r18novel Chapter 235 The Transformation of Dragon and Snake, Where is My White Crane?
Chapter 235 The Transformation of Dragon and Snake, Where is My White Crane?
Everything from his past life swirled in Lü Qian's eyes, transforming into vibrant colors that settled in his clear and bright heart, becoming the anchor of his past.
These past times seem to have become a scroll painting, slowly rolling from the endless past towards the present reality.
Beneath the scrolling canvas, the vibrant colors gradually come to a close, and the vivid imagery unfolds in Lü Qian's mind, continuing his previous memories.
The monkey who first entered the Xuanmen sect devoted himself to cultivation at the beginning, and later traveled around the world, received the teachings from the patriarch, and gained extraordinary abilities.
In this process, the monkey gradually shed its ignorant appearance, found the path to heaven that it wanted, and also gained the ability to reach heaven.
In the painting, although the monkey has gained a lot, the old chains binding its heart are gradually tightening, trapping itself within.
The once mischievous monkey has turned into a crazy and arrogant little monkey.
The little monkey went up Mount Longhu and showed the world his Taoist magic and supernatural powers. He looked so carefree and happy.
Later, the little monkey heard the news and went to Baiyun Temple in Beijing to see off an old monkey who had previously guided him.
The old monkey lived for over a hundred years, and in the end, it set itself ablaze, creating a flame that was both dazzling and extremely hot.
The scorching flames also ignited the little monkey, and the light and heat of the flames spread into the little monkey's empty heart.
The old chains binding the little monkey's heart were burned away, releasing its true nature that had been trapped and obscured—it was still the original monkey it always was.
The picture in Lü Qian's mind continued to unfold. Among the colorful scenes, the brilliant reddish-gold shone even brighter, making the monkey look exceptionally radiant.
This time, the monkey did not pursue any Tao or Dharma. Instead, it had a great dream in which it experienced the mortal world once again.
After being tempered by the mortal world, the mischievous monkey has completely transformed into a majestic and upright Great Sage!
This Great Sage didn't have a phoenix-winged purple-gold crown or a golden chainmail armor, nor did he carry the Ruyi Jingu Bang (magic staff). Instead, he was dressed as a Taoist priest.
He wore a dark blue Taoist robe with slightly torn sleeves, and on his feet were a pair of dusty Shifang shoes. He carried a peach wood sword on his back.
It stood there in the frame, its hands tucked into its sleeves, its bright, golden pupils staring intently out of the frame, as if it were looking directly at Lü Qian.
Lu Qian looked inward at himself and observed the scroll in his mind. He looked at the lifelike monkey portrait on the scroll, whose posture was just like a human's, and smiled to himself.
"This is me!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the scroll painting came to a close.
"Thump!"
The scroll seemed to have reached its end, the scroll gathering all past experiences, leaving only endless blank space ahead, waiting for Lü Qian to paint new colors.
"Traveler, what should you do next?"
In the darkness, Lü Qian, who was reflecting on himself, seemed to hear the question from Master Ziyang. He raised his hand and grasped it in the air, and a writing brush appeared out of thin air in his palm.
"Seeking the profound truth requires no external means; one must seek the true tranquility of the primordial spirit within."
As he spoke, Lü Qian held up a brush and touched the scroll. A dazzling, brilliant reddish-gold color flowed from the tip of the brush, spreading out a splash of color on the blank scroll.
The colors are bright, like the innocent heart of a young person, but with a touch of maturity.
He wielded his brush, and the brush seemed to transform into a peach wood sword in his hand, its blade flashing and slashing a dazzling light across the blank canvas in the distance.
"The Great Sage's heart remains forever young; his swordplay is still that of a youth!"
This sharp edge, drawn from this moment into the future, seemed to determine Lü Qian's future path.
The past shapes the present, and the future is in our hands right now!
Outside, Lü Qian stood still, a breath of hot, pure energy rising from his five internal organs, climbing the towering tower, circling between his mouth and nose, and then rushing towards the spiritual platform along the Magpie Bridge.
This pure energy was as scorching as a raging fire and as sharp as a sword. As soon as it entered the spiritual platform, it pounced on the primordial spirit sitting in the center.
"Clang!"
A crisp sword sound suddenly rang out, and the primordial spirit, which had been radiating precious light and sitting cross-legged with its eyes closed, was suddenly awakened. With a turn of the golden sword in its hand, the light of the Heavenly Escape Sword Technique immediately shone brightly.
However, the light of the Heavenly Escape Sword Technique was not as sharp as it used to be in slaying evil; instead, it was very gentle, as if it was accepting this sudden attack of pure energy.
The sword light flashed and faded, and the mind returned to tranquility, but some unusual changes occurred.
A phantom lotus flower appeared out of thin air above the head of the primordial spirit. As the petals unfurled, flames seemed to flow and drip onto the primordial spirit.
The primordial spirit, having been tempered by the flames, seemed to have gained a touch of spirituality, and a youthful spirit appeared on its serene and indifferent face.
Inside the antique-style room, Lü Qian blinked, realizing that all the strange phenomena had happened in the blink of an eye.
The serene and natural aura emanating from him vanished, replaced by the spiritedness befitting a young man.
"The gathering of three flowers at the top is an illusion, but the spirit in my heart is not an illusion."
Lu Qian smiled and looked at Master Ziyang opposite him, patted his chest and said with some lingering fear, "I almost got old again. I almost fell into this dream of wealth and power."
"Master Ziyang, have I finally awakened from my dream?"
"Haha, of course, you have now truly comprehended the Dragon-Snake Transformation of Patriarch Nanhua."
Master Ziyang stroked his beard and said, "Being able to transform from a monkey into a Great Sage is a natural result of growth."
"But whether you can return from the Great Sage to the Monkey King depends on your own cultivation."
Lu Qian took out the scroll of "Taiping Jing" from his sleeve. The ink marks on the bamboo slips suddenly emitted a dreamlike silver light, transforming into a fluttering butterfly.
The butterfly circled Lü Qian twice before transforming into a streak of light and disappearing into the void.
"Thank you for your guidance, Patriarch Nanhua."
Lu Qian bowed respectfully in the direction where the butterfly had disappeared.
The "Autumn Floods" chapter of the Zhuangzi states that a person should dwell among the trees and wild geese, and should undergo transformations like those of a dragon and a snake.
Simply put, people should adapt to their current environment; they can be a soaring dragon or a slithering snake.
When applied to Lü Qian, this describes his turbulent and uncertain state of mind.
In the end, the dream of the Yellow Millet did indeed give Lü Qian several years of extra experience out of thin air. Although his mind grew, when he woke up, there was a difference between his physical and mental state.
Whether Lü Qian can adjust himself at this point and transform the Great Sage into a monkey depends on his own cultivation.
Judging from the outcome, Lü Qian, this monkey, has completely digested the dream of wealth and power, and has truly achieved the realm of the Great Sage.
"In that case, the traveler must continue on his journey."
With a flick of his whisk, Master Ziyang dispelled the scene in Lü Qian's eyes, and he arrived at the exposed brain chamber of Tongtian Valley, standing in the center of the pavilion.
"Traveler, there are still a few destined people outside Tongtian Valley who need you to deal with them."
"Thank you, Patriarch Ziyang."
Lu Qian bowed to the void, then suddenly seemed to remember something and asked.
"Master, where is my white crane?"