Journey to the West: Starting with the True Lord of the Pure Land

The stone chamber was silent, and time stood still.

Only the spiritual energy remained, flowing slowly like mist.

The small Xun Ding, about an inch in size, hung in front of Chen Jiao's brow, emitting a warm, blue light.

The crimson true fire aura flowing around him, one gentle and lingering, the other blazing and bright, gradually began to subtly blend together.

Chen Jiao sat quietly on the futon, his mind already immersed in the Xun Ding.

At first, one only feels a sense of profound weight and vastness, as if bearing the weight of the nine provinces and containing the light of ten thousand years. Then one sees the changing landscape and the winds of all directions returning to their source.

The body of the cauldron is a single, seamless piece, yet its interior holds a hidden world within.

His divine senses wandered, gradually touching upon the mysteries within the cauldron.

Unlike the fiery and domineering nature of fire, it possesses a more serene, flowing, and all-pervasive quality; it is the flow of energy between heaven and earth, the constancy within impermanence.

The inner wall of the cauldron records the profound principles of the coming and going of the eight winds, the changing of the four seasons, and the life force and killing intent.

This cauldron is not for killing or suppressing mountains and rivers; its fundamental mystery lies in harmony and circulation.

It harmonizes all energies and facilitates the circulation of all things.

Holding it can control all the winds of the world, soothe the violent spiritual energy and evil spirits, and guide the flow of energy in a region, turning stagnation into smooth flow.

If one holds the cauldron to protect oneself, it can prevent the wind from penetrating; if one uses it to fight an enemy, it can guide the wind and neutralize supernatural powers invisibly, and can also find gaps to enter, reaching every nook and cranny.

"I see……"

Chen Jiao's mind is clear and bright; he truly deserves to be called a treasure of virtue.

In a daze, Chen Jiao seemed to see the ancient people observing the heavens and the earth, seeing "the wind blowing in the sky," and thus creating the Gou hexagram; seeing "the wind blowing on the earth," and thus creating the Guan hexagram.

After comprehending the profound mysteries, he began to try to use his own true fire essence to contact the Daoist rhythm within the cauldron.

The fire is violent and fierce, representing "beauty" and "brightness," and it burns everything.

At first, the wind fanned the flames, and the fire, aided by the wind, seemed to ignite a wildfire that soared into the sky.

But soon, Chen Jiao realized something even deeper.

The favorable influence of the Xun wind is indeed a form of regulation.

An excessively violent fire needs wind to guide its upward-flaming nature, so that it is bright but not raging, dazzling but not unrestrained.

The wind, too free and unrestrained, also needs the light of fire to determine its direction and guide its light and heat.

Only when wind and fire are in harmony can life continue endlessly, possessing both the power of a prairie fire and the light of a candle, able to be controlled and released at will.

Fire (离) should be the primary element, the essence, the spirit, and the inextinguishable nature of light; Wind (巽) can be the secondary element, the function, the energy, and the ability to circulate and change.

"Fire is the essence, wind is the function..."

Chen Jiao's mind gradually cleared.

Jiang Xiao's innate element is fire, the symbol of the Vermilion Bird, representing intense light. However, solitary yang cannot last long, and solitary fire is easily ignited.

The appearance of this Xun Ding is precisely a completion of the Way of Heaven.

Wind can fan the flames, causing them to spread far and wide; it can also guide the fire, preventing it from getting out of control and burning itself.

It can also use its fluid and harmonious nature to integrate fire into the mechanism of the growth of all things, so that the seeds of new life are hidden in destruction.

When wind and fire complement each other, one may reach the wondrous state of "fire borrowing the wind's power to burn the heavens and seas, and wind aiding the fire's might to refine the true nature."

In the future, whether it is alchemy, talisman making, array formation, or even supernatural powers against enemies, if one can integrate the mysteries of the wind and use the virtue of wind to transform the nature of fire, its power and artistic conception will surely reach a higher level and become perfectly harmonious.

"My path lies in fire, but fire needs the help of wind to burn away the old shackles and illuminate the new sky!"

Once a decision is made, the road ahead becomes clear.

Chen Jiao calmed his mind and transformed a wisp of his pure and sincere inner fire into the most primordial fire elemental essence, slowly transferring it into the cauldron.

At the same time, it draws upon the innate pure Qi of the Xun wind within the cauldron, causing it to flow back to itself.

Crimson fire and green wind slowly mingled and circulated within the cauldron and the dantian.

Fire, aided by the wind, flows more rapidly through the meridians, refining magical power to an ever more pure level; wind, following the movement of fire, gradually takes on a touch of warmth and agility, no longer ethereal and intangible.

As Chen Jiao gradually comprehended the Dao, the Xun Ding trembled slightly, and ancient patterns on its body lit up one after another, outlining the trajectory of the wind between heaven and earth and explaining the principles of the eight winds.

The winds are: East - Ming Shu Feng, Southeast - Qing Ming Feng, South - Jing Feng, Southwest - Liang Feng, West - Chang He Feng, Northwest - Bu Zhou Feng, North - Guang Mo Feng, and Northeast - Tiao Feng.

These eight winds move according to the seasons, which are manifestations of the changing flow of the seasons in heaven and earth. Each wind has its own mystery and contains the mechanism of the rise and fall of yin and yang.

Author Hengyang Yan personally recommends: I hope you enjoy the story of "Journey to the West: Starting with Jingfa Zhenjun".

This cycle repeats itself endlessly, forming the grand pattern of the flow of energy between heaven and earth.

"To master the Way of Wind, one must cultivate the Eight Winds, understand the changes of the Eight Seasons, and grasp the power of the flow and harmony of Qi, rather than simply seeking speed and profit."

The path in Chen Jiao's mind became increasingly clear.

In the future, one should take the Xun Ding as the foundation for cultivation, comprehend the true meaning of the eight winds, integrate them, and achieve a thorough understanding. This can be done in parallel with the Li Fire Way, complementing each other.

Inside the stone chamber, a breeze arose spontaneously, making it even more warm and spring-like, with the faint fragrance of grass and trees and the flickering of sparks appearing alternately.

The hundred-day retreat began with the first wisp of energy flowing through the initial fusion of wind and fire.

Chen Jiao calmed his mind and gradually entered a state of deep meditation.

…………

…………

Inside the city lord's mansion, on a terrace overlooking half the city shrouded in mist and rain.

The Monkey King stood by the railing, gazing at the bustling streets of Tongyou City below, his purplish-brown fur fluttering slightly in the cold wind.

Footsteps came from behind me.

The Monkey King did not turn around, but said only, "That Immortal Jiangxiao has been inside for quite some time now."

King Yu Rong walked to his side, also gazing at the city, his expression calm, and said:

"Thirty-seven days."

"You really believe him that much?"

The Monkey King turned his head to look at his brothers and continued:

"That cauldron is, after all, one of the Nine Cauldrons of Yu the Great, and it is no ordinary vessel."

If he achieves enlightenment but then flees with the cauldron, or is unwilling to fully assist you at that time, what will you do then?

Yu Rong Wang was silent for a moment, then slowly said:

"Brother, the Xun Ding has been in my hands for hundreds of years, and it is no different from stubborn iron."

That day in the palace, many heroes tried to move it, but even the mountain demon's divine strength, enough to uproot mountains, could not budge it in the slightest.

Only Fellow Daoist Jiangxiao, upon placing his hand on the cauldron, felt wind and fire spontaneously arise, and the precious cauldron returned to his heart. Such a predestined connection is no ordinary matter.

This is a glimmer of hope shown to me by Heaven. If I hesitate and fear, and remain stationary, wouldn't I be cutting myself off from this chance?

"As for whether he will do his best to help me..."

Yu Rongwang's lips twitched slightly, as if he were smiling, and he said:

"I treated him with sincerity, gifted him valuable treasures, treated him as a dear friend, and entrusted him with most of my life and fortune."

If he is truly a cold-hearted and treacherous person, even with the Xun Ding (a powerful military technique), he will find it difficult to achieve the true Dao.

Judging from this person, his swordsmanship is clear and his Daoist intentions are pure; he is not a treacherous or fickle person.

He was decisive and ruthless when he killed Yu Ming, disdainful when he provoked Zhe Lei, and showed no ecstatic joy when Xun Ding recognized him as its master. Such a temperament is definitely not something to be taken lightly.

This bet is worth taking.

The Monkey King stared at the Yu Rong King for a long time, then suddenly reached out, patted him on the shoulder, and sighed:

"You're always like this, seemingly reserved, but actually you're more shrewd than anyone else, and you're also more adventurous than anyone else."

Now that you've made your decision, I, as your elder brother, naturally trust your judgment.

But time was ultimately too short. Even if the precious cauldron was destined for him and recognized him as its master, to truly understand its mysteries and use it freely would require years of painstaking effort.

"How much can one comprehend an ancient treasure in a hundred days? Even the basics are barely grasped! Let alone wielding its power to help you withstand the fierce winds."

Upon hearing this, King Yu Rong smiled slightly, his smile carrying a hint of detachment from life and death.

"The time for disaster waits for no one. Having these hundred days of change is better than being trapped in a city of sorrow and sighing in vain at the precious cauldron."

Fellow Daoist Jiangxiao agreed to go into seclusion to cultivate and comprehend, thus taking on the karmic consequences.

Success is my destiny, a twist of fate; failure is my own fault for failing to achieve my goal, a consequence of my flawed foundation. I cannot blame anyone else.

At least, I fought for that slim chance.

He looked at the Monkey King with sincere eyes and said:

I appreciate your good intentions, brother. However, things have come to this point, so doubting will only cause more trouble.

It's better to wait patiently and believe that the fellow Daoist who has gained Xun Ding's approval must possess extraordinary qualities.

The Monkey King stared at him intently for a long time, then sighed heavily and said in a deep voice:

"Enough! Enough! You've always been decisive and insightful."

Since you've made up your mind, as your elder brother, I can only wish that you encounter a benefactor this time and that you will turn misfortune into good fortune!