Chapter 111: Great is the Primal Origin, The Beginning of Renewal

“At the beginning of the cycle, all things are renewed.”

Since Cao Kong returned from the Qinghua Changle Realm, he often recited this phrase during moments of cultivation, allowing it to resonate with his studies. He sensed the profound truth within it, though grasping its full essence remained elusive.

Unnoticed, a year had passed.

One day, Cao Kong sat atop the peak of Hidden Mist Mountain, his gaze sweeping over the landscape of rivers and mountains.

It was spring. A thunderclap startled the world, followed by the fall of spring rain. From this moment, vitality emerged, and all things began to grow.

Unconsciously, Cao Kong sat entranced, fixated on the spring rain.

The rain fell for an entire day, and Cao Kong watched it for the same span.

He seemed to perceive a certain law—the law governing the evolution of all things, harmonious with heaven and earth, with nature, with the great Dao.

Since embarking on the path of cultivation, Cao Kong had made remarkable progress. Since his encounter with the Primordial Sage of Nine Spirits the previous year, his advancement had been swift. Yet, he felt something amiss.

He vaguely sensed he had entered a kind of misunderstanding.

For the knowledge he had absorbed was vast: the endless Sword Classic, myriad divine powers, the grand foundational methods of the Golden Core, and countless miscellaneous teachings.

This breadth of learning made Cao Kong feel limited, unable to fully encompass it all.

But this spring rain, bringing forth all things to life, somehow granted him a glimpse of an answer amid his confusion.

He pondered deeply, contemplating the relationship between this spring and the myriad living beings.

Days turned to months, and several days passed in a flash. During this time, leaves fell upon Cao Kong’s body, dew condensed upon him, dust settled, but he paid no heed. He sat in quiet contemplation.

He observed all things growing, each following its own path—plants flourishing, the earth reviving, living creatures freely thriving in spring.

His vital essence grew more obscure, yet his eyes shone ever brighter.

Boom!

Another peal of thunder roared—not only awakening life outside but exploding in Cao Kong’s mind, mixing myriad thoughts into a void.

Yet from this void, existence was born anew.

In this moment of daze and slight restraint, Cao Kong casually removed the ebony hairpin from his head, letting his hair fall loose, embracing the chaos and the opportunity born of emptiness.

Drip.

Spring rain fell upon his crown; spring breeze stirred his hair.

In a hazy trance, Cao Kong entered a wondrous realm, one that could be called “enlightenment.”

Then, carried by the wind, he walked and chanted like a great scholar—disheveled, singing and laughing freely, his true feelings laid bare.

He recited:

“At the beginning of the cycle, all things are renewed. Where the initial Yang stirs, all beings come to life before their time—so it is.”

He laughed heartily:

“Great is the Primal Origin, from which all things begin, uniting heaven!”

***

Unconsciously, his steps left the mountain peak, treading upon empty space. Yet he did not fall but walked upon clouds and mist, as if upheld by an unseen hand.

Then he heard:

“Clouds move, rain falls; all things take form. The great light begins and ends; six positions complete the times. Riding six dragons, time governs heaven. The Dao of Qian transforms, rectifying nature and life, preserving harmony and balance, thus ensuring prosperity and stability. The first emergence of myriad beings, all nations enjoy peace!”

He wandered among the clouds, like an immortal on land, repeatedly chanting as if embodying the renewal of the cycle.

Within Hidden Mist Mountain, all spirits were extraordinary. Listening closely, they felt the boundless subtle transformations, and this spiritual resonance took root in their hearts.

Whoosh—

Amid wind, rain, and mist, a man walked.

Cao Kong was immersed in this realm; his eyes lacked focus but reflected the universe’s myriad phenomena.

The wind whispered past his ears, bringing its sound; the rain fell before his eyes, conveying its mood.

Flowers, birds, insects, fish, clouds, and mountains all expressed their spiritual essence to Cao Kong, who responded—not with words, but with his heart.

In this profound and mysterious state, Cao Kong remained for seven consecutive days.

At the end of the seventh day, he awakened with unprecedented clarity in his eyes. He saw the truth, the root.

He had long felt himself insignificant while knowledge was boundless.

To be insignificant and limited before the limitless is perilous!

But now, from the birth of all things, through the fall of spring, he reached chaos, reached emptiness, and from emptiness gave birth to existence.

He finally understood: all things have roots; one Dao can give rise to myriad beings.

What he had studied—the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions, the Five Luminaries, the ebb and flow of Dao—were all but manifestations of the Five Elements, facets of the same whole.

Hence, seeing complexity distilled to simplicity, penetrating mystery to grasp truth, he realized—at the beginning of the cycle, all things are renewed.

And again—Great is the Primal Origin, from which all things flourish.

Thousands of paths, myriad ways, stem from a single source. One must cut through the tangled details and hold fast to the root.

The Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions, the Tailfire Flame, the Five Luminaries’ Sword—these are merely surface phenomena; their root is the Dao, the Dao of the Five Elements.

And this Dao of the Five Elements, all worldly manifestations arise from “Primal Origin.”

Such profundity—mysterious beyond mystery, wondrous beyond wonder—once enlightened, is enlightenment indeed. Without it, even the eighty-four thousand words of the mortal realm fail to convey its meaning.

With this realization, Cao Kong’s mind opened wide. He felt boundless joy, freely roaming between heaven and earth. A great inhalation filled him with infinite creative power.

Within his nasal cavity, a speck of golden essence quietly transformed, linking internal and external energies, connecting the greater and lesser cycles. Unconsciously, he reached a realm: “Still waters without wind, autumn moon without clouds.”

This was a realm of ethereal purity, in harmony with heaven and earth.

From then on, he could freely connect the golden essence to the cosmos, and his magical power would flow endlessly.

***

This great inhalation was both the “Primal Origin” and the “Eastern Wood Qi.”

Under the interweaving of Dao heart, divine will, heavenly timing, and spiritual opportunity, this breath filled most of Cao Kong’s Wood Returning to Origin state, vastly extending his cultivation.

Suddenly, Cao Kong raised his head and let out a great howl, revealing the delight within his heart without reserve.

“Ah—!”

The sound was vast and resonant, echoing across the mountain peak, unending, reaching the ears of every living being in the mountain and startling the snow piled high.

It was early spring. While snow in the mortal realm was melting, the mountain remained capped in white. Hidden Mist Mountain was inhabited year-round only at its four cardinal points, so the peak still wore its snowy crown.

Then the snow shifted, pressing down upon branches, then rocks, roaring like towering waves crashing through the mountains.

If this snow truly fell, it would bring destruction to the mountain’s life.

Cao Kong stood amidst the mist, gently pushing with both hands. Invisible energy halted the avalanche instantly.

A disaster caused by him was ended by him.

“Mountain Lord, Mountain Lord, you have awakened.”

A crane flew to greet him. Cao Kong smiled faintly, stepped onto the crane’s back, and returned deeper into the mountain.

With this enlightenment, he had grasped the root. The Five Qi Returning to Origin henceforth was but a matter of refinement.

***

Above the sky, within the Lingxiao Palace—

The Supreme Emperor of the Jade Emperor’s Heavenly Court, Sovereign of the Nine Palaces of the Golden Tower, Keeper of the Dao and Time, sat on his imperial throne.

He proclaimed:

“The stars and heavens of the Three Realms, the light of the constellations, and the destined order have been decreed by me. For the next forty-nine years, the rotation of stars and yin-yang, the cycle of seasons and the elements of wind, rain, thunder, and lightning shall proceed accordingly.

No additions or reductions shall be made lightly. The three lights of sun, moon, and stars, as well as the celestial spheres, must not be altered without cause. They must follow heavenly timing and heavenly law, each fulfilling its path to maintain harmony and prosperity, ensuring peace among all nations.

Those who defy this decree shall be punished by heavenly law.”

The myriad divine beings and celestial gods solemnly pledged their assent, bowing in unison to the Jade Emperor.

Suddenly, the Jade Emperor’s expression shifted subtly.

The assembled immortals were astonished. Among them, Venus respectfully stepped forward and asked, “Your Majesty, why does your imperial countenance change?”

The Jade Emperor smiled:

“I rejoice to witness one who has attained the symbol of the Primal Origin.”