At the peak of Ink Splash Peak, Cao Tianjun raised his head, gazing at the heavens, and inquired, “Master, has Yu Xuan achieved Harmony with the Dao?”

Lu Chen, without needing to observe celestial signs, knew the outcome, nodding, “He has.”

Another cultivator attaining the Fourteenth Realm in the Daoist lineage, a joyous occasion indeed.

Cao Rong remained with his gaze fixed upwards for a long while.

Lu Chen muttered under his breath, “That old scholar just loves to teach, no wonder he favors his closed-door disciple. In this regard, Chen Ping’an is most like the old scholar.”

The lineage of the Literary Saint was not thriving. Among his few direct disciples, Cui Chan and Qi Jingchun possessed immense knowledge, while Zuo You and Jun Qian were comparatively less accomplished and disliked expounding principles to others. Cui Chan, in particular, had only a handful of so-called personal disciples, hardly enough to be considered a teacher whose virtue attracts followers. Although Qi Jingchun founded the Cliff Academy in the Great Li Dynasty, which became one of the Seventy-Two Academies, he soon departed for Lizhu Cave Heaven, becoming a tutor in a village school. Thus, it was Chen Ping’an who most resembled the old scholar in his love for teaching.

The mountain is tall, the moon appears small, the moon is small, yet how bright!

Cao Rong couldn’t help but sigh, “The Literary Saint’s protectiveness of his own is unmatched.”

As Lu Chen’s direct disciple, Cao Rong had a good relationship with the Literary Saint’s lineage. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to obtain a signature from Cui Chan. In fact, shortly after the Cliff Academy was founded, Cao Rong attended Qi Jingchun’s lectures, benefiting greatly. Once, after emerging from seclusion at the Spirit Flight Temple, feeling restless, he descended the mountain and sailed the seas, traveling to the Green Water Pit occupied by the Madam Dan Dan. During this journey, he encountered Zuo You, the sword cultivator who sought immortality at sea, drenched in sword energy. The latter merely asked the Daoist Celestial Sovereign if he knew the whereabouts of Pei Min. Cao Rong replied in the negative. Zuo You nodded in acknowledgment, without further pleasantries. Just as Cao Rong was about to inquire why he was seeking the peerless Pei Min, Zuo You’s figure vanished thousands of miles away in an instant, his sword energy as sharp as a white rainbow piercing the sun.

An unexpected encounter at sea, between two enlightened beings, yet their conversation consisted of fewer than ten words.

Madam Dan Dan, who went by the Daoist name “Azure Bell,” timidly hid in the distance, only daring to appear after Zuo You had departed. She had clearly suffered at the hands of that sword cultivator.

As the rumors suggested, the Literary Saint’s second disciple was ill-tempered even during his studies, and his temper became even more volatile after practicing swordsmanship.

Lu Chen said, “People, if they do not love their parents, how can they love others?”

Cao Rong cautiously asked, “Master, can Zuo You still return to the Vast Expanse?”

Lu Chen suddenly raised his voice, uttering three words with resolute certainty, “A weighty question!”

Cao Rong was somewhat taken aback, awaiting further explanation. However, his master, for some reason, appeared to be frozen in place, standing like a wooden figure for a long time. Cao Rong knew that his question would not receive a definite answer, so he turned to a more practical inquiry, “Now that Yu Xuan has achieved Harmony with the Dao, how does his Daoist skill compare to that of Wu Shuangjiang of the Year-End Palace?”

After all, these two were newly ascended cultivators of the Fourteenth Realm.

The “younger generation” of the Fourteenth Realm also included Xiao Xun, the traitor from the Sword Qi Great Wall and the former Hidden Official. However, according to some rumors from the mountain peaks, both Xiao Xun and the Dragon-Slaying One, while undoubtedly Fourteenth Realm sword cultivators, were not “pure.”

Lu Chen flicked his sleeves, pointing towards the void as if inspecting troops on a battlefield. In an instant, he “moved” more than a dozen kinds of immortal wine from the hidden cellars of various mountains across a continent. Lu Chen allowed Cao Rong to choose a pot for himself. Cao Rong, disliking alcohol, politely declined his master’s offer. Lu Chen casually selected a pot of Spring Slumber Wine from Cultivation Cloud Peak of Cloud Glow Mountain, then waved his sleeves again, returning the remaining wines to their original places. Lu Chen opened the seal, sniffing the aroma. Truly a fine wine brewed by a good friend. He had heard that Marquis Yellow Bell was now the new Mountain Lord of Cloud Glow Mountain, a joyous occasion, and he would have to pay a visit to offer his congratulations. He smiled and said, “Daoist skill? Are you specifically asking about the strength of their fighting abilities?”

Cao Rong nodded.

Lu Chen stroked his chin with one hand, shaking the wine pot with the other, looking troubled. “How should I put it?”

There are roughly three aspects to achieving Harmony with the Dao: opportune timing, advantageous location, and personal qualities. Talisman Yu Xuan followed the path of “opportune timing.” Wu Shuangjiang’s path to Harmony with the Dao was temporarily shrouded in mystery. The Daoist officials at the White Jade Capital, skilled in Yin and Yang, had made some deductions. However, because Wu Shuangjiang was too talented and gifted in cultivation, the Daoist officials could only resort to the most foolish method: brute-force calculation. First, they excluded advantageous location, then gradually eliminated opportune timing, and in the end, they still came up with more than a dozen possibilities…

The key was that during this period, the Third Headmaster of the White Jade Capital had created a lot of “trouble,” causing the already vast and arduous workload of those Daoist officials to… at least double.

The level of lethality of Qi Refiners below the Fourteenth Realm is still relatively easy to judge. The depth of spiritual energy accumulation, the opening of the Qi palace, the types of magical techniques mastered, the number of magical treasures, the matching of natal objects, whether there are trump cards hidden away, undisclosed skills… these can all be quantified and put on paper. However, once a great cultivator achieves Harmony with the Dao and enters the Fourteenth Realm, it becomes a “muddled mess.”

Lu Chen acted strangely, pouring all the Spring Slumber Wine out of the pot. The emerald green wine floated in the air, coalescing into a thin stream, resembling a miniature ditch, illuminated by the moonlight.

Lu Chen slowly said, “Since the Old Immortal Yu can exclusively occupy the two characters ‘Talisman’ in the Vast Expanse, he is naturally a very lethal Ascended Realm cultivator, similar to one of the strongest players in the game of Go. He cannot be compared to ordinary or weak players. Most importantly, talismans can transform into thousands of magical techniques. Flying swords, thunder magic, summoning deities, and so on, can all be achieved with talismans, which is a unique inherent advantage. Therefore, Yu Xuan’s Ascended Realm is the kind that is very capable of fighting in any world.”

“As for our Palace Master Wu, below the Fourteenth Realm, she also follows a path similar to Yu Xuan’s talismans, secretly learning many methods, and mastering them all. She is not the kind of dabbler who is familiar with many things but proficient in none. Therefore, if both sides are in the Ascended Realm and meet on a narrow path, competing to determine victory or death, I believe the fight will be very entertaining, lasting a long time, with various techniques emerging one after another, definitely exciting.”

Cao Rong nodded upon hearing this. There was a persistent saying on the mountain, besides the praise for sword cultivators, “One sword breaks ten thousand techniques,” there was also “Talismans are heaven, encompassing everything.”

Among the major categories of cultivation on the mountain, sword cultivators and talisman cultivators are special existences.
Unlike chess or calligraphy, which have gentler slopes, the paths of sword cultivators and talisman masters are straightforward: you either succeed or you don’t.

Suddenly, the surrounding scenery transformed, placing them at the foot of a mountain, shrouded in a misty dawn. Cao Rong showed no surprise, his Dao heart remained undisturbed, as if merely accompanying his long-separated master on a scenic outing. Though their bodies remained motionless, their spirits ascended with ethereal speed. Cao Rong surveyed their surroundings, surmising they were in a renowned and auspicious mountain, a repository of天地之精華 and fairy-mountain灵气. Ancient pines lined the path, their Daoist robes tinged emerald green by the mountain’s hue. Amidst the rain, the melodies of thrushes and doves rose and fell.

Travelers on the mountain path were mutually supportive and cautious in their steps, ropes connecting them, as if dignitaries bearing imperial decrees were arriving at the mountain seeking immortals.

Cao Rong recognized the place as Quanjiao Mountain through inscriptions along the cliffs. He saw an ancient-looking Daoist, who seemed to be cultivating in a thatched hut, planting flowers and reading. The man ignored them.

He resembled an ancient earth immortal, lingering in the mortal realm, awaiting several more epochs to accumulate enough merit to shed his mortal form and ascend, leaving only his immortal shell in the mountains.

Lu Chen continued, “But after Harmonizing with the Dao, the height and breadth of one’s Dao cannot be measured by ordinary means. For example, in the darkness of night, or in battles beyond the heavens, Yu Xuan, who Harmonized with the Starry River, would undoubtedly have the advantage. But in the human realm, in daylight, if Palace Master Wu were to fully embrace his identity as a military strategist, consumed by bloodlust, he would be terrifying. Generally speaking, unless one side is willing to die, it is very difficult for a fourteenth realm to completely kill another. That’s why for ten thousand years, the mountain’s structure has been one of unchanging fourteenth realms and ever-changing Ascension realms.”

“The reckoning method for the fourteenth realm is completely different from all the preceding realms.”

“It’s impossible to explain the true nature of the inner world to outsiders like you.”

Just as Cao Rong was about to “set foot on the summit,” the scenery changed again, placing them in a small boat.

Thousands of peach trees lined the shore, a sea of red clouds, interspersed with a few white peach trees, their blossoms as endearing as young maidens.

The azure lake was like a newly polished jewel mirror. The spring floods had not yet risen, and the water flowed gently. The boat seemed to be drifting through a landscape painting.

Standing at the bow, Lu Chen produced a peach blossom, twisting it lightly. “Wait and see, within a thousand years, battles between fourteenth realms will become more and more frequent. The fall of the old fourteenth realms, and the rise of new ones, are the inevitable trends.”

“Fourteenth realm cultivators are most wary of Ascension realm sword cultivators. Of course, it’s just wariness, not fear. It’s not too rare for Immortal realm sword cultivators to kill Ascension realms. But for an Ascension realm sword cultivator to kill a fourteenth realm, it’s as difficult as ascending to heaven. But there are exceptions. For example, earlier on that night-sailing ship, Palace Master Wu faced a siege of sword cultivators, among whom Chen Ping An’s Harmonized Dao sword qi of the Great Wall and Ning Yao’s bearing of a world’s fortune were both unreasonable. If I were on that ship, I wouldn’t want to face that situation either. Just a little carelessness, and I might have to face off against the Old Sword Immortal, and take a sword strike from Chen Qingdu. Who wouldn’t be afraid of that?”

This was the first time Cao Rong had heard such secrets, but he wondered what Wu Shuangjiang sought by secretly entering the Boundless World. Could it be simply to test Chen Yingan and Ning Yao’s strength?

Or was Wu Shuangjiang planning to join forces with Chen Ping An and Fallen Phoenix Mountain, and Ning Yao and the Five-Colored World Ascension City, to secretly plot against White Jade Capital?

In the distance, a bridge meandered, and the lake’s surface was like a single piece of emerald glass. The boat moved forward slowly, creating ripples, as if shattering the glass.

Cao Rong suddenly noticed a woman standing amidst the peach trees on the shore, gazing intently at the boat. Beside her stood a horned boy of extraordinary origin, his eyes deep and silent, his sleeves hanging down. They clearly saw the boat on the lake, and their eyes met.

In an instant, the scene returned to Ink Splatter Peak. Lu Chen smiled, “But Palace Master Wu was willing to concede at the time, naturally he was deliberately feigning weakness. His night-sailing ship journey, waiting for the rabbit, was just to determine whether Chen Ping An was qualified to be his ally. Of course, he wouldn’t exert his full strength.”

“Did the first coin appear in the world just to make someone richer?”

“Buddhism has six perfections, and generosity is the first. Pious men and women donate money to temples, and temples use the wealth to distribute throughout the world. The original intention of this circulation is to keep the water flowing and the hinges from rusting.”

Speaking of which, Lu Chen pinched up a “section” of suspended wine in front of him and threw it into his mouth, “If the skill of a cultivator’s Dao is solely determined by fighting ability, is there any meaning?”

Cao Rong nodded, “That’s not right.”

Lu Chen laughed, “Wrong. Human Daoists, when they first started cultivating, it wasn’t for fighting, so what else could it be for?”

Climbing the mountain only to ascend to heaven, to turn the world upside down with boundless generosity.

Lu Chen pinched up that section of rice wine again, turned his head and laughed, “Cao Rong, don’t always be so sullen. Heaven and earth cannot be without harmony for a day, and the human heart cannot be without joy for a day.”

“Besides, your Immortal realm foundation is so well laid. If I hadn’t deliberately tricked you, with your Dao heart and aptitude, you would have been at the peak of the Ascension realm long ago. If your luck on the path of cultivation had been a little better, you might even be touching the threshold of Harmonization with the Dao. All in all, it’s my fault.”

In fact, Cao Rong is a pseudonym. This founder of the Lingfei Temple is named “Tianrui.”

Before this life, his name was Zheng Ze, born in Qi Land, a small country that had long been destroyed, a land of declining ranks and insignificance. Therefore, official records are scarce. Perhaps the only thing mentioned by later generations is the典故 of the杞人忧天. “Zheng Ze” was once a traveling poet.

The next moment, they arrived on an official road. People were riding horses and carriages, riding donkeys, and walking, carrying firewood and selling charcoal.

Lu Chen stopped at the entrance of a post station, Cao Rong saw the plaque, named Choubi Post.

Lu Chen told an interesting story, “Zhang Fenghai of Jade Pivot City, who was imprisoned for eight hundred years, he has left the Yanyun Cave of Zhenyue Palace. Your master’s master, personally promised him that as long as he wins the Trilateral Debate, he can leave the White Jade Capital’s Daoist register. Before I came here, he had just gone to Runyue Peak, preparing to persuade Warrior Xin Ku to establish a sect together. Lv Bixia, a scattered immortal who left the forbidden area with Zhang Fenghai, will assist them. There is also a temporary unknown Shi Xingyuan beside them. If Zhang Fenghai really reaches an agreement, and Xin Ku is willing to come out of the mountain, then this sect of only four people cannot be underestimated.”

Cao Rong shuddered.

Could it be that the Dao Ancestor personally opened the Zhenyue Palace’s confinement to release Zhang Fenghai from the Yanyun Cave?
“Isn’t this letting the tiger return to the mountain?” Who doesn’t know about the feud between Zhang Fenghai of Jade Pivot City and Headmaster Yu? It’s a publicly acknowledged dead knot. Zhang Fenghai isn’t an ordinary cultivation prodigy. Allowing this person to establish a sect, spread its branches, and strengthen its power, even for White Jade Capital, would still be a considerable hidden danger. Because in Cao Rong’s view, if the invasion of the desolate wilderness upon the Nine Provinces of the Grand Sumeru was an examination for both realms, with the Grand Sumeru’s question being “external troubles,” then the turbulent Azure Nether Fourteen Provinces would also face an examination of “internal worries.”

Lu Chen laughed, “Don’t be nervous. In Master’s eyes, my Senior Brother Yu is already burdened with too many debts to care about one more Zhang Fenghai who blossoms outside the wall while remaining within.”

“As for the desolate wilderness, that Zhou Qinggao from the Jiashen Camp, barring any accidents, he’ll replace a certain female cultivator who was abducted by Gu Can of White Emperor City, filling the vacancy of the Heavenly Stems lineage and becoming a leader. I believe his master foresaw all of this long ago. After all the twists and turns, we still arrive at this outcome. Should we say it’s keeping the gravy in the family, or just making a mountain out of a molehill?”

Cao Rong nodded, “Qi cultivators aren’t martial practitioners; it’s difficult for anyone to monopolize all the glory.”

Lu Chen seemed to disagree with this statement, “Didn’t your Senior Uncle Yu once have a personal seal that was stamped on your album of paintings?”

Cao Rong said with a solemn expression, “In literary matters, there may be a first; in martial matters, there is no second.”

Lu Chen laughed, “The ‘literary’ here, of course, isn’t petty poetry or prose, but the exposition of the Daoist law. ‘Martial’ refers to the skill of fighting and engaging in deadly combat.”

Therefore, the content of this seal was the most genuine reflection of his Senior Brother Yu Dou’s heart: to be the foremost among all Daoist arts.

My Dao is supreme; as for fighting skills, sorry, you’ll just have to compete for second place.

Cao Rong’s heart yearned for it, “Only when Senior Uncle Yu says such words do people not find it arrogant, but rather only feel it is filled with heroic spirit.”

Lu Chen asked with a grin, “Cao Rong, if you had to oppose that Senior Uncle Yu, what would you think?”

Cao Rong said with a bitter smile, “How dare I? I wouldn’t even dare to imagine it.”

Lu Chen put on a stern face, “What if you were compelled by the general trend, unable to control yourself? For example, just hypothetically speaking, what if I were to fall out with Senior Brother Yu one day, have a fight, and then be killed by Senior Brother Yu? As a disciple, shouldn’t you avenge your master?”

Cao Rong was dumbfounded.

Lu Chen patted Cao Rong’s shoulder and admonished, “If you can’t even take a joke like this, how will you navigate the world? I have so many virtues; what have you learned?”

At that moment, Lu Chen’s head tilted, and he quickly straightened his Daoist crown.

The one who can’t take a joke the least must be Senior Brother Yu Dou.

Yu Dou’s fights with others were famous for being “one person, one strike.” Until… he encountered that damned A Liang.

Cao Rong obviously also thought of this swordsman with a “dubious reputation,” and asked, “Master, in those two fights outside the heavens, how much strength did Senior Uncle Yu hold back against A Liang?”

Lu Chen hurriedly performed the “wine-moving technique” again, stealing a pot of wine from Changchun Palace. He took a sip to calm his nerves before asking in return, “Shouldn’t you ask me if I held back first?”

Cao Rong only found it inconceivable. No matter how high A Liang’s swordplay was, against the self-proclaimed “True Invincible” Yu, there shouldn’t be any chance of victory. But in reality, in the first fight, A Liang was indeed knocked from outside the heavens back to the Grand Sumeru by Yu Dou’s fist. However, in the second fight, Senior Uncle Yu took a punch from A Liang and fell back into the Azure Nether.

Lu Chen laughed, “This is the essence of Fourteenth Realm battles. However, the secrets of heaven cannot be revealed, especially when it involves the Great Dao of Senior Brother Yu and that ‘so-and-so.’ I won’t tell you any more.”

Cao Rong was puzzled and looked at his master.

Because Senior Brother had once mentioned a unique hobby of Master: Grand cultivators on mountain peaks shouldn’t directly call each other’s names, as it would evoke a reaction. But Master was different. Whenever he was bored, he would “disturb” the other party over and over, waiting for them to curse before starting to chat, regardless of whether the other party wanted to talk or not. But it seemed that when it came to A Liang, Master was unwilling to say “A Liang.”

Lu Chen said with a chuckle, “Think about it, that guy’s punches are tricky, with no martial virtue at all. How can his swordsmanship be any better? I’m also afraid of him.”

After that, Lu Chen took Cao Rong to a civil service examination hall in the second year of Jiayou, and also went to the ninth day of the fifth month in the thirty-first year of Hongwu. Cao Rong saw a room in the imperial palace with white silk hanging from the rafters, women weeping and wailing, and also women with indifferent expressions. Later, they saw a pine keeper in Yishan, where a clear green mountain stream flowed like jade marrow. Lu Chen stopped here, scooped up water to wash his face. At dusk, birds flew onto the eaves of human homes, and clouds surrounded the mountains. Lu Chen sat on the cliff, and apart from the pine keeper, Cao Rong vaguely seemed to see a young Hidden Official in a green gown standing beside his master, enjoying the sunset together. Lu Chen sat and watched the sinking sun, while the green-robed man looked over the green mountains.

Lu Chen suddenly asked, “Cao Rong, ten thousand years ago, do you know who was the youngest Fourteenth Realm cultivator in the human realm?”

Cao Rong shook his head, as there were no records of this matter, and no rumors had spread.

Lu Chen asked with a smile, “Then within ten thousand years?”

Cao Rong looked strange, “Actually, it’s the Literary Sage.”

Lu Chen nodded, “Yes, it’s that old scholar. Just because everyone who sees him likes to call him an old scholar, it’s easy for us to forget that he was a scholar who rose from the First Realm to the Fourteenth Realm within a hundred years. To be precise, he started cultivating at the age of forty, attained the Dao around the age of one hundred, only sixty years.”

“Just because the old scholar harmonized with the luck of the land, it doesn’t seem so earth-shattering. But not many people know the inside story. If it weren’t for the responsibilities of a saint of the Confucian Temple, the old scholar could have completely harmonized with humanity.”

Cao Rong sighed with emotion. When the Literary Sage left the Merit Forest and traveled through Bottle Continent, he once visited the Lingfei Temple and insisted on exchanging calligraphy for wine. Cao Rong didn’t agree, and he now regretted it.
The master and disciple’s feet carried them across shifting landscapes. They arrived at an ancient, rustic pavilion where a master and his two disciples sat, seemingly oblivious to the arrival of Lu Chen and Cao Rong. Lu Chen, chewing on a dry biscuit, squatted beside a chess game. One of the disciples seemed distracted, gazing at the wild geese soaring across the horizon beyond the pavilion.

Later, they found themselves before an ancient temple, its walls resonating with the ebb and flow of the sea tide. The sound of its bells was melodious, seemingly able to penetrate the very heart of a person. Lu Chen crumbled his biscuit and scattered the crumbs on the ground, attracting small birds that fearlessly pecked at the offerings.

Their journey continued until they reached the Luo River. They paused to rest at a humble wayside inn. The river deity of the Luo, it seemed, harbored a deep resentment for all bearing the surname Sima. Lu Chen, lying supine on a canal boat, let his spirit roam the heavens. He instructed Cao Rong to loudly proclaim his surname as Sima. As expected, this provoked the river deity, who stirred up a tempestuous storm. However, the sturdy vessel refused to capsize, despite the deity’s efforts. The river deity, frustrated, retreated in a huff. Lu Chen chuckled, advising his disciple, “Caution is the key to a long journey.”

Finally, Lu Chen led Cao Rong to a small pavilion atop a mountain peak. The pavilion’s name, “Emptiness,” was inscribed above the entrance. Beside it stood a stone tablet, its inscription worn and weathered, but one could vaguely discern the six characters, “This place has abundant mists.” Far off, a bustling city glittered in the night. Cao Rong’s eyes reflected the myriad homes and lives of the mortal realm. Veiled in hazy clouds, the city resembled a beautiful woman rising in the morning, adorned with a crystal curtain, seen only in glimpses. He wished he could illuminate it with a giant candle.

Lu Chen, hands tucked into his sleeves, smiled and said, “Ask. Ask me the biggest question in your heart.”

Cao Rong looked up at the sky and nodded. “The three ancestral teachers, especially my grandmaster, why did they not stop that person?”

Lu Chen chuckled. “Cao Rong, think carefully. Have I truly not given you the answer?”

Cao Rong turned and bowed deeply. “This disciple is dull. I beg my master to enlighten me.”

Lu Chen sighed and said, “The three ancestral teachers, being at the fifteenth realm, have each merged their Dao with the entire world. They are the three least free individuals in all of existence.”

As he spoke, Cao Rong realized that he was once again standing with his master in the small boat on the lake. This time, however, they stood at the stern. Lu Chen reached out a sleeve and pointed to the ripples on the water, saying slowly, “The three ancestral teachers are like being trapped inside a world made of glass, literally. It restricts their movements, so as not to disturb the natural order. If they are without intention, it is well. But if they act deliberately, it is like creating a fissure in the fabric of heaven and earth. Furthermore, there is an even greater trouble. Like my coming to the Great World this time, to find a fish that escaped the net. It is because I, Lu Chen, am recognized as a White Jade Capital Dao official in the Azure Heavens, and already considered an outsider. Therefore, there is a hint of ill-fate and misfortune, the Heavens have their own will. Acting with intention will cause you to miss your target, while unintentional actions may bear unexpected fruit.”

Cao Rong pondered in silence.

Lu Chen then asked, “Those places I took you to earlier, do you think the sequence you perceived is the actual order of events?”

Before Cao Rong could answer, Lu Chen chuckled, “It’s like a line of words on paper, slightly jumbled up. You can still recognize the complete meaning of the sentence.”

Lu Chen smiled. “Let me tell you a few secrets about fourteenth realm cultivators. For example, your master once spent two thousand years, trying to memorize as much as possible about the people, geography, and events of the Azure Heavens’ fourteen provinces.”

Speaking of which, Lu Chen pointed to his head. “But this couldn’t handle it.”

This was also the reason why Lu Chen reminded Chen Ping’an to pay attention to Pei Qian’s “memory” issues.

“Realizing that this path was impassable, I changed course. However, the previous road wasn’t a complete waste. Building on that foundation, I tried to visualize the entire human realm as a machine, with all things operating in perfect order. Then, I filled the tens of millions of ‘gears’ with ‘deviations,’ ‘errors,’ and various other forms of ‘freedom,’ both real and illusory. Heaven and earth were born together with me, and all things are one with me. Since we are already one, only I can commune with the spirit of heaven and earth. Unfortunately, I still failed.”

“Realm and boundary, ‘realm’ and ‘boundary,’ are still insufficient. So, when I discussed the Dao with the Buddha, I still lost. And I lost to a principle I already knew: to pursue the boundless with the limited is futile. Since even the most foolish brute-force method couldn’t succeed, then I could only trace it back to the source, find that One. Just like my teacher, ‘I wander in spirit to the beginning of things,’ ‘I witness and the Dao exists.’ Unfortunately, that One is so difficult to find.”

Lu Chen originally regarded his elder brother, Kou Ming, as a new One of the future.

That’s why there was that ten years of setting up a stall and protecting the Dao in the Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven.

“Cao Rong, in your spare time, you might as well delve deeply into the underlying Dao principles of reflections in a mirror and flowers in the water, and of flying sword transmissions.”

Lu Chen smiled slightly. “The myriad ills of humanity all have an origin. If a master only teaches the branches and leaves, what can a disciple accomplish?”

Cao Rong lowered his head and said, “This disciple obeys.”

Lu Chen asked without preamble, “Bai Ye never admits that he is the most content person in the human realm. Do you know why?”

Cao Rong shook his head.

Lu Chen sighed in lament. No wonder the old scholar was so partial to Chen Ping’an. He was clever, eloquent, understanding, like a warm jacket.

Seeing that his disciple was clueless, Lu Chen had no choice but to praise himself, “Of course, it’s because Bai Ye admires my knowledge and magnanimity, and thinks that I am the most carefree person in the human realm!”

Cao Rong lowered his head and cupped his fist. “This disciple is in awe.”

Lu Chen muttered, “Even hearing you say that, I don’t feel a bit of satisfaction.”

He was a little envious of the atmosphere in that Falling Phoenix Mountain.

Cao Rong blushed.

Lu Chen began to walk down the ink-wash mountain, Cao Rong following closely behind.

“Some say that the thing people dare not disobey is to cut through the thorns in their hearts, to break down the barriers in their minds to allow communication between self and others, and that is the happiest world.”

“What do you think those thorns and barriers are? They are our own Dao and principles, propriety and law.”

“When drinking water, don’t forget the well-digger. Ten thousand years ago, if the sages had not had the selfless and altruistic spirit, and the willingness to sacrifice their lives, the human realm could not have had the ‘human realm’ of today.”

Each year the spring breeze is gentle, yet it will also age the faces of beauties and whiten the heads of youths.

The mountain wind blew against his temples. Lu Chen wore a smile, muttering to himself, “Yes, why do we cultivate the Dao now?”

“The world cannot go a day without this gentleman.”

Lu Chen asked himself, “Who is this gentleman? Cao Rong, remember this. It is you, it is you all, it is everyone.”