The medium-level version of Lian Jing Hua Qi Tang is too magical.

    It only took a moment before Chen Yun felt the immense benefits.

    He calculated that it shouldn't take too long for him to become an upper-level mage, perhaps just three to six months.

    In fact, Chen Yun had faster ways to improve his cultivation, such as consuming the essence blood obtained from Shui Hai, or taking Long Yuan.

    But he did not do so.

    The main reason why he did not do so is that both consuming the essence blood of Shui Hai or taking Long Yuan require time to refine.

    Currently, Chen Yun is exploring the Mount Lüyue Cave with Wu Kějìu, Qín Míng, and others. They have to cover at least one or two ten thousand miles every day, and they also face possible dangers. How can they have time to refine?

    Not only does he not have time to refine, but he also doesn't have the time or space to practice spells like Dragon Slaying Technique, Golden Light Spell, and so on. He can only simulate them in his mind.

    After all, some forbidden techniques cannot be practiced in front of others, or else they might be stolen by others.

    Just after practicing, Chen Yun instructed Qín Míng to practice the "serving qi art."

    Following that, the somewhat weakened Qín Míng washed himself and went to sleep.

    Chen Yun, because the effect of Lian Jing Hua Qi Tang was very good, felt quite cheerful, and had no intention to sleep for a while.

    He had just planned to simulate the practice of Dragon Slaying Technique.

    Suddenly, he saw a brilliant light in the distant sky.

    "Mm?" Chen Yun was surprised and uncertain. "It's nighttime, how can there be such a brilliant light over there, like midday?"

    That patch of light was incredibly strange. At one moment, it spread Buddha's Law, and at another, it emitted a thick demonic aura that soared into the sky. It was as if a supreme warrior, powerful to the point of unparalleled might, was engaging in a battle of arts.

    Chen Yun was observing when suddenly, he saw Wu Kějiu flying back from a distance with a serious expression on his face.

    "Chen sir." Wu Kějiu greeted him from a distance before he landed.

    Chen Yun looked up and asked, "Master Wu, what's happening at the northern horizon of the sky?"

    Wu Kějiu seemed to have returned to the camp specifically for this matter. As he landed in front of Chen Yun, he furrowed his brow and said, "If I'm not mistaken, it's a Buddhist monk and an immortal of the demon race fighting over a treasure at the Sun and Moon Spring. Although the Sun and Moon Spring is several million miles away from us, all of them are at the level of real immortals. If their battle gets too intense, the power that erupts might cross thousands upon thousands of mountains and rivers, and even affect us here."

    Upon hearing this, Chen Yun couldn't help but think back to the old monk and the bull demon he had encountered before entering the Mount Lüyue Cave.

    He never imagined that real immortals could be so powerful, fighting across several million miles, and possibly even shaking their power close to where he was.

    Chen Yun hesitated and said, "We are several million miles away from the Sun and Moon Spring. Could their battle really have an effect on us here?"

    Chen Yun hesitated slightly and asked, "We are millions of miles away from the Sun and Moon Spring. Can their battle truly affect us here?"

    Chen Yun has met many sacred beings, but he has never witnessed a real duel between them, so he naturally does not know how terrifying true immortals are.

    Now, hearing Wu Kějiu say this, Chen Yun actually felt a bit envious and wanted to see just how spectacular the battle between the Buddhist monk and the immortal of the demon race would be.

    Of course, just thinking about it is enough.

    Chen Yun certainly won't go watch the battle like a fool, as Wu Kějiu pointed out, who knows if that Buddhist monk and demon race immortal will use real fire, potentially affecting others?

    Both of them fell silent for a moment, simply gazing towards the northern sky.

    The light there kept surging, as if the duel had entered a white-hot state.

    At first, Chen Yun watched it with great interest. However, as the scene alternated between Buddha's light and demonic aura, he began to feel tired of the view and didn't bother to look anymore.

    Chen Yun then turned his head towards Wu Kějiu and asked casually, "That day when the Shui Hai attacked, it was clear that you and Qín Míng had the ability to leave everyone behind and escape on your own. Why would you rather sacrifice with the group than run away alone?"

    This question had been troubling him for a long time, but he couldn't ask Wu Kějiu privately during the time when Yuan Chū and the other sword cultivators were present. Now that they had left, Chen Yun had some time to talk with Wu Kějiu about his injuries, so he naturally wanted to ask him about this matter.

    "May I ask, Mr. Chen, if you know about the Kingdom of Magadha?" Wu Kějiu asked in return.

    Chen Yun replied, "I have a basic understanding of it."

    Wu Kějiu nodded slightly and said, "There is a saying that Laozi transformed into eighty-one forms. His fourth form was 'Opening Magadha'. I imagine you are not unfamiliar with it."

    As a Daoist practitioner, Chen Yun naturally knows about this.

    It is said that when Laozi entered the Kingdom of Magadha, he appeared as a golden statue, holding five precious objects in his hands, and transformed the prince of the country to enlighten him with profound Buddhist teachings. He told all the people there to believe in and follow his guidance. He instructed them to eliminate desire and break away from trouble, cutting off ignorance and obscured by names. Through inner and outer tranquility, their bodies and minds would be bathed in serenity, and their wishes would soar freely. Therefore, he broadly opened the teachings of Buddhism, called it Pure Land Buddhism, and had Brahmans et al follow it.

    The gist of this statement is that it is said that Laozi transformed into the prince of Magadha and founded Buddhism, naming it the Buddha of Boundless Purity, which is also known as the Buddha of Boundless Longevity and Amitabha Buddha. He had Brahmans and others follow this doctrine.

    On the surface, it seems that this is only about establishing Buddhism, but in fact, it also includes elements of Hinduism.

    Chen Yun didn't understand why Wu Kějiu said this, "What do you mean, Master Wu?"

    Wu Kějiou said, "My Manichaeism originated from the ancient Zoroastrianism of Persia. After spreading to the East, it has also absorbed some Buddhist elements. Many of its teachings come from the Kingdom of Magadha. Laozi taught people to be benevolent and righteous. As a Manichaean teacher in the East, that is, the patriarch, I naturally have to follow Laojun's teachings and remember benevolence and righteousness in my heart. Therefore, even if heaven collapses before me, I cannot abandon my followers."

    Upon hearing this, Chen Yun suddenly understood.

    He finally understood why Wu Kějiu was so "loyal." It turned out that he misunderstood Laozi's teachings.

    Laozi was spreading the idea of benevolence and righteousness, which is somewhat different from the Confucian idea of benevolence and righteousness. Wu Kějiou had mistaken the Confucian concept of benevolence and righteousness for that of Taoism.

    Laozi was advocating the concept of benevolence and righteousness. It is actually different from the Confucian concept of benevolence and righteousness. Wu Kějiu mistakenly thought that the Confucian concept of benevolence and righteousness was the Daoist one.

    In simpler terms, Laozi believed that true benevolence and righteousness are "better left in moderation."

    Therefore, the benevolence and righteousness Laozi advocated for are more similar to the highest level of Confucian benevolence and righteousness, "following one's heart without exceeding the bounds."

    After listening to Wu Kějiu's words, Chen Yun felt that the other party's understanding of benevolence and righteousness had not reached the level of "acting from one's heart without breaking the rules." Instead, it was bound by secular conventions and believed that "benevolence and righteousness" should be achieved by giving up one's life.

    As for his own instinctive "impulse" to face the enemy at that time, it was more like "acting from one's heart."

    Chen Yun thought for a moment and reminded him, "Master Wu, you may have misunderstood Laozi's thoughts on benevolence and righteousness. As practitioners of the Dao, we advocate 'giving no orders to rule the world' and true love is not loving, true benevolence is acting from one's heart..."

    He meticulously explained his understanding of benevolence and righteousness.

    Wu Kějiou listened intently, as the opportunity to hear a member of the Taoist path explain "Daoist ethics" was very rare for them. He naturally paid close attention to every word spoken by Chen Yun.

    In conclusion, Chen Yun summarized, "If you truly feel that sacrifice for righteousness is righteousness, then that is your path of righteousness. However, if you don't actually want to die but are still bound by the so-called thoughts of righteousness, preferring to risk your life to save others, it is more like a surface-level 'pseudo-righteousness.' Cultivating Dao is cultivating one's mind and oneself. 'Acting from one's heart without exceeding the bounds' is a transcendent state. I hope one day you can enlighten yourself."

    Wu Kějiou suddenly awoke to the truth, bowed deeply to Chen Yun, and said, "Thank you, Mr. Chen, for your guidance. I have gained a great deal from this."

    Chen Yun waved his hand and said, "It's alright. The bond of friendship between us is worth mentioning a few words."

    Wu Kějiou couldn't help but sigh and say, "Mr. Chen is indeed a high-ranking Daoist, even though his cultivation is weaker than ours, his profound heart that surpasses Wu's imagination."

    Chen Yun chuckled and said, "You who practice external methods of cultivation often focus on prolonging life but not cultivating character. Therefore, many people possess great strength yet fail to attain the Dao and become immortals. They have actually fallen into the lower level. If you truly have a heart for the Dao, I suggest you focus more on character cultivation. Otherwise, when you face disasters in the future, no matter how powerful your strength is, there is a possibility of falling without a trace and losing your life. Remember, both physical and spiritual cultivation are fundamental; do not become obsessed with power."

    Wu Kějiou again bowed deeply and said, "Mr. Chen's words are deafening and inspiring. I will definitely remember them."

    At that moment, Wu Kějiou truly admired Chen Yun, not because of strength or background, but because of his supercilious heart.

    Talks about practices like life and spirit dual cultivation might be common in the Daoist community, and it's generally advised to cultivators. However, in external practices of cultivation, it's rare for anyone to mention the concept of "nature" or "character."

    This is because the importance of "nature" is not fully understood, resulting in a lower probability of attainment for external practices compared to the Daoist path.

    The two of them talked about Daoist thought for a while.

    Following that, Wu Kějiou looked at the northern horizon where the Buddha's light and demonic aura were still surging, and he couldn't help but heavily sigh, "The battle between the Buddhist monk and the demon race's great immortal is still going on. It seems we'll have to take a different route tomorrow; otherwise, if we continue along our original path, there's a high chance we'll be affected by their duel."

    Chen Yun asked, "I remember that the original route could go directly to the Moon and Spring Spring. What should we do if we change our path?"

    "The original route can allow us to travel directly to the Moon and Spring Spring, and the possibility of encountering other cultivators on the way will be greatly reduced. Well, the reason why we encountered so many other cultivators at first is that everyone had just moved here, and they were not too far away from each other. However, as we delve deeper into the cave heaven, the possibility of encountering other cultivators will become smaller. After all, within the Moon Lake Cave Heaven, there is vast sky and earth; once scattered, it is unlikely to meet." Wu Kějiou explained in detail: "It's not easy to encounter others."

    He paused and continued, "As for the alternative route, we should take the Ice-Fire Path. That side has more spiritual roots of heaven and earth, but there are also more people traveling there. Perhaps we will encounter some other cultivators, so disputes will likely increase. I hope Mr. Chen is prepared for this."

    The Ice-Fire Path.

    Chen Yun had looked at the map painted by Wu Kějiu, Qin Ming, Kang Yuan, and others before his arrival, knowing that it was a shortcut to the Moon and Spring Spring. It was surrounded by two completely different energies - coldness and fire.

    There, the natural essence of the heavens and earth is abundant, thus nurturing a greater number of celestial herbs and many precious treasures.

    Wu Kějiu even said that there might be divine treasures over there.

    Exactly because the Ice-Fire Path is rich in celestial herbs and precious treasures, more cultivators explore it, and the guarding beasts are also more ferocious.

    It seems that the danger ahead for our party is much greater than what we're facing now.

    Chen Yun, despite having gathered all the celestial herbs needed for refining essence and qi, cannot possibly abandon the others now that he has entered the Moon Lake Cave Heaven with them.

    Alright, if there's danger, let it be a bit more dangerous.

    As the saying goes, risks and opportunities are always present.

    Perhaps I might have some unexpected gains on the Ice-Fire Path.

    (End of this chapter)