Upright Heart Hall.
The abbot Zhiyun, was dressed in a blue Daoist robe, with an ebony hairpin in his hair. He sat casually on a bamboo chair, his expression gentle and serene.
It was like an ordinary old Daoist priest enjoying the tranquility of the afternoon, completely unaffected by the scorching heat outside.
Zhou Wuji had observed Zhiyun twice using the North Star Eye, and could only tell that this person had profound cultivation and a long aura, but could not see anything else.
He always felt suppressed in front of Zhiyun, so he naturally had to be more obedient.
Zhi Yun looked at Zhou Wuji Zhiyun warm, gentle eyes. "You've advanced to the Fifth Rank?"
"It's all thanks to the abbot that I was able to cultivate diligently in the secret realm and was fortunate enough to advance to the stage of Condensing the Mind Aperture," Zhou Wuji replied solemnly.
Zhiyun smiled. This young Daoist priest really knew how to talk. He could make humble and polite words sound comfortable and convincing. That was a very impressive skill.
"Generally speaking, ordination and conferment can only be done once a year. You've only just advanced to the Fifth Rank, so there's no need to rush into receiving your ordination."
Zhiyun Zhou Wuji nod, Zhi Yun turned and said, " Zhiyuan Brother Zhiyuan is not young anymore; he can retire in the Flying Profound Hall. You are young and promising; you should also contribute to the Upper Court."
"That is exactly what I intend to do."
Zhou Wuji bowed deeply and said, "I have heard that Outer Dao demons and monsters are rampant recently. This disciple wishes to join the Demon-Expelling Hall to slay demons, exorcise evil spirits, and promote our righteous path..."
"Very good."
Zhiyun such a young age, he dared to take on responsibility and could be called a hero.
His talent for spiritual cultivation is extraordinary and can be described as wisdom.
Judging from the past, he is steady, experienced, courageous and resourceful in his work, and can be described as capable.
She is also elegant and graceful, with an extraordinary demeanor, and adept at interpersonal relationships; she is truly worthy of being called a virtuous person.
Such a person—intelligent, wise, capable, and virtuous—is worth cultivating even without the Northern Emperor's Blessing.
However, he is still too young and his cultivation level is too low; he needs to be tempered a hundred times before he can become a useful person.
Although there are many demons and monsters, they cannot pose much of a threat in Jingyang. This is a good opportunity to train Wuji.
"Alright, go see Master Zhiying tomorrow and start as a steward."
Zhiyun added, "For us cultivators, our physical bodies are the vessels for surviving tribulations, and should not be easily destroyed. While you are slaying demons and monsters in the Demon-Expelling Hall, you must also be mindful of your own safety."
"Disciple understands." Zhou Wuji bowed again in thanks.
After Zhou Wuji left, True Person Zhihua came out from the side hall and said, "Abbot, with demons rampant, the Demon-Expelling Hall is still in some danger."
Zhiyun smiled at True Person Zhihua and said, " Wuji is a disciple of the Heavenly Pivot Lineage, why are you so concerned about him?"
"This person has extraordinary potential; he truly has the opportunity to become the sect leader's True Disciple in the future."
True Person Zhihua didn't hide anything; she said directly, "Such a genius should be nurtured in advance to leave a good impression."
Zhiyun smiled again. He knew that True Person Zhihua was not telling the truth, but he didn't care.
He has his own plans, and others have their own ideas.
If everyone thought the same way, there would be no conflict in the world.
"Jade must be carved and polished to become a useful object."
Zhiyun said calmly, "Even the Northern Emperor has bestowed blessings upon him; what do some demons and monsters amount to?"
Before True Person Zhihua could speak, he continued, "You look down on Lu Wuyuan and Yan Wudong simply because they live a life of luxury in the Upper Court."
To achieve great things, one must endure countless setbacks. Only through perseverance can one truly demonstrate heroic qualities.
True Person Zhihua was speechless for a moment. That was indeed what she thought, but Zhou Wuji was different because he had fought his way up from the bottom.
At this point, Zhou Wuji should actually focus on his cultivation.
According to her plan, as long as Zhou Wuji can reach the Fifth Rank Perfection before the Jingyang Dharma Assembly next year, his combat talent will be enough to compete with cultivators from all sides.
If I could reach the Fourth Rank, that would be even better.
Winning the championship at the Jingyang Dharma Assembly will not only bring him fame but also prove his talent, enough to make the sect leader take notice of Zhou Wuji.
If she gave him another push, Zhou Wuji would at least have a chance to participate in the selection of the sect leader's True Disciple.
Sending Zhou Wuji into the Demon-Expelling Hall is not only dangerous, but also leaves him with little time to cultivate.
Seeing True Person Zhihua's current Zhiyun, it seems that Master Zhihua will not change his mind.
The key point is that Zhou Wuji took the initiative to join the Demon-Expelling Hall. Now that things have come to this, there's no need for her to say anything more.
True Person Zhihua was about to take his leave, a middle-aged Daoist hurriedly came over, bowed, and reported, "Abbot Wuji left a poem in the stone cave, which covers an entire wall..."
The cave is where the patriarchs of the sect secluded themselves for meditation. The patriarchs left their insights on cultivation on the stone walls. Although they are not very important, they are ancient relics of the sect and have great historical value.
Zhou Wuji went into seclusion and left his masterpiece in the cave, which wasn't a big deal, but the person in charge of guarding the secret realm couldn't hide it.
The abbot also said that if Zhou Wuji makes any moves in the secret realm, he can come and report it.
Zhiyun the middle-aged Daoist's uneasy expression, Zhiyun smiled and said, " Wuji young and impetuous; leaving words on the stone wall is nothing. As long as he doesn't damage the writings of other seniors..."
The middle-aged Daoist hesitated for a moment before saying, "Abbot, this disciple feels that Wuji's poem is a little different."
"What's different?" Zhiyun asked casually.
There's a certain charm about it, something I can't quite put my finger on.
The middle-aged Daoist priest lowered his head. "I feel it's quite different from what other seniors have written."
Zhiyun understood. Whether it was good or bad, the middle-aged Daoist wanted him to go and take a look, so that he wouldn't have to take responsibility if any problems arose later.
He saw through the middle-aged Daoist's ulterior motives, but he didn't bother to argue with him.
People are divided into millions of kinds; there are the wise and brilliant Zhou Wuji, and there are the mediocre and ordinary middle-aged Daoists.
True Person Zhihua, however, became somewhat interested. " Zhou Wuji is quite talented; I'll go see what he's written."
"Oh." Zhiyun that True Person Zhihua was in high spirits, Zhiyun also became a little curious about what the talented Zhou Wuji could write.
The old Daoist priest chuckled, "Since I have nothing else to do, I'll accompany my junior sister to take a look."
When the two True Person arrived at the secret cave abode, they immediately saw large characters painted on the stone wall in a flamboyant style.
The Slender Gold Script of calligraphy is inherently powerful and elegant, and Zhou Wuji further enhanced this effect by carving the characters with the White Rainbow Sword, imbuing each character with the Sword Qi.
The poem, however, emphasizes following the natural course of events, and while the Sword Qi is flamboyant, it possesses a fluid, flowing quality, like water or drifting clouds.
"What a fine limerick!"
Zhiyun smiled again, "Eat when hungry, sleep when tired; the key to cultivation lies in being natural. This sentence, though straightforward, is truly insightful."
"Ninety-nine percent of people in the world do not understand this principle."
The last two lines of the poem ramble on with some profound philosophical ideas, seemingly saying something but actually saying nothing at all.
Zhiyun's gaze shifted to a line of small print beside him, but his smile vanished.
"The Tao gives birth to One, One gives birth to Two, Two gives birth to Three, and Three gives birth to all things."
True Person Zhihua also fell into deep thought as he looked at these words. Every cultivator, upon reaching a certain level, has their own understanding of the Great Dao.
Throughout history, countless wise and powerful figures have left behind profound and mysterious principles.
These are all personal insights; aside from the methods that can be practically practiced, the rest are elusive and mysterious principles.
The words left by Zhou Wuji were quite different from what the ancients had said. They had a simple yet profound meaning, and they touched her deeply, as if they truly contained some profound truth.
The two True Person remained silent for a while, each having their own interpretation of what was said.
Having reached their level of cultivation, they do not lack specific cultivation methods; what they lack is the kind of further insight and understanding.
Especially for those at the Zhiyun, the condensation of the primordial spirit Yi Guan an extremely difficult stage. No external force can help; one must rely on their own perception of spiritual energy. Cultivation, wisdom, and fortuitous opportunity are all indispensable.
Zhou Wuji's vague and Zhiyun theories.
Zhihua hasn't reached the Second Rank yet, but she's also passed the period of vigorous cultivation and now values understanding the mysteries of the universe more.
Whether Zhou Wuji was genuinely implying something or just making things up, the fact that his words touched her was meaningful.
Just like in the Cangwu Tree Palace, Zhou Wuji's talk of "Free and Easy Wandering" deeply moved her, and she even benefited from it in her cultivation.
This made her value Zhou Wuji even more, feeling that Zhou Wuji as talented as him shouldn't be sent out to slay demons and monsters...
Zhiyun remained silent for a while before saying, "It's very interesting, but I don't know what this means?"
"I'll go ask him." True Person Zhihua understood the abbot's meaning; she was also curious about the significance of those words.
If Zhou Wuji could truly articulate a valid reasoning, he could write books and establish his own school of thought, potentially becoming a grandmaster of his generation...