The Legend of the Condor Heroes: From Being Expelled from Peach Blossom Island

Chapter 222 Seeking the Path
When Ma Yu finished reciting the Qingjing Jing and Sun Bu'er began to explain the way of female internal alchemy, Wu Chengyu's mind had almost stopped, and he had completely lost the ability to think. His internal energy gradually rebelled in his body, and he barely managed to suppress it.

The ideas that the Seven Masters of Quanzhen had instilled in him over the past few days were now beginning to churn. Some of them he agreed with, such as Hao Datong's refined Taoist practice of cultivating Qi, which refers not only to internal Qi.

There are some things he cannot understand, like Tan Chuduan's pursuit of the essence of life; there are some things he cannot do, like Liu Chuxuan's reduction of his own desires.

He understood and admired some people, such as Qiu Chuji, who was compassionate and empathetic. He would also intervene when he saw injustice, and in the simplest and most direct way. However, Wu Chengyu knew that he could not reach such a high level of compassion for all people.

These ideas seemed to be roughly the same as what he had memorized and understood before, but they also conflicted with each other. Now, after listening to Ma Yu's way of purity, he seemed to have found a way to calm down, but he knew that he could never achieve true purity.

When he slowly came to his senses, he only saw Ma Yu and Sun Bu'er smiling at him. He didn't know how much time had passed.

"Benefactor Wu, you now know all the Taoist concepts. Have you gained anything from them?"

"So, the fact that these seven True Immortals have taken turns coming to discuss the Dao with me these past few days was intentional?"

“That’s right. Junior Brother Qiu told me at the beginning that Benefactor Wu was practicing my Taoist techniques, but he couldn’t recognize which school it was.”

When I met Benefactor Wu, I also sensed something, but it seemed that Benefactor Wu had encountered a bottleneck and could not find a way out.

In order to reach a high level in any of my Taoist practices, one must find one's own path, but it seems that you, Mr. Wu, do not know where to go.

Therefore, the seven of us, fellow disciples, took turns discussing the Dao with Benefactor Wu, but we didn't know which point Benefactor Wu agreed with.

Wu Chengyu then understood the intentions of Ma Yu and the others. They were probably well-intentioned, with the intention of helping Wu Chengyu achieve enlightenment and also to repay Wu Chengyu for his help. However, all of this seemed to make Wu Chengyu feel an unprecedented test.

When he assassinated Shi Miyuan, although he could use all kinds of divine skills, he had actually reached a bottleneck. He could not fully master the nameless Taoist divine skill. At that time, Wu Chengyu's martial arts had not improved for a long time.

Later, his martial arts skills improved again, not because of a breakthrough in techniques, but because of the transformation from silkworm to human form. His nameless divine skill was in operation every day, and his internal strength gradually deepened, but he could never make any further progress.

Just as the bamboo slips suggested, to achieve great success, one must understand the true meaning of Taoism, but he could never see through it or understand its principles. This was the real reason why Wu Chengyu joined the Quanzhen Sect.

Although Ma Yu's martial arts skills were inferior to Wu Chengyu's and he could never be considered a top expert, he was ahead of everyone in terms of Taoist cultivation and had the inheritance from Wang Chongyang. Ma Yu should indeed have the ability to help Wu Chengyu.

But Wu Chengyu was still a little puzzled. He and Ma Yu had only met once at the entrance of Chongyang Palace and exchanged a few words. How could Ma Yu have seen through his problem?
Then Ma Yu is simply too amazing. If that's true, Ma Yu would probably already be the second Central Divine.

However, Wu Chengyu did not ask these questions aloud. He had a feeling that he would discover the secret himself.

"Thank you for your kindness, Master, but what if I said that your paths are not the ones I want to follow?"

"This is a good thing. My late master once said that if my seven fellow disciples followed the same path as him, they would fall into the demonic path instead."

People are different, and so are their paths. Even if a cultivator walks a dead end, it is still their own true path, and they will have no regrets once they achieve enlightenment.

Wu Chengyu felt as if he had returned to the cocoon he once was, enveloped in white before him, unable to see the world outside. The difference was that last time it was a physical transformation, but this time he was facing a spiritual metamorphosis. However, he did not know if he could break through the obstacles in front of him.

But no matter what, the Seven Masters of Quanzhen could only help this far; what they could do was inherently very limited. Wu Chengyu silently stood up, clasped his hands in a deep bow, and Ma Yu and Sun Bu'er also stood up to return the bow.

Ma Yu said, "Since Benefactor Wu can't see clearly now, why not put it aside for the time being? Don't come to the Sutra Repository again in the future, and there's no need to rack your brains. Chongyang Palace is in Zhongnan Mountain, but Zhongnan Mountain is not just Chongyang Palace."

There are sages hidden in the mountains and wilderness. Zhongnan Mountain is vast, and there are many small Taoist temples deep in the mountains, all inhabited by people who have been practicing Taoism for many years. Benefactor Wu might as well take a good stroll around Zhongnan Mountain, see the scenery, and meet these truly otherworldly Taoists. Perhaps you can gain something from it.

"The matter is settled. My junior sister and I will take our leave now. Benefactor Wu may explore Zhongnan Mountain on his own; there is no need to worry about Chongyang Palace."

Wu Chengyu watched the ex-husband and ex-wife Taoist practitioners leave, and couldn't help but smile bitterly. Finding one's own path is no easy task. His biggest problem was his memories from his past life. His mind was too complicated, and he had too much information, which conflicted with these mysterious theories.

It is said that after parting the clouds and fog, one can see the blue sky; all the things from his past life have now become the clouds and fog before his eyes.

However, Ma Yu's words reminded Wu Chengyu that he could move freely between Chongyang Palace and Zhongnan Mountain without anyone paying attention to him, which provided Wu Chengyu with convenient conditions.

He no longer wants to travel deep into the Zhongnan Mountains to visit sages; these past few days, all he's seen are Taoist priests, and he's almost sick of it.

Now that his internal energy is unstable and he is unable to cultivate, it seems that the only thing he can do is to go and see that ancient tomb. If he comes to Zhongnan Mountain and doesn't explore the tomb, wouldn't it be a wasted trip?

The next morning, finally no one came to discuss philosophy with him, so Wu Chengyu secretly slipped out of the guest room alone.

The ancient tomb is located to the west of Chongyang Palace. Wu Chengyu first left Chongyang Palace and headed east, then circled around to the west from behind Chongyang Palace.

Along the way, he constantly observed with his five senses and found that no one was paying attention to his whereabouts unless someone had reached the level of microscopic perception. However, there seemed to be no such person in Chongyang Palace. At the same time, he searched for the location of the Tomb of the Living Dead based on the map he had memorized.

After walking six or seven miles in the mountains, he heard the sound of flowing water. Before long, the ancient tomb appeared before Wu Chengyu's eyes. The tomb was surrounded by trees and bushes. First, he heard a buzzing sound, and then he saw countless white bees wandering in the jungle.

It does indeed look like an arched tomb, but it is too big. The tomb entrance is about the same size as the main gate of a large mansion. In front of the tomb entrance is a tombstone that reads "Tomb of the Living Dead". It is more like a landmark than a tombstone.

Although the Tomb of the Living Dead is called a tomb, it is actually an extremely spacious and grand underground warehouse.

Before Wang Chongyang rose up against the Jin dynasty, he mobilized thousands of people and spent several years to build the tomb. It contained hidden weapons, armor, and provisions, serving as the foundation for the Shanxi and Shaanxi regions. The tomb was built in the shape of a tomb to deceive the Jin people. Fearing that the Jin army would eventually attack, the tomb was also equipped with numerous ingenious traps to resist foreign enemies.

After the righteous army failed, he went into seclusion here until he lost a bet with Lin Chaoying, at which point he was forced to move out. The Tomb of the Living Dead then became the location of the Ancient Tomb Sect.

Wu Chengyu certainly wouldn't just barge in like that. It's said that the tomb has many rooms and complex passageways, and outsiders would inevitably get lost if they entered, not to mention the numerous traps and mechanisms.

Most importantly, there's also Lin Chaoying's maid, who is a hidden boss. She was able to fight the mad Ouyang Feng three times in a row. Later, she was killed by a sneak attack because Ouyang Feng's meridians were reversed and he couldn't use acupoints. Wu Chengyu doesn't want to fight this woman easily.

　These five chapters are a bit too long, but they're meant to fill in the gaps from the earlier chapters.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)