Chapter 37: Morning Sun Breathing, Bathing in the Sun to Wash the Spirit

Hu Jinhua returned to the Fox Immortal Hall first. Niu Congcong was already practicing there. Xu Jia explained the Shamanism cultivation methods to him and also spoke about how to refine Magic Tools. He was busy there, using a chisel, carving knife, and axe, attempting to carve a mask.

Although he could not make progress with his studies, he always had a drive when doing other things, and he was good at learning, constantly correcting his previous mistakes. Although the wooden mask looked a bit rough and ugly at first glance, it did have eyes and a nose.

The three of them—One-testicle Fox Du Xiu, Lame Fox Bu Tang, and Bald-tail Fox Hu Delu—entered the Dharma Realm with their thoughts to practice within it.

Hu Jinhua said their Daoist Practice was shallow and would not let them go out. She spurred them on; when they were tired from practicing, they would plant vegetables and weed, or go to the Back Mountain to play with the little foxes that had not yet become spirits.

Seeing that they were all fine, Hu Jinhua breathed a sigh of relief and returned the Military Officials into a small Bingma Jar. This jar was about the size of a palm, and runes were written on it.

As for the wild spirits and monsters captured, and even things like ghosts, they were collected into another small jar, to be cleaned up when there was free time.

Niu Congcong stopped the work in his hands and asked, "Fox Immortal, how was last night? Did it go smoothly?"

Hu Jinhua turned into an old woman and took a sip of tea: "Smooth, yet not smooth. I subdued two shamans, one Yin Aunt and one Zhao Shendian. I have already manifested my spiritual power and told them what to do, but I still need you to guide them on how to establish a hall for easier management."

"As for that Liu Wenpo, there is a major problem. It seems she is related to some Longevity Sect. This sect performs terrifying sacrifices, sacrificing infants. I must still ask for instructions from Master."

Xiaopangdun frowned upon hearing the words "Longevity Sect": "It sounds like an Evil Sect. During the previous Great Heng Dynasty, the Yellow Heaven Sect, Bailian Sect, and such were popular..."

He knew this was a hidden danger and immediately said: "I will tell my big brother about it. As for these two shamans, I will directly have people invite them to Niu Fu. My father, Niu Dafu, still has some say in this area."

Hu Jinhua nodded upon hearing how he would handle it. Having been tired for a night, she also needed to rest. She transformed into her original form, curled into a ball, and nested on the altar table.

Immediately, she entered the Dharma Realm with her thoughts and also began to practice.

On the other side, Xu Jia had been in Turtle Breath Hibernation for the night and woke up at the fifth watch. When he got up, he exhaled a long breath; his body recovered even faster than he had imagined.

Therefore, he was not lazy and motionless in the morning, but began to practice breathing and Nourishing Qi.

Facing the fish-belly white of the sky where the sun was about to rise in the east, he first kept his eyes half-open and half-closed, staring at the sky light, breathing and exhaling to wash his five internal organs.

Then, his posture resembled a horse stance, but it was more comfortable and natural. He tucked his buttocks and retracted his anus, his hands hanging down naturally, but he could not let his shoulders slump. His feet gripped the ground as if taking root, and the top of his head reached toward the sky, as if a seed were breaking through its outer skin, about to sprout a tender shoot.

With this operation, a wisp of Qi would faintly rise slowly from the Lower Dantian, pushing toward the chest, obstructed by the diaphragm.

This method is called the "Six Harmonies Stake".

It is a stake method for nourishing and refining, a type of Life Merit. The so-called "Six Harmonies" means "Essence harmonizes with Qi, Qi harmonizes with Spirit, and Spirit harmonizes with Heaven and Earth."

It emphasizes internal movement without external movement, meaning Essence, Qi, and Spirit circulate and operate within the body, while at the same time, the breathing exchanges the waste Qi inside the human body with the clear, spiritual aura between Heaven and Earth, achieving the effect of washing the five internal organs.

This is actually content from the "Hundred Days Foundation Establishment". Xu Jia had not reached this stage, but starting preparations in advance could also return Essence to the Brain and strengthen the body, though it could not be overdone.

The essence of this method lies in breathing while facing the morning sun and attempting to swallow the Purple Qi of the Morning Sun to strengthen and nourish Yang Qi.

Swallowing Purple Qi lies in "Spirit swallowing," not actually swallowing it with the mouth; it is imagining oneself swallowing it.

Keeping the eyes half-open and half-closed while looking at the rising sun is "washing the eyes," borrowing the sunlight like water to wash away the filth in the eyes, so as to better observe Qi and nourish the spiritual energy and spirituality of the eyes.

Xu Jia had seen too many ghosts and demons these past few days, so his eyes easily retained demonic nature, making everything look like it had ghosts or demons, unlike an infant for whom everything is novel.

Therefore, nourishing the eyes and washing the eyes is nourishing the spirit and washing the heart.

Pressing the tongue against the roof of the mouth and clicking the teeth while breathing is imitating "Thunder Sound," imitating the changing of wind and clouds, as if a rain had fallen, assisting in washing the five internal organs.

After washing like this for a while, in less than half a quarter of an hour, he quickly felt a sense of "gastric bloating." Xu Jia did not suppress it and directly vomited out a mass of evil, cold Yin Qi.

At the same time, the fine hairs on his back stood up, and he sweated slightly. The sunlight happened to be shining on him at this moment. After his body was saved earlier, it was still somewhat cold; now that this evil Qi had been vomited out, his ice-cold body temperature gradually warmed up.

Xu Jia put away his stance. He had just successfully vomited out the breath of Qi from his predecessor's "dying breath." Now that his soul and body were united and the gloomy Qi of the five internal organs had dissipated, his vitality was recovering better than before; at the very least, Xu Jia could already resume a normal diet.

Xiao Hong only then leisurely came over. Seeing Xu Jia practicing, she asked in surprise: "Young Master, why did you get up so early?"

Because he was in a good mood, Xu Jia teased: "When I was studying, I got up even earlier than this. You, as a maid, get up later than me; what is the logic in that?"

Xiao Hong was ashamed and annoyed: "I am not a chicken or a dog in your house, nor am I a cow or a horse." But she turned and went to help prepare breakfast.

She felt wronged; she shouldn't have said that extra word.

Xu Jia smiled: "This girl!" Immediately, he performed two sets of Eight Brocades with slow movements, stretching his muscles and bones and circulating his blood.

The breathing technique of the Eight Brocades is: inhale when rising, exhale when descending; inhale when moving out, exhale when retracting; inhale when starting, exhale when squatting.

Xu Jia performed two sets, sweating slightly, his body feeling peaceful and comfortable. Two sets of Eight Brocades took less than a quarter of an hour and did not require much effort. Performing them twice was enough; doing more was of no benefit, and there was no progress bar to grind.

Xu Jia felt refreshed and agile, much more so than the lethargic state of the past few days. He went to the study, preparing to supplement his knowledge and increase his understanding of this world.

Although Xu's father did not have many books, mostly study guides for the Imperial Examination and proper Confucian classics, with no history or miscellaneous essays, it was enough to learn the general situation of this world from them.

Xu Jia read two study guides, forcibly memorizing them. Feeling that they were much the same, all talking about the same patterns over and over, he put them down and rummaged through the corner. Sure enough, he found another box, which was full of manuscripts. Looking at the handwriting, it should all be articles that Xu's father had written in the past.

Xu Jia had now laid his cards on the table with Xu's father, currently hoping that his father would become a dragon, hoping he could pass the exam.

Therefore, he first read various study guides. He had read three the day before and had just read some more. There was too much homogenized content, and he had already digested most of it. Now it was just right to use what he had learned to critique Xu's father's articles.

To see if Xu's father had the potential to achieve the status of "Recommended Man." The benefit of a powerful soul was reflected at this moment: photographic memory and powerful comprehension. Xu Jia took about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea to finish reading a long manuscript of Xu's father, then closed his eyes slightly, using the speed of his thoughts to quickly reflect and digest it.

It was just that Xu's father's articles could only be described as: an old woman's foot-binding cloth, smelly and long. Although they followed the rules, the content was all the same, using the same allusions over and over again; he was truly lacking in knowledge.

After reading five such articles, Xu Jia found it as tasteless as chewing wax.

At this time, Xu's father came in holding a box. Seeing Xu Jia reading here so early, he showed a gratified smile: "You have actually become diligent."

This box was not big, a little bigger than a head. Xu's father opened it, and inside were copied articles, as well as the "Selected Articles of the Two Lists of Presented Scholars of the Jitai Era of the Great Ning Dynasty."

When a new emperor ascends the throne, they will hold an "Imperial Examination," so there is no need to wait for the exam held every four years.

This was precisely the selection of the best articles from the Imperial Examination three years ago.

To be able to pass as a Presented Scholar, the articles must have attained the true meaning, so naturally, they were the best "study guides."

Xu Jia was attracted by it, put down the book in his hand, and picked up the Presented Scholar articles to read.

These were not the original manuscripts, but the literary talent was visible to the naked eye. The Recommended Man articles Xu Jia had just seen were not quite enough here.

If one were to use the Inner Elixir to compare the writing of articles, the childhood stage is cultivating the soil, the Cultivated Talent stage is the Yellow Sprout, the Recommended Man article is the Yellow Sprout refined and extracted to become the elixir head, while the Presented Scholar article has already "returned the elixir and transformed it," meaning the heat is sufficient and the medicinal power is just right.

If one were to talk about being stunning, it was not like the prose of the Eight Great Masters of the Tang and Song dynasties from his previous life; after all, they were exam articles. But to be able to have such splendor while performing a Daochang in a snail shell made it difficult.

When Xu Jia read such articles, he couldn't help but savor them carefully, much slower. It was as if a Presented Scholar was already talking to him in his mind, explaining.

Just now, reading Xu's father's articles was like tasting an old woman's foot-binding cloth, foul and unbearable; this one was like a fairy dancing in front of him.

After reading one article, Xu Jia felt his soul was comfortable, even more comfortable than practicing the Turtle Breath Hibernation Method.

He was even more surprised to find that his thoughts were running much faster: "It can actually increase wisdom?"

In the midst of cultivation, wisdom is greater than Daoist Practice, Daoist Practice is greater than Divine Ability, and Divine Ability is no match for karmic force; karmic force can only be resolved by "Merit" and "wisdom" together.

If Xu Jia had possessed a bit more "wisdom" at the beginning and had not taken things for granted during the Demon Examination, tearing up the exam paper, he would have already become an Immortal by now.

It is precisely because of insufficient wisdom that he could not distinguish the true from the false.

Having benefited from the essays of the Presented Scholars, Xu Jia no longer resisted reading these classics; instead, he secretly said to himself: "It seems that reading more books is still useful; otherwise, if an illiterate person were to cultivate to become an Immortal, I fear they would not be able to interpret some ancient secret manuals, and many cultivation techniques are not things one can just pick up and use."

Xu Jia was originally from a Dharma sect, and the essence of the Dharma sect is to piece things together and justify oneself; therefore, Xu Jia was also influenced by this and has always been a proponent of "taking what is useful." Confucianism wisdom, Daoist wisdom, and Buddhism wisdom are all, in fact, wisdom; they just have different emphases. If it can be used by me, it is good wisdom.

Thus, he impatiently picked up the second essay of the Presented Scholar to interpret it carefully.

Because it was the same examination, the essay topics were all the same, but everyone's entry point was different; this is equivalent to different ways of solving a problem, so the writing styles were vastly different. Xu Jia felt it was much more useful than any of the previous study guides.

For over a thousand years, Confucianism has studied this set of classics, and with so many schools of thought arguing and debating, it is all for the sake of the "Orthodox Dao." How could they not develop a great deal of wisdom within it? These Presented Scholars are the best among the Confucian scholars—it would not be an exaggeration to say one in a hundred thousand. As they wrote their essays, they chewed the material thoroughly, making it much easier for Xu Jia to learn.

Xu Jia spent longer looking at the second essay because some of the allusions were unique to this world, and Xu Jia still had to write them down to understand more historical details from the allusions.

After Xu Jia finished reading this essay, some of the content mentioned in the previous study guides could be verified, while some appeared too "formulaic," or rather, appeared rigid. It might be passable for passing the Provincial Examination, but for the Presented Scholar examination, one could see absolutely no "spirituality."

Rubbing his temples, Xu Jia did not continue reading. He could not help but complain in his heart: "With these essays to study, learning even two or three parts would be enough to pass the Provincial Examination; why is what is written still so foul? Not a bit of the essence has been grasped."

However, though he thought this in his heart, what he said with his mouth was: "Father, these essays are truly addictive to read, intoxicating; it is no less than eating a grand, nourishing feast."

"That is true. I often copy them, but unfortunately, I cannot learn them. I know they are good, but where is the goodness, and how can I make it my own? I just cannot figure it out." Father Xu sighed.

Xu Jia laughed secretly, thinking his father still had some self-awareness, and comforted him: "They have read the books and extracted the essence; they are talents of great standing. We have shallow knowledge and a thin foundation; we are not as well-read as them, nor have we had famous teachers to guide us from a young age. The essays thus appear rigid and lack foresight. Some of the applications of allusions are just the same few over and over again. If one has not read through the history books, one will certainly have no strategy in mind. Father, this is not your fault for not passing the Provincial Examination."

Father Xu was originally mocking himself, but then Xu Jia started talking, and with such a tone of being fond of playing the teacher, his face immediately stiffened: What? You are acting as a teacher to me now? "How is your body?" Father Xu did not flare up, only asking: "I see you becoming more robust day by day. Do you want to return to the school? To take the Cultivated Talent exam, you still need a recommendation from the Master, and joint guarantees from fellow examinees? You fell so ill, and your Master also wrote to inquire several times."

Xu Jia shook his head: "Not yet. I have only been recuperating for a few days; my body cannot handle the fatigue and needs to be nursed back to health."

Father Xu had no choice but to let it go; after all, it was his own son, and he could not drive him out to study when his body had not yet recovered.

"It is good to rest and recover."

The two of them read books for a while longer, and Xu Jia looked at the essays Father Xu had originally written.

Well! One cannot say the "logic is incoherent," only that it is "ordinary," and it slightly deviates from the original meaning of the topic. The phrasing is wordy and redundant, the theme is cliché, and it even has a self-satisfied air of "pointing out the faults of the country."

Xu Jia only felt as if he had crossed a great bridge—from a low level to a high level, and then back to a low level; there was a huge gap in between.

Unable to bear reading any further, he shook his head and put the essay down.

This time, Father Xu was even less pleased: "Why do you keep shaking your head while reading my essay?"

Xu Jia, wanting his father to succeed, used a reverse psychology tactic, sighing: "I just read Father's essay and compared it with the Presented Scholar's essay, and I can only sigh that it is no wonder you cannot pass the Provincial Examination; it turns out there is no literary spark."

"You have a literary spark?" Father Xu sneered: "Do not have high standards but low abilities."

Seeing that the provocation was successful, Xu Jia immediately laughed: "I am different now; I have awakened Past Life Wisdom. A mere Provincial Examination essay is child's play for me. Bring me a brush; I will revise it for you. Father, stand by the side and listen to my lecture, and see what it means for the accomplished to be the teacher."

(End of chapter)