Chapter 765: The Tepid 3rd Round

Upon hearing this, Sect Leader Dang Jun’an paused for a moment. He looked at Zhang Deming and said, “Junior Brother Zhang, why don’t you go down and join the discussion? The way things are going isn’t productive.”

Zhang Deming shook his head and said, “I’ll sit this one out. I can barely manage a discussion on the Celestial Universe’s traditional Code Array Dao. This Thought Remote Sensing… it’s only tangentially related. I’d rather not go down there and embarrass myself.”

“Why not just give it a try? The disciples below aren’t particularly familiar with this so-called Cloning Dao either. As it stands, they’re all just sticking to a by-the-book discussion. There’s no expansion of ideas, no creative spark. I doubt it will lead to any meaningful results. The first two discussions went exceptionally well. If this third one ends up like this, I’m worried it will dampen the Celestial Universe Federation’s enthusiasm and affect the discussions to come,” Dang Jun’an said, trying to persuade him.

Zhang Deming shook his head again. “I’d rather not. I truly don’t know much about this. Sect Leader, you’re better off finding a disciple to guide the discussion. If you steer them in the direction of Heart Spirit Control, they might at least gain something from it.”

“Well…”

Sect Leader Dang Jun’an was about to press the matter further; after all, Zhang Deming had initiated the previous two discussions so brilliantly.

Just then, Supreme Elder Dang Xiangjun, who was at the very front, suddenly spoke up. “If he says no, then let it be. Aren’t the discussions the Celestial Universe Federation has with other Upper Sects always this conventional? Don’t try to force too much out of it.”

“If you push him to go down and he fails to produce any results, most of the influence he’s built up will vanish. How do you expect him to make a move later on?”

Supreme Elder Dang Xiangjun’s words stunned the dozen or so people on the large Floating Island. Many of them turned to look at Zhang Deming, their expressions thoughtful.

Zhang Deming was startled as well, looking at Dang Xiangjun with a mixture of shock and uncertainty.

“What is it, little fellow? Did you think us old-timers are all fools? That we couldn’t see you were building influence? Or did you believe the success of the previous sessions was entirely due to your own efforts in guiding the discussion?” Dang Xiangjun asked with a knowing smile, seeing the look on Zhang Deming’s face.

Zhang Deming’s expression froze for a second. He turned to Dang Xiangjun and said, “This disciple understands!”

Dang Xiangjun looked at Zhang Deming and said, “Whatever you did in the past, being used to plotting on your own—let that go. You must remember now that you are a Celestial Spirit Disciple, the Peak Master of Spirit Nurturing Peak. Your grasp of the bigger picture is perfectly fine. Once you realized what the Sect intended to accomplish, you found a way to contribute and acted decisively. Moreover, you didn’t seek credit from anyone before or after the fact, simply doing what needed to be done in silence. I, for one, quite admire a disposition like yours. But you must remember, you are a Celestial Spirit Disciple now, no longer some Loose Cultivator. Whenever you take action, you have the entire Sect backing you up. You also need to make a habit of drawing on the Sect’s strength. Don’t be like you were before—silently shouldering every burden, gritting your teeth, and trying to bear it all alone. While that’s not necessarily a bad trait, it’s not a good habit either. At least for a Sect Disciple, a habit like that is detrimental. It’s even a bit foolish, a waste of resources.”

As Zhang Deming listened to Dang Xiangjun’s words, his thoughts raced.

‘He figured out I was deliberately steering the discussions in the last two sessions?’

‘And, uh, he thinks I was helping the Sect build momentum for the core discussions to follow?’

‘Ha! Was I really that considerate? Did I really have the Sect’s best interests at heart?’

‘I guess I was. Aside from my own scheme for Qi Fortune Energy, the Sect is the one getting all the benefits, right? I’m truly a selfless Celestial Spirit Disciple!’

‘A perfect individual such as myself… for the future of the Celestial Spirit lineage, I am simply exhausting myself, bearing a heavy burden for the greater good!!!’

“This disciple will take your teachings to heart, Senior Uncle!” Zhang Deming said, bowing to Dang Xiangjun.

The exchange between the two left the surrounding old-timers deep in thought. Sect Leader Dang Jun’an added, “It seems I was the one being rash. This grandson understands your lesson, Ancestor.”

With that, Sect Leader Dang Jun’an stopped trying to persuade Zhang Deming to go down and save the situation. He turned, tapped on the Light Curtain before him, and sent down a message.

After Sect Leader Dang Jun’an sent his message, the direction of the discussion below shifted noticeably. It moved away from the main topic of clones and gradually turned toward Heart Spirit Control, long-distance Dao Mark guidance, and other related subjects.

Although the discussion remained conventional, the higher-ups from the Celestial Universe Federation at least became much more animated, so it seemed to be of some help to them after all.

Guk Liancai, however, muttered, “I think since this is their topic, we shouldn’t be helping. Look at when it was our turn to present—did they ever proactively point out our problems to help us?”

“What are you talking about? This is an inter-world exchange. What’s the point of holding back?” Gan Zili shot Guk Liancai a dark look before turning to the other martial brothers with a benevolent smile.

These people had known each other for at least several hundred years; who among them didn’t know Guk Liancai’s temperament? Not a single person paid his words any mind.

Hearing this, Zhang Deming chuckled. “Senior Brother Guk, you’re not wrong, but the prerequisite is that the discussion has to be lively. A lively atmosphere proves that at least one side is benefiting. For instance, during our previous topic, the discussion veered into their area of expertise. The atmosphere was very lively then, it’s just that they were likely the ones who benefited. But that’s only because our own research wasn’t thorough enough, our mastery of Daoist Techniques was lacking. We can’t blame them for that. They continued to discuss generously; they just didn’t spell out our shortcomings for us. Regardless, as long as one side benefits greatly, the exchange is a success and can be continued. But this current discussion, where both sides are just going through the motions without gaining anything, is not a good thing. If the conference had started off this poorly, that would be one thing. But we had such a great start; we can’t let this one round pour cold water on everything!”

Zhang Deming’s words made Guk Liancai pause, and he fell silent.