Chapter 110: The Highest Good Is Like Water
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After the mysterious man’s threat, Ji Feichen instead smiled: “To defy the heavens today may well be to follow the will of heaven tomorrow. Senior, if one day the Qi Refiners become the only path for the continuation of the world, it could very well lead to great prosperity.”
“But the premise is that the rise of Qi Refiners must find justification,” the mysterious man said with a half-smile, leaping down from the bluestone: “I’m thirsty!”
“Ah?”
Before Ji Feichen could react, the mysterious man clasped his hands together and bowed reverently to the statue in the Heavenly Mother Temple: “Divine Lady above, I’m a bit parched. In honor of your birthday, could you grant us something to quench our thirst?”
At his words, celestial clouds above the temple shot down beams of heavenly light.
Beneath their feet, colorful sprouts appeared, growing into a small peach tree. It stood three feet tall, with golden branches and jade leaves, bearing a single plump, dewy immortal peach. Purple-patterned dragons coiled on the fruit, its fragrance rich and intoxicating—clearly a treasure of the celestial court, a rare wonder among the immortals.
The mysterious man plucked the peach, and the entire small tree dispersed into the wind, as if all the essence of the peachwood had concentrated into this one fruit.
He broke the peach in half, handing the half with the pit to Ji Feichen: “Here, eat this.”
A purple mist of ethereal energy wafted forth; even the scent alone was refreshing and life-extending.
Ji Feichen bit into the peach, instantly feeling a pure, vibrant energy spread through his mouth.
“This immortal peach is superior even to those in the Lingwei Immortal Mansion! And it’s an energy-type immortal peach?”
The peach melted on the tongue, the rich primal energy flowing throughout his body. Alongside this power, some dormant corruptions within Ji Feichen’s physical body were suddenly stirred.
“Ah—” he clutched his stomach as waves churned violently inside.
Though passersby moved about nearby, they seemed to overlook the two men’s presence, as if an invisible barrier prevented others from spying on them.
The mysterious man smiled as he ate the peach, occasionally glancing at Ji Feichen. He kept coughing up blood, expelling dark energy. As this black aura was released, Ji Feichen felt certain bindings within himself begin to dissolve.
“Has the blood oath been broken?” Ji Feichen’s expression grew dazed, barely able to believe it.
“To oppose the demonic sect, the first step is to sever the blood oath, isn’t it?” The mysterious man lightly tapped Ji Feichen’s forehead. The sound of the Great Dao shattered the curse within him.
The blood curse had vanished! Without the Nine Xiang Qiong Tree, without celestial intervention, the curse that had plagued him for years was dissolved by half an immortal peach? Ji Feichen’s heart was a whirlwind of emotions before he suddenly snapped back to reality and stood to thank the mysterious man. “Thank you, senior…”
“Hey, hey—hold on!” The mysterious man stopped him: “Don’t thank me. This was the Heavenly Mother’s doing, has nothing to do with me. I wouldn’t help you lift the blood curse otherwise!”
As if fearing Ji Feichen might forget, the man repeated solemnly, “Remember, it was the Heavenly Mother’s peach that helped you, not me. If that person comes looking for trouble, you’re not allowed to reveal my existence.”
Ji Feichen silently nodded and stood, handing the peach pit back to the mysterious man.
The man blew gently on it. A green, ethereal wood spirit entered the pit. “Keep this seed. It might be useful someday.”
“To me?” Ji Feichen’s eyes brightened. The value of this seed could be likened to the Lingwei Immortal Mansion’s treasured peachwood sword.
The legendary sword’s material was said to have come from a sprout grown from the pit of an immortal peach obtained by the sect’s founding ancestor. In other words, if Ji Feichen could nurture this seed, he could craft that kind of celestial sword. Furthermore, cultivating the fruit again could yield a peach forest rivaling that of the Lingwei Sect.
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“The peach that person ate was also a sacred relic of the Heavenly Mother,” the mysterious man, possessing godlike insight, sensed Ji Feichen’s thoughts and smiled: “But in his hands, the immortal peach was a misused gem. A fine treasure of the Golden Pavilion turned into a mere medicinal herb. Though it could be consumed by pure immortals, its effects on Qi Refiners were too weak. If you have the heart, later water it with the Three Luminaries Divine Water and plant it in five-colored soil. Remember, this seed must not touch weapons or metal tools.”
After his advice, he looked up as stars appeared and the moon revealed itself in the cloudless sky.
“There’s still some time before I must leave. For the sake of my robes, I might as well teach you something more,” the mysterious man said, leaping away. The two vanished from the Heavenly Mother Temple.
Above the temple, clouds and incense lingered; then a graceful divine maiden’s figure faded from sight.
…
Ji Feichen’s vision darkened, and the next moment he found himself back on the lake’s surface where they first met.
As the moon rose, its reflection shimmered like a phantom moon in the water. Speckled starlight floated beneath the surface like luminous fish.
The mysterious man stood barefoot on the water, the surface as still as solid ground. His white robes glowed softly as he gazed up at the moon, his aloof bearing reminiscent of the legendary Guya Immortal Maiden.
In contrast, Ji Feichen’s boots wrinkled and spread ripples around his feet. He could only use his cultivation energy to keep his boots dry.
“The highest fruit of the immortal path is the celestial immortal—called the Pure Yang Immortal, who harmonizes with the world,” the mysterious man said, walking on water and circling Ji Feichen. “Strictly speaking, even the Three Dao Lords are just celestial immortals, though their realms are lofty, far beyond ordinary immortals.”
His robes fluttered gently, and a fragrant breeze wafted.
Ji Feichen steadied himself, unwilling to be distracted. The mysterious man continued: “Many celestial immortals dream of standing shoulder to shoulder with the Three Dao Lords. But they can never match them. Do you know why?”
“Why?” Ji Feichen asked instinctively, following the man’s words.
Suddenly, the man tapped Ji Feichen’s head with a small wooden hammer: “You fool, I’m asking you!”
Ji Feichen thought carefully and cautiously replied: “Could it be that the Three Dao Lords come from noble origins, born of the primordial heavenly energy at the beginning of heaven and earth? Their innate sanctity grants them such status?”
“That’s one reason, but not the most important,” the mysterious man said, folding his hands behind his back and lightly leaping several yards away. Despite his movement, the water remained perfectly still.
“Water remains calm without stirring, mirrors remain clear without shade. The Dao is innate; why seek it elsewhere? Those who strive to match the Dao Lords breed demonic hindrances from the moment such thoughts arise. If the Dao heart is like water, then wind and waves will arise. If the Dao heart is like a mirror, dust will settle. Without a pure mind, how can one stand alongside the Three Dao Lords?”
The Three Dao Lords had perfected the immortal path, their every word and action the operation of the Great Dao. The Dao is untainted by worldly dust; if one’s heart and nature cannot reach this level, it is impossible to transcend to their realm.
The mysterious man took a few more steps and beckoned Ji Feichen: “Try walking on the water.”
Ji Feichen stepped forward a few paces, but ripples spread beneath his feet, disrupting the stillness.
Suddenly, Ji Feichen seemed to understand: “You mean that to reach the realm of the Three Dao Lords, one must keep their heart like still water, undisturbed by waves?”
The mysterious man burst into laughter: “You think reaching such a realm means you’ve become a Dao Lord? If that were so, I’d already be one, and could stand shoulder to shoulder with them. What I’m teaching you is only enough for use in Xuanzheng Prefecture; show it before a celestial immortal and you’ll be laughed at.”
“Not to mention, many in the Supreme Sect cultivate this kind of heart training. Your faction’s Wuwei Sect has such a still-water cultivation method.”
“But that’s only still water,” he shifted tone, “The Dao Ancestor said, ‘The highest good is like water, benefiting all without contending.’ He never said this water is dead water—still, stagnant, and foul.”
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If it were dead water, still without waves, wouldn’t that be normal?
“Moreover, water is flowing water, nourishing all things without stirring the mind—this is another level.”
A heart like still water, a Dao like a clear mirror. One step beyond is a heart like flowing water: water passes without moving the heart.
Suddenly, Ji Feichen recalled a fable from his previous life: the flag moves because the wind blows; the Dao flag moves because the heart moves.
“So, the Supreme Sect’s cultivation focuses more on the heart and Dao state than on magical power?” Ji Feichen pondered the Supreme Sect’s disciples, Li Jingxun, and other acquaintances, noting their differing aura compared to other immortals.
The mysterious man swept his sleeve, and clouds on the water transformed into golden lotuses and jade lotus roots, shining with pure radiance. Images of the sun and moon appeared on the water—a wondrous spectacle of heaven and earth.
“The subtlety of the Great Dao’s transformation lies in the unity of qi and spirit, returning to the boundless void. Since the Dao is innate, how can one use a defiled, worldly heart? Cultivate emptiness to unite with the Dao! Heh heh… If your heart is murky, how can you unite with the Dao? Therefore, seek the Supreme Heart—highest good like water, benefiting all without contending. Plain and simple, neither good nor evil; vast and majestic, neither biased nor partial; the way of softness, following all things with a sage heart unmoved.”
If one compares the water path to three realms, the saintly realm of highest good is undoubtedly the supreme stage. Ji Feichen, however, could not even reach the most basic “heart like still water” state.
Thus, on this night, the mysterious man was imparting the “heart like still water” realm to him.
When one can walk on water without causing ripples, as naturally as the weather, that is merely the initial step.
But this step was difficult. After a few attempts, Ji Feichen’s robes were soaked from the lake, and his boots filled with water early on.
Higher levels like “flowing water with a still heart” were out of reach for now; even the initial “heart like still water” was not something a half-trained demon like Ji Feichen could immediately master.
“You should count yourself lucky that when you disguised yourself as a Daoist, you didn’t try to enter a Supreme Sect’s mountain gate or impersonate a disciple of a major Daoist faction. Otherwise, with your shallow Dao cultivation, you’d be exposed immediately,” the mysterious man teased as he hopped ahead, laughing at Ji Feichen.
Ji Feichen kept a straight face, following the man’s lead. The walk was awkward and precarious, afraid that a misstep would ripple the lake.
Fortunately, Ji Feichen had cultivated the “As It Is White Bone Contemplation” while in the demonic sect—a heart-refining method visualizing all things as white bones, focusing on quieting the mind. Soon, his mental state stabilized. An image of the Tai Emperor’s dharma manifestation appeared faintly at his brow, standing behind him, helping him maintain his pace on the water.
“Oh?” The mysterious man turned to the dharma manifestation. “This lad does have some skill, but whether he survives depends on whether we keep him. If that person really comes, even his dragon scales won’t save him.”
The mysterious man hesitated. Since their first meeting, he was naturally unwilling to offend that person on Ji Feichen’s behalf. Moreover, in this matter, Ji Feichen might not be in the right.
It was a blessing Ji Feichen had not cultivated demonic arts—otherwise, he would have died even faster.
“That person is most zealous in vanquishing evil. If this guy cultivated demonic arts, he would be slain by a heavenly sword beam the moment he became a terrestrial immortal. But now, with the fate of a Qi Refiner entwined with him, that person hesitates and won’t strike lightly. If he seizes the opportunity, there might still be a chance.”
The mysterious man could help Ji Feichen navigate this situation, but the question remained: why would he help a wandering immortal or demon lord?
“I also find the current division of purity and impurity unfavorable to practitioners of primal energy Dao like me. If it can be changed, it would be best.”
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