Invasion of the Heavens from Eternal Life

Chapter 21 Wu Qingfeng's First Encounter with Cultivation
Because of Fang Han and Pang Bo's strenuous efforts, Ye Fan did not become a guest of Lingxu Cave Heaven as in the original book, but joined Lingxu Cave Heaven with the two of them and became a member of Lingxu disciples.

"When I came here, I heard from Senior Sister Weiwei that the first stage of cultivation is the Wheel Sea Realm. Cultivating this realm requires opening the Sea of ​​Bitterness, drawing out the Life Spring, and constructing the Divine Bridge to reach the other shore. But what is the Sea of ​​Bitterness, and what are the Life Spring, the Divine Bridge, and the other shore?"

Fang Han asked in confusion.

These mysterious things cannot be practiced at all without a master to lead the way, and without specific mantras and guidance.

Just like knowing the sixteen-character cultivation formula of "refining essence into qi, refining qi into spirit, refining spirit into emptiness, refining emptiness into the Dao", everyone knows it, but how many people in the world can successfully practice it? From this, you can imagine how difficult it is to practice.

"Who knows these things? My biggest wish now is to eat a big bowl of braised pork. In the past half month, my mouth is almost dry. It seems that our identity as immortal seedlings is not very useful!" Pang Bo complained.

"Don't complain, Pangbo. I believe the elders of the sect will not leave us alone. Maybe there is a reason for this! If you really want to practice, you should be patient and not be impatient." Ye Fan said calmly.

Although he had long been identified as a useless person and had to drag Fang Han and Pang Bo into the Lingxu Cave Heaven, Ye Fan's mentality was always optimistic.

"It seems you can't wait to embark on the path of cultivation. Very good, I've come just in time."

At this moment, an old but strong voice came from outside the hut.

"coming!"

Fang Han said excitedly, but his expression was normal.

"Who, who is talking!" Pang Bo said.

This voice also attracted the attention of Fang Han, Ye Fan and Pang Bo.

The three of them came outside the house.

Then they saw an old man with a ruddy complexion and snow-white hair and beard floating above the low mountain. When he saw the three people, his clothes fluttered like a god and he flew in front of them.

"Old Immortal, who are you?" Fang Han asked.

"Haha! You are not worthy of being an immortal. My name is Wu Qingfeng, and I am the elder of Lingxu Cave Heaven. From now on, I will teach you how to practice." The old man said with a peaceful face.

"Greetings, Elder Wu! We've finally seen you!" Pang Bo excitedly said, then complained, "Elder, could you please ask the person delivering our meal to give us a couple of chicken legs or duck legs or something? We haven't had anything oily to eat these days, and life is simply unbearable!"

Seeing Pang Bo like this, Fang Han couldn't help laughing.

Ye Fan did not speak, but observed the old man carefully. Seeing that the old man had a free and easy temperament and an ethereal air, he was obviously a man who had attained enlightenment. He could not help but nod secretly.

"Don't be anxious. The reason I didn't teach you cultivation when you first arrived was to help you abandon the many desires that come with cultivation, including the desire for food and drink. If you can't calm your mind, how will you be able to face the various temptations you encounter when you enter cultivation in the future?"

The old man spoke with a serious expression, saying, "If you have any questions about cultivation now, you can ask me. Don't pretend to know when you don't, and make a fool of yourself."

"Excuse me, Elder, what is cultivation?" Fang Han asked.

As the saying goes, the master is the one who has achieved great things. Even though Wu Qingfeng was only at the level of the Wheel Sea Divine Bridge in the original work, it was more than enough for him to guide the three of them. Although he had read the original work and knew all the terms of cultivation and magical powers, Fang Han was still confused about the essence of cultivation. "Not bad!"

Looking at Fang Han, the old man's eyes showed admiration and he said loudly:
"The universe is filled with endless dust particles, and within each speck of dust lies a boundless world. If our bodies are likened to the universe, then within them, too, are endless 'boundless worlds,' constituting our flesh and blood. These 'boundless worlds' are what we call 'gateways of potential.' The Buddhist saying 'one flower, one world' embodies this principle. Regardless of the practice, the ultimate goal is to open and penetrate these endless gates of potential and seek our true self. This is the essence of spiritual practice."

"Door?"

"The Gate of Potential?"

"Open the door to potential?"

Hearing this, the three of them fell into deep thought, but they still understood the old man's description of cultivation.

"So, the reason why practitioners can fly and hide in the ground is because they have opened the door to potential in their bodies?" Ye Fan asked.

"Yes and no."

Wu Qingfeng said.

Seeing that the three people listened attentively and understood what he said, they nodded and continued, "All things in the universe change with the passage of time. Some are born and die, while others are immortal. There is a law within this. Time is fair and leaves its mark on every living being. Just like a tree, with each year it grows, it carves a growth ring. Animals and even humans are the same. 'Growth rings' are also called 'wheels of life'. Cultivation begins from here!"

Seeing that Fang Han and the other two seemed to understand, the old man continued, "Everything has its origin, and humans have it too. It is the fundamental source of life's vitality and contains all our vital energy. Therefore, it is also called the 'Wheel of Life'."

"I kind of understand!"

Fang Han suddenly understood. Ye Fan and Pang Bo also roughly understood the meaning.

"Elder Wu, I wonder where the wheel of life is in our human body?" Ye Fan asked.

"Below the navel! It's also the most perfect dividing point between the upper and lower parts of the human body." Elder Wu Qingfeng explained.

"The most perfect dividing point between the upper and lower parts of the human body?" At this moment, Fang Han suddenly thought of the Tai Chi diagram. Isn't the curve in the middle of the Tai Chi diagram the most perfect line dividing the Tai Chi? How similar is this to the function of the wheel sea!
"The Wheel of Life is a palm-sized area below the navel. It's where our essence is stored. It's the very foundation of a cultivator!" the old man emphasized. "The Wheel of Life will erode with time, leaving traces like the rings of a tree. Gradually drying up, if it dries up completely, the Wheel of Life will completely collapse, marking the end of a person's life."

"I see!"

At this moment, the three of them also understood the location and significance of the Wheel Sea.

"Elder Wu, I once heard Senior Sister Weiwei say that the first realm of cultivation is the wheel sea. Isn't the so-called wheel sea the wheel of life?" Fang Han asked.

After all, when I read the original work, I could only read ten lines at a glance. There were so many details in it that it was impossible for me to remember them all.

"The Wheel of Sea is related to the Wheel of Life, but there are also differences," the old man explained.

"Although the Wheel of Life is but the size of a palm, it harbors its own world. The Sea of ​​Bitterness was born alongside it, covering it like the ocean covering the seabed. Not only does time erode the Wheel of Life, but the Sea of ​​Bitterness does too, which is the origin of its 'suffering'. The very foundation of spiritual practice lies in the Wheel of Life, so if a cultivator wishes to achieve a life longer than that of a mortal, they must not be trapped in the Sea of ​​Bitterness."

(End of this chapter)