Li Yuan's consciousness slowly withdrew from the outside world and into the depths of his Zhenjing.
Zhenjing isn't imagination or visualization. It's an internal reality just as real as the external world—a landscape formed from mature and profound understandings, a place where meaning becomes form and wisdom becomes an explorable space.
When Li Yuan opened his inner eye in his internal world, he found himself standing in the midst of a stunning landscape.
Before him stretched a boundless ocean composed entirely of water—the physical manifestation of his Water Understanding, which had now reached the Wenjing realm. The water here wasn't subject to normal gravity. It flowed in all directions, forming rivers that flowed vertically in the air, waterfalls that fell upwards, and lakes that floated like liquid mirrors.
Every drop of water in this ocean whispered with a clear language of meaning. There was no noise, no chaos—only the harmony of millions of voices telling stories from every place they had ever been.
Surrounding this boundless ocean, his sixteen other understandings formed their own landscapes.
The Understanding of Silence created a paradoxical vacuum—empty yet full of a profound presence. There was no sound, but in the absence of sound, the echo of everything that didn't need to be said could be felt.
The Understanding of Sky formed an infinite dome that constantly changed color and shape, symbolizing limitless freedom. There was no roof, no walls—just pure openness.
The Understanding of Anger vibrated as a fire that did not burn, but gave a warmth that inspired the spirit to protect the weak.
The Understanding of Memories took the shape of a library with an infinite number of pages, where each book stored precious moments that would never fade.
One by one, Li Yuan observed the manifestations of each of his understandings. Each was beautiful in its own way. Each was perfect in its imperfection.
But what captured his attention most was the center of his entire Zhenjing.
In the middle of all the understandings, there was a space he had never seen with such clarity before. A space that seemed simple yet radiated a presence more fundamental than all the other understandings.
The Realm of Questions.
Li Yuan stepped toward the center of his Zhenjing, passing the ocean of water that vibrated with joy at his presence. Each step brought him closer to the space that felt like the heart of his entire consciousness.
The Realm of Questions had no physical walls or roof, but it felt enclosed by an atmosphere of unquenchable curiosity. Within this space, questions roamed like living beings made of light and meaning.
"What is the Dao?"
"Why is there something rather than nothing at all?"
"What is the relationship between one and many?"
"How can consciousness exist?"
"What is the true meaning of understanding?"
These questions didn't seek answers to stop asking. They lived precisely because they continued to question. They were the essence of an insatiable curiosity—the driving force that had kept Li Yuan going and evolving for eleven thousand years.
When you don't stop asking questions, you won't die.
The realization hit Li Yuan with surprising clarity. His spiritual lifespan was maintained not by power or energy, but by endless questions. Curiosity was the true fountain of youth.
Li Yuan sat in the middle of the Realm of Questions, surrounded by the essence of pure curiosity. And here, in a stillness filled with questions, he began to formulate a more fundamental understanding of the path he had created.
Dao (道) = the path, the universal principle that underlies everything.
Jing (境) = clarity, the internal landscape formed from understanding.
Daojing = the soul's resonance with the Dao, born from consciousness, meaning, and understanding.
It was not cultivation of energy like Qi. It was not the accumulation of power. Daojing was the process of aligning the soul's frequency with the cosmic vibration that underlies all of existence.
Li Yuan felt his Water Understanding vibrate with a new harmony from its position in the boundless ocean. Now in the Wenjing realm, its passive effects had evolved into something more sophisticated.
Wenjing (闻境) – The Listening Realm.
"I don't hear your words. I hear why you say them."
Wenjing isn't about hearing external sounds, but about hearing the vibration of meaning. The heart becomes the listener of the Dao, not just the physical ear.
In this realm, a cultivator can:
Read the atmosphere—feel the inner state of people or nature around them.
Understand the intent behind words—grasp not the words themselves, but the reason and the vibration of intent behind them.
Listen to the conversation of nature—the sound of the wind, the gurgling of water, or even silence convey meaning that can be understood.
Sense the rhythm of existence—like hearing the "music of the universe" hidden behind physical phenomena.
His Water Understanding in the Wenjing realm had unique passive effects:
Listening to the Flow—Li Yuan could hear the direction of intent flowing, like water seeking a path. When someone was about to act, their intent flowed like a small stream that could be heard before it became a torrent.
The Gentle Voice of the Heart—his presence made the people around him speak more honestly, more calmly, as if their inner voice flowed without obstruction. It would be difficult for someone to hide their true intentions, because like a ripple in water, everything was always heard.
The Rhythm of Life—a pulse, a heartbeat, even a person's hesitation sounded like drops of water. Li Yuan could tell when someone was nervous, angry, or about to attack.
The Environment as an Instrument—the wind, rain, rivers, even morning dew became speakers that conveyed hidden messages. Nature provided clearer information to the cultivator.
Water spoke, and the world heard through the water.
Li Yuan smiled in the Realm of Questions, feeling that fundamental truth flow through his entire consciousness.
Daojing was not a path to dominate the world, but a path to understand the world—and when understanding becomes perfect, the world itself adjusts to the cultivator.
There was no force. No domination. Only a harmony born from deep understanding.
In the silence filled with questions, Li Yuan felt something shift in his Zhenjing. The ocean of water around him vibrated with an increasingly stable and profound frequency.
His Water Understanding had fully settled in the Wenjing realm. The transformation was complete. But in that completion, Li Yuan felt that this was only the beginning.
There were still sixteen other understandings waiting to evolve. There were realms after Wenjing that he had not even imagined.
And most importantly—there were still questions constantly emerging in the Realm of Questions, reminding him that the journey to understanding the Dao would never truly be over.
"What happens when all understandings reach the same realm?"
"Is there a deeper unity behind the diversity of understandings?"
"How will Daojing evolve when it interacts with a world that has never known cultivation before?"
New questions continued to emerge, keeping the fire of curiosity burning. And in the embers of those questions, Li Yuan found true immortality.
Not the immortality of the body, but the immortality of a soul that never stops growing, never stops questioning, and never stops seeking a deeper understanding of the mystery called existence.
In the middle of the Realm of Questions, surrounded by the ocean of Water Understanding now vibrating in the Wenjing realm, Li Yuan felt a profound peace.
The journey continues. And in that continuation lies the true beauty.