Time flies like an arrow, and before one knows it, three years have passed.
Disciples of the Three Stars Celestial Cave come and go, practicing various side paths and claiming to have attained the status of true immortals, flaunting their spirit daily, never caring for their own lives, even if it means being led astray by the Wood Mother.
The Three Stars Celestial Cave is for disciples who cultivate their lives, while the other three are discarded.
Thus, Jiang Yuan, Zhen Jian, and Wu Kong are the three.
One day, Jiang Yuan was practicing 'Sleeve Universe,' making very slow progress.
He was invited by Zhen Jian to participate in a discussion, where he mentioned that many disciples of the Celestial Cave had unfamiliar faces.
He decided to join in and meet the other disciples.
At this time, it was the beginning of 'Meng Dong,' and everyone gathered under the old cypress tree in the courtyard to discuss.
They took their seats in turn, and everyone asked Jiang Yuan to speak.
Jiang Yuan politely declined, and the others took turns sharing their own paths, many of which had an air of showmanship.
Wu Kong, adjusting his clothes and sitting upright beside Jiang Yuan, asked, "Senior Brother, your path is so profound, why don’t you speak?"
Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "What path do I have to speak of? My path is shallow; I can clarify doubts, but I cannot lecture."
Wu Kong scratched his head and said, "If your path is shallow, then whose path is deep? Even the other senior brothers can speak. Senior Brother, if you lecture, it must be impressive."
Jiang Yuan looked around at the crowd and said, "In the Daoist teachings, there are three hundred sixty side paths, and everyone has some involvement. I shake my head and say: if I were to speak of a path when I first began my cultivation, I could certainly speak eloquently, but now I cannot."
Wu Kong did not understand and asked, "Senior Brother, why is that?"
Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "Because of 'Understanding.'"
Wu Kong was confused and did not grasp what his senior brother meant.
Jiang Yuan continued, "Wu Kong, in the coming years, if you cultivate your path, you must cultivate your heart."
Wu Kong bowed and said, "Senior Brother, I will remember this; I will not forget to cultivate my heart."
Jiang Yuan saw that the monkey was polite, which was quite different from what he had seen in 'Journey to the West.' There was no rebelliousness.
If the monkey were truly to become like that in the future, it would surely be because he had not cultivated his heart and could not rely on the five to assist him, leading to disaster.
He had already advised, and whether the monkey listened or not was entirely up to him.
Jiang Yuan sat among the crowd, listening to the discussions on side paths.
Such teachings were easy for him to absorb, and he gleaned some insights, perhaps having cultivated a bit of understanding.
In this gathering of side paths, he had learned everything.
The gathering lasted half a day before everyone dispersed.
As Jiang Yuan was about to leave, he noticed Zhen Jian beside him, still holding onto a leaf, unable to let go.
He sighed inwardly and said nothing more.
Letting go of the leaf, the demonic obstacles retreated.
Zhen Jian still did not recognize the true essence.
……
Jiang Yuan went to the quiet room.
He walked along the path to the Yao Tai and reached the quiet room.
He did not enter his own room but noticed that the door to the master’s quiet room was wide open.
The young disciple knew this was the master calling him, so he took a detour and arrived in front of the master’s quiet room.
Jiang Yuan bowed and said, "Master, I have come."
The master was sitting on the bed and, seeing the young disciple approach, smiled and said, "Come closer, how did you know I was looking for you?"
Jiang Yuan entered the room and replied, "I have followed you in cultivation for nearly a thousand years; how could I not know your intentions?"
The master said, "It is not just a matter of following for a long time; it is also due to your wisdom. If Zhen Jian had even a fraction of your cleverness, he would have understood long ago."
Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "Zhen Jian takes 'Zen' as his understanding; one day, he will surely gain something."
The master said, "You should be at ease. I called you late at night for a reason, and I need to discuss something with you."
Jiang Yuan asked, "Master, is there something that requires my attention?"
The master replied, "There is no urgent matter; this concerns the cave dwelling. Our disciples of the twelve-character generation have reached the tenth generation, and there are still the 'Yuan' and 'Jue' generations to come. Once the twelve-character generation is complete, we will no longer accept disciples in the cave."
Jiang Yuan answered, "Yes, Master."
The master continued, "Once our twelve-character generation is complete, if the cave dwelling opens again to accept disciples, it should be you who opens it."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan asked, "Master, I am lacking in knowledge and ability; how can I take on such a responsibility?"
The master laughed and said, "Child, you have already attained the Dao; how can you say you are lacking in knowledge and ability? What you lack now is merely a bit of time."
Jiang Yuan, having just attained the Dao, realized how small he was.
However, after pondering the master's words for a long time, he said, "If Master believes I am capable of teaching disciples, then I will surely open the cave dwelling again in the future."
The master said, "Child, do not worry. When the second generation of disciples emerges, I will take you on a journey, and at that time, I will teach you."
Jiang Yuan then bowed and said, "Yes, Master."
He did not understand how the master intended for him to inherit the mantle and continue the cave dwelling.
Having followed the master in cultivation for nearly a thousand years, he had received the master's true teachings, and their relationship was more like that of father and son than that of a typical teacher and student.
The master helped Jiang Yuan up from the bed and said, "Child, have you fully learned the 'Sleeve Universe'?"
Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "I have not fully learned it, Master. This method is very difficult; it truly is hard to learn, and I fear it will take me a year or two to master it completely."
The master said, "This method is not ordinary; you should focus on mastering it."
Jiang Yuan asked, "Master, once I have mastered this method, what other methods should I learn?"
Without saying a word, the master took out a ruler and struck Jiang Yuan, startling him into fleeing.
He knew well how painful the master's ruler could be; it did not matter whether he had attained the Dao or not; being struck by the ruler was still painful.
The master laughed and scolded, "Child, you are too ambitious! You have not yet fully learned this method, yet you are thinking of other methods. My methods are boundless; you should learn them well. I estimate how much you will learn."
……
Jiang Yuan returned to the quiet room, sitting cross-legged on the mat and continuing his practice.
He was progressing very slowly with 'Sleeve Universe,' but he had a sense of it in his heart.
In another year or two, he would surely learn it.
This is because the method of Sleeve Universe is related to 'Establishing the Cauldron.' The pure Qi of Heaven and the turbid Qi of Earth combine for his use.
However, this Qi of Heaven and Earth does not come from the heavens and the earth; it comes from within himself.
Since his immortal body is flawless, and the holy fetus enters the Niwan Palace, once the body and mind become one, there exists heaven and earth within him, allowing for profound magical powers.
Thus, to use this method, one must possess profound magical powers; otherwise, it cannot be used.
However, as the master said, after casting this method, regardless of how one kicks the sky or plays with wells, or subdues dragons and tigers, all can be bound and manipulated at will.
If he masters this Sleeve Universe and possesses a hundred and eight great methods, profound magical powers, and various treasures, among the three realms, those who surpass him would surely be even fewer.
Jiang Yuan stopped his thoughts, calmed his mind, and practiced this Sleeve Universe technique.
……
Spring passed, summer came, autumn waned, and winter arrived, cycling endlessly.
Before one knew it, two years had gone by.
In the Three Stars Celestial Cave, aside from the changes among the crowd, everything else remained the same.
Jiang Yuan devoted himself to mastering 'Sleeve Universe,' while Zhen Jian was oblivious, unable to see, and Wu Kong, being polite and humble, cleaned the cave daily, taking care of various matters.
In this manner, after a year, Jiang Tong'er finally mastered 'Sleeve Universe.' When he first learned this method, it was difficult to use, requiring constant practice to refine this skill and make it easy to deploy.
On this day, having just mastered Sleeve Universe, Jiang Yuan had not yet tried to use his magical powers when the master called for everyone to gather and discuss the Great Dao.
He then went to the Yao Tai to listen to the wonderful sounds...
Request for Monthly Tickets~
I saw that many friends mentioned that they would like to see more chapters together, so how about I release all the updates for the day at eight o'clock every night from now on?
(End of Chapter)