The Place of Absolute Yin

Chen Heng straightened his robes, walked over, and opened the door.

Outside, a Daoist with a zither on his back let out a long sigh of relief when Chen Heng finally appeared. The anxiety on his face eased a little.

"I heard that as soon as you left the water prison, you accepted a talisman decree to enter the Earth Abyss. Is that true?"

"It is."

"Why would you-"

The zither-bearing Daoist, who called himself Xu Zhi, grew agitated. Seeing the red cord exposed on Chen Heng's wrist, he instinctively reached to pull it off. But halfway there, he remembered Chen Heng's usual cold, gloomy, and solitary disposition.

His hand abruptly froze, unable to advance or retreat.

"Well, I..."

"Thank you for coming all this way to advise me, senior brother. If you don't mind the humble surroundings, please come in and sit."

Chen Heng smiled faintly and cupped his hands in greeting, his expression perfectly composed.

"Oh, yes. Of course..."

Xu Zhi seemed even more startled now than before. He stole a cautious glance at Chen Heng, then gave himself a disbelieving pinch, wondering whether he was still dreaming.

Only when Chen Heng's expression remained mild did Xu Zhi tuck in his neck and tiptoe inside after him.

The two took their seats as host and guest. After Chen Heng took the initiative to strike up a conversation, Xu Zhi finally stopped looking as though he had seen a ghost in broad daylight, and a smile emerged on his face.

"To think a brush with death would change you so much, junior brother. Wonderful! This is truly cause for celebration! I've wanted to tell you for a long time that letting gloom pile up in your heart does more than harm your health-it impedes your cultivation too."

Xu Zhi raised the teacup on the table. "Seeing you like this puts my mind at ease."

Chen Heng glanced at him.

The Daoist named Xu Zhi had ink-dark brows and star-bright eyes, with handsome features and a graceful bearing. It was difficult to dislike him. Unfortunately, a trace of hesitation always lingered between his brows, lending his whole demeanor an unwarranted timidity.

Chen Heng thought for a moment before finding the connection between Xu Zhi and his former self in his memories.

Xu Zhi had once stood out even among the many disciples of the Mysterious Truth Sect. He was proficient in alchemy and the arts of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi, and the pharmacopoeia he compiled had once swept through the kingdoms below the mountain. His swordsmanship was also exquisite, almost at the very pinnacle of mortal martial skill.

For that very reason.

Daoist Gu Jun, one of the sect's three great elders, had taken him as a Personal Disciple and instructed him in the scriptures. For a time, his prospects had seemed boundless.

But the good times did not last. During a demon-slaying expedition, something went wrong, leaving the meridians in his right hand crippled and unable to wield a sword again.

Daoist Gu Jun had also flown into a seemingly inexplicable rage, expelled him from his tutelage, and smashed the alchemical furnace he had personally given him, humiliating him mercilessly.

By then, Yan Zhen had already brought Chen Heng's former self to the Mysterious Truth Sect.

Some loose-tongued Daoists hoping to curry favor with him had turned Xu Zhi's misfortune into a joke for his amusement.

Chen Heng had thus learned that Xu Zhi had lost his nerve during the demon-slaying expedition and refused to advance. Several disciples of the Mysterious Truth Sect had died as a result, and his master Gu Jun's only son had also fallen to the great demon.

After that incident, Xu Zhi's state of mind had lost its balance. Not only did he make no further progress in Qi Refining, but he also neglected his alchemy.

Many Daoists who had long envied him came to throw stones down the well, as though beating a dog already drowning.

Out of an inexplicable sympathy for a fellow sufferer, Chen Heng's former self had made Xu Zhi one of the musicians after the Hall of Joyful Virtue was built.

That gesture had made the Daoists mocking Xu Zhi wary, and in the end they could only scatter like birds and beasts.

His former self had thought little of the matter and could barely even remember what Xu Zhi looked like. Yet now, in these circumstances, he had unexpectedly become the first person to visit him.

This Senior Brother Xu is someone worth befriending.

So Chen Heng thought.

"But forgive me for speaking out of turn, junior brother. This matter of the Earth Abyss-"

Xu Zhi set down his teacup and was about to offer advice, only for Chen Heng to interrupt him with a shake of his head.

"I must go to the Earth Abyss. Please say no more, senior brother."

"You've read the Daoist texts too. Don't you know that the Earth Abyss leads down into the netherworld's Yellow Springs, into the deepest darkness, where countless demons, ghosts, and evil entities are imprisoned?

"In ancient times, even that corpse-liberated immortal who came from beyond the heavens perished in the Earth Abyss. Blood rained over Eastern Maitreya Province for five full days!"

Xu Zhi spoke in agitation:

"The sect issues talisman decrees sending disciples into the Earth Abyss to gather yin horse and human-faced ganoderma. The rewards may be generous, but you pay for them with your life! If you die there, you won't even be able to reincarnate. You'll suffer torment there for all eternity. Wouldn't that be playing right into Elder Yan and Yan Ping's hands?"

The Earth Abyss was a passage beneath Eastern Maitreya Province that connected to the netherworld's Yellow Springs.

Nor was it unique to Eastern Maitreya Province. Earth Abysses existed in each of the other eight provinces as well.

Though it was a burial ground, a realm of horrors, a Place of Absolute Yin of almost unparalleled ferocity, it also nurtured many resources for cultivation.

Yin horse and human-faced ganoderma were among them.

The former could serve as a potent medicinal ingredient in forging the Dragon-Tiger Furnace of the first stage of cavern mystery.

The latter, when ground into incense, could temporarily dispel the delusions with which heavenly demons disrupted the Dao, keeping the spiritual seat clear.

These were merely the external medicines found in the shallow reaches of the Earth Abyss. There was no need to elaborate on what might grow in its deeper, more obscure darkness.

While Chen Heng was still confined in the water prison, a Daoist from the Discipline Office had mentioned this matter, seemingly in passing.

Though he had known full well there was a trap, he had quietly taken note of it. As soon as his confinement ended, he had gone to the Service Office to collect a talisman decree.

He was going to the Earth Abyss.

Not merely for the rewards, but, more importantly, to stay alive-

"Xu Sai's cold dipper true qi is incomparably fierce. If I can't find a potent yang medicine to stabilize my body, I'll die within half a month."

Chen Heng looked at Xu Zhi and said calmly:

"But I have no money or possessions with which to buy such medicine. While Yan Zhen was alive, I never took so much as a fraction of her belongings. After she died, as you've seen, the sect confiscated the Hall of Joyful Virtue. Its chief musician-me-and all its musicians, yourselves included, became ordinary Daoists."

"But anyone who accepts a talisman decree to enter the Earth Abyss receives two bottles of Small White Sun Pills and eight hundred talisman coins before departing. Leaving the money aside, those two bottles will let me suppress the cold dipper true qi in my body for at least six months. Senior Brother Xu, if I want to live, this is my only choice."

In truth.

There was another reason Chen Heng had not voiced.

The Earth Abyss talisman decrees were issued by the leader of the Mysterious Truth Sect, and gathering yin horse and human-faced ganoderma was his wish.

Before this accomplished Senior Adept, who stood only a step away from golden core, even someone as unruly as Yan Feichen could only bow his head and obey.

Accepting the Earth Abyss talisman decree meant that, at least openly, Yan Feichen could not act against him before he entered the abyss.

Otherwise, he would be slighting this Refinement Master's dignity and deliberately courting his displeasure.

For that reason, even though Chen Heng knew the Discipline Office Daoist in the water prison had spoken for his benefit deliberately, he had no choice but to take this course.

"But... but..."

Xu Zhi opened his mouth as though to say something, then sank dejectedly back into his seat. At last, he closed his eyes and exhaled.

"You did me a kindness, junior brother. Am I supposed to just watch you go to your death?" he asked.

"It's all right. Once I enter the Earth Abyss, I'll quietly find a secluded spot to refine the Small White Sun Pills. I won't compete for those external medicines."

Chen Heng lowered his gaze and smiled. "I'm not that corpse-liberated immortal from the ancient texts, determined to seek death in the deepest reaches of the netherworld's Yellow Springs."

Seeing that Chen Heng had made up his mind.

Xu Zhi paused, then sighed and took two books from inside his robes.

"One is a manual of swordsmanship, the other a medical text. I own nothing of value beyond these two things," Xu Zhi explained. "The swordsmanship has been passed down through my Xu family. Though it's a mortal art, it has its merits. As for the medical text..."

At this point, Xu Zhi looked embarrassed. "It contains a few of my own insights. Take it to pass the time."

Only after Chen Heng cupped his hands in thanks and accepted them did Xu Zhi relax. A little later, as he was about to take his leave, a thought suddenly struck Chen Heng.

"Senior brother, please stay a moment. There's something else I'd like to ask."

Chen Heng called him back. "Senior brother, how did you attain embryonic breathing? Apart from sudden enlightenment in the method, when inspiration arrives of its own accord, are there other ways? I read a line in a Daoist text: 'Through dread of death and life, the spirit finds its own illumination.' Does that mean it's easier to perceive the Embryonic Breathing Qi Sensation between life and death?"

"Yes... there is indeed such a saying. But that method is too drastic and dangerous."

Xu Zhi, who had already turned away, stopped at these words. After a moment's thought, he said:

"Burning fire, blows from stones, thunderstrikes, drowning, and so forth can all be considered methods of attaining embryonic breathing through life and death. You must understand that embryonic breathing is the spark of true yang within the human body. The more recently a child has been born, the better they can preserve that perception of qi.

"Attaining embryonic breathing through life and death simply means shocking and terrifying the spirit, forcibly driving yourself into that obscure, primordial state of an infant in its mother's womb, so that you can more easily grasp that perception of qi."

Here Xu Zhi added another warning. "This is far too dangerous, junior brother. Just listen and leave it at that. Whatever you do, don't test it on yourself."

"I understand."

Chen Heng nodded in agreement, his left hand gently rubbing the Golden Cicada as certainty settled in his heart.

Just as I thought. It seems my guess was right.

Only a few steps away, Xu Zhi seemed utterly unable to see the Golden Cicada.

Chen Heng had already tested this on others.

Apart from himself, there seemed to be no second person in this world who could see or touch this jade carving.

Otherwise, he could never have kept the Golden Cicada when the Discipline Office Daoists extorted bribes from him.

"There are still a few things in the Daoist texts that puzzle me. Would you be willing to explain them, senior brother?"

Putting those thoughts aside, Chen Heng bowed deeply to the floor, saluting Xu Zhi with utmost solemnity.

His former self had not cared for the Dao.

Though he had read some Daoist texts during his years as a caged canary, he had never sought a thorough understanding. Of their essential teachings, he knew absolutely nothing.

Xu Zhi, however, was different.

He had once been a gifted disciple of the Mysterious Truth Sect, accomplished in both swordsmanship and medicine, and had studied for a time under Daoist Gu Jun, one of its three great elders.

The stages of immortal cultivation in this world were clearly defined: embryonic breathing, qi refining, foundation establishment, purple mansion, cavern mystery, golden core...

As for the stages beyond golden core, there was no need to speak of them.

After embryonic breathing, qi refining comprised nine stages, also known as the nine returns of qi refining.

Beyond the nine returns, foundation establishment, purple mansion, and cavern mystery each comprised three stages, leading all the way to golden core.

Though Xu Zhi had later given up on himself and neglected qi refining, he was still a Daoist who had attained embryonic breathing and reached the sixth stage of qi refining.

Xu Zhi might not be able to answer certain abstruse questions about the Dao.

But with Chen Heng's current knowledge, he could not have formulated such questions anyway.

For resolving his doubts, there was no one better suited to Chen Heng than Xu Zhi at present.

"Of... of course."

Xu Zhi was startled again. He had never seen Chen Heng show such devotion to the Dao. Today had already brought more than enough surprises.

"What would you like to ask, junior brother?"

Looking at the young man, whose handsome bearing resembled that of a celestial deity, he chose his words carefully:

"I'm only at the sixth stage of qi refining, after all. Please don't hold it against me if there are things I don't understand."

"How could I? I'd like to ask you, senior brother: wild birds joining their horns signifies the 'common root' omen of an enemy invasion in divination, but how should it be interpreted in the context of the body's meridians?" Delighted, Chen Heng hastened to ask.

Xu Zhi frowned in thought for a long while before slowly beginning to speak.

Only when the moon stood high overhead.

Did Chen Heng see Xu Zhi out of his cave dwelling. This session of questions had yielded a great deal. Apart from the doubts he had accumulated in the water prison, he had also casually asked about the Mysterious Truth Sect's qi-refining methods.

Only to learn.

Methods for refining high-grade true qi were rare throughout the vast expanse of Eastern Maitreya Province, held only by the great sects and schools.

Forget seeing them-even hearing of them was a rare occurrence.

Still, human effort can shape what happens. Who can know what the future holds?

Closing the door of his dwelling, Chen Heng let out a long breath. He felt as though all the mist before his eyes had dispersed, leaving the heavens wide and the earth boundless. He could not help clapping his hands and laughing aloud:

"Through dread of death and life, the spirit finds its own illumination... I understand! So that's how it is! That's how it is! With the Golden Cicada in hand, from this moment on, the embryonic breathing realm holds no obstacles for me!"

He lit the candles, sat down at the table again, and wrote out the thoughts in his mind one by one.

Two days later.

A clear, resonant peal rang throughout Little Sweet Mountain. Every Daoist of the Mysterious Truth Sect was stirred by the sound of jade chimes and golden bells and emerged from their cave dwellings.

"After such a long wait, it's finally here."

Grasping the red cord on his wrist, which had suddenly begun to grow hot with the ringing of the bell, Chen Heng smiled freely, lifted the hem of his robe, and stepped outside as well.

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