Perhaps it was because of Han Sha, or perhaps having had his Root Bone and potential assessed had stirred up a sense of urgency in him. After returning, Fang Da'ao ate a little, then immediately began tempering and training his body.
Qu Xiaoyao had also hurried to the table early. With a writing brush in her little hand, she carefully wrote each character, her small face taut with concentration. When she was done, she went to identify medicinal herbs.
Chen Qing stood in the courtyard, watching Fang Da'ao and Qu Xiaoyao bustling about, and felt gratified.
Fang Da'ao's talent wasn't top-notch, but he made up for it with diligence. He practiced his fists every day, and now he was nearing the threshold of Yellow Court Initial Opening. Qu Xiaoyao was still young, but quick-witted, and showed real talent for identifying herbs and drawing talismans.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
Fang Da'ao, bare-chested, threw his punches with the wind howling around them. Sweat poured down his face, but he showed no sign of tiring; if anything, the longer he trained, the more energized he became.
Chen Qing watched for a long while, then couldn't help sighing. If the account of the subtle sensations that accompanied entry into the path in the Sea and Mountain Remnant Scroll hadn't been incomplete, Fang Da'ao could have attempted to enter the First Realm as soon as he felt warmth in his dantian.
"Martial Uncle, was there anything wrong with the crane form I just practiced?"
A few breaths later, Fang Da'ao finished his form and stood still. Fine beads of sweat dotted his forehead as he asked for guidance.
Chen Qing replied, "You've captured about seventy percent of its spirit, but your breathing needs to be longer and more even. The crane form calls for lightness and grace. You're using too much force, which spoils its essence."
As he spoke, he stretched out his body, poised like a crane atop a pine. With each breath, his sleeves stirred though there was no wind, and he truly seemed to embody a crane spreading its wings. He demonstrated the form right there.
Fang Da'ao stared in astonishment, then said sheepishly, "When you perform it, Martial Uncle, you're like a crane out of a painting. I've still got a long way to go..."
Chen Qing smiled. "Cultivation isn't achieved in a day. You've already made great progress. Besides, understanding the essence of a cultivation art and its realms is just as important as practicing hard." As if something had occurred to him, he asked, "Da'ao, do you know why the First Realm of cultivation is called 'Yellow Court Initial Opening'?"
Fang Da'ao froze, then scratched his head. "Grandmaster said the Yellow Court is another name for the dantian. Opening the Yellow Court means laying the foundation for cultivation."
"That's right, but not the whole story." Chen Qing suddenly recalled what he had experienced in his dream. "The Yellow Court is the root of life and the source of creation. The human body is like a universe, and the Yellow Court is its center. 'Initial opening' doesn't just mean opening the dantian; it means opening up the small world within yourself. The path of cultivation is a process of exploring that world, step by step, from the inside out."
These words were a new interpretation of the Sea and Mountain Remnant Scroll, born from his dream insights and the Mountain and Hundred Rivers Visualization Diagrams.
Fang Da'ao seemed only half to understand, but a light gradually kindled in his eyes.
Qu Xiaoyao, standing nearby, put down her herbs and listened intently, her big eyes wide.
Seeing this, Chen Qing's thoughts stirred.
Teaching disciples to understand the principles of cultivation should also earn me Dao Marks...
When night fell, Chen Qing sat cross-legged on his bed.
It's time to enter the dream again. This time, besides continuing to improve my cultivation, I need to pay attention to the art of painting.
With that thought, he closed his eyes and focused. His consciousness gradually sank into the dream world, veiled in white mist.
The stone platform was as it had been.
Chen Qing opened the book and looked at the ink marks on the first page. The original eleven had increased to thirteen!
As expected, guiding Da'ao and Xiaoyao earned me two more Dao Marks.
Dao Marks came from the insights in people's hearts, and those insights came from teaching and inheritance. He had instructed Fang Da'ao in the principles of fist techniques and breathing, and taught Qu Xiaoyao to identify medicinal herbs. Both had learned something, and so he had received Dao Marks in return.
It seems that as long as I teach the disciples with care, Dao Marks will keep accumulating steadily.
His gaze shifted, and a thought suddenly occurred to him—
Now that I have a steady source of Dao Marks, should I add some more life events for "Chen Xu" and see what changes in the dream world?
Once the thought came, it only grew stronger.
After all, the dream world was so real. If he could use Dao Marks to fill in "Chen Xu's" life, perhaps he could explore more secrets—and even receive feedback at a higher level of cultivation!
But he soon regained his composure.
There's too much to deal with right now, and many things remain unconfirmed. Spending Dao Marks rashly might not be wise.
After some thought, Chen Qing decided to set the idea aside for now.
I'll focus on improving my strength first. Once I've accumulated more Dao Marks, I can try it.
With that settled, he no longer hesitated. He turned to the page containing "Chen Xu's" life story and silently thought—
Enter the dream!
When Chen Qing opened his eyes, he found himself sitting cross-legged in an elegant meditation room.
Outside the window, autumn winds swept through, and fallen leaves danced in the air.
Last time, spring was in full bloom. Does that mean a long time has passed since my last dream?
Then he sensed the Supreme Harmony Qi flowing like a stream through the dantian of this dream-self. His inner breath was refined as mercury, his magical power full and solid, and it seemed on the verge of gathering together.
True qi has become a stream! That's the mark of the middle stage of the Second Realm! Chen Qing's heart jolted, then filled with joy. As expected, the obsession I left behind when my soul departed last time took effect! While all that time was skipped, this dream-self kept cultivating diligently!
He immediately closed his eyes and looked within.
According to the Sea and Mountain Remnant Scroll, the Second Realm, Soothing Harmony Foundation Establishment, has four stages: early, middle, late, and perfection. Each has its own focus.
Early stage: Supreme Harmony Qi is born, and qi flows through the main meridians.
Middle stage: true qi becomes a stream, and the bones take on a jade sheen.
Late stage: Condensing Qi into Destiny Talisman, and the meridians become like colored glass.
Perfection: a vortex forms in the sea of qi, and spiritual light shines through the crown of the head.
Now this dream-self has reached the middle stage. That's perfect—I can revisit the early-stage experience in my memories, then comprehend the mysteries of the middle stage!
Chen Qing was elated, then wondered, My cultivation has advanced, but what about the techniques? When my consciousness was pulled away, I had this dream-self study the Sea and Mountain Remnant Scroll and improve the Great Mountain Heavenly Art. Did he make any progress?
He sank his mind into the dream-self's memories. Ignoring the trivial recollections, he focused on organizing everything he had learned through cultivation over the years. When he reached his insights into the Sea and Mountain Remnant Scroll, his heart gave a sudden jolt!
The incomplete cultivation instructions for the First Realm had been mostly restored. The key points that had once been vague, and the annotations that had been unclear, were now perfectly lucid!
For example, after "When qi and blood flow like a stream, the meridians must be nurtured," the original text had only said, "Guide it with intent." Now it included a detailed explanation—
"When first opening the Yellow Court, qi and blood surge. They must be guided through visualization: first observe the stability of a mountain, then feel the surge of the tide, so that qi and blood become as steady as a mountain and as unceasing as the waves. Only then can the foundation be secured."
And at the key point, "Jade patterns form in the bones, while impurities become mottled patches," the original text had offered only a warning. Now a solution had been added—
"If stony patches appear in the bones, they may be tempered with Earth Vein Jade Marrow, aided by a medicinal bath brewed with Marrow Cleansing Grass. Soak for seven days in a row to remove the mottling and restore the bones' jade quality."
There were countless examples like these!
The more Chen Qing recalled, the more astonished he became!
"Though the Sea and Mountain Remnant Scroll is more complete than the cultivation arts of the Primordial Immortal Dynasty, it's still a fragment, with many details missing. Cultivation relied entirely on a master's oral instruction and one's own trial and error. Yet 'Chen Xu' has now restored most of it!" He thought it over. "That makes sense. He's gifted and knowledgeable, and had the leisure to study it in depth. Naturally, he made twice the progress with half the effort."
When he looked over the nearly restored essentials of the First Realm, he was even more delighted.
These restored instructions are perfect for teaching Da'ao and Xiaoyao the basics—and they can serve as the Hidden Star Gate's foundation as well!
The Great Mountain Heavenly Art brought him another surprise.
Its cultivation instructions for the First Realm were still crude, but they had already absorbed the essence of the Sea and Mountain Remnant Scroll.
The original version had only emphasized, "The force of a mountain is weighty; break through with fierce, unyielding qi." Now it added, "Strength cannot endure forever; it must be supported by long, steady breaths," incorporating the principle of balancing hardness with softness.
Given time, if I can perfect the Great Mountain Heavenly Art, I can pass it on in the present world. Wouldn't that give the Hidden Star Gate another foundational cultivation art? We could even branch off specialized lineages like the great sects do!
But amid his excitement, Chen Qing quickly regained his composure.
These insights came from a dream. I need to verify them before passing them on to the disciples.
As he pondered, an unfamiliar passage of scripture suddenly surfaced in his mind:
"The sea embraces a hundred rivers, vast and boundless; clouds rise and rosy mists gather, transforming qi into countless forms..."
"Water is the softest of the elements, yet it can pierce stone; clouds and mist have no shape, yet they can veil the sky..."
"To cultivate this art, one must be as vast as the boundless sea, embracing all things; and as free as shifting clouds and rosy mists. Thus, this art may be called the Vast Scripture."
"The Vast Scripture?!" Chen Qing snapped back to his senses. "Isn't that the art Xu Zhaoying cultivates? How did my dream-self learn it?"
As he pondered, footsteps sounded outside the door.
"Daoist Chen, are you in meditation?"
A woman's voice rang out. It was Xu Zhaoying.
Chen Qing gathered his thoughts and rose to open the door.
Xu Zhaoying stood outside in white, a long sword in hand. Her features were as lovely as a painting, yet she exuded a sharp, fierce aura. Her gaze swept over Chen Qing, and she looked slightly surprised. "Has your cultivation advanced again?"
"I gained a little insight," Chen Qing replied vaguely as he quietly sorted through his memories. Then he was startled.
A year and a half had passed since his last dream. During that time, Xu Zhaoying had often visited to discuss the Dao, and in their conversations, he had memorized parts of the Vast Scripture.
"As expected of you." Xu Zhaoying smiled. "Elder Lü was right. You really are a cultivation fanatic. You don't even care about a major event like the Princess's return."
Alas, the newcomers had it rough...
Before you continue