Chapter 325: Holding onto Goodness

The Divine Lamp had only been in the Four Spirits Realm for a little over a thousand years, yet it had caused the Great Jin to experience three huge transitions: from low-martial to high-martial, and then to immortal cultivation.

Hua Changxi: "The fall of the Divine Lamp feels like a signal for the recovery of spiritual energy."

Abbot Guiyi, who had been silent, spoke up: "That's not wrong to say. The Divine Lamp came from outside the realm. The Four Spirits Realm is sealed, so logically, objects from outside the realm should not be able to break through the realm wall and fall in."

"The fact that the Divine Lamp from the outside world could fall in shows that the realm wall was already loosening at that time."

Hua Changxi, Jing Le, and Yan Zhenzhen all nodded in agreement.

Abbot Guiyi continued: "According to the artifact grades we currently understand, the Divine Lamp is at least an eighth-grade Dao artifact."

"Logically speaking, even if an eighth-grade Dao artifact is shattered, it is not something mortals can control. Yet, the Divine Lamp uses human emotions and desires as fuel."

"People all have desires, which leads to the fact that anyone who picks up a fragment of the Divine Lamp has a chance to ignite it."

"The Divine Lamp burns with yin and yang flames. What is yin and yang?"

"Heaven and earth are divided into yin and yang. Yin symbolizes the chaotic and violent side of the world; yang represents the bright and friendly side."

"The yang flame of the Divine Lamp can help people ignite the kindness in their hearts, while the yin flame can induce the evil thoughts and desires in people's hearts."

"When the Divine Lamp was complete, the yin and yang flames embraced each other. Those with affinity could draw the yin and yang flames into their bodies and, through the perception of the yin and yang flames, have a keener awareness of their own kindness and evil."

"Only when both yin and yang flames are burning is there balance and harmony. At this time, it has a positive significance for both mortals and cultivators."

"However, the Divine Lamp was shattered. Many people who picked up fragments either only had white jade lotus petals or only black jade lotus petals. Very few people gathered both."

"White jade lotus petals cannot be ignited unless one is pure of heart, and not many people ignite them. As for black jade lotus petals... as long as they fall into the hands of people with strong desires, they can all be ignited."

"In this way, the balance between good and evil was broken."

"Whether it is those who only ignited the white jade lotus petals or those who only ignited the black jade lotus petals, they will eventually suffer backlash."

"The last five hundred years of the Great Jin Dynasty have actually been in a state of turbulence and instability."

Speaking of this, Abbot Guiyi showed a look of compassion, and Jing Le and Yan Zhenzhen also sighed heavily.

Abbot Guiyi: "The yang flame stimulates the bright and friendly side of people, and people all yearn for beauty and peace. Anyone who ignites the white jade lotus petals can attract a large number of followers."

"And the yin flame induces the evil thoughts and desires in people's hearts. Evil thoughts are often accompanied by fear and threats of death, and desires are like bottomless pits. Those who ignite the black jade lotus petals can also strengthen their own power by inducing people's fear and desires."

"The scattering of the black and white lotus petals led to the separation of good and evil, and even their opposition."

"Because the number of people who ignited the white jade lotus petals was significantly less than those who ignited the black jade lotus petals, it caused the overall social atmosphere to constantly shift toward evil thoughts and desires."

"You should all know about the Asura Gate, right? Why has the imperial court been unable to wipe it out? It's because there are too many people with heavy desires, which leads to the Asura Gate constantly being able to recruit new disciples."

Abbot Guiyi looked at Hua Changxi: "You have only ignited the yin flame in your body. This problem must be solved as soon as possible."

"You asked before, what is the difference between people who ignite the yin flame and those who don't?"

"Let's put it this way: everyone has desires, but in ordinary times, desires are dormant in the body."

"The world is chaotic, and the vast majority of people live in chaos. As long as they are not subjected to intense external stimulation, most ordinary people have little awareness of their own desires."

"For example, a greedy person never thinks they are greedy."

"However, after igniting the yin flame, as long as a person is provoked by desires, it will cause the yin flame to grow. In this situation, people cannot deceive themselves."

Hua Changxi: "Then in that case, igniting the yin flame is a good thing."

Abbot Guiyi smiled and nodded: "I think the artifact refiner who refined the Divine Lamp back then really wanted to create an artifact that could help cultivators practice. Therefore, whether it is igniting the yang flame or the yin flame, as long as it is used correctly, it is beneficial to the cultivator's practice."

"However, desires are hard to control. Especially evil desires, which, under the catalysis of death and fear, will unconsciously devour and destroy, eventually leading to destruction."

"Without the balance of the yang flame, the yin flame will grow endlessly until it devours the cultivator's mind, making the cultivator completely controlled by it. At that time, the person is no longer a person, but a container for desires."

Jing Le continued: "Demonic energy is the best catalyst for inducing evil thoughts in people. Once that batch of Nascent Soul cultivators who ignited the yin flame inhaled demonic energy, it would cause the yin flame to grow. The growth of the yin flame would then again stimulate the desires and evil thoughts at the bottom of people's hearts. In this way, their destructiveness will become greater and greater."

As he spoke, he looked at Hua Changxi.

"Before you ignite the yang flame, you must stay away from demonic energy."

Hua Changxi nodded seriously, indicating that she had remembered it, and then asked the question she cared about most: "Master, why can't I ignite the yang flame?"

Abbot Guiyi looked at her: "Since the Divine Lamp was refined to assist in practice, igniting the yin and yang flames can also be seen as a kind of practice."

"The fuel of the Divine Lamp is emotions and desires. To make the yin and yang flames balanced means one must control one's own emotions and desires."

"Little Friend Hua, do you think you have controlled your own emotions and desires well?"

Hua Changxi was stunned by the question: "I think... I have."

Abbot Guiyi, Jing Le, Yan Zhenzhen: "..."

Jing Le: "Don't just think. People can be arrogant, can deceive themselves, can self-deprecate, and can also stick to the world they imagine. The you that you think you are is not necessarily the real you."

Hua Changxi frowned.

Abbot Guiyi asked with a smile: "Little Friend Hua, do you think you understand yourself?"

Hua Changxi: "I think... I understand myself quite well."

Hearing this, Abbot Guiyi smiled helplessly.

Hua Changxi saw this: "Then how can I be considered to understand myself?"

Abbot Guiyi looked at her: "Others are like mirrors! People need to know themselves in their interactions with others."

Hua Changxi was silent for a moment: "What does this have to do with igniting the yang flame?"

Abbot Guiyi: "Do you know why the yin flame is easier to ignite than the yang flame?"

"Because the yin flame can be ignited passively. Desires flow everywhere, and a little stimulation can induce people's greed, anger, and ignorance; but kindness is something that people must actively choose and persist in."

"Holding onto goodness is the key to igniting the yang flame."

Hua Changxi widened her eyes: "I have been actively holding onto goodness." She paused, "This time at the Artifact Saint Palace chaos, I saved quite a few people."

Abbot Guiyi looked at her: "Holding onto goodness, the emphasis is not on what kind of things are done, but on the active choice and active persistence from the heart."

"Let me ask you this, old monk: if saving the wounded outside would harm you, Little Friend Hua, would you still choose to save them? Even more, if saving the wounded would threaten your life, would you still be willing?"

Hua Changxi frowned: "Master, does your so-called holding onto goodness mean 'sacrificing oneself to benefit others'?"

Abbot Guiyi shook his head: "It's not sacrificing oneself to benefit others, but you must clearly know what kind of person you want to become, not catering to the outside world, and not being influenced by the outside world."

"Holding onto goodness is when kindness has merged with you, becoming a part of your body. You protect that bit of kindness just as you protect yourself. It is the person you want to become."

Hua Changxi: "Master, your standard for holding onto goodness is too high. I don't believe there are so many such people in this world."

Abbot Guiyi: "... Maybe it's not that there aren't, but that you yourself are not pure enough." ===== CHAPTER 326 =====