Under One Person: Sincerity Moves the Gods

Chapter 100 Dou Hong

The three of them traveled westward along the official road for a day or two.

On this day, the outline of Longhu Mountain reappeared in view.

The mountain gate remains the same, the pines and cypresses remain the same, and even the young Taoist priest sweeping the stone steps is still the same as when he left, sweeping the fallen leaves one by one with his broom.

Upon seeing Li Cunzhen and the other two return, the young Taoist priest quickly stepped aside and bowed respectfully.

"Master Li, Senior Brother Zhang."

Zhang Zhiwei waved his hand and strode across the mountain gate, with Li Cunzhen following behind him and Dou Tian bringing up the rear.

Once inside the mountain gate, the three of them had to separate temporarily.

Dou Tian bowed to the two men.

"Master Li, I'll go inform my master first. He'll be overjoyed to know you're back."

Li Cunzhen nodded.

Thank you for your trouble.

Dou Tian strode towards the side courtyard, his steps quick, as if afraid of being a step too late.

After all, he had personally witnessed how Dou Hong had lost his appetite and sleep these past few days.

Li Cunzhen and Zhang Zhiwei then walked up the stone steps toward the main hall.

The door to the main hall was open, and Zhang Jingqing was still sitting in the armchair, but her legs were crossed, as if she were meditating and resting.

He heard footsteps; he lifted his eyelids.

"Oh, young friend Li, Zhiwei is back?"

Li Cunzhen bowed with his hands clasped in greeting.

"Master, your junior has returned."

Zhang Jingqing put down her teacup, looked him up and down, and lingered on him for a moment, keenly noticing something different.

He nodded slightly and asked.

"Did the inner demons go?"

"Thanks to Master Bai of the Three Demon Sect."

"Have you mastered the Samadhi True Fire?"

Li Cunzhen nodded again, raising his right hand with his palm facing upward.

A cluster of golden flames, about the size of a thumb, ignited in his palm, dancing quietly.

Zhang Jingqing looked at the cluster of flames, a glint of light flashing in her eyes.

He was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke.

"You have done a good job in repaying Zhuge Liang's painstaking efforts by enabling this fire to reappear in the world."

"If your master, Master Zuo, knew about this, he would be happy for you."

Li Cunzhen put away the Samadhi True Fire, cupped his hands towards the sky, and said again.

"Besides the Samadhi True Fire, I also gained something else from this trip to Baishui Township to overcome my inner demons."

talking.

With a thought, the black mist deep within his mind surged forth and slowly condensed before him.

The Taoist priest reappeared.

He sat on a futon, a flying sword lying flat on his chest, the character "真" (zhen, meaning truth) on the back of his Taoist robe emitting a faint glow.

Zhang Jingqing's pupils contracted slightly.

He looked at the Taoist priest with a look that was hard to describe.

Li Cunzhen explained.

"This is the transformation of the three corpses of the junior."

"After the inner demons were eliminated, the three corpses merged into one, transforming into this Taoist. His flying sword can travel a thousand meters in an instant, and his Taoist robe can withstand attacks."

Zhang Jingqing looked at the flying sword, then at the Taoist sitting on the futon, and remained silent for a long time.

Do you know what this thing is?

Li Cunzhen was taken aback, then shook his head.

"This junior is unaware. Master Bai said he has never seen such a situation in the Three Demon Sect's records."

Zhang Jingqing leaned back in her chair, her fingers tapping lightly on the armrest.

After a long while, he finally spoke.

"I don't know what this thing is."

Li Cunzhen was stunned again.

At this moment, Zhang Jingqing looked at him and continued to speak.

"But the Celestial Master knows."

"The memories contained in the Celestial Master's Code far exceed what I know. If you truly wish to understand its origin and essence, you can make a trip to the Quanzhen School."

Zhang Zhiwei, who was listening from the side, was completely confused and couldn't help but interject.

"Master, what are you talking about? What do you mean you don't know but the Celestial Masters know? And why did Old Li go to Quanzhen?"

Zhang Jingqing didn't look at him, she just waved her hand.

Zhang Zhiwei wanted to ask more, but seeing his master's expression, he swallowed his words.

Li Cunzhen understood Zhang Jingqing's meaning.

There are some things that shouldn't be easily told to others.

The truth is not told to the world not because we don't want it, but because we can't.

Zhang Jingqing has already told him that one sentence about the secret to becoming an immortal. If he says anything more, he might encounter unpredictable calamities.

The Quanzhen School has a similar lineage to the Celestial Master's Ordination.

Go there, and perhaps you'll find the answer.

He nodded, bowed solemnly, and said with his hands clasped.

"Thank you for your guidance, Celestial Master. I will remember it."

Zhang Jingqing said no more and turned her gaze to Zhang Zhiwei.

"And you? Did you find anything worthwhile on your trip?"

Zhang Zhiwei grinned, and without saying a word, directly summoned his Three Corpses.

Black mist surged out, and the little monkey jumped out of the mist and landed on the ground.

It wore a headband, held a black stick in its hand, squatted on the ground, looked up at Zhang Jingqing, and its eyes were bright.

Zhang Jingqing looked at the little monkey, her expression stiffening slightly.

"These are your three corpses?"

Zhang Zhiwei nodded smugly.

"How was it? Pretty interesting, huh?"

Zhang Jingqing was silent for a moment, then raised her hand and flicked Zhang Zhiwei on the forehead.

Snapped.

The sound was crisp and clear.

Zhang Zhiwei was thrown backward, clutching his forehead with a wronged expression.

"Master, what are you doing?"

"It's just a restless mind."

Zhang Jingqing withdrew her hand, her face expressionless.

"Look at you, so unprofessional! Where are his things?"

Zhang Zhiwei scratched his head sheepishly.

"The upper part is a stick, and the lower part is a headband. I thought they matched well, so I put them on the little monkey."

Zhang Jingqing's lips twitched slightly.

"Alright, put it away."

Just then, a loud voice came from outside the door.

"Celestial Master, Dou Hong requests an audience!"

Upon hearing the name Dou Hong, Zhang Jingqing's face twitched, a rare occurrence, and she said irritably.

"Come in."

The next moment, a hearty laugh came from outside the door.

"Hahahaha, thank you so much, Celestial Master!"

"Master Li! You're finally back!"

Immediately afterwards, a burly man with a fierce face strode into the main hall.

It was Dou Hong, the leader of the Wulou Vajra Sect.

He took three steps at a time and walked up to Li Cunzhen. He grabbed Li Cunzhen's shoulder with his large, fan-like hand and shook him hard.

"I've been waiting for you! I've been staying at Longhu Mountain for over a month, and I'm almost sick of eating vegetarian food!"

Li Cunzhen was somewhat helpless from being shaken, and quickly said.

"Sect Leader Dou, don't worry, I'm back now."

As he spoke, he patted Li Cunzhen on the shoulder again.

"Come on, let's find somewhere to talk. I've been waiting for you for ages."

Li Cunzhen glanced at Zhang Jingqing, who waved her hand, indicating that they should do as they pleased.

So the two left the main hall and headed towards the side courtyard.

The side courtyard was small, but clean and tidy.

In the center of the courtyard stood a stone table with a pot of hot tea and two teacups on it, which Dou Tian had prepared long ago.

Dou Hong plopped down on the stone bench, and without any formalities, picked up the teapot, poured himself a cup, gulped it down, and wiped his mouth.

"Master Li, I won't beat around the bush with you anymore."

He put down his teacup and said seriously.

"I came to see you today to discuss with you the principles of reversing the eight directions and the triple rebirth."

"I've been studying your technique of solidifying vapor into physical form on the field that day for months, and the more I think about it, the more I feel there's something special about it."

"Reversed birth and non-leakage, one dispersed and the other gathered, if one can fully understand and comprehend them, there will surely be profound mysteries!"

"Here I am, coming to find you!"

Li Cunzhen sat down opposite him and poured himself a cup of tea.

"Sect Leader Dou, to be honest, I also have this idea. May I ask if you could tell me the cultivation method of the Vajra Without Leaks?"

Dou Hong was taken aback, his smile faded slightly, and he looked up at Li Cunzhen.

Li Cunzhen said frankly.

"I can exchange some of the Qi circulation patterns and body control techniques from the Reverse Life Triple Realm for it."

"Even the earlier stages of cultivation techniques."

As the designated next leader of the Sanyi Sect, Li Cunzhen has the authority to make this decision.

As for why they were willing to pay such a price for the Vajra without leakage.

Firstly, the Vajra Without Leaks possesses all its skills in physical techniques, which cannot be shaken by other martial arts.

Secondly, he needed the Vajra of Immaculate Birth and the Triple Rebirth to verify his understanding of the saying "the gathering and scattering of life."

Upon hearing this, Dou Hong's smile froze.

He was silent for a moment, then his gaze became serious.

"Master Li, you're not joking."

"I never joke around."

Dou Hong stared at him for a long time, then suddenly burst into laughter.

"Alright! Then I won't stand on ceremony with you! Exchanging the Vajra of Perfect Leakage for the Triple Rebirth, no matter how you look at it, it's a huge win for my Vajra of Perfect Leakage!"

He sat up straight, placed his hands on his knees, and his expression became serious.

"Master Li, since you are so sincere in wanting to learn, I will explain it to you from the beginning."

Li Cunzhen put down his teacup and sat up straight.

Dou Hongqing cleared his throat and spoke.

"Regarding the Vajra Technique of No Leakage, we are only discussing life cultivation here, so it is only the Vajra."

"To put it simply, it boils down to four words: neither leaks nor breaks."

"What does it mean to not leak? It means that the three treasures of essence, energy, and spirit are firmly guarded within the body and not leaked out. What does it mean to not decay? It means that the muscles, bones, skin, and flesh are tempered and refined a thousand times, making them as hard as diamond."

He held up three fingers.

"The cultivation of the Vajra without leakage is divided into three steps."

"The first step is to consolidate the essence. The human body has nine orifices: eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and the two lower orifices (urethra and anus)."

"Ordinary people's vital energy leaks out from the nine orifices day and night, and they unknowingly lose their source. The first step of the Vajra without leakage is to use specific breathing methods and standing meditation to seal the nine orifices and lock the vital energy in the body."

Li Cunzhen silently made a note of it.

"The second step is bone refinement. The human skeleton consists of 206 bones. Between each bone are gaps. Within these gaps, qi flows, faintly and almost imperceptibly."

"The second step of the Vajra without leakage is to repeatedly cleanse the bones with true energy, filling the gaps, making the bones a unified whole, indestructible."

"The third step is to forge the skin. The skin is the outer layer, and the flesh is the inner layer."

"When the Vajra of No Leakage is cultivated to this stage, the true qi is abundant in the skin and flesh, the pores are closed, external evils cannot enter, and internal qi cannot escape. When one reaches this state, ordinary people cannot be harmed by swords or blades, nor can they be affected by water or fire."

Dou Hong paused here, looking at Li Cunzhen.

"Each of these three steps has its corresponding method."

"There are breathing methods for strengthening essence, standing exercises for strengthening bones, and medicinal baths for strengthening the skin. I can teach you all these methods."

Li Cunzhen nodded.

"Thank you, Master Dou."

Dou Hong waved his hand.

He stood up, walked to the center of the courtyard, spread his legs shoulder-width apart, and let his hands hang naturally at his sides.

"I will first teach you the breathing method to preserve your essence. This skill is called closing the nine orifices, and it is the foundation of my Vajra without leakage."

Li Cunzhen also stood up, walked to his side, and stood in the same position as him.

Dou Hong took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled.

The rhythm of his breathing was strange; it wasn't a single, continuous exhalation, but rather intermittent, as if something was blocking his breath.

Listen carefully.

Dou Hong said while exhaling.

"When inhaling, focus your mind on the dantian and let the breath sink into the dantian."

"When exhaling, slightly lift your anus and tighten your perineum, while pressing the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth and gently closing your teeth."

Li Cunzhen did as instructed.

Inhale, focusing your mind on your lower abdomen (Dantian).

Exhale, tighten your anus, press your jaw against your palate, and close your teeth.

With each breath, he felt a warm energy rising from his lower dantian, spreading upwards along his spine, and then returning to his dantian along the Ren meridian.

One lap, two laps, three laps...

The feeling was strange, like something was blocked inside my body and couldn't get out.

"You felt it?"

"I can feel it. It's like there's energy gathering in my dantian that I can't let go of."

"That's the effect of closing the nine orifices."

Dou Hong laughed.

Li Cunzhen practiced several more times and gradually mastered the rhythm of his breathing.

With his current level of life cultivation, there's no such thing as his vital energy leaking out; having reached this point, he can be considered to have learned it.

Seeing that he learned quickly, Dou Hong was generous and began to teach him the standing meditation exercise to strengthen his bones.

"This stance is called the Vajra Stance."

"Spread your legs apart, grip the ground with the soles of your feet, bend your knees slightly, lower your hips, straighten your back, and hold your hands in front of your chest, imagining you are holding a large ball."

Li Cunzhen stood in the correct position as instructed.

"Then, use your true energy to move upwards inch by inch, starting from the soles of your feet."

"Ankles, calves, knees, thighs, hips, lumbar vertebrae, thoracic vertebrae, cervical vertebrae, skull. Every bone must be visited, every joint must be cleaned."

Li Cunzhen closed his eyes and focused his inner energy into the soles of his feet.

Then, inch by inch, we went up.

ankle.

The true energy swirls around the ankles, like water washing over a stone wall, carrying away impurities from the crevices little by little.

calves.

The vital energy traveled upwards along the shinbone, a tingling, numb sensation, as if something was wriggling inside the bone.

knee.

The knee is one of the most complex joints in the human body, where the flow of vital energy is slightly obstructed.

But Li Cunzhen overcame it quickly.

As the true energy flowed upwards, Li Cunzhen felt that each bone he passed through became denser and stronger.

Finally, there's the skull.

The vital energy circulates within the skull, like a thin stream flowing between the bone crevices.

Dou Hong stood aside, watching Li Cunzhen's transformation with amazement in his eyes.

In just one afternoon, I reached the threshold of bone forging.

Although this was partly due to the foundation laid by Li Cunzhen's reversal of fortune.

But it's amazing enough.

"Master Li, your talent... is truly outrageous."

Dou Hong couldn't help but sigh.

Li Cunzhen opened his eyes, finished his practice, stood still, and exhaled a long breath.

"Master Dou, you flatter me."

Dou Hong waved his hand, refrained from further pleasantries, and spoke directly.

"There's no time to practice skin forging today."

"Go back and digest your food first, we'll continue tomorrow."

Li Cunzhen nodded and was about to take his leave.

Dou Hong spoke again.

"By the way, Master Li, you just said you wanted to exchange the Reverse Life Triple Technique for my Vajra Without Leaks Dharma."

"No rush. Let's talk about it after you've mastered the Vajra of No Leakage to a certain level. I want to see if these two techniques can truly be combined into one."

"If I could actually see something like that happen, I'd give up everything for it!"

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