The Four Whips of the Dao Heart

“Those two spirit-beasts will wait outside for now,” the young Daoist acolyte said.

Ji Ning nodded. Little Qing and Uncle White obediently waited in silence nearby. Both of them understood clearly… the person within this Daoist temple was none other than the most famous and supreme of the mighty figures in the Three Realms, ‘Patriarch Subhuti.’ They dared not act rashly.

“Let’s go.” The white-robed Immortal Jun led Ji Ning into the temple.

“Uncle White, the master is going to meet the Daofather. This is all just like a dream,” Little Qing said, her eyes filled with excitement.

The Whitewater Hound gently nodded. Even now, he remained shaken. That small child who had once practiced his swordplay against a straw target while carrying a bow and arrows… was now going to pay his respects to the mighty ‘Patriarch Subhuti.’ “The fortunes of life are truly inconceivable.”

Inside the Daoist temple.

On an open area, many meditation mats were spread out. In front of the open area was a set of stairs, and atop the stairs was another meditation mat. Sitting cross-legged on it was a gaunt, elderly man with white hair and beard. He wore a loose Daoist robe and sat with his legs folded, radiating an aura that involuntarily calmed one’s heart and mind.

“Is that Patriarch Subhuti?” The moment he saw the white-haired elder, Ji Ning felt an instinctive tension. This was a true grandmaster, one who had even slain other Dao-divinities and Daofathers, and was hailed as the most mysterious Daofather in all the Three Realms!

Faced with such an existence, how could Ji Ning not be nervous?

“Master, I have brought Ji Ning,” the white-robed Immortal Jun said with the utmost respect.

“Your disciple pays his respects to the Daofather,” Ji Ning said respectfully as well.

Patriarch Subhuti opened his eyes, glanced at Ji Ning, and a faint smile appeared on his face. He nodded lightly, then instructed Immortal Jun, “You may withdraw now. Leave Ji Ning here.”

“Yes.” The white-robed Immortal Jun respectfully withdrew.

Now, only Ji Ning and Patriarch Subhuti remained.

The Patriarch said calmly, “There is no need to be nervous. Pick any mat you like and sit down first.”

“Yes.” Ji Ning chose a mat nearby and sat down cross-legged.

“I watched the Immortal Fortunes Assembly of the Grand Xia World. Among the contestants, you, Mu Chuan, and the Ragged Fellow were the most outstanding,” Patriarch Subhuti commented. “It was within my expectations that Crimsonbright ultimately chose Mu Chuan. He values Dao-heart above all when selecting disciples, and Mu Chuan’s temperament is most to his liking.”

Ji Ning sighed inwardly.

The artifact spirit of the aquatic palace had once said that Patriarch Subhuti was exceptionally skilled at teaching disciples. In contrast, Daofather Crimsonbright and the Black Tortoise Grand Emperor were far less adept. Even Patriarch Subhuti believed that ‘Mu Chuan’ and ‘the Ragged Fellow’ were both excellent, so they truly did have great potential.

“But in my view, you have even greater potential than those two,” the Patriarch said.

Ji Ning felt a surge of joy.

This was the first time he had been told he had more potential than the Ragged Fellow and Mu Chuan, and the one saying it was Patriarch Subhuti himself.

“The path of Immortal cultivation is filled with hardship. Thus, walking step by step, planting your feet firmly, and moving steadily is correct,” the Patriarch said. “From this perspective, Mu Chuan and the Ragged Fellow are both excellent disciples. Their foundations were the most solid among the Assembly contestants, and their minds were the most settled.”

“However… Heaven and Earth are divided into Yin and Yang,” the Patriarch continued. “While steadiness is important, so too is sharpness.”

“One must be steady, but one must also have an edge.”

“Steadiness is Yin; sharpness is Yang. Only through the interplay of Yin and Yang can one walk far.” The Patriarch smiled. “Ji Ning, your sharpness far exceeds that of those two, and your foundation is also very solid. The problem is, disciples like you are harder to teach. Disciples like the Ragged Fellow and Mu Chuan are very easy; just let them cultivate slowly, let them roam and explore, and they will naturally improve step by step.”

“As for you, your progress will be faster than theirs, but you will also face greater danger. Your future accomplishments may surpass theirs, or you may fall along the way.” The Patriarch looked at Ji Ning. “Today, I will give you a few words of advice. You must engrave them in your heart.”

“On the path of Immortal cultivation, your goal should be lofty. Take Pangu and Nuwa as your targets.”

“On the path of Immortal cultivation, you must keep your eyes on the road. Remember: your foundation must be solid. Do not reach for what is beyond your grasp, lest you lose everything and perish Dao and body alike.”

“On the path of Immortal cultivation, you must be cautious. A cautious man sails a ship for ten thousand years.”

“On the path of Immortal cultivation, you must be sharp. Only with a surging spirit in your heart can you walk far.”

The Patriarch’s words were simple, but they were the very foundation of the Immortal-cultivating Dao-heart.

Those who could be summoned before Patriarch Subhuti were already excellent in talent and comprehension. What truly determined their future achievements was their Dao-heart!

“I shall engrave these words in my heart,” Ji Ning said seriously.

“How to aim high without overreaching, how to be cautious while maintaining a surging spirit… this you must grasp for yourself. Heaven and Earth, Yin and Yang; between Yin and Yang lies the heart,” the Patriarch said.

Ji Ning nodded.

Meeting him for the first time, the Patriarch had given him these words of advice, and Ji Ning understood their importance. He also grasped the principles the Patriarch spoke of. However, ‘knowing is easy, doing is hard.’ On the path of Immortal cultivation, one must constantly reflect on oneself to avoid straying from the right path. These four pieces of advice from the Patriarch were like four whips, lashing him forward again and again.

The Patriarch then said, “I observed you at the Immortal Fortunes Assembly. It seems you have learned the divine ability ‘Starseizing Hand.’”

“Yes,” Ji Ning admitted.

Since the Patriarch had already named the ‘Starseizing Hand,’ there was no point in hiding it.

“Fellow Daoist Threelives finally has a true successor. This divine ability is about to reappear in the Three Realms!” The Patriarch sighed with emotion. “Little Bear, won’t you come out?”

Whoosh.

A figure suddenly appeared beside Ji Ning. It was the Yellow-Maned Bear.

“Mm?” Ji Ning was startled to see that the Yellow-Maned Bear beside him seemed far more solid and lifelike, not the ethereal condensation of the ‘aquatic palace’s artifact spirit.’

“Little Bear pays his respects to the Daofather.” The Yellow-Maned Bear knelt down and kowtowed directly.

“It seems Ji Ning indeed entered the ‘Starseizing Manor’ to learn this divine ability,” the Patriarch said with a nod.

Ji Ning’s expression showed confusion. “Patriarch, the ‘Starseizing Manor’?”

The Yellow-Maned Bear beside him said, “The Starseizing Manor is the true name of the aquatic palace. Although this manor was left by my master to be passed on to a disciple, it was also his original dwelling. During his time, my master often hosted friends in the Starseizing Manor, and some Fiendgods even came to listen to his lectures on the Dao.”

Ji Ning was reminded of the many meditation mats in the main hall of the aquatic palace. It was true that many people had once sat there listening to lectures.

The Patriarch said, “The Starseizing Manor was to Threelives what this Tristar Crescent Abode is to me. In those days, Threelives knew that the great calamity would be difficult to survive, so he meticulously prepared. He took his original dwelling, added a vast number of treasures, even melting down several Primordial spiritual treasures for materials, and invited several grandmasters to help him. Only then was he able to forge it. Afterwards, he cast it away, letting Little Bear seek out a disciple on his own.”

“Please, Daofather, guide me,” the Yellow-Maned Bear said, kowtowing heavily, tears gleaming in his eyes. “Tell Little Bear where my master is now. Is he alive or dead?”

He kowtowed with a thumping sound, his eagerness and desperation plain to see. He had waited endless ages for this day.

“Hah.”

When the Patriarch heard this, his expression grew complicated. After a moment of hesitation, he said, “Threelives was my dearest friend, a bosom friend! We knew each other in the primordial chaos and roamed together. I am somewhat more taciturn, while Brother Threelives was far more sharp and aggressive! I preferred to contemplate Heaven and Earth, to comprehend the profound mysteries of the Heavenly Dao, and not to involve myself in the power struggles of the ancient Primordial World. But Brother Threelives was filled with boundless battle-intent, extremely fond of war. A great number of Fiendgods followed under his command, and he carved out a vast territory in the ancient Primordial World, earning the title of ‘God-Lord.’”

“Because of an early injury to his arm, he bitterly studied and pondered, eventually forging a heaven-shaking, earth-shattering great divine ability: the ‘Starseizing Hand’!”

“Chaos True Gods are inherently extremely skilled in battle. Even the Daolords of the Ki Refining school, those ‘Grand Daofathers,’ were unwilling to engage in life-or-death combat with Chaos True Gods. But after Brother Threelives comprehended this Starseizing Hand, especially the power of its sixth cycle, its might was inconceivable. In the ancient Primordial World, his fame was illustrious, and he ranked among the foremost True Gods and Daofathers.”

The Patriarch’s gaze grew distant as he spoke slowly. “However, he had never fully comprehended the Heavenly Dao, so his premonition of danger was relatively weak. When that great calamity came—the greatest calamity since Pangu split Heaven and Earth—Threelives insisted on going. I tried to stop him, but his natural battle-intent surged to the heavens, and he refused to retreat. Knowing it was unspeakably dangerous… his warlike blood decided for him. Before he left, unwilling to let his ‘Starseizing Hand’ be lost, he invited several friends to help. On the foundation of his original dwelling, he added many treasures and refined it, creating the new Starseizing Manor for the purpose of inheritance.”

“After creating the new Starseizing Manor, when the calamity descended, he went to meet it without hesitation.”

“In that battle, I retreated,” the Patriarch said, his gaze ethereal.

Ji Ning’s heart trembled.

The Patriarch had retreated?

The greatest calamity since Pangu split Heaven and Earth?

“That calamity was the greatest since the primordial chaos began. From the very start, the Primordial World was shattered, countless powerful beings fell, and Fiendgods perished. Those far stronger than Threelives fell one by one,” the Patriarch said, shaking his head with a sigh. “Bitter, bitter. Threelives, being such a warlike figure, was naturally caught up in it. His divine ability, the ‘Starseizing Hand,’ was truly one of the most supreme great abilities, praised even by Nuwa. In his maddened fury, Threelives slew several Fiendgod Daofathers himself. I could only watch the battle through my ‘Dream of the Three Realms’ technique, never participating.”

“This divine ability was born from Threelives’ innate battle-intent, combined with what he learned from Pangu and Nuwa, ultimately giving form to a great power. Comprehending such a technique requires talent. I have comprehended many more techniques than Threelives, but not one of them can compare to this Starseizing Hand.” The Patriarch looked at Ji Ning. “Now that this divine ability has been passed into your hands, you must never let it be tarnished.”

Ji Ning nodded heavily.

Daoist Threelives had used the ‘Starseizing Hand’ to slay several Fiendgod Daofathers. From the Patriarch’s words, it was clear that this divine ability was terrifyingly powerful.

The Yellow-Maned Bear, however, was shaking with emotion. “Daofather… my master, he…”

Ji Ning also looked at the Patriarch.

Was Daoist Threelives alive or dead? This was something he had longed to know for a long time.

“Little Bear.” The Patriarch looked at the Yellow-Maned Bear and sighed softly.

The Yellow-Maned Bear’s heart clenched. His expression changed, and he kowtowed heavily, thumping the ground. “Please, Daofather, tell me! Is my master alive or dead?”

“Little Bear, you already knew the answer in your heart long ago. Why must you ask?” The Patriarch shook his head.