The myth begins with the Lotus Lantern

Chapter 277 Choice
"Therefore, the profound mysteries can influence each other." Ding Lin said thoughtfully.

"Of course, even people have a thousand faces, let alone the profound laws. There are fifty Great Daos and forty-nine Heavenly Evolutions. The forty-nine Great Daos are composed of three thousand laws, and each law contains several mysteries. Such a complex composition naturally makes them even more multifaceted. Just like a person's first impression, the mystery or law that is first comprehended is also the most memorable."

"It's alright, it's still at a low level. With our aptitude for cultivating the 'Great Celestial Immortal Technique,' even if there are some obstacles, it's just a matter of time..." Tianpeng's voice stopped.

Ding Lin's eyes flashed, and he could roughly guess what Tianpeng had left unsaid.

"Alright, that's all for tonight," Tianpeng said.

"Thank you for your guidance, Marshal. I have benefited greatly from it."

Ding Lin bowed deeply, and after straightening up, a flash of light appeared in his palm, revealing a jade slip. This was a collection of short love quotes he had copied from Little Red Book based on his memories of his past life. “Marshal, this jade slip contains what I have thought of these past few days. It should be enough for you to deliver for more than ten days.”

A month ago, Tianpeng sent flowers to Chang'e, but unsurprisingly, they never went through. He then sought advice from Ding Lin, who initially didn't intend to get involved anymore, but…

Tianpeng gave too much.

Putting everything else aside, the fact that these lectures were held every few days made it impossible for Ding Lin to refuse.

So, half a month ago, Ding Lin gave Tianpeng another idea: he asked Tianpeng to mix one letter a day into the writings of the Guanghan Palace.

This was an open conspiracy, mixing official business with personal matters. Even if Chang'e was unwilling, she had to take a look.

“Little Jin,” Tianpeng glanced at the sentences in the jade slip and nodded in satisfaction, “Your idea of ​​sending the letter is indeed good. It allows her to see my feelings without having to be as careful as before, either afraid of being discovered or being turned away. Even when I finally managed to send the flower, it was immediately eaten by the Jade Rabbit.”

"I only offered a bad idea; in the end, it's all because of the Marshal's deep affection," Ding Lin flattered. Having received such a great benefit, he naturally wouldn't be stingy and gave Tianpeng plenty of emotional value in his words.

"drink wine."

Tianpeng took out a wine pot and wine cups and asked Ding Lin to drink with him. Chang'e had not yet been won over, so moon gazing was still the best way to relieve the feeling of loneliness. As for having Ding Lin drink with him, it was an extra reward in addition to the ritual.

Another night.

……

It wasn't until dawn that Tianpeng left. Ding Lin got up from the courtyard, circulating his magical power to evaporate the smell of alcohol from his body. The three or four cups of wine he drank in one night were equivalent to several months of arduous cultivation. He then drank some fine wine. In this month, Ding Lin's cultivation level increased by two years.

After leaving the courtyard, Ding Lin returned to his duty room to continue his studies.

"Above is the soul, below is the gate, to the left is Lesser Yang, to the right is Greater Yin. Behind is the secret gate, in front is the gate of life. The sun rises and the moon sets, breath remains. The primordial energy gathers and the constellations are divided, purple smoke rises and falls, and the three pure clouds are above and below. Irrigating the five flowers and planting the spiritual root, the seven liquids flow through the cave and rush between the dwelling. Returning purple and embracing yellow, entering the dantian, the bright light in the secluded room illuminates the gate of yang..."

"The sacred mountain in the heavens is meticulously cultivated, its cloud-shrouded abode is purified, and the Jade Emperor roams there. The roads are open and endless, its eyebrows adorned with a canopy of pearls. The nine netherworlds are empty of sun and moon, and within its abode dwells the true immortal, clad in crimson robes. Those who can truly see it will be free from illness, adorned with crimson pearls and a radiant, ethereal skirt. Beneath its tongue lies the mysterious chest, the shore of life and death, where the two energies of blue and black shimmer. If you encounter it, you will ascend to the Milky Way..."

Inside the duty room, the yellow jade slip in Ding Lin's palm glowed faintly, no longer as clear as it had been at the beginning. It was now dim and yellowish, and the exposed parts of his fingers were covered with mottled cracks. As he memorized the last few paragraphs, the jade's quality was finally worn down to its limit by his divine sense.

Ding Lin opened his eyes, and the jade slip shattered silently. He opened his hand and tilted it slightly, and white jade powder fell from his palm and sprinkled on the ground. This was the remaining remnant of the trillions of characters in reality, only such a small circle, a thin layer that would dissipate with a gust of wind.

These days, Ding Lin has focused most of his energy back on the supernatural power of the Thirty-Six Transformations of the Heavenly Gang. With the occasional supply of immortal wine from Tianpeng, he can reduce his daily cultivation appropriately. In order to prevent the inability to adapt to the lack of resources in the future, he only needs to maintain a state of continuous cultivation. Now he cultivates for two hours a day and recites the jade slips for ten hours.

"Variety……"

Ding Lin murmured to himself, recalling Tianpeng's words and the half-understood information about the Seven Fairies. His divine sense slowly swept across the catalog of supernatural powers:

Manipulating creation, reversing yin and yang, shifting stars and changing constellations, absorbing qi in nine breaths... transforming into a new form... flowers blooming in an instant, roaming the spirit and controlling qi, seeing through walls... carrying mountains and crossing seas, scattering beans to create soldiers...

Ding Lin sorted through them one by one, focusing his thoughts on the three transformations: summoning rain and wind, riding the mist and clouds, and dividing rivers into land. After thinking about it, he realized that dividing rivers into land was more about controlling magic power. Although it was related to water, it was not as pure as the other two, so he crossed it out as well.

Only two options remain: summoning wind and rain, or riding the clouds and mist.

After thinking about it again, I decided to discard the idea of ​​summoning wind and rain. The change, just from the name, already includes the elements of wind and water. In comparison, riding the clouds and mist is more pure, since both clouds and mist are different manifestations of water and belong to the water element.

Ultimately, the ability to ride the clouds and mist was established as the first type of transformation in cultivation.

Ding Lin pondered this carefully again.

Clouds and fog are merely superficial states; further flight is required, which is related to speed, seemingly circling back to the wind. Both clouds and fog can obscure vision, somewhat resembling a mirage. Clouds can obscure, fog can distort sunlight. Intense sunlight can be categorized as fire, but fog is irrelevant. Dark clouds can turn into rain, which is a transformation within the water element. If it rains, will there also be thunder and lightning...?

Even as I was just beginning to figure it out, six or seven laws were revealed in this seemingly simple change.

Ding Lin's eyes flickered. Before he started practicing, although he knew that the Thirty-Six Transformations of the Heavenly Gang were difficult, he had not yet begun. He only had a concept of difficulty, and his aspirations were more of a distant dream. Now, he truly realized the depth of the challenge.

difficult!
According to what Tianpeng said earlier, if one only understands one law in the first practice, it will become more difficult to comprehend the other laws contained in this transformation.

Ding Lin deduced that the best method of cultivation should be to first understand as much as possible the laws contained in a change, and then, in the instant of mastering it, to complete it in one go, thereby simultaneously achieving the power of multiple laws.

This undoubtedly makes things even more difficult!
It can be intimidating even before you start, but how can you be willing to give up so easily without even trying?
Ding Lin closed his eyes and began searching through the vast, misty text in his mind.

The cultivation of the Heavenly Dipper Transformation has begun.

……

Ding Lin devoted himself to meditation day and night, occasionally listening to Tianpeng preach the Dharma at night and drinking fine wine. Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, another half year had passed.

It was night again when Tianpeng arrived. Tianpeng no longer concealed his presence; his escape light was like a long rainbow, his imposing aura magnificent.

During his cultivation, Ding Lin immediately sensed it. He opened his eyes, got up from the futon, and headed towards the garden where he was admiring the moon.

The moonlight bathed the courtyard in its soft glow, but Tianpeng was nowhere to be seen at first glance. There was no trace of him by the stone table. Ding Lin looked to the side and saw Tianpeng standing quietly under the courtyard wall, half of his body hidden in darkness, half of the moonlight shining on him. The contrast between light and shadow created a somber atmosphere.

Ding Lin knew something was about to happen. Ever since he gave Tianpeng the method for writing letters, although he didn't know when he would actually see results, Tianpeng felt hopeful. Every time they met, his eyes were filled with anticipation and nervous excitement.

Now, the expectation in Tianpeng's eyes has vanished.

"Marshal," Ding Lin called out as he entered the courtyard.

"Jin Lin." After half a year, Tian Peng was already very familiar with Ding Lin. He called him by his name directly, and didn't get angry at Ding Lin. However, he looked dejected. "Do you know where my letters have gone in the past six months?"

"It wasn't sent to Guanghan?" Ding Lin asked.

“It’s been sent in,” Tianpeng said as he emerged from the shadows, his entire body bathed in moonlight, but his spirits remained high, and he appeared even more dejected. “I only heard about it by chance today. It turns out that since half a year ago, Chang’e has had the Jade Rabbit select all the official documents sent to Guanghan before they enter the palace.”

“That means…” Ding Lin’s eyes flickered.

"All these past six months have been a waste of time. All those short love quotes you prepared for me have only been seen by a rabbit." Tianpeng's lips curled into a bitter smile. "Jinlin, does she hate me that much? She'd rather go through all this trouble than see my writing, even if it's just a quick glance before throwing it away. Am I really that unbearable in her eyes?"

Ding Lin remained silent for a while.

"Marshal," Ding Lin suddenly said, "when you went down to the mortal realm to subdue demons, you saw the demon kings and great demons surrounded by beautiful women. Did you ever think that what you didn't see was often replaced by a new batch of women after a few days, once the demon kings and great demons got tired of them?"

Ding Lin seemed to be referring to something.

After six months of getting to know each other, not only did Tianpeng become familiar with Ding Lin, but Ding Lin also gradually came to understand Tianpeng. He could be considered a decent boss, not just someone who made empty promises. In recent days, Tianpeng had truly treated him well, guiding his cultivation and providing resources. Although sometimes, perhaps out of habit, he would still unconsciously use some methods to manage his subordinates, he would never be despicable. The previous incident should really have just been a misunderstanding.

Since it was a misunderstanding, Ding Lin naturally wouldn't try to frame Tian Peng again. He wanted to bring Tian Peng back, because ultimately, Tian Peng had gone from unrequited love to where he was now. Even if he wasn't the one who made the greatest contribution, he was definitely the most helpful pusher at the crucial moment. It was he who guided and released the thoughts that were originally hidden deep in Tian Peng's heart.

“Jinlin,” Tianpeng’s bitter smile deepened, “I know you want to persuade me to let go,” his eyes seemed to be confused for a moment, filled with pain and struggle, “but I am already deeply mired in this situation and can no longer break free.”

Love, I know not when it arose, nor why it happened.

Ding Lin's eyes flickered. He knew that Tianpeng was now like an insect caught in a spider web, stuck for too long, and could no longer break free.

"Marshal, could you tell me more about the fairy Chang'e?" Ding Lin asked after a moment of silence. He realized that he probably didn't have much hope of bringing Tianpeng back, so he could only delay and postpone the worst-case scenario.

Do your best, listen to destiny.

But I still feel a little guilty...

"Actually, I'm not very familiar with Chang'e. When I ascended to immortality that year, she had already lived in the Moon Palace for many years. By chance, I saw her graceful dance under the moon, and ever since then, I've always thought about her and could never forget her..." Tianpeng said.

Ding Lin understood.

She was the white moonlight of my youth.

"Chang'e became an immortal a long time ago. I once went to find out that the war between the witch and the demon was coming to an end. Because of her beauty, she was taken as a captive by the great witch Hou Yi. In order to keep her alive, Hou Yi took the elixir of immortality and used the power of the elixir to force her to become a golden immortal."

"Although her cultivation will stagnate afterward and she will never be able to improve again, a Golden Immortal can live forever. Hou Yi doesn't care about her cultivation level; he just needs a treasure that can last forever."

"Later, when the Heavenly Court was established, Chang'e finally found an opportunity. Taking advantage of the time when Hou Yi was rushing to the battlefield of the Lich King, she ascended to the Heavenly Court and was protected by the Great Heavenly Venerable. Only then was she finally able to escape the sea of ​​suffering," Tianpeng said.

This is quite different from the story of Chang'e flying to the moon that Ding Lin knew.

“No wonder,” Ding Lin nodded. “Having had such an experience, it’s only natural that Fairy Chang’e would have sealed her heart and locked away love, and be extremely wary of the opposite sex.”

"Jin Lin, you have another idea?" Tian Peng glanced at Ding Lin, still looking listless. He should have realized this sooner. Chang'e, after that experience, was probably terrified of men. He was no exception. Back then, he'd been blinded by love, and only now, after repeated setbacks, had he finally come to his senses. What other options were there in this situation?

"Marshal, if you wanted to build a relationship with a complete stranger, what would you do?" Ding Lin asked.

"Naturally, we should find a middleman first..." Tianpeng paused, then suddenly seemed thoughtful, "You mean?"

"I didn't know that the fairy Chang'e had suffered such hardships before. The plan I offered to the marshal probably backfired. What was originally a slight camaraderie between us is now probably nothing but coldness and disgust." Ding Lin seemed somewhat ashamed.

"How can you blame yourself for this?" Tianpeng's voice was low.

“Once prejudice has been formed, it will be doubly difficult to make amends. As for me, Marshal, you should remain silent for a while and, through the influence of those close to Chang'e, subtly influence her senses. Perhaps you can restore her senses to what they were before. However, you cannot rush it. You must act naturally and seize the opportunity. Over time, you will gain some friendship, and then proceed slowly. Sincerity can move even the hardest heart.” Ding Lin said.

"That's all we can do." Tianpeng looked at the moon, sighed, and waved his hand, and wine pots and cups were placed on the stone table again.

"If love between two people is meant to last, why should they be together day and night? Marshal, you have endured so many years of longing. Before, you did not know the right way, but now that you have found the flaw, as long as you are determined to do it, one day you will surely get what you want," Ding Lin said.

"I hope so," Tianpeng said, still in low spirits. He picked up his wine cup and took a big gulp. "Drink up!"

(End of this chapter)