Dongxuan Spiritual Realm

Chapter 97 Dragon and Tiger Immortal Abode
Lu Mingchuan needs to find someone to help him comprehend the Dragon Tiger Heavenly Book and break the restrictive formation of the Qiankun Dragon Tiger Cave.

But it was really hard to find a suitable person. Through the flying sword that Bai Letian brought back, he could tell that Yang Qisheng was a follower of the orthodox Xuanmen sect and was at least proficient in metal-based Taoist magic.

However, according to Bai Letian's description, Yang Qisheng doesn't seem to be a very easy person to talk to.

Bai Letian liked Chu Linyi. He saw that Chu Linyi spoke very kindly to Yang Qisheng and was extremely humble. He wanted to persuade her to stay a few more days, but Yang Qisheng did not give any affirmative answer.

"That man appears humble, but he is actually very wary and has an extremely keen sense of propriety." This is Lu Mingchuan's assessment of Yang Qisheng.

He couldn't openly invite him; the news about Longhu Cave couldn't be revealed to the public. If he didn't tell the truth, and there was no real relationship between them, Yang Qisheng wouldn't come even if he directly invited him.

"It was Fellow Daoist Ye who strongly recommended you, saying that this matter would surely succeed with you, and even volunteered to go and provoke you to come over." Lu Mingchuan pointed to Ye Xueqiao.

"Fellow Daoist Ye?" Yang Qisheng asked, puzzled. "Isn't he your disciple?"

He looked at Ye Xueqiao, but Ye Xueqiao turned her head away, unwilling to look at him.

"He said he was my disciple?" Lu Mingchuan smiled in surprise, then said, "That was just Fellow Daoist Ye joking."

Just as Yang Qisheng was about to ask Ye Xueqiao whether he knew about his brother's affairs, Lu Mingchuan took out a Taoist book: "This is the 'Dragon and Tiger Elixir Classic' that I obtained. Fellow Daoist, you can take a look first."

The book was very ancient in form and material; it was not made of paper as we know it today, but rather of silk, and its original white texture had turned yellowish.

Yang Qisheng opened the book, glanced through it, pondered it carefully, and then put the book back.

"The cultivation system in this book is indeed different from the current one. It defines the kidney water generating qi as the water dragon and the heart fire generating fluid as the fire tiger. The dragon is born from the sea and the tiger comes from the fire, so that the dragon and tiger can unite, the mind and spirit can be in harmony, and the water and fire can be balanced to form the elixir."

Lu Mingchuan nodded: "The Dragon-Tiger Elixir Qi that I cultivate is refined from this. I always thought that was all, but when I was breaking this formation, I gradually discovered that two things were missing."

"What you lack is the Wood Tiger formed by liver qi and the Metal Dragon formed by lung qi, which is also a pair of dragons and tigers, which is called the combination of metal and wood!"

"That's how it is. Water and fire are in harmony, metal and wood are in balance, the four symbols are in harmony, and the five elements are gathered together, returning the acquired to the innate. Among the eight trigrams, Kan, Li, Zhen, and Dui are all acquired, while only Qian and Kun are innate. Only by returning to the innate can the formation be broken!"

Yang Qisheng understood what he meant. That day, he demonstrated his skill in reconnecting a broken sword and also infused the leaves with golden energy.

Lu Mingchuan could tell that he must be proficient in both the metal and wood elements of Daoist arts, and was a member of the orthodox Xuanmen sect. Only someone like him could study and cultivate the contents of another Dragon Tiger Scripture with him and break the formation together.

You only know that I know the Daoist arts of metal and wood, but you don't know that I cultivate all five elements at once, including metal, wood, water, fire and earth!

Leaving aside whether I can comprehend the contents of another "Zhen-Dui Dragon-Tiger Scripture", I have already memorized all the contents of this "Kan-Li Dragon-Tiger Scripture" in front of me. As long as I have time, I can easily master the Kan-Li Dragon-Tiger Sword Technique in it!
Yang Qisheng secretly rejoiced, but remained outwardly calm: "Alright, let's cultivate together then."

"The alchemy structure of the two Dragon Tiger Classics is the same, except that one refines the heart and kidneys (water and fire), while the other refines the liver and lungs (wood and metal). Over the years, I have come to understand most of the contents of the other one. Please take a look."

The two he was referring to were Ye Xueqiao and Yang Qisheng.

Judging from his attitude towards Ye Xueqiao, it wasn't like an elder to a junior, but rather like that between peers.

As expected, Lu Mingchuan suggested a division of labor: "Fellow Daoist Ye is proficient in metal-based Daoist arts, so he will cultivate the Golden Dragon, and Fellow Daoist Yang will cultivate the Wood Tiger."

Yang Qisheng did not object. In any case, he was proficient in all five elements, so it didn't matter which one he cultivated. He was more interested in Ye Xueqiao.

This kid doesn't like to talk, always has a stern face, as if someone owes him a favor, and he has a strong sense of aversion towards Yang Qisheng.

If you don't like me, why did you volunteer to invite me here? According to Lu Mingchuan, he strongly recommended me and made this happen, even saying that he was an only child and didn't know Ye Yunqiao.

What exactly happened between the brothers?

Yang Qisheng asked him, "Have you seen your brother Ye Yunqiao recently?"

Ye Xueqiao didn't even look up, and snorted lightly: "I've already said that I'm the only son in my family, I don't have any older brothers, and I don't know anyone named Ye Yunqiao."

Seeing that he was really unwilling to talk about it, Yang Qisheng had no choice but to give up. After all, this was a matter between brothers, and it was not his place to interfere.

Ye Yunqiao has been thinking about his younger brother all these years. Yang Qisheng has heard him say this many times, and each time he is extremely sad. This time when he goes back and sees his senior brother Ye, he must tell him so that he can talk to his brother himself.

His comprehension of the Daoist principles went very smoothly. Lu Mingchuan had worked hard for many years and had already done most of the preliminary work.

However, Lu Mingchuan was self-taught, and his advantage lay in his long years of cultivation and extensive knowledge.

Although Yang Qisheng was a junior scholar, he came from a major sect of Xuanmen and could tell Lu Mingchuan many things he didn't know.

For example, Lu Mingchuan thought about the Five Elements gathering and reversing their application for a long time before he had a vague concept of it, but it was something that Yang Qisheng had learned from the Mingyi Zhenren in his mind when he first started learning.

Only by reversing the Five Elements can one return to their innate state and undergo a qualitative change; otherwise, one can only increase magical power within the acquired state.

Yang Qisheng not only knew how to reverse the five elements, but also how to do it. He not only knew the common methods used by most sects, but also the simpler and more effective methods secretly passed down by Taiyi Palace!

He would often say something that seemed obvious, but it would make Lu Mingchuan feel as if he had suddenly realized something and understood something.

Yang Qisheng silently studied the other party's Dragon Tiger Elixir Scripture, and Lu Mingchuan also received his "guidance" to break through many of his previous obstacles.

The alchemy method of Master Longhu is also a legitimate lineage of Xuanmen, which Yang Qisheng judged to be of the Dongshen lineage.

The origins of alchemy all lie in the Three Caverns. Although the methods of cultivation differ, the framework is roughly the same, which is why Yang Qisheng was able to grasp it so quickly. Ultimately, they actually compiled a corresponding text, the *Zhen-Dui Dragon-Tiger Scripture*, based on the *Kan-Li Dragon-Tiger Scripture*.

The cultivation techniques were complete. The three sat facing the wall, with Lu Mingchuan in the center, his hands forming hand seals, stirring up the evil energy in the furnace.

A dark mass appeared on his left, resembling a sea shrouded in dark clouds, with a black water dragon soaring up and down within it.

A ball of flame appeared on his right hand, within which a fierce tiger roared and spewed out bursts of fire.

Yang Qisheng sat to his left, his hands forming a mudra in front of his chest. He manipulated the Azure Yang Wood Fiend within the furnace to perform the newly comprehended Dragon Tiger Elixir Technique, which also condensed into a green tiger.

Ye Xueqiao sat to his right, white golden evil energy floating above his hand seals, like a cloud, within which a flying dragon appeared.

With the Four Symbols in place, it's time to activate the River Chariot!

First, the water dragon, representing kidney energy, flew out of his hand. Yang Qisheng used magic to catch it, causing the water dragon and the wooden tiger to fight each other, merge and intertwine. Then he left the water dragon behind and returned his wooden tiger to Lu Mingchuan.

Lu Mingchuan took the wooden tiger into his right hand and gave his own fire tiger to Ye Xueqiao, where it fought and interacted with the golden dragon in Ye Xueqiao's hand.

A moment later, Ye Xueqiao left the Fire Tiger behind and gave his Golden Dragon to Lu Mingchuan, which fell into his left hand.

This interaction occurs 360 times, completing the cycle of the heavens.

During the process, the three gathered and reversed the five elements, using water to generate metal, fire to generate wood, and then advancing yang fire and retreating yin talisman...

Ultimately, the attributes of the dragon and tiger were swapped.

A fire dragon appeared in the water vapor in Lu Mingchuan's left hand, and a water tiger appeared in the flames in his right hand. A wooden dragon appeared in Yang Qisheng's hand, and a golden tiger appeared in Ye Xueqiao's hand.

The three of them simultaneously unleashed the dragon and tiger in their hands, thus achieving harmony between water and fire, the union of metal and wood, the harmony of the four elements, and the mating of the dragon and tiger.

After a fierce battle, they coalesced into a ball of purple light, resembling the full moon, radiating countless rays that illuminated the entire cave chamber in every detail.

The three of them then performed the Daogui Earth Seal Technique, simultaneously releasing their inner energy.

The round light supported by the purple aura shone three times in succession before crashing into the stone wall in front of it!

This "Dragon-Tiger Pill" is the key to unlocking the protective cave array.

If it cannot be refined, unless its magical power surpasses that of the Dragon-Tiger Elder from back then, it is absolutely impossible to open the gate to the Immortal Abode.

Now that the three have been refined, it's like a key unlocking a lock. After the light entered the stone wall, the entire Flying Tiger Mountain began to tremble violently, emitting sounds of dragon roars and tiger howls.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the storm gradually subsided, and then the stone wall cracked open, revealing a celestial palace stone gate.

The stone gate is like jade, with Bagua and dragon and tiger patterns carved on it.

The three stood up, and Lu Mingchuan raised his hand and shot out a fire dragon, a water tiger, and two streams of dan qi that struck the door, causing the stone door to slowly open to the left and right.

"It's finally open!" Lu Mingchuan's heart pounded wildly. He had worked hard for this moment for many years. "I can finally cultivate into a celestial being!"

Thinking to himself, he suddenly turned to look at Yang Qisheng, worried that Yang Qisheng might be tempted by the treasure and launch a sneak attack on him.

Yang Qisheng was also watching him warily, worried that he might not want to share the treasures in the cave with him and might suddenly attack him.

Both sides saw deep apprehension and wariness in each other's eyes, and both also realized that the other was merely wary of them, and did not have any greedy or vicious intentions to kill.

Slightly relieved, Lu Mingchuan said, "Fellow Daoist, please don't doubt me. What we said before will definitely stand. Of all the treasures in the cave, I will get 40%, and you and Fellow Daoist Ye will each get 30%."

"Yes, that's what I meant too." Yang Qisheng nodded in agreement.

He was not only wary of Lu Mingchuan, but also of Ye Xueqiao and Bai Letian. Who knew what those two were up to?

Bai Letian was left outside the cave, while the remaining three entered side by side.

The cave was calm, with no hidden formations or ambushes.

First, we arrived at the hall, where there was a screen depicting a dragon and tiger fighting. The dragon sat in the upper left corner, constantly soaring through the clouds. We couldn't see the whole dragon, but we could see lightning and thunder in the clouds. Not only was the scene moving, but the thunder was also very realistic. We couldn't hear anything more than ten steps away. As we got closer, the thunder and rain grew louder, and there were also bursts of dragon roars and tiger howls.

“This screen is also a treasure,” Yang Qisheng said.

Lu Mingchuan smiled: "If you two like this treasure, you can take it with you, or you can give it to me at a discount."

Behind the screen are a cloud bed, a stone table and chairs, and various household items.

On the east side table were the Four Treasures of the Study, and on the brush holder lay a jade-tubed writing brush. The brush handle was crystal clear, and Yang Qisheng took a liking to it at first glance.

He took the brush down and rubbed the handle with his fingertips. He felt that the jade was delicate and there were many unfamiliar talismans on it. He could vaguely see dragon-shaped energy flowing and soaring inside.

If this brush were used to draw spirit treasure talismans, it would be excellent!
(End of this chapter)