I forge immortality with spiritual treasures.

Chapter 71: Entering the Pass
Beneath the stone wall inscribed with "Shou Jing Du" (守静笃), there is a wooden table.

After the incident, there was only a young Taoist boy, who was engrossed in studying Taoist books. He was not sitting in the main seat, but the main seat was empty, and no one knew where it had gone.

Ying Chan did not underestimate him. He stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Greetings, boy."

"Uh-huh?"

The young Taoist priest suddenly looked up and, seeing that there was indeed someone there, quickly put down his Taoist book and returned the greeting, saying, "Greetings, Senior Brother."

Ying Chan nodded and said, "I would like to borrow a quiet room for seclusion."

"Senior brother, just give me the disciple certificate."

Ying Chan handed over the wooden talisman, and the boy moved the Taoist book away and opened a thick booklet to begin registering.

He then searched behind the table and found a fist-sized three-legged bronze incense burner and a stick of incense.

"My senior brother's meditation room is the third one in the Qian position."

The boy said, "After entering the quiet room, put the bronze furnace back in its place, and the restriction will be lifted."

"This stick of incense for calming the mind is offered to my senior brother, in the hope that it will help him achieve success in his seclusion."

"Thank you, young master."

Ying Chan took the bronze incense burner and incense sticks, performed a simple bow, and then walked around the stone wall.

Beyond the stone wall was a long passageway that seemed to have completely penetrated the mountain, but it was not damp.

Along the way, the road branched off from time to time, and looking inside, there were cave rooms on both sides, separated by a distance from each other.

Ying Chan quickly found the third cave in the Qian position.

Stepping inside, it was very spacious. Apart from a stone couch, there was only a row of empty bookshelves, perhaps set up so that disciples could read Taoist books when they were in seclusion.

However, he did not bring any Taoist books this time, so he naturally did not need a bookshelf.

Ying Chan approached the stone bed and noticed three holes on its edge. He glanced at them against the bronze stove and immediately understood.

He pressed down on the three legs of the bronze furnace, aligning them with the holes, and a loud rumbling sound was heard.

Looking back, one sees that the entrance to the cave is completely closed, without any gaps, as if it were originally a single, seamless unit.

Immediately, another ray of light descended from above. Looking up, it turned out to be a small hole in the dome, letting in a sliver of sunlight.

This sliver of light, though not bright, was just enough to prevent the cave from being completely plunged into darkness.

Ying Chan glanced around, then nodded, feeling completely satisfied.

He then flicked his sleeve, sat down on the stone couch, and lit the incense for calming the mind. Soon, a thin wisp of smoke flew out, not drifting around, but lingering around the stone couch, which calmed the mind and refreshed the spirit.

Ying Chan nodded slightly, then took out the porcelain bottle containing the stalactite, uncorked it, and poured it into his mouth.

The stalactites, like pearls, gently rolled into my mouth.

Ying Chan immediately felt a strange fragrance spreading from his mouth, quickly filling his nasal cavity, head, and then seeping into his chest and abdomen.

He composed himself, forcing himself not to swallow the stalactite, but instead holding it under his tongue, and began to meditate.

For a practitioner to enter samadhi, one must first enter stillness. Entering stillness means having no distracting thoughts, but it is not about eliminating distracting thoughts. One should simply let them come and go, like clouds passing through the blue sky or water reflecting all things, without welcoming or rejecting them.

In this way, the mind becomes clear and tranquil.

Ying Chan's skill in entering a state of tranquility has reached a high level. Soon, all kinds of distracting thoughts will naturally disappear, and the mind will become clear.

Only then did he begin to try refining fossilized milk.

Then, an unimaginably rich inspiration burst forth, like countless warm currents flowing through the meridians, reaching the skin and penetrating the bone marrow.

Ying Chan began to feel an astonishing heat. But strangely, this heat did not harm his body; instead, it burned away the impurities and impurities within him…

This is the ability of the stone milk to cleanse the marrow and purify the body, almost like 'refining the body'.

Ying Chan seemed to have some understanding, but had no time to delve deeper into it.

During this period, he consulted many alchemical texts and medical books, and also sought advice from his fellow disciples, such as Li Zhuo, and has thoroughly researched the wonderful uses of stalactite.

This substance can cleanse the meridians and marrow. If used by someone suffering from turbid qi and blocked meridians, it can be said to reshape and transform them. If used by an ordinary person, it can also improve their aptitude.

However, for those with exceptional natural talent, this improvement is negligible.

This is why stalactites cannot be considered divine objects or sacred objects that defy the laws of creation.

Ying Chan could be considered to have exceptional talent, and the study of the classics and the purification of the marrow were of some use to him, but it was better than nothing.

Therefore, what is more important to him is to use it to nurture and strengthen his profound senses.

Ying Chan focused his mind and guided his qi, trying his best to direct the spiritual energy of the stalactite into those mysterious and elusive acupoints.

As expected, after absorbing this special spiritual energy formed over hundreds and thousands of years, the several new mystic apertures he opened began to slowly grow stronger.

Ying Chan hurriedly put the methods of the "One Yuan Refining Qi Scripture" into practice, participating in the growth of the Xuanqiao (mysterious aperture) and maintaining its stability.

This process, though seemingly lengthy, is incredibly fast compared to the slow, gentle nurturing process itself.

If Ying Chan were to rely on himself to slowly nurture his profound acupoints, he might be able to complete the accumulation within two or three months.

With the help of the Stone Milk Spirit, this process can be shortened to ten days, five days, or even three days!
This may not be a world of difference, but it is certainly not comparable.

Moreover, nurturing and strengthening these newly opened profound apertures is merely the first step Ying Chan needs to take during this seclusion...

Amidst the rising smoke of the incense, Ying Chan sat motionless, like a still painting.

But time still flows silently within this painting.

After three days, Ying Chan finally completed the nurturing of the Xuanqiao and accumulated his magic power to perfection. He then gathered a torrent and, from within that inner world, found a new key point and plunged into it!

Boom——!
Ying Chan relied on his exquisite control over magical power, and he always exerted all his strength when breaking through the barriers.

Therefore, he was already very familiar with this rumbling sound, like muffled thunder.

Ying Chan's magical power surged, but his mind remained as still as water. He opened the thirty-fourth acupoint, and after consolidating it briefly, he once again gathered a torrent and rushed towards the thirty-fifth acupoint.

Boom——!
The world shook again, and the magical power surged back, returning empty-handed.

This was Ying Chan's first failed attempt to break through the Xuanqiao (mysterious aperture).

However, he had also anticipated that the opening of the Mysterious Aperture would be easy at first and difficult later, which was not an exaggeration.

Moreover, he should have opened the thirty-four acupoints, and without any accumulation, he was about to start breaking through the barriers again. It was only natural that he would encounter setbacks.

Moreover, for a normal Qi Refining cultivator, breaking through to the Profound Aperture is not an easy task that can be accomplished in one go.

After failing to break through, Ying Chan calmed his energy slightly and then, without hesitation, gathered his magical power again and charged towards the thirty-fifth acupoint.

Boom——!
Boom——!
Once, twice, but only on the third impact, the thirty-fifth mystic aperture suddenly opened.

The magical power surged into it and immediately circulated according to the methods of the "One Yuan Refining Qi Scripture," spreading throughout the entire Xuanqiao (mysterious aperture) to quickly stabilize it.

"call……"

He breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that the critical juncture of perfecting Qi Refining was approaching.

(End of this chapter)