Chapter 83

There followed a silent pause. The two were not particularly familiar with each other, so naturally, there was little to say. The bearded giant even put away his wine.

The rain had stopped, and specks of sunlight filtered through the bamboo leaves, carrying the freshness of the grass and trees.

The invisible barrier disappeared, and Shen Lian felt the cool air after the rain, just like his own Daoist heart.

Two bamboo leaves fell onto the table, and Shen Lian focused on their patterns, which were irregular yet clearly defined. Suddenly, he smiled and said, "Brother, do you think there are two identical bamboo leaves in the world?"

"Of course not," the bearded giant replied casually.

"Then, are there any completely identical runes in the world?" Shen Lian continued.

The bearded giant did not answer, but Shen Lian already knew the answer.

He stood up, drew his wooden sword, and walked to an open space. The soul power within his body flowed spontaneously into the wooden sword. It seemed as if he had gained an extra eye, seeing the serene beauty of the primordial energy in the world. With a casual thrust, the primordial energy around him condensed on the wooden sword, and without any grand display, a cloud of rain fell, landing on the ground. The newly sprouted bamboo shoots grew rapidly, their tips turning a tender green.

The trajectory of his casual thrust was precisely the same as the rune the bearded giant had drawn in the air to summon the primordial energy and create the wooden stool he was sitting on. The spirit and meaning were in perfect harmony. However, the bearded giant's technique was more exquisite, like the gentle spring rain nourishing all things, but in essence, it was about condensing the vibrant primordial energy.

There are no two identical bamboo leaves in the world, nor are there two identical runes. Yet, when people see bamboo leaves, they know they are bamboo leaves.

Even if two bamboo leaves differ in shape, they are still recognized as the same type of leaf.

Runes are not a single thing but a way of expression.

To make the primordial energy of heaven and earth understand one's expression.

The cloud script and thunder script in "Initial Understanding of Runes" are naturally impossible to memorize, not because of their complexity, but because the author, Dong Lingzi, had already subtly informed later generations to grasp the essence and forget the form.

Even at the beginning, when discussing the true script of heaven, he said it was a manifestation of Dao, and the dragon script and phoenix script could be understood by gods and Buddhas. This was not to show how powerful they were but to explain that the essence of runes is a form of expression.

Using the wooden sword as a pen and soul power as ink, feeling the spirit of the runes, one can truly enter the gate.

As for those extremely powerful rune techniques or Daoist talismans, they are combinations of these basic runes.

Like ordinary words, when used by a master, they can become a masterpiece.

Zhang Ruoxu had him study the Dao of runes not to make him a powerful master of runes but to understand the way of expression and the special communication technique with heaven and earth.

Of course, this cultivation method is only suitable for him now, because his soul is much stronger than that of cultivators at the same level, and he is much more sensitive to the primordial energy of heaven and earth and various energies.

If the bearded giant had not seen it with his own eyes, he would hardly believe that such a prodigy could enter the gate so quickly.

Ordinary people, even if they knew the principle, would still need a long time to sense the spirit of the runes and communicate with the primordial energy of heaven and earth, gradually becoming attuned.

But Shen Lian bypassed this long process, like a child who, after learning to recognize words, could immediately start writing poetry.

This was not just a genius but a prodigy.

Shen Lian's ability to do such an extraordinary thing was both unexpected and reasonable.

Without a superior method of cultivating the soul, his soul would not have grown so strong, and he would not have been able to cultivate the "Interdependent Sword Qi of Being and Non-being," accidentally turning the sandalwood sword into a magical tool, an excellent spiritual guide for making runes.

All of this started with "The True Explanation of the Supreme Clarity Spirit Treasure's Natural Locking and Stabilizing of the Soul."

Others might not understand, but Shen Lian deeply understood, and he became increasingly curious about his physical father.

With this insight, he could hardly wait to go to the Taiwei Pavilion again and review all the runes in the true explanation of the Dao of runes.

He smiled at the bearded giant and said, "Thank you."

Then he immediately turned around, took a step, and was gone.

The bearded giant muttered to himself, "It's simply bizarre."

Even though he had seen many geniuses, none of the records of the Qingxuan sect mentioned anyone who had entered the gate so quickly.

Moreover, it was not just rote imitation but a genuine understanding.

******

After entering the Taiwei Pavilion again, Shen Lian spent the next six months buried in cultivation, even skipping the bi-monthly teachings of the elders.

He closed his Daoist academy and set up a spiritual prohibition to prevent disturbances. The primordial energy from the outside world slowly flowed into Shen Lian's meditation room. Initially, it was a hazy mass without color, but gradually, as Shen Lian used the wooden sword as a spiritual guide and drew different trajectories, the mist of primordial energy began to show colors, eight in total, representing the energies of heaven, earth, mountains, marshes, water, fire, wind, and thunder.

These eight energies intermingled, waxing and waning, in a cycle that came and went from Shen Lian's body.

The human body has countless acupoints, and even the Xuanji Technique cannot cover all of them. Shen Lian simply filled one acupoint after another with primordial energy, without focusing on opening the life and death acupoints.

His actions were monotonous, and cultivation itself is extremely monotonous.

Different primordial energies seemed to have different natures: some were lofty, some were substantial, some were lively, and some were resilient...

Runes were the medium through which Shen Lian communicated with the primordial energy of heaven and earth, and his soul seemed to be very attuned to these energies.

He truly felt himself growing stronger day by day, but this could not be accurately described by the nine stages of cultivation.

The only thing that remained unchanged was the innate deity holding a ruyi scepter in his visualization, which seemed to have no significant change, remaining profound and mysterious.

The higher his cultivation, the more the deity seemed beyond his comprehension, like the exploration of truth: the more one knows, the less one understands.

Shen Lian enjoyed such days. Others might find such seclusion lonely, but Shen Lian did not feel that way.

Social interactions were actually dispensable. If not for the need to avoid isolated cultivation, Shen Lian would have continued to cultivate like this.

Until one day, Shen Lian felt that every part of his body, from head to toe, was filled with internal energy, like rivers flowing ceaselessly without any blockage.

In cultivation, the so-called opening of meridians actually only requires the opening of the eight most important meridians, with the Ren and Du meridians being the most crucial.

As cultivation deepened, the other minor meridians would gradually be opened, and after reaching the Return to the Elixir stage, almost all meridians would be open, and every movement would be imbued with profound magical power.

Shen Lian, after being refined by the Dark River, had his spirit and energy return to a solid state. He was not in a hurry to break through the life and death acupoints and was proficient in the Dao of runes, drawing primordial energy into his body. For half a year, he continuously refined his meridians, and now, with a solid foundation, the Xuan Pass opened spontaneously, and he could not help but let out a long cry.

PS: Finally, I feel I have passed the most arduous stage. The story of Dao Master will not be so cliché, with endless sect competitions. I have always believed that this is a very special xianxia story. I won't say it's the best, but at least it will make you feel it's worth your time. Some things, though I am not good at, cannot be glossed over. This is a long novel of several million words. If it were always at a high point, no one could do it. If you followed me from the previous novel, you must have a lot of confidence in me. After all, I am a man who is always improving (what, you want to hit me and say I am shameless?). After so much nonsense, I am definitely asking for votes and donations. During the public period, there is no income, and without asking for something else, how can I have the motivation to continue writing?

Then, I would like to thank Xiao Xun and Yi Sheng Liu Li for their donations. Also, please follow my WeChat public account 'Zhongyuan Wubai' to harass me. I will definitely reply to all girls.

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