Breakthrough and Travel

In the past six months, Shi Xuan had also secretly checked on Madam Fang and her two children. They were doing quite well. Xu Tianqi kept his promise. Following Shi Xuan's instructions that day, he hired an old monk to pretend to subdue the evil spirits there. Then, on behalf of the Xu Family, he donated money to convert the residence into a temple. The temple was dedicated to the Bodhisattva Pudu, whose earthly name was Fang Yu, and her attendant boy and girl, who were said to suppress evil spirits and bring blessings. Finally, the old monk held a grand ceremony to consecrate the temple. Privately, Xu Tianqi wrote down various legends about Bodhisattva Pudu into storybooks and plays, spreading them throughout the city. He was also tasked with collecting Daoist Magic related to the divine path.

Since it was a renovation, the temple was completed in just over four months. When Shi Xuan visited, he saw that Madam Fang and her children, having switched to using Incense and Fire Prayer Power to maintain their forms, had lost much of their eerie aura. Even when appearing before people at night, they wouldn't be immediately mistaken for ghosts. Furthermore, as they couldn't cultivate using Incense and Fire Prayer Power, for a couple of hours each day, their bodies would be enveloped in mist. If there were also golden light, auspicious clouds, and celestial music, their appearance would be very much like that of true immortals.

Madam Fang was extremely grateful to Shi Xuan, acting as if she owed him a great debt. However, Shi Xuan didn't take it to heart. It was just a small favor, a mere word from him. Most of the work was arranged by Xu Tianqi. Madam Fang and Xu Tianqi didn't see it that way. Without Shi Xuan's guidance on the mysteries of the divine path and the explanation of the importance of offerings, they wouldn't have figured out how to proceed, even if they racked their brains. Before this, they didn't even understand why people valued offerings so much, simply thinking it was a way to honor ancestors, and hadn't connected offerings with temple prayers.

Shi Xuan couldn't stop them from thinking this way. He couldn't exactly say he understood it all just by reading a few notes from Daoist seniors collected by Old Daoist Xu. This was just the most basic knowledge in Daoism, and it didn't even touch upon the specifics of how to cultivate the divine path. If he had to explain, he might even have to show them the notes, which would be too troublesome.

Of course, Shi Xuan didn't see Xu Tianqi. As expected, the guy was now staying indoors and diligently practicing martial arts. He only came once on the day of the temple's consecration, along with many elders from his family. All his words to Shi Xuan were relayed through Madam Fang. Mu Jin was also dragged by Xu Tianqi to practice martial arts every day, to the point of almost crying.

As for Meng Yuqiong and Xu Jinyi, they had left Xia'an Prefecture over two months ago and returned to Luojing. According to Xu Tianqi, these two girls, especially Xu Jinyi, had been secretly trying to find out Shi Xuan's whereabouts. However, originally, only a few elders of the Xu Family and the children sent to practice martial arts knew about Old Daoist Xu's existence. The elders were certainly able to keep secrets, and those children were either no longer in the family or had been privately warned by Xu Tianqi. Coupled with the inherent secrecy, they couldn't find out Shi Xuan's whereabouts before they left.

Shi Xuan was a little disappointed. He had originally hoped that Xu Jinyi would come looking for him after the commotion with the Xia Family subsided. It wasn't about lust; he just wanted to see if she had the talent for cultivation, patience, and perseverance. If she did, he could pass on Old Daoist Xu's lineage to her. Through the memory fragments of Du Bai, Shi Xuan knew that Old Daoist Xu had always hoped for someone in the family to inherit his Daoist lineage but had never found anyone, which led him to give up. Since Shi Xuan wasn't cultivating the "Returning to Truth Scripture" himself, he naturally hoped to find someone to pass on this lineage, and it would be even better if it were someone from the Xu Family.

Since she didn't come, Shi Xuan didn't force it. It could only mean she lacked the opportunity. It wouldn't be too late to pass it on later if he met someone with talent, patience, and perseverance.

Over the past six months, real estate agents had brought people to see the courtyard numerous times. However, Shi Xuan was not short of money and didn't want to spend time finding a new place to live, so he kept delaying, planning to sell it before he left.

At Hai Shi (9-11 PM), late at night, Shi Xuan sat cross-legged on the Meditation Cushion with his palms facing the sky. He circulated his Internal Energy according to the route described in the "Jade Pivot Twelve Rivers, Eight Lakes, Seventy-Two Great Rivers Qi Circulation Secret Record." The Internal Energy gradually condensed as it passed through the twelve regular meridians, the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, and seventy-one minor meridians. Under Shi Xuan's will, it began to impact the final node of a meridian. Although the Internal Energy surged like a tide, that node stood firm like a solid dam. He attempted to break through three times but failed.

Shi Xuan hadn't expected this last meridian to be so difficult to open. After opening the seventy-first meridian, he had anticipated achieving the Major Heavenly Cycle within half a month. However, a month and a half had passed, and he still couldn't open this final meridian. Fortunately, Shi Xuan's "True Method of Clear Wind and Bright Moon Illuminating the Spirit" was still progressing significantly. Although he hadn't yet touched the threshold of the Peak Soul Strengthening Stage, his soul strength had greatly increased, and his ability to control his emotions had also improved considerably. Therefore, Shi Xuan was not enveloped by disappointment or impatience.

Shi Xuan stopped circulating his Qi, calmed the emotions that had just arisen, and then cleared his mind to enter meditation. He planned to complete his daily Visualization practice before practicing Qi Refining.

The bright moon shone down, and a clear wind brushed against him. Shi Xuan felt his soul becoming stronger and more ethereal with each nourishment and purification. He felt that his spiritual consciousness could control every corner of his soul, and everything was within his grasp.

Shi Xuan suddenly became alert, his thoughts soaring. He looked down at his soul from a bird's-eye view. He hadn't expected that a slight impatience in his heart would nearly lead him to qi deviation. In Visualization, any feeling of being able to control every corner, or similar sensations, was a precursor to qi deviation.

Fortunately, the "True Method of Clear Wind and Bright Moon Illuminating the Spirit" included a method to recognize the true spirit and retract thoughts. Shi Xuan had always practiced it in conjunction with Visualization, which allowed him to become alert and pull back his thoughts at the critical moment. After waiting for a moment to calm his mind, Shi Xuan resumed his Visualization.

After the Visualization, Shi Xuan found that after this near qi deviation, his soul became even more transparent, with a faint light emanating from it. He, who hadn't even considered the Peak Soul Strengthening Stage before, now seemed to have found a threshold, no longer feeling completely lost.

After emerging from meditation, Shi Xuan didn't immediately circulate his Internal Energy. Instead, he got up and performed a set of the compact Silken Thread Fist, a martial art recorded by Old Daoist Xu, in the small room. His fist movements were restrained, and his footwork was nimble. After completing the set, Shi Xuan was slightly sweating, but his mind was exceptionally calm.

Seeing that his body and mind were in the best state after the set of movements, Shi Xuan sat cross-legged again, closed his eyes to regulate his breathing, and began to circulate his Internal Energy once more. During this circulation, he suppressed the thought of opening the meridian, as if he had forgotten about it, and simply focused on controlling the flow of Internal Energy.

Shi Xuan felt that the twelve regular meridians were like twelve great rivers, with the seventy-two great rivers constantly flowing into them. The eight great lakes regulated the great rivers and the regular meridians. When the rivers had too much water, it flowed into the lakes, and when the rivers had too little, water flowed from the lakes. When the rivers had too much water, it flowed into the lakes, and when the great rivers had too little, water flowed from the lakes. With each breath, his body felt like a complete whole, with only one conspicuous flaw remaining.

Naturally, Internal Energy accumulated and surged towards the final meridian. Shi Xuan's soul, which had become much stronger, could now more easily control this Internal Energy, making it finer and faster as it rushed towards the node. Shi Xuan seemed to hear a "boom" sound within his body. The accumulated Internal Energy had broken through the node, expanding and nourishing that meridian. Shi Xuan endured the tingling sensation, allowing the Internal Energy to pass through the meridian and finally rush back into the great river. The true Qi flowed within his body, ceaselessly, like an extension of his arm, effortless and free.

He controlled the Internal Energy to calm down but did not interrupt its natural circulation. This was one of the signs of the Major Heavenly Cycle. With Internal Energy circulating on its own, one would be immune to cold and heat, could naturally defend against enemies, and generally wouldn't need to deliberately mobilize Internal Energy when attacking; every movement would be natural and unforced.

Shi Xuan opened his eyes and felt that the dim, flickering candlelight before him was warm and stable. He seemed to be able to hear the distant sounds of the wind blowing through leaves, across the water, and through the clouds. He could see small vortices swirling in the air, dust motes dancing, and sense the movements in various parts of the small courtyard.

He had finally achieved the Major Heavenly Cycle, and it was finally time to leave this place.

Although it was time to leave, Shi Xuan still had many things and items to deal with, so he couldn't leave immediately.

Over the next few months, Shi Xuan was busy dealing with the miscellaneous items in the courtyard and consolidating his cultivation. Since he only needed to take two sets of clothes (including the one he was wearing), silver, the Returning to Truth Scripture, talismans, a mirror, a few ritual items for ceremonies, and a few Daoist notebooks, there were many other miscellaneous items to handle. For example, Shi Xuan took Old Daoist Xu's clothes and personal belongings to his grave and burned them, offering a sacrifice as a farewell.

The materials for talismans had all been converted into talismans during this period. Besides the sixteen talismans left by Old Daoist Xu, Shi Xuan had drawn about thirty more himself. Adding the remaining talismans drawn by Du Bai previously, he had a total of sixty-five. However, the talismans were not kept in a bag but were categorized and placed in the hidden pockets of his Daoist Robe sleeves, at his waist, and in his chest, for easy access.

The utensils used for brewing medicinal soup and holding medicinal baths were all destroyed by Shi Xuan and then buried in the outskirts using a soil-gathering spell. In short, all Daoism-related items were handled this way. As for excess clothing and the like, Shi Xuan casually gave them to beggars on the street.

Additionally, when the real estate agent brought people to see the courtyard again three months later, Shi Xuan no longer haggled and sold it for the buyer's offer of two hundred and seventy taels of silver. After the Yamen processed the property deed and taxes, and including the real estate agent's commission, Shi Xuan finally received two hundred and twenty-nine taels. This brought his total to two hundred and thirty-five taels of silver and some copper coins.

Thus, on a day in March, Shi Xuan, with his bundle on his back, walked out of the city gates of Xia'an Prefecture amidst the bustling crowd, leaving the place he had stayed for over a year and embarking on his journey to seek immortality and the Dao.