Chapter 89: Manifesting the Sacred Before Mortals, the Divine Idol Worships the Snake

As a matter of fact, Ye Qin was indeed like that, listening very absorbed.

This is much better than him rummaging through books in the library himself, and the library's collection is limited, many folk classics are not included.

For example, this Baopuzi, the library does have it, but only in a finely edited version; much of the content is missing, heavily revised, completely distorted, and many chapters are absent, purely to fool laypeople.

The old Daoist's knowledge reserves are extremely rich; various Daoist classics can be said to be at his fingertips, showing his profound devotion to Daoism, so his will is firm.

Under his verbal instruction and example, the young Daoist is also influenced; although his will may not match the old Daoist's, his mind is free of distractions, and he is likewise profoundly sincere.

No wonder at first he couldn't enter their mental world and couldn't deploy the dream Divine Ability; such a state of mind is indeed not ordinary.

The two even opened up a vegetable garden in the empty space behind the Daoist temple, planting some vegetables and tea as well, which can be considered self-sufficient.

Such a life is hardly different from ascetic practice, yet the two persisted, and each morning they would punctually do their morning practice, which can be described as unfailingly regular.

Moreover, Ye Qin now suspects that the special magnetic field he previously sensed may be related to the feng shui of this place!

"The construction of this Daoist temple is particular; it must conform to some feng shui theory, thereby forming this special magnetic field."

Ye Qin pondered, but did not do much research on this matter, then continued listening to the lecture.

……

Meanwhile, in the room.

The young Daoist obviously felt somewhat wronged, "Master, how can you compare me to a snake?"

The old Daoist glanced at him, "All things have spirits; although humans consider themselves the pinnacle of spirits, before humans appeared, this land already bore traces of life."

"Mountains, rivers, and all things possess spirituality; regardless of time or place, one must maintain a reverent heart."

The young Daoist nodded, "Master, I understand."

He instinctively straightened his back.

The old Daoist looked at the young Daoist's appearance, feeling very relieved, "Then let us continue talking about this dantian."

"People of all ages advocate guarding the lower dantian, because this part is most closely related to the body's vital activities; it lies at the body's center and is the starting point for the flow of qi through the Ren, Du, and Chong meridians."

The young Daoist looked somewhat confused, "Master, you've said so much, but where exactly is the dantian?"

The old Daoist waved his whisk and pointed to several positions on the young Daoist's body.

"The upper dantian is the Yintang point of the Du meridian, also called the Niwan Palace; the middle dantian is the Shanzhong point in the chest, where the Zong qi gathers; the lower dantian is the Guanyuan point of the Ren meridian, three cun below the navel, where essence is stored."

"The ancients believed the dantian is an important part for nourishing the whole body, hence the saying: 'Without fire it can warm the whole body; without water it can moisten the viscera; it relates to the life of the entire body; as long as this thread is not broken, life will not perish.'"

With this explanation, the young Daoist became much clearer: "So that's it; I never expected the dantian to be so complex."

He seemed to think of something and couldn't help asking.

"Some people place great importance on nurturing the original qi in the dantian; when the dantian's original qi is full and vigorous, they can mobilize the body's potential, allowing true qi to circulate throughout the body—is that the principle?"

The old Daoist nodded, "In theory, that's correct; guarding the dantian can regulate yin and yang, connect heart and kidney, make true qi full and smooth through the eight meridians, restore innate physiological functions, and promote bodily health and longevity."

The young Daoist's eyes lit up upon hearing this, "Master, do you have any dantian qi cultivation techniques to teach me?"

The old Daoist's expression unchanged, he said, "Would you like me to help you clear the Ren and Du meridians to see?"

The young Daoist was half-believing, half-doubting, "Is there really such a good thing?"

The old Daoist's answer was a direct strike with his whisk, responding angrily, "What are you thinking? If there were such a good thing, I would have practiced it myself long ago."

The young Daoist looked bewildered, his mind wildly complaining.

After all that fuss, it turned out to be just another ideological masterpiece.

The old Daoist also felt somewhat moved, "Now you are only just getting started; there is much more to learn in the future, and you need to rein in your temperament."

"Besides this book Baopuzi, you can read this in your spare time; it might be a little easier. Reading the Daoist Canon is also a kind of spiritual cultivation."

The young Daoist curled his lips, thinking that the so-called cultivation is all a scam; from ancient times to now, no one has ever succeeded.

However, through subtle influence, prolonging life and strengthening body and mind are feasible.

He took the ancient book from the old Daoist's hands; the cover is somewhat yellowed, the corners are curled, showing it has been frequently flipped through.

This is a hand-copied book, different from printed works, transcribed character by character by the old Daoist.

"Tao Hongjing's hand-copied?"

The young Daoist roughly flipped through a few pages; the records are all some alchemy insights, along with what he saw and heard while visiting famous rivers.

Besides, there are the old Daoist's annotations; reading it is actually easy to understand, much easier than Baopuzi.

The young Daoist couldn't help asking, "Master, who exactly is this Tao Hongjing?"

The old Daoist replied, "It is said that Tao Hongjing, in his youth, liked reading Ge Hong's Shenxian Zhuan; influenced by its teachings on immortal cultivation and health preservation, at age thirty-seven he resigned his official post, retreated to Jurong Maoshan, sought immortal medicines, practiced Dao and alchemy, and his footsteps covered famous mountains and rivers."

"In his many years of alchemical furnace and elixir cauldron career, he developed alchemy techniques and authored the He Dan Fa Shi, a specialized book on alchemy; he can also be considered a legendary figure."

As the sun grew brighter, shining through the doors and windows, the main hall became brightly lit, and the morning practice was about to end.

The young Daoist glanced at the doorway, originally thinking the snake had already left, but unexpectedly it was still there.

"How strange, why won't that snake leave? Is it planning to stay for a meal?"

Logically, creatures that accidentally intrude into a Daoist temple would not linger long; upon noticing people, they would quickly depart to avoid contact with humans.

But this snake does the opposite; their morning practice lasted nearly an hour, meaning the snake outside also listened for an hour.

The old Daoist also doesn't understand what the reason is.

The young Daoist couldn't help joking, "Or is it that the master's Daoist arts are so profound that even a snake is attracted and unwilling to leave?"

The old Daoist chuckled and shook his head, naturally not believing he truly possessed such ability.

After looking at the green snake again, the old Daoist clicked his tongue in wonder, "Look at this snake, coiled before the main hall, facing the myriad deities; it seems as if it is sincerely worshiping, indeed possessing a certain ambiance."

Upon hearing this, the young Daoist also hurriedly examined closely, and indeed it was so: the green snake coiled before the main hall, facing the deities, as if paying reverence.

However, at this moment, the green snake finally reacted, actually twisting its body, intending to turn and leave.

"Master..."

However, just as his words fell, a strange sound suddenly came.

Crack—

This faint sound was not loud, but it was exceptionally clear; when it suddenly rang out, both people hastily focused their gaze.

Only then, as the green snake turned and left, the crack on the statue of the local deity suddenly widened, and then its entire upper half toppled over with a clang, crashing to the ground; instantly, dust and smoke filled the hall.

And the head of the local deity's statue struck the ground, pointing exactly toward the hall's door, which was also the direction the green snake had gone.

At first glance, it actually looked as if it were kneeling in worship!

It was not the snake worshipping the deity, but the deity's statue worshipping the snake!

Looking at the kneeling statue seeing them off and the departing snake, even the old Daoist's usually unchanging face finally stirred.

The young Daoist panicked, his voice stuttering, "Master, Master, this isn't like the snake worshipping the deity you described; looking at it, it seems more like the deity's statue is seeing the snake off."

Hearing this, the old Daoist's face also showed astonishment; how could there be such a coincidence in the world?

Their morning lesson had just ended when the snake left, and then the statue suffered this mishap!

The two were doubtful and uncertain, and they hurried to the hall's door.

Yet they found no trace of the snake; it had slipped away silently, leaving only the collapsed statue behind in the hall that seemed to be kneeling, bearing witness to what had truly happened.

Master and disciple stared at each other, both seeing shock in the other's eyes.

The young Daoist couldn't help swallowing, "Master, you said all things have spirit; is this snake already possessed of spirituality?"

They were just an ordinary Daoist temple, with nothing particular to attract serpents, and the master and disciple usually ate only vegetarian dishes.

This snake had no reason to stay that long.

Moreover, there was no good reason for it to loiter; it stubbornly stayed near them, as if listening to the Dao, which is truly incomprehensible.

The old Daoist gazed at the nearby greenery, his expression bewildered, "Perhaps."

The old Daoist boasted of his great age and broad experience, yet he had never encountered such a strange affair; having cultivated the Dao all his life, he had never actually seen the 'Dao,' and at this moment he felt a sudden haze over all beings, realizing he had perhaps never truly understood.

This matter lingered in the hearts of master and disciple, leaving them mentally dazed for several days.

However, after that brief startling glimpse, the snake never appeared again; only after several more days did the two gradually calm their complex feelings and repair the local deity's statue anew.

Standing in the hall, looking at the statue once more placed on the pedestal, it faced the door, gazing into the distance, yet one does not know whether the statue possesses any intention.

"Disciple, perhaps it really is just a coincidence?"

"Master, perhaps it is not."

"But who could say for sure?"

……

As for the temple's affairs, after Ye Qin left, he didn't think about it any further.

The toppling of that local deity's statue actually had nothing to do with Ye Qin; it already had cracks, long neglected, and perhaps merely collapsed by chance at that moment.

But recalling the series of fortunate encounters since his rebirth, Ye Qin couldn't help but think more.

Perhaps there truly is an invisible pair of hands guiding the world?

Ye Qin has now returned to his own mountain.

That day, the old Daoist's lecture gave him some inspiration; there was no longer any need to seek Daoist scriptures, and the earlier doubt that had weighed on his heart, like being blown away by a gust, now had a clue.

On the way back, Ye Qin kept thinking.

Dantian, originally the term used when Daoists cultivated vital essence in internal alchemy.

The "Upper Chapter of the Huangting Outer Landscape Classic" records: "Breathing enters the dantian through the chambers." Wu Chengzi's annotation says: "Inhaling primordial qi gathers in the dantian. The dantian is the yin-yang gate three inches below the navel; ordinary people use it to produce offspring, Daoists use it to cultivate the body."

The human body is complex, divided into upper, middle, and lower dantians, but if it were a snake, it would likely have only one dantian; Ye Qin wanted to cultivate a qi elixir, which necessarily had to be conceived within the dantian.

Refining elixirs is the general term for producing both external and internal elixirs.

"Both methods can cultivate a qi elixir; it mainly depends on which suits me better."

Daoist alchemy is a wonderful method of bodily cultivation.

By cultivating the "elixir" within the body, one can strengthen health, prolong life, develop bodily potential, and thus reach the realm of cultivation where man and heaven are one.

Internal alchemy involves heating minerals in an elixir furnace to produce "immortal elixirs," then taking the human body as a crucible to practice refining vital essence, which is called internal alchemy.

External alchemy refers to Daoists using various secret methods to heat elixirs for consumption, or directly ingesting certain herbs, to transform their own yin quality into yang qi.

Chen Shidao's annotation: "Daoists regard the refinement of gold and stones as external elixir; the tiger-dragon fetal breath, exhaling the old and inhaling the new, is internal elixir."

Whether internal or external alchemy, they all involve absorbing external qi, nurturing internal qi, harmonizing yin and yang, unblocking meridians, and through refining essence into qi, refining qi into spirit, and refining spirit back to emptiness, permeating throughout.

With the development of elixir methods, even later a specialized system of elixir Dao emerged.

It advocates internal refinement of elixirs and external application of methods.

The elixir is singular; the one is singular.

Only the Dao has no opposite, hence it is called elixir.

Heaven gains the One and becomes clear; earth gains the One and becomes tranquil; valley gains the One and becomes full; humanity gains the One and gains longevity.

Ye Qin gradually came to a realization; according to his current constitution and condition, the path of external elixir suited him better.

First, he is a snake, naturally inclined toward yin; in terms of nature, he is a yin entity, and after worshipping the moon and absorbing its essence, his internal yin qi is even greater.

It needs to be transformed into yang qi; yin and yang complement each other, allowing the qi elixir to conceive and form, which also accords with the principle of mutual complementarity among all things and the heavenly cycle.

Therefore he does not need to deliberately gather yang qi; he only needs to transmute his internal yin qi, although merely transmuting yin qi is not enough—other substances must also be involved.

Of course, this external elixir method is not merely its literal meaning.

Daoist external elixir also refers to the "pure, spirited qi of the void."

For cultivators, it is valuable to gather the pure, spirited qi of the void within the body, then combine one's spirit with this qi to cultivate; over time, spirit and qi merge into one, and the great elixir begins to form.

Ye Qin's train of thought had gradually become clear: "So what I should do next is externally cultivate a qi elixir."

The qi of heaven and earth cannot be stored inside the body; it is either fully absorbed or returns to heaven and earth, so Ye Qin could only choose the path of external elixir cultivation.

Because refining elixirs is like cooking—by consuming grains and mixed cereals, one generates energy for the body, that is, acquired qi, which can then be stored within.

This is the same principle as eating to replenish energy.

The qi of heaven and earth cannot be stored, but the acquired qi that comes from all things in the world can be regarded as energy stored within the body.

Moreover, the external elixir, once refined, allows the postnatal qi to be preserved, serving as a medium and a bridge; subsequently, a qi cluster is condensed, thereby slowly guiding the heaven‑earth qi, and finally condensing into an elixir.

They are interlocking; it can be said that each step is tightly connected. This is precisely the sequential steps of the three realms of the cultivation second stage, the 'Pill Formation Stage'.

However, all of this is still merely his speculation for now; it must be tested in practice to know whether this method is viable.

Ye Qin already had a plan in mind; after returning to the mountains and forests, he began his grand alchemy scheme.

From ancient times to the present, there have not been few people who wish to achieve immortality through alchemy.

It is said that the Yellow Emperor attained immortality by consuming elixirs on the Alchemy Peak of Yellow Mountain; of course, this is merely a legend, and its authenticity cannot be verified.

However, the First Emperor, in seeking the immortal elixir, sent Xu Fu leading boys and girls eastward to Penglai Fairy Island to seek the elixir, and this is indeed recorded in clear historical accounts.

Thus, the notion of elixirs has ancient origins.

The *Inner Chapters, Volume Ten* of the *Baopuzi* once explicitly stated: 'Thus, ancient Daoists, in concocting divine elixirs, must enter famous mountains, not merely ordinary mountains—precisely for this reason.'

Famous mountains are the places for preparing medicines; they are the primary external condition for selecting an alchemy site.

The quality of the condensed elixir is certainly related to the environment; if the environment is good, the surrounding spiritual qi will surely be abundant, yielding high‑quality elixir, and vice versa.

The hill where Ye Qin resides very much meets the standard of a famous mountain.

Not far off, the peaks stretch continuously, green trees form shade, their broad branches and leaves like a great green floral crown, casting a cool shadow—showing that the place teems with vitality.

Furthermore, with his cultivation, the famous mountain serves as a root, absorbing heaven‑earth qi, and in turn invisibly nourishes the surrounding environment.

This qi, centered on Ye Qin, continually spreads outward; the surrounding vegetation has long surpassed its original growth limits, becoming astonishingly tall and dense—one could say it is imbued with auspicious excellence and brimming with vitality.

Such a mountain, if placed in ancient times, would without exaggeration be the ideal alchemy site for those Daoists, and also a beloved retreat of recluses.

"Now that the site is no problem, what remains is the life essence and the tools for alchemy."

"The so‑called life essence is not hard to understand; it is contained in herbs, with no restriction on herb type, as long as they are non‑toxic and have a mild nature."

Since Ye Qin intends to refine elixirs, one or two stalks of herbs are clearly insufficient; he needs a large quantity of herbs to extract the life essence within them.

Otherwise, a drop or two of postnatal qi would have no effect at all.

There's no helping it—who made the spiritual qi contained in these herbs so scant? Since the quality is lacking, we can only make up for it with quantity.

If Ye Qin were to gather them himself, it would waste time—not to mention the hassle, after all, it is a snake.

But he quickly came up with a solution.

Ye Qin slowly closed his eyes, and his mental power began to spread toward the distance.

Soon, a faint rustling came from the nearby thicket; it turned out to be a tiny squirrel, waving its fluffy big tail, arriving not far from Ye Qin.

More and more animals answered Ye Qin's summons and gathered; at first they were merely small ones, such as rabbits, squirrels, and other rodents.

Next came medium‑ to large‑sized animals such as weasels, foxes, and jackals.

Afterward, the sound of flapping wings was incessant; looking up, all were various birds, countless pairs of green‑bean‑sized eyes hidden among the treetops.

Those that fly in the sky, run on the ground, or—if not for the limitation of swimming in water—would probably also gather around Ye Qin.

Ye Qin's mental power is now strong; although he cannot communicate directly with these animals, issuing some basic commands is still no problem.

All of this is due to the effect of the Imperial Nectar, which not only enlarged his mental power but also enabled him to establish a basic connection with all things.

After all, the Imperial Nectar, as a substance capable of awakening the spiritual awareness of all things, is a special kind of heaven‑earth qi; having such an effect is hardly surprising.

At this moment, a dense crowd of animals gathered together, including carnivores, herbivores, and even species that are naturally antagonistic.

Yet at this moment they were utterly silent, daring not to make a sound, as if listening to some important instruction, with a hint of human‑like expression flickering in their beastly eyes.

Ye Qin conveyed the command, letting these animals search for herbs and containers; soon they departed one after another.

"Then all I need to do is wait for them to bring back the harvested herbs."

Animals themselves possess a certain ability to discern herbs; although their recognition is incomplete, it poses no great problem for Ye Qin.

Since herbs belong to the postnatal realm, as long as we can finally smelt them all together, that suffices.

Moreover, driving so many animals to help gather herbs will surely greatly reduce the time required.

(End of Chapter)