Nine Yuan Art

"So verbose!"

Yuan Ming shook his head and opened another memorial. It was a report from a vice minister of the Ministry of Works regarding the repair of the Heavenly Venerable Hall at Changchun Temple. It was also a lengthy discourse that Yuan Ming found utterly uninteresting.

Before he could finish reading, he hastily closed the memorial and tossed it aside.

"It seems being an emperor isn't easy. If it were me, I'd drag these useless officials out and give them a good flogging," Yuan Ming muttered to himself.

He rubbed his temples, roused himself, and opened the third memorial.

This memorial was different from the previous ones, its language concise and to the point. It began with a few brief sentences informing the emperor about an attack on the delegation sent to the Southern Border.

"So it's from a military general. Truly different from those bookish civil officials," Yuan Ming remarked upon seeing the name at the end: General Zhennan, Yuan Zuochong.

"Yuan Zuochong? That name sounds familiar, I think I've heard it somewhere?" he murmured. Just as he was about to pore over the memorial for more clues, the voice of the effeminate man reporting from outside suddenly cut in:

"Your Majesty, the Imperial Advisor, Immortal Master Yuhu, requests an audience."

"Immortal Master Yuhu? Judging by the name, he seems to be a cultivator!" Yuan Ming's eyelids twitched, and he instinctively wanted to refuse.

But then he reconsidered. He had no idea about the relationship between the young emperor and Immortal Master Yuhu, and a rash refusal might be inappropriate.

Moreover, possessing the young emperor's soul was too bizarre; this immortal master shouldn't be able to detect it.

"Please show him in." After a moment of consideration, Yuan Ming put down the memorial and said.

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

An elderly man in a purple and gold Daoist robe entered, performing a Daoist salute and reciting:

"May all beings be blessed with boundless heavenly veneration."

Yuan Ming's gaze swept over the old Daoist. He had a lean and handsome face, and though his skin was withered, it held a certain radiance. Three long strands of beard hung down to his chest, giving him an air of immortal grace.

Coupled with the purple and gold Daoist robe embroidered with Bagua cloud patterns and the golden lotus crown, he exuded an aura of royal nobility that inspired awe.

"Imperial Advisor, there's no need for such formality. What brings you here today?" Yuan Ming raised his hand slightly, choosing his words carefully.

"I just heard from Eunuch Li that Your Majesty is feeling unwell, so I came to inquire after you," Immortal Master Yuhu replied, flicking his horsetail whisk.

"I am fine, Imperial Advisor. Your concern is appreciated," Yuan Ming said, maintaining his tone.

"Your Majesty's health is crucial to the prosperity of the realm, and one must not be careless. Allow me to take your pulse," Immortal Master Yuhu said, stepping forward without further ado.

Yuan Ming's eyes narrowed. This man was quite presumptuous, but he couldn't afford to refuse forcefully without understanding their relationship. He extended his wrist.

Immortal Master Yuhu glanced at the empty porcelain box on the corner of the desk before quickly retracting his gaze. With a delicate pinch, he placed his fingers on Yuan Ming's wrist.

A trace of coolness seeped in, quickly spreading throughout his entire body.

"This old Daoist is indeed a cultivator!" Yuan Ming's pupils contracted slightly. He held his breath, regretting letting the man take his pulse and hoping he wouldn't discover anything amiss.

The old Daoist closed his eyes in concentration, and after a moment, his expression changed.

"Imperial Advisor, how is it?" Yuan Ming asked, bracing himself.

"Has Your Majesty been resting poorly lately? Your pulse indicates good blood and Qi, but your spirit seems unsettled," Immortal Master Yuhu opened his eyes and said.

"I have indeed been sleeping poorly lately, and I have occasional nightmares. Is it anything serious?" Yuan Ming replied vaguely.

"Your Majesty need not worry too much; these are minor matters. If Your Majesty would heed my advice and cultivate the 'Nine Yuan Art' soon, with magical power to protect you, these problems would naturally cease," Immortal Master Yuhu said, stroking his beard.

"Imperial Advisor, what did you just say?" Yuan Ming blinked and asked again.

"The Nine Yuan Art is a secret technique of our Changchun Temple, only passed down to elite disciples. It carries no risk and has the benefit of strengthening the body. Why does Your Majesty repeatedly refuse?" Immortal Master Yuhu sighed lightly.

"The Nine Yuan Art? Is this cultivation method truly as miraculous as you say?" Yuan Ming asked tentatively, his eyes darting around.

"Of course. The Nine Yuan Art is a secret Daoist transmission, and the successive patriarchs of our Changchun Temple have spent countless efforts to improve and perfect it. I am not boasting when I say that in terms of consolidating meridians and regulating blood and Qi, no other cultivation method in the world can compare to the Nine Yuan Art," Immortal Master Yuhu said proudly.

"How fast is the rate of accumulating magical power with this method?" Yuan Ming asked, his breathing slightly quickening.

"Daoist cultivation emphasizes gradual progress. The Nine Yuan Art was not originally known for its speed of cultivation. However, the ninth generation sect leader of our Changchun Temple, Wufangzi, spent immense effort integrating a spirit-gathering technique into the Nine Yuan Art. This greatly increased the speed of accumulating magical power, making it comparable to some demonic cultivation methods, and most importantly, it has no hidden dangers," Immortal Master Yuhu said with a smile, a hint of pride in his voice.

"Since the Imperial Advisor recommends it so highly, I will cultivate the Nine Yuan Art. I ask for your guidance, Imperial Advisor," Yuan Ming said, rising and bowing to the old Daoist.

Immortal Master Yuhu paused upon hearing this, looking Yuan Ming up and down twice. A look of surprise flashed in his eyes, but it quickly subsided. His furrowed brow suddenly relaxed, and a look of pleased relief spread across his face.

"Excellent, excellent, excellent! Your Majesty has finally opened your mind today, which is truly in accordance with the will of Heaven. I shall teach you with all my heart," Immortal Master Yuhu said, repeating "excellent" three times, unable to hide his joy.

As he spoke, he took a purple cloud-patterned booklet titled "Nine Yuan Art - Upper Chapter" from his sleeve and handed it to "Yuan Ming."

Yuan Ming eagerly took it with both hands and began to read.

Unlike the Blood Qi Method, the content of the Nine Yuan Art's upper chapter was extensive, spanning nearly a thousand characters. The text was ancient and grand, clearly indicating its superiority over the Blood Qi Method.

According to the booklet, this upper chapter had thirteen levels, corresponding to the cultivation of magical power in the Qi Refining stage.

Yuan Ming read quickly, his heart filled with joy.

"Your Majesty, cultivation is like reading and nurturing one's spirit; it requires diligence and hard practice. The Nine Yuan Art is a treasured heirloom of Changchun Temple, not to be lightly taught to anyone other than direct disciples and inheritors of the Great Jin Dynasty's mandate. Today, I impart the upper chapter to Your Majesty. Please uphold the Daoist principles and do not reveal it to others," Immortal Master Yuhu cautioned.

Yuan Ming, engrossed in the Nine Yuan Art, did not reply.

"Your Majesty, Daoist cultivation requires caution and patience, and one must not be too hasty. Now that you have obtained the technique, familiarize yourself with it and memorize it. Once all the incantations are firmly in your mind, I will come to clarify any doubts for Your Majesty." Seeing the emperor so focused, Immortal Master Yuhu stroked his long beard, feeling quite pleased. After offering this reminder, he got up to leave.

Just then, with a soft "snap," Yuan Ming closed the purple booklet.

"Imperial Advisor, I have already memorized the contents of the Nine Yuan Art, but there are some parts I do not yet understand. I ask for your clarification," Yuan Ming said, his expression solemn.

The old Daoist master's hand, which had been stroking his long beard, suddenly froze. He looked at the Emperor with disbelief.

"Your Majesty... you remember it all?"

"I remember," Yuan Ming nodded seriously.

After saying that, he also realized that his memory seemed rather extraordinary. When he was learning the Blood Qi Method, he only needed to hear it once to remember it immediately. Back then, it was only two hundred characters, so Yuan Ming didn't pay much attention to it. But looking at it now, he was capable of photographic memory.

"Your Majesty, what is the line after 'Heavenly Mansion hides the Cloud Gate, the Swift Crack enters the Grand Abyss'?" Daoist Master Yuhu asked after a pause.

" 'The Fish-Border travels the Jingqu, without returning, it leaps the Dragon Gate,' " Yuan Ming replied immediately.

" 'Divine Gate in the Vast Void Garden?' " Daoist Master Yuhu continued to ask.

" 'The Mind Guards the Dantian Palace,' " Yuan Ming answered with ease.

" 'Boyang does not shift his remaining Yin?' "

" 'Heaven's Qian has a surplus, connecting to Earth's Qian.' "

After a series of questions and answers, Daoist Master Yuhu's face showed increasing surprise and joy. He couldn't help but exclaim, "In the past, I only thought Your Majesty was young and indulged in play. Today, I realize it was a display of hidden talent. With such a photographic memory, Your Majesty's cultivation will surely progress smoothly, advancing a thousand miles in a day."

Yuan Ming secretly thought, That's not necessarily true.

"Daoist Master, you mentioned Heavenly Mansion, Cloud Gate, Swift Crack, Grand Abyss, and so on at the beginning of this book. I know these are all acupoints on the human body. But what are Vast Void Garden and Dantian Palace?" Yuan Ming seized the opportunity to ask.

Seeing the Emperor so eager to learn, the old Daoist did not suspect anything and immediately answered:

"The acupoints you know are generally consistent with the acupoints related to cultivation. It's just that the cultivation acupoints are located deeper. You will naturally perceive them when you cultivate magical power. As for the Vast Void Garden, it refers to the Sea of Consciousness, the place where the soul resides and the mind is stored. The Dantian Palace is also called the Dantian, and it is the place where magical power will be stored in the lower abdomen."

"So that's how it is..." Yuan Ming gestured to his own abdomen and found that it was basically the same place where the warm current converged when he practiced the Blood Qi Method.

Yuan Ming seized the opportunity and quickly asked all the questions in his mind, one by one.

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

Soon, all of Yuan Ming's doubts were resolved, and he had no further questions about the Nine Yuan Art. He sat cross-legged on the dragon throne, ready to attempt cultivation.

Just then, the mark on his right arm suddenly twitched, and the heat flow within rapidly receded.

As Yuan Ming was about to check it, he was suddenly overcome by an indescribable sense of fatigue. His eyelids felt so heavy that he couldn't lift them. His vision went black, and he lost consciousness again.

In a daze, Yuan Ming felt as if he had a long dream. After an unknown period, he slowly woke up.

He rubbed his eyes and found himself back in the dim cave, his body also returned to his own.

"I'm... back!" Yuan Ming felt a sense of relief.

The ancient Green Ceramic Incense Burner was placed in front of him. Two slender black incense sticks were inserted into it. The third incense stick had burned out, leaving only a tiny spark that had not yet extinguished.

The cloth wick he had used to light the incense had also burned to ashes, leaving only a small amount in his hand. The two fingers holding the cloth were blackened and emitted a stinging pain from the burning, clearly a result of being scorched by the flame on the wick.

Yuan Ming shook his fingers. It seemed that while his consciousness was inhabiting the young Emperor, his own body had remained motionless and insensible, showing no reaction even when burned.