Yi Guan raised his hand to bring her inside the room and set up a sound-isolating barrier.
After her consciousness returned, Gu Ningyun was busy stabilizing her cultivation and didn't have time to worry about anything else for a moment.
Once the issue with her cultivation was resolved, everything she had seen previously surfaced in her mind again.
What exactly happened just now?
Her mind was full of questions, and she was just about to ask for guidance.
“Ningyun, do you know of Dao Insight?”
Gu Ningyun looked completely blank.
Yi Guan gave a slight smile and began to explain it to her in detail.
After listening to the explanation, she finally understood that everything she had just experienced was actually a Dao Insight.
“Daoist Lord, you just said that cultivators usually start looking for their own Dao at the Nascent Soul stage.
“Even the Dao Insight of our Xiaoyao Patriarch ten thousand years ago happened during the Soul Transformation stage.
“But I'm only at the Qi Refining stage right now?”
Yi Guan brewed tea as he listened to her questions.
“I only told you about the typical cultivation stages for enlightenment and the records of the Patriarch's Dao Insight.
“I never said that Dao Insight can only appear during the typical enlightenment stages.
“No one can clearly explain why a Dao Insight occurs, and no one knows when it will happen.
“Anything is possible.
“Your Dao Insight this time might be because you are naturally gifted with excellent comprehension.
“Perhaps it is because you have traveled through Yunzhou and Cangzhou this past year, meeting many people and witnessing many things, seeing a glimpse of the myriad aspects of the world;
“Perhaps it was the experiences of those around you, or perhaps your own experiences, that touched you deeply.
“This is your chance. Since it happened, it means it was meant to be. There is no need to worry.
“Don't be nervous, don't be anxious, and don't worry that this will become a burden to you.”
Yi Guan poured a cup of tea and placed it in front of Gu Ningyun. The faint, serene fragrance of the tea allowed her mind to relax.
“Just now, my consciousness entered a special place. Before I woke up, I heard a question.
“It asked me what Dao I follow.
“Daoist Lord, I'm actually a bit lost.”
Yi Guan pondered for a moment. “Close your eyes.
“Recall the state you were in when you were thinking about this question earlier.”
Gu Ningyun followed his instructions and closed her eyes.
In a daze, she seemed to return to that previous space.
However, there was no sound here. In the vast expanse, she only saw a small dot floating in the air before her eyes.
She couldn't make out its color or its state.
She felt that it looked a bit like a seed.
Yi Guan carefully observed Gu Ningyun's expression.
Seeing her expression turn ethereal and clear in just an instant, he felt a surge of surprise in his heart.
He had guided many juniors, but no matter who they were, it always took them a certain amount of time to truly enter a state of deep meditation with their whole heart and soul.
Only this child, Ningyun, was different.
Meditative cultivation was as simple as breathing for this child.
As long as she wanted to, she could enter the state immediately.
No wonder she could achieve a Dao Insight.
“What do you see?”
“Daoist Lord, I see a seed.”
“That is a Dao Seed. Cultivators generally start looking for their Dao Seed at the Nascent Soul stage.
“After finding the Dao Seed, a cultivator's insights into the Dao will become nourishment for it.
“When your insights reach a certain level and you gain a slight perception of your own Dao heart, the Dao Seed will sprout.
“Once your Dao heart is clearly defined, it will grow into a towering tree within your consciousness.”
“But I'm only at the Qi Refining stage.”
“Indeed, you are only at the peak of Qi Refining level twelve.
“From the Qi Refining stage to the Golden Core stage, cultivators are in the phase of wholeheartedly refining their foundation; it is not yet time to seek the Dao heart.
“It is a good thing that you have achieved a Dao Insight and gained your own Dao Seed now. It shows that you were born with exceptional comprehension.
“Since the Dao Seed is in your consciousness, just let it stay there and ignore it.
“You only need to increase your strength as usual, hone your state of mind, and cultivate normally.
“Before breaking through to Nascent Soul, just let the Dao Seed follow its natural course.”
“I understand, Daoist Lord.”
“Mm, but we still need to take some precautions.”
Yi Guan took his brush and wrote the character for “Defend,” then tapped it with the tip of the brush.
The character for “Defend” landed on Gu Ningyun's heart.
She felt nothing as the character entered her chest. Gu Ningyun closed her eyes to sense it, but she couldn't detect anything different.
“Daoist Lord, what is this?”
“If a powerful cultivator tries to take your life, this character can save you once, and I will also sense it.”
Yi Guan leisurely took a sip of tea. “Our Xiaoyao disciples are too outstanding; they always provoke jealousy in cultivators from the righteous, demon, and demon beast paths.
“But you can't blame them. Who told them they don't have so many exceptionally talented disciples?”
Yi Guan pinched Gu Ningyun's cheek and laughed heartily as he walked out the door.
“Ah, I suppose we old fogies just have to work a bit harder and put in more effort to protect you all, hahahahaha—”
Gu Ningyun rubbed her face, her gaze falling on the table from the corner of her eye.
“Wait, Daoist Lord, you forgot to take your tea set!”
The Huaxia habits of thriftiness and not wasting anything were ingrained in her very bones.
She finished the remaining tea in two gulps, used a Cleaning Technique to tidy the tea set, and chased after him.
Outside the meditation courtyard, she saw a large crowd of cultivators whose cultivation levels she couldn't perceive. Their clothing was a dazzling array of colors—men, women, and baldies—representing all sorts of sects.
The refined Daoist Lord from moments ago was now surrounded in the middle of the crowd.
“Daoist Lord Yi Guan, may I ask which disciple of your noble sect just achieved a Dao Insight?”
“Daoist Lord, I have a disciple who is also only ten years old. I wonder if they could have the honor of becoming friends?”
“Daoist Lord Yi Guan, Xiaoyao and our Changxuan Sect have always been on good terms. I wonder if your sect is interested in further strengthening our bond by arranging a childhood betrothal for the children?
“My Changxuan Sect disciples are for the young lady to choose from—regardless of age, cultivation, or gender.
“It's even fine if she wants to pick several.”
As she listened, Gu Ningyun felt something was wrong. What did they mean by childhood betrothal?
Was there arranged marriage even in the cultivation world?
Amidst the cacophony of voices, Daoist Lord Yi Guan's voice was clearly audible.
“You're asking if it was a Xiaoyao disciple who had the Dao Insight? Yes, it was one of ours!”
“Huh? How do you know the child who just had the insight is only ten? How can you just casually peek at someone's bone age? How uncouth.”
“What did you just say? You want to marry into my family and set up a childhood betrothal with me? You old rogue, have you no shame? I am so handsome, yet your face is full of wrinkles.”
“Oh, how did you know our Xiaoyao disciple achieved a Dao Insight while only at the Qi Refining stage? Good observation skills!”
“I know you're jealous, but don't be jealous yet.”
“Our Xiaoyao Patriarch already made the cultivation world jealous once ten thousand years ago. Haven't you gotten used to it yet...”
Standing under the eaves, Gu Ningyun watched the scene, utterly dumbfounded.
No matter what these seniors from other sects said, Daoist Lord Yi Guan gave nonsensical responses to everything, even insulting them a few times.
Was this the combat power of Book Peak?
A verbal battle against a crowd of cultivators?
Could he really speak like that without getting beaten up?
Before long, the experts surrounding the small courtyard all left with expressions like they had a toothache, glancing back at the courtyard before they departed.
Gu Ningyun blinked. Only then did she realize the small courtyard seemed to be covered by some kind of barrier, preventing the experts outside from seeing in.
She looked up and saw a green character for “Protect” floating steadily above the courtyard. The barrier was generated from this character.
What kind of method was this? It was so miraculous.
Seeing Gu Ningyun's curious expression, Yi Guan almost couldn't help laughing out loud again.
Sect regulations stated that the inner peaks could not interfere with outer sect disciples' foundation-building in any way, especially by revealing intentions to take them as disciples and disturbing their state of mind.
If the disciple became curious about Book Peak on her own, that had nothing to do with him.
He flashed back under the eaves, patted Gu Ningyun's head, and walked into the house.
“Eh? Where did my large pot of tea go? I've been arguing with those old fogies for so long, I'm dying of thirst.”
Gu Ningyun: “...”
...
After asking Daoist Lord Yi Guan, Gu Ningyun finally learned that five months had passed from the time she began her Dao Insight until she woke up.
The Dao Rhyme that appeared with her Dao Insight had even caused a resonance with heaven and earth, affecting the entire cultivation world.
No wonder she saw her four companions and the little fish all meditating in the courtyard, and a large crowd of cultivators sitting cross-legged outside.
It seemed that for the past half year, most living beings in the cultivation world had been bathed in the Dao Rhyme.
She closed her eyes and looked inward. Next to the lychee-sized primordial spirit figure in her sea of consciousness, a golden sphere two sizes larger than the figure was shining brightly.
The primordial spirit figure reached out and poked the golden sphere; it felt warm.
Was this merit?
“Daoist Lord, how do I use merit?”
“Cultivators cannot actively use merit, but when you need it, it will naturally help you.”
She touched the sphere of light again, feeling the warm golden mist entering her sea of consciousness from all directions and merging into the sphere.
She watched as it gradually became more rounded, and it wasn't until half a month later that the changes finally slowed down.
The closer one was to Gu Ningyun, the more intense the Dao Rhyme they felt.
Over the past half month, Wen Xuan and the other three had also broken through to the peak of Qi Refining level twelve, one after another returning to their senses from their insights.
Besides the four of them, Martial Aunt Yang and Martial Uncle Lu had broken through to the middle Foundation Establishment stage, and most of the dozens of other Xiaoyao disciples who were auditing had also made breakthroughs.
Even the high-level Xiaoyao cultivators in the Nascent Soul, Soul Emergence, and Soul Transformation stages who were direct participants in the Dao Discussion Meeting had all gained something.
Daoist Lord Yi Guan hadn't even been drinking tea lately. He spent every day wandering around the places where the Xiaoyao cultivators were meditating, the smile never leaving his face.
Whenever he saw an expert from another sect passing by, he didn't forget to shoot them a triumphant look.
Gu Ningyun's eyes ached from watching him, so she simply retreated into her room to study talismans.
It wasn't until the last cultivator on the Penglai Archipelago woke from meditation that news finally came from the Ten Thousand Buddhas Sect.
The Dao Discussion Meeting would officially begin in half a month. For these two weeks, everyone could continue with their previous progress or go to the Lecture Hall to listen to scriptures.
Only Juesheng had never woken up, floating and sinking quietly under the lotus leaves like a sleeping beauty fish... with its eyes open.
Daoist Lord Yi Guan had set up a separate protective barrier for the stone table where the alms bowl sat.
Every time Gu Ningyun returned from listening to Buddhist scriptures, she would stay by the stone table to practice her sword.
Until one day, a soft light suddenly lit up on the alms bowl.
It was silent and subtle; if she hadn't been right by the stone table, she really wouldn't have noticed.
She turned to look, and it was as if she had returned to the Lecture Hall.
Buddhist light.
It was like the kind of Buddhist light that radiated from the Buddha statue at the front of the Lecture Hall.
But it wasn't exactly the same.
This Buddhist light seemed to carry a bit of Juesheng's own aura, as well as a familiar feeling.
It was a bit like that river that never flows back, carrying an ancient sense of history.
She walked outside the barrier, not getting too close.
In the soft Buddhist light, she watched as one of Juesheng's fish scales, which was a gradient from light green to pale yellow, turned into pure gold.
If she remembered correctly, this scale was located right over the mahi-mahi's heart.
The Buddhist light withdrew into the golden scale, and soon, the golden scale returned to its original gradient color, as if nothing had happened.
The little fish suddenly flicked its tail.
“Hey, Ningyun, you're awake!”
Gu Ningyun paused. “Perhaps I woke up a bit earlier than you.”
“Have I really been asleep for this long?”
“Look at your scales.”
Gu Ningyun pointed at its chest. “You were just radiating Buddhist light, and this scale even turned golden.”
Juesheng tilted its fish head to check. “Really?”
“Yes, it returned to normal just before you woke up.”
“How come I didn't feel anything?
“I just remember having a sleep and dreaming a dream that I can't remember at all now.”
“Why don't you ask your master?”
“That old baldy hasn't been at the Ten Thousand Buddhas Sect lately.”
Juesheng swam two circles under the lotus leaves. “Whatever, I don't feel anything wrong anyway.
“Where are the four of them?”
“Those guys have been obsessed with alchemy, arrays, talismans, and artifacts lately. They're in their rooms studying.”
Juesheng poked its fish head out, its eyes fixed on the sword in Gu Ningyun's hand.
“Ningyun, are you going to practice your sword?”
“Yes.”
“Do you want to try a different way of practicing?”
“What?”
“Go start practicing first.”
Giving it a suspicious look, Gu Ningyun walked back to the center of the meditation courtyard to continue her remaining twenty-eight thousand sword swings.
Just as she stood ready, she heard a slightly different sound of wind by her ear.
She turned and stabbed; a crystal-clear water droplet was pierced through the center by the tip of her peach wood sword.
Dozens more water droplets followed in quick succession.
So this was the way to practice.
The moves of a rank three sea beast were not so easy to catch, even though neither of them was using spirit energy.
Gu Ningyun parried and slashed, using only the most basic moves: chop, stab, slash, and parry.
Before the water droplets could hit the ground, she shattered them all with her sword.
“Again!”
Before she could finish those two words, the amount of water droplets doubled and rained down again.
One person and one fish—one practicing intently, the other splashing happily.
As it splashed, Juesheng seemed to return to that long, drawn-out dream.
In a golden lotus pond, a pure golden mahi-mahi swam slowly under the lotus flowers.
Every time a baldy passed by, the fish would flip its tail and suddenly splash them with water.
After splashing them, it would hide under a lotus leaf and chuckle to itself, admiring the helpless or dazed expressions of those baldies.
Who was this golden fish?
Seeing this golden mahi-mahi gave it a feeling like it was seeing its old mother who had been lost for hundreds of years.
No, the pressure it brought was even greater than its mother's; it almost couldn't help but kneel to it.
Just as it was thinking this, the golden fish seemed to see it, and with a flick of its tail, a water droplet fell toward it.
Did the fish in the dream make eye contact with it?
Its chest suddenly felt warm, and the Sanskrit chants from the horizon faded away.
Like a trail of cloud that couldn't be grasped.
It drifted away, leaving not a single trace behind.
When it opened its eyes, it met a pair of round apricot eyes.
It was its Daoist cultivator friend, the one who was very good at finding its strengths and knew just what to say.
The dream and memory met, softening into the peach wood sword of the youth in the courtyard.
Juesheng's vision blurred for a moment.
Why did it just space out?
Whatever, splashing water is so much fun. It was going to splash even more; it didn't believe Ningyun could catch it all.
Senior Juesheng, for some reason, dazed out for a moment, and then the water it splashed suddenly increased by hundreds of times.
Even though Gu Ningyun had refined her body and could strike hundreds of times in a single breath, she found it a bit hard to handle.
A feeling she had never experienced during her daily sword practice welled up, as if something were chasing her from behind.
She held her breath and exerted herself, determined to catch every single water droplet.
A strand of her divine sense used for vigilance detected a dark figure standing at the courtyard gate.
Sensing no malice, Gu Ningyun didn't distract herself to pay it any attention.
Rate on N.U.
