Chapter 8: The Three Major Spiritual Orifices
A group of disciples immediately rushed to the storeroom, and according to the rules, each of them could receive ten first-tier talisman papers, one inferior talisman brush, and two taels of talisman ink
What should we do! Li Muran and Mu Li exchanged glances, feeling quite anxious for a moment
Thus, as the sun rises and the first rays of sunlight illuminate the earth, Li Muran's vital energy, which he had painstakingly cultivated the previous night, is almost entirely depleted, just as it was yesterday
On this day, during the daytime, Li Muran diligently practiced, yet his progress remained exceedingly slow
Li Muran attempted to mobilize this vital energy, and the result was remarkably smooth. As soon as he focused his thoughts, the vital energy flowed through his arms and torso like a clear spring, nourishing his internal organs with an indescribable sense of comfort
Not bad. The steward in charge of the storeroom is a middle-aged man in his forties with the surname Wu, whose cultivation level is not particularly high, only at the mid-stage of Qi Meridian.
Li Muran said: "According to the regulations of this sect, all new disciples in their first year are entitled to receive ten talismans and other items for free. On what basis does Senior Brother Wu refuse to distribute them to me and a few others?"
The first level of the cultivation method is relatively simple. However, the disciples have varying degrees of comprehension, and it took a full half day to complete the instruction of this method, after which no one had further questions
The ancestral aperture, the zhong point, and the dantian, also known as the three major spiritual apertures of the upper, middle, and lower regions, correspond respectively to the three treasures of spirit, essence, and qi, and are the foundation of cultivation
These individuals handed over all their silver to Mu Li, who, holding a pile of both whole and broken silver, smiled at Senior Brother Wu and said, "Senior Brother Wu, this small matter does not require troubling the Master. You can decide for yourself, after all, we are not outsiders. This small token of goodwill is not meant as a formality, and I hope Senior Brother Wu will graciously accept it."
The human body contains the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, with the Zhong and Dan Tian orifices located within these meridians. The Eight Extraordinary Meridians are the Governing Vessel, Conception Vessel, Penetrating Vessel, Girdle Vessel, Yin Linking Vessel, Yang Linking Vessel, Yin Heel Vessel, and Yang Heel Vessel. There are eight major acupoints: Gong Sun, Nei Guan, Lin Qi, Wai Guan, Shen Mai, Hou Xi, Lie Que, and Zhao Hai, which correspond one-to-one with them
"What do you mean?" Li Muran was taken aback. The several disciples exchanged glances and then each nodded, indicating their agreement.
Li Muran did not feel any inferiority; he knew that he was not as lacking as others might think, but simply had not found the right approach
Even if he holds his breath, the vital energy can still emanate from the pores of his skin; even if he practices meditation and breath control according to the law, the refined vital energy cannot keep pace with the speed at which the vital energy escapes on its own.
On the seventh day, it was once again time for the discussion and instruction; the disciples gathered in the Great Hall of Kaiyuan Peak, awaiting the arrival of Senior Brother Qingfengzi to provide explanations.
Li Muran committed every word spoken by Qingfengzi to memory, not daring to miss a single character. Qingfengzi said that this foundational skill of the Daoist sect, named "Dao Heart Connecting Meridians Method," is divided into nine levels. He imparts one level each month, allowing the disciples to comprehend and practice it on their own.
Upon hearing this, all the disciples immediately felt invigorated. The various marvelous techniques of our sect are mostly accomplished in the form of talismans. Now that there is an opportunity to truly engage in talisman crafting, it is only natural that they are quite eager.
Before long, Qingfengzi appeared on time. He inquired with a smile about the cultivation progress of the disciples, who responded eagerly and with considerable excitement
Why is this happening! Li Muran felt somewhat dejected. If things continue like this with the books, wouldn't his cultivation efforts be in vain!
It seems that this vitality is indeed just ordinary natural energy, and there is no problem with it itself
Throughout the entire night, there was no change in vitality, and the mobilization was smooth and unimpeded, appearing quite normal
The Vitality Talisman, although the most fundamental of talismans, has a wide range of applications. The primary function of the Vitality Talisman is to replenish vitality for various other talismans. The sect has regulations that require all disciples to receive a certain amount of talisman paper and talisman ink each month according to their cultivation level, while also mandating that they must submit a specified quantity of Vitality Talismans to the sect. If the quantity is insufficient, they will face certain penalties.
The process of receiving is very simple; one only needs to register their name and identity, and press their fingerprint. Everything proceeds smoothly, but when it came to Li Muran, Mu Li, and a few others, they encountered some trouble
The Vitality Talisman," Qingfengzi lightly coughed and said: "As the name suggests, it is a talisman that stores the vitality of heaven and earth. The Vitality Talisman is classified into different grades based on the amount of vitality it contains. The most basic one-star Vitality Talisman requires only one character, one seal, and one incantation to draw. If all of you, junior brothers, are willing to practice diligently, I believe it won't be long before you can create one.
If the correct method can be found, as long as the vital energy cultivated during the night can be retained within the body, then his cultivation speed would be astonishing enough to leave these disciples in awe, unable to catch up
Elder Wu stated: "If you are formal disciples, there would naturally be no issue. However, you have not yet officially entered the sect and are merely auditing disciples. Whether you are qualified to receive talismans is not clearly specified in the sect rules. As I am in charge of the distribution of materials from the storeroom, I must, of course, adhere strictly to the sect regulations"
Qingfeng hetushu . comcom provided a detailed explanation of the method for breaking through the acupoints, and all the disciples listened intently. At this moment, no one dared to be careless or miss the opportunity.
Next, I shall impart to all junior brothers the mantras for circulating energy, unblocking meridians, and opening acupoints. If there are any points of confusion, feel free to ask.
Since all the disciples have experience in making talismans, they possess a certain foundational knowledge in talisman crafting. Qingfengzi simply explained some key points in the creation of vitality talismans and then instructed the disciples to go to the storeroom to collect talisman paper, talisman brushes, and talisman ink
After opening the ancestral aperture and witnessing the divine light, one steps into the path of cultivation. The next step is to refine the primordial energy of heaven and earth to open the zhong point and establish the dantian.
Qingfengzi then said: "Our Yuanfu Sect is a sect of talismans, primarily focused on the creation and application of talismans. In addition to daily cultivation, the art of talisman-making is also one of the essential skills. Now, I shall impart to you the key points of crafting the 'Yuanqi Talisman.' You all possess a certain foundation in talisman-making, having trained your strength, vision, and state of mind, so it should not be difficult for you!"
His current status as an auditing disciple prevents him from accessing the library to browse all the texts
However, as the sky gradually brightened and the moonlight dimmed, with each breath I took, this vital energy unexpectedly began to slowly emanate from my body.
Li Muran sighed lightly: "If only I were an official disciple! Once I become an official disciple, I would be able to access the library to consult more texts, and perhaps I could find some clues among them"
Li Muran personally experienced this process and was naturally extremely anxious. He tried every possible means to stop it, but to no avail
However, someone like Li Muran, despite being exceptionally diligent, still possesses only a faint trace of vital energy within, which can be considered a rare deficiency
One can connect the eight meridians through the primordial energy of heaven and earth, which signifies successful cultivation. The more abundant the primordial energy of heaven and earth, the stronger one's own magical power becomes, and the effects are more pronounced. Opening the zhongfu spiritual aperture marks the achievement of minor success in cultivation and indicates advancement to the mid-stage of the meridian system; further developing the dantian is characteristic of reaching the late stage of the meridian system.
The aptitude for cultivation has already manifested at this time. Disciples with good aptitude and diligence have saturated their vital energy within seven days, and can next attempt to break through various meridians, open the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, and activate the numerous acupoints and orifices in their bodies; those with slightly lesser aptitude have also cultivated more than half of their vital energy, and in a few more days, they will also reach saturation.
A few days passed, during which Li Muran diligently practiced day and night, with very little time for rest; however, every time daytime arrived, the vital energy within him would escape on its own, leaving only a small portion behind.
As night fell and the moonlight poured into the room, Li Muran once again engaged in his cultivation—indeed, everything progressed smoothly and vigorously; with each breath, a strand of vital energy was refined into his body; after one hour, the vital energy within Li Muran surged powerfully, reaching a state of saturation once more
Mu Li tugged at Li Muran's sleeve and whispered, "Senior Brother Zhao, I have heard that Elder Wu is someone who enjoys taking small advantages. As long as you offer him some benefits, he will take special care when distributing supplies; otherwise, he will only provide some inferior goods as a formality."
Why are you not giving me the talisman paper? Mu Li furrowed his brow
Qingfengzi said with a bitter smile: "As a disciple in the late stage of Qi Meridian, I am required to submit three two-star vitality talismans each month, which is equivalent to thirty one-star vitality talismans. This is not an easy task to accomplish"
Qingfengzi further stated: "In fact, the key to crafting vitality talismans does not lie in the techniques of talisman-making, but rather in the source of vitality. The vitality used to create a vitality talisman comes from the practitioner's own cultivated celestial vitality, or in other words, their own magical power. Each time a vitality talisman is made, a considerable amount of one's own magical power is consumed. For you all, it is best to have sufficient confidence before beginning the talisman-making process, to avoid wasting magical power."
In that case, Mr. Wu will seek an audience with the sect leader and inquire about his esteemed opinion. However, the sect leader is quite busy with affairs, and Mr. Wu fears that he may not be able to meet him for some time. You will have to wait a little longer
Qingfengzi spoke aloud: "In fact, every individual possesses three major spiritual orifices. Except for the extremely rare individuals who are born with them open, everyone else needs to open them one by one. Among these, the ancestral orifice is the lock of the spirit and soul, and it is the first step in cultivation, which you have already opened; the Dantian is the gateway to vital essence, located at the center of the body, where the line connecting the chest and the spine intersects; the Dantian is situated three inches below the navel and is the cavity for storing energy."
With such questions in mind, Li Muran spent a sleepless night, constantly monitoring the fluctuations of the vital energy within his body
Unfortunately, without a school or a master to guide me, I can only rely on my own exploration.
"It only requires a single word, a single seal, and a single incantation?" Li Muran felt a stir in his heart: "It doesn't seem that difficult after all!"
For you, the first year does not require the submission of vitality tokens, but starting from the second year, five one-star vitality tokens must be submitted each month
But where exactly is the problem? Why do these vital energies suddenly disappear overnight?
"Senior Qingfeng, do you also need to submit the talismans?" a curious disciple asked.
Deacon Wu merely glanced at the silver coins and disdainfully said, "Hmph, gold and silver are merely worldly possessions; what use do I have for them? If you truly have sincerity, then present two spirit stones!"