Nine Yuan Art

"Such a chatterbox!"

Yuan Ming shook his head and opened another memorial. Inside was a report from a Vice Minister of Works regarding repairs to the Heavenly Venerable Hall of Changchun Temple. It was likewise a long-winded screed, and Yuan Ming quickly lost interest.

Before he had even finished reading, he hurriedly closed the memorial and tossed it aside.

"Being an emperor doesn't seem easy either. If it were me, I'd drag out all these officials who spout nonsense and give them a proper beating with the paddle," Yuan Ming muttered.

He rubbed his brow, rallied his spirits, and opened the third memorial.

This memorial differed from the previous ones. Its wording was concise and capable, and from the very beginning, it reported to the emperor in a few brief sentences that an envoy dispatched by their state to the southern frontier had been attacked.

"So it was written by a military officer. As expected, he was completely different from those civil ministers who loved to show off their learning." Yuan Ming saw the signature at the end: General Zhennan Yuan Zuochong.

"Yuan Zuochong? This name sounds familiar. I feel like I've heard it somewhere before?" he muttered. Just as he was about to read the memorial carefully to see whether he could find more clues, the report of that effeminate man suddenly sounded from outside:

"His Majesty, Immortal Master Yuhu, the State Preceptor, requests an audience."

"Immortal Master Yuhu? From the name, he sounded like an immortal cultivator!" Yuan Ming's eyelids twitched, and his first instinct was to refuse.

But on second thought, he knew absolutely nothing about the relationship between the Young Emperor and Immortal Master Yuhu. Refusing rashly seemed inappropriate.

Besides, the possession of the Young Emperor by his soul was far too inconceivable. This immortal master probably would not notice anything.

"Let him in." After weighing the matter in an instant, Yuan Ming set down the memorial in his hand and spoke.

The effeminate man acknowledged the order, and the hall doors were immediately pushed open.

An elderly man in a purple-gold Daoist robe stepped inside. He gave Yuan Ming a Daoist salute and recited:

"Boundless blessings from the Heavenly Venerable."

Yuan Ming looked him over and saw that the old Daoist had a lean, refined appearance. Though his face was gaunt, his skin bore a healthy glow. Three long strands of beard hung over his chest, lending him the air of an immortal sage.

Combined with his purple-gold Daoist robe embroidered with Eight Trigrams cloud patterns and the lotus crown bound in golden threads atop his head, he appeared even more imbued with imperial nobility, inspiring reverence at first sight.

"State Preceptor, there is no need for such ceremony. What brings you here today?" Yuan Ming raised a hand slightly and, after choosing his words carefully, asked.

"I just heard Eunuch Li say that Your Majesty's health was unwell, so this poor Daoist came to visit." Daoist Master Yuhu flicked his whisk and replied.

"I am fine. State Preceptor, you have my gratitude." Yuan Ming adopted the proper tone.

"Your Majesty's health concerns the rise and fall of the realm. It must not be taken lightly. Let this poor Daoist take your pulse." Daoist Master Yuhu, however, left no room for argument and stepped forward.

Yuan Ming narrowed his eyes. This man was truly overbearing. But without understanding the relationship between them, a forceful refusal would be difficult to smooth over, so he extended his wrist.

Daoist Master Yuhu glanced at the empty porcelain presentation box on one corner of the desk, then quickly withdrew his gaze. Pinching his fingers together, he placed them on Yuan Ming's wrist.

A thread of faintly cool energy seeped into him and swiftly flowed throughout his entire body.

This old Daoist really is an immortal cultivator! Yuan Ming's pupils contracted slightly. He barely dared breathe, regretting that he had allowed this man to take his pulse. He could only hope the man would not discover anything amiss.

The old Daoist closed his eyes and focused. After a moment, his expression changed.

"State Preceptor, how is it?" Yuan Ming asked stiffly.

"Has Your Majesty been resting poorly lately? Your pulse indicates that your blood qi is still strong, but your soul seems somewhat unsettled," Daoist Master Yuhu said as he opened his eyes.

"I have indeed been sleeping poorly lately, and I occasionally have nightmares. It isn't anything serious, is it?" Yuan Ming answered vaguely.

"Your Majesty need not worry excessively. These are only minor matters. If Your Majesty is willing to heed this poor Daoist's advice and begin cultivating the Nine Yuan Art soon, with mana protecting you, such problems will naturally cease to exist." Daoist Master Yuhu stroked his beard as he spoke.

"State Preceptor, what did you just say?" Yuan Ming blinked and asked again.

"The Nine Yuan Art is the secret transmitted cultivation art of Changchun Temple. It is not taught to anyone but elite disciples. There is no risk whatsoever in cultivating it, and it can strengthen the body as well. Why does Your Majesty keep refusing?" Daoist Master Yuhu sighed.

"The Nine Yuan Art? Is this cultivation art truly as miraculous as you claim?" Yuan Ming's eyes shifted as he probed.

"Of course. The Nine Yuan Art is a secret Daoist transmission. The patriarchs of Changchun Temple through the generations devoted immeasurable effort to improving and perfecting it. This poor Daoist is not boasting: when it comes to strengthening the meridians and regulating blood qi, no cultivation art under heaven can compare to the Nine Yuan Art," Daoist Master Yuhu declared proudly.

"How quickly does this cultivation art accumulate mana?" Yuan Ming's breathing quickened slightly as he pressed on.

"Daoist cultivation emphasizes gradual progress. The Nine Yuan Art was indeed not originally known for its cultivation speed. However, Wufangzi, the ninth headmaster of Changchun Temple, poured tremendous effort into integrating a Spirit Gathering Art into the Nine Yuan Art. Its speed of mana accumulation has improved greatly, not inferior even to some demonic cultivation arts. Most importantly, it carries no hidden dangers whatsoever." Daoist Master Yuhu smiled, looking rather pleased with himself.

"Since the State Preceptor recommends it so highly, then I shall cultivate this Nine Yuan Art. I ask the State Preceptor for guidance." Yuan Ming rose to his feet and bowed deeply to the old Daoist.

Yet Daoist Master Yuhu froze at his words. He stared the Young Emperor up and down twice, surprise flashing through his eyes. Soon, however, his tightly furrowed brows suddenly relaxed, and an expression of gratified relief appeared on his face.

"Good, good, good! Your Majesty has finally seen the light today. This is truly an act in accordance with the Dao of Heaven. This poor Daoist will naturally teach you with all diligence." Daoist Master Yuhu said "good" three times in succession, unable to conceal his delight.

As he spoke, he drew a purple cloud-script booklet from his sleeve, bearing the words "Nine Yuan Art - Upper Chapter," and handed it to Yuan Ming.

Yuan Ming hurriedly accepted it with both hands and opened it, unable to wait to begin reading.

Unlike the Blood Qi Method's mnemonic verses, the Upper Chapter of the Nine Yuan Art contained a great deal of material, nearly a thousand characters in all. Its words carried an ancient and grand bearing; one could tell at a glance that it was far more exquisite than the Blood Qi Method.

According to the booklet, the Upper Chapter of this cultivation art had thirteen levels in total, corresponding one by one to the mana cultivation of the Qi Refining Stage.

Yuan Ming read swiftly, his heart brimming with delight.

"Your Majesty, cultivation is no different from studying and nurturing one's qi. It requires only diligent learning and hard practice. The Nine Yuan Art is Changchun Temple's ancestral treasure. It cannot lightly be passed on to anyone except the direct lineage of the sect and the inheritor of the Great Jin Kingdom's state fortune. Today, I impart the Upper Chapter to Your Majesty. Please uphold the Daoist precepts strictly and do not pass it on to others," Daoist Master Yuhu instructed.

Yuan Ming was wholly immersed in the Nine Yuan Art and did not respond.

"Your Majesty, Daoist cultivation requires one to guard against arrogance and impatience, and one must not be overly hasty. Now that you have received the art, familiarize yourself with it and memorize it first. Once every mnemonic verse is firmly committed to heart, this poor Daoist will return to resolve your doubts." Seeing the emperor so focused, Daoist Master Yuhu stroked his long beard, greatly comforted. After offering this reminder, he rose to leave.

At that moment, a soft snap sounded as Yuan Ming closed the purple booklet.

"State Preceptor, I have already memorized the contents of the Nine Yuan Art. There are only some places I do not yet understand, and I ask the State Preceptor to resolve my doubts." Yuan Ming spoke with a solemn expression.

The old Daoist's hand froze halfway through stroking his beard, and he looked at the emperor in disbelief.

"Your Majesty... has remembered it all?"

"I have." Yuan Ming nodded earnestly.

Only after saying so did he realize that his memory seemed somewhat extraordinary.

When he had first learned the Blood Qi Method, he had likewise memorized it immediately after hearing it only once. But it had contained a mere two hundred characters, so Yuan Ming had not thought much of it.

But now, it seemed he possessed the ability to remember everything after a single glance.

"Your Majesty, what is the next line after 'The Heavenly Palace conceals the Cloud Gate, the Broken Sequence enters the Great Abyss'?" After a pause, Daoist Master Yuhu asked.

"'The Fish Border passes through the Channel Ditch, never returning to leap the Dragon Gate,'" Yuan Ming answered at once.

"'The spirit rushes into the Garden of Great Emptiness'?" Daoist Master Yuhu continued.

"'The intent guards the Dantian Palace,'" Yuan Ming replied with ease.

"'Boyang does not turn, proceeding through the remaining yin'?"

"'Heaven's qian excess flows through earth's qian.'"

After a round of questions and answers, the delight on Daoist Master Yuhu's face grew ever stronger. He could not help clicking his tongue in praise. "In the past, I believed only that Your Majesty was young and indulged in play. Today, I finally understand that it was an act of concealing your talent. With Your Majesty's ability to remember everything at a glance, cultivation will surely proceed as smoothly as a boat going with the current, advancing a thousand miles in a single day."

That may not necessarily be true, Yuan Ming thought.

"Daoist Master, I understand the Heavenly Palace, Cloud Gate, Broken Sequence, Great Abyss, and the like mentioned earlier in this book. They are all acupoints of the human body. But what are the Garden of Great Emptiness and the Dantian Palace?" Yuan Ming seized the opportunity to ask.

Rarely seeing His Majesty so eager to learn, the old Daoist harbored no suspicions and immediately explained:

"The acupoints Your Majesty knows are mostly identical to the acupoints related to cultivation, except that cultivation acupoints lie somewhat deeper. Once you cultivate mana, you will naturally sense them. As for the Garden of Great Emptiness, it refers to a person's sea of consciousness, the place where the soul is stored and the mind is contained. The Dantian Palace, also called the dantian, is where mana will be stored in the future. It lies in the lower abdomen."

"So that's how it is..." Yuan Ming gestured over his stomach and found that it was roughly the same place where the warm current had gathered when he cultivated the Blood Qi Method.

Yuan Ming seized the chance and hurriedly voiced his other doubts one by one.

Although Daoist Master Yuhu felt that the emperor before him was very different, he still answered patiently.

Before long, every one of Yuan Ming's doubts had been resolved. With no more questions regarding the Nine Yuan Art, he sat cross-legged upon the dragon throne, about to attempt cultivation.

At that moment, the mark on his right arm suddenly pulsed, and the heat within it rapidly receded.

Just as Yuan Ming was about to inspect it, an indescribable wave of exhaustion suddenly swept over him. His eyelids grew so heavy he could not raise them. Darkness filled his vision, and he lost consciousness once more.

Amid the haze, Yuan Ming felt as though he had dreamed a long dream. Only after an unknown length of time did he slowly awaken.

He rubbed his eyes and realized that he had returned to the dim underground cave, and his body had become his own again.

"I... came back!" Yuan Ming felt a weight lift from his heart.

The ancient-looking Green Ceramic Incense Burner sat before him. Two slender sticks of Black Incense remained inserted in it, while the third had burned down completely, leaving only the last tiny spark yet to go out.

The wad of cloth he had used to light the incense had also burned away, leaving only a small bit clutched in his hand. The two fingers holding it were blackened and throbbed with searing pain. Clearly, they had been burned by the flames on the cloth.

Yuan Ming shook his fingers. It seemed that while his consciousness had descended into the Young Emperor, his own body had remained completely motionless and unaware, showing no response even when burned by fire.