Profound Residence, Profound Text

Profound Residence, Profound Text

Zhang Yu's heart jolted. Xiang Chun's words had all but confirmed that what his teacher had taught him back then was likely the Great Dao Unified Text.

Years of breath cultivation meant his emotions stirred only slightly before swiftly calming. A trace of timely surprise appeared on his face as he asked, "Since there is the Great Dao Unified Text, then within the Protectorate Office... are there also people who cultivate the Turbid Canon?"

At his question, quite a few of the students present revealed curious, probing expressions. The mention of the Great Dao Unified Text gave them an intangible thrill, as though they had been let in on some secret.

Xiang Chun said gravely, "Those who cultivate the Turbid Canon were suppressed by our Profound Residence Orthodoxy in earlier years, and few remain. There are roughly one or two still outside, and they regard our Profound Residence as enemies. But we will deal with such matters ourselves. You gentlemen have only just entered the path and need not worry about this yet."

With a turn of thought, Zhang Yu wondered whether his teacher had actually been a cultivator of the Great Dao Unified Text, merely using the name of an Old Cultivator as a cover.

No!

His teacher had not had him alone as a student. The cultivation methods used by the others had always had nothing to do with the New Method; they cultivated entirely the old techniques. The Profound Text and Turbid Canon were likely only an internal conflict within the New Method. As an Old Cultivator, his teacher might not have cared about such things at all.

Though he still had many questions, he knew he could not keep asking, lest he invite suspicion. He cupped his hands and bowed. "Thank you, sir, for clearing up my doubts."

Xiang Chun's expression softened as he said warmly, "Do not call me sir. The Profound Residence has only one teacher, and that is Profound Chief Qi. Everyone who enters the Profound Residence to cultivate the Dao may be considered the Profound Chief's disciple. By relation, I am merely your fellow disciple. Thus, you may call me Senior Brother Xiang, or Affairs Hall Master Xiang."

Zhang Yu bowed again. "Senior Brother Xiang."

Xiang Chun chuckled and returned the salute. "Greetings, Junior Brother Zhang." After Zhang Yu sat down, he turned to the others. "Do you gentlemen have any further questions?"

No sooner had his words fallen than a tall, handsome, refined student rose and bowed, his voice ringing out. "This student is Bai Qingqing. When I saw the Seal of the Great Dao just now, I felt as if someone in the unseen was transmitting the Dao to me, and I grasped quite a few principles. Yet there are still some things I do not understand. May I ask Affairs Hall Master Xiang: since reading the Seal of the Great Dao requires Divine Essence, what exactly is Divine Essence, and where does it come from?"

Xiang Chun said, "An excellent question. For us Mystic Cultivators, there are two foundations in cultivation. One is the Seal of the Great Dao, the vessel that bears the Dao. The other is Divine Essence."

He raised both hands slightly, bringing his palms together. "Divine Essence is the gathering of essence, qi, and spirit. It must be diligently accumulated in daily life. The more Divine Essence one possesses, the more Seal Glyphs one may read from the Seal of the Great Dao. But you must remember this: the Divine Essence a person has in a lifetime is fixed. It is determined from the moment one is born. Thus, when reading the Seal of the Great Dao, the choice of every Seal Glyph must be made with utmost caution."

When Zhang Yu heard this, a faint gleam flickered deep in his eyes.

Bai Qingqing seemed to understand some mysteries of cultivation. Hearing this, he was greatly surprised and asked in confusion, "As I understand it, the Great Dao should be boundless and infinite, present everywhere. Yet Divine Essence is finite. If we use the finite to glimpse the infinite, would we not have no possibility of ever comprehending the true Dao?"

Xiang Chun nodded. "You are not wrong in the slightest. It is indeed impossible to see the true Dao by using the finite to glimpse the infinite. Yet the Great Dao is profound and wondrous; there is always one tiny flaw, one thread of life, one wisp of change."

At this point, his expression grew somewhat solemn. "Though you have just seen the Seal of the Great Dao and may be said to have entered the gate of cultivation, what you saw was merely the first chapter of the Seal of the Great Dao."

"The first chapter?"

The students below all showed surprise.

Xiang Chun said slowly, "That is correct. If you can find within this first chapter the mystery belonging to yourselves, your bodies will surely undergo a transformation. Once the old impurities have been shed and your entire being renewed, your innate nature will naturally return, and Divine Essence will be reborn. Only then will you be qualified to turn to the second chapter. At that point, another beginning awaits, lasting until your next transformation. So it cycles again and again, rising layer upon layer, until you behold the Great Dao."

Some of the students understood, while others only half understood.

Bai Qingqing lowered his head in thought, then suddenly looked up. "Senior Brother Xiang means that the Seal of the Great Dao must be read from shallow to deep, one chapter after another. And whenever we turn through a chapter, the Divine Essence we may draw upon is fixed in amount?"

Xiang Chun gave him a highly approving glance. "Precisely so. Thus, Divine Essence is both finite and infinite." He then looked toward the crowd, raising his voice slightly. "Though you have now entered our Profound Residence, if you cannot comprehend that thread of mystery from the first chapter of the Great Dao, you remain flesh-born mortals, no different from the common people outside."

The students had just come into contact with another world. Many were still in a state of exhilaration, with the illusion that from this day forth they were no longer human. Yet Xiang Chun's words were like a basin of cold water poured straight over their heads.

Bai Qingqing bowed deeply. "May I ask Senior Brother Xiang, how are we to cast off this mortal body?"

The students immediately came to themselves. They all rose and bowed. "We ask Senior Brother Xiang to transmit the method."

Xiang Chun's voice softened. "There are certain rules for reading the Seal of the Great Dao. You need the guidance of a teacher and must not act recklessly as you please. What you need to do now is rest first. Later, someone will come and instruct you in the specific matters of cultivation."

Zhang Yu could see that what Xiang Chun had said today was only relatively basic. The specifics would likely have to be slowly encountered and understood in later cultivation. After bowing to the hall, he left with the other students under the guidance of an attendant, following the corridor along one side of the palace hall.

Xiang Chun remained standing atop the platform.

A moment later, a man in Daoist robes approached with firm strides. His gaze was sharp and his face gloomy.

Xiang Chun said, "Junior Brother Wang Gong, what do you think of these newly initiated fellow disciples?"

Wang Gong pondered for a moment. "From what I have seen, perhaps only two or three among them may achieve something."

"Do tell."

Wang Gong said, "One is Gentleman Zhang. 'The Great Dao, Mystic Chaos, bears heaven and earth...'" He sighed. "Just from the very first question he asked, one can tell the breadth of spirit and scope within his chest."

Xiang Chun nodded. "Junior Brother Wang Gong's eye remains as accurate as ever."

Wang Gong continued, "Another would be that young Gentleman Zheng. He was the first to stand and ask a question, yet he did not mention himself. Instead, he first concerned himself with the safety of others. He too is a person of great breadth of heart. Our Profound Residence needs such people."

Xiang Chun neither agreed nor disagreed. "Anyone else?"

After considering it, Wang Gong said, "The other would be Gentleman Bai. His talent is not poor, but unfortunately he is too hasty and too proud. When he can face himself squarely, he too will become a seed of cultivation."

Xiang Chun smiled. "As long as one is human, one has flaws. Only by walking toward the Dao may we strip away such shortcomings and filth, one by one."

"But do they still have time?"

Wang Gong turned to look at Xiang Chun, his expression somewhat grave. "Can we... still hold on?"

Xiang Chun's expression did not change. "Junior Brother Wang worries too much. With our teacher still holding the fort at the Profound Residence, what is there to fear? We have endured like this for decades. We need only do our own work properly."

Wang Gong fell silent for a while. "I just made a round through the Profound Residence and did not seem to see Junior Brother Xu?"

Xiang Chun replied naturally, "You know his temperament. He cannot stay idle. Perhaps he has gone somewhere to clear his mind again. He may return in a few days."

"Is that so? As it happens, I have some matters to attend to over the next few days, and I too must go out."

Xiang Chun chuckled. "Then Junior Brother Wang Gong should leave early and return early. Things outside are not very peaceful these days."

Wang Gong cupped his hands to him, then strode away.

Only after his figure had vanished from sight did Xiang Chun slowly descend from the platform and head toward the Affairs Hall.

When the students emerged from the main hall, many still looked dazed, as if everything felt especially unreal. But once they recovered, they quickly became delighted and excited.

Though Xiang Chun had said that anyone whose cultivation stopped at the first chapter could only remain an ordinary person, they were now full of youthful spirit. No one believed they would be among those people.

Suddenly, a strong gust swept over them, whipping their robes and caps about and bringing a touch of chill.

Looking through the gates in the city platform, they saw empty land beyond and dark clouds rolling across the sky. Through the occasional rifts torn open between them, vast white daylight spilled down.

A heavy rain was coming.

"Strange, hasn't there been more rain lately?"

"Yes. We haven't seen this much for years. I heard the Flood River has risen considerably these past two days as well."

Amid their murmured discussions, the students followed the attendant leading the way until they reached a Forest Garden in the southeastern corner of the palace grounds. Rows of refined cottages stood there, surrounded by pines, cypresses, flowering plants, and trees. The environment was tranquil and pleasant.

The attendant told them they could each choose a cottage to stay in for now, and someone would come later to teach them the methods. However, should anyone wish to leave at this moment, the Profound Residence would not stop them.

Having come this far, the students naturally would not give up halfway. After a round of mutual courtesy, they each selected a residence.

Since they would all be fellow disciples from now on, they began trying to get acquainted after settling in. Most first came to make connections with Zhang Yu and Bai Qingqing, the two who had stood out relatively prominently this time.

As for Zheng Yu, he looked small and seemed quite young, so they simply overlooked him.

Although Zhang Yu was now considered a fellow disciple of the others, he had not originally been a student but an assistant instructor. Coupled with his striking bearing, the students held him in awe. Afraid that saying too much before him would be improper, they merely greeted him before leaving.

Bai Qingqing's situation was different. He was highly skilled at dealing with people and knew quite a few mysteries of cultivation, so he quickly became familiar with everyone.

Zhang Yu had no mind to linger outside in conversation. Just as he was about to return to his cottage, Zheng Yu came over. The latter bowed to him and, seeming somewhat embarrassed, asked, "Assistant Instructor Zhang, may I ask you a question?"

Zhang Yu nodded. "Of course."

Zheng Yu lifted his head, his eyes shining as he looked at him. "That day outside the Academy, was the person who submitted the letter of self-recommendation to seek instruction the assistant instructor?"

Zhang Yu had thought he would ask about cultivation, but it turned out this was what concerned him. There was nothing to hide, so he admitted, "It was me."

"It really was the assistant instructor?"

Zheng Yu's eyes brimmed with worship. After thinking for a moment, he said earnestly, "Assistant Instructor, I will not tell anyone else." He gave another proper bow, then ran off happily.

Zhang Yu looked at the departing figure and pondered for a moment. Then he turned back, stepped forward, pushed open the door, and entered the cottage. After closing the door, he sat upon the couch and began that day's breathing and meditation.