Chapter 298: Spiritual Enlightenment and the Path to Immortality
Chapter 298: Spiritual Enlightenment and the Path to Immortality
What kind of foundation should one build?
Mo Hua had never considered this question before, so he asked, "Is there a difference between building a foundation and just building a foundation?"
"There's a big difference between cultivators and their foundations," Mr. Zhuang explained. "A cultivator's foundation relies on their spiritual sense, spiritual power, and physical body."
"Different cultivators are born with varying natural endowments when it comes to their sea of consciousness, sea of qi, and physical bodies. The cultivation techniques and Taoist methods they practice are also diverse. Naturally, the paths they walk will differ depending on their choices."
Mo Hua frowned, feeling a bit overwhelmed. He had always thought that achieving the foundation establishment was good enough, but he never expected that there would be so many considerations and choices involved in the process. These were things he had never thought about before, and he didn't know what to do.
"Mr. Zhuang," Mo Hua said softly, "can't I just take it one step at a time?"
Mr. Zhuang replied, "Cultivators refine their qi to strengthen their foundation and build a path with the foundation establishment. It's a step-by-step process, and from the beginning, one should consider the path they wish to walk and the cultivation method they will use. Trying to change paths later on is extremely difficult."
Mo Hua paused before asking hesitantly, "Mr. Zhuang, given my situation, what path do you think would suit me best?"
Mr. Zhuang glanced at Mo Hua and spoke bluntly, "Your physical body is lacking, and your spiritual root... well, it's not that impressive either."
Although Mo Hua was already aware of his own physical frailty and mediocre spiritual root, hearing Mr. Zhuang spell it out made him feel a bit dejected. Nonetheless, he asked tentatively, "Is it really that bad?"
He thought he was doing alright, at least his spiritual root was of medium-lower grade.
Seeing the watery look in Mo Hua's big eyes, Mr. Zhuang softened a little. "Well, it's not that bad..." he said diplomatically, "it's just that you have immense potential!"
Mo Hua was taken aback, his expression turning complex.
Mr. Zhuang's words were indeed very tactful...
Saying that he had great potential for the future was essentially saying that his current abilities were lacking.
"Do I have any chance of improving my physical body or gaining some advantage in terms of spiritual power in the future?" Mo Hua still held on to a shred of hope.
Mr. Zhuang stroked his chin. "That depends on who you're comparing yourself to."
"What do you mean?" Mo Hua asked.
Mr. Zhuang explained, "Firstly, you have a middle-lower grade spiritual root, which seems decent when compared to other rogue cultivators in Tongxian City. But if we're talking about the offspring of influential families and sects, especially those from third or fourth-grade powers and above, your spiritual root would be considered below average."
Mo Hua nodded, knowing that this was indeed the case. The spiritual roots of some of the sect disciples were indeed far superior to his.
"Do you know about spiritual root inheritance?" Mr. Zhuang asked.
"Yes," Mo Hua nodded. He had heard An Xiaofu mention that the spiritual roots and grades of children born to couples with different spiritual roots followed certain patterns, and that was spiritual root inheritance.
"Over twenty thousand years ago, when the Dao Court was first established, upper-grade spiritual roots were indeed extremely rare," Mr. Zhuang continued. "Even an upper-lower grade spiritual root would be highly valued and nurtured."
"However, once some influential families discovered that spiritual roots could be inherited and that this inheritance could be controlled, all the prominent families and sects arranged marriages for their children based on this principle."
"As a result, nowadays, it's common to find upper-grade spiritual roots among the descendants of large sects and influential families. Even upper-lower grade spiritual roots are no longer considered rare."
Mr. Zhuang paused and glanced at Mo Hua again, choosing to remain silent.
If middle-lower grade spiritual roots were no longer considered rare, what did that make Mo Hua's middle-lower grade spiritual root?
There were three tiers of difference between middle-lower grade and upper-middle grade spiritual roots.
Mr. Zhuang kindly refrained from pointing this out.
However, Mo Hua understood Mr. Zhuang's implication and couldn't help but hang his head, letting out a long sigh.
Mr. Zhuang wasn't finished yet, and he continued, "What I've mentioned so far is in comparison to the average disciples of influential families and sects. If we're talking about the truly exceptional geniuses among them, the gap between you and them is even wider."
"Let's not talk about the distant past. Just looking at Zi Sheng and Zi Xi, your innate talent in terms of your physical body and spiritual root pales in comparison to theirs.
Mo Hua was shocked.
He had no idea that Zi Sheng and Zi Xi possessed such extraordinary talent.
Or perhaps, his own talent was abnormally low?
Mo Hua thought back to Mr. Zhuang's previous mention of "Heaven's Way" and "spiritual sense," and asked, "So, should I focus on cultivating my spiritual sense?"
Mr. Zhuang nodded. "Indeed. Since your physical body and spiritual root are inferior to others, don't even bother comparing. Focus on your spiritual sense instead."
"Your physical body and spiritual root are weaker than you think, but your spiritual sense is actually stronger than you realize."
As Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua, he thought to himself, "It's possible that his spiritual sense is even stronger than I imagine..."
Unaware of Mr. Zhuang's thoughts, Mo Hua still felt conflicted about his physical body and spiritual root, and asked, "Is there any way to improve my physical body and spiritual root?"
Mr. Zhuang shook his head slightly. "A weak body is a congenital issue. It can be improved, but no matter how much you improve it, you can't change its fundamental nature. At best, your body will be less frail, but it won't become exceptionally strong, and it won't compare to those with innate body-refining roots."
"As for your spiritual root, it's also predetermined at birth. Whatever spiritual root you're born with, that's what you'll have for life. There's no changing it. If you're inferior to others in this aspect, then you're simply at a disadvantage, and there's no easy solution."
"So, the strategy is to focus on your strengths and avoid your weaknesses, is that right?" Mo Hua said.
Mr. Zhuang nodded. "Spiritual sense, spiritual power, and the physical body are the three foundations of a cultivator's practice. All three are indispensable. However, Heaven's Way is unforgiving, and one's natural talent is limited. Ultimately, it's impossible to excel in all areas. The path of cultivation doesn't require you to be stronger than others in everything. It's enough if you can cultivate one aspect to a profound level."
Mo Hua nodded, feeling a newfound clarity in his thoughts. Then, he asked curiously, "Are there people who excel in all three areas?"
Mr. Zhuang remained silent for a moment before replying, "Yes, but such individuals are as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns. In the entire cultivation world, they are once-in-a-millennium prodigies!"
Mo Hua felt a twinge of envy but quickly dismissed the thought.
He knew that cultivating all three aspects—spiritual sense, spiritual power, and the physical body—would require an extremely profound cultivation heritage, abundant spiritual stones, and precious heavenly treasures.
Even if he possessed such extraordinary talent, without the necessary resources and heritage, it would be like a pearl buried in the dust, a waste of potential.
One should not be too greedy in life. Focusing on cultivating his spiritual sense was already a great path.
However, he wondered if solely cultivating spiritual sense would truly lead to the pinnacle of the Dao. Moreover, he hadn't heard of any cultivators who specialized in spiritual sense.
Pondering this, Mo Hua asked, "Sir, are there other cultivators who focus on spiritual sense?"
"Very few," Mr. Zhuang replied.
"How few?" Mo Hua asked.
"Normal cultivators wouldn't choose to cultivate spiritual sense," Mr. Zhuang explained.
Mo Hua was taken aback, his emotions mixed. Did that make him an "abnormal" cultivator?
Mr. Zhuang smiled. "When one's physical body and spiritual power are evidently strong, their spiritual sense tends to be more subtle and elusive. Moreover, spiritual sense is intangible and difficult to grasp. Aside from some formation masters who must possess powerful spiritual sense due to the demands of their art, most cultivators wouldn't choose this path."
"I see..." Mo Hua sighed softly.
Mr. Zhuang's gaze intensified. "But you are different. With your congenital weakness and average spiritual root, your spiritual sense is almost your only advantage, and it's exceptionally strong..."
"Since that's the case, cultivate your spiritual sense to the extreme. Cultivate it to a level that leaves other cultivators in the dust, to the point where they would look upon you with awe..."
Mr. Zhuang looked at the small figure of Mo Hua, his eyes gleaming with foresight. "As long as you cultivate your spiritual sense to be powerful enough, one day, you will be able to attain enlightenment through your spiritual sense and, with your supreme spiritual sense, fathom the true profundities of the Dao!"
(End of Chapter)
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