Chapter 276: The Nature Hall Shows Early Signs of Prosperity

“Speak.”

“This disciple’s question is regarding a Daoist text from the ‘Heart Lamp Scripture’,” the disciple said. “The Dharma that can be spoken of is not the eternal Dharma. The Dharma of no-Dharma is called the supreme Dharma. Why is the Dharma of no-Dharma the supreme Dharma?”

After speaking, the disciple bowed and sat down. Master Xuanji once again looked around, asking the other disciples, “Can anyone answer this question?”

The many disciples in the Preaching Altar looked at each other and discussed in low voices, but no one stood up to answer. Listening to their quiet discussions, Qin Haoxuan could tell that their understanding of this scripture was also only partial.

The “Heart Lamp Scripture” was a profound Daoist book. Although it wasn’t a cultivation art, it was written several thousand years ago by a cultivator of an extremely high realm. This scripture, just a few thousand words long, recorded his entire enlightenment on the path of the immortal Dao.

For cultivators, the insights of a high-level practitioner were no less valuable than a profound and orthodox Daoist art. An orthodox art had a price, but insights into the Dao were priceless.

When the founding ancestor of the Taichu Sect happened upon the “Heart Lamp Scripture,” he immediately made it public to the sect’s disciples. Firstly, the scripture contained the insights of a great immortal, which would be of great benefit to the disciples’ cultivation. Secondly, the scripture was so profound and mysterious that even someone as accomplished as he could not fully comprehend it, let alone others.

This “Heart Lamp Scripture” had been studied by generations of Taichu Sect cultivators, but even the current Sect Master, Perfected Man Huanglong, would not dare claim to have comprehended much of it. Thus, it was perfectly normal for the disciples of the Nature Hall not to understand it.

Seeing that no one was standing up to offer an explanation, Qin Haoxuan raised his hand again and said, “Master, this disciple is willing to cast a brick to attract jade.”

Master Xuanji laughed heartily. “Speak.”

Qin Haoxuan recalled Xing’s explanation, blended it with some of his own insights, and after organizing his thoughts, he began to speak. “The literal meaning of this passage is that ‘Dharma’ refers to the way of immortal cultivation, the law of rules, the law of nature, and the law of the Heavenly Dao. It can be tangible or intangible. A tangible Dharma can be a powerful technique, but an intangible Dharma is the truly supreme one!”

Qin Haoxuan paused, then continued, “This passage is the very first sentence of the ‘Heart Lamp Scripture’ and serves as the main theme for the entire text. I personally feel it is the most essential part of the scripture. The several thousand words that follow, such as ‘Externally, the hundred bones are smoothly integrated; internally, the single thought is properly stilled. Vastly, one forgets their own location; the heart becomes one with the void.’ Or, ‘Qi is nourished by directness and remains unharmed; strength is accumulated through crookedness and has a surplus. The spirit is relaxed and the body is still, every moment is held in the heart. Internally, consolidate the spirit; externally, display tranquility. Transform between the virtual and the real…’ and so on. All of these are merely supplements and explanations for ‘The Dharma of no-Dharma is called the supreme Dharma.'”

“In my opinion, the ‘Heart Lamp Scripture’ actually only has eight words, and those are ‘The Dharma of no-Dharma is called the supreme Dharma’. However, these eight words are vast and profound, and this disciple has not even scratched the surface of their meaning!”

After listening to Qin Haoxuan’s explanation, everyone from the Nature Hall, including Master Xuanji, was once again stunned. They had never imagined that Qin Haoxuan would interpret it so uniquely, and his explanation pointed in a direction they had never dared to consider before.

Tens of thousands of cultivators had studied the “Heart Lamp Scripture,” and many had regarded “The Dharma of no-Dharma is called the supreme Dharma” as the general principle of the scripture, but no one had ever considered it to be the most essential part of the entire text. Now, hearing Qin Haoxuan’s explanation, they felt that what he said made a lot of sense. Perhaps “The Dharma of no-Dharma is called the supreme Dharma” truly was the essence of the “Heart Lamp Scripture.”

It could be said that Qin Haoxuan’s interpretation not only opened a new door for the disciples of the Nature Hall but also enlightened Master Xuanji to varying degrees. After Qin Haoxuan finished speaking, Master Xuanji, sitting on the lotus Dao altar, remained lost in thought for a long time, carefully savoring what Qin Haoxuan had said.

Although Qin Haoxuan had only stated that “The Dharma of no-Dharma is called the supreme Dharma” was the scripture’s core principle and essence, this interpretation pointed a clear path for Master Xuanji, who had studied the “Heart Lamp Scripture” for over a hundred years. Many of the seemingly contradictory passages later in the text, which had long puzzled him, were no longer obstacles in his mind.

“The Dharma of no-Dharma is called the supreme Dharma!”

Master Xuanji gave Qin Haoxuan a deep look, filled with infinite gratification, and sighed to himself. ‘If I were a few decades younger, I might even be jealous of his comprehension and Dao Heart. Qin Haoxuan will surely be able to lead the Nature Hall to an even more glorious future!’

Though excited, Master Xuanji did not lose his composure. He steadied himself, looked at the disciples below, and said, “Anyone with further questions, continue to ask!”

The Preaching Altar fell quiet once more. Then, another disciple stood up and raised a question about the cultivation of an orthodox Daoist art.

This time, before Master Xuanji could even speak, the gazes of all the disciples in the Preaching Altar subconsciously focused on Qin Haoxuan, awaiting his answer.

Even Master Xuanji instinctively looked toward Qin Haoxuan.

Being stared at by more than three hundred pairs of eyes, Qin Haoxuan felt a bit sheepish. He had also asked Xing about this question before, and Xing had explained it, but his answer had been somewhat vague and not as clear as with the other questions.

If he weren’t being stared at by so many eyes, Qin Haoxuan would absolutely not have raised his hand to answer this time. But under the expectant gazes of his numerous senior brothers and his master, refusing again would seem pretentious. So he had no choice but to muster his courage, stand up, and articulate Xing’s explanation, combined with some of his own understanding.

This time, after listening to Qin Haoxuan’s explanation, Master Xuanji smiled and said, “Haoxuan, the general direction of your answer to this question is correct, but there are still a few minor points that are not entirely clear. Allow me to add a few things for you.”

At once, Master Xuanji elaborated on the areas Qin Haoxuan had missed, providing a complete explanation.

After listening to his master’s detailed explanation, Qin Haoxuan also benefited greatly. The other senior brothers were even more engrossed, and some even sat down cross-legged on the spot to immediately put what they had learned into practice.

Next, other senior brothers raised their own cultivation doubts one after another. What was supposed to be a sermon completely dominated by Master Xuanji, after several stunning performances by Qin Haoxuan, turned into a session where even Master Xuanji and the senior brothers were happy to first hear Qin Haoxuan’s opinion. Influenced by him, even the senior brothers who had previously been too afraid to speak for fear of embarrassing themselves began to voice their own views.

In an instant, the sermon turned into a Dao discussion.

After posing a question, Master Xuanji sat on the lotus Dao altar with great satisfaction, watching as Qin Haoxuan and his senior brothers engaged in heated discussion. If their discussion strayed in the wrong direction, Master Xuanji would speak up to correct and guide them.

A simple sermon was in no way comparable to a lively Dao discussion. Master Xuanji loved this kind of environment. Only through active participation could the impressions be deeper and the benefits more significant!

Previously, during his sermons, whenever a disciple raised a question, Master Xuanji would first ask if any other disciples could answer. But aside from Ye Yiming, the other disciples never even dared to stand up and express their opinions, which had troubled Master Xuanji greatly.

He had never expected that by bringing Qin Haoxuan to listen in for the first time, under his influence, the disciples of the Nature Hall would actually dare to discuss the Dao.

It was truly an unexpected and pleasant surprise! Master Xuanji smiled in satisfaction.

This Dao discussion continued until nightfall. Only then did Master Xuanji wave his hand, reluctantly ending the month’s sermon. He rose from the Preaching Altar and said to Qin Haoxuan and the other disciples, “Haoxuan, it is rare for the senior brothers of the Nature Hall to be gathered so completely. You should get closer to them. If you have any more questions, you can continue to ask your senior brothers for guidance. Afterward, come find me in my room.”

Qin Haoxuan respectfully replied, “Yes! This disciple obeys.”

The disciples of the Nature Hall were also reluctant for it to end. They looked at Qin Haoxuan with fervent admiration. It was clear from their expressions of pleasant surprise that every one of them had benefited immensely from today’s Dao discussion.

Moreover, they could tell from the way Master Xuanji looked at Qin Haoxuan that, barring any accidents, Qin Haoxuan would certainly be the next Hall Master of the Nature Hall. Although Qin Haoxuan also had a weak seed, his performance was in no way inferior to that of a Gray Seed!

The disciples in the Preaching Altar even began to whisper among themselves, “Master has such good judgment, finding a talent as good as Junior Brother Haoxuan. There’s hope for our Nature Hall!”

Although they knew the position of Hall Master was destined for this newly joined junior brother, there was not a trace of envy on their faces. Because during the brief Dao discussion, they all felt that Qin Haoxuan was amiable, had immense potential, and was not selfish with his knowledge. They had all benefited greatly from the discussion.

If the Nature Hall could achieve glory under Qin Haoxuan’s leadership, allowing its disciples to hold their heads high and no longer be looked down upon by the other four great halls, no one would object to him becoming the Hall Master!

In fact, it wasn’t just the senior brothers of the Nature Hall who had benefited greatly from the Dao discussion; Qin Haoxuan himself had as well.

Qin Haoxuan had been cultivating orthodox Daoist arts for less than two years. The reason he possessed such surprising insights was entirely because he had tirelessly sought guidance from Xing. Under Qin Haoxuan’s combination of sweet talk, threats, and bribes, Xing had no choice but to become his cultivation teacher. However, Xing was, after all, a demon from the Netherworld Demon Abyss. What he cultivated was not orthodox Daoist arts but demonic ones. His explanations of Daoist arts were based entirely on his profound demonic cultivation foundation and extensive knowledge. Although all great Daos lead to the same destination, there were still differences in many details. Therefore, Xing’s explanations could not be entirely correct.

No matter which orthodox Daoist art, it was the accumulation of a sect’s thousands of years of history, the insights of generations of cultivators on the immortal path, and the rectification of flaws in the art. Even a genius demon like Xing, no matter how good his aptitude or how deep his cultivation foundation, could not possibly understand all the intricacies of orthodox Daoist arts at a single glance.

So, Qin Haoxuan also took this opportunity to point out the areas that Xing had explained vaguely, as well as the parts he himself did not fully understand, and received guidance from his senior brothers and his master.

After Master Xuanji left, a group of Nature Hall disciples surrounded Qin Haoxuan and asked with concern, “Junior Brother Haoxuan, aren’t you currently entering the mortal world? Why have you returned alone? Did you run into some kind of trouble?”

“Junior Brother Haoxuan, if you’ve encountered any trouble, just say the word. We senior brothers will figure out a solution together!”

“That’s right, our Nature Hall is one big family. Don’t be a stranger, and don’t be polite!”

The various expressions of care from his senior brothers moved Qin Haoxuan deeply, but he couldn’t tell them the real reason he had returned, so he could only give a vague answer. At the same time, as a demonic cultivator, Qin Haoxuan’s five senses were sharp, and he overheard the conversations of the senior brothers who were further away.

“Judging by Master’s meaning, Qin Haoxuan will definitely be the next Hall Master of the Nature Hall!”

“Yes, Master has such good judgment, choosing such an excellent successor. Even Senior Brother Ye Yiming is not as good as Qin Haoxuan. With such an outstanding performance, I’m sure Senior Brother Ye won’t question Master’s decision, right?”

“You don’t know? Senior Brother Ye revealed long ago that if the Nature Hall were placed in Qin Haoxuan’s hands, it would surely achieve unprecedented glory!”

“Senior Brother Pu was Qin Haoxuan’s Guiding Senior Brother. If he knew of Qin Haoxuan’s achievements today, he would certainly be very gratified! Back when Senior Brother Pu was on his deathbed, he entrusted us to take good care of Qin Haoxuan!”

“Yes, Senior Brother Pu entrusted me as well! If he knows in the netherworld, he would surely be happy for Qin Haoxuan.”

“Our Nature Hall has finally produced someone with potential like Junior Brother Haoxuan. I wonder if I’ll live to see the day our hall shines brilliantly in his hands!”

These discussions sounded so warm and lovely in Qin Haoxuan’s ears. It was well known that the change of power for the Hall Masters of the other four great halls, and even the position of Sect Master, would trigger open and secret struggles, sometimes even leading to deaths. Yet, the senior brothers of the Nature Hall accepted him so readily, and there was not a trace of envy or jealousy in their tone when they spoke of it.

(End of Chapter)