Principles, Technology, Energy
As Soul Beast, the Singing Summer Cicada naturally doesn't disappear like ordinary cicadas in autumn. However, it does dislike the bleak autumn wind, so it hides away or goes to other warmer forests after the Sunset Forest gets cold.
"The Star Dou Great Forest is like spring all year round. Could the Singing Summer Cicada have migrated there?" Tang San asked.
"No."
Xiao Wu replied, "In the Star Dou Great Forest, I have never seen any Singing Summer Cicada, nor have I ever seen any cicada-type Soul Beast."
"Cicadas are all the same; they prefer summer, which is the combination of temperature, humidity, and airflow conditions in summer. Although the temperature in the Star Dou Great Forest is suitable, the humidity in that kind of forest is too high, and cicadas don't really like to live in that kind of environment."
As Zhou Qing explained, he recounted the theory of Soul Power cultivation, "Similarly, the basic principle of Soul Master's simulated environment is roughly the same. However, the most crucial thing is to learn how to adjust one's own way of cultivating Soul Power according to the surrounding environment so as to achieve the best results."
"After all, we are human. If we can't change the environment, we have to find ways to keep our bodies in their best condition in that environment, instead of just trying to adapt to it."
This sounded a bit convoluted, but Tang San understood that the implication was that during cultivation, one should constantly adjust the way and efficiency of Soul Power circulation to keep both the body and Martial Soul in optimal condition.
In the context of life and work, if a person doesn't have the ability to change their surroundings, then they should find ways to adjust their lifestyle and work habits to maintain the best possible mindset.
But--
"Is there no way to hunt the Singing Summer Cicada now?" Tang San was still concerned about Zhou Qing's Fourth Spirit Ring. "Are there any other Soul Beast to choose from?"
"Have."
Zhou Qing nodded at first, but then shook his head.
"However, only the Singing Summer Cicada suit me. The Moo Spring Ox, the Dancing Winter Rabbit, and the Wind Autumn Sparrow not only bring me the three elements of earth, water, and wind, but also allow me to perceive the changes of the three seasons of spring, winter, and autumn. The cicada is the most representative creature of summer. I want to take another gamble and achieve the Four Seasons Cycle."
At this moment, he no longer concealed anything and revealed all his thoughts.
"Since I was old enough to understand, I have been observing the changes of the four seasons with great curiosity... After awakening my Martial Soul and experiencing the circulation of Soul Power, I realized that this cultivation method focuses on perceiving the changes in the external climate and using this as a basis to shape the human body and the world around it... So, in the past three years, in addition to studying, working, researching, and cultivating, I have also learned to observe the weather from farmers in various villages and households, and gradually, I have also summarized some patterns—"
"Each season, from spring to winter, can be divided into six sub-stages, based on weather phenomena such as wind, snow, rain, thunder, and temperature changes. I have also discovered that the movement of the Sun Moon, and stars changes accordingly."
"A season has six sub-stages, and the four seasons make up twenty-four segments. The human spine, excluding the sacrum at the tailbone, has a total of twenty-four segments, which correspond perfectly."
"When I obtained the Soul Ring of the Moo Spring Ox, I sensed a life force rising from my spine... At that time, I made a guess, so I chose the Dancing Winter Rabbit for my Second Spirit Ring. Sure enough, I felt my lumbar spine again, and the life force was hidden and accumulating; the Third Spirit Ring was the same, full of life force."
At this point, Tang San understood why Zhou Qing insisted on choosing the Singing Summer Cicada as his Fourth Spirit Ring. It was not only because the Singing Summer Cicada had abundant Qi and Blood and fire attributes, but also because this kind of Soul Beast was very likely to represent the season of "summer".
However, this was also the first time Tang San truly understood that the Twenty-Four Vertebrae of the human body actually represented the changes in the four seasons.
The six sub-stages of a season that Zhou Qing mentioned were something Tang San knew from his previous life; they were the Twenty-Four Solar Terms... He really hadn't expected that they could correspond to cultivation.
[Tang Sect leader and elders, where did your Daoist Cultivation Technique come from?]
Now, Tang San is starting to have doubts about the origin of the Mysterious Heaven Skill Tang Sect from the Tang Sect.
Daoism values nature most, and in cultivation, it is essential to pay attention to the changes of the Twenty-Four Solar Terms. However, when the Tang Sect teaches its inner disciples, it seems that they do not consider these factors and only focus on the effects of "moderation and peace", "rapid recovery" and "Endless Growth Internal Energy".
But now he realizes that the most important aspect of Daoist Cultivation Technique is the process of cultivation! In this process, the practitioner should comprehend the natural world and its correspondences with the human body, thereby experiencing the true meaning of the "Tao"!
Only in this way, after achieving success, can one ascend to heaven.
However, if one only focuses on cultivating Internal Energy and the characteristic of Endless Growth Internal Energy generation after success, then even if one cultivates to the point of mastery, one will only have accumulated enough Internal Energy and possess powerful techniques, but one's understanding of the "Dao" will be negligible, to the point that one will be unable to truly unleash the power of the Mysterious Heaven Skill.
At least from Tang San's perspective, his Mysterious Heaven Skill and Zhou Qing's Innate Internal Scripture Chart are very similar, about 80 or 90 percent. That is to say, some Meridians and acupoints are not involved, so there is no reason why his Mysterious Heaven Skill cannot do this.
The only problem is that this technique was not created by the founding leader of the Tang Sect, so they don't understand its true cultivation method at all.
If Zhou Qing knew Tang San's thoughts, he would surely be extremely gratified.
[When one's merits are fully accomplished, one will become Peng Lai Great Luo Immortal.]
To be honest, when Zhou Qing learned of this sentence, his first reaction was two words: bullshit.
Perhaps because he had read a lot of fantasy and martial arts novels in his previous life, he had a stereotype that no matter how powerful this technique was, it was only cultivating Soul Power, which in the martial arts world would be Internal Energy. How could he achieve perfection and become a great immortal?
What else could this be but nonsense?
But then he understood.
Taking a Soul Tool as an example: for a Soul Tool to take effect, it needs Soul Tool Core Formation as the principle for taking effect, the technology to forge a metal material that can be inscribed with the Magic Array, and Soul Power as the energy supply.
The same applies to Soul Master!
Soul Power is the energy that enables Soul Master to unleash Soul Skill.
Soul Skill are the principles by which Soul Master can unleash their Soul Skill.
The Soul Master's own body and Martial Soul are the foundation for the above two to take effect.
However, in the process of "cultivation", Soul Master also need to master other principles and techniques - the understanding of heaven and earth is extremely important in the cultivation process.
Daoism cultivation involves learning from nature at every step. Essentially, it is about cultivating oneself to perceive the changes in heaven and earth, to understand the rules governing these changes, and to comprehend the principles behind them.
This process is Comprehending the Dao!
After understanding the principles of the changes in heaven and earth, one can find ways to utilize these principles and demonstrate various novel magical abilities. This is called skill, or attaining the Attaining the Dao!
Finally, when one's skill is fully accumulated, that is, when one's energy is abundant, or when one reaches a certain standard, one can use the corresponding techniques summarized from understanding the rules of the changes in heaven and earth to transform oneself and achieve a certain sublimation. This is called: Proving the Dao!
What is Proving the Dao?
When a person has already understood the rules of change of heaven and earth during the process of cultivation, then what he lacks is only the accumulation of energy.
Comprehending the Dao!
Attaining the Dao!
Proving the Dao!
This statement sounds mysterious and absurd, but Zhou Qing has now reviewed it and discovered that it is indeed science!
It's a way for our ancient ancestors to observe, record, and summarize the laws governing the operation of heaven and earth! It's just that Daoism's religious aspects have shrouded it in mystery!