Inner Landscape

"You've done very well. Since you've finished feeding on qi and can create this Palace of Light, your thought power has also reached the proper maturity. The next step is qi circulation."

"Please instruct me, Teacher."

Wen Sukong smiled and nodded, then said to Yunqi, "Now, gather your thoughts. Whatever you see next, do not let them scatter."

Yunqi assented.

Master Su Kong stood on a lone island in the dark world. She looked around and told Yunqi, "This world does not truly look like this. Next, you will see the true miniature cosmos within the human body."

Daoistess Sukong formed a hand seal. Light instantly blazed forth from it, so dazzling that Yunqi had to close his eyes.

The Palace of Light before them truly lived up to its name.

After taking a moment to adjust, Yunqi slowly opened his eyes.

The sight before him almost made him forget to breathe.

Violet radiance suffused the place where they stood. It was no longer pitch-black.

Farther away, a myriad of colors shimmered like a river of stars across the heavens.

Numerous smaller clusters of light surrounded the violet cluster containing the Palace of Light. Below it, a blue-green cluster lay on either side, while two hazy gray clusters lay below and toward the front. Beneath the gray clusters, silver light intertwined. Still farther down stood a huge, elongated yellow cluster, like a towering building.

Yunqi walked to the edge of the floating island he had created and leaned out to look farther down. Beyond the yellow cluster lay an even vaster space, where five enormous clusters of light-red, blue-green, yellow, white, and black-filled almost his entire field of vision.

Outside those five clusters were countless tiny clusters and countless pathways of light linking them together.

As Yunqi studied the arrangement of the clusters and the courses of the light pathways, understanding gradually dawned on him.

"This is my physical body?"

The red, blue-green, yellow, white, and black clusters clearly corresponded to the positions of his five organs. The two blue-green clusters, two gray clusters, and silver cluster surrounding the Palace of Light matched the positions of his ears, eyes, and nose exactly.

The smaller clusters and light pathways linked together to form the shape of his torso and limbs.

Daoistess Sukong nodded. "These clusters are your celestial circuit great apertures, and the pathways of light are your meridians."

She pointed to the clusters below and explained them one by one. "Those are the ear apertures, nose aperture, and throat aperture, also called the wind abode, thunder abode, and cloud abode. In internal alchemy, these three apertures are considered to correspond to celestial phenomena.

"Those are the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys, also called the heart mansion, wood palace, earth palace, metal palace, and water palace. These five apertures correspond to the five elements of heaven and earth.

"Those are the eye apertures, or the yin-yang great hall, echoing the yin and yang of heaven and earth.

"As for where we stand now, this is your spirit aperture, called the purple tower. It is the realm of thought and the source of thought power.

"But since you have not yet opened any apertures, they appear only as chaotic clusters of light. Once you open them, you will see an entirely different landscape.

"I just used the Illumination Mantra to light up the miniature cosmos of your inner landscape. Later, I will teach you the mantra, so you can use it to look within yourself."

Yunqi thanked her.

Daoistess Sukong flicked a finger, sending out a speck of golden light. It manifested into a diagram before them, covered in dots and lines connecting them.

"Can you make it out?"

Daoistess Sukong asked.

Looking at the image, Yunqi said, "The dots seem to be apertures, and the lines meridians. Is this a route for circulating qi?"

Sukong nodded approvingly. "This is the Celestial Circuit Qi Circulation Diagram. Since it resembles a star chart, it is also called the Wandering Star Diagram. You must never pass your circulation diagram to outsiders. If someone else obtained it and pierced a vital aperture along your circulation route during a magical battle, at best your magical power would leak away; at worst, you would suffer cultivation deviation."

Yunqi nodded and committed it to memory.

"Now, feed on qi using the Five-Character Mantra."

Yunqi understood. Dividing his attention between two tasks should not be difficult for him. Sure enough, he succeeded on his first attempt. Part of his awareness remained in the inner landscape, while the other part controlled his physical body. His body still had its eyes closed. He was about to stand when Teacher Sukong reminded him with a smile from within the inner landscape,

"There is no need to stand. Simply imagine the movements within your inner landscape and keep your breathing synchronized."

Yunqi did not understand why, but he did as instructed.

Within the inner landscape, Yunqi spread his feet, drew in his chest, stretched his back, and slightly bent his knees-the stance for the Ha mantra.

As he imagined exhaling, he silently recited Ha. His physical body exhaled at the same time, then began to inhale.

Huh!

Yunqi was startled. His physical body had actually drawn in fire qi!

"The inner landscape and outer body have always been one. Do not think of them as two worlds," Daoistess Sukong said with a smile. "Look, the qi is here."

Within the inner landscape, Yunqi looked in the direction Teacher Sukong indicated. Sure enough, a streak of fiery-red qi appeared out of thin air and rushed into the throat aperture, the cloud abode.

"The spiritual qi you consume through breathing always enters the throat aperture, whether it comes through your mouth or nose. The throat aperture is the cloud abode, also called the twelve-storied tower. It takes in spiritual qi from outside and receives saliva from within. Spiritual qi must pass through it to enter the body. Later, when your magical power reaches a bottleneck, you will have to open the cloud abode and clear the twelve-storied tower to increase it further."

Yunqi nodded. Watching the fire qi gradually dissipate inside the cloud abode, he said, "That's exactly how it is. Before, the spiritual qi I consumed entered my five organs first, then merged into my flesh and blood. Now, after I consume it, it only gradually disperses."

Sukong smiled. "If your organs and physical body had not already been nourished to readiness, this qi would be absorbed the moment it entered your throat aperture. How could you circulate it then? Come with me!"

Sukong caught Yunqi by the arm and suddenly flew down from the floating island, bringing him to the twelve-storied tower.

Only up close did Yunqi realize how enormous the throat aperture was. The yellow cluster before him was far more than a hundred zhang across!

"Do you know how to thread a needle?"

Master Su Kong asked.

Yunqi did not understand what she meant.

"Now, you are the needle, and the spiritual qi is the thread. You must catch hold of it and make it move with your thoughts. When your thoughts move, the qi moves. Wherever your thoughts reach, the qi reaches.

"Now, guide the qi with your thoughts and follow me."

With that, Daoistess Sukong took the lead, flying away from the twelve-storied tower.

Yunqi connected his thoughts to the spiritual qi. Having built a Palace of Light from nothing within his mind, he was no longer unfamiliar with using thought power. Like a fisherman netting fish, a woodcutter binding firewood, a raftsman floating timber downriver, or the cultivators catching clouds on Yin-Gathering Mountain, Yunqi wrapped his thought power around the spiritual qi and dragged it along.

Just then, Daoistess Sukong's voice came from ahead again. "Do not stop feeding on qi!"

Yunqi understood and split his attention once more, feeding on qi with the Ha mantra at the same time.

Rolling fire qi poured down from the top of the twelve-storied tower like a plunging waterfall. With him drawing it forward and more pouring in from behind, dragging the spiritual qi became much easier. He followed closely behind Daoistess Sukong.

Leading the way, Sukong instructed him:

"First, knock at the heart mansion's door, then turn toward the crimson palace to pay homage. Next, travel against the course of the conception vessel, going first to the navel center and then downward. Pass the yellow court without entering, then turn onto the governing vessel. Follow the qi through the perineum, tailbone gate, life gate, great vertebra, and jade pillow, ascending to the hundred meeting point. Then sweep past the purple tower and return it to the twelve-storied tower. After passing through the tower, bring it back to the heart mansion."

Thus, Sukong led while Yunqi followed, dragging the spiritual qi behind him. They descended and returned upward, traveling against the conception vessel and along the governing vessel, passing through the twelve-storied tower twice before finally stopping before the heart mansion's door.

"This is called circulating qi through the celestial circuit. What remains behind you is magical power, formed after the spiritual qi has been refined and imbued with your own essence and blood."

Hovering at the heart mansion's entrance, Sukong explained this to Yunqi.

Yunqi looked back. The mighty torrent of fire qi that had first appeared in the twelve-storied tower was gone. All that remained was a ribbon of red mist, like a gauzy scarf.

Yunqi touched the red mist. It seemed like water, yet was not water; like qi, yet was not qi. It felt pleasantly warm.

When he released it, the red mist detached itself and began circling the heart mansion.

"Your heart mansion has not yet been opened, so it cannot contain magical power. This magical power will dissipate completely within seven times seven-forty-nine-days."

Seeing this, Daoistess Sukong offered an explanation, then continued:

"This celestial circuit route is called the 'Fire Element single-phase lesser celestial circuit.' Besides the Fire Element, there are the four other elements: wood, water, metal, and earth. Beyond the five elements are the two phases of wind and thunder. Beyond single-phase celestial circuits are two-phase circuits such as heart-kidney convergence, wind-thunder interweaving, and wind-fire co-travel. Beyond two phases comes five-element rotation.

"But all of these are collectively called lesser celestial circuits. Beyond the lesser celestial circuit lies the middle celestial circuit. To circulate that, you must also guide yin and yang gang and baleful intent, and open the yellow court. Beyond the middle celestial circuit lies the greater celestial circuit. To circulate that, you must set your primordial spirit in motion, passing back and forth through the crimson palace, yellow court, and purple tower. In a single circuit, the spiritual qi you breathe in and out is measured in rivers."

Yunqi could hardly imagine what the inner landscape would look like when circulating the greater celestial circuit.

"Furthermore, once you cultivate an inner landscape deity, it will naturally handle the circulation of spiritual qi for you. Then your magical power will accumulate even faster and become even more abundant."

Hearing this, Yunqi yearned for it all the more.

"Now, I will give you the Celestial Circuit Hundred-Aperture Inner Landscape Scripture and the True-Form Diagram of Yang Fire and Yin Tally. The former analyzes the innate properties and acquired functions of the body's apertures. The latter is a qi circulation diagram centered on the heart, kidneys, and five organs. You may cultivate them yourself.

"In addition, I will teach you the Guangcheng Edict of Emptiness Wish-Following Mantra. It contains seven times seven-forty-nine-characters, each character a mantra. Study it carefully. These are magical mantras that point directly to the source. Their power depends on the caster's understanding of the characters and the depth of their magical power. If you contemplate them earnestly, you will naturally be able to use these characters to illuminate your inner landscape.

"Very well. Today I have taught you inner sight, qi circulation, the principles of the inner landscape, and the principles of celestial circuits. Reflect on them carefully when you return. You may also learn other methods of feeding on qi and other magical mantras, and begin cultivating arts such as treasure refinement and pill refinement. When you feel the time is right, report to the External Affairs Court and leave the mountain to gain experience. Opening your palaces as soon as possible is what matters most."

With that, Daoistess Sukong suddenly vanished from Yunqi's inner landscape. His awareness left it as well and returned to his physical body. Opening his eyes, he found that his teacher was no longer in the bamboo pavilion, but three jade slips had appeared inside his robes.

"Press a jade slip against the center of your brow and send your thoughts inside to read its contents. The key to the jade slips is the route of the 'fire-aspect single-phase lesser celestial circuit' from just now. Remember, these teachings must not be passed to outsiders."

Teacher Sukong's voice sounded through the bamboo grove.

Yunqi rose and bowed. "Your disciple will remember. Thank you, Teacher."

Yunqi put away the three jade slips and returned to his dwelling.

He was filled with emotion. After more than two hundred days of cultivation, he had finally cultivated magical power. He could hardly wait to try it.

First, he picked up the jade slip engraved with the seven characters for "Guangcheng Edict of Emptiness Wish-Following Mantra." These characters were also in cloud clerical script, but fortunately, after visiting the Square Pond Library every day for more than two hundred days, the young Daoist had learned seventy or eighty percent of the script.

Following Teacher Sukong's instructions, he pressed the jade slip against his brow and closed his eyes. This time, however, without Daoistess Sukong's Illumination Mantra, his thoughts sank into the dark world once more.

He paid it no mind and simply sensed his surroundings carefully. Sure enough, somewhere within the dark world, he detected a faint light.

He gathered his awareness, concentrated his thoughts, and plunged into that light.

It was bright here, utterly unlike the dark emptiness from before. Amid a white haze floated many points of light, some large, some small, and all of different colors.

After looking for a while, Yunqi realized that this was a diagram of the human body's celestial circuit apertures.

Using thought power, he moved the points of light in sequence: cloud abode, heart mansion, crimson palace, navel center, yellow court, perineum, tailbone gate, life gate, great vertebra, jade pillow, hundred meeting point, purple tower, cloud abode, and heart mansion. When the final point shifted into place, the white haze dispersed.

After the haze dispersed, golden characters appeared in the boundless white void. Arranged in seven rows and seven columns, forty-nine large characters filled the entire space, all in cloud clerical script.

Yunqi swept his gaze over them and recognized characters including Still, Manifest, Swift, Seal, Forbid, Split, Grow, Drown, Burn, Suppress, Attach, Transform, Trap, Respond, Disperse, and Conceal.

He wanted to try one. After a little consideration, he chose Burn, since the only magical power currently within his body was Fire Element magical power, giving him a better chance of success.

He touched Burn with his thoughts. Instantly, his awareness was drawn into a world of flames. Below lay volcanoes and seas of molten lava; above hung red clouds and rain of fire. It was a vision of purgatory.

As soon as Yunqi's thoughts entered, the fiery clouds overhead churned and took shape, forming a hand seal. It was a left hand, its index finger pointing straight at him while the other four fingers curled into the palm.

"Burn!"

A syllable rang out through purgatory, and the entire realm began to surge. Hearing it, Yunqi felt as though his thoughts were about to be burned into nothingness.

He hurriedly broke free, retreating from the purgatory world into the jade slip's world, then back into the dark inner landscape, and finally to the outside world.

Yunqi's eyes flew open. The jade slip fell from his hand, and sweat covered his forehead.

He picked up the jade slip, panting heavily. Remembering that fiery purgatory and the sensation of his thoughts being scorched, he still felt lingering terror.

Had he not spent nine months building his palace and consolidating his thoughts, that single encounter would likely have made him lose consciousness.

It took him quite a while to recover. Only then did he calm down, recalling the hand seal and syllable over and over.

He stood and searched around. Finding nothing suitable, he left his dwelling, went to the pill furnace opposite, and pulled a piece of wood from its firebox.

He placed the wood in the center of the courtyard and stood ten paces away, not daring to go too far. Planting his feet firmly, he slowly raised his left hand with its fingertips pointing skyward, then curled back the other four fingers, leaving only his index finger extended.

Yunqi stared straight at the wooden log while his thoughts stirred the sole strand of magical power circling his heart mansion.

He lowered his hand, pointing his index finger straight at the log. His thoughts guided the magical power to his fingertip, then out through it and onto the log. At the same time, Yunqi uttered that syllable:

"Burn!"

The instant his voice fell, the log erupted into a roaring blaze. Dancing firelight reflected in Yunqi's eyes, staining his pupils red.

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