The Great Dao Reached for Heaven, Questioning the Dao Heart

The Dao Origin Assembly consisted of two kinds of competition: literary and martial.

The literary competition included Dao debates, Talisman Drawing, pill refining, Formation Deployment, artifact crafting, puppetry, and other events, chiefly testing the disciples' attainments in Daoist Scripture and the hundred arts of Immortal cultivation.

As for their understanding of the Dao, most disciples had cultivated for relatively few years, so their comprehension remained shallow.

Each contestant had to choose two literary events. Dao debate was mandatory, testing their fundamentals; they also had to choose at least one of the hundred arts of Immortal cultivation to test their specialty.

The martial competition was simple enough to understand: it tested who was stronger. The strong advanced, and the weak were eliminated.

Finally, contestants would be ranked by their combined literary and martial results, with the best selected. The top hundred could enter the Heaven and Earth Academy of Fengyang Commandery.

Those with specialized, unorthodox, or eccentric talents, along with the additional places granted by the Imperial Court, were another matter.

Once the rules had been announced, the Azure-Robed True Person raised his hand and pointed lightly. A streak of light flew from his fingertip into the ground.

In an instant, the earth shook and the mountains trembled amid unending rumbles. A mountain rose from the ground, white from top to bottom: its vegetation pure white, its rocks grayish white, its rivers silvery white...

The mountain was not tall, only a thousand zhang. Looking up, they could see its summit, where an ancient, austere Dao palace stood, blue throughout, like a corner of the azure heavens peeking through a sea of clouds.

Steps extended from the foot of the mountain to its halfway point, each like white jade, crystalline and translucent, polished enough to reflect a person's image.

"Will the participating Daoists please enter."

At the Azure-Robed True Person's command, the young Daoists stirred, transported to the mountain's foot by the formations on the spectator stands.

Some brimmed with fighting spirit, some carried themselves arrogantly, some looked bleary-eyed, and some wore serious expressions.

Their bearing varied, each distinctive.

"The time will come when clouds part to reveal the sun; endure until they clear, and the bright moon will appear. This mountain is named Cloud Heaven Peak, established a thousand years ago by Cloud Heaven True Lord. Each of Great Xuan's one hundred and eight Heaven and Earth Academies has one."

"Seeking the Dao is like ascending to heaven, and the tribulations of cultivation are like layer upon layer of cloud and mist. Cloud Heaven Peak has nine hundred and ninety-nine steps, both Void and substantial. It is also called the Path to Heaven and the Path to Enlightenment, embodying the Great Dao reaching toward heaven."

"Once someone begins climbing, the Concealment Restriction will activate. How high you climb and how far you go will depend on the depth of your understanding of the Dao or the strength of your perseverance. There is no other way."

"The appointed hour has arrived. Please begin your ascent."

At the Azure-Robed True Person's next command, more than ten thousand Daoists began climbing together, a magnificent sight.

The moment the first young Daoist set foot on a step, clouds and mist shrouded the entire white mountain. Each contestant could see only the stone steps beneath their own feet; looking around revealed nothing.

They could not see one another, the road ahead, or the scenery around them. It was as though nothing remained between heaven and earth but themselves, alone in the boundless emptiness.

All they could do was keep climbing, crossing one step after another.

As they climbed, a water mirror appeared, projecting clear images for the many guests to watch.

On the Truth-Seeking Abbey's stand, Xuan Yin said, "Though I've seen it once before, seeing it again still leaves me admiring Cloud Heaven True Lord's ingenious imagination."

Xuanxu nodded in agreement.

"The mountain resembles white clouds; the Dao palace resembles the blue heavens."

"The first half tests knowledge of Daoist Scripture, with its principles drawn from the Daoist Canon. The Great Dao takes form, and the steps are visible to the naked eye. This section is intended for Essence Refining cultivators."

"The latter half tests principles drawn from heaven and earth. The Great Dao is formless, and the steps are difficult to find. Climbers can only transform their own principles into steps. The deeper their cultivation and the clearer their principles, the higher their steps. This section is intended for Qi Refining True Persons."

"Being and Nonbeing unite, Void and substance interweave, and principles intertwine. This arrangement accords with the mysteries of the Great Dao. It truly inspires wonder."

"Cloud Heaven True Lord possessed extraordinary wisdom."

Xuan Kong's lips moved slightly as he could not resist asking:

"Senior brother, rumor has it that the one hundred and eight Cloud Heaven Peaks resonate with one another, and that everyone who reaches the summit becomes a Great True Person within the Azure Sky Dao Palace, leaving their name on the Dao peak and gaining renown throughout Great Xuan. Is that true?"

"Indeed! I only learned this after attending three Grand Gatherings myself. Cloud Heaven Peak holds a tremendous boon that can help a Qi Refining True Person send his spirit wandering through the Great Void, glimpse a trace of Spirit Refining's mysteries, and become a Great True Person. Yet over the past thousand years, very few have obtained this opportunity. That is precisely why everyone who reaches Cloud Heaven Peak's summit has their name recorded on the Azure Sky Dao Stele, to be revered by later generations."

As Xuanxu nodded and explained, he glanced at Xuan Kong. This junior brother truly lived up to his reputation as the finest practitioner of the Eight Trigrams Sword in the Truth-Seeking Abbey apart from Senior Brother Xuanming. He had gathered quite a bit of information.

Xuan Kong grew even more excited, his eyes shining. "How much do you know of Dafan True Person's deeds, senior brother?"

Xuanxu shook his head. "I only know that Dafan True Person came from Azure Firmament Commandery, that his secular surname was Zhang, and that he styled himself the Half-Moon True Person of the Da generation. Though a rogue cultivator, he possessed extraordinary talent and a profound affinity for the Dao."

"He entered the Dao through cooking. A hundred years ago, he entered the Heaven-in-a-Gourd Palace in Azure Firmament Commandery to challenge Cloud Heaven Peak. After seven days and seven nights, he reached the summit, became a Great True Person, and joined the Heaven and Earth Academy as a guest elder."

"For now, I know nothing else."

Xuan Kong felt a little disappointed, but on second thought, he found it only natural. "True enough. How could a worldly fellow like you, senior brother, who does nothing but curb his desires and would gladly dine on wind and drink dew all day, appreciate the joys of fine food and Dafan True Person's greatness?"

Xuanxu glared at him.

Xuan Kong immediately ducked his head.

I'm done for!

His tongue had slipped again.

He had accidentally blurted out what he really thought.

"Senior brother, if I said I didn't mean it, would you believe me?"

"If you didn't mean it, then you intended it!"

Xuan Yang interjected.

Xuan Kong glared furiously. You just have to stick your nose into everything!

Senior Brother Xuanming was right about one thing: sometimes your jokes really are terrible, and you really know how to pour oil on the fire.

Just then, a Daoist came over from the neighboring stand and bowed to Xuanxu and the others.

"Fei Bai of the Rosy Cloud Gate greets you, fellow Daoists."

"Xuanxu and my junior brothers and sisters greet you, fellow Daoist."

The Truth-Seeking Abbey's Daoists promptly returned the greeting, utterly bewildered. Xuanxu was about to inquire when the newcomer spoke first:

"Were you just discussing Dafan True Person?"

Xuanxu acknowledged it and asked curiously, "How did you know, fellow Daoist?"

Though the stands were connected and close together, soundproof barriers separated them. By rights, the neighboring stand should not have been able to hear their conversation.

Daoist Fei Bai grinned, his teeth looking especially white and bright against his dark complexion, and apologized:

"In my younger days, I accidentally ate a poisonous mushroom and went deaf for three years. A blessing came from that misfortune: I learned a Lip-Reading Art. Just now, seeing you all chatting so animatedly, I couldn't help looking a few more times."

"Dafan True Person is the person I admire most in all my life, so I could not resist coming over uninvited. Please forgive me."

Xuanxu and the others were briefly taken aback, while Xuan Kong was delighted.

A moment later, watching the two black-and-white Half-Moon Daoists chatting fervently as though they were old friends, Xuanxu exchanged a glance with the Rosy Cloud Gate's sect leader next door. Both saw helplessness in the other's smile, along with a similar measure of relief:

So our sect isn't the only one with an oddball!

They felt considerably better.

"The moment I saw you, Fellow Daoist Xuan Kong, I felt a kinship. You truly are a kindred spirit. This must be your first Dao Origin Grand Gathering, yes? Otherwise, how could you only now be learning about Dafan True Person?"

"To be frank, fellow Daoist, I am indeed a newcomer."

"In that case, let me tell you all about Dafan True Person. This senior is best known for two spiritual artifacts: a Truefire Staff and a Heaven-and-Earth Pot."

"They say Dafan True Person's lifelong wish is to stew a kunpeng in an iron pot. He calls that the pinnacle of the culinary Dao. He even saw a kun in a dream, and upon waking, wielded his brush and splashed his ink to compose a magnificent poem.

"Unfortunately, only a few fragments have spread: 'In the Northern Abyss there is a fish, whose name is Kun...'"

As Xuan Kong and Daoist Fei Bai's endless chatter kept reaching his ears, Xuanxu's mouth twitched. He focused on the water mirror. Out of sight, out of mind.

At some point, Xuan Yang had edged over, ears pricked, happily listening.

Chang'anzi knew nothing of his elders' lively exchange.

With his mind free of distractions, he climbed the steps and had already reached the seventeenth. He was not the fastest, but he was steady.

Chang'anzi kept Martial Uncle Xuanming's everyday teachings firmly in mind: advance steadily, do not rush for success, and plant every step firmly on solid ground.

Thus, he had gained a deep understanding of the mountain steps beneath his feet.

Each step was one zhang high.

Each zhang-high step was one layer of the Dao.

The higher the step, the harder its test of principles became. It might test breadth or depth, approach from a tricky angle, or pose a bizarre question.

With every step he climbed, the reflection within it would question his true self, posing all sorts of questions, each striking straight at his heart.

It bore out that saying:

Only you knew yourself best.

You understood the fears within your own heart.

You knew your own weaknesses.

You recognized your own strengths and shortcomings.

Taking a deep breath, Chang'anzi stepped upward.

The eighteenth step:

"What is greatest beneath heaven?"

"The Dao is greatest."

The nineteenth step:

"What is the Dao?"

"My heart is the Dao."

The twentieth step:

"What is the heart?"

"External and internal, physical and spiritual, appearance and true essence—which would you like to hear about?"

The twenty-seventh step:

"What is clarity and stillness?"

"A tranquil heart is clear; a harmonious heart is still."

The twenty-eighth step:

"What is purity?"

"Unimpeded thoughts are purity."

The twenty-ninth step:

"You cling to your master's death. Your heart is not still, and your spirit is not pure. How dare you presume to speak of clarity and stillness, or discourse on purity?"

"The lotus is clean, yet roots itself in mud. Excrement is filthy, yet enriches the soil. If people could easily attain clarity, stillness, and purity, whence the hardships of the Great Dao? Why speak of the long road to immortality? If I were clear, still, and pure, would I need you to question me?"

The thirtieth step:

"Clarity and stillness, or purity—which do you choose?"

"I want both! Clarity and stillness are the goal; purity is a state. Clarity and stillness are cultivating the Dao; purity is attaining it. I walk the road of seeking the Dao, cultivating clarity and stillness as I pursue purity."

The thirty-first step:

"Your master fell ten years ago. Why have you clung to a paltry existence in the Scripture Pavilion for so many years, coming here only today?"

"Because I had to wait until I was fully prepared."

The thirty-second step:

"Hypocrite! Was the master who treated you like his own son not worth laying down your life for? You are simply timid, cowardly, and afraid to die!"

"I am afraid to die, because only while alive is there hope. Until I uncover the true cause of my master's death, I dare not die."

The forty-second step:

"You show filial devotion to Martial Uncle Xuanming not because you respect him, but because you pity him. He is more pitiful than you. Your kindness extends only to the weak. You are nothing but a hypocrite!"

"I first cared for my martial uncle because he was pitiful. I have never concealed or denied that, and he knows it perfectly well. But pity and respect do not conflict.

"I can pity him at first and respect him afterward.

"Besides, I have never been kind, nor have I ever advertised myself as virtuous. Where, then, is the hypocrisy? If I have concealed nothing, where is the pretense?

"Pitying the weak is human nature. Would you pity someone stronger than yourself? If so, you truly are pitiful."

The forty-third step:

"Your martial uncle remained silent until his first cry astounded the world. Alongside your respect, you felt jealousy. You both lived in the Scripture Pavilion, so why was that decrepit old man stronger than you?"

"I was indeed jealous. Everyone feels jealousy. What matters is how you restrain it. I controlled mine and received my martial uncle's devoted instruction. You were jealous too, but failed to control it, which is why you asked. A reflection is only a reflection. You will never become the true self."

Layer after layer, step after step.

Chang'anzi immersed himself in it.

For the first thirty steps, he displayed all he had learned.

For the next thirty, he faced his inner demons.

In the process, Chang'anzi resolved many questions he had previously avoided unconsciously, and even discovered some he had never noticed before.

His steps grew slower, his heart stronger, and his Dao heart increasingly firm as rock and translucent as jade.

Yet as Chang'anzi continued climbing, the questions changed again, gradually drawing him into the mist.

The sixty-first step:

"Who am I?"

"What do I care who you are!"

The sixty-second step:

"Who are you?"

"I am Chang'anzi."

The sixty-third step:

"Wrong. Chang'anzi is merely a Daoist name. Anyone can be called Chang'anzi. Flowers, grasses, and trees can also be called Chang'anzi. I can be called Chang'anzi too. But strip that away, and who are you?"

"I am me."

The sixty-fourth step:

"Am I your reflection?"

"Yes!"

The sixty-fifth step:

"Then am I a part of you?"

"Yes!"

The sixty-sixth level:

"In a sense, am I you?"

"Yes!"

The sixty-seventh level:

"Back to the original question: who am I?"

"You are me!"

One question after another was answered.

One question after another was posed anew.

Chang'anzi's clear gaze gradually grew bewildered, his pupils slowly losing focus. The steps blossomed with cloudlight, changing without his noticing.

Thank you to Maibao de Fenshuajiang for the tip of 100 Qidian coins; thank you to 2022...8588, Baiye Yimeng Yuquan, Yiren Duimian Ren Buzhi, Jiujiu Xiaosheng, 2019...2015, qingy56, Wuyu Fagui, 2018...8174, and Daoist Shixuan for one monthly vote each; thank you to 2017...3385 and Xin Yi Fangkong for two monthly votes each; thank you to Fujin and Wodetian Niweisen Molamosi for three monthly votes each; thank you to 2022...0308 for five monthly votes; thank you to Nihao Dagongzi for twelve monthly votes.