Chapter 936 - 660: Methods of Gathering Qi

On the other side.

Chen Sheng was unaware of the unique causal connections of high-tier cultivators in this dimension.

Once the Dao Foundation is achieved, one can calculate and influence causality, view the "Records of Heaven and Earth," trace back surrounding scenes, and reflect upon the past.

Purple Mansion cultivators, in particular, can manipulate the lines of fate... Sometimes a single thought can create endless variables.

For instance, that thought he had earlier indirectly led to the premature demise of the Great Feather Immortal Master, causing the disintegration of the Great Feather Grotto Heaven.

At this moment, he sits alone in the quiet room, contemplating the key to entering the path of cultivation:

"To truly embark on the path of cultivation, three things are indispensable: spiritual aperture, cultivation technique, True Qi."

In his heart, he is clear and organized:

"The spiritual aperture is fundamental. I do not possess a congenital spiritual aperture, so I must rely on the body to deduce the technique for building the aperture. Subsequently, more life form samples need to be collected and repeatedly verified to ensure stability."

"There’s no need to worry about cultivation techniques; the ’Ascending Dragon Ridge Daoist Scripture’ can be used for introductory Qi cultivation."

"The last hurdle is True Qi."

Chen Sheng’s eyes brightened slightly:

"True Qi merging with the aperture can give rise to creation, enabling the absorption and release of the spiritual mechanism of heaven and earth, cultivate Qi, and truly step into the door of cultivation."

He used a metaphor in his mind.

The relationship between the spiritual aperture and True Qi is like using a key to open the door to a treasury full of treasures.

The spiritual aperture is the extremely heavy door, and True Qi that matches the spiritual aperture is the only key.

Only when the two become one can one take away their share of the spiritual mechanism from the vastness of heaven and earth.

At this thought, his mind suddenly shifted, leading him to speculate:

"Perhaps... what can be taken is not only the spiritual mechanism but the Great Dao itself."

"I cannot sense the Great Dao of heaven and earth, maybe because I am being blocked by this barrier of ’aperture and Qi’, kept out of the door."

Chen Sheng exhaled lightly and shook his head, suppressing these too distant musings, as the road must be walked step by step.

He slowly opened an old Daoist scripture placed on the table — "Ascending Dragon Ridge Daoist Scripture."

As a complete Qi cultivation technique, the book naturally records the supporting subtle techniques for gathering Qi; it is not the absorption without foundation.

"The ’Ascending Dragon Ridge Daoist Scripture’ has the attribute of [Willow Earth], and the True Qi it describes is entirely from the lineage of Willow Earth."

"The book records three methods for gathering Qi."

His gaze swept over the text:

"Namely, [Ground Rising Firefly], [Earth Evoking Sand], [Pestilent Earth Miasma]."

"According to this realm’s cultivation knowledge, all three are below the seventh grade."

"Strictly speaking, they can only be considered miscellaneous Qi between heaven and earth; cultivating them offers no hope of the Dao Foundation, let alone the Dao of Longevity."

If others aiming for the path were to see such records, they would likely have abandoned the book in disappointment long ago.

But there wasn’t the slightest dissatisfaction on Chen Sheng’s face.

Everything has its sequence and priority.

Even though he has not yet obtained a spiritual aperture, nor entered the door of cultivation, how could he talk about High Grade True Qi or the supreme Great Dao?

The urgent matter is to first step onto the path of cultivation, fulfilling this lifetime’s obsession.

"People in this realm often say that once the path is set, it’s difficult to change for life, and once the attribute of the True Qi is chosen, there’s no turning back."

"But that... is for others."

"I lack a spiritual aperture and do not conform to the rules of ordinary people; their common knowledge may not apply to me."

"Even if it cannot be truly changed..."

He gently touched his fingertips to the center of his brow, still confident in his heart:

"At worst, I would use the Hundred Generations Book, rotating to the next life to try again."

With this thought flowing, he continued pondering the matter of gathering Qi.

"Moreover, miscellaneous Qi has its advantages, at least the conditions for gathering are not stringent; timing, location, and equipment are within the realm of human capability."

"Travelogues mention that some High Grade True Qi are beyond reach even for Dao Foundation cultivators..."

Chen Sheng sighed slightly in his heart:

"It’s a pity the True Qi from old fourth has long been given away, otherwise there wouldn’t be a need for such efforts to start from scratch."

A few days ago, he specifically inquired; old fourth had once gathered similar low-level True Qi according to the method of gathering Qi.

However, these items were useless to ordinary people, so old fourth gave them to the passing grotto heaven cultivators.

Such miscellaneous Qi, if used for cultivating Qi, they naturally wouldn’t consider it, but it could be used for talisman making, array formation, alchemy, and fire initiation, considered sideline materials.

Old fourth was able to connect with grotto heaven cultivators initially by leveraging this goodwill and interaction.

On second thought, Chen Sheng felt relieved in his heart:

"It’s good to re-gather."

"It’s just right for me to personally participate once; perhaps I can see more hidden intricacies from it."

He was already full of curiosity about the cultivation path of this world, and gathering Qi is the most fundamental step in cultivation, further key.

Chen Sheng’s gaze returned to the Daoist scripture, memorizing the timing, location, equipment, and rituals for gathering the three types of True Qi one by one.

Take the [Pestilent Earth Miasma] for example.

The book describes it in a grim and detailed manner:

"On the fifteenth of July, when yin Qi is abundant and pestilent Qi is generated, it is advisable to take yin earth and refine the toxic miasma..."

"During the hour of the tiger, when the ghost door slightly closes, at the peak of miasmic Qi, carry ancient battlefield-aged yin-soil and a black clay jar, seal its mouth with a cinnabar talisman..."

"Enter the depths of ancient land miasmic fog, take the black, foul, sticky soil, fill the jar with it, immerse it in creek water without letting it see the light, and intone yin incantations..."

"Let it sit quietly for seven nights; within the jar, blue-black mist will form; this mist doesn’t invade the body, entering only the Qi sea, to obtain a thread of [Pestilent Earth Miasma True Qi]."

The formats of [Ground Rising Firefly] and [Earth Evoking Sand] are also similar, all being a complete set of rituals for gathering Qi.

Chen Sheng silently finished reading, and had already formed a judgment in his heart.

"For ordinary mortals, gathering these True Qi isn’t easy; it requires selecting auspicious days, finding spiritual land, preparing equipment, consuming time and effort."

"But for me, it doesn’t pose any difficulty."

Given his status, as long as it’s not major undertakings like building a Great Wall or opening a large river that burdens and costs the people, mobilizing some manpower and resources is merely a matter of lifting a finger.

Chen Sheng raised his eyes to look at the night scene outside the window; the bright moon hung high, casting its clear brilliance.

"Today is already May 27th."

"The timing recorded in the book, the nearest one is the sixth day of June—the Day of Heavenly Blessings."

That day is best for gathering [Sinking Sand].

"On the Day of Heavenly Blessings, ascend to a high place, grasp a handful of sinking sand, prepare a copper plate, receive the star and ground, face the Willow Star, recite a chant to draw in qi..."

"Not many days left..."

Having made up his mind, Chen Sheng hesitated no longer and raised his voice:

"Come here."

A deferential response was immediately heard from outside the door.

"Master."

The person who entered was a middle-aged steward, dressed in a plain blue robe, displaying a respectful demeanor. He was a third-generation servant to Chen Sheng, having served him since his grandfather’s time.

Chen Sheng had watched him grow up; this person was tight-lipped, meticulous, and reliable in his duties, most trustworthy.

The steward entered and stood quietly, refraining from gazing at the Daoist Scripture on the table, only waiting silently for instructions.

Chen Sheng pointed to several pre-selected items on the table, speaking calmly:

"You go arrange a few matters."

"Yes!"

"Firstly, find five hundred quality yellow copper plates."

"Secondly, send someone to the ancient river path ten miles out of town, take five hundred pounds of riverbed sinking sand, pack it cleanly in silken bags and deliver them."

"Thirdly, on the sixth of June, clear the Stargazing Platform in the west of the city, then find five hundred people to act according to my arrangements."

The steward recorded each task in his mind and gently asked:

"Master, on the day of stargazing...is there a star-gazing ritual? Should I prepare some extra incense and offerings?"

Chen Sheng shook his head lightly:

"No incense, no offerings, only need it clean, spacious, able to face the southern open sky."

"Handle this matter yourself, do not hand it off to others, and do not reveal a single word to outsiders."

The steward felt a chill in his heart, immediately bowing:

"Understood! It will be handled carefully, kept completely secret, not a sliver of gossip shall come to Master."

Chen Sheng nodded slightly:

"You may go now. Once done, rewards will follow."

"Thank you, Master."

The steward respectfully withdrew, gently closing the door.

...

...

Time passed swiftly, soon it was the sixth of June.

On this day, the stars were bright, the sky clear and vast, an auspicious day for welcoming stars and absorbing qi.

At midnight.

The moon was at its zenith, its gentle light scattered everywhere, high in the southern sky, the Willow Constellation’s eight stars shone exceptionally bright, like a strand of drooping willows reaching from the sky, glittering with radiance.

Chen Sheng had already ascended the Stargazing Platform alone.

It had been cleared long ago, silent all around, only the sound of the wind and the light of the moon.

He stood atop the high platform, his robe billowing lightly in the nocturnal breeze, his expression calm and untroubled.

Various apparatuses had been prepared before him.

A clean, weighty, undecorated copper plate, within it a handful of sinking sand taken from the depths of the ancient river path.

The sand was dark and simple, unadorned.

Chen Sheng faced the Willow Earth’s Boar Star, closed his eyes, concentrated, adjusting his breathing.

Moments later, the century-old sinking sand within the copper plate suddenly quivered slightly.

Chen Sheng slowly opened his eyes, his gaze clear:

"The ritual has begun!"

One grain, two grains, three grains...

Countless grains of sand simultaneously trembled, emitting an almost inaudible rustle.

Moonlight fell upon them, and the grains of sand began to faintly emit golden starlight, like fragmented stars in sinking sand, gleaming brilliantly.

The Sinking Sand had taken form.

Chen Sheng’s expression remained unchanged, his lips parted lightly, and in an ancient, timeless cadence matching the rhythms of heaven and earth, he slowly intoned the secret chant:

"Willow Constellation arrives, sand and earth condense, blessed by one star illuminating my form..."

The chant ended.

The southern Willow Constellation seemed to respond, its starlight brightening.

Three delicate strands of starlight fell precisely into the copper plate.

Under the starlight, the sand gradually gathered, contracted, and coalesced into a group.

The previously loose sinking sand was seemingly bound by invisible power, forming a cluster with a warm golden hue, star patterns flowing through the sand group.

A thread of harmonious, profound qi infused with Willow Earth’s star power began to spread.

Chen Sheng took out a prepared silk bag, carefully sealed the formed [Sinking Sand] qi inside it.

"This is just one strand."

"To gather ten thousand strands, only then forming a true strand of qi; one person alone won’t suffice."

Chen Sheng looked towards the west side, where the silhouettes of hundreds were faintly visible, each holding copper basins, similarly engaged in rituals.

He murmured to himself:

"According to old Fourth’s experience, tonight approximates one complete collection."

"However, the qi gathering process is straightforward, simply using the embellishment of heaven and earth’s power, truly without other mysteries."

"Of course, it could also be due to the low grade of qi I’m collecting."

He shook his head, refraining from further contemplation, thinking silently:

"I possess both cultivation technique and qi."

"Next, it depends on my own body, when can I deduce the method of bridging apertures?"