Heavenly Order of Clouds and Rainbows

Inside the cave abode, the flame of the ever-burning lamp flickered gently, casting Su Yao's shadow extremely long onto the stone wall.

Su Yao sat upright on the futon, his eyes slightly closed. The jade bottle containing the Qi of Mysterious Clarity in front of him had been opened, and a wisp of Xuanhuang Qi overflowed from the bottle, slowly spreading around him like morning mist, enveloping his entire body in a warm Xuanhuang halo.

His mind sank into the depths of that energy, feeling it as vast as the sea and as deep as an abyss.

Lesser Yang refers to the initial Yang; Lesser Yin refers to the initial Yin.

Since the Three Pure Ones opened the Immortal Dao of immortality, apart from the three Dao Ancestors, the first person to embark on the path of Immortal Dao using the immortal methods passed down by the three Dao Ancestors was Lesser Yang Purple Mansion Wood Duke, also known as "Donghua Purple Mansion Lesser Yang Liji Heavenly Venerable".

That was the first Immortal Dao cultivator, and also the first practitioner of the Lesser Yang Dao.

After the Wood Duke comes the Golden Mother, known as "The Western Flower Jade Lake Lesser Yin Nurturing True Transformation Heavenly Venerable".

Lesser Yang controls the Wood and Fire elements among the Five Virtues, while Lesser Yin controls the Metal and Water elements. Therefore, people often refer to them as "Wood Duke" and "Golden Mother".

Su Yao's mind slowly wandered within that wisp of primordial energy, feeling the interplay of Yin and Yang, the mutual generation and restraint of the Five Elements, and all the principles and laws intertwined together, inseparable.

He seemed to see the patriarch Yun Zhongzi.

The founding patriarch of Qixia Temple initially attained enlightenment through Hazy Clouds and held the Remaining Rank within Hazy Clouds, at which time he was known as "Hazy Clouds Mist-Dwelling Carefree True Lord".

Later, the patriarch transformed to the Wu Earth Subsidiary Rank of Imperial Smoke, and above the Wu Earth Subsidiary Rank, becoming "Earth Virtue Wu Earth Branch, Imperial Smoke in the Yunzhong, True Lord of Fuqiu".

Afterwards, the patriarch comprehended the Qi of Mysterious Clarity that evolved from the entanglement of the Wood Duke and the Golden Mother through their two Fruition Position. Combining this with his own experience of transforming from the Hazy Clouds Remaining Rank to the Wu Earth Subsidiary Rank, the Blazing Fire Remaining Rank, and the Gui Water Remaining Rank, he became an immortal.

Observing this energy over thousands of years, and because both Lesser Yang and Lesser Yin are the pivots of Yin and Yang, the Patriarch was able to comprehend the changes of Yin and Yang, resonating with the Remaining Rank of the Daoist Hazy Clouds, thus attaining the Rainbow Cloud Fruition and becoming Heavenly Venerable, saying:

"Rainbow Clouds Yunzhong the Clouds, the Carefree Heavenly Venerable."

Su Yao could see clearly that the Qi of Mysterious Clarity that the patriarch had comprehended was one of the original nine paths. It was not only the harmonious energy of the intersection of Lesser Yang and Lesser Yin, but also the first wisp of immortal energy that a cultivator could reach after the Three Pure Ones established the Immortal Dao of immortality and someone finally became Heavenly Venerable. Apart from the three patriarchs, it represented the highest achievement that cultivators could reach. Its significance was naturally extraordinary.

The energy in Su Yao's hand was the combined energy obtained by the interaction of two immortals from the Lesser Yang and Lesser Yin paths of the previous generation of the Purple Mansion Continent and Jade Lake, based on their respective Fruition Position.

Although it cannot compare to the few paths that the patriarch comprehended, it is still a first-rate treasure in the world today.

As Su Yao continued to delve deeper into his comprehension, that wisp of primordial yellow energy slowly spread out within his Spirit Platform, like the first ray of dawn illuminating the chaos at the beginning of time, or like the ray of light bursting forth when Lesser Yin and Lesser Yang intertwined in the void.

Lesser Yang consists of Three Yangs and two Yin; Lesser Yin consists of Three Yins. In the past, the three Daoist patriarchs discussed the Dao in Kunlun and established the order of Yin and Yang, with Lesser Yang as the pivot of Wood and Fire, Lesser Yin as the key of Metal and Water.

Lesser Yang is not pure Yang, Lesser Yin is not pure Yin -- Yang contains Yin, Yin contains Yang. One has Three Yangs and two Yin, the other has Three Yins and two Yang. Yin and Yang are mutually dependent, thus forming the pivot.

The universe and the Taiji (the supreme ultimate principle) originated from this, and then Yin and Yang evolved. The six paths of Yin and Yang were thus determined. Yang is. "Lesser Yang, Greater Great Yang, Bright Yang Terminal Yin". Yin is. "Lesser Yin, Greater Yin, Jueyin". Yang rises and becomes clear, while Yin descends and becomes turbid. However, the distinction between clear and turbid is not always clear-cut. There is Yin within Yang and Yang within Yin, just like the alternation of day and night, or the changing of cold and heat.

Once Taiji is opened and Yin and Yang are separated, the Twelve Qi emerge.

The Twelve Qi are the breath of heaven and earth, the rhythm of Yin and Yang. Lesser Yin Lesser Yang and Lesser Yin are the pivot of Yin and Yang, and the Twelve Qi circulate endlessly within this pivot. Spring brings forth life, summer fosters growth, autumn harvests, and winter stores away, thus clearly defining the four seasons.

With the division of the four seasons, the Five Virtues rotate accordingly. Wood Virtue governs the birth of spring, Fire Virtue governs the growth of summer, Earth Virtue governs the transformation and nurturing of the four seasons, Metal Virtue governs the harvest of autumn, and Water Virtue governs the storage of winter. The Five Virtues rotate endlessly, and all things are born, perish, flourish, and wither in this rotation. Heaven and earth are formed, exist, decay, and empty in this rotation. However, later, the Five Virtues were transformed by Human Dao, and the four seasons merged into the mysterious wind and Heavenly Thunder, transforming into the Four Winds and the Five Thunders.

Then Su Yao's mind sank into the depths of that wisp of Xuanhuang Qi. He felt the Yin and Yang energies slowly spreading in his Spirit Platform, like the patterns left when Lesser Yin and Lesser Yang intertwined in the void. They were extremely fine and dense, like spider silk, like ant legs, like the grass roots that silently spread in the soil when spring rain nourishes things.

Within those patterns, the rhythm of the Twelve Qi can be faintly discerned, the trajectory of the Five Virtues' rotation is indistinct, and the pulse of the changing seasons is endless.

Moreover, Su Yao has the assistance of the Prism, which allows him to observe many things that are currently beyond his current level of the Purple Mansion cultivation.

The Prism trembled slightly, and a very faint colored light emerged from Su Yao's eyes, invisible to outsiders.

He scanned the Qi of Mysterious Clarity from the high position of the Prism. He saw that deep within the energy, besides the flow of Yin and Yang energies, there was also a very faint trace. That trace was not left by the Yin and Yang energies themselves, but by something earlier, longer, and more fundamental.

Like the fetal movement left when Lesser Yin and Lesser Yang first intertwined in the void, like the trace left by the first ray of dawn in the chaos when the Taiji of Heaven and Earth was first opened, like the faint "determination" when the three Dao Ancestors discussed and determined the order of the Dao.

The patterns were extremely fine and dense; without the enhancement of the Prism, he, with his Purple Mansion cultivation level, would not have been able to see them at all.

Even with the help of the Prism, Su Yao could only barely discern the general direction of the pattern. It started from Lesser Yang, turned through Lesser Yin, and then suddenly folded at the junction of Yin and Yang, creating a faint purple wisp before disappearing into the depths of Qi.

Su Yao's heart stirred slightly, but he didn't have time to think about it further.

Within those patterns, an overwhelming torrent of information surged into the Spirit Platform, like billions of stars twinkling simultaneously, like countless laws manifesting at once.

Su Yao felt his mind being filled to the brim by the Spirit Platform. The rhythm of the Twelve Qi, the trajectory of the Five Virtues, the pulse of the changing seasons, the mystery of the union of Yin and Yang Qi, countless images, countless principles, and countless profound trajectories surged in at the same time, almost tearing his mind apart.

He gritted his teeth and focused his mind, meticulously unraveling and digesting the patterns inch by inch.

With each section he clarified, the outline of the method for seeking gold became clearer in his Spirit Platform; with each inch he digested, the three-colored patterns on the stone wall brightened a little more.

After an unknown amount of time, the torrent finally receded slowly.

Su Yao withdrew his mind from the patterns and felt a clear and bright Spirit Platform, like the sky after rain or the moon appearing after the clouds parted.

But just as his mind was withdrawing, he caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye that deep within his dantian, on the Prism, all seven talismans had lit up, like seven dark suns hanging in the depths of his dantian, each flowing endlessly.

The first six talismans, in shades of red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, and blue, intertwined like a six-colored rainbow, repeatedly smoothing and solidifying the unfinished path of his gold-seeking technique.

The seventh talisman, the purple "Purple Ultimate Immortal Clarity," was shining exceptionally brightly at this moment.

Unlike the previous six talismans, it did not intertwine and dance with the other talismans. Instead, it hung alone in the deepest part of the Prism, its light restrained, yet it slowly seeped a trace of extremely faint and pure purple light into the meridians of the Seeking Gold Method.

The purple aura was subtle and hidden beneath the glow of the sunset and the rainbow patterns; if Su Yao hadn't scanned it with his Prism, he would have been completely unaware of it.

Su Yao's heart stirred slightly.

"Purple Ultimate Immortal Clarity... Above the extreme realm lies the Immortal Dao."

He muttered something under his breath, without giving it much thought.

It felt like a natural progression, as if it were always meant to be this way.

He opened his eyes, which reflected the light of the ever-burning lamp. His expression was calm, but a very faint smile appeared on his lips.

He recited softly:

"The two energies of Yin and Yang have no root; Lesser Yang and Lesser Yin are the gateways to each other."

The Twelve Qi cycle through the four seasons, and the Five Virtues cycle back to dawn and dusk.

Seven suns hang hidden on the Prism, a single line remains deep within the purple expanse.

"One hundred and fifty years to forge a sword, not following old paths, creating something of its own."

Then, he raised his head and looked at the cave abode wall, his gaze deep and still:

"What Patriarch Yun Zhongzi comprehended was the very first wisp of immortal energy at the dawn of the Immortal Dao. It represented the moment when someone finally achieved the status of Heavenly Venerable after the Three Pure Ones opened the path to Immortal Dao, which is naturally incomparable to the Dao I possess. Yet, with that Dao energy, the Patriarch comprehended the Dao of Rainbow Clouds, and Caiche further perfected the Dao of Rainbow Clouds with the rainbow. I have thoroughly understood the paths taken by all the Patriarchs throughout history. But understanding is one thing, but to reach the achievements of the two Patriarchs is no longer possible."

He paused, a hint of sharpness creeping into his voice:

"Therefore, I want to forge a new path."

He stood up, walked to the stone wall of the cave abode, raised his hand and used his finger as a brush to slowly draw a rainbow pattern on the stone wall. The rainbow pattern was extremely faint, like the palest hue of dawn on the horizon. After finishing, he added a golden pattern next to the rainbow pattern. The golden pattern was like the first ray of sunlight at dawn, intertwining with the rainbow pattern, like the rosy dawn dancing with the morning light.

He took two steps back, gazing at the rainbow and gold patterns on the stone wall, and slowly spoke:

"Master Yun Zhongzi used the imagery of Rainbow Clouds,' while Caiche used the imagery of 'Rainbow Clouds ' to perfect it. 'Xia' represents the initial illumination of sunlight and the misty clouds, signifying 'gathering and containment'; 'hong' represents sunlight piercing through clouds and the flow of seven colors, signifying 'penetration and connection.' These two masters, one gathering and the other releasing, one containing and the other connecting, exhausted the profound principles of the way of 'Rainbow Clouds' to the utmost."

He paused, then added a very faint purple stripe, like the wisp of purple smoke from an incense burner at the first boil of water, intertwining with the rainbow and gold stripes, the three colors flowing and swirling like the morning glow, the evening glow, and the purple qi rising from the east:

"But the sunset and the rainbow are ultimately 'celestial' phenomena. They reside high in the heavens, looking down upon the mortal world, but looking down is ultimately just looking down; they cannot see the warmth and coldness of human life."

He withdrew his hand, stood with his hands behind his back, and his gaze fell on the three-colored patterns on the stone wall:

"Master Yun Zhongzi, whose title is ' Carefree Heavenly Venerable,' attained enlightenment through the rosy clouds, which is 'gathering'; Caiche, whose title is ' Heavenly Venerable Caiche,' perfected enlightenment through the rainbow, which is 'penetration.' Gathering and penetration represent the pinnacle of the Rainbow Clouds path, but what I seek is neither gathering nor penetration."

He paused, a hint of sharpness appearing in his voice that even he himself might not have noticed:

"The rosy clouds are the light of heaven, and the rainbow is the pattern of heaven. But above the Rainbow Clouds and pattern of heaven, there is still the word 'heaven.' Heaven is supreme. If the path of rosy clouds and rainbows can stand above the light and pattern of heaven, taking heaven as its framework and using rosy clouds and rainbows as its means, then it can transform 'dwelling high in the nine heavens' into 'standing in the heavens,' and 'looking down on the mortal world' into 'looking down on the heavens.' If this path is achieved, the path of Rainbow Clouds will no longer be merely 'close to immortality,' but 'standing above immortality'—unrivaled throughout eternity, I am the most revered."

He paused for a moment after he finished speaking.

He had never said these words to anyone. Qingzhu had not taught them to him, True Lord Xicheng had not mentioned them, and they were not written in the classics of the patriarchs of all ages. But when he uttered the words "Unrivaled throughout the ages, I am the most revered," he felt as if it were only natural, as if these words had always been hidden in the deepest part of his heart, and had only been drawn out by this wisp of Qi of Mysterious Clarity.

He was silent for a moment, then shook his head:

"I can't reach this path yet. The character 'Heaven' on the Heavenly Light and Heavenly Pattern is beyond my reach right now."

He didn't say anything more.

He closed his eyes, focused his mind on the dantian, and placed it on the Prism.

Within the Prism, seven talismans lit up simultaneously, like seven dark suns hanging deep within the Qi Sea, each circulating endlessly. At the same time, the forty-eight restrictions also trembled, as if forty-eight layers of celestial curtains were being blown by the wind, each pattern emitting a faint halo.

Su Yao immersed his mind deep within the restriction, combining the profound principles of Rainbow Clouds left by the patriarchs of past generations, the method of seeking gold given by True Lord Xicheng, and the secrets of Rainbow Clouds contained within the Prism, and slowly refining them within his Spirit Platform.

The smelting process was extremely slow and quiet, like a silkworm spinning silk, an old tree taking root, or countless streams flowing into the sea.

With each melting process, the method of seeking gold becomes more complete; with each completion, the three-colored patterns on the stone wall become brighter.

Among the seven talismans, the purple talisman shone the brightest and lasted the longest, like the deepest of the seven dark suns. As the halo flowed, it pushed the three-colored patterns to their extreme layer by layer.

However, Su Yao's mind was entirely focused on the refining process, and he did not notice that the purple light contained the secret that "beyond the extreme realm lies the Immortal Dao."

After an unknown amount of time, Su Yao slowly opened his eyes.

On the stone wall, the three-colored patterns had merged into one, transforming into a very faint, almost transparent light pattern.

Within those radiant patterns, one could vaguely see myriad rays of light, countless rainbows, and purple qi rising from the east. Yet, above that radiance, rainbows, and purple purple qi, there was a very faint and pure layer of "heavenly" intent—not the will of heaven, nor destiny, but an indescribable "respect" that seemed to stand above all else.

Su Yao stared at the light pattern, remained silent for a long time, and then softly said:

"The method for finding gold has finally been completely perfected."

He originally thought he would need to study the Prism several more times before he could completely complete the method of seeking gold.

Unexpectedly, with the aid of this Qi of Mysterious Clarity, his self-created method for seeking gold was finally perfected.

He walked to the stone wall, gazed at the light pattern, and slowly spoke:

"The rosy clouds are the light of the sky, the rainbow is the pattern of the sky, and the sky is the supreme realm. When these three colors intertwine, the celestial order is naturally formed. Let this method of seeking gold be called ' The Cloud-Rainbow Heavenly Order Mysterious Method.'"

He paused, then added:

"The Heavenly Order stands above the heavens, establishing order for eternity. I haven't reached that stage yet, but the path to the Golden Law must ultimately lead in that direction."

After saying that, he withdrew his gaze, turned around, walked to the prayer mat, and sat down again.

Outside the cave abode, the pear trees of Qixia Mountain swayed gently in the morning breeze, their tender leaves rustling. The mountain was lush and green, and the morning light deepened.

Su Yao closed his eyes, focused his mind on his dantian, and began making final preparations for his journey.

The day he arrives at Zhongnan Mountain will be the day he seeks gold.

There is a word cloud:

Yin and Yang have no inherent root; Lesser Yang and Lesser Yin are the gateways to each other.

The Twelve Qi cycle through the four seasons, and the Five Virtues cycle back to dawn and dusk.

Seven suns hang in the shadows on the Prism, a single line remains deep within the purple expanse.

It has taken over three hundred years to hone this skill, breaking free from old paths to create something entirely new.

The rosy clouds are the light of the sky, and the rainbow is the pattern; the sky is the supreme and the root of heaven.

The rosy clouds and the celestial order merge into one, defying old paths and becoming supreme in its own right.

Deep within the Purple Realm, unseen by anyone, a glimmer of divine secret lies hidden in the shadows.

Only when the elixir is complete and the child breaks free from the cocoon will we know that this child will not follow the old ways.