Chapter 461: Chapter 426: Attaining the Dao Through External Means, Shattering Delusion to Realize Truth, Immortal Happiness
In the dream, Lu Dongbin spent ten years studying hard, and topped the imperial examination.
Yet, he returned to his former school life, after five years of entrance exams and three years of mock tests, he finally entered Peking University...
Spring breeze contentment, galloping swiftly, Lu Dongbin married the Prime Minister’s daughter, and achieved the title of Grand Tutor in ten years, but on his birthday, he was framed and the entire family was executed.
When the blade fell at the execution ground...
In the dream, Meng Chuan similarly experienced life’s ups and downs, after graduating from Peking University, he entered a top investment bank, becoming the youngest partner in three years. Yet, right after his grand wedding, he was hit by a financial storm, all assets nearly went to zero overnight, his wife absconded with funds.
As he stood at the edge of the rooftop...
Lu Dongbin abruptly woke up, coughing with grains of rice stuck to the corner of his mouth.
Meng Chuan also stepped into emptiness, returning to the firewood room.
"Was the dream long or short?"
Han Zhongli chuckled lightly while fanning.
Lu Dongbin looked at the still warm millet in the bowl, his voice trembling:
"Ten years of glory, not worth a moment of cooking rice?"
"Worldly fame, isn’t it just like this? Are you seeking luxurious clothes and fine food, or a thought of freedom?"
Lu Dongbin sat stunned for a while, suddenly threw the list aside, and knelt down:
"Disciple wishes to follow the Daoist in pursuit of the Dao!"
Meanwhile, Meng Chuan also faced a test of his will.
From birth to death, he felt like a spectator in comprehension, unable to determine the direction of the story.
Ten years in a dream made him dazed, even his martial arts will was wavering.
Not just the reluctance to leap from the rooftop, but the frustration of math problems blocking his way.
In Meng Chuan’s view, this was more difficult than comprehending martial principles...
Now, in this small firewood room.
The list that Lu Dongbin discarded, also ended up in his hand.
...
Meng Chuan’s heart involuntarily surged with unease.
Han Zhongli’s voice sounded like a grand tone of a bell:
"The breeze beneath the fan urges the crane to rise, the elixir within connects a long rainbow, abandon the sword of worldly dust, step on clouds straight to nine heavens!"
Meng Chuan’s body shivered as if caught in an electric shock.
He wanted to kneel before Han Zhongli as Lu Dongbin did!
At that moment, his deeply hidden Tao Heart within the Primordial Spirit was beating rapidly!
The Tao Heart performed a great deed again, it was telling Meng Chuan to wake the hell up!
Instantly, his mind cleared, as his knee was about to touch the ground it instead straightened.
His spine arched like a great dragon, shifting from the impending kneeling posture to a martial arts standing starting stance.
Repeatedly chanting inwardly, also awakening himself:
"The incense fire divine thing is just an incense fire divine thing... I do not seek to become an immortal by kneeling..."
Just now, he almost got trapped by appearances.
"I can become immortal through martial arts, for what I seek is the martial path to ascend to godhood and beyond!"
When the last thread of confusion shattered, Meng Chuan saw the martial arts firmament within him quietly burgeoning with new vitality.
The six apertures situated above the high heavens, now larger and brighter than before.
Like a spider web spreading star trails, also more cohesive and stable.
The earth below, although still pitch black.
But still, there is a faint sense of life gestating here, as if after floods and volcanic eruptions, new life is born in the world.
All these are manifestations of the sublimation of martial arts will.
As perception detached from the body, Meng Chuan immediately communicated intention, throwing a punch ablaze with flames.
The list in his hand, together with the entire firewood room, burned to nothing!
Since Lu Dongbin disappeared, Han Zhongli who kept a calm face suddenly revealed a smile.
Han Zhongli’s fan was also ignited by the flame, yet laughter emerged from the fire:
"Good!"
He saw in Meng Chuan’s martial arts will, the opportunity for [martial technique and divine proof]!
Meng Chuan was able to wake up, precisely by relying on himself to shatter illusions and prove truth!
...
As the fire ended, Meng Chuan settled his Heart Spirit, returning to the stalactite-studded Zhengyang Cave.
Han Zhongli’s face bore a faint smile, he swept his sleeve, and day and night changed.
He led Meng Chuan to the cliffside.
As the mountain wind gently lifted his garments, he raised his hand, with what seemed like flowing glows trailing by his fingertips:
"Old Dao me, neither have great magical power nor divine communication, merely a wisp of incense fire real or fake.
In today’s era, the martial arts are exceptionally prosperous, young friend, I hope you remember always the steadfast will in your heart."
Meng Chuan awakened as if from a dream, realizing all that had happened earlier was a dream within a dream.
He finally understood, he had passed the "true test" of Zhengyang Patriarch.
As the mountain wind brushed his face, his heart was enlightened:
"Turns out, the dream of millet, the burning of the list in the firewood room are illusions within illusions...
Zhengyang Patriarch uses incense fire as a lure, truly testing if I can sever the obsession with external attainment.
The internal world invigorating with life, martial arts firmament solidifying, because I didn’t get lost in shortcuts, instead deeper in will.
For the true [Dao] has always been between martial techniques."
At the same time, it was also the awakening he received from the Tao Heart fluctuation.
His understanding of the Tao Heart Demon Seed divine skill, also elevated by a grade.
"The demon nature driven by the Tao Heart isn’t merely those extreme nine negative emotions.
Today’s experience of [shortcut celestial path] in the firewood room, including obsession, delusion, luck, etc., these are also demon nature.
And the Tao Heart transforming on my martial path, is the embodied manifestation of martial arts will.
The momentary shiver, was also my martial arts will awakening myself, to shatter illusion and prove truth."
Meng Chuan didn’t know if his guess was correct, but regardless, this was his most suitable "Tao Heart Demon Seed", uniquely his own cultivation path for this method.
He also realized the words Principal Sui said earlier:
[Different people cultivating the same Divine Skill will experience a process unique to each individual, much like the cultivation of Martial Arts wills, which are unparalleled in existence. As for the further development of a Divine Skill, it is indeed a continuation of one’s martial principles.
By grasping the essence of intention, one can independently evolve the Divine Skill to achieve greater heights; however, merely imitating predecessors and copying their Divine Skills will only lead to stagnation, forever trapping one at the current realm without advancement!]
In short, it’s "Those who learn from me will live, those who imitate me will die."
This was part of the advice Principal Sui gave last time when imparting the Fire Attribute Divine Skill to him.
It’s likely Principal Sui himself didn’t expect that Meng Chuan, at this point of mere two limits, could comprehend this from a fleeting dream...
...
Within the Dharma Realm, the morning mist of Mount Zhongnan had yet to disperse.
Han Zhongli reached out into the void, and Meng Chuan felt his head being tapped.
Suddenly, he heard a soft voice flowing:
"Awaken."
Meng Chuan focused his gaze back, observing the other’s "concentration through teeth tapping," as a sound akin to striking jade emanated from between the teeth, clear like clashing gemstones.
"Tongue stirs the pool, saliva flows like a spring."
Han Zhongli’s throat rolled, the swallowing sound resonating with the pine waves.
Following suit, Meng Chuan suddenly felt a warm sensation rising within him.
Then, he twisted his wrists to form "Shake the Heavenly Pillar," with the bones in his neck gently crackling, as the clouds settled and dispersed on Han Zhongli’s shoulder...
Upon completing the set of movements, Han Zhongli glanced back, the tip of his fan touching Meng Chuan’s forehead:
"Form moves with intention, intention follows the flow of Qi; this is the path to longevity."
The remaining Incense Fire Divine Power was all concentrated in this point, pouring into Meng Chuan’s mind.
Within his sea of consciousness, there suddenly appeared a fan-shaped imprint.
With light perception, it seemed like a Daoist was singing a deep tune, reminiscent of mountain winds sweeping over ancient pines:
"Tap teeth thrice, saliva arises,
Spirit concentrates, Qi returns to the origin.
...
Raise your hand to invite the moon from the horizon,
Bend down to embrace the earth’s springs.
If you ask the true meaning within,
A heart untroubled is the true Immortal."
The sound gradually diminished until all was silent.
Meng Chuan clearly understood that Han Zhongli was using his last Incense Power.
Like when Principal Sui imparted the Martial Arts imprint through [Boiling Flame] to him.
Before his vision blurred, he deeply bowed to the fading shadow on the horizon.
Han Zhongli’s figure turned into a rainbow and disappeared into the universe.
Though he does not worship gods, at this moment, the bow is an earnest salute to the Immortal’s guidance, a gratitude for the ancestral enlightenment.
No more words, when he achieves[Divine Communication and Tao Enlightenment], he vows to bring everyone back!
Meng Chuan resolved silently to create a grand promise for Han Zhongli...
...
Meng Chuan slowly opened his eyes, his gaze clear.
The nearby Wu Yang Daojun quickly asked:
"Little friend, how do you feel?"
Meng Chuan first expressed his gratitude to Wu Yang Daojun for granting him the opportunity.
Without the unknown exertion earlier, he would have struggled to enter the Dharma Realm illusion of the True Yang Master.
Wu Yang waved his hand and said:
"It’s nothing, it was your fate as the Master sought you out. The old Daoist only wants to ask, is the senior now okay?"
Upon stating this, Wu Yang had already been mentally prepared.
The Master hadn’t "manifested" in a long time, and now that he appeared to Meng Chuan, perhaps it was a passing of responsibility...
Meng Chuan uncommonly fell silent; after a while, he recounted everything that happened within the Dharma Realm illusion to Wu Yang Daojun.
Han Zhongli is the Daoist ancestral master whom he believed in throughout his life, Meng Chuan felt it right to inform him of everything without involving personal secrets.
After hearing Meng Chuan’s recount of Han Zhongli’s practice demonstration, followed by the musical imprint in his sea of consciousness,
Wu Yang nodded and said:
"This is the [Longevity and Happiness Method], also known as Zhongli Master’s Ba Duan Jin Guidance Method, a sophisticated Qi cultivation technique of our Quanzhen Daoism, and an esoteric secret.
As the Master imparted it to you with Incense Power, feel free to learn boldly, the senior will inform you of its associated effects, I will not meddle.
Regarding its origins, it traces back to before the establishment of the Eight Immortals Monastery, when this area was still called [Thunder God Temple].
At that time, someone witnessed eight Abnormal People feasting there.
One among them was heavily drunk, waving a palm fan, singing chants and punching; others had unusual behaviors.
Over time, the tale spread widely, leading to the establishment of [Longevity Eight Immortals Palace] to worship them.
Later, ancient Qi cultivators, based on the chants and records, created the ancient Qi cultivation technique [Happiness Song Guidance Formula], which is the precursor to the Longevity and Happiness Method.
Restricted by the era, later the palace faced calamities, the palace overturned and temple demolished.
Finally, six hundred years ago, it was revived with the collective funds of the local gentry in Chang’an, inviting the prominent Quanzhen Daoist [Ren Tianran] as the first Abbot.
To avoid attracting undue attention, the small temple was transformed into the Quanzhen Ten Directions Forest Monastery while also renamed [Eight Immortals Monastery].
The subsequent establishment of the Eight Immortals incense lineage and the ultimate refinement of the Happiness Song were spearheaded by True Man Ren, also our monastery’s first revival Abbot..."
The more Wu Yang Daojun spoke, the quieter his voice became.
Reflecting on himself... then on True Man Ren...
Alas...
Meng Chuan sensed his thoughts, comforting:
"Daojun, this is the fault of the era, not yours."
He continued telling how the True Yang Master dissipated at the horizon, finally transforming into a rainbow and leaving.
Wu Yang’s clouded eyes suddenly brightened slightly, then drooped again.
A tear inadvertently slipped down, tracing the furrows on his face...
