Chapter 43

A month passed quickly.

Life this month didn't change much; he still woke up early to chant, chop wood, and fetch water. In his spare time, he would go to the Second Third Third Shixiong's alchemy room to watch him refine pills and listen to him talk about the Dao of alchemy. The Immortal Source Temple gave three lectures, which Lin Jue naturally attended. In addition, the Immortal Source Temple had a class every other day to teach the young Daoists how to read. Lin Jue went for two days and found that they were all teaching very basic literacy, so he stopped going, leaving only the junior sister to go alone.

In the second month of arriving at the temple, Lin Jue and the junior sister began to practice the Yin-Yang Spiritual Famen.

Daoist Yunhe and the First Third Third Shixiong taught them together.

"Once you can perceive the Qi of Yin and Yang, guide the Qi of Yin and Yang into your body. Within a day, it is difficult for yin and yang to be evenly balanced, so you must use the weak Qi to guide the strong Qi. Near noon, the Yang Qi is strong and the Yin Qi is weak, so use the Yin Qi to guide the Yang Qi; near midnight, the Yin Qi is strong and the Yang Qi is weak, so use the Yang Qi to guide the Yin Qi. Remember, remember: guide only as much strong Qi as there is weak Qi; you must keep it balanced.

"Within a day, when the gap between the two Qi of Yin and Yang is the largest, you will grasp the least spiritual rhythm; when the gap is the smallest, you will grasp the most spiritual rhythm.

"Now that your cultivation is still low, do not be greedy; you must practice at midnight and noon.

"Remember! Yin and yang must be balanced!

"If you are greedy, hehe, when I was young, I was greedy for speed, and my yin and yang became unbalanced. I never managed to correct it, and now, not to mention shortening my life, my whole body is uncomfortable."

These voices kept entering Lin Jue's ears.

Lin Jue was sitting cross-legged in the Mountain-Moving Hall, eyes closed, carefully perceiving, his heart as calm as water. For a moment, his mind held only Daoist Yunhe's words and the chaotic spiritual rhythm filling the sky.

Chaotic spiritual rhythm, take only yin and yang.

It was noon, and the Yang Qi was extremely prosperous, like a towering flame covering the whole world. The forest outside the room was illuminated brightly, and only the cicadas dared to make a sound. In contrast, the Yin Qi was extremely weak; in this towering brightness, one could hardly feel it without careful and focused effort.

Once he finally felt it, he used this trace of Yin Qi to pry open an equal trace of Yang Qi and guide it into his body.

If he took a trace of Yin Qi separately and then took a trace of Yang Qi, it would be laborious; if he took a trace of Yin Qi and immediately pried open an equal trace of Yang Qi to enter his body at the same time, it was very natural.

Perhaps it was because yin and yang naturally accompany each other.

This method was quite ingenious.

Ingenious and steady, not easy to lose balance.

The junior sister sat beside him, her brows tightly furrowed.

The little fox cub didn't dare to enter the Mountain-Moving Hall and still huddled at the door waiting for them. It had grown a bit and gotten taller this month, but it still habitually huddled behind the threshold. Listening to the voices inside, its pair of pitch-black round eyes often revealed a thoughtful look, tilting its head from time to time, scratching an itch, yawning and lying down to sleep for a while, or staring at a passing cat, sometimes getting a slap.

He didn't know how much time had passed.

"Done."

"Hoo..."

Lin Jue opened his eyes.

There was contemplation and realization in his eyes.

The junior sister also opened her eyes, but there was confusion in them.

"Third Shixiong brother, did you grasp the spiritual rhythm?"

"I grasped it."

"Ah?" The junior sister was a bit sluggish upon hearing this, and also a bit flustered. "Why did it take me so long to perceive the yin-yang spiritual rhythm, but I couldn't guide it into my body no matter what?"

"Lin Jue has practiced the Qi-Nurturing Famen and has a foundation. Moreover, when practicing the breathing and guiding of the Qi-Nurturing Famen, there is naturally yin-yang spiritual rhythm. It is naturally easy to succeed," the First Third Third Shixiong said gently from the side. "It is already extremely rare that you could perceive the existence of the Qi of Yin and Yang and the spiritual rhythm on your first try. Do not be discouraged; the Master was able to accept you into the Daoist temple, so your natural talent must be extremely good. Having recited the Yin-Yang Scripture for a month, you must have gained something; I think you will definitely be able to successfully grasp the spiritual rhythm within a few days."

"Oh..."

"You must not have a competitive heart! Comparing leads to discouragement! Discouragement leads to greedy progress! Greedy progress leads to trouble!" Daoist Yunhe said with rare seriousness. "Do you still remember that wolf friend you met on the road?"

"That wolf spirit? I remember."

"Do you still remember that originally his crow brother was smarter than him, but in the end, it was he who attained the Dao and became a spirit, while his crow brother was slow to become a spirit?" the old Daoist said. "The path of cultivation also speaks of affinity. It is good to have some utilitarian heart in your chest; just use it in practicing spells. On the path of cultivation, it is better to let things take their natural course."

"I understand."

The junior sister nodded earnestly.

Lin Jue, however, couldn't help but think: what kind of person can have both a utilitarian heart and a heart that lets things take their natural course, and can perfectly distribute them to two different things?

"Master, I heard that practicing the Yin-Yang Spiritual Famen can prolong life?" Lin Jue withdrew his thoughtful gaze and asked instead.

"Any spiritual method can prolong life. Getting sick less, nourishing the body, and dying of old age naturally means living longer," Daoist Yunhe said. "If you insist on talking about prolonging life beyond the originally determined maximum lifespan, you must cultivate the Yin-Yang Spiritual Famen to a profound level without losing balance."

"Is Master considered profound?"

"When I was young and frivolous, my yin and yang became unbalanced. Since it's unbalanced, how can I be considered profound?" Daoist Yunhe shook his head and said modestly.

"Then how many years can it prolong life?"

"I do not know."

"Is immortality possible?"

"A cultivation method is a cultivation method; immortality requires a method for immortality. Looking at history, just wanting immortality by practicing the Dao—that goes back to ancient times."

"Then what methods for immortality are there?"

Lin Jue was still sitting cross-legged on the ground, asking earnestly.

"There are many methods for immortality, some difficult and some easy, some true and some false, some empty and some real; it depends on how you categorize them." Daoist Yunhe looked at this disciple and suddenly sighed, but continued, "For example, entering the divine register and being ranked among the immortals can transcend the original lifespan. Although it is difficult to be as long-lived as heaven and earth, as long as the incense is not broken and the nine heavens do not collapse, you can last for a long time. You tell me, does this not count as immortality?"

"..." Lin Jue pondered without answering, but asked again, "Is there anything else?"

"Becoming a ghost after death, not entering reincarnation, cultivating into a great ghost or a ghost immortal—although you lose the human shell and many emotional feelings, you can also achieve longevity until heaven and earth change or you are eliminated by someone. Does this count as the immortality in your mind?"

"What else?"

"There are spirit people who have various methods, such as stealing human Yang lifespan to refine into pills, or using spirit methods to constantly change shells, making do to last a long time. You tell me, does this count as immortality?"

"Is there no other upright and unfettered path to immortality?"

"Immortality is difficult. Being free and unfettered is difficult. Immortality and being free and unfettered is difficult, difficult, difficult." Daoist Yunhe sighed repeatedly.

"Is there really none?"

"There is, and that is the Immortal Dao you asked for when you went up the mountain."

"Please instruct me, Master."

Lin Jue's expression tightened, and he asked sincerely.

"Immortal Dao and immortality—people often put these two words together, but if you ask, you must distinguish them clearly."

"This disciple is all ears."

"There are many immortals in the world, but what is an immortal? The soldiers guarding the heavenly gates, the guardian immortals assigned to the True Men of the Talisman Sect, the attendants of immortals, the dancing immortal maidens—these are all immortals, the immortals others want to become! However, if you want immortality and to be free and unfettered, there are only the legendary True Immortals of ancient times."

"True Immortals of ancient times?"

"In ancient times, there were many human cultivators, and there were many ways to become an immortal. Some cultivated hard to become immortals, some were canonized as gods for their virtue, and some refined pills to ascend to heaven. Only those who could reach heaven and earth could be called True Immortals," Daoist Yunhe said. "Later, these True Immortals all went to the Nine Heavens, built immortal realms, and turned into various Heavenly Venerables and ancient gods of all sides. If you can become a True Immortal of ancient times and be on par with them, you can naturally be immortal and free and unfettered. But since ancient times, it has been very difficult for anyone to cultivate into a great power and attain the status of a True Immortal in the world."

Lin Jue silently remembered this.

Seeing this, Daoist Yunhe sighed, waved his hand, stood up, and walked outside:

"Today's practice ends here. The Yin-Yang Spiritual Famen is not just about taking yin and yang, and the Five Elements Spiritual Famen is not just about practicing the five elements. Since you have learned the Yin-Yang Spiritual Famen, you can go to the mountains every day to practice, perceive heaven and earth, and grasp more spiritual rhythm. You can savor it here for a while longer. Remember, do not be too hasty, and do not let yin and yang become unbalanced."

"I understand."

Lin Jue sat for a while longer, savoring the feeling just now, before getting up and walking out.

The little fox cub had identified him; it didn't move when Daoist Yunhe and the First Third Third Shixiong came out, just looked up to observe who they were. Seeing Lin Jue come out, it let out a whimper and followed him with small, quick steps.

"Are you listening too?

"How much did you understand?

"..."

Lin Jue talked to it casually as he walked.

Returning to the room, he opened the ancient book.

There was already an extra page on "Ingestion."

The so-called ingestion is a method created by Daoists of the alchemy path to assist in taking pills.

The book said much the same as the Second Third Third Shixiong: some pills have intense natures, some are difficult to digest, and some are even inherently toxic; one must be assisted by the method of ingestion to make the pills fully effective and not be poisoned. Many mortal people cannot practice and do not understand this path, swallowing pills at will; if they are lucky, it's fine, but if they are unlucky, it's easy to be poisoned to death.

Especially since most pills are related to things like lead, mercury, gold, silver, cinnabar, and stone powder.

In detail, it is nothing more than the two key points of "harmonization" and "dissolution." The so-called "ingestion" that makes one unafraid of poison is just an additional effect brought about by the "dissolution" method.

Harmonization relies on the spiritual energy in the body to harmonize the medicinal properties. Dissolution, besides relying on spiritual energy, also relies on long-term practice of swallowing poisonous things. It is precisely because Lin Jue has practiced the Qi-Nurturing Famen and the temple has a "Medical Art" that the Second Third Third Shixiong said he could practice ingestion in advance—it is not easy to be poisoned to death, and even if he is poisoned, the Fifth Third Third Shixiong can cure him.

It's quite a suffering, actually.

As for this method, the book explains it in more detail.

At this time, there was an extra page in the book:

Yin-Yang Fundamental Famen, Small Yin-Yang Famen.

The Great Dao of Yin and Yang is mysterious and profound. Cultivators are always troubled by the difficulty of balance, which is why there is a distinction between the Small Yin-Yang Famen and the Great Yin-Yang Famen.

Ancient sages wrote the "Yin-Yang Scripture," explaining the Qi of Yin and Yang and the principle of balance. Later generations studied and annotated it for generations, gradually obtaining the essence of the Yin-Yang Spiritual Famen. However, it is difficult for the Qi of Yin and Yang to be evenly balanced within a day, so these Yin-Yang Spiritual Methods all take the balanced Qi without exception, either using the micro to guide the prosperous, or taking it cautiously at dawn and dusk—in short, they all have their own methods, all for the sake of the word "balance."

Later, a great power painstakingly explored and gradually obtained the Great Yin-Yang Famen.

The Great Yin-Yang Famen draws the Qi of Yin and Yang together; as long as the Qi of Yin and Yang taken within a day is balanced, there is no need to balance it at all times, hence it is the Great Yin-Yang Famen.

The former is slow and the latter is fast; the former is steady and the latter is urgent.

Because this method originated from the "Yin-Yang Fundamental Meaning" annotated by a Daoist surnamed Xiang, it is mostly called the Yin-Yang Fundamental Famen, also known as the Xiang Family Yin-Yang. Its practice is not fast, but it is cautious and steady, belonging to the category of the Small Yin-Yang Famen.

Lin Jue looked at it and was stunned.

This reminded him of the Fire-Aversion Art in the marketplace, which is divided into upper, middle, and lower grades. He didn't expect the Yin-Yang Spiritual Famen to have similar distinctions?

One requires balance every time a trace of spiritual rhythm is guided into the body, so the amount of spiritual rhythm guided actually depends not on the strong Qi, but on the weak Qi; the practice efficiency is actually not very high. The other actually ignores these completely, only drawing the Qi of Yin and Yang together each time. This is extremely dangerous and taboo in the Yin-Yang Spiritual Famen of Fuqiu Temple, in the practice method Lin Jue just learned, and in the "Yin-Yang Fundamental Meaning."

Lin Jue did not know the principle behind this, nor did he know how this great power avoided the danger, nor did he know what kind of mystery was in the middle; it was a pity that it was not recorded here.

After thinking for a moment, he pinched the page.

Even if it was just the Small Yin-Yang Famen, the book still explained it in incomparable detail. For a moment, it was as if he were listening to the Great Dao, infatuated and intoxicated.

One night passed unconsciously.