Chapter 326

326. Chapter 326: Vigorous Rites, Contemplation Method (Must Read)

After Luo Hou and Kunpeng departed, Qi parted ways with Di Jun and Fuxi, and remained alone with Nüwa as the two walked through the bamboo grove.

The bamboo species here were all selected from across the world; although they are not innate spiritual roots, they are still a rare treasure of the world, and after cultivation they can barely be counted as medium-grade acquired spiritual roots.

After all, as a garden for the masses and also a private garden, it naturally need not be too excellent; it suffices not to lose face before the Heavenly Court.

If it were too precious, Qi would worry that when Jieyin and Zhunti came to the Heavenly Court, they could not resist plucking it, spoiling the present scene.

Looking at Nüwa beside him, Qi smiled and said:

"Just look at your earlier appearance; I suppose you have agreed to the earthly marriage. Now we two walk together in the woods, yet why are we so far apart?"

Nüwa hesitated for a moment, then quickened her steps to walk beside Qi and said: "Although we know we are innate deities, marital matters should not be weighed so heavily, but considering how long we have been together, now that there has been a change, it is inevitable to feel somewhat unaccustomed."

"However, after becoming a bit more familiar, there should be no great hindrance, and things will improve later."

While speaking, Nüwa was utterly natural, and Qi also felt it normal, so he said: "That is only proper; there is nothing strange about it."

The two arrived at the waterside, and Nüwa could no longer hold back, asking: "Earlier Luo Hou said that as a sage one should establish merit, virtue, and words; yet now in the Wilderness, aside from the Dao Ancestor, only you still have some connection."

"In that regard, Qi, what have you gained therein? And how does it differ from before?"

Qi looked at Nüwa's earnest face; earlier he had sensed her hesitation, thinking she was the liveliest and disliked this silent atmosphere, so he spoke up, never expecting that it was to inquire about this matter.

But Qi still spoke to explain:

"The gains are naturally there; the title I obtained then was actually a kind of fruition, only not acknowledged by the Heavenly Dao."

"In the Wilderness, those who bear titles, like Kunpeng's ilk who were enfeoffed as Vast Sea Heavenly Might King, or formerly the Vast Sea Majesty Boundless Heavenly Sovereign, all demonstrate the fruition granted by the Heavenly Court."

"The title I obtained contains human destiny; Kunpeng's title was an investiture by the Heavenly Court, which naturally carries the Court's destiny."

"Destiny is thus one of my gains; my expositions of the Dao have pervaded the Wilderness' lands, and my presence is found in all four continents."

"This is to educate the masses, which is the matter of establishing words; at that time, just after the Three Clans' great calamity, the world was filled with calamitous qi, resentment soared to the heavens, and deathly qi proliferated."

"My exposition of the purifying Great Dao eliminates calamities wherever it goes, purifies heaven and earth, dispels the demonic vapors of mankind, and returns vitality to the earth—this is establishing merit for heaven and earth."

"As for establishing virtue, to enlighten beings with the Dao—I have never done so, and in this regard I also do not know how to dispel your doubts."

"However, when I first roamed the Wilderness, I did see the Dao Ancestor lecturing beings on the Dao; his words, now widely spread in the Wilderness, are the Qi Cultivation Method that leads countless mortals onto the path of cultivation."

"This perhaps is the Dao Ancestor's envisioned way to initiate the Dao, but since it is not my own creation, I do not know either."

After pondering, Qi spoke again:

"Regarding what you said about the difference from before my lectures—I have not noticed any, except that my prestige and status are a little higher; but is not a fruition precisely like that?"

Nüwa fell into deep thought upon hearing this; after a moment's reflection, Qi spoke:

"As for your path to sagehood, I think I can be of little help, but perhaps I can assist a bit in this matter of establishing virtue."

"This can also be considered the betrothal gift I designed for you when I originally envisioned the heavenly marriage."

Nüwa suddenly lifted her head, her eyes seeming to burn with a flame, her heart full of words she wished to ask, but Qi again spoke: "As early as the first time I lectured on the Dao in the Wilderness, I traveled from Yunmeng Marsh to the shores of the East Sea, and then went again to the foot of Kunlun Mountain and into the Immortal Fire Mountain."

"On these three occasions I met the Primordial Dragon, the Primordial Phoenix, the Primordial Phoenix, and the Primordial Qilin; in our Dao discussions we all talked of great joy."

"At that time, ferocious beasts still ravaged the Wilderness' lands, cultivation had not yet flourished as it does now, and sensing the difficulty mortals in the Wilderness faced in cultivation, I invited several of them to jointly create the Mortal Cultivation Method."

"But we all underestimated the difficulty of this Way; to open an immortal path for beings is hardly ordinary, and in the end we obtained only a half-finished product."

"Later, if we all had studied together as before, it would surely not be difficult; after all, the subsequent matters are not insoluble."

"Unfortunately, later when we confronted the ferocious beasts, the Three Clans were solely intent on expansion, truly lacking the will to continue; I too became immersed in cultivation, sitting happily with you all in Yunmeng Marsh, and in the end we only got four damaged pictures."

Having said that, Qi reached into his sleeve and took out four scrolls of animal hide.

They were made by kneading the hides of ferocious beasts; a fierce aura emanated from them, having passed through the wear of time, bringing the beasts' qi to Nüwa's presence.

Qi handed the four hides to Nüwa; in her hands they slowly unfurled, with a faint sound of waves, as if transmitted from ancient times to Nüwa's ears today.

On the hide appeared a vivid divine dragon, endowed with sacred, noble, elegant and other qualities, seeming as if it would leap into the clouds the next moment.

The only regrettable thing is that the divine dragon on this picture is incomplete, having only rough lines, with no details perfected. Nüwa observed it and felt her primordial spirit drawn to it, as if a divine dragon were soaring in her sea of consciousness; if she followed the impulse, she could draw heaven and earth's spiritual qi into her body.

A flash of regret crossed Nüwa's eyes as she unfolded the next picture: a qilin stood on a high mountain, only its hind hooves on the cliff edge while its front hooves already trod upon the clouds.

Unfortunately, like the first divine dragon picture, this qilin picture is likewise incomplete, its details needing much refinement, yet the heavenly clouds are pitifully scarce.

Moreover, the cliff beneath the qilin's feet is also incomplete, showing only a few lines that faintly sketch the outline, revealing some semblance of terrain.

Nüwa's regretful look grew a bit clearer, yet she ultimately restrained it and unfolded the third picture.

This picture differs from the previous two; instead of a lone divine dragon or qilin standing out in heaven and earth, it shows two colored phoenixes flying opposite each other.

They complement each other, making the phoenixes in between appear ever more vivid and lifelike, as if they were about to fly out of the hide; upon close inspection, Nüwa realized this was actually a set of dual cultivation methods.

Yin and yang intertwined, regulating the five elements, heaven and earth change accordingly; this picture is more complete than the previous two, yet the colored phoenixes lack color.

Just this one point made Nüwa suddenly realize that some things truly differ by only a thread, yet they lose their most essential essence.

Only the last hide remained; Nüwa knew this was what Qi had made back then, and after a brief hesitation she slowly unfolded it.

In this picture there is not a trace of a person; only rolling waves and still waters flowing freely. Observing it, in the still part it looks like a lake, undisturbed, embracing all rivers—vastness lies in tolerance.

In the moving part, however, one sees the endless river rolling eastward, the sea surging back and forth, every step endowed with immense force, containing heavenly power that moves the earth, stirring and overturning so that heaven tilts.

This picture is the most complete, yet also the most deficient; motion and stillness cannot be combined, and one must choose to view either aspect, yet Nüwa perceived therein a sense of unwillingness.

Nüwa also realized from this the extent of Qi's original compassion, which could even embrace the whole world.

Her gaze wandered among the four hides, and after a long while Nüwa finally sighed: "Qi, I am sorry; please allow me to refuse, for from these four pictures one can also see how much painstaking effort you have poured into them."

When crafting these animal hides, whether it was you or Zǔlóng and the others, you all held the compassion to embrace the world, devoting yourselves wholeheartedly to this.

Although this would be extremely useful to me, using it would disgrace the painstaking effort you poured into it.

Nüwa shook her head, expressing refusal, but still sincerely asked: "Does this method have a name?"

Qixiao said: "I originally named it——Contemplation Method."

But you needn't feel that way; now Yuanfeng has passed, Shiqilin has perished early, Zulong is confined within the Sea Eye, and Yuanhuang is trapped in the Undying Volcano.

I too have long lost interest in this; if you do not use this diagram, that would truly be a disgrace. If our efforts flourish because of you, that would also fulfill our original intentions.

Moreover, since you have agreed to the earth marriage, why must you refuse my lower betrothal gift? Could it be that you have a change of heart?

Moreover, you don't need to worry about them; if you can perfect this method and spread it widely across the Primordial Wilderness, the two people now in existence will likely be endlessly grateful to you.

After all, it can also earn a considerable amount of merit, possibly reducing the punishment, and the amount is estimated to be substantial.

Nüwa hesitated again and again, but seeing the situation, Qi finally spoke up with a smile to advise:

If you really don't want to, then why don't we jointly complete a register? Let it serve as the start of this method.

After all, if you're unwilling, I have long since lost the compassion I once held for all beings—how could I still have the heart to finish it?

You should know that this method has lain dormant in my hands for dozens of aeons already.

Nüwa heaved a long sigh, then finally answered: "Forget it, just as you wish. But this karmic debt is now too great; we might as well let it be—we need not calculate these."

But regarding the Dragon-Phoenix Place, how are we to repay it? After all, the advent of a cultivation method brings enormous consequences.

Qi, however, replied indifferently:

What karmic ties are there? This method was proposed by me; I invited the three clans to join, but they abandoned it halfway. At the time my cultivation was insufficient, so I had no choice but to set it aside.

Afterwards we forgot about it, which is why it's been delayed until now. That we can still share in its merit is already our conscience; if they don't feel grateful, that's fine—how dare they even speak of karma?

Nüwa was instantly startled, her gaze oddly fixed on Qi, and only after a long while did she let out a bell-like laugh.

While Qi was puzzled, Nüwa suddenly pulled him close, leaning toward his face.

PS: I bet nobody expected me to keep that early remark until now—I'm a genius! (End of chapter)