Chapter 55
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“Lower-grade paths…”
Qi Wuhuo was stunned. The old man had just finished explaining the various grades and types of immortals, starting with those who [cultivated essence but neglected life], extending to the senior brothers and sisters Qi Wuhuo had encountered along his journey, and even touching upon the mountain gods of Helian Mountain—figures he had grown familiar with. The explanation then turned to Senior Sister Yumiao and her potential realm after a breakthrough, eventually leading up to the Heavenly Venerables, Heavenly Emperors, and the Western Buddhas.
What had begun with calm, measured words grew into a majestic, boundless narrative, vast and magnificent.
Yet, all of it culminated in the old man’s four simple words: “A Lower-grade path.”
Those four words stirred an endless tide in the youth’s heart.
The old man did not continue speaking. Sitting beneath the two pine trees, he gently stroked his beard and smiled, asking: “Though it is called a lower-grade path, it still grants one the ability to remain ageless while the Heavens and Earth decay, to outlive the sun and moon. To call oneself an Emperor, a Buddha, or a Celestial Lord—none would dare challenge such claims. In that sense, it is unquestionably genuine.”
“Now, Wuhuo, what do you believe constitutes a higher-grade path?”
The things Qi Wuhuo had seen and realized along his journey surged within him. The young Daoist pondered deeply before responding:
“To devote oneself wholly to seeking the Great Dao, free of scattered thoughts, and to keep one’s Dao heart untainted by external things.”
“Inwardly, it is about cultivating with sincerity, refining the true spirit to utmost purity. Outwardly, it is about witnessing all the myriad things of the world without becoming attached to any of them.”
“To undergo tribulations and to preach the Dao, but not for the sake of achieving a higher realm or accumulating the fortune of Heaven and Earth.”
“Not for purposeful striving, but for natural being.”
“Non-action, yet nothing remains undone. Simply following one’s nature.”
“To treat all beings and all laws with equality, to be sincere toward the Dao and sincere toward oneself…”
He slowly shared his insights, drawn from observing his senior brothers and sisters along the journey.
The old man appeared slightly surprised, then smiled and nodded in approval. “Indeed, your comprehension is truly extraordinary. I had not expected you to reach this point of understanding. All that you have seen, thought, and learned along this journey was meant to teach you the way of cultivation. The fact that you can articulate these realizations means you have already received my true teachings.”
“Your senior brother Xuandu followed this very path and has now attained its fruition.”
“He is known as the Heavenly Venerable Miaole(Subtle Bliss), who serves as the Great Emperor of Spiritual Insight.”
Qi Wuhuo asked: “Teacher, what is this path like?”
The old man swept his whisk lightly and replied: “Those who walk this path can attain the rank of Da Luo Celestial Immortal and the fruit of Primordial Unity Dao.”
“With a single pure thought, all distractions are cleared. The soul ascends to the heavens, and all beings become enlightened.”
“The spiritual light remains eternal. That singular essence of truth reaches into the void, shining across the Three Thousand Realms.”
The old man stroked his beard as his voice remained gentle. The lofty state he described was already beyond Qi Wuhuo’s comprehension.
Yet those final sixteen characters [The spiritual light remains eternal; that singular essence of truth reaches into the void, shining across the Three Thousand Realms]—held an indescribable grandeur and serenity. Though lacking the intricate, overwhelming power of the Celestial Immortal’s path described earlier, it seemed even more profound, evoking a yearning from the depths of the heart.
The young Daoist contemplated the realm of his senior brother Xuandu and asked,
“Senior Brother Xuandu’s attainment—would that be considered a higher-grade path?”
The old man stroked his beard, remaining silent for a long moment before replying:
“Devout in the Dao, adhering to my teachings, cultivating through tribulations, balancing action and non-action.”
“Attaining Primordial Unity Qi.”
“Practicing in harmony with Heaven and Earth, breathing in the essence of the sun and moon.”
“Yet, it is only the middle-grade path.”
Only the middle-grade path…
The young Daoist looked toward the old man, cupped his hands respectfully, and inquired:
“Dare to ask the higher-grade path!”
The old man stroked his beard and smiled warmly. “If you want the answer, you may have it. Come closer.”
“My disciple should know this.”
Qi Wuhuo stepped forward. The old man smiled as he began to speak. But as soon as the first word left his mouth—
Boom!!!
Without warning, a colossal gale arose, and layers of oppressive clouds descended from the heavens. It seemed as though the primordial qi had transformed into thunder, exploding with a deafening roar and tearing across the skies. The sun and moon dimmed, as if some immense change had triggered an upheaval in this place. Dark winds and ominous clouds surged, veiling the stars and all celestial phenomena above, casting the heavens into shadow.
Beneath the two ancient pines, on the single bluestone, the old man smiled as he spoke, sharing some ordinary words with his youngest disciple: “The highest-grade path is one untouched by dust, as pure as the bright moon in a clear sky, bringing clarity to the Three Thousand Realms.”
“With but a single spark of spiritual light at the center of the brow, it seizes the wonders of Heaven and Earth, comprehending the true principles of Yin and Yang.”
“It can cause [existence] to return to [nonexistence] and [nonexistence] to return to [existence].”
“That is all.”
Qi Wuhuo repeated the words aloud: “Existence to nonexistence, nonexistence to existence.”
Though the eight characters seemed profoundly mysterious, he could not yet grasp their meaning.
The old man chuckled: “It’s all right. This is still far beyond your reach. Simply knowing of it is enough for now.”
“But remember, this higher-grade path is something you know, and I know.”
“Let no one else learn of it.”
“By the way, Wuhuo, what path do you wish to cultivate?”
Youth is always brimming with vigor and radiating vitality.
Just like those youthful days: the young scholar, studying in a dilapidated temple, discussing five centuries of worldly upheaval over a single game of chess.
Or the rebellious youth, carrying a wooden staff, raising her gaze, and declaring her intent to aim directly at the Supreme Primordial Dao—the immature sword immortal.
At this moment, he, like those before him, naturally answered: “I wish to cultivate the supreme and unparalleled Dao.”
The old man gazed at him warmly. After a long pause, he said with a hint of nostalgia:
“How familiar, ah. Those very words, I’ve heard them once before.”
The old man’s voice remained gentle as he smiled and said: “You are not the first to have encountered these senior brothers and sisters, nor the first disciple qualified to hear me speak of the Great Dao of Celestial Immortals.”
“There was once another, who also met them and spoke words very similar to yours.”
“That child, too, was single-minded in their pursuit, devoted entirely to the cultivation of the Great Dao.”
Qi Wuhuo asked: “Who was that senior brother?”
The old man stroked his beard and answered warmly:
“The Dao, as a thing, is elusive and indistinct. Obscure and indistinct, yet within it, there is form. Indistinct and obscure, yet within it, there is substance.”
“Profound and mysterious, within it lies an essence. That essence is supremely [True(Zhen)], and thus, I bestowed upon him the Daoist title—”
“Xuanzhen.”
Qi Wuhuo asked eagerly: “Did Senior Brother Xuanzhen choose the highest-grade path?”
The old man replied: “Yes.”
The young Daoist’s heart filled with curiosity.
The Xuan generation, and named Zhen—what profound expectations must that title carry?
He felt a deep yearning to meet Senior Brother Xuanzhen, believing that this senior brother could perhaps resolve his doubts.
The senior brothers he had previously encountered were varied: some were consumed by their pursuit of renown, others ensnared by the web of emotions. Each of these encounters left a tumult of impressions in his heart, as though something was about to break free from the depths of his soul—yet remained unclear, incomprehensible. Now, after hearing of the Great Dao, this feeling grew stronger. It was as if he had gained some understanding, yet at the same time, as though he had gained nothing at all.
It seemed as though the encounters with his senior brothers and sisters were meant to serve as warnings, yet Qi Wuhuo felt that as long as he remained devoted to cultivating the Great Dao, he would naturally have nothing to fear.
Senior Brother Xuanzhen must have already succeeded in his cultivation.
He must be like what I hope to become in the future.
This thought filled him with warmth and anticipation.
Carrying his hopes and reflections, his doubts about the other senior brothers, and all the thoughts he had accumulated along the journey, Qi Wuhuo followed the old man until they arrived at the place where Xuanzhen was.
A barren grave.
Withered vines, cawing crows, and a biting wind that lashed against his face!
An overwhelming desolation suddenly surged from the depths of Qi Wuhuo’s heart, sharp and cutting, like a sword.
It severed all his doubts and reflections, along with his expectations and warmth. It cut through his faint illusions, the caution inspired by watching his senior brothers’ downfalls, the slivers of pride he held, and even the joy he had felt upon hearing the teachings of the Dao. All of it—cut cleanly, leaving no remnants behind.
Boom! Thunder exploded in the sky, echoing across the mountains. Icy rain swirled with the bitter wind, startling a few cold crows into flight. The young Daoist’s sleeves billowed in the gale as countless images and choices flickered through his mind——:
The stubborn who refuse to awaken.
Those who seek but never attain.
Those who understand but cannot let go.
Scenes of love and hate, worldly attachments, and the desires of the mortal realm—all dissolving into the solitary image of a lonely grave three feet wide.
To see all beings, to see oneself, to see the Great Dao.
And in the instant of hearing the Dao, to confront life and death!
The Dao Heart that Qi Wuhuo had nurtured throughout his journey now felt illuminated, like the lightning splitting the heavens. It grew sharp and clear, as if confusion no longer mattered. Instead, he felt the boundless vastness and cold desolation of the Dao sweep over him. He didn’t yet know what the Senior Brother in front of him experienced. But in that moment, he suddenly recalled the mountain god’s sigh—a sound that had carried countless emotions of complexity and regret—
On the path to immortality.
Only corpses remain!
Fellow Daoist, take care.
PS:
The concept of the Three Vehicles is derived from Real Person Chongyang’s Treatise on the Three Vehicles of the Dao (《道有三乘論》).
