Yellow Springs

The meaning of the Monk Jingmo is very simple.

The perfect and wondrous mind, this one mind, is the foundation of all phenomena in the ten realms—the ordinary and the holy, the deluded and the enlightened, the dependent and the independent, the cause and effect; it is the origin of all Buddhas.

He inexplicably gained consciousness, and then, in the void of consciousness, he attained enlightenment.

Because he is a puppet, he has no 'obstacles' and has never had any feelings other than his own since birth.

Thus, without any prompting, he realized 'emptiness', and from 'emptiness' he realized 'perfect enlightenment', which is called the mind-body that is all-pervading and without omission, appearing in every realm and encompassing everything.

In this way, he entered the Buddhist order.

Such talent...

Li Qi could only say that there are always stronger players among the strong. No wonder he was able to obtain the Buddha's aura from Amitabha Buddha. This person must be Buddha Child, and a seeded player at that.

"Master Jing Mo is indeed remarkable, but what is he doing here? The book you are reading... seems to have nothing to do with Buddhism." Li Qi looked at the book in his hand and asked with some doubt.

Not only is it unrelated to Buddhism, but this book is also particularly bizarre.

The book is titled "Some Details on the Care and Strengthening of Ball Joints".

The titles of the other books displayed nearby were even more mysterious.

Li Qi glanced around and found that it contained the following: "An Introduction to the Working Principles of Small Energy Cores: A Gift for Beginners"

The Artisan's Myth: How New Alchemists Can Improve Efficiency

One Hundred Simple Formulas for Calculating the Output of Law Treasure That Even Martial Artists Can Learn

Artist's Guide: The Beauty of Pure Mechanical Structures

"Ah, it has nothing to do with Buddhism. I am studying medicine. After all, there are always inconveniences when you are traveling. It is not good to always ask a master for help. It is better to learn a little bit on my own so that I will not have to worry about this when I travel in the future," Monk Jingmo replied gently.

Li Qi's eye twitched.

It seems there's no problem.

To the Monk Jingmo, this whole collection of things was medicine.

"Then I won't disturb you any longer, Master. Farewell." Li Qi observed for a moment but couldn't see anything unusual, so he simply cupped his hands in farewell and said goodbye to Monk Jingmo.

This mechanical monk really does have a bit of Zen about him. Li Qi couldn't see anything else in him; he was an extremely pure monk.

Although it was a bit strange, Li Qi hadn't seen many strange things.

Having cleared himself of suspicion, Li Qi stopped thinking about it and went back to reading.

The more detailed concepts of Reason Way still need to be learned from books. With this knowledge, we will have enough foundation to face the many troubles of the future.

Sigh, I'm only at the seventh rank, why can't I cultivate properly?

Li Qi shook his head, then found a bunch of books he needed and began reading.

As soon as Li Qi starts reading, he puts aside his troubles and immerses himself in the ocean of knowledge, which is also a rare form of entertainment for him.

Learning new knowledge, experiencing new unknowns, and broadening one's horizons—this was Li Qi's purpose in cultivating Daoism.

When he stood beside Yixian Yi County in Li Prefecture and witnessed the magnificent sight of the Human Path spirit surging into the sky, he felt that his cultivation was for the purpose of seeing even larger and more magnificent scenes, and for witnessing the wonders of the myriad worlds.

Although he has been pushed along by various things and the Heavenly Demons, Li Qi has never forgotten his original wish.

Soon, Li Qi became immersed in his studies, like a piece of water beginning to absorb knowledge from an ocean.

After that, Li Qi's life became very stable.

During the day, I go fishing with Grandpa Shen Yijun, usually for two to three Chen.

Fishing allowed Li Qi and Shen Yijun to quickly become acquainted, and they also learned some tips for exercising.

After that, I went to study and studied very seriously.

Incidentally, that Monk Jingmo also stayed in the library, truly like a puppet, tirelessly reading, completely oblivious to the daily needs of ordinary people.

The puppets never get tired, which is indeed very convenient for learning, and Li Qi was somewhat envious.

After finishing the book, he went to listen to lectures given by the Reason Way people who had just returned from working overtime, asking them to help him digest the knowledge in the book. He exchanged ideas with both sides, and his relationship with Wang Dun and the others also improved.

After class, Wang Dun and the others went to work to deal with the treasure ship, while Li Qi went fishing again.

A smooth and orderly day.

Li Qi was very satisfied with this.

This went on for five days.

Five days later, after finishing his daily teaching, Li Qi went to the deck to prepare for fishing.

However, today, Old Man Shen Yijun did not cast his fishing rod or set up a fishing platform. Instead, he stood tall and proud on the deck, gazing into the distance, as if trying to see the end of the sky.

You might actually be able to see it, because the heavens have an end, and from this position, the end isn't actually that far away.

"Old man, aren't you fishing today? Why are you standing here watching the water?" Li Qi walked over and greeted Shen Yijun.

"Well, let's not fish for now. After all, we'll be in the deep ocean in a few Chen, and it'll be spectacular. Where should we fish then?" Shen Yijun said with a smile.

Then, he pointed to Li Qi's fishing platform and said, "However, you can use the fishing platform to enhance your senses. I will press your pupil and Fubai acupoints to enhance your eyesight, and you should be able to see."

Upon hearing this, Li Qi immediately did as instructed.

Moreover, he was very curious to observe Shen Yijun's actions.

Acupressure!

He had heard of it, but had never seen it before; it was a highly skilled skill among martial artists.

Li Qi watched as the other person operated, and saw a surge of Martial Dao Inner Qi touch his pupils and Fubai acupoints. At the same time, the Martial Dao Inner Qi transformed into a heat flow that surged into his body.

Immediately, Li Qi focused all his attention on understanding how this acupressure technique worked.

Even if you can't learn it, you still have to look at it carefully.

The Pupil Point is located in the bone gap at the outer edge of the inner canthus of the eye, horizontally opposite the pupil, hence the name Pupil. In Martial Dao Inner Qi is located five fen (approximately 0.5 cm) from the outer canthus of the eye, at the meeting point of the Hand Taiyang and Hand and Foot Shaoyang meridians, penetrating three fen (approximately 0.5 cm) deep. Moxibustion with Qi and Blood is applied for three times.

If there is more white discharge, it will be behind the ear, one inch into the hairline.

Not only his physical body was affected, but Li Qi's inner world was also stimulated by the Martial Dao Inner Qi. His inner world immediately began to fluctuate, and even the Sun Moon Heavenly God became more energetic.

The external forces even formed a kind of mysterious flow.

The pupil and the black of the eye belong to Yin, while the white of the eye and the red veins belong to Yang. Therefore, by combining Yin and Yang, one can achieve keen insight. The eyes are the messengers of the heart, and the heart is the abode of the spirit. Therefore, when the mind and spirit are calm and steady, one can achieve clear vision, keen hearing, and sharp eyes.

With this series of actions, coupled with the amplification from the Diaoyutai Law Treasure, Li Qi's eyesight improved significantly; he felt his gaze constantly traversing long distances—

Then, he saw...

A tree.

A giant tree standing tall in the sea!

Could it be the legendary Fusang tree?!

"This... could it be Fusang?!" Li Qi asked in astonishment.

"Are you out of your mind? You call yourself Shaman, and you can't even recognize Fusang?" Shen Yijun rolled his eyes.

Upon hearing this, Li Qi shook his head in shame and began to observe and think carefully.

The characteristic of the Fusang tree is its name. The so-called Fusang actually means the word "Fu". There are two trees, one Fusang and one mulberry. The two trees are intertwined with each other and spiral up. Two pairs of trees grow from the same root and are more dependent on each other, hence the name "Fusang".

But the giant tree in front of us is upright and straight, showing no sign of being entwined or coiled.

Moreover, it has pink flowers blooming on it.

Wait... pink flowers?

Peach blossoms?

Peach?!

In the vast ocean, there is Mount Dushuo, upon which grows Great Peach Tree, its branches stretching for three thousand miles. To the northeast of its branches lies the Ghost Gate, the place where all ghosts enter and exit. There are two divine beings on the mountain, one named Shentu and the other Yulei, who oversee and command all ghosts.

He was very familiar with the Gods Shen Tu and Yu Lei. In the beginning, when he was still fleeing for his life in Li Prefecture, the willow branch that Teacher Zhu gave him contained the Shen Tu Yu Lei!

In other words, he had come to the peach tree of Shen Tu Yu Lei.

Damn, these two great gods helped me a lot in the early stages, even though they didn't actually recognize me. They probably had to deal with countless sacrifices every day, just like the God of the Li River did back then.

They may not care, but I can't. Since I've come all this way, I must pay my respects and offer tribute to express my gratitude.

If it weren't for the imposing presence of Shen Tu Yu Lei, Li Qi would probably have died outside long ago.

"The Great Peach Tree of Shen Tu Yu Lei, is that right? This is Duoshuo Mountain!" Li Qi immediately said to Shen Yijun.

"You do have some knowledge, Duoshuo Mountain. This is a 'Gate of Hell' where the underworld officials capture ghosts from various places. They are all inspected here by Shen Tu Yu Lei to distinguish between good and evil before being sent into reincarnation," Shen Yijun said.

Li Qi immediately examined the Great Peach Tree again, wanting to memorize all its details.

However, just a few seconds later, Li Qi suddenly felt the Sun Moon Heavenly God and his Primordial Spirit within his Inner Gods tremble abruptly.

At the same time, his eyes also began to become bloodshot.

Li Qi immediately closed his eyes. He knew that his senses were overloaded. This was the case when all his organs, including his own body, had been under high load for too long. He needed to rest, otherwise his foundation would be damaged.

To be able to see Great Peach Tree from that distance with one's own eyesight is indeed a very heavy burden.

The effects of the acupressure point quickly wore off. Li Qi released the fishing platform, and the shadow of the Great Peach Tree disappeared from his sight. He couldn't even see the faint, blurry light spots anymore.

There was nothing he could do; it was too far away, and Li Qi's eyesight was simply not good enough to see it.

"Ghost Gate, old man, could it be that the destination of this research vessel is Duoshuo Mountain ...?" Li Qi looked at Shen Yijun and asked.

"That's right, it's at Duoshuo Mountain. However, I don't know the specifics of what we're doing here. I'm here for something else. Once we get to Duoshuo Mountain, everyone on this ship will go their separate ways. What will you do then?" Shen Yijun asked Li Qi.

"Well, I'll look for merchants or something nearby. There should be some. I need to gather some ingredients. If not, I'll go to the deep ocean and fish for them myself," Li Qi said.

"There are plenty of businessmen, after all, most people who come to the deep ocean are looking for money. Since you already have a plan, that's good. After we finish our business, we can go fishing in the deep ocean. It's very exciting there, much more interesting than the places we went before. But I'm afraid that won't be possible today," Shen Yijun said.

"Why?" Li Qi asked, puzzled. Although they said they were almost there, they weren't there yet. With the remaining time, they could easily fish a couple more times, right?

"Why? Spend half Chen with me watching the sea view, and you'll see. Even if I don't fish, I can still keep the old man company and chat with him, right?" Shen Yijun smiled.

Li Qi glanced at Shen Yijun suspiciously.

This old man only looks old; he has a straight back and strong muscles. If it weren't for his white hair and age spots, he would be in better health than me.

Moreover, he was much better; his vigorous Qi and Blood and strong physique were far superior to that little chick Li Qi.

Li Qi figured it was unlikely that such a person would actually have any hobbies typical of older people.

"See the sea view? Hmm, that's not impossible." But he still agreed.

It's only half Chen, no big deal.

Then, the two chatted about fishing and started looking at the sea view.

However, after watching for about fifteen minutes, Li Qi suddenly realized that something was wrong.

The color of the sea ahead had changed.

The sea is still a clear blue, looking clean and refreshing, with a beautiful seamless blend of sea and sky.

But as we went further, the sea turned pitch black.

Moreover, there was no raging storm, but rather an eerie calm.

As the ocean turned pitch black, it also created a distinct boundary between the blue and black waters.

This dividing line not only separates the sea, but it even separates the sky!

Yes, behind that dividing line, even the sky was black! The sunlight seemed to be mostly blocked, with only a small amount of light able to pass through, like a black veil screen descending from the sky, or as if a filter had been directly applied to the world.

"The Ghost Gate is located where Yin Qi gathers, no wonder." Li Qi quickly discerned, through his True Knowledge Dao Charm and Information Flow Vision, that this was due to the gathering of a massive amount of Yin Qi.

Such terrifying Yin Qi caused the sky and earth to change color, and the sea to turn into black water!

This is the Gate of Hell!

If you fish here, you're probably not going to catch any fish at all.

As for what it was, Li Qi wasn't sure, but he guessed it wouldn't be anything good.

This is the gate to hell in the world, the opening through which reincarnation takes place in the present world. Even the slightest leak from it can pollute the world like this!

"Ha! We're here! Once we cross this line, we can go fishing. This is much more exciting than outside. It will take half a day to get to shore. If we're lucky, we might even get to cast a couple of lines and have some fun. Come on, get ready!" Shen Yijun exclaimed excitedly.

But Li Qi felt a chill run down his spine. He didn't move, but cautiously asked, "If we cast our lines in a place like this, we're probably not fishing for seawater. What kind of fish are we fishing for?"

Shen Yijun laughed heartily and replied, "What kind of fish are you fishing for? Haven't you heard? The Ghost Gate is located there, what kind of water source could there be?"

"Of course—"

"The Yellow Springs".