GBP Chapter 109 A turning point
Chapter 109 A turning point
"...Child, why are you so sad?"
The voice was old yet kind, carrying a reassuring power. I opened my eyes and saw an elderly man with a venerable air standing beside me, his white hair and youthful face radiating warmth and piercing eyes.
"Master..." I choked up, not knowing how to express the bitterness in my heart.
The old man smiled kindly, said nothing, and simply gazed quietly at the lake. I followed his gaze; the lake water was still clear, the breeze still gentle, but my state of mind had undergone a subtle change.
Several silvery-white fish swam freely in the water, sometimes leaping out of the water, sometimes diving to the bottom. Their movements were so light and free. Suddenly, a thought struck me. The fish could move so freely in the water because they followed the current. Should I also follow the laws of immortal techniques when comprehending them, instead of forcing myself to understand them?
This thought flashed through my mind like lightning, instantly bringing me to my senses. I had been too fixated on the literal meaning of immortal techniques, neglecting their underlying essence. I was like someone trying to grasp flowing water; the harder I tried, the faster the water slipped away.
"Master, I understand!" I said excitedly. "I should follow the laws of immortality, instead of forcing myself to understand them!"
The old man stroked his beard, smiled, and nodded. "You are very clever, child. The path of immortality lies in enlightenment, and enlightenment lies in the heart. If your heart is as calm as still water, you will be able to see through everything."
I took a deep breath, feeling a sense of clarity wash over me. I bowed deeply to the old man, "Thank you for your guidance, Master!"
The old man waved his hand, "No need for thanks, I just happened to be passing by." After saying that, he turned and left, his figure gradually disappearing into the mountains and forests.
As I watched the old man's retreating figure, my heart was filled with gratitude. I knew that this old man must be a wise man, and his guidance had led me to a new direction.
Just then, Senior Brother Qingfeng and Senior Sister Xuanyu found me. "Junior Sister, are you alright?" Senior Sister Xuanyu asked with concern.
I shook my head and gave a long-lost smile. "I'm fine, senior sister. I feel much better."
"That's good, we were all so worried about you." Senior Brother Qingfeng also breathed a sigh of relief.
"By the way, junior sister, who was that Taoist priest just now...?" Senior Sister Xuan Yu asked curiously.
I shook my head. "I don't know him either. He just gave me a few pointers."
We returned to our lodgings together. I eagerly reopened the Immortal Arts Manual, trying to decipher it using this new approach. I discovered that the previously obscure parts seemed to be making some progress. The characters seemed to come alive, leaping and combining in my mind, forming wondrous images. I felt as if I were walking through a fog and suddenly saw a glimmer of light…
"Knock knock knock..." A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts.
"Who is it?" I asked.
"It's me, Fairy Dream." A clear voice came from outside the door.
I quickly got up and went to open the door...
The door opened, and Fairy Meng, dressed in white, floated in, like a fairy descending to earth. "Xiao Yao, I heard you recently had an epiphany at Tranquil Lake, so I came to congratulate you." Her clear voice was as melodious as a wind chime.
"You flatter me, fairy. I have only gained a little knowledge," I replied humbly, and welcomed the fairy into the house.
The Dream Fairy glanced around my room, her gaze settling on the magical manual on the table. "It seems you're eager to test your ideas." She smiled, as if she knew everything about me.
“That’s true.” I nodded, eager to share my insights. “I was stuck in a rut before, but now I’ve finally found the right direction.” I recounted my understanding of the Tranquil Lake and the old man’s words, and explained my new understanding of immortal techniques.
The Dream Fairy listened quietly, sometimes nodding, sometimes deep in thought. After I finished speaking, she praised me, "Your comprehension is very high. It is truly remarkable that you were able to grasp the true essence of immortal techniques so quickly."
With the Dream Fairy's affirmation, my confidence soared. I reopened the Immortal Arts Manual, and the previously incomprehensible texts became clear and easy to understand. Each character seemed to come alive, leaping and combining in my mind, forming wondrous images. I felt as if I were walking in a fog, suddenly seeing a ray of light, and that light was guiding me forward.
I was completely absorbed in comprehending the immortal techniques, lost in thought. Senior Brother Qingfeng had entered my room sometime earlier. He stood quietly to the side, watching me with eyes full of satisfaction and encouragement. He seemed to sense that I had entered a wondrous state, and to avoid disturbing me, he gently closed the door and set up a barrier outside to prevent anyone from disturbing me.
Time ticked by, and I felt as if I were in a completely new world, where everything around me became clear and distinct. I could sense the fluctuations of spiritual energy around me, hear the sound of flowers blooming, and even feel the gentle breeze on my cheek. This feeling was so wondrous, so incredible.
Immersed in this wondrous state, I continuously perused the immortal manuals, constantly comprehending their mysteries. I felt like a dry sponge, greedily absorbing the sweet rain of knowledge. New ideas and understandings surged through my mind, and I even began to try to use these new understandings to manipulate the spiritual energy within my body.
A faint wisp of spiritual energy danced at my fingertips, shimmering with a soft glow. A surge of joy welled up within me; I knew I had finally taken a crucial step!
"It's done!" I couldn't help but cheer softly, my heart filled with joy and excitement.
Upon hearing my voice, Senior Brother Qingfeng quickly pushed open the door and entered. "Junior Sister, you succeeded?" His eyes were filled with surprise.
I nodded and showed him the spiritual energy dancing at my fingertips. "Senior brother, look!"
Senior Brother Qingfeng looked at the spiritual energy dancing on my fingertips and a gratified smile appeared on his face. "Congratulations, Junior Sister, you have finally broken through the bottleneck!"
I was just about to share my joy with my senior when suddenly, I heard soft footsteps outside the door...
A gentle knock interrupted my celebration with my senior brother. Senior Brother Qingfeng opened the door, and it was Senior Sister Xuanyu. She was carrying a tray with a pot of tea and two teacups on it. "Junior Sister, I heard you've made a breakthrough, so I specially brewed some calming tea, hoping it will help you." Senior Sister Xuanyu's gentle voice was like a spring breeze brushing past my ear.
I quickly stood up and took the tea. A faint, refreshing fragrance wafted into my nostrils, soothing my soul. "Thank you, Senior Sister." I gratefully accepted the teacup, took a small sip, and felt a cool sensation flow through my body. The spiritual energy that had been slightly agitated due to the breakthrough gradually calmed down.
"Junior sister is indeed very talented, finding the direction so quickly." Senior Sister Xuan Yu looked at the spiritual energy dancing on my fingertips, her eyes full of admiration. "Back then, it took me three whole months to reach your level."
I smiled sheepishly. "Senior sister, you flatter me. I was just lucky. I gained something by chance at Tranquil Lake." I recounted my experiences and insights at Tranquil Lake, including the words of the mysterious old man.
After listening, Senior Sister Xuan Yu pondered for a moment and said, "What that old man said, 'All things have a spirit,' does indeed contain profound truths. Cultivating immortal techniques is not just about pursuing power, but more importantly, about comprehending the world and becoming one with nature."
As we were talking, familiar footsteps sounded outside the door again. Without a doubt, it was Fairy Meng. She arrived gracefully, dressed in white, a faint smile on her face. "It seems I've arrived just in time." Her gaze fell on the spiritual energy dancing on my fingertips, a hint of appreciation flashing in her eyes. "Congratulations, Xiao Yao, you've finally taken a crucial step."
Overjoyed, I quickly told Fairy Meng about my breakthrough and my discussion with my senior brothers and sisters. After listening, Fairy Meng did not immediately praise me, but pondered for a moment and said, "Your comprehension is indeed good, but this is only the beginning. Immortal arts are vast and profound, and there are many deeper things that you need to explore."
She paused, then continued, "You have only touched the threshold of immortal techniques; the real challenges lie ahead. Remember, the path of cultivation is endless, so never be arrogant or complacent."
Fairy Meng's words were like a bucket of cold water poured over my head, instantly sobering me up. Yes, I've only just begun; how can I be so complacent? The path of cultivation is long, and I still have a long way to go.
I took a deep breath, suppressing the excitement and joy in my heart, and my eyes became even more determined. "Thank you for your guidance, Fairy. This disciple will certainly remember your teachings and strive to cultivate diligently."
Fairy Meng nodded in satisfaction, then took out a jade slip from her sleeve and handed it to me. "This contains some techniques for manipulating spiritual energy, which may be helpful to you."
I quickly accepted the jade slip, my heart filled with gratitude. With the guidance of Fairy Dream and this jade slip, I believe I will definitely be able to reach a higher level.
I was eager to study the contents of the jade slip and was about to bid farewell to my senior brothers and sisters to return to my room for secluded cultivation when Fairy Meng suddenly spoke up, "Wait, there's one more thing..." She looked at me intently and slowly said, "The spiritual energy within your body seems somewhat abnormal..." She pointed a finger at my dantian. A warm sensation emanated from her fingertip, and I felt the previously calm spiritual energy within my body suddenly begin to surge, a strange feeling welling up inside me...
The Dream Fairy's words sent a chill down my spine. Something unusual? What was wrong with my spiritual energy? I hadn't noticed anything amiss. The Dream Fairy withdrew her finger, her brow furrowing slightly: "The spiritual energy within you seems...too mixed, and its circulation path is somewhat...strange."
Mixed? Strange? I was even more puzzled. My spiritual energy came from the mysterious power at the bottom of the Tranquil Lake. Could there be something wrong with this power? "Fairy, will this... have any effect?" I asked nervously.
“It’s not clear yet,” Fairy Dream pondered, “but if this continues, it may hinder your further improvement in cultivation, or even… cause you to suffer a qi deviation.”
"Possessed by demonic possession!" These four words exploded in my ears like thunder. I tried to remain calm, took a deep breath, and said, "Please, fairy, guide me on how to resolve this?"
Instead of answering my question directly, Fairy Meng turned to Senior Brother Qingfeng and Senior Sister Xuanyu and said, "You two go out for a bit. I have something to say to Xiao Yao alone."
Although the senior brothers and sisters were somewhat puzzled, they obediently withdrew and gently closed the door. Only Meng Xianzi and I remained in the room, and the atmosphere became somewhat heavy.
“Xiao Yao,” Fairy Meng looked at me, her tone serious, “the circulation of spiritual energy in your body is quite different from that of ordinary people. This may be related to the opportunity you had to obtain spiritual energy. But this circulation path is not suitable for your current cultivation method.”
My heart sank. Sure enough, the problem lay with the power at the bottom of Tranquil Lake. I recounted my experiences at Tranquil Lake and the words of the mysterious old man to Fairy Dream in detail.
After listening, Fairy Meng fell into deep thought. After a long while, she slowly spoke: "What the old man said, 'All things have a spirit,' is indeed a profound truth. But how to integrate this 'spirit' into one's own cultivation requires extreme caution. Your current situation is because the spiritual energy in your body is incompatible with the cultivation method you are practicing."
I immediately understood the crux of the problem. The cultivation techniques I had practiced before were all taught by Senior Brother Qingfeng, and were suitable for ordinary spiritual roots. However, the spiritual energy within my body came from the mysterious power at the bottom of Tranquil Lake, and its nature was special, so it naturally could not be compatible with ordinary cultivation techniques.
"Then... what should I do?" I asked anxiously.
Fairy Meng pondered for a moment and said, "The immediate solution is for you to adjust the flow of your spiritual energy to match the cultivation technique you are practicing. But this is no easy task. If you are not careful, it will trigger a backlash of spiritual energy, which may damage your meridians at best, and at worst..." She didn't finish her sentence, but I knew that the consequences would be unimaginable.
I took a deep breath, my heart filled with pressure, but also with a glimmer of hope. Now that I had found the root of the problem, there must be a solution. I asked Fairy Dream for advice on adjusting the flow of spiritual energy and carefully memorized it.
After seeing Fairy Meng off, I returned to my room, sat cross-legged, closed my eyes, and began to try to adjust the circulation of spiritual energy within my body. The method taught by Fairy Meng was exquisite, but also extremely complex. I carefully guided the spiritual energy within my body, circulating it along the new route. At first, the spiritual energy was relatively compliant, but as the circulation speed increased, a resistance gradually arose, and my meridians began to ache faintly… I gritted my teeth, trying my best to control the spiritual energy within my body, sweat slowly trickling down my forehead. Suddenly, a sharp pain came from my dantian, I groaned, and a mouthful of blood welled up in my throat… I immediately stopped cultivating, opened my eyes, and found that there was someone else in the room at some point… He was dressed in black, with a handsome face and deep eyes, quietly watching me.
"You..." I began, but he raised his hand to interrupt me. He slowly walked up to me, reached out his hand, his fingertips slightly cool, and gently touched my brow...