Chapter 6, The Gentle Breeze Caresses the Spirit · The Bright Moon Illuminates the Soul
The current troublesome issue is that the daily cost of replenishing consumed food amounts to approximately two taels of silver, which is enough to host a lavish banquet at a restaurant. However, Shi Xuan does not demand exquisite culinary skills or high-quality ingredients; he simply requires two taels of silver. One can imagine how much he eats. The neighbors are quite astonished by Shi Xuan's appetite, which has more than doubled compared to before.
The dental clinic has brought people to view it several times before, but they have not been able to reach an agreement on the price. Shi Xuan is not in a hurry, as the money he has on hand can last for another two to three months
The soul is formless and intangible, while internal energy is formless yet substantial. There exists a vast chasm between the two, making it difficult for internal energy to directly nourish the soul. Even when vital energy nourishes the soul, it is only possible due to the mysterious connection between the body and the soul. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a bridge through visualization, transforming internal energy into the essence that the soul can absorb. Of course, this is merely one of the functions of visualization at this stage. As one's realm deepens in the future, through internal visualization, one can connect with the corresponding laws of heaven and earth, allowing for the direct absorption of the essence of heaven and earth and the comprehension of these laws. Thus, it is essential to establish a bridge through visualization, transforming internal energy into the essence that the soul can absorb. This is merely one of the functions of visualization at this stage. As one's realm deepens in the future, through internal visualization, one can connect with the corresponding laws of heaven and earth, allowing for the direct absorption of the essence of heaven and earth and the comprehension of these laws.
Shi Xuan opened the courtyard door, and to his surprise, the person outside was not from the dental office, but rather an acquaintance—a young man in his twenties, dressed in a brocade robe, with a handsome appearance.
However, Xu Laodao also revised the content of "Guizhen Gong" based on his experiences from years of engaging with martial arts masters and discussions outside, and added the collected secret techniques, thus providing an account for the Xu family
The young man who visited today is none other than Xu Tianqi, one of the most gifted children from that group. He was sent here at the age of ten and, within just six years, entered the Qi Nourishing stage. Unfortunately, after entering this stage, he completely lost interest in the practice of visualization and focused solely on the cultivation of internal energy. Coupled with his training in the new "Return to Truth" method of energy manipulation, he made no significant progress in his Daoist practices over the course of two years, after which he was sent back to the Xu family by Master Xu. It is a pity that after entering the Qi Nourishing stage, he completely lost interest in the practice of visualization and focused solely on the cultivation of internal energy. Coupled with his training in the new "Return to Truth" method of energy manipulation, he made no significant progress in his Daoist practices over the course of two years, after which he was sent back to the Xu family by Master Xu.
Indeed, Shi Xuan primarily focused his energy on cultivation. Every day, he diligently practiced the "Yushu Twelve Rivers, Eight Lakes, and Seventy-Two Great Rivers Qi Secret Record" and the "Clear Wind and Bright Moon Illuminating the True Method" without any slackening. Over the course of five months, his soul's strength advanced by leaps and bounds, no longer resembling the state he was in when he first arrived, where he would be utterly exhausted after performing a spell once or twice. He also made significant progress in internal energy, not only fully accumulating the twelve primary meridians and eight extraordinary meridians, but after several failures, he finally succeeded in opening a small meridian, and once he started, he could not be stopped, consecutively opening twelve meridians.
Unfortunately, although this group of children possesses great talent, they seem to lack a significant understanding of the Daoist principles. Instead, they learn practices such as body refinement and energy cultivation very quickly. Elder Xu had high hopes for his family to produce another practitioner, but as this situation persisted, he lost his enthusiasm and focused on teaching Du Bai instead. As for those children, after reaching the energy cultivation stage under the guidance of skilled masters, they were all sent back to the Xu family, and the Xu family was no longer allowed to send more children.
At noon, after finishing his lunch, Shi Xuan returned to the courtyard. Before he had the chance to sit down, he heard the sound of the door knocker. Shi Xuan thought it was the people from the dental office bringing someone to view the courtyard, as he had arranged with them to come after noon for viewings, and it would not exceed one hour.
The gentle breeze is refreshing and carefree, caressing without being forceful, awakening the spirit without harming the soul; the bright moon hangs high in the sky, enduring through the ages, the essence of the moon nourishes all things
Furthermore, after selling the small courtyard, I will need to rent a quiet house for about four months, which will cost me over ten taels of silver. Alas, it seems I am still short by around eighty taels of silver. Well, if I were to steal from the wealthy, it would be no difficulty at all with my skills in Taoist arts, and I would leave no traces. However, I have always been law-abiding, and unless I am truly at my wit's end, it seems difficult to make the decision to do this. I will reserve this method for last resort; if it comes to that point, I would not feel any psychological burden.
Based on the internal energy accumulated from this Great Zhou Tian circulation and the internal energy consumed in visualizing the expansion of the soul, Shi Xuan roughly estimated that it would take over four months to fill the twelve primary meridians and the eight extraordinary vessels. The time required to open the seventy-two minor meridians, according to the "Yushu Twelve Rivers, Eight Lakes, and Seventy-Two Major Rivers Qi Circulation Secret Record," is approximately seven months. Additionally, the duration needed for the soul to expand to the peak of the Soul Expansion Stage is uncertain; previously, Du Bai had no experience, so Shi Xuan could not estimate it either, as he had no knowledge of the strength of a soul at the peak of the Soul Expansion Stage.
In the martial world, those who can enter the Qi-nurturing stage before the age of twenty are all exceptionally talented disciples from prestigious sects. Therefore, Xu Tianqi, at the age of eighteen, achieved the realm of an internal martial arts master, which garnered considerable attention in the martial community. Xu Tianqi greatly enjoyed this feeling and subsequently roamed the martial world, experiencing some fortuitous encounters, which led to him gaining a significant reputation—being praised by many as one of the top twenty masters of the younger generation. However, Xu Tianqi secretly felt somewhat unconvinced, thinking that if it weren't for his family's Xu clan currently being considered second-rate (after acquiring the "New Return to Truth Technique"), he would have been even more formidable. Although he had yet to open the Ren and Du meridians, the foundation of the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, his internal strength was still substantial enough to rank in the top ten. The title of one of the Four Young Masters of the martial world was not beyond his reach.
Before Xu Laodao ventured out in search of immortality, he created a martial art called "Guizhen Gong" based on the "Guizhen Jing," which combined both internal and external cultivation, and left it within his clan. Xu Laodao's family was originally just a relatively wealthy merchant family, often extorted by the underworld of the martial world. Later, with this martial art, they gathered some techniques and manuals, producing several skilled practitioners, gradually gaining a reputation in the martial world. They purchased land in Xia'an Prefecture, engaged in the silk and cloth trade, and secretly dealt in private salt, thus becoming a local power. However, due to Xu Laodao's own lack of proficiency in martial arts, the manuals he wrote had shortcomings in terms of causing harm, and there were no particularly good complementary techniques. Therefore, the Xu family could only be considered a third-rate family in the martial world.
However, at this moment, Shi Xuan does not wish to go out in search of work to earn money; he is currently at a stage where he can clearly see progress in his daily cultivation, and he wishes he could practice for two days in one.
In terms of time, it takes approximately seven hundred taels of silver for Shi Xuan to reach the peak of his Qi cultivation period. However, after purchasing medicine and refining his body over the past few months, he now has less than four hundred taels of silver left, resulting in a shortfall of three hundred taels. It is important to note that the annual income of an ordinary family in the capital city is only around twenty to thirty taels of silver.
The method of visualization is not to visualize the shapes of the clear breeze and bright moon, but to visualize their divine intent
The bright moon above, like a wheel, slowly rotates, drawing in the inner energy. It then resembles a heavenly rain, showering down strands of the moon's essence, drenching the soul. The soul of Shixuan absorbs the moon's essence that falls upon it, nourished by the rhythm of the gentle breeze, while the impurities are carried away by the same breeze.
Thus, while Shi Xuan hung a sign for selling the small courtyard at the dental shop, he also asked Shopkeeper Liu to invite his friend who worked at the yamen to join them for a meal. This way, they could get to know each other, and in the future, when he sold the house and went to the yamen for the property deed and to pay the deed tax, he would not be taken advantage of.
After circulating energy through three hundred sixty-five small cycles, Shi Xuan finally came to a stop. This completion of a large cycle was perfectly timed; the dissipated heat had been fully absorbed, and any further circulation would likely have begun to transform the body's fundamental essence.
After practicing several small circulations of energy, the internal energy continuously absorbs the heat emanating from various parts of the body, having already doubled in strength, which is several times more efficient compared to previous methods of energy circulation.
After considering, Shi Xuan decided to sell the small courtyard when the time comes. After all, once he has cultivated his energy to a significant level, he intends to travel the world in search of immortals and the Dao. Aside from entrusting the care of the courtyard to Xu Laodao's family, he would have to sell it anyway. The value of the courtyard is around 280 taels, and he is not in a hurry to sell. The silver he has on hand is sufficient for seven to eight months. He can take his time to find a buyer, and he should be able to sell it for a good price. After deducting the fees from the brokerage, the expenses for the yamen, and the deed tax, he should ultimately have about 240 taels of silver in his account.
Ten years ago, Xu Laodao returned to Xia'an Prefecture. Although he did not return to live with his family, he similarly did not sever ties with them. The Xu family has been very eager to curry favor with this ancestor, not only sending monthly and holiday tributes, but also selecting numerous quality children from within the family to be sent to this god-like ancestor for instruction. Learning even a small portion of the ancestor's celestial arts is considered an immense blessing.
The soul of Shi Xuan seemed to be seated in meditation above the sea of consciousness, as if stepping out in the early morning, greeted by a gentle breeze. This invigorated the spirit, as the breeze swept through the soul, carrying away the various acquired impurities that had accumulated over time. Simultaneously, emotions such as anxiety, unease, excitement, and anger, which arose from circumstances, dissipated with the wind, no longer leaving imprints that clouded the true essence. Gradually, a clear and luminous soul began to emerge.
After waking up from his meditation, Shi Xuan took a moment to adjust and realized that the internal energy he had accumulated today was nearly depleted. He quickly began to circulate his internal energy according to the route outlined in the "Baolu," specifically the "Yushu Twelve Rivers, Eight Lakes, and Seventy-Two Great Rivers Qi Circulation Secret Record." At this moment, he could only follow the small circulation routes of the Twelve Regular Meridians and the Eight Extraordinary Vessels. Focusing his mind, Shi Xuan controlled the internal energy to flow out from his Dantian. He felt that after this visualization, his soul had grown stronger, allowing him to control the internal energy with greater ease. He could only follow the small circulation routes of the Twelve Regular Meridians and the Eight Extraordinary Vessels. Focusing his mind, Shi Xuan controlled the internal energy to flow out from his Dantian. He felt that after this visualization, his soul had grown stronger, allowing him to control the internal energy with greater ease.
After an indeterminate amount of time, when Shi Xuan felt that his soul had significantly strengthened and that he had absorbed enough essence to reach saturation, he concluded his visualization and exited the state of meditation