Dustfallen Mental Cultivation
The sun had just risen as a canopy of gold, bright amid the blue and fog, bidding the stars to take their nightly rest and calling the birds out to sing, yet there were already people meditating in a cross-legged sitting position out in the open.
A gentle and chilly breeze swept passed Dustfallen Precipice, where Mu Yu and Feng Haochen stood. It was Mu Yu’s first day cultivating. To be candid, his knowledge of cultivation was vague at best. He merely happily followed the wind of fate and looked forward to where he would go.
“Why do you cultivate?” questioned Feng Haochen, standing under the tree and admiring the sunrise.
Mu Yu never contemplated the question posed. The village sent him to cultivate for the glory and to learn to battle elemental demons he’d never seen before. “To punish evil and uphold justice? To fight against the elemental demons?”
“Everyone cultivates for different reasons and interprets it through their own lenses. Some cultivate for fame, some for prestige, some for power and some for a plethora of other reasons. The number of people who cultivate their character and for cultivation’s fundamental nature is far and few between. The world of cultivation isn’t some profound and distant world the ignorant assume. The world of cultivation is a world of deceit and competition far worse than what takes place between those who don’t cultivate. They are willing to betray their mentors and family all for the sake of treasures or manuals. That is what I mean when I say few manage to cultivate their character.”
The explanation stirred Mu Yu. That was completely unlike the ethereal deities in tea ceremonies, discussing dao and void of desire he imagined. Those were deities; they were cultivators.
“The world of cultivation values power above all else. One’s status is correspondent with their power. Their status and power can go to their head. As a result, there is an abundance of frustrated and impatient cultivators cultivating solely for the prestige. I don’t want you to become someone who abandons his initial goals for the sake of power, hence my question. I will teach you Dustfallen Sect’s mental cultivation. Our mental cultivation’s essence lies in maintaining a calm, yet calculative, mind. For that reason, you can’t pursue prestige or wealth if you are to master it. They are things that rob your patience.”
“… Is that why we are ranked last in the world of cultivation?”
With a smile, Feng Haochen nodded. “Rankings are decided on the disciples’ competition once every ten months. In turn, it affects a sect’s order in the line up to select disciples from the academy as well as the distribution of resources from Spirit Quarry Mountain. Though lots of disciples use it as an opportunity to shine and gloss their sect, I don’t see a need for it. Thus, we don’t participate.”
Feng Haochen didn’t have a grudge against the competition. He simply didn’t want to compete.
“Remember, Dustfallen Mental Cultivation emphasises a calm mind. Not contending doesn’t imply we are weak. Do as you see fit. Act when you deem it appropriate. If you want to win effortlessly, you need to maintain a level head.
“Xiang Nan has gasped the mental cultivation to the highest degree. Thanks to his perceptive and composed character, he’s able to figure out countermeasures under any circumstance. Cheng Yan is similar, so he has a thorough understanding of it, too. Ling’er is able to restrain herself well, so she can quickly recompose herself if need be. They won’t lose to any other sects’ disciples.”
Feng Haochen paused and looked to Mu Yu. “You have the ability to control plants, meaning you understand life and are closely linked. You can easily cool your mind in forests. That is the reason you can learn it.”
Mu Yu was amazed Feng Haochen knew a secret he never revealed. He was at an advantage – for lack of better word – in forests or on lawns.
“Sit on the tree branch. Peer into the distance and empty your mind. Focus on sensing the movements around you. There is spiritual qi in this world. Once you can connect with spiritual qi, you can convert it into spiritual energy for yourself. Dustfallen Mental Cultivation is compatible with Ethereal Dao. What you see is what you perceive. Remember that.”
Mu Yu sat on the tree as he was told. It was easy to clear one’s mind at dawn, when it was quietest, which was the best time to practice Dustfallen Mental Cultivation. When all life was asleep, spiritual qi began to stir. When the golden orb’s first petals bloomed across the sky, they would feel more at peace than usual.
“Try shutting off your listening. Use your mind to sense the sounds around you. Sense the tweets. When you can visualise them in action with your mind, you can discern what they are doing. See the birds and worms. Gradually, apply it to other people. Whoever can stay a step ahead of his opponent will have the initiative. That is how you are to understand the mental cultivation…”
Mu Yu focused his five senses on the trees. He traced the stalk coiling around the tree snaked into a gap in the cliff face. He saw a small herb in there shake off the dew on it. A leaf sprung to life. He saw a dog tail wagging along with the rhythm of the breeze as it tried to banish the insects on its body. He saw flowers close to welcome the sun. He eventually sensed spiritual qi that seemed out of reach, yet right at his fingertips, whisking through flowers and entering gaps in stone…
Feng Haochen silently observed Mu Yu. He expected Mu Yu to sense spiritual qi that soon for he had faith in his judgement and the boy’s potential. Usually, one would take days and even months to sense spiritual qi. Thankfully, Mu Yu inherently got along with plants, thereby enhancing his senses. Accordingly, he could easily find the right state of mind with some pointers.
The illuminated scenery and songs in the environment at sunrise didn’t impact Mu Yu, who was still immersed in the new and miraculous world of his. Under his shifu’s guidance, he ushered qi into his body to purify his nerves and mind.
By the time Mu Yu opened his eyes, it was late morning. Standing up, he felt refreshed. He noticed something new in his body but couldn’t put it into words. He excitedly looked to his shifu, who was also looking at him.
Feng Haochen instructed, “You need to train Dustfallen Mental Cultivation early every morning. Cultivation is a journey that requires persistence and resilience.”
Mu Yu scratched his head. His belly suddenly growled. “Even when it is raining?”
Feng Haochen nodded. “Regardless of the weather. The rainy days will challenge you to maintain a calm mind despite its disturbance.”
Mu Yu furtively pulled a funny face. His shifu was right; however, he planned to find himself an umbrella for rainy days until Feng Haochen seemingly read his mind and said, “You will grasp it a lot better if you sit in the rain for the reason it is an external interruption. You need to be able to control your thoughts when an external force tries to throw you off.”
Mu Yu: Well, that’s just great.
“Once you grasp it, you can train at the waterfall at the foot of the mountain. Only Cheng Yan can train there at the moment. I will now teach you Dustfallen Swordplay. You just need to remember the techniques.” Feng Haochen summoned a green flying sword and set it before Mu Yu, igniting Mu Yu’s excitement. “This sword is named Shadow Splitter Sword. It’s yours from now on.”
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