Chapter Ten: Cultivating Qi
When Qingyuan opened his eyes, he found himself in a vast, empty chamber.
There was no golden dragon, no chains.
On the rocky wall before him, faint lines of writing could just be made out.
But his head throbbed violently, making it impossible to calm himself, much less focus on those words.
He didn’t even have the presence of mind to wonder what had become of the golden dragon and the chains; he could only prop himself up and, with great effort, sit cross-legged.
His headache threatened to split his skull, and his mind was awash with chaotic thoughts.
Yet his willpower remained firm; he imagined a bright moon shining above his head.
The moon split into six.
Beneath that moonlight, all filth was revealed and washed clean.
Within the moon’s radiance and the swirling mists, a pavilion began to appear, flickering in and out of view.
The pavilion had nine stories, as if carved from flawless jade, exquisitely elegant, its highest reaches lost amid the clouds and mist, indistinct and mysterious.
With the nine-tiered pavilion now seated firmly within his mind, his agitated thoughts finally began to settle.
He had intended to end his meditation, but an inexplicable impulse took hold.
He turned his attention to his own vital energy and blood, willing them to crash against the nine-tiered pavilion.
He possessed neither the roots of an immortal nor the bones of a sage; he had no true energy or magical power. Barring a miracle, this could only be a futile effort.
But this time was different.
…
His vital energy was like a blazing furnace; his blood coursed like a mighty river.
A thunderous roar sounded, akin to an unstoppable tide, surging with untamed force.
Faintly, he could hear the cry of a dragon—somewhere within that river, a true dragon seemed to be swimming, stirring up wind and waves.
His blood and energy seemed tinged with gold.
He let out a triumphant, soaring howl.
Dragon-song filled his mind, drowning out all other sounds.
Then, the flood of blood and vital energy—within which the golden dragon could sometimes be glimpsed—crashed into the first tier of the jade pavilion.
Boom!
The doors of the pavilion, unmoved despite years of Qingyuan’s efforts, burst open with a thunderous sound.
His own flood of blood and vital energy.
His own thoughts and soul.
All of it poured into the nine-tiered jade pavilion.
The first tier was open!
The first heaven of the path of cultivation!
The first tier of the nine-tiered jade pavilion—The Tower of Qi Refinement.
…
He could sense, between his brows, that pavilion bathed in moonlight.
The first tier was open.
The interior of the tower was simple and unadorned, without ornament or mural—utterly empty.
Only a single wisp of true energy wandered within.
This was true energy!
The true energy cultivated by those who walk the path of Dao.
Many aspiring cultivators, lacking proper guidance, may spend their entire lives without ever producing a single breath of true energy.
With this single wisp within, he could nourish his organs, invigorate his meridians, enliven his blood and energy, thereby prolonging his life.
“The first tier?”
Qingyuan was still stunned, then a wild joy overtook him.
Wasn’t this the reason he had left the celestial palace of the upper realm to descend into the mortal world—to gain the chance to cultivate?
He had pursued this with all his strength, heading south, crossing mountains and rivers, braving countless dangers, treading the line between life and death, as if walking on thin ice—all for the sake of cultivation.
Now, with a single breakthrough, he had finally set foot on the first step of the immortal path.
He still didn’t understand how it had come about.
He had thought his journey had come to its end, that he would perish here, and all his aspirations and ideas would come to nothing.
Yet, just as he thought himself dead, he awoke from darkness and found himself standing on the threshold of cultivation.
“Is this truly the blessing that follows survival against all odds?”
Even with his normally calm disposition, he could not suppress his delight.
That wisp of true energy, guided by his will, coursed through his entire body.
Though faint and seemingly of little immediate use, it marked his entry into the first heaven of cultivation.
From this moment, the door to the Dao lay open before him.
“So this is the opportunity I have sought in vain for so many years—it was here all along.”
Qingyuan’s mind was in turmoil, unable to find peace.
He began to circulate his true energy along his meridians, employing the methods of the Yellow Court Immortal Canon. Far from tedious, the process filled him with joy.
After a long while, he finally calmed.
He quietly ended his meditation, feeling refreshed and full of vigor.
Looking up again, the lines of writing on the wall came into clear focus.
…
“For many years since I attained the Dao, I have wandered the world, journeying to all corners.
“On my travels, I came upon this place and was startled to discover that the five elements here were perfectly balanced, the feng shui superb, teeming with vitality.
“Examining the lay of the mountains and the course of the rivers, I found them most unusual—akin to the structure of a mother’s womb.
“Indeed, with heaven and earth as the body, mountains as the womb, rivers as the blood, vegetation as the life force, and rocks as the flesh, this land is like a pregnant woman—within it, a spirit has already been conceived.
“This great mountain spirit is a deity born of heaven and earth—a spirit of the mountains and rivers, not like the gods who will later be enfeoffed…”
Reading this, Qingyuan was suddenly struck with realization.
Such a being, born of heaven and earth, is a true favorite of the heavens.
“But… what kind of immortal could imprison such a deity? What kind of supernatural powers must they possess?”
Qingyuan’s heart filled with reverence, and he read on.
…
“A child in the womb, connected by the umbilical cord, receives every breath of life from the mother’s body—they are as one.
“After birth, the cord is cut, and the two beings are separate.
“A spirit conceived by heaven and earth is much the same.
“While gestating within the mountains, it is as much a part of the mountains and rivers as any other, able to draw upon the vast powers of the land.
“But once it is born, it becomes a true innate spirit, severing its direct connection to the land—it is no longer one with it.”
Qingyuan thought to himself, “So that’s how it is.”
This immortal possessed a most mysterious method, able to draw upon the land’s power, thus acquiring a connection to the earth’s veins and using it to wondrous effect.
And so, using this method, the immortal imprisoned the mountain spirit, preserving its umbilical bond to the land.
“By laying down various marks, forming a great array, gathering the feng shui to seek out the earth’s veins.”
Qingyuan mused, “Once the earth’s veins are formed, does that mean a dragon of the earth is born?”
That five-clawed golden dragon from before must have been the manifestation of the earth’s veins. The chains binding it within the mountain spirit’s body were a means of drawing upon the mountain spirit to channel the power of the land.
He pondered this: perhaps he had merged with the golden dragon, absorbed the earth’s veins into himself, broken the constraints of fate, and thus gained the chance to cultivate.
There was more to the immortal’s account.
Qingyuan stilled his thoughts and continued to read.
…
“When the earth’s veins are formed, a dragon of the earth is born.
“But such a dragon is extraordinary; its movements can shake the mountains and rivers, split the land itself. Thus, the immortal bound it here.
“When the dragon’s veins are fully formed, it will drain the mountain spirit of its essence and vitality. In the end, this method will result in a dead mountain spirit and a dragon of the earth.
“A dragon’s vein, if refined by a master of the alchemical arts, can be made into pills of the highest grade.
“It can be stored within a magical treasure as its true spirit, vastly increasing its power and turning it into an immortal artifact.
“It can be used for cultivation and insight—by closely observing the mountains and rivers, one may comprehend the earth itself.”
Qingyuan found himself both frightened and awed, but as he read further, his face went deathly pale.
“An earth dragon, unrefined, cannot be contained within the body. If one attempts to merge it into oneself, an immortal body may endure, but mere mortal flesh cannot. Disaster will surely follow.”
The words struck like a thunderbolt, leaving his mind blank.
“The earth dragon is the might of the land made manifest—only immortals can bear it. Mortal flesh cannot, and calamity is inevitable.”
His pupils shrank to pinpoints. “If there is no remedy, within three to five years, death will come.”
Furthermore, the longer the dragon’s vein matures, the stronger it grows.
For a mortal body, the burden only grows heavier, and the day disaster strikes draws ever closer.