Qiu Zu: From an apprentice in a medicine shop to an immortal ancestor.

A secret cave in a cliffside in the mountains.

Inside the cave, Qiu Zhen slowly opened his eyes, a hint of confusion in his gaze.

Before he went into seclusion, it was nighttime, but now the scorching sun hung in the sky, warm sunlight spilling into the depths of the cave.

Soon, he realized something.

He immediately looked at his hands and then examined himself.

He thoroughly inspected and felt around.

He didn't find anything abnormal with his body.

He wasn't missing any arms or legs, nor did he have blue faces and fangs, long horns and a tail, like the demons in miscellaneous books; no strange changes had occurred to his body.

With a thought, he could freely move his hands and feet.

There were no signs of a demon possessing him, no loss of control over himself.

Everything seemed as if nothing had happened.

"This... this is it?"

Qiu Zhen muttered to himself, greatly surprised.

According to the warnings of the "previous owners" of the golden silk, cultivating this immortal method of sudden enlightenment in alchemy was extremely dangerous; one wrong move could lead to death and the dissipation of one's Dao.

He had prepared for the worst.

For the sake of seeking the Dao, he had disregarded life and death, wanting to use great fearlessness to break through all mists and obstacles, experiencing a world-shaking trial.

However, things turned out contrary to his expectations.

After his eyes shone with inner light and he entered a state of tranquility and deep meditation, he only felt the Qi and blood in his body flowing smoothly, his spirit joyful, his body and mind comfortable, as if he were slightly drunk.

It was also as if he had just emerged from a bath, his entire body filled with Yang energy.

His seven-foot body seemed to be cast in gold and piled with white jade, never collapsing, never decaying.

His mind and body were clear and incomparably transparent.

Subsequently, he felt everything become quiet, as if a great sun had risen to the center of the sky, the earth covered with a glorious golden light.

Suddenly, in the boundless silence, the Yang energy in his body arose, and a point of innate true Yang was born.

The surroundings became a world of light, fearless of any cold frost.

Separation of life and death, worries and pain, all turned to emptiness.

Each breath seemed to last a hundred years, delaying the course of life's reincarnation.

At this moment, he seemed to have transcended countless kalpas of reincarnation.

Unconsciously, he returned to his previous life—the dazzling, neon-lit metropolis with its rolling steel torrent.

This feeling was very wonderful.

However, he had a clear understanding: he came from here, but he did not belong here.

He was like God, standing proudly in the clouds, overlooking the vast earth.

Observing the comings and goings of people in cities and towns, the traffic and bustle.

Witnessing the joys and sorrows of life, birth, old age, sickness, and death.

Witnessing the ever-changing development of the times.

The rolling torrent, endlessly flowing.

It was like a great dream, a dream of a thousand years.

"Whether it's successful or not, a look inside will make it clear."

In the cliffside cave, after quiet contemplation, Qiu Zhen quickly grasped the key.

During this seclusion, when he used "Inner Light Reflection" to enter tranquility, his eyes could reflect inward and observe himself, which was a gain from this seclusion and would greatly benefit his future cultivation.

Golden light faintly bloomed in his eyes as he looked inward at himself.

Soon, a strange look appeared on Qiu Zhen's face.

Under the golden eyes.

He saw "himself" bare-chested, sitting cross-legged, suspended in the clouds, head lowered and eyes closed, surrounded by golden light, countless numbers and mysterious symbols, like an immortal Buddha, exuding an aura of transcendence and holiness.

What surprised Qiu Zhen even more was that.

Behind the "Immortal Buddha Qiu Zhen" was a dazzling, neon-lit metropolis, with people coming and going, an endless stream, full of vitality.

"This..."

Qiu Zhen was dumbfounded and fell into contemplation.

Legend has it that the Buddha has three bodies.

Namely, the Dharmakaya, the Sambhogakaya, and the Nirmanakaya.

Vairocana Buddha (Mahavairocana) is the Dharmakaya Buddha, Rocana Buddha is the Sambhogakaya Buddha, and Sakyamuni Buddha is the Nirmanakaya.

The union of principle and Dharma is the Dharmakaya.

The Mahavairocana Dharmakaya Buddha is the personification of truth, the true source of life, the eighth consciousness that is inherently complete, without beginning or end, neither born nor destroyed, neither going nor coming, capable of producing all Dharmas, and will not be extinguished, also known as the Alaya consciousness, also known as the Tathagatagarbha.

The Tathagatagarbha contains the "embryo of the Tathagata."

Cultivating the eighth consciousness, the "Alaya consciousness," and reaching a certain level, one can cultivate into a Buddha.

In fact, the Dharmakaya without beginning or end is the true source of life for a person.

In the Daoist school, the Dharmakaya is called the Primordial Spirit, and the "Tathagatagarbha" is called "a body outside the body."

Living beings are born with a Primordial Spirit, but ordinary people cannot awaken it; only Daoists with profound realms can awaken the Primordial Spirit.

The sudden enlightenment alchemy method that Qiu Zhen cultivated was a step to heaven, not gradually cultivating the Yin Spirit and then the Primordial Spirit, but directly starting from the life source that people inherently possess, the "Primordial Spirit."

In other words, the "Immortal Buddha Qiu Zhen" revealed by the "Inner Light Reflection" is the Dharmakaya transformed by his Primordial Spirit, his "Tathagatagarbha," his "body outside the body."

However, unlike the legendary immortal Buddha's "Dharmakaya Primordial Spirit," his Primordial Spirit stood in the dazzling, neon-lit metropolis of his previous life, surrounded by countless numbers and various mysterious symbols.

"Good heavens, is this a Cyber Primordial Spirit, a Cyber Dharmakaya?"

Qiu Zhen was amazed.

The image of his Primordial Spirit Dharmakaya, placed in the ancient world of immortal cultivation, would probably be extremely explosive, a very wild path.

But after thinking about it, he felt it was somewhat reasonable.

The "Primordial Spirit" is the most fundamental life of every living being, innate, unique.

He awakened to his previous life's karmic connection, and the "Primordial Spirit" is the "projection" of his situation and state of mind.

This peculiar scene, although unexpected, was also within reason.

"Wait, is it really successful?"

Perhaps realizing something in his great joy, Qiu Zhen frowned.

It seemed that the seniors who left messages on the golden silk had said.

The world has changed drastically, and now is the Age of Dharma Decline; cultivating immortality can easily turn into demons and evil spirits, which is extremely dangerous.

"Hundred Days Foundation Establishment" is the most crucial step in the cultivation process, and such smooth progress, could it hide dangers?

Could it be that the "Qiu Zhen Cyber Dharmakaya" under inner observation is not the transformation of the "Primordial Spirit" "Natural Dharmakaya," but a demon transforming to confuse him, making him relax his vigilance and gradually fall into the demonic realm?

"That is a problem."

Reason poured a basin of cold water on him.

At the thought of this, Qiu Zhen's excitement and joy faded a little.

However, he did not develop feelings of fear or dread.

Meet soldiers with generals, and water with earth.

Regardless of whether the "Qiu Zhen Dharmakaya" is transformed by the Primordial Spirit or by a demon, as long as the situation has not reached an irreversible point, it is not a problem.

Immediately, he became very interested again, took out the "golden silk" from his bosom, and threw it into the clear water that had been stored in the pit in the cave in the past, intending to observe the subsequent methods in the golden silk.

The golden silk entered the water, splashing water.

However, the scene of golden light radiating in all directions that he had imagined did not happen.

The golden silk became an ordinary brocade, with nothing unusual about it.

"Forget it, having this opportunity is already an immense stroke of good fortune; one shouldn't be too greedy."

Qiu Zhen was not too disappointed.

After the Divine Cultivation Alchemy Method in the golden silk enters the Hundred Days Foundation Establishment, one can switch from the "sudden enlightenment" method of alchemy to the "gradual" method, cultivating martial arts and life skills, which is also a necessary path to becoming an immortal.

Without the subsequent methods of the golden silk, he could seek opportunities outside, which would not hinder him.

"I wonder what wonderful uses there are in awakening the Primordial Spirit."

Qiu Zhen couldn't help but feel expectant, and began to meditate and enter a meditative state again.