Don't let Yu Ding take on any more disciples.

Chapter 17: Extremely Envious
P.S.: I wasn't feeling well yesterday, so I only wrote one chapter and didn't finish the second half. Therefore, there are some revisions. You can take a look.

After achieving the perfection of Qi Refining, Yu Ding had the resources to begin studying Taoist arts.

Yuan Hong was still memorizing the incantations of those Taoist arts, while Qingyun practiced swordsmanship every day and ran errands for Yu Ding.

Everyone had a very fulfilling day.

Half a month has passed in the blink of an eye.

"Master, my senior brother requests an audience!" Tian Qingyun announced as he entered.

Yu Ding nodded.

Before long, Yuan Hong followed Qingyun into the Golden Cloud Cave.

"Master, I have memorized all the incantations."

Yuan Hong presented the Heavenly Book of the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts with both hands, saying, "I have come here today to return the Heavenly Book."

"Hmm!" Yu Ding nodded, swept his whisk, and a burst of magic lifted the Heavenly Book into his hand.

After returning the Heavenly Book, Yuan Hong lingered and refused to leave.

"Is there anything else?" Yu Ding glanced at him.

After some internal struggle, Yuan Hong said, "Master, I have a question to ask you."

"What's the problem?" Yu Ding asked.

"Master, what is the Dao?"

"What is the Dao?" Yu Ding was taken aback.

This question is a bit beyond my scope, and I haven't encountered it before, so how do I answer it?

It seems he needs to think carefully about how to deal with this matter properly—no, how to seriously explain it to his apprentice.

Although he doesn't have any real skills, he can't mislead young people.

"Yes, after breaking through the Heavenly Gate and cultivating to the Void Returning Realm, in addition to accumulating magical power, I should also seek the Dao. However, I don't even understand what the Dao is, so I can only come to ask my master for help."

Yuan Hong looked ashamed, as if it had taken a lot of courage to ask the question.

"It's alright, this is an inevitable path for every Qi cultivator."

Yu Ding pondered for a moment and said, "What is the Dao? I once had the same question."

"What then?"

"Listen carefully, the following words may provide you with the answer."

Yuan Hong quickly pricked up his ears to listen carefully.

"The Tao that can be spoken of is not the eternal Tao; the name that can be named is not the eternal name. The nameless is the origin of Heaven and Earth; the named is the mother of all things."

Yu Ding softly recited: "Therefore, one should always be without desire in order to observe its wonders; one should always have desires in order to observe its manifestations. These two arise from the same source but have different names; they are both called profound. Profound and yet more profound, the gateway to all wonders."

After he finished speaking, he looked down at Yuan Hong.

This is the Tao Te Ching, but it wasn't written down by Yu Ding in his previous life; rather, he found it in the library of the immortal Yu Ding.

This first piece was also his reply to Yuan Hong after careful consideration.

It's like a student asking a teacher a question, and the teacher giving him a reference answer and telling him that the answer he needs is right there.

"The Way, the Way, the Way..."

Yuan Hong frowned, lost in deep thought.

After a long while, Yuan Hong suddenly relaxed his brows, the confusion in his eyes vanished, and his eyes became clear: "Master, this disciple understands."

Yu Ding looked at him in surprise. Was this ape so intelligent?

"only……"

Yuan Hong, not being good at business, asked, "Master, where is this path?"

How would I know where the Tao is? I haven't even figured out what the Tao is.

Yu Ding glanced at Yuan Hong indifferently and said unhappily, "Disciple, have you forgotten what your master told you before?"

"Of course, I dare not forget my master's teachings, and I know that my master hopes that I will find my own path."

Yuan Hong smiled bitterly, "This disciple is truly baffled this time, and has no idea where the so-called Dao is... Master, I was wrong!"

But before he could finish speaking, he saw Yu Ding sigh, his face about to reveal a familiar look of disappointment.

No, you are not wrong.

Yu Ding shook his head and sighed, "It's because I had too high expectations for you. Never mind, I'll just give you a little hint."

Yuan Hong looked conflicted.

He really wanted to say to his master, "No need, I can figure it out myself."

However, he honestly chose to keep his mouth shut.

Then Yuan Hong saw Yu Ding point upwards, then downwards, and finally point back at him.

"My disciple, have you understood now?"

Yu Ding looked at Yuan Hong kindly and asked softly.

If you can't figure it out, then be good and go down and figure it out slowly!

Yuan Hong frowned once again.

What does it mean when Master points to above, below, and himself...?
Yuan Hong looked up and then down, his thoughts wandering as he considered his master's intentions. Suddenly, Yuan Hong's body trembled, and his eyes burned with intensity as he exclaimed, "Master, I understand! I understand!"

After saying that, he knelt down and kowtowed three times.

"What, you've figured it out again?"

Qingyun, standing to the side, asked before Yu Ding could react: "What have you realized?"

He listened to Yu Ding's words, but he didn't understand anything!

Yu Ding was no less surprised than Qing Yun, but he still maintained a calm and composed demeanor: "What have you realized?"

“When Master points up and down, he means heaven and earth; when he points to me, he means my heart.”

Yuan Hong said with delight, "So Master meant that the Dao exists both between heaven and earth and in my heart. Thank you, Master, for clearing up my doubts."

After saying this, his entire demeanor suddenly changed, gaining an air of transcendence.

"When the mind aligns with the Tao... one attains enlightenment?"

Yu Ding stared blankly at his disciple. "This is possible?"
At this point, Yuan Hong could be said to have already stepped into the realm of immortality, and was only one tribulation away from becoming an immortal.

Yu Ding felt like he had a lemon stuffed in his mouth; it was so sour!
Yu Ding was extremely envious.

call out!
Just then, a beam of light suddenly flew from the sky, entered the Golden Cloud Cave, and flew towards the Jade Cauldron.

"Master, be careful!"

Yuan Hong was shocked and leaped into the air, reaching out to grab the beam of light.

Unfortunately, he was a step too slow; the jade slip passed right by his eyes and flew straight toward the jade cauldron.

"Master!" Yuan Hong exclaimed in surprise.

Then, he could only watch as the light flew toward his master, and finally... stopped in front of his master?

Yuan Hong looked bewildered.

Yes, the spiritual light floated quietly in front of the jade cauldron, its radiance subdued, transforming into a jade slip.

It all happened in a very short moment, though it's a long story.

"Hmm?" Yu Ding blinked as he looked at the thing that had stopped in front of him.

Generally speaking, the higher one's cultivation level, the faster one's reaction time.

The jade slip arrived so quickly that he didn't even have time to react.

Of the three, only Yuan Hong, who had the highest cultivation level, reacted, but he was a beat or two too slow.

As for him and Qingyun, it'll probably be seven or eight rounds before they meet.

Qingyun smiled and said, "Don't worry, this is a jade slip for transmitting messages. It must be someone passing on a message to you, Master."

Oh, so this is the jade slip for transmitting sound?

Yu Ding and Yuan Hong had the same thought at the same time.

I've seen this jade tripod in books, but this is the first time I've seen the real thing.

Suddenly, Yuan Hong casually clasped his hands and said, "Well, Master, I have something to do, so I'll take my leave now."

Yu Ding asked in surprise, "Didn't you have a question to ask?"

Yuan Hong said, "This disciple suddenly feels that I have a clue."

After saying that, he turned around and walked out of Jinxia Cave without looking back.

That's so embarrassing!
He didn't even recognize the jade slip for transmitting sound, which led to him making such a fool of himself in front of his master.

I reckon that little brat Qingyun will be making fun of this for a long time.

But... Master is indeed Master, his composure is truly remarkable!

Even when the thing was right in front of him, his expression didn't change at all.

Yu Ding raised his hand and took the jade slip. Immediately, a gentle and magnetic voice came from the jade slip:

"Junior brother, I have refined two batches of immortal pills. I will bring them to see you in a couple of days. Is there anything else you would like?"

It's the voice of Taiyi Zhenren!

Yu Ding was overjoyed, thinking it would be a good opportunity to have Taiyi check if there were any problems with his cultivation technique.

Qingyun laughed and said, "Lord Taiyi is coming!"

Yu Ding also laughed, but as he laughed, his smile gradually disappeared.

He remembered something.

Because the Jie Sect, founded by Tongtian Jiaozhu, was a mixed bag and rife with corruption, the members of the Chan Sect disliked those who were different from them.

In the Chan Sect, there are very few disciples who cultivate in unusual ways, such as plants, trees, birds, and beasts.

If Taiyi Zhenren were to arrive and see his disciple Yuan Hong...

Has this day finally come?

P.S.: Haha, Yu Ding's first apprentice is finally about to leave the mountain.

Thank you all for the votes! Just wondering, are there any more? Hehe!

Thank you to readers '2021****6241' for the 600 coins and 'Lazy Book Fairy' for the 100 coins!

(End of this chapter)