After staying with Jin Ling for a period of time, the day finally arrived for Duobao Daoist to give his lecture on the Dao. Accompanying Jin Ling Saint Mother and traveling through Jie Sect's internal pathway, Nezha was classified as part of their inner circle and among the first group admitted to the lecture.

Giving a lecture on the Dao is no trifling matter. Aside from the preparation involved, even preliminary rituals like bathing and incense burning were incredibly elaborate. Duobao had now adjusted his state to its peak, ensuring he wouldn't encounter any issues during the lecture.

As for external interference, he could only deal with things as they came. After all, the Saint Position could only belong to one, and he was well aware that his actions would inevitably invite attacks from others. Moreover, his teacher wouldn't lend a hand in such matters—success depended solely on his own abilities, with no room for deceit.

At this moment, Duobao was seated solemnly atop the Cloud Platform. Below him, seated in the section designated for Jie Sect's inner circle, were his three direct disciples, along with Nezha. Gui Ling Saint Mother had also taken this opportunity to return to Jie Sect, fulfilling a minor dream of hers.

Farther back were Yu Yuan and the other Third Generation disciples of Jie Sect. Yang Jian, a Third Generation disciple of the Chan Sect, had managed to secure a spot on this level thanks to Nezha's connections. Beyond that were Jie Sect's peripheral disciples, seated in order of seniority. The seating arrangement for other great experts was determined by their cultivation level.

Duobao found Nezha's placement somewhat surprising, unsure of how he had ended up seated there. However, given their rapport, Duobao simply nodded in acknowledgment without saying anything further.

Nezha nodded back at Duobao Daoist as well. Honestly, he had come with a mindset of watching the spectacle. Duobao's lecture on the Dao was unlikely to proceed without a hitch.

When the designated time arrived, Fire Spirit Saint Mother activated the array at Golden Turtle Island's plaza. Listening to the Dao heavily depended on fate; for those not fated, simply put, if they missed this chance, they wouldn't be welcome another time.

Seizing the moment, Nezha glanced around. He saw many familiar faces, some unfamiliar ones, and even a few who were both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. As for their intentions, it was safe to say that none of them harbored pure motives.

Seated on the Cloud Platform and surveying the crowd of immortals that packed the area below, Duobao felt quite satisfied. As long as he could successfully complete this lecture, his rewards would undoubtedly be substantial.

Duobao began his lecture on the Dao.

Although Nezha held the Hongmeng Purple Qi, he never underestimated the Saint disciples. Duobao, a Second Corpse Quasi-Saint who had been personally mentored by Tongtian Sect Master, undeniably had profound knowledge. However, his lecture felt overly superficial. To accommodate those immortals with lower cultivation levels, Duobao started his teaching from the foundational stages of immortality.

For Nezha, such content was as rudimentary as "one plus one equals two." It wasn't that these teachings were unimportant, but they were too basic to provide him with any opportunity for validation or improvement.

Those loose cultivators on the periphery, lacking a structured cultivation system, were utterly entranced. Meanwhile, for the orthodox disciples of the Three Sects, the lecture was tediously dull.

If Nezha and his peers found it boring, so too did those more advanced in their cultivation. However, intimidated by the authority of Tongtian Sect Master, no one dared to stir up any trouble—at least not for the time being.

And so, Duobao lectured tirelessly for five years straight, covering the foundational stages of human, earthly, and heavenly immortals. Then he opened the floor, saying, "If anyone has questions or doubts, feel free to ask."

This was the customary Q&A session for large lectures. Duobao wasn't the type to merely lecture nonstop and leave it at that. Whether this session was handled well or not would be evident to all. Fooling others would be fooling himself as well.

Nezha, who had been dozing off, suddenly perked up. He knew the real show was about to begin. Although he refrained from causing trouble for Duobao out of respect for his ties to Jie Sect, he certainly didn't wish for Duobao's success either.

After a moment of silence, a Bird Immortal with a human body and an eagle's head suddenly stepped forward.

"I have a question!"

The gaze of tens of thousands of immortals instantly fixated on the Bird Immortal. Undeterred, the Bird Immortal stared directly at Duobao, who asked expressionlessly, "What is your question?"

"We, beings of the avian and beastly kind, are born with humble origins, lacking resources and the guidance of esteemed Saint teachers. Do we have any chance of achieving the Dao?"

This question was immensely problematic. It was like asking a university guest lecturer—after they finished explaining a segment of knowledge—whether it was possible to earn millions, marry someone rich and beautiful, and live past a hundred. Clearly, an absurd inquiry.

Hearing this, even Duobao fell silent. He didn't know whether he himself could achieve the Dao, but he was certain that this group of individuals absolutely couldn't. That was simply the truth.

Nezha couldn't help but glance twice at the Bird Immortal. This one was clearly here to cause trouble.

At this moment, Duobao found himself in a difficult spot. If he claimed it was possible, he would be lying, as asserting that a Bird Immortal could achieve sainthood was about as believable as declaring that the Primordial World would explode tomorrow. Yet, if he denied it outright, it would contradict Jie Sect's teachings—without even a single glimmer of hope, why establish Jie Sect at all?

But there was no questioning Duobao's wisdom as someone who had reached his position.

"All beings are capable of achieving the Dao. Where principle exists, the Dao resides. As long as you unwaveringly pursue your own path, you will have completed the Dao in your heart."

Duobao's familiarity with Buddhist scriptures wasn't for nothing. His response effectively meant that as long as one wholeheartedly pursued their aspirations, they would already be fulfilling their personal Dao. Further details weren't necessary.

This was a bit of conceptual sleight of hand but a proper answer to the Bird Immortal's query nonetheless.

The Bird Immortal let out a cold laugh.

"If it exists, then say it exists. If it doesn't, then just admit it. Why waste breath on flowery words? If I, Zhan Ying, have no hope of attaining the Great Dao, what point is there in lingering in the world?"

With those words, a deafening boom echoed as the Bird Immortal detonated itself, spraying blood all over those nearby.

The onlookers: ???

Duobao's expression instantly darkened. How could a mere Earth Immortal-level demon dare to self-destruct right under his nose, a Quasi-Saint? There was no need to speculate—it was undoubtedly the handiwork of someone pulling strings behind the scenes.

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