71: Chapter 71 Strange Phenomena Shock the World
The night at Zhongnan Mountain had never been so lively.
Just after the hour of the Rat, a beam of light suddenly appeared in the sky.
That light rose from the mountain behind the Ancient Temple. It wasn't just a beam, but a mass—a mass of Chaos, hazy and grey, like the appearance of the world before it was created. The mass of light rose slowly, growing larger as it ascended, until it covered half the sky.
Within the light of Chaos, the myriad manifestations of the world faintly emerged.
Mountains, rivers, the sun, moon, and stars, plants, birds, and beasts, the bustle of the mortal world—all flowed within that mass of light. Yet those things were not separate; they were one. Within the mountains were rivers, within the rivers were stars, within the stars were birds, and within the birds were people. Each was within the other, and the other within each, indistinguishable from one another.
Cultivators within a thousand-mile radius were all startled.
Some woke with a start from their meditation and rushed out of their Immortal Caves, staring toward Zhongnan Mountain in stunned silence.
Some took to the sky, wanting to draw closer, but were blocked a hundred miles away by an invisible force.
Some knelt on the ground, believing a Saint had been born, and kowtowed incessantly.
Others sneered and turned away, a look of wariness flashing in their eyes.
On this night, the world's Cultivators knew no sleep.
Longhu Mountain, Celestial Master Hall.
Immortal Master Yu Shu stood before the hall, gazing toward the Northwest for a long time in silence.
Behind him, several Elders looked at each other until finally, someone couldn't help but speak.
"Celestial Master, that phenomenon..."
"I see it."
"Who caused it? Could it be that a Saint has been born?"
Immortal Master Yu Shu shook his head.
"It is not a Saint. It is that young man."
The Elders were taken aback.
"A young man? Which young man?"
"The one who came to Longhu Mountain five years ago. Surnamed Lu, called Lu Mingyuan."
Everyone gasped.
"Five years ago? A minor Cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Stage? To be able to cause such a commotion five years later?"
"Celestial Master, please do not joke..." someone said in disbelief.
Immortal Master Yu Shu turned around and looked at the speaker.
"Does this old Taoist look like he is joking?"
The man dared not speak further.
Immortal Master Yu Shu looked toward Zhongnan Mountain and said softly:
"Five years, from Foundation Establishment to Body Integration. This world is about to see another extraordinary figure."
Wudang Mountain, Zhenwu Hall.
The Pavilion Keeper sat on the stone steps before the hall, holding a lantern in his hand.
The flame in the lantern flickered in the night wind. He did not mind, simply gazing toward Zhongnan Mountain.
Behind him, a young Taoist asked cautiously:
"Grand-Uncle Master, that phenomenon..."
"Mhm."
"Is it that man surnamed Lu?"
"Mhm."
"He... what Realm has he reached?"
The Pavilion Keeper thought for a moment.
"Body Integration."
The young Taoist gasped.
Five years, from Foundation Establishment to Body Integration? He had cultivated for fifty years and was still stuck in the Nascent Soul Stage.
"This... how is this possible?"
The Pavilion Keeper turned his head and glanced at him.
"You think it is talent?"
The young Taoist did not dare answer.
The Pavilion Keeper stood up and walked toward the hall with his lantern.
"It is not talent. It is that the path he walks is different from others."
Reaching the doorway, he stopped and said without turning back:
"Starting tomorrow, your lessons will be doubled."
The young Taoist's face immediately fell.
Mount Qingcheng, Wenjian Cliff.
Perfected Master Changkong stood at the edge of the cliff, the night wind whipping his Taoist robes with a snapping sound.
Jiang Yichen stood behind him, silent.
The phenomenon was still in the sky; that mass of Chaos light rotated slowly, like a giant eye looking down upon all living things.
"Master," Jiang Yichen finally spoke, "he has arrived?"
"He has."
"What Realm?"
"Body Integration."
Jiang Yichen was silent for a long time.
He and Lu Mingyuan had fought to a hundred-move draw on the Sword Testing Platform five years ago. Five years ago, both were at Foundation Establishment Perfection. Five years later, he had just broken through to Nascent Soul, while Lu Mingyuan had already reached Body Integration.
"Disciple..." he did not know what to say.
Perfected Master Changkong turned around and looked at him.
"What do you want to say?"
"Disciple... is lagging too far behind."
Perfected Master Changkong smiled.
"You think cultivation is a race? That whoever runs fastest wins?"
Jiang Yichen was taken aback.
"Cultivation is walking. Some walk fast, others walk slow. But speed is not what is most important. What matters most is that you walk your own path."
He looked toward Zhongnan Mountain, his gaze deep.
"His path is his own. Your path is your own. Why compare different paths?"
Jiang Yichen thought for a long time, then suddenly gave a deep bow.
"Disciple understands."
Shaolin Temple, Meditation Room.
Zen Master Huijue sat cross-legged on a prayer mat, an oil lamp placed before him.
The flame was tiny, like a soybean. But that soybean-sized flame remained perfectly still in the night wind.
Outside the window, the phenomenon of Chaos lit up half the sky.
A Little Novice Monk peered inside, wanting to see what his Master was doing. But after watching for a long time, his Master just sat there, doing nothing.
"Master," the novice monk couldn't help but say, "outside... there is a phenomenon outside!"
"Mhm."
"Aren't you going to look?"
"I have seen it."
The novice monk was stunned. Master had been sitting here the whole time; when did he look?
Zen Master Huijue opened his eyes and looked at him.
"The eyes do not look, but the heart looks. If the heart has seen it, then it is seen."
The novice monk half-understood.
Zen Master Huijue closed his eyes again.
"Go. Those who should sleep, sleep; those who should rise, rise. The phenomenon belongs to others; sleep belongs to you."
The novice monk scratched his head and left quietly.
In the Meditation Room, the lamp flame remained motionless.
Outside the window, the phenomenon gradually faded.
Yuelu Academy, Lecture Hall.
The old teacher gave a lecture standing by the window, gazing toward Zhongnan Mountain.
Behind him, several young students were full of excitement, chattering away.
"What great expert is that?"
"Could it be that a Saint has been born?"
"I heard that Zhongnan Mountain has been home to many recluses since ancient times. Could it be some ancient powerhouse?"
The old gentleman turned around and glanced at them.
The students immediately quieted down.
"Did you all see it?"
"We did!"
"Are your hearts all stirred?"
The students were taken aback, not knowing how to answer.
The old gentleman walked back to the podium and picked up a scroll.
"The phenomenon belongs to others. The stirring of the heart is your own. If your heart is stirred, your studying has been in vain. For tomorrow's morning lesson, everyone will memorize an extra chapter."
The students' faces immediately fell.
The old gentleman opened the book and said without looking up:
"All of you, go back to sleep."
The students slunk away.
Only the old gentleman remained in the Lecture Hall. He put down the book and looked out the window again.
Outside, the night was deep, and the phenomenon had dispersed.
He murmured, "The youth are to be feared. The youth are to be feared indeed."
Zhongnan Mountain, Ancient Temple.
Lu Mingyuan stood in the courtyard, watching the phenomenon gradually dissipate in the sky.
He did not know what to say.
This phenomenon was drawn here by him. But he had not done it on purpose. From his seclusion until now, every Breakthrough had been accompanied by a phenomenon. This time was particularly large, so large that even he was startled.
Behind him, Xuanweizi slowly approached.
"Seen enough?"
Lu Mingyuan gave a wry smile. "Disciple... did not do it intentionally."
Xuanweizi smiled.
"Intentional or not, it is the same. Once you have arrived, you have arrived; it cannot be hidden."
He came to a halt under the old cypress tree, looking at Lu Mingyuan.
"Do you know why it cannot be hidden?"
Lu Mingyuan thought for a moment. "Because the Heavenly Dao sensed it?"
Xuanweizi shook his head.
"Because the human heart senses it."
He pointed to Lu Mingyuan's chest.
"This place here has changed a bit. That bit can be felt by heaven and earth, and it can be felt by people. Like a stone thrown into water, ripples will form. Once the ripples go out, they are no longer under your control."
Lu Mingyuan was silent.
"Then... should Disciple hide it?"
Xuanweizi looked at him.
"Can you hide it?"
Lu Mingyuan thought for a long time, then shook his head.
It could not be hidden.
He did not even know when his next Breakthrough would come, or if another phenomenon would appear when it did. How could he hide it?
Xuanweizi nodded.
"If you cannot hide it, do not. Do not hide it, but do not flaunt it either. When it comes, accept it. When it goes, see it off. Just do what you need to do."
He turned and walked toward the East Wing.
Reaching the door, he suddenly stopped and said without turning back:
"Starting tomorrow, teach your martial nephew the real stuff. Do not let him wander around the courtyard all day doing nothing."
Lu Mingyuan was taken aback, then gave a wry smile.
This Junior Martial Uncle role was feeling more and more real.
Qingyuan sat in his room, staring blankly out the window.
The phenomenon had already dispersed, but his heart was still racing.
He had never seen such a scene in his life. That mass of Chaos light had covered half the sky, with mountains, water, and the mortal world within it. Standing in the courtyard, his legs had gone weak.
Yet the person who had caused such a massive commotion had been teaching him how to draw Qi into his body just this afternoon.
Teaching with great patience and normalcy, like teaching a younger brother from next door.
He suddenly felt a bit dazed.
Who exactly was this person?
Footsteps came from outside the door.
Qingyuan quickly stood up and opened the door.
Lu Mingyuan stood outside, the moonlight falling on him and plating him with a faint silver edge.
"Not asleep yet?"
Qingyuan shook his head.
Lu Mingyuan looked at him and suddenly asked:
"Scared?"
Qingyuan nodded, then shook his head.
"A little... but not entirely."
"Then what is it?"
Qingyuan thought for a long while before saying:
"Disciple was thinking about when I could be like you, Junior Martial Uncle."
Lu Mingyuan smiled.
"Like me? What is so good about being like me?"
Qingyuan was stunned.
"Cultivating to a high level, going far, a world-shaking phenomenon—is that not good?"
Lu Mingyuan shook his head.
"Cultivating high brings high-level worries. Going far brings distant difficulties. A world-shaking phenomenon brings world-shaking troubles."
He looked at Qingyuan, his gaze calm.
"The path you are on now is the best path. Walk it step by step, see it step by step. You may walk slowly, but every step is solid. When you reach where I am, you will know—walking too fast is not necessarily a good thing."
Qingyuan listened blankly.
Lu Mingyuan patted his shoulder.
"Go to sleep. Starting tomorrow, I will teach you the real stuff."
He turned and left.
Qingyuan stood at the doorway, watching his silhouette disappear into the night.
The moonlight fell quietly upon the old cypress tree in the courtyard.
He suddenly felt that this "Junior Martial Uncle" seemed a bit different from the great experts he had imagined.
The night grew deep.
Lu Mingyuan sat in his room, looking at the moonlight outside the window.
Within his Dantian, that mass of Wanxiang True Qi hung quietly. After reaching Body Integration, it had become heavier and more stable, like a mountain.
He knew that from this day forward, all the world's Cultivators would know his name.
Some would come to join him, some to test him, some to challenge him, and some to scheme against him.
This was something he could not avoid.
But he was not afraid.
Not because his cultivation was higher, but because he knew—no matter how the outside world changed, the things that needed to be done still had to be done.
Teach Qingyuan, accompany Xuanweizi, and Cultivate his own Dao.
As for the rest, he would deal with it when it came.
Moonlight shone in through the window, falling upon him.
He closed his eyes, thinking of nothing.
Simply sitting.
Outside, the night wind blew through the old cypress tree, making a rustling sound.
The Ancient Temple was quiet, just as it had been for hundreds of years.