The next day, the rising sun cast brilliant morning glow, illuminating the entire Penglai Immortal Island like a glazed world.
At the "Ask the Dao Cliff" in the main island's core, seats were already filled. This was a massive cliff seemingly sliced flat by an immortal's sword; its surface smooth as a mirror, containing dao rhythm, with an ancient circular stone platform at its center—the Discourse Platform. Around it, arranged according to profound positions, were hundreds of meditation cushions radiating mists of spiritual energy.
Currently, on those cushions sat major powers from across the Four Seas and Eight Wilds—Nascent Soul cultivators, immortals, demon kings, divine beast descendants. Auras were either vast, profound, fierce, or serene—interweaving to form an intangible pressure. Ordinary cultivators here would find even standing difficult.
Tang Xiaoqi sat in a front row near the Discourse Platform, his expression calm. The rabbit spirit had been temporarily stored in his spirit beast pouch by Xiao Qi, to avoid the little creature causing any trouble at such a solemn occasion.
The assembly was presided over by a respected elder known as "Canghai Recluse." After his brief opening remarks, the discourse began.
Following convention, several renowned overseas immortals and great demons first ascended the platform to elaborate on their understanding of the dao, longevity, and divine abilities. An immortal spoke of "the supreme good is like water, water benefits all things without striving" — the water dao, his evolution seemingly four seas' power, nourishing all beings; a demon king expounded the "survival of the fittest" bloodline evolution path, his aura domineering, chilling to the heart; a divine beast descendant explored "celestial bodies' movement, the universe's rhythm" — the star dao, profound and unpredictable... Each speaker had their unique points, heavenly phenomena, dao rhythm pervading, making listeners nod, sometimes frown, sometimes enlightened.
Those able to discourse here were all extraordinary, their insights indeed profound, also giving Xiao Qi much food for thought, many previously unclear points suddenly opening up. However, these dao methods though exquisite mostly centered around power, longevity, and transcending the self—fundamentally subtly different from what Tang Xiaoqi internally upheld: "purification and protection."
After several hours, the rounds reached the middle stage. Canghai Recluse's gaze swept across the full assembly, finally landing on Tang Xiaoqi. Smiling, he said: "Next, we invite the guest from the Central Plains Qingxu Temple, he who turned the tide during the demon calamity, honored as 'World Purification True Lord,' Daoist Tang Xiaoqi, to elaborate on his dao."
Instantly, all gazes focused on Xiao Qi. Curiosity, examination, anticipation, even a trace of unspoken doubt—various emotions interwove. The Central Plains cultivation world hadn't had anyone on this discourse platform for ten thousand years. What insights did this young "World Purification True Lord" possess?
Xiao Qi's expression unchanged, he rose calmly, one step taking him to the Discourse Platform's center. He didn't immediately speak; instead, he bowed to all four directions, his manner neither servile nor overbearing.
"Fellow Daoists," he began, his voice clear and peaceful, yet carrying uncanny penetrating power, clearly reaching each participant's spirit, "Today honored to ascend this platform, what I wish to elaborate is not pursuit of extreme power, nor methods for personal transcendence—but the Way of the Green Lotus, also the Way of World Purification."
"Way of the Green Lotus?" Murmurs arose below—clearly the name was unfamiliar.
Xiao Qi didn't explain the name's origin; instead, he cut directly to the core: "My path's essence lies in two characters—'Purification' and 'Protection.'"
As he spoke, though no phenomena appeared, his aura naturally overflowed with pure, gentle, yet endless vitality azure glow, rippling like water. That glow wasn't dazzling, yet made all cultivators present, regardless of race or cultivation, feel their spirits refreshed, as if washed by warm springs. Even accumulated restlessness and fatigue from days of discourse quietly settled.
"Then, what is purification?" Xiao Qi's gaze swept the crowd. "In the past, I thought purification meant dispelling filth, destroying evil—like clean water washing away grime, fire burning away wickedness. This is 'small purification'; effective against tangible enemies."
His tone then deepened: "However, after experiencing the demon calamity, investigating human hearts, especially witnessing personally the 'Annihilation Cold Tide' in the extreme north, I finally understood—ultimate purification is not destroying darkness, but kindling hope in darkness, and guarding that flame of hope, letting it ignite the prairie!"
He mentioned "Annihilation Cold Tide"; some well-informed overseas powers' eyes showed surprise—clearly having heard of this bizarre existence.
"Darkness, negativity, despair—are also part of human hearts, indeed aspects of heaven and earth's operation, unable to be eradicated nor should be simply destroyed. Forceful elimination only causes it to hide deeper, or triggers more violent backlash. True purification lies in 'guidance' and 'transformation'! Using hope's light to illuminate lost paths; using warm hearts to melt ice-bound souls; using vitality's power to replace death! This is 'great purification'—purifying hearts, not merely purifying forms!"
These words, like bell and drum sounding, struck many powers' hearts. They pursued power, pursued transcendence—when had they deeply contemplated that "purification" could have such profound meaning? Especially the concept of "kindling hope, guarding hope"—utterly unprecedented!
"Moreover, 'protection,'" Xiao Qi continued, his Green Lotus halo growing warmer, "is also not defending one corner, shielding oneself. This protection means protecting the light within hearts, protecting beauty in the world, protecting that seemingly tiny yet containing infinite possibilities 'hope'! Power is the vessel carrying the dao, not the dao itself. If we cultivators, with ability to move mountains and drain seas, have no thought of protection, how are we different from foreign demons? Merely more destructive calamities!"
His gaze became incredibly resolute: "Thus, my Green Lotus Great Way is: using 'hope' as guide, 'protection' as thought, practicing 'purification'! Purifying external demons, also purifying internal darkness; protecting sentient beings, also protecting inner goodness! This path's goal is not pursuing one's extreme sublimation, but resonating with all beings, guiding the world upward, toward goodness, gathering light to reach ultimate darkness!"
As he elaborated, phenomena naturally manifested above the Discourse Platform! Not because he deliberately cast spells, but his dao rhythm resonated with heaven and earth! The Green Lotus halo showed countless golden hope lights like fireflies being born, gathering into a warm sea of light; frozen gray hearts gradually reviving and melting under the radiance; withered plants renewing vitality, despairing faces blooming with smiles... These phenomena weren't real, but manifestations of his dao thoughts—yet they appeared in each participant's sea of consciousness!
Many cultivators, especially those who had experienced clan rises and falls, witnessed worldly suffering—merman nobles, some demon kings, even some immortals—all stirred, eyes showing complex, difficult-to-describe emotions. Though their power paths might differ, Tang Xiaoqi's elaborated respect for life, steadfast hope, responsibility for protection—deeply touched some forgotten or deliberately ignored corners of their hearts.
Even those few most profound immortals had by now withdrawn casual postures, gazing solemnly at Xiao Qi on the platform, eyes flashing with contemplation and recognition. This person's path, though seemingly not pursuing longevity and power, its lofty and profound understanding of human hearts and heaven and earth had already transcended ordinary dao methods' scope, pointing directly to the origin! This was a kind of compassion, a responsibility, a more grand and more difficult "dao!"
Tang Xiaoqi finished his elaboration. The phenomena slowly gathered; he returned to his serene appearance. He bowed to the platform: "This is my humble view—the Green Lotus Way, the aspiration of World Purification. I hope to share this with fellow Daoists."
The entire Ask the Dao Cliff fell silent. After a moment, who knows who first clapped, followed by like waves of applause and suddenly erupting, enduring without cease! Whether or not they fully agreed with his path, what Tang Xiaoqi displayed today on the discourse platform—his compassion, wisdom, and that origin-pointing "Green Lotus Way"—had already impressed the assembly's most major powers!
Canghai Recluse stroking his beard, he sighed deeply, his voice spreading throughout: "What a Green Lotus Way, what an aspiration of World Purification! Young Daoist, yet possessing such compassion and insight—truly fortune for all beings! This path should be this Discourse Assembly's most dazzling pearl!"
Through this discourse, "World Purification True Lord" Tang Xiaoqi and his "Green Lotus Way" formally became famous overseas, becoming the most eye-catching focus at this Penglai Discourse Assembly.