Journey to the West: Beginning with the Apprenticeship of Bodhi Patriarch

Chapter 69 Practice
It is said that Jiang Tong'er left the Wuzhuang Temple on Wanshou Mountain and returned to Fangcun Mountain. He experienced the hot summer and the frosty autumn, and finally returned home.

He rode a white deer up the mountain and approached Sanxing Cave. He was delighted that he could finally meet the master. He dismounted the white deer and patted the deer's body.

Jiang Yuan said, "You promised me to travel thousands of miles, and I will remember this matter. Now I am returning to the mountains, and you can go there to recuperate. If anyone bullies you, you can come to me for justice."

The white deer rubbed against the boy, cried out, and disappeared into the mountains in no time.

Jiang Yuan had just entered the Sanxing Immortal Cave and walked onto the road, where he saw one junior fellow performing a ceremony and another giving a lecture. There were about thirty or forty people, and it was quite lively, most of them were strangers.

There are generations of disciples in the Sanxing Immortal Cave.

Judging from the luck of other people, most of them are restless and don't seem to be practicing at all.

Jiang Yuan sighed inwardly, but did not stop, and went straight to Yaotai. Suddenly, a voice was heard and someone stopped him.

"Big brother."

Jiang Tonger looked up and saw that it was his junior brother Zhenjian. He said, "Junior brother."

Zhen Jian approached and bowed: "Big Brother! Where have you been after not seeing you for decades? I am so worried. If it weren't for Master telling me that Big Brother is fine, I would be so restless!"

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "I went to visit a famous mountain and just returned. Don't worry, Junior Brother. I wonder what generation the disciples in the mansion are now? I don't know any of them."

Zhenjian said, "Big Brother, the disciples in the mansion come and go, and most of them are familiar. The twelve generations under the master are called 'great wisdom, true nature sea, wise enlightenment'. The generation in the mansion right now is 'Ying', which is the ninth generation."

Jiang Yuan nodded and said, "Thank you for clearing up my doubts, Junior Brother. Junior Brother, I will go to pay my respects to my master. I will talk to you again when I am free someday."

Zhen Jian made way for him and said, "Brother, go ahead! Brother, go ahead!"

Jiang Yuan walked straight towards the Yaotai. When he arrived there, he did not see the master sitting there. He turned to the small path behind the platform and soon arrived in front of the quiet room.

He raised his head and looked ahead, only to see that the door to the quiet room was wide open and the master was curled up on the bed, sleeping facing inward.

Jiang Tong'er gently picked up the whisk, spread out his robe, and carefully walked to the door of the master's quiet room. He knelt there, waiting for the master to fall asleep, without any impatience.

After a while, the master stretched out his legs, put on his robes and sat cross-legged. He looked at Jiang Yuan and said, "Tong'er, when did you come back? Why didn't you wake me up?"

Jiang Yuan shook his head and smiled, "Master, I just came back not long ago. I saw you sleeping peacefully, so how dare I disturb you? I will just wait for you to wake up."

When the master heard this, he was very happy and said to himself, "I am happy not because the boy is filial, but because he has succeeded in nurturing. This way has all five steps, and intercourse is very easy. The elixir will be completed soon, but the boy has not become arrogant. This is the way to succeed in elixir. If he becomes arrogant, his practice will fail."

Jiang Yuan said: "Master, my warming and nourishing skill has been completed!"

The master said, "I expected this, I expected this! The boy will make the elixir soon. Will there be any mishaps while you are guarding the mountain?"

Jiang Yuan said: "Nothing has happened. The Great Immortal Zhen Yuanzi left the mountain for more than seventy years, and I took over the responsibility of guarding the mountain. After a while, evil spirits invaded the mountain, and I was told to retreat. When the Great Immortal Zhen Yuanzi returned, I encountered eighty-one difficulties in the acupoints of the two feet, and could not make any progress. The Great Immortal helped me with one achievement, and then I was able to achieve success."

The master nodded and said, "Very good!"

Jiang Yuan kowtowed and said, "Master, I haven't been in the mountains for so many years. Master, are you okay?"

The master got up from the bed, helped the boy up, and said, "All right, you get up now."

Jiang Tong'er supported the master with his hand and sat on the cushion. He said, "I haven't heard the master preach for many years. I miss you very much."

The ancestor smiled and said, "Your elixir will soon be completed, and the Tao will become true. The immortal appearance will appear. When your merits are complete, no one in the three realms who does not have great magical powers will be able to defeat you. Why do you still appear as a boy?"

Jiang Yuan said: "Master, what are you talking about? No matter how high my cultivation is, I am still a child in your family."

Upon hearing this, the master patted the boy's head and said, "Don't worry, your home is here. If you are away from home in the future and miss home or feel scared, just look back and Fang Cun Mountain will be there."

Jiang Yuan once again thanked the master for his kindness. The master helped the boy up and said, "Go and have a rest."

Jiang Yuan didn't dare to disturb him anymore, so he left the room and went to his quiet room to cultivate his mind.

……

The next day.

The master suddenly ascended the altar and sat down, calling all the disciples from the fairy cave to come together, and they entered the class one by one to listen to his teachings.

Jiang Yuan was not wearing the purple robe of the sun and moon, but his arrival also shocked the disciples. It was because Jiang Tong'er's immortal appearance no longer needed to be revealed through clothes. This was the sign that the alchemy was about to be accomplished. The four medicines in the cauldron were storing energy, the acupoints in his body were connected, and there was a majestic spirit in his eyes.

When all the disciples heard that this person would become the eldest senior brother, they were all convinced and bowed to him to pay homage.

Jiang Yuan returned the gifts one by one.

The master observed the class quietly, and waited until the audience was satisfied before he began to lecture. He talked about the mysteries of the Taoist scriptures, the truths of the Buddhist scriptures, and the rituals of the Confucian scriptures, and how the three schools of thought are in harmony. This talk made Jiang Tonger so fascinated and intoxicated, and his tiredness disappeared into his ears.

After preaching for half a day, the master stopped and dismissed the class.

The disciples in that group paid homage to the master, then to Jiang Yuan, before leaving one by one.

Jiang Yuan then bowed and said, "Disciple thanks Master for his kindness!"

He said yesterday that he missed the Master’s teachings, and today the Master started to preach the great truth. How could he not know the reason? This is a deep favor.

The master said, "Stand up. Boy, now that you have become a fairy, we are all in awe of you."

Jiang Yuan shook his head and said, "Master, I still have two steps to go."

The ancestor said, "I have a lecture today. If you are not tired, I will teach you the six steps of the alchemy path and sexual intercourse."

Jiang Yuan bowed and said, "Master, you are very compassionate. Please teach me!"

The master said, "I originally taught you this step of intercourse yesterday, but I saw that you were tired, so I taught you today to relieve your fatigue and replenish your essence, so that you can succeed. Come closer, boy, and I will teach you the secret of intercourse."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan approached the master, listened attentively, and listened to what the master said about the six steps of the alchemy.

The master whispered the secret formula to Jiang Yuan.

Jiang Tong'er memorized the formula carefully.

The master waited for the boy to memorize the formula, then he said, "This step of intercourse is to teach the four medicines in the cauldron to combine, and the four medicines become one medicine. This is the way to success. This needs to be supplemented with the formula, and taught by Huang Po to use it. When the four medicines become one, this step is successful."

Jiang Yuan heard this, remembered it in his heart, and said, "Master, I understand."

The master said, "So, boy, go ahead. In two or three years, you will definitely succeed in this step."

Jiang Yuan was surprised and asked, "Master, is this step so easy?"

Get the secret formula from the master, mix the four medicines with Huang Po, and make them into one, then you can succeed. The master said that it will take two or three years to succeed, and it is very easy.

The master shook his head and said, "It's not easy. The difficulty lies in nurturing. You should just complete this step. The most difficult step is just around the corner. Don't let your mind get distracted or become arrogant. If you fail to achieve the golden elixir, you must not lose heart. If you lose heart, you will collapse."

Jiang Yuan suddenly realized and bowed, "Master, I must be clear-minded and will teach you how to make the elixir with all my heart!"

After saying this, he helped the master back to the quiet room, then turned around to practice the step of 'copulation'.

(End of this chapter)