He turned his Divine inward, illuminating his own body.
His Conception Vessel shone brilliantly. Beyond the ceaseless surge of the river of magic power, it also radiated a hazy glow.
The twenty-four acupoints, originally mere ponds three zhang across, had expanded severalfold into small lakes, resonating with one another. They glittered with starlight, filled with stellar power that purified his magic power, tempered his meridians, forged his flesh, and nourished his soul, their mysteries inexhaustible.
Xuanming felt that his body had grown considerably stronger, and his spiritual perception had extended another twenty-four zhang. Delighted, he withdrew his Divine and pondered carefully. He realized that his state of mind last night must have inadvertently aligned with the Daoist ideal of supreme goodness being like water—a tranquil, lucid frame of mind. Thus, he had gained an opportunity in his sleep and received this blessing today, crossing the threshold into true proficiency in the Circumferential Spirit-Nourishing Art.
This profoundly mysterious surprise left Xuanming both astonished and excited. Once he had settled his emotions, he left his room and sat cross-legged in the courtyard, facing east to gather purple qi. After breakfast, he even guided Chang Ning in her cultivation with exceptionally good spirits before entering the Scripture Pavilion.
It was early morning, and only Changfengzi was inside. Xuanming climbed to the second floor and stood at the head of the stairs, his gaze falling on the desk beside the window. Seeing the scriptures and clear tea neatly prepared, he reflected that since Changfengzi had taken over as the Scripture Pavilion's caretaker, aside from his rather severe compulsive fussiness, he had always been diligent and conscientious, handling everything properly. Not only had he spared Xuanming the irritation of trivial matters, but he had also made him very comfortable.
For two years, he had never