The Northern Song Dynasty returned south, seeking the truth of the Dao.

"May I ask what you mean by this, Daoist Master? To be honest, I've heard this phrase from many people, but I've never understood it." Wang Zhenhuan was so tired of hearing this phrase that he was practically sick of it.

But no one ever explained it to him. He only knew that he was very likely a deity descended to earth, but he had no idea which deity it was or why it had descended.

"Call me 'Master.' Since you've heard this phrase before, you should know your place. In my Taoist tradition, immortals who descend to the mortal realm naturally become the direct disciples of the patriarch after entering the Tao. Do you understand?" Master Xuan Yangzi explained.

"What is a direct disciple?" Wang Zhenhuan pressed, unwilling to give up so easily. He had already endured too much hardship on his path to enlightenment.

"Generally, the sect leader accepts disciples on behalf of the master, making them direct disciples of the patriarch. In my Taiqing lineage, if you become a disciple, you will become a direct disciple of the Taiqing patriarch."

Master Xuan Yangzi patted Wang Zhenhuan's palm and placed his hand back on his lap. After hearing his explanation, Wang Zhenhuan's eyes suddenly lost their luster, and he muttered to himself.

"So, if I want to enter the Dao, I must go to the ancestral temple of any of the Three Pure Ones, and have the sect leader personally accept me as a disciple on my behalf, before I will have the opportunity to cultivate?"

Indeed.

Wang Huanzhen collapsed to the ground. Xuan Yangzi's words shattered his dream of becoming a disciple and entering the Dao. The thought that he still had to travel south to the ancestral temple of the three lineages to become a disciple filled him with sorrow.

He bit his lip tightly, not wanting to make a sound. The rain outside grew heavier, each drop seeming to fall on his heart, chilling him to the bone.

Wang Zhenhuan lowered his head, hugging his knees, looking at his shadow cast by the fire, so small and helpless. Suddenly, he remembered something and turned to Xuan Yangzi with resentment.

"Sir, isn't it said that immortals descending to the mortal realm have no outward signs or omens? Why was it that both Master Luo Puzi, whom I met before, and you, Master, could tell at a glance that I have an affinity with the Dao?"

"How Master Luo Puzi saw it, I do not know. But I certainly did not see it with my eyes, but rather I cast a divination for you before, and the divination showed that you have an affinity with my Taoist school."

Furthermore, I sensed a trace of spiritual light within you just now using my spiritual energy. That's why I deduced this. Unless someone has had close contact with you, it's impossible to confirm your identity from the outside.

To reassure Wang Zhenhuan, Master Xuanyangzi explained in great detail. Wang Zhenhuan immediately understood that there really was a trace of spiritual light remaining within him, which explained why he always vaguely recalled memories of his past life.

At first, he thought it was due to an abnormality in his soul, but now he realized that it was what was called a spark of inspiration. Before, he thought that his soul had been damaged because he had transmigrated.

Therefore, the people and events of his past life were all blurred in his memory and could not be recalled. It turned out that everything was preordained. As if sensing this, Wang Zhenhuan remained silent.

Master Xuan Yangzi raised his hand and beckoned to the air, saying softly, "Why are you silent? I said I couldn't accept you as a disciple, but I didn't say I couldn't teach you cultivation."

Wang Zhenhuan froze on the spot upon hearing Xuan Yangzi's words. Looking at the old Taoist priest before him, his hair completely white and his eyes sunken, Xuan Yangzi's words seemed to pierce his heart like a ray of light.

The CD player dispelled the gloom and rescued him from the darkness. Wang Huanzhen looked up and asked incredulously, "Daoist Master? I am not a disciple of Taiqing..."

"It's alright, I won't teach you the Taiqing Technique. It just so happens that I obtained a true scripture during my recent trip north. It was written by the Supreme Dao Ancestor during his early westward journey." Xuan Yangzi stroked his beard, clapped his hands beside him, and gestured for Wang Huanzhen to sit down.

Wang Zhenhuan was so excited he could hardly contain himself. He hurriedly got up from the ground and sat down next to Xuan Yangzi. This dramatic shift in emotions, from extreme sorrow to overwhelming joy, made him tremble all over.

Xuan Yangzi smiled and patted Wang Huanzhen on the back to comfort him. Then, after rummaging in his robes for a moment, he took out what looked like a newly ordered book and handed it to Wang Huanzhen.

Wang Zhenhuan was puzzled and was about to ask a question when he heard the Taoist Xuanyangzi say, "This book is called the 'True Scripture of Primordial Dao Qi,' and it was left behind by the incarnation of the Supreme Dao Ancestor."

Originally written on bamboo slips, it self-destructed after seeing the light of day again. Fortunately, the old Taoist was present at the time, and this is an excerpt; you should examine it carefully and ponder it deeply.”

Upon hearing Master Xuan Yangzi's words, Wang Zhenhuan's doubts vanished. Master Xuan Yangzi meant that he happened to be present when the original text was destroyed, and thus he recorded the contents of the scripture.

This suggests that the Taoist priest's eyes were not yet blind at that time. This also confirms his previous conjecture. Judging from the Taoist priest Xuan Yangzi's habitually glancing around, his blindness had not lasted long.

Wang Zhenhuan suppressed these thoughts and carefully opened the ancient book. The first page contained only six large characters: "The True Scripture of Primordial Dao Qi". The characters were powerful and elegant, flowing like clouds and water.

In China, there's an ancient saying that one can judge a person by their handwriting. Judging from the handwriting, this book was clearly written by Daoist Xuan Yangzi himself. Wang Huanzhen carefully turned the pages.

After reading for about fifteen minutes, Wang Zhenhuan closed the book. It was only a few thin pages long, roughly three thousand words. Although the text was short, it was all easy to understand.

He initially thought that such a profound scripture must be obscure and difficult to understand, requiring a great deal of time to study. But after reading it, he realized how ridiculous his previous idea was.

The purpose of leaving behind scriptures was naturally to pass on the methods of cultivation. For them to be passed down, they needed to be written in a simple and easy-to-understand style. However, he was prejudiced from the start, which is why he had that thought earlier.

The scriptures not only recorded how to cultivate, but also explained the five elements of heaven and earth, and the great principles of yin and yang. Every sentence was extremely profound. Even he, who had never been exposed to cultivation, couldn't help but admire them.

As the saying goes, true teachings can be conveyed in a single sentence, while family heirlooms can fill countless volumes. The Supreme Daoist Ancestor, indeed one of the most prolific patriarchs incarnated, left behind truly profound scriptures. To ensure that everyone could understand them, he strived to use simple and straightforward language.

It explains the principles of Yin and Yang in the universe. Besides cultivation, the book also discusses two ways of living in the world: cultivating the mind and cultivating the body. Cultivating the mind is the foundation of cultivating the Tao.

If the mind is restless, the spirit cannot be at peace. People are troubled by the seven emotions and six desires, and burdened by worldly affairs. This wastes energy, causes entanglement in gains and losses, slows down spiritual practice, and may even lead to a regression in spiritual attainment.

Therefore, cultivating the mind is the prerequisite for spiritual practice; only by calming the mind can one cultivate the body, and only by cultivating the body can one nurture one's character. A peaceful temperament and upright values ​​are essential for cultivating the Great Way. As Master Luo Puzi previously stated:

Only by understanding one's own mind can one attain true truth; this is the ultimate truth of heaven and earth!