Chapter 72 The Joy of Seeking the Way

"This kind of heart cultivation, even Immortal cultivators may not necessarily be able to uphold it."

The moment these words were spoken, except for Wang Qi, the three lower-tier disciples were all shocked.

Wang Qi was also somewhat surprised. In the history he was familiar with, Earth mathematician Lagrange indeed became so immersed in theology in his later years that he neglected mathematics. However, the Shenzhou Immortal cultivator, Ge Laogran, actually lost his heart cultivation due to the mysterious connection between two worlds?

Is this a coincidence? Or does the connection between the two worlds run deeper than I think?

But if the connection between the two worlds is truly this close, how come the development of the Shenzhou Immortal path is gradually diverging from Earth's historical trajectory?

Why?

On what principle are these two worlds connected?

The more Wang Qi thought about it, the more he felt that this world had an eerie, unreal quality. He couldn't help but pale slightly.

At that moment, a crackling sound came from the firewood in the campfire, which pulled him back to reality.

Wang Qi forced himself to suppress his doubts, feeling a bit nervous, and glanced around, then clenched his fists tightly.

The sensation he felt from his hands made him feel slightly more at ease. At least this feeling was real.

The spiritual energy flowing within his body also felt undeniable.

"I originally thought that I could accept the idea of traveling to another world, and that I would remain calm even in the face of stranger things," Wang Qi muttered to himself. "Looks like my subconscious need to reclaim my identity as a researcher is not all that great. If I still had the mindset of just passing through life like I did in the village, I wouldn't even care to dig deeper into these strange occurrences."

His unusual reaction only lasted for a short while. His companions were all too stunned by Su Junyu's words to notice him. Su Junyu, however, thought that his words had also frightened this new disciple, who had always been somewhat absent-minded.

Seeing that his "parable" had worked, Su Junyu smiled and then changed his tone, saying, "When Ge Laogran was born, the Ancient Path hadn't been eradicated. He was greatly influenced by it, having learned from a master. You guys are born at a good time. Now, the new path system is fully established, and the heart cultivation methods have already been created. Also, the Yangshen Pavilion has never stopped studying the heart's nature. Ge Laogran is currently using the achievements of the Yangshen Pavilion to rebuild his Dao heart. Although I don't know much about the situation with Immortal cultivators, I think Ge Laogran will soon return to the peak of mathematics."

Wu Shiqin asked, "So, how should we cultivate our hearts?"

"This is exactly the question I asked you earlier," Su Junyu replied seriously. "The question of 'The joy of seeking the Way' versus 'The joy of seeking the Way itself'."

Wu Shiqin nodded. "Please explain in more detail."

Su Junyu then asked, "Let me ask you a question first. Why do you practice cultivation?"

Wu Shiqin answered, "I think that only standing at the top is truly living without regrets."

Wu Fan honestly replied, "I won't hide it from you, my father is an independent cultivator. Life has always been tight for him because of cultivation. I cultivate simply to make a name for myself and to make life better for my family."

Su Junyu smiled. "That's a very honest and sincere wish. And you, Mao Zimiao?"

The half-demon girl felt a little embarrassed. "I've been practicing alongside my father since I was young, so I never really thought much about this question, meow."

Su Junyu nodded without comment. Then he turned to Wang Qi. "And you?"

Wang Qi looked at the night sky and smiled. "Me? I just want it to be exciting."

"Exciting?"

"Yes, that's right. When something interesting comes up, I go for it. That's what I call excitement."

"Ah," Su Junyu nodded. "What you all said makes sense—fame, power, wealth, strength, eternal life, divine powers, defeating enemies, gaining resources, and acquiring prestige. All these are benefits of cultivation, the joy of seeking the Way. When you reach a high enough level, you can do whatever you want and live life as you please. This is the joy of cultivation."

"However, have you ever thought about the joy of cultivation itself?"

The group looked at each other in confusion. "The joy of cultivation itself?"

"You've all tasted the joy of cultivation, but you little ones only know the joy of cultivation, not the joy of cultivation itself!"

The three of them looked confused, but Wang Qi seemed to have a brief flash of understanding in his mind.

Su Junyu laughed loudly, "Dao! Dao! Cultivation, at its root, is about seeking the Dao. The joy of cultivation itself lies in the Dao!"

Seeing that the others still didn't understand, Su Junyu stood up, brimming with energy, and spoke as if he were a great master. "The joy of cultivation is nothing more than an adjustment along the long road. If you become addicted to it, even if you cultivate to immortality, you'll just end up with an empty, lifeless shell. What's the point of eternal life like that?"

"To hear the Dao in the morning and die in the evening—that's what it means!"

"To hear the Dao in the morning and die in the evening..." Wu Shiqin repeated Su Junyu's words, suddenly realizing something. "Su Shixiong, earlier you asked me..."

"I remember exactly what I said: 'If one day, you discover that the Way you seek is not the Way you enjoy, what will you do?'" Su Junyu fixed his gaze on Wu Shiqin and continued, "Don't answer me yet. Listen to three cases I'll present."

"First, the regret of the wandering traveler."

"When the Wanjia Path merged with Tian Ge Xing, all the Immortal cultivators in Shenzhou thought that the Dao of all things would soon be grasped, and that Master Mai would ascend to immortality. At that time, countless cultivators in the Gu Yi League were trying to fill in the final gaps in Master Mai's Dao, to perfect the One Dao. However, the senior cultivator Pu, who was in the Gu Yi League, was trying to comprehend the Dao of Light and Electricity to supplement the Dao of Tian Ge. Instead, he ended up comprehending the Dao of Dispersion and the Dao of Illusion. This major Dao did not complete the previous teachings but rather destroyed the path to immortality that seemed so near. Senior Pu could not accept his own realization and left the Gu Yi League in sorrow, establishing the Illusionary Palace."

"Second, the fallacy of the Burning Sky."

"Before Senior Pu comprehended the Dao of Dispersion, Senior Han Tianhou of the Kelvin Path said, 'Our Dao is about to end. Although there are two questions remaining, we are not far from the answers.' At the time, many cultivators thought the Dao was about to end, and we only had to solve two small problems. However, these two small problems ultimately led to an even deeper Dao—Senior Pu's Dao of Dispersion, the Dao of Shape from Taiji, and the Dao of Illusion from the Dao of Renunciation, all belong to this deeper Dao. Han Tianhou's words became known as the Fallacy of Burning Sky."

"Third, the pain of cutting through the skin."

"Senior Luo from the Wanjia Path once had a unique understanding of the Dao of Geometry. But this realization contradicted the teachings of the Wanjia Path's Geometry Dao, leading to ridicule from all cultivators. Senior Luo, deeply troubled, went mad, losing his sight and being plagued by illness. To this day, he has yet to achieve immortality."

After finishing the stories, Su Junyu looked at the four of them and said, "Walking the Dao is not an easy task, nor a joyous one. So tell me, where do you find the joy in seeking the Dao?"