Three months ago
Unconsciously, Chu Weiyang released his hand.
On the spot, Chunyu Zhi seemed to want to struggle to stand up straight, walking towards the side hall on her own.
However, perhaps due to the sword's cry that had awakened Chu Weiyang from the illusion, too much spiritual resonance had been consumed from the法剑.
At this moment, it manifested in the illusion, causing Chunyu Zhi to take two steps, but before she could steady her footing, her legs suddenly lost strength, and in that instant, she exerted a fierce effort.
As a result, her whole body seemed to spin around, abruptly turning back and stumbling into Chu Weiyang's embrace.
At that moment, Chu Weiyang was still contemplating what the elder had just said, pondering the insights regarding the life treasure of the Golden Core Grandmaster.
Now, with Chunyu Zhi crashing into his chest, Chu Weiyang instinctively wrapped his arms around her.
The two of them held their breaths, the sound of their heartbeats echoing in the silence, as if thunder had exploded in their mutual perception.
No matter what, at the moment Chu Weiyang released his hand, he never expected such a result.
Was this a case of碰瓷?
Forget it, let’s just consider it standing with a sword.
Thinking this way, Chu Weiyang took a deep breath.
Before he could speak to make amends, he saw Chunyu Zhi laboriously pull her face out from his chest.
Chu Weiyang could deeply understand and empathize with Chunyu Zhi's feelings at this moment—
For a brief moment, she might have wanted time to freeze, burying her face deeper, wishing to die right there; but the remaining rationality told her that she needed to withdraw quickly, otherwise, the longer she hesitated, the more prolonged the shame and awkwardness would be.
In an instant, she resembled a young beast, flustered and losing her senses.
Thus, she suddenly leaned back, but her waist seemed to sink down, as if filled with lead, forgetting to move.
Incredible flexibility was displayed before Chu Weiyang's eyes.
Yet, the young man had already wrapped his arms around her, clearly doing nothing, but the warmth and smoothness that extended along her waist truly transformed into a tangible sensation, transmitting to Chu Weiyang's heart and mind.
Well, the first gain from entering the illusion was actually this.
Heaven have mercy, he never intended to use this matter to hold Chunyu Zhi in check in the future; whether he released his hand or embraced her, the rest was all done by Chunyu Zhi herself...
Just as he was thinking this, the howling cold wind from the mountain peak swept into the courtyard.
Upon closer inspection, Chunyu Zhi's nose, which had just crashed into Chu Weiyang's chest, was now red, blinking her eyes as if she were about to cry in the wind.
In the next moment, she hurriedly covered her face with her hands, her shoulders suddenly relaxing, as if she had completely given up on struggling, yet still stubbornly spoke in a muffled tone.
“This time it was a hard crash, it’s not about anything else...”
On the spot, Chu Weiyang sighed, having no choice but to lower his arms that were originally wrapped around her and then lifted Chunyu Zhi entirely.
“Stop being stubborn, I’ll carry you into the side hall to rest. I’ve been oiling the法剑 every day, and I haven’t seen you doing anything...”
As he said this, Chunyu Zhi covered her face even more fiercely, even the gaps between her fingers were hurriedly closed.
Thus, this seemingly weak and boneless figure leaned against Chu Weiyang's embrace, ultimately no longer struggling at all.
The next day, Chu Weiyang deeply regretted it.
What was it that he had held in his arms yesterday?
It was a fragment of a long sword that once bore the Six Correct Sword Intent and Thirty-Six Sword Techniques of the “Spring Time Sword,” a spiritual object nourished by the malevolent qi sealed beneath a thick vein of ore, a true法剑 capable of teaching the Sword Sect the essence of their scriptures.
At this moment, Chu Weiyang felt as if he had become foolish, slumped on a wooden chair in the courtyard, staring blankly at the bronze cauldron filled with water, while in his arms was an overly lively child, one hand grabbing Chu Weiyang's hair, the other tugging at the equally listless white jade poisonous snake.
This was the only fellow cultivator from the Xuanming Dan Ding lineage that Chu Weiyang had brought back after descending the mountain today.
At that time, seeing that it was a little child, covered in dust, he couldn’t bear it, so after asking the elder in the main hall, he simply brought the child to the peak's side hall to look after.
And this was the beginning of Chu Weiyang's regret.
Now, that child had played enough with the jade snake in his hand, and with a turn of his eyes, he began to speak in a rapid-fire tone that made Chu Weiyang's head buzz—
“That fellow surnamed Xiao really doesn’t have much ambition!”
“Cultivating to the Foundation Establishment realm is just a matter of a hundred days, yet for the sake of a marriage, he wants to set a three-year contract with someone. By then, when the child is born, he’ll be half as tall as I am.”
“And what about the saying of thirty years in the east and thirty years in the west? My ancestor wrote in his notes that anyone who enters the path of cultivation and fails to condense a Dan胎 within ten years is not worthy!”
“However, this sounds quite imposing at first.”
“Hey! Thirty days in the west, thirty days in the east, don’t underestimate me, Xie Kui, for being poor! Hehe...”
“Eh? No, I’m not poor either... Chu Shixiong, what does it look like when a person becomes poor?”
Upon hearing this, Chu Weiyang felt as if his brain was about to split open.
He weakly opened his mouth, his hoarse voice almost too low to form coherent words.
“Alright, alright, Xie Kui Shidi, let me tell you a story instead...”
As soon as he finished speaking, unexpectedly, the child named Xie Kui suddenly twisted his body.
“I don’t want to hear it! Chu Shixiong, the one you just told about sitting in the coffin and patrolling the heavens, that was so mysterious, and you didn’t teach him the corpse techniques of the Zhuangchen lineage, it sounds so boring! I don’t want to hear it!”
As soon as he finished speaking, Chu Weiyang lost control of his strength, and he saw the child named Xie Kui directly leap out of his arms, and upon closer inspection, the child had already dashed to the entrance of the main hall.
By the time Chu Weiyang hurriedly got up to chase after him, Xie Kui had already pushed the door open and boldly walked in.
When Chu Weiyang reached the door, he stood at the half-closed door, looking inside, but he didn’t hear Xie Kui’s noisy and dense chatter.
Upon closer inspection, he found Xie Kui lying honestly and obediently on a thick blanket, having fallen into a sweet sleep without knowing when.
In the courtyard, the elder, draped in a crimson robe and wearing a crane-feathered cloak, was sitting cross-legged on the central lotus法台, holding a yellowed Daoist book, immersed in the words on the pages.
Perhaps hearing Chu Weiyang's footsteps, at this moment, the elder suddenly raised his hand and looked towards Chu Weiyang.
The gaze that came over was devoid of any worldly warmth, followed by a hollow and aged voice that resonated directly in Chu Weiyang's heart and mind.
“How is it? I’ve had you doing this task for half a day, and you’ve enjoyed the benefits for half a day as well. Have you gained any insights or realizations?”
Upon hearing this question, Chu Weiyang almost instinctively smiled bitterly and shook his head.
After all, the bronze cauldron was not quite the same as the purple toad dan furnace.
In the past, before seeing the purple toad dan furnace in the underground palace, Chu Weiyang had already seen the words “purple toad” imprinted on the mottled and crumbling stones, which had been uniquely engraved in his heart, thus giving him the opportunity to observe the remnants of his life treasure and enter a state of meditation.
But this time, Chu Weiyang had no such inscriptions to provide him with opportunities.
Aside from a “Five Organs Food Qi Essence Technique,” it seemed he had no understanding of the Xuanming Dan Ding lineage at all.
Moreover, Chu Weiyang had even tried to operate the “Five Organs Food Qi Essence Technique” to observe the remnants of his life treasure.
However, even after staring until his eyes felt dry, he still couldn’t comprehend anything from it.
Opportunities lay glaringly before him, yet it felt as if he were looking through a misty flower or observing the moon in the water; Chu Weiyang seemed to have taken a wrong turn, leaving him empty-handed.
This feeling of frustration was far more intense than taking care of Xie Kui.
Thinking of this, Chu Weiyang forced a smile and bowed respectfully to the elder in the hall.
“Senior, I am truly dull-witted. I implore the elder to guide me a bit; I will certainly... be immensely grateful!”
As soon as the words fell, the elder waved his hand as if to avoid him, shaking his head, his joints moving with a nimbleness uncharacteristic of an old man.
“Not appropriate, not appropriate! You already have a master, someone you’ve bowed to in your lifetime. I, an old man, am lonely on this mountain, and I’ve only known you for a few hours? You don’t even bow to me, so why should I guide you? Guide you a bit? To say one more word, to say one more character, is a loss!”
Upon hearing this, Chu Weiyang could only grin, ultimately not daring to respond.
Although it was an arbitrary experience within the illusion, Chu Weiyang could not discern whether this elder from Qing Ding Peak had truly existed.
If such a person did exist, perhaps saying one or two more words today would lead to an inescapable cause and effect in the future.
Now, in order to save his life, the thorny path before him was already difficult enough; he didn’t want to create more trouble for himself.
Just as Chu Weiyang was lost in brief contemplation, suddenly, he didn’t know when, Xie Kui, who had been wrapped in the blanket, suddenly woke up, and his tender voice echoed throughout the vast Dao hall.
“Grandpa, old grandpa, you should guide Chu Shixiong with a word! When he comes back to his senses, I’m still waiting for him to continue telling that story about the old Dan master’s remnant soul being imprisoned and torturing the inheritance of the techniques...”
Upon hearing this, the elder’s expression suddenly changed.
Perhaps starting from that “grandpa,” the elder’s shadowy face suddenly became amiable.
He looked down at Xie Kui.
“Good child, do you really want to guide grandpa with a word?”
“Mm!”
Xie Kui responded crisply, and when Chu Weiyang looked again, he saw the elder’s gaze also meeting his.
Finally, he opened his mouth and said,
“Then I will guide you with a word, little child. If you wish to understand the path of the Xuanming Dan Ding, you must know the principles of the Xuanming Dan Ding—
Is the Dan before the Ding? Or is the Ding before the Dan? Internal refining of Kan and Li, lead and mercury is the path of the Dan, while the robust qi of the five organs and chakras is the path of the Ding!
Thus, Xuanming refers to the five qi of Xuanming, the mutual aid of Dan and Ding!”
As soon as the words fell, almost before Chu Weiyang could ponder, the elder suddenly waved his hand and tightly closed the half-open door.
Bang—!
After the loud sound, the last voice transmitted into Chu Weiyang's heart and mind from the old man.
“Even if it’s the request of the Xie family child, I still want to remind you, Chu kid, remember my name well. I am Xing Daoren, the current peak master of the Qing Ding Peak lineage, and I am your teacher!”
That aged voice echoed like thunder, resounding continuously in Chu Weiyang's heart and mind.
When Chu Weiyang finally awakened from that boundless thunder, he found himself standing dazedly in front of the bronze water cauldron, staring blankly at the mountain wind blowing over the water's surface, creating ripples, not knowing how long he had been gazing.
Then, Chu Weiyang softly murmured, repeating the words that Xing Daoren had guided him with.
“Dan before Ding? Ding before Dan? Dan and Ding mutually assist?”
While pondering, suddenly, Xie Kui dashed over with his short legs, suddenly stopping beside Chu Weiyang.
The small child was not even as tall as the water cauldron in front of him.
Then, Xie Kui pouted and began to bang on the outer wall of the cauldron.
“This is so boring! I’m still waiting to hear a story! Is the phrase Xuanming Dan Ding really that hard to understand? Hasn’t Chu Shixiong seen others using a Ding to refine Dan? Naturally, the Dan is in the Ding! Grandpa Xing’s words are obscure; it’s just about refining Kan and Li with the five organs!
The cauldron has already been set up on the stove; why bother with the trouble of gathering the five elements? In an instant, water and fire enter with thought, and during the harmonization of lead and mercury, it’s the five qi steaming, circulating through the chakras to form the Xuanming realm; this is the essence of our lineage!
As for this water cauldron, don’t look at its past shape and form; grandpa placed it here, in the quiet cultivation place of the Dao hall, it must have deep meaning, surely aligning with the natural principles of this courtyard, and that is to use the water cauldron to comprehend it!
Hurry up and comprehend! It’s very annoying to keep people waiting; I still want to hear a story!”
Upon hearing this, Xie Kui’s rapid-fire words truly exploded in Chu Weiyang's heart and mind.
Every word and sentence rang like a great bell, causing Chu Weiyang to suddenly achieve great enlightenment!
When he looked at the bronze water cauldron again, Chu Weiyang naturally operated the “Five Organs Food Qi Essence Technique,” and at the same time, after that night in the Dao City inn, he rarely, at this moment, also operated the “Great Sun Pure Yang Fishing Toad Technique.”
Simultaneously, the young man's heart and mind reflected the “Qinglong Fishing Toad Dao Diagram,” as if a magnificent scroll had unfolded; beneath it was the “Five Phoenixes Leading the Phoenix South Ming Spell,” the法咒 manifesting, like layered steles descending upon the spiritual platform.
In an instant, clusters of emerald flames illuminated the sound of phoenix cries, swirling within the stomach's Dan Ding.
When Chu Weiyang opened his eyes again and looked steadily at the bronze water cauldron,
In the hazy spiritual resonance, Chunyu Zhi's cold voice seemed to come from another world.
“The Lotus Flower Sinking into the Malevolent Ren and Gui Anfu Secret Scripture...”
Chu Weiyang had not yet observed this法门, but when Chunyu Zhi broke through the restrictions, she had already seen the法门 clearly.
At this moment, if he wished to observe for verification, this “Lotus Flower Sinking into the Malevolent Ren and Gui Anfu Secret Scripture” was already the most recent scripture regarding the water poison of the Xuanming Dan Ding for Chu Weiyang.
Sure enough, in the next moment, boundless spiritual light surged from the bronze water cauldron, followed by streams of spiritual light that seemed to break through a barrier between the virtual and the real, shaking off one ancient seal character after another, flowing into Chu Weiyang's heart and thoughts...
“The Xie Family Ancestor's Treatise on the Water Rhythm True Dan, Five Qi Yunji Scripture”
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