The Sage's Path Shifts with the World

Is that right?

Xuan Yin's mouth twitched slightly, but Patriarch Bodhi gave him no chance to refuse.

From then on, Square Inch Mountain gained an auditing student named Gu Yue Fang Yuan. Whenever Patriarch Bodhi preached the Dao, he would take him along.

Patriarch Bodhi was versed in all three teachings—Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism—and had profound attainments in each. A few casual pointers from him could benefit one endlessly, let alone receiving his teachings at his side every day.

The Thirty-Six Heavenly Dipper Divine Abilities, the Seventy-two Earthly Fiend Divine Abilities, the Path of Heavenly Immortals, and the Path of the Earth Immortal—Patriarch Bodhi before him had dabbled in all of them.

Of course, aside from asking about cultivation, Xuan Yin had not forgotten to fleece the place dry.

Mount Lingtai Fangcun and Slanting Moon Three Stars Cave were originally top-tier Cave-Heaven Blessed Lands, with no shortage of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures capable of increasing one's cultivation.

Such as the Immortal Peaches in the back mountain!

"Martial Brother Gu Yue, you came to eat peaches too?"

The moment Xuan Yin arrived at the back mountain, he saw Sun Wukong wearing a smile. As fellow members of the Four Mixed Monkeys, Sun Wukong naturally felt somewhat close to him.

Sun Wukong carefully offered him an Immortal Peach. "Could Martial Brother ask the Patriarch when he will be willing to teach me the Method of Longevity?"

Unlike Xuan Yin, who had been allowed to audit lessons from the start, Sun Wukong had spent the past few years on Mount Lingtai Fangcun doing nothing but chores like chopping firewood and carrying water.

Seeing this fellow clansman receive the Patriarch's teachings naturally left him feeling a little sour.

However, like Xuandu, Sun Wukong possessed a Childlike Heart. Though he felt somewhat sour, he did not develop any jealousy.

"Ha ha ha!"

Xuan Yin accepted the Immortal Peach and laughed. "Primordial Chaos first opened, there was no surname; to break through ignorance, one must awaken. Once you understand the true meaning of this name, subdue the Mind Monkey and tether the Will Horse, the Patriarch will naturally teach you the Method of Longevity!"

During this time, he had benefited greatly from following Patriarch Bodhi. Although the Dao methods of this world did not develop the profound mysteries of Dao fruits as deeply as the Primordial True Realm, they possessed a unique approach to Mind Cultivation.

The methods of the Chan and Jie Sects respectively rested upon the characters "explain" and "intercept." To advance in cultivation, the former needed to expound upon one's own Dao, while the latter directly cultivated divine abilities and wondrous arts, then used those divine abilities and arts to seize a sliver of life.

It could be said that each had its own emphasis.

As for the methods of this world, whether Confucian, Buddhist, or Taoist, Xuan Yin could see in all of them the Human Sect's path of External and Internal Cultivation.

Once cultivation reached perfection, one's Dao heart would naturally be flawless and unavailable for External Demons to exploit.

Though Sun Wukong was an Intelligent Stone Monkey, his Dao heart was unsettled. That was why Patriarch Bodhi had him chop firewood and carry water on Square Inch Mountain.

The purpose was to temper his temperament!

Yet so far, Sun Wukong's performance had been somewhat unsatisfactory.

"What does that mean?"

Sun Wukong shook his head. "Martial Brother Gu Yue, could you explain it more clearly?"

"Ha ha!"

Xuan Yin laughed as he departed, leaving Sun Wukong only his back. "The day you no longer think about cultivating the Method of Longevity will be the day the Patriarch teaches you the Dao. If your temperament is unsettled, your cultivation will naturally be slow. If you can subdue the Mind Monkey and Will Horse before formally beginning cultivation, your progress will naturally advance by leaps and bounds!"

Staying by Patriarch Bodhi's side was indeed a great fortune. During this period, Xuan Yin had never again considered seeking Sun Wukong's origin.

Opportunities were good, but if they threw one's Dao heart into disorder, it would be like picking up sesame seeds while losing a watermelon.

Some things could not be forced.

Since the Saint had spoken and promised him an opportunity, he naturally would not go back on his word. Xuan Yin merely needed to wait quietly for the day that opportunity arrived.

Moreover, remaining beside a Saint's incarnation and receiving his personal instruction was itself a supreme fortune—an opportunity countless living beings could seek in vain!

In the Primordial True Realm, Xuan Yin was not sure who the Patriarch Bodhi of later generations was... but after spending some time with the one before him, he could already confirm that this was an incarnation of his own Senior Uncle-Master!

His Dao heart became increasingly complete.

Furthermore, relying on the many spiritual treasures of Square Inch Mountain, he had successfully forced this body's cultivation up to the perfected Golden Immortal realm.

It was originally a Golden Immortal Physique. Once his Magic Power was sufficient, everything naturally fell into place.

This was the innate advantage of an Innate Divine Being!

Seven hundred years passed in the blink of an eye, but in Sun Wukong's eyes, only seven years had barely gone by. Patriarch Bodhi had undoubtedly tampered with something.

This was an application of the Path of the Earth Immortal!

Since Mount Lingtai Fangcun and Slanting Moon Three Stars Cave before them were reflections of Patriarch Bodhi's Great Dao, altering the speed of time within them was naturally effortless for him.

That day, Patriarch Bodhi summoned Xuan Yin and asked bluntly, "Have you gained anything from cultivating here with me during this time?"

"I have gained tremendously!"

Xuan Yin answered without hesitation, "I will never forget the Patriarch's kindness for as long as I live!"

Patriarch Bodhi nodded. "The Path of Tongtian has its own profound mysteries, but without cultivating one's temperament, it is inevitable that calamity will be planted for the future. Since you have gained something, you must restrain yourself from now on!"

Immediately afterward, Patriarch Bodhi asked, "What do you think of Wukong?"

Xuan Yin considered it before saying, "He has an Innocent Heart Nature. If his Dao heart becomes settled, his cultivation will naturally advance by leaps and bounds, but he can also be easily used by others!"

Back when Taishang Laojun taught the Golden Core Great Dao in the Human Ancestral Land, he had said that Xuandu possessed a Childlike Heart rarely seen even across countless ages.

Xuan Yin, meanwhile, had been born with a Seven-Orifice Exquisite Heart. His thoughts were sharp, and he excelled at reading people and situations, but that also made it difficult for him to focus on cultivation.

Sun Wukong and Xuandu possessed similar temperaments, but one kept his heart free of outside things, while the other had a temperament as restless as a mountain ape.

Each had his own strengths!

Patriarch Bodhi nodded faintly, indicating his approval of Xuan Yin's assessment.

However, he did not dwell on the matter. Instead, he changed the subject and sighed. "Things have roots and branches; affairs have beginnings and ends. Do you know where the Great Dao Struggle between your Teacher and Yuanshi came from?"

"Please enlighten me, Patriarch!"

Xuan Yin did not speak rashly. Since Patriarch Bodhi had raised the matter, it was surely not as simple as it appeared. It was better not to open his mouth carelessly.

"Their Daos are two sides of the same whole. Without the Exposition Sect interpreting the Four-Nine Heavenly Dao, how could the myriad beings of heaven and earth know of that sliver of life?"

"And as the Exposition Sect's opposing side, without the Jie Sect, it would be like heaven and earth having yin without yang. How could the Exposition Sect's authority to explain the Heavenly Dao be made apparent?"

"The two of them are enemies on the Great Dao, yet they are also each other's most important Dao companions!"

"However, if they wish to go further, their Daos must ultimately determine victory and defeat, just like the Yin-Yang Rotation between heaven and earth!"

"All things in heaven and earth rotate without cease. Prosperity and decline each have their time. At the height of prosperity comes decline, and at the depth of decline comes prosperity. As fundamental Daos, the two of them are no exception. At different times, they will display different manifestations!"

Xuan Yin seemed to gain some insight and cautiously asked, "Does the Saint's Dao shift with the times?"

"Correct!"

Patriarch Bodhi nodded. "The Dao that can be told is not the eternal Dao; the name that can be named is not the eternal name! All things in heaven and earth are, in truth, moving forward!"

"Saints are untouched by karma, but their underling disciples cannot escape karma's restraints!"

"In the future, the Chan and Jie Sects will inevitably fight without end. This Humble Daoist merely hopes that, no matter which of you gains the upper hand in the Great Dao Struggle, you must not exterminate the other completely. You must leave the other side a path to live!"

Upon hearing this, Xuan Yin immediately nodded. He then thought of Duobao, Yunxiao, and Wu Dang. Though the Jie Sect lost the Investiture War, its lineage had not been cut off; it still had a chance to pass on its inheritance.

And perhaps his Senior Uncle-Master had foreseen all this, which was why he stood with the Exposition Sect and Primordial Heavenly Venerate during the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation.

There was no other reason—only profit.

Making the Jie Sect undergo the tribulation could preserve the Mystic Gate's vitality. But unfortunately, this Saint had calculated everything except the human heart.

Saints were also people. Since they were people, how could they watch their disciples face the tribulation with open eyes?