Chapter 52: A Heart Holding a Boundless Ocean, Eyes Untouched by Worldly Dust

The clear cry of the young deer awakened the gathered Daoists.

In the courtyard, the Daoists looked toward the source of the sound, watching as the primordial energies of heaven and earth encircled the little deer, causing it to happily squint its eyes.

A moment later, the spiritual energy dissipated.

Not only had this deer successfully entered the Dao and stepped into the first realm of refining essence, but its marrow had also been washed and its flesh refined, rendering its bloodline even purer.

Before the little deer could revel in its joy, its nostrils twitched as a foul, overpowering stench assaulted it. The sudden onslaught made its head spin the moment it opened its eyes, its pupils rolling back.

Xuanming’s hand paused as he stroked his beard. With a gentle flick of his sleeve, a fierce gale whipped up, lifting the spirit deer into the air. Accompanied by the latter’s frightened cries, it traced a graceful arc through the sky before plummeting straight into a pool of water within the Hidden Dao Peak.

With a resounding splash, water flew in all directions—a truly picturesque sight.

"I apologize for making a spectacle of you in front of Fellow Daoist."

True Person Yuanji waved his hand to dismiss the notion, praising sincerely, "To shed one's mortal coil in a single moment, breaking out of the cocoon to transform into a butterfly and set foot upon the path of cultivation—this deer raised by Fellow Daoist possesses no small amount of potential."

Hearing this, Xuanming beamed with joy.

The spirit deer was merely a minor interlude, and they did not linger on the topic. At that moment, the Daoists outside the gate rose to their feet and, led by the pavilion-guarding Daoist, bowed deeply in unison: "Many thanks to Senior Uncle for bestowing this great fortune."

Spoken by more than a dozen Daoists simultaneously, the gratitude was entirely genuine.

A familiar, aged yet mellow voice followed: "Opportunities are met by chance, not sought; since you happened to encounter it, it is your fortune. Go back and digest it well; do not waste this blessing."

The Daoists answered in unison. Knowing that their Senior Uncle favored peace and quiet, they did not linger and turned to leave.

Upon returning to the Scripture Pavilion, just as the Daoists were about to disperse, they were called back by the pavilion-guarding Daoist, who instructed them to return the Daoist scriptures they had previously been reading to their exact original positions. Having somewhat figured out the temperament of this pavilion-guarding Daoist, the Daoists readily complied and thoroughly swept through the Scripture Pavilion.

It was not out of fear of the pavilion-guarding Daoist, but rather out of gratitude toward their Senior Uncle. As everyone knew, his elder self loved reading scriptures; by doing this, they were taxing themselves to bring convenience to their Senior Uncle, thereby fulfilling their filial piety.

What his fellow disciples were thinking was something the pavilion-guarding Daoist neither cared to guess nor bothered to explore. As long as the Scripture Pavilion was clean and tidy, with identical items all facing the same direction, he was indifferent to everything else.

Surveying the results of their labor, his brow unfurled. He found a corner on the ground floor and closed his eyes to comprehend what he had gained.

In the Inquiring Dao Courtyard, beneath the pine tree.

Xuantong and Xuanyu also stood up to express their gratitude to their Senior Brother and True Person Yuanji. By observing this discourse on the Dao, they had benefited immensely. If they returned to carefully refine their insights, Xuantong’s foundation would be elevated, and Xuanyu could achieve the perfection of refining essence.

True Person Yuanji then executed a Daoist greeting with his hands folded before his chest.

"Thanks entirely to Fellow Daoist Xuanming, this poor Daoist was able to witness many unfamiliar sights during this discourse on the Dao. New principles emerged endlessly while old principles were replaced with the fresh, and insights came in like the tide. My harvest has been bountiful indeed."

Along with his gratitude, a trace of shame surfaced on his face:

"The Dao has no distinction of first come, first served; he who achieves mastery first is the teacher. Previously, when I saw Fellow Daoist discoursing on the Dao through talismans, this poor Daoist held a thought of contempt. In the end, it was I who viewed people and the Dao through a narrow perspective, falling into a shallow state. I earnestly hope Fellow Daoist will not hold it against me."

With these words, he made to bow again.

Lifting his gaze to look at True Person Yuanji, whose tone was utterly sincere, Xuanming stepped aside to avoid the bow and spoke the truth: "For Fellow Daoist to be able to state this frankly shows your mind is as clear as the autumn moon; how could this poor Daoist hold a grudge?"

"This poor Daoist attained the status of a True Person only a short time ago. Putting myself in your shoes, if I were in Fellow Daoist's position, I would likely have judged by conventional standards as well. This is merely human nature."

These were Xuanming's true thoughts.

It was because he possessed the *Yellow Court Scripture*, an abysmal foundation, and a greatly enhanced comprehension and bone structure that his Daoist attainment was able to surpass True Person Yuanji's.

Naturally, this was also inextricably linked to his solid foundation in the Dao of Talismans. In the first half of his life, his mind had been as innocent as a child's, and his father, wanting him to acquire a specialized skill and cultivate patience, had constantly pressed him to learn characters and practice calligraphy.

Even after regaining his clarity, he had not slackened during his years of observing scriptures and comprehending the Dao in the Scripture Pavilion; the process of recording his thoughts and reflections was also a process of practicing calligraphy.

Having practiced calligraphy for decades, the moment he entered the Dao, characters and talismans became mutually connected. Coupled with the talismanic principles contained within the Daoist scriptures, his mastery of the Dao of Talismans advanced by leaps and bounds. Talismans formed the foundation of weapon crafting and array formation.

Precisely because he was supported by such profound attainments in the Dao of Talismans, Xuanming had been able to improve the Eight Trigrams Sword Array and better utilize lightning to forge spiritual artifacts.

It was just that very few people knew of this.

It was entirely forgivable that True Person Yuanji had thought that way.

———

After this incident, the two Daoists held an even better impression of each other. Although they had met only today, through their interactions, there was a faint sense of treating each other with absolute sincerity.

Setting this topic aside, Xuanming and Yuanji took their seats once more. The tea had long since grown completely cold. Xuanming raised a hand and scooped up mountain spring water from the flowing stream in the courtyard; a stream of water rose into the air and entered the kettle, and he rekindled the fire to boil water.

His posture was entirely focused, resembling one comprehending the Dao. The heart of the tea was like the heart of the Dao; through his movements, his sincerity was clearly visible.

Xuantong and Xuanyu did not disturb them, and True Person Yuanji silently admired this scene of a True Person brewing tea. It was not until the fragrance of tea permeated the air and the tender green leaves drifted in the boiling water like flatboats or darted about like azure fish that he snapped out of his reverie.

Inhaling the delicate tea aroma and sipping the brew, True Person Yuanji felt a thorough sense of ease throughout his body. His Dao heart seemed to have been washed clean, shaking off the dust of the world, prompting him to exclaim in praise, "Fine tea!"

The water remained the same water.

The tea remained the same tea.

The pot and cups remained the same pot and cups.

It was simply that the Daoist brewing the tea had poured his heart into it, and the state of mind of the Daoist drinking the tea had changed; naturally, the tea changed accordingly, drawing closer to the Dao.

Distributing a cup each to Xuantong and Xuanyu, Xuanming finally took a cup for himself, sipping and tasting it slowly, waiting patiently.

When the first cup of tea reached its bottom, True Person Yuanji put down his teacup, looked straight at Xuanming, and with a serious expression, spoke without reservation:

"Matters have reached this juncture, so this poor Daoist will no longer conceal anything."

"The major Daoist sects such as the Purple Glow Sect and the Qingyang Palace found out that the Heavenly Seal Sect has ties with your esteemed sect, and they specifically entreated my senior brother, wishing to request the superior foundational cultivation method of the Seeking Truth View. The Heavenly Seal Sect harbors the same desire."

"As this poor Daoist happened to be free, I made this trip here. Aside from offering congratulations and discussing the Dao, I also wished to sound out Fellow Daoist's intentions."

"Might this superior foundational cultivation method be open to exchange?"

Xuantong and Xuanyu were struck dumb, staring fixedly at their Senior Brother, while True Person Yuanji likewise watched without blinking.

Xuanming lowered his head in deep thought, not giving an immediate reply.

People do not visit the Hall of Three Treasures for nothing; what could prompt True Person Yuanji to make a personal visit, apart from mundane affairs, boiled down only to the sect and the Dao.

He had guessed that apart from discussing the Dao, the other party had also come for the superior foundational cultivation method, but when it was actually spoken aloud, Xuanming hesitated instead.

Before receiving the Chu Family Jade Slip, his thought had been to uphold the Dao through force of arms, using the magical sword in his hand to deter petty individuals.

However, after receiving the jade slip, his perspective changed. Using coercion to bend others did not align with the Daoist principles of "supreme goodness is like water" or "valuing harmony as the vital breath," bearing an excessively heavy aura of hostility.

Unless he continuously issued subjugation decrees to annihilate every Daoist sect that dared to reach out their hands, troubles would be endless, and true peace would be hard to come by. When would the cycle of karmic retribution ever end? Excessive slaughter would easily cause his Dao heart to become tarnished.

If he provoked a Golden Core True Person and had to pull out his fabricated predecessors, telling too many lies would similarly cloud his Dao heart. This would be extremely detrimental to himself, to others, to his heart, and to the Dao—it was an inferior approach.

Therefore, his original idea had been to simplify the Yin-Yang Foundation Establishment chapters and use them in exchange for what was needed for cultivation, allowing everyone to gain something and minimizing bloodshed as much as possible. Not only would this transform hostility into harmony, but he could also augment the accumulation of the Seeking Truth View with the foundations of all the Daoist sects in Fengyang County, nourishing one Dao with the strength of many, and strengthening a single family with the resources of all houses, which would moreover aid in the cultivation of the Dao heart.

To keep a vast ocean hidden within one's heart while retaining a gaze untainted by worldly glare—if he could broaden his perspective and shatter the conventional practice of keeping secrets strictly within one's sect, his Dao heart would very likely soar step by step, becoming even clearer and more penetrating.

Yet, after prolonged inner deliberation and the recent discourse on the Dao, Xuanming’s thoughts shifted once again. The Dao speaks of affinity; fate cannot be forced, and mutual transactions were merely a middling approach.

———

Time flowed slowly.

The three Daoists in the courtyard remained silent, none of them making a sound for fear of disturbing Senior Brother Xuanming (True Person Xuanming).

When only a wisp of residual redness remained in the western sky, Xuanming finally raised his head, spoke up, and settled upon a superior course of action.