected masters would step forward to set up altars, cast spells, lecture on scriptures, pray for blessings, and beseech favorable weather, bountiful harvests, and peace for the common people for the coming year. At the same time, they would deliver the wandering souls, embodying the compassionate and merciful spirit of the Daoist sect.

Through these measures, the standing of the Daoist sect in the hearts of the common people was elevated, faith was consolidated, and incense merit was gathered—which was precisely why the Daoist sect in Fengyang County flourished so greatly, eclipsing Buddhism.

Stepping out of the Immortal Forest Lodge, Changanzizi wandered alone to clear his mind. His good brother Changqingzi had accompanied Uncle-Master Xuanyang to the Immortal's Welcome Pavilion. Originally planned for a few days prior, Uncle-Master Xuanyang had specially delayed it to treat his disciple and good friend, Daoist Feibai, allowing them to eat and drink to their heart's content and soothe his wounded soul.

The other fellow disciples had paired up to stroll through the streets, while elders like Xuanxu also had their own destinations.

Threading through the bustling floral streets, Changanzizi observed carefully, hoping to unearth some fine items to bring back as a filial tribute to his Uncle-Master.

Because of the methods Uncle-Master Xuanming had left within him, Changanzizi possessed a sharp perception of the heavenly and earthly aether. Although he could not tell how his perception stacked up against a perfected master, it surely completely surpassed practitioners of the Qi-Refining realm.

He was inadequate compared to the best, yet superior to the rest.

Before the Dao Origin Grand Assembly began, he had already picked up a few small trinkets as bargains, having Uncle-Master Xuanxu appraise them. Although they were decent and counted as a small profit, he felt they were still somewhat presentable enough to offer to his Uncle-Master, falling short of his elder's status and cultivation.

Though the gift might be light, the sentiment was heavy; yet because his Uncle-Master's kindness to him was akin to a second birth, Changanzizi always wished to present him with the finest things the world had to offer.

Yet after strolling through three streets, he had failed to find anything that caught his fancy, figuring he would likely return empty-handed tonight. On his way back to the Immortal Forest Lodge, a casual glance caused his attention to be caught by a stall.

The stall was tucked away in a corner, its setup ordinary and its goods mundane. The stall owner was a middle-aged man with an ordinary appearance—there were easily eight hundred to a thousand such stalls on every floral street.

Most passersby walked straight past without sparing them a second look, while a small fraction paused briefly, cast a single glance, and lost interest, turning toward other stalls or entertainment attractions.

Changanzizi walked up to the stall and, under the enthusiastic hospitality of the owner, put on a show of browsing and rummaging through the goods. He asked a few questions about every item, keeping his expression neutral and revealing not the slightest emotional fluctuation.

After examining three items, his hand reached toward the object of his desire.

***

This was a dilapidated oil lamp, about a foot tall, with an ordinary style, simple design, and aged exterior. It looked completely indistinguishable from the common oil lamps used in ordinary households.

Yet within Changanzizi's spiritual perception, though this lamp possessed a faint spiritual aether, it radiated an obscure and profound mystery, resembling a candlelight burning silently in a dark room, or fireflies darting quietly through the night.

"Daoist Priest, you certainly have an exceptional eye! Among all my treasures, this one is by far the most precious. It was excavated by my ancestors—who spent seven days breaching heavy arrays and experiencing mortal peril—from the burial mound of an ancient cultivator of the Golden Core realm."

"Don't let its unpretentious appearance fool you; this lamp actually possesses formidable power. Although it is already damaged, its material is special and of immense value. Once lit, it can burn brightly day and night, clear the mind, and anchor the spirit, possessing the force of a prairie fire."

"If the Daoist Priest knows a highly skilled artifact refiner and asks them to repair this treasure, its might will undoubtedly be extraordinary, and it certainly won't disappoint you."

Though he had not descended the mountain often, Changanzizi was clever. Furthermore, he had been repeatedly warned and cautioned by elder figures like Uncle-Master Xuanxu, and had gained some experience in purchasing treasures during his first few days entering Fengyang County city, knowing well that nine out of ten words spoken by these stall owners were false.

Therefore, regardless of how wildly the owner exaggerated, he remained entirely unmoved. It was only when the man's mouth became dry from talking that Changanzizi finally spoke:

"This lamp has a thin spiritual aether, and while its material is special, it is not particularly rare. My own sect has quite a few artifacts that share this exact material. In terms of power, it's probably only true that it can burn day and night; otherwise, if it were truly as terrifying as you claim, how could such an item end up drifting into obscurity here?"

"If not for an elder of mine who takes pleasure in viewing scriptures, I wouldn't even glance at this flashy yet useless thing. The patron might as well give me a bottom-line price. If the price is right, this poor Daoist will buy it; if the patron takes this poor Daoist for a fool, then let's forget it."

Having his intentions exposed did not ruffle the stall owner, who merely offered a flattering smile. "Since the Daoist Priest genuinely wishes to buy it, how about ten magical coins?"

Magical coins were refined from gold and silver, imbued with a special spiritual aether, and served as the circulating currency among cultivators.

A single tael of gold could barely yield one magical coin.

This stall owner was opening his mouth wide like a lion asking for a massive price.

Changanzizi put down the lamp and turned to leave.

The owner panicked and hurriedly called out, "Everything is open to negotiation! How about eight magical coins?"

Seeing that Changanzizi continued walking forward, the owner quickly added, "Six magical coins! Not a single coin less."

When Changanzizi still didn't turn around, the owner gritted his teeth and said, "Then what do you think is a fair price?"

Pausing his steps, Changanzizi turned and said, "Two magical coins. Either we make the deal, or I walk away."

The owner protested, "Three! I've been rather short on cash lately and urgently need money to secure medical treatment for my cultivation partner and purchase spiritual pills, which is why I was forced to come out and sell family items."

"If the Daoist Priest is sincere about buying it, three magical coins—not a single cash lower."

Changanzizi agreed.

A moment later, money changed hands, and the transaction was complete.

Hiding the lamp within his sleeve, Changanzizi prepared to leave, but the stall owner called out to him, "Please stay your step, Daoist Priest."

Noticing the confusion on Changanzizi's face, the owner explained:

"To tell you the truth, there are actually three such lamps in total. I obtained them by chance, and they appear to be a set. The other two have not yet been cleared of their accumulated grime. If the Daoist Priest is interested, you might as well accompany me to my home to take a look. If anything catches your eye, we can discuss a good price."

Changanzizi did not reply immediately.

After a moment of thought, he said:

"This poor Daoist has run out of magical coins on my person. Trouble the patron to wait here for a moment; I shall retrieve the money and return to find you immediately."

The stall owner agreed.

The space of a single stick of incense later, he had not returned.

The space of two sticks of incense later, he still had not returned.

Three sticks of incense, an entire hour...

By the time the lantern market closed for the night, he still had not appeared.

At this, the stall owner flew into a towering rage, suddenly realizing she had been played. Packing up her stall, she retreated to a secluded, deserted spot, where her appearance shifted drastically, transforming into a plump, voluptuous matron. With murder in her eyes, she hissed, "Such a cunning little Daoist priest!"

To think he wouldn't play by the rules!

Not only had she wasted her effort, but she had also lost a precious item.

Though the treasure was damaged, it had once been a spirit artifact.

If it weren't for the need to lure him into the trap, would she ever have brought it out?

Coming to the county city to execute a mission was truly troublesome; one couldn't simply slaughter freely out in the open.