Chapter 263 – Four Years of Focused Cultivation to Break Through to Innate (Part Two)

Regardless of whether Ye Kuang had ever explored the relationship between the Innate and the acquired, the saying “One generation plants the trees under whose shade another generation rests” would inevitably bring another phrase to his mind:

“Words speak of the Innate, guided by the master to reach the ultimate.”

It could be said that all the power and perception he had previously acquired were merely preparations for this moment of culmination.

As his essence continued to refine and compensate for the deficiencies in his clarity, Ye Kuang began his search for the True Self. Everything seemed to be progressing along a predetermined path.

The path to the Innate Realm!

If one sentence could describe Ye Kuang’s current situation, it would be this: resolutely severing all paths of retreat, vowing not to return until he achieved the Innate Realm.

“The Taiji divine abode resides in the Yellow Valley, the Innate Qi dwells in the Mysterious Pass. Serene and unmoving, it senses and connects, relying on firmness and intensity…”

“When the spirit returns from wandering beyond the cosmos, no matter the wind and rain, thunder and lightning, I remain steadfast and unshaken.”

These profound principles appeared unrelated at first glance, yet they inevitably evoked a sense of sharing remarkable similarities.

It could be said that they all involved refining a single breath, tempering the muscles and bones externally, until one cultivated a foundation of will and bone, emerging from the Yellow Court.

At this thought, Ye Kuang couldn’t help but fall into a daze.

If the Obsessed Self and the Innate shared common ground, then the True Self and the acquired were fundamentally different.

The True Self originated from the Innate, but the acquired was not exclusive to the True Self.

It clearly encompassed the Obsessed Self, the Ego, the Original Self, the True Self… all manifestations returning to the Self!

As the saying goes: a thousand people, a thousand faces; a hundred people, a hundred dispositions—this couldn’t be more accurate.

And Ye Kuang needed to find the face of his True Self among these myriad manifestations. If he didn’t break through, it would be one thing, but once he did, it would shake heaven and earth, moving even the gods to tears.

In his mind.

Ahead lay a world of dark barriers, clearly isolating everything from the outside. As far as the eye could see, it was like gazing through autumn waters—hazy and indistinct.

Yet Ye Kuang was like a bright lamp in the darkness, illuminating the four directions of his inner world.

In the depths of his consciousness, he had a strange feeling: keep walking, keep moving forward, continue walking, continue advancing, and when the red spider lily bloomed, that would be the answer he sought.

He not only thought this but acted on it as well.

Beneath his feet, flowers bloomed along the path, ethereal and dreamlike like glazed glass. As time passed, the fleeting dark days transformed into the power that lit the way forward.

Along the journey, Ye Kuang naturally discovered countless forgotten memories buried deep in his mind.

Since the age of six, he had been precocious; by seven, he dared to bring female classmates home, inevitably inviting some teasing.

From the carefree days at eight… to transferring schools at ten, and changing schools again at fifteen—the process was full of twists and turns.

The childhood dream of roaming the world with a sword now felt like a sudden enlightenment, penetrating his heart and leaving him unable to resist its pull.

Even someone as strong as Ye Kuang couldn’t help but feel his eyes redden.

He clearly didn’t understand, nor did he comprehend.

These memories were like a string of intermittently connected pearls. A casual glance back in an unguarded moment inexplicably filled him with a sense of sorrow.

Ye Kuang originally had no desire to dwell on them, yet he couldn’t suppress his curiosity to reminisce.

It was only at this moment that he felt as if these were the true moments of his journey.

That heart, ever fearless in the face of challenges, dared to wield his weapon even against powerful foes. Even when he knew he was no match, he would retaliate with bare hands and iron fists.

He never concerned himself with the outcome, believing only that in those moments, his heart could achieve clarity and emptiness, feeling more exhilarating than anything else in the world.Recalling this, Ye Kuang’s gaze suddenly froze—it was the moment when, as a mortal disregarding his own safety, he saved a young girl.

From that moment on, he began his transformation.

Just as an ordinary mortal clearly defines their own position, a lifetime may not be long, filled with countless regrets and cries, yet it cannot erase the inherent meaning of one’s existence.

He learned to strive tirelessly, to endure alone, and to face challenges independently.

Even when it exceeded the limits of what one person could bear.

With this inexplicable surge of emotion, Ye Kuang finally understood what kind of person he truly was!

With this inexplicable experience flooding his heart, Ye Kuang finally grasped what kind of person he aspired to be!

He did not demand that everyone in the world be the same, only that he could live with a clear conscience!

Once this thought became clear, his heart naturally opened up.

No one could have anticipated that Ye Kuang had begun to awaken.

Deep within his gaze, which had once been an abyss, now emerged a glimmer of vitality—a reflection of the Three Thousand Thoughts attitude toward all matters and people, embodying the myriad facets of life.

From the moment he first stepped into an unfamiliar field and began to stand out, he realized just how insignificant he was.

Should he accept reality?

How could he!

Was he born to be weak?

Who doesn’t grow from weakness? How could he resign himself to lagging behind others?

Ye Kuang never forgot the true essence he had uncovered and the strong soul he had forged. He paid no heed to the doubts beneath, determined to shatter their smug arrogance with facts.

No matter how powerful the enemy, when had he ever shown weakness? Perhaps there were moments, but they were trivial!

If he were to bend his will and submit in humiliation, all the hardships he had endured would be rendered meaningless, and even these forgotten memories would be unworthy of recollection.

It was only through conversations with the Elder, duels with masters, and battles against formidable foes that he deeply comprehended the meaning of “there is always someone stronger, and peaks beyond peaks.”

But this was no reason for anyone to surrender.

Let alone Ye Kuang.

It must be said that each step along this rugged and arduous path allowed him to see the direction ahead clearly.

Just as there are no hopeless situations in this world, only people who despair in the face of circumstances!

Striving forward relentlessly, refusing to rest, was not to prove how stubborn he was, but to remind himself not to betray the hardships he had endured along the way.

You may be strong, but the bright moon still shines upon the great mountains.

This dream, radiant as a lifetime, resembles a flower containing an entire world.

It was these intermittent rises and falls in life, these fragmented connections of bloodline—you within me, me within you—that formed the precious treasures Ye Kuang possessed.

Thus, it was conceivable that he inadvertently stepped into his true self, seeking to remain awake in this lifetime, smiling at the turmoil under heaven, firmly rooted in his authentic self, striving to climb higher.

All of this marked the beginning of Ye Kuang’s calm and focused entry into the Innate Realm, as well as his gradual recollection of fragmented memories—an unconventional form of cultivation.

As the saying goes, there are three thousand paths to the Great Dao, yet all lead to the same destination.

If one cannot constantly reflect and know oneself, how can one grow stronger?