Mountain Ascenders, Mountain Descenders

Qi WuHuo placed one hand on the elixir furnace, his Primordial Qi flowing and transforming as he added various herbs and Spiritual Liquid into it. He then tempered the medicinal properties, condensing them into Qi Nourishing Elixirs. In truth, his alchemy skills weren't particularly refined; there were many places where his technique still appeared unpolished, even showing obvious mistakes.

Among these Mountain Gods, some possessed alchemy skills more proficient than his.

However, the youth raised his hand and directly used the power of a Mountain God to draw down the radiance of the sun and moon. With a single gesture, he summoned a majestic aura never before seen.

Using the sun and moon to open the furnace and refine elixirs—they had existed for three to five hundred years, yet had never witnessed such a method initiated with a mere gesture!

The flowing light of the sun and moon was drawn into the elixirs. Qi WuHuo's understanding of alchemy came solely from the General Principle. While refining, he suddenly had a faint realization: the sun is yang, and yang is the heart, the nature, the Primordial Spirit; the moon is yin, and yin is the kidney, the Primordial Essence. The Golden Crow and Jade Rabbit also refer to the sun and moon. Their interplay, advancing and retreating, perfectly aligns with the method of refining the Primordial Spirit and Primordial Essence.

How strange.

The elixir-making method passed down by the old man was clearly for refining external elixirs, yet it also followed the principles of refining internal elixirs.

Could it be that in the eyes of cultivation, [internal and external are fundamentally one, and there is no difference between the human body and heaven and earth]?

Is it a cultivation method derived from the art of alchemy?

Or is it that alchemy was understood through the cultivation method?

Qi WuHuo had a vague inkling, sensing that the lineage passed down by the old man seemed particularly adept at the art of alchemy. This was both a method for internal cultivation and an extremely profound alchemical technique. Even when refining elixirs, he was cultivating his cultivation technique, and when cultivating his cultivation technique, he was essentially refining elixirs.

"Refine spiritual elixirs to achieve medicine, in the mortal world, only the ashes of longevity..."

"Achieve medicine, ashes of longevity."

"This is not just the General Principle of alchemy, but should also be one of the General Principles of cultivation."

Qi WuHuo understood. He proceeded to gather the elixirs according to the method of circulating Qi for cultivation. A burst of exotic fragrance spread, and the elixir furnace began to shake violently.

The elixir furnace opened.

Elixirs, one by one, flew out with flowing light. Qi WuHuo, possessing the realm of Primordial Prenatal Qi at this moment, managed to collect all the elixirs despite his initial clumsiness, not letting a single one fall out. He said, "These are elixirs for Qi Cultivation. If a cultivator consumes them, they can enhance their Primordial Qi."

The burly man from before accepted the elixirs. He abandoned his initial plan of simply visiting his Mountain God neighbors and gritted his teeth, saying:

"Today, the Mountain Lord has accepted his position. I also have a gift to offer. Please do not find it too humble." He then presented a jade box containing a ginseng root with its tendrils intact, emitting a faint golden glow, clearly not an ordinary item. The other Mountain Gods also rose, saying they had gifts to present.

Some offered a pair of white jade discs, others a zither, and some a treasured sword.

But more common were the numerous rare treasures from the mountains, various spiritual herbs, all with ages of three to five hundred years. Their spiritual energy flowed, and an ordinary person could significantly boost their Primordial Qi with just a single mouthful. A cultivator could instantly replenish their Primordial Qi by consuming one pill. In total, they filled a table. Qi WuHuo did not refuse this time, using the storage capacity of his Sword Box to put these items away.

Elder Tao stroked his beard. The gift he had prepared was an elixir, but now he paused and instead took out a scroll.

He ran his hand over it and, under the astonished gazes of everyone, gently placed the Jade Book on the table.

It was made of white jade, with golden inscriptions.

Elder Tao seemed reluctant to part with it, but finally let go, smiling. "This is my old man's accumulation, recording the names and auras of numerous Mountain Gods and Earthly Deities within the vast territory of the entire Central Province. WuHuo, if you travel the world in the future and encounter hardship, activate this Jade Book with your magic power. If Mountain Gods or Earthly Deities are nearby and sense the aura of a supernatural ability, they will come to your aid."

This time, the old man showed no trace of shrewdness or calculation of profit. He simply cupped his hands in a salute and sighed with emotion, "You have shown me the Dao, it should be like this."

"Without this, my heart would be filled with regret, and I could never advance."

Qi WuHuo returned the salute and took the Jade Book, putting it away.

Seeing everyone immersed in their own contemplation and not saying anything, he prepared to leave. The little Deer Spirit noticed his movement. As he stood up, the youth smiled and bent down, gently stroking the spirit beast's head with one hand while raising a finger to his lips with the other. A lock of his dark hair fell down, and his eyes held a clear smile.

Then he said softly, "I'm leaving."

As the two guardian generals escorted him down the mountain, Qi WuHuo said, "As agreed back then, we will debate Dao every three years and open the furnace to refine elixirs every year."

The two generals respectfully replied, "Yes!"

After a moment of hesitation, they stepped forward, cupped their hands in a salute, and said, "Mountain Lord, we previously underestimated you due to your age. Please do not..." They did not finish. Looking up, they saw Qi WuHuo had already turned and left. The blue-robed youth waved his hand behind his back, indicating he didn't mind. With the Sword Box on his back, he took several steps.

He gradually moved further away, disappearing into the depths of the mountains and clouds, no longer visible.

Seated thus.

The wind escorts winter's steps.

Gradually walking, mountain paths curve and turn, entering the deep clouds.

After Qi WuHuo left, he didn't depart immediately. Instead, he changed course and found the Huang Jing, greeting it. The little creature scrambled up and stood on his shoulder. The youth playfully poked the Huang Jing, which was on the verge of achieving a thousand years of cultivation, and looked around with a smile. "It seems he set up a very powerful formation for you when he left."

"With his cultivation level when he departed, you are safe here."

After some playful interaction, the Huang Jing's Primordial Qi transformed into a little figure and burrowed back underground. The youth stood up and walked along the entire mountain. He took out the gifts the Mountain Gods had given him earlier, those spiritual herbs with three to five hundred years of Primordial Qi, and then found hidden spots along the way, dug open the ground, and replanted these spiritual herbs.

These spiritual herbs could continue to grow here.

The spiritual essence and earth veins of the mountain would also become stronger, and these spiritual herbs would emit Primordial Qi, slowly transforming the area.

Qi WuHuo planted the last ginseng root, watching its spiritual essence gradually spread. He let out a soft breath and stood up, looking at the mountain before him. When he was young, he had relied on the fruits and deadwood in the mountains to survive. He cupped his hands slightly and smiled, "The New Year is approaching, Mountain, I wish you a happy New Year too."

Naturally, there was no response.

The youth chuckled at himself.

Turning to descend the mountain, he picked up some pinecones along the way, the dried ones without fruit, which were also excellent firewood. There were also some leftover fruits. In the harsh winter, they wouldn't rot easily. In a short while, he had a full basket. He wiped his mouth, took a bite, and the sweet juice was perfect for quenching his thirst. He had been talking for almost a whole day, enough to make even a cultivator thirsty.

After turning a few corners, he heard a noisy sound. Moving forward, he saw a crowd of people ahead, marching forward with gongs and drums.

He ran right into Qi WuHuo.

Leading the procession were several strong men carrying a sedan chair, adorned with silk ribbons wrapped around a statue of the Mountain God.

The statue was completely wrapped in red silk, inscribed with auspicious phrases like "May all your wishes come true" and "The Mountain God bestows blessings." Beside it were the town's officials and wealthy landowners, all dressed in fine silks and looking neat and handsome. They saw Qi WuHuo descending the mountain, carrying a basket, eating as he walked. His sleeves were stained with black mud from planting spiritual herbs. They first showed surprise, then a hint of disdain flickered in their eyes.

However, on the surface, they remained polite, cupping their hands in greeting and saying:

"Oh my, the magpies were chirping today."

"So it's young Master Qi. In the dead of winter, why aren't you staying warm at home? What brings you to the mountain?"

Qi WuHuo replied, "I picked up some firewood."

"Oh, I see."

"We've gathered everyone in the town to make an idol for Lord Mountain God. We're here to erect the statue and build a temple."

"We didn't inform you earlier because you have no elders at home. Haha, if you have time in the future, you can also come to the mountain to offer incense. After all, you're one of us in this town and know the Mountain God."

"Don't worry, we won't charge you for incense."

"I'll pay for you."

The official smiled and continued the pleasantries.

Qi WuHuo thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yes."

"Thank you for your trouble."

"Thank you."

The official then smiled and said, "This road is a bit narrow..."

The blue-robed youth nodded, then stepped aside. He watched as many people walked up the mountain, with large banners held on either side. He then withdrew his gaze, took another bite of the frozen mountain pear, and continued down the mountain. His steps were light, carrying a woven bamboo basket, one hand holding the strap on his shoulder. A mountain sparrow landed on his shoulder, its delicate form contrasting with the black hair falling around the youth's temples.

This fourteen-year-old boy walked down the mountain against the wind, possessing a natural, refined handsomeness.

People going up the mountain.

People coming down.

As the boy descended, he tossed the remaining half of the pear to a large yellow dog wagging its tail at him. He waved goodbye to the mountain sparrow and saw the smoke rising from the houses in the twilight. He heard shouts from behind, saying—

"To the Mountain God!"

He finally couldn't help but chuckle.