The Master and his disciple Jiang Yuan passed through Hangu Pass, walked along the Golden Road, and headed west, leaving the Southern Zhanbu Continent and entering the Western Niuhe Continent.
Upon entering the Western Niuhe Continent, Jiang Yuan was both astonished and bewildered.
Before him lay a scene where "flying stones obscured the eyes, and the blazing sun burned like fire."
In the desert, amidst the wasteland, it was hard to believe this was a continent; it felt more like a place "devoid of teachings."
Jiang Yuan felt a sense of gloom, as if he were in a great dream akin to "Journey to the West," where the Buddha said that the Western Niuhe Continent was a place "without greed or killing, nurturing qi and hiding the spirit; though there is no supreme truth, everyone lives long."
In this wild and desolate land, how could it resemble a place for cultivation?
Jiang Yuan said, "Master, this place does not seem like a land of spirits."
The Master walked ahead and replied, "The Western Niuhe Continent is devoid of teachings, filled with many demons and monsters, the elders lack ambition, and the young ones lack order. The spirits of grass and trees do not exist here; it is indeed the 'Sea of Suffering.' However, the Lingtai Fangcun Mountain mentioned by Boyang is a marvelous place, deep within the Western Niuhe Continent. Child, proceed slowly."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan responded with a "Yes."
The Master pointed to the Golden Road ahead and said, "This journey is bound to have calamities. I have laid down the Golden Road; tigers, leopards, wolves, insects, demons, and ghosts do not dare to enter. This is the power of the law. Child, while traveling west, do not stray from the road. If you step off the path, you will surely encounter deadly hands, and your primordial spirit will be in danger of overturning."
Jiang Yuan replied, "Yes."
The Master continued walking along the Golden Road, with Jiang Yuan closely following behind.
At first, Jiang Yuan was still somewhat curious, but after ten days of travel, he realized this was indeed a wild land.
The wind and sand obscured his vision, and there was nothing particularly beautiful to see, so he gave up on looking around and focused on practicing his water grinding technique daily, refining his heart monkey for use with his primordial spirit.
However, as time passed, he understood that the wilderness of the Western Niuhe Continent was not merely about the wind and sand.
When he was in the Southern Zhanbu Continent, he would eat the wind and drink the dew, and after five or six decades, his heart monkey would be subdued.
In the Western Niuhe Continent, drinking dew was utterly impossible; he could only eat the wind every night.
The wind in the Western Niuhe Continent was rough and harsh, entering his throat, bitter and dry, making progress very slow.
Jiang Yuan had no choice but to slowly refine his heart monkey, expending more effort.
...
As they traveled through the Western Niuhe Continent, time flew by like an arrow, days and months like a shuttle.
The Master and disciple continued along the Golden Road for five or six years.
Along the way, they encountered fierce tigers and demon foxes.
Jiang Yuan kept his head down and walked, not straying from the Golden Road, with his primordial spirit protecting him.
One day, a sandstorm arose.
The Master and disciple continued forward.
Suddenly, a voice called out from the road.
"Hey, travelers ahead, where do you come from?"
The Master stopped.
Jiang Yuan turned to look and saw a dark-skinned man approaching, stepping onto the Golden Road.
He felt something was off; his mud palace trembled, and his eyes sparkled with awareness.
He saw that this man was half-covered in a black mud that was difficult to see with the naked eye, appearing like an ordinary person.
The man approached and said, "Travelers ahead, my name is Ladi. I am from the country of Xijie, here to fetch water for the king. Where do you come from?"
The Master remained silent.
Jiang Yuan stepped forward and said, "We are travelers from the Southern Zhanbu Continent."
He examined the man named 'Ladi,' noting his simple attire, with no clothing on his upper body, giving off a primitive feel, lacking any signs of civilization.
He must be from a tribe, falsely claiming to be a country.
Looking at his face, he indeed resembled a 'full moon,' but his height was unrecorded, about sixteen elbows tall.
Sixteen elbows would be around eight meters.
Ladi looked at the Master and disciple and said, "Where is the Southern Zhanbu Continent? How can you bear wearing so much in this scorching sun?"
Jiang Yuan replied, "By remaining calm and responsive, and by maintaining purity, stillness brings coolness, while movement brings heat."
Upon hearing this, Ladi murmured to himself, his eyes brightening as if he understood something.
He then said, "What you say makes a lot of sense. I would like to invite you to my home to host you."
Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "No need. My master and I are merely travelers. We stopped only because you spoke to us; we should continue on our way."
As he finished speaking, he exchanged glances with the Master and continued along the Golden Road.
Ladi scratched his head, puzzled.
Seeing that the two did not agree, he did not force the issue.
After taking a couple of steps, Ladi suddenly noticed something unusual in the sky.
He looked up and saw a large eagle swooping down, grabbing Ladi and flying away.
Jiang Yuan was furious upon witnessing this.
His robe billowed, and the black and white fish before him formed a Taiji.
He was about to step off the road to strike down the large eagle and save the man.
He stepped to the edge of the Golden Road but suddenly stopped.
His mud palace shook violently, and the Yu Ding trembled lightly, as if to remind him.
The black and white fish around Jiang Yuan dissipated, and a bright light shone in his eyes as he looked up at the sky.
There was no large eagle capturing anyone.
All appearances are but illusions!
Where was Ladi? Where was the large eagle? This was a magical obstruction trying to lure him off the Golden Road, intending to harm him.
The Master approached and gently pulled him back, saying, "Child, do you understand?"
Jiang Yuan, still shaken, asked, "Master, what was that?"
The Master pointed ahead and said, "In the Western Niuhe Continent, there are many demons and monsters, creating a Sea of Suffering. The black mud you saw is the Sea of Suffering. If you step off the Golden Road, the black mud will taint your heart monkey, cloud your primordial spirit, and pull you into the Sea of Suffering."
Jiang Yuan was greatly alarmed and said, "Master, that person seemed too real."
The Master smiled and said, "This is the appearance of sentient beings. Sentient beings are in the Sea of Suffering. Seeing you detached from the world, with your heart monkey unsettled, there are still two spirits causing trouble, seeking to lure you into the Sea of Suffering. Child, the road ahead is long, and there are many magical obstructions. Your two spirits will resonate with them and conspire against you."
Jiang Yuan realized this was due to his shallow cultivation.
If he had a Golden Dan, how could they dare to conspire against him? He looked around and devised a plan.
He tore off a piece of his robe and pretended to blindfold his eyes, saying, "Master, if I blindfold my eyes, can I pass safely?"
The Master shook his head, "Today you may blindfold your eyes, but in the future, when you cultivate and achieve the Golden Dan, you will surely lack a corner due to your blindfolding today."
How can cultivation be about finding loopholes?
The unorthodox paths do not find loopholes; how can the righteous path find them?
Jiang Yuan understood and said, "Master, the disciple understands."
The Master continued, "Guard your mind closely, do not be attached to appearances. The people of the Western Niuhe Continent are certainly not on this path. The Golden Road leads through places devoid of people, directly to the Lingtai Fangcun Mountain, where there are only demons."
Jiang Yuan responded affirmatively.
The Master and disciple continued on their journey.
Jiang Yuan had suffered a loss, and his heart monkey was subdued; he dared not look outside the road any longer, constantly holding the Yu Ding to keep his mind steady.
...
As they walked, another seven or eight years passed.
Along the way, Jiang Yuan encountered many strange occurrences, such as a person calling for help from a mud pit, an old woman sitting by the road crying for help, and a fearsome tiger with an extraordinary physique scaring him.
The child had learned well; he simply ignored them, and when angered, he would threaten to smash the Yu Ding, scaring the demons and monsters away, making them dare not cause trouble.
The Master watched silently, smiling.
After traveling for over a decade, they finally emerged from the desert.
The Master stopped at a certain point and pointed to the distant high mountains, saying, "Child, that is the Lingtai Fangcun Mountain. My disciple and I are close."
Jiang Yuan stood still, gazing far away.
The distant mountains were indeed a place of beauty, elegant and spiritual, with deep forested slopes, a land of immortals.
Jiang Yuan said, "Master, after traveling for over a decade, we have finally arrived."
During their journey through the Western Niuhe Continent, he had rarely cultivated, fearing it would disturb his heart monkey.
The Master smiled and said, "Child, try jumping for me to see."
The Master wanted him to jump?
Jiang Yuan, confused, complied...
(End of Chapter)