To Know
The Emperor commanded me to build a city in the northern region. The illustrious Southern Zhong, the Xiongnu, were subdued in Xiang.
From the north bank of Hebei Gen River all the way to the Shuofang Ice Plain, the area spans 20,000 li, flat and unobstructed.
On this land, the imperial regalia of the Immortal Palace had long lost its authority; only the Ten Jiedu, the forty-eight regional military governors, and the more than one million armored and sword-wielding warlords were qualified to speak loudly.
This place is not only home to rebellious military garrisons and self-governing palaces in various regions, but also to the Yellow Heaven, Youquan, Black Lotus, and various demonic sects fighting each other. There are Three Great Sects, the intrigue and power struggles within the Nine Mysteries Sect, the immortals and demons roaming freely in the Thirty-Six Heavenly Immortal Caves, and the demons and monsters of the Five Barbarians and Sixteen Yi tribes, along with countless Devil Embryo and evil seeds that wreak havoc on the world.
This is the Gen Country, where the chaos of the world began, Central Plains battlefield where heroes vied for supremacy.
Li Fan flew out of Zhen, crossed the Gen River, and arrived in Hebei, finally leaving the sphere of influence of Penglai Mountain.
Looking at the vast and beautiful landscape of Hebei, Li Fan couldn't help but sigh with emotion. Before leaving the mountain, he had spent countless hours studying with Xiao Yushi, learning some basic history of the Twelve Countries. He knew that the Gen River had been the traditional settlement of the Human Race since the era of the Immortal Venerable. The land was fertile, the produce abundant, the mountains and rivers vast, and the population thrived continuously. Naturally, this fertile land had always been coveted by the northern Demon Race.
Therefore, ever since the Immortal Venerable unified the world, the Gen Country, which occupies the Gen River Plain outside the Three Enclosures, has long been the strongest of the Twelve Countries, and the foundation upon which the Immortal Palace sweeps across the four seas.
Back then, the Grand Commandant used the Gen Country as his base to launch three Northern Expedition, completely eradicating the Daoist Tradition of the Demon Race north of Mangshan, which won him the hearts of the people. Therefore, after the Grand Commandant was assassinated, the former members of the Northern Expedition Immortal Army, based in the Gen Country, were particularly resentful, and their conflict with the Three Realms Immortal Clan faction worsened.
Ultimately, the Yuan family, the head of the four great clans in the land at the time and the governor of Gen Province, gathered a million-strong army and marched on the Three Realms under the banner of avenging the Grand Commandant. This was the greatest crisis for the Three Realms since the Immortal Emperor was assassinated by the Xuanmen, and the largest civil war within the Immortal Palace.
The details of the battle will not be elaborated here, but the result is that Yuan was defeated by the Conquering West General Conquers the West of the Three Kingdoms. This Conquering West General was later promoted to Grand General for his meritorious service in supporting the country. The Three Kingdoms also began to worry about the hidden dangers of the border garrison troops, and their policy tended to suppress the local border garrison troops for a long time.
Although the Yuan clan was defeated and executed, with all their relatives and confidants slaughtered, and the rule of the Gen Country's court disintegrated, the power of the local warlords and regional governors remained. They became independent and no longer obeyed the orders of the Three Palaces. In peacetime, the warlords fought each other, but once the Three Palaces attacked, they would unite to resist. The Three Palaces also had a large number of border troubles. In addition, the Xuan Sect God Sect was also secretly supporting and instigating them, so the war in the Gen Country could never be quelled.
Under these circumstances, uprisings broke out everywhere, and the government imposed heavy taxes and levies, leading to mutinies and rebellions that broke out year after year north of the Gen River. From time to time, demonic sects would gather crowds to rebel. As a result, even today, the Gen Country is still plagued by rampant demonic forces, numerous rebel armies, and endless chaos.
However, the situation north of the Gen River is actually more stable than that of the Zhen Country. After all, the fighting in the north has lasted for a long time, and the various forces are in a delicate balance. Although some of the four factions are divided up, their strength and territory have already been divided under the tacit agreement of the Three Great Sects.
Although being a military Jiedushi or a regional military leader remained a high-risk and dangerous profession, with the possibility of being overthrown or installed from time to time, these were mostly internal matters within the military governorships. Large-scale annexations of military governorships resulting in tens of thousands of deaths and injuries were not common, occurring roughly once every two or three years.
On the contrary, the fighting in the south had just begun, and the filial sons and grandsons of the Xiao Family all felt that their destiny was on their side. They were all sharpening their swords, eager to try, and they would send out 100,000 troops at a time, as if they would be embarrassed to go all in at the card table without 100,000 troops. In short, banners were waving and the sky was overwhelming. It was really unknown who would be trampled to death by this deer that all the heroes were fighting for.
So, according to Li Fan's original plan, he was to find a safe place in Zhen Country to cultivate in seclusion as soon as he left Penglai, and to send his primordial spirit out of his body to the moon to learn the subsequent primordial spirit techniques. But he was speechless, he couldn't find a safe place in Zhen Country!
After all, Zhen had been peaceful for many years. Hebei had been fighting one battle after another, and the Three Realms had been fighting repeatedly. Many people who fled from Guanzhong in Hebei gathered here. The spiritual veins and immortal mountains that could be used for cultivation had long been occupied by people. They were either independent sects or immortal residences. In this chaotic world, with the great edifice about to collapse, they were either actively preparing for war or activating magic arrays, closing their mountain gates, and refusing visitors to protect themselves.
The wilderness was far too unsafe; war raged everywhere, people died everywhere, and soldiers were everywhere. From dawn till dusk, the air was filled with the sounds of battle and the flames of war. Li Fan's Divine Sense had such a wide range that he felt constantly threatened, unsure whether he had been spotted by scouts, followed by someone, or even scouting by the accompanying mages. Even setting up a magic array in a spiritual vein meant that people would frequently fly overhead to check for ambushes. In such a tense situation, it was impossible to cultivate in peace.
So Li Fan simply gave up and sped for three days and nights, crossing the Gen River to the north before using Si Nan to find a direction. He then found a mountain peak, chose a quiet ravine, and ventured into the deep mountains and wilderness. After scanning with his Divine Sense, he found that there were hardly any wolves, which put Li Fan at ease. He then searched for spiritual veins, calculated the array's core, and prepared to set up a magic array to protect his Dao body, which was separated from his primordial spirit.
He had barely dug around in the spiritual vein a couple of times, and before he could even plant the eight array flags, he unearthed three skeletons.
These three corpses were all cultivators at the Golden Core Stage. One was a mummified corpse and the other a skeleton. Judging from the degree of decomposition, they died at different times and their clothing was also different, so they were probably not related.
One was shot in the abdomen and chest, the arrowhead still embedded in his ribs; another had his skull cracked by a hammer; and the third simply lost his breath due to a meridian disorder. It seemed they were all already seriously injured and were recuperating near this secluded spiritual vein, but unfortunately, they suffered qi deviations, their old injuries flared up, or something similar, and in short, they couldn't hold on and died.
Sigh, you can dig three feet into the ground and find a bunch of <Against Fate>. That's the style of life in the Central Plains...
The three men didn't have anything valuable on them, so Li Fan dug another hole and buried them there. Then he set up an array to search for the centipede on the moon.
There's still no one on the moon... well, there shouldn't be anyone here in the first place...
In short, he didn't see any of the Inner Sect disciples of Moshan. It was as if the mountain lord and Wangshu had traveled through time; they were nowhere to be seen, as if the long white legs were purely a dream of Li Fan.
Honestly, this isn't the way to hide from an enemy, is it? And just how powerful is this enemy that the Mountain Lord and his group are so afraid of them? He's seen those who have attained enlightenment before; even that old codger who manifested wasn't all that impressive...
Then Li Fan imagined a scenario where the manifestation was lurking in the shadows, plotting to cause him trouble, and couldn't help but shudder. He dared not think about it anymore. Well, he'd better hurry up and learn the Primordial Spirit Technique. He wouldn't have the confidence to do anything if his combat power wasn't increased...
With a full heart and mind, Li Fan carefully studied the four sections of the Mo Shan lineage, including the "Centipede Back." Fortunately, he had read the "<Six Classics> of Mo Shan" beforehand, and his mind was focused enough to understand the lengthy text. After the sections on "Blind Observation" and "Mind Discrimination," the study of the Mo Shan lineage began, based on the theories of the "<Six Classics>."
The so-called principle is to observe before discerning, discern before knowing, know before engaging, engage before understanding, understand before discussing, discuss before deliberating, and deliberate before seeking. One should exhaust one's wisdom through thought and use the minds of others to assist one's thinking. When many people assist one's thinking, one's plans will be quickly devised.
Thus, to hear, speak, and be intimate; to name, reality, combination, and action—this is called knowledge. To transmit and receive it is to hear. If it is not yet manifest, it is to speak. To observe it personally is to be intimate; what is called it is name. What is called it is reality. Name and reality are paired, which is combination. To act on one's will is to act. This is what is meant by "knowing."
Simply put, this teaches the most basic epistemology of the Moshan lineage.
Whether something is a Non-Thing, you must first see it to distinguish it; only by distinguishing it can you have cognition; only by cognition can you know how to approach it; only by approaching it can you understand its principles; only by understanding its principles can you make theoretical predictions; only with theories can you think and judge; only with deep thinking can you explore what you need. Not only do you exhaust yourself, but you also need to use the minds of others as a standard for thinking. The more like-minded people you have to explore and think with, the faster you will find the Great Way.
Thus, there are seven levels of cognition: knowledge gained through hearing, knowledge gained through reasoning, knowledge gained through firsthand observation, conceptual cognition of names, actual cognition of identifying entities, cognition that combines theory and practice, and cognition that knows both the name and the reality, is based on practice, can be transformed into one's own use, can be implemented in unity, and can be carried out in accordance with one's own will. This is called true knowledge.
'Li Fan has completed the study of "Knowledge"'
'The Cultivation Method is being evaluated'
"For knowledge, the Primordial Spirit Method—cultivating the Primordial Spirit Method can refine the strength of the Primordial Spirit, and through comprehensive contact on both the spiritual and physical levels, greatly enhance one's understanding of the Tai Su Dao. Furthermore, one can share this joy with fellow practitioners."
'For knowledge, the benefits gained through digesting Non-Thing are doubled; when like-minded individuals study together, both parties can receive additional benefits.'
Digestion... Damn! So the fighting and killing was all for the sake of drinking, huh? It turns out it was all for comprehensive contact! And no wonder the mountain lord loves hosting feasts so much! Apparently, if everyone eats together, takes a cut, and then shares the enlightenment bonus! Damn it!
Li Fan was speechless. Well, the <Way of Knowledge> wasn't bad; in fact, it was quite good. Just from the literal description, it meant double the benefits plus extra bonuses! Eating one was at least equivalent to eating two! Naturally, this could greatly increase the rate of return on absorbing and utilizing non- Material Dao bodies. In the long run, it was definitely a divine cultivation technique!
However, for now, it's still just icing on the cake, a way to solidify the foundation. The short-term increase in combat power is negligible.
Moreover, judging from the pace of the Ink Mountain Heavenly Book, it's probably organized according to the outline of Level 6, which means that all the basic theories must be learned before specific application methods are gradually introduced. It seems that the weakness in combat power in the Primordial Spirit Technique area will not be easily resolved in the short term.
However, Li Fan still studied it seriously. This "Law of Knowledge" was long and complicated, interspersed with anecdotes of several great figures from time to time, reflecting the philosophy of Mo Shan, and supplemented by many annotations and observations of predecessors. Li Fan also pondered it for a long time, spending four consecutive days studying it, leaving his body with his primordial spirit every night and studying it during the day. He was so frustrated that he felt like he had lost 16k before he finally mastered it.
Moreover, even if one masters it, how should I put it, it doesn't feel like there's a particularly significant improvement. The range of observation of one's Divine Sense doesn't seem to have increased significantly. It seems that without killing some Non-Thing to eat, one can't truly appreciate the wonders of the <Dharma of Knowledge>.
But at least the Mo Shan Yuan Shen technique has made some progress, and my mood is completely depleted. There's still a 17.6k limit left... 17.6k, my goodness, if I want to charge up for the lottery, it'll take forever.
Therefore, Li Fan's next plan was to convert his upper limit into Dao Body cultivation. Li Fan directly started reforging, spending 300 points of his mood limit to instantly reforge the Dao Body of the Mountain Gods of East Mountain, West Mountain, and South Mountain. After all, although it was not cost-effective, the 'Five Mountain Gods Bones Demon -Exorcism Sword Intent' was currently his only means to effectively damage the opponent's primordial spirit.
This changed Li Fan's mood to 1.6k/17.3k, and his energy level to 16k/17.3k.
But before Li Fan could decide whether to first Moon Worship to replenish his evil energy or cultivate a new Dao body to lower his limits and try his luck, someone came to his door, disturbing his peaceful cultivation.
Of course, they didn't come specifically to find him. Instead, a cultivator was passing through the wilderness and flew towards this forest. It seemed that he was also injured and wanted to recuperate in this unclaimed spiritual vein in the wild. However, this person was a rogue cultivator who was only at the Golden Core stage and had no sense of perception. He directly entered the illusion array set up by Li Fan and couldn't find a way out. His injuries flared up again, so he was knocked unconscious outside.
Li Fan couldn't just stand by and watch the person die outside the magic array. Considering that he had been staying here for a while, and that waiting too long was risky, he simply removed the flag array and prepared to move to another place. He also took the opportunity to check the rogue cultivator's injuries by taking his pulse.
This man looked old, a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties dressed in yellow. His aptitude and physical attributes were rubbish, and his cultivation was utterly worthless. To put it bluntly, he was a nobody that Li Fan could easily defeat with a single breath. He had both Divine Hardness Crimson Fiend spiritual energies mixed together within his body, resulting in a chaotic and impure cultivation. His meridians were not fully refined, so he definitely wasn't practicing a superior cultivation Cultivation Method. His injuries suggested that he had lost a fight and was trying to escape. His trashy magic weapon was broken, his talismans and pills were all used up, and he had been kicked in the chest, causing him to spit blood from his mouth and nose. If he were left unattended, even if he managed to reach the spiritual vein in time to heal himself, he would probably end up like the three people in the forest.
Li Fan did some quick calculations with his fingers, then looked at the Si Nan again. He realized that this rogue cultivator had no connection with him. However, since Heaven had a benevolent heart and the compass had fallen right in front of him with a 'thud,' it wouldn't be difficult to lend a hand.
So Li Fan gave this man half of the Donghua Changchun Pill, helped him regulate the chaotic true energy in his body, and even used the Dalu Jing Tian Finger to press acupoints and open meridians, clearing up several stagnations of energy in his body that he didn't know if it was caused by his own cultivation errors or defects in his Cultivation Method. To exaggerate a bit, it was truly divine enlightenment, a favor akin to being reborn.
However, during the healing process, the cultivator, though clearly awake, pretended to be unconscious and didn't offer any thanks. Even after being healed, and despite Li Fan's obvious goodwill and lack of harm, the cultivator remained motionless, feigning unconsciousness. It's unclear what he was worried about; perhaps he suspected Li Fan's assistance was for ulterior motives?
Li Fan originally only wanted to ask this person about the surrounding area, what kind of monsters he could kill and eat, but seeing how cautious and wary the other person was, he could only shrug and let him be.
But Li Fan didn't leave immediately; instead, he sat for a while longer. Sure enough, not long after, two more cultivators flew over.
The two people took to the air, creating a cloud of smoke and dust, quite unlike those of the orthodox Xuanmen sect. Li Fan sensed their presence from afar and followed them, clearly searching for someone, most likely the middle-aged rogue cultivator he had casually saved earlier.
Upon closer inspection, both of them were at the Golden Core stage, seemingly a Dual Cultivation Dao companion. The man had a delicate, feminine appearance, wore rouge and foundation, dressed in white, and wore a peach blossom in his hair. He carried a tattered cloth bag in one hand and a short stick in the other.
The woman, past her prime, was rather shabby. Her thin, pink silk dress was barely concealing her figure; as she flew, the wind blew it up, revealing her upper thighs. Around her waist hung a mundane magical Magic Treasure— a ball-shaped object that emitted a rumbling sound of wind and thunder, and produced a considerable amount of flame and dust. Judging from the allure in her eyes, she probably had some beauty in her youth, easily scoring a 70 or 80 out of 100 with some effort. But now, even calling her past beauty faded would be an exaggeration; it was clear her aptitude was truly lacking, stuck at the Golden Core stage for many years. No matter how much she tried to preserve her youth, it was gone. At best, I'd give her a 60+.
Because Li Fan had removed the magic array and wasn't hiding, the two of them were still searching. Following the spiritual vein, they finally found him. The middle-aged rogue cultivator was still pretending to be dead, while Li Fan was now dressed in a linen robe and a veiled hat, covering his face with the 'Unknown Face' mask to deliberately conceal his cultivation level, waiting for the two of them to come and ask for directions.
The man and woman were quite cautious. Unable to ascertain Li Fan's cultivation level, they kept a distance in mid-air, observing him from afar, and did not rush to land.
Then the two whispered and discussed for a while. The woman came up, first making a delicate gesture with her fingers, then quickly gesturing with her hands in several unfamiliar positions, while tentatively asking, "I am Shen Lianzi, a tribute recipient from the Heng Hai Army. I would like to ask my fellow believer how many characters Yun Dou has, what the characters above and below are, and where the direct bloodline of the Three Mountains lies."
Li Fan was taken aback, secretly sighing that the Central Plains truly lived up to its Central Plains. A Golden Core cultivator, an old woman, with utterly worthless cultivation, yet she rattled off a series of elaborate schemes; she seemed quite adept at her craft...