Chapter 11: The Celestial Lord Imparts His Teachings

Hearing the sacred scripture, Cao Kong could not help but fall into deep contemplation, realization, and understanding, as though he were listening to the ultimate truths of the universe.

Joy flooded his heart, and his feet moved of their own accord, following the sound of the chanting until he came upon its source.

He arrived in a precious grove and beheld an elderly Daoist, seated high upon a nine-colored lotus throne, surrounded by billions of auspicious rays.

Cao Kong, his mind illuminated, knew at once that this must be the Great Compassionate Lord Taiyi, Savior from Suffering, who responds to the cries of the world.

The Lord wore a ceremonial crown, his robes gleamed with rosy clouds, his true form wondrous, his purple-gold aura radiant. Beneath the lotus platform, there was a simple meditation mat.

In that moment, blessings welled up in Cao Kong’s heart. He fell prostrate, bowing low to the ground, kneeling upon the mat to listen quietly to the teachings of the Dao.

When the recitation concluded, the Lord remained silent, eyes closed as if resting in meditation.

Cao Kong had cultivated in the deep mountains for decades, enduring solitude and nurturing his spiritual energy—his patience and discipline were extraordinary. Thus, he maintained a solemn and respectful posture.

From the hour of the Rat to the hour of the Rabbit, the Lord finally lowered his gaze.

“You, child—where are you from? State your name and origins clearly.”

Cao Kong answered reverently:

“I am Cao Kong, from Misty Mountain in the Western Ox Continent. I have cultivated in seclusion for many years, and by chance entered this precious land. To see your revered face fills my heart with longing. I beg the Lord to take pity and accept me as a disciple, that I may worship you with all my heart, that I may worship you with all my heart!”

Hearing this, the Great Compassionate Lord Taiyi nodded and smiled. “Not bad. You know proper etiquette, and you have already studied my teachings. There is some destiny between us, and I am pleased by your arrival.

“Since you wish to acknowledge me as your master, it is only right for a master to pass on teachings and illuminate the path. I have some methods here—what do you wish to learn? So that I may teach you, and truly bear the title of your teacher.”

Cao Kong’s heart surged with delight. At last, there was hope.

He replied meekly at once, “This disciple aspires to immortality and begs to be taught the supreme method of attaining it.”

The Lord pondered a moment, then said, “Within the Daoist tradition, there are three hundred and sixty side paths—all may yield true results. What teachings do you wish to learn from me?”

Cao Kong asked, “Can one truly become immortal through these side paths?”

The Lord was unsurprised and shook his head. “Though the side paths may yield true results and grant longevity, such immortality is like flowers in the mist or the moon’s reflection in water—ultimately, it is empty.”

Cao Kong bowed again, his expression solemn. “If that is so, I ask you to teach me the true way to immortality.”

The Lord sighed softly. “The side paths are easy to find; the true path is hard to seek. Listen and I will explain it to you in detail.”

Cao Kong bowed once more, recognizing that the Great Way was before him and he could not but be respectful. “Please, Master, speak plainly for your disciple.”

“The so-called true path to immortality, throughout all ages, is but one: the Way of the Golden Elixir. In this path, one regards oneself as a small universe, lifting and uniting heaven and earth, mastering yin and yang, breathing in essence, independently guarding the spirit. Through tireless cultivation day and night, one unites the three treasures—essence, energy, and spirit—into a single elixir. Only thus can one attain immortality.

“But this path seizes the very workings of heaven and earth, intrudes upon the mysteries of sun and moon. Once the Elixir is formed, even spirits and gods cannot tolerate it. Therefore, heaven and earth send down three great calamities as punishment. This is no ordinary path.”

Cao Kong suddenly understood: the so-called side paths depend on heaven and earth, thus true immortality is hard to attain. The orthodox Way of the Golden Elixir treats the self as a universe, swallowing the mysteries of creation, and is consequently rejected by heaven and earth, bringing about tribulations.

He immediately knelt and declared, “This disciple is willing to learn the extraordinary path. I beg you to teach me.”

A hint of pleasure flickered in the Lord’s eyes. “You must think carefully. The Way is most profound; do not treat the Golden Elixir lightly.

“The three calamities are difficult to overcome: thunder, wind, and fire. Without true realization and clarity of mind, you cannot escape them. Take the wind calamity, for example: the Furious Wind enters through the crown of the head, passes through the organs, the elixir field, the nine orifices, dissolving flesh and bone—the body unravels itself.”

Cao Kong replied, “If I can hear the Way in the morning, I can die content by evening.”

The Lord smiled. “Well said.”

He then chanted:

“Primal breath emerges from the mysterious gate,
Nine-colored golden light dances on the azure bird.
Auspicious energy fills the chamber, surging to the Niwan Palace,
Three karmas purified, five organs obscured in mystery.
Clouds blanket a thousand mountains, revealing the original nature,
The moon bathes ten thousand waters, calming the monkey mind…”

This was the “Infinite Source Wondrous Scripture of the Taiyi Golden Elixir.”

The incantation was but a few hundred words, yet from the Lord’s lips, it seemed to encompass all the ultimate truths of the world. Listening, Cao Kong grew dizzy and dazed, his ears ringing, his vision blurred.

With his extraordinary insight, he still struggled to remember it all. In his turmoil, he panicked, bit his finger, and let the blood flow, intending to write it on his sleeve.

The Lord laughed gently. “Good panther, truly devoted to the Way. But this is no ordinary teaching—it must not be lightly revealed.”

He drew a willow branch from his pure vase, sprinkled nectar onto Cao Kong’s forehead, and instantly, a mysterious awareness took root deep in Cao Kong’s mind.

“I now accept you as a registered disciple. One day, if you succeed in the Golden Elixir path, I will grant you a Daoist title, and you may become my true successor.”

The Lord paused, then added, “Cultivation is not limited to breathing exercises or meditation. Reading scriptures, tending flowers, practicing calligraphy, burning incense, the hundred arts of the world—all human endeavors can be paths of cultivation.

“I bestow upon you the Twin Scriptures of Wine and Sword—one art for self-protection, one to sustain your cultivation. Study them well.”

Cao Kong bowed deeply again. “Thank you, Master.”

At that moment, the scenery around him shifted. When Cao Kong opened his eyes, he found himself once more in the panther’s cave on Leopard Head Mountain, holding two precious manuals in his arms.

Meanwhile, in the Azure Splendor Realm of Lasting Happiness, the Nine-Spirits Sage was delighting in thoughts of how best to intoxicate the Lion Servant once more. Then another thought occurred:

“One day in heaven is a year on earth. With my comings and goings, that panther cub must have finished his cultivation by now. By this reckoning, I haven’t waited all that long.”

A smile broke across his face.

Just then, the Lord appeared. The Great Compassionate Lord Taiyi smiled and said, “Sage, you look very pleased today.”

The Nine-Spirits Sage, concealing his thoughts, respectfully saluted. “My lord, I encountered some happy events—no wonder I’m smiling.”

He added, “I see my lord is also quite pleased.”

The Lord Taiyi laughed. “Indeed, I too have encountered happy events.”

So master and servant laughed together; the more the Nine-Spirits Sage smiled, the more the Lord laughed, each one outdoing the other in joy.

As for the mortal world—

Back in Leopard Head Mountain, Cao Kong still felt as if in a dream.

To think he had become a disciple of the Great Compassionate Lord Taiyi—such an encounter was no less than when the Monkey King became a disciple of the Patriarch Bodhi.

The Lord Taiyi was no ordinary figure: his status was exalted, one of the Four Emperors of Heaven, also known as the Grand Emperor of the Eastern Azure Splendor. Among all the immortals and gods of the Three Realms, he was among the most supreme.

To be accepted as his disciple was the greatest fortune Cao Kong could imagine.

He felt that ever since leaving Misty Mountain, fortune had favored him again and again—so much so that he wondered if he should have left the mountains sooner.

But then he realized that had he left earlier, he might not have encountered such fate. As it is said, time and destiny—past causes yield present effects.

He then noticed the precious manual left behind by the Nine-Spirits Sage and mused:

“Now that I have become the disciple of the Great Compassionate Lord Taiyi, could this be why the Sage never told me his name back then?

“He knew my destiny lay with the Lord, and so feared that if I took him as my master first, it would offend the Lord. That’s why he gave me this manual to study at first, and then led me into a dream to test me.”

Various strange ideas flickered through Cao Kong’s mind, but at last they all faded away, and he immersed himself wholly in the Way of the Golden Elixir that now filled his thoughts.