Chapter Two: Clarity of the Dao Heart
Shang Yingluo’s eyes sparkled at these words. Though she didn’t quite understand, she felt it sounded impressive. The little girl thought this fellow wasn’t at all unpleasant, and in fact, she felt a strange sense of closeness.
“What’s your name?” she asked.
“Shen Yu.”
“And what are you doing right now?”
“I’m searching for a spiritual treasure.”
“Searching for a spiritual treasure?”
Shang Yingluo followed his gaze, but the clouds and mountains obscured everything from view. She pondered a moment, as if recalling something, then pointed toward the distant clouds and said, “I heard there’s a Treasure Cliff in the Dao Sect, filled with all kinds of magical artifacts.”
Shen Yu said nothing more; his mind was already wandering far afield.
Deep within the cloud-veiled mountains, at the heart of a towering peak, a gentle breeze passed by. Countless spiritual treasures scattered around the mountain sensed this faint aura and trembled in unison.
On the Treasure Cliff, magical artifacts that had lain dormant for centuries suddenly released streams of pure energy, twisting and merging until a broad river of spiritual energy formed.
Such a grand and awe-inspiring sight, and yet none could witness it.
A soft sigh echoed, and the trembling of the treasures ceased. The river of spiritual energy slowly faded, and the mountain returned to silence.
It was as if nothing at all had happened.
...
The little girl saw Shen Yu slowly open his eyes, exhaustion etched across his face.
“Did you find the spiritual treasure?”
Shen Yu shook his head. “Not yet. Perhaps another time.”
“Oh.” The girl, simple in thought, didn’t realize the hidden meaning in his words. She said, “Next time I’ll help you look, all right? Will you promise not to tell anyone my secret?”
Shen Yu gazed at her. “Why did you come to the Dao Sect?”
Shang Yingluo glanced around, then whispered, “I came to study the Dao. My family has a Daoist book, but no one can understand it.”
“Studying the Dao through reading?”
A flicker of memory crossed Shen Yu’s eyes. Many years ago, another little girl clutching a thick Daoist tome had said something very similar.
Looking into the hopeful eyes of the girl before him, something gentle stirred within. He reached out and gently ruffled her hair. “All right.”
Page 1/3
When he withdrew his hand, the little girl leapt up, pouting and muttering, “If you keep touching my head, I’ll never grow tall.”
Shen Yu paid no mind to her childish concerns. He glanced at the plaza halfway up the mountain, where the crowd was gradually dispersing—time was running short. He stood and began to retrace his steps.
Shang Yingluo followed after him, skipping along. “Shen Yu, where are you going now?”
“To the test,” he replied.
Shang Yingluo’s eyes widened. “I thought you were the most powerful person in the Dao Sect.”
Shen Yu shook his head. “It’s my first time here.”
She looked worried. “Can you pass, Shen Yu?”
She noticed he showed no trace of magical energy—an ordinary youth, as ordinary as could be.
Shen Yu said nothing.
...
“Why are you only arriving now?” Ming Jian asked, displeasure evident as he looked at the young man who had just come.
The other boys and girls around the pavilion had long since departed, and Ming Jian had waited here the whole time.
Shen Yu answered, “I was bored, so I wandered elsewhere.”
Bored?
Ming Jian’s expression soured at these words and the youth’s casual demeanor. Every aspiring disciple of the Dao Sect waited respectfully in the plaza, afraid to miss their chance.
When Ming Jian himself first came, he was filled with anticipation and anxiety, too distracted to look anywhere else.
Yet this youth claimed boredom, a truly irritating remark.
Ming Jian was about to scold him, but upon seeing the little girl behind him, his expression softened a bit. “Is he your friend?” he asked.
Shang Yingluo nodded eagerly.
Ming Jian uttered an “Oh,” suppressing his annoyance, and said to Shen Yu with a faint tone, “Go to the Heart-Reflecting Mirror and test your Dao body.”
The Heart-Reflecting Mirror was that ancient bronze mirror resting on the stone platform.
He was curious to see the aptitude of this seemingly indifferent youth.
There are four grades of Dao body: Celestial, Earth, Profound, and Yellow. If Shen Yu could not even reach the Profound grade, would he still remain so calm?
Shen Yu was oblivious to Ming Jian’s thoughts, nor did he care. He simply stepped atop the stone platform.
Shang Yingluo watched with wide-eyed curiosity.
Page 2/3
The delicate youth stood beside the Heart-Reflecting Mirror, gently extending his right hand toward the air, only to pause, his brows furrowing in hesitation. A hint of worry flickered in his eyes.
Ming Jian watched this scene with disdain, convinced the youth was yet another pampered scion with little true talent.
Those who walk the path of cultivation must possess unwavering resolve to overcome countless tribulations.
But soon, Shen Yu turned his back to the two and slowly placed his right hand upon the bronze mirror.
A faint ringing sound issued from within the mirror, followed by a blue beam of light shooting straight into the clouds.
For the second time, the blue light appeared.
The little girl was elated, clenching her tiny fists in excitement.
Ming Jian’s expression grew solemn, staring in disbelief at the youth in the green robe.
Blue light signified the innate talent of an Earth-grade Dao body.
Such a Dao body was not particularly rare; in recent days, several disciples with this aptitude had appeared, and even one with the Celestial-grade Dao body.
Yet what defied belief was the ringing sound—a sign of clarity in the Dao heart, able to elicit the resonance of the Heart-Reflecting Mirror, a spiritual treasure.
Even Shang Yingluo, with her Celestial-grade Dao body, had not awakened such resonance.
Shen Yu lowered himself, seeming satisfied with the result, and stepped away from the platform.
“You tricked me,” Shang Yingluo followed behind, hands clasped behind her back, wearing an expression that said, “I see through everything.”
Shen Yu smiled, offering no explanation.
Testing one’s cultivation aptitude through spiritual treasures was a practice that began in that distant era. Once, a sect missed a true genius because of it.
Spiritual treasures are lifeless objects, riddled with flaws.
Throughout the wilds of mountains and seas, many powerful figures possessed little innate talent.
The greatest weakness was that the Heart-Reflecting Mirror could not withstand his divine consciousness.
If he poured all his mind into it, the treasure would simply shatter and vanish.
For beyond the four grades—Celestial, Earth, Profound, and Yellow—there was yet another realm.
The Innate Dao Body.
Page 3/3