Starting with the divine power of the Great Vajra, he traversed the heavens.

Chapter 221 Studying the I Ching
As the year draws to a close and the festival begins, new life unfolds. Winter ends tonight, and tomorrow brings a long new year.

Half a month later, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day had passed, and new peachwood charms replaced the old ones.

The courtyard has changed dramatically.

In the garden, there were fences arranged haphazardly, and several low blue stones that seemed to have been carelessly discarded, but upon closer inspection, they appeared to be arranged in a pleasing and orderly manner.

If someone walks in, they will suddenly feel a surge of energy, as if the fences are subtly moving.

A few steps further, the fences, peach trees, and even the distant mountains all transformed into overlapping, varied colors, seemingly endless.

The randomly placed bluestones suddenly transformed into a towering mountain, which was extremely bizarre.

"This is the Book of Changes, which, according to the Five Elements and the Eight Trigrams, Yin and Yang wax and wane, generate and restrain each other, influencing the mind."

Inside the pavilion, Xi Yingzhen looked down at Ren Shaoyang and Hongxiu, who were staring at him with wide eyes, and stroked his beard with a smile.

"The art of setting up an array, to put it simply, is to adapt to local conditions and act according to the terrain. Only in this way can we take advantage of the energy of heaven, earth, mountains and rivers to defeat the enemy."

Xi Yingzhen glanced at the two men's bright eyes, smiled, then looked at Ding An who was snoring, and said with a stern face, "Carry him back to his room to sleep! Don't let him get in the way!"

Ren Shaoyang laughed and carried the fast-sleeping Ding'an back into the house. Then, in a flash, he returned to his seat.

At this moment, Hongxiu raised her hand and asked, "Grandpa Xi, can I use the energy of heaven and earth and mountains and rivers in every move I make, so that I can be invincible?"

“This is the highest realm of martial arts today,” Xi Yingzhen said. “Only Pang Ban and Lang Fanyun can reach the realm of ‘harmony between man and nature’.”

The old Taoist sighed and said, "As long as they are at this level, their internal energy flows in harmony with the eternal power of mountains and rivers. They are invincible one-on-one, can defeat many one-on-one, and can move freely against tens of thousands. If they do not wish to die, no one can kill them."

Hongxiu nodded and said seriously, "In that case, why don't I create a mental cultivation method to force that old ghost Pang Ban into a state of 'unity of heaven and man'?"

Xi Yingzhen was genuinely surprised by the little beggar's ingenious idea. "It's a bit difficult."

“What’s so difficult about that?” Hongxiu chuckled strangely. “Old ghost Pang Ban’s ‘unity of heaven and man’ is to merge with heaven and earth, to see heaven and earth as man, and to see oneself as the embryo of the middle way of man. Why don’t I take the human body as a microcosm, reverse the cause and effect, and control heaven and earth in reverse?”

"So that God will think that Old Ghost Pang is a cancer within himself and reject him out of the body?"

Xi Yingzhen exclaimed "Eh!", thought for a moment, and looked at the little beggar. He stood up and paced back and forth, looked at her again, and then murmured "Hmm!" before finally sighing:

"Hongxiu, your view of the human body as the universe and the meridians as mountains and rivers is truly remarkable, subtly reflecting the boundless landscape and unparalleled spirit. It is a masterpiece rarely seen!"

"Ha!" Hongxiu laughed heartily. "Grandpa Xi, I told you I'm a genius, right?"

Xi Yingzhen laughed and slapped her forehead, saying, "Little girl, your idea is good, but you still need to learn the Book of Changes, numerology, and the art of Yin and Yang well, otherwise it will just be your 'thoughts' and won't become real."

Ren Shaoyang looked at the vase on the table, where a plum blossom was blooming fiercely in the cold wind, and smiled: "But Ding'an can realize any idea he comes up with as soon as he has some inspiration."

“Yes, yes!” Hongxiu nodded repeatedly.

"Crack! Crack!"

"Ouch!" *2
Ren Shaoyang and Hongxiu covered their heads and cried out in pain.

Xi Yingzhen said angrily, "What are you comparing yourself to that thing? That kid may not know anything, but he has a sharp mind and a keen intuition that hits the nail on the head! Whatever he thinks of, it's given to him by God and realized through his own hands! You can't compare, and you can't possibly compare!"

Hongxiu rubbed her head and chuckled, "You're right, Ding'an is really a fool who was favored by Heaven."

Ren Shaoyang corrected, "That's called God favoring the stupid child!"

"Hehe!" Hongxiu stuck out her tongue slightly.

"Alright!" Xi Yingzhen frowned. "Are you still going to listen to this old Taoist's lecture?"

"Listen!" *2
The two of them immediately sat up straight.

Xi Yingzhen nodded and slowly said, "Today we will learn the Yi Jing (Book of Changes) skills that encompass the mysteries of heaven and earth."

Hongxiu couldn't help but ask, "Grandpa Xi, are you going to teach us divination and feng shui?"

Xi Yingzhen said leisurely, "The principles of Yi (易) are all-encompassing, and even the gods and spirits cannot escape the laws of mathematics."

The little beggar's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed, "If I learn it, I can calculate everything!"

“This is the biggest misunderstanding people have about the I Ching,” Xi Yingzhen said with a smile. “It’s a long story, but you must remember that those who are good at the I Ching do not divine.”

Hongxiu was a little disappointed: "Oh? It's not okay?"

Ren Shaoyang interjected, “Confucius said, ‘If I were to study the Book of Changes at the age of fifty, I could avoid making any major mistakes!’ In fact, the study of the Book of Changes is the Way of Heaven! Yet people regard it as a minor art of divination and fortune-telling, which shows their blindness.”

“That’s right! The Way of Heaven is hard to find, how can mortals possibly see it?” Xi Yingzhen said coldly. “Only some treacherous and unorthodox paths are revealed outwardly, confusing the masses and even reversing the Heavenly Stems and obscuring the path of the Great Way. But we don’t know if it is the work of a wise man or the ignorance of the mortals.”

Ren Shaoyang smiled and said, "Old Master Xi is kind-hearted and cares about the world. In fact, in my opinion, it can be summed up in eight words: 'Skills are too high to be used, and the Way is not easily revealed.'"

"Skills are too high to be used, and the Way is not easily revealed." Xi Yingzhen muttered a few words, then sighed slightly. "Indeed, truly good things are never easy to obtain; they have thresholds and require extremely deep research to stumble upon. Most people lack this patience, so they naturally focus on the superficial and miss out on truly good things." Xi Yingzhen glanced at the plum blossoms on the table again and smiled slightly: "This is an age-old truth that cannot be overturned."

Ren Shaoyang added, "Reason is also human nature!"

"Haha! Well said!" Xi Yingzhen slapped the table and laughed, then changed the subject, pointing to the stone bench beneath him and saying, "Shaoyang, Hongxiu, what do you think of this stone bench that I made in my spare time? Is it acceptable?"

Ren Shaoyang glanced at it and felt that everything seemed ordinary at first glance, but he knew that Xi Yingzhen was an extraordinary person, and that every move he made was full of mystery. So he immediately activated the "Eye-Clearing Style" to observe carefully.

The little beggar was extremely clever and naturally shared the same idea as him.

Suddenly, four bright beams of electricity flashed in the pavilion, sweeping across the tables and chairs.

Then Hongxiu said, "Every table and chair has smooth lines and natural patterns, possessing a unique natural beauty."

Ren Shaoyang interjected, "As vast as Mount Sumeru and as small as a mustard seed, the principles of heaven and earth have been contained within the table and chair furnishings by Elder Xi!"

Xi Yingzhen chuckled and said, "Not bad at all, you learn so quickly! I will now impart the principles of the Yi Jing to you." He sat down and slowly said, "As the saying goes, the Lianshan Yi, these three books are all extraordinary books that explore the subtleties of the universe, are you aware of that?"

Hongxiu raised her hand and said, "The Xia dynasty had the 'Lianshan,' the Shang dynasty had the 'Guicang,' and the Zhou dynasty had the 'Zhouyi'!"

"Brilliant!" Xi Yingzhen smiled. "Although the Lianshan is somewhat crude, it serves as a basis for divination and for predicting fortune and misfortune. It was actually a tool used to suppress the fate of the Xia Dynasty. Later, when the Shang Dynasty destroyed the Xia Dynasty, Yi Yin revised and edited the Lianshan, eventually writing the Guizang."

He realized he had been showing off, and frowned, saying, "I won't say any more. Shao Yang, do you know the origin of the Book of Changes?"

Ren Shaoyang slowly said, "This extraordinary book is actually related to the previous two books and is inherited from them. It was written by Ji Chang after thoroughly studying the book 'Guicang' and mastering the principles of Yi numerology."

Hongxiu raised her hand again.

Xi Yingzhen laughed and said, "Speak, little girl."

Hongxiu laughed and said, "The cripple is right. Although these three books have different titles, they are actually based on the same theme."

Xi Yingzhen clapped his hands and laughed, "Smart, indeed smart! If we talk about the pinnacle of understanding in the world, it should be the Book of Changes. I have studied the classics for many years and have written countless commentaries, but in reality, I have only unearthed a shallow treasure. Now that I am over seventy years old, I only know that the principles of the Book of Changes are the principles of heaven and earth, and that it is best to follow one's nature."

Ren Shaoyang and Hongxiu bowed and said, "Thank you very much, Elder Xi/Grandpa Xi!"

"Sit down, sit down. There's no need for such formalities!"

Xi Yingzhen waved his hand and laughed, "If you can gain some understanding and grasp its essence, then I can be considered to have inherited and carried forward what I have learned."

Ren Shaoyang was deeply moved and bowed deeply, saying, "Although Elder Xi did not accept me as his disciple, I will never forget his kindness in teaching me."

Hongxiu followed suit, clasping her hands in a fist and bowing, saying, "Me too!"

Xi Yingzhen smiled and explained it to them, guiding them to study the corresponding classics of the I Ching.

The study of the I Ching is profound and extensive, and can be broadly divided into two schools: the school of image and number, and the school of meaning and principle.

Astronomy, geography, medicine, martial arts, military strategy, tactics, and even divination by tortoise shell are all related to the Book of Changes.

Xi Yingzhen led them to his home, where they found shelves filled with countless books. The old Taoist priest did not ask them to learn them, but instead pointed to a three-foot square dark niche and asked them to study the books stacked inside.

The two men took out the books and looked at them one by one. They were the essence of Yi diagrams and Taoist cultivation from the Xiangshu School.

The Book of Changes (Zhouyi) is revered as the first of the Five Classics of Confucianism and the crown of the Three Mysteries, truly encompassing everything.

This classic text, encompassing the knowledge of various schools of thought, was the result of Ren Shaoyang and Hongxiu's talent, as well as their diligent study day and night, and the guidance of a wise teacher like Xi Yingzhen.

The two were truly engrossed in their studies. Often, they would think of a single sentence during meals and then put down their chopsticks to argue about it, leaving Ding'an completely bewildered. He could only watch them leave while he finished his meal.

Sometimes, the little beggar would wake up in the middle of the night and start writing everywhere with pen and ink. Her handwriting would appear on the bedding, the walls, and even on Ding'an's face, which made him so angry that he had to spend the night on the donkey cart.

So engrossed in their work that they forgot to eat and sleep, oblivious to the world around them, they forgot about time and the disturbances of the outside world.

They only seek themselves, to uncover the divine manifestation.

Seeing their madness, Xi Yingzhen couldn't help but stroke his beard and sigh: "All things follow their own destiny. Shaoyang and Hongxiu are destined people. I only gave them a little guidance, and they underwent extraordinary changes. This is the law of personal destiny, which cannot be forced."

Ding An watched as Ren Shaoyang and the other man gradually became "still as mountains and rivers, yet swift as dragons breaking through the abyss," eventually blending into the entire courtyard, the entire Peach Blossom Village, and even the entire mountain range and its surroundings.

He exclaimed enviously, "Wow, are the cripple and the little beggar going to become immortals?"

"Become an immortal?" Xi Yingzhen shook his head and laughed. "It's still a long way off, but at this moment, they have begun to integrate themselves, borrowing the power of nature and the energy of heaven and earth, like a dragon waiting to be unleashed, ready to strike with earth-shattering force. They have already reached the realm of 'celestial beings'."

"Old Master Xi," Ding'an chuckled, pointing, "And me?"

"You?" Xi Yingzhen glanced at him and said coldly, "Your luck is so incredible that you don't need to walk or go in specifically; you are already one!"

"Huh?" Ding An frowned. "I know you're insulting me, but why does it still feel so good?"

Xi Yingzhen:
(End of this chapter)