Under One Person: Starting with the Dual Cultivation of Body and Soul.

Just like Master Zuo Ruotong breaking through the third level of Reverse Life, Zuo Ruotong could recite the mental formula of Reverse Life, which was: "Go with the flow to avoid disasters and reverse the flow to gain the Yuan Gong."

However, the real opportunity for him to break through to the third level came during the repeated tearing and rebirth of the divine spirit.

Li Chang'an also deeply felt this; the insights gained from being repeatedly torn apart by high-voltage electricity were incomparable to reading any number of books.

"When Cangjie created characters, all the ghosts cried; thus, writing was born and defined."

Li Chang'an murmured a sentence: The birth of writing led to its inheritance, but it was also the definition of writing that shackled thought, causing people to drift further and further away from the "Great Way" that has no opposites.

"It seems I can't just stay at home and live a life of quiet contemplation all the time."

Li Chang'an stood up and put the copy of "Zhuangzi" back on the bookshelf.

Studying in isolation only yields the "dross" of the ancients. To gain true knowledge and experience the true path, one must venture into the world and personally experience the realities that cannot be defined by words.

Chapter 157 Lu Jin's Instructions

Li Chang'an arrived at Lu Jin's courtyard.

Lu Jin was sitting at the stone table, looking at a progress report on the construction of the Sanyi Gate scenic area. Seeing Li Chang'an enter, he asked:

"Is there something you need, Chang'an?"

Li Chang'an stepped forward and said calmly, "Grandpa, I want to go out and gain some experience for a while."

Lu Jin put down the report in his hand and frowned slightly: "Why did you suddenly decide to go on a training trip? Nowadays, most people in the industry don't do this anymore. But decades or hundreds of years ago, the older generation of cultivators really did value going down the mountain for training."

"That's because the world was so big back then, transportation was so difficult, and people's knowledge was so limited. If you didn't go out, you wouldn't know the immensity of the world. Going out and experiencing different kinds of people and things would broaden your horizons and increase your knowledge."

"But things are different now. The rapid development of the internet has brought the whole world very close. With a simple tap on your phone and a connection to the network, the polar scenery that was once unimaginable and the strange and wonderful people and events that have never been seen before can all be seen on the screen."

"In this day and age, isn't the concept of a global village still popular? Since you can know what's going on in the world just by sitting at home, the traditional kind of hardship and experience has lost much of its significance."

"Instead of running around the world and wasting time, it's better to stay at home and meditate and circulate your Qi, and every now and then do a high-voltage body tempering. That's much more effective for improving your cultivation than wandering around outside."

Lu Jin persuaded Li Chang'an to give up the idea. Of course, there was a deeper reason why Lu Jin opposed Li Chang'an going out to gain experience.

The bloody battle at the foot of Sanyi Mountain last time caused too much of a stir. Li Chang'an single-handedly killed more than a dozen Quanxing demons. Although he became famous, he also attracted the attention of many Quanxing demons.

Now, with countless eyes watching him, Lu Jin was genuinely worried. What if Li Chang'an, traveling alone, fell into the trap of Quanxing's insidious methods and ended up like his great-grandfather, Li Cheng?

To him, every disciple of the Sanyi Sect was a precious treasure, and he would never allow anything to happen to them.

“Grandpa, I don’t think that information obtained on the internet can replace real experience.”

Li Chang'an said, "Cultivation is for the purpose of cultivating truth, cultivating one's true nature. But if you don't go out and experience things properly, how can you discover your true nature?"

"What do you mean?" Lu Jin asked back.

“Let me give you an example,” Li Chang’an said. “It’s like someone who is allergic to mangoes. Whenever they eat mangoes, they will develop rashes or even go into shock. This is an innate physical trait of theirs.”

"But if a person has never eaten a mango in their entire life, and this kind of accidental event has never happened, then no one will know that they are allergic to mangoes. The 'inevitability' hidden behind it will never be expressed. But not expressing it does not mean that it does not exist."

"This person never fully understood himself before he died, and what if one day, in his old age, he happened to eat a mango?"

"When he was young, he could tolerate mango allergies, but he might not be able to in his old age. The same is true for cultivators. Because of the overdevelopment of themselves, some things and emotions that might be knots in the hearts of ordinary people become insurmountable inner demons for cultivators."

Upon hearing this, Lu Jin pondered for a moment and remained silent.

"I recently read a very interesting sentence: 'Necessity exists within chance. It expresses itself and paves its own path through chance. The true self must rely on the collision of countless chance events, attach itself to chance events, and fully express itself, so that it can be recognized by people and recognized by itself.'"

"So, I want to go out and experience things. This experience could be eating, drinking and having fun, or it could be going to the deep mountains and forests for ascetic practice. Whatever I encounter, it is all to trigger those 'coincidences' in my life and to find my most complete 'inevitability'."

At this point, the image of Wugensheng, the former leader of Quanxing Sect, suddenly flashed through Li Chang'an's mind.

Wugensheng is probably someone who has never eaten a mango in his life and is unaware that he is allergic to mangoes.

He called himself a celestial being, born without roots, with innate spiritual roots, free from worries, attachments, temperament, and origins, hence the name "Rootless."

He lived a quiet and detached life, yet he stumbled most hard over the very thing: having roots.

Lu Jin sat on the stone bench, remained silent for a long time, and then said, "What a wonderful statement that inevitability exists within chance. You've already said this much. If Grandpa still tries to stop you, then he'll be a delusional obstacle hindering your cultivation. Actually, the main reason I oppose you going out to gain experience is because I'm worried about your safety."

“Grandpa, I know what I'm doing. I'll be careful,” Li Chang'an said.

Lu Jin nodded: "Okay, in short, if you encounter a problem that you can't solve, don't try to tough it out, just inform Grandpa immediately."

Li Chang'an nodded: "Grandpa, I won't stand on ceremony with you."

"When do you plan to leave?" Lu Jin asked.

"Tomorrow," Li Chang'an replied casually.

"Tomorrow?" Lu Jin frowned. "Tomorrow is absolutely not going to work! At the earliest, we'll have to wait until next week to leave."

Li Chang'an was taken aback: "Why?"

"Why else? Of course, it's to prepare some things for your self-defense and to protect your life!" Lu Jin said.

"Grandpa is going to draw a talisman for me?" Li Chang'an realized.

"Otherwise what?" Lu Jin said irritably.

"Thank you, Grandfather!" Li Chang'an said with a smile. "How many talismans are you planning to give me this time?"

“More than last time, and longer than last time!” Lu Jin said.

Last time it was just a short trip, and due to the time constraints, he didn't put much Qi into the talisman. Its shelf life is short, and it will only last for a week at most. After a week, it will become a pile of waste paper.

Li Chang'an is going on a long-term training trip, and his return date is uncertain. Those short-acting talismans are obviously ineffective, so Lu Jin plans to draw several stacks of longer-lasting talismans for Li Chang'an.

To prolong the effect of a talisman, the energy and qi consumed when drawing it must be increased exponentially.

For the next week, Lu Jin locked himself in his study, rarely leaving except to eat and sleep. He spent every moment preparing paper, grinding ink, making hand seals, chanting incantations, and infusing Qi into talismans. He wanted to prepare enough supplies for his disciple to last for a year and a half.

The study was filled with the scent of cinnabar. On the seventh day, Lu Jin tied up a thick stack of talismans with ties, pushed open the study door, and went out.

Chapter 158 Travels and Encounters

Li Chang'an was practicing his sword in the courtyard.

Lu Jin carried two large bundles of talismans to Li Chang'an's courtyard.

Seeing the weapon Lu Jin was carrying, Li Chang'an exclaimed in surprise, "Grandpa, you're being far too extravagant!"

"What's with all this talk of being extravagant?" Lu Jin, sporting prominent dark circles under his eyes, said, "Here are fifty Shangqing Five Warriors Talismans, fifty Five Thunder Talismans, fifty Dean Dai's Curse Talismans. You're going on a training trip, right? You can use them for travel. There are also Golden Light Talismans, General's Evil-Breaking Talismans, Golden Fire Talismans, and Dragon-Piercing Jade Talismans..."

He mentioned about a dozen kinds of talismans, with effects ranging from protection, combat, warding off evil spirits, healing, and calming the mind. There were dozens of some and a few others. Moreover, when Lu Jin drew talismans, the more useful ones were usually the ones that were less useful, and they were specifically drawn for Li Chang'an to deal with some extremely rare situations.

Li Chang'an took the talisman and, with just one glance, could easily see that the cinnabar strokes on this talisman were finer and denser than the last one, and the edges of the runes faintly revealed a halo, an effect that only appeared after a large amount of Qi had been injected.

"Grandpa, you've given me so many. When I go out to train, I won't need any other means. I can just rely on these talismans to sweep through everything." Li Chang'an put the talismans into his food pouch.

Lu Jin said, "Stop showing off. No matter how good the talisman is, it's still an external thing. At crucial moments, you still have to rely on yourself. This time when you go out, Grandfather won't set a route for you or a goal for you. You can train however you want. In the words of that old scoundrel Zhang Zhiwei, even if you bring back a wife, we'll accept it."

"But let me give you a heads-up. The Quanxing gang suffered a great loss last time, and they might come after you at any time. I'm not worried about your methods, but it's easy to dodge a spear in the open but hard to guard against a hidden arrow. You must be careful."

Li Chang'an put the talisman into his pouch and nodded, "Grandpa, I've got it."

After listening to Lu Jin's instructions, Li Chang'an returned to his room and packed his belongings. He didn't have much to bring: a few changes of clothes, a bank card, a cell phone, and that eight-sided Han sword—nothing could compare to it.

The next morning, Lu Jin personally escorted him to the front gate.

Li Chang'an had changed out of his iconic white robe from the Sanyi Sect and was now wearing an ordinary tracksuit, his white hair casually tied back with a hair tie.

He clasped his hands in farewell to Lu Jin, then turned and walked out along the bluestone path.

Lu Jin stood at the door, watching his back disappear into the alley, and stood there for a while before turning back.

Li Chang'an's training had no clear destination; he just went wherever the road took him.

He first went to Shanghai. In this dazzling international metropolis, walking among the crowds on Nanjing Road, apart from his white hair, he was no different from the hurried pedestrians around him.

Like any ordinary young man, he spent all night playing games in internet cafes, drinking in noisy bars, and busking on the Bund with his guitar.

He tried to engage with these mundane, noisy "coincidences," but found that these things rarely stirred any ripples in his heart.

His id is too strong; these external things are hard to sway him.

"I'm not allergic to these mangoes."

Li Chang'an sat on a bench by the Huangpu River, watching the cruise ships passing by on the river.

However, his travels during this period were not entirely fruitless.

He observed many different kinds of people and gained a deeper understanding of a person's temperament, whether it was innate or acquired.

It's just like the simplest thing: eating.

Some people, even when they are very hungry or craving food, will feel satisfied after eating a certain amount. This satisfaction is not only physiological but also psychological.

Some people want to eat even when they are already full; this satisfies their physical needs but not their psychological needs.

Many people would say that such a person lacks self-discipline.

But in fact, Li Chang'an discovered that such people are often more self-disciplined because they are fighting against the delusion of wanting to eat.

There are many factors that can cause these two situations, many of which are acquired factors, such as poor diet or not having enough to eat when you were a child.

But that's not entirely true, because many children who are raised in luxury from a young age are also gluttonous and overweight.

Some of these traits are innate habits, or what one might call innate predispositions. In Buddhist terms, this is innate nature.

Having a natural love for food is your inherent nature, not a matter of self-discipline.

Subsequently, Li Chang'an traveled to Xi'an, the ancient capital of thirteen dynasties, where he saw the Terracotta Army and visited the Big Wild Goose Pagoda.

He remembered that there was a famous meme about the crappy Big Wild Goose Pagoda on the internet in his previous life, but he had never looked at it. This time, he came.

As for how magnificent this tower is, in the modern world filled with skyscrapers, it really isn't that grand. But Li Chang'an felt a profound sense of history emanating from it, not the tower itself, but the weight that time had accumulated layer upon layer.

While he was sightseeing, he met an old monk sweeping the ground at the foot of the pagoda.

The old monk wore a faded gray robe, his back hunched, and swept the bluestone ground with his broom. He looked very ordinary, no different from the sanitation workers you could see anywhere on the street.

But Li Chang'an took a few more glances and noticed that the old monk exuded an aura of extreme tranquility. Even the rustling sound of the broom swishing across the stone slabs had a calming effect.

This monk is no ordinary person. What if he encounters a hidden master? Li Chang'an thought to himself.

The thought had barely formed in his mind when the old monk stopped sweeping, looked up, and met his gaze.

The old monk's face was covered with wrinkles, his eye sockets were sunken, and his eyes were cloudy and lifeless.

"Does the master sweep the floor here every day?" Li Chang'an asked.

"Yes. We've been sweeping for decades," the old monk said.

"Don't you get tired of sweeping the same floor every day?"

"The fallen leaves today are different from the fallen leaves of yesterday. The mindset today is also different from the mindset of yesterday. Sweeping the floor is not about sweeping the floor, it's about sweeping your heart."

"It has a Zen-like quality!" Li Chang'an said with a smile.

“Amitabha, benefactor, you have been looking at this pagoda for a long time, have you seen anything?” the old monk asked.

"I sense something profound about it!"

"Why does it feel so heavy?" the old monk asked. "What were you thinking when you were looking at the pagoda just now?"

Li Chang'an thought for a moment: "I'm thinking about the origin of this pagoda. I remember it was built by Xuanzang, the founder of the Yogacara school of Buddhism, who is also the prototype of Tang Sanzang in 'Journey to the West'!"

In the worldview of the extraordinary, "Journey to the West" holds a pivotal position. Sun Wukong is the Golden Duke, Zhu Bajie is the Wooden Mother, Sha Wujing is the Knife Elixir, and Ma Chao is the Will, each with an important status. Tang Sanzang, on the other hand, represents the master of the Golden Elixir and is the most important primordial spirit.

As the prototype of Tang Sanzang, Tang Xuanzang's cultivation and strength are beyond question.

Li Chang'an's profound appreciation of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda also stemmed in part from this.

The old monk said, “That is your heart, benefactor. I sweep the floor here every day. When someone comes, I sweep away their footprints. When no one comes, I sweep away the fallen leaves blown by the wind. When the floor is clean, the heart is at peace. Your heart is not at peace, so you see the pagoda as just a pagoda. When your heart is at peace, you still see the pagoda as just a pagoda.”

"Where did the master become a monk?" Li Chang'an asked.

"Ci'en Temple!"

"Faxiang Sect?"

"The Dharma Form is just a Dharma gate; it can also be called the Consciousness-Only School!" the old monk said with a smile.

There are five schools and eight sects in Buddhism, and the Yogacara school is one of them. Ci'en Temple is the ancestral temple of the Yogacara school, just as Shaolin Temple is the ancestral temple of the Chan school, and the Celestial Master's Mansion is the ancestral temple of the Zhengyi sect.

It is worth mentioning that Ci'en Temple is also the largest sect of supernatural beings in this area.

In other words, the old monk in front of you is probably similar to a senior high-ranking priest from the Celestial Master's Mansion.

As fellow extraordinary individuals, Li Chang'an could see that the old monk was no ordinary person, and the old monk could naturally see that Li Chang'an was also extraordinary. The two began to talk.