Heaven-Connecting Stele
All the Cultivation Method Gu Yuanqing possessed were at most at the Divine Platform Realm, and his understanding of the Void Heaven Realm and the Heavenly Human Realm came only from fragments of Cultivation Insights.
Although we are still far from the Divine Platform Peak, we do not know the road ahead, nor whether our own Cultivation Method are perfect enough.
The Cultivation Method he practiced was derived from his own deductions, unlike the Cultivation Method of other Sect which had been practiced by countless predecessors.
If you take even the slightest wrong step, it may be difficult to make up for it no matter how much effort you put in later.
Zhang Xuanlin is currently the only possible path to obtaining the Celestial Person Cultivation Method, so Gu Yuanqing agreed after careful consideration.
He said he believed what Zhang Xuanlin said, but that was just a polite way of putting it; whether he believed it or not was actually not important.
As Zhang Xuanlin himself said, the true bodies of Celestial Person Cultivator are unwilling to set foot in the Floating World, Split Soul cannot cause any great disturbances.
For Gu Yuanqing, the benefits of this transaction far outweigh the drawbacks.
The Cultivation Method that Zhang Xuanlin was going to teach Gu Yuanqing was called the "Formless Heart Sutra," which uses Wuxiang to transform Myriad Forms and uses the mind to govern all paths.
It is one of the five great Celestial Person Cultivation Method of the Myriad Manifestations Sect in the Cultivation World, and by chance it fell into the hands of Zhang Xuanlin.
The Myriad Manifestations Sect and the Lingxu Sect are both major sects in the Cultivation World. Even though Zhang Xuanlin is Celestial Person, he only uses this Secret Manuals for reference and dares not pass it on to others without authorization, or even say that he has this Cultivation Method in his possession, otherwise he would be making an enemy.
Because if a Cultivation Method falls into the hands of an enemy, its weaknesses may be discovered, which is a great taboo for the Sect. That is why there are traitors who are executed along with the entire sect, in order to prevent the Sect's fundamental techniques from being leaked.
Zhang Xuanlin also explained the advantages and disadvantages, as well as the causes Karma, one by one.
It is said that every kind of Celestial Person Cultivation Method has its origin, and whether or not Gu Yuanqing learns it is his own choice.
Why would Gu Yuanqing care about such things? He didn't intend to cultivate this Cultivation Method directly, but rather to learn from it the cultivation and breakthrough paths of the Void Heaven Realm and the Heavenly Human Realm, so as to improve his own Cultivation Method.
He brought Zhang Xuanlin writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones.
"I would be so kind as to trouble you, senior, to copy this Cultivation Method onto paper." Gu Yuanqing said very politely.
Zhang Xuanlin frowned and said, "Bring me a piece of Jade Stone, and I will imprint it with my Divine Sense to create Jade Slip."
Gu Yuanqing said honestly, "Senior is Celestial Person, while I am merely Divine Platform Cultivator. I truly dare not release the Array Formation to suppress your Heavenly Human Divine Sense at this moment. Please forgive me."
Zhang Xuanlin glanced at Gu Yuanqing, sat down, and said calmly, "Very well, but the Celestial Person Scripture Myriad Forms. If it were written down, it would probably take some time, and some words might be missed. It's not as accurate as transmitting power through the Divine Soul."
Gu Yuanqing said, "It's alright, I'm not in a hurry. Senior, please take your time writing. Even if there are mistakes, you can check them again."
He then turned to Ji Qingyun, who was standing to the side, and said, "Daoist Friend, would you please help Sect Master grind the ink?"
Seeing that Zhang Xuanlin had already sat down, Ji Qingyun came over expressionlessly and picked up the ink.
Gu Yuanqing clasped his hands in a fist and smiled, "Thank you both for your hard work."
Four days later, a Cultivation Method called "The Formless Heart Sutra" was written down.
Gu Yuanqing exclaimed, "The brushstrokes are like dragons and snakes, strong and elegant; truly excellent calligraphy!"
Zhang Xuanlin said calmly, "Now that this Cultivation Method has been given to you, may we return to the Cultivation World?"
Gu Yuanqing smiled and said, "No rush. What I discussed with you, senior, was the method of cultivation, not Cultivation Method Secret Manual. I am of dull aptitude, and there are many things you will need to explain to me."
Suppressing a hint of agitation, Zhang Xuanlin said, "Young Master Gu, I promised to teach you the cultivation method, solely to quickly relay the news of the Heavenly Demon Sword back to the Cultivation World. I hope you will keep your word."
Gu Yuanqing smiled and replied, "Don't worry, senior."
After that, Gu Yuanqing came to the Repentance Cliff almost every day.
Zhang Xuanlin and Ji Qingyun's treatment also improved dramatically, with fine wines and delicacies, fruits and dried fruits, and Imperial Palace tea—they had everything they could possibly want.
The two taught each other, asked each other questions, and answered each other's questions day after day. In this kind of exchange Zhang Xuanlin's gaze towards Gu Yuanqing gradually improved, and his words were no longer just about Secret Manuals, but occasionally he would also share some insights on cultivation.
These things are truly invaluable, even more so than the Secret Manuals itself.
At the same time, Gu Yuanqing's comprehension impressed him. He could understand three things from one example, and quickly grasp the whole picture from a single point. Such teaching made him feel very comfortable.
He thought to himself, "To have cultivated to this level in such a short time is truly remarkable. In the nearly one thousand years of the Lingxu Sect, there are very few who can compare to him."
He sighed inwardly, regretting that he hadn't been able to bring him into the fold before he rose to prominence.
Time passed slowly, but Gu Yuanqing's questions became increasingly tricky, and sometimes even Zhang Xuanlin had to think for a while before he could answer one of them.
That day, Zhang Xuanlin suddenly asked, "Many of the questions you've asked me these past few days aren't related to the Formless Heart Sutra, are they?"
Gu Yuanqing smiled and said, "Senior's insight is indeed remarkable. I have never had anyone to consult before, so thank you very much this time."
Zhang Xuanlin nodded and did not press further, because he knew that even if he did ask, Gu Yuanqing would not say anything more.
Gu Yuanqing naturally wouldn't bring it up again. These questions all stemmed from that half-scroll of Remnant Scripture, which he occasionally mixed into his daily inquiries. His decision not to allow Zhang Xuanlin to Divine Thought Teaching was precisely for this purpose.
A month passed in the blink of an eye, Gu Yuanqing finally understood all the secrets of cultivating the Formless Heart Sutra.
That day, after answering Gu Yuanqing's last question, Zhang Xuanlin suddenly added, "Do you know why, even within the Sect, the next stage of cultivation is only taught after the disciples have reached a certain level?"
Gu Yuanqing smiled and said, "What you mean is that if you know something in advance, it's like having a demon in your heart. You might think you've grasped the Dao, but in reality, you're just seeing someone else's Dao. That Dao is merely something you think about, not something that's truly imprinted on your heart."
Zhang Xuanlin nodded and said, "It's good that you understand. I've made myself clear. If you have no further questions, shouldn't we fulfill our promise?"
Gu Yuanqing sighed, "Of course, this junior..."
Suddenly, the entire North Spring Mountain shook—no, the entire Floating World shook. This shaking wasn't caused by the ground moving, but by the entire space itself vibrating.
Gu Yuanqing's expression changed slightly, wondering what had happened. Suddenly, he sensed something and looked up to see a seven-colored light descending from the sky, seemingly breaking through the space of this Floating World and falling into it.
Boom!
The entire earth shook, and the seven-colored light slowly faded, revealing a towering monument. The monument was entirely dark blue-black, with the two characters "Tongtian" (meaning "reaching the heavens") shimmering with seven-colored light on it!
An invisible Qi emanated from this monument, instantly covering the entire Floating World.
Upon seeing this, Zhang Xuanlin was stunned for a moment, then his face suddenly showed a look of horror. "The Heaven-Connecting Stele! There really is Heaven-Connecting Stele. I never thought the legend was true."
Gu Yuanqing quickly asked, "What legend? What exactly is this Heaven-Connecting Stele?"
Zhang Xuanlin's initial surprise vanished, replaced by a complex expression. "Try looking from a different angle. Does it mean that no matter where you are, you always see only the front of the monument?"