Cultivating Immortality in Twilight Years: I Become the Longevity Dao Venerable
Chapter 107

The Four Symbols Gather Thunder to Aid Cultivation; Tiangang Transforms into Spirit, Bringing Great Benefit

3,985 words 13 min read 0 views 1mo ago Source
Next

He Yingyu remained in the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage for a full four years, and is now preparing to break through to the Foundation Establishment Late Stage.

According to him, he had already accumulated enough experience and could have made a breakthrough four months ago.

However, each breakthrough in a minor realm has its own bottlenecks. In addition, He Yingyu's cultivation Cultivation Method is quite special. In addition to the Evergreen Merit, she also cultivates an auxiliary Cultivation Method called the Four Symbols Thunder Gathering Art.

After practicing the <Four Symbols Thunder Gathering Art>, one can cultivate daily using the <Four Symbols Spirit Gathering Formation>, which gathers spirit twice as fast as an ordinary Spirit Gathering Formation, while consuming fewer Spirit Stone, making the cultivation speed extraordinary.

However, each time a breakthrough occurs, one must use the <Four Symbols Thunder Gathering Art> to draw thunder to temper the body and strengthen the spirit, further purify the spiritual energy within the body, consolidate the realm and cultivation, and steadily build a solid foundation, which brings many benefits.

"However, the <Four Symbols Thunder Gathering Art> is quite dangerous as it involves drawing down heavenly lightning. Although it is protected by Formation, it is still necessary for someone to be by its side to protect it."

This auxiliary Cultivation Method can only be practiced up to the Nascent Soul Realm at most.

In a lush, verdant forest, He Yingyu was carefully explaining her martial Cultivation Method to Chen Dengming.

Chen Dengming was also somewhat bewildered; the Cultivation World truly had all sorts of bizarre and wonderful Cultivation Method.

He had read quite a few novels about using lightning to forge the body and strengthen the spirit in his previous life, and it seemed pretty plausible, but to actually do it in real life was a bit much; it was truly audacious.

Despite what He Yingyu said, she had already tried it hundreds of times before, and even tried it herself once when she was breaking through, and there were no problems each time.

But if something goes wrong just once, then it could really be a disaster.

Perhaps we won't even have to wait for the next time. Those extinct species that we often saw in the news in my previous life, those that survived being struck by lightning multiple times, are truly just extinct. Ordinary people would definitely die if they tried to kill them.

As for the claim that this Cultivation Method cannot be practiced after reaching the Nascent Soul Realm, then of course it cannot be practiced.

Orthodox Celestial Immortal cultivation methods all require undergoing tribulations, with each tribulation becoming increasingly severe as one progresses. Continuing to cultivate this auxiliary Cultivation Method is simply inviting more tribulations upon oneself.

Perhaps seeing Chen Dengming's surprised and hesitant expression, He Yingyu quickly smiled and pretended to flatter him, saying, "Hey Junior Brother, my good Junior Brother, you don't need to worry. I only asked you to protect me just in case. In fact, you don't need to do anything and can't do anything during the whole process."

Even afterwards, you might get some benefits; your senior sister won't let you help for nothing, she'll definitely give you something in return."

Chen Dengming thought He Yingyu was going to give him Spirit Stone, so he quickly waved his hand, "No, no need, Senior Sister, you've already helped me a lot, so I don't need any treats."

A gentleman loves wealth, but he acquires it in a proper way.

Although he wasn't a gentleman, this Senior Sister He had already helped him enough. He hadn't even paid back the money he owed yet, and she was still offering him benefits. If she kept doing this, he would develop diabetes. This was unacceptable, absolutely unacceptable.

"Junior Brother, are you really not tempted? I've heard that cultivating this Cultivation Method can increase the chances of Forming Core by at least 30% in the future."

"Since this is something for the future, let's talk about it later. Senior sister, you should start preparing first."

Chen Dengming chuckled dryly and changed the subject, knowing that He Yingyu meant well and was very generous.

But he really doesn't need it.

He doesn't encounter any bottlenecks in his normal cultivation at the minor realms. There are bottlenecks at the major realms, but he doesn't need to risk summoning lightning like this in ordinary times. After all, he has a long lifespan, so he can take it slow and there will always be a safe opportunity.

After hearing this, He Yingyu said no more and turned to walk towards the pool in front of her.

The two were in a secluded mountain forest, a veritable paradise.

A long waterfall cascades down a high mountain wall in the distance, its sound faintly audible, forming a winding stream.

The streams converge here to form a pool.

At this moment, He Yingyu had arranged the Four Symbols Thunder Gathering Array around the pool according to the principles of the Xiantian Trigrams and the Five Elements of East, South, West, North, and Center.

In the center of the pool, a bronze vat has been placed.

He Yingyu leaped into the pool and landed in the vat. Her pretty face flushed slightly. Inside the vat, she removed her clothes and put them into her Storage Bag.

The process of drawing lightning to forge the body is best left unsaid, otherwise it will increase the risk of self-immolation. Every detail must be done to the best of one's ability.

He Yingyu used to break through to higher levels on her own because of this, but there was also a risk involved, as no one was there to protect her.

Now, we have found someone trustworthy.

"Don't worry, senior sister, I won't peek."

Not far from the shore, Chen Dengming stood obediently and shouted loudly.

He Yingyu blushed slightly and glared back at him fiercely.

This kind of thing is an unspoken understanding, and there's no embarrassment in saying it out loud. She always changed her clothes after getting into the tub.

"Junior Brother, I will activate the Formation shortly. Please keep your distance and do not get too close. Even if something unexpected happens, do not act recklessly. Your senior sister has a plan to deal with it."

Chen Dengming remained silent upon hearing this.

If he doesn't have to do anything, what's the point of calling him to protect us? Just to see his back exposed?

However, he did sense the concern from He Yingyu's repeated instructions.

Moreover, according to the other party, there will be a short period of weakness after this breakthrough, followed by a period of recovery.

The commotion caused by the heavenly thunder was too great, and the Spiritual Qi gathered during the breakthrough was also immense, which could indeed attract others. This was something he, as the protector, needed to guard against.

Not long after, with a soft shout from He Yingyu, the array plate inside the jar was activated.

A surge of Spiritual Qi began to gather, and the Formation Flag fluttered wildly in all directions around the pool.

In an instant, the wind howled through the valley, fog obscured the sun and moon, and the earth was shrouded in mist.

Suddenly, the Formation Flag in the eight directions—Kan, Li, Dui, Zhen, Xun, Qian, Kun, and Gen—shot out beams of Spiritual Qi that shot straight into the sky.

The sky suddenly changed, and the color of the clouds gradually deepened.

However, after only fifteen minutes, the clouds gradually thickened, as if they were about to fall to the ground.

"Is this really going to attract lightning?"

Chen Dengming's hair fluttered in the wind, and his expression changed slightly, but upon careful sensing of the energy of heaven and earth, it seemed that he had only attracted and created a dark cloud.

Apart from the dark cloud overhead, the rest of the sky was clear and blue, which seemed very strange and abrupt.

"If it's just this patch of dark clouds, the lightning it attracts shouldn't be too strong. This Formation is indeed quite reasonable. I wonder how many more bolts of heavenly Bandit Cultivator are rumored to face? That must be terrifying."

Chen Dengming observed the gathering of dark clouds in the sky and felt that his trip had been worthwhile, broadening his experience and knowledge.

It's currently late summer, and according to He Yingyu, the lightning isn't particularly strong at this time.

If it were the beginning of spring, that first clap of thunder could shatter Chī Mèi Wǎng Liǎng and frighten people out of their wits; it's not advisable to break through at that time.

This is easy to understand; in the past, household appliances were categorized by voltage, with high-power and low-power options available.

This small patch of dark cloud is like a small dog in the dark clouds; it can't possibly have much power.

Chen Dengming had to admire the genius who created the Four Symbols Thunder Gathering Array; it was a way to make good use of thunder power and take advantage of the heavens.

Before long, the moisture in the clouds overhead continued to expand relentlessly.

The dark clouds jostled and churned, plunging the entire mountain forest into complete darkness, while the wind howled fiercely.

"Crack crack crack" --

A flash of silver lightning suddenly appeared, turning into a fierce and thin bolt of fire, flickering in the dense, moving black clouds.

"Heaven, Heavenly Gang."

As Chen Dengming was watching with great interest, the Little Array Spirit in the Soul House in his arms suddenly made a sound, its expression showing great fear.

"What? This is the Heavenly Gang? The Heavenly Gang that a spirit can absorb? If you absorb even one, won't your soul be instantly destroyed?"

Just as Chen Dengming was feeling surprised, a dazzling white light suddenly flashed from above his head, so strong it was blinding.

The white light pierced down like a sharp sword in an instant, as if the sky had been cleaved in two, and landed directly on one of the Formation Flag, illuminating the mountains and forests.

A deafening, earth-shaking explosion followed, and then the sound spread.

In Chen Dengming's eyes, it was as if a Golden Light suddenly descended from the dark clouds, connecting with a Formation Flag below to form a winding golden line at the top, resembling a mark in the sky, extraordinary and wondrous.

Then, the golden lightning lines quickly faded and turned white, the eight- Formation Flag unfurled, and streaks of lightning transformed into arcs of electricity that dispersed across the eight- Formation Flag before instantly striking the pool of water along the ground.

The water surface seemed to glow instantly, like a dazzling gem radiating light.

Located in the center of the pool, He Yingyu seemed to be made even more beautiful, like a fairy descending to earth, her whole body glowing, with skin as smooth as ice and bones as white as jade.

Chen Dengming was stunned by the sight, and at that moment, more lightning struck, but it was drawn away by the other Formation Flag.

Streaks of lightning, like bolts of red silk, pierced through the clouds and flew like fire.

The Formation Flag of the Four Symbols Gathering Thunder Array also moved in a cycle, advancing and retreating, endlessly generating and infinitely mysterious, dividing the thin strands of thunder power into pure, supremely yang thunder power of heaven and earth, which was then guided into the deep pool.

After passing through the softest water, harmonizing yin and yang, it is placed back into the vat to strengthen the body and spirit of the He Yingyu.

"Dao, fellow Daoist, this is extremely pure Heavenly Gang Essence, yes, it is very beneficial to our spiritual bodies."

Soul House, the Little Array Spirit, filled with both fear and envy, paced anxiously, watching with longing, and transmitted its voice.

"So what if there are benefits? They belong to someone else! Do you think I'd take you in for a bath right now?"

Chen Dengming shook his head and transmitted his voice.

Does he not know whether there are benefits or not?

Just like he could tell whether there was electricity in this pool, and how powerful the current was, he could tell by touching it with his hand.

Chen Dengming had previously thought that cultivating by drawing lightning was extremely dangerous.

In retrospect, it may not have been too fatal.

The first bolt of lightning might have posed a fatal threat to Foundation Establishment cultivator, but after being broken down, it became much less dangerous. Furthermore, as it was gradually introduced into the pool, its power was significantly reduced.

At this moment, Chen Dengming was surprised to find that the light in the pool in front of him was gradually dimming, and a stronger spiritual power was also erupting from He Yingyu's body.

However, his aura weakened, and his long hair stood on end, making him look quite amusing.

Chen Dengming held back, but was about to burst out laughing. He quickly covered his lower lip with his upper lip, preparing to turn away and chuckle.

"Don't laugh! Come in too."

Suddenly, He Yingyu's voice came from the pool.

Chen Dengming's suppressed laughter was shattered by those words, and he froze.

"Ah?"

"Hurry, hurry! Fellow Daoist, absorb the Heavenly Gang to forge your spiritual body! This is a rare opportunity!"

Soul House, the Little Array Spirit urged anxiously, wishing it could fly out and try it out first.

He Yingyu's voice came from over there again.

"Come in, hurry up, make the most of it. We agreed before, I'll give you a little something too."

"Oh, this? Then this senior sister... isn't that a bit inappropriate?"

Chen Dengming clenched his fist and whispered a curse at the Little Array Spirit, telling it not to meddle in other people's business.

This Senior Sister He, wasn't this all premeditated? Using this as a reward?

Surely not? You're Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivator now, shouldn't you pay attention to your image?

Inside the pool, He Yingyu was furious. She opened her eyes and glared at Chen Dengming. "What are you thinking? I'm already dressed. I told you to come in, so hurry up and come in. You're really getting something out of this."

Chen Dengming blinked, seeing that He Yingyu was serious and was already dressed.

He immediately stopped being polite; if the other person wasn't afraid, why should he be?

It immediately flew away with a 'whoosh'.

Almost as soon as he fell into the water tank.

With a splash, water droplets accompanied by flashes of electricity, He Yingyu flew out at the same time, her pretty face slightly flushed as she spoke.

"Hurry up, remember to change out of your robes."

"Oh"

Chen Dengming followed the instructions step by step; he was a grown man in his eighties and not afraid of suffering losses.

The moment Chen Dengming was inside the tub, his hair stood on end, and he immediately felt a warm sensation all over his body, as if he were in a hot spring, even more comfortable than a hot spring.

As clusters of electric currents rapidly surged into his body, a tingling, comfortable sensation spread throughout his entire being, as if every cell in his body had been activated.

Not only that, these tiny electric currents also transformed into very pure energy, entering his Dantian and actually refining and purifying his spiritual essence.

Originally, the cultivation of Foundation Establishment cultivators involves absorbing Spiritual Qi into the upper, middle, and lower Dantian, and gradually refining the Spiritual Qi into a liquid-like concentrated spiritual essence.

The spiritual essence eventually condensed into a false core, and the three false cores combined to form a golden core, which is the breakthrough to the Forming Core.

These are all metaphorical processes of transformation from gas to liquid and then to solid, a process that requires a lot of time and effort, like grinding water.

But now, the abundant Spiritual Qi swirling in his Dantian is being refined into spiritual essence, like a gentle spring breeze and a refreshing rain, each drop falling rapidly and merging into the accumulated cultivation that has already solidified into spiritual essence.

Chen Dengming was surprised.

This speed is much faster than his daily cultivation; it is accelerating his cultivation progress.

Moreover, he felt the subtle electric current penetrating into the meridians, pores, and Dantian of his body, which was extremely beneficial to his health, causing him to instantly break out in a sticky sweat.

I focused my gaze on the panel.

I discovered that my proficiency in the Evergreen Merit had indeed increased on its own; at this rate, I'll be breaking through soon.

Other than his physical condition remained largely unchanged, but Chen Dengming sensed that the electric current had penetrated deep into his body, perhaps indicating that his bone age had changed again, making him younger.

"Quickly, let the spirit absorb this pure Heavenly Gang power; it can nourish the soul and strengthen the spirit."

The Little Array Spirit said excitedly.

Chen Dengming was enjoying a relaxing soak, feeling all 36,000 pores on his body standing up in stimulation, which felt very comfortable. Hearing this, he said...

Why don't you come out and try it first?

"I'm scared."

Chen Dengming rolled his eyes.

You're afraid, and so am I.

Is a spiritual electric shock the same as a physical electric shock? Even a fool knows they are not.

The mere sparks of spiritual electricity that naturally arose when his spirit occasionally touched the spirit of the Little Array Spirit were enough to send shivers down one's spine and stimulate one's entire body, let alone the weakened electric current after the heavenly lightning struck.

Chen Dengming familiarized himself with the surrounding electricity for a while, and was preparing to try it out later. He figured it would hurt, but there was probably no danger to his life.

As a result Little Array Spirit poked a small foot out from the Soul House and cautiously touched the water.

"Ah--"

He had barely touched her when she screamed and pulled her little foot back, startling Chen Dengming.

But soon, he noticed that the Little Array Spirit immediately stuck its foot out and soaked it in the water, letting the electric current gather, making its little foot shine brightly with Silver Light, as if it were wearing a layer of ice silk stockings.

"Pretending to be in pain when you're not!"

Chen Dengming cursed under his breath, and his mind immediately entered a state of extreme emptiness and stillness, at which point his spirit left his body.

'Ah--'

His spirit flickered, let out a scream, and immediately shrank back.

The next moment, the Little Array Spirit's happy laughter could be heard.

I got tricked by this little gadget.

This thirteen or fourteen-year- Little Array Spirit is such a mischievous little devil!

Could it be that his past misdeeds of bullying the first spirit have been exposed, and now he's starting to tease him?

"This Junior Brother, he really is secretly raising a female ghost. Senior Brother Liang once told me, but I didn't believe him. No wonder he doesn't come home at night."

On the shore not far away, He Yingyu observed the situation in the pool, hummed softly, and slowly smoothed her hair while silently sensing the state of her spiritual energy.

In the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, Law Power will become much more surging and powerful.

However, she is still very weak for now. After a period of transition, her strength will surpass that of the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage by several times.

In the end, Chen Dengming actually gained a lot of benefits from the act of protecting He Yingyu.

Originally, he would have needed at least another month to break through to the second level of the Evergreen Merit.

This time, however, thanks to the Heavenly Gang Thunder Power mentioned by the Little Array Spirit, he broke through ahead of schedule.

His body and soul also benefited greatly. His Divine Sense was greatly strengthened as a result, and when he released his Divine Sense to attack with the Spirit Refining Art, it even carried a trace of lightning power.

This time, the protection of the Dharma did not encounter any of the imagined dangers. No one came to disturb them, and there was no encounter with the python spirit that one might only encounter in novels, nor was there any heavenly thunder and earthly fire caused by being affected by its Inner Core.

In the end, both of them returned to their sects with great success, and their relationship seemed to have become even closer because of this experience.

He Yingyu's breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Late Stage is naturally a great joy for the Evergreen Sect, and a banquet is in order.

When Chen Dengming reluctantly pulled out the congratulatory gift from his meager purse, he was once again ridiculed by his Senior Brother.

However, after the gift-giving incident, Chen Dengming also found inspiration from He Yingyu's "Four Symbols Thunder Gathering Art" and discovered a new way to make money.

It turns out that He Yingyu's auxiliary Cultivation Practice Method was once contributed to the sect by Old Man Mo.

Because the Evergreen Sect follows the Longevity Sect's principle of non-contention, its cultivators do not enjoy fighting and instead focus solely on health preservation, cultivation, and longevity.

But as the saying goes, "The tree may wish to be still, but the wind will not cease," and if one wishes to seek longevity, the methods of protecting the path are also indispensable.

The spiritual energy cultivated through the Evergreen Merit is too pure, resulting in a weak boost to combat power. Therefore, both disciples and Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Evergreen Sect additionally cultivate many other powerful Daoist arts and techniques, or refine powerful Law Artifact for self-protection.

This also led the Evergreen Sect to strongly encourage its members to hand over and share their Daoist Technique Method.

As long as the source is legitimate and won't cause conflict with other Immortal Sect, it's extremely welcome.

The Technique Method submitted will also be awarded Sect Contribution based on their value.

Chen Dengming then had the idea of handing over the <Gu Refining Art>.

He had previously traded this technique with several cultivators.

After arriving in the Cultivation World, I have almost never seen anyone cultivate this method, not even a single Gu-refining sect.

Submitting this law should be without any problem.

Most importantly, this <Gu Refining Art> is indeed suitable for Qi Refining disciples within the sect to cultivate concurrently. The cost of cultivating Gu Worm is much lower than that of cultivating spirit pets, making it economical, practical, and effective in enriching protective methods and enhancing combat power.

If even a third of his more than three thousand disciples are interested, then his value as a Gu-refining master will become apparent.

At that time, whether he teaches and guides his disciples in cultivating the Gu Refining Art or directly opens a Gu refining factory so that his disciples can buy finished Gu or raw materials for Gu refining directly from him, it will be a win-win situation and bring him great wealth.

Actually, the most profitable way to make money is to not hand over the Gu Refining Art and to engage in monopolistic business.

However, within the Evergreen Sect, it is clearly impossible to monopolize and exploit the disciples, as this would be inconsistent with the sect's doctrines and atmosphere, and some sacrifices would inevitably have to be made.

Chen Dengming's appetite wasn't large. He was content with changing his impoverished state, stopping the ridicule from his fellow Senior Brother, and gaining a decent fortune. He didn't want to completely exploit his disciples.

(Bonus chapter complete. Still asking for monthly votes! More monthly votes mean more bonus chapters tomorrow!)

Thank you Lin Hao for the generous donation!

End of Chapter
Prev
NovelSummaries
Next

Comments