There was a rush cushion on the adobe bed, which Mi Xiaojing used when he practiced cross-legged and chanted mantras.
Next to the bed was a small Evolutionary niche with a small altar on which three small pottery bowls were placed side by side. The middle one was used as an incense burner with several burnt incense sticks inserted. This was Mi Xiaojing’s position for worshipping Evolutionary’s Ancestors. The two bowls on either side contained wild fresh fruits, which were offered to Evolutionary’s Ancestors.
Beside the entrance to the room was a small bamboo bookshelf that Zhang Ke had given him. He was skilled in bamboo weaving when he was still a layman. The bookshelf was neatly arranged with some Buddhist scriptures.
Next to the bookshelf were several stacked bamboo boxes, which actually contained nothing but some tattered patched clothes and some needles, threads, and coarse cloth. Mi Xiaojing had learned to sew and mend his clothes since he was five years old.
The whole room was extremely simple but clean and spotless. No matter how old or worn out it was, Mi Xiaojing had to keep it clean. He absolutely did not allow himself to be dirty and messy. The room was the same. Every morning, Mi Xiaojing would carefully clean the room and sweep the courtyard.
After tidying his backpack, he put some wild fruits, herbs, and vegetables on the stone platform to dry. Then he carried a wooden bucket to the well next to the corner door.
He drew a bucket of water and returned to the front of the room. He took a simple bath with a coarse cloth, dried his body, changed into a patched cloth, and tidied up the room.
A kitchen worker came over with a bamboo food box and bowed respectfully.
“Master, this is tonight’s dinner.”
“Uncle Zhao, leave the food box at the door. I’ll take it back myself later.”
Zhao nodded and put the food box at the entrance of the Zen room before leaving.
Mi Xiaojing picked up the food box and put it on the bed table before opening it. As long as you reached the third stage of the Enlightenment period, you were eligible not to eat in the dining hall and enjoy the privilege of having your food delivered to your door. As a sect of the Evolutionary Immortality, the food of the Western Evolutionary Sect was always extremely simple. When he opened the food box, there were only four large bowls of mixed-grain steamed buns, a big bowl of vegetable soup, and a small dish of pickles. This was Mi Xiaojing’s dinner.
Of course, after so many years, Mi Xiaojing had already gotten used to it. At most, he would take out some pickled vegetables or hot sauce to adjust the taste. One steamed bun was almost half a kilogram, and four mixed-grain steamed buns were enough to fill his stomach.
After eating and drinking his fill, he returned the food box to the kitchen and sat cross-legged on the rush cushion on the adobe bed to begin his evening practice. This was the real time for him to practice.
At this stage of practice, it was an accumulation process that required persistent practice. There was no need for any special techniques or methods. Simply put, the current practice was to chant mantras, evolve the body, and develop the treasure of one’s own body.
The so-called Evolutionary Immortality was to have a treasure in one’s body and to evolve it with a single thought.
Once a disciple who had converted to the Evolutionary Sect reached the Conversion period, a certain Evolutionary form would appear in his or her mind, such as an imaginary fish or an imaginary object that was commonly used in daily life. There were many different forms, and almost none of them were the same.
These were all low-level Evolutionary forms. Generally speaking, disciples who had such an Evolutionary form in their minds after conversion were unlikely to have a high level of cultivation. Their Evolutionary mind and nature were relatively poor, and their comprehension was not high.
Those with better aptitude would have imaginary Evolutionary weapons such as cauldrons, battle clubs, large axes, and treasure swords. These Evolutionary disciples were more inclined to fight and were the combat-oriented Evolutionary disciples in the Evolutionary Sect.
The more advanced ones included long flags, huagai, lighthouses, treasure banners, mantra banners, and so on. There were even imaginary dragons, golden platforms, and the image of Evolutionary’s Ancestors.After Mi Xiaojing converted, what appeared in his heart was a tower, a tower that had just emerged with only one level. By now, it had grown to two and a half levels, also known as the Heart Tower.
What Mi Xiaojing didn’t know was that there was a subtle little dot in his Heart Tower. This dot was located at the base of the virtual tower. If Mi Xiaojing could see clearly, he would discover that it was another tower.
In other words, there were two towers in Mi Xiaojing’s heart, one nested inside the other.
This tower was famous in the Evolutionary Community, the Ten Thousand Word Mantra Banner!
Of course, with Mi Xiaojing’s current level of cultivation, he couldn’t see this treasure of the Western Evolutionary Sect. The Evolutionary Treasure was hidden inside Mi Xiaojing’s virtual tower. In fact, his conversion was also due to the influence of the Ten Thousand Word Mantra Banner.
When Mi Xiaojing recited the mantras, they were all basic mantras, with one character as the main focus. He could now recite two-character mantras, but he stumbled a bit. Once he became proficient in reciting two-character mantras, his strength would increase by one level.
The power of the mantras was divided into release and collection. When cultivating, reciting mantras was to cultivate the Heart Tower, to enlighten oneself with the wisdom and power of the mantras.
Every time he recited the mantras, they would manifest on his virtual tower, as if reciting once would make the tower more solid. And the written mantras would appear on the base of the tower. There were already many characters on the base that didn’t need to be recited, but would appear on their own.
Mi Xiaojing had already understood that this tower was actually composed of mantras. Of course, he didn’t know that his Heart Tower was actually influenced by the Evolutionary Treasure, the Ten Thousand Word Mantra Banner, and had formed and grown.
Mi Xiaojing was already very proficient in reciting mantras. Even before he learned to speak, he listened to various mantras every day. By the time he started to ascend at the age of ten, he had already become self-taught and could recite many mantras.
Holding a string of Evolutionary Wood-carved Prayer Beads in his hand, as he recited the mantras, the beads quickly moved on his fingertips. Each movement was an Evolutionary Blessing. As Mi Xiaojing’s cultivation level grew, the beads would also give birth to some kind of will.
Mi Xiaojing made this string of Prayer Beads himself. When he converted to the Evolutionary Sect, he happened to obtain an Evolutionary Wood core. The quality was so good that even the head of the Western Evolutionary Sect was a little envious. However, he didn’t want to compete with a child, so he left the core to Mi Xiaojing.
Evolutionary Wood and Tianlang Wood were known as the two great woods of the Evolutionary Sect. They were excellent materials for making Evolutionary Prayer Beads. Of course, the Evolutionary Sect also had other woods, such as the Dragon-Subduing Wood, Western Sandalwood, and Agarwood, which were high-quality materials for making Evolutionary Tools. But when it came to making Prayer Beads, Evolutionary Wood was the best of the best.
Mi Xiaojing personally polished eighteen Evolutionary Wood beads, which had been coiled for three years. This was his only self-made Evolutionary Tool. Every time he practiced, he would take it off his wrist, recite the mantras, and move the beads. After three years, they had become shiny and glossy, and could reflect light.