After waiting for several days, the person who had been spying on him that night did not come. It seemed that his presence had made him hesitant.
Before dawn, the town was still immersed in its final slumber.
Li Qingshan then led Xiao Tingting to a secluded valley outside the town that faced east and had a wide, open terrain.
The valley was quiet, save for the soft sound of morning dew dripping onto the grass and the occasional chirping of insects in the distance.
The air is filled with the fresh scent of grass and trees and the fragrance of earth, and there is also a faint, Innate Essence flowing through it.
" Tingting, the path of cultivation begins in the Sea of Bitterness."
Li Qingshan's voice echoed in the valley, peaceful and clear, containing a comforting power.
"The human body is like an unexplored universe, containing infinite mysteries. Three inches below the navel, there is a place where the origin of life lies hidden, called the Wheel of Life, which is also the place of the Bitter Sea."
It is the source of life's vitality, but in ordinary people, it is suppressed, turning into a sea of death and obscuring the brilliance of the Wheel of Life.
He had Jiang Tingting sit cross-legged on a smooth bluestone wet with morning dew, with her palms facing upwards, in a standard and natural posture.
"The ' Zixia Nurturing Dao Scripture ' that I am passing on to you is inspired by the image of the rising sun and the purple aura coming from the east."
Purple Qi is the purest and most peaceful primordial Qi between heaven and earth, possessing the supreme power to nourish all things and harmonize Yin Yin-Yang.
This method can nurture the nascent divine power within you, and more importantly, use its balanced and peaceful nature to gradually dissolve the extreme coldness hidden within your Lunar Origin, allowing it to be used for your benefit rather than turning against you.
Li Qingshan pointed his fingers like a sword, the tips of which shimmered with a warm glow, and gently touched Xiao Tingting's smooth brow.
A wisp of pure, mellow, and profound divine power, like a gentle warm current, carrying his deep understanding of the " Zixia Nurturing Dao Scripture " and its supreme Daoist charm, slowly flowed into her body.
This was not a forced indoctrination, but rather a beacon of profound cultivation, illuminating her path, igniting the latent Dao Fire of her own Dao, and guiding her to perceive and control the power that belonged to her.
Xiao Tingting closed her eyes and focused her mind as instructed, her long eyelashes fluttering gently like butterfly wings.
Her heart was pure and simple, and she was naturally close to the Great Dao of Taiyin. Her mind quickly calmed down, and she reached a state of complete absorption in the universe.
Carefully guiding the warm purple energy that her master was channeling, it was like navigating a small boat towards the cold, silent, seemingly eternal "frozen sea" below her navel.
At first, the Bitter Sea of suffering, which symbolized the Lunar Origin, instinctively resisted the warmth from the outside world, emanating a bone-chilling cold that seemed to freeze the soul.
The purple energy flowed through it, yet there was a sense of stagnation.
However, Li Qingshan's divine power was incredibly profound; his control over power had reached a state of perfection.
This wisp of purple mist contains the true meaning of the " Zixia Nurturing Dao Scripture," like a gentle spring breeze and nourishing rain, silently enriching all things.
It does not directly clash with the extremely yin and cold Lunar Power, but rather slowly envelops, permeates, and harmonizes it with a profound and mysterious Daoist rhythm, awakening the vibrant life hidden beneath the dead and frozen sea.
Li Qingshan sat quietly to the side, observing with his divine sense as fine as silk, meticulously sensing every change within Xiao Tingting's body.
He "saw" that, under the nourishment and guidance of the righteous and peaceful purple aura, the edge of the originally as solid as ice in the sea of the Bitter Sea showed a very faint sign of loosening, and a faint glimmer of life was being conceived in the depths of extreme cold.
"Perhaps because her Taiyin Physique is inherently close to the Great Dao of Taiyin, she has demonstrated a level of comprehension in cultivating this Secret Realm Method that far surpasses that of ordinary people."
Li Qingshan secretly admired her. Xiao Tingting had an almost instinctive sensitivity to the perception and guidance of her own power, as if she was born knowing how to communicate with this "frozen sea".
He intensified his spiritual guidance, channeling a peaceful Solar Divine Power into the energy.
The Solar Divine Power was not intended to enhance Tingting's cultivation, but rather to neutralize the extreme coldness of the Lunar Power and prevent it from damaging the still-developing foundation of the Bitter Sea.
"Buzz!"
A faint Daoist hum emanated from Tingting's body, and the bamboo leaves around the blue stone suddenly moved without wind, converging towards Tingting.
Water droplets from the mountain spring also floated up, forming a thin layer of water vapor around her.
The water curtain reflected the rising sun, refracting a rainbow of colors that intertwined with the purple and black energy emanating from Tingting's body, creating a mysterious scene.
Old Jiang, carrying a food box, stood at the edge of the bamboo grove, watching this scene from afar.
He saw the radiant glow surrounding his granddaughter and could feel the reassuring aura in the air—the true Daoist essence that could protect Tingting.
He placed the food box on a nearby rock and waited quietly for the two to finish their practice.
This kind of spiritual practice continued day after day.
Li Qingshan adjusts the intensity and method of guidance according to Tingting's progress every day.
The Taiyin Physique far surpasses ordinary physiques. Ordinary cultivators need to cleanse the Bitter Sea with the essence of heaven and earth when opening up the Bitter Sea, which often takes several months or even years.
Tingting only needed three days to clearly perceive the location of the Bitter Sea, and seven days later she drew the Lunar Power into the Bitter Sea, beginning the process of its creation.
"Today, I'll try to guide the purple energy into the Bitter Sea, to merge it with the Lunar Power."
That morning, Li Qingshan said to Tingting, "Remember, the essence of the Zixia Sacred Art lies in harmony." It's not about using yang energy to suppress yin energy, nor using yin energy to restrain yang energy, but rather about yin and Yin-Yang promoting each other, coexisting and prospering together.
Xiao Tingting nodded and followed his instructions to practice the technique.
As the purple aura flowed into the Bitter Sea, the instant it met the Lunar Power, she suddenly exclaimed, "Master, when the purple aura and the cool aura meet, it seems to turn into a faint black mist, warm and not cold anymore!"
A gleam of joy flashed in Li Qingshan's eyes. "Continue to guide it, let this mist circulate in the Sea of the Bitter Sea, wash away Bitter Sea barriers, and let it expand continuously."
As the black mist swirled within the Bitter Sea, Tingting's Bitter Sea expanded at a visible speed, from the size of a sesame seed to the size of a soybean, and then to the size of a thumb.
Each time the mist circulates, the barriers of the Sea of the Bitter Sea become stronger, and the vitality within them grows ever more abundant.
During this time, Li Qingshan never stopped his own cultivation. He sat cross-legged to the side, digesting his insights into the world.
Within his sea of consciousness, the fist intent of the young Hengyu, which was "a universe in itself," kept replaying. That evolving universe, the rotation of the sun, moon, and stars, and the rhythm of the Union with the Dao of Yin-Yang were all constantly settling and merging within his sea of consciousness.
The Solar Divine Power within him also slowly transformed during this enlightenment. The original fiery true power gradually gained a sense of the universe's depth and inclusiveness.
Li Qingshan pondered to himself, " In the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm, I have reached the sixth transformation, and my physical strength is comparable to that of a top-tier magic weapon."
The resources accumulated by Earth in its last two years continue to play a role. The seventh transformation is now within reach.
He sensed the accumulation within his body. After his battle with the young Hengyu, he absorbed the Lightning Tribulation Liquid and fragments of the Universe Dao, and stabilized his Sixth Transformation of Dragon Transformation. With his accumulated power already deep enough, he could trigger the lightning tribulation at any time.
Time slipped away quietly during the practice, and a month passed in the blink of an eye.
That morning, as the first wisp of purple aura appeared in the east, Tingting began to circulate her cultivation technique, when a powerful black light suddenly erupted from her Bitter Sea.
The rosy clouds shot into the sky, enveloping the entire bamboo forest. The temperature in the air plummeted, a thin layer of ice condensed on the surface of the spring water, and the bamboo leaves were covered with white frost.
" The Bitter Sea is about to be filled!"
Li Qingshan opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in them, and immediately focused his mind to protect himself.
Within Tingting's Bitter Sea, the Lunar Power and the purple aura completely merged, transforming into a deep black ocean.
This ocean is different from the Bitter Sea that ordinary cultivators experience. It has no waves or ripples, like a still black sea, yet it contains extreme cold and terrifying energy.
On the sea, a faint purple aura, like a thin veil, enveloped the area, neutralizing the chill and preventing it from spiraling out of control.
"Boom!"
A soft sound came from Tingting's body, and the Bitter Sea completely stabilized.
Surprisingly, this sea of the Bitter Sea, as black as the ocean, exudes an astonishing aura.
The Bitter Sea for ordinary cultivators, though teeming with life force, lacks any aggression;
Tingting's Bitter Sea, empowered by the Lunar Power, possesses the ability to freeze all things; even a wisp of it can freeze the divine power of a cultivator from the Life Spring.
"Success!"
Tingting opened her eyes, excitedly stood up, and the black glow and purple aura around her slowly subsided. "Master, my Bitter Sea is full! The black sea inside is so beautiful!"
Li Qingshan stepped forward. "Very good, the Bitter Sea is complete, and the foundation is solid."
Next, we need to condense the Life Spring Life Spring, which is the core of the Sea of Bitterness Secret Realm and the source of divine power.
You need to guide the life force from the Bitter Sea, and condense your own Life Spring.
He paused, then said solemnly, "Condensing the Life Spring is more dangerous than opening the Bitter Sea. If the Lunar Power gets out of control, it may harm you."
In the days to come, I will protect you throughout; you only need to focus on the practice.
The process of condensing the Life Spring is more difficult than opening up the Bitter Sea.
Tingting needs to first guide the Yin-Yang fusion power in the Bitter Sea to flush away the bottom of the Bitter Sea and find the source node of the Life Spring;
Then, using the Zixia Sacred Art to guide the flow, the Yin-Yang energies are gathered at the node, causing them to gradually condense into a spring.
For the first half of the month, progress was slow. Although Tingting's Lunar Power had merged with the purple energy, it was still somewhat unruly. Whenever she approached a key point, it would become slightly agitated, causing the gathered power to dissipate.
"Don't rush, use your divine sense to soothe the Lunar Power, treat it as your friend, not a tool."
Li Qingshan continued to offer guidance.
"Imagine the Life Spring as the heart of the Bitter Sea, the source of your power. Guide the Yin-Yang energies to converge towards your heart, rather than forcibly suppressing them."
Under Li Qingshan's guidance, Tingting gradually mastered the knack.
She no longer forcibly suppressed the Lunar Power, but instead used her divine sense to communicate with it, guiding it to converge towards the Life Spring node as if coaxing a child.
Half a month later, enough power finally gathered at the node, and a drop of black spring water began to gush out, which was the prototype of the Life Spring.
As the black spring water continued to gush forth, Tingting's aura grew stronger and stronger.
A faint black mist began to emanate from her body, and wherever the mist passed, the ground frosted over and the vegetation froze.
Li Qingshan set up a protective array to isolate the cold air within the array, preventing it from affecting the villagers of Green Forest Town.
Another month and a half passed, and as the first rays of the morning sun rose again, Tingting's Life Spring finally solidified completely.
In the Bitter Sea, a black spring slowly emerged, its water as black as ink, yet shimmering with a faint purple light.
The spring water gushed forth continuously, flowing along the walls of the Bitter Sea, nourishing the entire Sea of Bitterness Secret Realm. This spring water contained pure Lunar Power, which could provide both powerful divine power and nourish the physical body.
" The Life Spring is complete!"