In this world, Xudu Heaven held far more than ten million varieties of true qi, great and small.
Once a Daoist had comprehended embryonic breathing and perfected his root of innate nature, he needed to find a Qi Cultivation Method to strengthen his innate embryonic-breathing qi, then transform it into true qi and establish his Dao Foundation.
Only thus.
Was this the grand and upright path, the orthodox lineage of the immortal schools.
And this "Primordial Beginning True Origin Scripture Expounded by the Divine House Pivot Splendor Dao Lord" was a Qi Cultivation Art. Not only that, it was an exceptionally profound one, most likely a method of the higher vehicle.
However...
"Perfect yourself in the sacred Dao, and the immortal Dao is not far away. Ingesting and refining the Three Yellows, burning and consuming the Eight Gates-these are fruitless side paths; merely holding the breath, entering meditation and sending forth the spirit cannot avert old age and death; drawing out and replenishing to extend life, taking in qi to nourish the blood cannot spare you the suffering of transmigration; as for harvesting through the sexual arts of the Three Peaks, or examining forms through Fixed Contemplation, these are truly heresies against our Dao, unworthy of discussion!"
"The many side paths of qi cultivation need not all be recounted. Only primordial beginning true origin possesses the subtle wonder of the Great Cavern, bringing harmony through the resonance of substance, formless and nameless. Without the scripture, the Dao cannot be understood. The Dao lies within the scripture, profound and lofty; without a teacher, its principles cannot be grasped-"
Throughout this scripture.
The teachings were delivered in the voice of someone called the Divine House Pivot Splendor Dao Lord, explaining how to draw innate nature from the void, then employ the method to refine all one's embryonic-breathing qi into primordial beginning true origin at the ninth level of qi refining.
"But drawing innate nature from the void is so difficult. Every step is a perilous pass, and one wrong step means death and the extinction of the Dao. These past few days, I've tried it so many times in the One True Dharma Realm, dying countless times, yet I still haven't even crossed the threshold."
Chen Heng shook his head.
The very premise of this Qi Cultivation Art was frighteningly lofty. He had no idea whom it had been intended for, who could ever cultivate it to completion, or where it ranked among the nine ranks and thirty-six grades of true qi.
"If someone at the embryonic breathing stage could avoid becoming lost in the void and draw out the root of innate nature to anchor it within the body, then their cultivation afterward would likely face no barriers of delusion all the way through purple mansion and cavern mystery... But how could the original owner's father possess a scripture like this? Just what was his background?"
Chen Heng rose and tucked the Ancient Book securely against his body.
The original owner's father had died young.
Before the original owner was old enough to remember anything, a visualization session had suddenly aggravated an old illness and injury. After struggling in bed for several days, his father had departed this world, leaving behind only the orphaned boy and his widowed mother.
"As for the original owner's clansmen, that's understandable. Mere mortal flesh, ignorant of the principles of the Dao-they grew frightened by the perilous twists and turns of this scripture and mistook it for the beguiling sorcery of an unorthodox path."
"But this Qi Cultivation Art clearly rests on an extraordinarily lofty premise. The primordial beginning true origin it ultimately produces has boundless marvelous uses, drawing upon primordial qi to serve every purpose and according with the supreme Dao to bring all things to completion. It could be called a divine teaching, a teaching of the true and upright, the natural way of the great void."
"How could someone capable of passing down such a scripture cough up blood and die from a single visualization? What did he visualize? And those few talismans he left behind-I still can't work out what they do. Truly bizarre!"
Chen Heng sighed, sat back down at the desk, and took out the Ancient Book again to study it.
But before he had turned more than a few pages, several knocks sounded outside.
"Come in."
Chen Heng put away the book and spoke.
"Brother Heng... Young master."
Wang Duanbao cautiously stepped over the threshold. Seeing Chen Heng seated upright at the desk, he was just about to call out.
But a glimpse of those indifferent eyes sent a chill through his heart, and he hastily corrected himself.
"Today is my father's... No, that filthy old bastard's wedding day. It's getting late. Should we set out for Blazing Mountain?"
Chen Heng took down the great bow and quiver hanging on the wall.
Outside the meditation room, Clan Chief Chen Kuang and the other members of the Chen Clan were already waiting. Xu Zhi had changed into a servant's clothes, with a short sword hanging at his waist.
"Senior brother, we still don't know the Mount Yang Daoist's true capabilities. I fear Wang Duanbao may not have told us everything. On this trip, we should first probe his capabilities before moving to kill him!"
Chen Heng turned to his uncle, Chen Zhan.
"The yellow-robed disciples who came from Blazing Mountain to Lanliang City are all dead. I heard the Mount Yang Daoist never has the patience to instruct his disciples, so I asked you to find a few sharp-witted household servants to impersonate them. Are they ready?"
"They're ready, they're ready. They were all born into our household. I hold leverage over every one of them and know their weaknesses. They would never dare divulge the secret."
Chen Zhan nodded, then quickly took the hint and pushed forward a lovely young girl in bridal clothes from behind him.
"Heng, this trip will be dangerous. Please look after Xi as best you can. Don't let her meet an untimely death."
The girl was already pretty, and her bridal clothes made her look as radiant as peach and plum blossoms, her beauty blazing.
Yet under everyone's gaze, her legs could not stop trembling. Had Chen Zhan not caught her in time, she would have crumpled to the ground.
"How can you accomplish anything like this? How am I supposed to use you?"
Chen Heng glanced at her.
That look frightened Chen Xi even more. Her eyes reddened, and tears were about to spill.
When a ruler failed to keep secrets, he lost his ministers; when a minister failed to keep secrets, he lost his life; when an undertaking was not kept secret, disaster followed.
Even setting aside the original owner's existing feud with the Mount Yang Daoist, now that he had lost his standing, the man might well come to beat a dog already fallen into the water.
And after operating on Blazing Mountain for so many years, the Mount Yang Daoist surely possessed considerable wealth-an undeniable temptation to someone as penniless as Chen Heng.
He had planned to hold back at first, disguise himself as a member of the wedding procession, and wait until the Mount Yang Daoist lowered his guard before joining forces with Xu Zhi to kill him with thunderous speed.
But seeing Chen Xi like this, he feared she would succumb to panic before they even entered Blazing Mountain.
If the Mount Yang Daoist then grew suspicious and pressed her with questions, Chen Heng's entire plan might fall apart.
"Blazing Mountain has abundant spiritual qi. I must secure this cultivation ground. It will greatly benefit my journey to the Earth Abyss. There can be no mistakes."
Chen Heng frowned. "Chen Xi need not go."
"This..." For a moment, Chen Zhan failed to react.
"Find a set of women's bridal clothes that fits me. I'll put them on and take her place."
"What?" Xu Zhi gaped beside him. "Junior brother, you..."
"What, can't I pass for a woman?"
Chen Heng waved a hand, his face expressionless, and said:
"Since ancient times, those who achieved great things have never been bound by trifles. Heroes of old could even endure the humiliation of crawling between another man's legs. What is dressing as a woman compared to that? To eliminate a lurking threat and seize the holdings on Blazing Mountain, what does this amount to?"
Half a day later.
Songs and pipes rang out, drums and music resounding together.
A long, jubilant procession climbed the mountain path, its bustle disturbing an old Daoist inside a cave abode.
"It's today? I nearly forgot!"
The Mount Yang Daoist calculated on his fingers, and overwhelming joy instantly surged through him.
Without even taking the time to soothe the disgruntled woman, he carelessly threw on a black robe, stepped onto a black cloud, and flew high into the sky. He activated his dharma sight and looked toward the foot of the mountain.
There, in the bridal sedan, he saw a girl in the bloom of her sixteenth year, a peerless beauty with skin like congealed cream and an exquisite face.
The Mount Yang Daoist grew even more delighted and began dancing about atop his cloud.
"A beauty! A beauty! Truly a beauty who could topple cities and kingdoms! Hahahahaha! The Chen Clan really does produce lovely women! Heaven has eyes-at last, it's this old Daoist's turn to hit the jackpot today!!"
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