Shushan Earthly Immortal

Chapter 376 Lesser Yin and Lesser Yang, the Land of Hidden Dragons

half a month later.

Sanxiang, Langshan, Tianyi Temple.

Cheng Xinzhan and Hua Yaosong put down their manuscripts almost simultaneously.

"Fellow Daoist, your thoughts are profound."

"Sir, you are a man of great talent."

The two of them spoke at the same time.

Then they smiled at each other.

After half a month of deep thought, I finally managed to build the basic framework for the four realms of Yin-Yang Talisman Technique, and after cross-checking and deducing, I confirmed that it was feasible.

The next step is to refine and fill in the details, such as the timing and location, the advancement and retreat of the fire and talismans, and the balance of yin and yang that need to be considered when refining the form and spirit. In addition, there are some spells and magic treasures that are compatible with the cultivation method, including the internal and external use of yin and yang talismans, etc.

However, once the framework of the cultivation method is out, these details become easier to follow. It's not too difficult, just takes some time.

"Now that the technique is complete, let's send it to the sect leader for review."

Cheng Xinzhan said.

Hua Yaosong nodded and began to speak.

"Sir, before we present it to the sect leader, shouldn't we first decide on the name of the cultivation technique?"

Hua Yaosong said with a smile.

Cheng Xinzhan nodded and said,

"Does fellow Daoist have any thoughts?"

Hua Yaosong then said,
"This method was first proposed by you, so it is appropriate for you to name it."

Cheng Xinzhan shook his head.
"This method was created jointly by my fellow Daoist and I, with no distinction between primary and secondary aspects. I don't yet have any ideas about its name. If you have a name in mind, feel free to share it and we can discuss it."

Hua Yaosong had been preoccupied with this matter these past few days, completely focused on it. She had indeed thought about a name, and now, hearing Cheng Xinzhan ask her this, she felt a little embarrassed, but still gave the answer.
"There are indeed two. One is the 'Secret Instructions for Reflecting the Yang in the Nine Netherworlds and Returning to Yin in the Heavenly Realm,' in which the two cultivation methods of Yin and Yang are respectively called the 'Nine Netherworlds Section' and the 'Heavenly Realm Section.' The other is the 'Essentials of Refining the Spirit and Returning to Truth in Lesser Yin and Lesser Yang,' in which Yin and Yang are divided into the 'Lesser Yin Section' and the 'Lesser Yang Section.'"

Cheng Xinzhan thought for a moment, then said,
"Let's go with the latter. Taiyin gives rise to Shaoyang, which is the beginning of Yang; Taiyang gives rise to Shaoyin, which is the beginning of Yin. Shaoyang and Shaoyin are the perfect embodiment of the principle that extremes must reverse and that Yin and Yang mutually generate each other."

Hua Yaosong nodded repeatedly upon hearing this, secretly delighted that he had actually named such a treasure trove of Yin-Yang cultivation.

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.

The two arrived at the Hebi Palace with the manuscript in their hands.

Hebi Palace was the residence of the leader of the Langshan Ximing School, named after the saying "When heaven and earth are opened and closed, heaven and earth are formed; when movement and stillness are constant, yin and yang are in motion."

Shi Tongxuan was also very busy, currently engrossed in writing and painting at his desk. Noticing the two approaching, he simply said "Come in" without even looking up. Even after the two sat down opposite him at the table, he didn't put down his brush; he merely raised his head and looked at them.

"Yao Song and Xin Zhan are here. What brings you here?"

The two placed each other's manuscripts on the table. Cheng Xinzhan gestured for Hua Yaosong to speak, so the latter began.
"Sect Leader, as I mentioned to you a few days ago, regarding the Yin and Yang Spirit cultivation methods for Xingjiang disciples, my master and I have now established the framework for the cultivation methods before the third realm, and clarified the order and key points of cultivation. We would like to ask you to take a look."

Upon hearing this, Shi Tongxuan put down his pen, picked up the two manuscripts, and began to read them carefully.

There were only two draft manuscripts, each thirty-four pages long. Shi Tongxuan, a fourth-realm cultivator, spent over two hours reading them before gently putting the manuscripts down and bursting into laughter.

"Hahaha—, Heaven truly blesses my Ximing!"

Seeing the sect leader's reaction, the two were completely relieved and burst into laughter.

"When do you plan to finish this completely so that you can distribute it to the disciples as soon as possible and let them start practicing?"

Shi Tongxuan asked.

Upon hearing this, Cheng Xinzhan looked at Hua Yaosong and said before she could reply,

"Fellow Daoist, I'll have to trouble you to take care of this matter from now on. I need to leave the sect for a while, and I probably won't be free for the next two months."

Hua Yaosong didn't care and nodded. Anyway, she didn't have much to do lately. Moreover, creating a new technique, especially a Yin-Yang technique like this, had brought her a lot of benefits. Her bottleneck of many years seemed to be loosening, and she couldn't wait to spend all her time on it.

Upon hearing this, Shi Tongxuan was displeased. He glared at him, then turned to Hua Yaosong and spoke to him in a friendly manner, mainly offering some suggestions after reading the first draft.

After chatting for a while, Hua Yaosong realized that the two, grandfather and grandson, had something to say, so he took the two manuscripts and took his leave.

Where are we going this time?

After Hua Yaosong left, Shi Tongxuan asked directly.

Cheng Xinzhan then answered,
"We can put things on hold in the East China Sea for now and go clean up the mess."

"Isn't your true form in the East China Sea?"

"There's still one more thread to connect everything. Since the main body can't escape from the sea, I can only move this avatar."

Is there any danger?

"No, it's safe."

Shi Tongxuan nodded, then looked Cheng Xinzhan up and down, and couldn't help but say,
“You’re busier than the sect leader. Three avatars aren’t enough for you. You’ve already become the vice sect leader here, yet you only leave one bamboo body here. No, you can’t even keep it; you want to leave. In my opinion, you should be the one to learn the One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones technique.”

"One Qi transforms into Three Pure Ones?"

Cheng Xinzhan heard a new word.

Shi Tongxuan immediately covered his mouth, his eyes darting around a few times before he released his hand and smiled.
"I can't say, I can't say. You'll find out when you become the vice sect leader—the vice sect leader of Sanqing Mountain, you know. Alright, if you're busy, then go ahead and do your thing. Come on, go on!"

Shi Tongxuan was only halfway through his sentence when he kicked Cheng Xinzhan out.

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.

Cheng Xinzhan left the Hebi Palace, somewhat bewildered. But judging from the name and the context of what had just happened, it seemed to be a clone technique, and one that only the deputy leader of the Sanqing Mountain was qualified to know.

He kept it in mind, putting it aside for the time being, then returned to the Tianyi Palace and called out to the lion sleeping at the entrance.
"gone!"

The mountain lord awoke, opened his eyes, and two beams of solid golden light shot into the void, flying six feet away before slowly disappearing. The snow lion leaped up, took to the air, and flew to Cheng Xinzhan's side.

The Taoist priest sat down sideways and rode the lion flying northeast.

Leaving the Three Xiang regions, passing through Yuzhang, and entering Kuaiji.

Cheng Xinzhan sped along the coast to the east of Kuaiji, where he saw a verdant mountain range standing on the edge of the vast East China Sea.

It is truly a beautiful mountain; all I see is:
Misty clouds and rosy hues embrace verdant peaks, while boundless blue waves cradle jade-like cliffs. Auspicious mists rise from the summit to the azure sky, and the dragon veins of the sea run through the mountain's base. A rainbow hangs from a thousand-foot cliff, while ten thousand acres of silver waves knock at the mountain gate.

Cheng Xinzhan knew he had found the right place, so he rode the lion down and headed towards the mountain gate.

The mountain gate is easy to find. To the west, two peaks stand facing each other like a heavenly gate, with clouds swirling around them like white dragons coiled around green pillars. Behind the twin peaks, a hundred-foot-high green cliff stands in front, like a huge screen.

A stone staircase was carved into the very center of the green cliff, like a sword mark splitting it in two. The staircase went straight up and inward, leading directly into the interior of the green stone. Because the staircase led into the interior of the green cliff, no light could penetrate it, making it appear extremely dark and deep. Moreover, from a distance, the staircase looked very narrow, like a line of ink on a piece of green Xuan paper compared to the entire green cliff.

Besides the straight ink mark in the very center that divides the Xuan paper, on either side of the ink mark are two large ancient seal characters laid flat on the Xuan paper. Each stroke is similar in width to the ink mark on the stone path, but the characters are in gold, radiating a divine light. These are:

"Hidden Dragon".

It truly is an extraordinary fairyland on land, a Buddhist kingdom by the sea, a small island of peace.

The current abbess of Hidden Dragon Mountain, Master Xiuhui, is only at the third realm, but her ancestors were wealthy and had reached the fourth, fifth, and even immortal realms. Therefore, her family is very rich, and the mountain's atmosphere is extraordinary. Although it is no longer considered a prestigious sect, it can still be called a major Zen sect and enjoys a great reputation in Kuaiji.

This Zen temple has a clear lineage and extremely high origins. It was a secluded retreat for Sudhana, a dragon maiden under the tutelage of Guanyin Bodhisattva. Long ago, the dragon maiden meditated here and took in two young boys, naming them Biyun and Baiyun, thus passing on her Dharma lineage. This is the origin of the name of Hidden Dragon Mountain, and also the origin of the two hermitages, Biyun and Baiyun, located within it.

Cheng Xinzhan rode a lion and stopped in front of the mountain gate.

The lion was so conspicuous that as soon as it stood in the air, a golden light shot out from the stone steps, heading straight for the lion. The golden light grew larger as it approached, and when it reached the lion, it turned out to be a nun on guard duty.

The nun was already astonished when she saw the magnificent lion, but when she glanced at the Taoist priest in formal robes on the lion's back, she was even more amazed, thinking he was a celestial being descended to earth as if the Heavenly Venerable of Salvation had descended to earth.

"Greetings, Venerable Master."

The Taoist priest dismounted from the lion and bowed.

The nun snapped out of her reverie, glanced at the lion again, and suddenly remembered a highly renowned Taoist master who had gained immense fame in the East in recent years. However, given the differences between Buddhism and Taoism, and the fact that the nun had never seen the real person or his portrait, she dared not confirm it, fearing she might have called the wrong person and been impolite. So she returned the greeting.

"Greetings, Daoist Master. This is Hidden Dragon Mountain. May I ask your name and what brings you here?"

Cheng Xinzhan then answered,
"This humble Taoist priest, Cheng Xinzhan, from Sanqing Mountain, requests permission from Abbot Xiuhui. I hope you will convey my request."

Although Cheng Xinzhan was serving as the deputy leader of the Ximing Sect at this time, he was still the Wanfa Scripture Master of Sanqing Mountain, the Master of Lixue Mountain, and the direct descendant of Mingzhi Mountain. Therefore, when he went out, he still had to show his identity as a member of the upper sect.

The nun on duty thought to herself, "Just as I suspected," and then quickly stepped aside to lead the way, saying,

“It turns out to be Mr. Guanghong in person. The abbot is in the mountains. Please come with me into the mountains and wait for a while. I will go and invite the abbot right away.”

Faced with such a distinguished guest, it is certainly inappropriate to leave him waiting outside the mountain. Even if the abbot is not in the mountain today, he should still be invited in for a cup of fragrant tea; otherwise, it would be impolite. Moreover, since he has come alone today, if he had brought an entourage, the mountain gates would have been opened wide to welcome him.

Cheng Xinzhan thanked her and, no longer riding the lion, flew with the nun towards the mountain gate on a cloud, with the lion following behind.

The stone steps leading into the mountain look small from a distance, like a thin line, but when you get close and fly into them, you will find that these stone steps are not small at all. They are more than ten feet wide, carved out of the green cliff, and thousands of steps long.

There were many young cultivators practicing their strength and hard work on the mountain path, climbing the steps with heavy loads.

However, Cheng Xinzhan naturally didn't need to climb the steps. Led by the nun, she flew directly into the stone path from above. On both sides of the stone path, there were many lamps shaped like Buddha's hand holding a flower, making the inside not too dark. Cheng Xinzhan also saw many murals and scriptures, mainly depicting the scene and story of the Dragon Girl subduing the sea monster.

The mountain gate was flanked by a towering cliff over five hundred feet high. After flying for a while, the sunlight returned. Beyond this cliff lay another magnificent scene of a celestial mountain, where the legendary Solomon's seal and ginseng grew beside the stream, and fragrant orchids bloomed hidden in the crevices of rocks. I will not elaborate further for now.

After exiting the rocky cliff and entering the cave, they saw Abbess Xiuhui leading several high-ranking monks on their way.

Cheng Xinzhan stepped forward, made a hand seal in front of his chest, and nodded slightly.

"Host, Xiuhui, I apologize for disturbing you."

Master Xiuhui smiled warmly, her expression compassionate and serene, showing no trace of the anger and fury she displayed while chasing down Aunt Hong overseas a few days ago. The Master returned the greeting and smiled.

"Mr. Guanghong, it is an honor to have you grace us with your presence. We apologize for not being able to welcome you properly."

Cheng Xinzhan said in succession,
"You are too kind, host. It is impolite of me to arrive without prior notice."

At the same time, Cheng Xinzhan realized that both the welcoming nuns and the abbess addressed him as "Master Guanghong," the title bestowed upon him by the Dragon Palace, rather than "Master Guangfa," the title bestowed upon him by the Daoist sect. This revealed that, even today, compared to the Dragon Clan, Hidden Dragon Mountain still leans more towards the Dragon Clan.

Seeing the humble demeanor of the renowned Taoist Shenxiu, Abbess Xiuhui felt quite relaxed and stepped aside, extending her arm in greeting.

"Sir, please come inside."

So the group walked deeper into the Ling Mountain and came to an elegant bamboo hut on the edge of a cliff with a direct view of the sea, where they sat down according to their order of seniority.

After some greetings and pleasantries, the hostess, Abbess Xiuhui, began to get down to business.
"I wonder what brings you here, sir? What brings you here?"

Cheng Xin gazed at the vast sea, and instead of answering, asked a question.
"Did the host go out to sea about two weeks ago?"

Master Xiuhui raised an eyebrow. Many people from her own family had left the sect in a hurry, so it couldn't be kept secret. But how could this person be concerned about something that happened at sea?
“That’s true.”

"We've captured a Golden Core Sea Demon?"

Master Xiuhui's expression grew even more doubtful, but she still nodded and said,

"Yes."

So Cheng Xinzhan asked again.
"Does that siren have a black, spot-like burn mark on its belly, and a two-hole snake bite mark?"

Master Xiuhui looked surprised and doubtful, but after a few breaths, she suddenly realized what was happening. Looking at Cheng Xinzhan, her words were now tinged with a smile.
"So the expert who saved Consort Hong Yu that day was actually you, sir!"

"Oh? So Aunt Hong's real name is Yufei, which is a poetic name. It's true that she doesn't live up to her name."

Cheng Xinzhan smiled.

Seeing that Cheng Xinzhan did not deny it, Abbess Xiuhui's smile widened, and she rose and bowed.
"Please forgive my poor eyesight for not recognizing my benefactor at first glance. We are truly grateful for your righteous help this time, sir, which has been a great help to Hidden Dragon Mountain. Please do not refuse to stay at our humble temple for a few more days, so that we may prepare generous gifts to express our gratitude."

Cheng Xinzhan stood up, helped Master Xiuhui to her feet, and said with a smile,

"To reside on Mount Ling and gaze upon the vast ocean is something this humble Taoist longs for. But if the abbot thinks that this humble Taoist has come here specifically to ask for thanks, then he has misunderstood me."

Master Xiuhui smiled upon hearing this.

"It is because I am shallow."

The two sat down, and Cheng Xinzhan continued their previous conversation.
“When the nun went out to sea, I had an incarnation on Red Cloud Island, disguised as a demon from Earth Yin Island, and devised a plan to make the demons fight each other. Originally, Aunt Hong Er could have just escaped, but I saw that this demon seemed to have stolen a treasure from Mount Ling, and the nun was in hot pursuit, so I secretly used my methods to injure this demon.”

Upon hearing this, the nun said,
"Indeed, it's a family scandal that's come to your attention, sir. To be honest, this sea monster was actually a disciple of my Zen temple. He cultivated in the mountains for a hundred years, but in the end, he broke the precept against greed, stole treasures and went to sea, becoming a demon king and causing a lot of trouble."

Cheng Xinzhan was quite surprised to hear this. So this was the background of Hong Eryi, the second most powerful general under the Crocodile King and from Luoxia Island. However, upon further reflection, it made perfect sense. Hong Eryi's supernatural powers, spells, magical treasures, and dharma forms were all extraordinary, especially her dharma form, which looked majestic and imposing—something no ordinary rogue demon could create. If she came from the Dragon Maiden's lineage, then it wouldn't be surprising that she could create the Chiwen dharma form.

"I see."

He nodded.

"Sir, what brings you to Diyin Island?"

"Master Xiuhui asked. Moreover, she guessed that this Taoist priest had come because of this, and he couldn't possibly have come just to say that he had helped. Besides, since this person didn't want a gift, he must need Hidden Dragon Mountain's help in some other way, so she might as well pass on the message first, so that this person wouldn't be hesitant to ask."

In response to this question, Cheng Xinzhan did not answer but instead asked a question, pointing to the sea route.
"Is that mountain island Red Cloud Island?"

Following Cheng Xinzhan's gaze, Abbess Xiuhui saw a strikingly dark shadow suddenly appear on the vast expanse of blue water. She nodded and said,

"Yes, that's the Demon Island. It used to be bright and beautiful, but now it seems to have been taken over by the Yin Island."

Cheng Xinzhan nodded, and then spoke.

"Red Cloud Island and Hidden Dragon Mountain are so close, facing each other across the sea. It can serve as a springboard for the Spirit Mountain to sail out to sea, and also as a lookout point to guard against overseas demons. Rather than letting this island be occupied by overseas demons, has the abbot ever considered taking over this island and making it part of the mainland?"

　Requesting monthly votes and recommendations! Comments and messages are welcome!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)