txolops Chapter 121 Lotus Cave - Encountering an Immortal in the Clouds
Chapter 121 Lotus Cave - Encountering an Immortal in the Clouds
Now, Li Fa, having received the imperial decree, bid farewell to Laozi and descended from heaven.
The clouds are vast and the wind is blowing gently on my face.
He stood on the cloud, took a deep breath, and felt refreshed all over.
After his foundation evolved, the primordial energy of heaven and earth flowed into his body naturally, like rivers flowing into the sea.
In the past, practicing qigong and regulating breathing required concentrating the mind and calming the breath; now, even with a single breath, vital energy flows in.
He was overjoyed and was about to ride the clouds down to the mortal realm when he suddenly heard someone call out from behind, "Fellow Daoist, please wait!"
Li Fa turned around and saw a lucky cloud coming from the east, with an old immortal standing on it.
He was described as having white hair but a youthful face, with kind and benevolent eyes; he held a cane and had a gourd hanging from his waist. Auspicious energy emanated from him, and auspicious light shone from his head.
Li Fa looked closely and recognized him as the Antarctic Immortal.
He dared not be negligent and quickly stepped forward, bowing and saying, "Disciple Li Fa greets the Immortal Elder."
The immortal returned the greeting with a smile, looked him up and down, and a look of surprise appeared in his eyes. He said, "I was observing from the clouds just now."
Seeing that you are coming from the direction of the Tushita Palace, your aura is pure and upright, and your foundation is profound; you are definitely not an ordinary rogue cultivator. May I ask where you are from the immortal realm? And who is your master?
Li Fa's heart stirred, and he thought to himself, "If I say I'm a rogue cultivator, he might not believe me; but telling the truth would be too troublesome. It would be better to borrow Laozi's name."
He replied respectfully, "Immortal, your wisdom is truly remarkable. I am but a newly accepted outer disciple of the Supreme Dao Ancestor, with the Dharma name Denglizi. I was just listening to the Dao Ancestor preach in the Tushita Palace and have received his decree to descend to the mortal realm."
Upon hearing this, the immortal paused slightly, stroked his beard, and chuckled, "Plasma, indeed a fine name. Yin and Yang have been separated, yet Yin and Yang are now equal, Yin and Yang are without bias, and the primordial spirit shines brightly—excellent, excellent!"
"But my master has never been fond of taking on disciples; he mostly has young boys serving him, and very few disciples. Why is he suddenly taking on disciples now?"
Li Fa remained expressionless and smiled, "This disciple doesn't know either. Perhaps the Dao Ancestor saw that I had decent aptitude and was willing to cultivate diligently, so he took me under his wing as a nominal outer disciple."
"This disciple is dull and dares not presume to claim formal status; I only ask to be able to listen to the teachings before the Dao Ancestor, for that is already an immense blessing."
The immortal nodded, thinking to himself, "That's true. Although my master doesn't like taking on disciples, he always acts unconventionally, so it's not surprising that he would take on an outer disciple. Besides, this person really did come from the Tushita Palace, and his aura is pure and upright; it can't be faked."
Without further ado, he smiled and said, "Since you are my master's disciple, then you are no outsider. I am the Antarctic Immortal, a disciple of the Jade Pure Primordial Heavenly Venerable. In fact, the Primordial Heavenly Venerable and the Supreme Dao Ancestor are from the same lineage, so you and I can be considered fellow disciples."
Li Fa quickly bowed again and said, "So it's Senior Brother! I was blind to your greatness and was rude just now."
The immortal laughed heartily, stepped forward, took his hand, and said, "Brother, there's no need for such formalities. You've come from the Tushita Palace; have you seen Laozi yet?"
Li Fa said, "Indeed. The Dao Ancestor was just giving a sermon, and I listened attentively and benefited greatly. Where do you come from, Immortal Elder Brother?"
The immortal sighed and said, "I have just come down from the Jade Purity Palace."
The Celestial Venerable expounded on the Primordial Dao Fruit, and we disciples listened attentively from our seats.
Unexpectedly, the clumsy white crane boy knocked over the incense burner, disturbing the Dharma assembly.
The Heavenly Venerable was furious and severely punished the White Crane with thirty strokes of the cane, and also reprimanded us.
As he said this, a hint of helplessness appeared on his face, and he shook his head, saying, "It's just that the Heavenly Venerable has become increasingly strict in recent years."
Before the Investiture of the Gods, the preaching was somewhat gentle and kind; now, however, it is meticulous, and any slight mistake will be punished.
We disciples can only proceed with extreme caution and trepidation.
Upon hearing this, Li Fa comforted him, saying, "Senior Brother, you don't need to worry too much."
The Heavenly Venerable's strictness is for the good of all his fellow disciples. A strict teacher produces outstanding students.
The immortal nodded and said, "Brother, you are right. I was just venting a little, don't take it seriously."
Li Fa was about to say a few words of small talk when his gaze suddenly sharpened and fell on the immortal behind him.
The immortal's mount, a white deer, stood quietly on the cloud, its steed magnificent.
Li Fa looked at the white deer and a thought suddenly struck him.
In the original story, the white deer of the Antarctic Immortal once descended to the mortal realm and transformed into the father-in-law of the king in the Kingdom of Bhikkhu. He used the hearts and livers of 1,111 children as a medicinal ingredient to wreak havoc on the court.
That was one of the hardships on the journey to the Western Paradise.
The white deer is still by the immortal's side and has not descended to the mortal realm, but judging by the time, it is probably not far off.
His mind raced, and he suddenly laughed, "Senior Brother's white deer is indeed extraordinary, full of spirit. It must have been with you for many years?"
The immortal stroked his beard and laughed, "Brother, you have a good eye. This white deer has been with me for ten thousand years and is quite intelligent. It carries me on my travels, saving me a lot of effort."
Li Fa nodded, his gaze lingering on Bai Lu for a moment, then he suddenly sighed and said, "Senior brother, there's something I'm not sure if I should say."
Seeing his solemn expression, the immortal was taken aback and said, "Brother, please speak freely."
Li Fa said, "Senior Brother's white deer is quite intelligent. After cultivating for a long time, it may have already become human and gained some spiritual power."
Such spirit beasts are most prone to developing mortal desires. Senior brother must keep a close watch on them and prevent them from descending to the mortal realm on their own, lest they cause trouble.
Upon hearing this, the immortal's expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure and smiled, "Brother, you are right."
Although this beast is honest, it's not impossible that it can be unruly at times.
"After I return, I will certainly keep a close watch on it and prevent it from descending to the mortal realm on its own."
Seeing that he agreed, Li Fa said no more, cupped his hands and said, "Since you have this intention, I am relieved."
I have matters to attend to in the mortal realm and dare not delay. I will visit you, my senior brother, another day when I have more free time.
The immortal smiled and said, "Brother, please wait. Since we are fellow disciples, we should visit each other often in the future."
The two parted ways, and Li Fa rode on a cloud, heading straight for the lower realm.
The immortal stood on the cloud, watching Li Fa depart into the distance. His smile faded, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
It turned out that the Celestial Venerable of Primordial Beginning had finished preaching in the Jade Purity Palace and had specially kept him behind, instructing him to secretly release the white deer to the mortal realm in a few days.
He was surprised and was about to ask why, but the Celestial Venerable said it was destiny.
Although the immortal did not understand the Heavenly Venerable's arrangement, he dared not disobey and had no choice but to accept the order.
Who would have thought that he would encounter this plasma in the clouds today? The other party brought up the matter of the white deer descending to the mortal world for no reason, and even specifically instructed him to "keep a close watch on it".
Isn't this a bizarre and strange thing?
Could it be that this person knows something? Or perhaps, Laozi himself has some kind of plan?
The immortal pondered for a long time, then shook his head and muttered to himself, "So be it. The Heavenly Venerable has given his decree, and it cannot be disobeyed."
"This plasma is strange, but since he's a disciple of Laozi, I shouldn't ask too many questions. But..."
He glanced down at the white deer beside him. The beast stood with its head bowed, completely unaware of the karma it was about to be drawn into.
The old immortal sighed, reached out and stroked the white deer's head, and said in a low voice, "You should behave yourself for a few days."
After some time, I'll have to send you down there for a walk.
Whether it's a blessing or a curse depends on your own fate.
The white deer seemed to understand but not quite, and it raised its head and cried out.
The immortal stopped thinking about it, urged the auspicious clouds, and returned to his residence.