Chapter 60: The Thunder Rain Dao (2)
The cosmic void and the swirling nebulas dissolved, leaving behind the scene of the mountain peak. Lin Yuan stood before the monk.The monk slowly brought his hands together, folding them in a gesture of respect and acknowledgement.
"Congratulations, young friend," the monk said, his voice echoing with the harmonious resonance of the surrounding mountains and rivers. "By successfully merging the destruction of Thunder with the absolute impartiality of Rain, you have have successfully taken the first true step in your path of Dao cultivation."
Lin Yuan looked at his own hands, clenching and unclenching his fists. He could feel the interwoven laws of the universe humming beneath his flesh. The monk was right. Everything he had done prior to this moment—condensing qi, forging his Golden Core, even forming his Nascent Soul—was merely just the preparation. Merging the Dao was the actual beginning of true comprehension.
"Many cultivators reach the Soul Transformation Realm, or even the Void Refinement Realm, without ever comprehending the Dao to your extent," the monk continued, his golden eyes gleaming with admiration. "Yet without grasping the origin of their respective paths, they will eventually encounter an insurmountable bottleneck. You, however, have already begun to touch the origin of your Dao while still only at the Nascent Soul Realm."
The monk stepped forward, his saffron robes rustling in the gentle breeze. He looked deeply into Lin Yuan’s purple pupils.
"But you must remember, the Great Dao is boundless, and the road ahead is infinitely long," the monk advised, offering solemn words of encouragement. "Talent and comprehension can allow you to see the path, but it is your perseverance that will act as the underlying determination to whether you will truly reach your final goal. There will be tribulations that test not your body, but your very mind. There will be karmic chains that attempt to drag you down into the mud. You must remain as unyielding as the thunder and as persistent as the rain."
"I will remember your teachings, Senior," Lin Yuan replied, his voice carrying the unshakable weight of his Dao Heart.
With all that, Lin Yuan prepared to retract his divine sense. He closed his eyes, centering his consciousness to pull away from the painting.
But right before he severed the connection, Lin Yuan stopped.
He opened his eyes and looked back at the monk. A strange warmth blossomed within Lin Yuan’s chest. Since arriving in this brutal, unforgiving world, he had relied entirely on his own wits, the system’s returns, and a ruthless pragmatism to thrive.
But standing here, in this realm, receiving guidance from an entity that had likely stood at the pinnacle of the cultivation, Lin Yuan felt something entirely new. He felt the profound, budding seeds of a true master-disciple relationship starting to blossom. This monk had not asked for anything in return; he had simply seen a younger seeker of the Dao and chosen to illuminate the dark path ahead.
A genuine, and deeply appreciative smile appeared across Lin Yuan’s face.
"Thank you, Senior," Lin Yuan said, bowing deeply, a gesture of absolute respect he reserved for almost no one. "For your guidance, and for showing me the vastness of the heavens."
The monk smiled warmly in return, nodding his head once. "Go, young friend. Your Dao Companion awaits."
’How did he...?’ Lin Yuan was genuinely surprised that the monk had accurately deduced that he was married.
Seeing the surprise in Lin Yuan’s expression, the monk chuckled softly. "It may seem as though I somehow guessed right that you have a Dao Companion. Normally, most cultivators would be reluctant to leave after gaining the very insight they had sought for so long. Yet your consciousness has been restless from the moment your enlightenment ended. You are already eager to withdraw it. That tells me there is someone outside whom you are longing to return to."
"Senior has guessed correctly. This junior is indeed married."
The monk nodded calmly, his expression carrying a faint smile. He then closed his eyes and resumed his meditation. His body now cross-legged, radiating a brilliant golden light that illuminated the surroundings like the rising sun.
Then, with a final surge of his will, Lin Yuan completely removed his consciousness from the Mountain and River Painting.
Twang.
Lin Yuan’s eyes snapped open. The transition was instantaneous.
He was no longer standing on a sunlit mountain peak; he was back in the confines of his bedroom. And filling the room was the beautiful melody of the Zither.
Lin Yuan blinked, a wave of profound disorientation washing over him.
He looked at Bai Qingyue. Her delicate fingers were currently plucking the exact same string they had been plucking the very moment he had projected his divine sense into the painting. The note was still echoing in the air, having barely changed.
Lin Yuan’s breath hitched in realization. Time...
He felt as if he had spent hours, perhaps even days, conversing with the monk, exploring the void, and painstakingly merging his Thunder Rain Dao. Yet, in the real world, practically zero time had passed. It was as if all the time he had witnessed in that painting equated to nothing more than a single second in reality.
Lin Yuan slowly turned his gaze toward the Mountain and River Painting on his hand, looking just as faded, dusty, and unimpressive as it had when he bought it at the auction house.
Yet, Lin Yuan’s heart swelled with an overwhelming sense of fortune.
To have acquired this treasure was the ultimate stroke of luck. But more importantly, to have the monk—someone possessing a cultivation base that probably eclipsed the legends of this lower world, likely sitting at the Body Integration realm or beyond—acting as a willing guide... it was a blessing indeed, as Lin Yuan felt profoundly grateful.
Slowly, the final notes of the zither melody began to fade.
Bai Qingyue brought her hands to rest gently over the strings, silencing the vibration. She let out a soft, and exhausted breath, her hair falling gracefully over her slender shoulders. The song that had earned her the title of the ’Zither that Touches the Soul’ had concluded, leaving behind an atmosphere of melancholic peace that completely purged the lingering scent of death from the courtyard outside.
She looked up at Lin Yuan, her cheeks still dusted with a rosy pink hue, her eyes shimmering. She was seeking his approval, hoping that her crippled state had not robbed her of the one art she could still offer him.
Lin Yuan was entirely captivated, as a beautiful, and incredibly warm smile spread across his face.
Before Lin Yuan could even speak his praises, a loud, and enthusiastic sound shattered the quiet intimacy of the room.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
Standing near the doorway, Bai Chen was clapping his hands together with comedic vigor. The young man had tears streaming down his face, completely overwhelmed by the Dao Rhythm that had filled the room during the performance.
"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!" Bai Chen cheered, showering his cousin with the highest of praises, his voice filled with emotion. "Cousin Qingyue, the Heavens themselves are weeping in shame! If the immortals in the upper realms heard that melody, they would descend just to throw their instruments into the sea! I feel as though my soul has been washed in the River of Life! Truly, the title of the ’Zither that Touches the Soul’ is too small for you!"
Bai Qingyue blushed a deep crimson, laughing softly at her cousin’s dramatic, and albeit entirely genuine, reaction. She looked back to Lin Yuan, her heart completely full, the horrors of the Xu Clan attack temporarily buried beneath the warmth of her family.
Lin Yuan took a step forward, ready to take her hands
Then;
[Ding!]
[Host has invested: Time, attention, and profound emotional resonance while listening to Dao Companion play the zither.]
[Triggering critical multiplier... calculating...]
[Congratulations to the Host! You have triggered a 10,000X Spell Generation!]
[Reward: False Immortal Palmstrike!]