Chapter 29: The Power of the Taiqing Dao

  Master has gone into seclusion! What's going on? Xiaoshi is now a junior monk of Qingyan, and his mood has reached an all-time low. He thought that he would be summoned by the old man, so he traveled thousands of miles to come to Kongtong Mountain, but who would have thought that the old man would go into seclusion just on the second day after Xiaoshi arrived? The most important thing is that Xiaoshi didn't even get to see the old man's face, what should he do now?

  It's really frustrating!

  His mood had reached an all-time low, knowing that his master did things in an unconventional way, always catching him off guard. But today, early in the morning, he received a flying sword transmission from his master, leaving him perplexed and wondering what his master was thinking. They were already so close to each other on Mingyue Peak and Qingming Peak, yet they still had to use flying sword transmissions. Upon reading the contents of the transmission, he found it even more absurd - it instructed him to first go to Qingming Peak to retrieve a few items, specifying their uses. Then, he was to find Guangwen Shishu to register his younger brother as a disciple, and finally, mention that he had been feeling unwell lately due to an imbalance in his qi, and needed to close himself off for a period of time to calm his mind and cultivate the essential techniques of Taiqing Dao. He was asked to first transmit their sect's introductory techniques to his younger brother, and once his younger brother successfully established his foundation, he would be left to cultivate on his own. Meanwhile, he too had to go to Shangqing Palace to close himself off with his master and cultivate the Hunyuan Realm of Taiqing Dao.

  After watching Feishu, Qingxu flew directly to Qingming Peak to find his master and settle the account. He wanted to ask what was going on! Seclusion! Qingxu understood in his heart that he had followed Guangxian for over a hundred years and had never seen him so flustered. His energy was also slightly uncomfortable! This excuse was too far-fetched! Yesterday was fine, and even the wooden-hearted Daoist master came to welcome his younger brother, but after one night, he became unwell, this is ridiculous!

  As soon as I think of Mu Xin Daochang, the clear and void energy rises from my dantian, and the fire comes from the five organs. This Mu Xin Daochang is actually an alias for my master Guangxian Daoren. It turns out that Guangxian didn't want to stay in the Upper Clear Palace all the time, but as the leader of the sect, he couldn't leave the mountain without a reason. So he came up with a plan and gave himself another Daoist name, Mu Xin. Guangxian couldn't leave the mountain freely, but Mu Xin could. From then on, this Mu Xin Daochang became the abbot of Baiyun Temple at the foot of Kongtong Mountain, and stayed there for a hundred years. Guangxian and Mu Xin kept switching back and forth, living a carefree life!

  This matter is also a big secret between Qingxu and Guangxian, no one knows. Qingxu knew that his master was unpredictable in his actions, which sounds good. If it doesn't sound good, it's just that he likes to pretend to be mysterious, doing things that are inexplicable and sometimes unbelievable. Yesterday at Songfengguan, when Qingxu saw Guangxian Daochang, he was really shocked, if Guangxian hadn't transmitted his voice saying that he is now a Muxin Daoist, Qingxu almost called out to his master. When Qingxu came back to himself, this Muxin Daoist had already started chatting with Xiaoshi Tuo. Qingxu couldn't understand what his master was up to, so he could only pretend not to know in front of his younger brother. At the time, he also thought "Just you wait, Muxin Daoist! When my younger brother gives you a bow as a disciple, let's see where your old face will be placed!"

  Who knew that Master would actually go into seclusion! Is it because he knows he's unworthy of being a teacher and is avoiding everyone? Isn't this just being shameless?!

  Qingxu flew up to the Qingming Peak to find his master Guangyan, but he knew that Guangyan had already made preparations and had gone into seclusion in the quiet room. He even let the only Taoist priest in the Upper Clear Palace pass on a message to Qingxu, telling him to follow Master's instructions carefully, otherwise disobeying the master's orders would also be a great sin.

  Helpless and frustrated, I didn't expect Master to be so extreme, not even showing his face. It's really unknown what he's up to! Had no choice but to ask Xiang Huo Dao Ren to tell Guang Xian about his recent experiences, and specially mentioned the three major demonic skills. Finally, after collecting the few things given by Guang Xian, went to Chi Xia Peak to ask Guang Wen Shu Shu to register Xiao Shu Di. Guang Wen heard that the Master had closed himself off, also found it strange, but fortunately knew his style of doing things and just laughed it off.

  Looking at Qingyan, who was now filled with disappointment, despair, and helplessness, his mood had hit rock bottom. Qingxu secretly blamed their master in his heart. However, he couldn't say anything negative about their master to Qingyan, so he had to make excuses for him instead. "Qingyan, as cultivators, we often have to go into seclusion," he said. "Master has been feeling unwell and restless lately, and originally planned to see you before going into seclusion. But things happened too suddenly, and if I had known it would be like this, I should have taken you to Qingming Peak to see Master yesterday. It's all my fault!" He began to blame himself, taking the responsibility upon his own shoulders. Over time, he had come to understand Qingyan's personality, which was very considerate of others.

  As expected, as soon as this happened, Qing Yan immediately fell for it. He then heard Qing Xū explain, "Big Brother Master, how can you blame yourself? You also just found out today, and besides, Master's body is not well, so closing up to cultivate is unavoidable. I'm already feeling uneasy without having seen Master yet. Big Brother Master, do you know how long Master will be closed up for?"

  Qingxu listened to Qingyan's clear and reasonable words, feeling secretly ashamed in his heart. He then exerted himself to complain about Guangxian for a while. When Qingyan asked how long it would take, he didn't know either. Of course, he couldn't say that he didn't know, so he said "It shouldn't be long, probably just one year!" But in his heart, he thought "Who knows! Master ah!"

  Qingyan was taken aback, but soon calmed down, thinking that a year wasn't long after all. He thought to himself, "Anyway, I'll be staying on the mountain for six years, so I'll definitely see Master." Little did he know that the person with the hawk-like nose and shining eyes from yesterday was actually his master! So he asked, "Big Brother, what should I do now?"

  He let out a sigh of relief as he saw that Qing Yu was no longer asking about his master, and said, "Now, of course, is the time to teach you our sect's introductory mental technique. As your senior brother, I will pass on to you the first layer of the Taiqing Dao's oral formula."

  Qingyan's mood suddenly improved as soon as he heard that he was about to cultivate the Taiqing Dao power. This is what he had been dreaming of, this is the first step for him to fly in the sky and escape on land. He threw away the fact that his master had abandoned him, and waited for Qingxu to pass on his heart method.

  The two brothers returned to Songfeng Guan, entered the Sanqing Hall, and under the gaze of the three Taoist deities, each found a meditation mat and sat cross-legged.

  Before practicing Taiqing Dao Li, Qingxu first told Qingyan about the origin of Taiqing Dao Li and the four realms of this Dharma.

  Taiqing Dao Li was created by the founder of the Kongtong Sect, Dafang Zhenren. According to various classics left behind by Dafang Zhenren, this Taoist method was created after he obtained a Taoist book in a cave in Dongkongtong, where he practiced and studied the heart method recorded in the book for many years. Dafang Zhenren spent nearly thirty years combining his own learning with the heart method contained in that Taoist book to create a new Taoist method. Because the name of that Taoist book was Taiqing Yu Ce, Dafang Zhenren named this method Taiqing Dao Li, which is also a way to commemorate and express his humility.

  The concept of Taiqing has been discussed in various ways since ancient times. Firstly, it refers to the Heavenly Way. In "Zhuangzi: Tianyun", it is said, "To carry out the Tao with propriety and establish it with Taiqing." Secondly, it refers to the sky. In "Chu Ci: Jiuzhuan: Yuanyou", it says, "Like King Xiang of Chu riding on clouds, carrying the mist and soaring above Taiqing". And thirdly, it refers to the Taiqing Daode Tianzun, also known as Laojun. The Daoist looked up at the statue of Taiqing Daode Tianzun and said, "However, the Taiqing power of our sect, although named after Taiqing and the Tao, is not a purely Daoist mental method!"

  Qingyan listened with great interest, but upon hearing this, he was taken aback and asked, "Isn't that the Taoist mental method? I'm not even a Taoist yet! And isn't Dafang Zushi also a Taoist?"

  "Before Da Fang Zu Shi achieved the Tao, he was not a Taoist but a scholar. At that time, he already possessed divine abilities and extraordinary academic talents. The era in which Da Fang Zu Shi lived was the late Eastern Han dynasty, when the world was in great chaos, warlords were vying for power, and the common people were suffering. Although Da Fang Zu Shi had exceptional talent, there was no place for him to apply it. This led to his desire to transcend the mundane world. According to his records, he traveled extensively throughout the land, one day arriving at a secluded paradise where he discovered the remnants of an ancient cultivation site. There, he devoted himself to intense practice, and after several decades, his skills reached perfection, allowing him to comprehend the Tao. Later, he took on the title of Da Fang, binding his hair as a symbol of his new identity. The place he spoke of was Dong Xuan Dong, where Da Fang Zu Shi had cultivated the Central Plains Confucian heart method, which later merged with the Tai Qing Yu Ce heart method to form the concept of 'great image without shape,' also known as the Wu Xing Jian Jue practiced by Gu Shi Shu."

  Qingyan heard this and exclaimed, "Ah!" Qingxu continued, "The Taicheng Dao power and the Wuxing Sword Manual share a common origin, combined with our ancestor's Confucian heart method. Therefore, the Taicheng Dao power is not purely a Daoist heart manual."

  Qing Yan nodded and said "So that's how it is, then why can only Master Gu master the Formless Sword Technique?"

  The Qingxu Dao "Taiqing Dao Li and the Wuxing Jian Jue, although they are from the same origin, are actually mutually restrictive. The two cannot be practiced together, and in our sect, except for Dafang Zushi, no one has ever been able to cultivate both at the same time. Moreover, the Wuxing Jian Jue has always been a single-line transmission, just like after Gu Shifu, only one disciple can receive the transmission of the Wuxing Jian Jue."

  "What's this for?"

  "Ancestor's rules, I don't know either!" Qingxu shook his head and said.

  Qingyan Xindao said, "Why are all the door rules set by Dafang Zushi so strange?" Knowing that Qingxu also couldn't explain it clearly, he didn't ask again.

  Qingxu continued, "The Taiqing Dao power is divided into four realms: the first is Taichu, the second is Liangyi, the third is Hunyuan, and the fourth is Wuji. Each realm is further divided into nine layers, making a total of 36 layers. The first layer of the Taichu realm is the introductory heart method of our sect, which can be achieved by ordinary people after one year of practice, and is considered to have successfully laid the foundation. After that, following the sequence, it takes about 40-50 years of effort to enter the Liangyi realm. The time required for practicing the nine-layer heart method in the Liangyi realm is even longer, generally requiring at least a hundred years or more. Some people spend their entire lives trying but still can't reach the Hunyuan realm. The Hunyuan realm is a dividing line for cultivating Taiqing Dao power, and since our sect was founded, only about ten people have reached it, not to mention the supreme Wuj

  Qingyan had also known that cultivating this Taoist method was not easy. When he heard Qingxu ask about the state of Hunyuan, he said, "Big Brother Master, haven't you already reached the state of Hunyuan?"

  His face was calm, but there was no triumphant look on his face. "Yes, I was originally only in the Two Instruments Realm, Ninth Layer. Yesterday, I fought against Yuantong and unintentionally reached the Mixed Yuan Realm, First Layer. However, my foundation is too weak now. After you successfully build your foundation, I will close up to cultivate and consolidate it before seeking further progress."

  Qingyan Xindao said, "If it's this hard to reach the Hunyuan Realm, what about the Wuji Realm?"

  "Then asked: 'Big Brother Master, has anyone ever reached the state of Wuji?'"

  "Of course there is! Otherwise, who would have divided the boundaries so clearly?"

  Qing Yan's eyes lit up and he said, "Who is it?"

  "Not one person! Several people."

  "Several people!?" Qing Yan exclaimed in surprise.

  "Of course! Although the Boundless Realm is difficult to enter, there have been people in our sect who have cultivated it over the centuries. Let me tell you, Great Ancestor Dafang was a natural-born genius! Not only did he reach the Boundless Realm with his Taiqing Dao power, but he also cultivated the Formless Sword Technique to its peak. Two of the four disciples personally taught by Great Ancestor Dafang also reached the Boundless Realm. In later generations, three of our sect's successive leaders and two elders also reached the Boundless Realm. Of course, only Great Ancestor Dafang truly cultivated all nine layers of the Boundless Realm to its ultimate state!"

  Qingyan listened to Qingxu's words while counting his fingers, and calculated "There are eight in total! Right, what realm has our master reached?"

  Qing Xū thought for a moment and said, "When Master took over as the sect leader, he was already at the sixth layer of the Mixed Yuan Realm. After more than a hundred years of cultivation, he should be at least at the eighth layer by now!"

  Qingyan was shocked, "It's been over a hundred years and it only grew one layer, how exhausting!" He thought of something and asked, "Big Brother Shifu, according to our realm's boundaries, which level would Zhao Jianwang's cultivation belong to?"

  "Qing Xu sank into deep thought for a long time before saying, 'Gu Shu's cultivation of the Formless Sword Technique has reached an extremely high level, it should be entering the Wuji state. As for Zhao Jian Wang, he should also be about the same.'"

  Qingyan also thought that Zhao Wujin was in the state of Wuji, and just wanted to verify Qingxu. He said, "Why hasn't Master yet surpassed Shifu Shu?"

  Qingxu was taken aback, thinking to himself "Gu Shibo's innate talent is extremely high, and the formless sword technique he cultivates seems to be a bit shorter than Taiqing's Dao power." He didn't finish speaking when he thought "Gu Shibo cultivates with great diligence, unlike Master who spends his days in leisure, being able to reach the Hunyuan realm is already quite good!"

  Qingyan felt that something was a bit strange, but couldn't think of it for the time being.

  Qing Xu said that's about it, then turned to Qing Yan and said "Junior brother, now I'll pass on the first layer of Tai Qing Dao's oral secrets. Memorize them first, then I'll teach you how to cultivate."

  Qingyan's spirit was stirred, and he finally waited for it! With his full attention, he waited for Qingxu's transmission.

  "Just then, a clear and melodious voice recited: 'Tai Qing, the clarity of the original energy, its energy is very strong, can overcome people. The foundation-building work, adjusting medicine to supplement essence, refining essence into energy, gathering the mind to return to emptiness...'"

  Qingyan concentrated his mind and silently memorized, his mouth also murmuring words, as if he had gained some insight. His path to cultivating the truth had finally begun!

  ”