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

Chapter 403 Dreaming of Eternity, Meeting the Azure Emperor, Hearing Profound Principles with Ancient Immortals

The explanation is finished.

The lingering charm still resonates in the hearts of all cultivators.

However, Immortal Lord Qinglin said no more, leading the group of people with different thoughts to the foot of a towering spiritual tree, in front of the Azure Jade Platform.

Chen Jiao looked up at the tree, and a thought struck him. He felt that the leaves of the Jianmu tree in his sleeve were once again mysterious.

Qinglin Immortal Lord looked up at the sky-covering canopy, stood quietly for a moment, a trace of reminiscence and emotion flashing in his eyes, and whispered, as if talking to himself, or as if speaking to everyone: "In the past, His Majesty often preached the Great Dao to his disciples and sentient beings under this tree."

Listen to the wind and rain in spring, enjoy the cool breeze in summer, watch the falling leaves in autumn, and appreciate the frost and snow in winter.

The seasons change, but the essence of Tao endures.

Immortal Lord Qinglin turned around, faced the cultivators, and his expression returned to calm: "This place is the Xuan Platform for Performing the Dharma."

The greatest truths are simple; the key to understanding lies in the heart. Afterwards, you may all sit comfortably on the meditation cushions, calming your minds and focusing your spirits.

No words are needed, no supernatural powers are required. Simply take what you have just heard and feel, combine it with your own understanding of the path, keep it in mind, and silently ask yourself questions.

This tree possesses a spirit, understanding the essence of the Dao, and can sense the sincerity of your hearts and your earnestness in seeking the Dao. Each person's affinity with the Dharma is different, and each has their own key.

He paused briefly, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, finally lingering on Chen Jiao before saying, "This time, I seek the Dao not to compete for victory, but to verify my true self and see the path ahead."

There is no time limit; if you feel a connection, you will understand; if not, you will stop. Gentlemen, please sit quietly and inquire about the Dao.

After speaking, Immortal Lord Qinglin calmly sat down on the last futon in the first row below the Xuantai platform, closing his eyes and remaining silent.

His aura quietly merged with the majestic spiritual tree and even the entire landscape, as if he had become part of this natural realm.

The astonished and doubtful expressions on the faces of the cultivators below the stage had not yet faded.

Although the conversation was brief, its implications shook them to their core, leaving them unable to fully process it for a while.

Seeing that the Immortal Lord had entered meditation, his gaze couldn't help but wander between True Lord Jingfa and Immortal Lord Qinglin, pondering the key to their relationship.

However, with such an opportunity before them, they could not afford to miss it. They had no choice but to suppress their chaotic thoughts and find prayer mats to sit down, some near and some far, circling the Xuantai.

Chen Jiao, however, had already calmed down.

Unlike the others who hesitated and watched, he did not feign modesty. Instead, he walked calmly to the center of the first row of prayer cushions, which was directly opposite the Dharma-expounding platform. He then sat down peacefully.

With his back straight and his eyes clear and calm, he was like an ancient pine tree standing on a cliff, steadfast and imposing, exuding an air of unyielding grandeur.

Chen Jiao also closed his eyes, shutting out all distracting thoughts and probing gazes from the outside world, and immersing his mind in the profound and mysterious realm of seeking the Dao.

As his mind settled and focused on a single point, he felt the Jianmu leaf in his sleeve become inexplicably warm and faintly glowed with a clear light.

The next moment, my mind went blank, as if I were in a daze, neither dreaming nor waking.

The figures of the surrounding cultivators gradually faded away.

Yet, a clear and profound Daoist voice rang in my ears, its origin unknown, seemingly resonating directly within my spiritual realm, expounding the supreme mysteries concerning growth, transformation, mediation, and inheritance.

The sound was not loud, but peaceful and gentle, yet it could make the spirits of plants breathe, bring life to barren lands, make stubborn rocks nod, and bring spring to rotten wood.

"Heaven and earth have roots, and all things have a beginning. Wood represents the east, spring in season, and benevolence in virtue. Its form is curved and straight, and its nature is growth and development."

From the first spark of inspiration, breaking through the soil and receiving the heavens, bathed in sunlight and rain, enduring wind, frost, thunder, and lightning, the rings of time gradually increase, and the years grow longer.

This is not merely a matter of physical strength, but rather an accumulation of vitality and a manifestation of the Dao.

Chen Jiao subconsciously opened his eyes, only to find that the scene before him had changed drastically.

He was still sitting on the futon, but the beautiful scenery around him was no longer the same as before.

Ancient trees reached for the sky, their branches and leaves forming a canopy, cascading down countless points of blue-green light.

All around, shadowy figures dressed in ancient robes, shrouded in a faint, ethereal glow, could be seen.

Some listened attentively with lowered eyes, some frowned in deep thought, and some looked as if they had just realized something. Their extraordinary demeanor made them seem like ancient immortals who had attained enlightenment.

A gentle breeze passes by, the branches sway lightly, and the green leaves rustle, their sounds naturally melodious, as if echoing the profound truths of Taoism.

Chen Jiao was still in surprise, in a daze.

On the previously empty jade platform for performing magic, a person in green robes was now sitting upright.

His face was ordinary, without any particular majesty, except for his eyes, which were clear and gentle, as if they contained the vitality and inclusiveness of the whole spring.

He simply sat there quietly, seemingly one with the entire world, mountains and rivers, following the natural way.

The clear, profound voice paused slightly before resounding again, this time with a hint of inquiry: "Qinglin, do you still have doubts about the statement, 'You possess a spirit in all things, and the Dao is at its core'?"

Chen Jiao's heart stirred slightly, and he looked in the direction of the sound.

In the last seat of the first row, sat a young Taoist priest dressed in a moon-white robe and holding a silver whisk.

It was none other than the Immortal Lord Qinglin Miaohua. Upon hearing the voice, he slowly rose from the futon and addressed the figure on the Xuan Platform with utmost respect. His voice was clear and melodious, filled with a sincere desire for guidance: "Your Majesty."

This disciple is dull-witted. All things possess a spirit; this disciple understands that plants, insects, and fish all contain life force, which can be sensed and responded to.

However, what does "the Way lies in the pivot" refer to? Is it the law governing the operation of heaven and earth, the pivot of yin and yang transformation, or—the fleeting thought of a living being? How do the spirits of all things resonate and correspond with this "pivot"? I humbly request Your Majesty's clarification.

The Azure Emperor on the platform seemed to nod slightly, but did not answer immediately, appearing even more hazy in the misty Daoist aura.

His radiance seemed to transcend the respectfully standing disciples, and also the assembled immortals below the stage, projecting into the infinite distance, as if it had captured every drop of spiritual energy from all things in this world.

After a long while, Dao Yin sounded again: "Qing Lin's question shows that you have thought it through."

The pivot is the key to the movement and stillness of all things in heaven and earth, and the mechanism that initiates the changes of yin and yang.

In the heavens, it is the movement of the sun, moon, and stars; on earth, it is the appearance of mountains, rivers, and peaks; in time, it is the cycle of the four seasons; and in things, it is the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death.

Its size has no bounds, its smallness has no limits.

He paused briefly, as if waiting for the group of little immortals below the stage to understand, and then said: "However, these are all external manifestations of the mechanism, which are tangible and traceable, and can be observed and measured."

"What you asked about is the fleeting moment of a living being's thoughts," this is the inner pivot, arising from the smallest detail and moving before it takes shape; this is the true meaning of "the Way resides in the pivot."

A single thought can influence heaven and earth; a single change of thought can alter yin and yang.

All things possess a spirit, and that spirit lies in their ability to resonate and correspond with this internal and external mechanism.

Plants and trees sprout in spring, not because they know the time, but because they sense the rising of the yang energy of heaven and earth.

When beasts encounter danger, they know to avoid it, not because they are unaware of the harm, but because it is a harbinger of impending doom. This is called a divine response.

The immortals, saints, and sages below the stage all seemed lost in thought, feeling a profound sense of mystery.

Chen Jiao, sitting upright on his prayer mat, felt a sudden clarity in his mind upon hearing these words.

Many vague insights I had gained in my past practice regarding the sensing of Qi and the harmony between heaven and man suddenly became clear and distinct.

He cultivates thunder magic, wields heavenly punishment, and places the utmost importance on the interaction of vital energies and the pivotal mechanism of good and evil.

The Azure Emperor's words, from the outside in, fully elucidated the meaning of the word "pivot," which subtly aligned with his own path of cultivation.

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