Shulong Daojun

At that time there were pine trees, with branches growing in whorls, layer upon layer, like a tower or an umbrella, standing tall and magnificent.

Once upon a time, there was a Taoist priest with white eyebrows who led a young disciple to sit cross-legged beneath him. The disciple took refuge in the Three Jewels and entered the gate of Taoism. Afterward, he taught the Tao, imparted knowledge, and resolved doubts.

The Three Treasures are the Way, the Scriptures, and the Teacher.

The Tao is inherently empty and cannot be understood without scriptures; scriptures rely on teachers for transmission, and cannot be understood without teachers.

Spring flowers and autumn moons come and go, but the pine trees remain unchanged through the changing seasons.

The young Taoist priest in the temple has just grown up and is following his master to cultivate the highest level of Taoism.

After bidding farewell to Xiaodou'er and his junior brother, Lin Shu stepped out of the stone forest and walked eastward along the corridor until he reached his living quarters.

He saw a blue silk bag hanging from a nearby pine branch and couldn't help but smile with his hands behind his back.

A young man with lofty ambitions, he vowed to be the best in the world, and even if he faced hardships and setbacks, he would still strive to achieve it.

It does not form a turbid embryo, nor does it fall into worldly ways.

The Taoist methods and techniques are numerous, all of which are like pointing to the moon. Practicing them can enlighten the mind and reveal one's true nature, cultivating both mind and body.

Of all the methods, the profound skill is the best, for it can lead to the state of harmony with the Dao and the unity of self and the Dao.

"Although no one has cultivated it for thousands of years, so what?"

"Those who came before me were not like me, so why can't I be?"

Lin Shu smiled confidently, reached out and took the blue silk bag, casually released it, and obtained a jade book and a golden slip.

Above it are small characters in cloud seal script: "The Mysterious Female Dao - The Mysterious Skill".

The mysterious female is the root of heaven and earth, conforming to the two words "center" and "emptiness". It exists continuously and is used without being inexhaustible.

The profound meaning is derived from this.

Concentrate your mind and enter emptiness, cultivate the practice of fasting the mind, and when all thoughts are extinguished and the spirit is awakened alone, approach the Dao and purify the embryo, seeking the mysterious gateway.

Then, the cultivator connects with the Dao, and the primordial Qi naturally arises; he maintains emptiness and stillness to receive it.

The supreme method for advancing to immortality and nurturing the Dao embryo is none other than this.

Profound skills are common, but attaining enlightenment through close contact with the Dao is rare.

Therefore, it was left unattended in the temple for a long time.

Lin Shu held the jade book and golden slips in his hand, placed them on his forehead, and read them a hundred times, and their meaning became clear.

He only devoted himself to studying it for a short while, and then the full moon was concave, and ten days had passed.

When you sense it, it is neither inside nor outside the body; there is a mysterious aperture in the darkness, constantly generating true qi.

When the Qi is full, it goes to two places.

One is the physical body, and the other is the Dao embryo.

The power of creation in the universe is endless, and some mortal bodies gradually transform into immortal beings, while others begin to understand the Dao and manifest their skills.

The Dharma is the Mysterious Female Dharma, which aligns with the true meaning of birth, transformation, and returning to the origin. Between birth and return, the nature of things can be altered.

The technique is the Mysterious Female Divine Light, which can cleanse heaven and earth and all things, returning them to their original state and transforming them into the Primordial Qi.

Each method and technique is profound, but only by cultivating it to an extremely high level can one attain such mystery.

That time is long gone.

Lin Shu casually plucked a pine needle, and with a slight thought, he activated the Mysterious Female Technique. In an instant, the pine needle transformed into a round, clear droplet of water, which hung steadily in his palm.

He flicked his wrist, and water droplets fell smoothly, colliding with the mossy ground and highlighting a touch of new green.

This is to transform wood into water, from which all things grow, and to do as one pleases.

Upon seeing this, Lin Shu clapped his hands and laughed, "Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! Truly a profound skill, a marvelous method."

He felt an overwhelming sense of joy at that moment.

If the principles of Tao are as described, then the techniques of Tao are even more so.

He set off in high spirits, his steps light and quick, taking only a few steps to leave the small temple and head straight into the depths of the valley.

After a while, a white ape practicing swordsmanship appeared.

As soon as the letter arrived, the white ape stretched its neck and roared, its whole body trembling as a warlike intent surged forth.

Immediately, the white ape, wielding a bamboo branch, moved with the speed of flowing silver, carrying a terrifying aura, and lunged straight forward.

"Good timing!" Lin Shu was not surprised but delighted.

He remained motionless, calm and composed, and with just a slight raise of his hand, the divine light of the Mysterious Female shone down upon him.

Upon contact, the white ape was struck as if by a heavy blow, its body flying three zhang horizontally, breaking several long bamboos, until it crashed into a huge rock before stopping.

Even though it was a mountain spirit with three or four hundred years of cultivation, thick skin, strong flesh, and robust bones, it was still somewhat stunned by this attack.

A moment later, it shook its head, bared its teeth and hissed as it got up, then casually rubbed its rear end.

woo-

Then the white ape let out a sound from its throat, and slowly walked towards Lin Shu, stopping three steps away.

It clasped its paws together, leaned its body slightly forward, and bowed a few times.

His expression was serious, and he had suppressed his wildness, truly resembling a Taoist priest.

Upon seeing this, Lin Shu returned the greeting with a smile.

Deep in the valley dwells a white ape, fierce and warlike by nature, yet deeply rooted in the spirit, often embracing the moon and weeping, drinking moonlight to nourish its spirit.

Perhaps it was fate that led me to accidentally enter the temple while climbing the mountains.

Unexpectedly, upon hearing the Dao, the monkey's heart was greatly moved, and he repeatedly kowtowed, guarded the gate, and delivered fruit.

However, his wild nature was untamed, making it difficult for him to enter the Taoist path.

The Taoist priest, lamenting his lack of talent, bestowed upon him a sword manual, opening a new chapter in his life, and taught him to practice swordsmanship using bamboo.

When will the restless mind be subdued? When will the teachings of the Way be passed on?

Spring came and autumn went, day after day, and Lin Shu naturally became familiar with it.

He came here for three reasons.

To test the power of the Mysterious Female Divine Light.

The mysterious female is the essence, and the Taiji is the state.

The two polarities, four symbols, eight trigrams, and sixty-four hexagrams are transformed into three hundred and eighty-four lines to correspond to all things.

Therefore, the Taoist art of Xuanpin Shenguang begins with the "yao" (爻), and is practiced step by step, going back upwards in reverse.

Lin Shu is ranked among the Immortals, and is a beginner in the cultivation of profound arts. He controls the Mysterious Female Divine Light, which is located at the level of the hexagrams.

Responding to the Yin and Yang hexagrams, divine light becomes strong when encountering strength and gentle when encountering softness.

The white ape flying around is from this.

As for the wonder of returning to one's original state, that is still beyond my reach.

The second is for examination and assessment.

With the Kunyuan Dharma Assembly approaching, if he and Baoyi Daoren were to accept the invitation to attend, only Xiaodou'er and his junior brother would remain at the temple.

Little Bean has been doing the five daily morning exercises for less than a month, so he is naturally not capable of taking tests.

My junior brother is more than a month away from achieving perfection, and his nine abilities are still not complete. In the end, he is still somewhat forced to do so.

Let's take this opportunity to do it all at once.

Thinking of this, Lin Shu recalled what had just happened and smiled faintly at the white ape: "You have not yet shed your beast form and have an innate deficiency. Therefore, if you wish to cultivate the path of immortality, you must first cultivate the path of humanity."

It's not about telling you to fulfill your moral obligations or practice filial piety, but rather to not lose your innocent nature and to know when to fight and when to stop.

"Your master teaches you swordsmanship, and what you learn is the art of measuredness and discipline."

At this point, Lin Shu's eyes showed a hint of approval, "You were able to stop and bow just now, which means you already understand the latter."

This is excellent; it suggests a connection with the Tao.

As soon as he finished speaking, the white ape let out a long howl, scratching its ears and stamping its feet, clearly overjoyed.

Then, as if remembering something, it instantly composed itself and respectfully bowed several times to Lin Shu.

"Alright, alright, there's no need to be so formal."

Lin Shu chuckled lightly, waved his hand, then changed the subject, seemingly offering some guidance, and spoke softly:

"You have been practicing swordsmanship for some time, and your temperament has become more composed. You can be considered half a Taoist."

As the senior disciple of the temple, I have something to say to you; please listen carefully.

Upon hearing this, the white ape immediately approached respectfully and listened attentively.

Lin Shu looked around, picked up a broken bamboo pole, and used it as a sword in his hand.

He held back, glanced at the white ape, and said calmly, "Before drawing your sword, ask yourself what your intention is."

Having said that, he said no more and handed over the long bamboo pole.

The white ape froze, instinctively taking the bamboo with its claws. It raised the bamboo to thrust out, but then suddenly froze in mid-air, hesitant to strike.

It did not know the meaning of the scales, but it knew that the Taoist priest was beside it and it needed to be respectful.

It was stuck in a rut, feeling extremely confused, which left it scratching its head in frustration.

A moment later, its ape-like eyes stared blankly at the scale book, and it let out a soft "ee-ee" sound.

Lin Shu smiled slightly: "The path to enlightenment is one's own, and only then can one grasp its true meaning. Just slowly and carefully comprehend it."

"As for now, fetch me a jar of monkey wine; it's just what I need."