Breaking through the illusion of the mortal world

Chapter 13 The Crane Carrying a Book

Spring has passed and autumn has come, and the seasons have changed. A year has quietly passed since Lu Ming and the others began their cultivation at the Taoist academy.

Throughout the year, there were no grand competitions, only day after day of meditation, practicing martial arts, listening to lectures, and studying the Taoist canon.

Life is like a mountain stream, flowing forward calmly and steadily.

With the unwavering will honed through the trials of self-examination and the extraordinary foundation laid by the I Ching's marrow cleansing, Lu Ming made steady progress in his cultivation.

He had already mastered the Qi-guiding technique, and the spiritual energy within his body was growing stronger day by day.

His understanding of the Dao Yuan Jing deepened, and he no longer limited himself to the literal meaning of the words, but began to try to comprehend the profound principles of heaven and earth contained within it.

That afternoon, after finishing his daily cultivation, Lu Ming strolled to a clear stream behind Chuming Garden.

This is a place he frequents; he likes its tranquility.

The babbling brook crashes against the smooth pebbles, splashing up tiny droplets that refract into a rainbow of colors in the sunlight.

He didn't come here for sightseeing, but rather because he had a question in his mind.

Recently, while practicing the "Qi-Inducing Technique," he always felt that the wisp of spiritual energy in his body was circulating along a fixed route.

It seems to subtly resonate with the surrounding vegetation, flowing water, and even the gentle breeze.

This feeling is mysterious and difficult to grasp, and cannot be explained by any known Taoist scriptures.

He sat cross-legged on a smooth blue stone by the stream, closed his eyes, and did not deliberately circulate his internal energy.

Simply empty your mind, listen to the sound of flowing water, feel the path of the wind, and experience the breath of the plants.

Unconsciously, his mind seemed to merge into this small world.

He "saw" that the stream did not just flow straight ahead; it would detour around boulders and pause in low-lying areas, taking on countless forms, yet always heading towards the distance.

He "heard" the wind sometimes gentle, sometimes howling, passing through branches and leaves of different shapes, producing different notes.

He "senses" the grass beneath his feet, striving to absorb sunlight and rain, growing upwards, resilient and silent.

A sense of enlightenment gradually rose in his heart.

"Water has no constant shape, the Way has no constant form... the wind has no fixed place, its intent has no fixed abode... though plants and trees are small, their vitality never ceases..."

The wisp of pure energy within his body, which originally followed a fixed path, seemed to have been summoned by some force.

He began to break free from the constraints of the "Qi-Inducing Techniques" and instead followed his breath and his perception of the surrounding environment.

It flowed naturally and slowly through his meridians, its path becoming fluid and varied.

Although the efficiency of operation did not seem to improve immediately, Lu Ming felt that he had entered a completely new realm in his control over himself and spiritual energy.

This kind of control is not an increase in strength, but a sublimation of understanding.

After an unknown amount of time, Lu Ming slowly opened his eyes. His eyes were clear as water, reflecting the stream and the blue sky, as if the dust had been washed away.

He exhaled a long breath, feeling refreshed and clear-headed like never before.

"I see... Qi drawing not only draws the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, but also draws the 'intention' that resonates with heaven and earth."

He muttered to himself, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Although this meditation by the stream did not improve his cultivation by the slightest, it opened a completely new door for his future path.

Just then, a loud cry of a crane came from the sky.

Lu Ming looked up and saw a magnificent white crane gracefully flapping its wings and slowly landing on the grass not far in front of him.

The crane had bright, lively eyes and held an exquisite white jade slip in its beak.

Lu Ming's heart stirred, and he stood up and respectfully bowed to the spirit crane.

He knew that this must be a spirit bird under the command of one of the masters of the Taoist academy.

The crane tilted its head and looked at Lu Ming, seemingly quite fond of the natural sense that he had just comprehended.

It gently placed the jade slip in its mouth on the grass, then tapped the jade slip with its long beak, let out another clear chirp, flapped its wings and flew away, disappearing among the cloud-shrouded peaks.

Lu Ming stepped forward and picked up the white jade slip that felt warm to the touch.

The jade slip was not decorated much, except for two small characters engraved in ancient seal script: "Hundred Herbs".

He focused his mind on the jade slip, and a message flooded his mind.

It turns out that this was a daily task issued by Baicaofeng, which required several disciples to help take care of a Qingxin Bamboo Forest located on the mountainside of Baicaofeng.

The task is long-term and the contribution points are not high, but it is stable and allows you to come into contact with many spiritual plants, which is very beneficial for comprehending the spiritual energy of the wood element.

The person who issued the mission was Yunzhi, an inner disciple of Baicao Peak and the owner of the little snow fox they had rescued by the bamboo forest that day.

"It was a mission issued by Senior Sister Yunzhi..."

Lu Ming recalled the obedient little snow fox and the gentle Senior Sister Yunzhi from that day, and a sense of warmth rose in his heart.

Moreover, this task suited him perfectly, allowing him to earn contribution points to exchange for cultivation resources while also getting closer to nature.

He carefully put away the jade slip, having already made up his mind.

After returning to Chuming Garden, Lu Ming told Qin Feiyu and Hu Zhen about the matter.

The two were overjoyed upon hearing this and immediately expressed their desire to go together.

Qin Feiyu wasn't particularly interested in tending to the bamboo, but upon hearing that it could earn contribution points and perhaps offer a chance to witness the alchemy techniques of Hundred Herbs Peak or discover some rare and precious herbs, he clamored to go and try it out.

So the three of them agreed to go to Baicao Peak the next day to take on the mission.

As the sun set, it cast long shadows of the three of them.

A year of training has helped them shed much of their naivety.