Chapter 4: Guiding Qi to Open the Dantian

A rainbow quietly hangs over the pond, beneath the rainbow, Xiang Yang sits upright on a flat piece of blue stone beside the deep pond, steam rising from his entire body

Liu Gu, upon hearing this, exclaimed: "What should we do then? Are we really not going to attend this grand ceremony?"

Liu Gu muttered, "Those little bastards in the Internal Affairs Hall look down on others, how could they possibly offer such convenience!"

Although Gu Zhen's immortal seed was destroyed, his immortal embryo remains. The gold-type immortal embryo greatly benefits the cultivation of the Golden Body Technique, and after several decades, he has also reached the Silver Body realm

After practicing the Golden Body Technique for several months, Xiang Yang not only felt that his strength had increased several times, but even his appetite had doubled proportionally; this gourd was just enough to serve as a base.

Haha, even the size of a peanut is still considered a dantian. You must understand that those who have just begun to cultivate their qi are not even as good as you; at most, they only have this much...

The little person has red arrows pointing in the direction of the flow of energy, and Xiang Yang has pondered over it many times; the route is already clear. However, that damned energy flow is nowhere to be found.

Xiang Yang is overjoyed, is this what is referred to as the Dantian and Qi? ... However, it does seem rather small...

As the sky darkened, Xiang Yang first jumped into the pond to wash his body. This afternoon, a thin layer of mud had appeared on him again, similar to last time, but it was not as black and foul as before; instead, it clung to his skin like a layer of dust.

He was originally a disciple of the Golden Spear Hall in the Five Deities Temple, and also a genius above the three inches of the Immortal Seed, having once cultivated to the Refining Essence realm

"What? Have you cultivated your Qi and opened your Dantian?" The three masters of Xiang Yang were gathered together drinking. His master, Fu Gu, an old man with a face full of whiskers, upon hearing this, choked on his drink and sprayed it all over the face of the second master across from him

Why don't you ask your three masters... Liu Gu was puzzled for half a day, and in the end, he still reluctantly took out a gourd in response to his leader's call.

He originally knew that his aptitude was not remarkable, and being able to quickly grasp the Golden Body Technique was already thanks to the assistance of that treasure in his chest. However, to cultivate this technique, which is said to be countless times more precious than the Golden Body Technique, he is afraid that he truly lacks the capability.

A surge of scorching heat, as intense as molten lava, erupted from within him, spreading throughout his entire body. Xiang Yang's teeth chattered audibly, and sweat poured down his body like rain, soaking the bluestone beneath him into a dark hue

The Floating Jade Sect holds its founding ceremony every five years, with each ceremony lasting for six months. In the final days, a grand ceremony is conducted, during which all disciples from the branches must go to the internal affairs hall of the sect for evaluation and registration. Only then can they officially become disciples of the Floating Jade Sect. Although the Golden Body Hall has declined, its status remains, and this procedure is still indispensable. However, in the first three instances, they did not accept a single disciple, and it has been over a decade since they last attended the founding ceremony.

However, the current practice of the Floating Jade Sect follows the proper methods of the immortal sects, beginning with the introduction of qi to open the dantian, which is considered the entry point. This is followed by foundation establishment, refining essence, transforming spirit, forming elixir, and the primordial infant. As for what lies beyond the primordial infant, it is said that there is more, but it is beyond Gu Zhen's knowledge.

He sat there for an entire afternoon, only waking up leisurely when the sun had set. The heat that had enveloped his body had already dissipated, but it seemed as though there was a tiny space in his abdomen, about the size of a peanut. Within that space, there was a faint flow of warmth, and with a thought, he could direct it to move through his meridians.

An elderly man with three strands of gray beard affectionately patted Xiang Yang's head, extended his finger, and pinched the tip of his little finger with his thumb, revealing a tiny gap of nail as he gestured.

Xiang Yang can read, but not much. He cannot grasp most of the meanings in this jade slip. However, he can still understand the phrase "to draw in qi to cleanse the physical body, to wash the meridians to open the dan tian" from the very beginning.

Although the Longxian Gorge, where the Golden Body Hall is located, cannot be compared to the Central Land, it is still a rare cultivation treasure in the periphery. It is also normal for someone to be envious, given the decline of the Golden Body Hall.

He exerted great effort to restrain himself, ensuring that his sea of consciousness remained clear, so as not to faint from the pain, and then he mobilized all his awareness, focusing it on that surge of heat

These Yuan and *graphite* stones were originally intended for Yang Er to exchange for some elixirs in the future, but you can take them for your convenience for now ... sigh ...

After washing up, he felt refreshed all over and happily ran along the path towards the thatched cottage at the valley's entrance. After more than a month of rigorous training, he finally achieved some results. At just nine years old, Xiang Yang was still a child, eager to find an adult to show off his accomplishments.

It is unclear how long he has persisted, when suddenly, it seemed that something in his sea of consciousness gently stirred. The warm current that enveloped his entire body abruptly came to a momentary stillness, and then began to flow in accordance with his will.

The elderly are all very kind to him; stubborn as he is, how could he bear to disappoint them, and how could he concede defeat?

Yu Tie's voice was extremely loud, and his hearty laughter startled the others in the valley. Before long, about ten old men had gathered in Fu Gu's thatched cottage, and even the burly pig butcher came running over

What a little imp, hahahaha! Great! This time, our Golden Body Hall has truly struck gold! Master Yu Tie, without bothering to wipe his face, was taken aback for a moment and pointed at Xiang Yang, bursting into laughter. While laughing, he also slapped the round wooden stump in front of him, making a loud thumping sound.

On the steep cliff, the waterfall cascades down with a thunderous roar, plunging into the deep pool below. The impact causes the surface of the pool to splash with droplets, which sparkle like gems under the sunlight, before transforming into a misty vapor.

And what about my disciple now? It has only been a little over a month since he obtained that jade slip, and he has already successfully cultivated his Qi. What else could this be if not a prodigy? ... The most crucial point is that, according to Liu Gu, this child's immortal seed is only half an inch long ...

Fu Gu shook his head: "This is not necessarily the case. The Longyan Gorge that our Jingshen Hall occupies can be considered a land of feng shui treasures. Many branches have long been envious, but they dare not go too far due to the feelings of the founding ancestor and that master. They are all waiting for our Miao descendants to sever ties so they can seize the opportunity to take it for themselves. We must remain vigilant..."

Only Xiang was tossing and turning in his room, lost in thought. Over the past few months, whenever Xiang Yang made a breakthrough, these old men seemed to have found a treasure. This situation had occurred several times, and each time, a wave of sour anger surged within Xiang. A servant, an orphan without parents, now stood above me...

In Fu Gu's thatched cottage, Gu Zhen had already informed them of the successful news regarding Xiang Yang's induction. Liu Gu was the most excited, peering out from behind a group of elderly people, and hurriedly asked, "Is it really true? This kid is truly a monster..." He was at a loss for words to describe it. He had given that jade slip to Xiang Yang merely as a last resort, never expecting that this kid would actually be able to enter the fold.

He drank so much of this Eight Treasure Soup last time and was fine; that large bowl could hold more than ten gourds. This time, he didn't pay much attention and just drank straight from the bowl, pouring it all into his stomach.

Over the years, the Floating Jade Sect has branched out extensively, with an unknown number of offshoots established. Some prime locations have long been occupied, leaving the later created branches to seek space only on the periphery

That little bit, no larger than a peanut, I wonder if it can be considered as the dantian... Xiang Yang noticed that the two masters were somewhat out of sorts, and he felt a bit uneasy in his heart

He truly could not perceive the energy mentioned in the jade slip, and in his helplessness, he asked Liu Gu for some Eight Treasure Porridge, hoping to verify whether the warm sensation that had arisen in his abdomen at that time was indeed this energy

Liu Gu pondered for a moment and said, "After all, Xiang Yang's celestial root is only half an inch long. Even if he has entered the Qi induction stage, what reputable sect would take an interest in him?"

For reasons unknown, after only a few years of entering the path, he suffered a great calamity. In a single night, he lost all his cultivation, and even his immortal seedlings were destroyed. In his despair, he jumped off a cliff to commit suicide, only to land in the pool located in the valley of the Golden Body Hall. Since then, he has lived in seclusion here.

Once, twice, three times... There was no response, yet the heat continued to surge in waves. After a stick of incense, he was nearly exhausted, but still persisted in not allowing himself to fall.

Fu Gu sighed: "How can we not go? We have held the sect's initiation four times in a row without any new disciples registering. You know the rules of the sect; you just need to be quicker and have the Internal Affairs Hall evaluate the registrations sooner. Once you have your name registered and receive your identity badge, you will have nothing to fear."

That is Xiang Yang's third master, named Gu Zhen, who is the most knowledgeable person in the entire Golden Body Hall

At this moment, upon hearing that his beloved disciple had truly opened up the Dantian, he was immediately filled with great comfort, and for a time, the pent-up frustration accumulated over decades was significantly alleviated

It is important to understand that entering any martial arts practice is one of the significant challenges. Back in the Golden Spear Hall, those gifted individuals who were above three inches tall took at least half a year to overcome the initial stage of channeling energy. Gu Zhen himself spent a total of five months and three days on it, and even then, his master at the time remarked that he was making rapid progress

However, he learned from his three masters that this jade slip has been passed down to the present day, with only a few uses remaining, making it the most precious item in the entire Golden Body Hall. More than a month has passed, and he has made no progress. Although the three masters and Liu Gu did not say anything, he has always been observant, and naturally, he could see the faint disappointment in the elders' eyes.

The Golden Body Technique of the Golden Body Hall is a method for refining the body and cultivating oneself. It consists of four realms: Entry, Iron, Copper, Silver, and Gold. Even reaching the pinnacle of the Golden Body realm is merely equivalent to the peak of refining essence in the practice of immortality.

Fu Guzhao and Xiang Yang glanced at each other, walked to the corner of the thatched cottage, and took out a small leather pouch from a wooden box. Upon opening it, they found a dozen or so sparkling gemstones inside

However, what he did not expect was that the precious stone on his chest showed no reaction at all, and the surge of heat rising from his belly almost cooked him alive

Fu Gu frowned and said, "Twenty years ago, those two children were abducted by Yushan Hall during the grand ceremony. This time, it is best not to show too much brilliance."

Behind this sentence, there is a drawing of a completely naked little figure, whose body is covered with lines that are quite similar to the meridian chart that Liu Gu used to teach him the Golden Body Technique, only more detailed

At this moment, he was gritting his teeth and enduring with great difficulty, his face, which could hardly be described as handsome, was contorted with the agony of pain.

The jade tablet is a marvelous object; as long as one holds it and then relaxes their mind, various techniques will automatically manifest in their consciousness, and thereafter, they will be exceedingly difficult to forget

The headquarters of the Floating Jade Sect is located on Floating Jade Mountain, a treasure land of the level of cave heavens and blessed grounds. The surrounding mountain range is vast, stretching thousands of miles, and the closer one gets to Floating Jade Mountain, the more abundant the vital energy becomes

Gu Zhen sighed with a mix of joy and disappointment, realizing that this celestial seed was truly... He also knew that the Floating Jade Sect possessed several treasures that could promote the growth of celestial seeds, but such items were far beyond the reach of a disciple from the Golden Body Hall.

Yu Tie was originally sitting happily beside them, but upon hearing this, he widened his eyes and said: "What kind of monster is this! It is we three who have taught well! If it fell into your hands, it would surely be ruined! Fortunately, we have discerning eyes! Haha!"

"What have you taught? It's just a title, and it's all Master Gu who is worrying..." Liu Gu muttered a few words in his heart, but since Yu Tie was his master uncle, even though he was the hall master, he couldn't put on any airs. He could only smile sheepishly and say: "Aren't I just happy? Counting the days, the grand ceremony is about to take place soon. Bringing this child along will also bring honor to our Golden Body Hall, won't it?"

Liu Gu was taken aback, took the small leather pouch, and his hands trembled slightly as he nodded silently

In that moment, he entered a state of ethereality, subconsciously directing the hot energy to flow through his meridians again and again. With each cycle, the intensity of the heat would slightly diminish, while his muscles and meridians would experience a negligible enhancement. However, this change was so subtle that even when Xiang Yang was awake, he would not be able to perceive it.

It is said that the Fire God Hall once received an extraordinary genius with a height of one foot and eight inches. The then leader of the Fire God Hall pleaded with the sect for several years, but ultimately did not succeed, let alone the now-declined Golden Body Hall.

After all, he had once practiced the art of immortality and had spent several years in a place like the Hall of Five Gods, which broadened his horizons. For more than a month, most of the techniques from the jade slip that Xiang Yang practiced were guided by him