PDLP Chapter 275 Entering the Library and Reading Through the Classics
Chapter 275 Entering the Library and Reading Through the Classics
Leisurely climbing to the top, I gaze at the distant sun and the high sky.
Mountains meet water, stretching endlessly; water merges with sky, faintly visible and far away. (Note 1)
Chu Lengyu's gaze fell upon the distant, mist-shrouded mountains.
The various methods everyone used earlier piqued her curiosity about the cultivation methods of Wushan. These methods were quite different from the cultivation paths she knew, but they were still worth seeing to broaden her horizons.
Although the cultivation path of Qi and blood advocated by Wushan is difficult to master and achieve immortality, it is still a rare and precious path of cultivation in this mortal world where spiritual energy is scarce.
"Madam Lan, I've heard that Wushan is a sacred place for cultivation, where many masters have emerged throughout the ages. I wonder if there's a library in the mountain that contains these cultivation methods?" She asked Madam Lan.
Upon hearing this, Madam Lan's eyes flashed with surprise, not expecting that Chu Lengyu would be interested in the path of cultivation.
After all, in her eyes, the methods of cultivators were like the stars in the heavens, far beyond their reach.
She was somewhat puzzled and tentatively asked, "I dare not call myself a holy land; it is merely an overstatement by the world. Wushan does indeed have a library containing the culmination of the wisdom of past generations. However, the path of cultivating qi and blood is extremely arduous, and it is difficult to glimpse the gate to immortality. You are a cultivator, so why are you interested in this?"
Chu Lengyu smiled slightly: "The path of cultivation is indeed lofty, but all methods in the world lead to the same goal. Although I have embarked on the path of cultivation, I dare not be arrogant or look down on the methods of others. The method of Mist Mountain is unique and may provide me with some new insights, who knows?"
"Moreover, the path of cultivation is not something that can be achieved in a day, nor is it something that everyone can walk. Although you and I started from different points, we each have our own missions and paths. To enter the Dao through martial arts and protect the peace of one's region is also a form of cultivation." (Note 2)
She spoke calmly and deliberately, yet her words struck a chord deep within.
Madam Lan was secretly frustrated, believing that the gap between herself and Chu Lengyu was like an insurmountable chasm.
However, Chu Lengyu's words were not arrogant or condescending; instead, they showed an attitude of tolerance and understanding towards these martial arts practitioners.
"Using martial arts to attain enlightenment and protect the peace of one's region is also a form of spiritual practice."
These words jolted Madam Lan awake.
She recalled her initial motivation for practicing martial arts and cultivating her skills. At that time, all she wanted was to have enough power to protect herself and her family from bullying and suffering.
This original aspiration is so pure and so precious.
Why should she wallow in self-pity because of the gap? She should face the gap squarely and turn her desires and resentment into motivation.
Madam Lan couldn't even remember the last time she had truly immersed herself in studying those classic texts, and she felt a pang of shame.
She smiled and replied, "There is indeed a library in Wushan, which contains the cultivation insights and martial arts manuals of masters throughout history, as well as research on various spiritual herbs and objects."
Afterwards, Madam Lan personally led the way, guiding Chu Lengyu through a bamboo forest to an ancient building.
Built against the mountain, the building is hidden in the clouds and mist at the summit, appearing and disappearing, making it seem mysterious and solemn.
"This is the library of Wushan," Madam Lan said as she walked, her tone filled with emotion and awe. "According to records, it was originally built a thousand years ago. It has weathered many storms and undergone several renovations and expansions before becoming what we see today."
At this point, Madam Lan unlocked the door, stopped, turned to look at Chu Lengyu, and said with even greater sincerity, "Please come with me."
The two entered the quiet library at the same time.
Inside the pavilion, bookshelves stood in rows, with books and scrolls neatly arranged, exuding a faint scent of ink. In addition to the common books and scrolls, there were also cloth, animal hides, and straw paper, demonstrating the rich variety of items.
Sunlight streamed through the windowpanes, a gentle breeze blew in, and a light dust settled on the surface.
Chu Lengyu's gaze swept over the books, and she picked one up at random, whereupon the elegant and neat ink characters came into view.
Madam Lan naturally wouldn't stay to disturb them, and said gently, "There's no one here, so please make yourself at home, Mountain Lord. I'll take my leave now. If you need anything, just summon me."
Chu Lengyu nodded.
With a surge of spiritual energy, all the books on the bookshelves on the first floor seemed to be drawn by an invisible force, flying up and floating towards her, circling around her in concentric circles.
They turned the pages on their own, making a constant "rustling" sound.
She was incredibly fast; she could quickly skim through every book and extract its essence.
She perused ancient books, from basic methods of cultivating qi and blood and regulating breathing, to profound martial arts manuals, and detailed records of various spiritual herbs and objects, reviewing them all to gain a more comprehensive understanding.
After several hours of reading, Chu Lengyu finally browsed through all the books in the library.
She closed her eyes and quietly absorbed this knowledge, gaining a deeper understanding of the cultivation methods of Wushan.
"The cultivation methods of Wushan emphasize the cultivation and utilization of qi and blood, as well as tempering the spirit and upholding willpower. They are indeed unique," Chu Lengyu muttered to himself. "Although they cannot be compared with the methods of the immortal cultivation world, they still have many shortcomings. If they can be slightly modified, they will surely reach a higher level."
In the cultivation system of Wushan, the perfection of the three treasures of essence, energy, and spirit is regarded as a necessary condition for advancing to the innate level. This not only requires a strong physical body and abundant blood and energy, but also requires spiritual sublimation and tempering of will.
However, advancing to the Innate Realm is no easy feat; it requires a catalyst, a key that can unleash the body's potential and facilitate a breakthrough in cultivation.
In the Misty Mountains, this opportunity is often entrusted to spiritual herbs containing gentle spiritual energy, which are like keys that can unlock the door to the innate realm.
However, even after reaching the Innate Realm, the spiritual power that a cultivator can mobilize is still extremely limited.
They cannot cultivate divine consciousness like immortals, allowing them to ascend to heaven and descend to earth, and perceive all things in the world. However, compared to mortals, their spirits are exceptionally strong, which is why they can read jade slips.
Although Madam Lan and the others had cultivated with the Qi and Blood Dao for many years, they lacked the aptitude for immortal cultivation and were unable to switch to those profound immortal cultivation manuals.
They have reached the limits of mortals, attempting to leverage the spiritual power of heaven and earth to gain a chance for advancement.
However, this is precisely why it is so difficult for them to go any further.
They can only linger in this innate realm, unable to truly step into the gate of cultivation.
After gaining a thorough understanding of these matters, Chu Lengyu quickly simulated in her mind the various possibilities for improving the cultivation methods of Mist Mountain.
With her current Nascent Soul stage cultivation and spiritual sense, deduce some basic cultivation techniques with ease.
If Man Gu insists on following the path of Qi and Blood, she can refer to the methods of body-refining cultivators in the cultivation of immortality to continue strengthening her physical body, making her stronger than ghosts and gods, and immune to all evil. Old Man Merlin can learn from the way of divination, using all things in heaven and earth as hexagrams to deduce heavenly secrets and understand world affairs. As for Yi Xiaoqi, with her outstanding spiritual power, she is well-suited to refer to the method of array cultivation to set up arrays and control the power of heaven and earth.
The world of cultivators is vast and boundless, with multiple branches such as medical cultivation, talisman cultivation, Gu cultivation, and beast taming, each with its own unique characteristics and a complete system.
Even though Chu Lengyu currently lacks a complete inheritance, given enough time, this is not a problem.
She decided to compile these into a book and leave it to the practitioners in Wushan, hoping it would be helpful to their cultivation.
Chu Lengyu took out a jade slip and began to record her thoughts and suggestions.
If cultivation in the Misty Mountains could be combined with methods of immortal cultivation, it might open up a new path for cultivation.
Even if they are far inferior to true cultivators, it is still much better than the current predicament where Wushan is stuck in its place with only a few big cats and little cats.
This jade slip may have a profound impact on the future of Fog Mountain.
She continued writing in the jade slip: "The method of Mist Mountain takes Qi and blood as its foundation and body refinement as its basis."
"If one can supplement this with methods of cultivating immortality, refining essence into qi, refining qi into spirit, and refining spirit into emptiness, one will surely be able to break through the current realm and reach a higher level..."
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Note 1: From Yao Sui's "Man Ting Fang: Heavenly Wind and Sea Waves" (Yuan Dynasty).
Note 2: This passage was written a long time ago. It was originally Chu Lengyu's words to Yue Mu in the previous volume, but... it was never used until he was killed off, so it was changed to this place and finally used.