Contemplating Taiyin, Advancing to the Second Realm!

On the other side, Ye Qin had no idea the stir he had caused with the police.

He also didn't know that in the police's imagination, a murderer had been conjured out of thin air, responsible for this perfect murder case.

After dealing with the two poachers, he sensed someone approaching the mountain. Seeing it was the police, he finally relaxed and returned to his cave to continue his cultivation.

As for the rest, he believed the police would handle it.

After this incident, those poachers should lay low for a while and stop bothering him.

Although many animals had suffered, thankfully, it wasn't a fatal blow. With some time to recover, the ecosystem should return to normal.

Snowflakes fluttered down, and the world between Heaven and Earth was silent, as if all sounds had been swallowed by this pure white world.

The once lush green mountains had become snow-capped, appearing like a white dragon soaring through the sky, coiled here.

Nearby branches were bent under the heavy snow, adorned with ice crystals, creating a unique scene.

A figure moved through the snow, suddenly stopping. Its small black nose twitched, sniffing the air as if identifying a scent.

It then continued forward towards the southeast.

Few creatures were active outdoors in winter, but there were some. The path this creature was taking led directly to Ye Qin's cave.

Ye Qin, who was concentrating on his cultivation, heard the rustling sounds outside.

When he went out to look, he saw several wild fruits lying on the snow-covered ground, looking particularly conspicuous. He scanned the surroundings but saw no creatures.

He guessed that some animal had left them there before departing.

The snake's tongue flickered in the air for a moment. The scent was familiar; it shouldn't have gone far.

Ye Qin felt a little helpless. For the past few days, these offerings had appeared at his cave entrance – either unknown wild fruits or small animals like field mice.

All things have spirits.

He guessed that these were gifts from the wild animals that had been successfully rescued from the poachers.

Wild animals have a strong sense of territory, which was why it only left the gifts and didn't show itself. Ye Qin didn't know what kind of creature it was.

It was winter, and it was already difficult for these animals to find food for themselves, let alone bring some to give to him.

Ye Qin accepted their good intentions but didn't take the gifts, leaving them in the snow. The creature must have thought Ye Qin didn't like them, as it brought different ones the next day.

After a few days of this, the creature in the shadows seemed to understand and stopped bringing food.

This incident was like a small pebble dropped into a calm lake, creating a ripple that quickly subsided.

With the poacher issue resolved, Ye Qin fully immersed himself in cultivation.

Most snakes hibernate. During this period, the weather is cold, and food is scarce, causing snakes' metabolism and energy levels to drop. To survive, snakes enter a state of hibernation.

Perhaps because of his cultivation, Ye Qin didn't feel any different from usual; in fact, he felt more active.

"My first realm has reached completion, and I can now advance to the second realm."

According to Ye Qin's initial deduction, the second realm was 'Creation Body Tempering.' As the name suggested, it required utilizing the elements of Heaven and Earth to temper the foundational visualization object – his bones.

For example, by visualizing the sun and moon and tempering them onto his bones, he could then nourish himself.

After all, Ye Qin's cultivation method was primarily based on visualization, especially in the early stages.

And his bones were his foundational visualization object, which was extremely difficult to change; otherwise, all his previous efforts would be in vain.

However, there was nothing else in the cave, and Ye Qin hadn't found any inspiration. He didn't know what element of Heaven and Earth he should use for creation.

So, Ye Qin decided to go outside and look.

Stepping out of the cave, he had forgotten the passage of day and night while cultivating in the mountains.

He realized it was already nighttime.

The mountain nights, especially in winter, were deathly silent, as if all sounds had vanished, leaving only Ye Qin standing proudly between Heaven and Earth.

Where Ye Qin looked, everything was covered in silver, with only a crescent moon in the sky shining brightly.

Perhaps it was because of the snowfall, but the sky seemed unusually low, and the crescent moon was exceptionally bright, as if within reach.

Thousands of mountains painted white, the silver moon like a hook.

In the dark sky, only this touch of brightness adorned the long night and added a unique charm to the snowy landscape.

Looking at the moon overhead, Ye Qin suddenly felt a sense of understanding.

He knew what he should visualize next.

The moon was also called Taiyin.

In ancient mythology, when Pangu created Heaven and Earth and transformed into all things, his left eye became the sun star, and his right eye became the Taiyin star – this Taiyin star was the moon.

China has had moon-worshipping customs since ancient times. The earliest historical record is in the "Book of Documents: Canon of Yao," which lists the sun, moon, and stars as celestial bodies.

Moon worship was performed to pray for abundant harvests. Many ancient sites like "Moon Worship Altars," "Moon Worship Pavilions," and "Moon Gazing Towers" still exist across China as evidence.

As for why he didn't choose the sun, it was because the sun was the essence of fire, containing the true fire of the sun. It was golden in color, extremely yang and extremely rigid, burning all things.

However, snakes belonged to Yin. With Ye Qin's current cultivation level, if he chose to visualize the sun, the difficulty would be too high. Moreover, when materialized, he could easily be burned by the sun's true fire.

Therefore, starting with the moon and progressing step by step is the best course of action.

The moon is the essence of water, containing the true Taiyin water within. Its color is silver, and it is extremely yin and cold, which aligns with the common understanding that snakes prefer the shade. Its attributes do not clash, and it is also gentler.

Most importantly, cultivation also emphasizes the opportune time and favorable conditions, requiring one to follow the natural flow and adapt to the four seasons.

The Yin-Yang and Five Elements schools believe that the north belongs to water and governs winter. Taiyin is in the north, thus it also represents winter or water.

The "Spring and Autumn Annals of the Auspicious Clouds · Official System Mimicking Heaven" also records, "Therefore, spring is the selection of lesser yang; summer is the selection of greater yang; autumn is the selection of lesser yin; winter is the selection of greater yin."

Thus, at this time of year, Taiyin is the best choice for Ye Qin, and it might even yield twice the results with half the effort.

Looking at the crescent moon overhead, Ye Qin instinctively straightened his body, his snake head slightly curved as if in worship of the moon, his gaze filled with devotion and reverence.

The moon carries special significance. In modern times, although it is mostly associated with homesickness, humanity has never stopped exploring it from ancient times to the present.

In ancient times, the moon was referred to as Taiyin, filled with divinity. Not to mention well-known mythological stories like Chang'e flying to the moon.

Even in many strange tales and monster novels, numerous creatures worship the moon, absorbing the essence of the sun and moon to cultivate, which is not without reason.

Daoism states that the moon's essence contains Emperor's Flowing Sap.

Ancient texts once said that on the Gengshen night, the moon essence contains Emperor's Flowing Sap, which appears like countless olives, with ten thousand golden threads strung together, descending to the human world. Plants and trees that receive its essence can become spirits.

For any spirit, monster, plant, or tree to become a spirit, it must receive the moon's essence. If the moon essence contains Emperor's Flowing Sap, then human plants and trees that receive its essence can become spirits, and foxes and ghosts that consume it can gain supernatural powers.

Although these are rumors, it is still uncertain whether this "Emperor's Flowing Sap" actually exists.

But one thing is certain: the essence of the moon is definitely extraordinary.

And what is called moon essence is actually moonlight, evening air, and night wind combined, which can be called moon essence.

But if you ask what moon essence specifically is?

It's a bit too profound; no one can say for sure, as the term is too general. Anyway, bathing in moonlight is considered absorbing moon essence.

It's like how you absorb the energy of Heaven and Earth by breathing air every day.

At this moment, Ye Qin's entire serpentine body was bathed in the moon essence, his black-green scales coated with a faint silver glow.