Chapter 105: Fortune and Misfortune Are Intertwined

Chapter 105: Misfortune and Fortune Are Intertwined
Chapter 12: Preaching the Dharma on Spirit Mountain, Obtaining the Wonderful Method, Soaring Through the Clouds Alone (Part 15)

Ye Hua stood stunned for a long while before letting out a soft sigh. Behind him, Ma Sen and Wang Ting, seeing Ye Hua lost in deep thought, stood quietly to the side, not daring to disturb him. When Ye Hua finally turned around, the two could not help but smile: "Brother Ye, are you reminded of something?"

Ye Hua laughed: "Nothing at all, I was just moved by the scenery before me!"

Ma Sen sighed: "Brother Ye is truly a person of delicate sensibilities! Looking at these mountains and rivers scarred by a hundred battles, and the sunset over Zhangnan! I suppose that is what you were thinking, Brother!"

Ye Hua nodded: "Indeed. With the world in such turmoil, I wonder what we of our generation can actually do."

Wang Ting smiled: "Brother Ye, the Jinghua Martial Hall is currently rife with undercurrents, and forces across the world are rising in succession. You will surely see much here in the Jinghua Martial Hall."

Ye Hua nodded, saying nothing more. The three descended the tower, and Wang Ting and Ma Sen explained the rules of the Great Sutra Pavilion to Ye Hua, adding: "Brother Ye, the Pavilion Master has already granted permission for you to practice in the Ten Thousand Mustard Seed Sumeru Heaven. Whenever you wish to go, simply proceed. We two shall remain here to patrol the Great Sutra Pavilion; if you need anything, do not hesitate to find us."

Ye Hua bowed in thanks: "Many thanks, Brother Ma, Brother Wang! In that case, I shall trouble you both."

Ma Sen laughed: "No need for such courtesy, Brother Ye!"

When the three reached the eighth floor, Ma Sen taught Ye Hua the method to open the Mustard Seed Sumeru Heaven. Ye Hua kept it firmly in mind. Wang Ting then informed him of the daily affairs of the Great Sutra Pavilion, which Ye Hua also silently memorized.

After chatting for a while longer, Ma Sen and Wang Ting departed to patrol the pavilion and organize the books, leaving Ye Hua alone on the eighth floor. Following the method taught by Ma Sen, Ye Hua opened the Ten Thousand Mustard Seed Sumeru and cast a spell to enter the space.

Upon entering, he found himself in a world of gold, a landscape of shimmering, brilliant hues.

Though surprised, Ye Hua was not alarmed. He surmised this space was specifically for cultivating metal-attribute techniques, as the surrounding primordial energy was dense with metallic essence—truly an excellent place for practice.

Scanning his surroundings, he flew toward a distant golden peak. As his feet touched the ground, a flash of golden light emerged, and the peak produced sheets of golden clouds that encircled him.

Ye Hua could not help but smile, thinking to himself: "This Ten Thousand Mustard Seed Sumeru Heaven is truly miraculous! Since it is such a sacred place for cultivation, I must not waste it!"

Thinking this, he walked to a nearby platform and sat down slowly. After calming his mind and breath for a while, a white light flashed from his right hand, revealing a jade book. On the cover, the three golden characters "Origin Heaven Treatise" shone with radiant light.

He had glanced through it briefly yesterday. Though his insights were shallow, he had already realized that the techniques recorded in this book were vastly different from those he had studied before. Opening it now, he read carefully, and upon seeing the passage:

"The essence of Heaven, Earth, Sun, and Moon, my own body is the most precious. If the true spirit is realized, creation follows the heart. Above, there are no gods; throughout the universe, I walk alone. Spiritual knowledge is the essence within the fire; true knowledge is the treasure within the water. Water and fire, yin energy fades; innate nature and golden emotion merge. When true knowledge and spiritual knowledge unite, the exquisite tower appears... Understanding the principles of Yin and Yang, the Holy Embryo is not hard to form, eternal life shall never perish..." he suddenly felt a flash of enlightenment.

Ye Hua thought to himself: "Such doctrines, which focus on the self as the core and foundation, are unprecedented. Whether it was the Four Noble Truths I studied at Beitai Bishan Temple, the Six Origins Wonderful Heaven Wish-Fulfilling Dharma, or even the Ghost Valley Secret Canon, they all relied on borrowing the power of the immortal Dao in the end. The Four Noble Truths take Manjushri Bodhisattva as the ancestor, borrowing supreme power and great supernatural abilities! Only this Origin Heaven Treatise speaks of borrowing one's own power, asserting that the self is most尊 (honorable)! By having neither gods nor demons, one can become both god and demon, causing all gods and demons of the world to retreat in fear!"

Yesterday, upon his first viewing, he had been shocked, then fearful, and finally uncertain. But now, he felt admiration and great joy upon hearing the path! As Master Shou-Chang had said, this Origin Heaven Treatise truly broke new ground and created a unique school. He carefully contemplated every key point, and as he practiced according to its instructions, he felt a profound understanding and the wonder of the Dao.

However, the Origin Heaven Treatise was merely a guiding scroll; it did not detail specific palm techniques, finger seals, or body movements. While it stated that one must begin by refining the divine consciousness, progressing from the heart to the body, and eventually to external objects, the paths to achieving this were myriad and relied on his own exploration. As for internal energy techniques, they had to be created based on one's own perception, making them all the more difficult and varied in their efficacy! He wondered when he would truly achieve success.

Stunned for a moment, Ye Hua sighed again, thinking: "This Origin Heaven Treatise is truly novel, but it heavily contradicts standard paths. I have struggled to reach the fifth level of the Four Noble Truths, and my foundation is built upon the great wisdom of Manjushri Bodhisattva! My Buddhist energy is born from there. If I cultivate this Origin Heaven Treatise, the Four Noble Truths will inevitably be affected. As for the Six Origins Wonderful Heaven Wish-Fulfilling Dharma, I suspect it will be of no benefit either. Yet, I have promised the two masters, and even if it does not benefit my current cultivation, I must study it!"

With this thought, Ye Hua pointed at the book. With a flash of golden light, it floated into the air before him. He sat cross-legged, facing the vast wilderness, his right hand pointing to the sky and his left to the earth. With a soft "Heh," he exhaled a stream of white breath, which he then slowly drew back in through his nostrils. Before long, his entire body shimmered with golden light; Buddhist radiance appeared, followed by the rising sound of Sanskrit chants.

This meditation lasted for an entire day and night. As dawn approached and the sun was about to rise, anyone viewing him from afar would have thought it was the eastern sky before daybreak, where the morning sun was rising.

In the ink-purple expanse of space, heaven and earth were one. Gradually, a line opened on the horizon, drifting with wisps of red clouds, carrying a few golden-rimmed clouds. Beneath these, on the vast indigo sky, a point of purple-red suddenly burst forth, then brightened and rose, turning into a small arc, then a semicircle; it became orange-red and golden-red; then, with a slight leap, dragging a fleeting trail of light, a round golden orb was embedded on the horizon.

At this moment, the rising sun in the eastern sky filled the heavens with morning clouds. Beside it, for some reason, a mass of golden light also shone, competing with the sun, both casting ten thousand rays of golden light onto the earth. The entire space seemed to be gradually draped in a golden cloak, revealing its beautiful form.

As the golden light receded, it slowly revealed a seated figure. Ye Hua slowly opened his eyes, exhaling a puff of gray air. As it drifted away, a faint smile appeared on his face.

After a night of meditation and circulating his energy, the injuries accumulated over the past few days were more than half healed. Only the meridians in his left arm, where the Golden Eagle was sealed, showed no improvement; it was like a bottomless abyss. Nearly half of the vital essence he circulated during his meditation flowed into it and disappeared without a trace.

Counting the days, the Golden Eagle had been sealed for over a month, and yet there was still no movement. He wondered how long it would take to recover. Ye Hua shifted his gaze from his left arm and took a golden pill from his bosom—the last Tianzhu Yellow Pill.

Although this was a mid-grade pill, it was excellent for the Seven Treasures Realm, providing great benefits for cultivating the foundation of the Dao. However, he was severely lacking in pills! He was far worse off than ordinary people! Without the Golden Eagle to help him snatch treasures, he didn't know where he would get pills in the future!

Ye Hua pondered for a moment before swallowing the pill. As it slid into his stomach, he felt a warm, moist breath rise up, feeling incredibly comfortable. The breath expanded, breaking through the Foot Yangming Stomach Meridian, circling the Great Heavenly Circuit, and finally flowing into the Ren Meridian's Dantian, where it was stored as internal energy.

As the warmth in his belly faded, the pill was mostly absorbed. His Dantian was filled with energy. Ye Hua meditated for a moment longer to adjust his energy, body, and consciousness to an optimal state.

He then reached out and pointed at the Origin Heaven Treatise. Golden light erupted, and every verse of the incantation began to float out. Various cultivation keys and methods were clearly displayed. Ye Hua followed the teachings, using the innate center as the mysterious gateway, the heavenly heart as the guide, and the primordial essence as the tool, blending the three into one to forge a void body and the root of the heavenly heart.

He did not know how much time had passed. Ye Hua felt his body and mind empty. Looking inward, he seemed to see his own mind, like a vast ocean with howling winds and towering waves. In the center, for some reason, lay a massive, emerald-green light orb that stood unmoved by the crashing waves.

The green light flickered and intensified, bathing the entire sea of consciousness in emerald. The winds and waves calmed instantly, turning the sea into a smooth, clear mirror. After a moment, the green light faded, and the sea of consciousness began to churn again.

Seeing this, Ye Hua realized he had achieved the ability to return to the void and gather his spirit. He had begun to grasp the rudiments of the Origin Heaven Treatise. He was inwardly overjoyed. Recognizing the miraculous effect of the emerald orb, he knew it was the Emerald Water Cold Bead obtained from the Wutai Cold Pool. Though he knew it had the power to stabilize the mind, seeing it now still left him amazed.

The cultivation of the Origin Heaven Treatise required progressing from the heart to the body, starting with the sea of consciousness. But with the Emerald Water Cold Bead stabilizing his sea of consciousness, it would be extremely difficult for him to manipulate that energy, let alone forge the heart root!

As this thought crossed his mind, Ye Hua formed a seal with his fingers. A pillar of water shot out from his sea of consciousness, spinning in the air, attempting to drive the water surface below into a rotation. As expected, the emerald orb in the distance fired a beam of green light, striking the water pillar. Ye Hua felt a tightening in his heart, and the water pillar shattered with a bang, falling onto the surface and creating ripples.