Yefutidaolu

Chapter 407 The Lamp of the Heart
He dared not hesitate for a moment, as if afraid of displeasing Gao Jian. He raised his hand and pointed to Gao Jian's brow.

"Sir, please relax your mind. This method is called the 'Heart Lamp Illuminating Shadows Sutra.' It is not an ordinary method of inhaling and exhaling spiritual energy or tempering the primordial spirit, but rather it directly points to the spiritual light of the mind, igniting an inextinguishable lamp in the midst of chaotic thoughts, illuminating one's own delusions and true nature, and reflecting the illusions and realities of the outside world. When practiced to its extreme, the lamp in the mind never goes out, and the true spirit dwells forever, able to pierce through countless illusions, making it difficult for evil to invade, thus clarifying the path ahead and breaking through barriers. This sutra is more in line with the use of the power of the mind and spirit, and may be of some benefit to your current situation..."

As he spoke, a tiny, yet exceptionally pure and bright, warm white light slowly drifted from his fingertip, like a firefly on a summer night or a flickering candle in the wind, gently and carefully floating towards Gao Jian's brow.

These points of light, though seemingly faint, appear to contain countless fine, ant-like scripture characters, and also convey a sense of steadfastness, clarity, and the ability to pierce through the darkness.

"This scripture can be cultivated to the fourth grade. It is the scripture I cultivate. It has a solid foundation and places great emphasis on tempering the mind and enhancing spiritual awareness. It has unique features in illusion, mental defense, and insight. Moreover, it does not conflict with most other cultivation methods and can be used as a supplementary cultivation method..." Xiao Ba explained respectfully while transmitting the cultivation method. His tone was cautious, as if he was presenting a gift but was worried that the gift would not suit the other party's taste.

That spark of light, containing all the mysteries of the "Heart Lamp Illuminating Shadows Sutra," gently touched the space between Gao Jian's eyebrows.

hum-

Gao Jian felt a slight tremor in his mind, not the pain of being forcibly instilled, but like a warm lamp being lit in his sea of ​​consciousness. Countless methods about cultivating the mind, using spiritual light, and seeing through illusion flowed naturally and smoothly into the depths of his memory like a clear stream. They even faintly resonated with his original method of breaking through the divine barrier, as if the two were originally from the same source and could complement each other.

That makes sense. Gao Jian has already practiced the method of focusing on the divine gate, and it must have been this method back then.

It was this very method that helped Gao Jian directly open the gates of enlightenment without any prior understanding.

Xiao Ba's cultivation method has always focused on the spirit and soul.

The transmission of the cultivation technique is complete.

Xiao Ba withdrew his smooth hand: "The manual has been presented. Sir, this manual may be rudimentary, but I hope it will be of some help to you."

"Also, regarding—" He seemed to want to add something about the rusty knife or the anomaly of this place, but at that moment, he suddenly "looked up," his smooth face turning towards some void, as if he had sensed something extremely terrifying or absolutely irresistible, or some rule.

The next moment, his entire being became blurred and transparent, like a stroke erased by an eraser. The meticulously constructed modern living room around him rippled violently like a mirage before collapsing and disappearing without warning!
Gao Jian's consciousness seemed to plummet from a great height without any buffer period.

hum!
He suddenly opened his real eyes.

The cold, hard rock felt against his back, the narrow space pressing down on his body. He was still stuck in that crevice deep in the ground, surrounded by deathly silence and an oppressive, chilling aura of death.

He slightly turned his eyes to survey his surroundings. Yes, it was the hiding place he had hastily chosen earlier—a narrow crevice deep underground.

He had previously held his breath and used his last bit of demonic energy to distort his own presence, which seemed to have successfully fooled the day and night wandering gods' search.

But it was precisely this concealment of demonic energy that allowed it to penetrate deeper into the body, thus attracting Xiao Ba's "visit".

Gao Jian could indeed sense the other party's goodwill, but the sudden way they disappeared, as if startled by some higher being, more profoundly illustrated that the problems of this hell were far more complex than he had imagined.

However, those grand mysteries and potential crises are a story for another time.

The most urgent task is to survive. We must find a safer place as soon as possible, figure out the clues to restoring the rusty knife, and... investigate the purpose of the Shui family patriarch and those other aristocratic families.

Thinking about all this, Gao Jian tried to muster a little strength to move his body, at least to get out of the crevice that was trapping him.

However, as soon as the thought crossed his mind, he discovered that he couldn't move at all!

The excruciating pain that coursed through his entire body overwhelmed his newly regained consciousness like a tidal wave.

He strained to examine his own body, and his heart sank. His injuries were extremely severe, far worse than he had felt before losing consciousness:

His body was on the verge of collapse; his sternum was shattered and sunken in, and every weak breath brought excruciating pain and a grating sensation. His right arm remained charred and withered, its meridians severed, like a dead tree branch.

The area on his left leg where the shadowy tentacles had entangled him had taken on an unhealthy, ashen color, and was cold and numb, as if it were slowly losing its vitality. Multiple meridians throughout his body were broken or blocked, and the flow of qi and blood had completely ceased.

His vital energy was completely depleted, and his dantian was empty. The vital energy that used to flow like a stream was now as dry as cracked earth, unable to gather even a trace. His spirit was also dim and lifeless, like a candle flickering in the wind, about to go out.

The demonic energy lingered. Although the strange passage between the heart and brain, forcibly opened by the demonic energy, was no longer active, it still existed, like a cold scar, faintly exuding an ominous aura.

The injury was too serious.

The presence of two Earth Immortals, even just the aftershocks of their clash and the instinctive rebound of their divine power at the end, almost completely destroyed his physical body. His vital energy was exhausted; he no longer had the strength to even allow his muscles to twitch slightly.

Unfortunately... he had already eaten all the food and pills he stored in the mustard seed bracelet in order to recover quickly outside the Ghost King's Iron House, and now there was no external supplement that could help him recover even a trace of strength.

is there any method?
Gao Jian thought quickly, going through all the abilities, secret techniques, and even the characteristics of the rusty knife that he knew.

The conclusion was chilling—there was no way. With his current knowledge of abilities, there was none that could bring someone back to life when their essence, blood, spirit, and soul were completely depleted, and their physical body was nearly destroyed. He couldn't even manage to squeeze himself out of that crevice.

A true desperate situation.

Are we going to be trapped and die in this dark and hopeless crevice after just getting a glimmer of hope?

No... there's one last possibility.

The techniques given by Xiao Ba.

The Sutra of the Illumination of the Heart's Lamp...directly points to the spiritual light of the mind, igniting an inextinguishable lamp of the heart amidst chaotic thoughts...without relying on vital energy.

This is his only option, one he's never tried before. Let's give it a shot.

A dead horse is treated as a living horse doctor.

Gao Jian abandoned all distracting thoughts and ignored the excruciating pain all over his body, immersing all his remaining consciousness into the "Heart Lamp Illuminating Shadow Sutra" that had just been imprinted in his mind.

Gao Jian abandoned all distracting thoughts and completely immersed his remaining mind in the profound teachings of the "Heart Lamp Illuminating Shadows Sutra".

The true meaning of the practice flows through my heart like a clear spring.

Heaven and earth regard man as a mayfly, and the Great Dao regards heaven and earth as a bubble.

Only the primordial spirit and true nature transcend the primordial cycle and rise above it; its essence and energy decay along with heaven and earth. However, with the primordial spirit present, there is the limitless, from which heaven and earth are born. If one can protect the primordial spirit, one transcends yin and yang and is not within the three realms. Only then can one see one's true nature, what is called one's original face.

This scripture goes straight to the root, stating that the physical body's essence will eventually decay with the world, but only the primordial spirit and true nature are eternal and indestructible. The path of cultivation lies in protecting this primordial spirit and true nature, and transcending it.

The specific method of cultivation is to regard the mind as the pivot of the Big Dipper and the Qi as the stars. The Qi of my body is interconnected throughout my limbs and bones. Do not exert too much effort to train the conscious mind, cut off delusions, and prevent the conscious mind from being affected by external influences. Let yourself drift outside the universe, because the body is empty, forgetting the emptiness contained within the physical body.

With profound insight, this method is not about forcibly circulating depleted vital energy, but rather about regarding the mind as the central North Star, naturally connecting the remaining, scattered, and minute traces of energy within the body. Without deliberate effort or coercion, this method trains the acquired "consciousness," eliminating false views and allowing the consciousness to transcend the mundane, comprehend emptiness, and forget the constraints of this heavy, injured body.

Following the method, he no longer tried to mobilize the non-existent vital energy, but instead focused all his consciousness on the "heart"—the clear and unobstructed true nature. Gradually, he entered a state of meditative absorption, where the excruciating pain throughout his body seemed to fade into the distance.

In this state of extreme stillness, a strange change occurred.

A faint light gradually appeared around Gao Jian's silent body. This light was not physical light visible to the naked eye, but a divine light that could only be perceived by spiritual beings or those with special divine eyes.

There is an old story about divine light:

An old scholar was walking at night when he suddenly encountered his deceased friend. The scholar, always upright and honest, was not afraid and asked, "Where are you going?"

The deceased friend replied, "I am now working in the underworld, on my way to Nancun to collect souls. We can go together." So the two traveled together to a dilapidated house. The ghost official said, "This is the scholar's house." The scholar asked how he knew.

The ghost official said, “Mortals toil and bustle during the day, obscuring their spirit. Only when they sleep, with no thoughts arising, do their primordial spirits become clear and bright. The words they read in their hearts will emit light, emanating from their hundred orifices, appearing ethereal and colorful, as splendid as brocade. Those with profound learning who leave their mark on history will have their divine light soaring to the heavens, vying with the stars and moon for brilliance; the next level will have light several feet high, the next level several feet, decreasing in rank, with the worst being like a firefly illuminating a window. This kind of light is invisible to humans, only to ghosts and gods. The light on this roof is seven or eight feet high, so I know it is the residence of a scholar.”

The scholar then asked, "I've studied all my life, how bright was the light when I was asleep?" The ghost official hesitated for a long time before saying, "Yesterday, I passed by your school and you were taking a nap. I saw a tall book of lectures in your chest, five or six hundred scrolls of ink, seventy or eighty chapters of scriptures, and thirty or forty chapters of strategies. Every word turned into thick black smoke, shrouding the roof. The students' recitations seemed to come from the thick clouds and fog. I really didn't see a single ray of light, so I dare not speak nonsense."

The scholar, upon hearing this, angrily rebuked the ghost official, who then laughed and left.

Although this is a joke, it reveals the mystery that divine light is the manifestation of the primordial spirit and the mind.

At this moment, the divine light that appeared around Gao Jian was initially only seven or eight feet long, just like that of the scholar in the dilapidated house.

However, the light did not stop.

He had read a lot of books, and his mind was even more transparent. At this moment, his mind was becoming clearer and more luminous, and the light began to rise steadily!
The light burst forth, breaking through one or two zhang... like a spring that had accumulated enough power, gushing out!

Four or five zhang!
Its divine light shone brightly, though it could not reach the heavens, it far surpassed that of ordinary scholars, and in the depths of this dark and desolate hellish rift, it was like a quietly lit lamp.

This light was not formed from essence or energy, but was a direct manifestation of his primordial spirit, true nature, will, and thoughts! It pierced through the severe injuries and exhaustion of his physical body, opening up an unprecedented path for him in this absolute predicament.

Under the divine light, even the wisp of cold demonic energy between his mind and heart seemed to tremble slightly.

Gao Jian was indeed an extremely enthusiastic learner and a keen researcher. This divine light, though explained through literary allusions, is not exclusive to scholars, nor is it related to gods. Its essence is the "light of the mind," a direct reflection of the depth of thought, focus, and moral cultivation of every intelligent being.

All the thoughts, ideas, and beliefs of mortals will leave traces on this mysterious level and manifest as light.

Reading enlightens the mind, investigating things leads to knowledge, and deep thinking brings clarity of mind, thus illuminating one's spirit. Learning is indeed one of the most effective ways to systematically hone one's intellect and enhance one's spiritual brilliance.

However, it is by no means the only way. Practicing martial arts to the point of perfection, where every move contains divine intent, and the strength of one's will and the depth of one's understanding, can also radiate a strong divine light.

Craftsmen delve into their skills, pursuing perfection within a small space, their minds and souls immersed in the craft, where sparks of inspiration occasionally dazzle. Similarly, elites in all walks of life, who dedicate themselves to their fields with utmost passion and relentless refinement, single-mindedly pursuing excellence, will see their inner light accumulate and manifest itself imperceptibly.

Ordinary people do not possess divine brilliance; they do not delve deeply into anything they do; they do not seek thorough understanding in their studies, only aiming to pass; they practice only sporadically. Naturally, their divine brilliance does not appear, their minds are scattered, they dabble in everything and never truly temper and solidify their will.

Those who are naturally intelligent and have exceptional comprehension, even if they seem lazy, have active minds and innate spirituality, and often have flashes of brilliance; this is their natural talent.

Gao Jian is a person of extraordinary talent.

What's even more remarkable is that he wasn't just talented. Whether it was studying diligently while in school or fighting desperately in martial arts cultivation after transmigrating, he devoted himself with astonishing focus and effort.

Every brush with death, every contemplation of the essence of power, subtly tempered his mind and refined his spirit.

At this moment, in this desperate situation, the "Heart Lamp Illuminating Shadows Sutra" is like a key, unlocking the treasure trove within him that had long been accumulated but had never been truly activated!

His divine light would not merely remain at four or five zhang.
The light continued to surge!

Five zhang, six zhang, seven zhang... ten zhang!
Still going on!

(End of this chapter)