C20 Threepurity Heart Sutra

Initially, the Purple Gold Gourd emitted only a faint glow, but it suddenly flared up, nearly blinding Zhao Lei. Instinctively, he shielded his eyes from the intense light, straining to discern what was happening.

Amidst the brilliant purple radiance, the Purple Gold Gourd turned transparent, revealing the eight jade tablets and the miniature world inside. Zhao Lei was astounded when the Qian hexagram, the first of the eight trigrams, materialized out of nowhere and stamped itself onto the twelve o'clock position of the Taiji Pisces diagram on the gourd.

Once the Qian hexagram was imprinted, the blinding purple light started to fade, vanishing in an instant, and the room regained its former serenity.

Zhao Lei's heart, however, was anything but serene. The extraordinary event indicated that the Purple Gold Gourd had undergone a significant transformation, as there would be no other explanation for such a disturbance.

Despite his vision still being affected by the glare, Zhao Lei was too eager to wait for it to clear. He immediately picked up the Purple Gold Gourd for a closer inspection.

The gourd's appearance—its shape, size, and color—remained unchanged, but the Taiji Pisces now bore the Qian hexagram. Zhao Lei was thrilled by this revelation, whispering excitedly to himself, "So absorbing jade can indeed transform the Purple Gold Gourd. Could this be considered a form of evolution?"

Even though the Purple Gold Gourd had evolved, Zhao Lei was unsure of its new practical functions beyond the added hexagram.

After staring at the transformed Purple Gold Gourd for a moment, he chuckled at his own oversight, "How silly of me. If nothing seems different on the outside, I should check inside the Gourd Space!"

With that realization, Zhao Lei focused on the Taiji Pisces on the gourd for a brief moment before swiftly entering the Gourd Space.

Upon entering, he immediately noticed significant changes to the tiny universe. The space had expanded considerably, almost doubling to nearly a hundred square meters. Zhao Lei was overjoyed by this development. A larger Gourd Space meant he could cultivate more plants, which was an undeniable boon for him.

The terrain within the Gourd Space had undergone a transformation beyond just an increase in size. The spring's location had noticeably risen, resulting in an overflow of water that cascaded down a small waterfall barely a foot in height. Below the waterfall, a stream meandered through the grass before vanishing into the mist, its destination unknown.

Upon noticing the altered terrain surrounding the spring, Zhao Lei couldn't help but worry. He had placed turtle eggs near the spring and was uncertain if these delicate eggs had been damaged.

However, as Zhao Lei approached the spring, he was relieved to find that the nest he had constructed from dry leaves and twigs was intact, nestled beside the stream just below the waterfall. It appeared that the turtle eggs were unharmed.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Zhao Lei stood by the stream, surveying the Gourd Space with satisfaction. He contemplated the implications of the changes, realizing that with each evolution of the Purple Gold Gourd, this miniature world would also transform. The thought filled him with eager anticipation, curious about the eventual form this wondrous space would take.

While lost in his thoughts, Zhao Lei's gaze inadvertently drifted towards the jade tablets. To his astonishment, he noticed golden characters shimmering on one of them—a stark contrast to their previously blank surfaces. Excited by this revelation, he quickly made his way over to investigate.

The top of the jade tablet was emblazoned with the luminous title "Three-purity Heart Sutra." Below, small characters densely covered the tablet, offering both an introduction to the Three-purity Heart Sutra and instructions for its cultivation.

Zhao Lei meticulously read through the entire text, growing increasingly amazed. The Three-purity Heart Sutra, a creation of the venerable Old Lord Taishang, promised that anyone who mastered it to the ninth level could ascend by daylight, becoming an immortal of legend.

The eight jade tablets detailed the cultivation methods for each of the first eight levels. With each evolutionary phase of the Purple Gold Gourd, a tablet would reveal new inscriptions, guiding the practitioner through the levels. Only by mastering all eight levels of the Heart Sutra could one reach the ninth level. The Immortal Dew, a divine elixir produced by the Purple Gold Gourd, was an essential aid in this journey, significantly accelerating the pace of cultivation.

Upon witnessing this, Zhao Lei was thoroughly amazed. He hadn't anticipated that the Purple Gold Gourd was not only useful for healing and strengthening the body or for amassing wealth but could also transform someone into an immortal. It truly was a wondrous artifact.

The jade tablet, however, made it clear that possession of the Purple Gold Gourd didn't guarantee immortality for everyone. Success depended on individual fate and insight.

Despite this caveat, Zhao Lei resolved to attempt it. The allure of immortality was irresistible to mere mortals, impossible to withstand.

Therefore, Zhao Lei earnestly proceeded to study the subsequent text, learning the cultivation method for the first level of the Three-purity Heart Sutra. The initial stage, aptly named "Body Tempering," served to refine the practitioner's body, purge toxins, and fortify the physique as a foundation for future cultivation endeavors.

Upon mastering the first level of the Heart Sutra, a cultivator's constitution would experience a dramatic transformation, surpassing ordinary humans in every aspect. Strength, endurance, speed, and sensory acuity would all be significantly enhanced. Moreover, it promised to extend one's lifespan, maintaining the vigor of middle age well into one's sixties or seventies.

The more Zhao Lei read, the more elated he became, murmuring to himself, "Even if I don't reach the ninth level of the Heart Sutra and ascend by daylight, just mastering this first level is worthwhile. At the very least, I could enjoy a longer, healthier life!"

Always one for action, Zhao Lei, having made up his mind to practice the Three-purity Heart Sutra, wasted no time. He promptly seated himself cross-legged before the jade tablet and commenced his cultivation as instructed.

Unbeknownst to Zhao Lei, engrossed in his practice with eyes closed, the script on the jade tablet transformed into a beam of golden light that struck his Heavenly Eye Acupuncture Point. The tablet's teachings flowed directly into his mind, etching themselves indelibly into his memory.

Zhao Lei quickly achieved a deep meditative state and began his cultivation practice as outlined on the jade tablet. Time seemed to slip away as he focused on his training, and it wasn't until he slowly opened his eyes that he realized he had emerged from his deep concentration.

With a deep exhale, Zhao Lei rose to his feet and immediately sensed a significant transformation within himself. He felt invigorated, brimming with energy as if he possessed boundless strength. Overwhelmed by this sensation, Zhao Lei couldn't resist performing a series of martial arts moves on the grass, channeling his surplus vitality.

But something soon felt off. Zhao Lei noticed an unpleasant odor emanating from his body, originating from a thin layer of grime on his skin. He recognized this as a natural detoxification process, similar to what happened whenever he consumed Immortal Dew. Yet, without having taken any Immortal Dew this time, the mere practice of the first level of the Three-purity Heart Sutra had yielded the same result, confirming its efficacy.

Elated by this discovery, Zhao Lei exited the Gourd Space to cleanse himself. As he bathed, hunger pangs struck fiercely. He quickly finished his shower, prepared two bowls of instant noodles, and devoured them, finally feeling some relief.

Satiated, Zhao Lei checked the time and was astonished to find that it was already the middle of the night. Given the time dilation between the Gourd Space and the outside world, he had unwittingly spent over twenty hours in cultivation. It was no surprise that he had become so famished.

"I need to remember to bring some snacks when I cultivate in the Gourd Space," Zhao Lei thought to himself. He then collapsed into bed and fell into a deep sleep.

Two days later, the Purple Gold Gourd was due to produce Immortal Dew once again. Zhao Lei got up early, cautiously dispensed a drop of the precious liquid into a glass cup, and proceeded to water the ginseng plant.

But then, he witnessed something astonishing. Another drop of the golden Immortal Dew was forming at the gourd's mouth. Remarkably, the Purple Gold Gourd had produced not one, but two drops of Immortal Dew this time!

Zhao Lei immediately realized that this must be the result of the Purple Gold Gourd's evolution. However, he had no time to rejoice at the moment, as he noticed the Immortal Dew swelling and on the verge of dropping. He quickly opened his mouth to catch it, and the familiar burning sensation soon spread throughout his body.

The jade tablet stated unequivocally that the Immortal Dew greatly aided the practice of the Three-purity Heart Sutra. Not wanting to squander such a valuable resource, Zhao Lei ignored the other drop of Immortal Dew, promptly sat down cross-legged, and began to cultivate the Three-purity Heart Sutra.

Several hours passed as Zhao Lei immersed himself in cultivation. When he finally opened his eyes, he was overwhelmed by a foul odor emanating from his body and dashed into the bathroom to shower.

This wasn't Zhao Lei's first experience with Immortal Dew, but it was the most toxins he had ever expelled. It became clear to him that the Immortal Dew and the Three-purity Heart Sutra truly complemented each other, significantly accelerating his cultivation progress.

Despite the Purple Gold Gourd's evolution and the doubled output of Immortal Dew, Zhao Lei still faced the persistent issue of insufficient supply.

Cultivation consumed vast amounts of Immortal Dew. To obtain more, he needed to further upgrade the Purple Gold Gourd, which meant purchasing more jade stones for absorption, requiring substantial financial backing. To earn money, he had to grow his business, which in turn depended on Immortal Dew. It was a vexing, cyclical problem that gave Zhao Lei quite the headache.

Thankfully, Zhao Lei was inherently optimistic and quickly dismissed his concerns, talking to himself, "Having the Purple Gold Gourd is a great advantage, regardless. As for the next steps, I'll figure it out as I go. For now, I'll focus on cultivating the ginseng and worry about making money later!"