5: Chapter 5 The True Transmission of the Tao Te Ching

As the twilight deepened, the light inside the ancient temple grew dim.

Xuanweizi leaned against the bed of withered leaves Lu Mingyuan had prepared for him, his eyes slightly closed, his breathing much steadier than at noon. Though that strand of Noble Spirit was weak, it was like a spark of fire, temporarily suppressing the spread of the Devilish Qi. With his wounds properly bandaged and the medicinal power slowly dissolving in his body, a trace of Life Qi finally returned to the old Daoist's haggard face.

Lu Mingyuan stayed by the fire, carefully adding withered branches. The flames leaped, casting flickering shadows on his young face. From time to time, he looked at Xuanweizi, his mind filled with mixed thoughts—this Daoist clearly knew many secrets: the true version of the classic of mountains and seas, the blood-light in the Northwest, the Devilish Qi injury, and that phrase "the one that escaped"... each one involved a world far beyond his imagination.

"Young man," Xuanweizi suddenly spoke, his voice still raspy but with a bit more strength.

"Daoist Master, you're awake?" Lu Mingyuan quickly turned around. "Would you like some water?"

Xuanweizi shook his head gently, his gaze falling on the dancing flames. After a long while, he said, "You saved this poor Daoist's life; this debt must be repaid. I see you possess a Wisdom Root, have gained Baize's recognition, and even carry the true version of the classic of mountains and seas... this is no coincidence. Do you know what this means?"

Lu Mingyuan sat up straight. "Junior has some inkling, but I know it is so without knowing why it is so."

"A fine 'knowing it is so without knowing why it is so'," a flash of approval crossed Xuanweizi's eyes. "Not speaking recklessly, not overstepping—your Heart-Nature is acceptable." He paused. "Since you have already stepped through this door, I shall pass on an introductory Mind-Cultivation Technique to you. Consider it a repayment for saving my life and a way to point you toward a clear path."

Lu Mingyuan's heart jolted, and he gave a solemn, deep bow. "Please speak, Daoist Master."

Xuanweizi did not speak immediately. He slowly raised his uninjured left hand, his index finger tracing the air. Where his fingertip passed, faint golden light trails were left behind, exceptionally striking in the dim ancient temple. The light trails intertwined, gradually condensing into eight large ancient seal script characters suspended in mid-air:

The Dao follows nature; purity and tranquility are the Foundation.

As soon as the eight characters appeared, the air in the ancient temple seemed to settle into silence. The crackling of the fire receded, the wind died down, and even the falling dust from the beams seemed to slow. Lu Mingyuan felt his mind clear; the anxiety, confusion, and shock of the past few days quietly faded away before these eight characters.

"This is the general outline of the Classic of Purity and Tranquility," Xuanweizi's voice was low, each word seemingly carrying a certain rhythm. "The full name of this scripture is Taishang Laojun's Classic of Constant Purity and Tranquility. It is the most fundamental cultivation manual of the Daoist Sect, and also its most profound principle. Today, I will first teach you the first three chapters. Listen carefully and remember them well."

He closed his eyes for a moment as if reminiscing, then began to recite:

"The Great Dao has no form, giving birth to Heaven and Earth; the Great Dao has no feelings, moving the sun and moon; the Great Dao has no name, nourishing all things. I do not know its name, so I force the name 'Dao' upon it..."

The sound of the scripture was not loud, yet every word was clear, like clear spring water dripping onto stone. Lu Mingyuan listened with rapt attention. At first, he only felt the words were mystical and difficult to understand. But gradually, under the vision of All-encompassing Clarity, he saw that as those words left Xuanweizi's mouth, they actually transformed into faint silver runes, hovering in the air and slowly rotating.

Even more wondrously, these runes produced a subtle resonance with the residual Formation patterns and Spiritual Vein Qi within the ancient temple. The flow of green Qi on the walls accelerated, the glow of the Spiritual Vein beneath the ground brightened, and even the ancient scroll of the classic of mountains and seas in his robe gave off a faint, warm sensation.

After Xuanweizi finished reciting the first three chapters, he stopped. "Have you committed them to memory?"

Lu Mingyuan took a deep breath. "Junior has remembered the words, but as for the profound meaning within..."

"There is no need to rush to understand," Xuanweizi interrupted him. "The essence of the Classic of Purity and Tranquility lies not in interpretation, but in practice. Recite it three times with me and feel the resonance the scripture creates within your body."

Lu Mingyuan followed his instructions, closing his eyes to recite along with Xuanweizi.

The first time, he only found the words awkward. Many pronunciations were ancient and obscure, requiring full concentration just to keep up.

The second time, the rhythm became familiar. The scripture flowed from his mouth like water, and his mind began to settle into tranquility.

During the third time, a phenomenon occurred.

With the sound of the recitation, that weak strand of Noble Spirit within his body began to circulate on its own. At the same time, at the center of his brows—where the All-encompassing Clarity talent resided—a warm pulsation came. The sound of the scripture, the flow of Noble Spirit, and the talent's pulsation gradually synchronized, forming a tiny cycle within his body.

Viewing his internal self through the Eye of Clarity, Lu Mingyuan "saw" a change: his Dantian, which was originally empty and void, now shimmered with a faint, milky-white glow. At the center of the glow, a silver speck the size of a grain of rice slowly condensed, flickering in time with the rhythm of the recitation.

"Do you feel it?" Xuanweizi's voice sounded in his ear, appearing to come from very far away. "That is the 'Seed of Qi'. Ordinary people need a hundred days of Foundation Establishment to perceive the Qi-sense, but you have extraordinary talent and happen to be at a Spiritual Vein node; condensing a Seed of Qi in just three recitations is truly rare."

Lu Mingyuan opened his eyes, unable to hide the shock within them. "This is... cultivation?"

"This is only the beginning," Xuanweizi's expression turned serious. "Lu Mingyuan, remember this: in Daoist cultivation, the two words 'Purity' and 'Tranquility' are of utmost importance. Purity means clarifying the original heart so it is unstained by dust; Tranquility means ceasing delusive thoughts so one does not drift with the current. This Classic of Purity and Tranquility may seem simple, but it actually encompasses everything. In the future, whether you study Daoist arts, read Confucian classics, temper your martial path, or even contemplate Buddhist principles, you must use a pure and tranquil heart as your Foundation."

He paused, his voice dropping lower. "Now that the Dharma Ending Age's Tribulation Qi has appeared, the Turbid Qi in the world is growing daily while the Clear Qi is waning. If a cultivator's heart is not pure and tranquil, they are easily taken advantage of by External Demons and fall into the Evil Path. You possess the Eye of Clarity and can see what ordinary people cannot; this is both a talent and a test—the more you see, the easier it is for the heart to be disturbed. Maintaining purity and tranquility is the Righteous Path."

Lu Mingyuan bowed solemnly. "Junior will keep this in mind."

Xuanweizi nodded and felt around in his robe for a moment before taking out an object—a palm-sized Jade Slip, the color of mutton-fat jade, warm and translucent. "This is the Complete Manual of the Classic of Purity and Tranquility, along with some of my cultivation insights from over a hundred years, imprinted within via Divine Thought. Place it against your brow and focus your mind to read it."

Lu Mingyuan took the Jade Slip with both hands. It felt slightly cool to the touch, with fine silver patterns flowing inside. Under the Eye of Clarity, those patterns formed intricate scripture diagrams.

"However—" Xuanweizi's tone shifted. "The Jade Slip is merely an introduction. True cultivation lies within daily life and practice. From this day forward, you must do three things."

"Please instruct me, Daoist Master."

"First, every morning and evening, recite the Classic of Purity and Tranquility three times. Do not seek speed; seek only to make every word distinct and your mind focused."

"Second, whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, constantly observe your own heart. When a thought arises, ask where it came from; when an emotion stirs, observe why it began. Over time, delusive thoughts will vanish of their own accord, and the true heart will reveal itself."

"Third..." Xuanweizi looked at the night outside the ancient temple. "Once my injuries have healed slightly, you will follow me back to Zhongnan Mountain. Although the Spiritual Vein here is good, it is not a place to stay for long. The Northwest Devilish Qi has appeared, and I fear there may be complications."

Lu Mingyuan's heart stirred. "Daoist Master, that blood-light in the Northwest..."

"You need not look too deeply into this for now," Xuanweizi waved his hand. "Your cultivation is not yet formed; knowing too much will only give rise to Heart Demons. Focus on building a good Foundation; that is what matters."

Though Lu Mingyuan was curious, he knew the weight of the matter and replied, "Yes."

Seeing his compliance, Xuanweizi's expression softened. "Try this: using the Seed of Qi you just condensed as a guide, follow the 'Orbit Circulation' method recorded in the Jade Slip to perform one Microcosmic Orbit."

Lu Mingyuan sat cross-legged as instructed and pressed the Jade Slip to his brow. In the moment he focused, a vast amount of information flooded his mind—not just words, but images, insights, and even a certain mysterious 'Dao Rhyme'. He cast aside stray thoughts and focused on the simplest introductory Qi Circulation method.

His consciousness sank into his Dantian, finding that silver speck the size of a grain of rice.

"Lead the Qi out of the Dantian, up along the Ren Meridian, passing through the Shanzhong to the Baihui; turn down the Du Meridian, passing through the Yuzhen and the Jiaji, returning to the Dantian. This is the Microcosmic Orbit..."

He carefully guided that weak Seed of Qi along the path described in the method. At first, it was clumsy and difficult; the Seed of Qi moved like a crawling snail, requiring full effort to push past every Acupoint. But after passing three Acupoints, the speed suddenly increased—the strand of Noble Spirit in his body spontaneously merged with it, forming a slightly thicker platinum-gold Qi stream.

Everywhere the Qi stream passed, the Meridians felt a warm, tingling sensation, like spring water moistening frozen soil.

Even more wonderful, under the Eye of Clarity, he could "see" a thin path of light lighting up inside his body. Wherever the light path went, those originally dim and blocked minor vessels were slowly pushed open and cleared. Though it was only a tiny change, it made his whole body feel comfortable, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.

When the Microcosmic Orbit was completed and the Seed of Qi returned to the Dantian, it had grown from the size of a grain of rice to the size of a soybean, and its light was more solid.

Lu Mingyuan opened his eyes and let out a long breath of Turbid Qi. That breath actually condensed into a faint white mist in the air, lasting for three breaths before dissipating.

"Not bad," Xuanweizi had been observing from the side and now nodded slightly. "To be able to complete a Microcosmic Orbit in one go during your first Qi Circulation, and even draw upon the hidden Noble Spirit within your body to assist... your talent is even better than I anticipated."

He paused, a complex look flashing in his eyes. "It is only a pity that you were born in the Dharma Ending Age."

Lu Mingyuan did not know how to respond and could only remain silent.

Xuanweizi said no more and closed his eyes again to regulate his breathing. The ancient temple fell silent, save for the crackling of the fire. Lu Mingyuan held the Jade Slip, feeling the warm Seed of Qi in his Dantian, his heart both excited and heavy.

He was excited because he had truly stepped through the door of cultivation and touched the edge of that mysterious world.

He was heavy because of the messages revealed in Xuanweizi's words—Dharma Ending Age, Tribulation Qi, Devilish Qi, Great Kalpa... these terms intertwined into an invisible great web, and he was already caught within it.

Outside the window, the last trace of daylight vanished, and stars began to appear.

Lu Mingyuan looked toward the Northwest horizon. Under the Eye of Clarity, that dark red rift still hovered deep within the clouds, and compared to last night, it seemed to have... spread a bit further.

He withdrew his gaze and looked down at his palm.

The three golden rune marks were slightly hot, as if reminding him: the path had been chosen, and there was no turning back.

And the starting point of this path was the Jade Slip in his hand and those eight characters—

The Dao follows nature; purity and tranquility are the Foundation.