East Splendor Continent.
Cangwu Mountain, Shanyuan Temple.
Zhang Yan slowly emerged from meditation, feeling refreshed and clear-headed, his breathing faint yet rhythmic. A sense of lightness and comfort radiated through his entire body, a clear sign that his cultivation had once again advanced.
However, there was no sign of joy on his face.
"This kind of Breathing Technique may make my body lighter and healthier, giving me some advantage over ordinary mortals, but it is, after all, not the Right Path. Even if I practiced it until my death, I'd only attain robust health and sharp senses. If I continue to futilely wait for an opportunity to present itself, not only will the Great Dao remain out of reach, but even my livelihood will become unsustainable. It seems I must gamble everything today."
Yet, once this step is taken, there's no turning back.
Zhang Yan fell into contemplation. Although he had already weighed the pros and cons, standing at this critical juncture, he couldn't help but feel some lingering doubts and hesitations.
Unconsciously, his hand gripped a piece of Broken Jade, its smooth and delicate surface exuding a sensation akin to warm, flowing cream. The calming texture soothed his restless heart, gradually replacing his irritation with tranquility.
He couldn't help but laugh at himself. Since he was no longer the original Zhang Yan, he should act freely, be true to his desires, and cast aside all the worries of the past.
With this thought, his heartlightened, and it was as if his soul had completely fused with this body for the first time.
Ten days ago, a meteor had fallen behind Cangwu Mountain, and the original owner of this body had stumbled upon the falling object, picking up this piece of Broken Jade. However, before he could investigate it, he suddenly died on the spot.
Meanwhile, Zhang Yan, who had struggled for seven long years in an apocalyptic world and ultimately died while protecting his camp during an evacuation, unexpectedly reincarnated into this young man's body, who shared his exact name.
Zhang Yan, a registered disciple of Shanyuan Temple, one of the three Lower Courts of the Mingcang Sect.
The original owner of this body had been born to an official family. At the age of sixteen, he came to Shanyuan Temple on the advice of a venerable sage in search of Dao and immortality. Yet three years flew by in vain, for despite learning some Breathing Techniques to strengthen his body, not once did he glimpse the legendary Immortal Law.
The sage had once told him that to enter the Xuanmen, one must first build one's Primordial Spirit, open Immortal Meridians, shed the mortal body, and cultivate the Xuan Root!
This was, in essence, the first threshold every cultivator had to face on the path of cultivation—Opening Meridians!
Only by unblocking the Immortal Meridians and cleansing oneself of worldly impurities could one begin to cultivate the legendary Immortal Techniques and step onto the Great Dao of Xuanmen. Practicing ordinary Breathing Techniques, no matter how fervently for decades, would never grant one entry to the gates of the Immortals.
In the end, without Opening Meridians, one could never become an Immortal!
If one couldn't achieve this, one might as well sever all thoughts of pursuing the Immortal Path!
As the saying goes, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and the foundation of a nine-story tower rests upon a pile of soil. Opening Meridians is not something achieved overnight. It begins with condensing Qi and building the Foundation. Yet even this very first step left Zhang Yan feeling quite helpless.
The original owner of this body spent three years repeatedly practicing the introductory mental method. Each time he went to the temple's Masters seeking further Dharma techniques, the Masters would merely tell him his "opportunity has not yet come" and his "cultivation depth is still lacking," urging him to redouble his focus on refining his basics.
Before coming to the mountain, the original Zhang Yan had been a simple and guileless youth, untouched by the intrigues of the world and lacking any guidance. He genuinely believed these words. Regardless of the scorching summers or freezing winters, he devoted himself diligently to this practice, spending three hours every day on this mental method in earnest perseverance.
Zhang Yan could only smile wryly at this. How naive! To think he actually believed such nonsense?
Though Zhang Yan had occupied this body for only a short time, he could already see the underlying truth through some subtle clues. This so-called "opportunity" was nothing more than the need for monetary offerings. Without wealth, and lacking exceptional talent, why would anyone bother paying attention to an insignificant registered disciple like him?
Fortunately, where there is loss, there is gain. As some consolation, years of diligent and painstaking practice had laid an extraordinarily solid foundation for this body. Perhaps no one in the entirety of Shanyuan Temple could rival him in the emphasis he had placed on mastering the basics of the mental method.
It was worth noting that this mental method, called the "One Qi Cleansing Scripture," stemmed from the principle: "The Dao begets One, One begets Two, Two begets Three, and Three begets all things." The name "One Qi Cleansing Scripture" derived its significance from the concept of "One," marking it as the inception of all Great Daos.
As a cultivator progresses in their cultivation, their techniques naturally diverge in quality and level. Yet in the beginning, the concept of "One" remains universally shared, with little variation. Most of the Xuanmen Sects' foundational practices are rooted in this Breathing Technique, as it serves as the cornerstone of all entry-level cultivation methods.
Still, it remains a rudimentary mental method. Without the guidance of Upper Grade techniques, even the firmest of foundations cannot grow into fruition.
Having endured the apocalyptic tribulations of his previous life, facing countless calamities and plagues, Zhang Yan had deeply felt the powerlessness and insignificance of mortals. Thus, at this moment, his desire to pursue the Dao burned hotter and fiercer than anyone else's.