Embryonic Breathing Cultivation, the Mysteries of the Southern Dipper

Night was deepening in the Capitalist Immortal Cultivation Realm, while the sun was just rising in the Ancient Immortal Cultivation Realm—

Dawn broke in the east, the sea of clouds drew back, and radiant clouds stretched ten thousand feet across the sky, casting their glow on the faint mountains in the distance.

But in times like these, should such a sight be cursed or praised?

Lü Yuan did not know.

Having been given a new lease on life not long ago, he simply sat beneath the withered tree where the immortal had bestowed the book upon him, gazing up at the rosy light, unsure what to make of it.

Who was the immortal?

Why had the immortal bestowed an immortal book upon him?

Was the prophecy declaring that he could become a Dao Embryo true or false?

Had the immortal done all this on a whim, or was there some other reason?

These questions were all important to his future, but after giving them some thought, Lü Yuan did not delve into them.

He did not think there was any need to worry.

Even the worst outcome—that he was merely a pawn of the immortal—was nothing to worry about, was it?

After all, the immortal had saved him and lit up his Dao Path. Even if he really did die for the immortal one day, it would count as repaying that immense kindness.

Rather than dwelling on such distant matters, he might as well keep his feet on the ground.

He could hardly become a Dao Embryo by lying around, could he?

Cultivation was his first priority now.

After all, out here in the wilderness, he would find no way to survive without cultivating.

The Ancient Immortal Cultivation Realm...

Now that he knew what world he was in, Lü Yuan naturally wanted to venture out into it and take in sights in every direction.

He had no other purpose; he simply wanted to see it.

And that, of course, required cultivation too.

With that thought, Lü Yuan followed the guidance in "The Lord of the State Bestows the Five Luminaries Treatise upon My Son" and resumed cultivating the seventh-grade [Southern Dipper Life-Granting and Breath-Nurturing Instruction].

Right now, I've just entered Embryonic Breathing and haven't reached a level yet.

According to the [Southern Dipper Life-Granting and Breath-Nurturing Instruction], refining Southern Dipper Qi from Spiritual Qi one hundred and eight times yields one strand of Southern Dipper Life Breath.

Only after gathering one hundred and eight strands of Southern Dipper Life Breath can I enter the Embryonic Breathing First Layer.

The First Realm of Embryonic Breathing has twelve passes in all.

They're called Concealing Brilliance, Establishing the Foundation, Penetrating Clarity, Condensing the True, Illuminating the Sea, Concealing the Mystery, Jade Completion, Understanding the Profound, Knowing Destiny, Freedom from Doubt, Approaching the Origin, and Returning to the True.

The other me has different names for them over there, but the levels and their characteristics are the same.

Still, the names of the realms on my side are so close to the culture of my previous life. Is that a coincidence?

Concealing Brilliance-held within without leaking, primordial breath first gathers.

Establishing the Foundation-lay the roots and establish the foundation, and the Qi root takes shape.

Penetrating Clarity-see through with perfect clarity, and look inward at oneself.

Condensing the True-condense true essence and stabilize Embryonic Breathing.

Illuminating the Sea-illuminate the Qi sea in preparation for Qi Refinement.

Concealing the Mystery-conceal the divine mystery, and Divine Sense arises of itself.

Jade Completion-like jade taking shape, Divine Sense condenses.

Understanding the Profound—comprehending the mysteries and releasing Embryonic Breathing outward.

Knowing Destiny—life and nature become knowable, and Embryonic Breathing takes form.

Freedom from Doubt—the heart is free of confusion, and Divine Sense extends outward.

Approaching the Origin-one's innate life approaches the origin and beholds its source.

Returning to the True-life and nature are both made whole, returning to simplicity and the true.

That really is an easy-to-understand division. I just don't know whether my cultivation speed counts as fast here.

The other me said Spiritual Qi over there far surpasses what we have here, and even with drugs, people normally advance one level a year on average.

The Embryonic Breathing Sixth Layer is a basic requirement for graduating from sixth grade.

But I've only cultivated for a day, and I'm already about to gather all one hundred and eight strands of Southern Dipper Life Breath and enter the Embryonic Breathing First Layer.

By that measure, wouldn't my speed count as divine?

No, I can't quite reckon it that way... Lü Yuan rubbed his chin. After all, he was talking about the speed of people without Spirit Roots who cultivate a fourth-grade Embryonic Breathing Cultivation Method using artificial Spirit Apertures acquired later in life.

As for how fast those with Spirit Roots who cultivate sixth-grade Embryonic Breathing Cultivation Methods are, that remains unknown-

Forget it. I'll wait until he enrolls and learns more before asking.

With that, Lü Yuan began cultivating again.

He refined Spiritual Qi and gathered Life Breath without moving a muscle. When he opened his eyes again, stood up, and looked overhead, it was already noon.

He had gathered all one hundred and eight strands of Southern Dipper Life Breath. As Lü Yuan gently exhaled a breath of turbid Qi, he brought them together.

The Embryonic Breathing First Layer arrived quietly.

Lü Yuan could now sense the circulation of Embryonic Breathing within him with perfect clarity: held within without leaking, primordial breath first gathered.

This was the Embryonic Breathing First Layer: Concealing Brilliance.

It was noticeably different from when he had first entered Embryonic Breathing. Though he had already reached Grain Avoidance then, his body had gained little benefit from it.

But now it was different. With this first gathering of primordial breath, Lü Yuan felt full of vigor and strength.

His entire body brimmed with vitality, filling him with an indescribable sense of exhilaration.

Even the withered tree behind him, being so close, was affected. Like a dead tree meeting spring, it sprouted green leaves once more.

Of course, Lü Yuan knew that this was not solely an ability of the Embryonic Breathing First Layer; it was also due to the boost from the Southern Dipper Life Breath cultivated through the [Southern Dipper Life-Granting and Breath-Nurturing Instruction].

Still, since it dared rank seventh grade, the marvels of Southern Dipper Life Breath naturally did not end there.

In truth, its vitality, its grade, and the abilities that would appear one after another as cultivation progressed were all merely secondary effects.

According to the book, the true mystery of Southern Dipper Life Breath was that, so long as one continued cultivating, it could guarantee its cultivator entry into the Purple Mansion realm.

That was right: guaranteed entry into the Purple Mansion realm-

Even when breaking through to the Purple Mansion realm after bringing one's immortal foundation to completion,

one could do nothing and make no preparations against the many trials, and Southern Dipper Life Breath would still carry one to the rank of Divine Ability.

It would automatically help its master raise the immortal foundation and refine a Divine Ability, then see through deluded thoughts and cross the boundless illusions.

Was this not worthy of the Embryonic Breathing Cultivation Method the immortal book had chosen for him?

Unfortunately, because of the restrictions on his side and his own aptitude, Punk Lü Yuan has no chance to cultivate it.

Come to think of it, the immortal's help was probably indispensable to my cultivation going so smoothly...

Otherwise, how could it have been so easy to get started with a seventh-grade Embryonic Breathing Cultivation Method?

Was it because of that meat patty back then? Lü Yuan wondered.

Forget it. There's nothing to be done about that. I can only hope to find a way to raise the grade of his Embryonic Breathing later.

Otherwise, the fourth-grade Embryonic Breath cultivated with the fourth-grade Embryonic Breathing Cultivation Methods made widely available by the megacorporations over there won't be enough to support his cultivation to the Purple Mansion realm.

Someone asked: Where does the Dao of the Purple Mansion, the path of cultivation, begin? Where does it succeed? Where does it fail?

The answer: It begins with Embryonic Breathing, succeeds with Embryonic Breathing, and also fails with Embryonic Breathing.

This was the opening preface of the [Southern Dipper Life-Granting and Breath-Nurturing Instruction], and from it one could glimpse the importance of the initial First Realm of Embryonic Breathing to the Purple Mansion Golden Core Dao.

And that was indeed the case.

Embryonic Breathing was the beginning of cultivation.

Therefore, choosing a Cultivation Method was like choosing one's roots; one could not be too careful.

The Cultivation Method chosen during Embryonic Breathing determined and limited one's choice of Dao lineage from Qi Refinement to the Purple Mansion realm, and even when attaining the Golden Core in the future.

If the two ran in opposite directions, like traveling south with the carriage pointed north, success would be impossible.

The grade of one's Embryonic Breathing likewise determined the upper limit of one's future.

If one cultivated a low-grade Embryonic Breathing Cultivation Method and had no opportunity to raise the grade of one's Embryonic Breath later, then from Qi Refinement through the Purple Mansion realm, one could not cultivate a high-grade Purple Mansion Golden Core Dao Cultivation Method.

First-grade Embryonic Breath only supported cultivation through Embryonic Breathing; it did not even qualify one to cultivate the Purple Mansion Golden Core Dao.

Second-grade Embryonic Breathing could barely reach Qi Refinement.

Third- and fourth-grade Embryonic Breathing could reach Foundation Establishment.

Only fifth-grade Embryonic Breathing or higher counted as a ticket to breaking through to the Purple Mansion realm.

At this thought, Lü Yuan sighed softly. "We're both one and the same. Since things are better on my side, I should naturally help him out more."

With that, he sat back down beneath the tree and resumed cultivating.

Southern Dipper Life Breath circulated, seemingly without end.

So it went, day after day, and behind him, the withered tree gradually grew lush with branches and leaves, blocking out the daylight.