We bear people have power

Not long ago, Lingxiu was trapped by that tree bark, and the higher-ups of Sickle Hammer City were busy solving the problem.

Nie Shuhuan put aside all his research and hurriedly returned to Fangcun Mountain to seek help from Patriarch Bodhi. Having mastered the Somersault Cloud technique, Nie Shuhuan's flying speed, while not quite as fast as the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, was not far behind, so he arrived in less than half a day.

This time, Patriarch Bodhi did not go into seclusion, nor did he mysteriously give Nie Shuhuan any secret tips. Instead, he generously received his grand-disciple.

If Guan Bo found out, he would definitely accuse him of favoritism.

To Nie Shuhuan's dismay, before he could even speak, he was stunned by the Patriarch's words: "Boy, do you know that a spiritual light is gushing out from the top of your head?"

Perhaps because he had been by Guan Bo's side for so long, Nie Shuhuan felt that he had heard this sentence many times in many different places, and each time the person was different.

"Do you think I'm joking with you?" Bodhi Patriarch said unhappily.

If it were Guan Bo, he would definitely have given Bodhi Patriarch a disdainful look, letting him figure it out on his own.

But Nie Shuhuan had not developed such an iron will, and he immediately knelt on the ground and said, "This disciple dares not."

"Hmph, anyone who spends too much time with that panda is no good," Bodhi Patriarch muttered, clearly displeased.

Nie Shuhuan decided not to take the bait and went straight to the point: "Master, this disciple requests an audience..."

"No need to say more, I already know. That little girl won't die, and if she's lucky, she might even have a great fortune. However, it's not something that can be resolved in a short time. If we wait patiently, a good result will naturally come. Forcibly intervening would be unwise," Patriarch Bodhi interrupted Nie Shuhuan.

Hearing this, Nie Shuhuan felt slightly relieved. As long as his life was spared, there would naturally be a way to resolve the situation. As for the time involved, that was not a problem at all for cultivators.

"Did the patriarch give any instructions?" Nie Shuhuan asked.

“As I just said, a ray of spiritual light burst forth from the top of your head, and this is no joke. You are about to attain enlightenment,” said Patriarch Bodhi.

"Attained enlightenment?" Nie Shuhuan exclaimed in shock, "But... I've only recently established my foundation..."

The enlightenment that Bodhi Patriarch spoke of was not as simple as ascending to the heavenly palace and becoming a member of the official immortals.

The Dao refers to the ultimate principle of heaven and earth. The Dao is inherently mysterious and ineffable, but practitioners can summarize what they have comprehended through their own understanding, and this is the Dao that can be taught.

Only by inquiring about the Way, hearing about the Way, knowing the Way, and practicing the Way can one attain the Way.

Asking the Way is the beginning, a reflection on life; hearing the Way is the process of cognition, for the true Dharma is hard to hear, and the process of exploration is arduous; knowing is the result of cognition, and understanding is the standard of knowing; practicing the Way is putting it into practice, and only by practicing the Way can the Way endure.

But no matter how you try to explain it, there will always be things that language cannot describe. You can only understand and comprehend these things yourself in order to attain enlightenment.

Attaining enlightenment requires a very long period of accumulation before one has the opportunity to find one's own "Tao" from thousands of years of experience and reflection.

Nie Shuhuan has only been cultivating for a few years, and his cultivation level is only at the Foundation Establishment stage. Even a simple-minded god like the Giant Spirit God, who only has muscles, doesn't believe that he is about to attain enlightenment.

"You're lucky. You followed that panda down the same path to the bitter end, and unexpectedly, you actually found a different path. It's a pity that Guan Bo is not bound by the laws of heaven and earth, which is a boon for you. This enlightenment should be yours," said Patriarch Bodhi with emotion.

"Please forgive my ignorance, Master, and enlighten me." Nie Shuhuan was somewhat confused.

“Over the years, it’s not that no one has thought of enabling all mortals to cultivate into immortals. But they either went down the wrong path or went against the will of Heaven, suffering the backlash from the Heavenly Dao. Only this panda is beyond the reach of the Heavenly Dao, which is why such a huge situation has arisen,” said Patriarch Bodhi.

"To allow mortals to become immortals is to go against the will of Heaven?" Although he had heard this saying, Nie Shuhuan did not believe it. The establishment of the Heavenly Court and the Underworld, and the entire cycle of reincarnation, are one of the laws governing the operation of Heaven. If it were against Heaven, how could the Jade Emperor have secured his throne?

Seemingly having guessed Nie Shuhuan's thoughts, Patriarch Bodhi said, "Otherwise, how do you think tribulation comes about? It's because Heaven can't stand seeing people do well, and intends to strike down those cultivators. Heaven creates all things, nourishes all things, and also treats all things as straw dogs. If you follow Heaven, you will be born, grow old, get sick, and die, endlessly reincarnating. If you go against Heaven, you may be annihilated, fighting only for that sliver of a chance to transcend. And this transcendence began with the human race and has been passed down to this day."

Nie Shuhuan was shocked upon hearing this. So, the way of humanity and the way of heaven are actually opposed.

"But wasn't this person created by Nuwa? Before this, there were countless powerful beings in the world. How come the human race was the first to transcend?" Nie Shuhuan felt there was a problem here.

"Before the human race, all things in heaven and earth sought survival and the continuation of their race, not their own immortality. Therefore, the stronger their bodies, the less they could be harmed by water, fire, swords, or spears, but the lower their wisdom. Only the human race, relying on wisdom to continuously reproduce, then developed the idea of ​​seeking longevity and immortality. This is transcendence, this is the true Dao."

"Of all things in heaven and earth, the first to intend to transcend was humankind, and the first to put defying the heavens into practice was also humankind. Therefore, in addition to the Way of Heaven, there is now the Way of Humankind. From then on, all things in heaven and earth, whether they are covered in fur and horns or are born from eggs and covered in scales, are actually following the Way of Humankind as long as they embark on the path of defying the heavens and transcending."

The first person to defy the heavens established humanity. Nie Shuhuan felt his heart surge with emotion, wondering what kind of great sage in the ignorant era could have such ambition to defy the heavens.

"Who was the first person to transcend this?" Nie Shuhuan asked.

“I said before that the first person to intend to transcend, and the first person to put transcendence into practice, was a human, but I never said that the first person to succeed was a human. In fact, since the beginning of time, no one has been able to transcend.” Bodhi Patriarch once again uttered these astonishing words.

“How is that possible? The Taoist Ancestor, the Buddha Ancestor, and the Patriarch, you all possess heaven-reaching and earth-shattering abilities, and have long since transcended the cycle of birth and death. Aren’t you considered to have transcended?” Nie Shuhuan asked in surprise.

"I said before, true transcendence is immortality. For mortals, tens of millions of years is probably similar to immortality. But even this world has its lifespan coming to an end. At that time, the Dao Ancestor, the Buddha, and I will all perish together. How can that be considered true transcendence, or attaining immortality? If one could transcend, why would the Dao Ancestor still refine elixirs, or the Buddha still transmit scriptures? Wouldn't it be better for them to leave this universe and go see a higher level of scenery? Do you really think they are so compassionate?" Bodhi Patriarch said disdainfully.

He dared not pass on the fire… oh, it should be that Nie Shuhuan dared not respond to that. He quickly changed the subject, asking, “Then, Patriarch, what did you mean when you said I was about to attain enlightenment?”

Patriarch Bodhi stroked his long beard and said earnestly, "You have caused a great deal of trouble by following that panda. Originally, the place where humanity was prosperous was in the Tang Dynasty, but now the fortunes have shifted and fallen on your Sickle and Hammer City."