Chapter 54: A Single Breath Enters the Body, the Five Senses Become Lucid

The timing was ripe, and the terrain was perfect.

Hong Dengyuan pressed his fingers against Jiang Youling's celestial aperture. His voice was as resonant and clear as a great bronze bell, every word striking home.

"Listen closely. The Primordial Qi is neither gathered nor taken; it is like the moon reflecting upon water, arriving naturally. You must strictly observe three essentials: First, the Heavenly Gate must be loose but not leaking."

His fingertip traced the Baihui acupoint atop Jiang Youling's head. "Like dew hanging from an eave, poised to fall but not yet dripping."

"Second, the Dantian must be empty but not void."

His palm moved downward, pressing lightly against her lower abdomen. "Like an empty valley receiving the wind—seemingly closed, yet not closed."

"Third, and most vital—"

Hong Dengyuan’s tone turned solemn. "When you sense the spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth, you must transform the Yin and Yang energies of your Ying and Wei Qi into a swirling vortex. Remember, you are not capturing the spiritual energy; you must make the spiritual energy feel that your body is where it belongs!"

Jiang Youling closed her eyes and focused her mind, struggling to follow his instructions. Suddenly, her entire body shuddered.

Through that ethereal passage, she perceived for the first time, with absolute clarity, the countless motes of spiritual light floating between Heaven and Earth, like swarms of fireflies.

This spiritual light was indescribably beautiful, yet omnipresent. It was the Primordial Qi!

She attempted to transform her Ying and Wei Qi into a Yin-Yang vortex, but found the two currents as difficult to harmonize as unruly children.

The Wei Qi was fierce, constantly seeking to break its restraints; the Ying Qi was soft and gentle, prone to dissipating into nothingness if her focus wavered for even a moment.

Fine beads of sweat broke out on Jiang Youling's forehead, yet she remained calm. She silently recited Hong Dengyuan's teachings, turning her consciousness into a trickling stream to slowly soak into these two rebellious energies.

Gradually, the restless Wei Qi, like a tamed wild horse, began to spiral downward along the Heavenly Gate.

The scattered Ying Qi moved from the bottom upward, condensing without dispersing.

When the Yin and Yang energies finally linked head-to-tail, forming a lustrous vortex, a sudden transformation occurred—

All things in the universe fell into a sudden stillness, and those drifting motes of spiritual light surged toward her like moths to a flame.

The first mote to make contact hovered at the edge of the vortex for a moment before joyfully plunging into it, transforming into a drop of crystalline liquid that fell into her Dantian.

Then came the second, the third...

Jiang Youling’s body shook violently. She felt an incomparably pure energy pour into her through the Baihui acupoint, rushing down her spine into her Dantian. Wherever it passed, it felt like sweet rain falling upon a long-parched land; every pore on her body trembled in ecstasy.

The moment that spiritual light entered her body, she clearly heard a soft "ding" from within, like the first strike of a jade chime or the sound of an icicle hitting the ground—

The Primordial Qi had been successfully drawn!

Jiang Youling did not dare relax for a second, continuing to maintain the rotation of the Yin-Yang vortex.

As more and more Primordial Qi entered her body, she discovered that this energy did not sit obediently in her Dantian; instead, it wandered freely through her body like playful little fish.

Some even left her body once again!

Anxious and unsure of what to do, she was saved by the timely sound of Hong Dengyuan's voice.

"Do not force them into bondage. The Primordial Qi possesses its own sentience; your body cannot yet accommodate so much of it."

Understanding his meaning, Jiang Youling stopped forcing the issue and instead used her consciousness to silently sense the energy within.

She soon discovered: the portion of spiritual energy that had settled in her Dantian was gradually condensing into a small pool within her Qi Sea;

The energy that had entered her meridians brought a slight warmth wherever it passed, quietly refining her pathways.

Furthermore, several strands of energy actually seeped directly into her bones and flesh, bringing a needle-like tingling sensation, as if it were tempering her physical form.

Most wondrous of all, the energy that seemed to have left her body had actually formed a hazy halo around her skin.

Whenever she breathed, these motes of energy rose and fell like the tides, maintaining a constant, near-touching connection with her.

Hong Dengyuan's voice carried a hint of gratification. "Do you see? The Primordial Qi is far more sentient than you imagined. The energy that enters refines your foundation, while the energy that wanders tempers your aura. This is the true—Creation of Heaven and Man."

A sudden realization dawned in Jiang Youling's heart; she felt that the circulation of this Primordial Qi truly aligned with the supreme principles of the Heavenly Dao.

As she continued to immerse herself in this profound state, she suddenly sensed a few strands of exceptionally pure Qi rising like rosy clouds into her Upper Dantian, swirling within her Purple Palace.

In an instant, her mind became crystal clear.

Problems that had once been obscure and difficult to grasp now became as clear as the moon emerging from behind the clouds.

Before she knew it, the starlight had quietly faded.

As the horizon turned a pale grey, the spiritual energy within Jiang Youling's body reached saturation, and the Yin-Yang vortex slowed down on its own.

When she opened her eyes again, the morning dew clung to her clothes; it was already the following morning.

"Not bad. To be able to persist until dawn during your first attempt at drawing Qi shows you have a calm and steady spirit."

Hong Dengyuan nodded slightly, pointing toward the mountains brightening in the distance.

"Do you know why the spiritual energy is most abundant at the Hour of the Rat? Because that is when Heaven and Earth intersect, and Yin and Yang rotate. The flow of mountains and rivers, and the waxing and waning of the moon, all affect the abundance of spiritual energy."

He then handed her a jade slip. "In your future cultivation, you must know when to advance and when to retreat. The transition between the Hours of the Tiger and the Rabbit is the best time for cultivation. Once your Qi Sea expands, you will naturally be able to extend your hours."

Jiang Youling took the jade slip, somewhat puzzled. "You said the spiritual energy is most abundant at the Hour of the Rat, so why instruct me to cultivate during the transition between the Tiger and the Rabbit?"

Hong Dengyuan stroked his beard and smiled. "While the energy at the Hour of the Rat is abundant, it is like strong liquor that causes easy intoxication; it is only suitable for drawing Qi, not for beginners to cultivate. You are just beginning your path; the 'dawn energy' of the Tiger-Rabbit transition is the superior choice for nourishing the meridians. At that time, Yang energy is just beginning to sprout but is not yet fierce, and Yin energy is retreating but has not yet dispersed. It most closely aligns with the Way of Harmony."

Jiang Youling understood and performed a formal disciple's salute. "I have learned much."

Hong Dengyuan patted her shoulder lightly. "Go. Come find me in five days with three questions."

As Jiang Youling descended the mountain through the morning dew, she felt as light as if she were walking on clouds. The mountain path that used to take half an hour was completed in a mere quarter of an hour.

As the mountain wind brushed past her ears, she could even clearly hear the "splash" of koi fish wagging their tails in a stream thirty feet away.

Even more miraculous was that the flora along the path appeared in different colors to her eyes—

New sprouts glowed with a jade-like luster, and among the branches of a century-old pine, golden threads of spiritual energy could be faintly seen flowing.

She could not resist reaching out to touch a pine needle. The moment her fingertip brushed the tip, a strand of cool energy flowed through her meridians, merging seamlessly with the Primordial Qi in her body.

As she rounded a bend in the mountain path, a kingfisher darted past her eyes.

In her current state, the bird's wingbeats seemed to be slowed several times over; the vibration of every single feather was clearly discernible.

"Is this the effect of spiritual energy tempering the body..."

She stroked her increasingly lustrous wrist and found that even her fingernails possessed a pearlescent sheen.

These various miraculous changes were truly incredible.

Had she not experienced it personally, she would never have believed it.

Leaving Mount Danyang, Jiang Youling returned to the dining hall of Baina Peak to collect her breakfast.

As soon as she lifted a spoonful of black rice, she frowned—the spiritual rice, which was originally sweet and soft, now tasted as bland as chewing wax.

She took a bite of pickled bamboo shoots, but her tongue tasted nothing but the earthy scent of soil.

"Strange..."

She looked down at the dark, shiny grains in her bowl, unable to suppress her frown.

Could it be that because of the drawing of Qi into her body, her physical form had been transformed by the spiritual energy and could no longer accept these foods devoid of spiritual essence?

(End of Chapter)