572: Chapter 572 Enlightenment of Heaven and Earth - Arranging Formations to Nourish the Wasteland

The world before Ai Luo's eyes gradually changed: the arc of splashing water droplets, the direction of moss climbing stones, the rhythm of the wind brushing through pine needles... everything was vivid and profound. Big Brother's voice was like a trickling stream, unhurried in his ears, yet every word sank into his heart. For the first time, he truly felt that nature is never loud, yet it contains infinite power; it is never ostentatious, yet it reaches the heart more directly than any words. He realized that his previous understanding of it was merely superficial. Only now did he know that it was both magnificent and subtle, both intimate and solemn. Without Big Brother's guidance, he feared he would never have glimpsed this layer of the truth of heaven and earth in his lifetime.

The Origin Qi within his body showed no bias, and the Five Elements did not flourish in any single element, so he walked a path of uprightness and peace. Although his start was slightly slow, it was like the deep roots of an ancient tree, growing steadily and firmly. The road ahead would instead be wider and further. He only needed to maintain perseverance, not fight for immediate results, approach nature with a common heart, and continue to sense it with enduring strength to obtain its true essence.

Jiang Chen observed quietly for a moment and nodded without speaking. Without sincere cherishing and enthusiasm, even with a thousand pointers, Ai Luo could at most "see" nature but could not truly "connect" to it. Now, he not only perceived it but could also begin to absorb, nurture, and transform it—even if the Qi he absorbed now was still tainted with dust and the path back to the source was full of difficulties, the direction was correct and his steps were steady, which was enough.

As the glow of the Innate Eight Trigrams Diagram gradually faded and vanished into the morning light, Ai Luo slowly opened his eyes, bringing this session of guiding Qi and breathing to a close. From now on, it would all depend on him walking one step at a time.

"Very good, Ai Ai. What Big Brother taught you is not just a method, but an attitude—only with reverence can you hear the breathing of the mountains and rivers; only with kindness can you catch the whispers of the plants. You give back to nature, and nature will surely reward you generously. If you encounter thousands of miles of scorched earth or dried-up rivers in the future, that will be the time for you to truly show your skills. For now, first solidify your Foundation, then go out and use your ears to listen to the sighs of the earth and your palms to feel the pulse of the soil. Let the scarred land reveal its greenery again and gush with living water—this is your most practical gratitude to nature. Don't ask if it's worth it; just keep walking in that direction."

"Yes, Big Brother, I'll remember." Ai Luo's voice was soft but exceptionally firm. From that moment on, a lamp truly lit up in his heart—the beauty of nature is not in the distance, but in the moments of looking up and down; the responsibility of protection is not in grand ambitions, but in the solemnity of every breath. He wanted to use this power to protect the land beneath his feet, so that humans and nature could coexist long-term and peacefully under the same sky.

"This is good; Big Brother is truly happy for you. Come, today I will teach you a Formation—the Qian Ling Formation. It’s not difficult."

Jiang Chen immediately began to explain. He spoke in detail, breaking it down sentence by sentence. For now, Ai Luo could not yet use Origin Qi, so it didn't matter if he didn't understand; when he could trigger the Qi of heaven and earth in the future, these principles would naturally come to life. This Formation was not meant for defeating enemies or winning battles, but only for harmonizing the four seasons and organizing the wind, frost, rain, and dew, making the mountains and fields more moist, the plants more comfortable, and the people's hearts more peaceful.

Ai Luo listened intently, his eyes not even blinking, and he didn't even feel the pain as his fingers dug into his palms. This was the first time he truly held an opportunity in his hands—if he missed it once, he feared he would never touch the edge of it again for the rest of his life. Encountering those shadow-like monsters again? He wouldn't even be able to flee steadily, his life hanging by a thread; what autonomy would he have then? It was too miserable. He would never allow it. So he memorized every stroke of the patterns and silently recited every mantra, tamping down his Foundation firmly and accumulating his knowledge bit by bit.

Jiang Chen watched this and nodded frequently. In just a few days, Ai Luo was already able to redraw the Formation diagram almost perfectly, his footwork was steady, and his base was firmly established.

"You've studied solidly these past few days. Come, let's go try it out." Jiang Chen pulled him up. "Let's talk while we walk—by the way, before we leave, is there anything you want to say to the villagers?" What he cared about most was never whether Ai Luo could remember the Formation, but rather the warmth and coldness of human relationships in his heart; it was better if someone gently supported and slowly guided him.

"Big Brother, I... I..." Ai Luo's lips moved twice, but the words were all stuck in his throat, and his face turned red.

Jiang Chen paused and didn't press further, only patting his shoulder gently. "Never mind, let's put it aside for now. But you can't always shrink back like this in the future. Their indifference toward you is their business; if you harbor resentment in your heart because of it, you'll end up trapping yourself instead—you are neither their flesh and blood nor an old acquaintance, so you have no standing to blame anyone. At most, you can only sigh that 'the ways of the world are cold,' understand?"

"Mm... I understand, Big Brother," Ai Luo replied with his head down, but the stuffy air in his chest couldn't be dissipated in a short time.

"Let's go." Jiang Chen took his hand, and they walked out of the village, one step at a time.

"In this world, there are two types of beings that repel each other yet are born from the same root. One type, you've seen—it's called 'Ling,' and it's pitch black all over. They don't crawl out from underground, nor do they fall from the sky; they are the fruits formed when the human heart collapses: hatred condenses into sharp edges, jealousy burns into ashes, and obsession twists into sinews... everything pressed into the depths of the heart that dares not see the light gathers together to become it. But don't look down on these 'negatives'—they can also be flipped, tempered, and turned into shields, blades, or lamps. Yin and Yang are never mortal enemies; they are two forces, one pushing and one pulling, that support the entire heaven and earth."

"Yin Qi is the manifestation of this force. It is hidden in the soft parts of the hexagrams, in the coolness of the moonlight, and in the silence of autumn leaves falling to the ground. All things contain Yin and Yang, humans have joy, anger, sorrow, and joy, and the Eight Trigrams are established through the intersection of Yin and Yang; even the good thoughts we strip away are filtered from the entanglement of Yin and Yang. Therefore, Yang cannot be discarded, nor can Yin be abandoned."

"Then... Big Brother, why are the Ling so scary? Can people... really become like that?" Ai Luo's voice was tight.

"Heh, scared already?" Jiang Chen laughed. "Wait until you run into a being formed of pure Yin; only then will you know what it means for your spine to tingle. However, such existences are extremely rare; once they are born, they either occupy a territory or are worshipped as deities. So, don't be in a hurry to dislike Yin Qi as unlucky. You carry it on yourself."

"Me? No way..." Ai Luo was stunned and instinctively touched his wrist and then his forehead, shaking his head in confusion.

"Yin Qi is already there; it's just that you are young and your Yang Qi is vigorous, like the midday sun, melting all the snow on the mountains, so where can you see the traces of frost? When you get sick, take a fall, or when your hair turns white and your hands and feet grow cold—then the chill seeps in, your fingertips stiffen, and your breath carries a chill; that is Yin Qi speaking. For now, Yang is flourishing and Yin is hidden, so naturally you can't feel it. Want to taste its flavor earlier? You'd better think clearly first—it's not worth it." Jiang Chen smiled and rubbed his head, his eyes full of soft indulgence.

Ai Luo shrank his neck and quietly swallowed a mouthful of saliva, never mentioning the words "Yin Qi" again.

"The other type is called 'Guardians.' They can wield Origin Qi, and their strikes carry the momentum of wind and thunder. But the key is not whether they can use it, but their 'attribute'—fire is fierce, water is resilient, earth is thick... each stands out based on their nature and talent. Most special is that their palms are naturally branded with a Guardian Mark, which is the proof granted by heaven."

"You don't have one." Jiang Chen paused, and seeing Ai Luo's eyes suddenly dim, he immediately continued, "But so what? You've used Origin Qi before, haven't you? Whether it's marked on your hand or not doesn't hinder you from regulating Qi, condensing your breath, or breaking through barriers."

Ai Luo's heart skipped a beat. "Then... I can also become a Guardian?"

"Guardian is an identity and also a threshold. The mark is a rule that no one has crossed so far. But the principles set by this world are not necessarily set in stone. When you stand high enough and walk far enough, and personally establish a School to teach ordinary people how to guide, nurture, and use Qi—at that time, you will be the founder of a new Dao."

Ai Luo clenched his fists, his chest feeling hot as if he had tucked in a piece of freshly baked charcoal.

"The most practical use of the Guardian Mark is to block Ling possession—this ability is more precious than anything. When your cultivation improves and your Heart-Nature is fully tempered in the future, you won't fear Ling possession; you might even be able to use it to temper your state of mind. After all, every Ling is a 'knot' accumulated from Yin Qi like resentment, anger, sorrow, and fear; enduring it once makes the heart a bit more rounded and the path a step steadier."

After hearing this, Ai Luo nodded heavily and secretly vowed in his heart: one day, he would stand as high as the Guardians.

Unknowingly, from some day on, his shoulders relaxed, his brow smoothed out, and even his breathing became light and cheerful; that bit of true intent in his heart also gradually surfaced, clear and bright.

A few days later, the two stepped into a wasteland. It was severely wind-eroded, with not a single tree growing, and even grass roots had difficulty taking hold; the scenery before and after was so disconnected that one couldn't quite snap out of it.

Jiang Chen watched silently, shaking his head slightly and letting out a sigh.

"Big Brother, what's wrong? Why has this place become like this?"

"You've just started, so you can't see the underlying cause yet. When you see more and think deeper in the future, you will naturally feel a heavy chill—it's brewed from resentment. To put it bluntly, too many people died, the blood Qi stagnated, and the earth's veins withered. Although it's hard to save, it's not impossible. Come, first purify this resentment and let the soil come back to life. Go on, Big Brother is watching you."

Ai Luo nodded in response and didn't ask much, only going over what needed to be done in his mind. He knew that for such a large area, he couldn't rush; he had to organize it inch by inch and clear it bit by bit. This work consumed strength and tested patience even more, and it also allowed him to feel the pulse of the earth for the first time.

He first set up the Innate Eight Trigrams, then used his own Origin Qi as a guide to draw the Qi from all directions, slowly infusing it into the Qian Ling Formation. As the Formation glowed faintly, vitality seeped in like a small stream into cracked lips; the sky seemed to brighten slightly, and something beneath the soil seemed to turn over gently.

Jiang Chen nodded. "Not bad. Do this a few more times, and the grass seeds will be willing to sprout on their own."

Purifying one patch a day, then pushing further in. Ai Luo's back and waist were sore from exhaustion, but he felt at peace, especially when that familiar and warm Origin Qi spread along his fingertips; even the wind brushing past his ears seemed to be giving thanks—nature recognized him, and his adjustments became smoother and smoother.

"Good, very good. In a few more days, this place will return to its former appearance. Look back—aren't the tender shoots popping out? Yes, that's the self-healing power of the earth Qi. As long as the injury isn't too severe, when the time comes, it will grow back on its own. And what you are doing now is personally shaving off that 'too severe' part."

"Mm, Big Brother... I'm a bit tired, but my heart is very quiet, as if I don't need to hide from anything and am not afraid of anything." Ai Luo smiled as he looked at the new greenery behind him, his eyes shining. "I really didn't expect that what I planted with my own hands isn't just grass, but a living land."

"Continue. Today's work still needs to be finished." Jiang Chen immediately replied, his voice carrying warmth.

"Mm! Don't worry, Big Brother, I will definitely do it!" Ai Luo clenched his fists and shook them, as if he wanted to wake up the entire wilderness.

With this drive, it was enough. Jiang Chen's heart warmed, and a smile spread from the corners of his eyes, sincere and heartfelt.