PDLP Chapter 39 Seeking the Way, Never Forgetting the Original Intention
Chapter 39 Seeking the Way, Never Forgetting the Original Intention
Above the cloud platform, the sounds of the Dao lingered, and the laws intertwined.
Several Grand Immortals and Quasi-Saints discussed the Dao, their words revealing their profound insights and understanding of the laws of heaven and earth, containing supreme truths. For Zhang Kui and Gao Lanying, it was like an unprecedented feast.
Zhang Kui listened intently, his golden core spinning at an unprecedented speed, greedily absorbing the fragments of Daoist essence permeating the air. He possessed the strengths of several schools of thought; the Golden Core Dao had laid a perfect foundation for him, the profound mysteries of the Heavenly Gang Divine Power allowed him to draw inferences from other sources, and his Wu Clan bloodline gave him an intuitive understanding of the essence of power.
At this moment, listening to the various great masters expound on their different paths, Zhang Kui was like a skilled craftsman, constantly absorbing the essence of each school, verifying it with his own learning, discarding the dross and retaining the essence, and his own path became clearer and clearer. He used the Golden Elixir to govern, integrated all laws, and went straight to the path of his true self.
Gao Lanying, standing to the side, benefited immensely. She was naturally exceptionally intelligent; otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to achieve enlightenment and reach the Earth Immortal realm simply by listening to Zhenyuan Daxian's lectures a few times. However, her greatest weakness was the lack of systematic guidance and a higher-level perspective. At this moment, the discourse among the top experts of the Jie Sect was like opening a door to a vast world before her.
She listened, completely absorbed, her spiritual energy unconsciously circulating, her aura fluctuating, sometimes furrowing her brow, sometimes suddenly enlightened. The bottleneck of the peak Earth Immortal realm began to loosen under the baptism of this vast Dao sound, and the Dao essence of the Celestial Immortal seemed within reach.
Seated on her prayer mat, the Holy Mother of Wudang glanced casually at Gao Lanying. She saw Gao Lanying immersed in a state of Daoist concentration, her aura vibrant and lively, subtly resonating with the Daoist sounds—clearly, she had reached a crucial moment. A hint of approval appeared on the Holy Mother of Wudang's exquisitely beautiful face, and she subtly gestured with her delicate hand.
Instantly, the Daoist sounds and jade tones that had been evenly permeating the cloud platform seemed to be drawn by an invisible force, flowing more clearly and concentrated towards Gao Lanying's location, as if opening a separate river of Daoist rhythm just for her. Under this precise "irrigation," Gao Lanying's body trembled slightly, her eyes burst forth with brilliant light, and her aura surged upwards, before slowly settling down, becoming increasingly condensed and harmonious.
Although she hadn't broken through to the Celestial Immortal realm in one fell swoop, her cultivation had been firmly established at the peak of the Earth Immortal realm, only a hair's breadth away from the Celestial Immortal realm. Furthermore, the path ahead was clear, and a breakthrough was merely a natural progression. She looked gratefully at the Holy Mother Wudang and bowed deeply. The Holy Mother Wudang merely nodded slightly and then withdrew her gaze.
All of this naturally did not escape the notice of everyone present. The forthright and straightforward Zhao Gongming laughed heartily and joked, "Tsk tsk, truly a rare sight! It's like the sun has risen in the west! Senior Sister Wudang, you're usually so quiet and unassuming, yet today you're showing such concern for a junior you've just met? This isn't like you at all!"
Upon hearing this, the Holy Mother of Wudang slowly turned her head. Her exquisitely beautiful face was expressionless, and her deep, star-like eyes stared quietly and unblinkingly at Zhao Gongming.
Zhao Gongming's smile froze instantly. He felt a chill run down his spine under the gaze of the Holy Mother Wudang, as if an invisible pressure was enveloping him, and he sensed that something "bad" was about to happen. He quickly waved his hands and forced a dry laugh, "Uh... Senior Sister, please calm down! I was just being reckless and talking nonsense. I deserve a beating! Please be magnanimous and don't hold it against me."
His arrogant demeanor followed by obsequious behavior and hurried attempts to beg for forgiveness made Lady Yunxiao shake her head and chuckle. Qiongxiao and Bixiao covered their mouths and chuckled softly, clearly used to seeing their elder brother being humiliated in front of this senior sister.
The Holy Mother of Wudang slowly withdrew her gaze, turning away expressionlessly as if nothing had happened. But Zhang Kui, standing to her side and behind, keenly noticed that the corners of this aloof fairy's mouth curved upwards almost imperceptibly.
At this moment, Lü Yue, who had already stabilized his Great Luo Golden Immortal realm, turned his gaze to Zhang Kui with a sincere desire to discuss, and asked, "Fellow Daoist Zhang Kui, what are your thoughts on the Dao of the Creation of Plague that I just explained? Please feel free to speak."
Upon hearing Lü Yue's words, the cloud platform fell silent. All eyes were once again focused on Zhang Kui. They were all very curious about what extraordinary qualities this "minor" celestial being, whom Lü Yue valued so highly and even admitted to benefiting from his tribulation, possessed that allowed him to offer "insights" into the Dao of a newly promoted Great Luo Golden Immortal.
Facing the gazes of these powerful figures, Zhang Kui remained calm. After a moment's thought, he did not directly answer Lü Yue's question. Instead, he asked a question that surprised everyone:
"Fellow Daoist Lü Yue, if I may be so bold as to ask, what prompted you to embark on the path of cultivation? Or rather... why did you choose to delve into the Dao of Plague? This is a path that, in the eyes of ordinary cultivators, might not seem so righteous, and is even something most people would avoid at all costs?"
Upon hearing this, the entire room fell silent.
Everyone was stunned, including Lü Yue himself.
Yes, why?
Why choose this path?
This seemingly simple, even somewhat naive, question was like an invisible key that instantly unlocked a long-sealed door to the heart.
Lu Yue stood there, stunned, then fell into deep reminiscence. In his eyes, which had seen through life and death, flashed a variety of complex and incomprehensible emotions—pain, helplessness, sorrow, and a long-buried burning passion.
He recalled a long, long time ago, when he was just an ordinary human boy. At that time, a terrible plague broke out in the tribe; medicine was ineffective, and the elders were helpless. He watched as familiar tribesmen collapsed one by one, wailing in agony, their bodies festering, dying with their eyes wide open. The despair and death that permeated the air almost consumed him. Soon after, he himself contracted the plague, struggling for a long time on the brink of death. Perhaps it was fate, or perhaps it was a powerful will to live, but he miraculously survived.
From that moment on, a thought took root in his mind—he wanted to find out what this plague that had claimed countless lives was and how to defeat it.
Thus began his long and arduous exploration. He tasted hundreds of herbs and tested countless poisons, brushing shoulders with death countless times. He witnessed the most hideous face of the plague and touched upon the cruel laws of life, decay, and transformation contained behind that destructive power. Unbeknownst to him, he used this dreaded "plague" as a foundation, step by step embarking on the path of cultivation, until today, when he attained the Great Luo.
His original intention was never to pursue power or immortality, but... to live, and to enable more people to live.
For the continuation of humanity.
This initial thought, which he had almost forgotten under the dust of time, was suddenly awakened by Zhang Kui's words, exploding in his mind like a thunderclap.
A look of realization, relief, and even a hint of shame appeared on Lü Yue's face. He had focused on the way of plague for too long, and had almost forgotten his original intention in wielding this power.
Seeing the complex yet ultimately clear expression on Lü Yue's face, Zhang Kui smiled knowingly and said softly, "It seems you already know, fellow Daoist."
Lü Yue took a deep breath, nodded heavily, and said with deep emotion, "Yes, it's because..."
"Fellow Daoist, this cannot be said," Zhang Kui suddenly interrupted him.
Lu Yue paused abruptly, instantly realizing what was happening, a cold sweat even beading on his forehead. Yes, this concerned the very foundation of his own Dao heart, the core proof of the Dao of "self"—how could he easily utter it? Once spoken, it might be known by others, even recorded by the Heavenly Dao, creating unnecessary karmic consequences and variables. Zhang Kui's question wasn't truly meant to elicit an answer, but rather to prompt him to "ask" it in his own heart.
"Thank you for the reminder, fellow Daoist." Lü Yue solemnly bowed to Zhang Kui.
Zhang Kui returned the greeting and slowly said, "In my view, in all things, only by staying true to one's original intention can one achieve one's goal. One should follow the path of the Way, even if it means dying ten thousand times without regret. But if one forgets why one started, the stronger one's power, the further one may stray from the right path."
"Never forget your original aspiration, and you will achieve your goal..."
These eight words, like the resounding toll of a great bell, struck heavily into the hearts of the most powerful cultivators on the cloud platform.
Lu Yue trembled violently, his eyes shone brightly, and the Great Luo Dao Fruit that had just stabilized around him seemed to have become even more refined.
Ripples stirred in the usually calm eyes of the Holy Mother Wudang. She seemed to recall her master, the Tongtian Sect Leader's, original intention of teaching without discrimination within the Jie Sect, and also thought of the current state of the sect, with its mixed good and bad members and the faint aura of impending calamity.
Zhao Gongming put away his joking expression and became thoughtful. He recalled the simple aspirations and lofty sentiments he had when he first started cultivating.
Even Yunxiao Niangniang's serene face showed a thoughtful expression. Her Hunyuan Golden Cauldron could reduce a person's cultivation, but what is the fundamental principle of the Great Dao?
Even Kong Xuan, who had always been aloof and seemingly uninterested in everything, glanced sideways, the five-colored divine light faintly flowing behind him, as if he were thinking about something.
These five top experts were all plunged into deep reflection on their own paths of cultivation because of Zhang Kui's simple sentence.
The others, such as Qiongxiao, Bixiao, and Lü Yue's disciples, mostly looked bewildered. They seemed to understand, yet they also seemed to understand nothing at all. They felt that the words made sense, but they couldn't grasp the key point.
Above the cloud platform, all was silent for a moment, except for the sea breeze that carried the rhythm of the distant tides, as if echoing the Daoist voice that pointed straight to the heart.