Enlightenment

Chapter 15: Enlightenment

With no other cultivators in the world, Ye Qin, the only snake to have embarked on the path of cultivation, fell into deep thought.

Currently, there were only two possible explanations:

One was that cultivators truly didn't exist in the world.

The other was that cultivators were so reclusive that ordinary books wouldn't mention them, and only the state possessed such knowledge.

Ye Qin couldn't discern which of these scenarios was true, but either way, understanding it would greatly aid his current cultivation.

"The Dao that can be told is not the eternal Dao. The name that can be named is not the eternal name. The nameless is the origin of Heaven and Earth; the named is the mother of all things."

"Therefore, always without desire, one observes its mysteries; always with desire, one observes its manifestations."

"These two emerge from the same source but differ in name; together they are called the Profound. Profound and more profound, the gateway to all wonders."

Gazing at the Dao De Jing before him, Ye Qin was instantly captivated. The passage within it was actually widely known, and he had heard it countless times in his previous life.

Essentially, anyone in Great Xia could recite a couple of lines.

However, in his past life, he had simply recited it like a nursery rhyme, completely unable to grasp the feeling he experienced now.

"Is this because of cultivation?"

The Dao De Jing, authored by Laozi, offered unique insights into the formation of the universe and the laws of nature.

In fact, Laozi was the first to propose the concept of 'Dao,' believing that Heaven was not eternal or fundamental, but that 'Dao' was the ultimate foundation.

The concepts of practicing Dao, cultivating Dao, and attaining Dao all aimed for Dao as the final goal.

Yet, this very individual who believed in 'Dao' never explicitly stated he had 'attained Dao.'

Due to the limitations of his own conditions and a lack of innate spiritual essence, he could only stop there. Otherwise, the book would not have contained only these words but would have included specific cultivation methods.

Through these fragmented sentences in ancient texts, Ye Qin, having lived before, made some deductions.

From the subtle clues hidden between the lines, he suspected that Laozi might have been on the verge of stepping into cultivation, possibly even experiencing a meditative state like his own!

That state was incredibly profound; Ye Qin still remembered it vividly, but unfortunately, it wasn't something one could enter at will, requiring immense fortune.

Upon entering this state, one would experience an extraordinary sense of enlightenment, with thoughts racing at incredible speed, an innate understanding of all things, and profound mysteries.

It was precisely because Ye Qin had entered this meditative state that he had coincidentally opened the path to cultivation.

However, Ye Qin realized that ancient sages like Laozi, constrained by their own limitations, were barred from cultivation and could not advance further in their lifetimes.

This was why he had summarized his thoughts and feelings, leaving behind these writings.

Although the meditative state was fleeting, it had provided him with considerable inspiration, leading to the creation of many influential philosophical works.

He hoped to inspire future generations, holding onto the hope that someone with exceptional talent would fulfill his unaccomplished wish.

Later records state that Laozi journeyed west into seclusion and arrived at Hangu Pass. The pass official, Yin Xi, looked up from his tower and saw Purple Qi coming from the East, knowing a sage was approaching.

Legend has it that before Laozi passed through Hangu Pass, the guarding official Yin Xi saw a mass of purple qi drifting from the east. Believing a sage was arriving, he rushed to welcome him, and indeed, he saw Laozi slowly approaching on a Green Ox.

Yin Xi hosted Laozi for several days and asked him to write a book. Laozi, unable to refuse, thus left behind the famous five thousand characters, known to the world as the Dao De Jing.

This is the origin of the Dao De Jing.

Perhaps this was true, but some parts might have been exaggerated.

"It seems that Laozi's westward journey back then might have been to break through his limitations and seek a method of cultivation. Perhaps, like me, he discovered that humans lack spiritual essence, making it impossible to step into cultivation, and thus he only left behind philosophical teachings, not cultivation methods."

Ye Qin didn't know if Laozi eventually found a solution.

But it was highly likely he hadn't, otherwise, upon reaching Hangu Pass, he would have left behind specific cultivation methods instead of the philosophical masterpiece, the Dao De Jing.

Undeniably, Laozi was a man of great talent. With just a fleeting moment of enlightenment, he could have such profound insights, which was a testament to his innate talent and brilliance.

Unfortunately, his innate conditions were insufficient, bound by inherent limitations. As a human, he ultimately lacked Spiritual Energy. Otherwise, perhaps he truly could have become the foremost cultivator?

Throughout the five thousand years of history, there were likely many other ancient sages like Laozi. Perhaps in ancient times, some individuals truly touched the threshold of cultivation and saw a glimmer of hope, but due to the limitations of themselves and Heaven and Earth, they couldn't find the methods for cultivation, thus leaving behind only fragments to enlighten future generations.

Several such individuals could be named casually, like Lü Dongbin and Zhuangzi.

Ye Qin felt deeply moved and regretful, but even these philosophical masterpieces were enough to inspire him greatly.

Before stepping into cultivation, these philosophical masterpieces could only inspire thought. But after embarking on cultivation, one would realize how ahead of their time and profound these ancient sages' philosophies were, containing immense wisdom!

These were not cultivation methods, but rather a rare compilation of insights and understandings about Heaven, Earth, and nature.

He continued to read through ancient texts, also perusing many books related to snakes.

"I am different from these people. They couldn't break through the limitations of Heaven and Earth, but with my snake body and human soul, possessing both spiritual essence and wisdom, this is my fortunate encounter."

In other words, Ye Qin had now been reborn into this little black snake, possessing intelligence. Looking back through history, he was a unique exception and a variable.

When unusual phenomena appear in the world, great changes are bound to follow.

Human intelligence combined with the innate spiritual essence of animals had evolved into unparalleled enlightenment talent, and he himself was someone who had died and been reborn.

With all these factors combined, Ye Qin could easily perceive the natural world. What others couldn't sense, he could.

Their enlightenment might have lasted only moments, but Ye Qin's enlightenment could be quite long.

After all, snakes had been imbued with divinity since ancient times, carrying a certain mysterious aura.

The snake totem has a long history, and in ancient times, it had a vast popular foundation. Many ancient tribes and peoples worshipped snakes, believing them to be sacred beings capable of bestowing continuous blessings.

Ancient deities such as Fuxi, Gong Gong, and Candle Dragon all had human heads and snake bodies.

Needless to say, Nuwa, the renowned creator of Heaven and mender of the sky, who was hailed as the Mother of Earth, was a prime example.

Of course, his original body was just an ordinary little green snake, but it was precisely at the brink of death that he transmigrated.

The body that should have died was revitalized, and combined with the snake body and human soul, it formed a peculiar magnetic field. Coupled with the spirit of the animal, the collision produced unparalleled talent.

With all these enhancements, Ye Qin was able to find the knack for cultivation so quickly, even experiencing extraordinary epiphanies, which could be seen from his cultivation.

Everything could only be attributed to a series of coincidences, and ultimately, it all came down to "fate."

And fate is wondrous and ineffable.

All his cultivation methods were discovered and created by Ye Qin himself, a unique path of cultivation for him, one that could be said to have blazed a trail unprecedented and unrepeatable.

However, this did not mean that there were no traces left by predecessors.

If he hadn't seen the Yellow Emperor's Classic of the Inner Elixir, he wouldn't have thought of using cultivation to resolve his predicament.

There is a fixed number in the unseen flow of destiny.

Just as he was now in the library, observing ancient texts, peering into antiquity and exploring the present, searching for the traces of predecessors to resolve his doubts.

Unknowingly, a night had passed. Hearing the footsteps outside, Ye Qin suddenly awoke, glancing at the sky by the window.

"It's already dawn."

For him, it felt like only ten-odd minutes had passed.