Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Cultivation Through Copulation.

Episode 12: Initiation.

The Trial of the Dao Heart!

The Dark Moon Sect was a sect devoted to cultivating the Dao. Naturally, the heart of the Dao was of utmost importance.

What is the Heart of the Dao?

It is the mind that seeks the Dao. It is the Heart that connects to the Dao and is the Dao itself.

The concept of the Heart of the Dao was too complex to measure, so it was only roughly tested.

“This place is the bridge to our sect, called the Single-Hearted Bridge. They say if you cross it, you can see your heart’s desire. Let’s cross.”

At the front stood an outer disciple, followed by two young children, then the holder of the Two Spiritual Root, Yeong-yeong, and Yuk-gyeong. A little further behind, the other outer disciples followed.

They lined up like ducklings following their mother, taking small steps.

Yu Yeong-yeong whispered to Yuk-gyeong.

“They say the Single-Hearted Bridge shows a person’s greed. If someone has impure desires, they can’t cross the bridge no matter how hard they try.”

That bridge?

To Yuk-gyeong, it looked like an ordinary wooden bridge. It felt simple and unadorned, like part of the scenery, without any extraordinary aura.

Still, Yeong-yeong, who had an inner disciple for a sister, wouldn’t lie.

Yuk-gyeong, tense, took his first step toward the bridge.

Slightly!

But there was no sensation. Did he need to walk a bit more? He took a few more steps, but still felt nothing.

What’s this? It’s nothing special.

Did Yeong-yeong lie to me? Just to tease me?

Yuk-gyeong walked a bit more. Now his steps were not cautious. He walked boldly.

Walking on the bridge felt pleasant. Below, the stream flowed, and listening to its gentle sound naturally calmed his mind.

Suddenly, Yuk-gyeong saw his reflection in the stream.

In that place, he saw himself indulging in pleasures among countless women and delicious food. At the same time, he saw himself gaining eternal life and achieving immortality.

It was as if it was showing the future of Yuk-gyeong, the present that could be attained now.

All things became ambiguous, and Yuk-gyeong felt as if everything he had was within the stream.

It seemed that if he jumped in, he could grasp it all.

But soon Yuk-gyeong saw that the stream also reflected his bare face outside of it.

This is me now. It’s the face of me who has nothing and hasn’t even embarked on the path of cultivation.

The contrast between the present and the future made his current self seem insignificant and his future self desirable.

But, but.

What does it all mean?

Just because I’m insignificant now, or because I desire my future self, what does it mean?

What truly holds meaning?

The Dao. It is the Dao.

The question rising within that answer.

Can one seek the Dao single-heartedly?

It seemed the bridge was asking that.

Yuk-gyeong realized something from it and nodded. I will seek the Dao single-heartedly and be reborn as an immortal. Becoming a sex fiend and such are merely false desires born from greed.

This resolve did not just remain a decision but resonated deeply within Yuk-gyeong’s heart, leaving a profound mark.

Then Yuk-gyeong felt the heavenly and earthly Qi scattered in the air flowing toward him.

Swoosh-!

It was like the wind.

A cool and refreshing breeze entered and exited the depths of Yuk-gyeong’s lungs.

Yuk-gyeong regretted the wind leaving his body, but there was no way to catch the wind….

The wind came and went, and Yuk-gyeong realized that something about his body had changed.

‘Why does my body feel so light? Is it because I slept well last night? Indeed, a good night’s sleep is essential.’

No one noticed this change in Yuk-gyeong. The outer disciples merely guided the newcomers, unaware of what had transpired.

Just one person,

Elder Geum, who was observing everything from atop the cliff, noticed the altered flow of Spiritual Qi and immediately sensed the anomaly.

“Hmm? To achieve enlightenment at the Single-Hearted Bridge while still being a mortal? Qi Condensation 1-Star? A single Spiritual Root holder, is it? Indeed, to step onto the threshold of Qi Condensation 1-Star without any cultivation method is astounding. Even if it is not perfect, it’s an earth-shattering event. His comprehension is certainly exceptional.”

Elder Geum clicked his tongue in admiration as he looked at Yuk-gyeong with pride. Then, with emotionless eyes, he surveyed the others.

The Single-Hearted trial was advantageous for young children.

Four untainted children saw the world with a pure heart and simple desires. Thus, they could easily pass this trial.

The children were chattering among themselves, crossing the bridge without knowing what the Single-Hearted Bridge’s trial was.

Yu Yeong-yeong blushed at something she saw on the bridge, but she crossed it with ease. Her early education from her sister seemed effective, as her foundation appeared solid.

The young man with the Two Spiritual Root hesitated frequently, his expression changing often, but he never completely stopped crossing the bridge. At a glance, his foundation in the Heart of the Dao didn’t seem very deep.

When they were about halfway across the bridge,

the atmosphere of the Single-Hearted Bridge suddenly changed.

It felt as if something terrifying was watching over the bridge.

It was as if it was urging them to jump off the bridge, creating such an impulse within their hearts.

It came so suddenly that there wasn’t even time to prepare in advance.

Looking to the side, Yu Yeong-yeong’s face was also pale, clearly feeling the same fear and impulse.

Yuk-gyeong hesitated at the sudden fear, but his characteristic firm resolve allowed him to keep walking.

‘This kind of fear is nothing. I’ve overcome even more terrifying situations. When I was chased by bandits, threatened by martial artists, and faced life-threatening moments, I’ve survived them all.’

Then, as the refreshing breeze within him suddenly swirled, all remaining fearful energy vanished.

His mind cleared, thoughts became coherent, and his Qi was revitalized.

With a refreshed mind, Yuk-gyeong realized what this trial was truly testing.

Endurance!

The second trial on the bridge was a test of endurance.

How long could one endure in a place that induced fear and agitation? How much could one resist the impulse?

The second trial was one that could not be overcome unless one had deep endurance.

Indeed, two young children with weak resolve tried to jump off the bridge, and the outer disciples following behind had to soothe them and send them home.

In this trial, the youths had an advantage.

The youths had more experience than the children, thus possessing deeper endurance.

Of course, our Two Spiritual Root seemed almost at his limit, with his legs trembling and frequently glancing at the bridge’s railing.

It seems that his resolve was weaker than the other two children. Just a little push, and he might panic and grab the bridge railing.

Yeong-yeong’s face was also pale, and her legs trembled slightly, but she seemed to have crossed the threshold with ease.

Fortunately, she had almost crossed the bridge.

All three youths overcame the trial of the bridge. And even two strong-willed children barely passed the trial.

Only the two weak-willed children were left behind.

The remaining outer disciples, leading those who were left behind, departed the place. The only outer disciple left was the one who had been guiding the initiates.

The guiding outer disciple seemed a bit surprised, eyes widening slightly at the number of people remaining.

“Congratulations on passing the Single-Hearted Bridge. From now on, you are all disciples of the Dark Moon Sect. Ah, of course, that’s only after the initiation ceremony.”

The final selected disciples were two boys and three youths!

Out of over a hundred participants in the entrance examination, only five were initiated.

The outer disciple thought this batch was large. Usually, in most batches, only one or two boys are selected, but this time as many as five were chosen.

The outer disciple finally introduced himself.

“I am Gongsun Cheong, an outer disciple. I am your sahyung1. You can call me Gongsun Sahyung. Of course, that’s after the initiation ceremony.”

What is this initiation ceremony all about?

Hopefully, it doesn’t require days of preparation before taking place.

Fortunately, it didn’t. Gongsun Cheong gestured to the initiates.

“All disciples, follow me. Let us go to conduct the initiation ceremony.”

The mountain gate led by Gongsun Cheong was simple and warm.

I imagined a quiet and rigid atmosphere like a Taoist temple, but the outer gate where the outer disciples lived was as lively as the outside world.

It must be mealtime now, as the fragrant smell of cooking spread, and people busily moved around doing chores, carrying herbs, shouldering loads, and stoking fires.

As expected, the outer disciples handle the menial tasks of the sect.

Soon, they entered the inner gate.

The inner gate where the disciples lived was distinctly different from the outer gate.

First of all, it was quiet here.

It was rare to see anyone walking around, and if they did, they hurried off somewhere with a solemn expression.

When Gongsun Cheong greeted an inner disciple he happened to meet, the disciple gave a slight nod and continued on his way.

Gongsun Cheong, seemingly accustomed to this, diligently guided the newcomers.

Observing this, Yuk-gyeong thought, the inner gate must be full of aloof individuals. These inner gate snobs, indeed.

Anyway, Gongsun Cheong led the newcomers through the inner gate and headed deep inside.

It seemed they were entering an important area of the inner gate.

There were even fewer people, and the atmosphere became more secluded.

After walking a bit further, there was a building below a cliff, and Gongsun Cheong stopped in front of it.

“We’ve arrived. This is where the initiation ceremony takes place.”

TL/N: Term used for a male senior normally of the same sect ↩️