Chapter 17
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The old man scrutinized Qi Wuhuo from head to toe.
Finally, he smiled and nodded, saying: “Good.”
“I have encountered many cultivators in my time. Your aptitude is not particularly outstanding, but your comprehension is quite good.”
“However, the method for refining Primordial Essence is not something that can be mastered quickly with mere slow and steady effort.”
“Tell me, what did you encounter?”
Qi Wuhuo then recounted the events from earlier, how he encountered the tiger mountain god when he went up the mountain, and he also explained the method of refining Primordial Essence that he had taught him. The old man stroked his beard and said: “So that’s it… So that’s how you’ve obtained this method of refining Primordial Essence.”
“The fact that you were able to gain insight into the balance between action and inaction from this method is commendable.”
The old man looked at Qi Wuhuo and smiled, saying: “However, this method of refining Primordial Essence is quite rudimentary. It was, after all, a preliminary creation from years ago.”
“Now that I look at it, there are several inadequacies.”
Qi Wuhuo asked, puzzled, “A preliminary creation from years ago? But this method seems to be from the Dao Ancestor…”
The old man burst out laughing and said: “Not every technique attributed to the Dao Ancestor was actually written by him.”
“Otherwise, with so many methods in the world, wouldn’t he be exhausted?”
“Come, come, sit closer. Let me explain it to you.”
The elder beckoned Qi Wuhuo to sit beside him and then explained the method of refining Primordial Essence in greater detail. In comparison to the five hundred years of insight gained by the Tiger Mountain God, this version was significantly different. In contrast, the old man’s explanation was precise, cutting to the core. The tiger’s refinement technique seemed to have been acquired long ago, but its initial understanding was lacking, and now, upon further inspection, many flaws became evident.
After finishing his explanation, the old man stroked his beard and waved his hand, saying: “This is that tiger’s fortuitous method. I just found it amusing and decided to share it with you.”
“But it’s not something I’m personally teaching you.”
“So, I didn’t break my promise.”
Before he could finish speaking, even the old man himself couldn’t help but chuckle, shaking his head with a smile.
Pointing to the mountain goods, he said: “Among them are ginseng, huangjing, and various other medicinal herbs. While it is said that external substances cannot be relied upon for long, since you are still laying your foundation, it wouldn’t hurt to take some. Right now, you’ve only planted the seed of the Three Flowers. After some years of cultivation, once the Three Talents are complete and the Essence and Qi merge, you’ll be able to achieve something.”
Qi Wuhuo glanced at the mountain goods, as if he had something to say.
The old man stroked his beard and smiled: “If you have something to say, speak.”
Qi Wuhuo cupped his hands and said: “Regarding the errors in the Primordial Essence method and the ways to improve it, may I inform the mountain god…?”
The elder replied casually:
“As I’ve said before, this method was something the tiger found on its own.”
“I didn’t pass it to you, I merely explained it. How you wish to handle it is up to you.”
Qi Wuhuo bowed deeply.
He then picked up his sword for protection, turned around, and lifted the curtain. The elder called out with a smile: “Are you going now?”
“Um.”
“When will you return?”
Qi Wuhuo glanced outside. By now, after all the teaching, the sky had already darkened. He replied:
“After I deliver the message, I will leave.”
The elder laughed and said: “Then let’s prepare a meal first.”
Qi Wuhuo prepared the evening meal for the elder before heading up the mountain.
The fierce tiger was sitting atop the mountain, drinking wine under the moonlight, nourishing his Spirit through the moon’s essence. There were few spiritual beasts around, which made the scene feel both desolate and serene.
He had been cultivating for over five hundred years now.
His Primordial Essence and Primordial Qi had reached an exceptionally high level. Three hundred years ago, he had already achieved the [Fusion of Essence and Qi], refining the Innate Qi.
Since then, he had cultivated diligently for another three hundred years, never allowing himself a day of laziness.
If he wished, there were several methods available to step into the next realm: he could absorb the moon’s essence and drink the dew, ascending with the clouds; or he could gather food to refine Qi and condense Earthly Fiend Qi; or he could simply swallow the Mountain God’s Talisman and merge completely with the earth’s veins, transforming into a true Earth Deity.
At worst, he could seek a way to obtain a decree from the Heavenly Emperor and roam the world as time passed.
Any of these would grant him dominion over a region.
But no, he couldn’t, he couldn’t…
The fierce tiger lay there, severing the many distracting thoughts that had surfaced in his heart.
Since his youth, when he first glimpsed the great path of cultivation, he had made up his mind to step into the next realm with a true foundation in the Great Dao.
[Refining Essence], [Transforming Qi].
Having cultivated to this point, he could be called a True Person.
And his current realm had already reached the next step.
When Primordial Essence and Primordial Qi merge to form Innate Qi, it is known as the Great Elixir.
He had spent hundreds of years painstakingly refining the Yin aspect of the Great Elixer, transforming it into Pure Yang.
This was the process known as [Refining Qi].
The next step would be to merge this Pure Yang Qi with his Primordial Spirit, a stage of cultivation known as [Returning to the Spirit].
At that realm, the Daoist School calls it the Yang Spirit.
The Three Flowers would converge at his crown.
He would no longer be mortal.
But it was at this very bottleneck that he had been stuck for three hundred years.
Perhaps, he would ultimately die on this mountain, never able to take that step forward.
The mountain god, enjoying his wine beneath the moonlit snowy field, suddenly raised his gaze slightly, detecting a faint sound. He looked up to see a young boy in blue clothing making his way up the snowy path, pushing aside branches laden with snow.
A person approached under the moonlight.
“Mm? Qi Wuhuo…”
The mountain god recognized him and, with a teasing tone, asked: “It’s already late at night, why are you here in such a hurry? Is it because you’re short on spiritual herbs?”
The young man replied: “I have come to share the supplementary teachings of the Primordial Essence refining method Mountain God provided.”
“Oh?”
“Haha, if that’s the case, then I shall listen closely.”
The mountain god had initially been indifferent, but as Qi Wuhuo lifted his garments and sat on a stone, calmly recounting the old man’s improved method of refining Primordial Essence, the mountain god’s demeanor shifted from relaxed to tense. Though the young man’s features were unremarkable, ordinary even, sitting there under the moonlight as he explained the teachings gave him an air of tranquility and warmth.
After he finished, the mountain god remained lost in thought for a long while.
The breakthrough he had been trapped in for so long seemed to be subtly unlocked.
But how could that be possible?!
Once Qi Wuhuo concluded, he added: “Primordial Essence, Primordial Qi, and Primordial Spirit must never be separated.”
“They must all be nurtured to their fullest levels before stepping into the next realm; otherwise, while progress may be rapid at first, one will ultimately be hindered by a bottleneck in cultivation.”
“Perhaps thirty years, or maybe fifty years you won’t be able to make any progress.”
“My elders at home pointed out the errors and omissions in this method, so I came to inform you.”
“There’s no need to rush; the path to the Great Dao can be taken slowly.”
Under the moonlight, the mountain god observed the young man sitting with utmost seriousness. His hair was slightly disheveled, and there were traces of dirt and snow from walking on the snowy mountain path during the night. It was evident that the boy had hurried to share this information during the night only after learning of it.
The tiger sighed with emotion: “Why go to such lengths?”
“Gentleman could return tomorrow; it wouldn’t be too late.”
Qi Wuhuo smiled but said nothing, then rose to take his leave.
The young man declined the mountain god’s invitation to stay and drink spiritual wine while discussing the Dao. Instead, he grasped a simple yet clean sword and made his way down the mountain, stepping carefully in the moonlight.
Upon returning home.
His shoes were thoroughly soaked.
The old man was flipping through a book and didn’t look up. “Did you tell him?”
“Mm.”
“Why didn’t you stay?”
Qi Wuhuo replied: “Because I’ve already completed what I needed to do.”
“And besides, the rice is almost ready.”
“Old sir, it’s time to eat.”
The old man raised his eyes and looked at Qi Wuhuo, who seemed a bit happier than usual and smiled gently.
“Good.”
The next morning, Qi Wuhuo got up, nourished his Qi with the breathing method, and refined his Primordial Essence.
He also prepared a meal for the old man.
After that, he picked up the cleaned winter bamboo shoots and mountain delicacies, heading towards the home of Li Puyu.
At this moment, the Mountain God, who had sat for the whole night, finally felt that the barrier blocking him was about to be broken. Thus, he invited the nearby River Gods and the Land Gods to his mountain dojo. When these Earth Deities arrived, they realized that the tiger sought to exchange some nourishing treasures with them.
[TL_Note: Land Gods and River Gods fall under the classification of Earth Deities]
The tiger brought out everything he had accumulated—
It seemed that quite a cost was needed to make up for his moment of impatience in the past.
Yet the tiger did not feel any pain over it.
However, one of the Land Gods arrived a bit late. After he hurriedly apologized upon arrival, the others teased him to drink as penance. Without hesitation, he drank three cups before, amidst the laughter of his friends, he revealed the reason for his tardiness: “Ah, it’s all part of my duty, isn’t it?”
“I don’t know what happened today, but in a town under my jurisdiction, there’s a large mansion filled with a thick aura of death.”
“It seems it has stirred some trouble.”
“I barely managed to isolate this Baleful Qi so it wouldn’t affect the Earth Veins. Someone must have greedily coveted gold that shouldn’t be touched.”
“Truly a fitting end.”
The purpose of the Land and Mountain Gods was to manage the Earth Veins, keeping out of human affairs.
Others asked which mansion it was.
The land god, holding a wine cup in one hand, raised his other hand and pointed towards the northwest corner, saying: “It’s over there, a family with the surname Li.”
“The one that invited many guests today.”
The Tiger Mountain God, who had been drinking heavily, paused for a moment.
“Hmm?!”
“Which family?”
At the same time,
Qi Wuhuo raised his eyes to look at the plaque above the large door, where the characters [Li Residence] were inscribed and knocked on the door.
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Orluros’s Vault of Secrets: Hello everyone, I’ll be taking a short vacation after this week, so as an early gift I shall post double the chapters I usually do all week 🙂 I wish you all a Merry Holiday and a Happy New Year.
I’ll see you all next year 🙂
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