Chapter 16: Herbal Purification of the ridians (Part One)
Sunlight slowly rose from above the valley, birds chirping crisply as they flitted through the forest, chasing one another in play.
As ti passed, the sun shifted from the eastern sky to directly above the valley, and then gradually slanted toward the peak on the western side.
By dusk, it had sunk behind the mountain, and darkness blanketed the land. Only the chirping of autumn insects echoed in waves through the night...
Just like that, day by day passed. Since Li Yan had begun his cultivation, eight or nine days had already gone by. Other than opening his door briefly each day to eat or wash up, he kept his door tightly shut at all other tis.
Inside the room, Li Yan now sat cross-legged on the wooden bed in a black long robe. His eyes were half-closed, his hands forming a seal over his abdon, breathing evenly and steadily.
After a long ti, he slowly opened his eyes, brows tightly furrowed.
He had cultivated diligently over these eight or nine days, but still hadn’t managed to trigger the qi in his dantian. He had even asked his teacher about it during this ti.
Strategist Ji had replied that the timing of initial cultivation varied from person to person. For so, it might take just three to five days, while others might need ten to fifteen. The greatest taboo in cultivation was restlessness and impatience, only with a calm and quiet mind could one succeed.
However, it had already been nearly ten days, and he still couldn’t find the “feeling” the technique described. Naturally, this left him sowhat discouraged.
So he got off the bed, pushed open the door, and walked out.
Noticing that the sky had already darkened, he began to stroll slowly through the valley, ntally reviewing every word and phrase of the incantation, trying to grasp its deeper aning.
Suddenly, he heard the trickling sound of water. Unknowingly, he had wandered to the pool.
As he listened to the sound of spring water gently cascading down from the cliff face and looked at the cold, silvery light of the half-moon above the valley, the flowing sound began to echo within his mind.
Then, he suddenly felt a faint resonance within, as if so part of him was harmonizing with the sound of the flowing water.
He instinctively sat down cross-legged beside the pool. The Breathing Guidance Technique that had been lingering in his thoughts these past days began to circulate naturally and smoothly.
Not long after, a faint black mist appeared on Li Yan’s face.
The black mist wasn’t eerie or ominous, instead, it gave the impression of being shrouded in a cool, deep, water-like aura, even tinged with a translucent glimr.
At this mont, Li Yan himself was unaware of any of this. He only felt the sound of flowing water filling his mind, and with each breath, it seed to circulate throughout his entire body.
Suddenly, he felt a cool sensation rising from his dantian, slowly traveling through his ridians along the exact paths outlined in the Breathing Guidance Technique.
Wherever this chill passed, it left the corresponding ridian path with a cold sensation, not the kind that made him shiver, but rather like a fish swimming into the sea, natural and flowing.
Each ti this cool current completed a circuit through his ridians, the chill in his dantian intensified, becoming more pronounced with every round.
Inside the stone house on the eastern side of the valley, Strategist Ji was also sitting cross-legged behind his desk, ditating with eyes closed. Suddenly, he opened his eyes.
He looked toward the door. Although it remained tightly shut, a faint smile appeared on his face.
"So, you’ve finally sensed the energy of heaven and earth? It seems it’s ti to prepare the herbal infusion. This will be quite interesting..."
With that, he slowly closed his eyes once more.
No one knew how much ti had passed. When Li Yan finally opened his eyes again, the valley remained the sa, and the water still trickled down the cliff face. Only the moon had disappeared from the sky, it was now midnight.
His expression showed hesitation and doubt. The mountain nights in autumn were cold, yet he didn’t feel the chill at all. In fact, the cold inside his body was even more intense, but not at all uncomfortable. On the contrary, he felt his senses sharpened and his body light as air.
However, he rembered clearly that the Breathing Guidance Technique said the qi in the dantian, once activated, should manifest as a warm current. Why, then, was his experience completely opposite?
"Could I have gone wrong sowhere in the cultivation? If so… will I end up like that previous senior disciple?"
Thinking this, unease began to creep over Li Yan. Just as he hesitated and stood up, the cool flow in his dantian suddenly faltered, as if caught by so unseen force, its movent disrupted.
And just at that mont, a voice rang out behind him.
"Li Yan, you’ve finally completed your initiation. Not bad at all."
Startled, he imdiately turned around, only to see a black-robed figure standing silently behind him like a ghost in the night.
However, upon recognizing the voice, Li Yan’s heart relaxed, and he quickly bowed.
"Teacher, you're still awake at this hour?"
He was quietly astonished. His teacher’s internal cultivation was truly profound, he had barely felt a change within himself, yet his teacher had already sensed it. It was incredible.
Though the moonlight had already faded from the valley, under the starlight Li Yan could faintly make out a trace of a smile on his teacher’s indistinct face. Feeling uncertain, he spoke again, hesitantly:
"Teacher, I… I’m not sure if I’ve succeeded or not."
"I could feel the qi in your dantian being activated, it should be correct," Strategist Ji said calmly.
"But… according to the technique, the dantian should produce a warm current. What I felt instead was a cold flow..." As he spoke, a trace of unease appeared on Li Yan’s face.
Strategist Ji was montarily stunned after hearing this, but then let out a soft chuckle.
“I didn’t explain this to you earlier, the Breathing Guidance Technique is rely used to stimulate the qi within the dantian. As for the sensations experienced at the mont of activation, they vary from person to person sourness, numbness, itching, cold, heat… it differs for everyone.
Typically, warmth or heat is the most common. That’s why the incantation I gave you only ntioned the common feelings. There’s no need for concern.”
Hearing this, Li Yan let out a long breath of relief, his anxiety completely dispelled. He thought to himself:
'Looks like in the future, I should just ask Teacher directly about these things. All this overthinking and scaring myself for nothing…'
In the darkness, it was as if Strategist Ji could clearly see the look of relief on Li Yan’s face.
“You’ve worked hard these past few days. No need to cultivate any further tonight, go rest early. Tomorrow, you’ll begin formal cultivation of the Wood Yin Art.”
“Yes, Teacher. Then this disciple will take his leave.”
Li Yan was filled with joy upon hearing this. That ant he had finally entered the threshold of cultivation and now qualified to train in a proper martial art technique.
He even felt an urge to begin imdiately. But he understood this wasn’t sothing to be rushed. Although his physical strength hadn’t been much depleted over the past ten days, his ntal energy was indeed thoroughly exhausted.
He turned and began walking back to his stone chamber. After a few steps, the feeling of blockage in his dantian noticeably eased.
In his heart, he couldn’t help but secretly admire his teacher’s profound skill. Before, when he had no inner energy, he never felt anything. But now that he had just a thread of internal qi, he could already sense the pressure emanating from his teacher.
As Li Yan’s figure disappeared into the darkness, Strategist Ji simply turned around and vanished without a sound. When he reappeared, he was already back inside his own room.
With a sweep of his sleeve, the door shut silently. He resud sitting cross-legged at his desk. The smile on his face was now gone, replaced by a shifting mix of expressions, at once somber and conflicted.
“So his first connection to the energy of heaven and earth is through water. That confirms what I saw during the needle test, the black aura was indeed strongest.
That being the case, perhaps cultivating a wood-elent technique isn’t the most ideal. But luckily, he’s of mixed spiritual roots. Judging by what I observed last ti, he also has affinity with green, the wood energy, second only to water.
He should still be able to cultivate it, though it will likely take longer. But… will I be able to suppress the poison long enough for him to succeed?”
Strategist Ji sat in silence for a mont, then shook his head and gave a bitter smile.
“To have even one successor appear before my death is already a stroke of great fortune. Am I really asking for more than I deserve?
Still, I must accelerate his cultivation. We’ll begin tomorrow. No matter what, this body of mine can no longer afford to wait.”
With that thought, he closed his eyes again and resud his ditation.
The next morning.
Li Yan awoke feeling refreshed and clear-minded. His mood was as bright as the crisp blue sky outside.
After breakfast, he arrived early in front of his teacher’s stone chamber. Just like last ti, as soon as he reached the door, Strategist Ji’s voice rang out:
“Co in.”
Although Li Yan had rarely left his own room in the past days, he had gathered that his teacher seldom left the stone house. Most days, he remained inside cultivating behind closed doors.
Li Yan spent another half-day inside. When he finally erged, Strategist Ji also walked out and called over Chen An and Li Yin. After giving them a few instructions, he made his way into the second stone chamber.
Not long after, Chen An and Li Yin carried a large, exquisitely crafted bronze cauldron to the door of Li Yan’s room. As instructed, Li Yan remained inside waiting for them.
Seeing the two arrive, he welcod them in and had them place the cauldron inside. The room was spacious enough to easily accommodate it.
The bronze cauldron was about half a man tall, made of refined bronze that glead with a faint yellow hue. Its base was made of solid jade.
Around the body of the cauldron were three carved purple flood dragons. Their heads were raised upward, as if lifting the basin. Between their bodies and the cauldron were several decorative cutouts, through which the inner workings of the cauldron could faintly be seen.
At that mont, the interior glowed red-hot with fire, though the source of the fuel was unknown, there was no smoke whatsoever, yet waves of heat radiated outward.
About fifteen minutes later, Strategist Ji erged from the second stone chamber, his face ashen gray with a tinge of exhaustion.
Chen An and Li Yin went into that room next and soon returned, carrying a large bronze basin filled with steaming liquid. They brought it to Li Yan’s room and carefully placed it atop the three dragon heads of the cauldron.
After bowing respectfully to both Strategist Ji and Li Yan, the two quietly closed the door and left.
Strategist Ji stepped up to the cauldron. Despite his fatigue, he wore a faint smile as he spoke to Li Yan.
“Did you morize the incantation I taught you this morning?”
Li Yan stood properly in front of the cauldron and answered respectfully:
“Disciple has morized it.”
“Good. Though each layer’s incantation isn’t long, its essence is deep and profound, it must be comprehended and internalized.
I spent the better part of this morning explaining every part of it to you so that you would fully understand the workings of the first layer. From this point on, the rest will depend on your own diligence and discipline.
As the saying goes, ‘A master can lead you to the door, but the practice is up to the individual.’ That’s an eternal truth. You must rember it.”
Strategist Ji nodded as he finished speaking.
“Disciple will devote himself to diligent training. Thank you, Teacher, for your instruction.”
Li Yan stood with hands lowered, respectfully awaiting further instruction.
At this point, the bronze basin atop the cauldron was billowing with thick steam.
Peering into it, Li Yan could see that within the rising mist, countless herbs were simring in the liquid. Wisps of greenish-black vapor curled upward, lingering above the basin.
“These herbal concoctions are made using a secret thod of our sect. This single basin can be reused for seven days.
After seven days, the herbs will lose their potency and a new batch must be prepared, with slightly increased quantities. This cycle will repeat for forty-nine days, seven cycles of seven days.
During this ti, your ridians will undergo the cleansing and marrow-forging process, becoming extraordinarily tough and resilient.
Only after your ridians are tempered this way can they endure the forceful and aggressive flow of our sect’s internal energy. In fact, just the physical conditioning of this forty-nine-day regin will make your ridians stronger than those of most second- or third-rate martial artists in the martial world.
Normally, to reach this stage, one must spend over ten years of arduous training. But through our sect’s secret purification thod, this sa result can be achieved much faster.
Of course, there’s no such thing as a free reward in this world. The process is extrely painful, without imnse willpower, it cannot be completed.
All of this depends on your own endurance. Do you understand?”
As he said this, Strategist Ji’s tone turned stern and serious.
“Disciple understands. I will not disappoint Teacher’s expectations!”
Li Yan t his teacher’s gaze with firm resolve. He had already been warned repeatedly in the morning and was ntally prepared. He was a person of strong will, once he decided on sothing, he would not turn back.
“Good. Then begin. I will stand guard outside over the coming days. If anything goes wrong, I will intervene imdiately.”
With that, Strategist Ji said no more. He opened the door and left the room, closing it behind him from the outside. Then he sat cross-legged at the stone table outside and began to ditate once again.
(Chapter End)
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