Devouring Evil Martial Arts, Eliminating Demons from All Heavens

Chapter 390: Is an enlightened being not human, and is perfection superior to that of humans?

Chu Tianshu's gaze had originally encompassed all the patterns.

He only glanced at it, but his eyes started to sting. His mind was filled with a thousand thoughts, but when he tried to think about it, he felt that he hadn't grasped anything.

He closed his eyes briefly, placed the two stone slabs flat on the table, and when he opened them again, he pressed his right hand on the slabs and stroked each of the fingernail-sized patterns with his fingertips.

This time, Chu Tianshu focused his attention on only one pattern at a time. After looking at them all, he focused his gaze on the third pattern in the second row.

By discerning the subtle differences in his mental perception, Chu Tianshu vaguely realized that this was the one that touched him the most.

Within this small design, numerous lines twist and turn.

At first glance, it looks like a very unique eye, or a handful of flames.

A lotus bud, a bird with its head held high and wings folded.

But if you look at it for a while longer, the complexity of the lines will break the original association.

On the land of Kyushu, the origin of writing is inseparable from that of pictures.

But regardless of which era the ancients who left this stone slab belonged to, the imagery they drew from certain omens of heaven and earth conveyed a far more profound and complex meaning.

What it pursues is more of a complete expression of artistic conception, not necessarily the language that was prevalent in a certain era, but perhaps just a unique personal touch.

Trying to interpret these patterns using the principles of interpreting words is likely to be like talking to a brick wall and won't work.

If it's not about interpreting the words, then is it about interpreting the mood?
Chu Tianshu had a slight idea in mind, and pressed his fingertips more gently on the pattern.

If it were me, what kind of feelings and emotions would I have after practicing martial arts and creating techniques, in order to leave these lines and traces?
Is this stroke rough or delicate? Is it fine and deep, or rough and deep? Is it smooth in the middle, or is there a pause?
Chu Tianshu gradually became immersed in his own contemplation and deliberation, his Qi changed with his mind, his blood flowed freely, and his aura underwent subtle changes.

The old scholar looked up and felt that there were wisps of rosy light on him, rising slightly, swirling and falling back, hanging on his eyebrows and floating on his temples.

The deeper a martial artist's cultivation, the easier it is to mobilize their own power. As long as they focus, various unusual phenomena may occur on their body.

This unusual phenomenon clearly indicates that a state of enlightenment has been achieved, but the accuracy of this state remains to be seen.

Xiao Liang stared at him for a long time, and before he knew it, he brought the wine pot to his lips and drank it all.

"This wine..."

Xiao Liang snapped out of his daze and smacked his lips. "It doesn't taste refreshing enough. It's not as good as the tea we had before."

"You don't know how to appreciate wine, nor are you a wine lover."

The old scholar glanced at Xiao Liang and said, "I see that you've been in a bad mood lately because of the Huangshan Sect's investigation, and your temper is agitated, which is why you've started drinking more water."

They both spoke in low voices, subconsciously keeping their voices down.

In fact, someone with Chu Tianshu's physical strength and physique could hear the buzzing of flies and the crawling of earthworms within a two-mile radius, and immediately determine his location.

Even at night, there are countless noises and disturbances in the bustling city center where the pub is located.

Even in the remote wilderness, the noise of nature may not be less.

Fortunately, as long as a martial artist's mindset matches their own foundation, they can naturally achieve this: when it's time to comprehend the techniques, their mind is clear and their vision is unblemished.

Even if the old scholar spoke loudly beside him, as long as he didn't clearly intend to contact him urgently, he wouldn't worry.

But the two of them still maintained some of the habits of ordinary people and found enjoyment in it.

"You shouldn't drink alcohol or tea anymore. I just remembered that there are some good things that just arrived in the cellar these past two days."

The old scholar spoke quietly, a smile appearing on his face, and held up one finger, "Wait for me a moment."

He deftly moved the stool aside, walked away silently, and soon returned with a copper basin.

The copper basin was filled with crushed ice, with a few wisps of cool white steam rising from it, which accentuated the fresh, juicy fruit.

"Wow, grapes."

Xiao Liang reached out and pinched off a fruit. Without peeling it, he put it in his mouth, chewed it once, and then stopped, enjoying the sweet and cool taste.

“You can’t get such good grapes in Pengcheng. Denglaishan Market is even further east of Mount Tai. It’s amazing that you were able to get such good grapes.”

During the Han Dynasty, grapes had already been introduced to both the eastern and western capitals.

During the reign of Emperor Wen of Wei, Cao Pi, it was even mentioned in the "Imperial Edict to Physicians".

"Now, let's talk about grapes... When eaten with dew on them, they are sweet without being greasy, crisp without being sluggish, cool without being cold, with a lingering flavor and abundant juice, relieving irritability and quenching thirst."

"It is also brewed into wine, which is sweet with fermented rice, and makes one easily intoxicated but also easily sobered up..."

At that time, grapes became abundant in various places.

However, grapes used for winemaking are actually quite different from grapes used for eating.

The grapes used for winemaking in this era were nearly purplish-black in color, with thick skins, tough flesh, small berries, and were both sour and astringent.

The bunch of grapes the old scholar took out was a bright purplish-red, large and translucent, each about the size of a thumb.

The initial taste is almost entirely sweet and icy, with only a slight sourness and no astringency whatsoever.

This type of grape can still only be found in a few places around the world today.

It's difficult to grow good quality grapes elsewhere, and the grape growers haven't yet figured out the secrets behind it.

"Denglaishan Market is quite prosperous, as these goods are all transported by sea and supplied to the imperial cities of both the Northern and Southern Dynasties."

The old scholar ate one and said, "If you're willing to get involved, it won't be difficult to arrange for someone to send tribute to your Pengcheng Marquis's residence every year."

"Forget it, why bother making a fuss over some grapes?"

Xiao Liang ate a few grapes, then pinched a piece of ice, chewed it, and ate the grapes again. The taste was still fresh and sweet.

"But I don't think I've seen this variety before. You can ask if they have any seedlings later."

"Maybe this can be grown directly in Pengcheng."

The old scholar nodded, ran to the counter, and brought over a pot of tea.

He loves tea and can pair it with anything he eats; he uses a weak tea to accompany grapes.

"Ah."

As Xiao Liang ate, he suddenly smiled and said, "My name is Xiao Liang, as if I was born with a connection to coolness and breeziness."

"I remember when I was young, I could sense a chill in everything I did."

"I only felt that the various aspects of life in the city, the white-haired old men, the poor couples, and the young children, even if there was a moment of warmth, were all connected with hardship and uncertainty. Thinking about it carefully, there was always a sense of desolation."

He shook his head as he said this.

"Now I am in my prime, and when I walk around Pengcheng, I feel a sense of warmth in everything I see. When I encounter something outside, I am easily agitated."

"It seems he's been eating too much rich food and has developed a lot of internal heat."

The old scholar disagreed: "I think you were frail when you were young, only able to withstand the wind. Now that you feel your fists are strong, it's natural that you have a lot of fire in your body."

"Under your protection, Pengcheng has become much better, hasn't it? Of course, it's not as cold anymore, and it's warmer now."

The old scholar's words contained a mixture of admiration and comfort.

Xiao Liang held a grape in his hand and stared at it for a while.

"Is my fist big enough?"

Xiao Liang disagreed, "No one can fight the world alone. In the end, it all comes down to the number of allies and how wise one is."

"As for me, I have never been able to understand most of the enlightened people in this world. I am probably destined to be left behind in the future."

The old scholar stopped drinking, his brow furrowed, not understanding why he had such feelings.

Xiao Liang popped the grape into his mouth and then reached out.

The white porcelain wine cup was not fixed to the table at all. He simply placed two fingers on the rim of the cup and pried off a piece of porcelain.

Then put the porcelain shards into your mouth!

The old scholar was taken aback: "What are you doing?"

Xiao Liang was chewing, and the sound of the porcelain shards cracking was not even audible in his mouth.

Just as some precious swords can cut through iron like mud without making a clanging sound, his teeth can do something similar when cutting into porcelain shards.

“Did you know that enlightened beings can actually easily control their sense of taste and touch?” Xiao Liang’s eyes seemed to hold a hint of a smile. “After I ate those grapes just now, as long as I control the changes in my sense of taste, even if I eat these porcelain shards now, the texture will be about 80% similar to that of grapes.”

"If I were given a damp piece of metal, it would taste pretty much the same to me."

"For an enlightened person, there is not much difference in how much nutrition a grape or a piece of porcelain would provide or how it would be digested."

The old scholar was stunned: "An enlightened being can actually do such a thing?"

"It's not possible at first, but it becomes possible once you delve a little deeper."

Xiao Liang's smile remained unchanged. "For us, the energy of heaven and earth is the most important thing. Everything else is just water. We can use water to simulate the taste of all kinds of delicious food."

"Human enjoyment is often nothing more than food, clothing, shelter, transportation, and desires. For those who have attained enlightenment, all of these can be easily achieved through martial arts."

Xiao Liang threw another piece of porcelain into his mouth, this time making a sound like he was biting an ice cube.

"Of course, we can be too lazy to use these simulation methods in normal times, but in any case, at this stage, our wisdom can be greatly liberated."

"Transcend the worries of daily necessities and get rid of the burdens of food, clothing, shelter and transportation."

"With a relaxed mind, we can freely roam in pursuit of higher goals, and have fun with a thousand times more ease than those who are idle, making the world around us better and better."

The old scholar also felt a sense of longing upon hearing this.

Yes, since the life of an enlightened being can reach this level.

They can even make the world a better place while having fun and playing around.

But that's not the case.

Even those who have attained enlightenment still face immense pressure.

This kind of pressure will only come from the group of those who have also attained enlightenment.

The old scholar said, "However, the method of refining the moon is destined to be limited even to those who have attained enlightenment..."

"You should know that even those who cultivate the demonic path actually cultivate two other paths as well."

Xiao Liang said, “Every enlightened one has more possibilities. Old Huang and I have calculated that if everyone had made it their priority to remain unpolluted, then twenty years ago, we would have been able to deduce the prototype of a new Daoist method.”

"It does not rely on medicine, magic weapons, or the pain of the human heart."

"But actually..."

Xiao Liang laughed, "We use more of our wisdom to hurt each other, so that prototype is still a long way off for us."

When Xiao Liang stormed the East Sea back then, although his combat strength was not bad, he did not know what level of life the people known as the Six Sects and Five Saints had reached.

After he finds out.

He could not forgive what the patriarch of the Xiao family in the East China Sea had done back then, nor could he understand their mentality.

"Even the demonic path, which now seems high and mighty and oppresses outsiders, actually relies on the pain in people's hearts to help it harmonize the turbidity of the moon. This is also a kind of dependence on ordinary people."

"If they have enough pride, they should also find a way to break free from these shackles."

Xiao Liang sighed, “Helping others in the hope of finding more like-minded people, being aloof and detached from others, and sometimes hurting others by doing things your own way—these three are all somewhat normal. But to specialize in controlling subordinates and causing suffering, without seeking to break free from dependence, is something I truly cannot understand.”

"After attaining enlightenment and seeking immortality, one undergoes such a great transformation in body, mind, and wisdom that one should be more complete than a human being, rather than remaining merely a villain despite possessing power."

The disappearance of the Huangshan Patriarch has caused deep and inexplicable anxiety among the world's top swordsmen, and their long-standing doubts can no longer be suppressed.

This led to the feeling that I would eventually become outdated.

Although the old scholar had known him for many years, he was still shocked just now and didn't quite understand what kind of mind and body a Daoist would have, nor did he know how to comfort or persuade him.

The restaurant was quiet, with the moonlight and night breeze still gentle.

"You're still too much of a hipster."

Chu Tianshu's voice broke the silence as he reached out and picked a grape.

The sweet taste brought a smile to his face.

He never expected that he could still eat such good grapes in this era.

Xiao Liang turned to look at him: "Literary youth? Judging from your tone, it doesn't sound like a good word."

"It doesn't matter whether it's good or bad. Artistic youth are generally those who are under pressure but have enough free time, and are lacking in some aspect."

"I think you just lack comrades."

Chu Tianshu grabbed two grapes, threw them into his mouth, closed his eyes, and enjoyed them, chewing away.

"How could you bear to let such delicious grapes end up in your stomach along with the porcelain shards?"

Xiao Liang smiled.

Chu Tianshu hadn't finished speaking yet.

"In the end, they chose not to be human long ago, and they've gone down this path with no turning back. How can you expect them to suddenly repent after they've attained enlightenment?"

Chu Tianshu said, "If a mudslide had submerged the village today, would you also want to understand why the mudslide would unleash its power on the village?"

Xiao Liang shook his head: "After all, they are different."

"In my mind, those who are powerful but do evil are like landforms that cause disasters."

Chu Tianshu smiled, but his tone was incredibly decisive.

"Don't try to understand them. If you can beat them, fight them now. If you can't, run far away. But as long as I see an opportunity, I will fight them."

“If he is a mountain, I will smash the rocks; if he is a river, I will hammer the riverbank until I beat him so badly that he can no longer do evil.”

Chu Tian paused for a moment, then, as if remembering something, said leisurely, "You call the realm of using the power of heaven and earth 'attaining the Dao'."

"In my hometown, we call this realm a taboo!"

"A taboo is something that is not supposed to be trodden upon, but we always want to trod upon it, and we do trod upon it anyway."

His eyes lit up.

"We've even broken into taboos, how could we possibly try to understand the mentality of those who have committed countless heinous crimes and are irreconcilable enemies?"

"It's specifically designed so that even if faced with a malevolent force akin to a cataclysmic disaster, we can blast it to pieces!"

Wisdom should not only include strength, but also determination.

Sensing Chu Tianshu's state of mind, Xiao Liang's eyes held a complex expression as he smiled and asked, "How's your understanding of this stone slab coming along?"

"good."

Upon hearing this, Chu Tianshu's voice suddenly became calm.

He looked at it for a long time and probably understood about one-tenth of the pattern.

Based on this calculation, even with his extensive knowledge and experience gained from traversing various realms, and with his current talent and comprehension, it would take him at least six months to decipher the cultivation method on this stone slab.

This thing is just too abstract.

However, if he can decipher even this small amount, it proves the correctness of his reasoning.

Then memorize all the rest that you haven't yet understood, and they can be used as material for your training methods.

Chu Tianshu secretly summoned the token screen and glanced at the first simulation, which barely met the requirements.

The evil spirits include Fa Wendao, Song Zixian, and nine monks.

If you can save me more than six months of agonizing thought, then you've all died a worthy death!

The first simulation has been completed.

The General Outline of the Victorious Method of Penglai.

The essentials of the techniques and the outline of the formulas.

A thousand moves lead to the same path, but one move can overcome a thousand paths.

Mastering this method is like adding an extra general outline to the techniques you've learned before, bringing together all the moves into one move, applicable to fists, palms, fingers, swords, whips, hammers, and so on.

The teachings of Penglai, the most virtuous of all, are broad in scope and refined in depth—a supreme and sublime Dharma!

(End of this chapter)