Under One Person: My Inner Realm Connects to All Worlds!

Chapter 142 The True Saint Thief
Through the old Taoist's own account, Han Yun learned his name: Fu Fengzi, who was the successor of the Louguan Taoist sect in this generation.

Subsequently, at his invitation, the two went to Louguantai, the residence of Louguandao, for a chat.

However, as Han Yun followed Fu Fengzi through the mountains and forests, they came to a stream surrounded by lush bamboo groves and verdant trees. At the end of the stream was a stone cave.

The old Taoist priest gestured and said, "This is the entrance to Louguantai!"

Upon seeing this, Han Yun asked in confusion, "Since Louguantai is where Patriarch Yin Xi built his thatched hut to observe the stars and the qi, shouldn't it be built at a high place? Why do we have to go deeper into the mountains?"

"Hahaha!"

Fu Fengzi stroked his beard and smiled: "Fellow Daoist, please follow me!"

Han Yun followed behind him and saw that the sunlight shone into the cave, making it not dark. They walked along the stream, which gradually receded until it reached a stone wall.

The stone wall is carved with various sages, but the most eye-catching is an old man riding an ox westward, with an official-looking person leading a crowd to kneel and see him off.

Fu Fengzi channeled his primordial Qi and struck the stone wall. The stone wall suddenly dissolved, revealing a brand new world.

The moment the stone wall vanished, a beam of clear light shone through the crack. Han Yun felt a sudden opening before his eyes, and saw a tall white jade platform rising from the ground, soaring straight into the clouds.

The platform was shrouded in mist, with sunlight filtering through the wisps of light. In the distance, the pillars of the corridor were carved with the verses of the *Tao Te Ching*, each character resembling a leaping dragon or snake. This was the true Louguantai!

“Master Yin Xi observed the stars and comprehended the Dao here. Later, he used the method of the Pot Heaven to cultivate the Small Cave Heaven, and then used the technique of shifting scenery and hiding the entire Dao platform into this Small Cave Heaven.”

The two entered, and as Fu Fengzi's sleeves fluttered, the stone wall reappeared: "Since the chaos of the previous dynasty, the Louguan lineage has never appeared in the world again."

No wonder there is a saying in the Xuanmen (Taoist sect) that "a dragon is half in the sky, a flower is only a corner, and the Louguan Daoist sect can't even touch it."

Han Yun climbed the steps and finally arrived at the high platform, where a statue of Lao Tzu stood prominently in the center. After respectfully offering incense, the two sat cross-legged on the futons and began to discuss Taoism.

Han Yun said that the upper elixir of the Wenshi School is like a dragon, indicating that he had received the inheritance of the patriarch Chen Tuan and cultivated the appearance of a hibernating dragon, and later he comprehended the appearance of a Dao dragon on his own.

Fu Fengzi smiled and said, "The Wen Shi School's lineage is extraordinary, but it has deviated from the true lineage of Ancestor Yin Xi."

Han Yun quickly bowed and said, "Please explain, senior!"

Louguan Dao and Wenshi School can actually be considered to be of the same lineage. After obtaining the Tao Te Ching, Yin Xi wrote a book in nine chapters, which was called "Wushang Miaodao Wenshi Zhenjing".

The practice is based on emptiness and focuses on cultivating one's nature, making it the highest level of alchemical practice.

The cultivation begins with the highest level, Refining the Spirit and Returning to Emptiness; the end point of the Three Ones Sect is merely the beginning of this sect.

It advocates cultivating one's own true Yang Qi to connect with the true Yang Qi of Heaven and Earth; and stealing the void mechanism of Heaven and Earth to replenish the true mechanism of one's own Shen Qi.

It teaches people to have nothing, to do nothing, to cling to nothing, to reach the ultimate emptiness and the limitless, so that one sees neither heaven above nor earth below, neither self within nor others without, seeing nothing at all. Then one is connected to heaven and earth, and heaven and earth are connected to one; one and heaven and earth are seemingly in harmony yet separate, one is one with the Great Void.
Finally, one reaches the state of "unity of self and others, one with heaven and earth"!

The spirit of the valley never dies; it is called the mysterious female. The gate of the mysterious female is the root of heaven and earth. It exists continuously and inexhaustibly, and its use is effortless. This is the principle it speaks of.

The final state of "being one with Heaven and Earth" signifies that one is originally a part of Heaven and Earth, no longer separated, and can naturally live as long as Heaven and Earth, and be as old as the sun and moon. This is called the state of immortality!
What does it mean for a saint to steal?
This is the true saintly thief!
As long as the saint does not die, thieves will not stop.

If I don't want to die, then the "stealing" from heaven and earth will never end. Mencius advocated using axes and hatchets only at the right time in the mountains and forests, knowing the principle of moderation in taking from nature and the continuous development of heaven and earth. The patriarchs of Louguan Taoism naturally knew this as well, which is why the Louguan Tao lineage has so few members. The so-called theft is to enrich oneself at the expense of the public!
Among the patriarchs of the Louguan Dao, some achieved immortality while others did not, yet all chose to transcend the Dao at the appropriate time, which is truly admirable.

Even Fu Fengzi mentioned an unwritten rule: when one generation achieves enlightenment, another generation dies. When a member of Louguan Dao feels he wants to die or has lived enough, he will take on a new disciple.

The way Louguan Dao accepts disciples is also quite peculiar. Just like the story of Laozi and Xu Jia, it often takes decades to test the disciple's character. Only when the disciple has seen through the world and is about to die will the true teachings be passed on.

He wanted to die, but he didn't.

It was as if fate had played a cruel joke on us.

Only in this way can they receive disciples who conform to the rules of the Louguan Taoist sect.

Abandoning the pursuit of immortality, returning to the natural order, conforming to the laws of nature, and taking a detached view of life and death – this is the true spirit of Taoism.

It must be said that Han Yun couldn't do that on this basis alone.

Compared to the legacy of Louguan Dao, the Six Treasuries Immortal Thief is utterly weak; it requires consuming the essence of water and grains, and even carries the risk of cannibalism in the later stages.

This is a manifestation of being assimilated by heaven and earth, and losing one's true nature.

Therefore, the *Wen Shi Zhen Jing* takes emptiness as its foundation and cultivating one's nature as its principle. Emptiness means no form, and nothingness means no attachment, thus it can be extremely vast and profound.

The vastness here is the sea of ​​consciousness, the mind and spirit. The mind is infinite, reaching the ultimate emptiness, and maintaining steadfast stillness, thus it can receive the immensity of heaven and earth.

Emptiness and formlessness are actually another form of emptiness!
Buddhism is essentially Taoism; in the end, the principles are still interconnected.

In addition, the reason why the "Wen Shi Zhen Jing" can be called the supreme and wonderful path is not only because its practice and artistic conception are profound, but also because of its supernatural powers.

By combining my essence with the essence of heaven and earth and all things, just as ten thousand waters can be combined into one water; by combining my spirit with the spirit of heaven and earth and all things, just as ten thousand fires can be combined into one fire.

I can unite my spirit with the spirits of heaven and earth and all things, just as gold can be melted together with different kinds of gold to become one gold; I can unite my soul with the souls of heaven and earth and all things, just as wood can be grafted onto different kinds of wood to become one wood.

Then all things in heaven and earth are my essence, my spirit, my soul, and my spirit.

Oneself is the universe, and though the universe is small, it is eternal, and all things return to it.

Although Fu Fengzi in front of Han Yun had not yet reached the final realm of being one with heaven and earth, he had chosen a kind of herbal medicine to receive the essence of the body.

And this precious medicine is none other than Poria cocos!

It gathers the essence of countless herbs and plants, nourishing the body for longevity. While it cannot be said to be immortal, living for several hundred years is certainly not a problem.

Moreover, this does not mean that Fu Fengzi can only reach this level. The reason for choosing only Poria cocos is because of the Louguan Daoist philosophy of taking from heaven and earth in a restrained and limited manner.

Even through Fu Fengzi's teasing, Han Yun learned something.

There was a certain patriarch of the Louguan sect who used the essence of metal and stone to refine his body, thus creating an indestructible body. However, when he finally wanted to die, he tried many methods but to no avail.

(End of this chapter)