Three months ago, Author: Xun Chun Xu Zhou
In the hazy Illusion, counting the hours with his fingers, it had been several dozen hours, many days had passed.
Returning to reality, it felt like a long time had passed in the Illusion in just a moment.
Everything was uncertain, the surroundings were dim, making it even harder for Chu Weiyang to discern the time.
He contemplated leaving directly, but after thinking it over, Chu Weiyang decided to search the secret chamber one last time, wanting to uncover what was buried beneath the heavy ashes and dust.
Something that could cause a person to fall into an Illusion in an instant must have some traceable change.
With this thought, Chu Weiyang raised his hand and summoned.
Earlier, he had fallen into the secret chamber, his body staggering, and in that moment of carelessness, his法剑 had already fallen beside him.
In the past, even finding the法剑 would have taken some time.
But now, he simply raised his hand, and in the halo above his Qi Sea, the Sword Intent surged and roared, swirling around.
The Six Correct Sword Intent, originating from the same source, shot up into the sky in an instant, reaching the heavens, shaking Chu Weiyang's mind and the part of the法剑's restrictions that had already merged with his consciousness.
Immediately, dust was stirred up, followed by the clear sound of the sword ringing in the secret chamber.
In the dim Illusion, there was still bright light swirling.
In an instant, golden yellow and silver-white treasures intertwined, appearing almost like a brilliant galaxy.
When the treasure light suddenly settled, the法剑 was spotless, suspended right before Chu Weiyang.
At this moment, disregarding the burning hunger pangs coming from his stomach and the丹鼎, Chu Weiyang laughed purely.
Although he had already understood that the Sword Sect's methods were a clumsy way of entering the Dao through martial arts, after fleeing ninety thousand miles, even though the sword in his hand lifted his spirit, Chu Weiyang still felt there was not much difference compared to a mundane warrior.
It was not until this moment, when the treasure light swirled around the法剑, lightly suspended before him, that Chu Weiyang truly felt he had a semblance of "entering the Dao" and "sword cultivation."
Thus, calming his mind, Chu Weiyang solemnly flicked his finger against the sword spine.
In an instant, the profound法力 within him surged upwards, wrapping around the Sword Intent like a long river, suddenly transforming into a fierce sword Qi, and with the法剑's enhancement, it roared like a storm in the secret chamber.
In the center of the storm, Chu Weiyang's robe was suddenly whipped by the gusts, yet he remained standing still, quietly watching as the sword Qi whirlwind swept away all the ashes and dust from the secret chamber.
Swish—!
In an instant, another buzzing sound echoed.
In that moment, centered around the suspended法剑, the dark sword Qi suddenly converged, dissipating into nothingness like swallows returning to their nests.
Lowering his head, Chu Weiyang looked towards the corner of the secret chamber.
A skeleton... to be precise, it should be a skeleton, piled up in the corner of the secret chamber.
Time had passed for far too long; the flesh of the once cultivator had eroded away, and soon, even the skeleton lying on the ground had completely scattered, making it impossible to discern its form at a glance.
Slowly stepping closer, Chu Weiyang lowered his head to gaze at it.
At the same time, the法剑 beside him swirled, and Chunyu Zhi's slightly dispirited voice echoed in Chu Weiyang's mind.
"This is not an ordinary skeleton. Except for a Golden Core Grandmaster's realm, no one's bones could last this long. Look closely at those cracked marks; this Grandmaster's bones were once jade-like, thus the flesh eroded but the bones remained tough. But who knows how long it has been since then, that even the jade bones have shattered, turning into a stubborn stone..."
Once, Chu Weiyang could not understand Manager Ma's reverence for Golden Core Grandmasters, but later, he gradually came to understand the awe for this realm.
However, now, Chu Weiyang still could not fully comprehend Chunyu Zhi's sentiments of regret and emotion, as there remained a vast gap in realms between them.
Once, Chunyu Zhi had refined several丹胎, and if one disregarded the chasm of bottlenecks between realm leaps, for Chunyu Zhi, achieving the Golden Core would only be a few steps away.
Standing at such a realm to observe a Golden Core Grandmaster, peering into the passage of time, would surely yield a completely different understanding and mindset.
Yet ultimately, in this atmosphere filled with sentiment, Chu Weiyang, as if inspired, reached out his hand gently to touch the nearly completely stone-like broken bone fragments in the corner.
After a few crisp cracking sounds, Chu Weiyang pinched a "stone piece," bringing it close to his eyes.
Upon careful inspection, it appeared to be an ornament carved from spiritual jade.
Even though the endless spiritual light had dissipated over time, and the once smooth surface was now covered in mottled marks, Chu Weiyang could still discern the cloud patterns and talismans once carved on the edges of the jade pendant, as well as the character "谢" inscribed in dragon and phoenix script on both sides at the center.
The Xie family.
The Xie family's ancestor authored the "Yun Ji Jing," and Xie Kui had provided guidance in the Illusion.
With this thought, he carefully placed the jade pendant in his palm, as if recalling something, and reached out to rummage through the bone fragments.
Sure enough.
When Chu Weiyang raised his hand again, a palm-sized bronze fragment appeared before him.
It bore no mottled marks but was covered in rust, as if with a gentle push of his finger, he could scrape off that layer of rust.
However, this feeling was merely an illusion; Chu Weiyang could distinctly sense the resilient texture emanating from the bronze fragment.
The familiar faint patterns on it also hinted at the fragment's origin—it was from that large bronze cauldron.
No one knew how the Golden Core Grandmaster's life treasure had shattered into such a state.
Chu Weiyang could not discern whether it was due to the collapse of the Illusion or because he had comprehended the "Yun Ji Jing."
In any case, this bronze fragment still possessed the resilient qualities of a relic, but Chu Weiyang could no longer sense the lingering Dao fruit of the Grandmaster from it.
He sighed deeply, feeling quite complex.
He could not even guess which member of the Xie family the skeleton in the corner belonged to.
After all, many scenes in the Illusion were reflections of the human mind, and it was hard to say what was true or false.
It could be the ancestor of the Xie family, Xie Kui, Daoist Xing from Qing Ding Peak, or perhaps an unnamed junior...
Chu Weiyang's heart was filled with countless doubts, but there was no one left to answer him.
In an instant, a wave of complex emotions surged in Chu Weiyang's heart.
Amidst the endless sentiment, he respectfully placed the jade pendant and bronze fragment carefully on the ground before the remains of the Golden Core Grandmaster, bowing deeply in reverence.
"I, Chu Weiyang, the current inheritor of the Pan Wang Yuan Zong, disciple of the Xuan Ming Dan Ding lineage, thank the senior for imparting the Dao and teachings. This cause and effect is unforgettable, and I will surely repay it in the future!"
"Furthermore... please forgive the junior for the impoliteness of collecting the senior's remains. If I can meet the descendants of the Xie family in the future and inquire about the ancestral shrine, it would allow me to fulfill my duty."
"The raging winds and waves have surged for many years, senior, may you rest in peace!"
Half a day later, on the vast ocean, Chu Weiyang sailed on a solitary boat, having left that island.
After gaining this experience, as he gazed at the rolling waves of the ocean, he sensed the almost boundless water's spiritual Qi converging with his breath, as if gathering like a tempest.
For this vast outer sea, the last trace of fear and confusion in Chu Weiyang's heart had been completely severed.
The seemingly endless water's spiritual Qi in the outer sea meant that the resources for cultivating the "Yun Ji Jing" were inexhaustible for Chu Weiyang, and it also meant that within the丹鼎, the interplay of the five Qi's spiritual light allowed Chu Weiyang's water and fire to be boundless.
Chu Weiyang's path of internal alchemy was progressing with a smoothness he had never imagined, continuously ascending.
However, internal alchemy and the five organs' meridians were meant to progress simultaneously; this was the essence of the Xuan Ming Dan Ding.
Cultivating one path would also pull the other along.
Thus, as the water and fire continuously revolved, the feeling of hunger intensified, becoming the strongest he had ever experienced.
At that moment, sitting cross-legged at the bow of the boat, he suddenly noticed subtle ripples beneath the water's surface not far away.
Almost at the moment Chu Weiyang's thought settled, a streak of black light shot swiftly from beneath the boat, as if like thunder, and when he looked again, that black light had wrapped around a demon fish, leaping out of the sea, about to fall into Chu Weiyang's hands.
After cultivating the "Yun Ji Jing," slaying demons had become increasingly easier.
Gently raising his hand, Chu Weiyang was about to catch the black light and the fish, but just as the icy touch reached his palm, he suddenly froze.
It was as if he had realized something in that fleeting moment.
"Eh?"
Chu Weiyang seemed unable to comprehend it fully, suddenly furrowing his brow tightly.
But in the next moment, disregarding his hunger, he abruptly raised his hand and tossed the demon fish back into the water.
As if performing some futile effort, the demon fish splashed back into the water, and at the bow, Chu Weiyang raised his hand again, causing the black light to shake off, wrapping the demon fish and flying out of the water, landing once more in the young man's palm.
Once, twice, thrice.
It was merely a fish that had just begun to cultivate demonic energy; it could hardly withstand such torment.
After just a few rounds, it had completely died.
Yet Chu Weiyang seemed to have found a new toy, unconcerned about the fish's life or death, continuing to toss it into the sea and repeatedly wrapping it with black light.
After a good while, when Chu Weiyang held the demon fish in his palm again, he suddenly grinned.
"Ha—! I understand! I understand!"
As the words fell, Chu Weiyang's wide sleeves suddenly waved, and the large cauldron was shaken out from his Qiankun pouch, landing steadily before him.
As his hand fell, a stream of black light brushed down, and water like a spring fell into the cauldron.
Following that, a ball of emerald fire flew out from Chu Weiyang's sleeve, wrapping around the cauldron.
Between water and fire, Chu Weiyang laughed heartily, tossing the demon fish into the cauldron.
Then, he pinched another Qiankun pouch in his hand, and when he shook it, bundles of precious herbs and spiritual grasses were tossed into the cauldron as if they were free, instantly submerging with the demon fish in the black light water.
Seeing this scene, even Chunyu Zhi was somewhat astonished.
"This is—"
In place, watching as the cauldron gradually began to emit spiritual light and fragrance.
Chu Weiyang clapped his hands and laughed.
"Internal alchemy is the path of alchemy, and external alchemy is also the path of alchemy! Only when water and fire are harmonized can the path of alchemy be traversed! The techniques of shamans are merely external appearances; the monarch, minister, and assistants are secondary. The path of alchemy must understand the principles of alchemy! Today, I have finally comprehended! This is the essence of my Xuan Ming Dan Ding lineage!"
Only at this moment did Chu Weiyang fully understand that when he previously looked at the "Essence of All Spirits: The Monarch, Minister, and Assistants," what he had gained was merely superficial.
Now that he had suddenly comprehended the method of internal alchemy, when he reflected on the "Essence of All Spirits," he suddenly realized that the core essence was simply the two words: alchemy!
The so-called myriad spirits, the so-called monarch, minister, and assistants, must be understood after comprehending the core essence, and then the secondary and detailed aspects could be observed.
Once one principle is understood, others can be inferred!
Chu Weiyang had not expected that after gaining insight into the path ahead, the first to reap the rewards would actually be the "Essence of All Spirits."
With this thought, the young man smiled brightly.
"Alright, alright, after going around and around, my greatest talent and gift still lie in this mouth and in the food..."
Chu Weiyang self-deprecatingly mused, yet within his mind, there was no longer the voice of Chunyu Zhi.
Only the restrictions of the法剑 that had already been refined remained, and amidst the hazy feelings, Chu Weiyang still distinctly sensed the intense emotions surging from the other end of the restriction.
A kind of disbelief, a kind of shock, a kind of collapse of concepts.
That intense emotion even made Chu Weiyang feel that in this moment, Chunyu Zhi was far more vibrant than when she was enduring pain.
He did not dwell on Chunyu Zhi's emotional changes any longer.
In just a few breaths, a faint and elegant fragrance of丹 began to waft from the cauldron.
Chu Weiyang looked closely again, and the black light water in the cauldron remained as calm as a cold pond.
This cauldron of fish broth was far from being ready.
With this thought, Chu Weiyang's gaze brightened as he looked towards the surging waves of the vast ocean before him.
"This boundless outer sea is truly a blessed land for cultivation! If I can refine a cauldron of broth from the vast ocean, I wonder if it can alleviate my hunger by a third..."
Just as he was pondering this, Chu Weiyang suddenly raised his hand again.
This time, there was no need to catch it with his hand; the black light water wrapped around a demon fish, having drawn away the blood and malice of the demon beast, then both water and fish fell into the cauldron.
In place, the smile on Chu Weiyang's face grew with each passing moment.
The feeling of hunger was uncomfortable, making him rub his abdomen a bit, but Chu Weiyang's bright gaze never left the surface of the sea.
"More, I need more!"