Lanke Chess Edge

Chapter 377: The Wondrous Technique of Heaven and Earth

Taoist Qingsong and Qi Wen stared blankly at the light emanating from the main hall of their Taoist temple. From the kitchen doorway, they could clearly see the stars on the temple’s star chart twinkling.As a traditional Taoist temple that did not worship any deities, but rather only venerated the stars and constellations in the heavens, the changes in the star map held a similar significance to the two Daoists as a Buddhist monk seeing a radiant light emanating from a statue of a Buddha in their monastery; it had a profound impact.

They watched the stars on the star map gradually shimmer, until finally all the brilliance receded into the banner itself, reverting it to the large black cloth that had hung in the temple for many years. Qi Xuan and Qi Wen knew that there must have been an extraordinary change.

“Master, is it possible for us to become immortals?”

Although Qi Wen did not understand the path of immortal cultivation, it was quite clear that the current situation was a blessing, not a curse.

Taoist Qingsong was also somewhat excited, but he restrained himself from expressing it. Even though Taoists had their own beliefs that prevented them from pestering Ji Yuan to learn immortality, who didn’t want to embark on the wondrous path of cultivation? Who wouldn’t yearn for longevity?

Mr. Ji’s current actions seemed to go far beyond simply guiding the Taoists of Cloud Mountain Temple on their path of cultivation. This was not only Taoist Qingsong’s suspicion as merely a fortune teller, but also an intuition he had vaguely felt ever since Old Master Qin had arrived.

But Taoist Qingsong never voiced it, nor did he ask any questions. Such a master must have his own reasons for his actions, and it was best to go with the flow.

“I’ve said it before, some things cannot be forced, and moreover should not be forced. Building good karma is the best approach. You see…”

Taoist Qingsong stopped speaking, because Ji Yuan had already descended from the star chart in the main hall and walked back out to look towards the kitchen.

“Taoist Masters, you need not worry about whether my actions will lead you astray from your path or doctrine. I have not used any immortal techniques to restrict Cloud Mountain Temple. This star map is still the star map of Cloud Mountain Temple. As for the path of cultivation, yours still naturally follows the Taoist methods of Cloud Mountain Temple, venerating the stars and respecting heaven and earth.”

As if understanding the two Taoists’ doubts, Ji Yuan’s voice rang softly in Qi Xuan and Qi Wen’s ears.

“Taoist methods? Uh…”

Taoist Qingsong subconsciously repeated. He and Qi Wen had been practicing the Taoist methods of Cloud Mountain Temple morning and evening for many years. He knew best what use they held; they were mostly psychological and symbolic.

“That’s right, but it’s not the same as what the previous meditation of the Taoist sect at Cloud Mountain Temple used to be. Please prepare lunch in peace. Afterwards, Mr. Qin and I will explain it to you in detail. If you are unwilling, you may simply say so.”

Although the two Taoists seemed to understand a little, they did not understand entirely. However, since Ji Yuan had said so much, they didn’t ask any more questions. After bowing and thanking him, they went back to prepare lunch, still feeling a little excited in their hearts.

As for whether they would be unwilling? Taoist Qingsong and Taoist Qingyuan weren’t that stupid!

Today’s lunch was quite sumptuous by Cloud Mountain Temple’s standards, with fish, meat, fresh vegetables grown in the garden, and a delicious mushroom soup from the mountains.

At the start of the meal, Ji Yuan specifically asked for two small bowls, took some of the fish and pork that Taoist Qingsong had prepared, placed them in each of the two bowls, then set them on the ground outside the kitchen, before returning inside to eat with the others.

Before long, the two little martens, filled with trepidation and hesitation, cautiously probed at the food. Their spiritual intelligence had already been awakened, and they clearly understood that the white-robed gentleman in the building had brought them these bowls to eat. However, knowing it was one thing, feeling at ease was another.

However, in the end, the two martens could not resist the temptation and jumped down from the wall to eat the food in the bowls. This was the first time the two little martens had eaten cooked food.

From its founding to the present day, this was the most turbulent period of time Cloud Mountain Temple had ever experienced. Although it still stood quietly on Yanxia Peak, the Taoists of Cloud Mountain Temple faced a turning point in their lives.

Ji Yuan personally explained to Qi Xuan and Qi Wen the various paths of cultivation, discussing acupoints and the way of heaven and earth within the body; he spoke of the five elements and yin and yang in the context of cultivation, the changes in the world’s spiritual energy, and the essence of all kinds of wondrous methods and supernatural powers. Then, together with Qin Zizhou, he discussed the extremely special power of the stars.

If the foundational cultivation methods of ordinary immortal lands and sects, whether mystical or ordinary, were based on various Qi guiding techniques and Qi refining methods, then what Ji Yuan was teaching at Cloud Mountain Temple was a completely new foundation.

As an important intangible chess piece in Ji Yuan’s hands, Qin Zizhou had faced significant changes in recent years, which Ji Yuan had been able to empathize with, to some extent, and had been able to come to understand Qin Zizhou’s comprehension of the Taoist Daoist constellations in his state of having a divine yang body.

For those parts that he couldn’t quite grasp, their discussions during the day while sitting together in the sun were enough to support his explanation after lunch.

Combining the Qi Guiding Technique that Ji Yuan had meticulously refined countless times, and incorporating the seemingly useless Star Contemplation Method of the Cloud Mountain Temple Taoist sect, a new “Transformation of Heaven and Earth” was beginning to take shape.

This could no longer be considered a Qi Guiding Technique; to be precise, it was a Qi Guiding and Star Connecting Technique. Although it was far from complete, it was enough to guide Qi Xuan and Qi Wen in the basics.

Ji Yuan was also human, and had his own selfish desires, so this new “Transformation of of Heaven and Earth” actually contained a considerable amount of his own interpretations and personal values, but he nonetheless attached great importance to this cultivation technique.

Not only did Ji Yuan incorporate the technique of reversing fate with his own cultivation, but he also wanted to incorporate the map of the stars and constellations into the landscape of his chess pieces.

The most crucial link in supporting Ji Yuan and Qin Zizhou’s entire theoretical system was the “Mysterious Technique of Transforming Heaven and Earth,” which was a special method of guiding Qi and connecting with the stars.

By cultivating Qi and connecting with the stars in the heavens, alongside practicing the incantations, one could ultimately cultivate individual stars within the body’s acupoints, and even within one’s own mental realm.

Reversing the flow of energy had little impact on spiritual energy, and it could not manifest special divine intent like Ji Yuan’s, as his was based on the existence of heaven and earth within his own mental realm. However, it was enough to help people resonate with the stars inside and outside their bodies while performing supernatural techniques.

As for what kind of miraculous changes would occur, Ji Yuan didn’t yet know. His preliminary guess was that they would enhance their spiritual energy, and thus their spiritual techniques, and it would also help with enlightenment.

Aside from this Qi-Guiding and Star-Connecting technique, the Qi-cultivation technique, which held more importance to other immortal cultivators or practitioners of the various paths, was by contrast not very important in Ji Yuan’s system. Although it was quite different from Yuhuai’s original “Minor Qi-Guiding Art,” Ji Yuan’s Qi-cultivation technique, named “Minor Qi Refinement of Heaven and Earth,” was not inherently superior to the former.

It was merely a Qi cultivation technique that fit the new “Transformation of Heaven and Earth.” Even the name was just something Ji Yuan was too lazy to think of, and directly used. “Minor Qi Refinement of Heaven and Earth” were to be completely lost, future generations could just find any Qi cultivation technique to cultivate, and only the efficiency would be significantly impacted.

Of course, all of this was still far from Qi Xuan and Qi Wen’s consideration. There was enough time for Ji Yuan and Qin Zizhou to summarize and organize what they had in mind into a complete cultivation system.

Frankly speaking, the ultimate beneficiaries of all this, besides the Taoists of Cloud Mountain Temple, included Ji Yuan himself. On the other hand, although Qin Zizhou could also use this cultivation method, he would inevitably be following the divine path in the future, and as such his benefits would be much smaller.

However, Ji Yuan had no intention of using Qi Xuan and Qi Wen as guinea pigs. Although their bodies were much stronger than ordinary people due to their spiritual energy, they were still ordinary people, and could not withstand excessive hardship.

The real guinea pig was Ji Yuan himself. Qin Zizhou could also technically be included. Only after Ji Yuan had deduced it and deemed it suitable could he continue to refine the “Transformation of Heaven and Earth” and the “Minor Qi Refinement of Heaven and Earth.” However, there was no need to tell Qi Xuan and Qi Wen about this, so as not to make the two Taoist priests overthink things. After all, Ji Yuan was confident that his own deductions would be faster than their cultivation.

There were no written instructions yet, but Ji Yuan would deliver this “Wondrous Technique of Heaven and Earth” to Cloud Mountain Temple according to his own progress.

After lunch, Ji Yuan and Qin Zizhou explained the plan to Qi Xuan and Qi Wen, with Ji Yuan taking the lead, since Qin Zizhou only had a rudimentary knowledge of orthodox cultivation.

At first, Qi Xuan and Qi Wen initially thought that Mr. Ji had simply performed a ritual to consecrate the star map in the temple. However, they later gradually realized that this did not merely affect the worship of the stars at the temple; this was a small part of a larger, tailor-made supernatural technique for Cloud Mountain Temple.

As Ji Yuan meticulously explained the situation in a way that Qi Wen and Qi Xuan could understand, they grew increasingly excited. They stayed awake until late at night, when the stars shone brightest, and the two of them unconsciously began their first steps of cultivation under Ji Yuan’s guidance.

The spiritual energy around Cloud Mountain Temple gradually thickened, the constellations twinkling in the sky, and the star chart in the main hall faintly glowed with a divine light, seemingly echoing the light of the countless stars.

The starlight appeared to be even more intense inside the grounds of Cloud Mountain Temple. In a very short amount of time, Qi Xuan and Qi Wen were faintly surrounded by spiritual energy, their faces radiating a barely perceptible starlight.

Seeing how quickly the two entered a state of meditation, Qin Zizhou couldn’t help but admire them.

“Mr. Ji, it seems that Taoist Masters Qingsong and Qingyuan do have some talent. I thought they would need some more time to open their minds and begin to grasp the basics.”

“Haha, with years of Star Contemplation and morning and evening recitations as a foundation, this is practically tailor-made for them, so their performance is not so surprising. By the way, this is for the two marten spirits. Mr. Qin, please keep it for now. Once the two martens gradually begin to understand more, they can learn it themselves.”

Ji Yuan placed a jade slip on the table, on which densely packed small characters had been engraved.

“What is this?”

“It can be considered a cultivation method for immortal beasts. Immortal beast cultivation has three steps: guidance, transformation, and nurturing. Among them, nurturing requires the beast’s body to be compatible with their spirit. This slip only has the guidance and initial transformation method. The nurturing stage is different from the methods that some immortal sects specifically tailor for their own immortal beasts; it requires the spiritual beast or lesser monster to have a certain degree of control and skill.

“Although it will be quite difficult, this may not be a bad thing. I originally learned this method from Lord Ying. I hastily modified it once before because of a certain matter, and then improved it again, making it more moderate. After all, how can a small spirit beast that has recently gained intelligence match the physique of a dragon or flood dragon?”

At this point, Ji Yuan looked at Qin Zizhou.

“Mr. Qin, I am unable to provide too detailed of an explanation, so please bear with me.”

Ultimately, all of his actions at Cloud Mountain Temple, though seemingly just for show,1 were intended to pave the way for Qin Zizhou’s journey on the Path of the Wandering God.

Qin Zizhou nodded solemnly and gratefully, cupping his hands in a gesture of respect.

“I, Qin, understand the weight of this task!”

The promise he made to Ji Yuan before, with the words, “to save all the people and spirits in the world, and all sentient beings,” was still vivid in Qin Zizhou’s mind.2

These words carried immense weight, but Qin Zizhou now felt that they were more than just simple words. Regardless, he would naturally keep his word, and fulfill this promise!

Lit. “seemingly planting flowers and willows” See ch. 191