Several chilly autumn rains fell.
They washed the dust from the mountain forests and diluted the sorrow of parting.
Floating Cloud Mountain was a brilliant tapestry of red, yellow, and green. Many visitors left the city to hike and enjoy the countryside.
They could only roam designated areas, however. The rest was the Truth-Seeking Abbey's private property, off-limits to outsiders.
Even before the abbey had a True Person, visitors had abided by the rules. Now that two True Persons presided over it, ordinary people knew too little to react much, but Floating Cloud County's cultivators held it in even greater awe.
A month had passed since Chang'anzi descended the mountain.
On Dao-Treasuring Peak, Xuanming admired the autumn scenery. After relaxing his body and mind, he entered seclusion, sitting cross-legged on a rush cushion in his thatched cottage. He closed his eyes to rest his Divine and settle himself.
After several months of studying insights into Qi Refining, he had gained a relatively clear understanding of the Four Qi Refining Realms. He intended to read the Yellow Court Scripture and draw upon it to create his own method, perfecting the Primordial Unity Qi Formula.
When night fell and the moon rose above the pine branches, Xuanming followed a familiar path, sinking his mind and Divine into the mystic pass. The chanting rang out like great bronze bells, stirring profound contemplation:
"...Within the Divine dwelling, cultivate and tend; within the mysterious palace, the channels of qi... Within the dwelling lives a scholar, always clad in crimson... Within the three passes, essence and qi run deep; if you would escape death, cultivate Kunlun... Void, Nonbeing, and naturalness secure the Dao; all things have their natural ways, and the Dao is untroubled..."
Rumble!
The instant his mind and Divine entered the Yellow Court