Starting Cultivation During a Trip

The unformed embryo was forcibly pierced with nine holes, like the nine orifices of the human body...

A warm, beating heart was connected to a serpentine skeleton...

...

On beds filled with patients, some of whom Yun Jianyue recognized, their heads connected to various tubes inserted into their scalps...

”What is that?” Zhang Fan finally couldn’t resist asking.

”In Daoist cultivation, there is a special Immortal Technique known as the Sleeping Technique,” Yun Jianyue said calmly.

When people sleep, their thoughts quiet, the Consciousness dims, closely resembling the innate natural state. Besides this, the closest state one could achieve would be that of the Living Dead.

Therefore, in ancient times, some great minds within the Daoist Sect thought that if one could cultivate in dreams, perhaps one could comprehend the Path of Pure Yang Wuji, uncovering the secret of eternal life.

”Ancestor Xi Yi!” Zhang Fan mused.

Chen Tuan, Chen Xiyi, was a grandmaster of the Alchemy Dao during the Song Dynasty. It is said he achieved the Path of Pure Yang Wuji in his dreams, becoming part of the Earthly Immortals, ascending in daylight.

”The Sleeping Immortal, the Sleeping Immortal, resting in high tranquility beyond time, the Three Lights descending, nature round as self-completion,” Yun Jianyue murmured softly.

”In nature, the snake is closest to this state... In winter, they hide underground, a mouthful of earth in their mouths, hibernating in a false death, awaiting the spring thunder to awaken, reborn as if resurrected, with even the potential to ascend to the heavens, transforming into a dragon.”

In the Daoist Sect, snakes are also referred to as Hidden Dragons, because they possess both the false-death hibernating method and the Dragon and Snake Transformation for revival.

”That hospital was both a mortal purgatory and a place of cultivation, both a Daoist cave abode and a demonic lair in the Red Dust...” Yun Jianyue sneered.

”Those patients were merely materials for alchemy. In dreams, the brain secretes special substances which, combined with the Hidden Dragon technique, may forge the Technique for eternal life...” Yun Jianyue said calmly.

”But alas, eternal life... throughout history, who can truly achieve it?”

”Most of those materials turned into monsters...”

At this point, Yun Jianyue turned her head, meeting Zhang Fan’s unusual gaze, and let out a light laugh.

”I am also just a material for alchemy, destined to become a monster sooner or later... so...”

”So what?” Zhang Fan asked solemnly.

”That night... I locked all the exits of the hospital, setting a fire that burned everything away...” Yun Jianyue smiled, her expression full of righteousness and retribution.

”You burned them all to death inside?” Zhang Fan couldn’t help asking.

”Surviving would only mean becoming a monster...” Yun Jianyue said calmly.

”What about yourself?” Zhang Fan countered.

”I was there too... so I was also in that fire...” Yun Jianyue grinned, as if talking about someone else.

”You didn’t leave?” Zhang Fan asked with incredulity, scrutinizing Yun Jianyue.

”I still remember the sensation of that fire, skin and flesh burning, until even the bones melted away...” The smile on Yun Jianyue’s face grew increasingly eerie.

”At the moment I turned to ashes, I woke up...”

With those words, Zhang Fan was stunned. Then he strangely asked, ”Did you have a dream?”

”Who knows? Perhaps life itself is just a dream,” Yun Jianyue shrugged, spreading her hands and shaking her head.

”When I awoke, I was in a Daoist temple, lying in an earthen pit, surrounded only by the dim glow of candlelight...” Yun Jianyue’s eyes became somewhat dazed.

”So many people, only you woke up.”

A gentle voice echoed eerily in the temple, and soon after, a young girl, clutching an oil lamp, walked over.

”You’re not bad, you may stay with me.” The girl spoke with an air of seniority.

”Who are you?” Yun Jianyue asked then.

”Human Xiao.”

”You are Human Xiao!?”

The answer caused the newly awakened Yun Jianyue to reveal an unusual expression. In her mind, this name seemed supreme, inviolable.

”Not yet, but I will be,” the girl said, setting the lamp down casually.

”Then who are you now?”

”I’m called...”

”Li Linglong!”

The girl’s words resounded in Yun Jianyue’s mind, time seemed to blur but could not erase them, as they emerged from her mouth at that moment.

”Li...”

Zhang Fan’s eyes widened, his face trembled lightly, showing an expression of disbelief.

”You didn’t hear wrong... The girl standing before me was Li Linglong back then...”

”The future leader of the Thirteen Zodiacs!”

”She, was Human Xiao!”