340: Chapter 340 The Tree of Enlightenment

The Late Foundation Establishment Stage had been reached, and the improvement of his cultivation base had become a secondary contradiction.

The real problem lay before him: Dao Rhyme.

A significant amount of creation dao rhyme had accumulated within his body; the day-to-day operation of the creation furnace would release trace amounts of Dao Rhyme that settled in his Meridians and Sea of Consciousness.

But this Dao Rhyme was "external"—it belonged to the creation furnace, not something he had comprehended himself.

It was like a person staying in a garden every day; their body might be stained with the scent of flowers, but they would not become a flower themselves.

Su Cheng was naturally unsatisfied with merely stepping into the Golden Core stage; if he were to enter, he had to do so perfectly.

Although he had been safe and sound within the Danding Sect, Su Cheng knew well that in the world of Cultivators, strength was paramount, and he could not stay in the Danding Sect forever.

He had to comprehend the true meaning of creation himself.

One night after finishing his cultivation, Su Cheng sat on the stone platform outside his Immortal Cave, lost in thought.

The Spiritual Qi on Qingmu Peak was dense, moonlight spilled over the mountain rocks and Spirit Medicine, and the night breeze carried a faint medicinal fragrance.

He stared at a Spirit Medicine he had planted himself at his feet.

This Spirit Medicine had been nourished by his Qi of Creation since it was a seed, and now it was in excellent condition; in a few more years, it would be ready to be used as a Medicinal Pill ingredient.

"Creation..." Su Cheng murmured these two words.

What was creation?

All things in heaven and earth going from nothing to something, from life to death and then to rebirth—this cycle itself was creation.

His Qi of Creation could stimulate the growth of all things, heal wounds, and refine Medicinal Pill, but these were merely "using" it, not "comprehending" it for himself.

Between using and comprehending lay an unbridgeable chasm.

Early the next morning, Su Cheng went to the summit of Qingmu Peak.

"Revered Master." After saluting, Su Cheng stated his purpose directly, "This Disciple wishes to ask, how did you comprehend the true meaning of grass and wood back then?"

Elder Qingmu was trimming the excess branches of a three-hundred-year-old Spirit Medicine, his spiritual power shears never stopping: "I once sat in a forest of dead spirit wood for ten years.

I watched those withered woods rot bit by bit, and watched new buds sprout from the decay.

In the winter of the tenth year, a heavy snow broke the last dead tree. When that tree fell, I comprehended the true meaning of grass and wood."

Su Cheng asked: "Must one witness the process of 'life-death transition' with one's own eyes?"

"No." Elder Qingmu put down the shears and turned around, "Everyone's opportunity for enlightenment is different. Some observe waterfalls to grasp the true meaning of water; others watch thunderstorms to comprehend the true meaning of thunder.

The key is not what you look at, but when the string in your heart is plucked. It can happen in a single thought, or after a hundred years of sitting in meditation. It cannot be forced."

"Then is there any external force that can help?"

Elder Qingmu thought for a moment: "There are three paths.

First is natural comprehension, relying on fate; second is borrowing external objects, such as Heaven And Earth Treasure containing Dao Rhyme or special Secret Realm; third is having a great Cultivator above the Nascent Soul stage forcibly instill their own comprehension with great magic power, but that can only instill someone else's Dao, not your own, and it damages the recipient's Foundation.

The third one is not recommended unless one has no other choice."

Su Cheng ruled out the third option; his Dao was the Dao of Creation, and he feared there was no second Cultivator in this world practicing the Dao of Creation to instill it into him.

"Revered Master, the true meaning this Disciple wishes to comprehend is rather special... It is not easy to find a corresponding object of contemplation from all things in nature."

Elder Qingmu looked at him a few extra times but did not ask what specific true meaning it was.

"Then only the path of using external objects remains." Elder Qingmu said, "The Sect's Spirit Spring Secret Realm will open in another year and a half. Inside, there are thousand-year treasure medicine containing Dao Rhyme. If you meditate in the Secret Realm borrowing the medicinal power, you might be able to touch the edge of enlightenment.

But after all, that is the Dao Rhyme of thousand-year treasure medicine; whether it works for you depends on luck."

"Besides the Spirit Spring Secret Realm?" Su Cheng asked again. Even with Dao Rhyme from daily Alchemy, he couldn't comprehend it; cultivating only with thousand-year treasure medicine would likely be insufficient.

"Go ask Chief Xu of the Alchemy Hall." Elder Qingmu waved his hand, "I have spent my whole life on this mountain planting flowers and herbs, my knowledge is limited. Chief Xu has wide connections; perhaps he has other ways."

Su Cheng thanked his Revered Master and went down the mountain, heading straight for Zixiao Peak.

Head Xu Changqing was in the inner cabinet of the Alchemy Hall reviewing a stack of Jade Slip. Seeing Su Cheng arrive, he asked, "Sit, what is the matter?"

Su Cheng explained his predicament.

Head Xu Changqing finished reviewing the last Jade Slip, put down his brush, and leaned back in his chair, looking at Su Cheng.

"You want to comprehend the Dao yourself." He distilled Su Cheng's long explanation into these few words.

"Yes."

"Your Dao Rhyme is rather special, not the ordinary Dao of Five Elements?"

"Yes."

Head Xu Changqing did not press to ask what kind of Dao it was; the Alchemy Hall wanted Medicinal Pill and profit, not secrets.

"Canghai Prefecture, Mingxin Sect." Head Xu Changqing named a place, "Have you heard of it?"

Su Cheng shook his head. He knew of Canghai Prefecture; it was where Senior Sun Boyong's Sect was located, but he had never heard of the Mingxin Sect.

"The Mingxin Sect is a Nascent Soul Great Sect that follows the Dao of Heart-Nature. Within their Sect, there is a thousand-year-old Enlightenment Tree that has the miraculous effect of inducing meditation and accelerating comprehension.

As long as you sit quietly under the Enlightenment Tree, no matter what Dao you are cultivating, you can touch the threshold of true meaning faster."

Su Cheng's eyes lit up.

"But." Head Xu Changqing shook his head and said, "First, the Enlightenment Tree is the treasure of the Mingxin Sect; if an outsider wants to use it, they must pay a huge price.

Second, I heard a rumor a few years ago that the Enlightenment Tree seems to have developed a problem; it hasn't produced new leaves in nearly twenty years."

"It is said that steeping the leaves of the Enlightenment Tree in water and drinking it also has the effect of inducing Epiphany. In the past, the Mingxin Sect would produce a small amount of new leaves every year for their Core Disciple to use in their cultivation.

But for these twenty years, there hasn't been a single new leaf. Perhaps the Enlightenment Tree is sick, making it even harder for you to use it. Think about it: what a huge price you would have to pay to move a Nascent Soul Sect; even I probably couldn't do it."

Su Cheng automatically ignored the last sentence from the Chief; his mind was spinning rapidly.

The Enlightenment Tree had a problem?

His Qi of Creation had a natural affinity for and nourishing effect on spirit plants.

If he could cure that tree... would that benefit be big enough!

"Chief." Su Cheng said, "This Disciple is skilled in the Way of Grass and Wood and has quite a bit of experience in diagnosing and treating spirit plants. If that Enlightenment Tree truly has developed some problem, this Disciple might..."

"Might be able to cure it?" Head Xu Changqing took over the conversation, his expression carrying a hint of amusement.

"At least I could go and take a look." Su Cheng withdrew the second half of his statement; before seeing the tree with his own eyes, he dared not guarantee anything.

After pondering for a moment, Head Xu Changqing did not say that Su Cheng was ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth, but instead said, "Although our Sect has no personal friendship with the Mingxin Sect, we have no grudges either. If you want to go, I can give you a visiting card so you can visit in the capacity of a Sect exchange. But there is a condition."

"Please speak, Chief."

"Before you go, hand over all the Medicinal Pill you owe."

Su Cheng: "..."

Then another three months passed. Su Cheng outwardly appeared to be refining Medicinal Pill day and night; the faster speed seemed quite reasonable.

In the year and a half since Su Cheng returned to the Sect, the changes at the foot of the mountain were far livelier than those on the mountain.