Chapter 10: The Heart of the Dao

He strained his face, making an effort to control his expression, but an awkward flush still spread across his cheeks. Finally, he glanced around to see if anyone was paying attention to him, and only then did he leave unsteadily.

Xiao Yao was taken aback, her gaze falling upon the young man, who was currently intently selecting jade slips, his expression devoid of emotion

Upon seeing the spirit stones, the old Daoist finally regained the radiant smile he had at the beginning, "Hehe, my friend, you truly are a connoisseur. I knew you would leave satisfied. Come, let me help you unlock the restrictions on both of them."

Gift? '' Xiao Yao noticed the disdainful look in the old Taoist's eyes and suddenly understood; it seemed she had somewhat annoyed this old Taoist.

After wandering around the market a few times, Xiao Yao visited several stalls and compared the prices, discovering that the old vendor had not raised his prices. She then spent some time in the large commercial shop, finding that these shops offered a relatively comprehensive selection of goods, including many insights and experiences authored by prominent figures of the time. However, the prices were such that Xiao Yao could only retreat in disappointment.

Cultivating as a master requires not only the practice of techniques but also the cultivation of the heart of the Dao, with both the techniques and the heart being indispensable. One can practice various techniques and spells simultaneously, yet the heart of the Dao is unique and singular; no one's Dao is the same, much like how different books yield different insights.

In a final hope, I wandered around the market once more and observed other expressionless cultivators, some of whom appeared somewhat deliberate. It must be said that these so-called powerful jade slips indeed have a certain market in the cultivation world, but this is limited to those of lower realms or cultivators who, due to their aptitude or impending doom, have no hope of advancing to a higher realm. In contrast, disciples from capable or large sect families look down upon them. The end result has led to a skyrocketing price for some basic alchemy, artifact forging, and talisman jade slips, which is quite astonishing.

Xiao Yao turned to the first page of the book, which contained only a single preface: "The mandate of heaven is called nature, the adherence to nature is called the Way, and the cultivation of the Way is called teaching. The Way is that which cannot be separated for even a moment; if it can be separated, it is not the Way."

Excuse me, fellow cultivator, may I ask if this is the market price

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yao realized that the old Taoist had misunderstood her, and she quickly smiled sincerely and explained: "Friend, you have misunderstood. I am not here to cause trouble; I genuinely wish to purchase this book. Please name your price."

Hearing her speak this way, the old Daoist's expression softened, and he couldn't help but glance at her a few more times. In today's cultivation world, regardless of one's background or strength, when encountering someone stronger, one must flatter and ingratiate oneself; conversely, when faced with someone weaker, they often look down with an air of superiority, barely acknowledging their presence. However, this female cultivator before him was somewhat of an exception

At this moment, the old Taoist was even more certain that the person before him had come to provoke him. The way they spoke was sharp and cutting. Instead of purchasing the fine jade slips, they insisted on buying the tattered book he used to prop up the table leg, clearly just to make fun of him. Fortunately, all his items bore unique marks, making it impossible to view them completely without a purchase.

Seeing him elegantly wave his sleeve, Xiao Yao suddenly felt a pang of pain. This jade slip, which was as good as trash to her, actually required 3 low-grade spirit stones. It was simply extortion

By the time it was the hour of Shen, she had no other gains apart from that book "The Book of Foolish Words"

The old man frowned and said, "Of course, would I deceive you? If you don't believe me, take a stroll around this hetushu.com market. If my prices are higher than others, you are always welcome to return the goods."

Since he spoke so confidently, Xiao Yao felt it inappropriate to say much more. After all, she truly wanted that book, so she could only take out three low-grade spirit stones from her storage bag, which was already too thin to hold anything else, and hand them to the old Daoist.

Having said that, he handed the jade slip that had been unsealed and the book to Xiao Yao, lowering his voice to say: "Have you seen this fellow cultivator Chen? He gained enlightenment after reading these insights and experiences, advancing from the fourth to the fifth layer of Qi Refinement, and now he even practices with a composed expression.

The essence of cultivating the Dao heart lies in the understanding of all things in the world, which can only be achieved through personal observation and experience, seeking opportunities to comprehend the Dao, with no shortcuts available

At that moment, a young man approached the old Taoist's stall and asked, "Huang Dao You, do you have any new jade slips recently"

Observing the young man from earlier, every word and action seemed as if copied directly from a book, his stiff and unnatural expression reminded Xiao Yao of her own self when she first became a disciple under her master, imitating others with a proud lift of her head, each step and gaze mimicking those of others

The old Daoist heard her calling out, leaned over to take a look at the book in her hands, and his expression suddenly darkened. "Are you, my fellow Daoist, intentionally coming to my stall to pass the time? After selecting for so long, is this the book you have chosen?"

Seeing that it was getting late, Xiao Yao planned to rest for a while at a nearby teahouse before returning to Xianyu Gate

The old man casually pointed and said, "So it turns out to be you, Daoist Chen. You are already an old patron. Just take a look over there first. I will come over after I finish this transaction."

Sensing Xiao Yao's gaze, the man lifted his head to glance at her, gave a slight nod in acknowledgment, and then lowered his head again to select his jade slips. Finally, when he paid and was about to leave, he tripped over his own long robe.

When she wanted to turn further pages, she found that all the pages at the back were sealed with red wax. Naturally, this must have been done by that old Taoist. The thought that even such a trivial book was kept so secret made her unable to help but chuckle; this old Taoist was truly too money-minded. She could only call out to the old Taoist: "Daoist friend, how much is this book?"

Others are offering lower prices, and their status is even higher than mine. The old man no longer cares to feign a cough or two: "Ahem, do you think I, the old man, am someone who takes advantage of small gains? In business, one must uphold integrity! Once sold to you, it is yours; whether you give it away or discard it is your business. Take these three low-grade spirit stones with you."

The old man scrutinized her with an unkind gaze, noting that Xiao Yao was merely at the late stage of Foundation Establishment, placing her in the same realm as himself. Observing her simple attire and cheerful demeanor, resembling that of a girl next door, devoid of any arrogance, he surmised that she was likely not a young lady from a prominent family. With this thought in mind, his tone turned cold and hard: "This book is not for sale; it is a gift"

She pretended to be enlightened and said: "This book must be the complimentary gift that comes with the 'Wan Ren Ni's Cultivation Chronicles' I just bought. I suppose it makes sense; only such a famous book would come with a gift for book friends. It's a pity that this book is vastly different from my path, but it wouldn't hurt to purchase it and give it to someone else who might need it more. How about this: I will buy your 'Wan Ren Ni's Cultivation Chronicles' for a certain amount of spirit stones, but I only want this complimentary book. You can keep the jade slip and decide to give it to someone else in need."

Xiao Yao looked at the figure that pretended to leave calmly, smiled helplessly, and turned to leave in the opposite direction