"Imitating ‘Innate True Qi' and sensing with the soul—these are your advantages."
As they continued forward, Yu Ci was still basking in the praise when Xie Liang suddenly changed his tone:
"But when you have a particularly prominent advantage, your thoughts naturally lean towards it. You tend to focus on one thing while neglecting others. You must understand that every stage of cultivation is achieved through the combined effects of mind, skill, body, essence, Qi, and spirit. These aspects are interconnected. If you emphasize only one, you may see temporary gains, but ultimately, you will stagnate. Only when the rest are fully developed can you achieve true stability.
"The technique I am about to teach you, the ‘Primordial Origin Qi Technique', emphasizes the unity of form and spirit at the entry level. You must maintain a comprehensive approach and avoid any bias. This is something you need to understand."
"A comprehensive approach?"
"Exactly. You must view ‘yourself' as an inseparable whole. From this, you develop a mental image that resonates with your physical form. Once you enter this practice, you refine your mental image, enriching it through visualization to enhance your physical being…"
Yu Ci was overwhelmed by the complex explanation of mental and physical imagery. He quickly asked, "Daoist Master Xie, what exactly do ‘mental image' and ‘physical image' mean?"
Xie Liang explained plainly, "In the ‘Primordial Origin Qi Technique', the physical image refers to everything that makes up your form and spirit—your muscles, skin, tendons, bones, essence, Qi, soul, and cultivation of the mind. These cannot be separated; they are an indivisible whole—the real, tangible ‘self' that exists in this world!
"As for the mental image, it is an abstraction of the self, based on self-awareness and symbolic representation. For example, if someone is filled with boundless ambition and envisions themselves as a great roc soaring through the skies, then their mental image is a roc. If another person is sinister and secretive, perceiving themselves as a venomous snake slithering through rocky crevices, then their mental image is a snake.
Yu Ci pondered for a while and finally grasped the concept.
"It's similar to meditation techniques."
The ‘Nine Palaces Moonlight True Art', which he had previously practiced, was a classic example of a meditation technique. It had a specific visualization called ‘Chasing the Moon through Clouds'—where the Qi of the five organs was imagined as clouds, and the soul in the brain palace as the moon. By continuously visualizing these natural images, the mind and body would become one. At that point, the ‘clouds' would represent the Qi of the five organs, and the ‘moon' would be the soul in the brain palace, merging seamlessly.
During cultivation, merely visualizing ‘Chasing the Moon through Clouds' could instinctively stimulate Qi and blood, enhancing one's power. This process bypassed the complicated details of Qi circulation, aligning with the principle that "undistracted focus condenses the spirit." It was particularly effective for calming the mind and nourishing the soul. Yu Ci's rapid advancement in the Divine Connectivity realm was largely due to this.
Xie Liang seemed to read his thoughts. "You've practiced meditation techniques before?"
Yu Ci explained his previous training, and Xie Liang nodded. "My technique does indeed use meditation as an entry point. Since you already have a foundation, that is good. However, the focus of the mental images is different. Your previous practice, with its ‘bright moon' imagery, belongs to the ‘External Scene Meditation Method', which relies on pre-set imagery from ancient texts."
He frowned for a moment, then gave an example: "Think of those fixed templates as molds you fit into. But now, the mental image you must develop must grow from your physical image—it must emerge from your own being."
Yu Ci nodded repeatedly, but Xie Liang remained cautious. "Understanding is easy; doing it is hard. You must break free from your past obsessions and rigid patterns. Otherwise, the very foundation you built before will become your greatest obstacle."
As Yu Ci responded, they unknowingly arrived at Heart Prohibition Temple.
By now, night had fallen, and Yu Ci saw lanterns flickering in the temple courtyard. Shadows moved chaotically, and it seemed like something was going on.
In the distance, he spotted Bao Guang, and the young daoist also noticed them. Rushing over, the young daoist first greeted Xie Liang before complaining, "Just now, a rat went crazy and started biting people inside the temple! It might have been tainted by demonic energy. Master says there could be a powerful demon hiding nearby, so we must stay vigilant."
Yu Ci and Xie Liang exchanged glances, both recalling the demonized crow from earlier.
A powerful demon’s presence had a significant impact on the surrounding Qi field. Since its nature was incompatible with the cultivation world, it unconsciously emitted demonic energy, altering the environment to suit itself. Weaker creatures that lacked resistance were either killed or mutated. These mutated creatures became violent and aggressive, their life force strengthened at the cost of drastically shortened lifespans.
From the current situation, the presence of a demon nearby was almost certain!
Hearing this, Xie Liang naturally needed to discuss the matter with Yu Zhou, so he temporarily set aside the ‘Primordial Origin Qi Technique'. Yu Ci had no choice but to return to his own courtyard for now.
Perhaps due to the recent incident of creatures mutating, Heart Prohibition Temple was far from peaceful. Both outer disciples and traveling daoists were deep in discussion—some were anxious, while others were excited. The usual tranquility had been replaced by a buzz of speculation.
However, Yu Ci's mind was fully occupied with Xie Liang’s theory of ‘physical image' and ‘mental image', so he did not linger to chat. He quickly returned to his quiet chamber, sat down, and began carefully contemplating the insights Xie Liang had shared.
At that moment, a flash of inspiration illuminated his thoughts.
Just as Xie Liang mentioned the need for complete self-mastery, Yu Ci's heart stirred. At that moment, he recalled the "concentric circle theory" that Ye Tu had explained beneath Sky Rift Valley.
At the time, Ye Tu divided the soul into three layers—Primordial Spirit (yuan spirit), Hidden Consciousness, and Manifest Consciousness—stating that refining the Hidden Consciousness was the key to reaching the mid-stage of Divine Connectivity and achieving the Yin Spirit realm. His main point was to recognize the desires and emotions within the Hidden Consciousness, so that its immense latent potential could truly be harnessed.
Ye Tu's explanation focused solely on the soul, while Xie Liang viewed the "self" as an inseparable whole. Though their scopes differed, their underlying philosophy was the same.
Ye Tu had said that any qualified longevity technique must have its unique method of "refinement." As Yu Ci understood it, "refinement" was essentially a form of self-awareness.
On the soul level, it meant recognizing the desires and emotions buried deep within and allowing those that aligned with oneself to remain while discarding the rest. On the level of the "self," the process of deriving a mental image from a physical phenomenon was also a means of deepening one's self-understanding and mastery.
With this realization, Yu Ci finally understood where the foundation of the Primordial Origin Qi Technique lay and how he should approach it.
Having grasped the principle, Yu Ci eagerly awaited Xie Liang's return to teach him the true method. He had already informed Baoguang, instructing him to summon him as soon as their discussion concluded. He wanted to seize the moment and extract every bit of knowledge from Xie Liang while the opportunity lasted.
However, it was already midnight, and Bao Guang had yet to deliver any news.
Feeling increasingly restless from the wait, Yu Ci took a deep breath, calmed himself, and simply closed his eyes to meditate. Gradually, his mind settled, and he instinctively activated the Nine Palaces Moonlight True Art. The vital Qi cloud in his organs and the soul moon in his Niwan Palace intertwined, resonating with each other, leading him into a state of selflessness.
At some point, a cold snort suddenly reached his ears.
Yu Ci's body trembled as he snapped out of his meditative state. Opening his eyes, he found none other than Xie Liang sitting before him, his face stern.
At first, Yu Ci was delighted, but he quickly noticed that Xie Liang seemed displeased.
"Still using ‘Chasing the Moon through Clouds'?"
Yu Ci could only nod.
Xie Liang frowned. "I've already explained the principles of physical and mental imagery to you. Why are you still relying on rigid techniques?"
"Uh… but Daoist Master Xie hasn’t taught me yet—"
"What does that have to do with me?"
Xie Liang chided him, his tone sharp. "Forget about physical and mental imagery for a moment. Do you even understand what the moon you visualize truly is?"
Yu Ci was unable to answer.
Xie Liang shook his head. "You still don't get it. The mind is the subtlest of all things. You have visualized the moon for years, and over time, it has unconsciously merged with your own Qi flow, becoming one with you. The moon you see now is no longer what the scriptures describe but what you truly need. Do you think the moon in someone else's mind is the same as the one you see?"
Yu Ci was stunned. Xie Liang’s words were not overly detailed, yet their meaning was crystal clear.
"In the end, this is just an obsession—you keep treating what is inherently yours as something taught by others. If you believe that your moon exists atop someone else's head, then all cultivation is meaningless… The person who first taught you, did she ever tell you what her moon looked like?"
Yu Ci smiled wryly. That person probably never spoke of a "moon in her heart" at all.
Taking a deep breath, he suddenly closed his eyes.
At that moment, countless memories surfaced, filling him with emotion. The so-called "Nine Palaces Moonlight True Art" was nothing more than a fragmented method that Immortal Chi Yin had found in an old daoist text and had Yu Ci practice as an experiment. After defecting from the Twin Immortal Sect, he had no guidance and had to rely entirely on himself. By drawing from similar techniques found in the "Celestial Qi Gathering Secret Talisman Manual", he painstakingly explored, speculated, and trained diligently. He had progressed from an insignificant Qi Cultivation cultivator to Qi Breathing, then to Enlightened Spirit, and finally accumulated enough strength to split his consciousness into distinct perceptions, stepping into the realm of Divine Connectivity.
The technique he practiced now was vastly different from the original version. However, the gradual nature of these changes had made him unaware of them. Now, with Xie Liang’s words piercing through his doubts, his heart suddenly felt unburdened—
"The moon I visualize has always been mine. What traces of another remain?"
As soon as this realization struck, a luminous halo appeared before his eyes. A radiant moon emerged from his Niwan Palace, traversing the Nine Palaces like a celestial body moving across the sky. Simultaneously, every mnemonic related to the "Nine Palaces Moonlight True Art" shattered into nothingness, leaving no trace behind. Only the luminous moon remained, illuminating the void, naturally drawing his entire body's vital Qi into motion like surging tides.
The obsession was gone.
He had passed this trial!
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