Yuantian Pidao

Chapter 340 Dao Nature and Human Nature

Taipingzong, a river bend, with emerald green water, full of vitality.

As time goes by, influenced by the Fish Spirit Pillar, this river bend has undergone tremendous changes. Now, not only are there schools of spirit fish, but even the second-tier spirit plant, Jade Liquid Lotus, is growing much faster, with the two complementing each other.

Jiang Chen looked quite content as he drifted on the lake, casually casting his line.

During this time, besides studying the Great Dao and discussing cultivation with Chen Jingshu, he spent his free time fishing, playing chess, and enjoying tea, allowing himself to slow down completely and carefully appreciate everything around him.

At this moment, although Jiang Chen seemed to have done nothing, a mirror had already taken shape deep within his heart. The mirror body was like bronze, showing its antiquity, and the surface of the mirror shone with a cold metallic light, giving people a cold and profound feeling.

In addition, a blurry ape shadow condensed in the mirror. Although the ape shadow was not clear, its dark purple eyes were full of violence, and just one glance was enough to make people feel uneasy.

Although it is illusory in nature, it is extremely emotional, giving people the feeling of real life, as if it might jump out of the mirror at any time. This is the performance of Jiang Chen after he started practicing the Demonic Ape Reflection Technique.

The monkey's reflection in the mirror was the monkey of his mind that he had conjured, or perhaps it was himself reflected in the mirror of his mind.

As time passed, the restless mind within the mirror of his heart stirred, constantly yearning to break free and take control. Meanwhile, outside, Jiang Chen continued to indulge in leisurely pursuits like fishing and sightseeing, completely ignoring the restlessness of his mind.

This is also a form of cultivation for him. Although the Mind Monkey is extraordinary, it is ultimately only one aspect of him. As long as his heart remains unmoved, the Mind Monkey cannot cause any trouble.

At one point, the fish took the bait, and Jiang Chen, who seemed to be dozing, finally opened his eyes.

"Stealing half a day of leisure from a busy life."

With a soft sigh, as if waking from a long dream, Jiang Chen felt a surge of joy.

The Demonic Ape Reflection Technique is quite profound. He himself does not have the Heart Ape bloodline, and even though he has considerable attainments in the realm of the soul, it is not so easy to enter the field. However, with the memory fragments of the Demonic Ape King and the blessing of Chen Jingshu's Spiritual Rhinoceros Body, he spent some time and successfully comprehended this inheritance, putting his spiritual cultivation on the right track.

Sensing Jiang Chen's joy, the restless mind within the mirror grew increasingly agitated, yet it remained unable to break free from the mirror's constraints.

Upon realizing this, Jiang Chen let out a soft chuckle.

The cultivation of the Demonic Ape Reflection Technique has the Demonic Ape as its core and the Heart Mirror as its core, representing two different aspects of a person. The Demonic Ape represents human nature, which is desire and seeks to do whatever one wants, while the Heart Mirror represents the Tao, which is the inaction of the Tao and seeks to follow the natural order. The two are both opposed and symbiotic. Only by maintaining a balance between the two can one's mind become stronger and stronger.

However, once the balance is lost, there will be a backlash. If the human nature is too strong, the cultivator will either undergo a drastic change in temperament or suffer from demonic possession. If the Dao nature is too strong, the cultivator will gradually lose emotions and become a cold, wooden figure.

"The mind is fickle, and the cultivation of the Demon Ape Reflection Technique is indeed not easy. Fortunately, my soul is strong and my will is firm. So far, everything is on the right track. However, the cultivation of the Mind Mirror is subtle and cannot tolerate the slightest carelessness. I still need to clean it frequently and not let it get dirty. Otherwise, I will inevitably end up like the Demon Ape Demon King in the future."

Thinking of the Demonic Ape King, Jiang Chen shook his head. Through continuously refining the Demonic Ape King, he had already gleaned much of its history.

This Demon Ape King was quite fortunate. It was originally a spirit beast cultivated by the Xuan Yue Sect, responsible for taking care of the spirit fruits along with other monkey demons. Later, it awakened the Heart Ape bloodline and escaped from the Xuan Yue Sect by chance.

It was precisely because of this that it always wanted to take revenge on the Xuan Yue Sect after it grew up, but hatred was both its strength and its weakness.

Driven by a desire for revenge, or perhaps due to a different understanding of the Demonic Ape's Shadow Technique, the Demonic Ape King chose to indulge his desires, causing his inner ape to grow at an extremely rapid pace, granting him considerable power in a very short time.

However, desire is both its strength and its weakness. While indulging in desires made the Demon Ape King's mental power extremely strong in a short period of time, it also made it more prone to losing control, becoming easily angered and irritable. Otherwise, in its battle with the Rock Immortal, it would not have been so easily blinded by anger and hatred, stepping into a trap and ending up dead.

Given its strong will and the circumstances at the time, it shouldn't have been unaware of the danger.

"It is undeniable that although the Demonic Ape Reflection Technique is somewhat dangerous to practice, it is indeed quite profound, especially the Heart Mirror. It represents the aspect of the Dao. Although I have just entered the field, its profoundness has already begun to appear. With this mirror, I have found it easier to comprehend various techniques."

“One day, when the essence of this Mind Mirror is elevated, its mysteries may even surpass Chen Jingshu’s Spiritual Body.”

"Of course, the Mind Mirror is like this, and the Demonic Ape is no less so. It represents the most vigorous desires of man, which are violent and complex. With it in charge, many of my divine soul techniques are enhanced, especially techniques like bewitching and soul illumination."

"The profound mystery of the Demonic Ape Reflection Technique is evident, far surpassing that of ordinary Purple Mansion scriptures."

"But that's normal. After all, the Heart Ape is a legendary creature with formidable strength, comparable to immortals. Although the Demon Ape King is ranked in the Purple Mansion, he has only awakened a portion of his bloodline. The Demon Ape Shadow Technique he obtained is probably not complete, or perhaps it is a branch of a powerful technique."

With these thoughts in mind, Jiang Chen withdrew his gaze and stopped observing his own mental mirror.

For a normal cultivator, even if they master the Demonic Ape Shadow Technique, it won't bring much growth in a short period of time, since the growth of mental power takes time. However, Jiang Chen's soul is powerful, far surpassing that of ordinary people, giving him a natural advantage in this regard.

"It's not difficult for the Demonic Ape to grow stronger; the difficulty lies in controlling it. On the contrary, it's very difficult to grow the Mind Mirror. It requires experience, enlightenment, opportunities, and one's own talent. It's hard to explain. Fortunately, with the help of Chen Jingshu's Spiritual Rhinoceros Body, I don't need to worry about it for the time being."

The waves in his mind rose and fell naturally and orderly. Jiang Chen put the newly caught fish back into the river bend, focusing on the experience, not because the fish was too small or of too low quality.

Having lost interest, Jiang Chen glanced at the sky, and carrying his empty fish basket, went straight back to Qingxin Xiaozhu. In that instant, the demonic ape in his mind mirror silently grew stronger, moving at will—a manifestation of human nature.

Of course, compared to the Demon Ape King's cultivation method, Jiang Chen's current method is much slower, but fortunately it is balanced and peaceful.

(End of this chapter)