The God of Awareness Abdicates

Bai Sui found the old man's words quite novel; after all, this was a manifestation of the conscious mind receding to allow the primordial spirit to take command.

He had heard before that all the world's arts could lead to the Dao, but this was the first time Bai Sui had witnessed such a concrete example.

"However, I could not maintain that state at the time; the moment my heart stirred, I naturally slipped out of it.

Yet, having experienced it, I knew how to walk my future path, so I continued my pursuit.

Not only that, I embarked on a journey, fighting all the way, solely to re-enter that realm.

On the other hand, I sought like-minded individuals, hoping to exchange insights with them.

It is a pity, though, that I fought across the entire Land of Iron without finding a single peer. While there were times I was pushed into danger, it was usually due to the opponent's numbers or innate divine strength, both of which were rendered ineffective by my increasingly practiced State of Entry.

Oh, right, I call entering that realm the 'State of Entry.' When in this state, although my raw power does not increase, it is pushed to its absolute limit—not a single shred is wasted. My technique reaches its zenith, and I can even predict the trajectory of my opponent's movements.

Under the power of this State of Entry, I swept through every school in the Land of Iron. I read the records of various sects and found that some did indeed describe such a realm, though their naming conventions and descriptions varied."

As the old man spoke of the past, he lacked the domineering air his words suggested, as if he were discussing a stranger. His eyes were restrained, showing nothing out of the ordinary.

Had Bai Sui not examined him earlier, he would never have known that the man's body was incredibly robust—especially that heart, which beat like a powerful pump. The man was like a dormant volcano, ready to erupt with full force the moment the need arose.

"After searching the Land of Iron to no avail, I turned my gaze to the entire Ninja World. But no sooner had I left the Land of Iron than I hit a wall in the Land of Earth; the ninjas there could fly.

When I first left the Land of Iron, I went to the Land of Waterfall. A clan leader there could release threads from his body, which were somewhat resistant to blades. Though they were troublesome to deal with, they were easily resolved with the aid of the State of Entry.

However, this action of mine perhaps touched upon the interests of the ninjas, and as soon as I entered the Land of Earth, I was targeted by one of them.

I can be certain that fellow had not entered that realm, for his ninjutsu clearly had flaws. But he relied on his ability to fly, and since I could not catch him, he eventually drove me back to the Land of Iron.

After recuperating in the Land of Iron for a time, I set out again.

This time, I changed direction and headed south, straight into the Land of Fire, where I clashed with the Uchiha Clan.

That clan possesses the legendary Cursed Eyes; it is said that one falls into an illusion the moment they meet their gaze.

Yet, once I entered the State of Entry, their powerful illusions no longer affected me. After all, in that realm, I no longer observe the world with my eyes."

Bai Sui understood this; it was similar to his own use of the primordial spirit, where he could observe himself from a third-person perspective whenever he wished.

"But their clan relies on more than just illusions; they also possess powerful Fire Release ninjutsu. Their clan leader could ignite a sea of flames with a mere wave of his hand.

I searched for the weaknesses in his ninjutsu and used the long blade in my hand to strike them down, preventing the flames from getting close.

However, the blade I held was merely a mortal object. It could not withstand the ninjutsu for long, and soon it grew scorching hot. Knowing I could not hold out, I feigned an attack and escaped into the forest.

After that, I wandered the Ninja World for a long time, winning some battles and losing others. The one thing I confirmed was that none of them had entered the State of Entry; their strength lay in their power, not their state of being.

You are the first person I have seen in all this time who has entered the State of Entry. Although you do not appear to be a dedicated martial artist, you must have felt that realm. Could you speak to me about it?"

Bai Sui knew this must have been discovered when the man entered his spiritual domain; after all, he had only noticed the anomaly once the man was within range of his own spiritual sense.

"Very well. You are the first person I have met who has entered the Dao through martial arts, so I shall share my thoughts."

The old man had found Bai Sui on a mountain path, and the two had been discussing this while sitting on a rock by the roadside.

The Land of Iron is located in the north of the Ninja World, where the weather is cold. Though it was still autumn, snowflakes were already drifting from the sky.

These snowflakes vanished into nothingness the moment they drifted into the domain.

Feeling the uniqueness of the domain, the old man grew even more expectant of what Bai Sui was about to say.

"How should I put it? We must begin with the 'Three Treasures' of the human body.

Humans possess three treasures: Essence, Qi, and Spirit.

Essence can be understood as the material that constitutes this body. Of course, it is divided into innate essence and acquired essence.

Innate essence is the reproductive essence inherited from one's parents. It acts as the 'root of life' throughout all life activities, but it requires constant replenishment of material to ensure it does not deplete, allowing it to function. This material is acquired essence.

Acquired essence is the nutritional substance derived from food and drink, also known as the essence of water and grain. Only with the constant replenishment of nutrients can the body's life activities be maintained.

Qi is the driving force of life activities and can be understood as a form of energy. All life activities—breathing, metabolism, the distribution of nutrients, the circulation of blood, the moistening of fluids, and the resistance to external pathogens—rely on the functional transformation of Qi.

Spirit is the supreme commander of all life activities, including mentality, will, perception, and movement. It is also divided into innate and acquired forms.

The innate is the primordial spirit, while the acquired is the conscious mind. 'Yuan' carries the meaning of origin, nothingness, foundation, and primality. The primordial spirit refers to the spiritual energy inherited at birth, which is fundamentally different from the conscious mind and the desire-driven spirit that gradually emerge after birth as the heart interacts with external objects.

'The primordial spirit is devoid of thought and worry, naturally void and numinous; the conscious mind is full of thought and worry, numinous but not void.'"

The old man was delighted to hear this, immediately realizing that this theory of the primordial spirit matched his own experience in the State of Entry. He felt the accuracy of Bai Sui's words and caught a glimpse of the depth within this systematic philosophy.

"The primordial spirit is the innate nature, also known as the 'Original Nature' or 'True Nature.' Because it is not a mind of deliberation, it manifests like an infant—unaware and unknowing, yet possessing a state of perception and agility.

When in deep meditation, one exists in a state of tranquility and emptiness. At this time, breathing is continuous and subtle, as if existing yet not, without thought or worry, drifting and ethereal, in a state of hazy transcendence. This state is the manifestation of the primordial spirit.

It is said: 'The primordial spirit is the intent within the heart, alive and vibrant in the midst of neither movement nor stillness.' It is also said: 'When internal thoughts do not sprout and external desires do not enter, and I am solely in control of myself, that is the primordial spirit.'"