The Battle in Journey to the West -
Chapter 180 - 176: Feelings Through the Sword, Moved by the Heart_2
Chapter 180: Chapter 176: Feelings Through the Sword, Moved by the Heart_2
Enlightenment Dao nodded and said, "There are plenty of Peaches of Immortality available; everyone take a few and heal your injuries. Second brother, stay here and watch over things. If anything happens, let us know immediately and we will come out."
Jiao Demon King replied, "Naturally, brothers, go ahead and heal yourselves well. I will act as a protector and ensure no outsiders disturb you."
Enlightenment Dao himself was severely injured by the Great Mighty Celestial Dragon Bodhisattva. That Bodhisattva was a bit too domineering, a pair of fleshy palms causing the heaven and earth to change colors, powerful enough to shock Sumeru. Although just a Great Luo Golden Immortal of the Third Heaven, he possessed the strength of a Mixed Yuan Golden Immortal. It would likely not be easy for Guanyin to confront him either.
Enlightenment Dao said, "This battle with the Great Mighty Celestial Dragon truly granted me a lot of insight. Once my injuries are healed, I plan to go to the Sea of Thunder to refine my Primordial Spirit. Brothers, you can come and watch by then. In the future, using thunder to refine the Primordial Spirit will have much more certainty!"
The other Great Saints all nodded and said, "Very good, very good! Once you exit seclusion and refine your Primordial Spirit, we’ll go with you."
Enlightenment Dao took about a dozen Peaches of Immortality, found a secluded place, sat cross-legged, swallowed one, and transformed it into a vast amount of True Qi, which he slowly absorbed into his organs, continuously repairing the injuries on his body.
"That Great Mighty Celestial Dragon is indeed powerful, cultivating the physical body to such a terrifying extent, surpassing many Magical Powers and Spells," Enlightenment Dao thought to himself. "However, cultivating the physical body is ultimately a minor path. In the past, when Pangu the Great God created the world trying to prove his path through strength, he failed, and the merit of creating the world was obtained by the Three Pure Ones, who became instant Saints."
The Taoist Sect has countless scriptures that say, to escape the great calamity of heaven and earth, a thin ray of light known as the Primordial Spirit is vital for becoming a Saint.
Only when one becomes a Saint can one reverse their fate and break free from all shackles.
Enlightenment Dao quietly contemplated the scene of confrontation between Kunpeng and Acala, as well as Donghuang Taiyi fighting Mahavairocana, and even closely pondering the moves of the Great Mighty Celestial Dragon and Kong Xuan. All these provided him with a new understanding. How rare and valuable is it to see an expert like Taiyi in action?
Taiyi’s dominance left a deeply profound impression on him.
Enlightenment Dao swallowed another Peach of Immortality, continuing to repair his injuries while thinking to himself, "Taiyi, holding the Eastern Emperor Bell, shows unmatched dominance, suppressing heaven and earth! My swordsmanship lacks that sort of essence. It has edge, but edge is just the true meaning of Sword Dao, not the essence. Taiyi with his bell shows dominance, which is his essence, and even the Great Mighty Celestial Dragon’s punches bear a dominant essence. Demon Teacher Kunpeng roams the world freely and easily; his moves always carry a carefree, ethereal essence... Yes, incorporating this essence into Magical Powers, Spells, or techniques can greatly enhance their effects!"
With this thought, Enlightenment Dao pondered for a long time. His innate talents were extremely strong, and with the seeds of the Primordial Dao Fruit planted in his heart by the Three Pure Ones, his comprehension of these matters was beyond the reach of ordinary people.
Enlightenment Dao quietly deliberated in his heart, wondering, "What then is my temperament? How should I integrate such an essence? The edge is the truth of Sword Dao, but what should the essence be?"
"Oh... the concept of Unity of the Three Teachings certainly suits well, but it’s very difficult. The Buddhist Sect is compassionate, the Taoist Sect is natural, and Confucianism is righteous. These three essences can only be integrated by a Patriarch," Enlightenment Dao thought to himself. To integrate the compassion of the Buddhist Sect, the naturalness of the Taoist Sect, and the righteousness of Confucianism would require Subhuti, as his own level was not there yet.
The True Qi from the Peach of Immortality was quickly absorbed, and Enlightenment Dao picked up another Peach of Immortality with a Purple Patterned Yellow Core, swallowed it, and slowly exhaled a long breath, streaked with traces of blood. His injuries were not light.
"Isn’t tenacity my true nature? Even knowing Rulai’s Power penetrates heaven, I still wish to defy him and control my own fate!" Enlightenment Dao suddenly had a flash of insight.
Incorporating essence into swordsmanship is not an easy task. While repairing his injuries, Enlightenment Dao took out the Old Ape Swordsmanship manual to study.
"This Old Ape, also being a monkey, resembles me in a way. His swordsmanship is indeed very suitable for me to cultivate! Hidden within the Old Ape’s Swordsmanship is an essence of carefreeness," Enlightenment Dao flipped through the "Old Ape Swordsmanship," extracting the true meaning of each sword technique.
His injuries had mostly healed, so he released his Primordial Spirit from its confinement, leaving a bit of his consciousness to control his body to continue absorbing the True Qi from the Peaches of Immortality, healing his own injuries.
In his hands, the Primordial Spirit formed a sword and slowly evolved through the Old Ape’s series of swordsmanship, thinking to himself, "My sister’s swordsmanship seems to encompass the essence of being formless, emotionless, ruthless, and lifeless. Her swordsmanship contains the mysteriousness of the Taoist Sect and the philosophical depth of the Buddhist Sect... Her sword can truly be said to be ’Chan,’ enough to use this sword to discuss Chan methods with the monks of the Buddhist Sect!"
Enlightenment Dao suddenly recalled the scene when Wusheng drew his sword to kill the enemy. Such swordsmanship was truly stunning; with one thrust, heaven and earth lost their color, the sun and the moon sank, nothing could retain its luster in front of her sword.
Enlightenment Dao said to himself, "Old Ape heard the Dao in the morning and could die in the evening, yet he departed so freely, with such high spirits. This is the essence of ’Dao’ and also a type of freedom; no wonder his swordsmanship contained such charm. If I ponder carefully, I too can integrate this charm into it."
Charm is like the soul of something, Divine Skills and spells are lifeless, but if charm is integrated, they become even more formidable.
Especially in swordsmanship, where charm is needed, Enlightenment Dao felt the sword techniques from the Old Ape’s Sword Manual, thinking of the ruthlessness and mercilessness of Wusheng’s sword strikes... All these enabled him to gain some insights.
Since he was named "Enlightenment Dao," he naturally had to realize many truths; otherwise, this name would not fit him well.
Gradually, his Primordial Spirit began to wield the sword, displaying the Old Ape Swordsmanship, each move flowing naturally, yet always lacking a touch of charm! If Taiyi held the Eastern Emperor Bell to suppress Mahavairocana without that peerless dominance and wildness, it wouldn’t have been so shocking; if Zhuang Zhou had written "Free and Easy Wandering" without that free-spirited aura, it would not have become immortal; if Wusheng’s swordsmanship lacked that core and Zen essence of being formless, emotionless, ruthless, and lifeless, it wouldn’t have been so stunning; if Old Ape had not had that freedom, his transformation into Dao wouldn’t have felt so poignant and sad.
Unconsciously, he had danced through a set of swordsmanship, and by the last sword stroke, he recalled the generous and free departure of Old Ape.
"Old Ape lived for the sword and naturally would die by the sword! Although I took the path of transformation, I also grasped the true essence of the Sword Dao; what is there to regret about death?"
"In this world, there is something more important than life! My sword is more important than my life. Since I have grasped the true meaning of Sword Dao, even if it’s only for a moment, what is there to regret?"
"Hearing of the Dao in the morning, I could die in the evening!"
Old Ape’s words resounded in his ear, giving him an epiphany. The final sword stroke carried a free-spirited charm, making it even more mysterious, like the finishing touch that brings a dragon to life.
Enlightenment Dao finally touched on some techniques of incorporating charm into swordsmanship. The speed of his Primordial Spirit’s sword dance suddenly increased, carrying a sense of steadfastness and unwavering resolve. This was his own understanding; under Rulai’s heavy pressure, he remained firm, refusing to submit to death! Even knowing Rulai’s terrifying power, he still had to wrest his destiny back from Rulai’s hands.
"Hua Hua!"
Sword Qi fell, like frost, causing a tremor, and every blade of grass was tinged with the edge of the sword.
Enlightenment Dao suddenly recalled his Primordial Spirit back into his body, opened his eyes, and bowed to the Sword Manual, saying, "Old Ape, I have realized it! The way of the Sword Dao lies in being moved! Moved by the sword, moved by the heart... When scholars are moved, their inspirations flow like a torrent, their writings as powerful as dragons and snakes; when monks are moved, they compassionately mourn for the world, creating peerless scriptures; when Daoist priests are moved, they harmonize with the Dao and ascend in a mist!"
To find out what happens next, please tune in to the next episode. (To be continued. If you like this work, we welcome you to visit Starting Point (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)
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