After listening to Elder Jianxian's explanation, Cheng Xinzhan pondered for a while.
His first choice for a guiding tool was a sword.
He currently had the body sword "Autumn Water" and the flying sword "Peach Capital," but he still lacked a magical sword.
This guiding tool could both attract thunder and harness the power of heaven and earth to cast thunder spells, perfectly fitting the essence of a magical sword.
The problem was that a magical sword needed to guide spiritual energy and bear talismanic patterns, so the material couldn't be subpar.
He had some scattered refined metals on hand, but those were meant to feed "Autumn Water" and were far from enough to forge a sword.
As for the vessel to bear the thunder, he had no clue either.
"I'll discuss this with my master when I return," he replied.
Elder Jianxian nodded.
"Crafting a magical tool is indeed no small matter. Go back and consult with Mountain Lord Wen. But don't delay too long. Spring thunder has been frequent lately. Once you're ready, I'll take you out. It's been over three months since I last attracted thunder, and the thunderous mysteries within me have mostly dissipated."
Cheng Xinzhan nodded in agreement.
"Let me also explain how to refine thunder. When thunder is in the sky, it's an elusive form—like light, like air, like silver, like liquid. But once we guide it into a vessel, it turns into a slurry, which we call 'thunder slurry.'"
When you first consume thunder slurry, use a non-metallic spoon to scoop a small drop from the vessel.
First, cleanse it with your five-element spiritual power to remove its violent essence.
This is using the acquired to influence the innate, minimizing the damage the thunder slurry does to your body.
"Then you'll need 'Cooling Ointment,' made from herbs like cassia seeds, pennywort, dandelion, and wormwood. If you're opening the nasal orifice, apply the ointment directly three times a day. After two or three days, you can start consuming the refined thunder slurry. If you're opening the eye orifice, moisten your eyes with the ointment for seven or eight days, also three times a day, before applying the thunder slurry. For the gallbladder orifice, ingest the ointment twice a day for about half a month, then drink the thunder slurry and guide it into the gallbladder orifice."
Once these orifices are opened to store thunder, we collectively refer to them as 'Thunder Residences.'
"The method of opening a Thunder Residence differs slightly from opening a dantian. When opening a dantian, you guide qi into your body, circulate it through your meridians, and refine it into spiritual power—a process of purification—before using that power to impact your organs."
But opening a Thunder Residence is different.
As you've likely read, thunder slurry is the most refined substance in heaven and earth.
By cleansing it with your spiritual power before consumption, you've already weakened its potency and disrupted its purity.
So after consuming it, there's no need to circulate it through your meridians again.
Just use the thunder slurry to impact the orifices directly.
"Once the thunder slurry impacts the orifice, it will shatter and disperse into qi. At that point, you can use your mind to circulate this dispersed qi through your meridians, refining it into spiritual power. This is called 'Thunder Qi.'"
After opening the Thunder Residence, you can directly pour thunder slurry into it.
Then, you can circulate the thunder slurry through your meridians to refine it into Thunder Qi.
One cycle will take much less time than with five-element qi and will be far more refined.
"Cheng Xinzhan listened with a sense of awe. Thunder cultivation was indeed quite different from five-element cultivation. Elder Jianxian then asked,"Xinzhan, have you decided which orifice to use as your Thunder Residence?
"Cheng Xinzhan thought for a moment. The eye orifice was out of the question—it was the Hall of Yin and Yang, and he had no intention of abandoning it. The gallbladder and nasal orifices were both viable, but for now, the nasal orifice would yield quicker results, while the gallbladder orifice would take longer. With Elder Jianxian's guidance, he could start with the nasal orifice and decide later whether to open the gallbladder orifice."
Master, I plan to use the nasal orifice as my first Thunder Residence.
"Elder Jianxian nodded."
The nasal orifice is the most common choice for beginners and the safest.
Opening your first Thunder Residence early will allow you to refine Thunder Qi sooner.
Opening a second or even third Thunder Residence later will be much easier.
"The nasal orifice resonates with the sound of thunder, which will benefit your thunder spell cultivation. Keep that in mind."
Cheng Xinzhan acknowledged this and committed it to memory.
Elder Jianxian continued, "Actually, opening a Thunder Residence is most effective during thunderstorms when the thunderclaps and the surge of thunder slurry resonate with the thunder. But since Mountain Lord Wen has instructed us to act quickly, we won't wait for the perfect day. I have some prepared thunder slurry and Cooling Ointment here, enough for you to consume over a dozen times. This will save you time, but you'll need to collect more yourself later."
Cheng Xinzhan was pleasantly surprised by this and quickly expressed his gratitude.
"One more thing," Elder Jianxian added.
"Breaking through the flesh barrier of the orifice to open the Thunder Residence is an extremely painful process. Be prepared."
Cheng Xinzhan nodded.
After experiencing the pain of true evil qi impacting his orifices, he couldn't imagine anything more painful.
Elder Jianxian then handed him a small ceramic jar.
"When you return, use a small spoon to apply the Cooling Ointment to your nose three times a day. Your nasal orifice will first go numb. After two or three days, when you start to feel a cooling sensation, come back to me, and I'll teach you how to consume the thunder slurry."
Also, ask Mountain Lord Wen if your lineage has any specific meridians for circulating Thunder Qi.
If so, you can follow those.
If not, I'll teach you the basic meridians from the Yingyuan Mansion.
Since Mountain Lord Wen has asked me to teach you, it should be fine to share some introductory meridians.
But remember, they can only be introductory.
And once again, make sure to prepare your guiding and bearing tools soon.
"Cheng Xinzhan accepted the Cooling Ointment and thanked Elder Jianxian profusely. Elder Jianxian then asked,"Your initial question led to a lot of discussion.
Are there any other parts of those two books you don't understand?
"Cheng Xinzhan replied,"There is one more thing.
In the book 'Divine Thunder Qi Consumption Method,' like in internal alchemy texts, many orifices are referred to by code names.
But the thunder book borrows names from the ancient Thunder Ministry's mechanisms and commands.
I haven't figured out the correspondences yet, and I couldn't find any related texts in the Small Myriad Mountains library.
"Elder Jianxian slapped his forehead."
Ah, I almost forgot about that!
"He stood up and went to his study, returning with a book titled"True Principles of Thunder Mansion Fate.
"He handed it to Cheng Xinzhan. Cheng Xinzhan took the book and the Cooling Ointment, then bid farewell and left. --- Upon returning to Mingzhi Mountain, Cheng Xinzhan didn't go straight to the Carefree Cave. Instead, he went to the Bamboo Stele.
He didn't see Wen Sukong in the bamboo pavilion, but he was no longer just a nominal disciple of the Small Myriad Mountains. He was one of only two living people on this mountain, a true direct disciple. The bond between master and disciple was the most important companionship on the path of cultivation.
Even if one perished, the other would seek their reincarnation to continue their immortal bond. It was only natural for him to seek his master's help or advice. So he called out,"Master!
Master!
Are you here?
"As soon as he finished speaking, a wisp of mysterious light floated into the bamboo pavilion, and Wen Sukong appeared."
Greetings, Master,"Cheng Xinzhan bowed."
Xinzhan, sit.
What do you need?
"Wen Sukong gestured to the cushion Cheng Xinzhan always used. Cheng Xinzhan sat down and said,"Master, Mountain Lord Zhao of Pivot Mountain has arranged for me to study under the North Pole Bureau of Evil Extermination, with Elder Jianxian as my teacher.
Today, Elder Jianxian said that to learn thunder magic, I need to guide thunder slurry into my body, which requires a tool to attract thunder and a vessel to bear it.
I need to prepare these myself.
"Wen Sukong understood and even smiled faintly. This disciple was always so polite—this was the first time he had actively asked for something."
What do you want?
"Wen Sukong asked. Cheng Xinzhan hesitated, then said,"I've had some fortuitous encounters and now have a body sword and a flying sword.
I'd like to take this opportunity to forge a magical sword as the guiding tool.
As for the bearing vessel, I have no idea.
I leave it to you, Master.
""Very well,"Wen Sukong agreed with a smile. Cheng Xinzhan was surprised by how smoothly this went and quickly stood up to bow again. Wen Sukong motioned for him to sit and thought for a moment."
I don't practice sword cultivation, so I don't have any good magical swords on hand.
You should go to the Sword Repository on Casting Sword Mountain and choose one based on your own intuition.
Our Mingzhi Mountain's Minor Corpse Dissolution Pill can induce a half-century-long false death, making it a supreme treasure for extending life and avoiding calamities.
Take one to the Sword Repository's keeper, and he'll give you a satisfactory answer.
"Wen Sukong took out a mutton-fat jade pill bottle and let it float to Cheng Xinzhan, who accepted it. At this point, he had no idea of the pill's immense value or how seriously his master was taking his first request and his future in sword cultivation."
As for the bearing vessel, your current body is actually the best vessel for bearing thunder,"Wen Sukong said with a smile." But using your body to bear thunder would be too conspicuous.
Let me think of something suitable for you.
"After a moment of contemplation, she produced several items."
These materials should be able to bear thunder.
See if any catch your eye.
"Cheng Xinzhan looked up and saw several objects floating in the air: A simple purple gourd, dark purple with faint red spots, about five or six inches tall—just the right size to hold in one hand. A beautiful flask, gold-bodied with cloisonné enamel, adorned with small images of plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum, about ten inches tall. A bronze wine cup, coiled with serpentine dragons, about three or four inches tall. A white ivory cup, smooth and warm to the touch, carved with a scene of a fairy riding clouds, similar in size to the bronze cup."
These all contain small void realms, so don't worry about their physical size.
The smallest void realm could easily hold over a hundred buckets of water.
These void realms are directly connected to the greater world, so you can simply pour things in and out without needing to use your mind.
"Cheng Xinzhan was very tempted by all of them. Noticing his hesitation, Wen Sukong added,"These items have other uses besides being containers.
The Four Gentlemen Flask has thirty-two separate void realms, each capable of holding a different type of wine without mixing.
Just move the desired void realm to the spout with your mind to pour the wine.
It was a gift from a friend.
"The Serpent-Coiled Cup has the largest void realm, capable of holding ten wells' worth of water. Once filled, it can refine the water into a single drop of Profound Origin Heavy Water. When the cup is full of heavy water, it becomes a suppression tool, capable of crushing enemies like a mountain. I acquired it from a market."
The Fairy's Embrace Cup has two functions.
First, it enhances fragrance.
Even if you pour plain water into it, activating the cup will turn it into fine wine in less than half an hour.
Second, it dissolves bones.
If you put a demon beast—or even a person—inside and activate the cup, it will turn them into a cup of blood in less than half an hour.
I took it from a demon I killed.
"As for the purple gourd," Wen Sukong glanced at Cheng Xinzhan, "it's called 'Manifestation,' also a gift from a friend. It's a sword-nurturing gourd with four void realms. The largest is a realm of golden sand for sharpening flying swords. The other three can hold different types of wine. You can move the desired void realm to the gourd's mouth with your mind to release the sword or wine—or thunder slurry."
After hearing this, Cheng Xinzhan immediately chose "Manifestation."
Wen Sukong smiled, put away the other three items, and tossed the purple gourd to Cheng Xinzhan.
She then handed him another pill bottle, saying, "This contains Hundred Herb Lung-Moistening Pills. Give them to Elder Jianxian the next time you see him as a token of my gratitude. If he refuses, just tell him it's my gesture and has nothing to do with Mountain Lord Zhao's arrangements."
Cheng Xinzhan accepted it and remembered another question Elder Jianxian had asked.
"Master, Elder Jianxian also asked if our Mingzhi Mountain has any meridians for circulating Thunder Qi. He wanted to know if I should cultivate our lineage's methods or Pivot Mountain's. If it's Pivot Mountain's, he can only teach me the basics."
Wen Sukong thought for a moment, then took out a jade slip and handed it to Cheng Xinzhan.
"Mingzhi Mountain doesn't practice thunder magic. I didn't even open my nasal orifice until the second realm, and I repurposed it later. But your grandmaster, Tongxuan, is a master of thunder magic. You can visit him at the Pure Yang Hall whenever you have time. Don't let his position as deputy sect leader fool you—he doesn't have much to do. Understand?"
Cheng Xinzhan nodded, though he wasn't sure about visiting the Pure Yang Hall casually.
He'd figure that out later.
"I don't know much about thunder magic and have never practiced it. This jade slip in your hand is something I found in an ancient treasure trove long ago. It records meridians for circulating Thunder Qi. I've never used it and have moved it between several void realms. If you hadn't mentioned it, I might have forgotten about it."
Wen Sukong suddenly recalled many things.
That treasure trove had been explored with her junior brother, along with six or seven others.
Everyone had their own agenda when entering, and their true colors showed when dividing the spoils.
Someone else had wanted this thunder magic jade slip, but she had insisted on taking it, even though it was useless to her at the time.
Little did she know it would resurface centuries later.
"Take it back and see if it's useful. If not, you can start with Pivot Mountain's basic methods, and I'll ask your grandmaster for a better one later."
Cheng Xinzhan took the jade slip, which bore the thunder script:
"Thunder Chariot and Fire Banner Movement Technique."
It's getting late today.
Thanks for waiting.
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(End of Chapter)