8mi Chapter 378: The Founding Masters
Chapter 378: The Founding Masters
It was on Yanxia peak of Yunshan Mountain, in the ordinary Cloud Mountain Temple, in a kitchen that could only generously be described as rudimentary, that Ji Yuan and Qin Zizhou discussed the future of Cloud Mountain Temple, and perhaps even the future of the entire path of orthodox Taoism, over a table littered with cups and plates.In this special atmosphere, as spiritual energy surrounded them and starlight descended upon the earth, two whole days passed without them even realizing it.
The temperature was quite high, but the plates on the table didn’t have any strange odors.
After sorting through their conversation rather haphazardly, Ji Yuan took out his gift for Qin Zizhou, pulling several books from his sleeves and placing them on the table. Among them were two books written by Ji Yuan himself, as well as “A Historical Account from Outside the Tao” and “Bright Strategies,” which he still treasured to this day.
Qin Zizhou picked up each book and flipped through them. From his expression, Ji Yuan could tell that he could read Heavenly Script—however, this was to be expected, given his Divine Yang Body. Even if his cultivation level was low, the essence was still there.
As for the two books written by Ji Yuan himself, they recorded some basic techniques and methods, including illusion techniques, mind-influencing techniques, and basic techniques for controlling wind, water, lightning, and fire. However, they all contained Ji Yuan’s understanding and were definitely no ordinary common works.
“When you have time, you can take a closer read at ‘A Historical Account from Outsde the Tao’ and ‘Bright Strategies.’ Both books contain my annotations and additions, which will help you learn more about the cultivation world. As for the other two books, I am mainly leaving them for the Taoists of Cloud Mountain Temple to practice their cultivation. They would only be considered minor skills for you. As you improve your cultivation of the Path of the Wandering God in the future, you will surely develop more extraordinary powers.”
Qin Zizhou put the books away in his robes, then bowed to Ji Yuan again.
“Then I will accept this gift!”
After Ji Yuan nodded, the two of them turned to look at Qi Xuan and Qi Wen at the same time. After these two days, the two Taoists from Cloud Mountain Temple should have almost recovered and woken up from their initial cultivation session.
Sure enough, not long after, dawn broke once more, and as the morning light illuminated Cloud Mountain Temple, the two Taoists, Qingsong and Qingyuan, naturally opened their eyes.
As he looked at the dishes and plates on the table and then at his surroundings, Taoist Qingsong was somewhat dazed.
“It’s already dawn!”
These words sounded somewhat familiar to Ji Yuan, but he didn’t point out that two days had actually already passed.
“My master and I just sat there and slept all night?”
When he realized that he had sat on the stool all night without feeling any back pain, Qi Wen was slightly surprised, but this surprise was quickly replaced by a stronger sense of excitement.
Although he was over thirty years old, Qi Wen still retained his childlike innocence and vitality.
“Master, Mr. Ji, Grandpa Qin, I saw some strange phenomena during my cultivation. I saw mountain streams, waterfalls, and clear pools reflecting the sky, with stars shining brightly. There was starlight shining down and a gentle breeze. It felt wonderful!”
Qi Xuan also shared his experience.
“I also saw a strange phenomenon. I saw a verdant peak swaying in the wind, and the celestial stars shining brightly as they fell! Mr. Ji, does this mean that Qi Wen and I are both exceptionally talented?”
Ji Yuan thought for a moment and then answered.
“Possessing some talent is a necessity, but this kind of phenomenon is a visual illusion that many cultivators see when they first guide Qi into their bodies. You won’t see it again next time. Only when your cultivation reaches the level where you must consolidate an alchemy furnace and build a golden bridge can you reopen this state of mind. This vision is usually best when it is a single and pure scene, such as a raging fire or flood. However, the cultivation at Cloud Mountain Temple is unique, so it is normal for these visions to emerge as a scene reflected in starlight.”
“Oh…”
“I see…”
Upon hearing that it was a common vision that ‘many cultivators’ saw, Qi Xuan and Qi Wen’s excitement slightly subsided, though they were still very excited. They began to carefully feel the flow of spiritual energy within their bodies, constantly asking Ji Yuan and Qin Zizhou questions.
By the time the sun was high in the sky, Qi Xuan and Qi Wen had answered all the questions they could think of. They didn’t place too high of an expectation on them, knowing that they needed to cultivate slowly.
The two biggest hurdles in cultivating immortality were: first, perceiving and guiding spiritual energy into the body, and second, internalizing yin and yang to form an alchemy furnace within the cultivator’s inner world.
Ji Yuan was able to achieve these his in one fell swoop because he was exceptionally unique. He did not need to go through the arduous process of visualizing the five elements, conceptualizing and stabilizing a mental space large enough to contain the alchemy furnace, or connecting all five elements to transform yin and yang before attempting to condense the alchemy furnace.
Even though Qi Xuan and Qi Wen now possessed the Wondrous Technique of Heaven and Earth, their supernatural abilities were ultimately limited. The difficulty of that first step, guiding Qi into their bodies, lay in the selection of natural talents, and the second step required slow and painstaking effort.
Wei Yuansheng’s talent wasn’t bad, but it still took him several years to form an alchemy furnace, build a golden bridge, and open up a dantian to nurture the Tao. Only then could he go down the mountain to see his mother. Qi Xuan and Qi Wen, with their many years practicing Taoist meditation skills, might be a little faster, but their progress would definitely still be limited.
Once Qi Xuan and Qi Wen’s excitement had subsided, Ji Yuan stood up to say goodbye.
When he heard Ji Yuan was leaving, Qi Xuan panicked.
“Mr. Ji, are you leaving already? You’ve only been here for a day, and we haven’t even had a proper chance to entertain you. It would be so much better if you stayed for a year or two like before. You… your kindness in passing on your teachings… May I…”
When it came to passing down teachings at Cloud Mountain Temple, Ji Yuan had ultimately taken the lead, while Qin Zizhou merely assisted from the sidelines.
Qi Xuan stammered slightly, but Ji Yuan quickly raised his hand to stop him.
“I am glad to hear your intentions. I will return after I have perfected the ‘Wondrous Technique of Heaven and Earth.’ Right now, I still need to find those ‘characters’. Although I have indeed passed on my teachings at Cloud Mountain Temple, teaching does not necessarily require a discussion of disciple lineage. You and I are equals and friends, so there is no need for such formalities.”
With that, Ji Yuan smiled and looked at Qi Wen.
“Besides, you, Taoist, only have one disciple.1 If you were in my shoes, would you truly agree? We can still continue as before! As for the issue of cultivation, Lord Qin is still here.”
Taoist Qingsong scratched his head and finally could only laugh and agree.
“Let us continue on as usual, everything as usual!”
That was one good quality about the Taoists of Cloud Mountain Temple: they were very easygoing. Once Ji Yuan explained things clearly, they stopped dwelling on the issue.
Qi Xuan and Qi Wen, along with Qin Zizhou, saw Ji Yuan off at the gate of the Taoist temple. After repeating “Take care and see you again” over and over again, Ji Yuan departed, riding on a cloud, headed in the direction indicated by the divination.
Just as Ji Yuan’s figure disappeared into the horizon, Qin Zizhou saw Qi Xuan quickly dart back into the Taoist temple, and his voice echoing behind him.
“Qi Wen, quickly bring out the couple scrolls of Xuan paper that I’ve been saving!”
“Huh? Oh, I’ll go find them!”
The master and disciple entered the temple one after the other. One prepared writing brushes, ink, and other materials, while the other rummaged through the room and found two rolls of bound Xuan paper.
Qin Zizhou watched from inside the temple, not understanding what the master and disciple were up to—or rather, what Qi Xuan was up to. However, he didn’t ask. Either way, they were there with him, and he would find out eventually.
In the end, Qi Xuan set up a table and prepared writing the brush and ink in the main hall of the Taoist temple. For three whole days, he neither ate nor drank. He even stayed up at night by candlelight, constantly making brushstrokes. After three days, he had lost a significant amount of weight and gained dark circles under his eyes, but he had completed his work in one fell swoop.
In the latter half of the third night, looking at the scrolls of paper on the table in the main hall of Cloud Mountain Temple, Taoist Qingsong laughed heartily.
“Hahahaha… It’s done, it’s done! I didn’t expect that I could draw it, but it really is done!”
Qi Xuan was radiant with energy at this moment. Qi Wen and Qin Zizhou, who heard the commotion, rushed over. They saw Qi Xuan excitedly picking up his brush, and they also saw the two paintings on the table.
They were two full-length standing portraits. One depicted Qin Zizhou, with white eyebrows and beard, stroking his beard with a kind expression. The other depicted Ji Yuan, with wide sleeves and a long robe, standing with his hands behind his back, with a serene and indifferent expression.
“I’ve tried before, but when I try to recall Mr. Ji’s appearance, the details always become blurry, let alone when I try to paint it. Today, I finally managed to paint it!”
“Wow, Master, you’re amazing! The painting is so lifelike, it’s as if Grandpa Qin and Mr. Ji have stepped into the painting! Grandpa Qin, come and take a look!”
Qi Wen clapped and cheered from the side, looking around excitedly.
Qin Zizhou looked at the depiction of himself and the depiction of Ji Yuan in the paintings, and stroked his beard in admiration.
“I never imagined that Taoist Qingsong’s painting skills were so remarkable!”
“Hehe, you flatter me, you flatter me. This was the only time I was able to achieve it. I won’t even be able to replicate it again! Oh right, it’s still missing something.”
After Qi Xuan finished speaking, he concentrated and carefully wrote the characters “Qin” and “Ji” respectively on the two paintings, before finally setting down his brush.
“Lord Qin, you and Mr. Ji are the founding masters of our Cloud Mountain Temple. Qi Xuan and I may not use this title for you, but the descendants of Cloud Mountain Temple must not forget our roots!”
“Haha, whatever you want, Mr. Ji has no say in this matter.”
Qin Zizhou was quite easygoing. Seeing Taoist Qingsong;s serious expression, he didn’t argue. He didn’t care anyway. Besides, when the time was right, the Wandering God of the cultivation would would be worshipped in more places than just Cloud Mountain Temple. As for Ji Yuan, Qin Zizhou wouldn’t concern himself with that.
High in the sky to the northwest above Cloud Mountain Temple, Ji Yuan, who was swiftly traveling on clouds, sensed something. After calculating a divination with his fingers, he looked back in the direction of Cloud Mountain Temple.
“The painting is truly exquisite, but the handwriting is rather ugly…”
With that sigh, Ji Yuan tacitly approved of Taoist Qingsong’s actions. As for Qi Xuan’s calligrahy, although it was far inferior to Ji Yuan’s, it was still quite neat.
…
The northwestern border of Zuyue separated it from the country of Tingliang, but due to its long-standing hostility with Dazhen, Zuyue had always maintained a very moderate policy towards Tingliang in order to avoid being attacked from both sides.
When Ji Yuan flew over this region, he took out the “Sword Intent Inscription” scroll and made frequent calculations, continuously adjusting his direction as he flew.
Not long after crossing the border to Zuyue, he arrived at Moyuan County, a famous ink-producing region in the country of Tingliang. Upon arrival, Ji Yuan slowed his speed. He descended from the clouds shortly after entering Moyuan County.
There were many steep mountains around, but compared to the many famous mountains that Ji Yuan had seen before, they were noticeably less verdant. The barren mountains were mostly covered with local pine trees, while the lower areas were dominated by tung trees2 and lacquer trees,3 all important raw materials for ink sticks.
Without taking any detours, Ji Yuan neither went to Moyuan County did he head towards any villages. Instead, he walked purposefully in one direction. The faint scent of ink in the air indicated that there were likely be ink factories in the distance.
After walking for a while, when he reached a small river, Ji Yuan could suddenly clearly see a hunched old man in his otherwise blurry vision. The man was leaning on a cane, looking around and sniffing at the riverbank, and even using the cane to prop himself up and climb to a higher vantage point to look into the distance.
The old man had obviously seen Ji Yuan, but after a quick glance he pretended not to have noticed him, and quickly made his way upstream.
Ji Yuan’s eyes flashed, and he looked thoughtful.
‘Is this the local Land God? What’s going on?’
而道长唯一一个徒弟，就是计某要，你舍得么? This sentence was a flipping pain and I’m still not sure I got it correct Tung trees are small deciduous trees Lacquer trees have toxic sap that is refined into very durable lacquer