Chapter 10, Fractal Techniques

Lu Xiaoji arrived at the back room, reached out to feel Xiao Jian's pulse, then lifted his eyelids to take a look, muttering to himself: "The pulse is normal, yet the person is in a deep coma, which does not seem like a sudden onset of a wind illness; it is indeed quite strange... I should first administer two acupuncture needles."

"Master, how was your cultivation last night?" she continued to inquire

Well, I still need to get her some water to drink. After leaving needles in all the acupoints, Lu Xiaoji looked down at his watch and mumbled as he returned to the front yard

The dark mist silently descended, drawing ever closer to the crown of Xiao Jian's head...

Ma Helan and Xiao Jian stood on the sand dune, gazing far at the Crescent Lake. They beheld the vast expanse of yellow sand, with a crescent of azure water quietly lying beneath the sand dune, undisturbed, resembling a mirror, deep and mysterious in its green hue

"What nightmare?" Uncle Fei asked calmly.

At this moment, Xiao Jian's primordial spirit in the Niwan Palace suddenly became alert, as if the eight extraordinary meridians had awakened from slumber. The empty dantian trembled slightly, and his entire body seemed to be excited and restless in anticipation of this moment.

He first helped Xiao Jian to lie flat and then proceeded to acupuncture the main points of the Governing Vessel and the Hand Jueyin Meridian, including Shui Gou, Zhong Chong, Yong Quan, and Zu San Li, aiming to open the orifices and awaken the spirit, as well as to adjust the chaotic flow of Yin and Yang Qi. Since the pulse did not indicate either a real or a false condition, he additionally needled Qi Hai, Guan Yuan, Bai Hui, as well as He Gu and Tai Chong. Among these, Zu San Li was treated with a reinforcing technique, Shui Gou and Zhong Chong were treated with a reducing technique, while Yong Quan was treated with a balanced approach of both reinforcement and reduction.

During cultivation, one must remember not to close their eyes, as the manifestation of the primordial spirit is fleeting and ephemeral. Furthermore, cultivation must take place in a secluded and quiet environment, free from any auditory disturbances, and the lighting should be soft. One's gaze must be fully concentrated on the reflection in the mirror. After Uncle Fei explained the key points, he signaled that they could begin.

Xiao Jian was listening quietly when suddenly he felt that something was not quite right.

The number of tourists near the Crescent Lake is sparse, likely due to the weather, as the meteorological station has forecasted a sandstorm in the coming days

The two of them left Majiagou with potatoes and walked into the boundless Gobi Desert, heading straight northwest towards the Singing Sand Dunes

Time slowly passed, and Uncle Fei had completely entered a meditative state, while Xiao Jian found it hard to settle his mind. At one moment, he thought of his mother and grandfather, and at another, he recalled Youliang Ge. He wondered how he was doing on Pangu Peak. Perhaps he had returned to Er Ya and that detestable little master. That child was clearly not a good person.

At this moment, the surroundings appeared unusually quiet, and the few tourists had seemingly vanished without a trace. Meanwhile, the potato exhibited extreme anxiety and restlessness.

"Xiao Jian, what is wrong with you?" Uncle Fei hurriedly nudged her with his pig snout

That night, the windows of the old house were tightly covered with quilts, not allowing a single ray of light to escape.

That mass of black mist silently and imperceptibly penetrated into Xiao Jian's fontanelle

Uncle Fei was taken aback, staring at her in astonishment, filled with great suspicion. It was strange; there was not a trace of internal energy within Xiao Jian, so how could he possibly expel the silver needles from his acupoints by himself

Uncle Fei leaped up, biting down on the four copper mirrors and stuffing them under the mattress to hide them. He then tore the quilt down from the window and ran out the door to the front yard, causing the wooden door to creak loudly.

You are truly strange... Uncle Fei thought to himself

Since Xiao Jian was unable to be possessed by Ge Laoyan in the barrier, her primordial spirit in the Niwan Palace has been nourished and strengthened day by day after devouring and draining the spirit of the Ge insect. The inherited factor of the "Zhongyin Corpse Absorption Technique" that her father, Huang Jianguo, had transmitted from afar is also in the process of budding and nurturing, but it is hindered by the absence of any true energy within her body, preventing it from breaking through the surface. It is akin to a parched seed of grain that requires the nourishment of dew and the illumination of sunlight to have any possibility of growth. The inherited factor of the "Zhongyin Corpse Absorption Technique" that her father, Huang Jianguo, had transmitted from afar is also in the process of budding and nurturing, but it is hindered by the absence of any true energy within her body, preventing it from breaking through the surface. It is akin to a parched seed of grain that requires the nourishment of dew and the illumination of sunlight to have any possibility of growth

"Hehe, it's good that you woke up. If you are fine, then I, Lu, can rest assured. Come over for breakfast in a while." Lu Xiaoji packed up the medicine box and left, filled with confusion.

"Hoo Hoo..." Uncle Fei looked up at him, and indeed, Teacher Lu was knowledgeable in medicine

Xiao Jian squatted by the spring, cupping his hands to scoop up some water to taste. Indeed, it was cool and refreshing, sweet as it entered his mouth, quite enjoyable. The two then sat by the spring, eating some food while chatting, finding their conversation very congenial.

Indeed, that is the principle. Nowadays, I have encountered a bottleneck in comprehending the 'Broken Tile Great Method' and feel that only by employing 'Fractal Technique' can I break through. Ge Hong combined 'Guarding the Mysterious One' with the Inner Vision Method to create 'Fractal Technique', utilizing a copper mirror to achieve the state of 'form as non-substantial, shadow as non-illusory, neither substantial nor illusory', thus enabling the 'Breaking Tile and Seizing the Body'. Listen carefully, by using four copper mirrors to create four virtual images, and reflecting them again to produce sixteen virtual images, along with the practitioner themselves, one can obtain dozens of images that are identical in clothing and appearance. Ge Hong combined 'Guarding the Mysterious One' with the Inner Vision Method to create 'Fractal Technique', utilizing a copper mirror to achieve the state of 'form as non-substantial, shadow as non-illusory, neither substantial nor illusory', thus enabling the 'Breaking Tile and Seizing the Body'. Listen carefully, by using four copper mirrors to create four virtual images, and reflecting them again to produce sixteen virtual images, along with the practitioner themselves, one can obtain dozens of images that are identical in clothing and appearance. In this process, the practitioner must always focus on the Dantian, with a mind free from distractions, until they 'see the primordial spirit in the Niwan Palace'. Do you understand? Uncle Fei explained.

Lu Xiaoji glanced at the kang and the floor, and indeed did not see the silver needle, which he found strange. There were no outsiders in the room, so it could only be that Xiao Jian had pulled it out himself after waking up.

Hoo hoo... Uncle Fei snorted, turned his head, jumped onto the kang, lay down on the quilt, closed his eyes, and fell silent.

"Hmm, Teacher Lu, I just woke up," Xiao Jian replied

Ma Helan clapped his hands on the backpack: "I have everything packed. We need to set off early to the Crescent Lake, as there will be venomous snakes roaming the Gobi Desert after dusk"

Xiao Jian's eyes were fixed on the bronze mirror, where she faintly saw her own reflection. After multiple reflections, the image became overlapped, causing her to break out in goosebumps. Am I suffering from "trypophobia"? she thought to herself

She yawned and fell asleep in a daze

"Master, what is wrong with Teacher Lu today? He seems a bit strange," Xiao Jian said, puzzled.

"What needle?" Xiao Jian was confused

"Then what about the needle on you?" Lu Xiaoji looked at her in surprise.

Uncle Fei and Xiao Jian sat cross-legged on the kang, facing each other. Due to insufficient height, Uncle Fei had placed a small kang table under him. In the middle, a white candle was lit, and four bronze mirrors were suspended around them, one foot and five inches away from their bodies, aligned with their brows, reflecting hazy figures in the mirrors

Uncle Fei, upon hearing this, was also puzzled and thus inquired about the details: "What dynasty do the uniforms of both armies belong to, and are there any characters on the flags?"

"Listen to me, there used to be many ancient buildings by the Crescent Spring, such as the Dragon King Palace, the Goddess Hall, the Medicine King Cave, the Bodhisattva Hall, and the Thunder God Platform, totaling several hundred rooms. Unfortunately, they were all destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. Since the year before last, the government has begun reconstruction, but it is still unknown how many years it will take to restore them," said Ma Helan with deep regret.

Xiao Jian's gaze turned towards Uncle Fei, seemingly seeking his opinion

The Crescent Lake is truly beautiful... Xiao Jian exclaimed sincerely

Xiao Jian remained completely unresponsive

Oh. "Xiao Jian replied in a muddled manner.

"Alright, let's go," Xiao Jian said, knowing that Uncle Fei did not want to go and preferred to stay at home to continue contemplating Ge Hong's "Fractal Technique." Thus, he bounced and pulled Ma Helan out the door.

"Not good, a sandstorm is coming!" Ma Helan exclaimed in a low voice

In an instant, Uncle Fei was astonished to discover that all the silver needles on Xiao Jian's acupuncture points had actually begun to pulsate. Immediately afterward, with a "whoosh, whoosh, whoosh," they shot out rapidly from his body, instantly burrowing into the wall, leaving only tiny pinhole-like openings.

At dawn in the East, the crowing of roosters rose and fell from the Ma Family Ditch, reaching the old house. Uncle Fei came back to his senses from a meditative state, looked down, and discovered that Xiao Jian was lying on the kang, already unconscious.

Oh, isn't it just a "return of light after darkness"? Xiao Jian thought to himself and said out loud

The Crescent Spring, formerly known as "Shajing" and commonly referred to as "Yaoquan," is located at the northern foot of the Mingsha Mountain, 7 kilometers southwest of Dunhuang City. Since the Han Dynasty, it has been one of the "Eight Scenic Spots of Dunhuang," referred to as "Yuequan Xiaoche." This spring is approximately 100 meters long from north to south, no more than 20 meters wide, and about 3.3 meters deep, resembling a new moon, hence its name

A long time ago, there was no Crescent Lake or Singing Sand Mountain here, only a Leiyin Temple. Ma Helan recounted an ancient legend of the area: "On the eighth day of the fourth month in one year, the temple held its annual Buddha Bathing Festival, where good men and women burned incense and worshipped the Buddha. As the ceremony reached the 'sprinkling of holy water' stage, the abbot brought out a bowl of ancestral holy water from Leiyin Temple and placed it at the temple gate. At that moment, a sorcerer from outside the temple loudly challenged the abbot, wanting to compete in a battle of magic. As the ceremony continued with the 'sprinkling of holy water,' the abbot placed the bowl of ancestral holy water at the temple gate. Suddenly, the sorcerer outside began to wave his sword and chant incantations. In an instant, the sky darkened, a fierce wind arose, and yellow sand filled the air, burying Leiyin Temple beneath the sand. Strangely, the bowl of holy water at the temple gate remained unharmed, still in its original place. The sorcerer then used his magic to fill the bowl with sand, but not a single grain of yellow sand could enter the bowl, until a sand mountain formed around the bowl, while the bowl of holy water remained unchanged. The sorcerer, helpless, had no choice but to leave in frustration. Just a few steps away, he suddenly heard a loud 'rumble' as the bowl of holy water tilted and transformed into a clear spring, while the sorcerer turned into a pile of black stones. This is the origin of the 'Crescent Lake.'

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***

Sure, Xiao Jian said happily, "But I haven't had breakfast yet."

Hmm. Uncle Fei did not express his opinion.

"The 'Fractal Technique' of Ge Hong from the Eastern Jin Dynasty is the most enigmatic method of internal cultivation in Taoism. A significant characteristic of human aging is the scattering of the fractal shadow, which becomes increasingly apparent with age. When the shadow scatters to the extreme, it will gather again, but the form cannot restore the attached shadow. At this point, the shadow will depart from the form, and the person will die," Fei Shu said solemnly.

Lu Xiaoji returned to the front yard to fetch a medicine box, as he was still the village doctor of Majia Gou. Villagers would come to him for minor ailments such as headaches, fevers, and colds, as it was quite inconvenient to make a trip to the hospital in Dunhuang City.

At that moment, Xiao Jian slowly awakened and gradually opened his eyes: "Master, why is it already bright outside? I had a terrible nightmare."

Lu Xiaoji opened the door and looked in surprise at the little pet pig.

Looking up, the world suddenly darkened, and in the distance, a towering "yellow wall" hundreds of feet high was rapidly advancing towards here

The two individuals descended from the sand dune and arrived at the water's edge

"Hoo hoo, hoo hoo..." Uncle Fei gestured to run towards the backyard, this old scholar seemed to possess some knowledge of medicine

Xiao Jian rubbed his head and asked, "Master, the 'Fractal Technique' is so difficult. Whenever I see the shadow of a person in the bronze mirror, I feel dizzy and get goosebumps all over my body"

The art of fractals is profound and extensive, and it is likely that it will take a few more days to fully grasp it. Uncle Fei seems reluctant to elaborate further

Is it possible that she has become obsessed? Uncle Fei regrets allowing her to participate in the practice of "fractal arts" too early

"Woof woof..." The sound of a potato barking came from outside the door. Ma Helan entered with a backpack, excitedly saying, "Xiao Jian, today I will take you to play at the Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring."

Xiao Jian furrowed his brows and thought for a moment: "Master, I do not remember."

It seems like an ancient battlefield, where two armies are engaged in a fierce battle, blood flowing like rivers, and severed heads scattered all over the ground, truly terrifying..." Xiao Jian said, still feeling a lingering fear.

This spring water is exceptionally sweet and palatable, and it is home to a type of fish known as iron-backed fish and a plant called seven-star grass. It is said that consuming them can grant immortality, which is why it is also referred to as the 'medicinal spring'

Footsteps were heard outside the door, and Lu Xiaoji entered carrying a water bottle. "Xiao Jian, you are awake?" He was momentarily taken aback, then spoke kindly.

At that moment, the black mist had already begun to swirl down slowly from the beams of the old house