A man from the Big Dipper, starting his charlatanship at Mount Tai.

......

then.

Then something happened that Xia Jiuyou could hardly understand.

What emerged from the cocoon of light was not the ethereal and extraordinary young man everyone had imagined, but a child of about eight or nine years old, with rosy lips and white teeth, who was unbelievably beautiful.

The child wore a small Taoist robe, his long hair loosely tied up with a jade hairpin, and his pair of dark, clear eyes calmly surveyed the people in the courtyard.

This child is none other than Xiaolin Xiu in his Dao Fruit state.

Just like the old madman back then, Lin Xiu took the initiative to break out of the light cocoon he had formed after gaining some understanding!

After a brief silence, the courtyard suddenly erupted into a commotion.

Chapter 203 My Mind is Clear, I'm Dominating the Path

"This is... Immortal Venerable Lin Xiu?!"

"How did it turn into a child's appearance?!"

"Could it be that there was a mistake in his cultivation, causing him to revert to childhood?"

"I've heard of the legend of living a second life. Could it be that Immortal Venerable Lin Xiu lived a second life between life and death?"

The male cultivators discussed amongst themselves, their faces filled with surprise and uncertainty. Some looked worried, while others had shifty eyes.

As long as Immortal Venerable Lin Xiu lives, they will be suppressed by him every day!

......

On the other hand, the female cultivators' reactions were subtly different from those of the male cultivators.

"Wow! So cute!"

The Holy Maiden of Yaochi lightly covered her red lips, her beautiful eyes beneath the veil slightly widening as she stared intently at the small figure. Several Yaochi female disciples beside her had their eyes gleaming, whispering amongst themselves.

"Immortal Venerable Lin Xiu must have used a secret technique to transform into his childhood appearance, right?"

"Is it for healing? I see that his energy and spirit are indeed much better than before."

"So this is what Immortal Lin looked like when he was a child..."

"His appearance... is even more handsome than the celestial children in paintings!"

"I want to pinch your cheeks..."

Perhaps it's because the sacred land of Yaochi has had a long-standing tradition of liking children? The fairies of Yaochi, including the Holy Maiden of Yaochi, all showed great enthusiasm.

If Lin Xiu were really some kind of child, female cultivators might actually go up and pinch his cheeks.

This person is none other than the legendary Immortal Venerable Lin Xiu.

The Purple Mansion Saintess paused slightly in her teacup. She looked at Lin Xiu, who resembled a child, and a faint ripple appeared on her cold and beautiful face before she regained her composure, though her gaze remained fixed on him.

She had seen Lin Xiu's portrait and projection, and had imagined the scene of meeting Lin Xiu, but she never expected that she would see what Lin Xiu looked like when he was a child first.

The Holy Maiden of Yaoguang stood gracefully, her face obscured by holy light, but her eyes, shining through the hazy glow, remained fixed on the small figure for a long time.

Yan Ruyu stood quietly beside the Azure Lotus Demon King, dressed in a simple white dress, as aloof as an azure lotus under the moon.

As she looked at the child's figure, the scene from the quiet room involuntarily flashed through her mind. Her ears burned slightly, and she subconsciously looked away.

But in just a moment, she couldn't help but look up again.

Seeing Lin Xiu's adorable yet arrogant demeanor, Yan Ruyu's lips curled into a knowing smile.

In such a short time, Lin Xiu has grown from a minor cultivator into a powerful cultivator capable of commanding many holy lands to attend the meeting. He truly deserves to be the person chosen by the Emperor Ancestor.

........

Although everyone's attention was focused on Xiaolin Xiu, he didn't seem to care at all.

What do other people's opinions matter to him?

He only needs to do his own thing.

Since receiving the "Perfect Harmony of Desire" technique as a system reward, Lin Xiu felt that his Dao heart had become somewhat loose.

Thus, within the cocoon of light, he contemplated the profound truths of the mortal world he had once grasped, while reminiscing about the past, exploring the present, and envisioning the future.

Lin Xiu has never considered himself a pure seeker of the Dao.

"I am obsessed with money, constantly replicating various divine treasures in exchange for worldly wealth."

"I cultivate immortality pragmatically, seeking eternal life and ascension to the celestial realm."

"I crave divine medicine and immortal techniques, but I am unwilling to risk my life, so I always let Ye Fan take the lead."

"I want to calculate everything, to anticipate everything, and to eliminate all potential problems as much as possible."

"I am an ordinary person, a good person, and a responsible person in the secular sense."

"In my view, there is a central theme to all these events: responsibility."

"Responsibility... is the fundamental reason why I have taken these actions."

"I am unwilling to take on unnecessary responsibility."

"But whatever responsibility I am obligated to take, I will do my best to fulfill it."

"Protecting the orphanage is one thing, leaving longevity drugs for Ye Fan and the others' parents is another, and the agreement with the Martian Holy Body remains the same."

Lin Xiu recalled the day he made a pact with the Martian Holy Body.

On that day, he took on a responsibility beyond his own capabilities for the first time.

Although the Martian Holy Body told him to do his best, Lin Xiu was a man of ambition and high aspirations. Once he made up his mind to do something, he was determined to do it well.

"Responsibility is what you feel you should do."

"Perhaps it's because I awakened the system and know the plot? I always want to do better."

"But... how exactly can we do it better?"

"No one else knows what I am facing; the only judge is myself."

......

With the return of his Dao Fruit state, Lin Xiu was able to confront his true self.

Q: Am I doing well right now?

A: You did a good job; at least you didn't let yourself down.

"If that's the case, then we can just keep doing it step by step."

"Whether it is something that happened before or something that should be done after obtaining the method of achieving both pleasure and desire, as long as we follow the same principles and behavior patterns, we will not be betraying our true selves."

With the return of the Dao Fruit, Lin Xiu was able to quickly get straight to the core.

Although it may seem complicated at first glance, upon closer inspection, the core can be summarized in just one sentence.

That's just giving up!

I lived my life the way I always have!

Nothing in the mortal world, nothing in cultivating immortality, nothing in becoming an emperor can change my mind!

Thinking so much about strengthening one's resolve is just asking for trouble!

Why should we allow ourselves to be changed by heaven and earth and the great Dao?

The ones who need to change... are them!

After figuring out his own "true path" or "path of giving up," Lin Xiu quickly came to a conclusion regarding the dual cultivation of desire and his own emotions!

"I am no saint, I have my likes and dislikes. It is only human nature to like beautiful women, admire talent, and value character. There is no need to pretend."

"I avoided it before not because I disliked it, but because I did not want it to disturb my Dao mind and distract my energy."

"Now that we have a method, we can align this 'goodness' with the Great Way, so that both can benefit each other... Why not do it?"

"Follow your heart and act naturally. When you meet someone you like, and you are mutually attracted to each other, you can explore the Great Dao together, and that is perfection."

“To force something is to fall short; to fear it like a tiger is also a form of stubbornness.”

With this thought in mind, Lin Xiu's spiritual platform became even clearer, and his Dao heart became even more transparent.

At this point, Lin Xiu's confusion about his "original mind" was suddenly cleared up! Along with it, his understanding of the myriad phenomena of the mortal world also deepened!

........

In that moment of perfect peace of mind

"boom!"

Lin Xiu's five secret realms—the Sea of ​​Wheels, the Dao Palace, the Four Extremes, the Dragon Transformation Realm, and the Immortal Platform—trembled simultaneously!

A mysterious and indescribable Daoist charm awakened from the depths of his life essence and permeated his entire being.

At this moment, he seemed to have broken free from some kind of shackles, freeing himself from some of the constraints of the rules of heaven and earth. Every gesture he made was in harmony with the trajectory of the Great Dao; every breath he took stirred the vital energy of the surrounding world.

God-forbidden State!

And it was... a long period of divine confinement!

Only true geniuses can briefly step into the forbidden realm of gods and gain combat power far exceeding that of others in the same realm.

This so-called "brief" usually refers to "a moment," or even a second.

But Lin Xiu remained permanently in the Forbidden Domain for half a minute without leaving!

He clearly felt that his control over power, his perception of the Great Dao, and his grasp of the rhythm of battle had all leaped to a completely new level!

A flash of realization crossed Kobayashi's eyes, and he felt more and more that his "path of giving up" was the right one.

Pursuing one's true self?

is it hard?

Once you enter the "Return to the Dao Fruit State," you can then explore on your own.

What? You can't learn it, so you're stuck in the Immortal Three-Severing Path and can't take the next step?

That's where you're wrong. You can't even learn the "Return to the Dao Fruit Method," you're really useless.

What? You're saying I'm cheating?