From Under One Person: Sincere Journey Through the Heavens

Upon seeing the deity's appearance, Master Qingwei was taken aback, both by the aura of creation and wonder emanating from the deity, and by the possibility that Jiang Liu himself might not have noticed his intrusion, but was "dreaming."

But the dream was so real, so vivid, that even he, a yang spirit, couldn't freely enter and exit it, making him feel like a mortal—

If Jiang Liu could completely understand his true nature and realize that he is dreaming, and take control of the cycle of reincarnation in this dreamlike underworld, his spiritual cultivation would be far more than just graduation; he could even create a cycle of reincarnation underworld using a human body!

Perhaps I should give him a heads-up!

With that thought, Master Qingwei made a decision, certain that Jiang Liu was unaware that he was dreaming, otherwise how could he appear as a woman in his dream?

But how could Master Qingwei know this!

Houtu Huangdiqi is the deity conferred by Jiang Liu's soul and spirit. She is one with Jiang Liu and has no distinction between male and female. Her appearance as a woman is merely the function of the six internal organs in relation to the human body in the three realms of heaven and earth, which is the creation of yin and yang and the gathering of spiritual essence.

To put it simply, the food digested and ingested supplies all the organs of the body, enabling the human body to continuously absorb energy from the outside world to survive and grow.

The outward appearance of the deities depends on Jiang Liu's subconscious perception of the proper image of the deities of the internal organs. He also likes to associate them with myths, legends, and stories. Therefore, the deities of the five internal organs will be the images of the Journey to the West group of masters and disciples. The ruler of the six internal organs is the image of the Empress Earth, who upholds the law and embodies virtue. The deity who governs the primordial spirit is the image of the Jade Emperor of the Golden Palace of the Azure Heaven. Together, they form the "Emperor Heaven and Empress Earth" that are visualized in his mind.

"Grandma Houtu".

As soon as the Black Lady spoke, Houtu was speechless. However, in truth, now that the Black and White Lady reside in the place of the six internal organs' reincarnation, calling her "Mom" doesn't seem to be a big problem.

So Houtu ignored the black-clad woman, looked down at the kneeling Qingwei Zhenren, examined him carefully, and asked, "Who has trespassed into the Netherworld's territory?"

"This humble Taoist, Qingwei, greets the Goddess Houtu." Upon hearing the name "Houtu," Qingwei Zhenren knew that the person Jiang Liu was currently in his dream was none other than the Empress Houtu, who upheld the laws of Heaven and wielded great virtue.

It governs Yin and Yang and gives birth to creation.

She truly has jurisdiction over both the Yin and Yang realms, and is currently temporarily acting as the ruler of the Underworld, which doesn't mean she's taking over the duties of other deities.

"You old codger, you do have some knowledge."

Houtu chuckled.

"Forehead······"

Master Qingwei's mouth twitched, unsure how to respond, for the benevolent and virtuous Empress Houtu appeared in Jiang Liu's dream as something akin to a thug.

Although he did not believe in clay deities, Houtu Huangdiqi was, after all, the Houtu among the gods of heaven and earth, and would not be so disrespectful.

In fact, Houtu, the spirit of Jiang Liu's six internal organs, really does have such a lively and unconventional personality.

Without him.

When Pangu separated heaven and earth, the pure qi rose and the turbid qi descended. Therefore, Houtu, who represents "turbidity," although capable of creating yin and yang, also inherited the lively and mischievous nature of Jiang Liu's soul and spirit.

However, this does not prevent Houtu from being a responsible and conscientious deity.

"Old man, you've cultivated the Yang Spirit, don't you know that casually intruding into someone else's inner realm is extremely impolite? What if I were taking a bath?" Houtu ignored Qingwei Zhenren's expression and said sternly, "Tell me, what kind of punishment should you receive?"

"Jiang Liu!"

However, Master Qingwei did not take the bait. He roared, realizing from Houtu's words that he had been wrong.

This is not a dream at all!

Rather, it's an interior illusion created by the river!

"I'm asking you a question."

As she spoke, Houtu slightly raised her finger and pressed down, and an invisible pressure poured directly onto Qingwei Zhenren, knocking him to the ground.

click!

As the six energies circulated and decayed, cracks actually appeared on the surface of the Yang spirit.

This scene startled Master Qingwei, who immediately snapped to his senses and cried out, "I admit my mistake! I admit my mistake!"

He had a premonition that if he persisted, his Yang spirit would be crushed by the woman "Jiang Liu" before him, causing damage to his physical body and soul, and thus leading to his death.

The Yang Shen (spirit) and the soul are not the same thing, but rather the result of cultivating thoughts and ideas to an extremely pure and refined state.

Generally speaking, if the Yang Shen (spirit) is shattered, a person will not die directly, but will suffer severe damage to their spirit and soul, requiring a long period of recuperation.

However, he was already over 100 years old. If his Yang spirit were to shatter and cease to exist, not only would his life's cultivation be in vain, but the damage to his spirit and soul would directly and severely damage his primordial spirit, leading to his death and the dissipation of his Dao.

As the pressure dissipated, the cracks on Qingwei Zhenren's Yang Shen began to heal on their own. However, he was still filled with lingering fear and hurriedly cupped his hands to Houtu Huangdiqi and said, "Brother Jiang... no, President Jiang, you are powerful and have great strength. Could you spare this old Taoist priest this time?"

"Jiang Liu is for me, but I am not Jiang Liu. We are of one mind but different bodies. You have sought the wrong person."

Houtu chuckled and ordered the black-and-white woman to bring up the oil pot, saying, "Let's get back to the point. Since you have confessed your guilt, then obediently accept your punishment. I will throw you into the oil pot and fry you. If you can survive for a quarter of an hour, I will forgive you for entering 'my' mind. If you cannot survive, then you will be refined by me and become a part of 'me'."

Upon hearing this, Master Qingwei's expression changed. Looking at the boiling hot oil in the pot and the green flames burning underneath, he had no doubt that this hot oil could refine his Yang Spirit.

He had never seen such a bizarre interior before.

"President Jiang, I am an old man. You can tell my physical age from the appearance of my Yang God. If I have suffered irreversible damage, my physical body will probably die."

Master Qingwei's eyes pleaded, but Houtu remained unmoved, merely waving her hand to signal the black-and-white woman to press the old man into the oil cauldron—

Now you know you're an old man?

late!

"I am willing to teach you the method of creating a divine spirit from the Jade Emperor Palace as an apology, is that alright?" Master Qingwei struggled and shouted, knowing that if he did not offer some real benefits, the other party would not release him.

River flows!

Although this kid isn't from Quanxing, he possesses Quanxing's evil nature... After all, his elder is Wang Yaozu!

If his Yang spirit were to encounter trouble within the Jiangliu inner realm, and his physical body were to suffer a backlash and die, he would only have died in vain.

In truth, it was this old fellow who first barged into someone else's inner world, trying to pry into their secrets, which is morally and logically unacceptable.

"clatter!"

Houtu snapped her fingers, and the oil pot vanished. She stepped forward, revealing a bright smile: "Oh dear, old sir, why didn't you say so sooner? It was all a misunderstanding! But why didn't you say so sooner?"

Master Qingwei finally straightened up. Seeing Jiang Liu's smirking face, he was furious, but he could only endure it. He said, "Come closer, I'll pass on the secret to you."

Why are you sending me this message?

Houtu looked completely bewildered. "Didn't I say? Jiang Liu is me, but I am not Jiang Liu! Come on, I'll take you to see 'me'!"

Master Qingwei: "???"

Really not?

# Chapter 421 What is Yang Shen?

After leaving the Jade Palace of Jiuhua, Qingwei Zhenren ascended the mountain, parted the clouds and mist, and saw the sun. He then saw Jiang Liu sitting cross-legged by the sea, surrounded by Xin Yuan, Yi Ma, Jin Gong, Mu Mu, and Huang Po. Only then did he realize that what Houtu had said was true.

"sit."

Jiang Liu uttered a single word, and in an instant, sand and soil merged with clear water. The Mind Monkey then forged a ceramic table and two ceramic chairs. Afterward, the Wood Mother returned from picking tea, the Golden Duke crafted a teapot, the Mind Horse poured water, and the Mind Monkey lit the fire. In a short while, a pot of tea was ready.

Seeing such a mysterious phenomenon, Master Qingwei was not curious, after all, this was an inner realm of the spirit, and it was common for words to become law.

Therefore.

He simply sat down, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and intended to get down to business, but he found that the tea actually had an effect on his spirit, making it seem even more serene.

"I have five spirits within me. The mind, like a monkey, guides the will, helping me to connect the Ren and Du meridians and circulate the Qi throughout the body. The Metal God is the metal within Qi, and his breath rises and falls with its own volume, allowing the four spirits to be closely connected. The Wood Goddess cultivates the body's medicine to aid my cultivation, and the Yellow Woman gathers sand into soil to stabilize my life."

Jiang Liuyan explained his cultivation principles: "But these five gods can also cooperate with each other. The Mind Monkey and the Metal Duke are not only Yang; the Wood Mother and the Will Horse are not only Yin; and the Spleen Earth is not only for harmonizing Yin and Yang."

When the mind and will are in harmony, one can circulate energy throughout the body. The Wood Mother cultivates the body's medicine in the sand and soil, which can stabilize life. The Metal Father is the lung metal, which, if refined by water and fire, can change size at will.

The five elements generate and restrain each other, and the creation of yin and yang is exquisite and beautiful.

Gather the five elements and use them in reverse order; once the work is done, one can become a Buddha or an immortal.

"Journey to the West is indeed true."

Upon hearing this, Master Qingwei opened his mouth, unsure how to evaluate Jiang Liu's technique.

Indeed.

The five internal organs and five vital energies have many wondrous uses, but most people only use one type of energy and don't practice such complex techniques. Jiang Liu, however, actually intends to freely utilize the five vital energies, performing the transformative power of Yin and Yang, and achieving sainthood through the transformation of Yin and Yang.

What a grand vision!

"The tea you're talking about may look like tea, but it's actually the essence I obtained by gathering the five elements and refining the six energies of heaven and earth. It has a purifying effect on the Yang spirit." Jiang Liu also took a sip and smiled slightly.

The principle of the Nine Revolutions of Mingdan involves transforming the Five Elements into the Six Qi. The resulting Qi is the Primordial Qi, which can increase lifespan. However, the Yang Shen is merely a combination of thoughts, intentions, and spirits condensed to the extreme. After being refined by the Primordial Qi, it cannot extend the lifespan of the physical body. But the Primordial Qi can circulate through the Yang Shen, which can also cleanse the body of impurities and make it purer.

"Good tea."

Master Qingwei put down his teacup, deeply moved, "Your cultivation is so profound that it seems you have created heaven and earth with your own body. It is admirable, awe-inspiring, and lamentable."

Afterwards, Master Qingwei revealed the method of cultivating the Yang Spirit in the Jade Emperor Palace.

The method of cultivating the Yang spirit in the Jade Emperor Palace differs slightly from that of the Quanzhen Longmen and Baiyun Temple. The method of cultivating the Yang spirit is based on the thought itself.

What is a thought?

In the course of life, countless thoughts can arise in a single moment, most of which are just dreams and illusions that will dissipate on their own, or even be forgotten and never remembered again.

But some ideas are extremely stubborn, pure, and enduring.

For the masses of people in the world, the desire to marry and have children, to have a good harvest, to make money, and to live are persistent and enduring thoughts.

For practitioners, the very thought of cultivation is a relatively pure one.

Therefore, cultivating the Yang spirit is not about cultivating one's soul into a Yang spirit, but about finding one's own thoughts, taking the pure, tenacious, and long-lasting thoughts within them, and continuously purifying them until one cultivates a bit of pure Yang, manifesting in the world, and roaming the heavens and earth. That is considered success.

Why is the Yang God so carefree?

This is because it is simply a thought! The purest form of consciousness of the human self!

And the rest of the human body—

All of them returned to the world with the primordial Qi, becoming part of the natural cycle of recurrence.

The soul is merely a phenomenon produced by the primordial spirit's thinking. By finding the fundamental thoughts within the soul and purifying them, one can cultivate the yang spirit of self-will, thus freeing oneself from the constraints of the physical body without going against the natural order.

The birth, aging, sickness, and death of all living beings in the world are governed by the primordial energy that cycles naturally. This is the principle of nature and the most fundamental law. Anyone who dares to defy this law will meet a bad end.

The Quanzhen School, which integrates the three teachings, discovered this point and realized that since the primordial Qi has formed a natural cycle, it is not possible to go against the natural way of heaven. Therefore, cultivating the Yang Spirit is sufficient.

This is because the Yang spirit is just a cluster of thoughts, pure thoughts. When cultivated to the extreme, it no longer relies on Qi and can roam freely between heaven and earth.

It is difficult for anyone who is not a person of extraordinary ability or who possesses extraordinary skills to discover the Yang God.

"Thoughts? I understand."