Time truly flies, and before one realizes, another forty years have passed.
Jiang Yuan maintained the integrity of the Five庄观, diligently nurturing the Zhou Tian穴窍.
Over these forty years, he successively opened the seventy-two窍 in his head and the two hundred and seven窍 in his body.
When he reached the dual feet and opened the eighty-one窍, it became significantly more difficult.
Nurturing was not easy; upon entering the first窍 of the dual feet, he found the demonic obstruction surging within, its origin unknown, directly targeting his元神.
Without the protection of the five individuals, his元神 would surely be in peril.
He spent five years to finally dispel the demonic obstruction within the窍, using gentle fire for nurturing, which was a slow process.
This left Jiang Tong'er puzzled; in the past, when he protected Mu Mu during her Zhou Tian, any demonic obstruction would have been removed immediately.
Why was it now hindering him? He understood that opening the eighty-one窍 in the dual feet meant facing difficulties in every single窍.
However, although it was challenging, it should not have been obstructed by demonic forces.
Tong'er did not know where the demonic obstruction came from; he only thought that nurturing was arduous.
On this day, as Jiang Yuan was nurturing his穴窍, he was about to patrol the Five庄观 before noon when he suddenly heard the startled cries of two young disciples.
Upon hearing the commotion, Jiang Yuan immediately stepped out, holding a jade whisk, channeling his qi to observe outside the Dao room.
He saw that there were indeed妖邪 outside, with auspicious clouds approaching from the distance.
This indicated the arrival of a celestial being, surely the return of the Great Immortal Zhen Yuanzi.
Jiang Yuan walked to the temple gate, waiting alongside the two young disciples for Zhen Yuanzi.
Before long, the auspicious clouds descended, and it was indeed Zhen Yuanzi, returning with his disciples.
The two young disciples rushed forward to pay their respects: "Master!"
Zhen Yuanzi pointed at the two young disciples and said, "You are quite useful; do not be lazy, and make sure to clean the temple thoroughly."
The two young disciples beamed with joy.
Jiang Yuan stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Great Immortal!"
Zhen Yuanzi smiled and said, "Thank you for your efforts in guarding my Wanshou Mountain, ensuring that no邪法 has invaded the mountain. I appreciate it."
Jiang Yuan replied, "Great Immortal, there is no need for such formalities. The presence of the Great Immortal's residual power in the mountain deters邪法 from encroaching; I have not exerted much effort."
Zhen Yuanzi said, "邪法 has indeed come, threatening my洞天. It was only due to the正法 that it was repelled. How could I not be aware? Guangxin, come with me into the hall; the rest may withdraw."
Upon hearing this, everyone bowed and dispersed.
Zhen Yuanzi walked into the hall, with Jiang Yuan closely following.
Once inside, they each took their seats.
Zhen Yuanzi said, "Guangxin, you have worked hard here. I have been away for over seventy years, and you have guarded the mountain for quite some time."
Jiang Yuan bowed and said, "It was just a bit of effort; I am still in the process of cultivation, so it cannot be considered hard work. Great Immortal, there is no need to say this."
Zhen Yuanzi, upon hearing this, took a closer look at the young disciple, noting that he was nurturing his功成, yet still had not passed through the remaining eighty-one窍.
He said, "Your cultivation is indeed remarkable."
Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "How can that be? There is a demonic obstruction occupying the窍, making nurturing extremely difficult. May I ask, Great Immortal, how can there be demonic obstructions in my窍?"
Zhen Yuanzi laughed and said, "It is because your Dao is about to be completed. This path is extraordinary, and the heavens and earth cannot accommodate it, hence the calamities that befall you. There is a saying: 'The higher the Dao, the greater the demons.' This demonic obstruction occupies your eighty-one窍, and it may come from within you or from outside; it is a hindrance to your Dao!"
Jiang Yuan suddenly understood and said, "So that is how it is. I am grateful to the Great Immortal for clarifying this. If it is as you say, then these eighty-one关 are indeed difficult barriers."
Zhen Yuanzi said, "In that case, I will assist you in overcoming this challenge."
Jiang Yuan replied, "I have heard from my master that this path requires solitude; if not, the elixir will be incomplete."
Zhen Yuanzi waved his hand and smiled, "Do not worry. You have already passed this tribulation. Moreover, you have guarded the mountain for many years; it is only right that I help you overcome this difficulty."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan felt a sense of confusion; how could he have tribulations? He asked, "Great Immortal, where do these tribulations come from?"
Zhen Yuanzi said, "Everywhere is a tribulation; you just do not realize it. If you know it, then it is not a tribulation; if you do not know it, then it is indeed a tribulation."
Jiang Yuan said, "In that case, I ask the Great Immortal to help me dispel this disaster!"
Zhen Yuanzi then instructed a Dao boy to bring a bowl of water.
The Dao boy quickly fetched a cup of water and handed it to the Great Immortal.
The Great Immortal pointed at the cup of water, observing that it was full but not overflowing, and smiled, "Guangxin, look at this water; it is full but does not spill over, which corresponds to your tribulation. It is complete and should be resolved."
After saying this, he recited a spell, spat a mouthful of water, and sprayed it onto Jiang Yuan's dual feet.
The water left no trace upon hitting the ground and vanished upon contact, truly mysterious.
Jiang Yuan felt his元神 becoming clear and ethereal, and the eighty-one窍 in his dual feet felt as if they had received divine assistance, with the demonic obstruction dissipating.
He understood that this was the Great Immortal's divine power and thus bowed repeatedly in gratitude.
The Great Immortal said, "Guangxin, do not rush back to the Sanxing Cave. Complete your nurturing in the temple before returning."
Jiang Yuan found it hard to refuse the kind invitation and could only agree.
He returned to the Dao room for quiet cultivation and nurturing, but the Great Immortal stopped him, urging him to sit on the meditation cushion.
The Great Immortal said, "Do not rush to leave; I still have a few things to discuss with you."
Jiang Yuan supported the Great Immortal and asked, "What is it? What do you wish to discuss?"
The Great Immortal dismissed the Dao boy and said, "You have been with my two young disciples for some years now. How do you find them?"
Jiang Yuan replied, "Great Immortal, you should not ask me. If I were to speak ill of them, it might trouble your heart, and it would not be right to misjudge a good disciple. If I were to speak well of them, it would not match their virtue, which would also mislead you. It is best for the Great Immortal to see for yourself and then make a judgment."
Zhen Yuanzi pointed at Jiang Yuan and said, "You, Guangxin, have indeed received the true transmission of Bodhi."
Jiang Yuan laughed and said, "Great Immortal, it is truly hard to say."
Zhen Yuanzi had to give up and said, "You do not know, but I have observed that there are two or three young disciples in the temple whose hearts are unstable, prone to conflict and foolishness. That is why I asked; I still do not know their true intentions."
Jiang Yuan answered, "Great Immortal, these two individuals have sincere hearts. However, they still need the Great Immortal to see them in person for it to be conclusive."
Zhen Yuanzi was satisfied and finally allowed Jiang Tong'er to leave.
Jiang Yuan bowed and exited the hall.
...
Returning to the Dao room, Jiang Yuan sat cross-legged on the meditation cushion, focusing on nurturing the穴窍 within his body.
With the return of Zhen Yuanzi, he no longer needed to protect the Five庄观 and could concentrate solely on nurturing.
Once his nurturing was complete, he would return to the mountain.
He turned his attention inward to the dual feet穴窍.
With the help of the Great Immortal's water, the窍 became easier to open, and nurturing progressed much faster.
He then noticed that the first窍 in his dual feet had a sensation akin to being simmered in broth, which was precisely what the ancestor had described as the completion of the窍.
Jiang Tong'er thought to himself, "If this continues, it will not take several years for my nurturing to be completed."
He had a clear understanding of this step in nurturing.
Time flowed like water, and before he knew it, five years had passed.
Jiang Yuan focused on nurturing his穴窍, and indeed, after five years, he successfully completed his nurturing, truly embodying the phrase 'the furnace stores the medicinal vapors, and the穴窍 within the body are open.'
He still had to complete the final two steps of the Nine Turns to Form Elixir.
This nurturing served as a foundation for the final steps.
This step was quite easy for him, and when he returned to the mountain, he would consult the ancestor, and he would surely succeed.
The path of elixirs was about to be realized!
Jiang Yuan was confident but not impatient.
He rose to go out, intending to bid farewell to the Great Immortal before returning to Fangtai Mountain.
As he stepped out of the Dao room, he saw a Dao boy leading a white deer not far away.
He approached and asked, "Junior brother, is the Great Immortal present?"
The Dao boy handed the white deer to Jiang Yuan and said, "The master has said that Brother Guangxin will surely return to the mountain after achieving success in the coming years. There is no need to speak to him about it; when the time comes, you will naturally have the opportunity to meet."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan sighed inwardly, "Indeed, those in the Dao are high-minded, acting according to their nature and following the course of events."
He did not insist on saying farewell in person, accepted the white deer, and asked the Dao boy to thank the Great Immortal on his behalf before riding the white deer back to the mountain.