Chapter 2, the naive apprentice, seeks the path to immortality
The realm of the ordinary body consists of three levels: Qi perception, becoming a source, and enlightenment of the orifice
The eyes contain the stars, and the face bears a jade hue, which is the external manifestation of the realm of Chengyuan.
Strangely, the original owner of this body, a seemingly foolish little Taoist in Jing Younan's eyes, had comprehended a method from the scriptures three years ago, known as the Three Yuan Fetal Breathing Observation Spirit Method. This method aligns with the divine, involving a breath in and a breath out, calming the spirit and concentrating the energy, leading to a state of profound stillness in the heart.
Jing Younan first took out the sandalwood, lit it, and inserted it into the crane-shaped incense burner. The fragrant smoke spiraled upward, enveloping the room in a hazy mist.
Listening to the breath, one consciously feels a refreshing energy entering through the nostrils, blending with the scattered thoughts in the chest, transforming into a murky essence expelled through the mouth. This action is repeated until the scattered thoughts in the chest seem to dissipate completely with the breath, and the mind enters a state of ethereal mystery.
As if all the filth had been brushed away, one feels refreshed and at ease, and the breath becomes elongated. Subtly, a white light, two feet long and difficult for the naked eye to perceive, emanates from the mouth and nose, resonating with a clear sound
After reaching the stage of Chengyuan, the separation from the mortal body is within sight. After ten years of arduous cultivation, success is finally at hand. How can one not be overjoyed?
After a while, Jing Younan stood up, pushed open the window, and gazed into the distance, carefully contemplating the days to come
Jing Younan merely nodded woodenly, but the corner of her eye inadvertently swept over the Daoist text on the stone table. The three ancient characters "Zhen Yi Jing" seemed to possess boundless magic, stirring her spirit.
The moon hangs above the willow tips, as people meet after dusk
With no clues at all, let's take it one step at a time
Guard the last trace of clarity in the mind, as if transforming into an infant returning to the womb, the entire being is in a state of confusion and ignorance, devoid of existence and thought, with the self and the world indistinguishable, the sacred and the mundane merging into one
The Flying Feather Daoist handed the Daoist scriptures to Jing Younan, "Alright, junior brother, it would be good for you to take a look. If you diligently prepare the medicinal cuisine, in the future, if you are able to refine elixirs, even your senior brothers will not be able to compare with you"
With a calm and focused mind, Jing Younan sat cross-legged on the cloud bed, eyes closed and silent.
Although this passage contains fewer than 5,000 characters, it is indeed profoundly enigmatic and intricately connected to the creation of the universe. Even though Jing Younan prides himself on his exceptional talent and remarkable insight, he still finds himself utterly perplexed and with a splitting headache.
In a state of daze and tranquility, I feel as if I am immersed in hot spring water, with my mouth and nose closed, and all thirty-six thousand pores of my body open, absorbing the essence of the universe.
Jing Younan sighed, sat back down on the cloud bed, lying with all five limbs facing the sky, in a state that was neither fully awake nor fully asleep.
Jing Younan slightly opened her eyes, letting out a silent laugh. The young Taoist's memory was chaotic and fragmented, yet only a passage of scripture remained vividly in her mind
After achieving mastery in cultivation, the practitioner of胎息 can continuously exhale the turbid energy within their body and inhale the essence of the primordial energy that flows through the universe, ultimately cleansing their marrow and refining their bones, undergoing a complete transformation.
Jing Younan suppressed the joy in her heart, took the talisman, and truly wanted to burst into laughter, having searched high and low without success, yet obtaining it effortlessly.
Sandalwood, calming the spirit and awakening the soul, is worth its weight in gold. If it were outside, even the salt merchants, known for their generosity, would treasure it like a precious gem, lest others covet it. Yet, Jing Younan uses it freely, revealing a glimpse of the wealth of Baiyun Temple.
Among the many Taoist priests at Baiyun Temple, Daoist Feiyu is well-versed in the Taoist scriptures and possesses a gentle temperament. Jing Younan often received his guidance in the past, feeling both grateful and respectful towards this senior brother.
Compared to the original world filled with slaughter, disaster, and hunger, life now is undoubtedly as beautiful as a dream
In Jing Younan's view, when it comes to the profound intricacies of the matter, the method that the young Taoist has comprehended is built upon the cultivation techniques of the Daoists in the temple. However, this method is exceedingly enigmatic; its origins and its conclusions remain entirely unclear, leaving no trace of guidance.
Until the rooster crows, the purple aura rises from the east, and the warm breeze carries the fragrance of earth and flowers into the home. Jing Younan awakens from this mysterious realm, the fatigue of yesterday swept away, feeling refreshed and invigorated, full of the spirit of the dragon and tiger
He has already entered the stage of enlightenment; although this book is a genuine text of the Daoist school, it has become useless.
Until the moonlight streamed through the window, the entire house was enveloped in a silver veil. Jing Younan opened her eyes, bright and piercing, devoid of any trace of the daytime's daze, cold and chilling.
The young Taoist priest Jing Younan walked towards the back courtyard of the temple, stepping on the mottled shadows of the moon and humming an unknown tune.
It is truly interesting
Being immersed in it feels like wandering within a painting
It is evident that upon breaking through to the Yuan realm, the Feiyu Daoist is in high spirits due to the joyous occasion. All past reservations are set aside as he holds onto Jing Younan's hand, chatting incessantly, eager for others to share in his happiness
Unfortunately, the master has gone out early, and I can only wait for his return before I can draw in the energy and achieve my destiny as an immortal
Jing Younan was at a loss whether to laugh or cry, as up to this point, he could only cultivate this method based on the instincts of his physical body, understanding the phenomenon but not the underlying principles. He truly did not know how that young Taoist had come to such enlightenment, which was both enviable and infuriating.
The Daoist Feiyu finally noticed Jing Younan's distraction, his gaze merely fixed on the scriptures on the table. After a moment of contemplation, he spoke: "Junior brother, is it that seeing your elder brother Cheng Yuan succeed has inspired you to pursue the Dao as well? Five years ago, the master said that your meridians are delicate and often blocked, making cultivation difficult. Otherwise, this scripture would indeed be very suitable for you"
Without true transmission, no matter how vast one's wisdom, the Great Way remains unseen
However, having witnessed the vast magical powers of the White Cloud Daoist, and recalling the weakness faced in the moment of death when confronted with despair, Jing Younan resolutely refused to allow himself to live a muddled life, with only the principles of heaven and earth and the pursuit of immortality in his heart
Having made a decision in his heart, Jing Younan simply had breakfast, took a jar of fine wine, and left his courtyard
Thank you, senior brother
In the depths of the mind, whether there are thoughts or not, whether there is existence or non-existence, thinking without thought, and thought without thinking; existing yet not existing, and not existing yet existing. In a state of profound silence and obscurity, then the heart and breath synchronize, with the heart and breath interdependent.
The junior disciple indeed observes carefully. The Daoist Feiyu was somewhat surprised by Jing Younan's quick reaction. However, upon reflection, he realized that his junior disciple, though dull and not good at speaking, was not actually foolish; he simply preferred not to talk in everyday life
Passing through the path paved with peach blossom petals, and crossing a moon gate woven with layers of bamboo fences and floral barriers, one arrives at a place surrounded by pink walls and draped with green willows.
Pushing the door open, one enters a corridor on both sides. In the courtyard, several stones are placed decoratively, with a number of banana plants on one side and a wealth-bringing begonia tree on the other. Its branches spread like an umbrella, with silk-like green threads hanging down and blossoms resembling red sand. Inside the room, there is an image of the revered Daoist figure, and in the corner, there is a rosewood incense burner, bells, and a cloud bed.
The Taoist priest Feiyu sat by the small pond, holding a book of Taoist scriptures in his hands, reading it with great interest
The originally comprehended concept of the Three Yuan Fetal Breath was too difficult, leaving no path forward. Jing Younan decided to take the cultivation path of the Taoist in the middle way, practicing meditation and breath regulation, and circulating energy throughout the body. This time, he specifically brought fine wine, intending to seek a cultivation method from the best Feiyu Taoist. Unexpectedly, a genuine Taoist scripture was right before his eyes.
Was the little Taoist's comprehension so high back then? Or is it true that fools are blessed, and scriptures are specifically meant for fools to attain enlightenment?
It can be said that every loss brings a gain; it was during that time that this junior disciple was discovered to possess the talent for cultivating spiritual herbs and concocting medicinal dishes, thereby establishing his status within the sect, no longer inferior to the other disciples.
The smooth, mirror-like surface of the pond reflects his image, adorned with a crown of flying clouds, draped in a robe of the Eight Trigrams, and a jade pendant tied around his waist, with dragons and tigers presenting auspicious signs, surrounded by swirling smoke and clouds
The Daoist priest casually smashed the wine jar, pouring its contents into a cup and downing it in one go. The rich aroma of the wine wafted out, mingling with the fragrance of the flowers in the courtyard, making it difficult to distinguish between the scent of the wine and that of the flowers: "Junior brother, this jar of fine wine you brought has been aged for fifty years"
Jing Younan noticed the smile at the corner of Feiyu Daoist's eyes, his brows displaying a unique brilliance, and a faint jade light shimmering on his forehead. Initially taken aback, she soon realized: "Senior Brother, have you broken through to the Chengyuan realm?"
There is no doubt that this book is the authentic method of the Daoist sect mentioned by Feiyu Daoist, and it is also what Jing Younan currently desires the most
Upon seeing someone enter, Daoist Feiyu raised his head and said, "Junior Brother Jing has arrived." His sword-like eyebrows met his hairline, his nose was straight and his mouth square, and his eyes were bright and spirited, making him a rare handsome man
The memories of the young Taoist possessed by Jing Younan are chaotic, not much better than amnesia. He usually appears dull and foolish. Although he holds a significant position in the temple due to his ability to cultivate spiritual herbs and prepare medicinal meals, he has not received any teachings on Taoist scriptures or talismans from Daoist Baiyun.
Jing Younan set down the wine jar and respectfully bowed, "Yes, Senior Brother"
Jing Younan made a great effort to calm her emotions, striving to keep her voice steady and her expression slightly pleading: "Senior brother, although I cannot cultivate the Dao, this book is indeed a true transmission of the Daoist teachings. It can help soothe distracting thoughts and focus the mind, which would be very beneficial for me in concocting medicinal dishes. Senior brother, could you lend it to me for a few days?"
A few days ago, I, as a senior disciple, saw a book of the authentic teachings of the Daoist sect from the master. By comparing it with my own cultivation method, the Pine Crane Longevity Technique, I finally managed to stimulate my essence yesterday, merging my internal energy to generate primordial power.