The gods began by supporting Guo Jing to become emperor

Chapter 371 Cleansing the Mind and Spirit, Sparring with Shi Zhixuan
After an unknown amount of time, Su Ming awoke from his dazed state, feeling an unprecedented sense of comfort, harmony, clarity, and tranquility. He felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

This is?

It had been a long time since he had felt this way. Su Ming slumped onto the mat, reflecting on his past experiences, and gradually came to a realization.

It turns out that after traversing countless heavens and mingling in the mortal world, amidst the collapse of the world, I was unknowingly infected by the complexities of human nature. The filth and impurities accumulated in my heart gradually affected my state of mind!

When he was on Earth, he was only in his twenties when he transmigrated to The Legend of the Condor Heroes and stayed there for several decades. Although he looked young, the time he experienced was equivalent to a person's entire life.

This is the turmoil of the mortal world, where the mind and spirit are tainted by worldly affairs.

If one is confused, willful, and does not know how to cultivate one's mind and elevate one's spirit, then as one's skill deepens, these impurities will gradually hinder one's spiritual cultivation.

In mild cases, one's appearance reflects one's state of mind, leading to premature aging and becoming no different from ordinary people. In severe cases, internal and external demons attack from the inside out, causing one's spiritual heart to collapse, leaving one unable to find peace and tranquility for even a moment. One's health fluctuates, and one is plagued by intractable diseases and pains.

The so-called martial arts are not only about practicing martial arts, but also about understanding the Tao. The Tao is revealed through techniques, and techniques are preserved through the Tao. In the novel "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils", Xiao Yuanshan and Murong Bo were clearly masters of their time, having mastered several of the Thirty-Six Shaolin Techniques. However, they were plagued by illnesses. This was because they only practiced martial arts without cultivating themselves or understanding Buddhist principles. As a result, they could not get rid of their ailments and were completely unaware that the higher their martial arts skills, the closer they were to death.

The threshold for practicing Qi and martial arts is very high. It is a dangerous, difficult, and frightening thing. Only those with perseverance, great wisdom, and great opportunities can break through the tangible and intangible obstacles and reach a profound and mysterious realm.

Instead of the stories in novels and books where someone obtains a martial arts manual, practices diligently, and becomes invincible after leaving the mountain!
True mastery of martial arts manuals cannot be achieved through mere solitary practice. Without exceptional talent and aptitude, it is extremely difficult to master them. These manuals emphasize intent over brute force and focus over form. When the mind is unhindered, the hands are unhindered, and the martial arts will naturally become fluid and masterful. Just like how Brother Gou practiced the Arhat Subduing Demon Divine Skill, only highly virtuous monks who are well-versed in Buddhism can master it without his level of mental fortitude.

If one does not understand the essence of cultivating one's mind and character, and only knows how to forcefully circulate one's energy according to the secret manual, one can barely manage to activate it with one's powerful internal energy, but there is always a risk of going astray and becoming possessed by demons. Over time, it will become a source of illness, harming oneself before harming others.

Cultivating one's mind and character is fundamental to practicing martial arts. It requires not only dynamic exercises but also static ones. As a Buddhist saying goes, "The body is a Bodhi tree, the mind a bright mirror stand; constantly wipe it clean, lest it be covered with dust." This is the essence of spiritual practice.

In an instant, his mental cultivation subtly rose to a higher level, and the impurities in his mind were also removed, becoming pure and clear. Outwardly, this made Su Ming appear like a young man in his twenties, unlike before when he was as profound and serene as a mountain.

Su Ming slowly opened his eyes, his pupils filled with only black and white, clear and distinct, like those of an innocent child.

He looked up, his gaze seemingly passing through the window lattice to see the hazy night outside. However, the darkness before him seemed to vanish, and a vast and deep night sky appeared above, covering the sky and the earth. Its magnificence surpassed any starry sky he had ever seen before. Looking down, he saw palaces and buildings scattered like stars, city streets, and countless lights below.

Su Ming looked down, but could not see his own body. It was as if he had transformed into an invisible wind, looking down upon the world.

A moment later, everything before his eyes rushed past, and his gaze fell back into his body within the palace.

"Was that the Yang spirit leaving the body just now?"

Su Ming paused for a moment, then realized that the feeling he had just experienced was during the final Mount Hua Sword Tournament in the Legend of the Condor Heroes world, when he had a sudden flash of inspiration and had a wonderful perspective.

Now, his martial arts level is far beyond what it used to be, and he can faintly grasp that glimmer of inspiration and make it reappear.

……

After cultivating with the He Shi Bi jade, his spiritual realm has been slowly improving. This improvement is very small, but over time, it is enough for him to step into a new realm.

Song Que took the He Shi Bi jade from Su Ming and scrutinized him closely, his eyes filled with surprise. "Sir, you seem different."

Su Ming laughed, “Long confined in a cage, I have finally returned to nature. Brother Song, there is no need to be surprised.”

Upon hearing this, Song Que was even more surprised. Since he had known Su Ming, the other party had always appeared mature and composed, as if everything was under control. He rarely showed any intense emotional fluctuations, and he had never heard such a hearty laugh before.

A smile also spread across his face as he cupped his hands in congratulations to Su Ming, saying, "It seems that your realm has advanced another step, sir. This is truly a cause for celebration."

Su Ming extended his hand in invitation, "It just so happens that we haven't sat down for tea in a long time. Would Brother Song like to join me?"

"Of course I'm willing, let's go!"

……

In the Imperial Garden, in the octagonal pavilion.

Su Ming and Song Que sat facing each other, a scene reminiscent of many years ago in the Song Clan of Lingnan. Back then, Song Que was not yet the emperor, but merely the head of the Song Clan, residing in a remote corner. Su Ming was not the most powerful man in the world either, and few knew of his existence.

Today, one is an emperor who founded a dynasty, and the other is the number one martial arts master who killed three grandmasters and stands at the pinnacle of the martial arts world.

Charcoal burned in the stove, and soon white smoke billowed from the copper kettle, accompanied by a series of sounds. Then, water vapor rose into a white column, spraying far before dissipating.

Then, Song Que picked up the copper kettle, put some tea leaves into a cup, poured in boiling water to brew it, then poured it out and refilled the cup with water.

A rich aroma wafted from the teacup and filled the air.

Su Ming picked up the teacup, took a light sniff, and a faint smile appeared on his face. "It's still the aroma of Sichuan tea. This taste is unforgettable."

Song Que nodded, "Yes, I'm still more used to drinking tea from Sichuan."

The two men slowly sipped their tea until they finished their cups. Only then did Su Ming speak, “The Wu Kingdom is on the right track now. Brother Song, what are your plans? Since the Five Barbarian Invasions, the Central Plains have been plagued by endless wars, losing its cultural heritage and leading to the decline of the Han Dynasty. Continuing the legacy of Han civilization is a long and arduous task.”

Song Que also agreed with him, "What you say is very true. It is easy to conquer the world, but difficult to maintain it. There are many contradictions between the court, the local governments, and the internal and external forces. Governing the country is not a matter of a day or two. I wonder if you have any good strategies?"

In the past, Su Ming might not have cared about these things. The Han dynasty had been restored, the world's plot had been reversed, and his goal had been achieved. The rise and fall of dynasties was a cycle.

What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again.

He has now returned to his twenties, the time of youthful passion. Times rise and fall, and if his words can save lives and reduce suffering, why not?
Seeing Song Que ask the question, he replied, "The nation's troubles lie both internally and externally. This world does not belong to all the people, but rather to powerful families, nobles, and wealthy clans. They control official positions and monopolize resources. This process has only just begun. The world is newly established, and the interests of many regions have not yet been divided, so naturally they can coexist peacefully."

“After the throne has been passed down for two or three generations, these nobles and powerful families will have divided up the local resources and interests. The later generations will have very little to take, and even less will end up in the hands of the common people.”

“A nation’s wealth lies in its population and its land. The population will grow naturally, but the land will not. How can a limited amount of land support an ever-growing population? I have two solutions, one internal and one external.”

"Internally, we should divide and conquer, using the imperial examination system to break the monopoly of powerful families, allowing knowledge and literacy to reach every household, emphasizing both literary and martial arts, neither of which can be neglected." "Secondly, we should expand outwards, relocating people and occupying more land for survival. This will also reduce the size of other ethnic groups, preventing them from becoming a threat." Of course, these are not the most important factors. If we embark on the path of industrialization, the court will naturally expand outwards, and the essence of industrialization is the continuous plundering of resources and expansion.

However, given the current level of the imperial court, this path will take a long time. Lu Miaozi is an engineering genius, but whether the seeds of science and technology can blossom and bear fruit is still unknown.

These words made Song Que fall into deep thought. In order to recuperate and strengthen the country, the court issued many policies, but no one could stand on the big picture and guide the direction.

Of course, the prerequisite for implementing this policy is a stable political situation in the court and the absence of incompetent emperors. For example, the Qin state had six generations of wise rulers in succession, which laid the foundation for its eastward expansion through Hangu Pass and the unification of the world.

The Han Dynasty was exhausted at the beginning of its reign, but the reigns of Emperors Wen and Jing enabled Emperor Wu of Han to defeat the Xiongnu and revitalize the Han Dynasty.

Even the Sui Dynasty was very powerful back then. The foundation laid by Yang Jian's Kaihuang era was undoubtedly solid. However, it encountered Yang Guang, a spendthrift son, who squandered the Sui Dynasty's territory in just over a decade.

This is unique in history.

However, while Yang Jian was able to choose a successor like Yang Guang, Song Que could not. A Grandmaster's spiritual realm far surpasses that of ordinary people, allowing him to easily see through a person's true nature. In the vast Song dynasty, finding a wise ruler might be difficult, but finding a mediocre ruler capable of maintaining the status quo would not be so hard.

After pondering for a long time, Song Que sighed softly, poured tea for the two of them, and then raised his cup, "Thank you for your guidance, sir. I, Song Que, will offer you a toast with tea instead of wine!"

"Come, drink!"

The two drank the tea in their cups in one gulp, a scene just like when Su Ming of the Song Clan was formulating a strategic plan for Song Que back then.

Once the direction is given, the court will naturally have many talented people offering advice. In fact, Su Ming is not as good as them in this regard. It's like online commentators; some people can talk eloquently about the overall strategy, but they fizzle out when it comes to micromanagement.

Every era has its limitations, and the wisdom of the ancients is not necessarily inferior to that of people today.

……

Shi Mansion.

The dark and silent chamber was suddenly illuminated by a glimmer of light. Shi Zhixuan sat cross-legged on a futon, his eyes closed, with wisps of black and white energy flowing around him.

Two opposing yet unified forces flowed and transformed within him, and in this process, his aura grew stronger and stronger.

Ultimately, his face was also stained by these two forces, one black and one white, one eerie and sinister, the other compassionate and holy.

Life and death are two sides of the same coin; Buddha and demon are one.

At this moment, he finally digested the insights he gained from the Temple of War, merging life and death with the doctrines of Buddhism and demonism, reaching a new level.

Time flew by, and Shi Zhixuan opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in them. The dark room was instantly illuminated, as if a void had been filled with light. Feeling the smooth flow of energy within his body, he felt stronger than ever before and couldn't help but laugh, "I lack nothing now!"

……

"Brother Shi, is there something you need from me?"

In the private room of the restaurant, Su Ming glanced at Shi Zhixuan, then kept picking up food with his chopsticks, enjoying his meal immensely.

Like Song Que, Shi Zhixuan was also surprised to see Su Ming's current appearance. In his memory, the other party did not seem to be like this, but today he came to avenge his previous humiliation and prove himself.

Shi Zhixuan bowed to him and said in a deep voice, "I have fully digested the insights from the Temple of the God of War. Now I just need an opponent to test them. I wonder if Brother Su would be willing?"

Su Ming immediately guessed what the other party was thinking. He thought that he had mastered the War God Manual, his martial arts had improved, and he felt that he was good again, so he came to him to cause trouble.

Old Shi really holds a grudge!
He finished eating slowly and deliberately, then wiped his mouth. "Okay, I promise you."

Immediately, Su Ming's mind sank into his sea of ​​consciousness, and he glanced at the broken Kunlun Mirror:
Mirror owner: Su Ming

World: The Legend of the Twin Dragons of the Tang Dynasty
Identity: Grand Preceptor of Wu, Master of Xu Ziling, Jade Daoist, Number One Person Under Heaven

The Origin of the World: One Million
World collapse level: 100%.

Number of times the spacetime reflection was captured: one
Number of times traveled: one
……

On an unnamed mountain peak, two unparalleled masters engaged in a fierce battle.

"Boom!"

The moment they made their move, the world was struck by strange phenomena. Dark clouds swirled, followed by lightning and thunder, and torrential rain poured down. As the two clashed, mountains collapsed, trees were broken, and all living things within a ten-mile radius were affected. Those who were lucky escaped with their lives, while those who were unlucky were reduced to dust by the residual force of their battle.

After a day and a night, everything came to a standstill!
Su Ming and Shi Zhixuan stood facing each other, surrounded by devastation, as if an earthquake had occurred.

Within a ten-zhang radius centered on the two individuals, time and space seemed to shift, transforming into a pitch-black space that devoured everything.

In this absolute darkness, Su Ming's palms struck out continuously, and powerful energy surged. Shi Zhixuan's face turned black and white, and the two energies of life and death constantly merged.

Between the two, two powerful streams of true energy, one black and one white, continued to clash at high speed, constantly rotating, disappearing and then regenerating. They seemed to have become the absolute core of this dark space, emitting electric flames that tore through the void and scattered into the air like a spider web.

Their boundless light should have illuminated any dark place as if it were daytime, but at this moment, all around was endless darkness.

At that moment, a strange space appeared at the center of the two forces, but it vanished in the blink of an eye, leaving one feeling as if it were a dream.

However, the moment it appeared, Shi Zhixuan's heart trembled violently and was no longer calm.

(End of this chapter)