Journey to the West Creation Technique

The desolate Southern Sea Continent, by the sea.

Lu Chengjun sat alone cross-legged on the beach.

Before me stretched endless blue waves, and behind me lay desolate mountains.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes and saw a red sun slowly rising where the sea met the sky.

As the sun rises, its rays illuminate the sky.

A new year begins, and everything is renewed!

I realized I had been sitting quietly all night, the sunlight warming me, a feeling I couldn't describe as comfortable.

At this moment, the old ox that could speak human language had disappeared.

Did Journey to the West help me unlock my spiritual potential?

Is all of this real or a dream?

Lu Chengjun was momentarily dazed.

Why not verify it?

He gazed at the rising sun and recalled the "Yang-Gathering and Qi-Refining Technique" taught to him by Master Cai Yiheng on the boat.

This technique must be practiced at sunrise.

Yang energy is the source of life, upon which all things depend for growth.

If one possesses spiritual roots, one can cultivate true essence and embark on the path to immortality; if one lacks spiritual roots, one can at most strengthen one's body and overcome seasickness.

Lu Chengjun closed his eyes and his mind sank into the Water Curtain Cave.

Outside the cave, distracting thoughts poured down like a waterfall; inside, spiritual energy swirled like mist.

At that moment, a tender branch suddenly sprouted from the stone platform in the cave.

The tender branches are only an inch long, and are as white as jade. A tender leaf hangs at the tip of the branch, delicate and vibrant green.

A misty, ethereal aura surrounds it, like clouds and fog, like a dream.

This is one's own spiritual root.

Innate Qi is the spiritual root, and the Great Dao is inseparable from the Mysterious Female Gate.

The Water Curtain Cave hides spiritual roots, where ghosts and gods contend with Heaven for power.

As the "Yang Qi Cultivation Technique" was activated, a warm current began to rise in the cave, gradually spreading to every part of the body.

The warm current echoed the sunlight outside, flowing slowly through the body.

Lu Chengjun sat cross-legged on the beach, bathed in the rising sun. He felt warm and comfortable all over, inside and out.

A strand of true essence, as thin as a hair, was generated from the dantian and flowed slowly along the meridians.

Unfortunately, the true essence was too weak, and the meridians were too blocked, so it naturally dissipated into nothingness after a short period of circulation.

Although he failed to complete the task, it does prove that he has acquired spiritual roots.

This feeling is completely different from when I was a mortal practicing the Yang-Gathering and Qi-Refining Technique.

Just then, an old water buffalo slowly walked over.

Lu Chengjun dared not be negligent and quickly stood up, his face showing respect: "Greetings, Immortal Master Niu."

The old ox spoke in human language again: "Are you seriously injured?"

Lu Chengjun stretched his arms and legs: "Much more comfortable."

After a pause, he continued, "I would like to ask Master Niu to pass on the complete Journey to the West to me."

Old Niu nodded slightly and slowly said, "In the second chapter of Journey to the West, it is said that after the stone monkey became king, he was not satisfied and still wanted to live forever, so he went to Xiniu Hezhou to learn Taoism. The place where he learned Taoism was called the Cave of the Slanting Moon and Three Stars. The so-called Slanting Moon and Three Stars is actually the character 'heart,' which implies that this monkey is actually the Mind Monkey."

"The stone monkey cultivates the 'Seventy-Two Transformations of Earthly Fiends.' The so-called seventy-two transformations refer to the seventy-two changes in the four seasons of the year, and each change in the four seasons corresponds to a different key point in cultivation..."

"Later, the stone monkey, having achieved mastery of his cultivation, went to the East Sea and stole a golden cudgel. That golden cudgel could grow large or small; when it shrank, it could be placed inside one's ear. This represented the true words of the Great Dao, which needed to be passed down orally and carefully placed inside one's ear. If left outside, it might cause a great disturbance. This was to warn future generations that the Great Dao should not be lightly passed on..."

"Then the stone monkey was summoned to the Heavenly Court to serve as the Keeper of the Heavenly Horses. The monkey and the horse together are what is known as 'the mind is like a monkey and the will is like a horse.'"

"In the book, the stone monkey was dissatisfied with being the Keeper of the Heavenly Horses and could not stand the humiliation he was given by the Heavenly Court, so he proclaimed himself the Great Sage Equal to Heaven and made a great disturbance in the Heavenly Palace."

"This means that we cultivators must firmly control our restless minds, otherwise we will inevitably suffer from demonic possession and die without a burial place."

Lu Chengjun listened intently and couldn't help but ask, "And then what happened?"

"We'll talk about that later. Now, come with me." Old Niu turned and left.

Lu Chengjun followed the water buffalo step by step until they arrived at an ordinary little tree.

The old ox stopped in its tracks: "Do you see this tree?"

Lu Chengjun asked, somewhat puzzled, "I saw it."

The old ox slowly said, "For a tree to grow, its roots need to absorb nutrients from the soil, and its leaves need to receive sunlight."

"You were just absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, just like this tree basking in the sun. Eating is like fertilizing this tree..."

"Can trees grow naturally without fertilizer? Of course they can, but they'll grow slowly..."

"We cultivators can also improve our cultivation by absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth without relying on external objects. However, if we take pills and tonics, we can cultivate even faster..."

"There are some things to consider when it comes to external supplementation. As the saying goes, the weak cannot tolerate strong supplementation. Just like this tree, applying a little fertilizer can help it grow, but if too much fertilizer is applied to the roots, it will rot and eventually cause the sapling to wither and die."

At this point, Old Niu changed the subject, his tone becoming serious as he warned, "Yesterday you devoured the flesh and blood of a demon beast, thankfully you vomited it out in time. However, even so, there are still remnants of demon beast flesh and blood in your body. These remnants cannot be removed and naturally remain inside you. If you can digest them, the remaining demon beast essence will not only be harmless but can also help you improve your cultivation. Otherwise, it will be like over-fertilizing a sapling, eventually rotting your meridians beyond saving."

Lu Chengjun's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly bowed and asked, "Please teach me, Master Niu."

Old Niu nodded slightly: "The spleen and stomach are responsible for digestion and transformation. If you strengthen your spleen and stomach, you will be able to digest the flesh and blood of demonic beasts. If your spleen and stomach are strong enough, you will be able to eat the flesh and blood of demonic beasts raw in the future, and even swallow demon cores raw to make them your own. Your cultivation will then grow far beyond that of others."

Lu Chengjun's eyes lit up: "How should I train my spleen and stomach?"

"In Journey to the West, there is a character named Sha Wujing, who is the junior brother of the stone monkey. His nature is earth, and he represents the spleen and stomach."

"Sha Wujing?" Lu Chengjun pondered for a moment.

"If you want to strengthen your spleen and stomach, you should walk more like Sha Wujing, carrying a shoulder pole."

"Ah...it's that simple?" Lu Chengjun looked surprised.

"Cultivation techniques are inherently this simple. Besides that, you also need to control your restless mind, keep your emotions stable, remain calm even if the sky falls, and speak very little. Even if something terrible happens, you should only say a few words. For example, 'Master has been captured by a monster,' 'Eldest brother, Master has been captured by a monster,' 'Second brother, Master has been captured by a monster.' Don't worry about anything else. Keep your emotions stable, walk more, carry loads more often, and your spleen and stomach will naturally be healthy."

Lu Chengjun suddenly realized: "Then I'll go get a carrying pole right now?"

Old Niu affirmed, "That's right. Go and carve a carrying pole yourself. But once you have it, what do you plan to carry?"

Lu Chengjun frowned: "How about we get some sand to pick out?"

"Do you have so much strength you don't know what to do with it?"

Lu Chengjun: "..."

"Please teach me, Immortal Master." Lu Chengjun bowed respectfully once again.

"Flatten it so you can use it to carry manure. I took some cow dung yesterday, you can pick it up and carry it."

Lu Chengjun was taken aback: "Huh?"

"You don't want to?"

"Of course I'm willing."

"You not only have to carry manure, but also farm. Farming is all about working in the soil. In the Five Elements theory, the spleen and stomach belong to Earth, and are also called the Yellow Woman. Digging in the soil and farming is the best way to strengthen the spleen and stomach."

"Then should I become a porter now?"

"Aren't you thirsty or hungry?" the old ox asked, tilting its head.