The myth begins with the Lotus Lantern

Chapter 233 Clear Heart
The pavilion's four corners and eight edges formed a canopy overhead, blocking out the sky and the road ahead.

A moment later, the last ray of sunlight disappeared.

The sky grew completely dark.

Ding Lin lay motionless among the books, staring blankly at the dome, lost in thought. His face was expressionless, his eyes unfocused, as if he had no sense of touch, letting time pass by without a care.

The whole night passed.

Daylight broke again, and the sun rose from the east as usual. When the first rays of morning light slanted down and fell obliquely on Ding Lin's face, his dull face came to life again. First, his eyelids trembled, then his relaxed pupils contracted, and his cheek muscles tightened.

He sat up without saying a word, and then silently began to tidy up.

Jade slips, bamboo carvings, ancient books...

It was something that could have been easily cleaned up with a wave of his hand or a spell, but Ding Lin insisted on doing it himself. His face was calm, as if the past had been swept away like smoke and dust overnight, but his actions were full of incongruity. He only stopped when he had completely cleaned up the messy ground.

A streak of light swept in.

Ding Lin went to meet them, handed over the water from the pool, and then returned to the pavilion. He looked at the neatly arranged books in front of him, and suddenly waved his hand to put everything away, thus making his previous actions seem redundant.

Behind me, I heard the sound of clothes rustling through the air.

The pavilion is packed with guests today.

Ding Lin could sense it naturally. He turned around and saw the Seven Fairies.

"Granddaughter." Ding Lin greeted her, his words and actions no longer showing any difference from usual.

The seven fairies breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this.

The Jade House and the Pavilion were not far apart, so the Seventh Fairy naturally knew about Ding Lin's recent situation. Although she had only known Ding Lin for a short time and their friendship was not deep, Ding Lin had once helped her. In addition, there was the Fifth Fairy between them. From any perspective, she did not want anything to happen to Ding Lin. However, Ding Lin's condition before was really frightening, almost like he had gone mad. If she had tried to persuade him then, he would definitely not have listened to anything. It was only this morning that she saw that Ding Lin's condition had improved slightly and that he seemed to have come out of his shell. That's why she decided to come and try to persuade him.

“Brother Jin, I’ve been wanting to come see you for days, but I was afraid of disturbing your cultivation, so I kept putting it off until today. From what I can see, you are now full of energy and spirit, yet your aura is not very strong. You must have already perfected the eighth stage of the Celestial Immortal Technique. In just a few years, you have made such progress. It is truly gratifying. I take elixirs every day and am in this Peach Garden where the spiritual energy is abundant. I am also cultivating, but I have not been able to break through the fourth level for a long time. Compared with Brother Jin, I am truly ashamed,” said the Seventh Fairy.

“I appreciate your good intentions, but there’s really no need for you to go to such lengths,” Ding Lin said with a bitter smile. “I’m fine now, but I’ve encountered some difficulties in my cultivation and haven’t been able to break through to the ninth stage. I was a little anxious, but now I’ve figured it out.”

“My cultivation is still shallow, and I don’t fully understand the key points of the Celestial Immortal Technique. As for the ninth stage, I’ve only heard my grandmother mention it a few times by chance. The Nine-Stage Celestial Technique is completely different from the first eight stages. It requires nine thousand years of cultivation as a prerequisite, and whether one can succeed depends on whether there is a moment of inspiration. These are all very mysterious sayings, and I really can’t offer Brother Jin any help,” said the Seventh Fairy. “However, cultivation is about balance. Brother Jin, your cultivation speed is already fast enough. Why not put a little less pressure on yourself? Perhaps at some moment when your mind relaxes, you will seize the opportunity for a breakthrough?”

"Granddaughter, there's no need to comfort me. It was my wishful thinking. Ultimately, it's because I lack talent. The Eighth Rank 'Celestial Immortal Technique' isn't a dead end. There's still a 50% chance of becoming a Celestial Immortal. I've figured it out," Ding Lin said, his face calm in the sunlight, seemingly no longer confused.

"In that case..." The two were not really familiar with each other, and it was indeed difficult to continue with these polite words.

“My granddaughter can go and cultivate on her own; I am fine,” Ding Lin said. He hesitated for a moment, then a bitter smile appeared on his lips. “It’s just that if my granddaughter can grant me permission, I hope I can keep those books for a little longer. Until the very last moment, I still feel… unwilling.”

“Brother Jin, you flatter me. I don’t need them for the time being anyway. You can study those books as you like, and give them to me whenever you want,” the Seventh Fairy said hesitantly. “It’s my fault for troubling my granddaughter and making this special trip,” Ding Lin said, stepping aside.

"Then... I'll take my leave now?"

After saying this, the Seven Fairy Maidens glanced at Ding Lin again. Seeing that he looked normal, they were finally completely relieved and turned to leave.

Watching the Seven Fairies' departing figures, Ding Lin unexpectedly thought of the Fifth Fairy again. The warmth of accompanying him in his cultivation in the Jade Chamber, those scriptures he silently recited, the vast sea of ​​words—he hadn't realized it then, but now, thinking back, he wondered how long the Fifth Fairy had memorized them to be so fluent. He also thought of her encouragement when he encountered difficulties. If she were still in the garden, things wouldn't be so difficult for him right now.

Unfortunately, she is no longer in the garden.

A thought flashed through my mind, and a sense of desolation arose spontaneously.

Ding Lin looked around.

Lingnong moved through the peach grove, sometimes holding golden scissors, sometimes carrying a jade bottle filled with spiritual dew. His gaze fell on the peach tree whose withered branches had been pruned. Although the wound had healed, it was covered with a thick scab.

Ding Lin recalled his arrogant days a few years ago, when he took the help of the Five Fairies as his own ability. Looking at the peach trees in the garden, he compared himself to a sprouting seed, but in his heart he looked down on these peach trees. Their spiritual roots had been reduced to being kept in captivity, and they had to give away the fruits they had worked so hard to produce, wasting their precious beauty.

At that time, he thought that he should at least be a pine seedling, with a thin trunk and sparse leaves, but with a majestic appearance. He should grow in the wild and not be confined to the garden. He had a high opinion of himself and thought that he had unlimited potential. He thought that once he grew up, he would be able to stand tall among the world.

Looking back now, how ridiculous it seems.

What towering height, what noble pine and cypress?

He's at most a seed, one that hasn't even sprouted yet. To take root and grow, he'd need to cultivate to at least the realm of immortals.

Now, he is still buried in the soil, covered in dust, struggling to absorb nutrients, hoping that one day he can break through that hard shell.

As it stands now, it's still a long way from hatching.

Admittedly, the path of immortality values ​​privacy.

But the "private" here should refer to personal desires, not the laughable loneliness or so-called solitary practice.

Cultivation is about gathering as many resources as possible.

Reminiscing about the past.

Without Qingyi's guidance, he would never have embarked on the path of cultivation.

Without Yang Chan's meticulous care, her bathing in elixirs, and her teaching him the "Black Water Scripture," he would never have been able to lay a solid foundation. To this day, he would probably still be a carp, only with a more attractive color.

(End of this chapter)