Individual teachings

"Thank you for your grace, Master!"

Only then did the demons recover from their overwhelming surprise and delight. They hastily bowed and thanked him in unison, their voices trembling with excitement.

The immortal cranes lowered their long necks deeply, their white wings quivering;

all nine heads of the Nine-Headed Lion touched the ground as he gave a low rumble;

even the ever-steady Black Tortoise slowly dipped his enormous head.

To come and go freely in a blessed land that even Primordial Great Powers would envy, and to be accepted into its master's tutelage—this was an opportunity they had never dared dream of!

It meant they had gained not only systematic guidance in Daoist arts, but also an exceptionally safe base for cultivation, rich in resources.

In the Primordial World, where the strong preyed on the weak, such a peaceful place to cultivate was precious beyond measure.

Zhenyuanzi nodded slightly and said no more. Daoist Hongyun understood. With a warm smile, he stepped forward, his broad crimson Daoist robe fluttering gently in the breeze.

His figure seemed to drift, as though he might dissolve into a wisp of cloud at any moment. When he spoke, his voice carried the same ethereal, shifting quality: "Little ones of the Crane Clan, come forward."

The immortal cranes quickly folded their wings and approached with graceful, respectful steps. They formed a line and waited quietly for his instruction.

Hong Yun's gaze grew distant, as though he were watching clouds drift across the horizon. He said slowly:

"Clouds have no fixed shape, gathering and scattering without constancy. Yet their essence lies in a single word: change. Only by following heavenly timing and riding the wind can they roam the nine heavens;

water has no constant course. It can be soft or strong, wear through stone drop by drop or shatter mountains in a torrent. Yet its foundation lies in a single word: nourishment. It nurtures all things without contending with them.

You cranes are born with fine bones and exceptional physiques. You soar among the clouds and wade through marshes, naturally close to both the Dao of cloud and the Dao of water.

As you cultivate, contemplate the true meaning of the unpredictable changes of cloud and the softness and nourishment of water. Do not cling to any single shape or state. Be like cloud and water, go with the flow, and only then will you attain great freedom..."

His words seemed to carry a strange magic. They not only clearly explained the essence of the Dao of cloud and water, but also stirred the surrounding heaven and earth spiritual energy.

Threads of water vapor began to condense on the cranes' white feathers, turning into faint wisps of mist that wound around them. Their movements grew lighter and more nimble, and understanding shone in their eyes.

The leading crane could not help spreading his wings and dancing gracefully through the courtyard, trailing swirls of mist.

Hong Yun then turned to the four pure-blooded descendants of sacred beasts—the Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise. Rather than teaching them together, he guided each according to their innate nature.

He said to the Azure Dragon:

"The Eastern Azure Dragon belongs to wood, governs vitality, and commands thunder and rain. Yet spring's birth must be followed by summer's growth, autumn's harvest, and winter's storage.

Your vitality must not surge blindly. You must understand the cycle of growth and storage, and grasp the truth of reincarnation: life passes from flourishing to decline, then flourishes anew. Only then can your vitality endure without end, and your thunder and rain bring blessings to all living beings rather than disaster."

At these words, azure light blazed around the Azure Dragon. Fine threads of lightning flickered faintly over his scales, and his understanding of vitality seemed to deepen.

His winding body glided slowly through the courtyard, and wherever he passed, the plants seemed to brim with even greater life.

He said to the Vermilion Bird:

"The Southern Vermilion Bird belongs to fire, commands the li flame, and governs destruction and new birth. Yet fire blazes upward and is all too easily lost to control, burning itself along with all things.

You must understand the importance of restraint. Flame can burn away decay and spur new shoots to sprout, but it can also warm the winter and illuminate the dark. The secret of controlling fire lies in the heart. When the heart is still, the flame is steady; when the heart is upright, the flame is pure."

The Southern Bright Leaving Fire burning around the Vermilion Bird seemed to shed some of its ferocity, becoming livelier and gentler. He gave a clear cry, as though he had grasped something.

He spread his brilliant wings. Flames danced along their tips, but their heat was no longer oppressive; instead, they radiated warmth.

He said to the White Tiger:

"The Western White Tiger belongs to metal, governs slaughter, and commands warfare. Yet killing is not the goal. Purging corruption, severing karma, and defending the righteous path—these are the true meaning of metal.

What is too rigid breaks easily. You must understand that metal can also generate water. Beneath your ferocity, preserve a thread of flexibility and compassion. To hold life within killing—that is the great Dao of the White Tiger."

The White Tiger growled softly. The sharp metal qi around him seemed to draw inward, and light flowed through the king-mark on his brow, lending him a steadier bearing.

His powerful body paced through the courtyard. Every step carried authority, yet he no longer inspired dread at first sight.

He said to the Black Tortoise:

"The Northern Black Tortoise belongs to water, governs darkness, and presides over protection. Yet water can carry a boat or overturn it, and darkness too holds limitless possibilities.

Your protection must not become stagnation. Understand that still water runs deep. Gather strength in silence and dissolve impacts through acceptance. Turtle and snake entwined is the union of extreme yin and extreme softness, as well as the embodiment of life's greatest resilience."

The mysterious patterns on the Black Tortoise's shell glowed faintly. His snake head and tortoise head nodded together, thoughtfulness showing in their eyes.

His enormous body moved slowly, stirring clouds of water vapor that soon settled again, as though boundless power lay within him.

Each of the four beasts received a true teaching. The Dao resonance around them aligned more closely with their bloodlines, faintly resonating with the primal powers of earth, water, fire, and wind emanating from the Four Symbols Plantain Tree at the courtyard's center. Their auras grew perceptibly more condensed and pure.

Meanwhile, Zhenyuanzi sat cross-legged beneath the Four Symbols Plantain Tree. His figure seemed to merge with the earth beneath him and the whole of Longevity Mountain, until there was no distinction between them.

He gave particular attention to the two kirin—the pure-blooded kirin and the Ink Kirin.

His voice was low and deep, like an echo from the depths of the earth:

"Kirin are the chiefs of beasts and symbols of good fortune. Your Dao is rooted in the earth.

Earth occupies the center, supports the four directions, and nourishes all things. This is its profound virtue. Yet earth is not lifeless. Within it lie metals, stones, and precious jade; with fire, clay can become pottery and metal can be smelted. This is its capacity to bear all things, and the wonder of transformation.

As you walk the land, sense the flow of its earth veins, distinguish pure earth qi from impure, and guide its spiritual energies to bless the region. Only then will you live up to your name as auspicious beasts."

The pure-blooded kirin nodded repeatedly as he listened. The auspicious qi around him grew richer, and his connection to the qi of the earth strengthened.

His golden scales gleamed in the sunlight. Whenever his four hooves touched the ground, he seemed to resonate with the earth.

The Ink Kirin, whose mutated bloodline had darkened his scales to an inky hue and once caused his kin to shun him, listened with particular concentration. Excitement and relief shone in his large eyes.

Through Zhenyuanzi's words, he finally understood that his seemingly ill-omened bloodline mutation was no defect. Rather, it gave him a unique affinity for netherworld qi, a deeper, more hidden power within the earth, and the potential to command it. This was an opportunity unlike any other!

Bathed in the sound of Zhenyuanzi's teaching, his dull, ink-dark scales began to take on a mysterious sheen, deep yet pure. His aura grew more profound as well.

The two young Daoist attendants, Qingfeng and Mingyue, stood quietly a short distance behind Zhenyuanzi and Hong Yun. Although these teachings were not directed at them, the two Da Luo Golden Immortals were expounding the ultimate truth of the Great Dao. Every word was a gem, holding heaven and earth law.

As they listened to the subtle explanations of five elements mutual generation, such as earth generating metal and metal generating water, and four symbols rotation, such as wood generating fire and fire generating earth, many uncertainties in their past cultivation suddenly became clear. Their understanding of their own Daos of earth and wood deepened, and they felt their Dao foundations grow firmer.

Mingyue could not help reaching out a small hand to feel the wood qi flowing through the air, delight spreading over his face.

Perhaps the one who gained the most was the Black Tortoise, who had remained silent throughout.

His cultivation was the highest, already at the Great Luo Realm. Yet an innate constraint left him with vast magical power and a formidable body, but no way to shed his original form and attain the Dao through transformation.

Now, as he listened to Zhenyuanzi explain the earth's origin and the Daos of bearing all things and return to the hidden, the deeper meanings of "all things carry yin and embrace yang; the interaction of qi creates harmony" and "form and spirit together" finally stirred a ripple in his Dao heart, which had stagnated for countless primordial cycles.

His mountain-sized, ponderous body began to tremble ever so slightly, with a steady rhythm, as though he were trying to understand, commune with, and align himself with this world in an entirely new way. For the first time, the transformation barrier that had plagued him for countless ages seemed to show a trace of loosening.