Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The people who were closest to Lord Taixuan were naturally the four disciples that he taught personally. They looked at the character in front of them and sensed something. But they did not say anything.
They were Lord Taixuan’s personal disciples and had often heard their master teach. Today, the main focus was on the other disciples of Taixuan Mountain.
The character that read “The Way” floated in the air above them. It looked normal, but also abnormal at the same time. But no one could really say what was abnormal about it.
Ye Futian stared at the character as well, and his eyes slowly changed as his gaze grew deeper. In that vast space, the world all around him changed. He seemed to see endless beams of light floating between heaven and earth. The will of that character filled the air. He could see the changes of all things.
What he was seeing was not a character; it was “the Way” itself.
However, he did not say anything. He just sat there quietly. Among all the disciples of Taixuan Mountain here today, as a guqin master, it was best if he said nothing.
Although Ye Futian said nothing, it seemed that, at that moment, Lord Taixuan sensed something. He looked over towards Ye Futian. Their gazes collided. Ye Futian found himself looking into an infinitely deep pair of eyes, so deep that they seemed to be filled with the Way.
But the feeling disappeared in an instant. He immediately averted his gaze, but he heard Lord Taixuan say, “What is your name?”
Ye Futian’s heart began to beat faster. He told himself that he had been a little bit too careless. Lord Taixuan was such a powerful figure, and his perception was so sharp. He had looked at the character through the eyes of meditation, and Lord Taixuan had obviously been able to sense that.
He rose and bowed, saying, “Greetings, my Lord. My name is Shen Jing.”
“Please sit, Shen Jing,” said Lord Taixuan. “What did you see?”
Many people looked at Ye Futian. They had no idea why Lord Taixuan was asking Ye Futian this. Perhaps he had just randomly chosen someone from the crowd.
Ye Futian was silent for a time. He did not know if he should speak or not.
Seeing that he was silent, everyone’s expressions changed. The House Master of Taixuan said, “Master, Shen Jing is a guqin master that I brought up to Taishan Mountain. This character is profound and mysterious. How could he possibly answer you?”
“That does not matter. You may answer freely.” Lord Taixuan seemed extremely kind and gentle as he looked at Ye Futian.
“I see “the Way,” answered Ye Futian with a bow. As he said this, a strange look came over everyone’s faces. Some of them even frowned. Would he really give such a simple answer?
If he did not know, then he could just say that he did not know. The Lord had just randomly picked him, and he would not blame him if he got it wrong.
Everyone could see that the character read “the Way.” Everyone had already answered that. Lord Taixuan had asked them what else they had seen.
But Ye Futian had still answered that he saw “the Way.”
But as they were all thinking this, Lord Taixuan asked another question: “What Way?” This made a look of surprise come over everyone’s faces.
Lord Taixuan had asked him another question.
“The Way of Swordsmanship,” answered Ye Futian.
Everyone was speechless when they heard this. Had he seen the Way of Swordsmanship?
This Shen Jing…
“Do not say such foolish things.” Ye Futian heard a voice in his mind. Someone was transmitting to him. It was Princess Luoyue.
Although Lord Taixuan would not mind, if Ye Futian spoke foolishly, it would still be bad. It would affect the people of Taishan Mountain’s opinion of him. In that case, it would have negative effects on his future cultivating at Taishan Mountain, and it would not be easy for him to find a chance to become a disciple.
Ye Futian had unknowingly helped her, and so she took the time to remind him of this.
However, Ye Futian seemed not to hear her reminder. He sat there quietly, looking very calm as if he was not distressed in the least.
If Lord Taixuan had casually chosen to ask him a question, then he would answer him casually.
“Mmm.” Lord Taixuan nodded, then turned his gaze away from Ye Futian.
He did not say whether he was right or wrong, but everyone could see that his questioning was over. Lord Taixuan would not delve any deeper into Ye Futian’s answer. After all, he had just been asking casually.
At that moment, an aura bloomed from the character and flowed through the area. In a flash, the giant character became extraordinary as an invisible will covered Taixuan Mountain.
At that moment, it seemed as if the only thing that anyone could see was the character.
“How about now? What do you see?” Lord Taixuan asked everyone.
“Will,” everyone answered. They all felt an incredibly powerful will that seemed to contain the will of the Great Path within it. This character was indeed supernatural.
Lord Taixuan nodded slightly and waved his hand again. The character floated up, and divine light shone from it, spreading down Taixuan Mountain. The clouds in the sky changed color, and the will of all things became exceedingly clear. The light shone upon all of Taixuan City.
At that moment, countless people in Taixuan City looked up to Mount Taixuan, trembling within their hearts as they did so.
As the light of the Great Path shone, the seemed to be able to see a character that read “the Way,” and an old man who was as graceful and elegant as a celestial being.
“Lord Taixuan.” in that instant, they all bowed, showing their respect to that figure. Inside themselves, they were in turmoil.
Was Lord Taixuan teaching the Way?
Countless Saint level figures were sitting there, diligently sensing everything. Lord Taixuan was transmitting the Way into Taixuan City, letting them all feel that the Way was everywhere.
The people on Taixuan Mountain could feel it the most clearly. They seemed to be able to see everything in the world. The true fire of the sun fell, and water flowed to the deep places of the earth. Invisible space will was everywhere. They saw flowers blooming and dying, and they saw demonic beasts riding the winds high up in the sky. They could feel the wind flowing around them.
“This is the Great Path of All Things…” Everyone’s hearts trembled. At that moment, their perception of everything became incomparably clear. It seemed as if they could see through things to their true nature.
“How about now?” Lord Taixuan asked again. Everyone was still silent, but they were shaking.
In that instant, an even more powerful aura spread out. Lord Taixuan’s form seemed not to be real. A phantom appeared up in the sky, and soon, it was everywhere at once. The character that read “the Way” was linking everything together.
At that moment, the marvelous will expanded even more. It spread out from the vast Taixuan City all throughout the Taixuan Region.
In the distance, the people of Taixuan City were looking up into the sky, and their hearts were trembling wildly.
Was this the aura of a god?
Everything in the world became clearer. The people in Taixuan saw countless images. They were images of everything in the world.
“What is the Way?” Lord Taixuan was no longer asking what everyone saw; he was asking what the Way was.
“No one lights the sun and the moon, and yet they burn brightly. No one arranges the stars, and yet they are well ordered. No one creates beasts, and yet they are born. No one stirs up the wind, and yet it blows. No one pushes the waters, and yet they flow. No one plants the trees and grass, and yet they grow. You do not try to breathe, and yet you do. You do not make your heart beat, and yet it does.”
Lord Taixuan seemed to be speaking to himself. “Everything in the world is born into something, or into nothing. Everything in the world has its reasons for moving. We humans cultivate the Way in order to chase after these rules. However, the higher the level you cultivate to, the more you feel your own insignificance. Saints feel like they have grasped the Way, but they have only touched one corner of it. Seeing some of these rules and operations is called understanding the Way, and is called Sainthood.”
Everyone on Taixuan Mountain who heard these words felt a little ashamed, especially those who were proud and thought of themselves as cultivators. At that moment, they truly felt their own insignificance.
“Cultivation is hard. Becoming a Saint is very hard, and becoming a Renhuang is even harder. But although I say it is hard, at the same time, it is not hard. When you understand the Way and understand the motions of the sun and the moon, then you will shine along with them. When you understand the motions of the stars, you will move along with them. But are the sun and moon and stars and everything in the world well ordered? If they are not ordered, how can you understand their changes?
“Although ‘the Way’ is but one word, it is incredibly difficult to see through.”
Lord Taixuan sighed, and his sigh seemed to cause the sun, moon, and stars to move.
He stood up and waved his hand, leaving a deep impression on the peak of Taixuan Mountain. Far away in Taixuan City, countless people could still see the character.
“My Lord!” Everyone’s hearts were trembling.
“Master!” Even Lord Taixuan’s four disciples looked shocked as they looked at him.
“Is the Master going to break through to the next level?” said the head teacher of Taixuan. Suddenly, everyone’s hearts beat even faster. If Lord Taixuan was going to break through to the next level, what level would that be?
“That’s out of the question. It is just that in these past few years of cultivation, I have had a feeling. I am teaching the Way today for the sake of teaching it to you, but at the same time, I am teaching myself,” said Lord Taixuan. “I must spend a period of time locked away in cultivation.”
“I will stay here on Taixuan Mountain and guard it for you, Master,” said the head teacher.
The other three stood as well and bowed. They would all stay on the Mountain and guard it for him.
Lord Taixuan nodded slightly, then turned to leave. With a single step, he disappeared.
Everyone on Taixuan Mountain was still looking at the character that read “the Way.” The character contained the actual will of the Great Path.
And it was not only the people on Taixuan Mountain who were looking at it. In Taixuan City and all throughout the Taixuan Region, everyone was looking across the vast distance towards the mountain. The character filled all their visions.
Let us go to Taixuan Mountain, they all thought. They all made their preparations to set out for the mountain.
At that moment, as far away from Taixuan Mountain as could be, in an elegant hall in Shangxiao Divine Palace, a figure opened his eyes. His gaze seemed to pierce across the vast distance. “Lord Taixuan,” he whispered.
And it was not only in Shangxiao Divine Palace. At that moment, many people in the Higher Heavens Realm felt something. They all immediately set out towards Taixuan Mountain!
