It had been over twenty days since Yun Qi entered the mountains.
During this time, reading still occupied most of the young man's time.
He had attended lectures by teachers from other peaks and even participated in a few Dao discussions on the Eastern Path.
He kept a close eye on the class schedule, but to his disappointment, none of the sessions touched upon the topic of Qi absorption for beginners.
He Bingkun explained that in the past, when there were large-scale recruitments, there might have been teachers specifically assigned to guide newcomers.
However, this time, the recruitment at Mingzhi Mountain was neither here nor there, with only one person joining.
Therefore, the sect would not offer specialized courses, and it was likely that Su Kongyu, the master, would personally guide him.
Fortunately, Yun Qi had always been exceptionally perceptive since childhood.
By reading books and occasionally seeking advice from He Bingkun in the evenings, he had gained a lot, much to He Bingkun's astonishment.
Today was the ninth day of the fourth month, the day Yun Qi was to report to Mingzhi Mountain.
At the second mark of the Mao hour (around 5:30 AM), Yun Qi was already waiting in the courtyard.
Having spent some time together, he was well aware of He Bingkun's daily routine.
Sure enough, He Bingkun soon emerged from his room.
He patted Yun Qi on the shoulder and said, "Today is your big day. Make a good impression in front of Master Yu."
Yun Qi nodded with a smile.
He Bingkun whistled, grabbed Yun Qi's arm, and leaped into the air.
Yun Qi felt a dizzying sensation and soon found himself seated on the back of a Thunder Sparrow.
The Thunder Sparrow's back was soft, but its feathers were slippery, making Yun Qi feel as if he might fall at any moment.
The contact between his body and the bird also gave him a tingling sensation.
As the Thunder Sparrow soared high, Yun Qi nearly slipped off but was caught by He Bingkun.
"Sit cross-legged, with your five centers facing the sky. If you can enter a meditative state on the Thunder Sparrow, then your sitting meditation skills will have truly begun."
Yun Qi, of course, was not yet at that level, so he held onto He Bingkun tightly.
The Thunder Sparrow was incredibly fast, flying straight into the clouds, passing through the rainbow bridge's radiant light, and soon reached the end of Dongping Mountain before descending through the clouds.
However, to Yun Qi's surprise, when he had been brought here by Feng Jihu before, the clouds had seemed extremely thick, and he and the other candidates had landed on Mingzhi Mountain amidst a sea of white clouds.
This time, the clouds passed by in a flash, revealing a completely different landscape.
From the air, the Sanqing Mountain range was a series of overlapping peaks, but none were as spiritually vibrant as the scene before him:
Eight towering mountains rose from the ground, their bases clustered together, but their peaks tilted outward in eight different directions—east, northeast, north, northwest, west, southwest, south, and southeast.
Each peak was unique: the southwestern peak was delicate and cloud-shrouded; the northern peak was red as iron, with smoke and fire rising; the northwestern peak was covered in thunderclouds, with purple lightning flashing; the southeastern peak was covered in green bamboo, with waves of bamboo swaying.
The eight peaks were like a multi-colored lotus throne, as if crafted by celestial artisans.
Between these eight peaks stood another mountain, shaped like a lotus platform, but it was obscured by the radiant light formed by the phenomena of the eight peaks.
The only visible detail was countless waterfalls cascading down its cliffs, like thousands of white silk ribbons.
"This is..."
"This is the Lotus Blessed Land," He Bingkun said.
He pointed to the mountain covered in green bamboo and said, "This is Mingzhi Mountain. Due to its abundance of green bamboo, which is elegantly referred to as 'Green Deity,' it is also known as Green Deity Mountain, located in the Xun position of the Lotus Blessed Land."
The Thunder Sparrow carried the two towards Mingzhi Mountain.
Yun Qi looked carefully but saw no other people on the mountain, nor any palaces or pavilions.
He Bingkun guided the Thunder Sparrow to land on a protruding stone platform on the southern side of Mingzhi Mountain's waist.
He told Yun Qi that he would pick him up here in the evening and then rode the bird towards the northwestern peak, shrouded in thunderclouds.
Yun Qi stood on the stone platform, looking around, and noticed a stone with the words "Liang Jun Crossing" carved on it.
He explored the area and easily found the path he had taken during the assessment.
Following the path deep into the bamboo forest, he once again saw Master Su Kongyu near the pavilion behind the stele where Zhan Biyun had hidden the bamboo.
"Come and sit down," Master Su Kongyu said.
Yun Qi entered the pavilion and sat on a cushion opposite the master.
"How have you been adjusting to life on the mountain?"
"It's been good. Life here is pleasant."
"That's good. Once you start absorbing Qi and your stamina improves, you can visit your hometown. It's not far. Also, Mingzhi Mountain has few people, so there are no fixed rest days. If you miss home, just ask for leave. During the four seasons and eight festivals, don't forget to offer incense and food to your ancestors. You can follow the世俗 customs for tomb-sweeping."
Yun Qi felt slightly relieved.
It seemed the mountain's rules were not as strict as he had imagined.
As for the master knowing about his family, Yun Qi was not surprised.
He assumed the Rainforest Temple in the mortal world had thoroughly investigated his life.
He bowed deeply and said, "Thank you, Master."
"No need for thanks. Mingzhi Mountain has few rules. You'll understand in time."
Yun Qi nodded.
"Now, focus your mind. I will explain cultivation."
Mingzhi Mountain's foundation is the Inner Alchemy Dao, which is the source of all methods and the root of longevity.
Before achieving immortality, there are five major realms: Qi Refining, Life Storage, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, and Unity with the Dao.
Qi Refining begins with Qi absorption, so today we will start with that.
"Heaven and Earth's spiritual Qi is the treasure of the world and the ladder to immortality, especially for our Daoist sect. Spiritual Qi is the only way to unlock the body's treasures and the sole reliance for performing countless spells."
Heaven and Earth's spiritual Qi flows unpredictably, but there are patterns.
Spiritual Qi is always denser in deep mountains and vast marshes than in bustling towns.
At noon, when the sun is at its peak, Yang-type Qi is more active.
At midnight, under the moon's light, Yin-type Qi is abundant.
In forests, Wood-type Qi is most prevalent, and above rivers, Water-type Qi is strong.
While there are exceptions, this is the general trend.
"There are countless types of spiritual Qi in the world, and we cultivators cannot absorb all of them. Moreover, Wood-type miasma, Earth-type marsh gas, and Fire-type sulfur gas are highly toxic. Therefore, the first step in Qi absorption is knowing which Qi to absorb."
The type of Qi to absorb is determined by one's innate physical attributes and cultivation methods.
For most people, innate attributes need not be deeply considered.
Pure Yang or Pure Yin bodies are extremely rare.
As for you, Yun Qi, I have examined you.
Your body is ordinary, but your meridians are thicker and more resilient than those of your peers, likely due to the effects of refining your body with Clear Qi.
"I know what you're wondering. Clear Qi is also a type of Heaven and Earth's spiritual Qi, essentially a form of Yang Qi. It is said that Clear Qi is a remnant of the primordial Qi that separated the pure from the impure during the creation of the world. It has the effects of clearing the mind and stabilizing the soul. The Meridian Stretching Technique you are currently practicing is the most basic method of absorbing Clear Qi. There will be more advanced techniques later."
As for cultivation methods, Mingzhi Mountain's methods are rooted in the Dao of Yin and Yang, focusing on the Dao of Reviving the Dead, and extending to methods like Pure Yang, Corpse Dissolution, Soul Return, Ghost Control, and Corpse Resurrection.
"Additionally, Mingzhi Mountain's lineage can cultivate all five elements, with a particular emphasis on Fire, Wood, and Earth methods. From these, techniques like Heart Fire, Withering and Flourishing, and Corpse Nourishing have been developed. Wind and Thunder methods are also practiced, but our sect particularly values Wind methods, with techniques like Wind Escape, Message Gathering, Heavenly Listening, Evil Dispelling, and Soul Travel. Thunder methods include Divine Roar, Soul Refining, and Body Tempering."
In short, upon entering Mingzhi Mountain, you can absorb Qi from any of the five elements, Yin and Yang branches, and Wind and Thunder energies without restriction.
"Su Kong spoke quickly, but Yun Qi had an excellent memory. He decided to remember everything first and ponder it later."
Qi absorption methods include Breathing, Sitting Meditation, Step Patterns, Hand Seals, Incantations, External Elixirs, and Visualization.
The first five are essentially body arrays.
The human body forms these arrays through breathing, sitting, walking, hand seals, and chanting.
Once the body array is formed, it naturally attracts spiritual Qi.
"Your Meridian Stretching Technique is actually a Step Pattern method."
External Elixir methods rely on external aids, such as taking pills, dietary supplements, and medicinal baths.
No need to elaborate.
"Visualization is more mysterious. There is a type of Qi in the world that only specific spiritual entities can absorb. For example, the True Fire of the Sun is exclusive to the Golden Crow clan, which is now extinct. Forest miasma is highly toxic. For us cultivators, refining it into a magical tool is extremely difficult, but mountain spirits and pythons can absorb it effortlessly. Earth Moss Green Essence is a blend of Earth and Wood Qi, highly useful in alchemy, but only certain animals like green goats, green oxen, and green deer can absorb it."
For such Qi, body arrays are useless.
Thus, ancient sages created the Visualization method.
This method is about using illusion to seek truth, observing the essence, Qi, and spirit of other spiritual entities, with the spirit being the most crucial.
In the depths of meditation, one visualizes a spiritual entity and places it in a body cavity.
Our Daoist sect calls this the Inner Scene Spirit, as this method originated from the 'Yellow Court Inner Scene Scripture' during the Wei and Jin periods.
Once the Inner Scene Spirit appears, one can naturally absorb Qi without deliberate effort." Yun Qi listened quietly for a long time. Seeing that Su Kong seemed to have finished, he asked,"Master, which Qi absorption method is suitable for me?"
This was the first time Yun Qi saw Master Su Kong smile. She said,"You must learn them all."
New book presented, please leave comments and reviews.
(End of Chapter)