The Three Xuan Scripture

After reading the letter, Liu Xiaolou sighed, "This fellow, I really don't want to deal with him."

Dai Shenggao chuckled, "From my perspective, he probably wants you to go there for some business. Whether you want to go is up to you. Wei Hongqing said that if you're willing to go, you must arrive before the first of next month. He'll wait for you until then, but no longer."

Calculating the time, there were only six days left until the first of next month. His spirit stones were also almost used up, so the timing was rather generous. As for whether he could break through the Tianquan acupoint, that remained unknown.

"Thank you for personally delivering the letter, senior. I truly don't know how to repay you," Liu Xiaolou said, bowing gratefully.

Dai Shenggao waved his hand, "Delivering this letter was merely a convenience for me. In fact, I have a favor to ask."

After a moment of hesitation, he said, "Your sect's Three Xuan Scripture... could you lend it to me for a look?"

Seeing Liu Xiaolou's stunned expression, Dai Shenggao quickly added, "Actually, when your master was alive, he had promised to spar with me on this. Hmm, the Daoist methods recorded in the Three Xuan Scripture... it's just that I was distracted then, and thus missed the opportunity. After your master passed away, I often think about it with regret. I often see your master's demeanor in my dreams at midnight, this..."

Seeing his old face flush and his words stammer out, Liu Xiaolou immediately understood. "Please wait a moment, senior. I'll go get it."

Dai Shenggao was a close friend of his master for many years. In the past, he would visit a few times every year, drinking with his master or descending the mountain together. They had experienced countless life-and-death situations. His own sect's little tricks were nothing worth hiding from someone like him.

He turned and went into the house, pried open a floor tile under the bed, and took out a yellowed cowhide booklet from a pile of books. The cover was inscribed with three characters—Yin Yang Scripture.

The Three Xuan Sect's inheritance consisted of three scriptures: the Xuanzhen Scripture, the Mili Scripture, and the Yin Yang Scripture.

The Xuanzhen Scripture was the main cultivation technique Liu Xiaolou was currently practicing. The Mili Scripture was the method for refining and using Bewitching Incense. As for the Yin Yang Scripture, there was no need to say more.

He handed the Yin Yang Scripture to Dai Shenggao. Seeing his old face still flushed and showing embarrassment, Liu Xiaolou tried to ease his discomfort. "Senior, dual cultivation of Yin and Yang is the Heavenly Dao. My master often said that to live in the world, one must align with heaven and earth externally and harmonize Yin and Yang internally; this is the fundamental root of achieving the Dao. A woman without a husband is a resentful maiden, and a man without a wife is a lonely bachelor..."

Dai Shenggao coughed twice, interrupting him. "Yes, yes, what your master said is indeed the true principle. Hmm, hmm, I won't take it with me. I'll just read it here. Just a look is fine."

Liu Xiaolou smiled, said nothing, and didn't disturb Dai Shenggao while he read. He sat aside, continuing to absorb spirit stones and convert true essence, attempting to break through the acupoint.

After cultivating for an unknown number of hours, he opened his eyes to find the sky already dark. He suddenly heard Dai Shenggao murmuring beside him, "A pearl cast into darkness? A pearl cast into darkness? What... what does this mean?"

Liu Xiaolou immediately explained, "Senior, the 'pearl' is not a real pearl, but something born from visualization. Visualize a shining golden pearl in your abdomen, connected to the Dao root below your navel. It moves back and forth. When it enters the root, it's unseen. This is called 'a pearl cast into darkness'."

Dai Shenggao patted his forehead. "So that's how it is, so that's how it is." He sat in meditation, pondering the meaning, and subconsciously began to move back and forth on the balcony. The balcony was made of bamboo and wood, and it creaked and groaned under his movements, but he was completely oblivious.

Liu Xiaolou found it amusing but didn't speak to disturb him. Instead, he got up, went down from the platform, and started a fire by the stove to cook.

On the woodpile lay a colorful pheasant with its neck broken. It was likely brought back by the Big White Goose. Its innards had already been cleaned out. So, he plucked the feathers, smeared it with sauce, skewered it with a branch, and roasted it by the stove.

After the water in the pot boiled, he chopped and stewed bamboo fungus, wild vegetables, and wild gourds.

Half an hour later, the meal was ready: a pot of soup and a plump chicken.

The Big White Goose, smelling the aroma, darted out from the woods, startling Dai Shenggao, who had been unconsciously moving back and forth. Dai Shenggao jolted as if waking from a dream and chuckled, "My stomach is completely empty. This method is indeed extraordinary."

The two of them and the goose sat down to eat. Dai Shenggao talked about strange and interesting anecdotes from the cultivation world, or asked a few questions about the difficult passages in the Yin Yang Scripture. The meal was very lively.

After three days like this, Dai Shenggao put down the scripture and sighed, "The Dao within this is infinitely profound. One cannot read too much, otherwise, one might become lost and unable to extricate oneself."

Liu Xiaolou asked, "You're not reading it anymore, senior?"

Dai Shenggao replied, "Three days of effort are enough for what I've learned. Moreover, this Dao cannot be pursued solely by burying oneself in scriptures; it requires... hmm... experience..."

Liu Xiaolou pointed out, "When my master was here, he often went to Tou Tiao Lane in Wu Chao Town for experience. My master once said that Sister Qing at the alley entrance, although she hasn't studied this scripture, has learned it intuitively. Her interactions are mutually beneficial and quite wondrous."

Dai Shenggao said joyfully, "That's wonderful! Hmm, Xiaolou, I'll be heading down the mountain then and won't bother you any longer."

After Dai Shenggao left, Liu Xiaolou also reached a critical juncture in his cultivation. As the last spirit stone was consumed, the barrier of the Tianquan acupoint finally began to crack. True essence surged in, accumulating in the Tianquan Essence Pool.

The second acupoint had finally been breached!

Counting on his fingers, there were still three days left until November first, the date Wei Hongqing had set. It was time to set off.

He had also been contemplating whether or not to go to the appointment these past few days. After much thought, he still felt he should go. It wasn't for that old ginseng, and certainly not just for the potential "business deal." The key was that it was an invitation from Wei Hongqing. No matter what, he was his only friend. Besides him, no one else would be willing to set him up...

The Big White Goose stood before the wooden gate, its neck stretched out, watching Liu Xiaolou and honking.

Liu Xiaolou stroked the goose feathers on its head. "Guard the house well. If you see anything good outside, don't just bring it back without thinking. You need to be discerning, understand?"

As early winter approached, the water level of the Wu Chao River had dropped significantly. It was quite difficult to navigate many sections while poling the bamboo raft down the mountain. It wasn't until the moon was high above the trees that they merged with the downstream flow. They traveled a hundred and fifty li downstream overnight, landing at a bend in the Wu Chao River where it turned south.

From here, it was still seventy to eighty li to Tianmen Market, and they had to cross Wuling Mountain. He had heard that Wuling Mountain had steep terrain and sheer cliffs, unlike the gradual slopes of Wulong Mountain. Not only were there many venomous insects and ferocious beasts, but bandits also roamed there.

However, the mountain stretched north and south, and detouring would add nearly two hundred li to the journey, which was too troublesome. Liu Xiaolou's cultivation had been progressing rapidly recently, and he felt he should be able to handle it. After a brief rest at the foot of the mountain, and regardless of the unlit sky, he was filled with heroic spirit and set off to climb the mountain under the cover of night.

This was his first time entering Wuling Mountain. After crossing a small peak, he encountered a deep ravine. The ravine was over twenty zhang deep, and under the moonlight, the water shimmered with reflected light, not appearing particularly deep. Both sides seemed to stretch endlessly. If he were to detour, he didn't know how far he would have to go.

The opposite peak was only about ten zhang away. The closest point was an old pine tree growing diagonally from the peak towards him, estimated to be less than ten zhang away. But even this short distance was insurmountable for Liu Xiaolou, who was at the Qi Refining third layer, forcing him to sigh in frustration.

Even if his master were still alive, he probably couldn't cross it, right? He wondered if he would be able to leap across after reaching Foundation Establishment.

He looked around. There wasn't a single tree tall enough to reach ten zhang, so building a bridge or anything similar was inconvenient.

The most convenient method was to go straight up and straight down.