Under One Person: My Inner Realm Connects to All Worlds!

Chapter 137 Battle against Lu Jin
"Dignified guest?"

Lu Jin snorted coldly, "Even if he is a guest of honor of the old Daoist Qingxuan, I still want to know the truth. Linglong, you stay in the Quanzhen Sect. Your great-grandfather will set off now."

Meanwhile, inside the pavilion on the back mountain of Quanzhen.

Han Yun's conversation with Master Qingxuan was nearing its end.

Master Qingxuan sighed, “Fellow Daoist Han has received the inheritance of the Sleeping Immortal and the true teachings of Lu Zu. In terms of seniority, he should be the patriarch of my Quanzhen School.”

Han Yun shook his head and said, "Master Qingxuan, you flatter me. I only obtained some inheritance by chance and dare not presume to call myself the patriarch."

Master Qingxuan said solemnly, “The inheritance of the Daoist lineage is not a child’s play. Since Fellow Daoist Han has received the true teachings of Master Lü, he is a benefactor to my Quanzhen lineage.”

"Would it be possible for you to stay in Zhongnan Mountain for a few more days, so that we may have the opportunity to learn a thing or two from you?"

Han Yun was about to answer when he suddenly frowned and turned to look towards the mountain path. Master Qingxuan also sensed something and followed his gaze.

A pink figure was seen rushing down the mountain; it was Lu Linglong. Her expression was panicked, completely different from her usual lively and cheerful demeanor.

Master Qingxuan asked in confusion, "How come this girl..."

Han Yun consulted the oracle briefly within the inner realm and immediately understood the cause and effect. He shook his head with a half-smile: "It seems they've brought in 'reinforcements'."

"Reinforcements?" Master Qingxuan asked, puzzled.

"Old Master Lu Jin," Han Yun uttered calmly.

Upon hearing this, Master Qingxuan was both amused and exasperated: "This... Layman Lu has a fiery temper. If he misunderstands something, it might be difficult to handle."

Han Yun stood up and dusted off his sleeves: "It's alright. I'd like to see for myself what the mysteries of the Triple Rebirth are all about."

Lu Linglong rushed over in a panic, explained the whole story, and then looked like she was sincerely admitting her mistake: "Sect Leader, I really didn't expect my great-grandfather to be in such a hurry."

Han Yun, on the other hand, seemed to be deep in thought. The Reverse Rebirth Triple Stage was similar to the alchemy method in some ways, but the Reverse Rebirth Triple Stage was about cultivating oneself rather than condensing an elixir.

The elixir is one, the purest and truest substance!

In contrast, the triple refining of oneself through reversal seems more like an illusion, without any real foothold. It may seem to achieve everything, but in reality, it is difficult to achieve everything.

Moreover, the Threefold Reversal of Life cannot reach the Heavenly Realm, nor can it be compared with the methods created by the sages and saints of the past.

However, this does not mean that the Reverse Life Triple Technique is bad. In fact, the founder of the Sanyi Sect who created the Reverse Life Triple Technique was also quite talented, just not monstrous enough.

Sages are sages because they are extraordinary among extraordinary people, one in a million.

The concept behind the Reverse Rebirth Triple Technique is extremely profound. By following the natural course, one can avoid calamities and misfortunes, while by going against the natural course, one can attain the power of returning to the state of primordial energy. The aim is to cultivate oneself back to the state of primordial energy.

When a person is born, their innate Qi is transformed into their limbs and bones. This is called "shun". Following the natural order, however, is inevitable, so they must reverse the natural order to refine their innate Qi, which is also called "going against the natural order" in order to achieve the ultimate goal of ascending to immortality.

The first level is to transform the skin and flesh into Qi. The practitioner's strength increases greatly at this stage, the skin and flesh gradually transform into Qi, and with every move he makes he possesses the power of a dragon and a tiger.

This process corresponds precisely to the initial stage in Dan Gong (internal alchemy).

The Wuzhen Pian states: "The White Tiger of the Western Mountain is rampant, and the Azure Dragon of the Eastern Sea is unstoppable. They are captured with both hands and forced to fight to the death, and then transformed into a piece of purple-gold frost."

The White Tiger, corresponding to the Kan trigram, symbolizes the innate true lead qi, which is the primordial essence of the kidneys. In the west, it belongs to metal and represents the yang qi within yin.

The Azure Dragon, corresponding to the Li trigram, symbolizes the innate true mercury energy, which is the primordial spirit in the heart. It resides in the east and belongs to the wood element, representing the yin energy within yang.

"Rampant" and "unstoppable" describe the turbulent state of Yin and Yang energies before they are harmonized, and metaphorically represent the untamed state of essence, energy, and spirit in the early stages of cultivation.

"Catch them and make them fight to the death" means to use mental control, with "two hands" symbolizing consciousness and true intention, to promote the union of Kan and Li, and achieve the balance of water and fire.

"Purple Gold Frost" is the Golden Elixir, which is a pure Yang body formed by the yin and yang energies after "taking Kan and filling Li". It corresponds to the "Zhouyi Cantongqi" which says, "When gold returns to its original nature, it can be called the Returning Elixir".

The first level of the Threefold Reversal of Life is actually the use of the Upper Elixir Heart Divine Art to regulate one's own Yin and Yang, thereby gaining unified control over the body, so that every move has abundant power.

However, if the upper dantian is not in control, for example, if Lu Jin's upper dantian is shaken by Zhang Zhiwei's slap, then the body will naturally lose control.

Compared to the Reverse Rebirth Triple Technique, the Reverse Rebirth Triple Technique pales in comparison.

The two are like pulling a cart.

Those who cultivate the alchemy method drive the "golden elixir" like an ox or horse pulling a cart. The golden elixir unifies life and saves time and effort. As the driver, one only needs to control the direction. Those who cultivate the alchemy method also have a strong life and a powerful physical body.

Those who cultivate the Reverse Rebirth Triple Stage need to pull the cart themselves, which is not only time-consuming and laborious, but also inefficient, and they may easily deviate from the right path if they are not careful.

This is also why the Reverse Rebirth Triple Stage is so difficult to cultivate. Compared to the natural progression of alchemy, it requires a breakthrough, and during the breakthrough, if one is not careful, one's Qi will become disordered and one will go astray.

This demonstrates the wisdom of the ancients.

The second stage is the transformation of tendons, bones, and internal organs by Qi. Practitioners at this stage can transform tendons, bones, internal organs, and blood by Qi to a certain extent, giving them powerful self-healing abilities and an indestructible body.

At this time, the cultivator's entire body turns white, becoming impervious to water and fire, and invulnerable to swords and spears; even severed limbs can regenerate.

The second stage of reverse life is the reversal of metal and wood to see yin and yang. Although the power of the dragon and tiger was obtained in the first stage, at this time the green dragon is only concerned with generating fire and the white tiger is only concerned with forming water. Water and fire continue to fight, and metal and wood are still in confrontation, and the root cause has not yet been addressed.

The Wuzhen Pian says, "The eldest son drinks the wine of the West for the first time, and the young girl blossoms in the North for the first time." Having gained some of the intoxicating feeling of wandering, and the rosy clouds and morning air, he is still a wandering immortal.

The third stage is the transformation of the entire body into Qi, becoming the innate Qi. This is the highest realm of the three stages of reverse birth, and practitioners at this stage have the hope of ascending to immortality and reaching a state of transcendence and sainthood.

However, apart from the founder of the Sanyi Sect and Zuo Ruotong, very few people in history have been able to successfully enter this realm, and even Zuo Ruotong failed to achieve the goal of ascension.

Reversing Yin and Yang reveals the Great Dao; the Three Platforms return to One Stillness, and One Stillness returns to Threefold Dimension.

If one can reverse the first level, one will achieve harmony between dragon and tiger without hindrance. If one can reverse the second level, one will be able to withstand blows without damage to the true gold. If one can reverse the third level, one will be able to release the precious nature without hindrance, which is to say, "Secretly release the colorful phoenix from the jade cage, and secretly unlock the golden lock to let the dragon roam."

Thus, the third level of reversal of birth is achieved, which not only grants the power to subdue dragons and tigers and the indestructible skill of Vajra, but also the ability to break shackles and chains, and attain a state of great freedom.

This corresponds to Lu Zhishen in "Water Margin": "All my life I have not cultivated good deeds, but only loved killing and arson. Suddenly the golden rope is broken, and the jade lock is torn apart. Ah! The tide comes in on the Qiantang River, and today I know who I am."

Also from Danyangzi: "Keeping oneself simple is good for patience and perseverance, and one can share the beauty of the Three Terraces. The dragon roars and the tiger howls, coming and going, the bright moon and the gentle breeze are carefree. Five rays of light cover the earth, and the divine pearl nourishes the embryo. A thunderclap opens the cave gate. Only then do I realize the strangeness of the mountains and valleys."

Confucius said: "At fifteen, I set my heart on learning; at thirty, I stood firm; at forty, I had no more doubts; at fifty, I knew the will of Heaven; at sixty, my ear was attuned to the truth; at seventy, I could follow my heart's desire without transgressing the rules."

Therefore, even if one truly cultivates to the third level of reverse life, it is only barely comparable to a certain realm of the ancient sages and saints.

What's more, they've upgraded it to an even higher level.

After obtaining the Baopu Danjing, Han Yun cultivated the Hunyuan Yiqi Taiyi style. When he finally reached the third level of the Reverse Life technique, he was like a carefree immortal, without any fixed abode, birth, or death.

The phrase "Qi transforms into emptiness" sounds nice, but isn't it really just about refining the spirit and returning to emptiness?
All things return to their true nature.

Plant one kind of plant, and it will bloom into a hundred different kinds of flowers.

The Sanyi Sect is inherently a esoteric sect; how can it possibly escape the great path of the esoteric sect no matter how much it cultivates?
-----

Half a day later, in the rear hall of Chongyang Palace.

A Quanzhen disciple rushed over and respectfully bowed, saying, "Sect Leader, Senior Lu Jin from the Lu family has come to visit, saying he wishes to see Senior Han."

Master Qingxuan and Han Yun exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of understanding in each other's eyes.

"You arrived quickly," Han Yun chuckled.

Master Qingxuan shook his head helplessly: "Layman Lu is still as impatient as ever. Fellow Daoist Han, would you like to see him?"

Han Yun stood up, hands behind his back: "Since Elder Lu has come all this way to visit, how can we not see him?"

A moment later, in front of the Quanzhen Sect's mountain gate.

Lu Jin was dressed in a suit, his hair and beard were all white, but he was in good spirits and his eyes were bright and piercing. He stood with his hands behind his back, and there was a faint flow of Qi around his body, clearly ready to strike.

When Lu Jin saw Han Yun and Master Qingxuan arrive together, his gaze instantly locked onto Han Yun. He sized up the boy, who looked no more than sixteen or seventeen years old, his brows furrowing slightly. "You are Han Yun?" Lu Jin asked bluntly.

Han Yun bowed and said, "I am Han Yun, greetings to Elder Lu."

"Come on this!"

Lu Jin waved his hand dismissively: "I've heard that you broke Linglong's alchemy technique in one move and even displayed a method similar to reversing life. I've come today to learn from you!"

Master Qingxuan quickly advised, "Layman Lu, why must you do this?"

Lu Jin interrupted, "Old Daoist Qingxuan, this is a private matter between me and him. Don't interfere!"

Han Yun smiled slightly: "Since Elder Lu is willing to offer guidance, I will gladly oblige. However, this place is inconvenient; perhaps we should find another location?"

Lu Jin snorted coldly: "Just what I wanted!"

Seeing this, Master Qingxuan knew he couldn't dissuade them, so he could only sigh and say, "In that case, please come with me."

The three arrived at a secluded valley in the back mountains of the Quanzhen Sect. The terrain here was open, surrounded by ancient trees, making it perfect for a contest.

Lu Jin stood still, his body surging with Qi, his white beard moving without wind.

He said in a deep voice, "Boy, I won't bully you. I'll only use three moves. If you can withstand them, we'll call it quits!"

Han Yun remained calm and cupped his hands, saying, "Please enlighten me, Elder Lu."

Lu Jin said no more and raised his hand to unleash the ultimate technique of Reversing Life Triple.

A shimmering white light emanated from his body, and his skin gradually transformed into a semi-transparent Qi state, which was the peak performance of the second level of the Reverse Life Triple Realm.

"First move!"

Lu Jin moved like lightning, appearing as if in the blink of an eye. He struck out with a palm, and the palm wind created a sonic boom, emitting a sharp whistling sound.

This palm strike, though seemingly simple, contained the unique dragon and tiger power of the Reverse Life Triple Realm, coupled with Lu Jin's century of cultivation, enough to have the power to split a mountain.

Han Yun neither dodged nor evaded, but simply raised his right hand, without any defensive measures, relying solely on his own powerful life force to resist.

The two palms clashed, producing a metallic clang. Lu Jin felt a gentle force completely neutralize his fierce palm strike, as if a clay ox had entered the sea, vanishing without a trace.

"Cotton palm?"

Lu Jin's pupils contracted slightly, then he sneered and said, "Fine, take my second move!"

The white light around him intensified, and his eyes shone with a luminous white light. His Qi transformation became even stronger, and it was as if clouds and rainbows were rising around him, giving him a truly otherworldly and ethereal appearance.

Immediately afterwards, his bones and muscles emitted a thunderous crack.

Lu Jin joined two fingers together like a sword, and a highly refined Qi energy condensed on his two fingers, aiming straight for Han Yun's brow.

Don't you like to flaunt the power of the Lu family's alchemy?

Today, I'll let you experience what it's like to be shaken and beaten.

Seeing this, Han Yun smiled slightly, not expecting that Old Master Lu was quite calculating.

However, Lu Jin is known as having a flawless life because of his genuine nature. He takes revenge on the spot and does what he thinks is what he does, without any pretense.

Immediately, thick golden elixir energy emanated from Han Yun's body, with a golden sun hanging behind his head and purple aura swirling around him, making him appear like an immortal in the mortal world, a truly remarkable sight.

Compared to Han Yun, Lu Jin suddenly became a low-end version.

"boom!"

The Qi energy collided with the barrier formed by Dan Yun's Qi, creating a visible shockwave that snapped all the surrounding vegetation. Lu Jin's finger strike failed to break through Han Yun's defense!

A hint of surprise flashed in Lu Jin's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by fighting spirit. He let out a long roar, his hair and beard stood on end, and white energy rose around him like flames.

"Good lad! For the third move, I'm going to get serious!"

Before he finished speaking, Lu Jin formed a hand seal, and the Qi around his body suddenly contracted, condensing into a single point in his palm. That point of white light was as intense as the sun, and it even faintly made a sound of air being torn apart.

"Triple Rebirth: Return to Origin!"

This move is the culmination of Lu Jin's life's cultivation, developed in preparation for sparring with Zhang Zhiwei, that Taoist priest. It combines life and death into one, returning to simplicity and pointing directly to the origin of the primordial Qi.

Before the palm strike even arrived, sand and stones flew through the valley, and the world seemed to darken.

Seeing this, Han Yun's expression finally became a little more serious. He held his hands in a gesture as if embracing Tai Chi, and golden energy flowed around his body, transforming into a Yin-Yang symbol that slowly rotated.

"Tai Chi · Dan Yun".

The two extremely powerful forces collided with a deafening roar!

"boom--!"

Amidst the deafening explosion, the shockwave swept outwards like a tidal wave, snapping all the trees within a radius of dozens of feet and cracking the ground.

Master Qingxuan had already retreated to a distance, and upon seeing this, he was startled.

As the smoke and dust cleared, the scene gradually became clear.

Lu Jin took three steps back, each step leaving a deep footprint in the ground. His chest heaved; the reversal of his powers had been dispelled, and he was clearly exhausted.

Han Yun remained standing in the same spot, his clothes fluttering, his expression unchanged.

Lu Jin stared at Han Yun for a long time, then suddenly burst into laughter: "Good! Good! Good! Truly, heroes emerge from among the young!"

At the same time, Lu Jin thought to himself, "Someone with such cultivation should not care about the Eight Extraordinary Techniques, but it would still be good to see them with my own eyes."

Han Yun smiled slightly, cupped his hands, and said, "Elder Lu, you are too kind."

Lu Jin waved his hand and said readily, "No need to be modest. I used all my strength in these three moves, yet you were able to withstand them, which shows your strength. Linglong's loss was not unjust."

As he spoke, a complex look flashed in his eyes, and he sighed, "I just never expected that there would actually be someone in this world who could cultivate alchemy to such a level. I wonder who is more powerful, him or Zhang Zhiwei? Young friend Han, who is your master?"

Han Yun smiled without saying a word, only saying, "It was just a coincidence."

Seeing that he didn't want to say more, Lu Jin didn't press him, but instead said, "I was presumptuous in what happened today. However, I have another request."

Han Yun raised an eyebrow: "Please speak, Elder Lu."

Lu Jin said solemnly, "The Reverse Life Triple Realm is the ultimate technique of our Sanyi Sect, but since my master Zuo Ruotong passed away, no one in the sect has been able to glimpse the Triple Realm."

"I heard from Linglong that you have a technique that allows you to completely transform yourself into a dragon, which is quite similar to the Reverse Life Triple Technique. I wonder if you could give me some pointers?"

Han Yun looked at Lu Jin with unwavering determination in his eyes, then glanced at the sky and sighed, "Fine, I'll give it my all this time!"

As soon as Han Yun finished speaking, his aura suddenly changed.

The originally restrained inner energy surged like a tide, and a purple-gold light burst forth from his body, illuminating the entire valley.

His figure gradually blurred, as if merging with the Qi of heaven and earth.

"Old Lu, watch carefully."

With a dragon's roar that shook the heavens and earth, purple-gold energy spread into clouds, and a colossal dragon, as large as a mountain, rose from the ground and flew into the sky.

(End of this chapter)