Chapter 0004: The True Radiance of the Spirit

It is said that infants possess abundant kidney energy. I have now unlocked the secrets of the kidneys. It is worth mentioning that throughout history, the first infant to experience kidney deficiency is indeed a child who will later have to rely on practice to gradually replenish it. Zhang Bairen thought to himself with a sense of helplessness

Damn it, could it be that I'm going to be sucked to death like this? Zhang Bairen maintained his composure; now that the secret chamber had been opened, everything was beyond his control.

The path of cultivation is divided into three categories: Mahayana, Middle Vehicle, and Hinayana. If one seeks to attain Mahayana, it is essential to first cultivate from Hinayana, without deviating in the slightest. Without the perfection of Hinayana, one cannot witness the achievements of the Middle Vehicle, and without witnessing the achievements of the Middle Vehicle, it is difficult to attain the fruition of Mahayana.

Feeling his body shivering uncontrollably, Zhang Bairen forced himself to muster some spirit and approached the bonfire, throwing a large bundle of firewood into the flames: "Fortunately, I have been consuming meat day and night to replenish my strength; otherwise, I would surely be on the verge of death this time."

"Damn it! My kidneys are weak." At this moment, Zhang Bairen, having already begun to gather herbs, naturally understood the condition of his own body

Snap

It is said that "the gentle breeze arises after the day, inspiring the efforts of many in their creations"; this is nothing more than that

Collecting medicinal herbs and cultivating qi, what is refined is not the acquired essence of postnatal interaction; this postnatal essence is merely a process of refining the innate. This point must be clear to everyone. Although what is cultivated is indeed the postnatal essence, it is necessary, at the moment of achieving great success in refining the postnatal essence, to reverse the circulation of the microcosmic orbit and adjust the timing, advancing during the hours of the Rat and Horse and retreating during the hours of the Yin, seeking the innate path through the postnatal essence. The postnatal essence is merely a process and a means. All of these will be elaborated upon later, but some aspects may be vague and require personal contemplation.

Zhang Bairen no longer wishes to wait and desires to embark on the path of cultivation. It is not that simple; in this world, Zhang Bairen feels no sense of security. Observing the stars at night, it seems as if deities are suspended in the heavens, and a vast realm of laws is unfolding, reminiscent of the heavenly court from legends.

It is precisely this step that keeps many individuals with ulterior motives at bay, making it difficult for them to achieve greatness in their lifetime. Therefore, let us observe the esteemed figures of the Daoist sect, each possessing an upright demeanor, akin to dragons and phoenixes among men, such as Lü Zu and the Eight Immortals, each having attained the true Dao, and thus deserving of the title of immortals.

"Forcing open the essence store, if I do not obtain the jade liquid and elixir within fifty years, I will surely perish." Looking at the iron needle in his hand, Zhang Bairen's eyes flashed with a hint of ruthlessness: "The path is difficult, the path is difficult; the road of cultivation has never been smooth sailing. I still have some innate divine essence remaining. By opening the acquired essence store, I will surely find the true radiant spirit in the void, infusing the three souls and seven spirits with this essence. I do not believe that, with our lives now intertwined, you will completely drain me and leave me in a place of no return."

As for those whose bodies are damaged, how can they restore the vital energy within? The methods of gathering herbs and practicing skills have already been mentioned above, so there is no need to elaborate further here

Zhang Bairen was speechless; throughout history, no one has ever consumed their own kidney essence in such a manner, making him the first in both ancient and modern times.

Am I considered to have survived? A life after disaster? Zhang Bairen weakly leaned in front of the fire, the mountain wind that was once indifferent now felt terrifyingly cold.

"This is my first time entering a meditative state, and I did not expect the effects to be so remarkable." Zhang Bairen felt a surge of excitement in his heart, but soon all excitement was severed, and his mind became as tranquil as an ancient well.

Zhang Bairen must cultivate during the active hours of the day, and then gather herbs for practice

Uncertain of how much time had passed, Zhang Bairen felt his body grow cold and his hands and feet turn numb, as the three souls and seven spirits that had been frantically consuming his essence finally settled down.

The first threshold is to enter a state of meditation, sitting for a duration equivalent to the duration of a complete hour.

Certainly, the so-called Buddhist and Taoist masters of the twenty-first century are merely a profession, not true monastics.

This radiant light is indeed extraordinary, referred to by practitioners as the True Radiant Light. For mortals to witness the True Radiant Light, they must first perceive their true nature. One must seek out the clues within a state of tranquility and stillness, genuinely realizing that within my heart lies an eternal, tranquil, and luminous essence that does not fade. Then, one should maintain this awareness in stillness and observe it in motion, applying it to all matters and things, without ever deviating from the utmost goodness. Over time, through deep cultivation and understanding, this essence will naturally become clear and vibrant, existing at all times and in all places.

The so-called "living time" is not what ordinary people refer to as hours, such as the time of Zi and Wu, but rather a state of quiet meditation, refining the true and pure spiritual light, using this true and pure spiritual light to stimulate the internal circulation of the universe, resonating with the greater world

The water is very deep! Zhang Bairen's iron needle, heated in the fierce flames, instantly pierced into seven acupoints all over his body.

Refining essence into energy, Daoism is divided into two schools. One aligns with the way of heaven, which is the normal method of collecting herbs and cultivating energy. The other involves severing the Azure Dragon and cutting off the White Tiger, which is extremely fierce. Ultimately, over time, the external yang diminishes, the external pouch is completely depleted, leading to the cessation of descendants. Some approaches are nearly akin to demonic paths, so everyone must be cautious and avoid reckless practices online

As expected, just as Zhang Bairen began to harvest the great medicine of the human body, the Three Souls and Seven Spirits started to cause trouble. The continuous influx of vital energy was even absorbed directly by the Three Souls and Seven Spirits without undergoing any refinement.

During meditation, one enters a state referred to as the active time, at which point the gathering of herbs begins

At this moment, Zhang Bairen observed his nose with his eyes, his heart with his nose, and his dantian with his heart. A vast amount of vital energy poured forth from his secret orifice, attracted by the true and pure spiritual light, transforming into a great medicine, refined into true energy, or what could also be referred to as the embryonic form of magical power

The explanation is somewhat complicated, but the general meaning is: refining essence into energy involves cultivating the essence of sympathetic interaction, rather than the essence and energy derived from postnatal desires

However, it must be remembered that during the gathering of medicinal herbs, one must not entertain even the slightest improper thoughts between men and women; otherwise, this precious medicine will be rendered useless

At that time, one must also practice meditation to restore one's vital energy, only then can one refine essence into energy and adopt the methods of gathering herbs and practicing skills

At this moment, Zhang Bairen entered a meditative state and attained the true essence of spiritual illumination. He began the process of refining medicine at the hour of Zi and Wu, starting with the collection of herbs.

For Zhang Bairen, staying awake for a period of time is not difficult; in fact, it is quite simple. However, due to his age, he is unable to remain seated for that duration.

Zhang Bairen closed his eyes, swiftly severing the countless distractions in his mind. In an instant, numerous chaotic thoughts were cast aside. Although the hard work of several decades in his past life was rendered futile, the skill of entering a meditative state remained.

May I ask the ancestral master, what is a living person

The mind is empty and void, when a spark of inspiration begins to flicker

Buzz

This world is not simple at all; it is fundamentally different from the Sui and Tang world that Zhang Bairen was familiar with in his previous life

Zhang Bairen stood in the cave, recalling the scenes of dialogue from his past life when he became a disciple, each moment flowing through his mind

If this skill is successfully mastered, the path of cultivation will be considered to have entered a new phase. The subsequent small and large circulations will come effortlessly, as if everything falls into place. Although there are some differences from what is known as Qigong in modern times, the differences are minimal; the only distinction lies in their effects, as both are practices of refining essence into energy.

Certainly, what has been mentioned above, although somewhat ambiguous, contains both truth and falsehood, with the false hiding the true and the true concealing the false. It only pertains to those who are physically robust and mentally unburdened, who need not adhere to all forms of discipline.

What is a living child time

In simple terms, everyone experiences a normal erection in the latter half of the night, at which point the vital energy within the body undergoes a yin-yang interaction, similar to the time of the active hours. How should one put it?

At the beginning, there was no particular feeling, but soon a tingling sensation began to expand and spread from within.

The Master said: "In the process of human life, a primordial spirit first descends from the void into the womb, which is known as the birth of the spirit. The spirit gives rise to vital energy, and the vital energy produces essence. Thus, after ten months of gestation and three years of nursing, the number totals five thousand four hundred and eighty, culminating in the formation of the four elements within one body. This is the natural way of human existence."

When the heart is unmoved, it is called refining essence; refining essence causes the tiger to roar and the wind to arise

If one is in their forties or fifties, having long engaged in social interactions and having borne many children, with a body that is worn out and a spirit that is weak, without the need to maintain a balanced effort, then the body will deteriorate and the vital energy will dissipate, making it exceedingly difficult to produce essence and elixirs. The desire to refine essence into energy and to take potent medicines is almost as difficult as ascending to the heavens

There are three concepts that need to be clearly distinguished: what is the essence acquired after birth, and what is the essence of postnatal interaction. If these two concepts are confused, the effort will be in vain

The path of cultivation has three thresholds, referring here to the practice of spiritual cultivation in reality

It has been opened! Success has been achieved, just in time for cultivation, and the task of gathering herbs has begun. Zhang Bairen's face showed an expression of excitement

The withered branches fell, startling Zhang Bairen awake. He gathered the firewood in front of him and slowly ignited it. Sitting cross-legged not far from the fire, he gently closed his eyes, and in his hand, seven iron needles appeared, though he did not know when.

The interplay of yin and yang, if one is consumed by desires, will inevitably lead to a resonance between heaven and earth, resulting in a muddled state of yin and yang. At this time, although one may be able to gather medicinal herbs, the great medicine obtained will already be indistinguishable between yin and yang, resulting in a loss of true essence. In the future, the elixir of jade will not achieve pure yang, and the alchemical process will be in vain, merely following the cycles of the heavenly bodies without attaining the true method.

Why can't the heart move

This step is truly radiant and pure. In the 21st century, Zhang Bairen honed his skills for decades amidst the worldly temptations, continuously refining his radiant purity. This radiant purity is achieved through diligent meditation and practice, enduring hardships, and remaining unblemished through countless tribulations. One must not harbor even the slightest falsehood; even if one consumes numerous miraculous elixirs, without sufficient skill, one cannot attain it.