Chapter 66 – Only with Heart Can One Comprehend Clarity: Guidance

It could be said that Ye Kuang was truly perplexed. Ever since hearing the term “Clarity Realm,” the True Qi within his Dantian had become unusually active.

Moreover, he himself detected a peculiar sensation, as if certain hidden secrets within were about to surface.

Ye Kuang: “Elderly Gentleman, what is Clarity?”

Upon hearing this, Elder Pan was left speechless.

Seeing this, Ye Kuang couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious. The “Clarity Realm” might be related to his future cultivation progress, so he had no choice but to take it seriously.

“You actually don’t know about the Clarity Realm! This simply defies common sense. How could it be? It shouldn’t be… It’s impossible… What in the world is going on?” Elder Pan muttered to himself repeatedly, his entire demeanor clearly disbelieving. For a moment, even his words seemed incoherent.

On the other hand, Elder Pan stared intently at Ye Kuang, his eyes hopeful as he asked, “Then how did you cultivate?”

Hearing this, Ye Kuang felt even more like crying without tears. To this day, he still had no understanding of what Clarity meant, so how could he have cultivated to such a profound Realm? Should he say: “I became fat in one bite, do you believe that?”

Thus, he directly inquired, “Elderly Gentleman, please enlighten me. I have genuinely never heard of this Realm before, let alone when I cultivated it.”

Hearing this and observing the changes in Ye Kuang’s expression, which seemed genuine, Elder Pan finally set aside his bewilderment. He sighed and said, “Earlier, you asked this old man which school of Taiji is the strongest. That was a good question.”

With that, Elder Pan sketched a Taiji circle with his hands and said with a bitter smile, “There is no strongest in this world! This old man has spent his entire life pursuing the ultimate in Taiji, only to find myself trapped for nearly half my life. I’m afraid even on my final day, I may still struggle to fully comprehend the true essence of Taiji.”

Upon hearing this, Ye Kuang was clearly unsettled.

But he believed that Elder Pan must have his reasons for saying this.

“This old man’s Taiji is not the orthodox Taiji fist technique. It’s merely some fundamental principles I learned from Wudang, which I practiced diligently on my own for nearly fifty years. Only then did I achieve some minor accomplishments, yet in the end, I failed to grasp its methods and its subtleties…”

However, Elder Pan’s tone then turned solemn and dignified: “Now, after twenty years of arduous searching and consulting countless related texts, I have finally discovered a few clues. If anyone else were to ask me, I would definitely not speak of it. But you, young man, at such a tender age, possess a power akin to Clarity—this is nothing short of a miracle. The Martial Arts Realm truly exists!”

Ye Kuang: “Please, Elder Pan, enlighten me.”

Upon hearing this, Elder Pan stroked his short beard and began to explain: “The courtyard below is like an expanse of clear water, with algae and duckweed intertwining, casting shadows of bamboo and cypress. This seemingly clear and transparent essence of heaven and earth is, in fact, one of the first methods of perception in the division of Realms: ‘Being’ means observing things through the self; ‘Non-being’ means observing things through the heart.”

As he spoke, Elder Pan organized the insights he had accumulated over decades and continued, “This old man’s practice of Taiji is actually the same. But to distinguish between the Realms of Being and Non-being, perseverance eventually paid off… I discovered that Being and Non-being give rise to each other, difficulty and ease complement each other… All things in heaven and earth are born from Being, and Being is born from Non-being. The wonder of it all is roughly this.”Ye Kuang grew even more puzzled upon hearing this. If the state of emptiness meant True Qi was stored within the Dantian, then he indeed fit the description. Yet in reality, even he found it difficult to perceive such profound depths.

If he had truly entered this state, why had he never felt anything different?

Elder Pan seemed to notice Ye Kuang’s dilemma and spoke clearly: “Simply put, although the ‘Nothingness’ Realm cannot be perceived through ordinary human senses, it can be experienced through another approach. The same applies to Taiji Quan – it originates from Wuji (the Primordial Nothingness), and only when Wuji stirs does Taiji emerge. The two poles complement each other, thus giving birth to Taiji Quan.”

“Whether we speak of Taiji or Wuji, or the countless paths of the Great Dao, they all fundamentally converge. As for you, don’t overthink it. Remember, the boat will straighten itself when reaching the bridge. Sometimes, excessive pursuit of understanding essence may not yield desired results. This is both a Realm and a wonderful method – you must observe with your heart, perceive with your heart, comprehend with your heart…”

After speaking these words, Elder Pan suddenly appeared slightly more aged, yet undeniably, these were words of wisdom from his experience, representing rare qualities for a martial artist.

Only then did Ye Kuang begin to understand: Being arises from Non-being, Wuji gives birth to Being. What we consider ‘existence’ is indeed ‘existence’; while ‘nothingness’ may not be absolute nothingness. Though seemingly contradictory, both actually coexist within one’s heart.

In other words: To comprehend the state of emptiness, he must observe the nature of existence and non-existence with his heart, perceive the manifestation of Realms with his heart, and comprehend the wonderful methods within with his heart.

Unbeknownst to him, this guidance had set Ye Kuang on the right path.

Not only had he corrected his mental attitude, but he could now truly be called a martial artist.

Though he still only partially understood, this was no longer crucial.

The path lay beneath his feet – he needed only to advance forward.

Without excessive probing, maintaining his initial passion – perhaps these weren’t the main points, but rather the essential process of observing things with his heart.

Thinking this, Ye Kuang couldn’t help but look again at the elderly Elder Pan before him. Any claim of ingratitude would be false.

One could say his heart now felt as vast as heaven and earth, capable of containing all things between them, encompassing countless wisdom as one.

This was progress.

And also transformation!

Previously, Ye Kuang saw mountains as mountains, water as water. But now?

Whether viewing mountains or water, both became ways of perceiving their existence with his heart.

As for how to comprehend their wonders – that was no longer crucial. He firmly believed that as long as he comprehended with his heart, everything would naturally fall into place one day.

Ye Kuang: “Elder Pan, great kindness needs no thanks. Your words have truly awakened this dreamer.”

Elder Pan: “Hahaha… How many years has it been? This old man hasn’t felt so exhilarated in ages. Had I not met you today, lad, I might have taken these secrets to my grave.”

Hearing this, Ye Kuang couldn’t help but share a smile.

He now knew his direction forward. Perhaps he would reach it tomorrow, perhaps never.

But these weren’t reasons for fear.

“Grandpa, who are you fighting with again? How many times have I told you – can’t you be more careful?”

Just then, a youth hurried over, showering them with reproaches.

Hearing this, Ye Kuang naturally turned to look.The little boy’s plump, rosy cheeks always seemed to glow, like ripe apples in September… With jade-like features, crimson lips, and pearly white teeth, he possessed an innocent face as delicate as a porcelain doll.

In stark contrast, when Elder Pan caught sight of the child, he immediately bolted like a mouse spotting a cat.

Witnessing this scene, Ye Kuang couldn’t help but curl the corners of his mouth upward. As he watched the old and young playfully chasing each other, his smile gradually widened.

……

Just before Elder Pan took his leave, he finally spoke with a hint of guidance, smiling as he said: “To open the inner sanctum of the Dantian, one must cultivate the mind to comprehend the Clarity Realm…”