You've only been cultivating for a few years, and you're already talking about cultivating

"The human body itself possesses the Three Pure Ones; there is no need to seek them externally!" said the "Sword."

"They are not gods, but rather the three levels of the Great Dao corresponding to itself."

The "sword" was explained in a gentle, detailed manner, like a senior cultivator recounting the story to a junior:

"Yuanshi Tianzun is the essence of the Dao, the primordial ancestral Qi, born before heaven and earth, without beginning or end. He is the origin of all things, the source of the Dao nature inherent in all beings, neither born nor dying, and untouched by acquired influences."

"Lingbao Tianzun is the embodiment of the Dao, inheriting the primordial Dao body, transforming Yin and Yang, and differentiating all phenomena. He is the pivot between the primordial essence and the acquired world, and governs the growth, transformation, and flow of Qi of all things in the universe."

"The Heavenly Venerable of Morality is the manifestation of the Dao and the embodiment of virtue. He descended to earth to establish teachings and educate people. He is the practical guideline of the Dao in the post-mortem world, teaching people to cultivate virtue, understand the Dao, and govern their nature with reason."

Qi Fei understood instantly.

Isn't this just three "I"s? They've just replaced the three "I"s with the titles of the Three Pure Ones!

"Yuanshi Tianzun" is the essence of the Dao, the primordial ancestral energy, born before heaven and earth, without beginning or end, and the origin of all things. Isn't this "the self endowed by the primordial nature"?

"Lingbao Tianzun" is responsible for the transformation of Yin and Yang and the differentiation of all phenomena. He is the pivot between the innate essence and the acquired world, and he governs the growth and transformation of all things in the universe and the flow of Qi. Isn't this the life activity of the physical body and the transformation of essence and Qi, that is, "the instinct of the physical body"?

"The Moral Celestial Venerable" is the practical guideline of the Tao in the post-natal world, teaching people to cultivate virtue and understand the Tao, and to govern their nature with reason. Isn't this the ideal personality that people form after birth through learning, rational construction, and moral practice? It is the core of "transforming people with the Tao and cultivating oneself with reason," that is, "the ideal self of post-natal rationality."

"So that's how it is! So that's how it is!" Qi Fei suddenly realized, as if enlightened.

What is cultivation about? Is it spiritual energy? Is it magical power? Is it magical treasures?

neither!

It's about cognition!

When people face the world, it's like the blind men touching an elephant.

Those who touched the legs said it was a pillar, those who touched the tail said it was a rope, and those who touched the belly said it was a wall. Everyone thought they had touched everything.

Now, although the monks have only touched one leg of the elephant, they at least know that it is not a pillar, but a part of the elephant.

More importantly, they already clearly know which "hand" touched the elephant, so the cultivator uses the false to cultivate the true, and seeks the truth by knowing the false.

Although it may not be true in the end, it is still much better than those who touch an elephant's leg and swear that it is a "pillar".

The overwhelming power of higher-level cultivators over lower-level cultivators is not only in terms of magical strength, but also in terms of cognition.

"And what comes after the Three Pure Realms?" Qi Fei asked.

"It's the Golden Core Realm," "Sword" said.

"The Golden Core stage comes after the Three Pure Ones?" Qi Fei frowned. "This order seems a bit strange."

The voice of "Sword" carried the composure of a thousand-year-old cultivator: "What's strange about it?"

"It just feels like... the Three Pure Ones are very large, while the Golden Core is very small," Qi Fei said.

The sword retorted, "Where is the Three Pure Ones greatest?"

Qi Fei wanted to ask what the Three Pure Ones were, the creator gods in Taoism, but then he remembered what "Sword" had said earlier: "The Three Pure Ones are inherent within the human body; there's no need to seek them externally!"

The sword said, "It's easy to break the spirit within a mountain, but difficult to break the spirit within a heart. You don't actually believe the Three Pure Ones are deities, do you?"

Yes!

Do deities like the Three Pure Ones really exist?

The so-called "god" is a metaphor for a certain function or system of the self, and does not mean that there is a real god.

At this moment, the "sword" was completely different from its previous cheeky self, and spoke like an elder: "The so-called Golden Core refers to a state of being."

"The Three Pure Ones unite as one, governing the Spiritual Treasure with morality, and returning to the Primordial Beginning! It is also about using the spirit to control the qi, and using nature to govern life, cultivating both nature and life, and returning to the Limitless."

"Thus, three flowers bloom atop the head, five vital energies reside within the chest, and a golden elixir enters the abdomen!"

It paused, then its voice suddenly rose a little, like the unconscious exuberance one feels when someone is talking excitedly.

"My fate is in my own hands, not in the heavens!"

Qi Fei couldn't help but blurt out, "Great freedom?"

"Great freedom?" "Sword" asked rhetorically.

"Yes." Qi Fei explained the concept of "great freedom," and "Sword" couldn't help but burst into laughter: "Brilliant! Brilliant!"

Qi Fei saw the light trembling, flickering, like a person laughing so hard they bent over, their shoulders shaking.

Its voice carried a hint of joy and excitement: "Very apt, very descriptive. To break free from the shackles of instinct, to break free from one's own chains—that is true freedom, true freedom!"

"The paths to enlightenment may differ, but they are all the same!"

"Did you figure this out yourself?" "Sword" asked.

Qi Fei nodded and said, "Yes!"

These were all things he had come up with on his own, based on his philosophical knowledge from his previous life.

"Very good! Very good! Passing the Dao Name Sword to you is not an insult to the Dao Name Sword."

Qi Fei watched the light, waiting for it to finish laughing, waiting for it to quiet down again, and waiting for the light to re-condense into a stable, unwavering circle.

He heard the light say, "Your current cultivation level is too low. You have the realm, but you lack the method to prove your Dao."

"The method of proving the Dao?" Qi Fei was puzzled.

"That's right! The Dao cannot be understood without proof; all ideas must ultimately be proven." The light said, "It's like you currently have the realm of emptiness, but you lack the 'law' and 'power' that correspond to that realm."

Qi Fei asked, "Does having the 'Shadow God Technique' and the 'Dao Name Sword' mean I've mastered the Dao?"

The light said, "That's just a protective technique. It can help you distinguish between truth and falsehood, help you kill enemies, and protect your own safety, but it cannot allow your realm and 'spiritual energy' to form a 'technique' or a cultivation level."

Do you understand?

Upon hearing this, Qi Fei understood somewhat.

It's as if he already had the concept of "great freedom" in his mind, but this concept couldn't bring him any real improvement.

The previous world had no "spiritual energy," but this world has "spiritual energy." A cultivation method is needed to transform one's understanding into true cultivation, thereby achieving immortality.

This kind of practice is the method of attaining enlightenment.

The Way cannot be understood without proof; what one thinks and comprehends is still a long way from one's actions.

"I understand. What comes after the Golden Core?" Qi Fei asked.

The sword suddenly fell silent. After a while, it said, "I don't know what happened after that. If you are destined, you can go to the Fushan Sword Sect in the south of the South China Sea."

"Oh? South of the South China Sea?" Qi Fei silently memorized this place.

"Yes, it's in a very, very far place, I'll start from there..."

He suddenly stopped talking about the "sword".

"Human..." The voice of the light changed.

The calm, elder-like tone from before was gone, replaced by something unfamiliar and bewildered.

It spoke more slowly.

"Human... I think... I've remembered something from a very, very long time ago."

Its voice was full of confusion, and it had a deep doubt about its own existence.

The "it" from before doesn't seem to be it.