The meridians are like pathways, with the Grand Circulation and the Minor Circulation, each advancement in cultivation expands the meridians.
Ordinary disciples of major sects already have a foundation for cultivation in the outside world, where changes in the meridians are only reflected in quality by the Dao Foundation.
However, Gu Wen had never cultivated before, his meridians were in a closed state, and the increase in size due to the Dao Foundation was quite evident.
Therefore, Yu Hua could determine that Gu Wen had definitely reached the Second Layer of the Dao Foundation, but isn't this a bit too fast?
"I entered the Great Qian in early spring, and now it's late spring, and he has already reached the Second Layer," Yu Hua pursed her lips, her beautiful eyes filled with uncertainty, staring closely at the ordinary face in front of her.
Her unseen senior martial brother from the sect, ranked first on the Earth List, ninth on the Destiny List, standing at the pinnacle of the same era as the Three Clear Daoists.
He cultivated one layer of the Dao Foundation in a month, two layers in a year, causing a sensation in the world, even prompting numerous sects to send people to inquire about the situation.
Whenever he made a breakthrough in cultivation, there would soon be people in the cultivation world waving briefs with implications in the streets and alleys.
This man in front of her, dressed in plain black, appearing to outsiders as an ordinary man, cultivated one layer of the Dao every four days without any guidance, and then two layers three months later.
Without the reputation of the Three Clear Daoists, no one paid attention to how he did it.
Such talent, at this moment, only I can see.
She asked, "Your recent cultivation progress has been remarkable."
Gu Wen replied without hesitation, "By chance."
"To what extent by chance?"
"A slight improvement."
Gu Wen felt a cold sensation on his cheeks, he opened his eyes and saw Yu Hua pinching his cheeks, he looked puzzled, "Hmm?"
"I'm just curious if your face is pasted on," Yu Hua said, pulling and tugging on Gu Wen's cheeks, her white teeth showing, not letting go even when he felt the pain.
"When did you make a breakthrough?"
"By chance breakthrough."
Gu Wen's mouth was being pulled, making his speech slightly unclear.
Having discovered his true cultivation level, Gu Wen was not flustered at all, but rather a bit more relaxed.
It was like when his roommate in his past life asked about exam scores, he would always attribute it to luck.
What stood out was a mix of humility and showing off.
Yu Hua said, "Continue."
She was now very curious about how far she could stretch his mouth, as she had never seen anyone so good at it.
Gu Wen was used to hiding his true abilities, like an eel slipping away when not paying attention.
Yu Hua didn't expect him to disclose everything to her, but every time he couldn't hide it, he could come up with quite convincing reasons.
Is cultivating two layers of the Dao in three months also by chance?
"Um... three days ago, I was walking on Longqiao Street and met a mysterious expert disguised as a beggar who gave me guidance."
"How tall was he?"
"Nine feet six inches."
Yu Hua was stunned for a few seconds, then couldn't help but chuckle, but she didn't stop the force in her hands, saying, "I'm listening."
"He said a sentence to me."
"What did he say?"
"What is the Dao?"
The topic suddenly became serious, but Yu Hua didn't believe that pearls could come out of a dog's mouth.
If it were someone else, she could guess that they would cite classics, but Gu Wen was a 'cultivation blind' who had not received orthodox teachings.
However, to let Gu Wen continue speaking, Yu Hua still cooperatively asked, "Then what is the Dao?"
Gu Wen said, "The Dao that can be spoken is not the eternal Dao. The name that can be named is not the eternal name."
Yu Hua revealed a hint of surprise.
The words of the highest Dao could represent all cultivators in the world, and the Three Clear Sect also had a similar meaning.
However, coming from someone with no cultivation background, the meaning was completely different.
She didn't believe in the existence of mysterious experts.
Even if Gu Wen was real, he wouldn't be able to converse with them; it was more likely that he would keep his distance.
But she believed that this sentence came from him.
He was not an ordinary man, but a genius who couldn't be viewed with common sense, even more so than the Three Clear Daoists.
"Friend Yu Hua, what do you think of this statement? Is it some kind of miraculous technique?"
Gu Wen's eyes showed a hint of probing.
He had always pondered a question: if he could cultivate, then the ancestral techniques must have some use, right?
Previously, he didn't trust Yu Hua, but now she had gained his trust, so he took the opportunity to probe.
As the first on the Heaven List, Yu Hua should be able to see through the clues.
Yu Hua shook her head, "It's not a miraculous technique. To say so would only belittle it. Just like the first sentence, the Dao can be spoken, but it is not the Great Dao."
Gu Wen was somewhat unwilling and asked again, "Friend Yu Hua, what do you think the Dao that can be spoken of is?"
Thinking that Gu Wen was testing her, Yu Hua pondered for a moment and replied, "The Dao methods, all miraculous techniques, are applications of the Dao."
Similar to the interpretations of the Dao De Jing by the ancestors of the past, Yu Hua was truly cultivating, able to understand the essence after hearing it once.
The difference was that in this world, they were allowed to apply it, whereas in the past, at least in the era she lived in, there was no transcendence.
But this was not something that could be directly used.
How long would it take to truly understand it?
Gu Wen suddenly lost interest.
Compared to the distant future, he was more concerned about the present.
"Am I wrong?"
Seeing Gu Wen looking a bit nervous, Yu Hua vaguely felt like she was facing her master from the past.
Gu Wen shook his head, "Friend Yu Hua, you understand it correctly. The expert explained to me that the Dao that can be spoken of is not the eternal Dao. The name that can be named is not the eternal name."
This was from the silk book version of the Dao De Jing.
Due to the long passage of time, there were inevitably changes, errors, and omissions in the transmission process, resulting in many versions.
This one was more in line with what Yu Hua said.
"This makes it easier to understand."
Yu Hua lowered her head again, pondering for a long time.
She was eager to delve into it, hoping that it might lead to a new understanding of the power of lifting the sky.
But when she looked down and saw the wounds on Gu Wen's body, she suppressed her desire for cultivation and said, "First, let's heal your wounds."
Prompted by Yu Hua, Gu Wen entered a meditative state again.
Suddenly, he felt his upper garment being inexplicably undone.
The night air was cold, making him feel chilly all over.
Gu Wen opened his eyes again and asked, "Do I need to take off my clothes?"
"Your wounds are stuck to your clothes. If you don't remove them, it will be more troublesome to deal with them after they heal," Yu Hua explained.
"Alright."
Using her mana gently, Yu Hua separated the fabric from the wounds, and Gu Wen's wounds visibly healed as he refined the medicinal pills.
When she reached for Gu Wen's pants, he couldn't bear it anymore.
He opened his eyes and stopped her, saying, "Friend Yu Hua, let me do it myself. Men and women should not be too close."
Yu Hua frowned, "I don't follow mundane rules. If you leave impurities in your flesh and blood, what will happen? Can the matter of healing wounds be so fussy? Isn't life more important than rules?"
"I understand, I understand," Gu Wen said helplessly. "And there will inevitably be some residue left, but it won't kill me."
He wasn't shy, but there should be a boundary between people.
They hadn't reached that stage yet, and so far, there had been no development in a romantic direction.
Gu Wen resisted this uncontrollable relationship; he preferred to be more practical, at least clear about the boundaries.
Rather than playing a game of passing flowers with an unattainable fairy, he believed that one must first secure food and shelter before indulging in lust.
We are just friends in cultivation.
"Since you insist."
Yu Hua turned away.
With the help of the medicinal pills, the wounds quickly healed, and the pain that had spread throughout his body was replaced by a tingling sensation, causing Gu Wen to let out a sigh of relief.
Although not life-threatening, Gu Wen could endure the pain, but he didn't have a masochistic tendency.
The disappearance of pain naturally made him feel much more relaxed.
Gu Wen opened his eyes, and under the moonlight, the pure white figure turned away from him, perhaps looking out the window out of boredom.
After redressing, Gu Wen said, "I'm done."
Yu Hua turned around, her voice carrying a hint of severity, "In cultivating Qi, one's own self is the most important. Everything else is external and can be discarded. As long as there is a breath of true Qi left, it is enough to become an immortal and seek the Dao."
"I'm leaving Bianjing. You must take care of yourself from now on."
Gu Wen looked puzzled and asked, "Friend Yu Hua, are you leaving?"
"Tomorrow," Yu Hua nodded slightly, her voice calm, "Yesterday, I followed the water veins and found a clue, the location is probably near Linchuan. The treasure ship of the Great Qian is already prepared, docked at the Cao Yun Bureau outside Bianjing."
"The journey ahead is long and unpredictable, I probably won't be coming back."
With that, Yu Hua reached out her hand.
Without Gu Wen extending his hand, she gently held his fingers, transmitting a true technique under the bright moon.
"If in the future, beyond the immortal lands, you find yourself willing to go to the Sanqing Mountain. Considering the injuries you've sustained this time, I'll pass on a life-saving technique to you, so you won't die in the immortal lands."
"I wonder if I can accompany you to Mount Zhejian in the future."
Many books are already hard to find, so cherish them while you can.