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

In the courtyard, the old monk was sweeping the floor. When he saw Li Chang'an slowly landing, the old monk raised his head slightly, his gaze peaceful.

“Master, I have come to say goodbye.” Li Chang’an put his hands together in gratitude. “Thank you for taking care of me during this time.”

The old monk nodded, clasped his hands in return, and said, "Young benefactor, the hidden dangers within you have been removed, and your cultivation has advanced further. I am happy for you. Where do you plan to go for further training?"

"I don't really have a specific destination in mind. I'll just go with the flow," Li Chang'an replied truthfully.

The old monk said, "In the trials of the mortal world, without a clear anchor point, it is easy to waste one's years in mediocrity."

"Please enlighten me, Master," Li Chang'an said.

"All phenomena are manifestations of consciousness." The old monk pointed to Li Chang'an's chest: "As long as you silently recite the mantra that I taught you before, you may be able to sense the remaining 'Alaya consciousness' in some places."

"Therefore, you can go to some famous historical sites or places where major turning points have occurred in history, and see if you can sense some of the spiritual imprints left by those sages, virtuous people, heroes and great men of the past."

"Those Alaya consciousnesses that can withstand the test of time and remain for a long time are extremely pure. Go and appreciate them, feel their original vows. This is often much more meaningful than simply traveling around the city."

Upon hearing these words, Li Chang'an felt as if he had been enlightened, and he bowed deeply: "Thank you for your guidance, Master."

After bidding farewell to the old monk, Li Chang'an left Ci'en Temple. He stood under the Big Wild Goose Pagoda for a while, silently reciting mantras in his heart.

The Big Wild Goose Pagoda was built by Xuanzang of the Tang Dynasty. Moreover, over the past thousand years, many literati and scholars have visited this place. He wanted to try to sense the Alaya consciousness left behind by them.

He stood there for a long time, sensing a lot of chaotic Alaya consciousness, but he never sensed Tang Xuanzang's or those of the literati.

Li Chang'an stopped chanting, opened his eyes, and looked at the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. After several attempts, he understood why he could no longer sense it.

As the patriarch of the Yogacara school, Xuanzang was naturally an enlightened person who had completely transformed consciousness into wisdom. Since he had already completed the transformation, how could there be any Alaya consciousness left behind?

As for those literati, they were indeed very talented, but they were not spiritual practitioners. Their spiritual cultivation had not reached a certain level. No matter how talented they were, after so many years, all that would remain are probably the poems they left behind.

Those who cultivate to a very high level will not have any Alaya consciousness left behind. Similarly, those famous people in history, whose level of cultivation was not high enough, will not have any Alaya consciousness left behind either.

What kind of Alaya consciousness can endure the test of time and remain immortal? What kind of spirit can be considered extremely pure and extremely meaningful?

At this thought, an extremely magnificent historical event suddenly flashed through Li Chang'an's mind.

The Long March, a journey of 25,000 li, involved climbing snow-capped mountains, crossing grasslands, fording the Chishui River, and seizing Luding Pass. Every leg of the journey was fraught with peril, but those people, with their pure faith and inhuman will, managed to forge a path to survival.

That powerful will, capable of changing the world, will surely leave an extremely vivid mark on the Alaya consciousness along that long road.

"I want to retrace the Long March route and feel the imprint left by our predecessors. This is definitely more meaningful than visiting famous historical sites like the Big Wild Goose Pagoda."

Li Chang'an silently decided on the direction of his next training.

Then, he took out his phone, dialed Lu Jin's number, and told her about his decision.

On the other end of the phone, after hearing Li Chang'an's plan, Lu Jin not only did not try to stop him, but instead praised him loudly.

"Good lad! This idea is very meaningful, and your grandfather supports you."

"However, since you're going to embark on this journey, don't just focus on finding those Alaya consciousnesses. The destination isn't everything. Before you reach the destination, open your eyes wide, open your heart, and use your heart to feel everything along the way."

“Those snow-capped mountains, grasslands, the Chishui River, and the Dadu River—every inch of land is soaked with the blood and will of those people back then. You must feel it with your heart.”

“I understand, sir.”

Li Chang'an hung up the phone, put it in his pocket, and then left Xi'an, heading south to Ruijin, Jiangxi, the starting point of the Long March.

Li Chang'an did not visit the memorial hall like ordinary tourists. He avoided the noisy crowds and found an old dirt road.

He closed his eyes and silently recited the mantra. Gradually, he sensed some red light and shadow, which were the residual Alaya consciousness between heaven and earth.

Li Chang'an seemed to hear a series of light footsteps, the sound of straw sandals crunching on the mud, suppressed coughs, and the panting of someone moving forward in silence...

There were no earth-shattering slogans, only an extremely heavy, yet unwavering determination.

After a long time, Li Chang'an opened his eyes, released the reverse life state, and his white hair turned black. He did not use any special means, just like the most ordinary ascetic monk, step by step following the invisible red track, and embarked on this thorny journey with his own two feet.

He walked from Ruijin to Yudu, and then westward into the hilly area where Hunan and Jiangxi provinces meet.

The mountain road was rugged and sparsely populated. The dirt road was dry and cracked under the scorching sun, and the soles of the shoes were burning hot when stepped on. Li Chang'an walked step by step on his own two legs, like an ordinary traveler.

They would walk during the day and at night they would find a random place, build a simple stove with a few stones, gather some dry firewood to start a fire and boil water, and dig up a few wild vegetables to throw into the pot to cook a pot of light soup.

Although the conditions weren't great, his foundation in cultivating both body and mind was there, and his physical strength far exceeded that of ordinary people. For an average person, walking this path would be a limit of thirty or forty miles a day, but he could walk sixty or seventy miles a day by walking slowly, and he didn't feel too tired when crossing mountains and ridges.

On the twenty-fifth day, he crossed an unnamed mountain ridge and stood on the ridge looking west.

In the distance, a river meanders among the mountains; that is the Xiang River.

Chapter 167 is the time for cultivation.

The Xiangjiang River flowed swiftly, and Li Chang'an stood by the riverbank, silently reciting mantras.

This time, the Alaya consciousness that surged into his mind was extremely violent.

He seemed to hear the deafening roar of gunfire, and the mournful howl of the river as it was stained red with blood. Countless emotions of resentment, anger, and tragedy surged towards him like a tsunami.

Those are the marks left by the battles of that year.

Li Chang'an did not resist. Standing by the river, he let these Alaya consciousnesses wash over his mind, allowing him to perceive and understand the emotions of those years ago.

He stood there for a whole day, until the sun set and the river turned a dark red, before slowly withdrawing his senses, bowing deeply to the river, and turning to continue on his way.

He trekked a difficult journey. He mostly traveled along remote mountain paths or abandoned country lanes, rarely stopping in densely populated areas.

Without transportation or special abilities, the silence and constant walking gradually made him forget the hustle and bustle of the world. His soul seemed to break free from the shackles of his body and soar into the vast天地 (heaven and earth).

As he measured the path step by step, he silently recited mantras in his heart, sensing the Alaya consciousness left behind by his predecessors along the way.

The Yunnan-Guizhou region is mostly composed of continuous mountain ranges and dense forests filled with miasma. Li Chang'an did not take the smooth roads, but instead chose those rugged and dangerous old paths, which naturally wasted a lot of effort.

Moreover, whenever he arrives at a historically significant location, he stops to trace the journeys of his predecessors.

Traveling at a snail's pace, he finally reached Zunyi in Guizhou in March or April when spring was in full bloom.

In early May, Li Chang'an arrived at the banks of the Chishui River.

He wandered around here for a long time. Following the route he took back then, he crossed it again and again, repeatedly trying to perceive the Alaya consciousness left behind along the way.

Those remaining insights were not as violent as those along the Xiang River, but rather an ultimate wisdom of finding hope in dire straits and maintaining clarity amidst chaos, a strategic choice that was not bound by common sense and as flexible as water.

Every step was a desperate situation, yet we managed to overcome each one.

He recited the mantras here again and again, trying to understand the mindset of those who struggle and search for a way out in desperate situations.

There is no such thing as an instant victory; there is only getting back up after each failure.

Looking at the rushing river, he had an epiphany: cultivation is the same; if you just blindly rush forward, you will always encounter an insurmountable barrier.

Only by being like the Red River, knowing how to maneuver and adapt in dire straits, can one find a fleeting opportunity to break through seemingly unsolvable deadlocks.

He stayed there for a long time, until he had figured everything out, before turning around and entering the southwest hinterland.

For the past few months, because he deliberately avoided entering the state of reverse rebirth, his body has been completely exposed to the wind, frost, rain and snow of the natural environment.

Her once fair and jade-like skin has been tanned to a bronze color.

His clothes were torn by thorns and rocks, becoming strips of cloth hanging on his body.

The sneakers on his feet were riddled with holes, and the soles had long been worn through.

He simply took off his tattered shirt, went shirtless, and walked barefoot on the journey.

Despite enduring hardships and sleeping outdoors along the way, his body grew stronger and stronger.

During his travels, Li Chang'an would sometimes close his eyes, silently recite mantras, listen to the echoes of decades ago, and immerse himself in the spiritual river of that era.

As they continued their journey, Li Chang'an began to approach the plateau region.

The roads here are even more treacherous than before, often winding mountain roads. A narrow path meanders through the undulating mountains, like a giant dragon whose head and tail are nowhere in sight, coiled among the mountains.

During this nearly six-month journey, he not only did not find it difficult, but he was often immersed in heartfelt emotions.

In this deep fusion with nature and history, he also found more of his own true nature.

He possessed an indomitable resilience in the face of adversity and a heartfelt admiration when he saw magnificent landscapes. These were things he had never perceived before, but now, on this road, they were emerging one by one.

He knew he had made the right decision to come.

The journey continued, and the mountains became increasingly treacherous, the roads increasingly steep, the rivers below the mountains increasingly turbulent, and the sun in the sky increasingly scorching.

Despite these harsh conditions, Li Chang'an continued his journey barefoot, shirtless, and wearing only knee-length shorts.

Subsequently, Li Chang'an went to Tibet.

He witnessed different customs and traditions, and also saw pilgrims prostrating themselves every three steps.

Li Chang'an traveled with them for a period of time, after which he bid farewell to the pilgrims and wandered into the continuous mountains.

Before him stretched a series of towering mountains.

The mountaintops are covered with thick, year-round snow.

Li Chang'an didn't prepare any cotton-padded clothes and walked towards the snow-capped mountain shirtless.

His cultivation of life force was extremely high, and his ego completely dominated the functions of his body. He could feel hot or cold in an instant.

Under the scorching sun, he can control the dilation of his pores to keep his body cool and refreshed.

Even in the biting cold, he can still circulate his qi and blood to keep his body warm as spring.

This is all based on absolute control over the physical body, and it does not belong to the abilities of any superhuman.

During this journey, Li Chang'an deliberately restrained all his supernatural abilities, preparing to use his own body to measure this journey and complete this long march that belonged to him.

Sexual cultivation has always been his strength, while life cultivation is his weakness. He plans to use this journey to hone his weakness.

When he reached the halfway point of the mountain, Li Chang'an stopped and looked at the snow-covered peaks above his head.

He pondered for a moment. Even if he could regulate his body temperature on his own, it would consume his body's own energy, and the replenishment of energy would depend on eating.

So he decided to hunt some game on the mountainside to replenish his strength.

Soon, he caught a argali sheep in the mountains. After gathering some firewood, he started a fire on the spot and roasted and ate the cleaned mutton.

After eating and drinking his fill, Li Chang'an arrived at the mountaintop. At that moment, the wind was fierce and biting, and the ground beneath his feet was thick snow. He walked barefoot on it, his toes gripping the ground and his soles hollow, his steps steady as he walked on this boundless white snow-covered road.

During this process, his mind inevitably developed some restlessness and delusions of wanting to give up.

In the past, Li Chang'an would immediately perceive these delusions through the awareness of the intermediate state (bardo), transform and soothe them, and calm his mind.

But this time he didn't do that. He felt them, accepted them, and carefully experienced the subtle changes that occurred in his body and mind after accepting these delusions.

For example, the feeling of retreat brought by the cold, the weariness brought by the long journey, and the loneliness that rises from the bottom of one's heart when walking alone in the wilderness.

As the journey to the snow mountain progressed, even though Li Chang'an could regulate his body temperature, the depletion of his physical strength over time made him truly feel the immense resistance coming from his body.

He used to block it out, but now he accepts it all and experiences it step by step.

Chapter 168 Manifestation of Divine Power

In the evening, Li Chang'an found a sheltered crevice in the rocks to meditate and rest.

Throughout this process, he continued to recite mantras and perceive the Alaya consciousness on this snow-capped mountain.

He sensed various voices from the past.

That unwavering faith and indomitable spirit still exist.

But besides that, he also felt confused, lost, and helpless.

Some people sighed in the cold wind, wondering why this long night would drag on forever.

Some people, suffering from hunger and cold, doubted whether they could survive to walk down the snow-capped mountain.

Some people feel lonely, while others feel exhausted.

Some people's bodies gradually stiffened, and they passed away here.

Li Chang'an sensed these remaining traces of Alaya consciousness, placing his mind in that same situation. Until dawn, he shook himself, his body rapidly warming up, melting the frost, and once again embarked on his journey.

After two days of trekking, he crossed the snow-capped mountain.

There was a wide national highway at the edge of the snow-capped mountain, but he didn't go there. Instead, he turned around and headed straight for another, even more treacherous snow-capped mountain.

Each snow-capped mountain has been traversed on foot.

After some time, he crossed the snow-capped mountains and arrived at the vast grasslands.

Although the path on the grassland is not as steep and dangerous as that on the snow-capped mountains, it is still more troublesome to walk on.

Looking around, there were swamps and mud pits covered with aquatic plants everywhere.