Chapter 327: Celestial Beings Have Five Declines

From the distant high sky, a burst of loud laughter suddenly came.

Accompanying the laughter, a streak of blue遁光 shot over from afar, rushed into the golden light barrier, and hovered outside the white jade platform.

"Luo Qinghai of Cangliu Palace, invited to attend the ceremony!"

With a resounding voice, a hundred-zhang-wide water-blue giant flower bloomed within the blue遁光, standing a dozen figures dressed in blue robes, all with impressive cultivation auras.

Seeing this, the people of Candle Dragon Dao were in an uproar, clearly shocked.

That Luo Qinghai was none other than the Grand Palace Master of Cangliu Palace, one of the three major powers of the Northern Cold Immortal Domain, equally renowned as Candle Dragon Dao.

While quickly reviewing information about Cangliu Palace in his mind, Han Li, like the others, cast his gaze toward the high sky.

Within that blue giant flower was placed a rather wide golden dragon throne, on which sat a tall, thin middle-aged man with frost-white hair, sitting with legs wide apart in a domineering manner.

This man had a kind face, with eyes as blue as the sea, appearing somewhat special, and his aura was vast as the ocean; even at such a distance, it secretly startled Han Li.

Behind Luo Qinghai stood a dozen figures, all looking dignified and spirited.

Among them was one who appeared no more than twenty, a man but quite delicate, with skin fairer than a tender maiden; if not for the lack of curves on his chest, one might easily mistake him for a woman.

Though he also wore a blue robe, the collar and cuffs differed from others, embroidered with wavy golden lace, somewhat resembling Luo Qinghai's attire.

"Grand Palace Master Luo graces us with your presence; Ouyang Kuishan failed to welcome you from afar." Ouyang Kuishan stepped forward, cupping his hands in salute, and the other principal and deputy Dao masters also rose to their feet.

"Hehe, Fellow Daoist Baili rarely emerges from seclusion, and his unique insights on the Five Declines calamity make his lectures a grand event in the Immortal Domain; how could I miss it?" Luo Qinghai said with a hearty laugh.

After exchanging pleasantries, he did not descend onto the lecture platform like the previous arrivals, but instead halted the blue giant flower at the same height as the platform, facing it from across the air.

No sooner had Cangliu Palace settled than another silver-white chariot galloped through the sky, pulled by eight silver-scaled dragon horses flapping their wings, carrying seven or eight people, and hovered on the other side of the platform.

"Northern Cold Immortal Palace, here to attend the ceremony." A beautiful woman at the head of the chariot spoke.

"Vice Palace Master Xueying honors us with your presence; truly a rare guest." Ouyang Kuishan rose to greet her.

But compared to his reception of Cangliu Palace earlier, the emotional tone in his voice was noticeably cooler.

Among the twelve Golden Immortals, besides Ouyang Kuishan, Hu Yan the Daoist also looked displeased at the Immortal Palace group, glancing at them once before turning away.

The Immortal Palace group did not seem to mind; after greeting Luo Qinghai on the other side, they likewise halted on the opposite side of the lecture platform.

After the arrival of these two major powers' observation teams, no more external sect members appeared.

After about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, Ouyang Kuishan whispered a few words to the Golden Immortal Dao masters beside him, then suddenly rose, swept his gaze over the dense sea of people in the square, and announced in a clear voice.

"The time has come. Welcome Dao Master Baili."

His voice was not loud, but it reached everyone in the square with perfect clarity, as if spoken right into their ears.

The next moment, everyone, including those on the platform, stood up.

"Welcome Dao Master Baili!"

All the elders and disciples of Candle Dragon Dao shouted in unison.

The sound echoed and reverberated across the entire square.

Then, in the clear sky, layers of strange ripples suddenly appeared, and a ball of crimson flame slowly emerged from within, turning from red to gold, shining brightly and becoming dazzling.

At the same time, an immensely powerful spiritual pressure radiated from that sun-like light, subduing the surroundings and silencing the entire White Jade Peak.

Next, a figure stepped out from the light and landed on the platform in an instant.

This person appeared to be in his thirties or forties, with slightly reddened skin that was translucent and lustrous, like flawless red jade.

He had a tall, straight figure, a solemn face, slanted sword-like brows, tiger-like eyes that commanded awe without anger, a head of fiery red hair tied with a golden crown studded with pearls, and wore a fiery red robe embroidered with chi dragon and cloud patterns.

Han Li's eyes flickered slightly.

Needless to say, this was none other than Baili Yan, the First Dao Master of Candle Dragon Dao, rumored to be a half-step Tai Yi.

"Brother Luo, it's been over a hundred thousand years since the Battle of Cang Qinghai, hasn't it?" Baili Yan looked toward Cangliu Palace and laughed.

"Brother Baili, if you weren't so diligent in seclusion, we would have plenty of time to sit and discuss the Dao," Luo Qinghai teased.

"Vice Palace Master Xueying is here too!" Baili Yan laughed heartily and then turned to greet the Immortal Palace group.

"Dao Master Baili's heroic bearing is undiminished from years past. This emergence from seclusion likely brings you closer to the Tai Yi realm. I must offer my congratulations in advance," the beautiful woman said with a slight nod.

"Hehe, Fellow Daoist Xueying, what are you saying? If the Jade Immortal realm were so easy to advance to, why would I have gone into seclusion so many times?" Baili Yan laughed.

The beautiful woman merely smiled faintly and said nothing more.

"All of you are fortunate to be here today; it is a bond with me, Baili Yan. Today, I will share the Dao I have realized in my past cultivation with everyone, hoping to resolve your doubts and help you advance further on this path against heaven."

With that, his gaze swept calmly ahead, as if surveying the crowd before him or inspecting the entire Candle Dragon Dao, like a worldly emperor surveying his realm, exuding a kingly aura that looked down upon all heroes.

Then, he turned abruptly, returned to the purple table at the center of the platform, and sat cross-legged.

The dozens of Golden Immortal Dao masters and deputy Dao masters of Candle Dragon Dao, along with guests from allied sects, sat cross-legged on either side of him, all solemn like arhats serving the Buddha in a worldly temple.

"Dong, dong, dong"

Three resonant bell sounds rang out, and a strange oscillating wave immediately spread throughout the entire mountain range.

Han Li felt a slight ripple on the lake of his mind, and a sense of calm and peace arose in his soul.

All remaining noise in the White Jade Peak dojo vanished instantly, leaving the world in serene solemnity.

"Heaven and earth, yellow and dark, universe and wild; the beginning of all things lies in the Dao. The sun, moon, and stars move according to the Dao; all things live according to the Dao; flowers and leaves change according to the Dao..." Baili Yan looked straight ahead and began to speak slowly, his voice unexpectedly calm and balanced.

His voice was not remarkable at first; those farther away might even find it somewhat indistinct.

But after a moment, the sound began to echo back and forth among the surrounding peaks.

The overlapping echoes drifted leisurely, both stirring the soul like a great bell and lingering like Buddhist chanting.

Everyone was immersed in this strange sound, and what Baili Yan actually said became distant and unclear.

Yet it was this atmosphere that made them feel comfortable in both mind and body.

Among them, many who grasped the essence felt their mana flow become much smoother, and some bottlenecks in their cultivation seemed to loosen.

However, those who felt this distinctly were mostly cultivators below the Mahayana stage; True Immortal realm cultivators occasionally gained insights but far less obviously.

As for Han Li, though he roughly understood the meaning of the lecture, he could not experience the mysterious state others felt.

This was not his fault; his soul was far stronger than his peers, beyond even ordinary Golden Immortals, so a lecture by a Golden Immortal Dao master of Candle Dragon Dao was not enough to stir his mind.

Moreover, within the crystal wall formed by the Truth Eye and the Vial of Time, Han Li had already heard the lecture by the unknown big-eared monk, which was a true revelation of the profound mysteries of the Dao.

Compared to that, this was far inferior.

Though somewhat disappointed, Han Li made no other move; he simply sat cross-legged in his place, closed his eyes in meditation, and listened attentively.

After all, the other party was half-step Tai Yi, and the Dao he expounded could still yield some gains.

As time passed, the sun climbed high, reaching noon.

The First Dao Master's voice still echoed among the peaks, intermittently, even reaching the city in the valley, quieting the usually bustling streets.

"...As it is said, celestial beings have five declines; true immortals face three declines. Blessings and calamities have no gate; heaven sends them on their own. Either the Dharma fades, the body perishes, or the apertures seal... All such tribulations are your sufferings; only diligent cultivation can slightly avoid or dispel them. Even if there are..."

When Baili Yan reached this point, all the True Immortals on the white jade platform leaned forward slightly, utterly focused.

Even the Golden Immortals adjusted their sitting postures slightly and listened intently.

Han Li frowned, surprised and puzzled by the meaning of his words.

He turned to look at Qi Liang beside him, only to see him frowning slightly, his expression exceptionally focused, as if unwilling to miss a single word Baili Yan said.

After a moment's hesitation, during a pause in Baili Yan's speech, Han Li transmitted his voice to ask, "Fellow Daoist Qi, may I ask what are the three declines and the five declines?"

"Brother Li, do you not know that true immortals face the calamity of three declines?" Qi Liang turned his gaze, his face full of disbelief, and transmitted back.

"Please enlighten me, Brother Qi." Han Li replied with a flicker of expression.