Chapter 90: Hidden Moth Temple
The so-called power-off mode means shutdown state. This test VR headset becomes a completely opaque eye mask, and once worn, nothing can be seen.
He Kao stayed inside the house for three whole days without even going out once, ordering food delivery for meals. President E’s workload during the holiday had long been completed, and he even exceeded his targets considerably.
The work results were sent to the colleague responsible for the next step, and he even pushed one node forward. The next tasks are under the charge of another department, allowing him to enjoy some leisure time the week after the long holiday.
This wasn’t due to He Kao’s extraordinary dedication to his career; it was all accomplished as a part of his "cultivation."
Wearing the VR headset to view virtual scenarios while performing a series of operations in reality eventually leaves anyone feeling dazed, unable to differentiate between illusion and reality, which could potentially cause psychological issues over time.
Of course, He Kao was aware of this fact, but he found another method in the process, namely training his spiritual sense, including space imagination, memory, and super perception ability among others.
The "Observation Method" that He Kao practiced was neither meditating on the Dantian nor lowering the curtain and listening; it was somewhat akin to the Buddhist family’s Nirvana.
Though it wasn’t the Nirvana Method, it couldn’t possibly be found in online writings, merely sharing a slight connection. Actually, it was closer to the Daoist School’s Vacuum Body Cultivation Method.
This so-called observation is neither focusing on external objects, nor self-observation, nor preserving impressions, but finally dissolves the visualizing subject, leaving no visualized objects whatsoever... How can this be understood?
Described in modern psychological terms, it resembles a consciousness regression method, starting with "observation," visualizing oneself from head to toe, each part eventually turning into void.
The self disappears, the common perceptions of reliance on the body naturally vanish, even the existence of "I" is gone, and various thoughts seem nonexistent...
This can also be described in a philosophical manner.
Some people use a similar logic of consciousness regression, questioning everything questionable, leaving only the act of questioning itself unchallengeable.
Others go further, suspending the entire world including various ideologies, leaving only pure, spiritual consciousness.
Yet, the starting point of the observation method practiced by He Kao is entirely different; it initially suspends the "self" as the subject of perception, cognition, and thinking. The things sought by the above two are eliminated right from the start.
This involves not only the withdrawal of surface awareness but also the elimination of the subconscious.
Can this state be achieved solely through visualization? It depends on the perseverance and cultivation; failure means not entering, moreover, the realm varies in different levels.
When Tier Six Cultivators break through to Tier Seven, they must experience this state. This is a very challenging trial, entering the state into voidness, losing divine power...
It is called Vacuum Body Cultivation, also known as "Returning to Void" or "Refining Void."
"Refining Void" is a realm set in many modern Xianxia novels, typically following the Golden Core, Nascent Soul, and Divinity Transformation. In traditional cultivation theory, the term "Refining Void" also exists.
This "Refining Void" is indeed the necessary step before the vacuum forms the "Profound Embryo," and the Profound Embryo precedes the "Nascent Soul," symbolizing the nurturing of a new form of life and existence state. (Couldn’t resist being verbose here, please forgive my professional habit.)
Of course, He Kao doesn’t have such cultivation yet; he even barely has any cultivation at all, merely practicing an observation method that begins with refining void style.
Senior Lin Qingshuang didn’t make any adjustments to the observation method itself; his annotations primarily guided him on how to enter the state, such as adjustments of posture and breathing, and relaxation techniques.
When He Kao could achieve relaxation and tranquility naturally, he found himself able to enter sitting meditation from cross-legged sitting...
In visualization, as the body gradually turns to void, visualizing or not visualizing becomes irrelevant, entering a natural state. The existence of the self seems gone, yet becomes omnipresent, as if it is the world itself.
Surrounding objects inexplicably present themselves, seemingly existing in such a way, yet not knowing "who" is perceiving them.
After this midnight entering state cultivation each night, he slept extraordinarily sweetly, and the next day had a great appetite and mental state. On the third day of the holiday, He Kao took an Essence Nourishing Pill and deeply experienced its spiritual effect.
It’s difficult to intuitively feel the fullness of essence and qi, but the unified body and mind, the desire’s agitation is clear and intense, inadvertently standing at attention, always unable to resist thinking of certain people and possible occurrences in the mind.
He Kao even feels quite ashamed, that he still harbors thoughts like this... The best way to soothe them is to continue cultivating the Hidden Moth Temple, as desire needs to be eradicated first.
The Hidden Moth Temple is the name that He Kao gave to this observation method, thinking it very vivid and apt. The moth isn’t just a flying thought, but also the hidden self, invisible yet seemingly omnipresent.
On the fourth morning of the holiday, He Kao suddenly felt something, turning off the headset, seemingly finding traces of the entering state when sitting meditation, as if a product of deliberate "training" over the past few days.
In a pitch-black space, he seemed able to "know" clearly the existence of every item in the room.
Even if the virtual scenarios were invisible, a picture of the house naturally emerged in his mind, overlapping with reality, allowing him to move freely within it.
Actually, many ordinary people possess such strong spatial perception ability, yet this isn’t fortunate but inevitable, like blind people. Some blind people even master echolocation ability, perceiving surrounding objects through sound and vibrations.
Maybe it’s because the layout of this house is so familiar to him; He Kao tried a different method to test, already not testing data but testing himself.
He took a small unused plastic spoon, all delivered with the takeout over the past few days, holding it in his hand and walked into the bedroom, throwing it forcefully. Some spoons hit the wall and fell to the ground, making an obvious sound, others fell on the bed, barely making any sound.
But he seemed to hazily perceive the trajectory of these spoons, then picked them all up... All accomplished in a blindfolded and invisible state.
The position of some spoons might be judged by sound, some felt as if not relying on any ordinary sense, like a natural "knowing," or say like a synthesis of all senses.
With the new discoveries, He Kao was very excited, testing several other things like tissue rolled into small balls. He threw so many small paper balls, not all were found, but he located about most of them.
He Kao finally removed the headset, planning to see with his own eyes where the remaining small paper balls were, only to find that unconsciously time had passed noon, he suddenly felt a wave of tiredness hit.
Just like working overtime for several big nights, finally completing the urgent tasks, a moment of relaxation crept in, even his eyelids couldn’t hold open... He decided to go to bed and take a nap, skipping lunch altogether.
He Kao also realized that the test earlier seemed to have consumed a lot of energy, lucky that he took the Essence Nourishing Pill yesterday, or he wouldn’t just be sleepy, probably would be dizzy.
He initially planned for just a short nap, but unexpectedly slept deeply, almost unable to wake up even from thunder, feeling unusually dazed...
He suddenly woke up shocked, and terrified to find himself not on the bed, a hood covering his head, hands tied behind, leaning against a sofa chair.
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PS: The timing today got a bit delayed, so this Chapter is relatively short.