Chapter Eight: Enlightenment and Breakthrough

Chapter Eight
Comprehending the Dao: Breaking Through to the Grand Perfection of the Foundation-Building Realm

As was his habit, the Divine Doctor of Hundred Herbs arrived early in the inner chamber of the alchemy room that morning, settling onto his meditation cushion to regulate his breath and cultivate his spirit.

Li Hao and Lu Yao, as usual, made their way unimpeded to the inner chamber, approaching the Divine Doctor with respectful greetings. "Good morning, Grandpa!"

The Divine Doctor, wearing his customary benevolent smile, replied kindly, "So, Hao'er and Yao'er have arrived?"

Today, Li Hao and Lu Yao were to begin learning the art of alchemy. Both were tinged with excitement, eager to glimpse the profound mysteries of this craft, yet patiently awaited the doctor’s guidance.

The Divine Doctor asked, "Do you know what the Dao is, and what the Law is?"

This was not a riddle, but knowledge intimately tied to their lesson. Li Hao and Lu Yao found the question too deep, their faces clouded with confusion.

The Divine Doctor continued, "Let us first discuss the Dao. The Dao is the force of nature. Since the birth of everything in the world, each has its own function and power. Fresh air nourishes the body, poisonous miasma corrodes—these are all manifestations of natural forces. Breathing fresh air brings clarity and longevity; inhaling poisonous gas corrodes the body, even causing instant death. These are powers of nature, what we call the force of nature, or the Dao of nature. Hence, when we speak of the Dao of nature, this is what it means. The examples are endless; today, I will not list them all. The rest you must slowly comprehend yourselves."

He paused just enough to allow Li Hao and Lu Yao a moment of contemplation, then continued, "Next, let us speak of the Law. The Law is the means by which one uses personal skill to transform powers not originally one’s own into something usable, controlling certain forces to achieve desired results."

With these words, the Divine Doctor gathered some laws into his left palm, using his spiritual sense to draw a medicine bottle from the air into his hand.

"Just so, I use my spiritual sense to control the natural forces I've understood through the laws of heaven and earth, drawing the bottle to me. This is the Law, or method. As cultivators, we absorb natural forces for our own use; this is called Dao and Law. Well, that is all for today—how much you comprehend depends on your own fate."

Listening to these words, Li Hao and Lu Yao felt the vastness and profundity of it all. For now, they grasped only the broad concept. The Dao and Law are endless pursuits; only through a lifetime of learning could they hope to understand.

The Divine Doctor finished and prepared to begin the day’s lesson, opening a new journey for Li Hao and Lu Yao—the path of alchemy. Yet before he could instruct them further, Li Hao had pressing questions.

"Grandpa Hundred Herbs, what exactly is nature?" Li Hao asked.

The Divine Doctor was not surprised; Li Hao’s whimsical questions were familiar by now. Often, when discussing logic, Li Hao would pose odd, tricky queries—some even the Divine Doctor, with his tens of thousands of years of wisdom, could not answer, and would simply offer examples for Li Hao to ponder. Having grown accustomed, the Divine Doctor answered patiently.

"Nature is the collective term for all laws born from chaos. All creatures originate from chaos, including the very heaven and earth we inhabit, which was born from chaos long ago. We, too, are born between heaven and earth. Heaven and earth are bound by the laws of chaos, and we are bound by the laws of heaven and earth. Thus, chaos is the ancestor of all things. All powers evolved from chaos are called natural forces, and the laws of heaven and earth also originate from chaos. Chaos is an unknown, mysterious existence. Humanity in heaven and earth is as insignificant as ants; perhaps heaven and earth themselves are insignificant within chaos. No one knows how many colossal beings chaos has birthed. I cannot explain it clearly—you must explore it yourselves. In short, nature encompasses everything."

Li Hao found these concepts abstruse, sensing only their greatness. He resolved to remember the Divine Doctor’s words, knowing some answers could only be found through his own exploration.

"Grandpa Hundred Herbs, why do cultivators of the same attribute, the same technique, and the same realm differ in strength?" Li Hao asked, unable to understand why, in his eagerness for cultivation.

The Divine Doctor smiled and replied, "Hao'er, do you know why, with the same tables and chairs, the same dishes, the same bowls and chopsticks, some people eat more and finish their meal, while others eat less and cannot finish? Why are some elegant in their eating, and others crude?"

Li Hao thought for a moment and answered, "Because everyone’s appetite and habits differ. That has nothing to do with the tables, chairs, dishes, or utensils!"

At that, Li Hao suddenly understood his previous confusion through this simple analogy.

"Thank you, Grandpa Hundred Herbs, I understand now."

The clever Li Hao grasped everything from this straightforward example, and the Divine Doctor nodded with satisfaction.

Cultivation, too, depends on personal talent. Some are born with greater aptitude; those without, no matter how hard they try, cannot catch up to the gifted. Achievement is determined by one's own talent, diligence, perseverance, and finding the right path. How far one can cultivate depends on the quality of their aptitude. High-grade techniques allow cultivators to progress more quickly, avoiding detours. Diligence can only lead among peers, nothing more.

"Hao'er, Yao'er, do you have any more questions?"

Li Hao replied, "Not for now."

Lu Yao nodded vigorously.

The Divine Doctor then said, "Go and comprehend your own path of alchemy."

He swiftly formed a complex seal and pressed it against the wall of the alchemy room. A portal of void appeared in the wall.

"Go in! When the jade token breaks, you may leave." He conjured two jade tokens from thin air, handing one each to Li Hao and Lu Yao as they entered the portal.

Without any further instructions, the Divine Doctor allowed Li Hao and Lu Yao to enter, somewhat bewildered.

Inside, they were astounded. There were mountains and rivers—scenery like a painting. In caves, atop rocks, by streams, were inscriptions of ancestors' insights into the Dao of alchemy.

Li Hao asked, "Yao'er, can you understand any of this?"

No response. Li Hao sensed something was wrong, instinctively looking around—Lu Yao was nowhere to be seen, the area empty. He wondered aloud, "Where is she? What’s going on? Grandpa never said this place had separate spaces."

In truth, this was a painting, crafted from five-element crystal stones nurtured by the spiritual energy of the universe. These stones possess the five elements; five cultivators, each versed in one, etched their imagined worlds into the corresponding element, each reinforcing and counteracting the others, creating a realm mirroring the outside world. Completing such a painting is arduous; a single flaw ruins it all. This masterpiece could rightfully be called a peerless treasure.

Forged from the five-elemental forces between heaven and earth, it was named the "Sacred Diagram of Heaven and Earth."

Because this Sacred Diagram contains a world within, ancestral wisdom can be eternally preserved for generations to consult. Within it are also works by space and time cultivators: the space cultivator divided it into eighteen regions, while the time cultivator accelerated time within by a hundredfold.

The ancestors, for the sake of their descendants, designed it so eighteen people could simultaneously enter eighteen identical spaces, each comprehending on their own, undisturbed. Thus, Li Hao and Lu Yao, upon entry, were unaware of each other’s whereabouts.

Lu Yao, realizing Li Hao wasn’t nearby, deduced the space allowed only one person. She cleared her mind, focusing on the legacy left by her forebears.

At first, she only watched the shadowy figures performing alchemical techniques, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t understand. Gradually, by reading the symbols, texts, and annotations left by the ancestors, she began to decipher how to learn.

The four words "All Laws Follow Nature" encapsulated everything. If she could find the crucial point, she could comprehend her own path of alchemy. The ancestors’ methods were ultimately not her own, serving only as reference. The experience and techniques all revolved around those four words.

Lu Yao, quick-witted, realized she need not focus so much on the incomprehensible techniques. Though she couldn’t understand them, she memorized each one for future reference.

Meanwhile, Li Hao, upon seeing those four words, felt his mind quiet and his spirit grow clear. The mysterious force within him began to circulate without his knowledge. At that moment, it seemed he was on the verge of grasping something vital, though he couldn’t quite perceive what.

If the Divine Doctor had seen Li Hao then, he would have been utterly astonished, for Li Hao had entered a rare state of epiphany.

Within Li Hao’s body, the mysterious power doubled itself, then doubled again and again. Soon, this force radiated from his spiritual sea, using his body as its vessel. After twelve cycles, in just a few hours, Li Hao broke through from minor to grand perfection in the Foundation-Building realm, and the force gradually subsided.

Little Nine, dwelling in Li Hao’s spiritual sea, sensed the sudden surge and riot of this power, frightened and unable to extend its spiritual sense. Since entering the Sacred Diagram, its senses were sealed by the restrictions set by the ancestors, unable to perceive Li Hao’s situation outside. Fortunately, sensing Li Hao’s rapid advancement, it was relieved. Within a few hours, Li Hao had leapt a whole minor realm, once again leaving Little Nine in awe. "What kind of monster is this?" it thought. "He’s a thousand times more monstrous than me!"

This mysterious power, Li Hao would only understand much later, was a peerless, heaven-defying force. His extraordinary life would owe much to it.

Li Hao, still elated from his unexpected breakthrough, remembered the task at hand and suppressed his joy. He earnestly studied the annotations and observed the ancestral figures’ alchemical skills. Deciphering the texts and comprehending the meaning of "All Laws Follow Nature," he did not rush to understand every shadowy movement, instead committing everything to memory for future reflection.

Li Hao and Lu Yao spent months inside, recording what they could. It felt as though a long time had passed, delaying their plans to travel to Lisui City. Both, after a short while, broke their jade tokens, which dissolved into a special force and merged with the four words "All Laws Follow Nature," opening a portal. They stepped through and instantly returned to the alchemy room.

The Divine Doctor was surprised to see Li Hao emerge so quickly, and moments later, Lu Yao followed. He wondered if something had gone awry.

"Hao'er, Yao'er, why are you out so soon?" he asked.

The two were bewildered, thinking they’d spent months inside—how could this be early?

Lu Yao inquired, "Grandpa, how long were we inside?"

"More than six hours," the Divine Doctor replied with certainty.

Still confused, Lu Yao pressed, "Six hours? Are you sure, Grandpa?"

"Yes, six hours. I forgot to tell you—time inside passes a hundred times faster than outside," he explained.

At last, Li Hao and Lu Yao understood. They had not misheard, nor had Grandpa misspoken.

The Divine Doctor asked again, "What do you feel you gained?"

Li Hao replied, "Couldn't understand much, but I memorized it all."

Lu Yao nodded in agreement.

This stunned the Divine Doctor. Others only leave when their jade tokens shatter automatically, when time is up. He himself, after all the allotted time, could only recall ninety percent—he was the most gifted in ten thousand years. These two children were truly extraordinary.

He examined them carefully, astonished to see Li Hao break through a minor realm in such a short time. He thought to himself, "Li Hao’s talent is truly monstrous. He never seemed particularly diligent. Beginning cultivation at three, in seven years he has reached a level most people take decades to achieve. If this continues, barring unforeseen events, he will surely become renowned across all domains."

Li Hao and Lu Yao, realizing their plans for Lisui City were not delayed, began to scheme their next steps in their hearts.