Gou Zai Xi You Dao Chang Sheng

Upon hearing Li Yan's words, Ao Bibo's eyes dimmed slightly.

She lowered her eyes: "Fellow Daoist is absolutely right. I was being presumptuous."

Li Yan looked at her, but a strange feeling swept through his heart.

This dragon girl has been acting strangely ever since she arrived at Flower Fruit Mountain.

First, he took the initiative to propose a contest, with 50,000 weapons as the stake.

After losing, he was not angry at all, but instead humbly sought advice, following behind me every day and asking me all sorts of questions.

Now I want to become an apprentice.

Each and every one of these things seems ordinary, but upon closer examination, they all defy common sense.

She is the princess of the South China Sea Dragon Palace, of true dragon blood, and a true immortal.

If you wish to seek the Dao, the Dragon Palace contains countless scriptures, and there are numerous masters throughout the four seas.

Why lower yourself to become a disciple of a rogue cultivator?

With a slight thought, Li Yan observed that Ao Bibo's aura was clear and pure under the reflection of his mind mirror.

There are no restrictions.

There was no scheming involved.

There was only a faint, almost imperceptible sense of intimacy.

That sense of closeness came unexpectedly, yet it was genuine.

Li Yan grew increasingly suspicious, but remained outwardly calm.

He simply said, "If the young lady wishes to discuss Taoist practices, this humble Taoist will answer all your questions to the best of my knowledge. As for the matter of becoming his disciple, let's not mention it again."

Ao Bibo raised her head and glanced at him.

"In that case, I will take the liberty of troubling you for a few more days."

Ao Bibo said softly, "I have benefited greatly from listening to fellow Daoists' lectures these past few days."

If there is anything still unclear, I hope you will kindly enlighten me.

Li Yan nodded slightly: "That's only right."

Ao Bibo then took his leave and turned to walk towards the cliff.

Li Yan stood there, watching the green shadow gradually disappear into the distance, his brows slightly furrowed.

The sable nuzzled against his cheek on his shoulder.

In my arms, the jade mouse poked its little head out and squeaked twice.

That dragon girl is acting strangely.

Li Yan lowered his head and rubbed its little head.

"It is a bit strange."

"However, since she meant no harm, let her be."

Having said that, he turned and walked towards the Water Curtain Cave.

That night, the moonlight was as clear as water.

Li Yan sat cross-legged in the stone chamber, closing his eyes and looking inward.

In the Niwan Palace, the Heart Mirror hangs high, reflecting the entire body.

On the mirror surface, lines of small golden characters slowly emerged.

[Preaching and teaching benefited the monkeys of Flower Fruit Mountain, awakening their intelligence and strengthening their foundation.]

[Aura of Fate +240]

[Dispel the evil spirits of the world-destroying demon king, purify the earth's veins, and eradicate the root of evil]

[Aura of Fate +300]

[Refining the Star Marrow Pearl, the Cave Heaven evolves, and one's cultivation advances greatly.]

[Aura of Fate +200]

[Refining the essence of the earth's veins, evolving the grotto-heaven, and greatly advancing one's cultivation.]

[Aura of Fate +250]

[The golden lotus matures, bursting with vitality, a grotto-heavenly evolution.]

[Aura of Fate +200]

[By comprehending the thirty-six methods of the evolution of the grotto-heaven, one's cultivation will greatly advance.]

[Aura of Fate +500]

[He instructed Sun Wukong to make a deal with the Dragon Palace to resolve the karmic conflict and avoid disaster.]

[Aura of Fate +200]

[Preaching and resolving doubts benefited the Dragon Girl Ao Bibo]

[Aura of Fate +200]

[Deducing the story of Sun Wukong entering the Dragon Palace to retrieve treasures, and gaining insight into the secrets of heaven]

【Aura of Destiny - 1280】

……

The records are densely packed, going back several months.

Li Yan's mind stirred slightly as he took in all the records.

Finally, a line of small words appeared on the mirror.

[Current Affinity/Dharma Energy: 3000/2560]

Li Yan opened his eyes, a fleeting glint of starlight in them.

Three thousand strands.

Since descending Fangcun Mountain, the accumulated aura of karmic affinity along the way has reached three thousand.

Now, it's time to make a decision again.

Should we continue accumulating resources for future emergencies?

Or should I consume these three thousand strands of fate energy to break through to the sixth level of the cave heaven, the Lesser Thousand Realm?

Li Yan remained silent in thought.

The realm of the Lesser Thousand is the boundary between immortals and mortals.

Once you step into this realm, it's like a Golden Core cultivator achieving true immortality, shedding their mortal form and attaining an immortal body.

At that time, their lifespan will be measured in tens of thousands of years, and their supernatural powers will be incomparable to those of today.

He is currently at the mid-stage of the fifth level of the Cave Heaven Realm. If he cultivates step by step, it will take him at least three to five years, and at most ten years, before he has a chance to touch that threshold.

However, if we use the principles of karma to deduce the truth, it might be possible to achieve it in one fell swoop.

However, the resources required for that deduction must be considerable.

Li Yan closed his eyes, his mind sinking into the mirror of his heart.

[Can consume 2560 strands of Fate Qi to directly break through to the sixth level of the Cave Heaven, the Lesser Thousand Realm]

[Time required for breakthrough: Unknown (depending on the severity of the calamity)]

[Note: The Lesser Thousand Realms are the boundary between immortals and mortals; breaking through to this realm inevitably triggers a calamity of heaven and earth.]

[The form of calamity varies from person to person, from path to path, and from cause and effect and karma]

Li Yan felt a slight chill.

[Consuming 2560 strands of Fate Qi, breaking through to the next level.]

That instant.

My heart trembled violently.

On the mirror, the 2560 strands of karmic energy transformed into countless golden specks of light.

Those points of light, like countless stars, flowed endlessly across the mirror of my heart.

After nine cycles of change, they suddenly merged into one.

It transformed into a golden light, shooting straight to the top of the Niwan Palace.

At the top of the Niwan Palace, in that instant, a crack appeared.

From the crevice, endless chaotic energy surged forth.

The chaotic energy surged into the cave.

Within the grotto, the world underwent a dramatic change.

The small world, fifty feet in diameter, began to tremble.

Above the dome, the starry sky shone brightly.

Three hundred and sixty-five main stars lit up simultaneously.

The sun and moon revolve, day and night alternate, and the speed is more than ten times faster.

The earth is covered with rolling hills and crisscrossing veins.

The eight main veins lit up simultaneously.

The earthy yellow light shot into the sky, reflecting the starlight from the dome.

The vegetation flourishes, and the greenery deepens.

Those plants that were originally just tender grass and shoots began to grow wildly.

In a short while, it had grown to about a foot high.

In the center, the golden lotus suddenly trembled.

Its two-foot-five-inch stem began to grow wildly.

Three feet.

Four feet.

Five feet.

On the stem, the nine golden-veined leaves simultaneously shone with light.

Amidst the light, the lotus bud slowly bloomed.

A single petal.

Two petals.

Three petals.

With each petal that blooms, the entire cave trembles once.

When the ninth petal blooms.

Inside the grotto, flowers rained down from the sky, and golden lotuses sprang from the ground.

The golden lotus finally bloomed.

It was a nine-grade golden lotus.

Nine petals, layered upon each other, with flowing golden patterns.

Within the patterns, there are faint traces of the Eight Trigrams of the Primordial Heaven.

Within the heart of the flower, there is a glimmer of chaotic light.

That radiance, like a newly opened eye, perceives the heavens and the earth.

[The golden lotus blooms, and the essence of the grotto-heaven is perfected.]

[Cave Heaven Stability +500%]

[Cave's Natural Potential +1000%]

[Cave Heaven Evolution Speed ​​+300%]

Li Yan was terrified.

The moment the golden lotus bloomed, the entire grotto came alive.

It transforms into a small, living world.

The Golden Lotus is the heart of this world.

Li Yan was about to take a closer look.

Suddenly, the mirror of my heart trembled.

A line of small, blood-red characters appeared on the mirror.

[Calamity is approaching]

[Type of Calamity: Karmic Fire Calamity]

[Source of the Calamity: The entanglements of past karma of the cultivators, accumulated to this day, have transformed into karmic fire.]

[Intensity of Calamity: Extremely High]

[The form of the tribulation: It will manifest in the Mirror of the Heart, directly pointing to the cultivator's Dao heart]

Li Yan felt a chill run down his spine.

Karmic calamity?

He had cultivated himself to this point, and although he knew that becoming an immortal required undergoing tribulations, he never expected that these tribulations would come so quickly and so strangely.

Without thinking twice, my mind was jolted.

On the mirror, the countless golden points of light dissipated, turning into a thick, indistinguishable crimson.

Amidst the crimson light, a figure slowly emerged.

Li Yan was all too familiar with that figure.

It was himself.

But it wasn't him.

The image of myself in the mirror was exactly the same as his, but I was covered in blood, my eyes were bloodshot, and I was wrapped in countless gray-black chains.

The chains were wrapped around him at one end and stretched into the endless void at the other.

In the void, countless images can be faintly seen.

The first image shows Fangcun Mountain and Sanxing Cave.

He stood side by side with Sun Wukong, listening to the patriarch preach.

He already knew about Sun Wukong's future, but he didn't mention it at all.

The second image shows the Cangwu Mountains.

He observes the mountains and rivers, comprehends the Tao, walks with ease, and observes with meticulous detail.

Sun Wukong was anxious to return to the mountain, so he advised him to slow down.

The delay of half a month meant that the monkeys of Flower Fruit Mountain suffered an extra half month of bullying.

The third image shows Kanyuan Mountain and Shuizhe Cave.

Inside the dungeon, the emaciated little monkeys huddled in a corner, trembling.

The fourth scene is in front of the Water Curtain Cave.

The monkeys cheered, but he was only thinking about how much of that karmic energy he had gained.

…………

Images flashed by like a revolving lantern.

In one scene, a gray-black chain extends from the void and wraps around Li Yan's body in the mirror.

The chains were numerous and densely packed.

Li Yan in the mirror raised his head and looked at Li Yan outside the mirror.

There was a strange calm in those crimson eyes.

"You saw it?"

Li Yan remained silent.

Li Yan in the mirror continued, "These are all the karmic debts you incurred."

"You clearly knew what would happen to that monkey later, so why didn't you say so?"

"You know that troublemaker bullies the monkeys, so why did you delay for another half month?"

"You could have saved those monkeys from their predicament much earlier, why did you have to wait for them to return?"

"Your teachings and instruction may seem compassionate, but in reality, it's nothing more than a matter of fate and destiny."

"You instructed that monkey to make a deal with the Dragon Palace, seemingly to avert his karma, but in reality, it was just to prevent yourself from getting involved in karma."

"You keep talking about cultivation, immortality, and carefree living, but in the end, it all boils down to one word: fear."

"You are afraid of death, afraid of getting involved in karma, and afraid of losing the advantage of foresight."

You fear that once you tell the monkey the truth, you will be useless and worthless.

The inexhaustible flow of karmic energy is gone.

"So you chose to remain silent and watch those monkeys suffer."

"So you knew perfectly well that the monkey would be imprisoned under the Five Elements Mountain in the future, yet you didn't say a word about it."

"This is you."

"Selfish and complacent, seeking only to live in comfort."

"A complete hypocrite."

Every word is true, every sentence is piercing to the heart.

Li Yan opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found himself speechless.

He couldn't help but lower his eyes.

At that moment, the entire cave within the Niwan Palace trembled.

The newly blossoming nine-petaled golden lotus trembled slightly, and the radiant light it cast dimmed a bit.

Above the dome, the starry sky sways.

The earth's veins are disordered.

The vegetation withers and life declines.

The entire grotto was shaken.

Because the master of the grotto-heaven had wavered in his resolve.

Li Yan looked at him in the mirror, a strange light flashing in his crimson eyes.

"You saw it?"

"This is your true nature."

"A selfish, self-serving, and complacent mortal."

"What makes you think you can become an immortal and transcend tribulations?"

"What makes you think you can attain immortality?"

"You are not worthy!"

The last three words, like a thunderclap, exploded in Li Yan's mind.

Li Yan was startled.

In that instant, countless gray-black chains surged from the void and bound his true form.

Those chains were icy cold, piercing straight to the soul.

Flames blazed on the chains.

The flames were grayish-black, neither hot nor cold, yet they caused excruciating pain to the soul.

This is the karmic fire of cause and effect.

Burning with karmic fire, one directly points to the heart of the Tao.

Li Yan felt excruciating pain in his heart and mind, as if a million ants were gnawing at his soul.

Those images and memories, that guilt and self-blame, all rushed into my mind at this moment.

A glimpse of Sun Wukong's trusting golden eyes flashed before my eyes.

Then the scene shifted to the emaciated appearance of the little monkeys.

Then I saw the scene of monkeys cheering in front of the Water Curtain Cave.

Then, he saw himself.

A time traveler observing with indifference.

A cunning and calculating Taoist cultivator.

A hypocrite who conceals the truth in order to uphold the principles of karma.

The karmic fire burned ever brighter.

Those gray-black chains tightened more and more.

Li Yan felt as if his mind was about to collapse and his soul was about to dissipate.

Right now.

Inside the Niwan Palace, the [Guicang] tortoise shell suddenly trembled.

On the tortoise shell, the chaotic light shone brightly.

The light was faint at first, then it became intense.

In an instant, the entire Niwan Palace was enveloped in chaotic light.

A figure slowly emerged from the light.

That figure was none other than the Bodhi Patriarch, whose entire body was formed from the condensation of chaotic light, ethereal and indistinct, appearing and disappearing in a daze.

But those eyes were real, clear as a mirror, and deep as the sea.

Looking into those eyes is like looking into the entire universe.

Li Yan was deeply shaken and blurted out, "Grandmaster?"

The figure nodded slightly.

"it's me."

The sound was like the grand pronouncements of the Great Dao, resonating within Li Yan's mind.

Wherever the sound passed, the karmic fire was extinguished and the chains loosened.

Looking at the figure in the mirror, Li Yan's crimson eyes flashed with fear.

"Who...who are you?"

The figure did not answer, but only looked at Li Yan.

"Li Yan".

Li Yan immediately knelt down, his forehead touching the air.

"Disciple is here."

The figure said, "Do you know what cause and effect are?"

Li Yan was taken aback, wondering why his patriarch had asked such a question.

He thought for a moment and replied:

"Cause and effect mean that you reap what you sow, like a shadow following you. Good causes lead to good results, and bad causes lead to bad results, without the slightest error."

The figure shook its head slightly.

"This is the appearance of cause and effect, not the origin of cause and effect."

Li Yan quickly said, "Please enlighten me, Master."

The figure said slowly:

"Cause and effect are the origin of things."

"Dependent origination is emptiness, and emptiness is dependent origination."

"A cause does not arise from its own cause, but arises from causes and conditions. An effect does not arise from its own effect, but falls away from causes and conditions."

"For example, a seed, planted in the soil, needs water, soil, and sunlight to take root, sprout, blossom, and bear fruit. This is the origin of things."

"Without water and soil, without sunlight, even if the seed is present, it cannot sprout. This is emptiness of inherent existence."

"The nature of cause and effect is inherently empty."

Li Yan listened, seemingly understanding but not quite.

The patriarch continued:

"You see yourself in the mirror, covered in blood and bound in chains. Where did those chains come from?"

Li Yan pondered for a moment and replied, "It comes from what I have done."

The figure asked, "And where did your actions come from?"

Li Yan was taken aback.

The figure said, "It comes from your thoughts."

"A single thought leads to action. Once an action is completed, there are consequences."

"But where do thoughts themselves come from?"

After pondering for a long time, Li Yan slowly said, "From the disciple himself?"

The patriarch shook his head.

"And where did you yourself come from?"

Li Yan was completely stunned.

He had never thought about this question.

The figure looked at him, a hint of gentleness flashing in those clear eyes.

"You come from your parents, your parents from your grandparents, your grandparents from your great-grandparents... generation after generation, tracing back to where can we trace our roots?"

Li Yan pondered for a moment and said, "It can be traced back to the beginning of heaven and earth, when all things were born."

"What happened before the creation of the world?"

Li Yan said, "The chaos was not yet divided."

The patriarch asked, "Before chaos was divided, were you even there?"

Li Yan shook his head: "No."

The figure said, "In the beginning of chaos, heaven and earth were separated, all things were born and evolved to this day, and only then did you come into being."

You are the origin of all things in heaven and earth, and all things in heaven and earth are also the origin of you.

"You are in the universe, and the universe is in you."

"You and the universe are one."

"Since we are all one, how can we be entangled by cause and effect?"

Li Yan was terrified.

Is he one with heaven and earth?

Are those chains of cause and effect simply part of the workings of heaven and earth?

The figure looked at him and continued, "Look at yourself in the mirror again."

Li Yan looked into the mirror as instructed.

The figure said, "Everything he said just now was true, but none of it was the truth."

"The substance is the outward appearance of a matter. The emotion is the inner essence of a matter."

"You are afraid of death, that's true. But why are you afraid of death?"

"Because...because this disciple wants to live."

The figure said, "To live is to cherish life."

To cherish life is to respect life.

Reverence for life is the beginning of compassion.

"It's true that you're calculating in everything you do. But why are you calculating?"

Li Yan said, "Because I am afraid of getting involved in karma, afraid of causing trouble, and afraid of not being able to protect the people I want to protect."

The figure said, "To avoid trouble, one must be careful in everything."

Be careful in everything you do, and you'll avoid trouble. Avoid trouble, and you'll protect yourself.

Only by protecting yourself can you protect others.

"It is true that you preach and teach for personal gain. But when you preach and teach, have you ever harbored any selfish motives?"

Li Yan shook his head: "Never."

What I, your disciple, transmit are the fundamental methods, the ways to nourish life, and the techniques for self-defense.

The figure asked, "Since there was no concealment, did the monkeys benefit from it?"

Li Yan nodded: "I benefited."

They now understand the three treasures of essence, energy, and spirit, know the principles of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements, can forge protective staffs, and can evade ordinary enemies.

The figure said, "This is the truth."

"Although you acted out of self-interest, those monkeys actually benefited."

"Despite all the scheming, Flower Fruit Mountain is made more secure because of you."

"Although he was afraid of death and cherished his life, the monkey avoided detours and karmic consequences because of you."

"Although you did not tell him about the future, you have already paved the way for him and prepared a backup plan."

"This is you."

"A spiritual practitioner who fears death and cherishes his life, is calculating in every way, yet actually does things in a practical way."

"In the mirror, I only see your thoughts, not your actions."

I only see your motives, not your results.

"You only see the surface, not the interior."

"We only see the reality, but not the true feelings."

"You only see the surface, not the interior."

"We only see the reality, but not the true feelings."

"So everything he said was true, but none of it was the truth."

Li Yan listened, his mind reeling.

The flames of karmic chains gradually died down and dissipated after these words.

The elation in Li Yan's bloodshot eyes in the mirror gradually faded, turning into confusion.

The patriarch looked at Li Yan in the mirror, and a trace of pity flashed in his eyes.

"You are him too."

"Deep in his heart, there was a trace of self-reproach, a hint of guilt, and a sense of unease."

"You speak for him, question him on his behalf, and face the karmic fire on his behalf."

"You've had a tough time."