ATPnovel Chapter 66 The Way of Education for All
Chapter 66 The Way of Education for All
The way of the sword lies in its essence, not in its blade.
Unwavering resolve is the spirit of the sword; unyielding courage is its unyielding nature.
Use your body as a sword, and the Way as your edge.
We will not yield to power, nor succumb to oppression, nor be swayed by profit, nor change our original aspirations.
This is his way of the sword.
The spiritual liquid in the dantian began to truly burn under the scorching influence of this Dao and reason.
The spiritual liquid surged, transforming into streams of pure Dao fire that rushed along the meridians to every part of the body. But Shen Qing felt that this flame was not strong enough.
Swordsmanship alone is not enough to support his perfect foundation building.
Shen Qing felt that more "firewood" was needed, and the essence of firewood was his understanding of the world.
Shen Qing began to speak the second verse. Recalling the scene of first descending to Qingyun Ferry, he began to recite in a low voice:
"In the past, in front of the land temple north of Qinghe City, a group of ants stood in the dust, cowering and humble, all ordinary people covered in dust and mud."
"Everywhere I look, I see people with their heads bowed and eyes downcast, living in constant fear and with lives as insignificant as blades of grass."
"At that time, when I took in people, my initial intention was not to teach them with compassion, but merely to use their mortal bodies as a guide to absorb the spiritual energy of all living beings and solidify my own foundation."
"Because of my innate wisdom, I am well-versed in the wicked arts of my past life. I painted a false pie in the sky for the path to immortality, and shaped the idea of the Qingyun Sect. I used the shackles of immortal destiny to bind people's hearts, and the rules of hierarchy to unite the will of the masses. I induced disciples to recommend each other, and widely accepted mortals. All my tricks and schemes are inherited from the bad habits of my past life."
"I bestow new names and set generational names upon everyone not out of pity or approval, but simply to sever ties with the mundane world, to establish roots in the sect, and to create a sense of bond and belonging."
"I ordered him to farm, study, practice martial arts, temper his body and cultivate his mind, not to carefully nurture him, but to grind away his bad habits and solidify his loyalty, so that he could continuously seize the original spiritual energy."
"All things in this world begin with calculation and originate from selfishness."
"Those who sow seeds know whether their initial intentions are true or false. If they are driven by self-interest or scheming, everything they do is for their own benefit."
"A seed can be planted in the soil, exposed to wind and frost, and nourished by rain and dew. It will take root, sprout, and grow into a tree. When it is full of branches and leaves, there will be no distinction between real and fake. All causes and effects will have become real."
"Afterwards, I lay in a cold coffin, and the sound of my weeping words could be heard before my spirit tablet."
"Shouzhuo prostrated himself and kowtowed, saying that he was the first person in his life to regard his humble and poor family as a human being. Shoucheng was devoted to the sect and vowed to be a disciple of Qingyun Sect for life. He kept vigil through the long night, and his young son suppressed his sobs. His grief was long and lingering, and he did not leave the coffin."
"From this day forward, my mind became clear, and all my past biases were shattered."
"The me who used to be full of scheming and clever words to lure followers in front of the local earth god temple, and the me who later wanted to leave a way out for hooligans, are inseparable."
"Strategic tactics and genuine sincerity are not mutually exclusive or irreconcilable."
"I provide warmth and food for the hungry and cold, enlighten the minds of the ignorant, and secure a place for the lowly to live. This is the truth."
"To borrow the essence of all living beings to cultivate one's own spiritual fruit, to ensure the survival of one's sect, and to gather the spiritual energy of the mortal world is also true."
"Only when the two are integrated can one be the true self; if one is lacking, one loses one's true nature and original self."
"The ancient sages spoke of education for all, but I have read it a thousand times in the past. It is nothing but words on paper, shallow and false, and I do not understand the immense weight of its meaning."
"Now I lie in a thin coffin, isolated from the noise of the world, listening to the lingering, reluctant steps outside the door, and finally understand the true meaning of the sages."
"It is neither a condescending act of charity nor a vague and unrealistic fantasy, but a stubborn yet simple conviction hidden in the mundane world."
"All living beings are born without distinction of rank, spiritual nature, wisdom, or folly."
Even if one is born into poverty, has mediocre talent, and a lowly fate, one should still have the opportunity to see the world, broaden one's horizons, and change one's destiny.
"This opportunity was not a carefully selected gift of pity."
"Even though I know that the disciples of the mortal world are of poor character and the path of cultivation is difficult, with only one in ten surviving and most never even glimpsing the gate of the Great Dao in their lifetime, I am still willing to sow the seeds of the Dao widely and plant them in the fertile soil of the mortal world."
"I, Shen Qing, will take this as the way of teaching for my entire life. I will not be a celestial being looking down from the clouds, nor will I bestow favors from a high place. I only wish to bow down to the mortal world and walk side by side with all living beings."
"When the seeds of the Dao are planted in the soil, they will endure wind and rain, be eaten by insects and beasts, and suffer all kinds of hardships. At that time, the vast majority of them will wither and perish."
"But as long as one or two seedlings take root, break through the soil, and spread their branches and leaves, they can preserve a wisp of life and continue the flame of the Dao for this barren world."
"The so-called 'cultivating the path before crossing it' is neither about the strong pitying the weak, nor about those who go before looking down on those who come after."
"It is merely that those who embark on the path take the first step, turn around and reach out, guiding those who follow step by step, entering the path together, sharing the wind and rain, going forward together, and walking side by side on the great road."
"Heaven and earth nurture all things, and the Way benefits all people."
"Do not judge people by their talent, nor by their birth."
"To enlighten the ignorant minds of ordinary people is to follow the will of Heaven; to open the wisdom of all beings is to guide people on behalf of the Way."
"I wish that everyone can cultivate themselves, and that all sentient beings can cultivate themselves."
As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Qing felt a sudden clarity in his mind. This was the supreme truth he had come to understand in the mundane world.
In an instant, the spiritual liquid in his dantian burned even more fiercely.
The fire of swordsmanship and the fire of edification intertwined, scorching the nascent Dao foundation at the center of the spiritual liquid vortex until it shone ever brighter.
However, Shen Qing could vaguely sense that the cohesion of the Dao Foundation was still insufficient.
The true meaning of swordsmanship represents his attitude, and the way of teaching clarifies his true intentions, but Shen Qing felt that the two combined could only allow him to barely touch the threshold of the upper-grade Dao Foundation.
Of course, a superior Dao Foundation is already very good. With a superior Dao Foundation, there are no major obstacles ahead, and the Golden Core is within reach.
Shen Qing gritted his teeth, preparing to stop.
Just then, Shen Qing felt the entire Qingyun Mountain suddenly shake.
Unlike an earthquake, it was a tremor originating from the very source of the mountain, as if this sacred mountain, which had been silent for countless years, had awakened from its long slumber.
Rocks shattered and fell from the mountaintop, and a rumbling sound came from the depths of the mountain. At this moment, the spiritual liquid burning in Shen Qing's dantian also surged wildly out of control.
Immediately afterwards, Shen Qing felt a profound voice resound in his mind.
It is unlike any language in the world, nor is it music; rather, it is a perception that transcends hearing, as if the heavens and earth themselves are whispering to him.
When the first thought entered his mind, Shen Qing froze completely.
It was not written words, but rather a primordial source of the Great Dao, a secret directly infused into his soul by the laws of heaven and earth.
Shen Qing held her breath, opening her mind completely to welcome this sound of heaven and earth.
At the same moment that the profound sound of the Great Dao resounded in Shen Qing's ears at the former site of the Qingyun Sect's Ancestral Hall, Huang Yuanji also heard this mysterious sound.
Just a few days ago, Huang Yuanji, who had traversed the entire Qingyun Mountain, was still doubting whether the ancestral claims were true and whether the secret the Huang family had been waiting for for 130 years truly existed.
At that moment, the sound of the Dao suddenly resounded in his soul, like an unexpected revelation, completely shattering all of Huang Yuanji's doubts. Huang Yuanji dared not be negligent and immediately calmed his mind and entered meditation to listen to the sound of the Great Dao.
As the Daoist chant resounded, Shen Qing realized that he seemed to have touched upon some extraordinary essence of cultivation.
It turns out that the distinction between spiritual roots did not exist in ancient times.
In ancient times, cultivators did not distinguish between high and low aptitude or the five elements, because the spiritual energy between heaven and earth was abundant and pure at that time, and no matter what kind of physique one had, one could find a cultivation path that suited them.
At that time, the most talented people were those with all five elements, who could absorb the spiritual energy of all attributes in the world at the same time, and their cultivation speed was much faster than that of people with a single spiritual root.
However, as the spiritual energy between heaven and earth became increasingly scarce, the advantages of having a single spiritual root gradually became apparent.
In the absence of sufficient spiritual energy, cultivators can only specialize in one attribute in order to have a chance to break through their cultivation level.
The Five Elements Spiritual Roots require the absorption of five kinds of spiritual energy simultaneously, which, in today's environment, has become the biggest hindrance.