The Daoist Teachings

Apart from Zhang Sanfeng, whose fame resounded throughout the cultivation world, the Wudang Sect was actually still considered a minor sect. If not for the fact that its martial practitioners who had entered the Dao possessed such overwhelming combat strength, it was entirely possible that the cultivation world would have overlooked the Wudang Sect. Although the Wudang Sect was only at a middle-to-lower level in the ancient cultivation world, when it came to secular influence, only Shaolin could rival it. At least many members—and even leaders—of some of the Chinese government's special forces, such as the Dragon Group and Leopard Group, came from Wudang. Of course, the sect was also involved in various secular industries to some extent. Thus, as the second disciple of Daoist Master Qingmu, the Wudang Sect Leader, Song Feng sometimes had to act as a firefighter, descending the mountain to resolve difficult problems. Naturally, he had also made quite a few friends in the secular world. Zhao Liya was the cherished daughter of the Zhao Group. Her father, the boss of the Zhao Group, was one of Song Feng's close friends in the secular world, while Lin Ling was naturally the daughter of Lin Qiming, another good friend of Song Feng's.

As soon as she saw Song Feng, Zhao Liya bitterly poured out everything that had happened at the foot of the mountain. Song Feng was secretly astonished when he heard it. He knew Zhao Liya's cultivation well. Even he himself had no confidence that he could subdue her without making a move, let alone the fact that, judging by Zhao Liya's account, that Daoist had subdued her with nothing more than a gentle force. That was something one had to reach his master's level to accomplish. When had Wudang Mountain produced such a formidable young expert? How had he known nothing about it?

After consoling Zhao Liya, Song Feng sternly warned the two of them never to provoke that young Daoist. Seeing how serious his expression was, Zhao Liya asked indignantly, "Could it be that even Uncle Song can't beat him?" In Zhao Liya's heart, Song Feng was an unparalleled expert. Even her father was no match for him, let alone that vile Daoist. Lin Ling also looked at Song Feng expectantly.

Although Song Feng wanted to say that he could do it, he knew from Zhao Liya's description that someone who could restrain her merely by releasing his own power had reached at least the Innate Realm. He was still struggling bitterly in the acquired realm. How could he possibly be a match for someone in the Innate Realm? Song Feng helplessly shook his head and said, "Perhaps my master could defeat him!" If he had known that the Daoist she was talking about was Zhang Sanfeng's disciple, who knew whether he would still have said that—or simply found a crack in the ground to crawl into.

"Ah!" The two beauties cried out simultaneously. They had never imagined that the lecherous-looking, ordinary-looking Daoist could actually be so powerful, to the point of standing alongside the Wudang Sect Leader. It seemed impossible now to find Uncle Song and have him stand up for them and teach that vile Daoist a lesson. The two beauties had completely lost the excitement they had felt upon first arriving at Wudang Mountain. Under Song Feng's hurried guidance, they took a cursory tour of Yuchun Palace and paid their respects before Zhang Sanfeng's statue. It was just unknown whether they would have bowed so sincerely if they had discovered that Zhang Hupan was Zhang Sanfeng's disciple. Then they conveyed their fathers' regards to Song Feng, as well as their hope that Song Feng could meet them at West Lake when the time was right, before hurriedly saying goodbye and returning to Hangzhou.

Having just seen Zhao Liya and Lin Ling off, Song Feng saw Qing Teng's slightly plump body waddling toward him. As the second disciple of the current Wudang Sect Leader, Song Feng knew something about Wudang's deeper secrets. For example, he knew that this young, fat Daoist walking toward him was the closed-door disciple of his grandmaster, whom he had never met. They cultivated together in the rear mountain of Yuchun Palace, but that place was covered by an immortal formation. It was said that the Wudang Sect's senior members lived there, all of them figures as legendary as immortals. Song Feng had always yearned for that place, but only his master and several uncles were allowed to enter. Of course, with Song Feng's cultivation, even if he had been allowed inside, he could not have opened the immortal formation. After all, he was still a mortal, with an acquired body.

"Greetings, Uncle Qing Teng!" Seeing Qing Teng truly walking toward him, Song Feng hurriedly greeted him with the utmost respect. The Wudang Sect placed great importance on respecting teachers and upholding the Dao. Although Daoist Master Qing Teng was only a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old Daoist, Song Feng did not dare slight him in the least.

"So it's my nephew Mingde! May I ask if Senior Brother Qingmu is here?" Mingde was Song Feng's courtesy name.

"He is, he is. Master is cultivating in Xuanmen Hall!" Song Feng said, pointing toward the rear hall.

"Thank you, Nephew Mingde. I have something to discuss with Senior Brother Qingmu, so I'll take my leave first!" Qing Teng nodded at Song Feng, then hurried toward Xuanmen Hall, leaving Song Feng utterly baffled. He muttered, "What happened to Uncle Qing Teng today? His attitude is so good!" In the past, relying on the fact that he was Qingmu's junior disciple and that he often lived alongside the legendary, immortal-like figures of Wudang—even if all he did there was sweep the floors—Qing Teng had been extremely full of himself. He had never even looked his nephews in the eye. But after receiving a lesson from Zhang Hupan, his grandmaster, how could he dare act arrogant anymore?

Qingmu had become the sect leader forty years ago, after his master, Daoist Master Ziyin, had stepped down. Twenty years ago, after unremitting effort, Qingmu had finally entered the Innate Realm. He had now reached the Late Qi Gathering stage. Thus, although Qingmu was already over a hundred years old, his face still looked as youthful as a man in his sixties or seventies. If not for his snow-white hair and beard, no one would have believed that Qingmu was already well over a century old. At this moment, Qingmu was also astonished by the spiritual energy that had shot into the sky from the rear mountain earlier and was preparing to investigate. After all, Qingmu was a true cultivator, and his sensitivity to spiritual energy was extremely keen. When he saw Qing Teng come looking for him, he said nothing and immediately headed toward the rear mountain with him. As they walked, Qing Teng explained everything that had happened to Qingmu. Qing Teng spoke with great excitement, while Qingmu listened with his blood boiling. He seemed already to see immortal pills overflowing with spiritual energy and immortal swords brimming with spiritual power before his eyes.

Before long, Qing Teng and Qingmu arrived at the Daoist temple in the rear mountain. Upon entering the main hall, they discovered that the two- and three-hundred-year-old Daoists were sitting cross-legged on prayer mats like primary school students, earnestly listening to Zhang Hupan explain the Dao. The scene looked incredibly comical and bizarre. A group of white-haired, youthful-faced old Daoists stared ravenously at the young Daoist sitting cross-legged on the meditation platform with a gentle expression and listened attentively. Some of the old fellows had even taken out little notebooks and begun writing classroom notes.

"The Dao that can be spoken of is not the constant Dao; the name that can be named is not the constant name. The nameless is the beginning of Heaven and Earth; the named is the mother of all things. Therefore, constantly without desire, one observes its subtlety; constantly with desire, one observes its manifestations. These two, though differently named, arise from the same source. Together they are called mysterious, mystery upon mystery—the gateway to all that is subtle. The Dao is like a road, something that people have always traveled together. In truth, it is the universal principle that gives birth to Heaven, Earth, people, and all things, and so it is called the Dao. Before Heaven and Earth were separated, this Dao hung in the vastness of space; after Heaven and Earth were opened, this Dao resided between Heaven and Earth. What Dao is this? It existed before Heaven and Earth and will endure after Heaven and Earth perish. It gave birth to Heaven and Earth before they existed, blending into the void and nothingness, unseen and unheard."

"In essence, all of this is the yin and yang distinguished by the Supreme Ultimate. Though the two have different names, they truly emerge from one source. The Grand Supreme called it mystery. Mystery means profound and distant. Anyone who wishes to attain the mysterious Dao must become still, then stiller still; settle the mind, then settle it further. When nothing whatsoever remains within, that is observing the subtlety without desire—this is one mystery. When the qi mechanism moves, although awareness exists, no perception is born; although movement exists, no thought of movement remains. There is one mind and no second thought. This is observing the manifestations with desire—this is another mystery."

"In short, the place where a thought arises is mystery. In truth, it is the beginning of opening Heaven and Earth and giving birth to people and nurturing all things. Since ancient times, every immortal has been formed through this moment of awakening and movement. It is also said: without desire, observe the subtlety; with desire, observe the manifestations. The two, one still and one moving, are each other's root. Thus, they emerge from the same source but bear different names..."

One profound saying after another about the Heavenly Dao left the old fellows listening as if intoxicated and crazed. Qingmu and Qing Teng, who had been standing outside, had long since joined the ranks of the students listening to the Dao. Poor Qing Teng and Qingzhu, whose cultivation was still relatively low, could not understand these abstruse principles of the Heavenly Dao, so they fully demonstrated the truth of the saying that a good memory was inferior to a bad pen, writing furiously without stopping.

In fact, it was not only the two young Daoists, Qing Teng and Qingzhu, who could not understand. Even Kuye, whose cultivation had reached the Mid-stage Pill Formation, was unable to comprehend many of the things for the time being. It was only natural. What level was Zhang Hupan at? He was already a Nascent Soul expert with a Half-Immortal Physique. Moreover, his teacher was Zhang Sanfeng, who had already become an immortal, and before leaving, Zhang Sanfeng had passed all his knowledge on to Zhang Hupan. It could be said that Zhang Hupan already possessed the knowledge and insights of an immortal, despite his cultivation still being stuck at the Nascent Soul Stage. It was like a child who understood the techniques of wielding a saber and sword but could not lift a massive saber or giant sword. Having someone as learned as Zhang Hupan teach these juniors, who were at most in the Mid-stage Pill Formation, was naturally effortless. It was as easy as turning over his hand. The pitiful adult students, however, were bombarded by Zhang Hupan's knowledge until their heads spun. For the first time in their lives, they felt that they were so ignorant that they were practically a disgrace to the cultivation world, scum of the Wudang Sect. Fortunately, those fellows were willing to learn from their shame and possessed quite a bit of the spirit of Mr. Lu Xun's Ah Q. Damn it, just because I don't understand doesn't mean anyone else does! The Daoists from the other sects don't even have a chance to hear such profound teachings of the Heavenly Dao! After comforting themselves like this, the fellows finally refrained from biting their tongues and killing themselves, calming down to listen attentively.

The sun quietly sank beneath the mountain, but all the Daoists remained immersed in that mysterious and profoundly wondrous Heavenly Dao. A full day of lectures suddenly resolved the doubts in many Daoists' hearts. Everyone's understanding and knowledge had been elevated to an entirely new realm. Nearly every Daoist discovered that his cultivation had unknowingly risen by an entire realm. Cultivation was fundamentally about sudden enlightenment. These old Daoists, who had cultivated for several centuries, had long since accumulated abundant power and absorbed ample spiritual energy from Heaven and Earth. All they lacked was that instant of enlightenment. Zhang Hupan's marvelous words were like a spring drizzle, causing seeds to break through the soil one after another and begin their lives beneath the sun. Naturally, Qing Teng and Qingzhu, whose bodies were still acquired, could not accomplish this. After all, what Zhang Hupan taught was simply too profound and abstruse for them. However, the principles of the Heavenly Dao that Zhang Hupan taught were deeply engraved in their minds and would greatly aid their future cultivation. Because of this lesson, the two young Daoists would eventually achieve cultivation powerful enough to shake Heaven and Earth and make ghosts and gods weep. But that is a story for another time.