CHAPTER 115: CHAPTER 115 BRIGHT PATH

The instincts within the body create various desires; the so-called seven emotions and six desires all originate from the body. Without a strong will, one will sink into the spirit and let oneself float in the sea of one’s desires.

The Taoist Family has methods to tame the Monkey Mind; the Buddhist Sect has ways to cut off the seven emotions and six desires, all to suppress the evil beasts within.

And only the Spirit can confront these desires, allowing one to find the true self in the increasingly materialistic world, thereby fully controlling one’s body and actions; everything done is one’s own choice.

This is the use of Spirit to harness the body.

In some ways, this true self state is what the Taoist Family refers to as jumping outside the Three Realms, not being within the five elements - the Spirit Realm.

Unaffected by external affairs or material things, everything is centered on controlling one’s own will.

Ancient philosophies have extensively explained this realm.

Act freely without violating propriety.

Knowledge and action as one, with nothing outside the heart.

Unity of Heaven and Man.

In the realm of meditation.

This is the state where the spirit has completely slain the body’s desires.

And the lamp lit in the heart is not real, but a manifestation of spiritual will.

It is not dominated by personal desires; a bright lamp lights up, dispelling desires, illuminating with a faint glow in the boundless darkness, advancing through the fog.

"So... the lamp represents wisdom and awakening. Although it is as small as a candlelight, it can illuminate the whole body, dispel all confusion, and achieve sublimation."

Lu Ren unconsciously voiced the thoughts brewing in his mind, causing the skeleton beside him to raise its skull with a snap of bone. Although incapable of facial expressions without flesh, the conveyed shock was palpable.

"You... how could you possibly comprehend to such a degree?!!"

Such progress in understanding is not just astonishing but is akin to celestial existence. As far as he knew, even Shakyamuni, under the Bodhi Tree for Enlightenment, did not possess Lu Ren’s terrifying insight!

At this moment, Lu Ren’s eyes gradually lowered, his entire demeanor became extremely calm and serene. He reached out and gently extinguished the candle before him, then focused his gaze on the extinguished lampwick.

The skeleton could distinctly feel that Lu Ren’s Spirit, will, and even soul, all seemed to slowly coalesce under Lu Ren’s gaze, eventually forming a constantly flickering, rounded entity, with an exterior burning with flame.

It’s like he turned jade nourishing into the lampwick, burning freely.

"I see!"

Lu Ren’s slightly closed eyes opened, his gaze brightened as if emitting light.

The Lamp of Freedom is not about the imagined lamp, but the lamp within the heart - it is awakening wisdom, moving forward tirelessly and undeterred.

However, the lamp each person burns differs, due to their thoughts or the fist technique paths they practice being different.

It could be a lamp of courage and vigor, a lamp of great compassion, a lamp of transcendence and freedom, a lamp of positive Yang, or even a lamp of sinister magic.

Just like sitting atop the heart’s Ling Mountain, with each one’s seven emotions and six desires, these individuals all practice the Lamp, all comprehending its meaning.

They treat wine as song, enjoy wine and celebrate the bright moon.

They admire the same moon, but the paths they ascended the mountain differ greatly, and their thoughts upon seeing the moon also vary substantially.

With the lamp ignited within the heart, Lu Ren’s will seemed to illuminate the dark mist ahead on the path, the rolling gray fog was dispelled by the surrounding darkness. Though the flame was weak, unsteady, it never extinguished.

Although the Lamp of Freedom didn’t specifically and tangibly enhance his Power, the significance it brought was immense.

Lighting one’s own lamp to illuminate oneself, he can thereby perfectly control his body, and even rapidly elevate his internal speed levels in an instant, achieving an explosive state gaining stronger Power.

"You’ve mastered the meaning of the Lamp of Freedom," the skeleton sighed. "Back then, when I practiced this magic, my teacher had me gaze at a burning candle. It took me a full eight years to achieve enlightenment. I did not look at the candlelight but the light within my heart. You have gone beyond the initiators of this path, forged your own path. I hope you make good use of this way."

Lu Ren slowly rose, turned to the skeleton, and bowed deeply.

"Thank you for the teaching and enlightenment!"

After receiving Lu Ren’s bow with contentment, the skeleton eagerly jumped up, exclaiming, "Alright, you’re progressing beyond my expectations. Let’s hurry to the seal’s location to slay the Demon!!"

Lu Ren voiced, "How do we reach the underground, do we need to dig the soil?"

He selectively ignored Tie Feng’s burrow.

Primarily not wanting to crawl through it, feeling it somewhat beneath him... cough cough.

The skeleton didn’t speak, directly pushing aside the heavy incense table next to them, revealing a square stone slab. He exerted slight effort to lift the stone, revealing a stairway extending downwards into a pitch-black corridor.

"What soil are you digging, what are you thinking?"

Lu Ren couldn’t help but retort, "No new tricks? Bringing out such an old-fashioned basement element, isn’t it an insult to people’s intelligence with overused TV and novel tropes? Where’s the elevator?"

Ignoring the nonsense in Lu Ren’s words, the skeleton pointed downwards saying, "The sealed Great Demon is down there. Young man, your chance to save the world has come, go on and destroy it."

Looking at the deep, dark corridor, Lu Ren calmly stated, "Master, actually I have claustrophobia."

"Oh, the hell you do!"

After a brief dispute, the skeleton cursed and yelled ’you ungrateful wretch’ and took the lead down the stairs. Clearly seeing that if he didn’t move forward, Lu Ren would absolutely refuse to go down.

Following the skeleton down the stairway, Lu Ren couldn’t help but ask, "I already have a way to initially unleash certain Qi so as to open the passage. Why do I still have to go down?"

The skeleton replied heavily, "If this Great Demon really breaks free and escapes to the outside world, it will cause an extremely catastrophic disaster!"

This perception gap exists; the Great Demon might have been formidable and impressive in ancient times, but in today’s modern firepower, a few rounds of bombardment render it all void.

However, after witnessing that what was known as ancient cultivation could indeed be explained, how should spiritual defense proceed?

Lu Ren was quite curious to witness what this so-called Great Demon looked like. Where exactly does the Path of Awakened lead, with so many branches, each person’s direction is truly divergent, born from the myriad collisions of ideas beneath different paths and philosophies.

It has formed the struggle between Buddha Demon and right versus evil differentiation.

Lu Ren truly wanted to attempt it, having attained a high Fist Realm, testing his courage within.

Hoping the attempt wouldn’t lead to his demise...

Lu Ren asked, "The demon you’re referring to, what kind of creature is it, human or Demon?"

The skeleton replied, "A person in life, a Demon in death."

Lu Ren surprised, "Could it turn into a corpse after death?"

"I’m speaking of human nature," the skeleton emphasized.

Lu Ren scoffed softly, "Self-righteous indeed."