From the Carp that Brings Children to the Celestial Officials

Chapter 532 The Path of Cultivation (3k words, requesting monthly votes)

You Ming sat cross-legged on a branch of the Azure Divine Tree inside the [Cave Heaven], where all was extremely quiet.

His breathing was slow, the wind stopped but the water moved, the clouds condensed but the light scattered, filled with a strange atmosphere.

"The constant is the principle of all things; the impermanent is the fate of all things. The constant and the impermanent return to oneness, which is the Dao."

With each breath he took, it seemed as if someone was continuously chanting scriptures around him.

However, the syllables that were pronounced did not resemble any known language and were full of obscure and difficult meanings.

But ironically, as soon as you hear this voice, it's as if you can transform the content of the scripture into information that you can understand.

Some birds folded their wings and listened quietly in the distance.

Some fish in Mirror Lake also cautiously poked their heads out of the water, seemingly infected by the charm of the scene.

The Azure Divine Tree swayed its branches slightly, seemingly enjoying itself, and the amount of spiritual energy it absorbed from the void increased. Its originally weak intelligence also gradually grew amidst this swaying.

You Ming was cultivating the "Scripture of the Return to the Origin of the Constant and the Impermanent." He did not hide it from others. Although he had come up with this method through his own understanding, its essence was condensed by the power of all living beings.

Since this sutra comes from sentient beings, it should also return to sentient beings.

The sound of chanting scriptures slowly spread throughout the cave.

Even if many people don't understand it, they can still gain some insight from this Taoist rhyme.

Within Youming's mind, a vast world, woven with the threads of time, slowly unfolds.

The fates of countless people intertwined in his consciousness like ocean currents.

Some people are born, and some people die.

Some are rich and noble, while others are poor and lowly.

Some people get married in the spring, while others die in the cold night.

All of this intertwines into a vast web of destiny.

He stood outside the large net, but every thread of the net was connected to his body.

"Fate is predetermined, but the Way is formless..."

The scriptures continued to be recited slowly, and these interwoven threads, like a spider web, formed a huge circular seal behind him, slowly embedding itself between heaven and earth.

As Youming's mind calmed down, all the threads of fate, all the noise, and all the thoughts converged on one point.

He slowly withdrew his cultivation. At his current level, the form of cultivation was also moving towards a more profound and mysterious realm.

Originally, cultivation was about pursuing the flow of Qi through the meridians, refining magical power, and forging a Dharma form... Although it was tedious and complicated, it was still within a comprehensible range.

However, in the later stages, one needs to continuously comprehend the Way of Heaven.

Everyone perceives the Way of Heaven in different ways, and the content of their perception is also different. This extremely abstract practice has completely reached the level of "enlightenment".

Any cultivator with an comprehension level below 5 points will almost certainly be unable to comprehend the Heavenly Dao, which means they will never be able to reach the Earth Immortal level.

As you progress further, the requirements for comprehension become increasingly higher, even drastically, which will filter out a large number of so-called geniuses.

Those who can reach the level of immortals, aren't they all geniuses?
They are geniuses who have lived from a very long time ago to the present day.

You Ming was extremely grateful that he had the cheat code. Otherwise, with his trashy innate talent, let alone reaching this level, it would have been a blessing from the heavens if he could even achieve the [Mysterious Light] realm.

That is why diligence is no longer of great significance; if you can glean insights from the Way of Heaven, your cultivation will naturally increase. If you cannot gain these insights, even a hundred years of sitting in meditation will be in vain.

"Chen Xiujie has been in seclusion for five years to break through to the [Tribulation] realm. I wonder how things are going."

"However, this step shouldn't be too difficult for him."

You Ming strolled around the [Cave Heaven] at his leisure, which was almost his daily habit.

When I have nothing to do, I take a walk and let my mind wander.

"The twelve immortal disciples will likely all break through within the next twenty or thirty years. Therefore, most of the tribulations they will have to go through will be related to this chaotic world."

"If successful, one can hone oneself in the chaos of the times and step into the realm of the Earth Immortal in one fell swoop."

"If it fails, even the twelve immortal disciples will perish in obscurity."

You Ming has now switched to cultivating the "Scripture of the Return to the Origin of Constant and Impermanent Things," and he is now connected to destiny. He is already able to vaguely grasp some trends from the ocean currents of destiny.

Many seemingly unrelated things are actually interconnected.

You Ming's thoughts were scattered, half on the present world and half immersed in destiny. If anyone had seen the Taiwei Dao Master, they would find that the two of them were becoming increasingly similar in temperament.

Just then, You Ming suddenly sensed some strange incense smoke rising and converging towards him.

These incense sticks are golden in color, with only a faint red glow lingering around them, indicating that the incense is of extremely high quality.

He initially thought it was some kind of illegal incense offering and was about to disperse it when he discovered that it wasn't illegal at all.

Rather, it is a normal incense offering that truly follows his principles.

He immediately pulled over a wad of incense, and his consciousness instantly explored the connection in the dark.

Before long, he chuckled to himself. He hadn't expected that Yang Qinglian and the White Dragon would cause so much trouble after they left, and judging from their appearance, they seemed to be in a completely different situation.

……

"Hiss!" A deep roar echoed from Qingping Lake, where Qingzhou and Jiangzhou meet.

Then a cloud of black mist shot up from underwater and transformed into a monster with a human face, a fish body, bloodshot eyes, and a mouthful of fangs.

The water droplets that fell from its body splashed onto the ground, leaving charred marks.

Not far from the lake, many locals who witnessed this scene turned pale.

Some of the more timid ones had even knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly, crying out things like "Lake God, spare my life."

"What a load of bull, what kind of lake god is this?"

"It's just a fish demon that has gained some power. It has eaten some people and become somewhat powerful by relying on its meager magic."

"Within thirty miles of this lake, more than twenty fishermen have already been swallowed up. Your evil deeds are too great, and today you must pay the price!"

When Yang Qinglian saw the fish demon, her voice was cold and clear. With a light touch of her toes, her figure swept into the lake like the wind.

The fish demon was filled with malevolent energy and resentment, which meant that it was not a demon practicing asceticism, but rather one that had gained its power by eating people.

The sword in her hand suddenly burst forth with light, and the "Return to Origin Three Realms Sword Technique" taught to her by You Ming unfolded in her hand.

His swordsmanship was steady, and his aura was in harmony with his body. When he drew his sword, only flashes of sword light could be seen, splitting into countless afterimages.

The sword in her hand was also extremely sharp. Caught off guard, the fish demon's scales burst open and blood flowed freely.

"Chichi."

The blood of the fish demon is also highly corrosive. When it falls into the water, it quickly turns into clumps of black mist that spread out like ink.

"Roar."

This fish demon, used to lording it over everyone in this area, was suddenly attacked and was filled with shock and anger. It opened its mouth and spat out water vapor, which quickly condensed into water arrows and shot towards Yang Qinglian.

But Yang Qinglian was already prepared, so she remained calm throughout.

As she moved her feet, she stepped out in circles of varying sizes, and the arrows were grazed by her body as she dodged them.

Then Yang Qinglian flicked her wrist, and the tip of her sword went straight to the weak spot on the fish demon's abdomen.

Her movements seemed slow, yet she moved as if she were riding the wind, and the surrounding water vapor seemed to aid her.

"Qiang."

Her sword, thrusting forward, gleamed, its light reflected in the lake, creating a shimmering effect as if stars had fallen to earth.

With a single sword strike, Yang Qinglian's aura also changed.

Her delicate temperament vanished, replaced by purity and sharpness.

That sword strike seemed to flow from her heart; it was no longer just pure power, but an extension of "intention."

Where the mind goes, the sword light arises spontaneously.

With a soft murmur, her sword aura suddenly condensed into a point of cold star.
Then it burst through the air and pierced straight into the water demon's brow!
"Thorn."

This sword strike pierced the fish demon's head with ease, as if sinking into mud.

With a slight flick of her wrist, Yang Qinglian shattered the fish demon's head into pieces.

The fish demon was extremely unwilling and terrified, but its strength was only roughly equivalent to the early stage of the third level of demon beast cultivation, the [Blood Return] stage.

Such strength posed little threat to Yang Qinglian.

After its roar echoed in the wind for a moment, its body slammed heavily onto the water, stirring up waves. The fish demon then revealed its true form, transforming into a large fish with shattered scales.

The fish's mouth opened weakly, and black blood was gushing from the huge wound on its head, making it look extremely disgusting.

Yang Qinglian flicked her wrist, and the sword emitted a slight tremor.

The sword remained as smooth as new, and the fish demon's corrosive bodily fluids were completely unable to harm it.

"Saint!"

"Holy Maiden, you are amazing! Is this the swordsmanship taught by the gods? It is indeed much more powerful than the martial arts learned by humans!"

Just as Yang Qinglian sheathed her sword, a group of ragged men surrounded her, speaking with fanaticism.

"I told you, don't call me Saintess. Our team that spreads the true god will not set up such an absurd position as Saintess."

Yang Qinglian felt somewhat helpless. She had taught them many times, but they just couldn't change their way of speaking. She was exhausted.

Fortunately, being called a saintess doesn't affect You Ming's faith; she's starting to feel like she's getting used to the title.

But they have now changed the name of their organization; it is no longer called "Rebirth Sect" but "Crossing Calamity Society".

The original pursuit of death and rebirth has transformed into the pursuit of a better life and the overcoming of suffering. Moreover, the word "religion" is no longer used as a suffix; instead, a word with less religious connotations is used.

“Yes, Holy Fairy, I have recorded what just happened. I will write it into different chapters based on your deeds of subduing demons and saving people.”

Among this group was an elderly man, a former student who had lived a life of mediocrity, neither good at literature nor martial arts. But as he approached the end of his life, he encountered a fairy sent by a deity to save him from suffering.

He felt as if he had found a new direction in life.

(End of this chapter)