Volume One Entering the Path Chapter Fifty-One The Mysterious Symbol

When the milky white radiance enveloped everyone, Ye Junze, caught in the midst, was no exception—his surroundings filled with shimmering light. At the instant the glow flared, he instinctively closed his eyes.

…

Ye Junze did not know how much time had passed before he finally adjusted and opened his eyes. The moment he did, it was clear he was no longer in the classroom. Surveying his surroundings, he found himself alone in a vast space, with not another soul in sight. Fortunately, having spent quite some time in Anze already, Ye Junze was no stranger to such situations. Recalling the recent events, he thought to himself, “It seems this is another of those consciousness spaces or spiritual realms, just like the entrance assessment or the first time I practiced the Xuantian Dao Canon.”

With that realization, any anxiety dissipated, and Ye Junze began to scrutinize his surroundings. The teacher couldn’t have brought us here just to sit idly—there must be a purpose. What could it be? He pondered.

But aside from the endless monotony of white, there was nothing else in the space—no clues to grasp. Ye Junze could only recall what Yin Jia had said earlier. He remembered she wanted everyone to experience for themselves what enlightenment felt like. Clearly, this space existed for that purpose. The only question now was: How to begin the enlightenment she spoke of? With nothing but a blank space before him, Ye Junze found himself utterly at a loss, scratching his head in frustration.

After much fruitless thought, Ye Junze decided to set his mind at ease, allowing his thoughts to settle. “Perhaps this is a kind of test as well? A test of our patience or something else. In any case, I’d better calm down and not let it affect me,” he mused inwardly.

What Ye Junze did not know was that his guess was almost spot on. In fact, this was indeed a test for the new students. Although enlightenment sounds simple, in practice it is far more arduous than one might imagine. Enlightenment is, above all, a trial of patience and concentration. Without exceptional patience, it is easy to lose oneself or fall into madness during the long process. Such incidents have occurred countless times in the history of Anze’s Daoist Department. Thus, after these events became too frequent, the Daoist Department added this segment to the enlightenment course precisely to hone and examine students’ patience. Judging from Ye Junze’s current performance, he had already passed this little test by chance.

Unaware that he had blundered his way through the test, Ye Junze continued to ponder quietly how to truly begin enlightenment.

After Ye Junze inadvertently cleared this hurdle, the previously blank space began to change in peculiar ways, quite unlike before. At first, the changes were subtle, so much so that Ye Junze, absorbed in thought, did not notice them.

In the blank white expanse, colorful points of light began to appear—first one, then two, then three—until finally, they were beyond counting. As the lights multiplied, the once empty space became a dazzling tapestry of brilliance. At first glance, these points of light were simply enchanting, beautiful beyond words. But when one focused intently, there was a sense of hidden mystery within them, drawing one in irresistibly.

When the points of light had gradually filled the entire space, Ye Junze, after long fruitless contemplation, suddenly felt a stirring in his heart and snapped his eyes open. The sight before him left his mouth agape—for what he saw was simply beyond belief. His astonishment was only natural.

After the initial shock, Ye Junze steadied himself and began to study the lights before him carefully, rubbing his chin in thought. “Could these strange lights be the key to beginning enlightenment?” he muttered to himself. “But what should I do now?” He was at a loss.

After a moment’s reflection, he acted on a sudden impulse and reached out to touch one of the lights. The instant his finger made contact, a transformation occurred.

At the point where his finger touched, the light blazed forth with such intensity that Ye Junze had to close his eyes against it. When he opened them again, everything had changed dramatically—the formerly white space was now pitch black, and all the lights had vanished as if they had never existed. Surveying the space, which was otherwise unchanged save for the darkness, Ye Junze frowned and muttered, “Where did the lights go? How am I supposed to seek enlightenment now?”

As if some unseen presence in the darkness had heard his words, the lights reappeared. But this time, instead of drifting aimlessly, they began to gather as if drawn by some invisible force—points of the same color clustering together. After some time, all the lights had gathered, and then, before his eyes, they began to shift and transform into various symbols.

The red lights became flickering flames, gently burning.

The blue lights flowed like water, serene and tranquil, moving to their own rhythm.

The yellow lights formed thick, earthen symbols, radiating a sense of weight and solidity at first glance.

Green lights resembled saplings, brimming with the breath of life.

…

Each color gathered into its own unique symbol, each exuding an air of mystery, inviting exploration.

Among these radiant colors, two stood out as especially enigmatic, even giving the illusion of outshining the others combined. One was black, the other white, and the symbols they formed were nearly identical—almost like mirror images of the same form. The black and white lights moved like two little fish, swimming gently together. At first glance, they seemed entirely separate, but the longer one watched, the more they appeared to be a single whole.

The two fish swam together, distinct yet complementary, each filling the other's lacks in a wondrous harmony.

Ye Junze gazed at these mysterious symbols, filled with awe and wonder, but felt no urge to reach out or claim them, as if a voice deep within whispered that these were not what he needed at this moment.

As Ye Junze pondered the reason for this feeling, a sudden intuition struck him, and his gaze was drawn inexorably toward a mysterious symbol in the farthest corner.