Catching Monsters

Chapter 666 What is the Dao?

Xuan Daozi wasn't surprised that Li Chengdao didn't recognize him, since Li Chengdao had no memories of his past life.

After taking a deep breath, he turned to look at Jiang Yun and asked, "Fellow Daoist Jiang, before my senior brother was reincarnated, he left himself a set of cultivation techniques! According to him, if one cultivates this technique, one will definitely be able to break through to the second rank, or even the first rank."

"I hope you can let me take my senior brother back so we can start cultivating the Dao again."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yun calmly replied, "Senior, is this technique really as powerful as you say?"

“Of course.” Xuan Daozi nodded and said slowly, “This was left to me by my senior brother before his reincarnation, and it is most suitable for him.”

“If that’s the case, then please send me a set, so I can use it as a reference when I teach Li Chengdao,” Jiang Yun replied. “He has already joined my Sanqing Daoist sect, so how could he possibly switch to the Daoist Master’s sect?”

"This." Xuan Daozi was slightly taken aback upon hearing this. Even with his usually composed demeanor, he grew increasingly anxious and said, "Fellow Daoist Jiang..."

At this moment, Jiang Yun had a serious expression and slowly said, "Senior, our Sanqing Dao Sect has quite a few secret techniques. It would not be right for you to snatch them away from the disciples who have joined our sect."

Xuan Daozi was still unwilling to give up. He looked at Li Chengdao, took a deep breath, and slowly said, "Senior brother, would you like to stay in the Sanqing Temple, or come back to the Tianqing Temple with me?"

"Me?" Li Chengdao looked at Xuan Daozi with some confusion.

Xuan Daozi waved his hand and slowly said, "You are not aware of all this now."

"You are the head of Tianqing Temple, a rare talent in cultivation. With your qualifications, it would not be difficult for you to easily enter the second rank."

"However, on the path of cultivation, he went astray, began to doubt the correctness of the Daoist method, and even speculated that there was a more correct path of cultivation."

"But to think that way is a great disrespect to the Dao Venerable."

"Your mind is caught in a dilemma, and you are troubled by the truth day and night, but you can hardly find a solution."

"In the end, you chose to reincarnate and start anew, and perhaps in this life you will be able to find the right path."

Xuan Daozi became more and more excited as he spoke. He said, "Senior brother, Tianqing Temple needs your return to restore its former glory."

After listening to all this, Jiang Yun slowly said, "Senior Xuan Daozi, if what you say is true, your senior brother reincarnated and started cultivating again in order to find a more correct path."

"If he joins the Sanqing Temple, he might have already found it."

"Why bother seeking so much?"

Upon hearing this, Xuan Daozi's heart trembled slightly.

He actually had quite a bit of knowledge about the Three Pure Ones' Taoist practices, and he had also read quite a few of the books that Jiang Yun had given him, such as the Tao Te Ching.

The more one understands the Taoist teachings of the Three Pure Ones, the more one doubts the Tao of the Taoist Master.

Looking at the Daoist Master's Daoist teachings alone, there is nothing wrong with them, and one can feel their profoundness and breadth.

However, if we compare the Three Pure Ones' Taoist practices at the same time...

Many aspects of the Daoist teachings are understood in a more profound way within the teachings of the Three Pure Ones…

Simply put, the Dao of the Daoist Master is more about cultivating oneself.

The essence of the Three Pure Ones' Taoist teachings lies in the laws of nature and inaction.

In the essence of the Three Pure Ones' Taoist teachings, personal cultivation is not so important.

Upon hearing this, Xuan Daozi looked at Li Cheng and said, "Senior brother, you chose this path yourself, and now you have to choose it again."

"Whether you come back to Tianqing Temple with me or stay at Sanqing Temple, your junior brother is willing to respect your wishes."

Li Chengdao looked at Xuan Daozi with some fear and hurriedly hid behind Jiang Yun: "Master, is this strange old man going to take me away?"

"You must not be rude; you must address me as 'senior'," Jiang Yun admonished.

Li Chengdao quickly clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Senior, I will not go with you; I will stay here."

Li Chengdao was, after all, just a child. Having arrived in the capital, he was unfamiliar with the place and its people, so how could he possibly leave with Xuandaozi so easily?

What's more, Sister Yao and Uncle Tian's shops haven't even been settled yet.

If I follow this old man, won't I lose the shop that my master promised?

"Senior?" Xuan Daozi was momentarily dazed after hearing Li Chengdao's address. He took a deep breath before calmly saying, "I was too persistent."

"Having been given a second chance at life, one should have entirely new experiences. Why force life?"

After saying this, Xuan Daozi's aura subtly changed. It should be noted that he had already broken through to the third-grade Celestial Master realm before this.

His reincarnated senior brother has always been a knot in his heart, clinging to his soul for many years.

Now that this knot has been tied, there are signs that a breakthrough is imminent.

Xuan Daozi quickly sat down cross-legged.

Seeing this, Jiang Yun decided to lend him a hand and said, "Senior Xuandaozi, since you show signs of a breakthrough, why not return to Tianqing Temple instead of staying at Sanqing Temple to break through?"

Upon hearing this, Xuan Daozi's eyebrows furrowed slightly.

Jiang Yun then said, “The Great Dao is formless, yet it gives birth to heaven and earth. The Great Dao is without emotion, yet it governs the sun and moon. The Great Dao is nameless, yet it nurtures all things. I do not know its name, so I call it Dao.”

“Look inward at your heart, and you will find that your heart has no heart. Look outward at your form, and you will find that your form has no form. Look at things from afar, and you will find that things have no things. Once you understand these three things, you will only see emptiness.”

Sweat gradually trickled down Xuan Daozi's forehead, and he kept his eyes tightly closed.

Jiang Yun asked loudly, "What is the Dao?"

Xuan Daozi took a deep breath and said, "The Dao is the ultimate goal of human cultivation. By cultivating and attaining the Dao, one can become a sage. The Dao resides within oneself, dispelling inner demons and bringing the mind to its purest and clearest state. The Dao encompasses all things; it is both the beginning and the end."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yun frowned slightly. The path that Xuan Daozi spoke of was ultimately a minor one.

Jiang Yun began by saying, "The Dao is the origin of all things. The Dao is the rule of nature. The Dao is the principle of life."

“There is something complete and perfect, which existed before heaven and earth. Silent and still, it stands alone and unchanging, moving in cycles without ceasing, and can be regarded as the mother of all things. I do not know its name, so I call it the Way, and I give it the name Great.”

"Greatness is called passing away; passing away is called going far; going far is called returning. Therefore, the Way is great, Heaven is great, Earth is great, and Man is also great. Within the realm there are four great things, and Man is one of them. Man follows the Earth, Earth follows Heaven, Heaven follows the Way, and the Way follows Nature."

Xuan Daozi's tightly furrowed brows slowly relaxed, and he murmured, "Man follows the Earth, Earth follows Heaven, Heaven follows the Dao, and the Dao follows Nature."

In an instant, a powerful Taoist aura erupted from Xuan Daozi's body.

It quickly returned to calm in an instant.

When Xuan Daozi opened his eyes again, his cultivation had reached the second-grade True Monarch realm.

Xuan Daozi's eyes were now clearer. He looked at Jiang Yun with gratitude in his eyes and said, "Thank you for your help, fellow Daoist."

Jiang Yun solemnly formed the Meridian Seal with his hands, but this time he did not address him as "senior" again. Instead, he said, "Fellow Daoist, please do not thank me."

"If needed, the scriptures in the Sanqing Temple can be copied and given to you."

Upon hearing this, Xuan Daozi smiled and said, "Then thank you very much, fellow Daoist."

Jiang Yun asked curiously, "But if you were to teach the Three Pure Ones Daoist arts at Tianqing Temple, wouldn't you be worried that Baiyun and Qingfeng Temples would cause you trouble?"

"The Great Dao is formless and follows the natural way. As long as one's heart is turned towards the Great Dao, what difference does it make what kind of Dao method is taught?" Xuan Daozi sighed slowly.

Seeing that the other party had come to a decision, Jiang Yun smiled and nodded.

He then instructed Wen Chen, who was standing nearby, to personally copy all the scriptures the next day and send them all to Tianqing Temple.

Wen Chen naturally agreed immediately.

Jiang Yun personally saw Xuan Daozi off at the door.

At the doorway, Dongfang Yao and Tian San exchanged a curious glance.

Tian San scratched the back of his head and couldn't help but say, "Looks like Little Thirteen is quite popular."

Dongfang Yao watched Jiang Yun and the other person's backs, lost in thought. She had been standing at the door and had heard Jiang Yun's words clearly.

After seeing Xuan Daozi off, Jiang Yun finally breathed a sigh of relief, at least he managed to keep Li Chengdao behind.

However, Li Chengdao was illiterate, so if he wanted to read and write the scriptures, he would have to hire a teacher to teach him to read and write.

This can't be rushed.

Jiang Yun saw that it was getting late and originally wanted to go home and get some rest, but then he thought that it wasn't very safe to leave such a large sum of money in the Eastern Garrison.

It must first be sent to His Majesty in the palace.

(End of this chapter)