Chapter 7: The Demon Lord's Transmission of the Law (3)

Yao Yang mumbled over the scriptures for quite a while, then said to the pensive Yi Xian beside him, "Little Yi, is this thing feasible? It seems rather complicated. How exactly can one perform the mysterious arts?" From his impatient tone, it seemed that as long as he had the scroll in hand, he believed he could wield spells at will, just like Chi Bo.

After pondering for a while, Yaoyang scratched his head and asked, "There should be specific cultivation methods, right? Moreover, how long does it generally take to reach a certain level of attainment?"

As the miniature remnants of the Wind Pillar from the Yixian Palm dissipated, the cold breath surrounding it vanished in an instant

Standing beside, Yi Xian was stunned; in his eyes, it seemed as if a dazzling flame was rising in Yao Yang's hand. The intense energy and incandescent light slowly spread outwards, casting Yao Yang's entire figure in a solemn likeness to a fire god

Shen Gongbao was also greatly astonished. Although the power of the "Golden Puppet Talisman" came from the lodging of Chibo, they were able to connect with the meridians and energy channels simply by following the guidance of the scroll. This had already proven the exceptional talent of the two brothers, leading him to feel a sense of respect that could not be underestimated for the first time.

Oh? Yao Yang leaned over to take a look and noticed that there were indeed inconsistencies throughout the entire text, filled with doubts as he asked, "What is going on here?"

I just tried it, but it didn't work! Yao Yang shook his head in confusion.

Little did one know, as soon as the words left the mouth, that force seemed to have grown eyes and suddenly vanished.

Finally, Yi Xian opened his eyes, and Yao Yang was so excited that he rushed over and punched Yi Xian on the shoulder, exclaiming: "Brat, how is your 'Pride of Cold' even more powerful than my 'Heavenly Fire Flame'!"

The path of cultivation is the path of nature. Those who maintain a tranquil heart and mind are sufficient to comprehend the Dao. However, the path of the mysterious law contravenes the natural order of heaven, earth, and humanity across the three realms. Therefore, one must take cultivation as the foundation, solidify the roots, and nurture the essence, so as to purify the acquired and return to the innate. By stoking the furnace and igniting the Dao, burning scriptures and extinguishing the mundane, one can reach the realm of the true person. By taking the essence of the one source, two energies, three talents, four symbols, and five elements, and assisting with the powers of time and other auxiliary methods, one can begin to establish the law.

"Try again, after all, Elder Shen is here!" Yi Xian interrupted him, casually finding the last few paragraphs of the scroll, which recorded the moderately ranked "Eight Methods of the Mysterious Gate." The two brothers each selected one method; Yao Yang chose the "Heavenly Fire Flame Technique," while Yi Xian tried the "Pride of Cold Technique"

Ah... As Yaoyang finished his practice, he suddenly felt that the two meridians he had just circulated his mysterious energy through were burning with an intense pain, unable to help but moan loudly, his expression reflecting an extraordinary discomfort.

Yixian shook his head to indicate that he was also unclear, wearing a thoughtful expression on his face

In fact, none of this is significant! The door to the compartment was gently pushed open, and a low, hoarse voice followed.

With the guidance of the Seven True Wonderful Methods, the Primordial Dao Yuan reverses the circulation of the cosmos, transforming the energy of the Vermilion Bird and the energy of the Qian Heaven, merging with the techniques of the Form, Spirit, and Heart Flame, the principle of the unity of the One and the Two Energies forming the Three Talents of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity, this is known as the Heavenly Fire Flame Technique

I will give it a try! Yi Xian said shyly, putting down the scroll in her hand, standing upright with a solemn demeanor, and focusing her mind on the lower dantian. After a moment of silence, an unnamed force indeed flowed in through the meridians. Yi Xian and the book suppressed the unusual excitement in their hearts, closing their eyes and slowly guiding the energy along the two meridians indicated by the "Pride of Cold" technique. Subsequently, the emerging energy truly transformed into a cool, mysterious power. After a moment of silence, an unnamed force indeed flowed in through the meridians. Yi Xian and the book suppressed the unusual excitement in their hearts, closing their eyes and slowly guiding the energy along the two meridians indicated by the "Pride of Cold" technique. Subsequently, the emerging energy truly transformed into a cool, mysterious power

Leaning on the strings, one holds the scroll and reads it attentively, memorizing it with care. Each time one encounters a brilliant passage, one cannot help but read it aloud.

The two brothers turned around in surprise, only to find it was the blue-clad protector—Shen Gongbao

Regarding the efficacy of the practice of action, it emphasizes the cultivation of true essence and the refinement of energy to shape form. Only by achieving a harmonious unity of form and spirit, and aligning with the true Dao, can one manifest the essence of the lesser vehicle. Subsequently, with the simultaneous cultivation of form and spirit, supplemented by the techniques of the River and Luo numerology, and the secrets of profound mastery, one can achieve results with half the effort, allowing for both reception and dispatch to be governed by the heart

Yixian hurriedly supported the faltering Yaoyang and anxiously asked, "What happened to you..." However, before the words were fully spoken, Yixian involuntarily let out a painful groan. It turned out that the two meridians he was using to channel his energy were also experiencing abnormalities, as if struck by his own "Pride of Cold" technique, causing a chilling pain that was unbearable.

As the icy wind passes, the flames of the candlestick are instantly extinguished completely

Yao Yang, following the instructions in the scroll, sat cross-legged on the ground, preparing to perform the "Heavenly Fire Incantation" as described in the text of the "Seven True Marvelous Methods," but was stopped by Shen Gongbao.

Leaning on the strings, I flipped through the bamboo slips, and after carefully reading a previous section again, I pondered for a while before frowning and saying: "It states here that the practice of the mysterious arts is based on the inherent physical form of a person and the ethereal unity of the mind and spirit. One must pay equal attention to both the physical body and the spirit in order to achieve the state of 'the unity of form and spirit, in harmony with the true way' of the lesser vehicle. Only by reaching the lesser vehicle can one..." I pondered for a while before frowning and saying: "It states here that the practice of the mysterious arts is based on the inherent physical form of a person and the ethereal unity of the mind and spirit. One must pay equal attention to both the physical body and the spirit in order to achieve the state of 'the unity of form and spirit, in harmony with the true way' of the lesser vehicle. Only by reaching the lesser vehicle can one..."

Is that true? But... Yao Yang heard that he could skip those complicated and troublesome cultivation methods, and he was instantly so excited that he didn't know how to express his thoughts. Yi Xian certainly knew what he wanted to say, and that was precisely his problem, so he asked, "How can we experience the essence of our own original Dao foundation?"

Leaning on the strings, I pondered for a moment and pointed to the bamboo slips, saying: "In fact, understanding the realm of 'the unity of form and spirit, in harmony with the Dao and the true' is not very difficult. Look here, it is written in the scroll: 'Form is the body of spirit, and spirit is the essence of form. At its root, all changes of reality and emptiness are nothing but the principles of mutual generation and mutual restraint.' Although this statement is very clear, I still feel somewhat vague about it.

Shen Gongbao said with a solemn expression: "This volume of 'Essentials of Mysterious Methods' is a secret manual of our sect that has been lost for nearly five hundred years. It has only recently been recovered by the esteemed one, and it is inevitable that some fragments are missing. Furthermore, since the esteemed one has already laid a solid foundation for you in the fundamental Dao, you can completely forgo the methods of gradual cultivation of spirit and form mentioned earlier"

This is also a question that confuses me! Leaning on the strings, I shrugged my shoulders and, with a helpless frown and shake of my head, said: "It seems that there are similar explanations in the scroll, but the content at the beginning and in the middle of the scroll seems somewhat disconnected. Look here, it clearly states, 'Harmonize Yin and Yang, to stabilize the right path. The Dao leads to things, which is the primordial... ' and then it ends there. Until the second piece of bamboo slip writes, 'Correctly harmonize the pulse energy, welcoming the real with the void, dispersing it through the myriad channels and bones, gathering it into one energy returning to the source... ' How can these two places be completely unrelated?"

Yao Yang felt a gentle force strike his lower abdomen from a distance, causing his entire body's energy channels to tremble violently. Strangely, a mysterious power seemed to rise from his lower abdomen, flowing slowly as if it were about to emerge, prompting him to excitedly exclaim: "I have it, I have it!"

Shen Gongbao still wore a gloomy expression, but he turned to Yi Xian and asked, "Do you understand?"

Shen Gongbao sensed that the power of the "Golden Puppet Talisman" within Yaoyang had already been activated, and thus spoke to provide guidance: "According to the previous scroll's context, circulate the energy through the Qian and Li meridians in sequence, then silently recite the Heart Flame incantation, randomly select an object, and use the magical energy to attack and test it out"

Only then did the radiant sun flick its fingers, and the scorching mysterious energy gathered into a bundle, tracing a captivating trajectory that directly struck the candlestick on the desk in the room. Suddenly, with a "puff," the candle flame was ignited by the mysterious energy from a distance, bursting forth with brilliant sparks.

Upon hearing this, Yaoyang was taken aback, suddenly standing up and exclaiming with great joy: "I understand now, it is precisely because I have only focused on the form and not on the spirit that this lack of clarity has occurred. I believe that as long as I comprehend the true meaning of 'the unity of form and spirit', it will suffice!" He then sighed in despair and said with a bitter smile: "But how can I reach the level of 'the unity of form and spirit'?"

"Why has it disappeared again?" As Yaoyang was about to ask, he raised his head and caught sight of Shen Gongbao's furious expression. He quickly stuck out his tongue and began to focus intently on guarding his dantian, attempting to mobilize that force. Indeed, during his unwavering and patient waiting, the serpentine power once again manifested within him.

Shen Gongbao stepped forward slowly, gesturing with his fingers as if to lightly caress the air. A wisp of soft, feminine energy immediately brushed against the lower abdomen and dantian under the bright sun. He admonished, "Concentrate your mind and will here, and observe if there are any unusual changes"

Under the guidance of Yaoyang, he executed the "Seven True Marvelous Finger Techniques," channeling the profound energy within his body. At this moment, he was completely immersed in a wondrous state, feeling the profound energy coursing through his meridians, transforming into a fiery essence that slowly flowed into his arms, reaching between the fingers that formed the seal. The sensation of this flowing energy, gently writhing, was akin to nurturing a life within his body, evoking a profound sense of awe.

Shen Gongbao wore a gloomy expression, his voice devoid of any emotion and exceptionally cold, saying: "You may review the latter half of the 'Essentials' and directly try various mystical methods and techniques; I will guide you from the side!"

Undeniably, although this Shen Gongbao appears to be repulsive in appearance, and his movements are always elusive, his speech is even more ominous and extremely unlikable. However, upon hearing this statement, both Yaoyang and Yixian were overjoyed, inevitably leading to a slight change in their perception of him

With the assistance of the specific imaginary posture of the "Seven True Wonderful Methods," the Yiqin Palm's fingers moved continuously, and suddenly a strong wind arose. The radiant sun, which was nearby and carefully savoring the profound energy, immediately felt a bone-chilling coldness enveloping its body. It hurriedly turned to look at Yiqin, truly startled; it turned out that a small column of wind was being supported by Yiqin's right hand, and the icy chill emanated from it.

The two brothers, upon their first encounter with such profound and esoteric arts, were indeed filled with excitement and enthusiasm. However, their knowledge was limited, and they could not fully comprehend the mysteries contained within. Yet, both possessed exceptional talent; whenever they grasped a concept, they were reluctant to put down the scroll, but their understanding remained elusive, leaving them with an undeniable sense of restlessness.