Great Love for All Heavens Begins with Huang Yaoshi

Chapter 257 Though the sun sets late, its afterglow still fills the sky.

"At seventy or eighty years old, you want to cultivate immortality?"

The celestial hound barked a few times in fright, then realized there was something wrong with its ears and said:
“Chenxiang, it’s night now, but you haven’t gone to bed yet.”

Zhuang Buran closed his eyes and said calmly:

"Life and death are like breathing; they are all just the gathering and dispersing of breath."

As soon as he finished speaking, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth flowed continuously into the spirit of the white-bearded, white-haired old man.

His robes fluttered and gradually rose into the air, where he sat cross-legged and softly chanted:

"Drowsiness is due to the innate energy not being awakened, delusions are due to the acquired consciousness causing trouble, and attachment is due to the impurity of the root of worldly defilements."

"The great way is simple; it lies in calming the mind and focusing on the inner self. To cultivate truth, one must first stop the leakage of essence; to attain freedom, one must break free from the cage."

"Enter meditation without delusions, observe mountains and rivers without discrimination, guard the mysterious female with the attitude of a child, and reflect the vast world with the heart of the bright moon."

The celestial dog suddenly opened its mouth, its pupils widening in shock, only to see the old man regain his youth at a speed visible to the naked eye. His long white beard disappeared, and his face instantly transformed into that of a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy.

He blinked hard and rubbed his eyes in a pretentious manner. If it weren't for the fact that he had truly lived in Liujia Village for over sixty years, and if it weren't for the sight of the young man's white hair, it would be hard to believe.

They probably thought they were dreaming, but now that they've completely woken up, they see the same brown-clad boy as before.

In the darkness, a pillar of light, formed entirely from the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, suddenly enveloped the white-haired, brown-clad youth, and in turn stirred up a mysterious aura that continued to rise.

A streak of light flashed across the sky, and Yang Jian landed beside Xiaotian Dog.

“Master, look at Chenxiang. He has somehow entered the Dao and comprehended the method of cultivation.”

“His current state is similar to that of you when you were learning the Dharma from Master Yuding.”

The Celestial Hound transformed into human form and scratched the back of his head:

“In the past, the Jade Cauldron Immortal spoke of reaching the ultimate emptiness and guarding the stillness, and the master fell into this state of oneness with heaven and man, absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth from all directions into his body.”

A vertical line appeared between Yang Jian's brows, flashing with a dazzling white light:
"To achieve a state of extreme inner peace and tranquility, eliminate all external disturbances and internal distractions, and make the mind as clear as a still mirror, untouched by dust."

"Maintaining this state of tranquility, allowing inner peace to reach a profound and steadfast level, unshaken by external changes, is indeed entering samadhi and embarking on the path of spiritual practice."

"Master, do you think Chenxiang might attain enlightenment overnight and become an immortal?"

Howling Celestial Dog stared blankly at the figure that was faintly visible within the pillar of light:

"After you entered the Dao, you instantly unleashed your inner potential, learned to use the Heavenly Eye, and severely injured the Three-Headed Divine Dragon in one fell swoop."

Yang Jian also gazed at the figure within the pillar of light:
“Emptiness refers to a state of mind that is ethereal, devoid of material things, and free from attachment to concrete things and distracting thoughts. Stillness represents quietness and tranquility, which is a manifestation of inner peace and focus. In stillness, one can observe the changes of all things and comprehend the true meaning of the Tao.”

"Having lived in the mortal world for eighty years, Chenxiang's understanding of the Dao is far deeper than mine was back then. Judging from the speed at which his cultivation is progressing, it is no exaggeration for him to shed his mortal body and become an immortal."

As the two were talking, a hearty laugh rang out from within the pillar of light.

"Hahaha, wine, women, wealth, and anger are four walls, and everyone is hiding inside them. Wine is a poison that burns through the intestines, women are a knife that scrapes the bones, wealth is a bewitching array, and anger is a nameless burning."

"The four desires are the four tribulations, Kan, Li, Zhen and Dui manifest worldly ties, the Azure Dragon cup sinks the true nature, the White Tiger tent consumes the innate, the Vermilion Bird carries gold and loses the way home, the Black Tortoise's raging waves overturn the boat of the Dao."

"Only when the three flowers gather at the top of the head will one realize that the vast universe is the dantian!"

The pillar of spiritual energy quickly disappeared, having been completely absorbed by the white-haired, brown-robed youth. A halo of light flowed around him, radiating an ethereal aura, revealing him as an enlightened immortal.

He landed lightly and stretched lazily.

"Though the sun sets late in the year, its afterglow still fills the sky; eighty years old is indeed the age for striving." "Chenxiang, did you really attain enlightenment so easily?" The Celestial Hound circled the white-haired, brown-robed youth several times.
"Although you are the son of a god, just like my master, you do not know the cultivation techniques. How can you possibly attain immortality?"

"Not to mention that you are always hanging around in front of me, and you are constantly absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to cultivate. I also have a precious lotus lamp full of Daoist essence."

"I don't know if it was because he played with the Lotus Lantern for many years and was influenced by its Taoist essence that he comprehended the ultimate principles of heaven and earth, and naturally he also comprehended the method of cultivation."

Zhuang Bu Ran said slowly:

"Based on my observations of you over the years, you simply inhale and exhale the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to cleanse and nourish your physical body, thereby cultivating your Qi and generating magical power within your body."

"The next step is to refine Qi into spirit, which means to refine Qi and spirit together, so that Qi returns to spirit and cultivate the primordial spirit."

"Then, refine the spirit to return to emptiness, practice the method of non-action, enter the state of deep meditation, observe and concentrate internally, nurture and nourish, and refine the pure yang spirit."

"Finally, when the mind is as still as water, the heavens reflect themselves, and one unites with the Dao, the acquired transforms into the innate, which is to refine the body into qi and the five qi converge at the origin, the three flowers gather at the top, the merit is complete and one forgets the form, the embryonic immortal transforms naturally, and one transcends the material to ascend to immortality."

The Celestial Dog was dumbfounded. It never expected that this lazy white-haired, brown-clad youth would be such a prodigy, able to comprehend all the secrets of cultivation simply by observing.

“Agarwood, although you have become an immortal on the spot and possess a relatively profound level of cultivation.”

Yang Jian said calmly:
"But if you want to make a name for yourself in the Three Realms, you must be proficient in martial arts and supernatural powers; otherwise you will just be a useless person with magical power."

"After all, having magical power but not being able to fully utilize it can only ensure one's own safety at best."

"And you spent eighty years honing your mind and gained two or three thousand years of cultivation in one day. In the Three Realms, that's nothing. You've only reached the point where you can barely have a name."

"This is assuming you can fully utilize your magical power."

"If you are not skilled in martial arts and do not know any supernatural powers or magic, even a little demon with a few hundred years of cultivation can make you flee in panic."

Upon hearing this, the white-haired, brown-clad youth looked slightly surprised and said:

"It turns out that there are no specific classifications of cultivation levels in this world, and fighting against enemies is not entirely based on physical strength."

He paused, then said nonchalantly:
"But what does it have to do with me? I have no intention of exorcising demons or becoming an official in heaven. I just want to wander around the human world. Why would I want to cause trouble?"

Yang Jian said meaningfully:

"Sometimes you don't go looking for trouble, but trouble still finds you."

“If you were still a mortal, I could still protect you. However, you have already embarked on the path of immortality, and you just caused such a commotion. The Heavenly Court must have already noticed.”

"It won't be long before your identity is completely exposed."

The white-haired boy in brown clothes looked up at the sky:

"Uncle, you did this on purpose. I bet the Heavenly Court's all-seeing ears and all-hearing eyes are watching Liu Family Village."

Yang Jian spoke in a cold voice:
"As the God of Justice, I originally intended to show you leniency and grant you a peaceful death at the age of one hundred, but I did not expect to greatly underestimate you."

"So don't blame me for being ruthless as your uncle. The murderous disaster you brought upon yourself is entirely your own fault."

"Uncle, you really know how to have fun!"

The white-haired, brown-clad youth's figure began to blur and become indistinct.
"Alright, let's give it a try and see if the Heavenly Court can find me."

After saying that, his figure dissipated like clouds and disappeared from the spot.

(End of this chapter)