Gu Yuanqing did not rush to make improvements. Instead, he changed his clothes and left the courtyard.
Days spent cooped up in his study had yielded great results, but his spirit had grown somewhat heavy. During Mountain Observation in particular, he seemed to have lost a trace of vitality.
He no longer regarded Mountain Observation and Object Control as mere abilities, but as guides to cultivation.
Gu Yuanqing had noticed this several days earlier, but with success so close, he had been unwilling to set his work aside.
Today, having achieved a measure of success, he decided to put it aside for a while and take a walk outside.
North Spring Mountain was now lush with spring, its grasses, flowers, and trees flourishing, its wilderness teeming with birds and beasts.
Countless withered trees had put out fresh branches and buds.
Gu Yuanqing could sense that the mountain's spiritual Qi had grown richer. This was a change brought about by its becoming a spirit mountain.
When his consciousness sank during Mountain Observation, he could sense something deep underground, about ten feet long and resembling a little Snake, brimming with boundless vitality.
It was a spiritual vein!
It possessed a faint spirituality. As though sensing Gu Yuanqing "looking" at it, it trembled slightly and sent out a wisp of affection.
Gu Yuanqing wandered freely through the mountain, admiring the scenery and occasionally summoning birds and beasts to play with, casting every thought in his mind aside.
Amid that play, his sunken spirit slowly grew lively again.
Gu Yuanqing pondered. If cultivation of one's state of mind was the Dao, then the various Cultivation Techniques were its Arts.
People cultivated Cultivation Techniques and increased their cultivation, seeking the Dao through Arts.
Only upon reaching the True Martial Realm, when they could sense heaven and earth through the Profound Martial Secret Treasure, did they cross the threshold of cultivation.
At the Grandmaster Realm, they could sense external things with their minds and truly be called cultivators. That was why Li Miaoxuan had said becoming a Grandmaster was only the beginning.
Yet his ability to observe the mountain had carried him past one difficult barrier after another, placing him at the destination of countless cultivators.
Lately, he had immersed himself in developing his Cultivation Technique, leaning too far toward Arts. This had unbalanced his state of mind and caused his Dao Heart to regress.
The proper path of cultivation called for tension and relaxation in turn, inclining toward neither extreme.
At that thought, Gu Yuanqing set his musings aside again. His fingers brushed the flowers and grasses beside him, and without deliberately using Mountain Observation, he seemed able to sense the spiritual Qi within them.
Before he knew it, he had reached a Cliff. Standing with his hands behind his back, he gazed at the rolling mountains and clouds in the sky, feeling his heart open and his spirit lift.
After standing there a while, he wandered to Repentance Cliff on the rear mountain. Gale raged here, offering an entirely different sensation.
At noon, with a thought, several wild fruits detached from their branches on the mountain and flew into his hand. Dust and debris slipped naturally from their skins.
Their flesh was sweet and fragrant. As the spirit mountain underwent Transformation, these fruits were gradually changing too.
Only at sunset did Gu Yuanqing return to his little courtyard, just as Feng Tao arrived with dinner.
After eating, Gu Yuanqing lay in the courtyard, set aside every thought, and quietly sank into Mountain Observation, sensing everything on North Spring Mountain with his heart.
Since Gu Yuanqing's battle against the Grandmaster, the old man had not dared dig any more tunnels. He gradually discovered that the bottleneck which had held him back for over a decade had somehow begun to loosen.
None of this concerned Gu Yuanqing, however. By now, he had long since put the man out of his mind.
Early the next morning, after practicing his Swordsmanship and movement techniques, Gu Yuanqing performed his customary Mountain Observation, gathering Qi of Heaven Gang and pouring it into the Secret Treasury.
Then, after breakfast, he turned his attention back to developing his Cultivation Technique and testing it in the trial.
That day of relaxation had given him a fresh perspective on the Cultivation Technique whose outline had only just taken shape. The insights accumulated from reading countless books over these days seemed to have undergone Transformation overnight.
Seizing that flash of inspiration, Gu Yuanqing took up his brush and paper and swiftly made revisions, occasionally leafing through his earlier notes.
Over two hours later, he entered the Spiritual Mountain Trial to test it again, then continued making improvements based on the results.
In the days that followed, Gu Yuanqing alternated between cultivation, recreation, and developing his cultivation method. No longer wholly immersed in his calculations as before, he simply followed his heart.
Yet rather than slowing, his progress in perfecting the Cultivation Technique accelerated.
A month passed. After revision upon revision, the original cultivation method had changed beyond recognition.
Emerging once more from the Trial Space, Gu Yuanqing looked at the Cultivation Technique in his hand and sighed softly.
Only today is it truly complete. Perhaps, with deeper insights in time, I can improve it further. But there is no need to wait any longer. The power within my Profound Martial Secret Treasure changes with each passing day. The longer I wait, the greater the danger when the Array Formation breaks apart and reforms.
And my cultivation advances daily. Even without making much deliberate effort, I have already approached the peak of the profound martial ninth layer. I am only a step away from becoming a Grandmaster.
For others, becoming a Grandmaster is a heavenly chasm. But my Sword Intent has already formed, and I have Mountain Gazing Enlightenment. Becoming a Grandmaster may require only an Opportunity. If I accidentally enter the Grandmaster Realm, my foundation will be fixed and difficult to alter again.
It was already late at night. Having made up his mind, Gu Yuanqing delayed no further.
He sat cross-legged in quiet meditation, nourishing his spirit through Mountain Observation. An hour later, he had brought every aspect of his condition to its best.
With a thought, he began changing the circulation routes of the true Qi within his body.
Unlike in the Spiritual Mountain Trial, redirecting the vital energy was not a single adjustment starting from the lower palace. Instead, the true Qi flowing from dozens of different acupoints changed course simultaneously.
He was using Object Control. This method could control not only external objects, but also his own true Qi.
At the same time, he applied Mountain Observation to his own body as well.
These were all new methods Gu Yuanqing had developed over the past month as his understanding of Mountain Observation and Object Control deepened. They were far more wondrous than ordinary internal inspection or guiding true Qi with his will!
As the true Qi changed course, the Secret Treasury shook. But he had experienced this countless times already. His heart remained as still as undisturbed water, and he devoted his entire attention to controlling the true Qi.
Before long, dozens of true Qi circulation routes joined together, forming a new, complete Cultivation Technique path.
The true Qi began to change, and the auras of his acupoints rapidly shifted as well. The original Profound Martial Grand Formation broke apart, but in that very instant, all three hundred and sixty-five acupoints shone with a dim light. Their auras drew upon one another again, and a new Profound Martial Grand Formation immediately took shape.
Everything proceeded swiftly and smoothly, as though tempered through a thousand hammerings and a hundred refinings. It took barely one-sixth of the time it had in the Spiritual Mountain Trial.
The new acupoint array formed chains that locked the Profound Martial Secret Treasure in place once more. At first, the Profound Martial Secret Treasure still trembled slightly, but after his true Qi completed a full Zhou through all three hundred and sixty-five acupoints, the Array Formation stabilized completely.
Gu Yuanqing let out a long breath of relief. Everything had gone far more smoothly than expected.
He did not stop there, but continued cultivating, repeatedly reinforcing the new Cultivation Technique path until it gradually became instinctive.
He remained seated for the entire night. When he finally ended his practice, the true Qi within his body was fifty percent more condensed than it had been the day before.
His dantian, which had been almost filled with true Qi, now felt empty.
Clearly, the new Heavenly Dao Zen Heart Art was far more effective than before.
Sensing the acupoint Grand Formation within him, as steady as Mount Tai, Gu Yuanqing smiled and activated his Cultivation Technique. Outside his body, the Green Mountain Phantom appeared vividly lifelike.
The changes to the acupoint Grand Formation seemed to have brought about a Transformation in the connection between the Profound Martial Secret Treasure and the outside world as well.
"My foundation is finally complete. All I need is some time to accumulate true Qi and wait for the Profound Martial Secret Treasure to undergo Transformation. Then the Grandmaster Realm will be within reach!"
At the same time, a secret letter flew into the Imperial Palace.
Eunuch Huang, whose duty was to receive secret correspondence, felt his heart sink upon seeing the mark on the message tube. Not daring to delay even a moment, he entered Fengtian Hall from the rear.
The morning court session was underway, and the Minister of Revenue below the dais was reporting on the drying up of the Qi River waters in South Goose Path. Eunuch Huang could not concern himself with that. Head lowered and back bent, he hurried along the side to Xu Lianying and offered the tube with both hands.
Xu Lianying was about to reprimand him, but his expression turned grave when he saw the mark on the tube. He stepped before Li Haotian, presented it with both hands, and said softly, "Your Majesty."
Li Haotian had already noticed the eunuch hurrying in and knew something might have happened. He accepted the tube, opened it, and took out the secret memorial inside. One glance sent his expression changing drastically.
Written starkly upon it were the words: Your subject Yan Yifeng bows and reports to Your Majesty... Grandmaster Zhou Yin was attacked at Water Stockade Peak in Hexi Province; his fate is unknown. The four Heavenly Catchers, Ma Weiwei, Jing Shanping, Liu Jiujiang, and Zhong Mengfei, have all perished. The culprit is suspected to be the Crimson Dragon Cult...
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