The night, the first half.
Chen Yun has always assumed the responsibility of guarding night.
He did not take people to patrol the safety around the camp today.
Instead, he came alone to the other end of the lake to guard at the exit.
He did not bring people over because he needed to brew the refining and purifying soup, and he did not want others to see it.
With a sense of divine consciousness spread out, Chen Yun confirmed that there was no one around before taking out the small copper furnace. Then, he put the herbs into the furnace one by one according to their portions.
After the herbs were all placed inside, he then measured out, pouring two scoops of the nine-grain rice rain dew and one scoop of the Xuan water into it according to proportion.
All preparations are complete.
Chen Yun pressed the button for refining and purifying essence and qi.
Three.
Two.
One.
A white, steamy vapor rose from the small copper furnace.
Clearly, the refining and purifying soup has been brewed.
After that, Chen Yun poured out all the herbal juice and drank it in one go.
After drinking, he looked at the sky.
It's estimated that it will be around two hours until midnight.
"When the medicine's power starts to take effect, let's see how the middle-tier version works."
Chen Yun picked up the small copper furnace at his fingertips and walked around the area for a while, still recalling the scene of himself being bestowed with life-saving divine energy and fighting against the water serpent.
Although the power of the life-saving divine energy did not belong to him, his enhancement in strength at that time was not fake.
Chen Yun experienced firsthand the feeling of commanding an immense power, "When one's power becomes strong enough, it seems that moving the forces of heaven and earth becomes much simpler. Even when my body was empowered by the divine energy, I felt like I could do anything. It seemed as though, as long as I wanted to, all sorts of magic arts could be conjured with ease."
Suddenly, he remembered what his teacher had once said, "Even if a cultivator never practices any magic arts, once their cultivation attainment reaches a certain level, they will naturally learn various incredible magic arts."
He had a little bit of doubt about this sentence before.
After all, without any training, how could one possibly learn by themselves?
However, the incredible feeling brought about by the life-saving divine energy being bestowed upon himself had let Chen Yun personally experience that indeed, even if he did not know any magic arts at that time, he could still use his powerful strength to draw upon the forces of heaven and earth to create countless kinds of magic arts.
"Indeed, magic arts are merely a derivative of the path of cultivation. When you understand the laws, it naturally follows that you can understand them, thereby creating what is known as magic arts."
Chen Yun felt a hint of enlightenment, "From this, I can deduce that if one could comprehend the operating trajectory of the Tao, then the methods are actually not important at all. Because once one understands the operating trajectory of the Tao, the methods will become clear. Whether it's methods or arts, they are all just companions in pursuit of the Tao."
Arts are for protecting oneself before attaining the Tao and not falling.
Laws are the stepping stones to the Tao.
Only the Tao is eternal and imperishable.
Chen Yun gazed at the stars in the sky and couldn't help but secretly reflect, "Only the Tao is eternal, only the Tao is eternal!"
Whether it was due to the significant improvement in his mindset.
At this moment, Chen Yun felt as though he was subtly merging with the natural environment and the celestial patterns.
His spiritual energy kept expanding, just like when the true qi descended, his true deity stepped out of his body.
Even he felt as though his "true spirit" was constantly ascending, from the ground to the clouds, and from the clouds to the vast universe, witnessing endless starry skies.
The trajectory of the stars in motion.
All things consist of "qi" to form their composition.
Scene after scene was imbedded into his consciousness.
Suddenly, Chen Yun saw something moving and stirring deep within the starry sky.
He tried his best to remember.
Unfortunately, the incredible object disappeared in an instant.
He only vaguely remembered the general shape, with no memory of its trajectory.
At the next moment, a caring voice came from behind, "Mr. Chen? Mr. Chen? Are you okay?"
Chen Yun was suddenly awakened by a jolt, turned his head and saw Zhang Ling looking at him with worry.
He smiled and waved his hand, "I'm fine. You were supposed to be on night duty for the latter half, weren't you? How come you came so early?"
Zhang Ling cleared her throat and said, "It's almost midnight. I came to change everyone's rest, but I saw you standing there motionless for almost half an hour, I thought something was wrong, and I was a little worried."
I've been standing here motionless for half an hour?
Looking up at the sky carefully, Chen Yun realized that he hadn't just stood there for half an hour.
If we start counting from when I was immersed in that feeling, I might have been standing here for a couple of hours.
What just happened a moment ago?
Why was he able to see something moving in the depths of the stars?
What kind of thing was that incredible object?
I saw it move, and it seemed to stir boundless and immense power.
Chen Yun was baffled and was about to respond to Zhang Ling with a few words.
Suddenly, he realized that the true qi within him had been consumed entirely.
In a blink of an eye, three or four hours had passed?
Could it really have consumed all the true qi within him?
Chen Yun's heart stirred, and he remembered the vague scene before. He wondered if this was what the Daoist referred to as "matching the heavens to the earth, unity between heaven and man," or what the Confucian school referred to as "unity between heaven and man."
The concept of matching the heavens to the earth, unity between heaven and man, is the core foundation of Daoism.
As they say, "The way follows nature," which refers to this very idea.
In the concept of "matching the heavens to the earth, unity between heaven and man," there are often different "levels" such as "communication between heaven and man" and "correspondence between heaven and man."
What is referred to as "communication between heaven and man" means that the human body system and the natural universe system are a unified whole.
The vast and minute changes of the universe and nature are all reflected in the human body system.
So in order to achieve success in cultivation, simply following a routine and training is not enough. One also needs to understand the operation of the Tao.
"Zhong and Lu's Transmission of Dao Collection" points out: "The rising and falling of qi and liquid is like the yin and yang of the heavens and earth, while the transmission between the liver and lungs is similar to the alternation of day and night."
This indicates that the movement of qi within the human body and the transmission of body fluids are closely related to the seasons and time, pointing out the biological rhythms of the human body and providing a basis for practices such as serving qi and internal alchemy.
There are many similar aspects.
Chen Yun estimated that he had just communicated with the universe with his body, thus "observing" a part of the trajectory of a path.
To understand how the path truly operates and to grasp its true power, one must achieve "correspondence between heaven and man."
Chen Yun gradually began to understand, and his mouth couldn't help but mutter a passage from "Zi Wei Zang Cheng" that expounds this idea, "Observe the way of the heavens and grasp its movements, then use the signs of the heavens for advancement and retreat, bending and stretching yin and yang. Set up fire-tempering methods and images to show people." Ha ha, I understand it now! I understand it now!"
The Dao Master has finally understood the meaning!
Chen Yun laughed heartily and turned around to leave.
Only Zhang Ling was left, staring blankly at Chen Yun's crazy appearance and back.
……
Around the campsite, many people had already changed shifts and gone to sleep.
Only Qin Ming, who was weakened by the secret method, was leaning against the trunk of a tree, lowering his head without knowing what he was thinking.
Perhaps hearing the footsteps, Qin Ming couldn't help but raise his head and greet him, "Mr. Chen."
Chen Yun nodded slightly to him, "You haven't gone to sleep yet?"
Qin Ming smiled bitterly and said, "After using the secret method, I will be weak for half a year. There are numerous dangers in the Xinglinguo Grotto, and without spiritual power, my mind is unsettled."
Chen Yun stared at Qin Ming for a moment before suddenly asking, "Do you really want to become my disciple?"
Qin Ming was taken aback for a moment, but then he answered seriously, "Master, I am deeply devoted to the pursuit of immortality and longevity. If I could become your disciple, it would be my great honor."
Chen Yun hmm'd and said, "Over the past few days of interacting with you, I've noticed that your temperament is not bad. It is indeed acceptable to take you under my wing, but since I have not yet become a master, I am still unable to recruit disciples or apprentices on my own. I will need my mentor's approval first. However, considering your reverence for the true way and your earnest pursuit of the Dao of Longevity, although I cannot currently take you under my wing, I can teach you some minor Breathing Techniques that are not very important. In the future, when I have enlightened my mentor and he agrees, then I will admit you into my doorstep. What do you think?"
Qin Ming was overjoyed and immediately knelt down on the ground, "Thank you, teacher, for passing on your art to me."
Chen Yun didn't say anything more, and passed on a very simple Breathing Technique to him.
He suddenly wanted to take Qin Ming as a disciple, not because of an impulse, but because just then he observed the trajectory of the Tao's operation in "matching the heavens to the earth, unity between heaven and man," and instinctively anticipated that the path of cultivation he would follow in the future might be different from that of his predecessors. At that time, when developing new cultivation techniques, he might need someone to test them.
He isn't incapable of taking on a disciple; he could start by nurturing one from scratch. However, that would take too much time, and it would be more efficient to find someone with actual spiritual power to directly test the effectiveness of the cultivation techniques.
Qin Ming deeply reveres immortality, and his recent behavior has been very good. He is a man of sentiment and loyalty.
Therefore, Chen Yun feels that if his mentor agrees, admitting Qin Ming under his wing may not be a bad thing.
Of course, Chen Yun would not take the other party as a disciple without his mentor's approval.
After Chen Yun finished passing on the Breathing Technique, Qin Ming immediately treated him with the respect due to a teacher.
Chen Yun casually sat down on the ground and said, "Since you're still awake, you might as well act as my guardian. Don't let anyone disturb me if they come here later."
Qin Ming quickly said, "Master, you can rest assured. I will definitely protect the place well."
Chen Yun nodded and closed his eyes, waiting quietly for the arrival of the Zi Shi hour to sense the difference between the intermediate version of the "Refining Jing into Qi Essence Soup" and its basic version.
The main purpose of his journey into the Sun and Moon Spring Grotto this time wasn't it to gather the celestial and terrestrial spiritual roots needed for the Refining Jing into Qi Essence Soup?
Having now made the intermediate version of the Refining Jing into Qi Essence Soup, he naturally wanted to carefully experience it and see how much more magical the upgraded version was. At the same time, he would calculate based on tonight's spiritual power generated by the medicine's effects, how long it would take him to break through from an intermediate adept to a senior adept.
Based on the basic version of the "Refining Jing into Qi Essence Soup," Chen Yun estimated that it would take him no more than twelve months to break through to a senior adept after taking the intermediate version.
After all, the book only mentioned preparing an amount for twelve months.
The same was the case with the basic version.
In fact, Chen Yun broke through from an inferior adept to a medium adept using the basic version of the "Refining Jing into Qi Essence Soup." He had not even finished drinking the essence soup. Although he ate other spiritual roots in the process, even without taking yang qi, he could infer based on the medicinal effects that it would take him no more than six months to break through to a medium adept with the help of the basic version of this essence soup.
That means the basic version of the Refining Jing into Qi Essence Soup has half a year's worth of dosage prepared for the medium adept stage.
After Chen Yun broke through to the medium adept stage, he did indeed find that the basic version of the Refining Jing into Qi Essence Soup was still effective, but the effect wasn't as obvious.
So, based on the effects of the basic version of the Refining Jing into Qi Essence Soup, it should be similar for the intermediate version.
It's estimated that a few months would be enough to allow him to break through from a medium adept to a senior adept.
With the remaining few months' worth of essence soup, he can continue to practice at the senior adept level for a while.
Next, he might need to use the high-config version of the Refining Jing into Qi Essence Soup.
By the time it's the high-config version of the Refining Jing into Qi Essence Soup, all of the essence soup for refining jing into qi will have been consumed.
Chen Yun estimates that the high-config version of the Refining Jing into Qi Essence Soup should allow him to cultivate to the level of a senior adept.
As for why there is no "Refining Jing into Qi Essence Soup" for the master's realm.
He guessed that the master's realm has already transcended the category of refining jing into qi, and it is highly likely that it has entered the stage of refining qi into spirit.
As to whether that is true, he cannot know for certain until he reaches that level.
While pondering quietly in his mind, he felt a warmth in his abdomen. Chen Yun knew that the medicinal force had been born.
He immediately rallied his spirits, eager to see how strong the medicinal power of the intermediate version of the Refining Jing into Qi Essence Soup was.
(This chapter is completed)
