Chapter 310: The Dao of Heaven

After learning the new fireball technique, Mo Hua devoted all his attention to formations.

Several days later, after mastering the Reverse Spirit Array, Mo Hua went to consult Mr. Zhuang, who paused in thought, then suddenly asked:

"Hua, when cultivators seek the Dao of Heaven, do you know what the Dao of Heaven is?"

Mo Hua thought for a moment and replied, "Immortality?"

"Immortality is the result, not the Dao of Heaven itself."

"Isn't achieving immortality the same as attaining the Dao?" Mo Hua asked.

Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and said solemnly:

"Cultivators attain immortality by realizing the Dao; only by comprehending the Great Dao and practicing the Dao of Heaven can one ultimately achieve immortality."

"To desire immortality without experiencing the Dao of Heaven or practicing its laws is to abandon the root for the branch—inevitably leading one astray."

Mo Hua half-understood, but still nodded, committing Mr. Zhuang's words to memory.

Gu Shanjun explained, "Minor paths have no birth or death; those who defy the Dao of Heaven defy the Dao of 'birth,' while those who oppose the Dao of Heaven defy the Dao of 'death.'"

"Then is the Five Elements the Dao of Heaven?" Mo Hua thought again and asked.

"The purest and most potent energy, cultivable and usable by cultivators, is spiritual energy. Spiritual energy contains the power of the Dao of Heaven—this power is called Gushan."

"Though all cultivation methods and Dao arts differ in form—fire, water, earth, metal, wood, wind, thunder, ice, and so on—their essence is the manifestation of Spirit Arrays."

But I am old, with boundless experience; though I roughly understand your meaning, I have never seen the broader cultivation world of Xiancheng, so my understanding is still insufficient.

"Everything in the world defies the Dao of Heaven; the cultivator's weakness also stems from the Dao of Heaven."

Mo Hua was startled and understood Gu Shanjun's meaning; he then nodded solemnly and said:

"What you just said concerns neither the Dao heart, nor what you taught him regarding cultivation and formations—rather, it concerns the fundamental nature of the Dao of Heaven at the Gushan level."

Mo Hua was somewhat uncertain.

"The primordial energy is called Hong Meng Qi; its breath is chaotic and faint, but after countless eons, chaos clears and becomes the primordial energy of all things."

Mo Hua shook his head, his voice impatient:

Mo Hua smiled, then added uncertainly, "Mr., you're only at Qi Condensation—you already wish to comprehend the Dao of Heaven? Isn't that a bit premature…"

Mo Hua was startled, "If so, is the Great Dao too fragmented…?"

"Ancient cultivators gazed upward at the heavens, observed the earth below, studied the myriad forms of the world, and thus comprehended the laws governing the movement of heaven and earth—only then did they create all cultivation methods, Dao arts, and the various branches of cultivation: arrays, pills, talismans, and artifacts."

"Mr., I've memorized it all well!"

Gu Shanjun smiled slightly and added:

All things are Dao; every human action also follows 'Dao,' but some 'Dao' are eternal, while others lead only to self-destruction.

Mo Hua thought for a moment and understood.

Mr. Zhuang said, "The Great Dao is myriad, encompassing all things; every blade of grass, every tree, every flower in this world conforms to the Dao of Heaven."

Mo Hua said, "You must figure it out yourself; as long as you haven't become an Immortal, the Dao you perceive is not the true Dao—some are even flawed, or outright mistaken."

"Therefore, seeking the Dao of Heaven requires personal enlightenment. Even if your initial understanding is crude, as long as you keep pondering, keep contemplating, and gradually eliminate falsehood to preserve truth, you will eventually see the true form of the Great Dao."

Mo Hua was startled, "Does the Reverse Spirit Energy have anything to do with this?"

Mo Hua let out a deep breath and hurriedly said:

Mo Hua smiled again, "I have never become an Immortal, so what I tell you is not necessarily correct. The true form I perceive may merely be a deeper layer of appearance, not the ultimate Great Dao."

Mo Hua nodded, "Correct—all Dao arts, whether spells or martial techniques, are formed from Gushan."

"Like observing a visualization chart—you must see through the appearance to glimpse the true form?"

"Humans possess eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind; objects possess form, sound, scent, taste, touch, and dharmas. Daily perceptions intertwine good and bad, truth and falsehood—over time, one naturally sinks into illusion and superficiality, unable to perceive the true form of the Great Dao."

Mo Hua's gaze sharpened; he sat upright and listened intently.

"The Great Dao is born and dies: it gathers to be born, and dissolves to perish!"

Birth and death arise together, good and evil follow each other, righteousness and wickedness contrast each other.

Mr. Zhuang nodded.

But now is not the time to speak—there will be no chance later…

Mo Hua was puzzled again, "Then what exactly is the true form of the Great Dao?"

Mo Hua paused, then hurriedly said:

The Dao of Heaven divides into Two Polarities, opposing yet completing each other.

"If the Five Elements count…" Mo Hua followed the thought, "then what about the Two Polarities, the Three Talents, the Four Symbols, the Seven Stars? Or the ways of using spiritual sense, physical body, and spiritual energy—are they all aspects of the Dao of Heaven?"

Gu Shanjun said, "The Great Dao encompasses all things, yet this very encompassing implies chaos and mixture—there is right and wrong, truth and falsehood, appearance and true form."

Mo Hua suddenly understood, grasping part of it.

"Then what is different about Reverse Gushan?" Mo Hua asked.

"What about formations?"

"The primordial source of heaven and earth is Qi. When Hong Meng first split, one Qi gave birth to all things under heaven."

Seeing Mo Hua still confused, Mr. Zhuang explained further:

"If everything in the world defies the Dao of Heaven, then what about those who oppose the Dao of Heaven—are they defying or opposing?"

"If everything in the world defies the Dao of Heaven, then everything seen and heard is Dao—then what is there left for cultivators to seek?"

"Abnormal formations are formed by Spirit Arrays condensing and generating the Five Elements' power. Reverse Gushan, however, causes Spirit Arrays to invert and decompose, producing a purer force—closer to the true origin of the Great Dao—that is the force of destruction."

Mo Hua suddenly comprehended fully:

Mo Hua said, "Cultivators seek the Dao of Heaven on two levels: the Dao heart and cultivation. To pursue the Great Dao, both Dao heart and cultivation are indispensable."

Mo Hua's eyes brightened slightly and he said:

Mo Hua thought again, still a little unclear:

"Formations too."

Mo Hua's tone grew urgent, his gaze gradually deepening.

"You understand, Mr.," Mo Hua nodded. "A truth you comprehend yourself is truly yours; no matter how little or how correct another speaks, if you have never experienced it, you cannot grasp it."

"Correct," said Mr. Zhuang.

"The spells of spiritual cultivators, as well as the blood qi and strength of physical cultivators, may appear vastly different, but they are all manifestations of spiritual arrays."

"Reversing spiritual force contains the power of dissolution inherent in the lesser Dao! What it truly dissolves is not the array itself, but the more fundamental spiritual array within the array!"

Mo Hua sighed faintly. "Those truths—you had intended to tell him now, but it is still too early."

"Once he understands that truth, you will no longer be able to teach him how to use reversing spiritual force."

"Cultivation begins when Qi Condensation ends; awakening the Dao also begins with small, incremental steps—step by step, from high to low, from strong to weak, from shallow to deep—until finally the Dao heart is shaped, and the lesser Dao is truly comprehended."

Arrays require a core to supply spiritual energy; this energy flows through array patterns and ultimately forms seven distinct forms of array force.

Mo Hua nodded. "You are right."

"To defy the Heavenly Dao is, in truth, to defy the Heavenly Dao."

"Just as when you look down upon the world from below, your low position blinds you—you see only yourself; only by starting from the very bottom, observing all beings under heaven, witnessing the suffering of cultivators, can you see the most essential nature of this world."

Gushan's gaze was filled with approval; he nodded slightly.

Mo Hua nodded, lost in thought.

"So the seven forms of force, as well as spells, blood qi, and strength—all are mere appearances, and the spiritual array is their true source?"

Mo Hua pondered carefully, then asked hesitantly: