Starting Cultivation During a Trip

Morning, Yujing City.

Subway Line 2.

In the crowded carriage, a variety of smells linger: the scent of pancake with Montreal sausage, the cheap pungent fragrance of perfume, the body odor of someone who sweated all day without taking a shower…

In such an environment, people from all walks of life start their day of hustle and toil to make a living.

In the corner of the carriage, Zhang Fan stood with a hollow stance, tongue touching the roof of his mouth, eyelids drooping, seeming neither open nor closed.

Frequent visitors to temples and Daoist temples would notice that the eyes of the statues of gods and buddhas inside are similarly drooping, seemingly closed yet open, leaving only a sliver of gaze.

Such a simple action by Zhang Fan is called the ”Supreme Profound Divine Water Creation Method.” The eyes narrow to a slit, letting only the celestial light in, allowing for divine travel into the great void, free from thoughts and concerns.

It must be known that the most draining on one’s vitality and energy are the desires and thoughts in a person’s life.

The Daoist Scripture says, in the north is the vast sea, from which emerges the Profound Turtle that exhales true qi, transforming it into divine water, which then nourishes the kidneys. Thus, divine water is the root of qi, which enters and exits through breathing. One exhale extends an inch, one inhale takes in an inch. If one can speak less, think less, and labor less, an inch is generated in an hour, and during sleep, an inch as well.

The so-called ”Profound Turtle” refers to a person’s kidneys, with kidney qi as the innate source and acquired foundation.

In the secret language of the Daoist Sect, divine water also refers to the nourishment of the body by kidney qi. If one can think, speak, and labor less, it can increase; besides, it also increases during sleep.

Therefore, the Daoist Family believes that sleep is the best health care method.

However, even in dreams, a person’s souls may become unruly, so one should achieve no thoughts during the day and no dreams at night, maintaining a stable state to preserve the divine water. In this way, vitality flourishes, the body gradually strengthens, and over time, one may achieve the effect of ”longevity and immortality.”

Such a simple action by Zhang Fan can achieve the effect of fewer thoughts and concerns.

If a person can achieve thoughtlessness, whatever they do will be twice as effective with half the effort.

Zhang Fan recalled a martial arts novel he read in high school, where there was an extremely powerful sword technique, claimed to be invincible in the world, named the ”Sword of Thoughtlessness.” The only heart method for practicing this sword technique was achieving a state of no thoughts, and once in this state, the sword technique was like gods and ghosts, deciding life and death in a flash.

In fact, there is a similar success heart method in the Daoist Sect, called ”Using Non-action.”

In anything, overthinking leads to failure. By treating non-existence as existence, great success is ensured.

”Sister, there is a practitioner over there.”

At this moment, from the other end of the carriage, a pair of eyes was observing Zhang Fan.

It was a young girl with a ponytail, delicate features, and fair skin, wearing a jade ring on her right hand. Beside her was a slightly older woman, graceful in appearance, with long hair down to her waist, full of charm.

Hearing the words, the long-haired beauty followed the gaze of the ponytailed girl towards Zhang Fan.

”Supreme Profound Divine Water... a legitimate health care method of the Daoist Sect.”

The eyes of the long-haired beauty slightly focused and turned the ponytailed girl’s head away.

”Don’t stare.”

”What’s wrong?” the ponytailed girl asked in confusion.

”This is not a Wild Fox Zen who picked it up along the way,” said the long-haired beauty in a firm voice.

A health care method, unlike a cultivation method, can also be tried by ordinary people. But to achieve One-Pointed Meditation in such an environment, remaining unmoved regardless of external circumstances, this is true skill, a state that cannot be entered without the awakening of the primordial spirit and frequent contemplation of Daoist skills.

”This person’s primordial spirit has awakened, and any casual peeking will be detected.”

An ordinary person, with keen perception, sitting there might sense someone looking at them, let alone a cultivator!?

”A truly hidden one hides in the city... Sister, times have indeed changed. Such Daoists used to only be seen in the deep mountains, and now they can be seen on the subway…”

”No wonder Grandpa said, in the End of Dharma Era, even the upper skill must blend in with the dust of the world,” said the ponytailed girl.

”A truly hidden one hides in the city?”

The long-haired beauty instinctively glanced at Zhang Fan, not far away.

”What kind of true hidden one is he? Such an existence would not show skills to ordinary people nor flaunt them in the busy city.”

The long-haired beauty chuckled softly. In her view, he was just someone who had grasped the basics, a diligent yet ordinary cultivator.

”Miao Yu, this is Yujing City, the Jiangnan Capital. It is naturally full of hidden talents. Although your Daoist skill has achieved small success, you’ve come to a big place, so you must be more low-key,” the long-haired beauty advised.

”Got it, sister…” Zhou Miaoyu pouted slightly displeased. ”You’ve been saying this all the way.”

Zhou Miaochan, upon hearing this, just smiled and said no more. Her peripheral vision instinctively swept the carriage, but she no longer saw any trace of Zhang Fan.

”Has he gotten off?”

”Sister, the person we’re meeting today… what’s their name again?” Zhou Miaoyu suddenly asked.

”Li Yishan.”

Zhou Miaochan slightly parted her lips, uttering a name.

...

Taoyuan Square, seventeenth floor.

Night is not bright.

Having wandered around for a week before returning to work, it truly felt a bit unfamiliar.

”My current realm should be considered to have stepped into the ’Spirit Department’ tier.”

Entering the elevator, Zhang Fan was still pondering cultivation, silently calculating his own strength.

In the Daoist Sect’s realm, once the primordial spirit awakens, after the initial night wander, one can be divided into nine levels: ’Qi Worker,’ ’Technique Apprentice,’ ’Profound Master,’ ’Spirit Department,’ ’High Skill,’ ’Mahasattva,’ ’Sect Leader,’ ’Observatory Master,’ and ’Celestial Master.’

Qi cultivation, naturally, needs no further explanation; it’s merely the work of the primordial spirit gathering herbs, refining, and nurturing the True Yang—a water-grinding effort.

Technique Apprentice is the state where the True Yang is abundant, and the primordial spirit is robust enough to practice magic.