Chapter Four: Cultivating the Way of Immortals, Entering the Path in Half a Day

If the old Taoist were to learn the tale behind the name "Invincible East," he would no doubt be so furious as to burst into flames. Yet he remains ignorant, and Liu Ping would never reveal it.

"My Daoist name is Xuan Zhenzi, also known as the Fisherman of Misty Waters. I am not Invincible East." Although the old Taoist was quite satisfied at this moment, as a teacher, he needed to establish his authority. He nodded and said calmly, "Get up. You are a troublesome disciple. If not for your strange fate, which cannot be divined, and your peculiar fortune, I would never have taken you as my apprentice given your luck."

"Yes, Master!" Liu Ping stood up with a grin. As a traveler from another world, he possessed many advantages, but in this realm, he was like a rootless weed—a pressing concern. Now that an impressive figure stood before him, why put on airs? Clinging to a powerful patron was the wise path!

His unserious demeanor made the old Taoist shake his head, feeling as though he had taken in a calamity.

"Master, what is 'fortune'? What is 'fate'?" Liu Ping asked, curious, for although he had some knowledge from his previous life, in this world such things truly existed, and he wanted to understand them fully.

"You are eager to learn, which is good. I shall explain." Xuan Zhenzi smiled, gestured to the surroundings, and said, "Qi is the vital energy of all things; Yun is its flow and movement. Thus, fortune is the path of destiny as the qi of all things moves and flows."

"The vital energy of all things?" Liu Ping was a little confused.

"Indeed. As long as something exists, it possesses qi, invisible to the naked eye. For example, water has its own qi—it can nourish life; if it becomes muddy, its qi diminishes. If it is transformed, becoming celestial or sacred water, its qi increases greatly..."

"So that's what it is." Liu Ping nodded, half understanding.

"Exactly. The fortune of the world converges to form the river of destiny. The countless rises and falls of this river generate laws—the Dao of Heaven. This is the path of fortune, a great Dao. To pierce acupoints, transform dragons, and foresee the future, all originate here."

Liu Ping listened, nodding, and asked, "Then what about fate?"

Xuan Zhenzi replied, "Fate is the prediction laid upon a newborn by the river of destiny. Your original fate was no more than that of a scholar; if by chance you became an official, it would be extraordinary, and your fortune would be exhausted. To become a high-ranking official was impossible. But now... your future is shrouded in mystery; I cannot see it, nor discern its patterns. That is exceedingly rare..."

Liu Ping was shocked. Could this be because he had crossed over from another world? Not being of this world, his fate was beyond prediction!

Xuan Zhenzi continued, "Though you are blessed, the path of cultivation requires you to walk step by step, following those before you. Whether you reach great heights depends on your own fortune."

Alarmed, Liu Ping quickly said, "But I have parents and a younger sister at home. If I leave, what will become of them?"

"Once you attain the true Dao, entering the heavenly court will be easy. As an immortal official, caring for your family will be simple. That is how you bring honor to your ancestors." Xuan Zhenzi shook his head.

Liu Ping was troubled. Living as a recluse, detached from the world, was tantamount to death. He was nearly driven mad.

"They call me the Fisherman of Misty Waters because of a self-written verse: 'The affairs of the world are difficult and rarely go as one wishes; fame and glory often lead people astray. Wealth and power are not my desire; I prefer to buy a small boat and tend to my fishing gear.'" Xuan Zhenzi recited with a shake of his head. "Do you understand my meaning?"

"No," Liu Ping replied honestly.

Xuan Zhenzi frowned, somewhat annoyed.

Liu Ping considered and said, "I do not wish to live as a recluse. I want to temper myself in the mortal world."

"Foolish! A hermit is the best identity for cultivation. Do you want to become another 'Drunken Dust'?" Xuan Zhenzi rebuked.

Liu Ping felt as if thunder had exploded beside him, nearly collapsing; his ears rang for a long time.

He did not know who Drunken Dust was, but precedent made things easier. Liu Ping raised his head, eyes resolute, and declared, "Why not? Great wisdom often appears as foolishness. What is a hermit? I believe a minor recluse hides in the countryside, a middling recluse in the city, a great recluse in the court! That is the true hermit."

"A minor recluse hides in the countryside, a middling recluse in the city, a great recluse in the court?" Xuan Zhenzi murmured the phrase twice, shaking his head. "You are even more 'drunken' than Drunken Dust. If fate allows you to meet her in the mortal world, perhaps you two could become Daoist companions."

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"Drunken Dust is a woman?" Liu Ping was stunned, then his eyes lit up and he hurriedly asked, "Is she beautiful?"

"Troublesome disciple!" Xuan Zhenzi had thought his apprentice possessed some talent and philosophical insight, but now, seeing Liu Ping's excitement and urgent question about Drunken Dust's looks, he was infuriated. After a while, he pointed skyward. "As beautiful as a celestial maiden!"

"Alas!" To his surprise, Liu Ping sighed.

"Why are you sighing?" Xuan Zhenzi was baffled. Shouldn't Liu Ping be happy?

Liu Ping answered honestly, "I thought I should be happy, but then realized it all depends on fate? That's too cruel! It's like having the duck in your mouth fly away—how regretful!"

"Cruel..." Hearing Liu Ping's new term and theory, Xuan Zhenzi was at a loss, unable to resist a sarcastic retort, "With your current state, you think you have a duck in your mouth? She would probably throw you out at first sight!"

"You said yourself, maybe..." Liu Ping began, but seeing his master's darkened expression, he quickly shut his mouth.

Xuan Zhenzi tossed over a palm-sized jade pendant. "Enough. Since you refuse to follow me into seclusion, take this. Focus your mind and you will see our sect's manual, 'The Essence Scripture.' How far you can cultivate depends on your fortune!"

"Thank you, Master!" Liu Ping was overjoyed, bowing in thanks, but received no response. Looking up again, Xuan Zhenzi had vanished. Liu Ping was stunned—he left without a word... But that last sentence was no different from a farewell.

This man was truly kind, but what a carefree master! He didn't even offer tea!

Liu Ping thought happily, gazing at the jade pendant in his hand.

It was carved with flowers, birds, fish, insects, flying beasts, dragons, and phoenixes—each the size of a sesame seed, yet exquisitely lifelike. Liu Ping marveled at the craftsmanship.

He cleared his mind and quietly focused on the jade pendant.

After a moment, lines of text appeared in his mind.

"The Daoist seeks the true self, discarding falsehood to preserve truth—this is cultivation."

"This scripture uses the four great elements to build the mortal body, step into the Dao, comprehend four true arts, and attain the supreme path."

"The body is composed of the four elements, a gift from one's parents, yet their essence and blood are ordinary. How can they last for decades? What are the four? Earth, water, wind, and fire. Earth forms bones, muscles, and organs; water forms the body's blood; wind forms the respiratory system; fire maintains constant body temperature..."

"The method for gathering mysterious energy is..."

"The method for spiritual power is..."

"Use mysterious energy as a guide, spiritual power as the core, and then..."

"This Essence Scripture is truly profound!"

After finishing the first section—the introductory chapter—Liu Ping praised it, closed his eyes, and tried to absorb mysterious energy and spiritual power.

Mysterious energy was the combination of yin and yang within the body, while spiritual power was the transformation of the world's spiritual energy.

Gathering mysterious energy sounded simple—refining essence to transform into qi—but was exceedingly difficult in practice.

Three attempts all ended in failure, but it only fueled Liu Ping's determination.

He tried seven more times, and still failed, growing discouraged.

Ten attempts left him physically and mentally exhausted; after resting, he dragged himself home.

All evening, Liu Ping pondered the reason for his failures and how to overcome them.

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The difficulty of the task was the cause of failure; only repeated attempts could lead to success.

"The body is composed of the four elements... Earth, water, wind, and fire. Earth forms bones, muscles, and organs; bones are made of organic and inorganic components—calcium and collagen fibers. Muscles and organs, though called 'earth,' are mostly water, including blood, cells, and their environment.

'Wind,' the respiratory system, is closely linked to 'earth.' The body needs energy to function, derived from food—specifically, sugar, fat, and protein. These must be oxidized to release energy, requiring oxygen. The body's oxygen reserves are scant, depleted in minutes, so the respiratory system is essential.

'Fire,' body temperature, is a key condition for normal life, the result produced by earth, wind, and water, with an ingenious regulatory and warning function."

Thinking carefully, Liu Ping instinctively tried "refining essence to transform into qi" again...

Success!

He succeeded so suddenly that Liu Ping could hardly believe it, eyes wide with amazement!

Ha! He was ecstatic!

Feeling the mysterious energy within, Liu Ping took a deep breath, steadied his emotions, and began absorbing spiritual power.

As he did, he found he could convert spiritual power from within himself.

"What's happening?" Liu Ping was bewildered. "Spiritual power comes from... the stomach? Could it be the fruit the white fox gave me? It seems so! It wasn't a 'celestial fruit,' but a 'spiritual fruit!' I couldn't convert spiritual power, so I couldn't digest it! That explains it! I thought it was just an ordinary fruit!"

Quickly converting the fruit into spiritual power, he felt a warm, comfortable sensation throughout his body, unprecedentedly pleasant.

"Now that I have both spiritual power and mysterious energy, it's time to attempt entry... If my theory can absorb mysterious energy, it should help me enter as well," Liu Ping thought.

Half an hour later...

Boom!

A surge of invisible power burst from the roof of Liu Ping's house, soaring skyward. Though weak, the aura was pure and steady.

"This is!" Atop the mountain, Xuan Zhenzi stood up in shock, staring at Liu Ping's house below.

"He's entered! My troublesome disciple has entered! In just half a day! Only half a day!"

Xuan Zhenzi had stayed to wait for Liu Ping to struggle in vain, then planned to appear again, take him from the mortal world, and train him in seclusion.

But unexpectedly, he witnessed a scene he would never forget. Eyes wide, as if struck by lightning, he stood frozen for a long time.

"In the past, with guidance from the immortal Wenhua, it took me fifteen days. He, without any guidance, managed to enter in only half a day..."

After a long while, Xuan Zhenzi regained his composure and murmured, "He claimed he wanted to temper himself in the mortal world—I thought it was boastful, but perhaps he truly has such talent! I already considered him exceptional, but still underestimated him..."

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