pjbooks Chapter 7: Prove the Way Through Life, or Break Through Delusions Through Death
Chapter 7: Prove the Way Through Life, or Break Through Delusions Through Death
Lin Yu sank his consciousness to the very bottom, observing that point of the metal nature of the [sinking wood].
Although his thoughts were constantly trying to align with the imagery of "sunken wood," there was still a slight discrepancy that prevented him from fully achieving harmony.
With a slight frown, Lin Yuning "looked" at the golden hue, and the word quietly surfaced in her mind.
"[Fetal breathing]..."
[Fetal Breathing] is like that of an infant in the womb, absorbing internal energy and maintaining a firm focus. Upon reaching a profound level, one achieves magical power and spiritual awareness. After absorbing a mouthful of spiritual energy from heaven and earth, one can ascend to the Foundation Establishment and Purple Palace stages.
This is the starting point of spiritual practice.
In the previous life, it was divided into four realms: Bing, Liu, Zhou, and He, or in other words, the four levels of embryonic breathing.
The one who holds the spiritual essence, responds to the spiritual opportunity, and generates thoughts as pure as an infant, giving birth to a breath of true breath from the deepest part of the lower dantian; this is the beginning of fetal breathing.
The flow of qi leads the breath out to sea, through the meridians, so that qi and blood are in harmony, strengthening the muscles, bones, and body, and revealing the power of magic.
The Zhou method involves circulating true energy throughout the body, responding to the Xuan Guan (mysterious gate), and transforming it into magical power. From then on, one can perform spells without the need for talismans.
When the power of the Dharma enters the Shengyang Palace and merges with it, spiritual consciousness arises, allowing for introspection and external illumination. Furthermore, it can be used to refine magical artifacts, which is the state of perfect embryonic breathing.
The four layers of fetal breathing are closely intertwined.
At the beginning of his cultivation, he exhaled a breath of true energy, making him almost indistinguishable from an ordinary person.
However, once one enters the Flowing Realm, the power of true energy becomes apparent. Not only does one possess a powerful physique, capable of defeating a dozen or more ordinary people, but one can also use talismans as a means to cast minor spells, proving especially effective in times of crisis.
Once one reaches the Zhou realm, magical power arises spontaneously, making one an extraordinary being in the eyes of ordinary people. Without the aid of talismans, one can wield dazzling light and gather wind into blades.
When one reaches the state of perfect harmony and develops spiritual consciousness, one has achieved the perfection of embryonic breathing.
After that, one can consume the spiritual energy of heaven and earth corresponding to the cultivation method.
This first breath of spiritual energy determines the path one will take from now on, the foundation of one's spiritual power, and even the level of the Golden Core one will attain in the future. All of this is closely related to this first breath of spiritual energy.
"【Fetal Breathing】 and 【Qi Refining】... are actually the foundation of the path of cultivation. Only by embarking on the Foundation Establishment stage can the mysteries of the future Purple Mansion Divine Powers be revealed."
Lin Yu pondered.
"In the cultivation world, this would hardly be a hurdle. With my status and cultivation as a Great True Person, I could achieve it in an instant. But in this world, there is a fundamental problem..."
"...This world is a world devoid of spirits!"
In this world devoid of spiritual energy, spiritual vitality ceases to arise, and spiritual processes are severed, causing the spiritual essence within a person to remain hidden. It can be said that this fundamentally severs the path of cultivation for practitioners in this world.
Therefore, although Lin Yu used the [Soul Listening Incense] supernatural power to learn about the Taoist doctrines of this world through Jiang Songjing, he did not actually intend to enter the Xuanzhen Heavenly One or Two Paths.
After all, those are just theoretical toys in the air; how could they possibly lead to true Taoist magic and supernatural powers?
Therefore, although Lin Yu saw some profound and mysterious principles belonging to this world in Jiang Songjing's memories, they were just mysteries and did not constitute a real and complete system. They were more like pieces of mismatched fragments.
"They talk about talismans and rituals, internal alchemy, eating the clouds and drinking the dew to ascend to heaven in broad daylight, or living in incense to become ghosts and gods... But no matter which school or sect's cultivation method it is, it's like a drowning person desperately flailing their arms in the river, grabbing at everything, but only managing to grab a wisp of air."
"...After all, in this world devoid of spiritual energy, all cultivation methods are merely wishful thinking. At most, they can only temper one's character and allow one to see a little illusion! How is it possible to build a cultivation ladder step by step from the bottom up?"
Lin Yu sighed softly in her heart.
He can see the mindset and efforts of the people who came before him in the history of the earth, in the Taoist theories and classic texts.
Unfortunately, it was all just a mirage.
"Even if it weren't for them, even for me... if my previous life had only been at the Foundation Establishment stage, or even just an ordinary Purple Mansion stage, and I had awakened my innate wisdom in this world, facing such a predicament, it would have been almost impossible for me to continue cultivating. Those cultivation techniques and supernatural abilities from my previous life would have become unattainable myths."
With his emotions at their lowest point, Lin Yu seized the opportunity of this shared feeling and suddenly released his consciousness, quietly aligning himself with the metal element of the [Sinking Wood]. The invisible frequency and fluctuations finally eliminated all discrepancies, allowing him to take his wondrous passive utilization of this [Sinking Wood's Decaying Yin Edict Nature] to a new level!
"Only with this element of metal... will everything be completely different!"
The metal element represents the pinnacle of a cultivator's life force, where the five elements have been fully mastered and the Purple Mansion is at its most complete.
The so-called Five Methods, in the previous life, referred to the five supernatural powers that the Great Immortal had to cultivate in the Purple Mansion stage when he wanted to attain the Golden Realm.
The supernatural powers of the Hua are the supernatural powers manifested in the form of objects. They may be used to generate wondrous treasures and magical artifacts, or they may use magical artifacts as a vessel for supernatural powers, thus harmonizing with them.
The Divine Power of Destiny is a divine power that governs destiny. It can observe one's fate, observe one's fortune, attract souls and spirits, and secretly communicate one's innermost thoughts.
The wondrous power of Miaohua is a supernatural power of Taoist arts, capable of moving mountains and seas, separating water and fire, controlling rainbows and escaping light, and scattering clouds and rain;
The Refining Sublime Divine Power is the divine power of the Dharma Body, which embodies the laws of heaven and earth, is indestructible, and can be reborn from a drop of blood.
And finally, the Supreme Divine Power, although its individual power is not as great as the Four Divine Powers of Possession, Life, Wonder, and Refinement, it has the effect of harmonizing the Four Divine Powers and is the pivotal divine power—it is also the core of pure alchemical nature and the essence of sensing the fruition!
Therefore, the methods of obtaining the Golden Elixir passed down from previous generations all state that "to obtain the Golden Elixir, one must possess the Five Elements, use the Four Elements as fuel, the Ultimate Element as the catalyst, Heaven and Earth as the furnace, and the Fruit Position as the basis to forge the purest Golden Nature and ascend to the Fruit Position of Heaven and Earth!"
Therefore, a person with a certain metal element truly possesses an extraordinary status!
However, if it's simply a matter of metal element, then that's fine.
When one attains the Golden Realm in the Purple Mansion, although one forges the Golden Nature through the cultivation methods and paths of the Fruit Realm, without the Fruit Realm being in harmony, that point is meaningless. It is merely pure and unique, yet one still cannot escape the sea of suffering in the world.
Only when the metal element truly resonates with the Heaven and Earth Fruit Position, and a cultivator is just one step away from ascending to the Fruit Position and becoming a True Lord, will that metal element generate a more mysterious and lofty, wondrous power that is linked to the supreme and supreme Dao rules between Heaven and Earth!
Thus, that touch of gold nature departed from its status as pure gold nature and acquired a clear direction towards a specific outcome—
This is exactly what is meant by "the nature of a fallen tree trampled by decaying wood"!
"【Sinking wood】is the most yin of the five types of wood, representing dispersal, decay, coffins, and tombs. It is the subject of the spirits in the underworld, traversing the nature of darkness."
Lin Yu murmured to himself, and the cultivation he had accumulated over the past two hundred years related to [Sinking Wood] appeared vividly in his mind.
"In my past life, although I was famous for the 'Soul Listening Incense,' I entered the Dao through the 'Coffin Palace.' I have studied and comprehended the 'Coffin Subduing Sutra,' which points to the supernatural power of the 'Coffin Palace,' countless times in my past life. It is my most treasured cultivation method... In this life, as I cultivate and enter the embryonic breathing stage, I should also enter the Dao through this method."
The contents of the "Su Fu Ling Ji Jing" immediately appeared in Lin Yu's mind—from [Fetal Breathing] and [Qi Refining] to [Foundation Building] and [Purple Mansion], the cultivation methods of all realms below the Golden Core were presented one by one, as clearly as if they were right in front of him.
In his previous life, the mere appearance of these words would have automatically drawn the spiritual energy within Lin Yu's body, allowing him to resonate with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, cultivate his first breath of true energy, and enter the first level of the [Fetal Breathing] realm.
But at this very moment...
With no external inspiration and no internal spiritual essence, Lin Yu's body was like a stagnant pool.
But Lin Yu smiled.
In his room at Baiyang Temple, he sat cross-legged on the bed.
The moonlight shining through the window was bright and clear.
Everything seemed unchanged.
But at that moment, Lin Yu's consciousness suddenly changed, and he devoted himself to that [Sinking Wood and Rotten Wood Yin Edict Nature] like never before... He not only passively used its wondrous manifestation of the supernatural power that Lin Yu was already familiar with... but also actively urged it, wanting to direct this gold-level nature of the fruit to where he needed it!
"The four levels of embryonic breathing are all about absorbing qi; the great success of absorbing qi is the foundation of the Dao; the foundation of the Dao is promoted to enter the Purple Palace; the Purple Palace is perfected, then one seeks the True Lord..."
"In my previous life, although I was at the peak of the Purple Mansion realm, I was nothing more than an ant in the eyes of the True Lord. However, I did learn some of the True Lord's power and wonders..."
"Once a True Lord achieves the Golden Elixir and ascends to the highest position, he transcends the mortal realm. Every word and deed he does leaves a trace between heaven and earth. Whether manifest or hidden, his actions become the rules and laws of the world, and cannot be fathomed by ordinary reason..."
"But most importantly, once you become a Golden Core True Monarch, you no longer need spiritual energy! Because they can manifest the spiritual energy of heaven and earth themselves and control its fluctuations!"
"For example, in the previous life, the [Ganmu Tianyang Fengsheng Zhenjun] of the [Changqing Sect] was said to have had a low [Ganmu] rank before he attained the Gold Realm, with rare spiritual herbs and short lifespans... But after he ascended to the throne, the number of spiritual herbs in the world increased dramatically year after year, and the lifespan of mortals increased by thirty years out of thin air, and cultivators by even more! This is why our [Changqing Sect] is highly respected and valued by cultivators throughout the world..."
"Therefore, the ultimate goal of cultivators who cultivate their Qi to establish their foundation and manifest supernatural powers is to become the Golden Core True Monarch, who is undisturbed by spiritual energy and instead becomes the master of spiritual energy."
"So, since this world is a world devoid of spiritual energy, making it impossible to cultivate step by step from the bottom up... why can't we start from the top down, using the slight [Golden Core] rank brought by the wondrous nature of metal to create spiritual energy from nothing and guide it into circulation!?"
Lin Yu made up her mind.
This idea would have been considered heretical and inconceivable in my past life.
Even if a mortal who has not yet embarked on the path of cultivation is the reincarnation of a great immortal and has attained some of the golden nature and divine wonders, how could he possibly use this to glimpse the true status and power belonging to a true lord?
Most importantly, if he were to invoke the metal element, especially the metal element that had previously resonated with a fruition level, he would likely attract the true [Sinking Wood] fruition level of the world in the next second. In that case, the power of the fruition level, which no one below the True Lord level could withstand, would descend upon him and shatter Lin Yu's soul.
But... this world is different.
This is a world where cultivators have never existed, and similarly, there is no Golden Elixir of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements. Those rules of heaven and earth that could mobilize spiritual energy and give rise to all things in the previous life, at least in this world... have no clear path to enlightenment.
"Therefore, even if I invoke the metal element of [Sinking Wood] and activate its spiritual energy, it won't trigger the [Sinking Wood] fruition. Because in this world, it points to 'emptiness'... Even if I were to re-attain the [Sinking Wood] fruition in this world in the future, both the process and the result would inevitably be vastly different from my previous life—it might even become [Emptiness Attainment]!"
Upon thinking of this, Lin Yu felt a sense of shock. However, he quickly regained his composure, focusing his mind on the metal element, keeping it clear and unchanging, and calmly experiencing the essence.
That point of [Sinking Wood and Decaying Yin Edict] was sensed by Lin Yu's consciousness, and immediately emitted a dark and gloomy light, transforming into various kinds of yin wood species, coffins and mausoleums, penetrating the netherworld and becoming an image.
At the same time, a mysterious and elusive fluctuation, like an invisible and intangible rope, probed beyond Lin Yu's consciousness and even into everything beyond this body.
"That was the message from the Metal element seeking the [Sinking Wood] position. Since the [Sinking Wood Trembling Yin Edict] had once interacted with the position, it received my thought that I wanted to use the position's status to enlighten my spiritual energy, so it instinctively sought the [position].
That slight fluctuation reflected in his heart, giving Lin Yu some insight.
"If this world is not truly a world devoid of spirits... if there are people in this world who attain the relevant rank, then I fear I will die without a burial place in the next moment..."
There was no turning back now. Lin Yu felt no fear, no hesitation, only a cold, unwavering resolve.
A chilling sense of impending death lingered in Lin Yu's heart. Though her eyes were closed, a smile crept onto her lips inwardly.
At this moment, he was not worried but happy!
Although he has lived two lives and has the dual identity of Lin Yu and Lin Yu, Lin Yu does not believe that it is an absolute truth that cannot be questioned.
"Even when one is promoted to the Dao Foundation and enters the Ascending Yang stage, one's mind is still clouded and filled with boundless fantasies. When one reaches the Purple Palace and attains the Golden Realm, the reality of the inner demons and illusions is even more unimaginable."
"Although this universe seems so real, both in memory and in reality, what if... what if I'm still trapped in the inner demons of the gold-selling process, or perhaps in an illusion woven by some True Lord?"
The coldness in Lin Yu's heart finally intertwined into a vast, unchanging ice field, bursting forth with a chilling light that could kill and destroy life!
"...This doubt has existed since I awakened my memories. Yet I never even thought about it for a moment, deliberately burying it. After spending the last ten days or so visiting mountains and rivers in Minjiang City, I finally found the Baiyang Temple, a place whose imagery is most suitable for quiet meditation."
"...Therefore, the attraction of the metal element and the activation of the fruition are due to this [Submerged Wood and Decaying Shadow] nature, which is the only truth I can rely on now!"
"The metal element that resonates with the fruition level, once deliberately activated, cannot be concealed even by a True Lord when it comes to the gaze of the fruition level."
"If this world is indeed real, and the Earth and the universe are exactly as we know them, then it is certainly possible to use the metal element to educate spiritual energy and help them re-enter the Dao."
"But if I had never left that cultivation realm, then at this very moment, the power of the [Sinking Wood] fruit would surely descend, causing my body to perish and my soul to scatter... But so what?"
In Lin Yu's heart, a long chant, like the sound of a morning bell and evening drum, immediately resounded:
"I will never be a puppet of my inner demons, nor a plaything of the True Lord!"
"Either prove the Way through life... or shatter illusions through death!"
At the very moment that long chant resounded, everything was settled.
The fruition of the interaction between [the fallen wood and the rotten wood] has never manifested, making it seem as if this metal nature has broken through some kind of shackle.
It is like a golden bridge, or a green tube, stretching out horizontally and probing into the formless and intangible imagery between heaven and earth.
On one end was an imagery and aura that even those below the True Monarch level could not comprehend, while on the other end, a faint spiritual energy of the Yin attribute of [Sinking Wood], unprecedented in this world, quietly emerged and fell upon Lin Yu.
Within Lin Yu's body, under the stimulation of [Sinking Wood Trampling Decree of Yin Nature], an extremely wondrous fluctuation arose, merging with the spiritual energy, just like water entering a pit or fire being thrown into a furnace.
In the blink of an eye, Lin Yu’s two hundred years of cultivation experience from his previous life allowed him to skillfully use the breathing technique of the “Su Fu Ling Ji Jing” to integrate the spiritual energy into his limbs and bones, transforming it into a pure breath in his lower dantian!
[Fetal Breathing] Holding the Realm —
become!