Lu Zheng listened to Abbot Ming Zhang and Abbot Yu Ting talk, but much of it he could not quite understand.
For instance, divine sense reincarnation.
For instance, dream transmission of arts.
Were not demonic arts created by the initial cultivators?
Additionally, considering that this world also had various Buddhist and Daoist methods, yet they differed somewhat from the modern Daoist canon and Buddhist scriptures.
Lu Zheng felt he had grasped a hint of an idea, vaguely, and seemed to have a bold guess.
…
Speaking of which, ever since achieving success in cultivation in this world, Lu Zheng had once again eagerly flipped through the modern Daoist canon and Buddhist scriptures.
The result was…
Utterly useless…
Well, not entirely useless, but the Daoist canon and Buddhist scriptures from modern Huaguo were mostly not cultivation methods. And those that did explain cultivation methods were relatively basic or had notable gaps. In any case, none matched the content of the techniques in Da Jing.
The only common ground between the two sides was the ideas, realms, and some names of immortals and myths in the Daoist canon and Buddhist scriptures.
For example, both had the Supreme Lord Laozi. Additionally, phrases like concentrating qi to achieve softness from the Dao De Jing could align with content in the Xiantian Yunhua Qi Method True Scripture.
Though the latter might not match the profound subtleties of the Dao De Jing in terms of realm, it explained in detail and included accompanying cultivation methods!
It gave Lu Zheng the feeling that the Earth version of the Supreme Lord Laozi had only written the direction and realm of cultivation in highly cryptic language, whereas this side’s Supreme Lord Laozi had meticulously broken down and explained his own cultivation technique.
Why was that?
Lu Zheng was puzzled, but evidently, he could not find the answer.
Lu Zheng looked at Yuan Jing and found him looking equally baffled.
Since that was the case, why not ask?
So Lu Zheng asked, “Master, what do things like dream transmission of arts and divine sense reincarnation mean?”
“Hm?”
Abbot Ming Zhang blinked. “Just the literal meaning?”
“So heavenly demons are not creatures of this world?” Lu Zheng asked cautiously.
“Why else call them heavenly demons?” Abbot Ming Zhang nodded.
“Then where do they come from?”
“How should I know?” Abbot Ming Zhang said he did not know either.
Lu Zheng, “…”
Seeing Lu Zheng and Yuan Jing look baffled, Abbot Ming Zhang straightened up, ready to explain to them.
“What do you think the cultivation methods of the various sects come from?” Abbot Ming Zhang asked.
Yuan Jing looked baffled. “Are they not created by the founding ancestors of Baiyun Temple?”
Abbot Ming Zhang nodded. “Good. Since they are created by the founding ancestors, why then revere the Supreme Lord Laozi as the patriarch, and why do many cultivation incantations praise his name?”
Yuan Jing said matter-of-factly. “Is not the Supreme Lord Laozi the founder of the Daoist school?”
“What did the Supreme Lord Laozi do to become the founder of the Daoist school?” Abbot Ming Zhang continued asking.
Yuan Jing: ???
Lu Zheng ventured. “Did the Supreme Lord Laozi take many disciples?”
“Then the disciples branched out?” Yuan Jing followed up.
“Yes, and no.” Abbot Ming Zhang nodded, then shook his head.
Lu Zheng, “…”
Yuan Jing, “…”
Abbot Ming Zhang said, “A very, very long time ago, the humans of this world had no cultivation methods. They were all mortals.
Ruling heaven and earth were demons who could absorb spiritual qi from heaven and earth and essence from sun and moon, and ghosts who entered the underworld after death and could use underworld qi.
Of course, there were also those who accidentally consumed spiritual fruits and became powerful on their own.
But at that time, there were no so-called methods or lineages.”
“Then what happened?” Lu Zheng asked.
“The earliest lineages came from numerous immortals or gods descending with divine sense to reincarnate as humans, leaving behind transmission methods. Or through dream lecturing, where the talented could receive the arts.”
“For example, Fengyang Mountain came from the Nine Heavens Responsive Thunder God Puhua Tianzun descending to reincarnate as a commanding general. At forty, he awakened to his past life and transmitted the Fengyang Mountain thunder arts.”
Abbot Ming Zhang looked at Lu Zheng. “For instance, the Taiyuan Xuan Shu that Jinhua Sect sent you came from one of Jinhua Sect’s ancestors hearing a lecture from Taiyuan Zhenjun in a dream. It took him decades to compile and refine it into that scripture.”
“I thought the book was talking about myths.” Yuan Jing could not help saying.
“No, it is not.” Abbot Ming Zhang shook his head. “Daoist school, Buddhist school, sword cultivators, the court’s incense fire divine path, the enfeoffment of gods methods, even many declining shamanic arts in the southern borders, all have lineages. Well, at least the foundational methods are from upper realm transmissions.”
“Hiss…”
Yuan Jing drew in a sharp breath. “If their own lineages decline, they do not care?”
“At least from what we see now, no.” Abbot Ming Zhang said. “Additionally, after the initial transmission methods, some innovated uniquely, reformed the old, and forged many new paths. Of course, these new paths vary in quality, so they do not count as ancient transmissions.”
“But that is not important.” Abbot Yu Ting interjected. “What matters is that if numerous immortals can reincarnate with divine sense or transmit arts through dreams, then those outer realm evil demons can too.”
“The immortals have boundless magic power and are clearly not of this world. As the saying goes, beyond heaven there is heaven. The yang world has cave heavens, blessed lands, and the yin underworld. Who knows, to those upper realm immortals, we might just be in one of their cave heavens.” Abbot Ming Zhang said.
“Could those outer realm evil demons and the immortals live in the same realm?” Yuan Jing asked in shock.
“Impossible!” Abbot Yu Ting said. “Outer realm evil demons cultivate demonic qi, while immortals cultivate heaven and earth spiritual qi. How could they be in the same realm?”
Abbot Ming Zhang waved his hand. “All that is too far from us. In short, beyond heaven there is heaven. We are not the only ones in this realm.”
Lu Zheng and Yuan Jing nodded solemnly.
“Why so grave?” Abbot Ming Zhang could not help laughing. “This is good news!”
“Ah?” Yuan Jing looked up.
“This means that cultivating to immortality and achieving long life are fully viable paths.” Abbot Ming Zhang said. “Even primordial spirit ascension to meet the ancestors is possible!”
“Yes!” Yuan Jing’s expression brightened.
Lu Zheng nodded too, his mind forming a guess about why this side had transmissions while Earth only had ideological realms and mythical tales.
“And no matter what, from the fact that both immortals and outer realm evil demons use divine sense reincarnation or dream transmission, they cannot come here in true body.” Abbot Ming Zhang said. “Moreover, in the previous demonic calamities, there were heavenly demons reincarnated who died at the hands of court divine officials or sect ancestors. So really, there is nothing to fear.”
Yuan Jing nodded repeatedly. Lu Zheng also breathed a sigh of relief.
It seemed this world was still safe. That was great!
…
One lunch, and Lu Zheng ate it with his heart pounding and mind racing.
Though he temporarily set his mind at ease in the end, Lu Zheng now knew this world was not as safe as he had imagined.
“Eh? Did I not know this world was unsafe since running into that corpse ghost?”
Lu Zheng grumbled inwardly. “But this world is a spiritual qi small world under the Chinese immortals’ banner. If evil demons truly invade, they would not ignore it… right?”
“Fine, whether they care or not, one’s own strength is the hard truth. I do not need a century of苦修. Give me ten years.”
“Jade seal, elevate for me!”
…
Whether immortals or evil demons, they were still too distant for Lu Zheng. He was just a small fry with less than five hundred years of cultivation. Such secrets were just for listening.
Anyway, the transport light in the jade seal was sufficient now. He just needed to cultivate steadily.
When the jade seal reached its limit and entered cooldown again, Lu Zheng looked up and found he had arrived at Taohua Village.
“Hm, cultivation done. Time to rest.”
“Lu lang~”
