Ji Shiyou was bewildered by Mingyue's sophistry. He was a serious person, and Mingyue's theories seemed plausible, making him doubt himself.
He had been brought into the Golden Crow Palace by the Golden Crow Immortal and had dedicated himself to cultivation since childhood. His understanding of the Dao was profound, and he had never encountered such remarks before. He sat there, pondering deeply.
Suddenly, he realized that Mingyue's fundamental understanding of the Dao was flawed. His earlier anger stemmed from the uncertainty of Jun Shuxue's fate and Mingyue's deception. Once he knew Mingyue hadn't killed Jun Shuxue, half his anger dissipated. Now, his mind was consumed by his understanding of Daoist principles, no longer concerned with Jun Shuxue, but eager to discuss the Dao with Mingyue, to correct her misguided ideas and prove himself right.
"What you said earlier was not entirely wrong. All things in the world have a Dao. The Great Dao has three thousand paths, all leading to the same destination. Any Dao, when cultivated to its extreme, can lead to ascension. Within the Great Dao, there is indeed a concept of cultivating through tribulations. However, this 'tribulation Dao' is entirely different from what you described. They are worlds apart, even diametrically opposed."
When discussing cultivation and Daoist arts, Ji Shiyou, usually a man of few words, became eloquent and earnest, eager to debate with Mingyue.
"The Tribulation Dao among the three thousand Great Daos requires cultivators to constantly endure tribulations, including tribulations of killing, love, heavenly tribulations, lightning tribulations, and so on. After enduring three thousand major tribulations and eight thousand minor tribulations, one can ascend. It is the fastest method of ascension among the three thousand Great Daos because tribulations refine the cultivator, tempering their will and character. However, throughout the history of the Moonlit Realm, no cultivator has dared to practice this path. The prerequisite for cultivating this Tribulation Dao is exceptional talent and profound Daoist knowledge. Furthermore, one must constantly face tribulations, requiring immense combat power. Otherwise, a single misstep could lead to utter annihilation. This is the true method of cultivating the Tribulation Dao within the three thousand Great Daos. The 'tribulation' you speak of, however, involves seizing others' wealth through force and other means. This is not cultivation at all. The 'Dao' in your 'tribulation' refers to a path, not the Dao of cultivation. Therefore, your actions have nothing to do with cultivation. Exposing you was not my fault; the fault lies with you. Cultivating the Dao is not easy, and you have taken the wrong path! You should turn back from your misguided ways soon and find a Dao suitable for you to achieve ascension."
Ji Shiyou earnestly explained the Dao to Mingyue, taking the matter very seriously.
"Did I make a mistake?" Mingyue wondered, feeling a flicker of doubt as Ji Shiyou enlightened her. For centuries, she had believed her "tribulation Dao" was for cultivation and early ascension. But hearing Ji Shiyou's explanation, she wavered. She was originally a pear blossom tree from the deep mountains, having never seen a human before transforming. After her transformation, her understanding of cultivation was superficial. No one had ever systematically explained cultivation to her. She chose to cultivate the Tribulation Dao after her transformation, having accidentally stumbled into a grand hall where a white-bearded old man was lecturing a young man. She eavesdropped. The old man listed the cultivation methods of the three thousand Great Daos, all of which seemed arduous. When he reached the Tribulation Dao, Mingyue thought, "This is simple." In her excitement, she was discovered by the old man and fled in fear. However, the Tribulation Dao had taken root in her mind, and she adopted it as her cultivation method. Little did she know, she had missed the old man's complete explanation, and her imagined Tribulation Dao was vastly different from the one he described. Yet, Mingyue was stubborn and would never admit to misunderstanding.
"You are narrow-minded! You will never achieve the Great Dao." Mingyue feigned profound wisdom, shaking her head after Ji Shiyou finished, a look of pity on her face.
"On what grounds?" Ji Shiyou was confused. Had he said something wrong?
"You yourself said that all things in the world have a Dao. The three thousand Great Daos lead to the same destination. Is robbing not a worldly affair? Since it exists, it has its own Dao. Does it cease to be a Dao just because no one has cultivated it? That is why I say you are narrow-minded and will never achieve the Great Dao. To ascend is not about what Dao you choose. The most important things are confidence and perseverance. Believe in the power of belief. Ascension is not easy; you must maintain your original intention. As long as you persevere, you will succeed. How can you claim that robbing is not a Dao, when you yourself have never ascended? Where there's a will, there's a way. If I dedicate myself to robbing for a thousand or ten thousand years, I believe I can achieve it and ascend through this path. Remember, robbing once is not difficult, but persisting in robbing for a lifetime is the ultimate Dao heart. Your words now are pouring cold water on me. You are destroying my Dao heart, and your intentions are wicked!"
They say ten people who speak sense cannot defeat one who speaks nonsense. To avoid showing weakness before Ji Shiyou, Mingyue rambled incoherently, yet spoke with conviction, which further confused Ji Shiyou. Mingyue's words, though nonsensical, sounded profound and wise, making him feel truly narrow-minded. He thought that Mingyue's understanding of Daoist principles was so profound, and he was truly ignorant.
"Alright, I won't pursue this further. Our discussion on the Dao ends here. Let's eat first. Think about how to get out of here. Once we're out, I'll answer your questions and guide you." Seeing that Ji Shiyou was once again swayed by her, Mingyue patted his shoulder, tore off a roasted rabbit leg, and handed it to him. She secretly clutched her chest, thinking, "Fortunately, I didn't lose face." Her ability to speak nonsense and fabricate truths was improving. However, after hearing Ji Shiyou's words, she considered whether she should change her cultivation path and abandon the "tribulation Dao."
Ji Shiyou remained dazed, contemplating Mingyue's words. He unconsciously took a bite of the rabbit leg, paused, and took another bite.
"Is it not tasty? That's strange. Zhu Ji had a strong reaction last time?" Seeing Ji Shiyou's expression, Mingyue tore off a rabbit leg and took a bite.
"Pah! What is this? It tastes like chewing wax. It has no flavor at all, like eating nothing. How can such a thing exist in the world? This is the first time I've encountered it. It's not my poor cooking; it's this rabbit. It tastes like air, with no rabbit flavor whatsoever." Mingyue spat it out, vehemently explaining that it was not her fault but the rabbit's.
"What did you just say?" Ji Shiyou suddenly asked, his face filled with surprise.
"I said, it's not my poor cooking, it's this rabbit that's bad." Mingyue threw the rabbit leg into the bonfire, saying angrily.
"The last sentence." Ji Shiyou stood up, examining the roasted rabbit leg in his hand.
"No flavor, like eating air. That shouldn't be the case. I added salt and honey. Even if the rabbit is bad, it should still taste salty and sweet?" Mingyue was still searching for a reason, looking puzzled.
"I know the difference between this illusion and the real world. That is, this world has no taste!" Ji Shiyou shouted into the air, and Mingyue looked at him in astonishment, suspecting he had gone mad from her earlier words. But as Ji Shiyou shouted, the scenery around them began to disappear. The Qian Tian Illusion was broken. Ji Shiyou was right.