Shushan Earthly Immortal

Chapter 371 Sitting and Discussing the Dao, Embracing Yin and Yang
"Fellow Daoist actually advocates cultivating the Yin Spirit? But the physical body of the Zombie is already an extremely Yin entity, being a reincarnation of a dead spirit. If one were to cultivate the Yin Spirit, creating Yin within Yin, wouldn't that be going too far astray?"

Cheng Xinzhan frowned.

Early the next morning, the newly appointed vice leader, Hua Yaosong, came to visit, and the two agreed to write cultivation techniques for the Yin Corpse disciples in the sect.

In fact, Cheng Xinzhan had already started working on this a long time ago. He was proficient in the Yin-Yang Corpse Dissolution Technique and currently kept four Yin Corpses, so he was quite confident in creating the technique. Moreover, as the Vice Master of Tianyi Hall, he was in charge of lecturing on scriptures, and compiling cultivation methods was also one of his responsibilities.

However, now that a fourth-realm Yin Corpse has arrived in the sect, a figure who can be called a sect patriarch, it's best to have him review the cultivation method I've compiled. After all, I'm still human, and I certainly don't understand the specific cultivation details of Yin Corpses as clearly as he does.

Cheng Xinzhan was quite surprised that this person, after reviewing the cultivation method he had compiled, would directly raise a different opinion on whether the Yin Corpse Primordial Spirit should cultivate the Yin Spirit or the Yang Spirit. This greatly surprised Cheng Xinzhan, because in Cheng Xinzhan's view, this was the last place where a disagreement should arise.

How could there be yin within yin? Wouldn't that contradict the great principle of yin and yang working together?
So he asked this question.

Hua Yaosong, sitting opposite Cheng Xinzhan, smiled and asked in return,

"The Pure Yang Way of Lü Zu advocates eliminating all impurities and achieving pure Qian. So what's wrong with my Yin clan pursuing Yin within Yin to reach primordial Yin? Could it be that Yin and Yang are of different levels?"

Cheng Xinzhan shook his head.
“I also disagree with the way of Lü Zu. All things carry yin and embrace yang. Isolated yin cannot produce life, and solitary yang cannot grow. The great way of heaven and earth is not about seeking the ultimate, but about mutual assistance.”

Hua Yaosong was taken aback upon hearing this, then chuckled. He hadn't expected this Master Guangfa to be so bold as to directly deny Lu Zu. However, when it came to the Great Dao, he wouldn't back down or compromise, so he said...
"Yang moves and acts, Yin remains still and hides; Yang moves and emerges, Yin follows and enters. Yang's movement is the mutual generation of virtue; Yin's stillness is the mutual formation of form."

"The walking corpse is Yin, residing in the hidden, entering, and manifesting forms. Cultivating the Yin spirit aligns perfectly with the principles of Yin and Yang. What's wrong with that? If you're worried that isolated Yin cannot generate anything, haven't you heard of the saying, 'Yang returns to its beginning and end, Yin reaches its extreme and then reverses to Yang'? As long as you cultivate to the extreme of primordial Yin, Yang energy will naturally arise, and you can still attain the Great Dao."

Cheng Xinzhan shook his head again and retorted,
The saying "Yang returns to its beginning and end, Yin returns to Yang" is true, but reaching Yin is not something that can be achieved in a single sentence. Before reaching Yin, one's body is filled with Yin energy, which will inevitably breed evil thoughts. This is similar to how those who cultivate pure Yang are prone to anger, and it is unavoidable and an obstacle on the path of cultivation.

"In my opinion, embracing yin and yang, with form as yin and spirit as yang, is more in line with the principle of yin and yang, and can make the stiff walk steadily and go far."

Hua Yaosong smiled upon hearing this. If this Master Guangfa only wanted to discuss the principles of Yin and Yang, then she couldn't argue with him and wouldn't bother. But if his intention was to discuss Xingjiang's cultivation and future, then she was willing to have a discussion with him. So she said,

"Sir, you are not of the Yin race, so how do you know that cultivating the Yang spirit is more beneficial to the Yin race?"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Xinzhan immediately thought of the idiom "You are not a fish," but he couldn't respond like the Master Nan Hua with "You are not me," otherwise they wouldn't be able to reach a conclusion today. He said,

"I practice the Corpse Dissolution Technique and have had three incarnations, each with a different element: wood, water, and fire. I am currently still using the wood and fire incarnations. I am also quite proficient in the technique of borrowing a corpse to return to life. Whether it is an incarnation or a borrowed corpse, I use the yang spirit. I also have four yin corpses, all of which are now at the Golden Core stage, with the highest reaching the Sixth Cleansing stage. They all cultivate the yang spirit and have never made a mistake."

Upon hearing this, Hua Yaosong immediately understood and smiled.

"May I ask, what are the origins and qualities of your incarnation and your Yin Corpse?"

Cheng Xinzhan was taken aback upon hearing this, then frowned. He understood what Hua Yaosong was trying to say, but still answered truthfully.
"The fit is very good."

To be honest, none of the Dustless Lotus, Karmic Fire Lotus, Seven-Section Staff, Drought Demon, Beetle, Green Face, and Shooting Demon were of poor quality. In other words, those with poor quality would never have come into my hands.

"This is it."

Hua Yaosong nodded and said,

"Sir, you come from the immortal sect and are well-versed in the Great Dao of Yin and Yang. The method of cultivating the Yang Spirit must be extremely profound, with excellent transformations in both incarnation and Yin Corpse forms. Therefore, whether you inhabit the Yang Spirit or cultivate it yourself, it is not a problem."

Cheng Xinzhan knew that Hua Yaosong's next sentence would be "but".

"However, cultivating the Yang Spirit is not something that can be achieved in a day. If you want to cultivate the Yang Spirit, then the path of cultivation from the True Spirit to the Soul, and then from the Soul to the Primordial Spirit, must be traversed through the Yang aspect, just like the matter of eating purple."

"But you should also know that among all the corpses in the world, those with extraordinary origins are ultimately a minority. The vast majority of the muddled zombies awaken from the earth, their bodies filled with yin energy and decaying. How can they eat purple food or observe yang energy? If they cultivate according to your method, it is possible to eliminate the evil thoughts of the zombies, but in the long run, their lives will be in danger."

Hua Yaosong said earnestly.

When Hua Yaosong inquired about his Yin Corpse aptitude, Cheng Xinzhan had already anticipated her response and realized his own problem. Indeed, he hadn't encountered anyone with low aptitude in his long history, which had caused him to overlook this issue.

At this moment, he frowned slightly and said,

"However, although the solitary yin is easy to learn, the drawbacks become more and more obvious as you progress."

Hua Yaosong said,
"Whether to prioritize the difficult aspects is a matter for every lineage. If your aim is to cultivate elites and select the best, then the 'embracing yin and yang' method is naturally suitable. However, if your goal is to universally save the yin race and perform good deeds, I suggest that the 'yin within yin' method is more appropriate."

Cheng Xinzhan still frowned. The founding principles and doctrines of the Ximing Sect dictated that the sect should naturally save the Yin race and do good deeds, but the method of "hiding Yin within Yin" made Cheng Xinzhan feel very awkward.

Hua Yaosong looked at Cheng Xinzhan's expression and said,
"Sir, there's no need to worry. All schools of thought in the world face this problem. We can also divide our disciples into outer and inner sects. If you don't like the names, you can call them the Yin-Yang and Yang-Embracing Paths. It's just a name. Those with weaker foundations can cultivate the Yin-Yang Path, and those with stronger foundations can cultivate the Yang-Embracing Path. How about that?"

Hua Yaosong is currently the deputy leader of the Zidong Hall, in charge of recruiting and selecting new members. It is her duty to teach according to their aptitude based on their merits.

Cheng Xinzhan did not immediately agree, still deep in thought.

Seeing this, Hua Yaosong did not urge him, but she did not believe that this person could solve the problem. However, if this renowned Mr. Renhui Guangfa was stuck in a rut and refused to come out, it would be somewhat disappointing.

Cheng Xinzhan's mind was filled with thoughts as he considered a solution that would satisfy both sides. He was unwilling to implement the helpless measure Hua Yaosong had mentioned, as it would undoubtedly cut off the path to advancement for ordinary Yin Corpses.

Just as fingers are not perfectly aligned, each has its own shortcomings, and aptitude influences cultivation—this is naturally unavoidable. However, if one's cultivation method and future path are predetermined from the very beginning due to aptitude issues, this is something Cheng Xinzhan finds unacceptable. "Fellow Daoist!"

After a moment, Cheng Xinzhan's eyes lit up, and he finally opened his mouth.

"What are your thoughts, sir?"

Hua Yaosong also looked over with a hint of anticipation. If there was a way to achieve the best of both worlds, that would be even better. The two of them were only trying to find a better home for Xing Jiang, not to compete with each other.

Cheng Xinzhan said,

“The true human being is not different, but makes good use of things; the ultimate way is not strange, but seeks truth through the false. Since the Yin corpse is Yin in form and not suitable for receiving Yang, then how about this? We will imitate some beings and traditions and give our disciples a life-bound magic weapon.”

"The magic weapon of destiny?"

Hua Yaosong countered with a question. This concept wasn't uncommon; many demon races and other species possessed it. They would take the part of themselves with the strongest magical energy, refine it into a magical weapon, and use it to advance their cultivation, even nourishing themselves in return. For example, the Jiaolong race liked to refine their horns into spears and clubs, while the Canine race liked to refine their teeth into swords. Besides, many human lineages also had the concept of natal magical weapons, such as natal talismans, natal Gu (a type of poison), natal seals, and natal flying swords.

This kind of natal artifact has both advantages and disadvantages. The advantages are its great power, ease of advancement, and responsiveness to control. The disadvantages are that it makes one overly reliant on external objects, resulting in less focus on studying one's physical body, life force, and magical abilities. In addition, if the natal artifact is destroyed, the damage to oneself is extremely severe.

"Yes, it's my natal magic weapon."

Cheng Xinzhan nodded and said,
"Let your disciples choose a natal magic weapon, such as a talisman. If they find it difficult or fearful to embrace Yang when they first enter the sect, they should first cultivate Yin, but they must receive a Yang talisman natal magic weapon to absorb the Yang energy of heaven and earth on their behalf, keep it close to their body day and night, but not to the point of burning their bodies."

"After cultivating for a period of time, such as reaching the middle stage of the second realm, one can consider forming the core. At this time, the physical body is relatively stable, and because of the existence of the natal Yang treasure, it is less resistant to Yang. One can then try to guide the soul out of the body and into the Yang talisman to change Yin into Yang. Furthermore, since time has already been spent cultivating the Yang treasure, changing Yin into Yang at this time will not waste much time."

"If, after reaching the second realm, you still fear the sun as your mortal enemy and cannot overcome the hurdle in your heart, then we will not force you. The sect will take back the Yang Talisman and instead bestow upon you a Yin Talisman with pure energy, in exchange for a natal talisman. This can be considered as some compensation for the wasted years."

“We wash away the personal aura of these recovered Yang talismans, retaining only their Yang nature, and then give them to disciples who have cultivated the Yang path from the beginning and persevered in it.”

Cheng Xinzhan paused, his eyes shining even brighter, the more he spoke, the more feasible it seemed, and continued...
"The disciples who initially chose to cultivate the Yang Embrace Path were either ambitious or had good aptitude. However, as you said, the Yin Corpse is Yin in form. If they start by cultivating the Yang True Spirit and absorbing the Yang energy, they will definitely damage their spirit. Therefore, we give these disciples Yin talismans when they enter the sect."

"These disciples consume yang energy during the day. If their souls are damaged, they can use yin talismans at night to heal themselves. When they reach the second realm and decide their path, those disciples who are determined to follow the path of embracing yang will have their yin talismans taken away and will be given yang talismans that are full of yang energy and have a pure aura. For those disciples who have been unable to tolerate yang energy for many years, they can now let their souls leave their bodies and fall into yin talismans, changing their yang energy to yin energy, and continue their cultivation."

"In this way, because the Yin and Yang paths complement and flow together, these disciples won't waste much of their time, and the sect won't incur too much additional cost. However, it gives these disciples a chance to choose again, so they don't have to waste their future potential because of their initial aptitude."

"Fellow Daoist, what do you think?"

Cheng Xinzhan looked at Hua Yaosong with anticipation in his eyes. This idea originated from his act of extracting Yin bones and Yin blood to refine "Youdu". The flying sword was pure Yin and the physical body was pure Yang, which was a perfect combination of Yin and Yang. At the same time, he also took into account the characteristics of some Three Mountains Talismans and refined them.

And what did Hua Yaosong think? She was naturally astonished!

In this way, those who are initially reckless have a way out, and those who are initially hesitant have a springboard. Everyone has an opportunity, and everyone has a choice. The key lies in the balance of Yin and Yang. For the disciples, no time is wasted, and for the sect, no precious materials are wasted.

What a brilliant idea!
Moreover, this ingenious idea is not simply about creating a spell; it will become a system. In other words, with this system, this young Taoist priest can already be called a patriarch!
"Benevolent and benevolent, with extensive Dharma"—indeed, there is no wrong title in this world. Truly benevolent and benevolent, truly with extensive Dharma.

Hua Yaosong rose, gave a graceful bow, and said,

"I thank you, sir, for all the Yin Corpses in the world. From now on, there will be a brand new path for the cultivation of Yin Corpses."

Cheng Xinzhan stood up, walked around the table, helped the fairy up, and said,
"Fellow Daoist, you flatter me. This is only the beginning. If it is to be truly accomplished, your participation is indispensable. How about this: you compile the Yin Chapter, and I will create the Yang Chapter. We will first create the cultivation methods before the Three Realms, and then we will review and revise each other's work, compile the book, and then submit it to the Sect Leader for final approval. What do you say?"

"So good."

Hua Yaosong naturally nodded in agreement, and at the same time sighed inwardly that he had made the right choice by joining Ximing.

Whether human or corpse, the physical body will eventually decay, but there are three things that are immortal: virtue, merit, and words. When I was alone, I followed my master's teachings and never hesitated to do good and save people, but those were ultimately just small favors, and I dared not dream of great virtue or merit. Now that I have just joined the Ximing Sect, I am able to participate in the work of establishing words that benefit many living beings, which is truly exhilarating. If in the future I can use the prestige of the sect to spread the way of Qingnang, then I will have no regrets in this life.

The two sat down again, and Cheng Xinzhan, remembering something, asked as he did so.

"Fellow Daoist, speaking of the treasures of Yin and Yang, I would like to ask a question that is unrelated to the main topic."

"Sir, please speak."

"I wonder if you know of such a magical artifact, which is a net of magic, with meshes like eyes that can open and close, numbering in the millions, emitting a dark blue light, its spirit cold and sinister."

Cheng Xinzhan suddenly asked, because he remembered that the person in front of him was a genuine ancient corpse of the fourth realm, who had been famous for a long time. He wondered if the person had ever heard of the demonic net of the demon corpse Gu Chen.

"Azure-eyed Heavenly Net?"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Note:
In Chapter 224 of this book, it was mentioned that the cultivation levels of the primordial spirit are divided into three stages: Human God, Yin God, and Yang God. Their manifestations are as follows: Human God cannot leave the body for an extended period of time; Yin God can travel at night or reside in the underworld; and Yang God can leave the physical body and go anywhere. (For details, please refer back to the original text.)
However, while writing this chapter, it was discovered that this division of realms could easily lead to confusion with the Yin-Yang attributes of the primordial spirit itself. Therefore, the three realms of the primordial spirit have been changed to Guarding Oneness, Night Wandering, and Day Wandering, namely Guarding Oneness God, Night Wandering God, and Day Wandering God. This has been changed in the previous text and will be followed in the following text. Special note.

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(End of this chapter)