Chapter 357: Flourishing
Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
As Lin Feng sensed the movement within the Tripitaka Block, he realized that someone had just attained a new level of understanding. The person had built on the foundation of the Great Celestial Way of the Eight Trigrams and infused his own understanding of Taoism to form a new mantra.
Wang Lin also revealed an expression of happiness, “I guess it should be Second Senior.” Previously, it had been Zhu Yi who had done up the Yi Zi’s Eight Trigrams Variorum. Zhu Yi was indeed better in terms of the understanding of Taoism as well as its theoretical aspects.
As both Master and disciple entered the Tripitaka Block and reached the center of the book depository, they saw Xiao Yan, Zhu Yi and the rest sitting back facing one another. They formed a circle as they all faced shelves of books.
And on the book shelf directly in front of them, they all had a blur figure of a manual which was concentrating into a solid object. It was only a step away from fully materializing into a solid manual.
Amongst them, of course, Zhu Yi’s Taoism manual had already fully materialized and had transformed into the form of an old classic, as it sat peacefully on the shelf.
Sensing the presence of Lin Feng and Wang Lin, Zhu Yi opened his eyes as he stood up and bowed in the direction of Lin Feng. “Greetings, Master.”
Following which, he turned to look at Wang Lin, “Congratulations, Third Junior, for breaking through into the Aurous Core stage.”
Wang Lin nodded his head, “You are too polite, Second Senior.”
Zhu Yi retrieved the old classic from the bookshelf as he handed it over to Lin Feng. “Master, this is the accumulation of my insights, the Golden Chapters of the Yansheng Eight Trigrams. I hope that Master can take a look at it.”
Lin Feng held onto the old classic as he activated his supernatural awareness and scanned the contents of the manual. He nodded his head and muttered, “Not bad. Very good.”
Zhu Yi had an organized and logical structure in his interpretation of Taoism. From the content, the Golden Chapters of the Yansheng Eight Trigrams was Taoism built from the foundation of the Yi Zi’s Eight Trigrams Variorum.
But from the depth of knowledge, the Golden Chapters of the Yansheng Eight Trigrams was not simply an extension or an upgrade on the Yi Zi’s Eight Trigrams Variorum. Instead, it was an extension from the foundation as well as the integration of Zhu Yi’s understanding and comprehension of the Heaven and Earth.
Lin Feng could very clearly identify shadows of the beautiful writing which Zhu Yi had constructed back in the Sea of the Northern Wind.
The Golden Chapters of the Yansheng Eight Trigrams was infused with Zhu Yi’s outlook on humanity. He believed that the way forward was progressive and filled with self-improvement and the spirit of pioneership.
Lin Feng thought hard, “As of now, the Golden Chapters only had two introductory paragraphs. If Zhu Yi could complete the entire manual, his understanding of the Heaven and Earth as well as Taoism would be truly remarkable. Nonetheless, the Golden Chapters are already exceptional.”
One could only imagine how smooth-sailing the training for the new disciples would be if they were to train with both of Zhu Yi’s Yi Zi’s Eight Trigrams Variorum and the Golden Chapters of the Yansheng Eight Trigrams.
But because Zhu Yi believed in the importance of hardwork and experimentation, he would not let his disciples take the easy way out without learning anything. However, the seamless transition between the Yi Zi’s Eight Trigrams Variorum and the Golden Chapters would definitely aid in the advancement in training.
In fact, many of the traiuals in the other Sects also followed this rule of seamless progression.
Lin Feng paused for a good long while before continuing, “Zhu Yi, your work is good. HOwever, you must exercise great precaution when you select your disciples.”
Zhu Yi was a smart boy and definitely understood what Lin Feng was trying to drive at. He replied, “I understand. I will definitely not nurture a bunch of disciples who merely follow the book.”
“I have actually integrated this rule in the Golden CHapters that training has to be one that constantly breaks barriers. Only if they have developed such an understanding, they can then fully comprehend the wisdom and intricacies of Taoism.”
Zhu Yi continued, “This will be the mantra which I plan to spread to my disciples which are at the Foundation Establishment stage. When they have attained the Aurous Core stage, they will definitely form an even stronger understanding.”
Lin Feng nodded his head with satisfaction. He turned around and looked at Xiao Yan and the rest before realizing that XIao Yan and Xiao Budian’s manuals had materialized simultaneously.
Both Xiao Yan and Xiao Budian opened their eyes and saw their Master. They smiled and greeted, “Greetings, Master.”
And as they saw Wang Lin, who was standing by the side, they smiled together and conratulated him.
Wang Lin did not take any offence from their gleeful nature as he merely shook his head and smiled, “I have only just began my journey. Please do not mock me, little junior.”
Lin Feng smiled, “Show me what you all have comprehended.” Xiao Yan and Xiao Budian nodded their heads together, “Please look through our work, Master.”
“Ahhh… As expected.” Lin Feng received their manuals and as he glimpsed at the titles on the manuals, he roughly knew of the contents within.
Xiao Yan’s manual was titled, the Burning Heavens Manual, and it elaborated on the evolution and intricacies of the power of fire within the limits of the Heaven and Earth.
It might be because of his training in the Art of the Fire, Xiao Yan’s Mantra might seem to have deviated from the Grand Celestial Way of the Eight Trigrams. In fact, it seemed as though he had comprehended an entirely novel fire mantra on his own.
But the truth was that the very foundation of Xiao Yan’s mantra was still rooted in the wisdom of the Grand Celestial Way of the Eight Trigrams.
It was just like Xiao Yan’s ascension into the Aurous Core stage.
When Zhu Yi and Xiao Budian had survived the tribulations of the Yin fire, and attained the Aurous Core stage, they had all extracted the eight different types of spiritual energy from their natural surrounding to form the images of the Eight Trigrams.
It was only Xiao Yan’s attainment of the Aurous Core stage that drew the power and might of the Yin fire. That was not because Xiao Yan could only extract the fire-type spiritual energy from the natural surrounding but because of how he had already kindled and ignited all the other spiritual energy into the fuel for the Yin fire.
After Xiao Yan had comprehended the essence of the Grand Celestial Way of the Eight Trigrams, he had slowly but surely went onto the path of specialization as he focused on developing his powers in the Art of the Fire. All other insights which he had gained along the way were merely used as a reference for insights on the Art of the Fire.
When Xiao Yan was initially training with the Grand Celestial Way of the Eight Trigrams, like Zhu Yi, he had many different insights. But differing from Zhu Yi’s ones on creation, Xiao Yan had insights on the art of destruction. Hence, he invented his first own spell, the Crash of the Eight Trigrams.
However, in the subsequent months of training, Xiao Yan’s comprehension of the mantra had gone through other developments.
Of course, the developments were definitely somewhat linked to his cultivation in the Grand Sun Primordial Fire as well as the Nefarious Spectral Primordial Fire. But fundamentally, they were linked to his personality and interests.
Hence, if one were to be extremely objective about it, Xiao Yan’s Burning Heavens Manual was even more tightly-knitted to the Grand Celestial Way of the Eight Trigrams than Zhu Yi’s Golden Chapters.
It could be considered as a enormous branch off from the Grand Celestial Way of the Eight Trigrams which had elaborated on the Art of the Fire extensively.
On this point, Xiao Budian’s mantra was similar in this manner but vastly different in context.
Xiao Budian had named as manual as the True Path of the Wind and Thunder, an integration of his understanding and insights on the Grand Celestial Way of the Eight Trigrams as well as the Heaven and Earth.
Different from Xiao Yan’s complete specialization, Xiao Budian did not attempt to split both the elements of thunder and wind apart. In his manual, both the Wind and Thunder coexisted in harmony and built on each other’s strengths.
This built on the foundation of Xiao Budian’s comprehension of the Grand Celestial Way of the Eight Trigrams as it pertained to the insights gained about the power of two extremely polar elements and the integration of these elements.
As his understanding of the creative abilities of the dual polarities and the power of the Eight trigrams improves, Xiao Budian could break free from the limits of the dual polarity and progress to higher levels.
That was how Xiao Budian’s latest technique, the Xuanhuang Four-Words Mantra, arose.
As Lin Feng browsed through both of thir manuals, he nodded his head with satisfaction, “Not bad, I can see the effort put in.”
Contrasting to Xiao Yan and the other two who were already in the Aurous Core stage, Yue Hongyan and Yang Qing who were still at the Foundation Establishment stage were much slower. Both of them had entered Lin Feng’s tutelage much later and definitely had a much more limited time to examine and understand the Grand Celestial Way of the Eight Trigrams.
But nonetheless, both of their bookshelf already had a faint figure of a manual and was solidifying by the minute.
This meant that they were already on the right path. In fact, it reflected the independence in their thinking and continuous refining of their insights.
“Master, I shall begin with my own meditation as well.” Wang Lin spoke as he planned to move towards the foot of one of the bookshelves. But he was stopped by Lin Feng.
Lin Feng smiled, “Wang Lin, don’t worry. Let’s wait for Hongyan and Yang Qing to finish with their techniques first. I have another thing for the rest of you. Once you all are done with that matter, you can then go and invent your techniques.”
Wang Lin was caught by surprise but nodded his head, “Yes Master.” He glanced towards Xiao Yan and the other two, trying to beckon for an answer to his head full of questions.
Xiao Yan, Zhu Yi and Xiao Budian were also equally perplexed as they looked at one another before shaking their head.
They could only look at one another with a look of curiosity as they waited silently.
Yue Hongyan and Yang Qing had almost completed their mantras at the same time. That was because despite of Hongyan’s higher level of cultivation, Yang Qing had greater intelligence. Both their manuals materialized at the same time, forming two rolls of scriptures.
As they opened their eyes, they bowed in unison to Lin Feng as they sent their greetings. They were both astounded to find Wang Lin at the Aurous Core stage as they congratulated him.
Lin Feng swept his glance across both of their manuals and not to his surprise, they contained the crystallization of their insights and training. Despite being slightly premature, they all contained the beginning of something great.
Yue Hongyan’s mantra was called the True Art of the Void. Like Xiao Yan, she had chosen to focus on a specific path and its contents were all regarding the mysteries and complexities of the void.
Before this, Yue Hongyan’s understanding about the void was different from Xiao Budian’s. Hers was all about the destructive capablities of the void.
But today, in her mantra, the True Art of the Void, Lin Feng could see another significant leap in her conceptualization as her comprehension had gained a few more dimensions and had complexified.
Yang Qing also handed his mantra to Lin Feng; he smiled in embarrassment, “It’s not really anything much.”
Lin Feng glanced through the manual with his supernatural awareness and smiled, “It’s already quite impressive. It seems like you have not wasted your time. After this round of refining, you are ready to erect your crucible.”
In fact, from Lin Feng’s perspective, it was not just Yue Hongyan or Yang Qing, but even Zhu Yi and the rest, who still had many loopholes in their manuals. It was all due to their current cultivation status.
Lin Feng firmly believed that in the future, they would continue to refine their mantras till perfection.
And when that time arrived, the Celestial Sect of Wonders would have countless powerful mantras that could challenge any of the most treasured mantras in the other Sects.
“Excellent, I want all of you to follow me,” Lin Feng smiled as he led his disciples out of the Tripitaka Block. As they stood on the peak of Mount Yujing, Lin Feng brought his hands together to form a symbol.
“Boom!” And the entire Mount Yujing trembled.
