"Above lies the soul, below the Guanyuan; to the left is Shaoyang, to the right Taiyin. Behind is the secret portal, in front the gate of life; sun goes forth, moon enters, respiration endures. Harmonizing the four qis, the stellar lodges array..."
Xu Ying flipped through the Yellow Court Scripture, deeply astonished. The Yellow Court Scripture was unexpectedly simple.
The opening expounded the methods of qi refinement and guiding, plain and easy to understand. What followed were likewise exceptionally straightforward Dao methods that anyone could grasp immediately, remarkably easy to pick up.
"Is the Yellow Court Scripture truly one of the two great classics of the Shangqing Dao Sect when it is this simple?" Xu Ying was puzzled.
Daoist Yuan and the youth Yunhai had also received Daoist Yuqing's approval to cultivate the Yellow Court Scripture alongside Xu Ying. Hearing this, the youth Yunhai sneered, "What do you know? This is called 'the Great Dao is supremely simple'! This technique is famous for being easy to pick up, but hard to enter the Dao with. Since ancient times, countless people have cultivated the Yellow Court Scripture, but very few have achieved anything of note."
Daoist Yuan smiled and said, "Although the Yellow Court Scripture is simple, from it can be derived the myriad Great Daos comprehended by tens of thousands of Shangqing disciples! This was Granduncle Master Taiqing's philosophy: the Great Dao is supremely simple! Seemingly plain, yet holding profound wisdom. Once you cultivate it, you will be able to comprehend the profundities of Xuanhuang within the Shangqing Great Cavern Abyss—an achievement known as Yellow Court Dao comprehension."
The youth Yunhai said, "Why give him guidance? The fellow is clearly unlearned and incompetent."
Daoist Yuan had an exceptionally mild temper. He said, "In the later stages of Yellow Court Dao comprehension, one can transform it into Inborn Taiji, and use Inborn Taiji to manifest the myriad Great Daos—which constitutes the Shangqing Great Dao. Only, this form of the Shangqing Great Dao is called Yellow Court Shangqing."
Xu Ying felt a yearning fascination and smiled. "Yellow Court Dao comprehension? Yellow Court Shangqing? How wonderful it would be if I could attain that."
The youth Yunhai could not help pouring cold water on him: "The Yellow Court Scripture seems to have no threshold, as if anyone can learn it, but in truth the threshold is unimaginably high. Those capable of mastering it are few and far between! Try it, and you'll know just how high that threshold is!"
Xu Ying hesitated. "I'll just try a little, not too much."
The youth Yunhai said, "Try a few more times, it doesn't matter. If you don't, you won't give up!"
Xu Ying immediately sat cross-legged and circulated the Yellow Court Scripture. A moment later, a clear light of the Great Dao shone down between his brows, impeccably pure and clear. His Primordial Spirit appeared within the clear light before he knew it, and his Dao heart grew thoroughly lucid.
In mere moments, insights into the Shangqing Great Dao came flooding in.
The Yellow Court Scripture is easy to pick up, and entering the Dao isn't hard either, Xu Ying thought to himself. If I wake up now and tell them I've already entered the Dao, wouldn't that be too crushing a blow? I should test it a bit longer.
As he entered the Dao more deeply, even more insights surged forward like a tide.
To cultivate within a cavern abyss, one required a unique cultivation technique. For instance, when Qingbi cultivated the Supreme Dao, she needed the Supreme Cave Abyss Sovereign Cang Heart Sutra before her Primordial Spirit could enter the Supreme Cave Abyss to cultivate.
To cultivate in the Shangqing Great Cavern Abyss, one likewise required a technique of the Shangqing lineage; otherwise, relying solely on personal comprehension would yield limited results.
Without a Shangqing lineage technique, the Shangqing Cave Abyss would merely be a superior sacred ground for Xu Ying. Cultivating in the Shangqing Cave Abyss would increase his cultivation base at tremendous speed, but offer no benefit to elevating his Dao attainment.
Only by pairing it with a Shangqing lineage technique could one achieve optimal results!
And the Yellow Court Scripture happened to be the pinnacle art of the Shangqing Dao Sect!
Back in Weixu, Xu Ying had comprehended Daoist Yuqing's bodhimanda in the Xuanhuang Realm and grasped the profundities of the Xuanhuang Great Dao. Now cultivating the Yellow Court Scripture, his progress was a hundredfold return for half the effort. In no time at all, he attained the level of Yellow Court Dao comprehension that countless Shangqing disciples could only dream of!
Seeing Xu Ying sit down to circulate the Yellow Court Scripture without rising for a long time, Daoist Yuan could not help chiding, "Little Martial Uncle, he is a benefactor of our Shangqing Dao Sect who saved Dao Ancestor's Heaven and Earth Primordial Spirit. By goading him with your words and backing him into a corner, you make our Shangqing Dao Sect seem terribly petty."
The youth Yunhai said, "The Yellow Court Scripture is extraordinarily difficult to begin with, yet he lacked discernment and failed to see where the difficulty lay. Why shouldn't we challenge him a bit? Once he cultivates it and discovers where it's tough, he'll finally study with dedication and avoid leaving empty-handed."
Daoist Yuan thought this made sense and smiled. "Once he wakes up, we'll explain a few of the critical bottlenecks to help answer his questions and clear up his doubts."
Just as they spoke to this point, their surroundings suddenly brightened. Impeccably pure, crystalline light bloomed from between Xu Ying's brows, growing ever more distinct, as waves of Dao rhyme emanated from within his body, accompanied by lingering, melodious Dao notes.
Surrounding Xu Ying, that clear light took indistinct shape into a yellow palace pavilion, drifting with ethereal immortal qi.
"Ye-Yellow Court Dao comprehension!"
Daoist Yuan and the youth Yunhai's eyes went wide. They nearly leaped out of their skin, staring dumbly at the Yellow Court formed of clear light.
The realm of Yellow Court Dao comprehension, accessible only by unraveling the mysteries of Xuanhuang, had actually been mastered by Xu Ying in a mere moment!
"Little Martial Uncle, is this the fastest anyone has ever achieved Yellow Court Dao comprehension?" Daoist Yuan murmured.
The youth Yunhai was equally tongue-tied. "How would I know? Did you forget you raised me? My memories still haven't revived! But having said that... aside from Granduncle Master Taiqing, there probably isn't anyone faster than this..."
Even as they spoke, above Xu Ying's head, the two qis of Xuanhuang suddenly began to merge with one another, gradually forming a Taiji diagram.
The pair's expressions changed again. Immortal spiritual qi in the Shangqing Cave Abyss surged forth in rolling waves toward that Xuanhuang Taiji Diagram. This Xuanhuang Taiji Diagram was Inborn Taiji, embodying the Dao profundities of evolving heaven and earth, yin and yang, and all living things—exceptionally exalted and extraordinary!
The immortal spiritual qi required to form the Xuanhuang Taiji Diagram was immense beyond measure. The youth Yunhai and Daoist Yuan choked on the surging immortal spiritual qi, feeling as if they might suffocate on immortal qi; taking just a single breath, they struggled for a long time to refine it!
If even they were like this, what about Xu Ying, who sat at the very heart of the convergence?
Yet Xu Ying showed not the slightest discomfort. Though he was the one absorbing the spiritual qi, it was all being channeled into forming the Xuanhuang Taiji Diagram—and even then, the spiritual qi was not enough.
Even more immortal spiritual qi cascaded down like a waterfall, refined into the two qis of Xuanhuang to produce a wondrous phenomenon of heaven and earth converging, yin and yang transmuting!
Within that Xuanhuang Taiji Diagram, heaven and earth faintly emerged: the Heavenly Dao governed order and balance, the Earthly Dao nurtured all creation, and all things and phenomena teemed with life, competing in vibrant flourishing!
After a long time, Xu Ying's Xuanhuang Taiji Diagram was forged, and the surging immortal spiritual qi finally drifted away.
Xu Ying breathed a sigh of relief and slowly opened his eyes, only to find Daoist Yuan and the youth Yunhai staring at him in horror.
Xu Ying thought for a moment and said, "Fellow Daoists, I entered the Dao just now. Indeed, entering the Dao with the Yellow Court Scripture is quite difficult."
He was kind-hearted after all, thinking to himself, It took me this long to enter the Dao, so it shouldn't be too discouraging to them.
Daoist Yuan stammered, "Y-You... as soon as you entered, you entered into Yellow Court Shangqing?"
Only then did Xu Ying realize they had witnessed the phenomenon of his enlightenment. Feeling somewhat bad for them, he hurriedly said with modesty, "Just a tiny, tiny step. I slipped into Yellow Court Shangqing by accident. Really, I didn't comprehend that much..."
Seeing that Daoist Yuan and the youth Yunhai looked even worse, he hastily added, "Though my comprehension isn't vast, if there is anything you do not understand, feel free to ask me. I should at least be able to help answer your questions."
Daoist Yuan and the youth Yunhai stood there numbly, woodenly muttering their thanks.
Xu Ying let out a breath and thought, Seventh Master said one must remain humble. Sure enough, everyone retains their dignity.
This Yellow Court Dao comprehension had yielded immense gains. He could now be considered a grandmaster of the Yellow Court Scripture. Although he could not compare to the two Dao Ancestors, looking across the entire history of the Shangqing Dao Sect, those capable of matching this achievement were few enough to count on one's fingers.
Xu Ying compared the Yellow Court Scripture with the Xu family's Yellow Court ancestral method, and indeed found commonalities between them.
Just as Daoist Yuqing had said, the ancestral method of the Yellow Court secret depository was of the same origin as much of the Yellow Court Scripture. However, the ancestral method lacked the method for Yellow Court Dao comprehension.
Lacking the method for Yellow Court Dao comprehension meant one merely borrowed power from the other shore without understanding its Dao.
Still, there are far too many similarities between the Yellow Court ancestral method and the Yellow Court Scripture.
Xu Ying examined it back and forth several times, growing increasingly suspicious the more he looked. Could the person who created the ancestral method have read the Yellow Court Scripture? That person's comprehension of the Yellow Court Scripture was probably on a similar level to mine, having reached the height of Yellow Court Shangqing as well!
He continued comparing the Yellow Court Scripture and the Yellow Court ancestral method, frowning slightly. If this person had read the Yellow Court Scripture, why didn't they include the key to Yellow Court Dao comprehension, teaching people only how to use it? The Xu family's ancestral method is not the authentic lineage...
Suddenly, another thought popped into Xu Ying's mind: If I supplement it with Yellow Court Dao comprehension, won't it become the authentic lineage?
His interest was instantly piqued.
Since ancient times, Nuo methods had plagued countless practitioners, riddled with angler methods, leek-harvesting methods, orthodox methods, and ancestral methods. Everyone who cultivated Nuo methods yearned for ancestral methods, yet relying on their own wits, none could ever complete them.
For Xu Ying today, however, his Dao attainment had reached this plane. Modifying the ancestral method upon its existing foundation was no longer insurmountable.
Before long, he supplemented the Yellow Court ancestral method with the contents of Yellow Court Dao comprehension, finally making this ancestral method complete.
Though I cannot cultivate it, Father and the others still can... Wait, the Shangqing Great Cavern Abyss holds the profundities of the Shangqing Great Dao, so my Taiyi Cave Abyss ought to hold the profundities of the Taiyi Dao as well!
Xu Ying suddenly realized something. Relying on his comprehension of the Taiyi Dao, he had summoned the Taiyi Cave Abyss, but it had not yet been fully summoned. At present, only an endless stream of spiritual qi and spiritual power poured in from the Taiyi Cave-Heaven; he had not yet obtained much insight into the Taiyi Dao.
If he could not attain insights into the Taiyi Dao, would that not be just like the ancestral method—gaining its application without grasping its Dao?
Emperor Ai of Ziwei said a formidable existence sought to use my hands to seize the Taiyi Cave Abyss. That person must be the creator of the ancestral methods of the six secret depositories. The Taiyi Inborn Technique and the six secret depositories all came from his hands. Judging by his understanding of the Yellow Court Scripture, he must be a disciple of Shangqing!
Thinking to this point, Xu Ying asked, "Daoist Yuan, aside from the two of you, are there any other disciples of the Shangqing Dao Sect still in the world?"
Daoist Yuan answered, "I heard Master say that after the Dao weeping, the Shangqing Dao Sect was all but wiped out, though it later passed through a peaceful period. A few new disciples joined the Shangqing Dao Sect back then, but Ancestral Master no longer dared allow us into the Shangqing Cave Abyss to cultivate. After the Great Migration, the Immortal Realm destroyed the Ancestral Court, and the Shangqing Dao Sect suffered a catastrophe as well, leaving only our lineage. Why do you ask, Fellow Daoist Xu?"
Xu Ying said, "Aside from you, there should be one more survivor. This person used the Yellow Court Scripture to create the Yellow Court ancestral method among the ancestral methods of the six secret depositories. Examining the ancestral method and the Yellow Court Scripture, I discovered that only someone who cultivated the Yellow Court Scripture to my level could have created the Yellow Court ancestral method. Therefore, this person must have been an important figure in the Shangqing Dao Sect back then!"
Daoist Yuan hesitated before saying, "Little Martial Uncle might know some stories, but he doesn't remember his past life. His memories were sealed away by reincarnation. When Master entrusted him to me on his deathbed, he said Little Martial Uncle is ancient, possibly a Shangqing disciple from six hundred thousand years ago, and somehow only his Primordial Spirit survived."
Just then, Daoist Yuqing's voice came from afar: "Back then, after the Dao weeping, there were indeed several remarkable Shangqing disciples. Alas, after I died, I knew nothing of their whereabouts. Yunhai, come here. I will help unlock your memories of your past life and see if you know what became of them."
Chapter 504