SFS 8. Cultivating oneself, practicing the Dharma, and cultivating the mind are all part of self-cultiva
8. Cultivating oneself, practicing the Dharma, and cultivating the mind are all part of self-cultiva
Su Han was a little confused, but she wasn't swayed by Xu Yan: "That devil has done so many bad things, so what if he did nothing wrong?"
Xu Yan wanted to say that the problem lay with the people, not the methods, but he swallowed the words back: "That makes sense!"
The two were only brought together temporarily, with neither a deep friendship nor an inseparable interest, and they were bound to part ways sooner or later.
Since our values are incompatible, why bother to find out the truth?
He proactively changed the subject: "Brother Su, it's almost noon. How far is it from the Immortal Pavilion you mentioned?"
"It's not far," Su Han said, equally rationally avoiding the sensitive topic. "It's only about 800 li."
"How much?" Xu Yan's vision blurred, and he almost fainted. "Over eight hundred li isn't far?"
Su Han was also quite annoyed: "I used to fly, I don't know how long it would take to walk."
Xu Yan was furious: I shouldn't have asked!
"This is the only immortal residence nearby. Will that demon be able to guess which way we're going?"
"No need. If I'm not mistaken, that demon won't dare to chase after us," Su Han said.
Why?
Su Han shook his head: "No need to ask any more questions, Brother Xu, just trust me."
Xu Yan retorted angrily, "I don't believe you for a second!"
The two continued on their way and came across a small river. Su Han dug out two pale yellow stones from the sand on the riverbank.
After a while, he picked up a handful of dry grass at his feet.
As the sun began to set, around three in the afternoon, Su Han suddenly jumped onto a leaning, withered tree, broke off several branches about the thickness of a forearm, and quickly snapped them into pieces.
They then found a sheltered spot, crushed the withered grass and piled it together, then struck two stones against each other, which immediately produced a few sparks.
Xu Yan then realized that the two inconspicuous stones were the legendary flint.
However, starting a fire with flint does require some skill, and Su Han tried and failed despite his efforts.
Xu Yan couldn't resist leaning closer, and a flash of electricity from his fingertips ignited the dry grass.
Su Han was somewhat surprised: "It can even be used to start a fire?"
He piled up the dry grass, then placed a few thin twigs on top, and gently blew on it a few times, and a flame started to burn.
Before long, a bonfire was lit.
Xu Yan couldn't help but admire, "Indeed, everyone has their own area of expertise."
That wasn't all. Su Han tore off a handful of fresh grass stems and threw them into the campfire, immediately producing a thick plume of smoke.
Xu Yan's eye twitched: "Aren't you afraid of attracting that devilish scholar?"
Su Han smiled confidently: "Don't worry, he wouldn't dare!"
Xu Yan raised an eyebrow: So confident, is there something I don't know about?
Thick smoke billowed into the sky through the dense foliage. Su Han looked up at the sky and said, "Just you wait."
Xu Yan: "What are you waiting for?"
Su Han smiled without saying a word.
A moment later, a beam of light descended from the sky and landed in front of the two, transforming into a middle-aged cultivator.
Xu Yan... So he was sending a distress signal?
The middle-aged cultivator remained expressionless, his gaze scrutinizing.
Su Han quickly pulled Xu Yan aside, bowed respectfully, and said, "Su Han, a disciple of the True Yue Sect, pays respects to Senior!"
Xu Yan also cupped his hands in greeting: "Junior Xu Yan greets Senior!"
He is neither a cultivator nor a member of a sect, so he can't exactly say he's a contracted writer for a certain Chinese website, can he?
"True Yue Sect?" The middle-aged cultivator's expression softened slightly as his gaze swept over the two men, his brows gradually furrowing.
These two juniors in front of me have no cultivation whatsoever, how could they be disciples of a celestial sect?
Before he could ask, Su Han cleverly interjected, "Senior, this junior has something to report!"
"speak!"
"Yesterday, I fell into the hands of the Demonic Scholar and met your esteemed sect's missing Senior Brother Zhu!"
The middle-aged cultivator's expression changed drastically, and a layer of energy suddenly rippled out from his body, causing Xu Yan to lose his balance and almost fall on his backside.
"Where is Junior Nephew Zhu?"
"A dilapidated temple in the northwest!"
The middle-aged cultivator immediately crushed a jade talisman and leaped into the sky as a streak of light.
A voice came from the sky: "You two will wait here and are not allowed to leave!"
Xu Yan was extremely envious.
To be able to fly whenever one wants, that's what a cultivator is all about!
She glanced sideways at Su Han, her contempt undisguised.
Su Han sat down with his back against a big tree: "Let's wait a while."
Xu Yan sat down next to Su Han: "Who was that senior just now...?"
"They are cultivators from Yuanji Mountain. The Immortal Shop in front is also a property of Yuanji Mountain. I just happened to visit it a few days ago."
"Is that Senior Brother Zhu in the dilapidated temple?"
"Yes."
"You had already planned to ask Yuanji Mountain for help?"
"Not bad!" Su Han nodded.
Xu Yan suddenly lowered his voice: "That Senior Brother Zhu is long dead. Aren't you afraid that Yuanji Mountain will hold a grudge against us?"
"No need to worry," Su Han said with a smile. "Our Zhenyue Sect and Yuanji Mountain are both righteous sects, and it is only right that we help each other. Besides, both of us had our cultivation destroyed by that demon, and it was already a miracle that we escaped alive. How can you blame us for what happened to Senior Brother Zhu?"
Xu Yan was taken aback: "No, are you really that naive?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, I never expected Brother Su to be so simple and kind; I admire him greatly!"
"Brother Xu, cultivators are not commoners." Su Han understood what he was worried about. "Cultivation is about cultivating the body, the methods, and even more so, the mind and the Dao! The reason why the righteous path is the righteous path is that one must walk upright and sit upright. If the mind is not upright, the Dao will not exist. At best, one's cultivation will regress; at worst, one will suffer from demonic possession. Even if there are some schemes, they will never be conspiracies or tricks."
Xu Yan was a little dumbfounded: "Is it that serious? So, righteous cultivators don't have any dark thoughts at all?"
"It's not that bad, but it's definitely not as terrible as you think."
Xu Yan asked, "Excuse my boldness, but what exactly is this so-called Dao? Is it the direction of cultivation?"
"It is both a direction for spiritual practice and a principle for life. To put it simply, it is what you agree with in your heart."
It feels strangely familiar... Isn't this just a philosophy of life and values? Add a worldview and it'll be complete!
Xu Yan, familiar with the setting, immediately had a new idea: "Then what does enlightenment mean? I've heard people talk about the Three Thousand Great Daos. Are they three thousand directions of cultivation, or three thousand principles?"
"None of those." Su Han shook his head, his tone wistful and longing. "The Three Thousand Great Daos are the ultimate principles of heaven and earth; to grasp even one of them is enough to forge the path to immortality! However, these ultimate principles are not so easily comprehended!"
The ultimate truth?
Xu Yan seemed to understand something, but couldn't quite grasp the clue, so she left her question in her heart for the time being and changed the subject to continue the conversation.
These are mostly common knowledge about cultivating immortality.
Su Han answers every question.
These are things that everyone knows, so there's no big deal about talking about them. However, if it involves the secrets of one's own sect, one would naturally not talk about them carelessly.
Not long after, the light descended, and the middle-aged cultivator returned, his face ashen and extremely unpleasant.
"Su Han!" he called out coldly.
"This junior is here!"
"Tell me in detail how you fell into that demon's hands, without omitting a single detail!"
"Yes, ma'am!" Su Han replied and recounted in detail his encounter with the Demonic Scholar.
Xu Yan then told the truth as well, but concealed his origins and used some writing techniques to refine his words, emphasizing that the two did not refuse to help, but that when they escaped the dilapidated temple, their senior brother Zhu had already lost his life.
The middle-aged cultivator couldn't help but sigh, and released a flying boat: "Get on board."
His expression revealed a hint of desolation.
The two boarded the boat as instructed, and the flying boat took off, following behind the cultivators who were floating in the air, flying straight towards Yuanji Immortal Workshop.