The trio continued their discussion about the cause of Nan Songzi's death. They finally concluded that he was a victim of his own avarice. He wanted to possess a powerful flesh body and was attracted to the wandering Demons. He was on the verge of success, but he inadvertently attracted Elder Jie Liang and brought about his own downfall.
Yu Ci also felt that this was the most reasonable explanation.
After reaching a consensus, the atmosphere relaxed. Yu Ci took this opportunity to voice his small doubts.
"Woodworm Cultivator, it refers to the Woodworm Cultivator!"
Hai Yang, the forthright Immortal Elder, who was familiar with Yu Zhou and Elder Jie Liang, treated Yu Ci differently. As soon as Yu Ci asked, he rushed to explain before the other two.
In the Cultivation World, there is a group of people who, due to their aptitude or fate, have no hope of immortality and their future is bleak. They give up cultivation altogether, willingly degenerate, and pursue various pleasures. Some even go further, failing in their own cultivation, they turn to sabotage others'. Their despicable actions are detestable, and they are known as the Woodworm Cultivators of the Cultivation World, or more formally, the Woodworm Cultivator.
"There are a large number of evil cultivators, Demon Heads, in the world who do things to harm others for their own benefit, to increase their Cultivation Level. However, as long as they harbor the desire for immortality and the heart towards the Dao, they always have some scruples. But those Woodworm Cultivators, who feel they have a rotten life, have absurd and bizarre thoughts in their heads. They can do many things that harm others without benefiting themselves, seeking only momentary pleasure, completely without bottom line. Some of their actions are simply..."
As Hai Yang spoke, his voice gradually grew louder, as if he had witnessed the actions of the Woodworm Cultivators and was thoroughly disgusted.
Listening to this, Yu Ci had another thought: By this definition, Nan Songzi wasn't exactly a pure Woodworm Cultivator. At least Yu Ci knew that he had a strong desire for immortality and was determined to raise his Cultivation Level to the Vacuum Walking Realm. Compared to that, his obsession with Murong Qingyan could be put aside.
But there was another person in his memory...
At this moment, his gaze returned to the fragment of the Red Veil, feeling somewhat nostalgic. So this thing was called the Peach Blossom Tent. He had seen it before, in the Twin Immortal Sect.
Red Yin Immortal wouldn't like this kind of thing, but her brother Purple Thunder Immortal was definitely a connoisseur of it.
Purple Thunder was lustful, Red Yin was bloodthirsty.
Red Yin was capricious and killed indiscriminately, which was detestable enough, but Purple Thunder's debauchery and lust were even more repugnant. He often kept several women for his pleasure. Apart from his own sister Red Yin, he didn't spare anyone when he was in the mood, not even the young girls in the sect. A red canopy of the same material was always hanging above his bed. At night, the red glow was like a flowing fire, extremely enchanting. He indulged his desires under the canopy, not knowing how many beautiful women he had ruined.
Yet, he wondered, was that scum still alive in this world?
At that time, he had sensed that the siblings harbored a strong desire for immortality. Red Yin, however, was steadfast in her resolve, clear in her purpose, and had her principles in conducting affairs. As for Purple Thunder, his will was far weaker than his sister's, often delaying his cultivation for various matters. His yearning for immortality was largely due to his fear of death, or rather, his reluctance to shorten his days of pleasure.
Such a person, perhaps, was more aptly termed a Woodworm Cultivator.
In that moment, Yu Ci was reminded of Red Yin Immortal, who was far away in Cliff City, and it felt as if a fire was burning in his heart.
Whether it was a coincidence or retribution, the issues with the Demons and Nan Songzi were resolved in a rather dramatic fashion.
At the crucial moment of exterminating the Demons and sealing the Passage Between Two Realms in Sky Rift Valley, Elder Jie Liang couldn't afford to delay. The day after the Demons and Nan Songzi were killed, he hurried back. And because the Sect was short of manpower everywhere, Hai Yang left the Daoist temple two days later. The Still Heart Temple returned to its usual state, becoming much quieter.
Yu Ci sat with his eyes closed in the Meditation Room, surrounded by four walls, yet in his heart, he unfolded a boundless void, dark and vast. This was the "Inner Void of the Heart" that Yu Ci had conceived from the Primordial Root Qi Method, the place to portray Mental Image.
Yu Ci was still clueless about portraying the Mental Image, but it would be incorrect to say that there was no progress at all. At this moment, in the dark void, a bright moon hung, casting a faint halo that spread out.
In this "Inner Void of the Heart", all images can be considered as Mental Image, each with its special significance. They represented the actual state of the self's "Physical Image", or the flesh body's Divine Soul, like this moon—it was the mark of his cultivation over the past decade or so.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
However, he didn't deliberately depict this moon; it appeared in the void at the flick of a thought. It was somewhat confusing: was this a Mental Image, or a part of the "Inner Void of the Heart"?
The doubt existed, but with this moon, Yu Ci had finally found some sense of direction.
He felt that with the moon hanging, something seemed to be gestating in the boundless darkness. There seemed to be an undercurrent surging in the "Inner Void of the Heart". What he needed to do now was to gather and clarify the dark matter.
From the conventional cultivation theory, in the Primordial Root Qi Method, the "Physical Image" giving birth to the "Mental Image" could be seen as "Refining Yin Spirit". It was the work of the Nature-Connecting Middle Stage, which also included the refining method of "clearing the void, unsullied by a speck of dust".
Of course, within the Primordial Root Qi Method, these steps are merely the preparatory work of cleansing the "canvas", with the emphasis truly lying in the construction of the Mental Image.
Yu Ci did not isolate himself in his studies, he had sought guidance from the Old Daoist Yu Zhou. However, the Old Daoist's cultivation leaned heavily towards the style of the Empirical Department, exhibiting a cautious approach towards these more mystical sensations. Nevertheless, he recalled a junior brother in the Empirical Department who had successfully practiced this method, and promised to seek his advice on behalf of Yu Ci.
Yu Ci was rather hopeful about this, as the insights derived from the Empirical Department, regardless of anything else, were often highly feasible and differed greatly from the self-realization-focused methods of Elder Jie Liang.
Meanwhile, prompted by the Old Daoist, Yu Ci also felt that seeking advice from others and broadening his perspectives was a good idea. Thus, besides seeking advice from his senior brothers who had successfully condensed into the Yin Spirit within the sect, he also wrote letters to two prodigious disciples of the sect he knew.
Li You's reply came swiftly and was extremely concise, consisting of only four characters: "Spare me, please!" It seemed that he was indeed not adept at this.
Yu Ci was not surprised, and by the time he received Meng Wei's reply, another two days had passed.
At that time, Yu Ci was on his way to a small valley for cultivation. Coincidentally, as he was about to leave the Taoist temple gate, the reply from the Sect's Mountain Gate arrived, and Yu Ci took it with him on his way to the valley.
While Li You's response could be understood at a glance, Meng Wei took her reply very seriously. Her neat and tidy script filled the page, from beginning to end, without a single mistake. After only a glance or two, Yu Ci composed his mind and examined it carefully.
"Mental Image is highly personal and varies from person to person. I find it hard to offer any advice, but I do have something to say about the drawing itself.
"The four departments of the Sect are the Morality Department, which emphasizes sensation; the Theory Department, which emphasizes debate; the Discipline Department, which emphasizes rules; and the Empirical Department, which emphasizes practical results. Each department's cultivation has different focuses. Master Jie Xian, with his extraordinary talents, has comprehended the principles of morality, theory, and discipline. His Primordial Root Qi Method has been appraised by the elder Immortal Teacher as 'integrating the three departments, pushing them to their extremes.' Therefore, the spirits of morality, theory, and discipline must be reflected in it."
"Judging from your letter, it seems that you are placing more emphasis on the intuitive aspects. However, the contemplation of academic theories and the rules of Discipline should not be neglected. Otherwise, a purely intuitive approach can easily lead to groundless speculations and delusions. You must be careful, dear junior."
Yu Ci nodded repeatedly, recognizing the truth in these words. If he couldn't find a way to start, it would indeed resemble the scenario of 'groundless speculations.' The so-called introspection could hardly be achieved by mere conjecture.
Next, Meng Wei extended the discussion to Elder Jie Liang's temperament and knowledge, which coincided with Yu Ci's initial approach when studying the Qi Leading Method. However, her understanding of Elder Jie Liang was beyond Yu Ci’s reach.
"Master Jie Xian advocates that 'reason' is the source of the Great Way, seeking a principle that encompasses all things in heaven and earth. This is his philosophy. I will not comment on it, but I believe that there should also be a personal philosophy in your heart. From this point of view, it is the framework of the Mental Image, which is a consistent spirit.
"As for rules, even though I am not skilled in painting, I know that you need to have a layout plan before you start, and there should be a basic structure in your mind, so you won’t lose the structure by just going with the flow. If you don’t know what rules to follow, I have some experience from my master:
"Our Daoist sect's most primitive and simplest rule is a balance of opposites: positive and negative, Yin and Yang, movement and stillness, each complementing and forming each other. All rules in the world come from this and continue to change. I practice the Shenshang Sword Method, the Flying Wing Sword roams outside, and the Pine Pattern Sword guards within, all referring to this principle.
"If you really don't know what rules to use, you might as well use this method. Even if there are changes in the future, it can evolve from it and not hinder cultivation…"
Yu Ci walked slowly, reading the letter from beginning to end, and then again, before carefully putting it away, sighing inwardly:
"Wise words indeed!"
Now, he felt the same admiration for Meng Wei as Li You did. This senior sister, who had cultivated to the Golden Elixir Stage in just twenty-eight years, was truly a genius. She had pointed out the things he had overlooked in recent days and proposed a very feasible solution.
Taking a deep breath, Yu Ci felt relieved.
The feeling in the sect was too good. There were teachers who could teach methods, and peers who could discuss and ask for advice. Compared to the hard struggles of previous years, it was like heaven and earth.
He grinned, and just as a mountain breeze blew on his face, his smile suddenly froze.
In the wind, there was a familiar scent that should not appear here. Yu Ci's keen sense of smell identified it:
Peach Blossom Tent?
The source of the fragrance was about four miles away from him.
His heart thumped loudly, and he stopped in his tracks. At this moment, he felt a chill coming from the snowy mountains, like a hidden beast in the dense forest, glaring and baring its teeth, its fangs gleaming with a cold light.
Good teachers and friends, good teachers and friends, but how many can one meet in a lifetime? Get ready for the plot to thicken, Brother Fishbone is about to make a run for it!
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I have also posted the following more chapters [All free] on: https://www.readgates.com/article/74a39e