Chapter 6: The First Scroll - The Abundant Water Plantain - What is Enlightenment

In fact, after Chen Huisheng finished regulating his breath, he also sat alone for a while.

He was organizing his thoughts, clarifying the situation and his own position, and at the same time, thinking about his future.

Now, combining the memories of his previous life and the conversation with Xuan Chimei, he roughly understood his current state.

This world is somewhat complex, looking a bit like ancient China.

The language, food, customs, and traditions are very similar, and even the place names can evoke a sense of the background and origins from the Xia, Shang, Zhou to the Tang and Song dynasties.

However, there are also many differences.

For example, the country he is in is called the Great Zhao.

The Great Zhao Dynasty has existed for a thousand years, with a vast territory stretching about four thousand miles east to west and over two thousand miles north to south, and a population of about seventy million.

For instance, the Jizhou he visited, named after the Ji River that runs through it, is vast and has a population of nearly ten million.

During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, which vassal state could have had a population of ten million?

Yet, a single county of the Great Zhao has nearly ten million people, and the Bianliang Prefecture, where the capital of the Great Zhao is located, has a population of three million.

In terms of population, it resembles the Song and Ming dynasties.

In terms of administrative divisions, there are counties, prefectures, counties, towns, and villages, but the towns and villages seem to be under the self-governance of the gentry, similar to the Ming dynasty.

The imperial power does not extend below the prefecture and county levels, but the "gentry" has evolved into the elites of the sects and noble families.

Even in the prefectures and the central government of the Great Zhao, the influence of the major sects and noble families is deeply rooted, and the Great Zhao imperial family is also one of the top noble families.

For example, the evil god Wuzhiqi, Chen Huisheng also has a memory of it from his previous life, having seen its legends online.

Some say it is a water god, others say it is a water monster subdued by Yu the Great, and still others say it is the red-bottomed horse monkey among the four monkeys of the world, or even the incarnation of the Monkey King Sun Wukong. The stories vary.

The cultivation sects and noble families are the core and rulers of this world.

Those who can challenge these rulers, besides the vast heavenly Dao, include many non-human entities, such as beasts, demons, and evil beings.

Besides the Great Zhao, there is also the Southern Chu to the south, which should also be a major dynasty.

In fact, Chen Huisheng's hometown, Yiyang Prefecture in Jizhou, borders the Southern Chu, and 120 years ago, the neighboring Meng County belonged to the Southern Chu and was only later annexed by the Great Zhao.

From what Chen Huisheng knows, cultivation runs through the social structure of this world from top to bottom, more widespread and influential than the imperial examinations of the feudal society, affecting all aspects of this world.

This is because it directly relates to the differences between ordinary people and cultivators, their lifespans and health, and their vastly different abilities.

Even a person who has not yet entered the Dao can easily live to seventy years old, with a strong and healthy body and rarely falling ill.

Entering the Dao can add ten years to one's lifespan, and once one reaches the Qi Cultivation stage, another twenty to forty years can be added.

Breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage can add another forty to sixty years.

Each breakthrough in cultivation brings significant changes to the body and mind, making a world of difference.

Chen Huisheng has now mostly calmed down.

Since he is here, he might as well make the best of it. At least he is now a congenital Dao seed, with a lifespan of seventy to eighty years, a strong and healthy body, and at least fifty more years to live.

In his previous life, he was already in his forties, and although he had become a deputy county magistrate, it was exhausting, both physically and mentally, and he felt stuck, having to keep climbing the ladder.

But his body, plagued by high blood pressure, gout, and diabetes, made him feel vulnerable, as if he might not wake up after a night's sleep. What was the point of striving so hard?

But what else could he do if he didn't strive? Lying flat was not an option yet, as he had a family to support.

Now, he is starting a new, even unknown life, and he is a bit excited. Even if he seems to have average talent now, there might be a stroke of luck in the future.

So, when the girl said, "You might encounter your own opportunity," he was happy to hear it.

"I hope so. I will try my best. But, Chimei, you have a rare opportunity. The Nine Lotus Sect is a major sect, and you should seize this chance. You are already at the second level of Qi Cultivation at thirteen, and I really don't have the right to envy you."

Chen Huisheng spoke frankly and cheerfully.

This little girl might become his "backer" and "support" in the future.

If she can continue to cultivate in the Nine Lotus Sect, her potential will surely be recognized by the higher-ups.

Even the third-level Qi Cultivator, the woman surnamed Yu, treated Xuan Chimei differently. With this connection, he could play a role in Guzhen Town or Liaoxian County.

Faced with Chen Huisheng's praise and flattery, the girl blushed.

"Brother Huisheng, you flatter me. In the sect, um, even in our Yuanhe Sect, there are many disciples like me. Many break through to the third level of Qi Cultivation before they are twenty, and some are already at the fifth level by thirty..."

Entering the Dao is the most difficult threshold, and even after entering the Dao, advancing to the first level of Qi Cultivation is very selective.

Many people enter the Dao quickly but struggle to advance in Qi Cultivation. Some succeed in half a year, while others take three to five years, and many remain at the first level of Qi Cultivation for their entire lives.

For example, the seven or eighty-year-old cultivators in the Greenwood Sect who guide Chen Huisheng in planting spirit rice and grain are only at the second level of Qi Cultivation.

These people, stuck at a bottleneck, can only find a quiet place to live a leisurely life.

Talent, insight, cultivation techniques, and diligence are all essential. Diligence and effort are not lacking in those who enter the sect, but the first two are crucial.

Chen Huisheng couldn't help but lick his lips. "Chimei, is there any special method or feeling for entering the Dao?"

Xuan Chimei had long anticipated this question.

In fact, the other new disciples on the journey had also asked, given her unprecedented speed in entering the Dao, everyone wanted to uncover the secret.

Of course, the girl would not hide anything from Chen Huisheng. "Brother Huisheng, many people have asked me this question, including the junior disciples in the sect and the other disciples on the journey, but there is no definite answer..."

"... As the immortal master in the sect says, this is an enlightenment breakthrough. There is no specific method to teach for entering the Dao, and it cannot be taught. What is more important is the environment and atmosphere that bring you inspiration..."

"Solitary cultivators can also enter the Dao on their own, but the sects and noble families are far superior to solitary cultivators because they can provide many different options..."

"Take our Nine Lotus Sect, for example. We have many different environments, such as by the stream, by the lake, in the mountains, in the forest, on the peak, in the mist, in the clouds, all places rich in spiritual energy, most conducive to enlightenment. There are also quiet palaces in the midst of noise, bustling markets..."

"Or the bookshelves with various books, or some handicrafts and paintings, or unique musical instruments that bring music. These environments and atmospheres can provide different insights and inspirations to different disciples..."

"Perhaps many of the inspirations you receive may not be suitable for you, but the next simple scene, a book, a painting, a bell sound, a Buddhist verse, a glance, a battle, a cup of tea, could suddenly enlighten you..."

Xuan Chimei tried to describe the enlightenment of entering the Dao in a way that Chen Huisheng could understand.

Each person's way of enlightenment is different, and no one can predict how someone will be enlightened. It can only be guided and tried continuously.

Chen Huisheng understood the general idea. Enlightenment is like being inspired by a scene, where the "scene" is any trigger that changes your state of mind, and the "inspiration" is a kind of insight.

Nodding, Chen Huisheng asked, "What was your way and feeling of entering the Dao?"

"I was reading some Daoist theories in the bookshelf at night and suddenly felt inspired, so I practiced sword dancing alone in the middle of the night. When I was in the mood, I slashed with my sword, and I felt a vague, ethereal sensation of ascending. It seemed like everything around me was still, and my heartbeat and breathing slowed to an extreme. I can't describe the special feeling, but it was very clear and refreshing, like a sprout breaking through the soil, or a silver bottle breaking, ... The next day, the immortal master saw me and said that my forehead was radiant, indicating that I had entered the Dao. I also felt that I had entered the Dao that night, but it was too fast, only two months, and I couldn't believe it..."

Seeing that Chen Huisheng wanted to ask more, Xuan Chimei understood what he was thinking. "It didn't work. Those Daoist theories were very ordinary. Later, several junior disciples in the sect read them for half a month and sought inspiration at night, but none of them succeeded. Most did not enter the Dao, and one did, but his enlightenment had nothing to do with reading those theories or sword dancing..."

These few words completely dispelled Chen Huisheng's hopes, making him realize that entering the Dao is a very mysterious and personal matter.

But the sects and noble families can provide a richer and more comprehensive range of options, which solitary cultivators cannot match.

"Actually, I heard the immortal master say that entering the Dao and breaking through to higher levels almost always rely on the insight of one's spiritual roots. The sect can provide various conditions, whether it's spiritual herbs, elixirs, or cultivation techniques, to help you build a solid foundation and gain more experience, allowing you to break through bottlenecks and transform like a fish leaping into a dragon, ..."

Xuan Chimei shared everything she had felt, understood, and known without any reservation.

On one hand, she was grateful, and on the other, she wanted to help Chen Huisheng, who had little chance of entering the Dao, to be mentally prepared. Not everyone believes that hard work will bring rewards.

Yes, maybe it's about accepting and being content with mediocrity.

Even if her senior sister could help Chen Huisheng enter a smaller sect, he might not enter the Dao, but at least he could fulfill his wish.

The bonfire slowly died down.

Xuan Chimei also needed to rest. She agreed to set out back home with Chen Huisheng the next morning and bid farewell, heading to the right side hall to rest with her fellow sect members.

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(End of Chapter)