Cultivation : I'm an Ancient Giant Bear-Chapter 507 - 480: Absolute Loss of Control

Feng Muhai wanted to become Wang Wu’s personal attendant, but he didn’t care much, his mind still spinning with the Vast Righteous Qi Dao of that senior brother who despises evil. After leaving the council hall, he suddenly asked, "The Dao has both great and small, right?"

"Oh, sir, why do you say so?" Feng Muhai was first stunned, then looked at Wang Wu with anticipation, seemingly wanting to hear his thoughts.

"Because living always requires some purposes, even mortals do so, let alone Earth Immortals or Taiyi True Immortals who live for tens of thousands of years." Wang Wu pondered, in the past, it was all about cultivation for the sake of cultivation, for survival, for the law of the jungle. But those were short-term goals, now he needed to understand the true reason for cultivation, as this was the process of understanding the Dao.

"Though the pursuit of longevity and enduring vision is the long-term goal of all cultivators, to be precise, it still is just a means, a process of pursuing a goal, not the true purpose."

"It’s like mortal women who wish to remain forever young and beautiful, mortal men who want to be forever healthy and strong. They wish to live longer, but not for the sake of longevity itself, but to enjoy more."

"Then what about immortals? We cultivate arduously, take various risks to explore, collect, and practice alchemy. It shouldn’t simply be for the result of longevity, but definitely to enjoy the various benefits longevity brings."

"Of course, I do not exclude those emotionless immortals who desire nothing, not fame, nor benefit, nor even pleasure, who don’t even appreciate beautiful sceneries, cultivating themselves into a stone. Feng Muhai, you are a Taiyi Fifth-Stage True Immortal, do you want to be a stone?"

Feng Muhai shook his head, "Of course, I don’t. In fact, I’ve never seen any Taiyi True Immortal cultivate themselves into a stone. My senior brother Lu Tong cultivates his Vast Righteous Qi Dao, which in my view is quite peculiar. As for Daluo, I’m not sure, but some Taiyi True Immortals’ evil, in my opinion, is essentially no different from mortals, let alone being emotionless."

"So, you agree with my view, right? Life, whether innate or acquired, is always driven by some goal or goals, to struggle for survival, cultivation has its purposes as well."

"However, if it’s just for the phrase ’longevity and enduring vision’, it seems too thin, like shouting a slogan. I once heard a saying, ’absolute power breeds absolute corruption.’

"Similarly, absolute power will inevitably lead to absolute loss of control."

"Think about it, a Taiyi True Immortal, with at least tens of thousands of years of Shou, capable of riding clouds and mist, moving mountains and overturning seas, destroying all life within thousands of miles with a mere wave of a hand, how easy it is, such unchecked power, I believe will inevitably lose control. The reason it hasn’t lost control is that there isn’t absolute power, or there are external factors restraining it."

"But once there’s no more restraint, after forming relatively absolute power, over time, it will inevitably lose control in some aspect."

"So, how not to let oneself lose control, I think, that is one manifestation of the Dao."

"Because absolute power cannot be constrained by others, nor can it be constrained by any other rules. The feeling of doing as one pleases is great, just like gluttonous children, or mortals indulging in sensual pleasures, the threshold of happiness will always be pushed higher. Today I am happy to slaughter a city, tomorrow I might need to destroy ten cities to achieve the same effect."

"Many cultivators always like to say longevity and enduring vision, freedom, and leisure, as if they are drifting clouds and cranes. They think it is cool and carefree, but they do not understand, that after gaining absolute power, there must be a Dao that can restrain oneself to prevent losing control."

"It’s not to say you can’t kill and set fire, but to be clear whether it’s purposeful, or is your heart going crazy?"

"So, your senior brother Lu Tong, he’s not someone who is inherently kind, just, and has great ideals. On the contrary, he is likely a violent and murderous person. He cannot suppress his sense of losing control in his heart, so he must use the strictest rules and the most severe guidelines to restrain himself and restrain others. This should be the truth behind his hatred for evil. Am I right?"

Feng Muhai listened quietly, and after a long time, clapped his hands and exclaimed: "Exactly, exactly, absolute power will inevitably lead to absolute loss of control. This phrase sounds almost like it came from my own mouth. Now I’m starting to understand why my master values you so much. Wang Wu, you indeed have a point."

"And just with your current insight, your path to advancing to Taiyi True Immortal should be smooth sailing."

At this point, Feng Muhai beckoned with a finger at the back, Wang Wu turned to see, and the previously unconscious, nearly mortally wounded Lu Tong, along with Zhuang Bufei and Qu Shenglian, walked out together.

Good heavens.

Lu Tong smiled brightly with his little white teeth, "Master Wang Wu, don’t be surprised, and don’t be angry. We disciples dare not disobey Master’s instructions. Today’s small trial is also to facilitate your understanding of the Dao. Would you like to see the edict left by my Master? The four of us have been your personal attendants from fifty-five years ago, but we have racked our brains over how to guide you in understanding the Dao. We’ve even been neglecting you for fifty-five years because of this."

"Now it seems very effective, you can understand and recognize through my Vast Righteous Qi Dao this extremely important, very core concept that absolute power breeds absolute loss of control."

"Yes, now I can answer you, yes, your judgment is correct, absolute power will indeed lead to absolute loss of control. I am indeed not inherently kind, although not a naturally violent and murderous person, I am very easily emotional, so I chose the Vast Righteous Qi Dao."

"Of course, it’s not as exaggerated as they say. Sir, even if you went and stole the Great Wilderness Sin Prison Tower, I wouldn’t report you, let alone several hundred Vermilion Bird Array Stones."

"Now then, as part of the trial, you may ask us questions."

"Alright, why can’t you control your emotionality?" Wang Wu asked directly.

"Because everyone has seven emotions and six desires, and these increase with age, just like children, whose bodies are weak, they think less, hence possessing a childlike innocence."

"When they become adults, their bodies are strong, naturally they think more, they think of pleasure when full and warm."

"But as they age, these seven emotions and six desires naturally decrease again."

"This is the case for mortals, and for cultivators, the body’s strength itself amplifies the seven emotions and six desires, this you should be very aware of yourself, don’t you have two concubines? When the beauty is in front, can you restrain your lower body?"

"However, the biggest difference between cultivators and mortals is that after the body becomes strong, the divine soul will gradually become strong as well."

"When the divine soul becomes strong, the control threshold over the seven emotions and six desires will be much greater. If you treat these seven emotions and six desires as an evil dragon, placing it in a small river will result in a destructive force, so the evil of mortals sometimes truly refreshes your understanding."

"However, if you place this evil dragon in the ocean, the damage caused will be much less."

"So the manifested effect is that as cultivators cultivate to higher levels, their divine souls become stronger, their control over their desires becomes stronger, over time, it seems to give the illusion that cultivators don’t need the seven emotions and six desires, immortals don’t need the seven emotions and six desires, they just need to wear white robes whiter than snow, carefree and freely living in a painting."

"But the strengthening of the divine soul does not proportionally grow with the strengthening of the physical body, especially after advancing to Taiyi True Immortal. If your divine soul cannot reach sufficient strength, if your divine thought is less than 100 strands, believe me, then the powerful body you have cultivated, due to the seven emotions and six desires formed by it, will instead dominate your pitiful little small river-like divine soul, like an evil dragon."

"At that moment, if you’re inherently kind and gentle, maybe the changes won’t be too significant. But if you’re easily emotional, if you enjoy swift revenge, then you’re basically standing on the edge of losing control."

"So under such circumstances, you need to set a Dao concept for yourself in advance."

"The first layer of the Dao is control, this must be understood and comprehended. If you do not understand, insisting on shouting there that we cultivate for swift revenge, for being unrestrained, for carefree wandering, there’s nothing wrong, on the premise that you’re truly powerful enough to bring along the entire Cultivation Realm, all the Taiyi True Immortals, and all the Daluo to be buried with you."

"And this involves the second layer of the Dao, that is, whether the Dao is divided into great and small? Master Wang Wu, please answer my question."

"Isn’t this something you should tell me the answer to?" Wang Wu was stunned.

"Haha, it’s not the same, just like the reasoning on the first layer, mortal children, no matter how many times their parents tell them to learn to control themselves, to plan their future, they must suffer losses, hit walls many times, even an entire life without learning does it mean there are no answers? No, if they can’t comprehend it themselves, even if you tell them thousands of times, it won’t work."

"So now this second part, whether the Dao is divided into great and small, likewise needs you to find the answer yourself. Note, you are not to ponder over it, you shouldn’t answer recklessly, even if you answer correctly, it’s best to find the answer personally."

"Okay, I understand, your trial for me has indeed benefited me greatly."

Wang Wu nodded, "Then, what exactly should I do next?"