The primordial era began with the mythological age.

Chapter 16 The Foundation of Cultivation: Innate and Acquired! (Please vote with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets to follow this story)

Li Ling asked, "Cultivating the Dao and attaining enlightenment requires understanding one's own mind and seeing one's true nature. Why is that?"

"The spirit originates from the mind. When the mind is inactive, the nature of the primordial spirit manifests; when the mind is active, the nature of the desire spirit manifests."

"When one's temperament is exhausted, one has no beginning of perception; only when there is no perception can one apply it to affairs."

"When we cultivate our primordial spirit, we are cultivating the innate spirit, not the acquired consciousness of thought and reason."

"Therefore, we use the conscious mind to attain enlightenment."

"Therefore, the key to cultivation lies in using the innate to control the acquired, and returning from action to non-action."

"Only in this way can one attain great power and strength, possess supernatural abilities, wield authority over heaven and earth, and achieve immortality!"

Taiyi suddenly realized.

The key to becoming a god is not to master numerous profound principles of the Dao through acquired learning, but to return to one's original nature and allow the innate god, the primordial spirit, to be attained.

Otherwise, one only knows, but lacks the ability and power.

Or it is easier to understand from the perspective of the human body. The so-called acquisition of the primordial spirit, from the perspective of the physical body, is the acquisition of genes.

This is what Li Lingshi meant by "using the innate to control the acquired, returning from action to inaction".

Why are those innate gods and demons, and even innate beings, born with great power, strength, and supernatural abilities?

That is, God and the Way are one!

How can demigods also master magic and supernatural powers?

It is because their parents were in a state of communion with God and the Tao that they were able to pass on their genes.

The Ling Shu (Spiritual Pivot) states in the chapter "Ben Shen" (Original Spirit): "The origin of life is called essence, and the interaction of two essences is called spirit."

The Ling Shu (Spiritual Pivot) chapter on "Natural Lifespan" also states: "When blood and qi are in harmony, when the vital energy and blood circulation are unobstructed, and when the five viscera are fully formed, when the spirit resides in the heart, and when the soul and spirit are complete, one becomes a human being."

This means that after the parents' sperm and egg combine to form a gestational follicle, life is born from the spirit and essence of the fetus.

This god is the one who was born before being tainted by the world, that is, the innate god, the primordial spirit!

At this moment, Taiyi couldn't help but feel a sense of profound enlightenment.

Then he looked at himself.

Within the Purple Palace, the primordial spirit sits beneath the Dao Tree, with a divine talisman representing the authority of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth embedded between its brows.

This is the unity of God and the Way!

Then look at the Daoist talismans in the five internal organs, and the Daoist talismans in the dantian and dantian.

Taiyi realized: "So this is why, even though I possessed these Dao talismans before, I was unable to refine the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into magical power like the divine talismans representing divine positions."

"The use of essence to make these talismans work is due to the observation of the demigod's use of Taoist magic and supernatural powers."

At this moment, he also understood that what the Human Emperor and other innate gods valued was actually his Dao talisman.

Because the Dao talismans he cultivated were not at the same level as gods and Dao.

He obtained the Dao Seed and cultivated it using the power of consciousness, that is, divine sense.

Afterwards, he comprehended the Great Dao and continuously evolved Dao talismans, which were also the consciousness spirits, the acquired gods.

Therefore, even if his cultivation level meets the requirements, he cannot actually become a god or cultivate magical power.

To unleash Taoist magic and supernatural powers, one can only use one's own essence and the true energy one has just cultivated.

It cannot be compared to magical power.

So-called magical power is the unity of the divine and the Dao, and the union of Qi.

The difference in speed and efficiency is vast.

The difference between them and the gods is that they cannot grasp the power of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, and it is difficult for them to achieve immortality!

In other words, his current system for cultivating godhood is about cultivating life but not nature!

"Moreover, this is also a difference between acquired and innate factors..."

Tai Yi felt a little embarrassed.

If he didn't have the Dao Tree in hand, which allowed him to directly obtain the Dao Seed, even with his profound knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine, he would never have been able to create this acquired godhood cultivation system.

The name "Acquired Godhood Cultivation System" was chosen by accident, but it turned out to be quite fitting.

At this moment, Li Lingshi continued, "If Fellow Daoist Taiyi wishes to become a god through his own power, there is a simple method."

"It involves integrating one's own understanding of the Dao into the divine position. However, this method has a flaw: if one is dethroned from the divine position in the future, all previous efforts may be in vain."

Taiyi nodded upon hearing this: "My elder brother Juling also told me this before."

Li Ling nodded, but couldn't help feeling puzzled.

Knowing this, why don't you understand how to become a god?

Could it be that the Giant Spirit Clan did not provide any instruction?

Little did she know that it wasn't that Julingshi didn't teach, but rather that he assumed Taiyishi already knew these basic things.

After all, they've even developed a system for cultivating to become a god after birth, although it's not perfect yet.

Who would have thought that Taiyi was able to develop this acquired godhood cultivation system? The key lies in his innate wisdom—the theory of traditional Chinese medicine—and the Dao Tree!

Realizing that Taiyi Shi truly did not understand the key to becoming a god, Liling Shi continued, "With a divine position, it is not difficult for you, fellow Daoist, to understand your true nature once your cultivation reaches a certain level."

"One can communicate with heaven and earth through divine tablets and talismans, achieving unity between heaven and man, or one can illuminate oneself with the golden light of merit, achieving stillness and unity, without thought or intention, so that the conscious mind naturally retreats and the true nature of the primordial spirit is revealed."

"Enlightenment is the most difficult step to becoming a god. Many demigods are stuck at this stage and cannot achieve the same divine and spiritual attainment."

Taiyi understood and said, "Fellow Daoist, do you mean that the divine appointments bestowed by the Divine Court will not enable us to attain enlightenment?"

Li Lingshi shook her head: "Yes and no!"

"I have heard the Father God say that even the innate saints are among sentient beings, within the human realm, and are born with the seven emotions and six desires."

Even if one becomes a god, even if one is born a saint, one is still not immune to the disturbances of the seven emotions and six desires, or one's true nature is obscured by cause and effect, calamities, and all sorts of internal and external miasma.

"I see."

Taiyi suddenly understood, and quickly stood up, bowed, and thanked him: "Thank you for your guidance, fellow Daoist, which has enabled me to understand the fundamentals of cultivation!"

Li Lingshi quickly stood up to avoid him, and said with a smile, "Fellow Daoist has said that this is a discussion of the Dao, so there's no need to be so polite."

Tai Yi smiled and stopped arguing.

The two chatted for a while longer, left a jade talisman for communication, and then Li Lingshi got up to take his leave.

After seeing off Li Ling, Tai Yi returned to the temple, and the old man said, "Clan leader, the Dragon Abyss River God left some gifts, which are quite precious."

Upon hearing this, Taiyi immediately went to see.

It was a bushel of pearls, each one round and plump, some as big as chicken eggs, some as big as longan, all glistening with moisture, none of them were ordinary.

Taiyi took one and immediately felt a cool sensation that penetrated his heart and spleen, invigorating his spirit and dispelling all distracting thoughts.

These pearls not only possess pure, innate watery energy, but also have the effect of calming the mind and focusing the spirit.

It might not be considered a treasure in the vast wilderness, but it was a valuable item for the Taiyi clan and the Tai tribe.

Looking at the contents of the basin next to it, they were tiny grains of sand, like black pearls, each speckled with a faint shimmer.

Taiyi grabbed a handful and immediately sensed that the innate water elemental energy contained within the black sand was even purer and more abundant than that of pearls.

The old man said, "This is black spirit sand from the Dragon Abyss River. It can be used for cultivation, or for forging weapons, temples, and palaces."

Tai Yi nodded.

Clearly, both of these gifts are local specialties of the Longyuan River.

"Make a note of this for now, and find an opportunity to return the favor later."

Taiyi Clan's secret passage.

One reason is reciprocity, and the other is that he has gained a lot from Li Lingshi today.

He had often consulted the Giant Spirit Clan about Taoist practices before, but he only understood the essence of cultivation today.

Hei Ling Sha Taiyi kept the pearl for himself, but instructed Shan Lao to keep it safe and distribute it to Ju Jiang and others to aid their cultivation in the future.

Back in the rear hall's cultivation room.

Taiyi sat down cross-legged and pondered again.

The fifth realm of the acquired godhood cultivation system is Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation. How does one cultivate the primordial spirit?

(End of this chapter)