Born as an ant, I was summoned to ascend to immortality.

Chapter 82 The Chaos of the Heavenly Demons

Judging from the reactions of everyone in the Zhouli Guantang Hall, they had only just learned of this matter and immediately asked:

"According to Patriarch Situ, the third course of tea in the ancient ceremony was not originally plain water, but what is the secret behind it?"

Situ Wentian said, "Do you still remember what I said before, that these three teas are a test of the drinker's foundation, temperament, and affinity with the Dao?"

"I remember."

"This affinity originally did not refer to a romantic relationship, but rather to a true affinity with the Great Dao."

Upon hearing this, the hall fell silent as everyone listened intently. The four words "the origin of the Great Dao" successfully stirred everyone's longing.

Situ Wentian continued, "The third cup is called the Daoist Tea. It is colorless and tasteless, and is formed from a wisp of Daoist essence."

"After drinking it, demonic chaos will arise in the sea of ​​consciousness. If one's Dao heart is not firm, at best, one's intelligence will be clouded and one's Dao heart will be shattered, leaving one with no chance to attain the Great Dao in this life. At worst..."

Situ Qian, standing to the side, said in a deep voice, "At worst, one will be like Yangyang's mother, trapped by delusions, her body decaying, her soul dying and her spirit fading away. Boy, this is not fine wine, but poison that will pierce your intestines."

Everyone gasped in shock. Yangyang murmured, "So that's how Mother passed away..."

"Young friend Zhou, even severed meridians can be repaired, and damaged essence can be nourished. But if you get sick from drinking this Daoist Tea, even a god can't save you."

Zhou Li finally understood. This tea was different from the Cleansing Tea or the Supplementing Tea. Even his own family members dared not touch it lightly, so how could he offer it to guests? If someone really had a problem after drinking it, wouldn't friends turn into enemies? No wonder the Situ family wanted to change their system.

"Patriarch Situ, the Daoist tea is so dangerous. If you can drink it successfully, the gains will surely be considerable."

"Indeed." Situ Wentian nodded with a smile. "If one's Dao heart is firm, one can condense a Dao seed within one's body to illuminate the path ahead and dispel confusion. If one's potential is profound, one can even manifest extraordinary phenomena and reveal them to the heavens."

Zhou Li let out a soft sigh: "I have read in ancient books that 'If I hear the Way in the morning, I can die content in the evening.' This is the allure of the Way, which is what makes us cultivators so irresistible."

Then he asked, "But why me?"

If you don't understand the Zhou rites, you could have skipped the third cup of tea. The first two cups were enough to make you feel grateful. Why would the Situ family risk reviving the ancient system for you?

Situ Wentian slowly said:

"Firstly, this Daoist essence cannot be regenerated. Now, ten thousand years have passed, and it is about to dissipate. If we keep it on a high shelf, I'm afraid we'll only have regrets in the future."

"Secondly, although I am blind, my heart is not. Young friend Zhou entered the sect with the talent of a double-grade expert, his talent is outstanding, and I have already witnessed his previous performance. If we are talking about who else in the world can drink this cup, it must be you. I just don't know if young friend Zhou is willing to take the risk?"

The air in the main hall seemed to freeze, and everyone put away their disdain, knowing full well that making this choice would not be easy.

Zhou Li took a deep breath. He knew that there was another very important reason: he did not have a strong background. If something unexpected happened, the Situ family would not need to clean up the mess.

Why was Situ Wentian so insistent on letting an outsider like himself taste this Daoist tea? There's no such thing as a free lunch.

This matter is quite strange, but can one refuse such an opportunity? If one refuses, it is feared that the method of obtaining the Xuan Yin Qi will be lost.

If I were truly a celestial being with boundless glory, I might not take the risk. But I am merely an ant whose lifespan is nearing its end, so I can only grasp every possibility of advancement.

Zhou Li rose, bowed deeply, and said firmly, "I am deeply grateful for the patriarch's kindness; this junior is willing to give it a try!"

Situ Wentian slowly rose to his feet, and said with some emotion, "Young friend Zhou is indeed no ordinary person. Please follow this old man to the central courtyard."

Surrounded by the crowd, Zhou Li and the others left the main hall and took their seats in the courtyard in front of the door.

Before long, an old man in black robes walked steadily over, holding an ordinary white jade cup in his hands.

Situ Wentian, his eyes still closed, turned towards Zhou Li and solemnly said, "This is the Tea of ​​the Dao. Drinking it will reveal the chaotic phenomena of the Heavenly Demons. A single thought of depravity will cause the Dao heart to crumble; a single thought of enlightenment will allow the seed of the Dao to sprout. Young friend Zhou, please!"

Zhou Li calmly accepted the white jade cup. The bowl was plain and smooth to the touch. The clear liquid inside was formless, colorless, and odorless, only shrouded in a layer of misty vapor.

If one didn't know beforehand, anyone would just think it was a glass of ordinary water.

Zhou Li's decision to drink the tea was not impulsive, but rather based on his own preconceived notions.

The ancient bronze platform in his sea of ​​consciousness had remained undisturbed until today. Now that the Daoist Tea had caused chaos in his sea of ​​consciousness, he intended to use this opportunity to test the quality of the ancient bronze platform and see what its function was.

Zhou Li raised his cup, tilted his head back, and amidst a chorus of exclamations of surprise, slowly drank the entire cup.

Zhou Li vaguely heard a rustling sound coming from the distance.

At first listen, it sounds like autumn insects fluttering their wings, accompanied by the distant sound of a flute playing in the mountains. As the sound waves rise, it gradually transforms into the wailing of a hundred ghosts and the low lament of a grieving woman.

The sounds clashed and swarmed into his consciousness, like demonic whispers, stirring up countless regrets from Zhou Li's past and obsessions in this life.

One cause and effect after another manifested in the sea of ​​consciousness, stirring up ripples in the originally clear sea of ​​consciousness. The seeds of demons in the heart of the Dao all arise from the heart.

Suddenly, the three thousand heavenly demons revealed their true forms: some had blue faces and fangs, some had solemn and dignified appearances, some had wide sleeves and were good at dancing, and some were even young children.

These celestial demons, whether angry or laughing, singing or weeping, are all manifestations of the obsessions that countless cultivators have never relinquished. Taking advantage of the cracks in their Dao hearts, they compete to manifest themselves and wreak havoc, determined to transform this sea of ​​consciousness into a boundless demonic realm.

Zhou Li had never seen such a scene before. He forgot all about the predestined affinity with the Great Dao and the budding of the Dao seed. He only felt that this chaotic phenomenon of the Heavenly Demon was extremely powerful and that he was powerless to resist it.

Although no one present could see Zhou Li's sea of ​​consciousness, after he drank the tea of ​​inquiry, he stood frozen in place, his eyes closed, his expression changing drastically, and two lines of bloody tears slowly flowing from the corners of his eyes.

Immediately, blood seeped from his ears and nose, creating a gruesome scene of blood flowing from all seven orifices. Even the spirit pet on his shoulder was on the verge of death, leaving everyone horrified.

A chilling aura spread from Zhou Li, causing many disciples with lower cultivation levels to feel chest tightness, shortness of breath, and swaying of their souls.

In ancient times, when people drank this Daoist tea, they had to prepare many magical treasures and spiritual medicines to calm their minds and resist the chaos, and they had to do their best to get through it in order to condense the Dao seed.

However, since the Situ family reformed its system a thousand years ago, it has long lost these experiences. Yangyang's mother was very talented, but she lost her life because she drank the Wendao Tea without preparation.

Situ Qian said in a deep voice, "The Heavenly Demon's Mind Chaos is far stronger than last time. Patriarch, save this child now and stop obsessing over the Daoist principles."

Situ Wentian slowly shook his head: "The greater the ambition, the stronger the demon. The intensity of the illusion demonstrates the height of its aspirations. Let's wait and see!"

Just as Zhou Li's sea of ​​knowledge was about to collapse, thunder suddenly rumbled in the heavens and the earth.

First, a line of purple lightning pierced through the sea of ​​consciousness, reaching a height of ten thousand feet. At first glance, the Thunder Pool stretched out in the middle, resembling an inverted cauldron.

There was no water in the pool, only churning purple lightning and silver snakes, sometimes roaring like dragons and tigers, sometimes breaking through the sky like thunder patterns.

The ancient bronze platform, enveloped in purple lightning, resembled a thunder platform coiled like a silver serpent. The boiling thunderbolts that approached this platform all became as docile as lambs.

Those demons who were dancing wildly just moments before, once they touched even a little of the extremely strong and yang energy here, were like snow falling into boiling water, howling as they turned into wisps of smoke.

A wisp of Zhou Li's primordial spirit sat serenely atop the high Heavenly Thunder Platform, surrounded by resounding thunder drums. All the demons beside him dared not cross the line. It was truly:

The celestial demons, amidst turbulent waves, traverse a thousand mountains; with a heart full of wisdom, they seek the profound truth.

Thunder roars in the heavens, quelling chaos; the calamity is overcome, and the blue sky is revealed.