Chapter 73 True Self as One, The Original Intention is Not Easy

"Practicing the way, it is not easy, and also not something to be happy about. You all say, where is the joy in seeking the way?"

Su Junyu's question was like a heavy stone, pressing down on the hearts of everyone.

Seeking the way, where is the joy?

Seeking the way, it may break your belief you had before, it may ruin your reputation, and it may cause you to be depressed for the rest of your life.

Such a painful practice, what joy is there in it?

This time, it was Wang Qi who spoke first, who had been in a daze earlier.

"Every time when you have a big breakthrough in understanding the way, that feeling of 'I have realized it,' that is the joy in seeking the way, right?"

Su Junyu's expression showed a bit of surprise, then he smiled and said, "I didn't expect Wang Qi, you actually able to say something so reasonable."

If it were any other time, Wang Qi would have surely gloated at the praise. However, this time, when Su Junyu rarely complimented him, Wang Qi remained silent. Even Mao Zimiao felt something was off with him. The half-demon girl turned around and was about to ask Wang Qi if something was on his mind, but when she saw his face, she was startled.

Mao Zimiao had never seen Wang Qi with that kind of expression. In her memory, Wang Qi always had a smug, confident face, as if nothing could faze him. But right now, Wang Qi was hugging his knees with a dazed expression, staring blankly at the fire, looking like he was about to cry.

Su Junyu was also shocked: "Wow, you actually have such deep insight? My words have such an effect?"

Wang Qi shook his head and didn't respond.

Su Junyu was completely confused by Wang Qi's reaction. After a long pause, he finally reacted, "Actually, you have realized something from my words. To be honest, before, your way of thinking was the one I was least optimistic about... But now that you've realized something, well..."

Mao Zimiao was a little worried: "Su Shixiong, what do you really mean?"

Su Junyu took a deep breath and organized his thoughts: "Wang Qi's talent is beyond what I have ever heard, but when it comes to 'heart cultivation,' I wasn't optimistic. He always says things are interesting, but I always felt like he didn't really care about anything."

"Eh?" Mao Zimiao looked a bit confused, glancing at Wang Qi again.

Wu Fan, who was a little anxious, said: "Su Shixiong, Wang Shixiong's wisdom is much higher than us. If he has realized something, we are still confused. Please, tell us more!"

Su Junyu nodded and sat down again: "Actually, what I want to say is just this little bit. The core of today's heart cultivation can be summarized in just eight words—'True self as one, the original intention is not easy.'"

True self as one, the original intention is not easy!

These eight words made Mao Zimiao and the others feel something strange. They all felt an itch in their hearts, like they had gained some understanding, but couldn't quite grasp it.

"We can break these two sentences down. The first part, 'True self as one,' means not to be troubled by the pursuit of immortality, nor be confused by magical powers. True self, that is your original self. True self as one, means not allowing your practice to distort who you are. Nowadays, many cultivators, like Bai Ze Shen Jun, pursue fame and wealth; like the Unyielding Daoist from the Miao Jiao Palace, they are obsessed with battle. Some like to be teachers, others like to walk alone, others are fond of music, or enjoy good food. These 'likes' are the true faces of these predecessors, unchanged by their practice. On the other hand, if a sword cultivator practices to the point where only the sword remains in their mind, that is a lower level. The true immortality gained by maintaining your original self is the true immortality."

"The second part, 'the original intention is not easy.' The original intention here refers to the joy you feel when you first understand a great way, just like what Wang Qi said. This joy is something you must never forget. Bai Ze Shen Jun pursued fame and wealth, but he once threw away fame and wealth to oppose the world for the sake of his Dao; the Unyielding Daoist, who loves to fight, never cared about winning or losing, fighting only to express his Dao. The joy of attaining the Dao, how important is it in your heart? The further you walk on the path of seeking the Dao."

After Su Junyu finished speaking, Mao Zimiao and the others fell into deep thought.

Seeing that his junior disciples had gained some understanding, Su Junyu smiled and said, "True self as one, the original intention is not easy. Let us encourage each other."

Just as Su Junyu thought the conversation was about to end and was about to go back to reading, Wang Qi suddenly spoke up and asked, "Su Shixiong, the several cases you mentioned earlier, there should be follow-ups, right?"

Su Junyu asked, "Oh? You're interested?"

"What happened to the predecessors later? And Bai Ze Shen Jun, how did he become an enemy of the world?"

"Pulang Ke, the founder of Miao Jiao Palace, struggled for many years. Later, Luo Sifu from the Furnace of Gold in Golden Valley, who admired the Dispersed Dao, joined the Miao Jiao Palace with his disciples. That's how one of the Five Immortal Masters came to be. The founder of Miao Jiao Palace once told Luo Sifu, 'Fortunately, at the beginning, I did not abandon this Dao.'"

"The 'misstep of the Burning Sky' now seems like a huge joke. Even Burning Sky Huo himself would laugh and say, 'I'm glad I was wrong.'"

"Luo Chefu, the predecessor of the Wanfa Sect, is still stagnant in his cultivation today, but he lives a comfortable life. Another Immortal Master from Wanfa Sect, Lieman, long ago proved that Luo's insights were correct, and gave him the justice he deserved. Now, Lieman always treats Luo as a disciple."

"The time when Bai Ze Shen Jun attained the Dao was also when Yuan Li Shang Ren reached the peak of his fame. Because of a mistake made by Yuan Li, all the cultivators in the world thought that the 'Three Heavenly Laws' of Yuan Li were the fundamental Dao of all things, and the great power supporting the Three Heavenly Laws was the 'Dao Force.' Only Bai Ze Shen Jun believed that the concept of 'Dao Force' was redundant. Shen Jun merged the Dao of Calculation with the Dao of Stars, and published books to clarify his own insights. This insight was quite revolutionary at that time. Only when the 'Shape Dao' of the Heavenly Sect was created was the 'Dao Force' finally disproven. However, the cosmic model described by the Shape Dao surpassed the calculations of Shen Jun. Shen Jun was not upset that his model was surpassed. In fact, he went to the statue of Yuan Li Shang Ren and shouted, 'In the end, I won!' After that, he devoted all his time to studying Bai Ze's calculations."

Wang Qi nodded, and then asked, "Is there a predecessor named Pang Jiale in the Wanfa Sect?"

Su Junyu nodded, "Yes, the Calculation Master Pang Jiale, along with the Calculation Lord Xibo Zhe, are regarded as the top experts of the Wanfa Sect."

Wang Qi asked again, "Did Calculation Master Pang make any contributions to the Shape Dao or Dispersed Dao?"

"Yes, Calculation Master Pang was one of the founders of the Dispersed Dao," Su Junyu replied.

After Su Junyu finished speaking, he noticed a strange smile on Wang Qi's face and asked, "What are you thinking?"