Chapter 319: Body and Mind Must Have Discipline

Hua Changxi ultimately did not follow Yan Zhenzhen's advice to return to Danyuan Peak to rest; instead, she assisted the diagnosing disciples of Danyuan Peak in treating the wounded together.

Seeing this, Yan Zhenzhen sighed, turned around, and returned to the Formation Saint Sect camp.

"Master."

Seeing his disciple's dejected appearance, Yun Yinzhou, the Fifth Elder of the Formation Saint Sect, smiled and said, "What's wrong? Did that young friend Hua from the Pill Saint Hall not listen to your advice?"

Yan Zhenzhen nodded and repeated to her master everything Hua Changxi had told her: "Master, I feel that Changxi acting according to her own heart isn't necessarily wrong."

"Her own heart?"

Yun Yinzhou smiled: "Everyone has their own Dao; I was perhaps overthinking it. Hua Changxi has her own ideas, and outsiders indeed should not interfere too much."

The worry on Yan Zhenzhen's face did not diminish: "But... Master, your concerns are also valid. Changxi focuses solely on saving lives, paying no attention whatsoever to other people or matters; this is clearly problematic."

"In the past, my contact with Changxi was limited to exchanging cultivation resources. I greatly admired her straightforwardness and generosity; she is not a greedy person."

"As the pillars of the Central Continent, guiding its development and direction, the Five Great Sacred Lands should have more people like her."

"However, after experiencing this joint effort to treat the wounded, I am truly somewhat worried about her."

"She may not realize at all that her interventions have caused many people to lose the opportunity to bestow kindness, inadvertently offending many, yet she remains completely unaware of this."

Yan Zhenzhen paused: "Jingliao once said that Changxi's heart is closed off; Tong Yao also said that her way of handling people and affairs is somewhat stubborn. I didn't understand their words before, but now I seem to grasp them a little."

"She only wants to guard her own small patch of land, acting entirely according to her own ideas, completely ignoring the workings and feedback of the outside world."

Yan Zhenzhen looked at her master: "Master, if Changxi were merely an ordinary person, it would be one thing, but she happens to be a figure at the forefront of the storm."

"Because of her, the Pill Saint Hall has revived time and again, with its degree of revival leading all other Sacred Lands; even the Star-Gazing Tower has reappeared in the world because of her."

"The commotion Changxi has caused is too great; she cannot escape the influence of the outside world. Yet she herself turns a blind eye to these influences, or rather, avoids seeing them."

"Master, I once heard Celestial Master Zhang of the Celestial Master Mansion expound on the Dao, saying that a cultivator must first enter the world, letting body and mind experience the various bitternesses and sweetnesses of life, ultimately achieving a rounded mindset of transcending the world."

"But Changxi, though clearly existing within the human world, maintains an attitude of withdrawing from it."

"Jingliao and Tong Yao have both reminded Changxi before, but she did not take it seriously. When I went to persuade her just now, she had very sound reasoning of her own, making me seem like the unreasonable one instead."

"Master, how should I help her?"

Yun Yinzhou looked at his disciple with gratification and smiled: "That you can understand various principles through observing one person and one event shows that you have indeed focused on cultivating your heart and body in your daily life."

He paused.

"Principles cannot be taught to people. Throughout history, there have been countless books offering instruction, yet people never turn back until they hit a wall; sometimes, even hitting the wall is of no use."

"Hua Changxi..."

"After the resurgence of spiritual energy, the vast majority of people pursue only the improvement of cultivation strength, neglecting the cultivation of body and heart."

"Hua Changxi is clearly such a person."

"Her stubbornness and closed-off nature stem from having no one in her eyes and no one in her heart; she acts entirely based on likes, dislikes, and instinct. Yet her strength and fortune are both excellent, and the results of her actions happen to align with the grand trend of the spiritual energy resurgence."

"Under such interaction with the outside world, she will only feel that she is not wrong; moreover, she might even harbor the illusion that 'everyone else is drunk while she alone is sober.'"

"Beneath her appearance of solitary courage actually hides a heart of arrogance."

"An arrogant person, how can they listen to the advice of others?"

Hearing this, Yan Zhenzhen's expression grew even graver: "Does this mean we can only let Changxi continue like this indefinitely?"

Yun Yinzhou smiled: "You need not worry too much. Cultivation is no easy task. Those who do not focus on cultivating body and heart cannot elevate their state of mind."

"The reason Hua Changxi has progressed so smoothly is directly correlated with her strength. But when her cultivation stagnates, she should engage in self-reflection."

Speaking of cultivation stagnation, Yan Zhenzhen's eyes suddenly brightened: "Yes, yes, yes! Changxi mentioned before that her cultivation has stagnated."

Yun Yinzhou continued smiling: "Everything has its destined number; everyone's growth requires passing through many trials; it cannot be rushed."

"In the matter of cultivation, besides focusing on strength, one must also restrain body and mind. If you truly wish to help that young friend Hua, then guide her to cultivate her body and heart more."

Hearing this, Yan Zhenzhen nodded. Just then, a disciple of the Formation Saint Sect came to find Yun Yinzhou, so she left the camp to seek out Jingliao.

Jingliao had just finished chanting the Heart-Clearing Mantra for the wounded and was resting. When Yan Zhenzhen found him, she could not help but speak to him at length.

"My master said that Changxi harbors an arrogant heart; how can I possibly say such things to her!"

Jingliao nodded: "Your master spoke so plainly to you because your relationship is close, and since you are discussing a third party, there is no need for reservation."

Yan Zhenzhen showed agreement: "But how am I to guide Changxi in cultivating her body and heart? Your Buddhist sect has the most precepts; do you have any methods?"

Jingliao smiled and shook his head: "For everyone in this world, admonition is of little effect."

"You need not worry too much. Changxi once imprinted an Awakening Mark at Xiangguo Temple. With the reminder of the Awakening Mark, the spiritual nature long sealed within Changxi can gradually be awakened."

Yan Zhenzhen said: "Cultivating body and heart places the utmost emphasis on spiritual nature. I just cannot understand; with Changxi's talent being so good, her spiritual nature should be exceptional, yet she remains confused about many matters."

A look of compassion appeared on Jingliao's face: "Humans are born with the capacity to know, perceive, and understand; spiritual nature is inherently complete. However, due to differences in upbringing environments, the spiritual nature of many people becomes either obscured or restricted."

"You and I grew up in Sacred Lands, seeing much and encountering many people and affairs, so the scope of what we can sense, perceive, and understand is broader. But many people do not have such opportunities or conditions."

"Changxi's upbringing environment destined her state of mind to differ significantly from ours."

"The elevation of one's state of mind can be realized in a moment of enlightenment."

"What Changxi lacks now is the opportunity for enlightenment, not your advice or mine."

Yan Zhenzhen smiled: "I enjoy chatting with you; after every conversation, no matter how troubled my mood, it always becomes calm."

Jingliao lowered his head and smiled faintly.

Yan Zhenzhen restrained her smile, her expression turning grave as she looked toward the area covered by the spiritual energy shield: "I wonder how Tong Yao and the others are faring?"

Jingliao said: "Rest assured, the spread of the spatial rifts has been contained. The Refining Heaven Technique of the Artifact Saint Palace can even repair realm gates; it stands to reason that before long, the spatial rifts will disappear entirely."