Under One Person: I Have a Billion Taoist Gods Within Me

Chapter 69 Teaching Wugensheng to Be a Person

The valley is still the same valley.

The patterns are still the same.

He is still the one who needs to keep going.

Wugensheng took a deep breath and continued forward.

Thousands of miles away.

Inside the upper room of the inn.

Li Yuan sat quietly by the window, taking in the scene conveyed by that ray of sexual light.

He witnessed the awe-inspiring scene of the monkey king descending from the sky.

They saw Wugensheng's dumbfounded expression.

I saw the phrase that came out of my mouth: "Is it going to become a spirit or something?"

I saw the Monkey King looking around leisurely with his arms crossed.

I saw its last meaningful glance.

Then, I saw it disappear into the lush greenery.

Li Yuan's lips curled up slightly.

"It's become sentient..."

He softly repeated Wugensheng's words, a very faint smile appearing in his gentle eyes.

"You were right."

That monkey king is indeed on the path to becoming a spirit.

It's not an ordinary wild animal that has become a spirit.

It's not the kind of wild, unorthodox wisdom that comes from living a long life, consuming too many rare and precious foods, and gaining spiritual insight by chance.

Rather, it was an anomaly that was gradually transformed over hundreds of years by the influence of that aura within this Twenty-Four Solar Terms Valley.

It can straighten the spine that only humans can straighten.

What does this mean?

This means that its skeletal structure has begun to transform into a human form.

The spine, the pelvis, and the joints of the limbs are all changing in a direction that is more suitable for upright walking.

The gleam and intelligence in its eyes far surpassed those of ordinary animals, and even those of most ordinary people.

What is it like in the eyes of an ordinary person?

It is desire, anxiety, calculation, a jumble of chaotic thoughts.

But in the Monkey King's eyes, there was clarity, tranquility, and a sharp insight that saw through everything.

The expression on its face, that scrutinizing, sizing up, and contemplating look, proves that it has already developed a rudimentary sense of self and the ability to think.

It knows who "I" am.

It knew that the person in front of it was "him".

It can determine whether "he" is worthy of being accepted.

This is no longer within the realm of wild beasts.

And then we go a step further—

That is, the refining of qi.

Once it can actively cultivate its energy like a human, absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into its body to temper itself, then it will truly become a spirit.

By then, it will no longer be a "beast".

Instead, it is a "demon".

It is another kind of being, with spirit and intelligence, existing alongside humans.

This Valley of the Twenty-Four Solar Terms is where it began to become a spirit, and also the place where it cultivated itself.

Li Yuan looked in the direction where the Monkey King disappeared within that ray of light.

He knew that the monkey king had only appeared to take a look.

Take a look at this new intruder and see if he deserves to be accepted by this valley.

Wugensheng entered the valley following the correct route, without offending the energy of the valley or harming any living beings.

So the Monkey King only glanced at it before leaving.

This is the rule of the Twenty-Four Solar Terms.

This is also the unchanging law of this valley for thousands of years: those who are destined to enter will enter, and those who are not will die.

However, being born without roots clearly indicates a predestined connection.

Li Yuan withdrew his gaze and closed his eyes again.

That ray of light still hovers quietly deep in the Qinling Mountains, continuing to watch the figure gradually disappearing into the distance in the canyon.

Ahead lies an even deeper mystery.

And then there's the Monkey King, and the destiny that Wugensheng will eventually meet again.

Li Yuan didn't think about it anymore.

He just sat there quietly.

He waited for the valley to send him more images.

Waiting for the disheveled young man to walk in step by step—

A true "rootless" species.

More than half an hour later.

The canyon finally came to an end.

Wugensheng stopped and looked up.

Instead of the two almost vertical stone walls ahead, there was a complete mountain.

Those densely packed lines also come to an end here—

The last carving abruptly ends at the base of the mountain, as if to say:

This is the end of the road ahead; the rest is up to you to walk.

But there is a hole at the bottom of the mountain.

The entrance to the cave was about three zhang square, and the inside was pitch black, making it impossible to see how deep it was.

But a faint breeze was blowing out from inside, carrying an aura completely different from the outside world.

Wugensheng took a deep breath and took a few steps closer.

Then he stopped.

His gaze fell on the area above the cave entrance.

There, three large characters are carved on the stone wall.

The handwriting is ancient and vigorous, with each stroke exuding a certain indescribable power.

The strokes were extremely deep, as if they had been carved in by a finger, yet they were also extremely clean, as if they had been chiseled out by a knife and axe, or perhaps they had grown out of the mountain itself.

Just like those patterns.

"What is a human being?"

Wugensheng uttered these three words in a low voice, his brows slowly furrowing.

simple.

It couldn't be simpler.

profound.

It is so profound that it cannot be more profound.

He just stood there, staring at those three words, without moving.

The wind blew out of the cave, brushing his cheeks and fluttering his clothes.

Wugensheng was unaware.

Because his entire mind was captivated by those three words.

What is a person?

Literally, the question is ridiculously simple.

Who doesn't know what a human being is?

It has hands and feet, can speak and think, can walk upright, and can make tools—

It's just a person, isn't it?

If it were really that simple, why carve it here?

Why was it carved at the end of this mysterious valley?

Why must everyone who comes here face this question?

Wugensheng recalled the forbidden area outside the valley, a place where almost everyone was doomed, and the distorted aura that filled the entire mountain forest seemed to have been specially prepared for him.

Those energies, those deadly traps, those crises that only he could "see," seemed to be waiting for him.

It's up to him, the one with divine spirit, to overcome this challenge.

Wugensheng thought of the group of golden monkeys again.

Their intelligence, far surpassing that of ordinary animals, their soulful eyes, their posture as if scrutinizing him—they guarded this valley.

They know who should go in and who shouldn't.

They let him in.

Wugensheng thought of the monkey king again.

That two-meter-tall golden figure, that straight spine like a human spine, those bright and piercing eyes, the light in those eyes, the wisdom in those eyes, the scrutiny in those eyes.

Is that still a monkey?

No.

That's not a monkey.

That's something else.

Something that is becoming a "person".

Wugensheng took a deep breath and his gaze fell on the three big characters again.

"What is a human being..."

"Li Yuan Daozi, what exactly is the purpose of your summoning me here?"

No one answered him.

Only the deep cave stood silently, its mouth agape, as if waiting for him to enter.

Wugensheng did not hesitate any longer.

He stepped into the cave entrance.

The darkness inside the cave was thicker than he had imagined.

The moment you step inside, the light behind you is completely cut off.

The cave entrance was clearly just a few steps behind me, but when I looked back, I couldn't make out its shape anymore; there was only a blurry halo, like a window to another world.

Wugensheng blinked, letting his eyes adjust to the darkness.

Gradually, he made his surroundings clear.

The cave was much larger than I had imagined.

The entrance to the cave didn't look very big, only about three zhang square, but once you went inside, you would find that the space inside could hold almost hundreds of people.

The dome is extremely high, hidden in the darkness, and you can't see how high it is. If you throw a stone up there, you won't hear it hit the ground for a long time.

The surrounding stone walls are rough and uneven, covered with naturally formed folds and cracks.

But the most troublesome thing is those forks in the road.

After walking a few steps, Wugensheng found himself in a maze.

There are forks everywhere—ahead, to the left, to the right, and even overhead.

Some lead to the left, some to the right, some extend diagonally upwards, and some even spiral downwards.

Each passage was pitch black, and it was impossible to tell where it led.

Wugensheng scratched his head.

"Is this some kind of maze game?"

He randomly chose a passage and went in.

After walking several dozen steps, they found that the road ahead was a dead end and had no choice but to turn back.

Then I chose another option.

This time he walked for even longer, only to find that the passage had taken a huge detour, bringing him back to his original location.

Choose another one.

This time we didn't go around back, but as we walked, the passage became narrower and narrower until we could only pass sideways.

Wugensheng squeezed his way through for a long time, only to find that it was another dead end ahead.

"Alright..."

Wugensheng wiped the sweat from his forehead and leaned against the stone wall, panting.

"Is this a test of my patience?"

He closed his eyes to calm himself down.

Then, he felt it.

The information conveyed to him by those patterns seemed to have undergone a new change at this moment.

Not information about the microcosmic orbit or spiritual practice.

Rather, it is something more subtle and more elusive.

The information told him that the air in the cave was not stagnant.

It is flowing.

It blows in through some channels and away through others.

If you go with the wind...

Wugensheng opened his eyes and carefully sensed the airflow inside the cave.

A moment later, he chose a passage and went inside.

This time, there was no dead end.

The passage twisted and turned, sometimes wide and sometimes narrow, but it never ended.

Sometimes you'll encounter new forks in the road, and there's wind blowing through those forks—

But as long as you follow the direction of the wind, feel which direction it comes from, and feel where it is going, you will always find the right path.

As he walked, Wugensheng suddenly had an epiphany.

He remembered the group of golden monkeys.

Those monkeys have lived in the valley for thousands of years; they have no concept of the cycle of life or cultivation.

They simply live here, breathing the air and feeling the wind.

If they enter this maze, will they do the same?

Go with the wind.

Go with your gut feeling.

Follow your instincts.

After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the view suddenly opened up ahead.

All the forks in the road converged at this moment.

Wugensheng stood at the entrance of a main passage and looked back.

Those forks in the road he had just passed, those winding paths, those dead ends that had led him around countless times, now looked like countless tributaries flowing into this great river when viewed from this main passage.

Every road, no matter how winding or circuitous, eventually leads here.

Wugensheng was stunned.

He stood there, looking at the forks in the road, and a strange feeling suddenly arose in his heart.

"interesting..

"Was the person who created this labyrinth trying to tell those who come after them—that all roads lead to Rome?"

"What I'm trying to say is that no matter which path you take, as long as you keep going, you'll eventually find the right direction?"

Wugensheng did not know the answer.

But he knew he had already passed the first hurdle.

Continue along the main passage.

The surroundings grew quieter and quieter.

The sounds of the wind from those forks in the road had completely vanished, leaving only the echoes of my own footsteps in the empty passageway.

We walked for a few more minutes.

Suddenly, a stone bridge appeared ahead.

The stone bridge hangs suspended in mid-air, connecting the end of the passage to the opening at the other end.

Below the bridge is a bottomless abyss, pitch black, its depth impossible to discern.

If you throw a stone in, you won't hear an echo for a long time.

Wugensheng carefully walked onto the stone bridge.

The bridge is very narrow, allowing only one person to pass at a time.

There are no railings on either side, only a bare bridge surface.

He dared not look down, but stared ahead, slowly walking forward step by step.

Finally, we stepped onto the opposite cave entrance.

Wugensheng let out a breath and glanced back at the stone bridge.

The bridge hung in the darkness, all alone, like a thin line.

He just walked from that line.

He withdrew his gaze and turned to look ahead.

The opening was smaller than the outside entrance, but wide enough.

A faint light emanated from inside the cave, neither sunlight nor firelight, but a softer, more profound glow.

Wugensheng quickened his pace and entered the cave.

Then, he froze.

In the center of the cave stands a tall, four-cornered pavilion.

The pavilion was not large, about ten feet square, with four stone pillars supporting a roof with upturned eaves.

The pavilion is entirely constructed of bluestone, without carved beams or painted decorations; it is so simple that it is almost crude.

But it is precisely this simplicity that reveals an indescribable solemnity.

The four stone pillars, each as thick as a person's embrace, stood there straight, as if they had stood there since time immemorial. The pavilion roof, with its upturned eaves and simple yet powerful lines, resembled a bird spreading its wings, ready to take flight.

The entire pavilion stands quietly in the center of the cave.

There was no incense, no memorial tablet, and nothing to offer.

It is only itself.

It's as if this pavilion was originally part of this mountain.

It was built for a specific purpose.

Wugensheng approached the pavilion, his gaze falling on the ground.

There, a Tai Chi Yin-Yang symbol is engraved.

The picture was enormous, almost covering the entire floor of the pavilion.

Black and white fish, head to tail, swimming endlessly.

The drawing was extremely precise and regular, as if it had been drawn using the most sophisticated tools.

The curve of the black fish, the curve of the white fish, the position of the two fish eyes—all are perfectly accurate.

It also resembles the textures naturally formed by heaven and earth.