Chapter 80 - 42 True Self, True Heart Difficult

"To practice the Dao is by no means an easy or joyful matter. Tell me," he asked, "where is the joy in Seeking Dao?" Su Junyu's question weighed like a colossal rock upon everyone's hearts. Where indeed is the joy in Seeking Dao? In pursuing it, one might forsake everything one once believed in, face utter ruin, or endure a lifetime of gloom. What joy is there in such arduous practice? This time, the answer came from Wang Qi, who had been lost in thought earlier. "Whenever one comprehends a profound Dao, the feeling of 'I have realized it' is perhaps the joy in Seeking Dao." Su Junyu looked somewhat surprised, then smiled, "I didn't expect you, Wang Qi, to be able to articulate such an insight." Usually, Wang Qi was known to show off whenever he received praise. Yet, despite the rare compliments from Su Junyu, he remained silent and introspective—even Mao Zimiao thought this was out of character for him. The Half-demon Girl turned around to inquire if Wang Qi was preoccupied with some matter. However, the moment she looked at his face, she was startled. Mao Zimiao had never seen such an expression on Wang Qi. In her memory, he was always grinning mischievously, forever arrogant, appearing as though no hardship ever concerned him. Yet now, he sat hugging his knees, his gaze fixed vacantly on the fire, looking as though he was about to cry. Su Junyu too found it unbelievable: "Oh my, you actually have such profound understanding? My words had such an effect?" Wang Qi shook his head, remaining silent. Feeling puzzled by Wang Qi's reaction, Su Junyu took a while to gather his thoughts: "Uh, honestly speaking, the attitude you had before was what I doubted the most... but if you have gained some insight, well, um..." Mao Zimiao grew concerned: "Senior Brother Su, what exactly are you trying to say?" Taking a deep breath to reorganize his thoughts, Su Junyu explained: "Wang Qi's talent reaches an unheard-of level. But regarding his attitude, I really have my doubts. He's always going on about what's interesting, but I feel like he doesn't truly care about anything." "Miaow?" Mao Zimiao somewhat understood but gave Wang Qi another look. Wu Fan grew anxious: "Senior Brother Su, Senior Brother Wang is profoundly insightful; his understanding far exceeds ours. Could you please elaborate?" Su Junyu nodded, then sat back down: "Actually, all I wanted to say is summed up in just eight characters—'True Self as One, True Heart Difficult.'" "True Self as One, True Heart Difficult!" Upon hearing these eight characters, Mao Zimiao and the others felt an odd sensation, as if itching around their hearts, like they were on the verge of an epiphany, yet unable to grasp it fully. "Let's break this phrase into two parts. The first part, 'True Self as One,' means not to suffer for the sake of longevity or be deluded by Divine Skills. 'True Self' refers to our genuine nature. 'True Self as One' aims not to distort one's true face due to cultivation. Contemporary Great Cultivators have varied obsessions—some, like Bai Ze God Monarch, are known for their love of fame; others, like Daoist Bu Rong from Mysterious Palace, crave battle. Some enjoy teaching, others prefer solitude, and there are those who revel in music or delicacies. These 'likes' are all true faces of our seniors, unaltered by their cultivation journey. Conversely, if today's sword practitioners end up with nothing but swords on their minds, that's indeed a lower path. The longevity that comes from maintaining one's true face is true longevity." "The latter half, 'True Heart Difficult,' refers to what Wang Qi mentioned—the initial joy upon glimpsing the Dao. This joy is something that should never be forgotten. Bai Ze, despite his desire for fame, once fought against the world for his understanding of the Dao; Master Po Li loves battle, but he never cares about winning or losing, only about expressing his understanding through combat. The weight of this joy in your heart determines how far you can go on the path of Seeking Dao." After finishing, Mao Zimiao and the others fell into deep thought. Seeing his junior brothers and sisters enlightened, Su Junyu smiled: "True Self as One, True Heart Difficult. Let's encourage each other." Just as Su Junyu thought the conversation had concluded and he could return to his reading, Wang Qi suddenly asked a question, "Senior Brother Su, the cases you mentioned earlier, surely there's more to them?" Su Junyu queried, "Oh, you're interested?" "What happened to those seniors later? And what about Bai Ze confronting the world, what's that all about?" "Planck founded Mysterious Palace, struggling through several tough years. Later, disciples of Bao'er from Burning Gold Valley, who admired the Discrete Dao, joined the Mysterious Palace, leading to its current renowned status as one of the top five. Senior Planck once told Senior Bao'er, 'Fortunately, I did not abandon this path at the beginning.'" "The Fentian notion seems like a huge joke today; Fentian Marquis himself would laugh if he heard it, saying 'luckily, the error was mine.'" "Senior Luo Qiefu's cultivation may have stagnated today, but he lives rather comfortably. Another figure from Wanfa Sect, the Surface Sky Demon Riemann, has long since proven Senior Luo's insights correct, vindicating him. Now, Riemann always treats Luo as his teacher." "When Bai Ze God Monarch achieved enlightenment, it was during the era when Yuanli Master's reputation reached its peak. Due to a mistake by the Yuanli Master, all cultivators believed his 'Three Heavenly Principles of Yuanli' were the fundamental forces driving the universe, supported by the 'Great Power of the Dao.' However, Bai Ze was the only one who deemed the 'Great Power of the Dao' a superfluous concept. He integrated mathematics with celestial mechanics, writing and lecturing to share his insights—an understanding that was considered radical at the time. It wasn't until Taiyi Heavenly Venerable's Shape Comparison Technique emerged that the 'Great Power of the Dao' was proven incorrect. Nevertheless, the cosmic model described by the Shape Comparison Technique also surpassed the calculations of the God Monarch. He wasn't upset about his model being surpassed; instead, he rushed to the grand statue of Yuanli Master, shouting 'After all, I have won.' Thereafter, the God Monarch devoted himself entirely to Bai Ze's Algorithm." Wang Qi nodded, then asked another question: "There is a senior in Wanfa Sect named Pang Jialai, correct?" Su Junyu nodded: "Mathematics Lord Pang Jialai, known alongside Master of Calculation Xi Baiche as the top expert of Wanfa Sect." Wang Qi inquired further: "Did the Mathematics Lord contribute to the Shape Comparison Path and the Mysterious Path?" "Yes, indeed, he is one of the founders of the Mysterious Path." After Su Junyu finished speaking, he noticed a peculiar smile on Wang Qi's face and asked, "What are you thinking about?"