Chapter 9: White Pill

The moon hung above the willow branches.

Li Chijing suddenly opened his eyes, looking at Li Mutian, who sat to the side, sipping tea while holding the cloth scroll containing the *Method of Reception*.

"Father, I have memorized the incantations of these two months by heart." He paused, then added, "Today is the Beginning of Summer, one of the eight solar terms. Perhaps I can make an attempt."

"Go ahead and try."

Li Mutian nodded and spoke slowly.

Li Chijing was overjoyed. His three older brothers were also filled with anticipation, helping him burn incense, bathe, and set up an altar in the courtyard.

Li Mutian then respectfully brought out the Dharma Mirror, supporting it with a dragon-patterned mirror stand he had carved by hand days prior. He placed nine sticks of incense before the altar and arranged offerings of melons and fruits.

Lu Jiangxian couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed; this altar with its incense and fruit offerings looked as if they were worshipping him, a dead man.

Before the altar, Li Chijing performed three kowtows and nine prostrations. Kneeling with his head bowed, he spoke respectfully

"Disciple of the Li family, Li Chijing, respectfully requests the Profound Brightness Marvelous Method to govern fate and calm the spirit, to serve the Dao and cultivate."

"I shall report my progress in due time, never failing in my devotion and faith. Following the register, I burn this offering, my body dedicated to the Great Yin."

Having spoken, he emptied his mind, channeled the incantations, and repeatedly ingested the natural, harmonious energy of the world.

At the same time, Lu Jiangxian stirred his consciousness. The surface of the mirror suddenly shimmered with brilliant colors, rippling like water.

"It’s reacting!"

Li Mutian and the others were greatly emboldened, staring fixedly at the altar.

They saw the blue-gray mirror humming, and a white orb leaped from its surface—round and glowing, flashing with a white light so intense that it turned the courtyard into a vast expanse of white, blinding them.

Li Chijing felt his mind go blank, a booming sound echoing within. A majestic and profound voice suddenly emerged

"Hereby, a descendant of the Li clan has renounced passions, ceased transgressions, and severed the roots of evil. I bestow upon you the Profound Brightness Marvelous Method, that you may develop your Daoist karma, transition from mortal to saint, from beginning to end, starting with the precepts and registers, until you ascend to truth. I bestow one scroll of the *Great Yin Breathing and Wheel-Nurturing Scripture* and one Golden Light Technique."

Li Chijing scrambled up from the ground and sat cross-legged. The white orb leaped up and submerged into his Niwan Palace. His entire body shuddered as he was submerged in a sea of complex information.

The white orb imparted the incantations, turned gently within his Niwan Palace, traveled along his meridians, and finally settled in his lower dantian, the Qihai acupoint.

Li Mutian and the others watched as the mysterious talisman seed sank into the top of Li Chijing’s head. They were incredibly nervous, watching with bated breath as Li Chijing sat cross-legged, eyes closed and spirit focused, remaining in that position until dawn.

When the Great Yin set and the Golden Crow rose, Li Chijing finally shuddered and slowly awoke. He opened his eyes to see his brothers surrounding him, their faces full of anxiety and unease.

"Father! Brothers! I have obtained the mysterious talisman seed; I have stepped through the gates of immortality!" Li Chijing leaped up in excitement and hugged his father.

Li Mutian laughed heartily, spinning Li Chijing around. Li Tongya and the others let out long sighs of relief, their expressions turning excited and stirred.

"I have obtained a method called the *Great Yin Breathing and Wheel-Nurturing Scripture*."

As soon as Li Chijing finished speaking, he tried to recite the essence of the method. To his surprise, the white orb in his Qihai acupoint pulsed gently, and he instantly lost his voice, unable to utter a single word.

He was shocked, instinctively covering his mouth, then called out

"Father!"

Seeing that he could speak again, Li Chijing let out a long breath. Refusing to believe it, he tried to recite the essence of the method again, only to find he could neither speak it nor think it.

"This immortal method can neither be written nor spoken. How miraculous." Li Chijing’s expression shifted, looking somewhat flustered.

"Do not be nervous."

Li Changhu smiled and patted Li Chijing’s head. He watched as his father respectfully returned the Dharma Mirror to its place, then said

"When the Summer Solstice arrives, we shall all request the Dharma together."

"Big Brother," Li Chijing interrupted, saying hesitantly, "It seems there are only six of these talisman seeds."

"Only six?" Li Tongya, who had been reading the *Method of Reception* closely, looked at him and asked in confusion.

"I obtained the mysterious talisman seed, and in my hazy state, my mind was filled with many things—the six realms of cultivation, fetal breathing, and wheel-nurturing. It seems this Dharma Mirror can only dispense six talisman seeds," Li Chijing confessed.

Li Xiangping nodded, comforting him: "Such a miraculous object, seizing the creation of heaven and earth, is naturally limited in number."

Big Brother Li Changhu yawned, waved his hand, and said to his brothers

"Go back to sleep. We’ve waited all night; we’re exhausted."

"Are you afraid your wife will worry?" Li Xiangping laughed, teasing him.

"You child!" Li Changhu remained composed, pointing at Li Xiangping with a smile before lowering his voice

"I think Tian Yun is quite good."

"Big Brother, stop playing matchmaker!" Li Xiangping’s face stiffened; he turned and left the courtyard, heading back to his room.

"Hahahaha..." Li Changhu laughed loudly as he walked into the front courtyard.

"There’s hope!"

Li Mutian stroked his beard, thinking to himself.

————

That night, the moonlight was like water.

Li Chijing sat cross-legged in the courtyard with his eyes closed, forming hand seals. He drew a stream of energy from his Qihai acupoint, guided it through his meridians, leaped over the twelve-storied pagoda of his throat, and it emerged from between his eyebrows.

In an instant, Li Chijing’s vision brightened. The water-like moonlight slowly drifted toward the space between his eyebrows, merging with that wisp of spiritual energy.

Before long, Li Chijing formed a seal, guiding the now milky-white stream of energy back into his brow, across the twelve-storied pagoda, and back into his Qihai acupoint.

After repeating this three times, Li Chijing opened his eyes and looked at the sky; two hours had already passed.

"The speed of absorbing the moon's essence is far too slow."

Li Chijing calculated carefully: it would take eighty-one cycles of absorbing moon essence to refine one wisp of moon essence energy, and a full eighty-one wisps were needed to form the first of the six wheels of fetal breathing—the Profound Scenery Wheel.

Once the Profound Scenery Wheel was formed, one would be considered to have entered the stage of fetal breathing and could cast spells.

"Three cycles take two hours, so eighty-one cycles will take fifty-four hours," Li Chijing calculated in his mind. "If I cultivate for six hours a day, it will take nine days. Eighty-one wisps will take a full two years..."

Looking at the moon essence gathered on the Dharma Mirror, Li Chijing blinked, a sudden inspiration striking him. He sat cross-legged by the stone platform and began to cultivate.

Lu Jiangxian was half-asleep in the mirror, killing time. He had long since absorbed enough moon essence, and time in the mirror was long and boring. Lu Jiangxian felt like a college student listening to a dull lecture, drifting in and out of sleep; sometimes, he would close his eyes and a day would pass.

Li Chijing’s spiritual energy leaped from his brow and fell into the moon halo on the mirror, instantly startling Lu Jiangxian. Looking at the little boy before him, he couldn't help but chuckle.

"How clever."

Li Chijing, however, guided the spiritual energy back to his Qihai acupoint and felt his whole body cool. The power of the moon essence had increased more than tenfold. At this rate, it would only take five or six times to form a wisp of moon essence energy!

He was greatly encouraged, formed his hand seals, and continued to cultivate. It wasn't until the morning glow filled the sky and his brothers arrived in the backyard that he reluctantly ended his cultivation.

Seeing his brothers and father had arrived, Li Chijing recounted the events of the previous night. Everyone was both surprised and delighted. Li Mutian sighed, offered another stick of incense to Lu Jiangxian, and led the children out of the dark room.

(End of chapter)