Longzang

Chapter 30 Jade Toad Looking at the Moon
The hundreds of rules of the sect may seem complicated, but they are nothing more than respecting teachers and valuing the way, and protecting mortals. The most important thing in the instructions for entering the sect is a map of the Empty Mountain Hanging Green, but most of this map is a forbidden area. Only less than one-tenth of the area is marked, and that is where new disciples can go.

In the valley stood a kitchen and a general affairs hall, responsible for the daily needs of all the disciples. Wei Yuan was tired after a long day and was quite hungry; he had a large appetite, and children his age are not resistant to hunger. However, out of curiosity, Wei Yuan picked up the bottle of Qi-drinking pills.

The bottle was opened, and a faint, sweet fragrance immediately wafted out. Wei Yuan poured out a small, milky-yellow pill, about the size of a fingertip, with a pale blue line along its surface. According to the sect's instructions, this Qi-drinking pill would allow one to go without food for three days, only needing to drink water. Furthermore, the Qi-drinking pill was not merely about relieving hunger; it also enhanced bodily functions, somewhat resembling a Qi-gathering technique, though its effects were not as strong.

Wei Yuan tilted his head back and swallowed the Qi-Drinking Pill. A moment later, a warm feeling rose in his stomach, his hunger was swept away, and his mind became much clearer, giving him a feeling of lightning-fast thoughts.

As evening fell, Zhang Sheng rushed over, and the master and apprentice began their evening lesson.

For the past three years, there has been an hour of evening study time after dinner every day, mainly for Zhang Sheng to answer questions and resolve doubts. But today is different; this is Wei Yuan's first formal training lesson.

The master and disciple sat down in the cultivation room. Zhang Sheng lit an incense stick, and the faint fragrance immediately filled the air. Wei Yuan immediately felt that his mind was working much faster, as if he had just had a good sleep, and his thoughts were exceptionally lively and agile.

Zhang Sheng said, "People only say that immortals are good, but they don't know that the path to immortality is long and arduous, and many people perish along the way. Today I will tell you about the affairs of immortals."

"Since ancient times, there has been more than one path to immortality. Over the millennia, people have continuously innovated and created new paths, resulting in a wide variety of paths. My Dao Palace alone has six paths to immortality and three thousand wondrous gates. Confucianism and Buddhism have fewer paths, but not by much. There are even more miscellaneous methods from various schools of thought, too numerous to count."

"On the path to immortality, the major realms can be divided into five stages: Body Forging, Dao Foundation, Dharma Form, Ascension, and Return to Oneness. Dao Foundation is also known as the beginning of immortality, while Return to Oneness is the gateway to true immortality. This is true for all schools and sects. Our Dao Palace believes that the body is the boat to cross the sea. To cultivate the Dao Foundation, one must first forge the mortal body into a Dao sprout and immortal embryo, which is Body Forging. Within Body Forging, there are several minor realms, which are divided differently by each school, but they are nothing more than four types: flesh, blood, bone, and spirit."

"After the body is fully forged, it will naturally resonate with heaven and earth, causing the immortal embryo to merge with heaven and earth and forge the foundation of the Dao. This is the first cornerstone laid on the path to immortality, the true beginning of cultivation, hence it is called the beginning of immortality. Everyone's cultivation method and fortune are different, so their immortal embryos are also different. In addition, the timing of the heavens, the situation, and the earth veins when the foundation of the Dao is forged are also different, so the foundation of the Dao is ever-changing. It can be said that everyone is different. Even if the same master and brother are forged a few months apart, they may have completely different foundations."

"Speaking of Dao Foundations, I have to say a few more words. There are probably at least eight hundred, if not a thousand, major categories of Dao Foundations. Even within the same category, there are subtle differences. For example, if the Dao Foundation is an ancient bell, it can be purple or red, or it can be metal or fire. The patterns on the bell, whether bird and insect or mountain and river, will also affect its efficacy. Just as methods have superior and inferior effects, Dao Foundations also have varying strengths. Over thousands of years, our ancestors have categorized common Dao Foundations into three levels: Heaven, Earth, and Man."

"Human-level Dao Foundations are the most common and the most numerous. For example, there are ordinary objects such as tables, chairs, benches, pots, pans, and bowls; the five basic elements of Qi; and ordinary birds and beasts. Although human-level Dao Foundations are not strong, there are many types, and some rare Dao Foundations have special uses in certain situations, so it cannot be said that they are not strong. However, a very important reason why common Dao Foundations are classified as human-level is that the hope of cultivating a Dharma Aspect is slim."

"Earth-rank Dao foundations are much rarer. They are only classified into this category if they either greatly increase the chance of cultivating a Dharma body or have special functions. For example, various weapons in the artifact category are basically Earth-rank. The possibility of cultivating a Dharma body with this kind of Dao foundation is not high, but they are often outstanding in combat power, so they are also classified as Earth-rank. Another example is the Five Elements Dao Foundation. If the original five elements of Qi transform into various spirit beasts, then it is Earth-rank. The Yin-Yang Dao Foundation is extremely rare. Once cultivated, it has enormous power, so the initial Yin and Yang Qi are Earth-rank."

"Above the Earth Rank is the Heaven Rank. Heaven Rank Dao Foundations are extremely rare, and each one is a potential Dharma Aspect True Person, which any sect would value highly. For example, artifacts such as state implements and sacrificial ritual implements are related to the great fortune of the human race and cannot be obtained without the blessing of good fortune. Other examples include the Five Elements Divine Beasts, Yin and Yang Aspects, and various Daoist gods and demons from the Miscellaneous School."

After speaking so much in one breath, Zhang Sheng paused briefly, allowing Wei Yuan to process it. Wei Yuan was currently in a state of perfect memory; books that would take a child in the mortal realm months to memorize, he could now remember after just one reading. Zhang Sheng's lengthy explanation was all etched in Wei Yuan's mind. Half of this was due to Wei Yuan's own intelligence, and the other half was thanks to the combined effects of the Qi-Drinking Pill, the small courtyard, and the mountain gate formation.

Wei Yuan recalled Zhang Sheng's words and asked curiously, "What is Master's Dao Foundation?"

Zhang Sheng smiled and said, "When I entered the sect and paid my respects, I was favored by the ancestral master and was bestowed with two sword energies. During the body forging process, I also gained some insights, so the foundation of my cultivation is three immortal swords. Under normal circumstances, one immortal sword can enter the Heavenly Rank. My foundation of cultivation is not quite the same as the normal one, so it does not enter the Rank."

Wei Yuan understood immediately; that meant above the Heavenly Rank, there was a Super Rank, and Zhang Sheng was a Super Rank. His master's humility remained as pronounced as ever.

After explaining the foundation of the Dao, Zhang Sheng stopped explaining the subsequent realms because they were still far from Wei Yuan's reach, and began to formally impart the teachings.

Zhang Sheng naturally imparted the Daoist lineage of his own Tianqing Palace's Xuan Yue Zhenjun. However, Xuan Yue Zhenjun, being the master of both the Tianqing Palace and the Shuiyue Palace, actually cultivated two Daoist lineages simultaneously, with the Tianqing Palace's "Qianqing Zhengfa Yushi Jing" as the primary text and the Shuiyue Palace's "Yuehua Wanxiang Taiyin Pian" as a secondary text.

The cultivation world has the most techniques for the Body Forging Realm. Many small sects only have one technique that can barely help one cultivate to the Dao Foundation, and with that, they can establish their own sect. Most rogue cultivators who wander the martial world cannot even cultivate to the Dao Foundation.

The Taichu Palace offers numerous paths to enlightenment, with countless techniques for the Body Forging Realm. However, through generations of revisions and refinements by the Taichu Palace's predecessors, these techniques have been compiled into six universal cultivation methods for disciples of varying foundations and fortunes. These six universal methods, in themselves, already surpass the ancient methods of each hall. Therefore, each hall currently uses these universal methods to complete Body Forging, only reverting to their own hall's traditions when it comes to forging their Dao Foundation.

The various halls of Taichu Palace are not merely names; they have been adjusted to create the most suitable environment for cultivation on this path. For example, the success rate of condensing a Dharma image in the Tianqing Hall can be increased by a full 20% when Zhang Sheng cultivates the Qianqing Zhengfa Yushi Jing.

While both Zhang Sheng and Zhang Sheng practiced the Qianqing Orthodox Dharma, Zhang Sheng's master, the Burning Sea Immortal, followed the Five Elements path, cultivating the Dharma Form of Heavenly Fire Boiling the Sea—a rare phenomenon where water and fire are mutually destructive. The advantage was astonishing combat power; the Burning Sea Immortal frequently engaged in "reasoning" with others, relying on this sea-boiling technique. The disadvantage was the difficulty in controlling its power; a moment of carelessness could lead to excessive force. Many of the Burning Sea Immortal's past grudges stemmed from this.

There are differences among the six general body-forging techniques, and their effects also vary. Zhang Sheng had been pondering for a long time which one to choose for Wei Yuan's body-forging. Originally, considering Wei Yuan's calm and composed nature, he chose the "Earth Origin Scripture," which required a solid foundation and the most painstaking cultivation. However, when it came time to impart the teachings, Zhang Sheng suddenly recalled the scene of Wei Yuan's birth, and his heart trembled. He then decided to teach him the "Jade Toad Gazing at the Moon Diagram."

Of the six universal cultivation methods, the "Jade Toad Gazing at the Moon" is most closely related to fortune, allowing one to absorb a portion of fortune and integrate it into one's foundation to complete it. However, fortune is unpredictable, and the outcome can be good or bad, making cultivation far less stable than the "Earthly Origin Scripture." Generally, disciples who primarily cultivate the "Jade Toad Gazing at the Moon" are blessed with positive fortune, such as Li Zhi. However, Wei Yuan's fortune comes from beyond the heavens, and even Zhang Sheng cannot discern its good or bad, making his choice of this cultivation method somewhat risky.

(End of this chapter)