This is not how immortals cultivate

Chapter 347 Oh no, I've become a member of the Liu clan!

Xiang Yuan encountered Laozi in Baohua Realm and obtained a copy of the "Tao Te Ching". He realized that he was in harmony with all things and that the great way was that one could not build without destroying. He reshaped himself and was able to break through to the Tongyou stage at that time.

Because the breakthrough to the Nascent Soul stage was not yet complete, he chose to play it safe.

Later, he encountered Li Yuanrong and Wang Daoyan, a pair of treacherous people from the Dao of Illusion and Annihilation. He witnessed the Nine Tribulations of Illusion and Annihilation, went on a shopping spree at the supermarket, and completed the artistic conception that he had not yet perfected when he was in the Nascent Soul stage.

Therefore, Xiang Yuan was right; the Tongyou realm can be broken through at any time.

He was waiting for the right opportunity to come to fruition.

Today, after listening to the words of the old Taoist priest Que Xin, Xiang Yuan had some profound insights. It seems that this is the opportunity for him to break through in his own path.

Why was the breakthrough opportunity the "Original Heart Path"? Was it because this godforsaken place had good feng shui, or because he had his own people guiding him during the breakthrough in front of his master? Xiang Yuan didn't quite understand, but he grasped a sliver of insight and decisively chose to break through.

He sat cross-legged on the meditation cushion, breathing in and out the yin and yang energies. Behind him, a black and white fish swirled, his aura becoming ethereal and fading, as he slowly stepped into the threshold of the Grandmaster realm.

The mysterious yin-yang fish attracted the attention of Sect Leader Miaoqiong. Sensing that an opportunity was at hand, her beautiful eyes shone brightly.

Just as she was about to get a better look, she heard the voice of the old, heartless Taoist priest: "Don't look too much. He gets his life, and you get yours. The opportunity is too great; you are not worthy of it."

Miaoqiong immediately withdrew her gaze, sat cross-legged in meditation, and dared not look again.

The old Taoist priest, stroking his beard, noticed the yin-yang fish swimming behind Xiang Yuan. His expression changed several times, sometimes frowning, sometimes showing displeasure, his face filled with unhappiness.

The Shangqing lineage is a legitimate tradition, but it has been mixed with Taiqing. Although they are both orthodox Xuanmen lineages and can be traced back to the same family, isn't there too much of this mixed-up?
It's not that mixing in other practices is inherently bad; after all, everyone knows a couple of external techniques in cultivation. Learning from others can be beneficial. However, mixing in too much can lead to a reversal of priorities, a lack of clarity in the details, and ultimately suppress the orthodox teachings of the Shangqing school.

This is outrageous! Do they really think the Qing dynasty is so easy to bully?

The old Taoist priest with a lack of understanding saw a lot in Xiang Yuan: the bold and decisive Taiqing inheritance from the start, and the subtle and gradual Yuqing inheritance. He was putting on an act, really thinking that others couldn't see through him.

Such petty thieves and scoundrels have truly low moral character!
Today, I'll tell you, since you're here, make the best of it!
The old Taoist priest with a heartless heart sneered repeatedly, pointed his fingers into a sword shape towards the sky, and a beam of light came from the Qinglingbao Hall on Ruyun Peak and was held in his palm.

This glimmer of light was chaotic and unclear, its nature unknown. The primordial spirit could not perceive it, and the naked eye could not discern its shape. Miao Qiong, who was in meditation, awoke with envy in her beautiful eyes.

I don't understand it, but I am amazed by it. I only know that it is a great blessing.

The old Taoist priest waited a moment until Xiang Yuan steadily entered the Grandmaster realm of the Profound Realm before calmly pointing out a chaotic and unclear ray of light into Xiang Yuan's brow.

A beam of light entered his body and settled at the center of his brow, where a vertical crack appeared, as if an eye had grown between his brows.

A moment later, the light faded, and the crack between Xiang Yuan's eyebrows healed, as if it had never existed.

Now let's talk about Xiang Yuan's side.

When a cultivator reaches the level of "Tong You" (通幽), their physical body undergoes a transformation, and their primordial spirit experiences a dramatic upheaval.

Xiang Yuan's physical body was incredibly powerful, so the slight transformation was not obvious; the main change was in his primordial spirit.

The true spirit of a Tongyou Grandmaster remains undying, his primordial spirit able to traverse the three thousand worlds. As he stepped over this threshold, in a daze, he saw countless passages before him; by simply taking one step into one, he could encounter his counterparts from other worlds.

Out of curiosity, I took this step to see what I would look like in other worlds.

Since obtaining the Yanfu Sect, he has not yet encountered his counterpart from other worlds. Given the opportunity, he naturally wants to take a good look at them.

After going in and out about ten times, Xiang Yuan gained nothing. One failure could be explained by the other party being working and not sleeping, and three or five failures could be explained by being busy with work and not having time to sleep.

His repeated failures are no coincidence; he is unique in the three thousand worlds, and there is no one like him in any other world.

At least these dozen or so ethereal worlds do not contain him.

Xiang Yuan was filled with doubt. He collected his thoughts, sank his primordial spirit into himself, and sensed the earth-shattering changes within his body.

Within the microcosm of the human body, formed by 365 acupoints, the intersecting Yin and Yang present a chaotic color, revealing the boundless nature of the Great Dao, where existence arises from nothingness and nothingness is formed from existence, gathering and dispersing, endlessly regenerating.

The small world is born and dies several times, and then forms a new order of yin and yang, which converges and cycles.

No destruction, no construction; destruction precedes construction!
The last time I experienced destruction and then construction, it was through understanding the Tao Te Ching. This time, I experienced destruction and then construction again, and I broke through into a state of deep meditation. I did not observe the outside world, so I was unaware that the change was caused by the light emitted by the old Taoist priest Que Xin.

Through destruction comes construction; the five colors and five elements are reversed and inverted, resulting in illusion and rebirth. One tirelessly sorts out oneself, and each rebirth brings about a different degree of transformation.

The most significant change is in the space between the primordial spirit's eyebrows, where a crack appears, resembling a divine eye, corresponding to the three-headed, six-armed form. The divine eye in the space between the three primordial spirit's eyebrows is now open.

Buzz buzz————

An aura of cataclysmic destruction spread out, annihilating the small world surrounded by 360 stars, only to be reborn after the destruction.

After an unknown amount of time, Xiang Yuan awoke from his meditation. His eyes opened, and a flash of black and white light appeared. Looking up at the sky, he saw the laws of heaven and earth intertwined, the threads clearly defined, far away on the horizon, yet within reach.

Once the mind has a thought, it can be gently stirred, like the butterfly effect, where a tiny change extends into a huge chain reaction.

Other Tongyou stage masters can also do this, but the difference is that Xiang Yuan cultivates the Wuxiang Seal Method, merges his body with all things, and has learned and comprehended too many principles of heaven and earth, which makes his butterfly body too large.

To use the Northern Qi dynasty as a vivid analogy, the ordinary masters of the Great Sword Alliance and the Great Families are like ordinary butterflies, while the masters of the Purple Light Sect and the Original Heart Path are like Butterflies. Xiang Yuan is currently like Mothra, whose mass creates a terrifying gravitational pull.

As a result, Xiang Yuan dared not move around recklessly, for fear that he might accidentally ruin the barren but overgrown courtyard.

Especially that big tree in the courtyard, the lost youth of Master Que Xin and Master Hard Drive. If it's damaged, they'll definitely be extorted for money.

"It's alright, you'll get used to it."

The old Taoist priest, lacking common sense, raised his hand and placed a restriction on Xiang Yuan, then secretly pursed his lips and glanced at Miao Qiong's position.

Xiang Yuan understood immediately. The best way to get familiar with the force was through actual combat, and Miao Qiong, the sandbag, was a perfect tool for practice.

It's a pity none of my fellow disciples are home, otherwise it would have been even more convenient.

"Master, I've heard that a Tongyou Grandmaster can dream of traveling through three thousand worlds and witnessing their own existence. I just tried it, but I didn't see myself in any other world. Why is that?" Xiang Yuan asked, puzzled.

"This is beyond my current level of understanding." The old Daoist with a missing heart shook his head slightly, not surprised by Xiang Yuan's discovery.

"..."

What do you mean? Do you not know, or do you know something you shouldn't know, so you can't say it?

"Master, there are no outsiders here," Xiang Yuan said, switching to telepathy.

"I have never seen myself in other worlds either."

The old Taoist priest replied succinctly, and then suggested, "If you feel too lonely, my disciple, you can send your primordial spirit to another world. You can meet in your dreams eighteen years later."

What a bad idea!

Xiang Yuan rolled his eyes. Without himself, there is no self. On a grander scale, this is called the unification of all realms, a manifestation of a transcendent state of being.

Just as he was complaining, he suddenly remembered something and asked again via telepathy, "Master, are there many cultivators like you and me?"

"Not many, but definitely not few."

"That's fine."

Xiang Yuan nodded in satisfaction. He was very self-aware. The realm of unifying all realms had nothing to do with him and was far beyond his reach. He had become an outcast for no reason, which could only be explained by the word 'scheming'.

Being alone at the bottom of the pit was too cold, but once there were more people around, it immediately became warm.

Regardless of whether it's a scheme or not, as long as he's not the only one being schemed against, that's fine.

"By the way, Master, don't you find it strange that I've reached the Grandmaster level after only two years of apprenticeship? That's not how immortals are cultivated," Xiang Yuan continued.

"Not surprising. I once said that it would rain tonight, and you could choose to bring an umbrella or not."

The old Taoist priest stroked his beard and said, "If you take it with you, you will stay in Fengxian County. If you don't take it with you, you will go to Tongjing Prefecture with someone who is destined to be with you. Whether you take it with you or not, your fates and destinies will be different."

"May I ask, Master, which destiny is better?"

"What do you think?"

Of course I brought it!

Xiang Yuan was certain that he wouldn't bring an umbrella. His destined person was Yue Huanjiang, so he would go with him to Tongjing Prefecture to cultivate and join Baiyun Manor as an inner disciple. Considering Yue Huanjiang's righteousness and strictness towards Lü Ji, he believed that he would share anything good with his brothers. At least one of the two maids would be given to him, and his fox spirit master, Qu Rou, would most likely get one as well.

Later, in the small grotto of the Qilin Mountains, he obtained the Observation Jade, the Water-Suppressing Iron Sword, and other fortuitous opportunities.

At first glance, it seems no different from carrying an umbrella, but upon closer inspection, it lacks a crucial treasure—the Yama Gate.

Without the Yanfu Sect, there would be no Xiang today. He walked on thin ice all the way, and his cultivation was full of hard work, sweat and tears. He got rich entirely thanks to the first pot of gold from the Yanfu Sect.

Moreover, even after bringing the umbrella, the opportunities in the Qilin Mountains still exist, only they have changed from the main storyline to a side storyline.

Thinking of this, Xiang Yuan felt incredibly lucky. Luckily, he had brought an umbrella with him. He had run into the shameless Xiao He and was pinned down in Fengxian County. Otherwise, where would he have found another Yanfu Sect?

Moreover, the tomb not only contains the Yanfu Sect, but also Senior Jiang and the Blood Spirit Mushroom, which unlocks the first step of innate divine power.

Xiang Yuan nodded secretly, roughly understanding what the old Taoist priest meant, and continued to transmit his voice, "Master, do you know about the Yanfu Sect?"

"I heard something."

"Then do you know who 'she' is?" Xiang Yuan asked hurriedly.

"Who 'she' is is beyond my current level of understanding."

"..."

So, do we know or not?

“Master, there are really no outsiders here. If you are not comfortable speaking directly, you can give me some hints, such as what her surname is, what her given name is, and what she looks like,” Xiang Yuan persisted.

"No rush, you will meet 'her' sooner or later. It's also possible that you have already met her or heard about her." The old Taoist priest shook his head slightly, unwilling to delve deeper into this topic.

You riddle enthusiasts, don't you feel uncomfortable keeping your thoughts to yourselves?
Whether the old Taoist priest was in pain was hard to say, but Xiang Yuan was holding back a lot of anger. He glared at the old Taoist priest, only to be glared back at fiercely. He immediately lowered his head and turned his angry gaze to Sect Leader Miao Qiong.

"Junior Sister Miaoqiong, I am a newcomer to the Tongyou realm and urgently need a destined person to help me stabilize my cultivation. I wonder if you would be willing to give me some guidance?"

"..."

Miao Qiong remained silent, and did not greet Xiang Yuan with a smile or a friendly attitude just because he called her "Junior Sister".

Xiang Yuan shrugged and switched to telepathy, saying, "Junior sister, I originally intended to say a few nice words for you so that Master would accept you as a disciple, but with your pretentious and aloof face, it's difficult for me to do anything for you!"

As long as a person has desires, they will inevitably have weaknesses. With a single move, Xiang Yuan made Miao Qiong's expression change.

She hesitated for a moment, but in the end, she still ignored her.

This was no challenge for Xiang Yuan. Having grasped Miao Qiong's weakness, he continued to transmit his voice, "Come inside with me, or I will expel you from Benxin Dao today, take you to the Yellow Springs Dao in the Southern Frontier, lock you in the underground palace as a treasure of the sect, and completely cut off your chance to become a disciple."

These are the words of a reputable and righteous family!

Miao Qiong's eyes twitched. She stood up, gave Xiang Yuan a cold glance, and reluctantly walked into the outhouse.

Xiang Yuan put away the enlightenment futon and followed along eagerly. They fought fiercely in the small cave, and after the fight, they restored the messy place to a beautiful landscape.

There's not much to describe about the battle itself; one wave subsided only for another to rise, and it lasted for a full hour.

When Xiang Yuan was in the Nascent Soul stage, Miao Qiong was no match for him. After breaking through to the Grandmaster stage, she was even less of a match for him. If he hadn't intentionally used Miao Qiong to familiarize himself with the situation, the battle would have been completely uneventful.

With profound understanding and skill, the Yanfu Sect illuminated a new world.

As before, Xiang Yuan did not rush into exploration.

According to the rules of the Yanfu Sect, the new world corresponds to his realm, with the upper limit being the peak of the Tongyou stage, roughly at the level of Sect Leader Miaoqiong. If nothing unexpected happens, he can sweep through it all.

Coincidentally, an accident occurred once in the Taixu Realm.

Just in case, Xiang Yuan decided to play it safe for now and spend some time consolidating his mastery of the Tongyou stage.

At the very least, Xiao Lingyue and Chan'er should be brought along. Under the same sky, the Reincarnation Mirror can control people even if it can't kill them. Even the extraterrestrial demons won't be able to do anything with it. The two of them are the biggest trump cards for going into dungeons.

Xiang Yuan spent more than half a month stabilizing his realm in Benxindao. During the day, he listened to Master Quexin preach, and at night he went into the house with Junior Sister Miaoqiong, becoming one with her. They took photos together in different poses every day.

Xiang Yuan was in charge of taking photos, and Miao Qiong was in charge of taking pictures. Their division of labor was clear, and they both had bright futures.

As the restrictions on Xiang Yuan loosened, he gained more and more control over himself. In his spare time, he would go to the Scripture Pavilion of the Benxin Path to read books.

As is expected, the Benxindao's library encompassed the Shaolin Temple's library. When Xiang Yuan looked through the Seventy-Two Arts, he discovered that these manuals were all original copies.

The question is, what is the true essence of Shaolin's ultimate martial arts, Benxindao, and what secret manuals are in the Shaolin Scripture Pavilion?
A handwritten copy?
Who copied it?
The answer was obvious, so Xiang Yuan didn't ask any more questions.

Given the style of Benxindao, they would have copied all the original texts... It's impossible to just make a copy for Shaolin to keep on file. Seventy-two books, how long would it take to copy them all? Staying up all night is really bad for your health!
Only a Shaolin monk could borrow the original manual from Benxin Dao, copy it, and take the handwritten copy back to his own library.

The Buddha saved countless people, not to mention the great fortune of transmitting scriptures. When Shaolin Temple came to copy the scriptures, they probably spent a lot of money.

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The Shaolin Temple in the Qianyuan Realm does not possess a secret manual like the Tathagata Palm. Its martial arts prowess is average. In other worlds, it would be a towering figure in the martial arts world, but among the four major Buddhist lineages in the Qianyuan Realm, it ranks at the bottom, lacking the foundation of Yan Kong Temple, Bao Jing Temple, and Da Jue Temple.

Even without the Tathagata Palm, Xiang Yuan didn't mind; he used the Seventy-Two Arts to prove the Six-Character Mantra.

On the bright side, Benxindao has the authentic lineage of Shaolin, which saves him the trouble of sneaking into Shaolin at night and saves him time by taking unnecessary detours.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Northern Qi Dynasty, Jian'an Circuit.

Tai'an Prefecture, the capital.

As soon as Xiang Yuan entered the city gate, he saw that the streets were decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and the atmosphere was festive. The number of people was much greater than usual.

A random passerby was chosen and learned that it was Miss Jiang Yingjun from the Jiang family who was coming to the capital and would stay for three days. Local members of Wuyou Valley responded enthusiastically and discussed the arts of music, chess, calligraphy and painting, making it a rare grand event in Northern Qi.

Simply put, there's a concert, so fans should hurry!

Judging from the tall and imposing style of the Northern Qi people, it's clear that there were many rough men and few refined ones. In the early years, the Northern Qi was often ridiculed by the Western Chu and Southern Jin in the cultural field. The two countries launched a frenzied cultural invasion, which made the Northern Qi quite embarrassed.

At that time, the people of Northern Qi shared a consensus: Western Chu had its history, Southern Jin had its charm, and the moon outside was brighter.

I feel strangely inferior.

Later, the Northern Qi established the Worry-Free Valley, which attracted a large number of members, grew stronger, and became the first line of defense against cultural invasion. It then launched a counterattack against the Western Chu and Southern Jin, winning a remarkable comeback.

Nowadays, Wuyou Valley frequently organizes touring concerts, harvesting profits while simultaneously smugly defying the people of Western Chu and Southern Jin, determined to make the people of both countries realize that the moon over Northern Qi is the brightest.

Xiang Yuan called it a concert, but it was actually a cultural exchange event, with the main purpose of cultivating sentiments and making friends through literature.

This concert started in Bozhou, where the Jiang family lived, and passed through major cities such as Tai'an Prefecture, the capital, and Huaizhou, heading south in a grand manner until it arrived at the capital of Western Chu.

Jiang Yingjun is renowned for her talent, being proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and is the star performer of this concert.

It is said that the tickets have been resold at exorbitant prices.

"There's no first place in literature, but there's a clear second place in martial arts. How can that possibly cultivate one's character? It's more like hitting someone with a shoe sole..."

"Yes, I hope blood will flow like a river, and the verbal battle will eventually turn into a physical one."

Xiang Yuan muttered to himself as he released a randomly selected passerby. He wasn't a fan of celebrities and didn't care about idols who sang, danced, rapped, or played basketball. He strode towards the palace, and only after a few steps did he realize that Miss Jiang Yingjun of the Jiang family was the idol he had escorted to the Western Chu Ba Shang Lou.

"That's right, the middle floors of Ba Shang Lou are used for cultivating one's mind and spirit. No wonder there are usually not many people there. It turns out it's a stadium used for concerts."

Xiang Yuan frowned slightly, sensing that something was amiss. He grabbed another passerby and asked him a few questions.

"How would I know? All I know is that Lady Jiang is graceful and elegant, like a fairy, and incredibly beautiful!"

"How would I know that? All I know is that on this journey south, those brutes of Western Chu will surely be defeated. They will definitely resort to some underhanded tactics. How can our court do as the Chu dogs wish? The royal family has specially dispatched a member of the imperial clan to escort us closely."

"..."

Xiangyuan: (一`一;)
Oh no, I've become a member of the Liu clan!

(End of this chapter)