A Master of the Way Was Born Between Heaven and Earth

A few days later.

His Spiritual Method training was back on track.

The two of them were on their way to Immortal Source Temple again.

The mountain paths were hard to walk. Many stretches were no more than narrow trails that could barely be called roads, or sheer cliffs that were just barely traversable. They were slick and treacherous, full of hidden dangers, and the two of them and a fox made their way along them.

Though a faint blue showed in the sky, the mountaintop was buried in clouds. Beads of water clung to both their eyebrows and hair.

"Senior Brother, the fox you picked up is going to end up raised like a dog."

"It's been following the cats around the temple every day lately. If anything, it'll end up raised like a cat."

"But it's grown a little, and it's getting prettier and prettier. So slender and dainty!" Junior Sister said as she walked. "Fourth Senior Brother said it definitely isn't an ordinary fox. It might be the offspring of a fox spirit!"

"Maybe." Lin Jue thought of his own past experiences. "A fox spirit may be no worse than a person."

"That's true! But in stories, the foxes in the mountains can transform and bewitch people. Senior Brother, do you think it might get those abilities someday too?"

"Who knows?"

The little fox behind them trotted along with quick, tiny steps. As if it knew they were talking about it, it lifted its head and looked at them.

"Senior Brother, look at the mountain!"

Junior Sister, who had been walking ahead, suddenly stopped and pointed toward the distant peak.

It was an extraordinarily majestic and precipitous mountain. Almost the entire mountainside was bare granite, with only a little green here and there. Even the Mount Yi pines native to the area struggled to take root on it. The mountain had been completely hidden by clouds and mist, but when the wind blew, its peak emerged above the sea of clouds, standing as if it reached straight into the heavens.

Following Junior Sister's pointing finger—

They saw what looked like two figures on the mountain. One walked ahead of the other as they talked across the seemingly perilous granite rock, then appeared to sit down for a game of chess and tea.

"There are people up there!"

"I see them..."

Junior Sister gazed up at the sky, dazed. "Master was right! There really are immortals in Mount Yi!"

"Maybe."

Lin Jue looked up as well.

Clouds and mist swirled around the mountain, Immortal Qi drifting through the air. The figures were indistinct and hard to make out, just like the immortals in the stories in books.

Over the past month, as they traveled this road, they had sometimes been lucky enough to see the mountain's true form. Most of the time, it was hidden behind clouds and mist. Lin Jue had asked his Senior Brother about it, and learned only that it was called Tiandu, which seemed to mean "the capital of heaven." The other towering peak opposite it was called Lotus, and was the Mountain God's abode.

The mountain looked close, but only because it was so huge. Lin Jue had no idea how to get there, nor where it might be possible to climb.

At least, it didn't look climbable.

Unless one had powerful magic.

"Let's go, Junior Sister."

"Oh..."

The two of them arrived at Immortal Source Temple once more.

Lin Jue and Junior Sister entered through the mountain gate and followed the stone steps up to the entrance of the great hall.

Pausing to look closely at the hall, Lin Jue saw couplets on either side as well:

Beneath the pillar, he swept away the dark winds; the immortal annals bear witness to his seventy words;

In the mountain, he ruled the purple qi; the Daoist scripture was once written in five thousand words.

Lin Jue looked inside. More than a dozen young Daoists were already seated there as before, with Wang Ji Zi sitting at the front, eyes closed in quiet repose amid the curling incense smoke.

Over the past month, Lin Jue had gradually come to understand that Wang Ji Zi was indeed sharp-tongued, but not particularly strict at heart. Seeing that two meditation cushions were still empty, the two of them went and sat down.

"Why are you only getting here now?" A young Daoist sitting near the front turned around and frowned at them. "We have to wait for you every time. I know it's a long way, but couldn't you leave earlier?"

"Sorry to have kept you waiting, Daoist Brother."

Lin Jue spoke as he sat down on a meditation cushion.

These young Daoists all had their own temperaments. The one named Yun Yi was rather competitive. Among the more than ten disciples in this group at Immortal Source Temple, he was considered quite talented. But during the previous lectures, he often struggled to understand what was being taught, while Lin Jue could regularly answer Wang Ji Zi's questions fluently. When it came to learning to read, he couldn't keep up with Junior Sister either, who studied hard until late every night after returning. He had probably been bottling up his frustration for more than half a month.

Only recently, when this group of disciples at Immortal Source Temple began learning to cultivate Spiritual Methods and draw Yin Yang Qi into their bodies, had they regained some confidence. They were now ahead of Floating Hill Temple.

"Silence!"

A voice came from above. It belonged to Wang Ji Zi.

Knowing the road was long and dangerous, Wang Ji Zi didn't say anything to them about being late. Instead, he glanced at the young Daoist. "If you don't even have that much patience, what kind of Dao are you going to cultivate?"

Then he flicked his whisk, stirring up the incense smoke that filled the hall.

"You've started cultivating Spiritual Methods too?" Wang Ji Zi glanced at the two of them at the back.

"We have."

"How is it going?"

"We've drawn the Yin Yang Spiritual Charm into our bodies." Lin Jue was talking about Junior Sister. He himself had succeeded on the very first day, so he had already been at it for several days.

"Good."

Wang Ji Zi spoke calmly.

"Drawing the Spiritual Charm into your body means you've crossed the threshold of cultivation. Now that you have a foundation in the Dao, how can you do without magic? Today, I'll teach you a commonly used spell."

At this, the young Daoists grew excited.

"This spell is called Summon Wind."

Wang Ji Zi continued in an even tone:

"People often speak of summoning wind and calling rain, but these are actually two separate spells. Calling rain is hard to learn, with an extremely high threshold. Summoning wind is much easier, though the strength of the wind you can raise depends on your cultivation. Even if you can only summon a gentle breeze within a few yards, you can go down the mountain and show it to people. That alone will give you a touch of immortal grace."

Lin Jue sat without moving, as did Junior Sister.

They had been like this most of the past month. Whenever they listened to a lecture or studied Spiritual Methods, they were sure to focus intently, without even looking at each other. Only after the lesson was over would they discuss and practice together.

"Wind is the breath of heaven and earth in motion. It has no form, yet leaves its traces; it has no color, yet makes a sound. Its nature is soft, yet its force is strong. It can strip the leaves from autumn trees, coax flowers to bloom in the second month, raise thousand-foot waves across rivers, and bend ten thousand bamboo stalks as it passes..."

Wang Ji Zi recited slowly.

A mountain breeze blew into the hall, stirring the incense smoke into whirling eddies and bringing a little coolness to the midsummer heat.

The lesson continued for most of the day.

Unlike before, this time everyone was fascinated by the mysteries of magic. They didn't even stop for lunch, and Wang Ji Zi was so engrossed in teaching that he didn't pause once.

Even the fox by the door listened attentively.

From morning until afternoon.

"This spell is profound. You all cultivate the Yin Yang Spiritual Law, but these spells of nature and the world are actually closer to the Five Elements. Go back and ponder them carefully. If you don't understand something, ask the masters at your temple. If you can raise a breeze within a month, it means you have a gift for Summon Wind. If you still can't raise a wind after three months, then either your talent is lacking, your comprehension is insufficient, or you have no affinity with the wind. There's no need to force it."

The Daoist Wang Ji Zi addressed them:

"Today is the seventh day of the month. In one month, on the seventh day of the seventh month, I'll test your progress again."

With that, he swept his sleeve and dismissed them.

The young Daoists were all eager to learn. They still refused to leave, sitting together to whisper and discuss the lesson. After a while, someone finally stood up.

"I wonder if the dining hall has saved us any food?"

At this, the young Daoists finally realized how hungry they were. They scrambled to their feet and hurried off to the dining hall.

"Senior Brother, we..."

Junior Sister turned to look at Lin Jue.

Her face was very fair and delicate.

"I'm hungry too, and it's getting late. We'd better head back."

"All right!"

Then they got up, went outside, and started back.

Looking up, Lin Jue saw that the clouds around Tiandu Peak had thinned, though they hadn't completely dispersed. A few wisps still draped over the mountain like gauzy veils. Clouds and rosy light appeared and vanished, billowing and shifting in a thousand ways, too wondrous to take in.

But the figures above had long since disappeared.

"Senior Brother, did you understand the lesson?"

"I was lost in a fog."

"Lost in a fog? What does that mean?"

"I didn't understand much. I just memorized it."

"Then I was lost in a fog too!"

"It sounds so mysterious, so hard to grasp."

"I think so too. I'm afraid I won't be able to learn it." Every time Junior Sister spoke, she looked utterly serious, her tone solemn. "Starting tomorrow, I'll also be learning 'Grindstone Shatter' with Master."

"Then you'll have to work hard."

"Of course!"

"..."

"Senior Brother, hurry up and learn it. Don't fall behind them!"

"Watch where you're going."

"Oh."

"..."

"Senior Brother, do you think that once we've learned magic, we can climb that mountain?"

"That depends on whether any of the Senior Brothers at the temple knows a spell like that."

"What if we take a Divine Speed Pill?"

"If you don't fall to your death, you'll make it up."

"Then let's wait until we've learned magic and climb up that mountain to look for the immortals. I'm afraid I'll fall to my death."

"..."

Lin Jue unknowingly quickened his pace.

The little fox ran behind, trying to catch up.

There was no wind or rain, so it was a good time to travel.

They soon returned to the temple.

After eating a little, Lin Jue went back to his room and opened the Ancient Book.

A new page of writing had appeared:

Summon Wind, the method for raising wind.

Summoning wind and calling rain are both spells of nature and the world. Unless one draws upon divine power, one must find an affinity with the Five Elements of nature and the world. The spells are mysterious and unpredictable. Some learn them in a single night; others cannot reach them in a lifetime.

This was more or less what Wang Ji Zi had said.

Lin Jue pinched the page, and a voice sounded again.

According to the book, spells of nature and the world ought to be classified as Five Elements Magic, but they don't belong solely to any one of the Five Elements. To cultivate them, there is no fixed method; one can only find an affinity with heaven and earth. The book then went on to recount many insights and reflections from those who came before, along with various tips and points to watch out for.

Lin Jue listened in a daze, understanding some of it and not understanding the rest.

After listening twice, dusk was already near. He put the Ancient Book down and went outside.

He had meant to ask Master and Senior Brother for guidance, but the temple was empty, with only a cool breeze to keep it company. Lin Jue made a circuit and searched everywhere, but couldn't find Master or Senior Brother in either courtyard or either of the two main halls. He only heard the faint sound of a flute coming from the mountain. It was probably Fourth Senior Brother cultivating Spiritual Methods and practicing magic in the mountains, playing the flute for fun when he grew bored.

"..."

Lin Jue stood in the courtyard and thought for a moment. Then he simply picked up his Firewood Knife and carrying basket, planning to wander around the mountain, see if he could chop some wood or gather mushrooms, and look for Fourth Senior Brother while he was at it.

So he followed the sound of the flute up the mountain.

There were two paths behind the temple, one to the left and one to the right. The left passed by Second Senior Brother's alchemy pavilion, while the right went by a small mountain pavilion. They joined together farther up and eventually led to the summit of Floating Hill Peak.

The flute seemed to be coming from the right, so Lin Jue followed the path in that direction.

There were steps along this stretch, so it was easy enough to walk.

As he went, the flute suddenly stopped.

"Hmm?"

Lin Jue stopped among the trees and looked up around the mountainside, but the vast forest left him unable to tell which way to go.

But then he thought about it. It didn't really matter.

Finding Fourth Senior Brother to ask about Summon Wind was one goal; chopping wood and picking mushrooms on the mountain was another. If he couldn't find Fourth Senior Brother, he could just chop wood. Besides, it wasn't certain that Fourth Senior Brother knew how to use Summon Wind. Lin Jue could ask Master over dinner.

So Lin Jue shook his head, took out his Firewood Knife, and prepared to go down the steps into the dense woods to look for dead branches and rotting wood.

But just as he took a step—

"Whoosh..."

The evening wind suddenly rose in the mountains.

It was a wild, unrestrained wind. It swept Lin Jue's hair and clothes upward, showing off its shape. It was cool, too, and swept away the heat of the climb in an instant.

Lin Jue felt as if he were standing in an ocean of wind.

It was midsummer, and the mountains were full of bellflower trees, each bearing clusters of green flowers the size of a thumb. They were shaped like the ancient bells rung every day at the temple. Nearby, beside the pavilion, tall trees bore clusters of green flower seeds—or perhaps they were fruit—smaller than mung beans. They had fallen all over the stone-paved path, covering it in a layer.

When the wind came, the bellflowers and leaves all rustled. The seeds on the ground danced in the wind, swirling around Lin Jue like green dust, tracing the wind's path.

Lin Jue suddenly froze.

Everything Wang Ji Zi had said that day echoed through his mind, along with the voice from the Ancient Book. In that instant, Lin Jue seemed to find an affinity with heaven and earth, and suddenly understood what wind was. It was a profound mystery beyond the reach of words.

Never once in his life had Lin Jue understood the shape and sound of the wind as clearly as he did at that moment.

For a moment, it felt as if he might rise on the wind.

In the space of a breath, the wind stopped.

A wild gale had just swept through the mountains, and now all was silent. The contrast was a silence so absolute it could hardly be matched.

Then, within that silence, a sound arose.

"Wind..."

The bellflowers beside the pavilion suddenly trembled, shaking like a string of jade-green bells. They were utterly charming.

Then the wind rose again, blowing the bellflowers in its direction. The green dust on the ground lifted once more and swirled around Lin Jue. The fox lifted its head, following the drifting seeds with its eyes. Its soft fur rippled in the wind, sketching out the wind's shape.

The difference was that now the wind blew only beside the pavilion.

Lin Jue remained standing where he was.

His heart was full of mystery. Within that mystery was a sense of accomplishment beyond words, giving rise to a rare and wondrous joy, as if he had become the wind itself, roaming through the mountains.