Chapter 1: Crossing Over

Shi Xuan slowly sat up, stood at the bedside to stretch his limbs, calmed his mind, and then sat cross-legged. He began to practice the breathing techniques he remembered from fragmented memories. After circulating his energy for a round, he opened his eyes and thought to himself that he was still somewhat fortunate. If that young man had fallen into a trance while visualizing, rather than while meditating and circulating energy, he could only imagine the severe damage his meridians would have suffered. Even if he were to possess another's body, he would not know how long he could survive, and whether he could traverse dimensions again would be uncertain. Now, his meridians were only slightly damaged, and with medication and rest, he would recover completely within half a month. If that young man had fallen into a trance while visualizing, rather than while meditating and circulating energy, he could only imagine the severe damage his meridians would have suffered. Even if he were to possess another's body, he would not know how long he could survive, and whether he could traverse dimensions again would be uncertain. Now, his meridians were only slightly damaged, and with medication and rest, he would recover completely within half a month.

Only upon reaching the third stage, where the soul leaves the body and becomes extraordinary, can one gradually acquire some minor supernatural abilities. Additionally, apart from a few fundamental ones, these minor abilities vary according to each individual's soul and cultivation methods. This stage is comparable to the masters of the Subtle Realm in the martial world, and under prepared circumstances, it surpasses that of martial arts masters. As for Taoist techniques, their power has increased, but the processes of channeling vital energy, forming seals, and reciting incantations remain unchanged. More powerful Taoist techniques require mental focus and visualization, as well as the use of specific formations, which can be quite time-consuming. Therefore, in combat, one generally resorts to talismans, minor supernatural abilities, magical tools, or even physical strikes. As for Taoist techniques, their power has increased, but the processes of channeling vital energy, forming seals, and reciting incantations remain unchanged. More powerful Taoist techniques require mental focus and visualization, as well as the use of specific formations, which can be quite time-consuming. Therefore, in combat, one generally resorts to talismans, minor supernatural abilities, magical tools, or even physical strikes.

Relying on his memory, Shi Xuan found three sticks of incense in the compartment by the bedside. This was a type of sandalwood incense that calms the mind and soothes the spirit, personally collected and crafted by Old Daoist Xu, making it quite precious. He placed the incense beside the incense burner on the wooden table, took a copper basin, pushed open the door, and drew a basin of water from the small well in the courtyard, which also served as a nostalgic reminder of his past experiences drawing water from wells in the countryside

In my memory, Master Xu once said that in the first stage of training, the Body Cultivation and Soul Nurturing phase only strengthens the body, and one cannot yet perform spells. It is only in the second stage, the Qi Cultivation and Soul Strengthening phase, that one can cast spells, albeit with limited power, numerous steps, and a lengthy duration. The combat capability at this stage is not on par with that of internal martial artists and skilled practitioners in the Jianghu, who are also considered to be in the Qi Cultivation phase. Therefore, it is common to use talismans and to prepare the ritual altar in advance before employing any magical techniques. Naturally, if there are magical tools available, they will be prioritized for use.

Gathering his thoughts, Shi Xuan held three incense sticks and bowed three times to the air, as a means to comfort the soul of this body. He then placed the incense properly and sat cross-legged on the bed, his heart directed towards the heavens. Fortunately, this body often entered a meditative state, and now, with the aid of the sandalwood incense, Shi Xuan gradually fell into meditation. As soon as he entered this state, he found his soul drawn to the purple palace at his brow, where a small pearl quietly floated, its light dim. However, a beam of light emanated from it, bringing a message to Shi Xuan's soul. Fortunately, this body often entered a meditative state, and now, with the aid of the sandalwood incense, Shi Xuan gradually fell into meditation. As soon as he entered this state, he found his soul drawn to the purple palace at his brow, where a small pearl quietly floated, its light dim. However, a beam of light emanated from it, bringing a message to Shi Xuan's soul.

Shi Xuan recalled the methods from his memory, channeling the energy and blood of his body, then forming seals and reciting incantations. After about ten breaths, a small flame emerged from his fingertip, igniting three incense sticks. Shi Xuan felt both novelty and disappointment. In his previous life, as someone who was deeply fascinated by the world of immortal heroes, finding himself in a realm where one could cultivate immortality and wield Taoist magic was certainly intriguing. Moreover, having lost his parents at a young age due to their hard work, he had no significant attachments, allowing him to accept the reality of his transmigration relatively quickly, which fueled his curiosity about this world. However, he was disappointed that such a weak fire-starting technique took so long to execute and had such limited power, which was indeed somewhat disheartening.

Upon returning to his hometown, Daoist Xu discovered that although his family still existed, the familiar relatives had all aged and passed away over the past sixty years. The few younger generations who were still alive were strangers to him. Therefore, he simply bought a small courtyard in the west of the city to settle down and devoted himself to nurturing Du Bai. He taught him the ways of the Dao while sharing stories of his life spent traveling far and wide, exorcising ghosts and eliminating demons. Thus, ten years passed, and the old Daoist's time came. One night, he fell asleep and never woke up again.

Who would have thought that during the journey with the Mountain and River Pearl, a time-space disturbance occurred, leading to a crossing into another world, specifically the Earth where Shi Xuan resides. Over the course of a million years, power was gradually accumulated. Following the car accident of Shi Xuan, under the stimulation of fresh blood and then the soul, this power erupted. Relying on the time-space marker left by Qingyunzi within the Mountain and River Pearl, Shi Xuan was brought to the Yuyu Daoist's former place of enlightenment, which is also the ancestral home of Qingyunzi— the Yuyu Heavenly Great World.

In his youth, Daoist Xu experienced a remarkable encounter and gained true teachings. He diligently practiced and had a strong desire for enlightenment, remaining unmarried throughout his life. By the age of thirty, he had reached the state of soul separation. However, for the next ten years, although his power deepened, he found no further direction for his breakthroughs. Thus, he traveled extensively to famous mountains and mystical waters, seeking immortals in places rich with various supernatural legends, yet all remained elusive like dreams and bubbles. Upon reaching the age of one hundred, despite having a few places yet to visit, he ultimately felt disheartened and decided to return to his hometown.

After mastering the two steps of refining the body to nourish the soul and cultivating energy to strengthen the soul, one can reach the limit of their natural lifespan. By achieving soul projection, one can extend their life by an additional thirty years, approximately to around one hundred and twenty years. Through the technique of guiding energy to refine the soul, the lifespan can reach two hundred years. When the spirit and soul are unified, the lifespan increases to three hundred years. Masters in the Golden Core stage can live up to six hundred years, while those who attain the status of Yin Spirit Venerable can live to one thousand two hundred years.

On his journey back to his hometown, he reflected on his advanced age of one hundred years, realizing that he had only about ten years left to live. He did not wish for the traditions he had inherited and the knowledge he had acquired to be lost, which is why he decided to take Du Bai as his disciple

Certainly, the information currently available is limited, and I can only make a rough plan. As I gain more experience in the future or encounter specific situations, I will make adjustments accordingly

Holding the copper basin, he returned to the room, locked the door behind him, and then washed his face with cold water before drying it. At that moment, Shi Xuan felt refreshed, and he slowly changed into a new Daoist robe. These actions were merely a means; the purpose was to gradually settle his emotions through such solemn gestures, allowing his mind and spirit to become unified. This is also one of the reasons why many religions have numerous rituals: to settle emotions and empty thoughts. Of course, in a religious context, this state, combined with the influence of many people around engaging in the same activities, makes it easier to propagate the faith.

Shi Xuan awoke from the darkness, feeling a splitting headache, and vaguely recalled the immense pain of being struck by a ten-wheeled truck. He saw sunlight shining on his chest, warm and comforting. Gradually, he became aware of his body, marveling at his good fortune; despite being thrown so far by the truck, he was still alive. At that moment, many fragments of memory surfaced in his mind, overwhelming him.

Indeed, the ways of the Dao are wondrous; one does not necessarily have to engage in direct combat to defeat others. A Daoist in the phase of nurturing energy and strengthening the spirit, when prepared, can easily eliminate an internal martial arts expert. As for the subsequent stages, Master Xu is not very clear about them. However, through long-standing experience, it can be said that upon reaching the Golden Elixir and Spirit Cultivation phase, one can wield intention to enact the law, destroy cities, and sever rivers, thus becoming a figure akin to an immortal.

In my memory, Master Xu often said that among the two capitals and thirteen provinces, there are only about ten individuals with true magical powers, and those with powers akin to his, including those who remain hidden from the world, are likely no more than a handful. It is merely because he has spent his entire life in search of the path to immortality that he remains inconspicuous in the world.

It turns out that this small bead is a postnatal spiritual object of this world, known as the Mountain River Pearl. It was obtained by the ancient powerful being Qingyunzi. However, after Qingyunzi achieved the Golden Immortal (Hedao) state with two flowers, he fell into a killing tribulation and perished together with others. Before his death, he thought of his solitary path. His master, the Daoist Yuyu, had already seen through the Great Dao and escaped this world to open up a new realm. He could not allow the Dao lineage to be lost in this world, so he left behind the fundamental great method of his master's enlightenment and his own cultivation, "The Supreme Clarity Yuyu's True Transmission of Deliverance and the Dao Treasure Record," within this newly acquired, yet unrefined, postnatal spiritual object, the Mountain River Pearl. With his last bit of magical power, he broke through the void and sent it out.

Shi Xuan awoke from his meditation and, after a brief reflection, recalled the contents of the first half of the "Record of Attaining the Path through Overcoming Difficulties." It seems that the memory of the soul is indeed much more effective. However, this is not the time for practice; the most important thing now is to consider his future path and how to proceed.

Certainly, the names of the above stages are merely abbreviations. For instance, the full name of the Qi Refinement stage is: Body Forging and Soul Nourishing, Qi Cultivation and Soul Strengthening, Soul Projection, Qi Induction and Soul Refinement, Unity of Spirit and Soul, Golden Elixir Cultivation of the Spirit, and Yin Spirit Condensation

As for the small bead that came with him during the crossing, he was eager to uncover its mysteries as soon as he gained consciousness. However, having just received his memories, his thoughts were chaotic, and coupled with the recent transition, his emotions were still unstable. At this moment, forcibly entering a meditative state for introspection could very well lead to a tragic outcome similar to that of the foolish young man, beset by inner demons.

This is also the logic that Shi Xuan, a cautious and meticulous individual from a technical background, is most accustomed to

After reaching the level of the primordial spirit, Qingyunzi briefly mentioned the primordial spirit true person who has broken through the threshold of life and death, also known as the ghost immortal true person, who shares the same lifespan as heaven and earth. However, one must endure various tribulations. He advised Shixuan not to allow the physical body to suffer destructive damage, as it would hinder the achievement of the primordial spirit. He also stated that only after achieving the primordial spirit would the second half of the treasure record— the primordial spirit chapter—be revealed.

After transmitting this message, he also sent a roll of the enigmatic and abstract pictorial book entirely to the soul of Shi Xuan, while his own light dimmed completely, indicating that he was gradually recovering his strength

As a traveler through time, one inherently lacks a foundation. If there is no planning for the future, it becomes difficult for the mind to find peace. With direction, steps, and goals in place, one can truly settle down. To borrow a phrase commonly used today, this is how one finds a sense of security. It is only by first stabilizing the heart that one can then stabilize the spirit. Do you not see how many people in modern society are spiritually empty and restless due to a lack of goals or having goals without a plan or steps to achieve them

It turned out that I had already died, but at that time, an antique bead that I had bought as a talisman suddenly shone brightly, enveloping my soul, tearing open a rift in space, and bringing me to this world, where I possessed the body of this unfortunate person.

From the message left by Qingyunzi at the beginning of the Daoist scripture, Shixuan learned that the cultivation in this world is divided into two major levels: Qi Refinement and Yuan Shen. Qi Refinement is further divided into seven stages: Nourishing the Soul, Strengthening the Soul, Out-of-Body Experience, Guiding Qi, Spiritual Soul, Golden Elixir, and Yin Spirit. The Yuan Shen stage consists of Yuan Shen, Yang Shen, Celestial Being, Unity with Dao, Creation, and Eternity.

Du Bai and Lao Dao relied on each other for ten years, and naturally, the sorrow was profound. Therefore, after burying Lao Dao, during a meditation session, he could not eliminate distracting thoughts, which led to the emergence of a mental demon, resulting in his downfall and the extinguishing of his soul.

Now, this body belongs to a young Taoist priest, one with a bit of magical power. His original name was Du Bai. Ten years ago, during a severe drought in Qingzhou, his parents took him, then only eight years old, south to escape the famine. Unfortunately, they both perished by the roadside. However, Du Bai was somewhat fortunate; before he could starve to death, he was noticed by an old Taoist named Xu, who took him as a disciple. Du Bai himself also possessed good aptitude, and in just ten short years, he had already cultivated to the realm of nourishing qi and strengthening the soul, earning the deep respect of the old Taoist.