Dao Qi Wu Zang Guan Guan: I became a Daoist Master in the 1990s

Chapter 190 Golden Hook Fishing the Sea, True Understanding of Form Refinement

Qi Yun slowly opened his eyes, his gaze flashing like lightning as he opened and closed them, illuminating the empty room.

He felt that his five senses were several times more acute, and he could clearly distinguish the patterns of the distant palace buildings and the flow of air.

With a slight thought, one's blood and energy surge like a dragon, and one's strength and speed increase dramatically.

Even more mysteriously, an almost instinctive "intuition" arose spontaneously, giving him a vague yet accurate premonition of good or bad fortune, crisis or opportunity, as if some kind of law of the world had lifted a corner of the veil for him.

However, amidst his joy, Qi Yun soon discovered that the lineage he had acquired had come to an end!

There was no clue how to cultivate the subsequent "Form Refinement" stage.

As the master of the lineage, Qi Yun was speechless at the incomplete inheritance.

But at that very moment, he had a sudden inspiration and knew how to use the seal of cause and effect.

Without further hesitation, he stood up and placed his hand on the Causal Furnace once more, immersing his mind in the great supernatural power called "Golden Hook Fishing the Sea".

At the same time, he unhesitatingly invested fifty Karma Seals!

"Buzz!"

The furnace shook violently, and the runes on its surface lit up one after another, bursting out with dazzling golden divine light, instantly engulfing Qi Yun's figure.

Qi Yun felt a blur before his eyes and was drawn to an incredible place.

The ground beneath my feet felt hard, like stone but not quite.

All around was a vast expanse of white, with an endless sea of ​​clouds surging beneath my feet, stretching to the horizon. Beneath the sea of ​​clouds, I could faintly see golden waves shimmering, boundless and vast. That was no ordinary seawater, but a "sea of ​​cause and effect" formed by the convergence of endless cause and effect, destiny and time!
In his hand, a golden fishing rod, neither gold nor jade, warm and heavy, appeared out of nowhere. Runes were engraved on the rod, and the line was transparent yet incredibly strong, hanging down into the sea of ​​clouds below.

In the air in front of him, fifty-two causal seals floated and swirled, like bait waiting to be used.

"Using cause and effect as bait, is that what you need for fishing..."

Qi Yun understood the divine power of this method and was shocked by its heaven-defying strength.

Without hesitation, he raised his hand and grasped, and the thickest "Five Organs Observation Cause and Effect Thread," which represented his connection to the root of the Five Organs Observation lineage, was invisibly drawn out and wrapped around the seemingly ordinary but Taoist-infused golden fishing hook.

"I use the body of the Five Organs Master in this world, and the cause and effect of the Dharma lineage as bait, to seek—the true transmission of the Dharma lineage!"

Qi Yun silently chanted in his heart, focused his mind, and forcefully swung the golden pole in his hand!
The fishing line sliced ​​through the sea of ​​clouds, disappeared into the golden shimmering waves.

Qi Yun stood still, fishing rod in hand, his mind and spirit becoming one with the rod, line, and bait, silently sensing the movements beneath the sea of ​​clouds, concentrating all his thoughts on "the continuation of the Dharma lineage" and "the master of the five internal organs".

The wait didn't last long.

Suddenly, the golden pole in my hand sank sharply!
An indescribable, immense force emanated from the depths of the sea of ​​clouds, nearly causing the fishing rod to slip from my grasp!
Qi Yun was not surprised but delighted. He sat firmly on the fishing platform, gathered his strength in both arms, and slowly lifted the rod!

"Wow!"

With a sound that seemed both real and illusory as water broke, a golden carp with shimmering scales and leaping about was caught from the sea of ​​karmic clouds!
The golden carp struggled in the air, its body bursting with countless mysterious runes and Daoist light. The next moment, it exploded, transforming into an incomparably blazing golden ball of light containing infinite information. Like a shooting star chasing the moon, it instantly entered Qi Yun's brow!

"Ugh!" A massive flow of information crashed into his mind, and Qi Yun groaned, his body swaying slightly.

Upon closer inspection, I found myself back in my inner world, still standing before the furnace of cause and effect, as if everything before had been a dream.

However, the two dazzling cultivation manuals that appeared in his mind, as well as the two remaining causal seals, proved that everything that had just happened was true.

"A golden hook can actually catch what one desires when fishing in the sea... What incredible power this is!"

Qi Yun felt a surge of joy and boundless emotion, gaining a completely new understanding of the mystery and power of the law of cause and effect.

He couldn't wait to immerse himself in the cultivation techniques in his mind.

One is titled "The True Explanation of Refining Form," and the other is titled "Treading the Gang to Attain Sainthood."

After a brief comprehension of the "True Explanation of Refining Form," Qi Yun knew that it was the supreme method that directly leads to the Great Dao.

The realm of physical refinement focuses on tempering the primordial spirit and transcending the constraints of the mortal body.

It is divided into three realms:

The first is 【Mingzhao】: Introspect the five internal organs and six bowels, visualize the divine fire arising spontaneously, burning away the yin impurities, and the primordial spirit initially manifests, like a lamp illuminating the way. Introspection is unobstructed, the mind is clear, and one can begin to sense the surroundings outside the body.

The second is the [Yin Spirit]: The primordial spirit is condensed and can leave the body to travel at night. It is not afraid of the yin wind and its range of perception is greatly increased. It can even send dreams and influence the minds of others, but it is afraid of the yang thunder.

The third is the [Yang Spirit]: The primordial spirit is pure Yang, illuminating the universe, entering and exiting the azure sky, traveling thousands of miles in an instant, manifesting sainthood in the world, interfering with reality, possessing immense power, and is the cornerstone of attaining the Dao!
"Stepping into the Divine Realm" is the subsequent cultivation method for the Stepping into the Divine Realm.

Qi Yun was overjoyed, feeling that the road ahead had suddenly become clear.

He immediately composed himself, no longer delaying, and began to immerse himself in understanding the newly acquired technique.

The nights in Hanshui County are even more bustling than the days.

Lanterns were hung on the storefronts along the street, and the candlelight shone through the thin gauze, casting a warm yellow glow on the bluestone pavement.

Pedestrians thronged shoulder to shoulder, their laughter and chatter mingling with the calls of vendors. The sweet aroma of cakes, the sizzling smell of roasted meat, and the sour scent of dried fruit mingled in the damp night air, wafting towards you.

"Sugar Man!"

"Sesame paste—hot and sweet!"

"Rouge and face powder, new colors from the prefectural city—"

Amidst the numerous shouts and calls, one place was completely surrounded by a dense crowd.

He was a peddler, carrying a bamboo frame on both ends of his carrying pole, on which hung a dense array of dolls.

The doll was no bigger than the palm of your hand, but it was made with exquisite skill. Its eyebrows and eyes were drawn vividly, and the texture of its clothes was clearly discernible.

"Mother! I want the one in the red dress!" A little boy tugged at his mother's sleeve, stamping his feet and shouting.

Several young women strolling nearby were also captivated. One said, "That rabbit-holding one looks just like the Jade Rabbit in the Moon Palace," while another suggested, "Why not buy a pair? It would be pleasing to look at them on the dressing table."

The peddler smiled and said eloquently, "Miss, you have a good eye. This is no ordinary item. If you put it by your pillow at night, it will ensure you have sweet dreams."

A maid in green pushed forward and threw down a copper coin: "My young lady wants the one with the Ruyi scepter."

The peddler took it upon himself and handed it over. As he did so, his fingertips brushed against the maid's hand, feeling its icy coldness. The maid was startled, but when she looked up, she saw the peddler smiling as usual and thought it was just her imagination.

Before long, most of the dolls had been sold. West of the county, atop the embroidered tower.

The newly bought doll was placed in a corner of the young lady's dressing table by the maid in green.

It was a female doll holding a jade ruyi scepter, with curved eyebrows and eyes, wearing a tulip dress that gleamed faintly in the candlelight.

The young lady removed her hairpins and jewelry in front of the mirror, then glanced at the doll and chuckled, "It is indeed exquisite, and it is truly delightful to look at."

He then blew out the candles and blew out the lamps, closed the curtains, and went to bed.

In the middle of the night, a sudden clap of thunder was heard, followed by a torrential downpour.

The young lady frowned in her sleep, vaguely hearing faint noises coming from the room.

She opened her eyes groggily; outside the tent, darkness was thick and silent.

I assumed it was just rain hitting the windowpane and turned over, wanting to go back to sleep.

"clatter."

A soft, distinct sound, clearly not the sound of rain.

She suddenly regained consciousness and held her breath.

In the darkness, only my heart pounded like a drum.

Silently.

She clutched the quilt tightly, her gaze sweeping anxiously across the room.

Screens, dressing tables, wardrobes... all are indistinct and lifeless objects.

Perhaps I misheard?
She slowly exhaled, her body relaxing slightly.

Just then, another sound rang out.

"clatter."

It felt as if a hard object was gently tapping the dressing table.

Her hair stood on end, and she sat bolt upright, demanding sharply, "Who?!"

The sound was then swallowed up by another rumble of thunder.

No one answered.

She was filled with doubt and suspicion, and her gaze unconsciously drifted towards the dressing table.

In the darkness, the corner where the dolls used to be was now completely empty!

The young lady froze, a chill running down her spine.

A blinding white flash of lightning suddenly tore through the rain outside the window, illuminating the room instantly!
In that instant, her gaze was fixed on the foot of the bed.

Outside the hanging bed curtains, a dark figure stood silently!
The figure was short, not even as tall as the bed.

The lightning went out, and darkness returned.

But that scene was already etched into my mind.

Her scalp tingled, and a gurgling sound came from her throat, but she couldn't utter a single scream.

Extreme fear gripped my throat, and I even forgot to breathe.

In the deathly silence, only a faint rustling sound could be heard.

That dark figure... is moving.

It slowly, very slowly, circled around to the bedside.

Its faint outline blended into the deeper darkness, and its approach could only be barely sensed.

Another bolt of lightning!
In the dim light, the thing suddenly thrust its face out of the gauze curtain!

She wore a tulip dress, her eyebrows were curved, and the corners of her mouth were stretched into an extremely stiff and strange arc.

It was the doll's face!

However, his eyes lacked any artistic expression; they were just two dark holes staring straight at her!
The young lady's pupils contracted sharply, and her blood seemed to freeze.

The doll raised its two small hands, with thin, delicate fingers and distinct knuckles, and stretched them towards the gauze curtain.

The movements were unusually sluggish, like a marionette, yet they carried an eerie feeling of utter desolation, as if no living creature existed.

Her fingertips touched the light gauze and silently parted the soft fabric to the sides, revealing the painted smiling face behind it, right up to her eyes!
She finally let out a broken gasp, desperately trying to shrink back into the bed, but no matter what she did, she couldn't look away.

She could only watch helplessly as those hands drew closer and closer to her... the fingertips were almost touching her nose!

……

The rain has stopped and the wind has ceased; the morning light is faint.

Yesterday, the peddler, carrying his load, slowly made his way to a secluded spot where the city gate had just opened.

He put down his load, as if to tidy it up, his gaze sweeping over the bamboo frame.

The dolls that were mostly sold yesterday still seem to be hanging there densely, with none missing.

Upon closer inspection, it seemed that several new faces had appeared. Among them was a female doll in a tulip dress, holding a jade ruyi scepter. Her eyebrows and eyes were exactly the same as yesterday, but the curve of her mouth, when viewed in the morning light, inexplicably revealed a sinister look.

The peddler's lips curled into a smile. He extended a pale finger and gently brushed it across the female doll's cheek, whispering almost inaudibly, "Another sweet dream... Now go home."

He shouldered his load, walked briskly, humming an off-key tune, and leisurely walked out of the city gate, his figure gradually disappearing into the morning mist rising from the official road.

On the carrying pole, countless dolls swayed gently in the wind, their eyes lowered, their expressions ambiguous.

(End of this chapter)