[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-dimensional-demon-god-s-chat-group":3,"chapter-the-dimensional-demon-god-s-chat-group-the-dimensional-demon-god-s-chat-group-chapter-40":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Dimensional Demon God's Chat Group",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2277607,4455,"Chapter 40: Sima Chengzhen","the-dimensional-demon-god-s-chat-group-chapter-40",40,"\u003Cp>Although its efficacy is somewhat weak, the Tang Gui world does indeed contain heavenly treasures and earthly essences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides the rare flowers and exotic herbs and the Nine Marvelous Pearls shown in the television drama, there are others mentioned only by characters in the plot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Heavenly Mountain Rare Orchid is a typical example.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is said that once, an assassin ambushed Di Renjie; Su Wuming tested the medicine for Di Renjie, accidentally poisoned himself, and fell into a coma for seven days and seven nights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To save his beloved disciple’s life, Di Renjie summoned several renowned physicians from the Divine Capital and brewed a decoction from the Heavenly Mountain Rare Orchid stored in the palace, bathing Su Wuming in it until the poison was fully neutralized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since this story came only from Su Wuming’s own account, many viewers assumed he was making it up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after Lin Yu personally traveled to the Heavenly Mountains, he indeed found the so-called Heavenly Mountain Rare Orchid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This substance is extremely yin in nature, a type of tea; after brewing and drinking, it nourishes yin, supplements yang, dispels illness and toxins, and extends lifespan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, based on Lin Yu’s own experience, it is not at all pleasant to drink—though its effects are indeed excellent for ordinary people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If infused with magical energy of the same nature, it might produce a superior variety of Heavenly Mountain Rare Orchid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In addition, Lin Yu also found a magnificent Da Hong Pao mother tree, a green jujube tree that nourishes vitality and extends lifespan, a green bamboo as hard as steel, a lotus flower with three colors, and numerous ginseng and lingzhi mushrooms over a thousand years old—ordinary spiritual items.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All these items barely qualifying as heavenly treasures and earthly essences were taken by Lin Yu using the Sacred Scripture spell [Sleeve of Heaven and Earth], to be brought back to the Fuli Lian world for careful cultivation and attempted evolution into spiritual seeds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, Lin Yu has already tested it: the green jujubes produced by the jujube tree do indeed resonate with magical energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The four green jujubes he gave to the Four Sons of Nanzhou were enhanced by magical energy; after consuming them, the Four Sons experienced greatly amplified effects—Master Zhong Boqi, the tea master, thus eliminated his chronic ailment and will likely never commit the murders as depicted in the original story.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next morning, three hours remained until his return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Yu arrived at Tongbai Mountain in the Tiantai range.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This mountain has long been known as a dwelling place of immortals, with nine peaks arranged in a circle, a clear stream flowing before them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the north lie Yuxiao and Xianglin, part of Huading, with a deep and enduring geological lineage and complete Five Elements; to the east, Wolong and Hualin peak toward the sky; to the west, Zixiao, Lianhua, and Cuiwei bow their heads; to the south, Nüyu and Yuquan stand exquisitely beautiful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These nine peaks rise and fall in undulating clusters, shrouded in mist and clouds, appearing truly like the abode of immortals—distant and ethereal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During its later peak, Tongbai Mountain housed thirty-six palaces, seventy-two pavilions, and a total of one hundred and eight temples of varying sizes; many famous literati and poets once paused here, leaving countless poems.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in this era, Tongbai Mountain has not yet reached its historical zenith.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the Tongbai Palace atop Yuxiao Peak has not yet been built; only its predecessor—the Fa Lun Courtyard constructed by the high Daoist Ge Xuan in the third year of Wu Yuan during the Three Kingdoms period—stands here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, this does not mean no famous Daoist temple yet exists atop Yuxiao Peak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, for the past thirty years, one man has dwelled here in a thatched hut, cultivating the Dao, attracting numerous Daoist disciples to gather around him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His secluded dwelling is known as Yuxiao Mountain Abode—the prototype of the future Cave Heaven Palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The morning Yuxiao Mountain Abode is utterly silent; its green-tiled eaves half-hidden in the year-round mist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The stone steps are moss-covered and weathered; a large, leafy tong tree stands in the courtyard, beneath which an elderly Daoist, vigorous and alert, sits cross-legged on a mat, meditating quietly in the morning light and mist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike his contemporaries who favor alchemy, the old Daoist, though trained in orthodox tradition, has no interest in external alchemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, he believes that the realm arises from the mind; cultivating the Dao is cultivating the heart; only by forgetting the self, calming the mind, embracing stillness, and eliminating desire—achieving utter purity, unattached to any thing—can one transcend the mundane…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon after, the old Daoist ended his morning practice and slowly opened his eyes beneath the tong tree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, he froze, realizing a young man in white robes had appeared in the courtyard without his notice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The youth stood tall and handsome, his black hair gently stirred by the breeze, his dark eyes lowered, quietly reading a scroll of Daoist scripture in his hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Merely from his aura, he resembled the mountain’s mist—ethereal and otherworldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old Daoist stared, momentarily spellbound; only after a moment did he regain himself, his gaze sharp and fixed on the youth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This Yuxiao Mountain Abode is my place of quiet cultivation. Who are you, and why have you entered without invitation?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young man in white raised his eyes, studied the old Daoist carefully, then lifted the scripture in his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is this ‘Treatise on Sitting in Oblivion’ your work?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Indeed, it is mine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young man smiled faintly, his gaze returning to the scripture, speaking slowly: “Faith and Reverence, Cutting Off Connections, Calming the Mind, Simplifying Affairs, True Contemplation, Supreme Stillness, Attaining the Dao—these seven stages of sitting in oblivion are already approaching internal alchemy!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Internal alchemy?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old Daoist froze, then his eyes gleamed with excitement, as if he had grasped some profound truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, the young man—or Lin Yu—could not help but smile slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>External and internal alchemy are two distinct Daoist cultivation methods; external alchemy stems from traditional elixir-making, using external substances to create pills for longevity, while internal alchemy treats the human body as a crucible, refining essence, qi, and spirit within to form a pill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the year Jingyun II of the Tang Dynasty, external alchemy was still the dominant practice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Internal alchemy, meanwhile, was only in its infancy—and the man before Lin Yu, the old Daoist, was the one who would eventually shape internal alchemy into a coherent system and profoundly influence its later theories: Sima Chengzhen!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was a descendant of Sima Kui, Grand Secretary of Cao Wei, and the great-grandson of Sima Yi, Marquis of Langya of Northern Zhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Born into a prominent family, he had no interest in officialdom; early on, he became a disciple of the Mount Song Daoist Pan Shizheng, studying the Shangqing scriptures and talismans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After mastering his teachings, he bid farewell to his master, traveled widely among famous mountains, and finally settled on Mount Tiantai, dwelling atop Yuxiao Peak, where he wrote countless Daoist texts and founded the Shangqing Tiantai Sect, later revered by Daoism as the Twelfth Patriarch of the Shangqing Lineage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ‘Treatise on Sitting in Oblivion’ in Lin Yu’s hands is one of Sima Chengzhen’s most representative works—and the milestone text marking Daoism’s transition from external to internal alchemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“May I ask, sir, what is internal alchemy?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sima Chengzhen, disregarding the age gap, bowed respectfully, his eyes fixed intently on Lin Yu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Yu smiled faintly, speaking slowly: “Your treatise calls itself ‘sitting in oblivion,’ but it is actually ‘sitting in agitation.’ Though it contains the embryo of internal alchemy, it remains only the initial stage on the path to longevity. The true method of longevity must unify body and spirit—using the human body as a crucible to refine essence, qi, and spirit into a pill, so that body and spirit become one, achieving eternal life.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Unify body and spirit, refine into a pill…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sima Chengzhen murmured to himself, a sudden insight stirring within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment, he came to himself and exclaimed excitedly: “The Lingbao Scripture says: ‘When body and spirit are one, it becomes the true body.’ The Xisheng Scripture also states: ‘When body and spirit unite, longevity is achieved!’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yet the Dao of emptying the mind varies in depth; profound depth encompasses the body, shallow depth affects only the mind. Those who encompass the body attain only the physical form; those who affect only the mind attain only wisdom. I have cultivated for many years, yet I have attained only the mind…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“May I ask, Master, is there a way to achieve both?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meeting the old Daoist’s eager, hopeful gaze, Lin Yu’s smile stiffened slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had come to Sima Chengzhen today for three reasons: to manifest his power, to offer guidance, and to leave behind some contingency in this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his expectation, describing the yet-unseen internal alchemy to a scholar of such profound Daoist knowledge should have been sufficient for him to deduce the rest himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who knew this man was so bold—he couldn’t figure it out himself, so he just asked outright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How was he supposed to answer?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Yu felt a headache coming on; he had only just collected the Daoist canons today—he didn’t truly understand them. How could he answer?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…No choice. He’d have to bluff his way through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking this, Lin Yu merely smiled without speaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sima Chengzhen first looked puzzled, then suddenly understood, his expression turning solemn: “It is said: the Dao cannot be lightly transmitted, the Way cannot be cheaply sold. Yet today, you entered without invitation—this is impolite. You have even read our temple’s scriptures without permission—this is stealing the Dao. I have not held it against you, and I am willing to set aside past grievances and sit with you to discuss the Dao. Is even this too much?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hah!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Yu laughed softly: “You old Daoist, you’re truly amusing… Very well. Since I was the one at fault, I shall tell you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a flick of his sleeve, a steaming teapot and two jade teacups appeared on the courtyard’s stone table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1697,"2026-06-20T00:29:28.871Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","2743ad0059bc47784fa563a88b0ac54452f93c9a6e61871c810096c0fbbe14cc","the-dimensional-demon-god-s-chat-group-chapter-41","the-dimensional-demon-god-s-chat-group-chapter-39",206,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-dimensional-demon-god-s-chat-group-cover.jpg"]