Immortal Father
Chapter 132 - 132 56 Discussing Emptiness Beside the Ears of the Fortune Immortal_2

132: Chapter 56: Discussing Emptiness Beside the Ears of the Fortune Immortal_2 132: Chapter 56: Discussing Emptiness Beside the Ears of the Fortune Immortal_2 A whiff of Dao Charm, like a gentle sea breeze, slowly dispersed, and the master debater from the Sea Watch Sect (below the Immortal level) had slowly begun to speak, with a voice sounding ethereal and illusory.

Let’s listen to what this person proclaimed:

“The path of ’emptiness’ is not well understood in the East Continent; fortunately, I once had the chance to read several scriptures brought over by a Qi Cultivator from the Western Continent, originating from the esteemed position of the Western Sect’s Hierarch.

“It says that the realm of emptiness, from the shallow to the deep, must have four stages.

“The first stage, emptiness is nothingness, is the interpretation of non-existence.

Only when your teacup is empty can it hold new tea, and once your tea is full and you drink it, it becomes empty once again, indicating that existence is emptiness, and emptiness is existence.”

“The second stage, emptiness is visibility.

You and I are both cultivators, cultivating our minds to accommodate the Great Dao of heaven and earth.

How can mundane mortals, blinded by their own desires, see the Dao or understand their hearts?

Only by emptying the desires of the mundane world and the spirit within oneself, can the existence of the Dao be perceived.”

As these words fell, some Loose Cultivators in various places had already started to applaud in agreement.

There were even Loose Cultivators holding Jade Talismans who fervently took notes, their eyes brimming with joy.

But Dugu Mei’s voice hadn’t stopped; he stood upright, hands behind his back, and chanted slowly:

“The third stage, emptiness as nature, as wisdom.

Only when the Dao heart is empty can it accommodate all things; when the Dao heart embraces emptiness, it becomes pure in all things.

Therefore, the nature of emptiness is all-encompassing.

Only by letting go of concerns in your heart and disturbances in your mind, without allowing desires or appearances to occupy your spirit, can you take in the utmost principles of the universe and reach the other shore of the Dao.”

“The fourth stage, however, is something I too cannot fully comprehend.

The scripture states—emptiness is but an illusion.

“All things under heaven are in your and my eyes, only then can you and I acknowledge their existence.

If you and I close our eyes and choose not to see, is there any difference to you and me whether they exist or not?

To me, they do not; thus, to others, to heaven and earth, to all things, they are all empty.”

“The ties of all things, those that are connected to me, are mine to establish.

If I am empty, then these ties are empty.

As connections are formed and severed, illusions and reality intermingle; how could disasters or calamities possibly harm me?

“By upholding the path of emptiness, one can protect their Dao heart without worry, pursue the path to Immortality and seek freedom within one’s self.”

“Only by truly understanding the state of emptiness can one transcend the constraints of form, release one’s nature beyond the confines of the universe, and seek eternal life within the space between heaven and earth!”

“Excellent!”

Bursts of applause resounded from all around.

Dugu Mei’s lips curved into a smile as he looked down at Li Ping’an, who was frowning in thought.

Li Ping’an pondered for quite some time.

He always felt like he had heard this argument before, and many times at that…

Ah, right!

Isn’t this just the Buddhism from his hometown frequently talking about “form is emptiness and emptiness is form”?

Wait a minute, the Hierarchs of the Western Sect…

the two leaders of the Western Sect?

What a surprise, in the East Continent, the land inherited by the Three Pure Ones’ Dao, there’s such widespread circulation of the Western Sect’s scriptures, even allowing major Sect Disciples to contemplate them freely.

Aren’t the disciples of the Three Pure Ones supposed to take care of this?

Noises rose around them, as numerous Loose Cultivators began causing a hubbub, telling Li Ping’an not to disgrace himself, suggesting he accept defeat and step down to avoid hindering his Dao heart, as it might not be worth the loss.

Gu Qingcheng and Yu Yingshu exchanged looks, seeing the shock in each other’s eyes.

Gu Qingcheng’s gaze probably reflected her sentiment: ‘Does a debate on the Dao really need to reach such a level?’

Yu Yingshu, being a more simple-minded Body Cultivator, was thinking: ‘What he says makes a lot of sense.’

Inside the private room, the Elder Immortal Xu Sheng and Elder Yansheng both shook their heads and sighed.

This disciple from Sea Watch Sect had interpreted the argument about ’emptiness’ profoundly based on just one scripture.

This is not to say that Dugu Mei has such Dao cultivation, as he has only reached the second stage of ’emptiness’ at best.

But debating is about one’s own understanding of the Dao.

With Dugu Mei’s exposition of the four stages of emptiness, it was indeed difficult for anyone to argue against.

“It’s not Ping’an’s fault,” Elder Immortal Xu said in a low voice.

The various Immortals in the room nodded in agreement.

Ningning Mu had already started to worry whether her senior brother’s Dao heart would be damaged, affecting his future cultivation.

In the corner downstairs, that thin old Daoist was now focusing his gaze on Li Ping’an; he too wanted to see how this young man, who had previously taken the upper hand, understood the path of emptiness.

If he truly won the Dao debate based on the ‘Four Stages of Emptiness’ from the Western Sect, the old Daoist would inevitably feel displeased.

Suddenly.

“How absurd!”

Li Ping’an said with a cold laugh, immediately silencing the watching Loose Cultivators, who furrowed their brows and looked at Li Ping’an.

Many had made up their minds that if this Wanyun Sect disciple showed any signs of unreasonable argumentation, they would immediately rebuke him, lest their ears be corrupted.

“Oh?”

Dugu Mei calmly sat down and smilingly said, “Many fellow Daoists are watching; if you have any profound insights, feel free to speak them.”

“Profound insights, perhaps not,” replied Li Ping’an as he gently shook his head and spoke evenly,

“What you discuss as ’emptiness,’ is not worth debating, to begin with, but here we are amidst many fellow Daoists, and one must not spread misconceptions.

“Your understanding of the ’emptiness’ you speak of seems to have some misconceptions about the Western Sect’s scriptures.

This ’emptiness’ is not ’emptiness’ but actually ‘tranquil emptiness.’

“You say that [emptiness is existence].

“At first listen, it seems to resonate with the ultimate principle of Yin and Yang generating and annihilating each other, but upon closer reflection, it isn’t quite right.

“The teacup is empty only to be capable of receiving new tea, but does that mean the teacup itself doesn’t exist?

What about the person pouring and drinking the tea?

The tea merely moves from the cup to your mouth, from the pot to the cup.

Don’t you acknowledge the person, the pot, or the cup, but only fixate on that cup and then claim—look, the water in the cup possesses existence and nonexistence, isn’t this proof that existence is emptiness and emptiness is existence?”