Daoist Master of Qing Xuan

Just when the flood dragon was still disoriented, Shen Lian’s ancestral cavity opened, and manifested a large hand with flowing colorful light, extending out to the sea, straight up to the sky; it waved, and the air immediately cleared. There were no clouds, but what could be seen were bright stars, its brightness infinite; and a crescent moon, curved like an eyebrow. Hung far away from where the ocean and the sky meet.

The flood dragon was secretly scared, Master Shen’s supernatural power certainly an incredible thing to behold, a thunderous tide this scale was calmed with a wave of a hand.

Unbelievably, it blinked once to confirm that ahead of them, where the ocean and the sky meet, appeared a tall mountain, right below the crescent moon.

The flood dragon was not blind, a mountain this tall should have been discovered earlier. However, there was a lack of awareness on its part.

Blessing it’s heart and soul, it opened its dragon mouth, and spoke in human language: “Master Shen, could this be Mount Lingtai Fangcun?”

Shen Lian opened his eyes, his ancestral cavity closed long ago, his gaze set upon the tall mountain ahead of him. He chuckled and said: “If you can see it, it is not.”

The flood dragon seemed to understand, yet seemingly not. It moved its dragon body, and reached the foot of the mountain in an instant. It whipped its tail, attempting to leap above, but what followed was a shock. Upon contact with the mountain, it seems as if it had leaped into a mixture of nothing. Resulting in its fall onto the surface of the water, creating a huge spindrift akin to a slight sea rain.

It turned and looked back, there was no tall mountain. It was only the surface of a calm sea. But when it turned to look ahead, there the mountain was, the same as before. The crescent moon still positioned above the top of the mountain.

The dragon was shocked and said: “Master Shen, what illusion was used to create this tall mountain? Why is it that I can’t see that it is fake at all?”

Shen Leng laughed and said: “That was painted by others, only you think it is true.”

The flood dragon could not believe that such a tall and lofty mountain was actually painted. It touched the mountain with its divine thoughts. The mountain felt real, not just some conjured product of imagination. But since Master Shen said it was a painting, it feared it will be a joke again and continued swimming forward.

The flood dragon thought that if the mountain that felt so real turned out to be a painting, and what was painted were dragons and phoenixes, it will surely turn tail and run in fear.

While its thoughts ran wild, the tall mountain disappeared in the moonlight. Heaven and earth filled with vital forces of peace and tranquility. Thereafter, a brush appeared. The tip of the brush was painted towards the sky, and above it, someone dressed in green was floating. It seemed like there was a brilliant aura woven around the person, capable of taking away the brilliance of the sun and the moon.

Shen Lian did not look at the person, he only looked at the brush, and said: “Qingyi, I felt the Deficiency and Excess from the brush, so it seems that he has ‘become one with the heaven and earth’. No wonder you are holding his divine brush, to be able to mix the spurious with the genuine with a stroke of a brush.”

The person who came was Song Qingyi, Lu Jiuyuan’s closest direct disciple. What was called ‘become one with Heaven and Earth’ is similar to Daoism’s ‘Unity of Universe and Human’, but it is more profound and thorough. Reaching this state, there will no longer exist a difference between Heaven, earth and oneself, one is another as one is each other.

Shen Lian understood how Lu Jiuyuan actually broke through, because he did not cut off the connection between Heaven and earth, in search of a wider Dao path; but firmly integrated with the Heaven and earth, growing together without distinction.

Or could it be said that this world has been deeply imprinted with the mark of Lu Jiuyuan. Lu Jiuyuan has an unseverable bond between Heaven and earth. Therefore, even if he were to travel through the Galaxy, he would not lose the way of Dao and would be guided back. Even if he were to lose his life, he would be able to lend the origin of Heaven and earth, and be rebirthed.

So this is the true meaning of the ‘Enlightenment Scripture’. Using the Dao of Heaven and earth to mend oneself.

The attainment of immortality could not even compare to the longevity of Heaven and earth.

At the same time, he also understood as to the Grandmaster’s refusal to remain in this world. Perhaps the Grandmaster has already realized this, and to remain here would be no different from parasitizing. Therefore, she left without any hesitation.

At this moment, even Shen Lian had thought about wanting to leave this world. Since, to be a guest at someone’s home would be different to permanently residing in it.

To have this sudden realization was just ridiculous, funny even. He was even curious as to what mood Yan Xu was in now.

The brush continued to shrink, and eventually, it became a normal-sized brush, and it was being held by Song Qingyi. He descended slowly from the sky, and came to the front of Shen Lian. He smiled bitterly and said, “Senior Apprentice-Brother was right, as soon as I appear, the matter could not remain concealed. Brother Shen mustn’t blame me for not telling you this earlier, for I too, had just found out about Master’s state in being one with Heaven and earth not long ago.”

Shen Lian smiled and said: “How could I blame you, after all, you are Lu Jiuyuan’s disciple.”

Song Qingyi sighed and said: “I have always regarded you as a friend. Furthermore, Qixiu also respects you very much.”

“Qingyi, did you know, I have actually always admired you.” Shen Lian looked at him with his hands at his back, his gaze stable and silent.

Song Qingyi said dejectedly: “I do not have anything worthy of your admiration. I could not rival in any aspect, this I know. But Shen Lian, you have to believe me, even if I am a little jealous of you, but should you require my assistance, I will do my best.”

Shen Lian leisurely said: “I never doubted this, I also believe in our friendship. This is also where I admire you the most. Because you possess a pure essence and a sense of sincerity that would put even me to shame. Believe me, continue to retain your sincere trait, and your future will be broader than that of your senior fellow apprentice Wang Shidao, to step into Confucianism’s ‘path of sincerity’. This is also where your Master truly values you.”

What Shen Lian said was not a lie. Reaching his point, qualifications and awakening could all be cultivated. He received Chen Jin Chan as his successor, mostly because he has no time and energy to create a descendant like Chen Jin Chan, but also precisely because Chen Jin Chan has similar qualities as Song Qingyi.

Especially the inherent part of human nature, it could never be cultivated, only guided out, just like his natural indifference, and Yan Xu’s unrestrained. These are all core qualities, more concrete than gilded

Not everyone possesses these qualities. Those who possess it, some would find it hard to retain.

Song Qingyi’s traits are his sincerity. From the time when he tried saving Shen Lian after mistaking that Shen Lian was in distress, to the time when he used the life-saving item given by Lu Jiuyuan to inquire about Huike’s whereabouts without any hesitation.

Whether it was many years ago or many years later, Song Qingyi’s sincerity in dealing with Shen Lian is always the same.

Shen Lian knew that he could not be as honest and consistent as Song Qingyi.

This is a beautiful aspect of human nature. Even if Shen Lian can’t do it, he admired it.

Song Qingyi was incomprehensible at this time. He could also feel that Shen Lian had not perfunctored him, and he could not even think of fortune’s favored child as he had such a high appraisal.

He also asserted that he would have a far greater future than Master Wenshi, a gentle and humble master.

“What a good and touching friendship. Shen Lian, oh Shen Lian, you are so sentient. After I defeat you, I will kill all the people you are close to, to accompany you. Then you will not be lonely.”

The faint words, with the source of the sounds unknown, it disappeared.