Under One Person: Starting with the Dual Cultivation of Body and Soul

Today is February 5.

Early in the morning, Li Chang'an practiced standing meditation as usual.

He has been practicing standing meditation for more than two months, and his body has undergone some changes during this period of practice.

He's grown taller, and when he wears clothes, the sleeves are a bit too short, and the trouser legs are rolled up, revealing his ankles.

Not only his height, but when he looked in the mirror, his shoulders seemed broader and his chest thicker.

He used to be a soft-spoken elementary school student, but now he looks more like a capable middle school athlete; the change is quite obvious.

"This feeling of becoming stronger is really exhilarating. Just standing meditation has brought about such a big change. What would it be like with other cultivation methods?" Li Chang'an was both excited and expectant.

After finishing his practice session for the day, Li Chang'an went to his study to read for a while before coming to the classroom.

During this time, his classes at school were suspended, and he spent his days at home listening to Lu Jin talk about cultivation.

Lu Jin talked mostly about those seemingly dry basic cultivation common sense, but he always kept silent about the strange and unusual things in the world of supernatural beings.

Li Chang'an had asked out of curiosity because he had once overheard his grandfather and Lu Jin talking about Zhang Huaiyi.

He guessed that the plot was about to begin, and Zhang Huaiyi might be setting up a big scheme.

Lu Jin replied, "Cultivation requires focusing on oneself, not seeking externally."

"Don't seek outside," Li Chang'an kept these four words in mind, and then stopped asking questions. At his current age and level of cultivation, he couldn't get involved in such matters, and none of the people around him were involved either.

A short while later, Lu Jin arrived on time.

"Greetings, sir!"

Li Chang'an quickly greeted them.

Lu Jin smiled and nodded: "Little Chang'an, after studying so much theoretical knowledge, today we won't talk about theory, we'll put it into practice."

Is it finally about to begin...? Li Chang'an perked up and sat up straight.

"Previous theoretical knowledge relied more on comprehension, but now it's time to test aptitude. Today I'll teach you how to circulate Qi," Lu Jin said.

"Is it a method of circulating qi that is different from standing meditation?" Li Chang'an asked.

"That's right, what I'm going to teach you today is called 'Turning the River Chariot'," Lu Jin explained. "Turning the River Chariot is a term from the Internal Alchemy school of cultivation, and it's the first hurdle in cultivating both body and mind. If you can't even turn the River Chariot, then don't talk about anything else."

So, is it finally time to cultivate both body and soul...? Li Chang'an couldn't help but feel excited.

There are all sorts of strange and wonderful cultivation methods in the world of supernatural beings, but cultivating both body and mind is definitely the way to go.

"Before I teach you how to turn the river cart, let me first tell you what the river cart is."

Lu Jin walked up to Li Chang'an and said:

"The human body is like a river cart."

"Everyone has Qi within them, whether you are aware of it or not, Qi is always there."

"These energies will rotate according to the laws of the universe."

"And this principle is called the natural circulation of Qi in Taoism."

"As long as a person is alive, the natural cycle of life will continue until death."

"The method of circulating the river is a technique created by the Taoist ancestors who were inspired by the natural circulation of the universe."

"So this method also has another name, which is the circulation of the microcosmic orbit."

Upon hearing this, Li Chang'an's eyes widened slightly. The concept of circulating Qi throughout the body is well-known and mentioned in many works, but few works specifically address how to circulate it.

"And this is how the natural universe rotates!"

Lu Jin raised his hand and glanced at the watch on his wrist, saying:

"It's 8:30 now, which is the Chen hour. Naturally, the Zhou Tian cycle follows the Tao Dao during the Chen hour."

"Tao Dao is located on the upper part of the Du meridian, below the Dazhui point, right here!"

Lu Jin reached out and pressed a point where Li Chang'an's neck met his back, and said:

"Take a closer look around here. What's different?"

Li Chang'an closed his eyes and carefully sensed it for a moment, then opened them and said:

"Grandpa, the place you pressed feels a bit warm. There's a very faint Qi there, moving very slowly forward with the movement of blood and Qi."

"Fever is a very normal phenomenon, but you were able to sense the Qi there. Your perception is very strong!" Lu Jin's face showed a hint of approval: "That's right, what you felt was the natural rotation of the River Chariot."

Upon hearing this, a sentence suddenly flashed through Li Chang'an's mind.

The innate one governs the entire celestial sphere, encompassing all its changes.

If this statement is reversed, then it would be that Zhou Tian leads the heavens.

He blurted out, "Grandpa, is this primordial Qi being moved by the external Qi circulating throughout the body?"

Lu Jin was taken aback, then burst into laughter:

"Haha, what a clever kid!"

"That's right, this primordial Qi moves according to the changes in the external universe, which is why it is described as the natural universe."

"The rules governing the natural cycle of change can be described in one sentence."

"The primordial qi of a person travels through the coccyx at midnight, through the back of the head at 1-3 AM, through the Xuan Shu point at 3-5 AM, through the spine at 5-7 AM, through the Tao Dao point at 7-9 AM, through the Yu Zhen point at 9-11 AM, and through the Ni Wan point at 11 AM."

"The three acupoints that the primordial qi passes through during the period from midnight to noon are called the coccyx, the spine, and the occipital bone. Cultivating the River Chariot Transport requires passing through these three acupoints."

"These three trials are more difficult than the last, but you can overcome them one by one. Once you break through the Jade Pillow Trial, your vital energy will flow straight to the Niwan point."

"Niwan, also known as Niwan Palace or Upper Dantian, is an important place for cultivation and the highest point of the human body. There is a poem that describes it well: 'The Five Ridges undulate like waves, and the Wumeng Mountains surge like the Niwan.'"

"Climbing over the Five Ridges and the Wumeng Mountains, all the way to the highest point of Niwan, cultivation is the same. It is a difficult process of Qi climbing and operating."

"After the Niwan point, the primordial Qi flows straight down, reaching the Mingtang point at Wei hour, the Tanzhong point at Shen hour, the Zhongwan point at You hour, the Shenque point at Xu hour, and returning to the Qihai point at Hai hour."

"This is a complete natural circulation. When we practice the microcosmic orbit, we must also follow this procedure."

"In this step, the Qi is transported from the coccyx to the Niwan point. This is a process of cultivation, a process that is extremely arduous and full of bitterness."

"The process of descending from the Niwan point to the Qihai point is a harvest process, a process that is like being enlightened by nectar, wonderful beyond words. The benefits of cultivating one's nature and life lie in this part."

After explaining, Lu Jin sighed, "Whether it's cultivation or learning, it's all a process. Without enduring the bitter cold, how can the plum blossom emit its fragrant scent?"

"Little Chang'an, did you understand what your grandfather just said?"

"I understand!"

Li Chang'an nodded repeatedly: "Grandpa, you explained it very clearly. This route of circulating Qi throughout the body is actually guiding the Qi from the tailbone to the top of the head, drawing a semicircle, circulating once, and then returning to the lower dantian. The whole process..."

Li Chang'an thought for a moment and described it as: "It's like a waterwheel pumping water to irrigate, irrigating the 'water' in the human body into the three dantian."

"Haha, Little Chang'an, you really get it right away!"

Lu Jin smiled and nodded: "You're absolutely right, that's exactly it, that's why it's called the River Chariot."

"The 'circulation of the river' involves passing through twelve acupoints, but only three can be considered checkpoints: the coccyx, the spine, and the jade pillow, as I mentioned earlier."

"Although I have already taught you the acupoints on the human body, theory is theory and practice is practice. To avoid you making mistakes, I will point out the acupoints to you."