Chapter 56

Reaching out, he patted himself twice, sweeping away the traces of dust and weariness. Xiao Sheng took a step with the "Moon Step," treading on the air, and walked toward the small boat in the center of the river.

Legend has it that in the past, there was a monk named Damo who wanted to cross a river but had no boat. So, Damo broke off a reed, stepped on it, and crossed the river. This story was later widely praised and called "Crossing the River on a Reed."

However, at this moment, Xiao Sheng didn't even need a reed; he simply walked on the wind. This skill alone was already astonishing and shocking to the world.

The old man in the brocade robe, who seemed to be fully focused on fishing, was actually aware of everything around him. Suddenly, he noticed Xiao Sheng's incredible display of skill, and his hands involuntarily trembled, causing the fishing line to quiver and ripple the water.

Xiao Sheng smiled again, as if he were walking on solid ground. He walked unhurriedly to the end of the journey, landed lightly on the boat, and sat down. He hugged his knees and didn't speak, just gazing at the floating clouds and the flowing water, looking completely at ease.

The old man in the brocade robe seemed to be slightly startled. But then he showed a pleased expression and shouted, "I've got a bite!" He pulled the fishing rod with all his might. The entire rod seemed to bend under the weight of the catch. However, after a moment, the fishing line slowly emerged from the water, and it was empty, without a hook.

The fishing line swayed in the air, and the old man in the brocade robe grabbed it as if he had caught a big fish. He even showed the movements of a fish struggling to escape, its slippery body hard to hold. It was so natural that if it were anyone else, they might have suspected that there was indeed an invisible fish hooked on an invisible hook.

The old man's actions seemed magical, but in reality, any martial arts practitioner at the level of a Divine Master could do this. If Xiao Sheng were willing, he could perform similar tricks at any time, finding them not at all extraordinary.

However, the old man's cultivation was indeed indisputable. Since Xiao Sheng entered this parallel universe, no one he had encountered could match this old man in the brocade robe.

According to the standards of the Great Hao Dynasty, the entire martial arts cultivation process is divided into nine levels, each with nine stages, totaling eighty-one levels.

The fourth level, "Three Flowers Gather at the Crown," is the most important turning point in cultivation. It represents the transition from purely physical training to mental training, allowing one to form a golden elixir and directly point to the supreme heavenly path. Therefore, practitioners at this stage are called Divine Masters.

The Divine Master realm is further divided into three sub-levels: Disturbing the Spirit, Confusing the Spirit, and Trapping the Spirit. Experts like the Evil King, the Yin Empress, Fan Fan, and Shi Feixuan are all at the initial stage of Disturbing the Spirit. In terms of realm alone, Xiao Sheng is at the peak of Disturbing the Spirit, two minor levels higher than the Evil King and the others.

However, this old man in the brocade robe, judging by his display just now, was also a genuine peak Disturbing the Spirit practitioner, on par with Xiao Sheng in terms of realm. Such cultivation could rightfully be called the best in the world.

The foremost of the three great Divine Masters, the Hermit Ning Daoyi, was indeed extraordinary.

After some effort, Ning Daoyi finally placed the invisible fish into the basket. He sealed the basket, threw the fishing rod aside, and then looked up at Xiao Sheng. Xiao Sheng smiled slightly and returned his gaze.

The moment their eyes met, a sudden change occurred! A thunderous explosion shook the heavens and the earth. The small boat, the river, the forest, the mountains, and all things seemed to disappear. In their place was a vast, boundless universe.

Sitting cross-legged in the void, Xiao Sheng and Ning Daoyi resembled the Taiji in the chaos before the creation of heaven and earth. One black, one white, one yin, one yang, they rotated endlessly. Outside them, countless stars were born and died, and the vast Milky Way surged by, its origin and destination unknown.

It was both fast and slow, both moving and still, neither thought nor non-thought. They coexisted, complemented each other, and supported each other, being both alive and dead, both enlightened and ignorant. Countless thoughts, wisdom, and insights filled them with great joy, peace, benefit, and freedom.

Such a wondrous transformation was unimaginable even in the wildest dreams. Even if one were to experience it firsthand, all the languages in the world could not describe it. Even with Ning Daoyi's profound cultivation as the best in the world, he was momentarily taken aback and deeply moved.

As soon as his heart was stirred, the originally calm and serene state of mind could no longer be maintained. A "clang" sounded, and the Milky Way, stardust, Taiji, heaven, earth, and universe all vanished without a trace. It was still the surging river and a small boat. The only difference was that the sky, which had been clear and sunny, was now filled with stars.

Xiao Sheng sighed contentedly and asked, "Hermit Ning, what are your thoughts?"

Ning Daoyi smiled with satisfaction and said softly, "Harmony between heaven and man, wandering in the void. This realm is what I have always dreamed of, but I could never find the way in. I never thought that because of you, Brother Xiao, I would easily break through this barrier. If I can achieve something in the future, it will be entirely due to your help today. I am deeply grateful and have no way to repay you. Please accept my bow."

As he spoke, Ning Daoyi stood up and bowed deeply to Xiao Sheng.

Xiao Sheng sat calmly in the boat and accepted the bow. He then smiled and said, "The path is taken in sequence, and enlightenment comes at different times. Whether early or late, it is good to gain insight. Hermit Ning, there's no need for such formalities." He paused and sighed slightly, "To be honest, I have only taken a few steps ahead. Speaking of achievements, I am still far from it."

Ning Daoyi's eyes showed a hint of curiosity as he asked, "Brother Xiao, your cultivation is unparalleled in the world. But you seem to have appeared out of nowhere, with no background. May I ask where you come from?"

Xiao Sheng shook his head and said, "The mind has no origin, nor destination. If there were an origin and destination, there would be attachment. With attachment, there would be fear, delusion, and the inability to achieve Nirvana."

This answer did not align with Ning Daoyi's original question, but he was still taken aback and showed a deep contemplative expression.

After a moment of thought, Ning Daoyi finally sighed and said, "The path is long and arduous, and I will seek it high and low. However, Brother Xiao, since you know the difficulty of the heavenly path, why do you still involve yourself in the secular world and add attachments?"

"Because to me, this is not an attachment but a resource," Xiao Sheng said with a faint smile. "Besides, didn't you come here too, Hermit Ning?"

"Alas, I had no choice," Ning Daoyi sighed. "In the past, there were three gods: the Southern Emperor, the Northern King, and Chaos. Chaos treated the Southern Emperor and the Northern King very well. They gathered to discuss how to repay him, and decided to open a hole in Chaos every day. After seven days, Chaos died with seven holes. Brother Xiao, can you understand the lesson from this story?"

"Hermit Ning's point is that actions should follow nature and not go against the will of heaven?" Xiao Sheng said calmly. "But the will of heaven is vast and unknowable. Who can truly know what the will of heaven is?"

"The will of heaven may be invisible, but the trend is visible. Following the trend is the will of heaven," Ning Daoyi sighed. "Brother Xiao, aren't your actions going against the trend?"

Xiao Sheng said leisurely, "There is a folk saying: 'The treasure of Yang Gong and the jade wall of He Shi. Possessing either can bring peace to the world.' Now, both are in the hands of someone. Hermit Ning, does this count as the trend, or the will of heaven?"

Seeing Ning Daoyi frown, as if he wanted to say more, Xiao Sheng raised his hand to signal him to pause. He then said casually, "By the way, Hermit Ning may not know this, but Li Shimin has just been killed by me. Along with Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji earlier, if Li Yuan wants to abdicate, he will have to choose an heir from among his illegitimate sons. Of course, that is assuming the Li family still needs to pass the throne to the second generation."

Ning Daoyi's face changed dramatically, and he exclaimed, "What? The Qin King has already...?" Realizing his outburst, he quickly composed himself, sighed deeply, and shook his head. "In ancient times, there were two shepherds, Jia and Yi. They both lost their sheep. When asked why, Jia said he was busy reading, and Yi said he went gambling. They did different things, but the result was the same: they both lost their sheep."

Xiao Sheng said meaningfully, "Losing in one place, gaining in another. If Jia and Yi had focused on shepherding and not read or gambled, they would have been shepherds all their lives. But reading can lead to passing exams and becoming officials; gambling can lead to winning money and wealth. Then, how many sheep would they need?"

The boat suddenly trembled and began to drift eastward. This indicated that the force Ning Daoyi had used to keep the boat suspended in the middle of the river had been withdrawn. Although Ning Daoyi still maintained his detached and serene demeanor, both sides knew that the conversation had reached its end. Continuing would only lead to a confrontation.

After a moment of silence, Ning Daoyi sighed again and said, "Since the Qin King has passed away, my trip here has been a complete embarrassment. But Brother Xiao, now that the Li Tang dynasty is in chaos and Marshal Kou has obtained the treasure of Yang Gong, his momentum has grown. Can your cultivation come to an end? Why not retire and enjoy a life of seclusion and freedom? What do you think?"

Xiao Sheng smiled and said, "Things come and go according to their causes and conditions. Everything should follow the flow. This is the demeanor we should have."

Ning Daoyi's face showed a hint of joy and said, "Let's make a pact, shall we? A handshake to seal it?"

Xiao Sheng nodded and said, "Alright. Let's seal it with a handshake."

As he spoke, both of them raised their right hands and slowly, very slowly, struck each other's palms.