CHAPTER 113: CHAPTER 113: BURNING LAMP

Lu Ren felt helpless inside but didn’t show it on his face.

"Alright, let’s not beat around the bush anymore. Teach me this so-called Lamp Burning Skill quickly."

The skeleton sighed deeply, "Back in my day, so many people begged me for this, yet I refused them all. Now, I never thought I’d be seeking someone out to practice it, even with such an unpleasant attitude."

Lu Ren retorted, "Master, times have changed. It’s no longer as traditional as it used to be. Much of the knowledge you held so dear has become accessible to ordinary people nowadays. And we’re in the same boat."

There was another thing Lu Ren didn’t say: if he encountered such a form as the Golden Skeleton’s outside, he wouldn’t calm down unless he smashed it to pieces.

Indeed, many once extremely precious techniques from ancient times have circulated online, and the Security Department has verified that some of them are authentic, yet fewer and fewer people practice them.

Besides the metaphors and deeply profound Taoist terms or Buddhist sayings, without guidance, one can’t make heads or tails of it.

The skeleton was shocked: "Then what are you looking for from me?"

"Techniques are easy to find; true teachings are hard to come by."

As the saying goes, the true teachings require just a word; the false ones fill thousands of volumes. Those Taoist and Buddhist scriptures online, even some comprehensive ones, are completely incomprehensible without someone to correctly interpret them.

Particularly with the Buddhist Scripture Taoist Collection, many times just a few words in a phrase reference numerous texts, and without understanding the meaning, they’re like playing a guessing game, utterly perplexing.

"...That’s true enough."

The skeleton immediately grew serious, "Very well! This method is called Lamp Burning, yet it doesn’t originate from the past interpretations of Buddha but from my chance discovery. There’s no concern in passing it on to you."

Saying this, the skeleton gave a bitter smile, scanning the surroundings, "Given the demise of the Treasure Light Buddha Realm and me being but a wandering soul, there’s no point in keeping secrets anymore."

With a sigh, the skeleton continued, "When your Fist Technique reaches its peak, you should vaguely sense the Spirit. When you first awaken, it’s as hazy as fog, your heart pitch black without direction. It’s as they say: part the mist to find your way, light a lamp to extend the day.

"Lamp Burning is like a candle, though it flickers and almost gutters out, leaving only a faint gleam, yet it can illuminate your own God to awaken."

After a pause, the skeleton added, "It’s like having a single candlelight illuminate the beginning of your spiritual world in darkness."

Seriously, the skeleton said, "Boy, don’t underestimate the meaning of Lamp Burning. Though it may seem ordinary, just a candlelight illuminating your God, it’s the beginning of everything. It will be a guiding lamp for you to explore the path ahead, seeking the ultimate Martial Path."

Lu Ren: "Isn’t this the kind of Mental Visualization practice about transcending the Spirit while abandoning the physical body that I keep hearing about?"

"Of course not. You’ve already mastered the Martial Path. Going on to transcend the Spirit would be like picking up sesame seeds while losing a watermelon.

"That’s why, after much consideration, I imparted this Lamp Burning Skill to you. It focuses on the body, discovering its potential, and perhaps, once you master it, you’ll perceive Qi’s existence. Remember, if you can perceive it, don’t limit yourself to inside the body. Outside also holds its own Qi. All things in the world have Qi."

Damn, the more they talked, the more mysterious it got!

I should see what this Qi really is.

Lu Ren didn’t mind these things right then; only by reaching that point himself and experiencing it firsthand would he understand what the skeleton was truly speaking about. Rather than following hearsay, he preferred personal experience.

Lu Ren sat cross-legged, sitting opposite the skeleton, with the shattered Golden Buddha Statue beside him, and torn scripture cloth strips hanging down. The dim light in this Secret Realm created an eerie, distorted gray landscape.

"Give me your hand," the skeleton opened his hand.

Lu Ren moved his lips, ultimately withholding the quip he intended to say, maintaining his cool composure.

He reached out and placed his hand on the skeleton’s arm, amplifying the eerie and creepy sensation.

"Look into my eyes, don’t blink, it will imprint on your mind, just observe carefully to understand what to do."

As his fingers tapped on the skeleton’s finger bones, the flame within the skeleton’s hollow eye sockets became increasingly distinct.

Staring unblinkingly for a full ten minutes, the skeleton finally said, "Alright."

Lu Ren slowly withdrew his hand, contemplative, yet somewhat bewildered.

"What did you see?"

"The flame couldn’t be fixed."

"Of course, it can’t be fixed," the skeleton praised, "You have a keen insight. The human body is perpetually in motion, Qi isn’t fixed, and neither is one’s God, as it continually shifts with physical state, emotions, and even external factors."

"Ah..."

In truth, Lu Ren didn’t mean that; he merely meant that dynamic things are challenging to mentally visualize.

This perspective was quite novel to Lu Ren, for as far as he knew, many top martial arts and Martial Path Visualization practices involve fixing on certain images, like the Beidou Heart Intent Fist of the Northern Imperial Domain from the Taoist Sect, where the visualization is of the Beidou Dipper. Transitioning from still to dynamic observation induces transformative changes that eventually break past the fog, transcending human limits to step into the Divine Realm—a complete metamorphosis.

The so-called Godly state isn’t the omnipotent Immortal God of legends but rather a Divinely and Clearly aware state, radiant with light.

In ancient times, such figures were known as Bright Awakening.

To be Divinely and Clearly aware, aware and act upon it, the God sees oneself, perceives the way forward and moves unerringly. Hearing of the Way in the morning and dying in the evening were not just words but a call to action requiring hands-on practice to grasp the essence of Bright Awakening.

Bright Awakening itself is a path of no return. In ancient times, with low material conditions, Martial Arts Family reaching the Bright Awakening Realm struggled just to maintain bodily functions, leaving no strength to press forward.

On the contrary, although Spiritual Cultivation is extremely difficult and mysterious, it covered a considerable distance.

But it doesn’t mean systematic cultivation isn’t as good as Spiritual Cultivation; rather, it was the constraints of the times and society, whereas in modern society, it may be a crucial turning point for the flourishing of the Martial Path.

"What do you think?" The skeleton inquired.

Lu Ren pondered for a long time, finally shook his head slightly, "I don’t know what I should visualize."

"Of course, it’s yourself!"

Lu Ren was taken aback, then the skeleton continued, "Humans are like a flame; some are lethargic, like a tiny candlelight, flickering and nearly extinguished, while others are full of life, their blood vigorous and strong, like a volcano or the blazing sun!"

He said, "If you can perceive Qi, you’ll see an old man’s Qi like a candle flame about to extinguish, a healthy and robust man’s Qi like a roaring bonfire, and the massive Qi of a martial arts master is like a majestic mountain, magnificent, like a volcano ready to erupt, earth-shattering."

The skeleton looked up at Lu Ren, "Thus, Lamp Burning Visualization changes constantly and mirrors your Qi."

After explaining for so long, seeing Lu Ren still utterly bewildered, the skeleton understood it was because, deep down, Lu Ren unconsciously didn’t believe in these things, so he felt nothing.