One person: Lu Jin, do I look like your master?

Zhou Sheng let out a strange cry, no longer caring about Wang Xuan or the amazing skill he had just shared.

He stomped his foot suddenly, and his figure instantly became blurry, as if he had merged into the surrounding spatial fluctuations.

The next moment, only a faint, distorted afterimage of air remained where Zhou Sheng had been; there was no trace of him.

He must have rushed back to Wang Ye's side in a great hurry to check if his precious grand-disciple had "gone astray in his cultivation."

Looking in the direction where Zhou Sheng disappeared, Wang Xuan shook his head helplessly.

This old man is so energetic, really... He stopped thinking about it, calmed himself down, and continued walking along the mountain road, resolutely heading towards the dimly lit city in the distance.

Wang Xuan wasn't particularly surprised by the Feng Hou Qi Men technique that Zhou Sheng had forced upon him.

This extraordinary skill is indeed incredibly profound, controlling the changes in time and space, making it the pinnacle of techniques. However, the directions, patterns, and interactions involved in it are quite different from the path Wang Xuan pursues—the Threefold Reversal of Life—which aims to return to simplicity and directly point to the origin of primordial Qi.

There are fundamental differences in their philosophies. His biggest challenge right now is the bottleneck in his own path. Feng Hou Qi Men Dun Jia might offer some different perspectives, but whether it can directly help him break through remains to be seen. He always keeps in mind the principle of not trying to do too much at once.

After several transfers, including by plane, train, and long-distance bus, Wang Xuan finally set foot on his hometown soil once again.

In Northeast China, on the black soil, the air was dry, cold, and fresh, carrying a familiar, crisp scent. He carried a simple bag and walked back to his home on the edge of a small mountain village.

The wooden fence outside the yard was crooked, and the lock on the gate was rusty.

Pushing open the creaking wooden door, a smell mixed with dust and old wood wafted out.

"Finally home."

Wang Xuan stood in the courtyard, looking at the old house that had been with him for nearly twenty years, and a complex emotion welled up in his heart.

There is the tranquility of returning home, the感慨 of things changing and people being different, and also a kind of weariness and relief after washing away the glitz and glamour.

Here, there are no undercurrents like in Biyou Village, no conflicts and schemes in the world of supernatural beings, only the purest tranquility.

He put down his luggage and, without resting, immediately began packing.

Drawing icy cold water from the old well in the corner of the yard, and finding a dusty wooden bucket and rag in the corner, Wang Xuan rolled up his sleeves and began to carefully wipe every corner of the old house, bit by bit.

The room was small and the furnishings were extremely simple: an old wooden bed, a square table, a few chairs, and a worn-out wardrobe.

Every piece of furniture carries memories of the past. As he wiped the table, he could almost see Old Man Wang sitting there, with a plate of peanuts and a small cup of strong liquor.

As he cleaned the bed, he could still seem to smell that familiar scent, a mixture of sweat and tobacco.

His movements were unhurried and his expression focused, as if he were not cleaning, but performing a ritual, a ritual of saying goodbye to the past and making peace with it.

The dust was swept away, the cobwebs were cleaned, and soon the originally dark and gloomy old house became bright and clean. Although it was still simple, it exuded a sense of home.

Wang Xuan's house is located on the very edge of the village, near the foot of the mountain, and is therefore quite secluded.

In addition, Old Man Wang was a reclusive man who disliked socializing and almost never interacted with villagers, so Wang Xuan's return did not attract any attention.

No one came to bother him. This solitude, at this moment, became the tranquility he needed most.

By the time he finished tidying up the house, it was already afternoon. Wang Xuan took out some prepared offerings from his luggage—a few simple pastries, a bottle of sorghum liquor that Old Man Wang loved to drink, and incense, candles, and paper money.

He carried his things, walked out of the yard, and followed a path half-covered by weeds behind the house, heading towards the depths of the forest on the back mountain.

The mountain path meandered, and the forest gradually grew denser. After walking for about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, a solitary grave stood on a relatively open, sunny slope.

The tombstone is made of ordinary bluestone, with the words "Tomb of my late father, Wang Gong" engraved on it. There is no name of the person who erected the tombstone, which makes it look particularly simple and lonely.

When Wang Xuan arrived at the grave, instead of standing in silent tribute like most people would, he casually plopped down on the open ground in front of the grave, as if he were just visiting a long-lost relative.

He placed pastries in front of Old Man Wang's grave, then took out three incense sticks, rubbed them between his fingers, and the incense sticks spontaneously combusted, wisps of smoke rising. He then carefully placed the incense sticks in the soil in front of the tombstone.

Then, he opened the bottle of sorghum liquor and took out two small wine glasses.

First, fill the cup in front of Old Man Wang's grave, then slowly pour the clear, cool liquor onto the grave, soaking the soil. A rich aroma of liquor immediately fills the air.

Wang Xuan poured himself a cup, but didn't drink it. He just held it in his hand, his gaze fixed on the tombstone, and began to speak softly, as if having a casual chat.

"My son is back."

As he spoke, he picked up the paper money he had brought and lit it in the same way. The orange flames leaped and devoured the rough yellow paper.

"My son has achieved some success in the world of supernatural beings."

His tone was calm, without any boasting; he was simply stating a fact.

"I've met a lot of people and experienced a lot of things. Ma Xianhong from Biyou Village who wanted to become the leader of the Tongtian Sect, Wang Ye from Wudang Mountain who was lazy but possessed extraordinary skills, and... many, many more."

The paper money turned to ashes in the flames and scattered in the wind.

"Most importantly, my son has found the path he wants to follow."

Wang Xuan's voice was deep and firm.

"Although now... it seems like we've reached a hurdle, with fog ahead and the direction unclear."

But rest assured, your son will not give up. I will continue down this path, until I reach the end I can see.

He sat there in front of his father's grave, talking on and on.

He talked about his confusion, his gains, the interesting or troublesome people he encountered, and his plans for the future.

There were no fancy words, no sentimental phrases, only the simplest outpouring of feelings, as if the father were sitting right across from him, listening quietly.

As the sun gradually sets, it paints the sky a brilliant orange-red, then the color fades and twilight descends.

As the last rays of dawn disappeared below the horizon, the bright moon rose above the treetops, its cool glow spilling across the silent hillside.

The paper money had long since burned out, and the incense and candles had burned down to the base.

Wang Xuan finally stopped talking. He patted his backside, which was covered in grass clippings and mud, and stood up.

Under the moonlight, he reached out and, with his sleeve, carefully and gently wiped away the dust and dew from Old Man Wang's tombstone, making the inscriptions clearly visible in the moonlight.

Wang Xuan spoke to the tombstone one last time, his voice ringing out clearly in the silent mountains and forests.

"Our son is back. From now on... I'll come to see you often when I have time."

After saying that, he picked up the empty basket and wine bottle, took one last look at the lonely grave, then turned around and walked step by step down the mountain towards the old house with lights on, under the moonlight, following the path he had come from.

Chapter 93 What is Tao?

After paying respects to Old Man Wang, the wistful longing for home and the relief of having confided in him intertwined, allowing Wang Xuan's emotions to gradually settle down.

He returned to the old house courtyard, which had just been cleaned and still retained the cool scent of well water.

Night had fallen, and the moonlight, like quicksilver, bathed the courtyard in a clear glow.

The surrounding area was silent, with only the occasional hooting of owls from the distant mountains adding to the profound stillness.

Wang Xuan did not go inside, but stood alone in the center of the courtyard. The evening breeze blew the hair on his forehead, and also stirred the chaotic thoughts in his mind about the future of his cultivation.

The Feng Hou Qi Men technique that Zhou Sheng forcibly gave him was like an uninvited guest who had unexpectedly entered, opening another window on his already foggy path of cultivation.

Outside the window lies a bizarre and ever-changing world of wonders.

Although I subjectively resisted it, that inheritance was already imprinted in my mind and could not be erased.

With a slight thought, almost instinctively, he mobilized the pure innate Qi within his body, guided by the vast diagram in his mind.

The next moment, a strange phenomenon occurred!

Centered on the spot where Wang Xuan stood, an invisible yet incredibly complex and precise Qimen formation, clearly perceptible through spiritual senses, suddenly unfolded silently!

Within the layout, the four plates circulate, the eight trigrams evolve, and the generating and restraining energies cycle repeatedly, as if temporarily separating this small courtyard from the real world.

It formed a separate little world. Orientation was distorted, and the texture of time and space became subtle and indescribable.

This is Feng Hou Qi Men! It controls directions and manipulates time and space!

However, this exquisite Qimen formation lasted for less than three breaths before vanishing like a bubble in water.

The courtyard was restored to its original state, and the moonlight remained cold and clear.

Wang Xuan stood there, his brows slightly furrowed. He was able to launch this attack thanks to the "seed" of Zhou Sheng's inheritance and his own incredibly abundant Qi, but that was all.

His knowledge of the basic principles of Qimen Dunjia divination, the application of various techniques, and the subtle understanding of the interactions of the elements was almost entirely blank.

It's like someone suddenly receiving a powerful and complex weapon, but not knowing how to hold or wield it—having a treasure mountain but unable to enter it.

"This Feng Hou Qi Men... is indeed mysterious and unpredictable."

Wang Xuan muttered to himself, a complex light flashing in his eyes.

"It would be a shame to completely ignore it. If you have time, you should still put in some effort to practice it."

After much deliberation, he had already made a preliminary assessment.

As one of the Eight Extraordinary Techniques, the value of Feng Hou Qi Men is beyond doubt, and it may play an unexpected role in certain specific situations.

Complete rejection is foolish.

But the thought only flashed through his mind before he forcibly suppressed it.

He has a clear understanding of his current situation.

The Reverse Life Triple is currently at its most critical and difficult bottleneck period, with an uncertain future, like standing on the edge of a cliff shrouded in thick fog.

Every step requires utmost care and concentration.

If one were to be distracted at this time to delve into another equally profound of the Eight Extraordinary Skills...

It is highly likely that he failed at both ends—he did not break through the Reverse Life Triple Realm, nor did he reach a high level in the Wind After Strange Gate, thus wasting his time and energy.

It's even possible that a conflict in their beliefs about the path could lead to a regression in their cultivation.

"The foundation must not be shaken."

Wang Xuan's gaze hardened once more.

"We must still focus on the cultivation of the Threefold Reversal of Life as the foundation; this is the 'body.' As for the Wind After Strange Gate... we can study it once or twice when we have the chance, and use it as 'application.' We must clearly distinguish between primary and secondary aspects."

Having figured this out, the slight turmoil in his heart caused by Feng Hou Qi Men completely subsided.

However, the fundamental problem facing him remains like a towering mountain blocking his way—the path of reversing the cycle of rebirth seems to have truly come to an end.

He walked to the old locust tree in the courtyard, sat down cross-legged, and leaned against the rough trunk.

The moonlight filtered through the gaps between the branches and leaves, casting mottled shadows on him.

He didn't deliberately cultivate, nor did he force himself to think; he just sat there quietly.

My gaze drifted into the distance, as if I had merged with the moonlight, the breeze, and the old trees in the courtyard, quietly watching the familiar yet unfamiliar night scene before me.

In her mind, however, she couldn't help but recall everything about the Reverse Rebirth Triple.

"Triple Rebirth..."

After a long silence, Wang Xuancai softly uttered these words with deep emotion.

The sigh carried far in the silent night, carrying with it the hardship and confusion of the search.

Regarding the ultimate path of the Triple Rebirth, he felt as if he had touched an invisible barrier, solid and smooth, with no point of leverage to be found.

He recalled Zuo Ruotong's philosophy. The extraordinary and brilliant Immortal Daying seemed to ultimately pursue the complete "Qi transformation" of the physical body, returning to the pure state of primordial Qi.

In Zuo Ruotong's view, perhaps when the body is completely composed of Qi and there is no trace of acquired impurities, that is when the three stages of reverse life are perfected, which is the so-called "becoming an immortal" and attaining the Dao.

"But... how difficult it is to achieve true and complete physical transformation into Qi, becoming one with the essence of heaven and earth?"

Wang Xuan asked himself this question. This was almost a reversal of the process of life's birth, and its difficulty was beyond imagination.

Moreover, a deeper question lingered in his mind like a ghost.

"In Zuo Ruotong's view, or rather in the traditional concept of the Threefold Reversal of Life, the 'immortality' he pursues... is 'Corpse Dissolution Immortality'!"

Wang Xuan's thoughts grew increasingly profound.

"That means completely abandoning this acquired physical body and existing solely as pure Qi?"

The cultivation principle of the Threefold Reversal of Life is indeed to continuously transform the physical body into primordial Qi, simulating that "reversal" process.

But if the ultimate goal is to completely eliminate even the physical "form," then what about the "spirit"? Where should the primordial spirit, consciousness, and true nature be placed?

“Life, life…” Wang Xuan murmured, chewing on these two most fundamental words in cultivation. “Life” is the mind and spirit, the origin; “destiny” is the physical body, the vessel.

The two complement each other and are indispensable. "If one blindly pursues the ultimate transformation of 'fate', one may even destroy its foundation (physical body)."

Where will that 'sex' reside? If the skin is gone, where will the hair attach? Isn't this going astray? What's the point of cultivating 'both sex and life' then?

This thought, like a bolt of lightning, pierced through the fog in his mind!

He seems to have been trapped in a fixed mindset, blindly following the ultimate goal of "complete Qi transformation" set by his predecessors.