During the midnight of the sub-hour.
In the Laojun Temple, inside the tranquil room.
Chen Yun sat cross-legged on a cushion in front of a table.
He resumed harmonizing his mind, shedding all distractions from his heart.
"Just now, I was able to allow my yuan spirit to dominate my body for the first time. I believe that achieving the Golden Elixir and becoming a celestial is just around the corner."
Just the thought of being able to achieve immortality caused Chen Yun's heart to stir again, making it difficult for him to maintain his composure.
Ever since ancient times, longevity has been the ultimate aspiration of mankind, and even kings and nobles cannot escape this common desire.
Chen Yun was no exception; the desire to attain enlightenment and become a celestial was not just a thought for this lifetime.
In fact, back in his early years when he attended school, he had seen countless volumes on cultivation and magic, and this led him to have a dream of living forever.
Unfortunately, in the previous life, that world seemed to lack the existence of immortal beings.
Luckily, I have come to this world, not only to witness countless divine beings from myths and legends but also to truly tread the path of immortality.
Suddenly, Chen Yun felt a sense of confusion in front of him.
As if he saw himself leaving the Dark Mountain when he was young.
That morning, the sun was shining brightly, as if foretelling his future.
Then, I entered the door of Zheng Nan Mountain's Jingyang Cave, studying under the guidance of Zhengyang Zhenren, a master who had imparted the Taoist teachings.
The years have passed like a white horse galloping through the gap, and in a flash, over thirty years have gone by. I am about to refine the Golden Elixir and transcend life and death.
This caused Chen Yun to feel a myriad of emotions, as if he had worked his whole life and finally fulfilled his dream.
"I have worked diligently for several decades and am finally on the path to true immortality."
Chen Yun's heart, long tempered like a solid rock through cultivation, could not remain still; it continued to stir restlessly.
Don't think about it.
The Golden Elixir has not yet been refined.
He kept reminding himself that he was merely approaching this step, but had not yet truly reached the other shore.
Chen Yun warned himself, just like the youth who first walked out of the Dark Mountain, he was still empty-handed at this moment.
"Settle your mind and charge towards refining the Golden Elixir. Whether or not I attain immortality later on, having reached this level of cultivation, this life will have no regrets!"
Perhaps it was returning to a pure heart like a child, his whole body was light and agile, with all distractions dispersed. The only thing left in his mind was the chant of "Chen Mr. Internal Elixir Secret".
"Beneath the central yellow treasure, one must seek it in the liver. The Spring Emperor's command brings forth all things, beneath heaven and earth my peers reside. The vital essence naturally flows through. Crafting the Taoist transformations, two fires to either side are drawn. Boundless and resplendent throughout the cosmos, bitter smoke rises up around the pavilion. The husband and wife gradually formulate plans."
Chen Yun recollected the incantation of the first turning of the cultivation technique, which was the method to attain enlightenment and become a celestial.
In this turning, he practiced for decades, becoming so proficient that it was as natural as eating and drinking.
Next, Chen Yun closed his eyes, calming his spirit, regulating the uniform inhalation and exhalation of breath. Then he rolled his tongue backward to seal the two orifices at the root of his tongue, which are the ducts of the submandibular gland.
Ordinary people may find it difficult to continue after stopping the breath by holding the two orifices at the root of the tongue, as closing the breath is required.
As the creator of this internal elixir cultivation technique, Chen Yun would naturally not falter.
While practicing the technique, he let his yuan spirit dominate his body.
The next moment, two streams of Qi were born from the left and right sun meridians.
At this moment, Chen Yun felt nothing, and his thoughts were stagnant. Everything depended on the manipulation of his body by his yuan spirit.
The two streams of Qi rose from the root of his teeth, up to the temples, and then slowly spread towards the top of his head.
Gradually, the two streams of Qi merged.
While Chen Yun had no thoughts, his body followed the technique and gradually opened his eyes, completing a small orbit.
The yuan spirit seemed to have the intention to let the body rest for a moment, then close his eyes again. Each time he would stop when the Qi reached the mudan palace, which is not real elemental Qi. There is no true essence in this process.
During this time, Chen Yun remained in a state of "void," having no awareness of what was happening within his body.
Finally, three times were completed.
At this moment, a cool sensation flooded Chen Yun's head.
In a flash, the Qi from the mudan palace flowed into his brain, followed by the throat and eventually reached the tailbone.
After the Qi reached the tailbone, it underwent a series of transformations.
Following that, another cool sensation came from above his head, as the Qi moved forward to the gallbladder and umbilicus.
Although Chen Yun was in a state of "void," he suddenly felt warm and comfortable in his chest, indicating the descent of true energy.
This wasn't the end, as the Qi flowed upward from the lower abdomen to the heart.
He felt a warm, slight movement in his heart, as if the heart had come to life.
This warm Qi then flowed upward from the heart, passing through the twelve palaces, and reached the tip of the tongue.
Chen Yun subtly tasted bitterness in his mouth.
Suddenly, there was a surge of yin and yang within his body, converging and continuously being harmonized.
However, Chen Yun felt nothing and continued to be immersed in the "void," letting his yuan spirit control his body.
...
At the same time, a magical show was happening outside.
The night sky under the layers of darkness was almost completely obscured. The gentle, slightly chilly spring breeze brushed over the void.
No bright moon, no stars in sight.
As the midnight hour approached, the colorful light of the households gradually faded into the night, blending in with the darkness.
A mysterious flame appeared in the semi-space above the Laojun Temple, flickering and dimming, with a frequency similar to human breathing. However, it was as weak as a dying candle in the wind, and might be extinguished at any moment.
Immediately afterward, a ray of golden light shot out abruptly.
This straight golden light was incredibly strange. It looked no thicker than a thumb, yet seemed to cut through the heavens and earth, as if nothing in the world could affect it, as if it would be able to support the entire universe.
Initially, the golden light was relatively dim, barely visible to the naked eye.
After several breaths, the golden light burst into brilliance, almost covering the sky and the earth, like a massive wave in the ocean surging towards the previously rising flame.
This did not stop. The golden light changed instantly, spreading out and merging into the floating clouds in the sky. In doing so, the white clouds transformed into golden clouds.
The sky was immediately shrouded.
The golden clouds rolled and covered the capital in grandeur.
The terrifying scene seemed as if the sky was collapsing, leaving people with a shocking feeling.
Golden light radiated in all directions!
Flames soared into the sky!
The entire vast imperial capital seemed to be immersed in an endless sea of gold.
In the blink of an eye, the firelight was about to be extinguished.
At this moment, the golden clouds gradually parted, and a ray of golden light at the center abruptly spread out in all directions.
The stars that had been obscured by the golden clouds seemed to be unintentionally reflecting the golden light, as if all living things in the world were without choice. They were emitting little, pure, colorless "dew drops".
When these "dew drops" gathered in the sky and were about to form an ocean, they suddenly shattered, as if a galaxy had collapsed and poured down, rolling towards the firelight.
Each of these "dew drops" fell from above downwards.
This solidification covered all the way down to the deepest depths of the earth.
Surrounding were "dew drops," endless and desolate.
The flame seemed to have been fueled, burning fiercely and becoming more resplendent.
Finally, half of the sky was burned red.
If someone were to gaze from afar, they would find that this flame was incredibly exquisite, resembling a Daoist master sitting cross-legged, and there was a bright fireball burning in the left chest of the enormous figure of flame.
The light of the fireball was dazzling and radiant.
Suddenly, it rose up and became a red sun.
Following that, the red sun seemed to be pulled down by some mighty force, falling towards the ground.
Whoosh!
The red sun fell into the abyss, making a "plashing" sound.
Water and fire mingled, yin and yang were harmonized.
The red sun gradually dimmed its flames, transforming into a spotless and pure light that quietly hung suspended within the figure of flame.
When this spot of light returned to its place, it inexplicably dispersed into countless bright beams that were as clear as streams, covering every part of the figure of flame.
The figure of flame "opened its eyes".
The "dew drops" also dispersed accordingly.
Had it not been for the golden light still standing firm in the world, it would seem as though nothing had happened.
Chen Yun was experiencing a miracle.
He felt that his "consciousness" had transcended everything in the world, floating carelessly in the void.
This feeling was incredibly unique.
He could clearly see a hundred and thirty-six billion, seven hundred and sixty-three million, four thousand, one hundred and twenty-two variations of his "future changes" floating before his eyes.
Moreover, Chen Yun also saw countless versions of himself experiencing different lives.
One of himself was a farmer, carrying a hoe and working the land.
Another himself was a grand general, sitting in his tent and strategizing.
Of course, there were good and bad versions. Chen Yun also saw one of himself as a beggar, kneeling on the ground with no dignity, desperately pleading for a little food from others.
Tens of thousands of himself existed in different worlds and different times.
However, at that very moment, the myriad realms of the heavens seemed to tremble abruptly.
In that instant, all those versions of himself from different worlds and different times turned yellow and gradually disappeared from their original worlds or times.
In contrast, all kinds of different consciousnesses and experiences from various lives were gathered in his mind.
At this moment, Chen Yun felt as if he had a "split personality disorder," as though there were countless versions of himself, each with their own consciousness, vying for control over his body.
Unfortunately, at this moment, his physical body was already being controlled by his yuan spirit. Even though there were countless versions of himself, each with their own consciousness, they could not affect his body in the slightest.
Boom!
The golden light exploded within him.
It seemed as if the heavens and earth had been created anew.
Smashing all the thousand and thousands of his own consciousnesses to pieces, scattering them.
Finally, Chen Yun returned to a state of peace.
Just then, Chen Yun had completely become a different person.
At this moment, Chen Yun felt that his "gaze" seemed to have gained a function of penetrating.
Even without releasing his spiritual consciousness, he could still penetrate through all obstacles in the world and see the other side of the misty shore.
Looking around, it was still the quiet chamber of Laojun Observatory, remaining dark and dim.
But Chen Yun saw something different from what others could see.
He saw the barrier of this world.
He saw the void beyond the world's end.
He also saw countless worlds suspended in the void, shimmering faintly and subtly.
All of these were magnificent scenes.
Even the tiny ones, he not only saw everything like wind flow, water flow and so on.
Even more so, he saw the "Qi" that composed these substances.
What really amazed Chen Yun was that he could observe these "Qi" forming lines, intertwining together, like tiny spider webs to create a huge web that extended to the sky, boundless universe, and even into the void.
As if he had grasped the essence of the world.
Incredibly spectacular and majestic.
Chen Yun couldn't help but be amazed.
At that moment, he finally understood what Zhang Ziyang meant by "A golden pill swallowed into the stomach, and you begin to realize that my fate is not governed by heaven." He understood that this was truly transcendence.
(Chapter Ends)
