12: Chapter 12 Confucian Classics Cultivate Righteous Spirit
With his Foundation Establishment successful, Lu Mingyuan followed Xuanweizi's instructions and rested in the temple for three days. As the Chaotic Dao Foundation was newly established, it needed to be repeatedly nourished with Divine Thought to stabilize it. Every morning and evening, he spent an hour sinking his mind into his Dantian, visualizing the scenes of the Chaotic Dao Foundation evolving into all things—sometimes seeing earth, fire, water, and wind surging; sometimes seeing the sun, moon, and stars rotating; and sometimes seeing the growth and withering of plants. After three days, the rotation of the Dao Foundation had become steady, and its resonance with the acupoints throughout his body grew increasingly harmonious.
On the morning of the fourth day, Lu Mingyuan rose at the Hour of the Tiger as usual and sat quietly in the courtyard to observe the sky. As the east grew pale and purple Qi came from the east, he took a deep breath, drawing a wisp of Pure Yang Qi from the rising sun into his Dantian to nourish his Dao Foundation. Just as he was preparing to head to the medicinal garden, Xuanweizi stepped out of the main hall.
"From today, I will begin teaching you Spells." The old Daoist held a roll of yellowed bamboo scrolls in his hand. "But before that, I want to test you—what insights have you gained from nourishing your Dao Foundation over these three days?"
Lu Mingyuan thought for a moment and replied, "The Chaotic Dao Foundation seems to have an 'inclusive' nature. When I was visualizing, I found it could simulate the circulation of Spiritual Qi of various attributes, accommodating both the rotation of the Five Elements and the changes of Yin and Yang. It's just... it seems to lack a certain 'backbone'."
"Backbone?" A flash of approval shone in Xuanweizi's eyes. "Go on."
"It's like a house that has all its beams, pillars, rafters, and purlins, but lacks the main load-bearing beam," Lu Mingyuan gestured. "The Chaotic Dao Foundation can evolve into ten thousand methods, but what is the 'basis' for that evolution? There should be some fundamental Law or... philosophy?"
Xuanweizi stroked his beard and smiled. "To be able to think at this level, you have already surpassed many Cultivators who have practiced for years. Indeed, Chaos is order within disorder. Disorder means it has no fixed form or attribute and can include everything; order means it must have some internal 'Principle' to govern this inclusion, otherwise it will fall into true Chaos, and the Dao Foundation will collapse."
He handed over the bamboo scrolls in his hand. "Therefore, I will not teach you Spells today, but instead give you a task."
Lu Mingyuan took the scrolls and unfurled them, slightly startled. The bamboo scrolls were not Daoist scriptures, but the opening of the Confucian classic, the Great Learning: 'The way of Great Learning lies in manifesting illustrious virtue, in loving the people, and in abiding in the highest good...'
"Daoist Master, this is..."
"Go to the Scripture Pavilion." Xuanweizi pointed to a small two-story building behind the temple. "It does not only house Daoist scriptures, but also Confucian, Buddhist, and Martial texts. Go and browse for yourself; within three days, find the thing that can provide the 'backbone' for your Chaotic Dao Foundation."
Though Lu Mingyuan did not understand the intent, he still followed the instructions.
The Scripture Pavilion was located in the deepest part of Xuanwei Temple, backed against a cliff with green vines covering its outer walls. Upon entering, the scent of aged scrolls greeted him. The pavilion was spacious, with dozens of bookshelves neatly arranged, displaying various classics categorized by type. Daoist classics occupied more than half, but the bookshelves on the west side indeed displayed the Thirteen Classics of Confucianism and works of the Hundred Schools of Thought; on the east side were Buddhist scriptures and martial arts manuals; and in the corners were miscellaneous subjects like medical texts, agricultural books, and astrological calendars.
Lu Mingyuan walked to the Confucian bookshelf, his fingers brushing over the spines. The Analects, Mencius, the Doctrine of the Mean, the Classic of Poetry, the Book of Documents... these classics he had read since childhood were encountered once again in this Daoist temple on Zhongnan Mountain, giving him a sense of being in another lifetime.
He pulled out Mencius and randomly opened a page to the 'Gongsun Chou I' chapter: 'I am good at nourishing my Noble Spirit... It is a spirit, supremely great and supremely tough; if nourished with uprightness and not harmed, it will fill the space between heaven and earth.'
"Noble Spirit..." Lu Mingyuan's heart stirred slightly.
When he was healing Xuanweizi in the ancient temple, he had used that faint wisp of Noble Spirit in his body to dispel the Devilish Qi. But that spirit was naturally cultivated through reading Confucian classics, not something obtained through active cultivation. Looking at this passage again, he suddenly had a new insight.
Holding Mencius, he sat down at the wooden desk by the window and studied it carefully. Outside the window, bamboo shadows swayed and birds chirped softly; inside the pavilion, it was so quiet that one could hear the sound of pages turning. Lu Mingyuan immersed himself in it, gradually forgetting the time.
He did not know how much time had passed, but when he read 'Wealth and honor cannot corrupt, poverty and low status cannot shift, power and force cannot bend,' a surge of heat suddenly welled up in his chest.
That heat rose from his heart, pure and gentle, yet carrying an unyielding sense of integrity. It circulated through his Meridians on its own and finally flowed into his Dantian, creating a wondrous resonance with his Chaotic Dao Foundation. The chaotic halo on the surface of the Dao Foundation rippled slightly, slowly absorbing and fusing with this surge of heat. A moment later, the rotation speed of the Dao Foundation seemed to quicken slightly, and its color became more mellow.
"This is..." Lu Mingyuan looked within himself and was surprised to find an extremely fine, pure white thread in the center of the Chaotic Dao Foundation. Though the thread was thin, it was incredibly resilient, standing motionless in the chaotic halo like a Sea-Settling Needle.
Noble Spirit!
In a flash of insight, he immediately understood what had happened—while reading the Confucian classics, his heart resonated and activated the Noble Spirit that already existed within his body, and this spirit had actively integrated into the Chaotic Dao Foundation, becoming one of its 'frameworks'.
"When righteousness resides within, evil cannot interfere." Lu Mingyuan recalled this phrase from an ancient medical text.
He put down Mencius and pulled out the Analects. Reading 'Men of purpose and benevolence do not seek to live at the expense of benevolence, but would rather give their lives to achieve it,' the Noble Spirit in his chest surged again. Reading 'The commander of three armies can be captured, but the will of even a common man cannot be taken,' the spirit grew even stronger. Reading 'Do not do unto others what you would not have them do unto you,' the spirit became gentle and inclusive.
With every line he read, the Noble Spirit in his chest grew stronger, and the pure white thread integrated into his Dao Foundation became more solid.
Lu Mingyuan simply brought over the Confucian classics one by one, reading from the Great Learning and the Doctrine of the Mean to the Classic of Poetry and the Book of Documents, and from the I Ching and the Book of Rites to the Spring and Autumn Annals and the Erya. He already had a deep Foundation in Confucian studies, and reading them again now, combined with his insights from cultivation, gave every word and sentence a brand-new understanding.
Confucianism speaks of 'cultivating the self, regulating the family, governing the state, and bringing peace to the world,' where 'cultivating the self' is the Foundation of cultivation; it speaks of 'investigating things, extending knowledge, sincerity of intent, and rectifying the heart,' which are precisely the methods for polishing one's Heart-Nature; it speaks of 'In poverty, one improves oneself; in success, one benefits the world,' which is so similar to the Cultivator's philosophy of 'saving oneself and saving others'!
For three days, Lu Mingyuan barely left the room. When he was hungry, he ate a few bites of dry rations; when he was thirsty, he drank some clear water; the rest of the time was spent reading in the Scripture Pavilion. He was no longer just memorizing words, but using his heart to feel the 'spirit' contained between the lines—the spirit belonging to people that has supported Huaxia civilization for thousands of years.
On the evening of the third day, when Lu Mingyuan closed the final volume of the Classic of Filial Piety, the changes in his Dantian were already very apparent.
In the center of the Chaotic Dao Foundation, that pure white thread had grown from the thickness of a hair to the size of a hemp cord, standing straight and piercing through the top and bottom of the Dao Foundation. Around the thread, the chaotic halo seemed to have a direction as it circulated—no longer surging in disorder, but rotating and evolving orderly around this 'backbone'.
What was even more wondrous was that when Lu Mingyuan circulated his True Qi, it now carried a hint of pure and upright integrity. He tried to release his True Qi, and the vortex condensed in his palm was no longer purely white-gold, but white-gold mixed with fine rays of pure white light, like the breaking of dawn.
"So that's how it is..." Lu Mingyuan murmured to himself.
The Chaotic Dao Foundation can include all methods, but without a firm 'core,' inclusion would just become a jumble without principles. And the Confucian Noble Spirit emphasizes being 'supremely great and supremely tough' and 'nourishing with uprightness'; this upright, pure, and firm spirit is exactly what can provide stability for the Chaotic Dao Foundation, allowing it to include all methods without losing itself.
When righteousness resides within, evil cannot interfere—this is not only for resisting external evils, but also for guarding one's internal clarity and steadfastness.
The pavilion door creaked open, and Xuanweizi walked in.
"The three days are up. What have you gained?"
Lu Mingyuan rose and bowed deeply to the ground. "Junior understands. The Chaotic Dao Foundation needs a 'backbone,' and the Confucian Noble Spirit, being upright and pure, can serve as the pillar to stabilize the Foundation. Inclusion requires principles, and Fusion requires a basis."
Xuanweizi walked to the desk, glanced at the open Confucian classics, and nodded slightly. "It seems you have already cultivated a true Noble Spirit. Compared to that previous wisp of instinctive Qi, the Noble Spirit you have now has merged with your Dao Foundation and become a part of your cultivation Foundation."
He paused and said meaningfully, "Why do you think I had you read Confucian classics?"
Lu Mingyuan was startled. "Was it not to find the 'backbone' for the Dao Foundation?"
"Yes, but not entirely," Xuanweizi shook his head. "You were originally a scholar, and Confucianism has been your Foundation for twenty years. If you blindly practiced the Dao and abandoned Confucianism, it would be neglecting the root to chase the branches, like a tree with its roots severed. Cultivation is not about discarding your past, but about turning everything from your past into sustenance for your cultivation."
He pointed to the position of Lu Mingyuan's Dantian. "Now your Dao Foundation has the mechanism of Chaos evolution and the spirit of Noble Spirit. If you integrate the compassion of Buddhism and the fierce valor of the Martial Dao in the future, the Chaotic Dao Foundation can truly reach Perfection. This is the path 'the one that escaped' should take—not being fixated on a single path, but integrating the hundred schools."
Lu Mingyuan's heart was shaken, and he bowed deeply once again. "Thank you for your guidance, Master."
"Very well. Now that your Noble Spirit is established, I will formally begin teaching you Spells tomorrow." Xuanweizi turned to walk out. "But I must warn you first—since you have cultivated Noble Spirit, when you perform Spells in the future, they will naturally carry this 'upright and honorable' quality. This is a good thing, but also a constraint."
"A constraint?"
"Noble Spirit is supremely tough and upright. If you use it to do good, defend the Dao, and protect life, its power will be doubled; but if you use it to do evil, betray your heart, or harm others, you will surely suffer a backlash." Xuanweizi looked back at him. "This is the price of cultivating Noble Spirit, and also its Karma. Conduct yourself well."
As his voice faded, he had already left the pavilion.
Lu Mingyuan stood in place, reflecting on these words. He reached out his hand, and a vortex of white-gold light with pure white shimmer condensed in his palm. As the vortex rotated, it naturally emitted an upright aura that brought peace of mind.
When righteousness resides within, evil cannot interfere.
He suddenly felt that this was not just a cultivation method, but also a principle for being a person.
Outside the window, as twilight deepened, the distant sound of a bell rang out from Zhongnan Mountain.
Lu Mingyuan returned the Confucian classics one by one to their places and walked out of the Scripture Pavilion. The evening breeze brushed his face and bamboo shadows swayed; the warm and upright aura in his chest circulated slowly with his breath, resonating with the Chaotic Dao Foundation in his Dantian.
The Dao is within Confucianism, and Confucianism is within the Dao.
He seemed to see this path a little more clearly now.