“Exactly. Thanks to Uncle Yu’s reminder and cutting through the superfluous details, this is the simplest and clearest theory of cultivation!”
The young man spoke proudly, brimming with confidence. “I mentioned before, what is the most crucial aspect of the Divine Connectivity Realm?”
Yu Ci eagerly responded, “Master Ye said that in the Divine Connectivity Realm, the key is for the practitioner to understand the structure of the spirit, refine the nature of the spirit, and elevate the spirit’s level until the Yin Spirit is cultivated, allowing for spiritual travel. As for what is truly crucial within this, we need Master Ye’s guidance.”
Ye Tu’s face reddened slightly but he maintained composure. He clapped his hands and said, “The most crucial aspect of the Divine Connectivity Realm is, of course, the structure of the spirit. Without this, all the refining and Yin Spirit cultivation are in vain. Today, I will make the structure of the spirit clear!”
Ye Tu was confident and seated himself cross-legged, signaling Yu Ci to sit beside him. He continued, “I’ve said before that the structure of the spirit is ‘one essence, two realities, three illusions.’ It sounds peculiar, but it’s actually quite understandable.”
He took a breath and traced his finger over the circle area. “This represents the Recognizing Spirit.”
Then his finger moved back to the fragmented stone at the circle’s center. “This represents the Original Spirit.”
“The Original Spirit comes from a bit of innate divine light and is of innate nature. All cultivation is about returning to the source and pursuing the innate divine powers. The Recognizing Spirit, on the other hand, is about thoughts, perceptions, and awareness; it governs our daily actions. Taoist texts say that the Recognizing Spirit is hidden while the Original Spirit emerges, to describe their relationship… Simply put, this is it, right?”
His finger tapped the diagram twice, and Yu Ci nodded repeatedly. The relationship between the Recognizing Spirit and Original Spirit is complex and intricate, but the diagram made it immediately clear. It was evident that Ye Tu had put in significant effort.
“The Original Spirit and Recognizing Spirit are the two fundamental and interrelated concepts in the spirit’s structure, that is, ‘two realities.’ But why add ‘one essence’ at the front? Here, we must grasp the concept of what exactly the Recognizing Spirit, or thought and perception, really means.”
Ye Tu lifted his gaze and looked into Yu Ci’s eyes. “You see, I start by drawing a circle, which represents the ideal state, a perfect mental state. And where does this ‘perfection’ come from? It is the projection of the Original Spirit’s innate perfect state, free from external interference. When the spirit is at its origin, there is no distinction between the Recognizing Spirit and the Original Spirit, they are unified, perfect, and flawless. The Original Spirit is the foundation, the singular essence, the core point of the spirit.”
“But in reality, this perfect mental state cannot be achieved. From the moment we receive our parents’ essence and blood and are nurtured in the womb, we are constantly influenced by the external environment. These influences can be perceived or not, remembered or not, including every bump and bruise from childhood to now, every act of kindness, malice, good or bad experiences, and everything else…”
After saying so much in one breath, Ye Tu stretched his arms wide as if encircling an unbearable weight and then pressed down with a dramatic effect, adding:
“Clang!
“And thus, the perfect circle becomes imperfect! But every force that makes the ‘circle’ ‘not round’ will be met with an instinctive reaction, hoping it returns to perfection. Over time, through practice, a complete set of responses to external changes will form. This response is the foundation of our actions and interactions, cultivated later, which is the thought and intention, or the ‘Recognizing Spirit’…”
At this point, there was another thunderous roar in the Sky Rift Valley, causing some disturbance among the surrounding beings, but Yu Ci paid no attention, as such events had happened too many times last night. Ye Tu was fully immersed in his own world, completely oblivious, and continued gesticulating enthusiastically:
“Also, understand this: Every external force leaves a mark in our consciousness. Some we can feel, and some we cannot. Those things that are hard to perceive may seem insignificant, but their total volume is dozens or even hundreds of times more than the information we can consciously perceive. Over decades, it accumulates significantly, far exceeding what we can perceive.”
He moved his hand, tracing another circle almost touching the outer arc, forming a set of concentric circles with the previous design: “This thin outer circle is what we use in daily life, the ordinary thoughts and awareness, which I call ‘manifest awareness.’ The inner part is termed ‘hidden awareness.’ Only when combined do they represent the true ‘awareness spirit.’
“The information within the hidden awareness is vast beyond imagination and contains tremendous power, including our repressed emotions and desires accumulated over the years, the wild instincts passed down from our ancestors, and even some mysterious bloodline inheritances. This is what practitioners refer to as ‘talent’ and ‘aptitude,’ representing the potential accumulated over time. Thus…”
The youth heavily slapped his palm on the concentric circles: “This is a complete ‘diagram.’ See, the primordial spirit is at the center, and the awareness spirit is on the outside; hidden awareness is deep, while manifest awareness is shallow, forming a clearly layered three-tier structure. All practices of the Divine Connectivity Realm can be represented with it. Look!”
Ye Tu drew two lines from the center of the circle, extending beyond the two layers of rings.
Yu Ci was momentarily stunned, then slapped his thigh, recognizing it from his own cultivation experience: “Transforming awareness into thought!”
Ye Tu smiled with great satisfaction: “That’s right. After cultivating through the ‘Three Mortal Obstacles,’ the divine spirit gradually grows stronger, but what truly strengthens is the primordial spirit deep within. Once it reaches a certain level, it can penetrate the awareness spirit, allowing spiritual power to emerge and actively perceive external information. We call the former ‘divine thought’ and the latter ‘divine awareness,’ collectively known as ‘divine intent,’ which is the first step in attaining the Divine Connectivity Realm!”
Upon hearing this, Yu Ci had an epiphany.
The divine spirit system is thus: the primordial spirit and awareness spirit are its fundamental components; the awareness spirit is further divided into manifest and hidden awareness; the primordial spirit, hidden awareness, and manifest awareness form the basic structure of the divine spirit from inner to outer layers.
As for divine thought, divine awareness, and their collective term ‘divine intent,’ these are concepts derived from the primordial spirit, representing a branching level.
In this way, priorities are clearly separated.
Yu Ci’s reaction was the best reward for Ye Tu. The youth waved his hand excitedly, his fair face glowing with excitement. He continued, starting from the outer ring’s edge, drawing dozens of arrows converging inward:
“The next goal is to expand the controllable thoughts as much as possible inward and transform the elusive hidden awareness into controllable manifest awareness, also known as ‘refinement,’ which is a key aspect of cultivating the Divine Connectivity Realm.
“Understand that hidden awareness contains many emotions and desires, mixed and dirty, representing the dirtiest corners of the human heart. During cultivation, tribulations often arise from here, the origin of inner demons. Without careful refinement, not only is it difficult to progress in cultivation, but even if one advances, the foundation remains shaky, and collapse is inevitable.”
At this point, Ye Tu shook his head: “This highlights the importance of a good longevity technique. Ordinary practices such as breathing exercises and guided meditation can at most reach the level of transforming awareness into thought. But from the ‘refinement’ step onward, a qualified longevity technique is essential. Every sect in the cultivation world has its unique method of refinement. Uncle Yu, being a loose cultivator, faces a real challenge.”
Yu Ci was aware of his problem but didn’t show it in front of Ye Tu, only smiling: “There is always a way when we get there; who can predict opportunities?”
Ye Tu thought for a moment and said, “How about this? Uncle Yu, come back to the Eastern Sea with me. Our Half-Mountain Island also has notable achievements in longevity techniques. Your swordsmanship is excellent; I’ll speak to my master and have him take you under his wing. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”
The youth grew more excited as he spoke. Yu Ci was somewhat tempted but didn’t hold much hope. Although Ye Tu hadn’t introduced his sect in detail, from occasional hints, it was clear that the Half-Mountain Island was predominantly the Ye clan, with few outsiders. Joining such a place was not easy.
So he just smiled and brought Ye Tu back to the topic: “We’ll talk about the longevity technique later. You just mentioned ‘refinement’; what comes next?”
Ye Tu, excited by his own ideas, responded fluently:
“When we refine all hidden awareness completely into manifest awareness that we can perceive and control, it signifies that our control and mastery of the spirit have reached a certain level. At this point, there is no longer a distinction between hidden awareness, manifest awareness, or awareness spirit. It is collectively known as the ‘Yin Spirit.’ Once the Yin Spirit is established, the vast potential within the divine spirit will be gradually developed, greatly enhancing the divine spirit’s strength, leading to the detachment from the physical body and spiritual wandering, which is the third step!
“Thus, corresponding to these three steps, there are three major signs of attaining the Divine Connectivity Realm: the first is transforming awareness into thought, which is the beginning of the Divine Connectivity Realm; the second is the manifestation of true spirit, which is the axis of the Divine Connectivity Realm; and the third is the emergence of the Yin Spirit, which is the completion of the Divine Connectivity Realm!”
“What is true spirit?” Yu Ci asked the crucial question.
Ye Tu answered fluently: “True spirit is the reflection of the true self; spiritual clarity is its essence. True spirit corresponds to hidden awareness and allows hidden awareness to manifest and initially understand the contours of one’s most secret intentions. The primordial spirit within illuminates, projecting these contours outward and forming various forms of spiritual light. Essentially, true spirit is the shadow formed when the primordial spirit penetrates the awareness spirit, and nothing more.”
Hearing this, Yu Ci couldn’t help but think of the flames lit at the top of the door. According to Ye Tu, that should be the true spirit.
Ye Tu nodded: “Exactly. I see your true spirit burning brightly like fire, but its form is singular. The hidden awareness naturally reflects one’s true self. Therefore, the true spirit projected through its contours should also match your own image. So, you should have just touched upon hidden awareness, not yet delved deeply. In the Divine Connectivity Realm’s early, middle, and late stages, you are currently in the transition from early to middle.”
“Uncle, you’ve only been in the Divine Connectivity Realm for a few days, and you’ve already reached this level. That’s quite impressive. It must be that your foundation was solid during the ‘Three Mortal Obstacles’… By the way, you practice techniques like the Contemplative Meditation. Compared to those who cultivate from the outside in or simply practice breath control, you have a significant advantage in nourishing the spirit.”
Ye Tu’s erudition truly impressed Yu Ci. Then, the young man began to wrap up:
“If you fully achieve human perfection without any discrepancies, it means that your latent consciousness has been successfully refined, reaching the level of the Yin Spirit. At that point, the Yin Spirit will be the form and the true spirit will be the shadow, reflecting the Yuan Spirit, which is like the sun and moon traversing the heavens. The current ‘Yin Spirit’ is still just a title, and there is a long way to go before achieving the ‘Yin Spirit’ that can ‘form when gathered, disperse into Qi when scattered.'”
As Ye Tu spoke, Yu Ci couldn’t help but applaud, amazed by the depth and coherence of the theories. Whether they were correct or not, this series of explanations was indeed self-consistent and enlightening. Yu Ci felt that he was seeing things with new eyes.
The more impressed Yu Ci was, the happier Ye Tu became. Not only did he speak with enthusiasm, but he also repeatedly illustrated using the diagrams on the ground. Though he didn’t delve into excessive detail, he gradually revealed a complete picture of cultivation, far superior to the rigid explanations of textbooks.
At that moment, Yu Ci felt as if “a single conversation with you was worth more than ten years of reading,” and listened even more attentively. The two of them were so engrossed—one explaining passionately and the other listening intently—that they lost track of time. Gradually, Yu Ci began to ask questions to better understand the information. He was particularly interested in the sword techniques and thus, after a few exchanges, inquired about “Yuan Spirit Sword Mastery.”
“Yuan Spirit Sword Mastery… that’s an extension,” Ye Tu admitted, scratching his head as he improvised:
“Yuan Spirit Sword Mastery is an application of ‘merging spirit with Qi.’ This ‘merging spirit with Qi’ is actually not part of the same system as what I mentioned earlier; it pertains more to Qi refinement and body forging. Simply put, it involves the merging of the spirit with the surrounding Yuan Qi, integrating essence, Qi, and spirit without distinction. Concepts like ‘spirit and Qi embracing’ and ‘spirit entering Qi points’ form high-level forces such as Astral and Baleful Qi. Applying these to the sword allows for sword mastery and enhances the Yuan Spirit’s vitality—it’s a very practical technique.”
“Well, it sounds good…”
“Of course! While others might not grasp it, for sword cultivators, Yuan Spirit Sword Mastery is fundamental for nurturing swords and cultivating Qi. It is the foundation that must be utilized for a lifetime. Uncle, your self-taught proficiency indicates that your foundation in self-cultivation is solid and your Yuan Qi is abundant, making your swordsmanship extraordinary!”
“Is it that demanding? What about Daoist Yan…”
“Daoist Yan?” Ye Tu looked puzzled.
Yu Ci then described his encounter with Daoist Yan, emphasizing the last powerful strike.
Ye Tu was stunned and muttered, “No way, when did Yuan Spirit Sword Mastery become something anyone could achieve?”
He shook his head, collected himself, and began to explain to Yu Ci: “There’s a key aspect of spirit embracing Qi and transforming it. This Qi is not the same as ordinary Qi; it is ‘Astral’ or ‘Baleful,’ a higher level of innate Qi. It represents the achievement in the later stages of the Core Formation realm. Divine Connectivity practitioners find it very difficult to refine innate Qi, and even if they do, it’s usually a fleeting moment of spirit and Qi merging. It’s not something that can be sustained for long.
“I haven’t seen Daoist Yan, but based on your description, before he unleashed his strike, his true spirit illuminated and he used his spirit to control Qi. It’s likely that it was indeed Yuan Spirit Sword Mastery. However, his deliberate display was somewhat lacking, though the power was considerable… Ah, let me see the Nine Yang Talisman Sword.”
He took the Nine Yang Talisman Sword, examined it closely, and then smiled, “Yes, the symbols on this sword, though not remarkable, accumulate Baleful Qi. It’s probably activated by Yuan Spirit Sword Mastery or another technique, making its power seem tremendous. It’s not entirely Daoist Yan’s inherent strength.”
Yu Ci looked down, following the patterns of the symbols and verifying Ye Tu’s assessment. He remembered that the jade slip he received from Daoist Yan did contain this information, but he hadn’t had the time to study it.
Nodding, he was about to ask another question when the commotion from the fierce beasts suddenly seemed to escalate, and a strong tremor erupted from beneath their feet. Ye Tu, facing the edge of the slope, glanced around and suddenly became speechless.
Goblin: I will be accepting sponsored chapters for AM from now on at BuyMeaCoffee page. It’ll be $5 per 2 sponsored chapters. Just buy the 5 Coffees and write the name of the novel you want to sponsor in the “Say something nice” section.