Cursed Mountains and Seas

Chapter 348 The Second Item Containing Evil: Enlightenment and Sudden Understanding, the Two Ancestors of Alchemy
The monkey put on the "golden headband" and, after Wang Cheng followed Wu Cheng'en's writing, knocked three times on a story that had never been seen by anyone else before.

It was like suddenly flipping a switch in my heart.

He paused for a moment, then slowly sat down cross-legged on the ground with his hands clasped together. Then, five shadows appeared behind him.

In just a few breaths, his body flashed with light and shadow, and he split into six people in one go.

The first one was an unkempt old man in a long robe, who looked to be nearly sixty years old. His hair was gray, and he was weak and bloodless. This mortal body had suffered a lot from the ups and downs caused by the rampaging mind.
Sitting to one side behind him was a plump monk wearing a brocade kasaya, none other than Tang Sanzang, the protagonist of "The Great Tang Records on the Western Regions" and "Journey to the West". He kept chanting the "Mind-Stabilizing Mantra".
On the other side sat a four-foot-tall monkey dressed in a tiger-skin skirt and monk's robe. This was Sun Wukong, who fought against heaven and earth. The "Heart-Stabilizing Golden Hoop" was firmly on his head, and his violent temper was completely gone.

Then there is Zhu Wuneng, with a dirty lotus seedpod hanging down, ears like palm fans showing golden eyes, fangs as sharp as steel files, and a long mouth that opens like a brazier.
There is also Sha Wujing, with bluish-black skin, fangs supporting a sword blade, and messy red hair;

The original story is completely different from the later interpretations. Anyone who reads it would think of the master and his disciples as a group of ferocious-looking monsters who eat people without spitting out the bones.

Only the last white dragon horse was exceptionally good-looking, with pure white fur and a dragon-like appearance.

At this time, with the help of the calming golden headband, Wu Cheng'en's restless mind was no longer agitated, and the journey to the West gradually returned to the right track.

Wow.
The stories in "Journey to the West: The Tale of the Monkey King" and those seemingly cryptic texts all began to evolve on their own according to certain predetermined rules.

Wang Cheng stared intently at the words in the book, quickly discerning the details of this "rare commodity":

[Rare Find: Wu Cheng'en, a fourth-rank novelist]

Obsession: To pursue the Great Way, to open up new paths for all living beings, to cleanse the world of evil, and to prevent the tragedy of his brother Shen Kun from repeating itself.

While exploring the cognitive boundaries of the inner world, he unconsciously reached outside the wall and obtained a series of dangerous knowledge about the external alchemy method of immortal ascension.

Ultimately, it merged with his own "Journey to the West: The Tale of the Monkey King," blurring the lines between reality and illusion, unintentionally aligning with the essence of "using the false to cultivate the true."

It should be understood that the establishment of each dynasty was achieved by responding to celestial phenomena through talismans and official ranks, thus infusing the nation, which was a replica of the universe, with Daoist energy, making it a real entity.

This nation, formed by the reflection of Daoist Qi, has Xuandu as its capital, the Three Officials as its monarchs, and is a mirror image of the mortal nation.

The moment a Shinto official is ordained and ranks in the hierarchy, their body becomes the lowest level of administrative unit in the country.

Since the bodies of officials are "institutionalized," then officials naturally become part of the "state," and even the "Great Way."

The promotion of officials is a continuous process of advancement within this "nation" reflected by the Dao Qi. Each advancement has a certain possibility of gaining new skills and supernatural powers from a higher level of Dao Qi. The original system of immortals originated from the enlightenment of the sages.

Ultimately, one gradually approaches the most fundamental Dao Qi, which is also the most fundamental Dao, and arrives at the same destination as the cultivation of "life energy".

Water Class: Heaven generates water and the golden toad's energy!
Earthly Rank: Immortal Capital Fire Thunder Treasure Light Qi!

Heavenly Rank: Jade Void Divine Firmament True King Qi!

There is even an extremely small possibility of touching the primordial Qi, which resides above the Three Officials' Righteous Qi and the Six Heavens' Ancient Qi!

"and many more."

Wang Cheng immediately realized something.

His sharp gaze pierced through the pages, directly seeing into the unguarded interior of "Journey to the West: The Tale of the Monkey King".

In the deepest part of this vast world of gods and demons, he discovered a wisp of barely perceptible purple energy, supremely noble, exquisite, and pure.

Any idea, speculation, or practice method of the new "path of cultivating both body and mind" in the Journey to the West storyline needs to be tested by this wisp of Dao Qi.

Imaginary ideas were discarded, feasible ones were kept, and feedback on improvements could be provided to Wu Cheng'en.

Wang Cheng couldn't help but be both surprised and envious:

"This old man Wu is really lucky. He actually obtained a wisp of the Primordial Qi, which corresponds to the fundamental source of the Dao of Life and Death, by chance?!"

No wonder, he had never even practiced life cultivation, so how could he have started studying how to fly before he could even walk?
So it was all thanks to this wisp of primordial Qi!

The Primordial Qi, also known as the Primordial Ancestral Qi, possesses the wondrous properties of giving birth to heaven, earth, and all things.

Other Taoist practices have various methods and rituals for guiding Qi, it's just a matter of how many.

This innate Qi is extremely aloof, and its descent is always due to various accidents. There are very few legends about it that have been passed down since ancient times, and many people doubt whether this treasure even exists.

However, while Wang Cheng was envious, he also noticed a problem:

"Old Wu clearly lacks some experience."

After all, he was already in his sixties. How could he cultivate his life force without a great opportunity? How could he achieve balance and harmony with the dragon and tiger while walking on one leg?

Furthermore, the flourishing of the divine way in this world, coupled with the lack of the necessary Dao Qi outside the walls to assist in the cultivation of life force, has led to a stagnation in the theoretical research of the immortal way since the expulsion of the Six Heavens Qi and external alchemy methods from the Han Dynasty.

The current theories of immortality have almost no development compared to the pre-Qin period. Old Wu is lacking not just a little bit of theoretical resources, but a full two thousand years!
Even if he were incredibly talented, he probably wouldn't be able to comprehend the complete method even if he exhausted all his innate Qi.

I need to add some more firewood for him.

As the leader of the maritime trade faction, Wang Cheng has always believed in cooperation and mutual benefit, and knows that now is not the time to be stingy.

He took out the [Kanli Jiji Pill] that he had exchanged with Fuyao and stuffed it into Wu Cheng'en's mouth.

The old man's originally withered blood and energy visibly improved, to the point that his skin became radiant and his white hair turned black again.

The "elixir cauldron," which had been merely spinning in vain, received the great medicine and immediately underwent a tremendous transformation. Heaven and earth were connected, the heart and kidneys were united, and the speed of the new method's deduction increased several times over.

"It really works! My one-of-a-kind precious medicine was not wasted."

oops! "

Wang Cheng suddenly remembered something and slapped his forehead.

Reaching out and grabbing at the air, he actually pulled out one, two, three, four, a total of over a hundred "Kanli Jiji Pills".

He suddenly remembered that this was his own [Earth Official's Realm]!
Based on the fundamental rule of possessing all three senses and the ever-changing nature of the Mirage Cloud Dragon Ship, any experiment can be simulated at zero cost as long as the basic principles are known.

Since metallurgy, electrical engineering, and chemistry from another world have all been achieved, the "art of alchemy," which is an inherent discipline of this world, is theoretically no problem either. With physical examples of elixirs and records of their properties from Wu Cheng'en, they easily used mirage energy to simulate a batch of identical elixirs.

"Although it is only effective within the Earthly Official's Realm and will lose its effect once you leave, it is more than enough to help you comprehend life cultivation and prepare for actually taking the medicine."

Having gained experience through prior simulations, we now know that one genuine pill can produce the effects of two.

It's not a loss for Old Wu to eat this pill.

As the deduction of the Dharma accelerated, the scholarly atmosphere of the book continued to permeate the air.

The treasure of a state, the [Stabilizing Golden Hoop], was further enhanced from its original form, becoming a key talisman that suppressed the entire world in the book and regulated Yin and Yang, naturally breaking through to the level of a national treasure.

This time, it is not just anchored to a widely circulated fantasy novel, but to the most fundamental transformation of cultivation in this world!
Its significance even surpasses that of the first ship to be loaded with contaminated cargo, the Trinidad.

Its influence on ordinary people may not be as great as the former, but it is enough to drive any living ghost or deity of the highest rank who has achieved spiritual immortality but cannot remain in the world forever into madness.

Wang Cheng also received the first return on this investment ahead of schedule.

"You're the second one I'll use to store dirty things!"

The altar was set up promptly according to the requirements of the "Multiple Treasures Filling the Divine Burial Method".

Holding a magic sword, stepping in the Yu style, chanting incantations:

"The Five Spiritual Lords, the essence of the five fires. Return fire to water, and the rivers and seas will be cleared, and the five internal organs will be reborn. So be it!"

He sucked hard at the "calming headband" on the monkey's head.

Suddenly, a second item containing filth appeared inside the clay sculpture of the deity.

A golden hoop radiated a precious light, outlining the shape of a red heart, achieving a state of heart-kidney union with the Trinidad, which had transformed into a kidney.

The next moment, Wang Cheng's mind was jolted, and he entered the Journey to the West world along with the Mind-Stabilizing Golden Hoop and the Yin-Yang Cycle.

He sat cross-legged at the top of the ginseng fruit tree in Wuzhuang Temple, in the guise of Zhenyuan Daxian.

At the same time, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I could also participate in this enlightenment journey called "Journey to the West", and comprehend the most suitable way of cultivating both body and mind from that wisp of primordial Qi!

Wang Cheng's stomach was not empty either.

Although his "no-capital trading" only allowed him to buy one item at random, he bought so many items that he accumulated a lot of knowledge, including not only commonly used languages ​​but also a wide variety of other subjects.

In addition, the various cultivation theories I had read while studying in my previous life were all vividly remembered after I achieved success in sexual cultivation.

It corroborates and resonates with one's own practice, and many of its key concepts even perfectly complement Wu Cheng'en's ideas.

"Since I can use my knowledge of metallurgy, firearms and physics from my previous life to manufacture blast furnaces, boring machines and flintlock muskets."

Why can't we draw on metaphysical theories to guide the current practice of "cultivating both body and mind"?
After all, a person's essence, energy, and spirit are essentially the same.

When Wang Cheng looked up, he saw that a cave had appeared where the misty clouds were rising. It was none other than Lingtai Fangcun Mountain, Xieyue Sanxing Cave.

An elderly man with white hair and beard sat atop the mountain, smiling as he bowed respectfully to him.
"You are polite, fellow Taoist."

Clearly, this Bodhi Patriarch was a manifestation of Wu Cheng'en's consciousness, and he saw everything that happened in the outside world and Wang Cheng's generous assistance.

Realizing that Wang Cheng also had a profound understanding of the dual cultivation of body and mind, she was so happy that she almost danced with joy.

This seeker of the Dao has walked alone all the way, and the hardships he has endured are beyond the comprehension of outsiders. Now, he has been able to gain a fellow Daoist to accompany him for free. Isn't this an immense blessing?
Wang Cheng also stood up and solemnly returned the greeting:
"Greetings, fellow Daoist!"

As the two spoke, the Earth Official's Realm of the [Mirage Cloud Dragon Ship] and the world in the book "Journey to the West: The Legend of Exorcism" began to resonate strongly.

Ultimately, taking the entire universe as the boundary, a Bagua alchemy furnace was formed.

They used the creative power of the Earthly Official's Dharma Realm as the craftsman, the accumulated vows of the world in the book over thousands of years as the charcoal, and the knowledge and insights in their hearts as the great medicine, to open the furnace and refine the elixir, thus evolving the Great Dao.

Wu Cheng'en spoke first:
"Difficult, difficult, difficult! Don't take the elixir of immortality lightly."

The true and wondrous secret of the perfect integration of exoteric and esoteric teachings lies solely in cultivating one's nature and life; there is no other way.

All that comes is energy and spirit; be careful to preserve and prevent leakage.
It is cool and bright, a perfect place to admire the moon from the Dantai Terrace.

The moon hides the jade rabbit, the sun hides the crow, and the tortoise and snake are intertwined.

Wang Cheng was delighted that the two had the same idea, both intending to replace the fraught "external alchemy" with "internal alchemy," and also said:

"Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!"

A rootless tree, its flowers blooming crookedly, is incomplete without the principles of Yin and Yang.

Gold is separated from wood, mercury from lead, and yin and yang each occupy one side.

In this world, yin and yang unite men and women, giving birth to children and grandchildren, passing down the lineage from generation to generation.

"Following the natural order makes one mortal, going against it makes one immortal; it's all in the middle, a complete reversal!"

Wu Cheng'en elaborates on his insights gained from the external alchemy of immortality, while Wang Cheng uses the wisdom of Taoism from the entire world to provide a concise overview.

Since he has the primordial Qi hanging above his head, he's not afraid that his theories won't be applicable.

They conquered one by one the methods of cultivating the Golden Elixir in sequence: the Method of Maintaining the Center, the Method of Listening to the Breath, the Hundred-Day Foundation Building, the Intercourse of Kan and Li, the Small and Large Heavenly Circuits, the Living Midnight Hour, and the Correct Midnight Hour.

In an instant, the illusory world within the book was filled with a shower of flowers and golden lotuses blooming from the ground. The entire world was resounding with profound and mysterious discussions, reaching from the heavens above to the deepest hell below.

The "powerful beings" in the book, whose consciousness was imbued with falsehood by the readers' willpower, couldn't help but sit cross-legged and listen intently.

Immediately afterwards, everything in this world returned to chaos, and the Journey to the West was reenacted in a completely new way!

(End of this chapter)