Dao Qi Wu Zang Guan Guan: I became a Daoist Master in the 1990s

Chapter 162 Returning Wind and Fire, Yin-Yang Pill Cauldron Game (4000-word chapter! Please vote!)
After traveling at a brisk pace for two days, the majestic silhouette of Nanping Mountain was clearly visible on the horizon.

The closer they got, the more tightly Qi Yun and the other two frowned.

The surrounding land was still parched and barren, with withered bones exposed on the ground. Only Nanping Mountain was lush and green, with trees dripping with verdant greenery. The sounds of flowing springs and waterfalls could be faintly heard. Clouds and mist swirled around the mountain, creating a spiritual atmosphere. It was a completely different world from the tragic scene in Yongzhou!

Upon reaching a peak on the left side of Nanping Mountain, one can see a wisp of milky white smoke rising from the Taoist temple atop the mountain, soaring straight into the sky.

The smoke was pure and condensed. Instead of being dispersed by the mountain wind, it seemed to have a spirit and entwined around the mountain, flowing slowly. Under the glow of the sunset, it reflected a faint golden light. From a distance, the entire Nanping Mountain seemed to be shrouded in a hazy and sacred halo, like a fairyland, peaceful and serene, untouched by the world.

However, having witnessed the hellish scene below the mountain, the three felt that behind this excessive beauty lay a chilling and eerie atmosphere.

"This...this is truly amazing!"

The old Taoist priest Songfeng stopped and stared, his face full of surprise and uncertainty. "In my early years, I traveled around and learned a little about feng shui."

Logically speaking, a place that can gather such a large amount of yin and death energy must be an extremely yin and evil place with barren mountains and rivers and depleted earth veins!

But this Nanping Mountain before me… is clearly a beautiful and auspicious place, where the wind gathers and the earth is at peace! Yin and Yang are in harmony, teeming with life; where is there even the slightest trace of malevolent energy?

The more he looked, the more alarmed he became. He recalled the incomplete scroll of calligraphy in his mind, comparing it with the mountain terrain while his fingers flew across the paper, muttering the directions and stems and branches such as "Qian, Kun, Kan, Li" and "Zi, Wu, Mao, You".

Suddenly, he shuddered violently, his fingers, which had been calculating, froze in mid-air, and an incredulous look of horror flashed in his eyes. He exclaimed in shock, "This...this could not be...'Returning Wind and Reversing Fire, Yin-Yang Elixir Formation'?!"

Yan Chifeng was taken aback: "Daoist Songfeng, what is the Yin-Yang Pill Cauldron Bureau?"

The old Taoist priest Songfeng was so excited that his beard trembled. He pointed to Nanping Mountain and said, "Look at the shape of this mountain!"
The main peak is majestic, resembling the body of a tripod, with slightly lower ridges on both sides embracing it. One resembles a green dragon coiling around, and the other resembles a white tiger crouching. This is the 'Dragon and Tiger Embracing' formation!
In the mountains, there is a way to draw in and return air, which is called "returning wind and fire"!
The entire layout clearly transforms the entire Nanping Mountain into a giant natural alchemy furnace!

The Qingwei Temple is located at the mouth of the cauldron, absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and suppressing the energy within the furnace!

This layout was not naturally formed, but rather... it was created by a highly skilled person with extraordinary abilities who forcibly reversed the original feng shui of this place and optimized and transformed it!

This is their so-called true Yin-Yang Furnace Strategy!
This is impressive…this is impressive…”

His words struck Qi Yun's mind like a bolt of lightning!

Alchemy furnace... cauldron opening... alchemy...

All the clues connected instantly, and a shocking truth surfaced!

Qi Yun's pupils shrank sharply, and he blurted out, "He's not refining corpses! He's refining pills!"
Using the entire land of Yongzhou as fuel, and the yin energy of millions of dead and resentful people as medicine, we extract the purest... Yin Soul Essence!
The corpse soldiers that were refined were completely insignificant, and even the dead civilians... were just the dregs that were filtered out after being used!

The true purpose is to use this overwhelming resentment and death to forge some kind of... unparalleled elixir!

These words were like a thunderbolt from the blue!
Yan Chifeng and Songfeng Laodao were completely stunned, their bodies turning ice-cold, feeling a chill rush from the soles of their feet to the top of their heads!

"Using...using an entire state as a furnace, and millions of lives as firewood..." Yan Chifeng's teeth chattered, a mixture of anger and fear in his voice. "This...this is utterly insane...this is...this is an extraordinary method!"

“No wonder…no wonder they sealed off Yongzhou and let it rot…” Old Daoist Songfeng muttered, his face pale. “So the widespread starvation, cannibalism, and even corpse refining were all just processes, all to generate that extreme Yin energy and resentment. Corpse refining was just filtering the Yin energy to obtain pure Yin energy for alchemy…The Celestial Master of the Heavenly Realm…has such heaven-reaching means to manipulate Yin and Yang!”

Qi Yun's mind raced, and his expression grew increasingly solemn: "If that's really the case... how could the Stone Boy truly trust a mere Transcendent Realm disciple to guard this place?"
This batch of pills is far too important; it's very likely... its true form is hidden within this Pure Subtle Mirror!

He looked once again at Nanping Mountain, shrouded in mist and bustling with incense offerings, his gaze seemingly trying to pierce through that beautiful facade.

At this moment, in his eyes, the majestic green mountain was no longer beautiful, but a huge alchemical furnace that was silently burning and devouring millions of lives!

The swirling, ethereal smoke was no longer the peaceful smoke of incense, but rather the eerie, poisonous smoke rising from alchemy alchemy!
That Qingwei Temple is precisely the lid of the cauldron that tightly covers the opening of the furnace!

An unprecedented sense of urgency and crisis gripped him.

"It stole my karma, usurped my name, and now it has gone to such lengths to defy the heavens..."

If he truly succeeds in achieving the perfect elixir, he might be able to completely substitute one thing for another, and at that time, there would only be the Imperial Preceptor Qingyun in the world, and no longer me, Qiyun!

Qi Yun's gaze suddenly sharpened like a sword, and the resolute spirit that had arisen within him from the initial cleansing of his inner self surged forth, suppressing all distracting thoughts.

"Our escape route is cut off, the arrow is already on the bowstring, and we have no choice but to release it!"
Even if the Celestial Master were here in his true form, he would still brave this dragon's den and tiger's lair today to sever this ill-fated relationship!

"Go!" he shouted in a low voice, and without further hesitation, he sped off towards the mountain path.

Yan Chifeng and Songfeng Laodao exchanged a glance, both seeing the determination in each other's eyes. They gritted their teeth and followed suit.

As dusk fell, the setting sun bathed Nanping Mountain in a blood-red glow.

The straight, secluded stone steps leading to the mountaintop now seemed endless, disappearing into the increasingly dense, milky-white smoke rising from the mountains.

The smoke lingered and flowed, blurring the outlines of the mountains, forests, and palaces. Light penetrated through it, forming hazy pillars of light, adding a touch of sacredness yet also mystery.

It was beautiful, but eerily quiet, as if one had stepped into a strange realm forgotten by time and frozen by incense.

The three of them quickened their pace, their footsteps barely making a sound as they stepped onto the stone steps.

The higher you go, the stronger the incense smoke becomes. When you inhale it, it carries a strange sweet fragrance that makes you feel lazy, peaceful, and longing. It's as if you forget the hardships down the mountain and just want to immerse yourself in this peaceful atmosphere.

Qi Yun remained vigilant, and with a slight flow of the Crimson Hunting Flame within his body, he dispelled the strange sensation. Yan Chifeng and Song Feng also held their breath, not daring to inhale too much.

They encountered no obstacles along the way; there were no patrolling Taoist priests or gatekeepers.

Upon reaching the summit, a vast bluestone plaza comes into view.

At the end of the square is the mountain gate of Qingwei Temple.

The vermilion gate was wide open, revealing a dimly lit interior that was so deep it seemed bottomless, like the open mouth of a giant beast.

The entire Taoist temple was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, with only the thick smoke of incense wafting out from it.

Contrary to the imagined heavily guarded and murderous scene, this place was actually like an... empty temple?
Qi Yun's sense of unease grew stronger.

He stepped across the threshold, with Yan Chifeng and Song Feng following closely on either side, warily entering.

Upon entering the temple, the scene became even more bizarre.

The first courtyard is extremely large, paved with blue bricks and surrounded by ancient cypress trees.

However, the area under the trees, in front of the corridors, and in the open space in front of the hall was densely packed with kneeling people!

They were all dressed as ordinary people, including men and women, young and old, and there were probably no fewer than several hundred of them.

Without exception, they all prostrated themselves in the direction of the second courtyard, their foreheads pressed against the cold ground, motionless, like frozen statues.

The entire scene was completely silent, filled with a chilling sense of piety and deathly stillness.

Qi Yun's eyes sharpened.

Yan Chifeng looked at him, seeking instructions with his eyes. Qi Yun nodded slightly. Yan Chifeng understood, carefully stepped forward, grabbed the shoulder of a middle-aged man in the front row, and lifted him up.

The man was lifted up but did not react until he faced Yan Chifeng, at which point he revealed his face.

His face was rosy, even carrying a strange sense of satisfaction and intoxication. His eyes were open, but his pupils were unfocused and lifeless, and a dazed smile hung on the corner of his mouth.

He neither struggled nor showed fear in the face of Yan Chifeng's brutal actions, as if he had lost his soul.

Yan Chifeng released his grip, and the man collapsed to the ground. Then, like a puppet on strings, he mechanically got up, knelt back in his original position, and pressed his forehead to the ground, resuming his frozen kneeling posture.

"This...this is..." Old Daoist Songfeng gasped, his voice trembling, "He's lost consciousness, two of his three souls are gone! Only the 'Nether Spirit' is left to dominate his physical instincts!"

The human spirit is divided into three souls.

Tai Guang, the pure and harmonious Yang Qi, governs life and originates from Heaven. When a person dies, this soul returns to Heaven.

Shuangling, a transformation of Yin energy, governs wisdom, strategy, and awareness, and originates from the Five Elements.

Youjing is a mixture of yin energy, which governs desires, emotions, and instincts.

These three elements together form the primordial spirit of a human. Now, these people, their embryonic light obscured, their innate essence dissipated, only their inner essence controlling their physical bodies, following the most basic instinctive desires, unconsciously performing that kneeling and incense-offering ritual—they have long since become walking corpses!

"What a vicious method! They actually use incense as a catalyst to extract the soul and refine the spirit!" Song Feng exclaimed in horror.

The three of them walked slowly through the numb, kneeling crowd with heavy hearts.

The second courtyard, the third courtyard… the scene was exactly the same, all filled with kneeling, dazed and confused people, and the smoke from the incense grew stronger.

Up to the fourth courtyard.

This courtyard has a different layout. Instead of a main hall in the center, there is a huge bronze incense burner, about ten feet tall, with three legs and two handles. The body of the burner is engraved with cloud, thunder, bird and beast patterns.

The incense burner was filled with a dense array of long incense sticks, their dark red color and slow-burning aroma emitting an intensely sweet and cloying fragrance that permeated the entire space.

Behind the incense burner, instead of the main gate, is a huge screen wall painted with the Tai Chi Bagua diagram.

In front of the screen wall, a Taoist priest sat cross-legged on a futon.

The man was dressed in a black Taoist robe, with a handsome face, a meticulously trimmed mustache and stubble, and a relaxed demeanor, as if he had been waiting there for a long time.

Upon seeing Qi Yun and the other two enter, he slowly opened his eyes, a gentle smile playing on his lips. His gaze fell directly on Qi Yun, and he spoke in a clear, resonant voice, breaking the deathly silence of the place.

"Distinguished guest, I have failed to greet you properly. I am Qingwei Guanxuan Yin, and I greet you, fellow Daoist."

As he spoke, he calmly stood up and bowed respectfully to Qi Yun, his manners impeccable, as if he were truly welcoming an old friend who had come from afar.

Qi Yun sneered and stepped forward. Although Cheng Yun Sword was not drawn, a chilling aura had already gathered around him: "Fellow Daoist? You have wreaked havoc in Yongzhou, using millions of lives as materials to practice this heaven-defying evil art of refining corpses and pills. Your sins are heinous and too numerous to count!"

"Does he even deserve to be called a fellow Daoist with this humble Taoist?"

Upon hearing this, Master Xuanyin's smile remained unchanged. Instead, he gently shook his head, revealing a compassionate expression: "Fellow Daoist's words are all superficial. You only see its 'harm' but not its 'merit'."

This is an extraordinary time, and extraordinary measures must be taken.

What appears to be heartless is actually the greatest compassion born of helplessness.

He raised his hand in a gesture, pointing to the smoke rising around him and the kneeling people: "Yongzhou is suffering from a severe drought. Heaven has sent down a deadly threat. The imperial court is powerless to provide relief, and a million starving people are doomed to die no matter what."

If people starve to death, their resentment will rise to the heavens, giving rise to vengeful ghosts, leaving endless calamities, and even affecting other states, causing even greater catastrophes.

Now, by using their broken bodies, we can transform malevolence into peace and refine yin energy into elixirs. Not only can we eliminate ghostly calamities, but we can also create a divine army that can help the court quell the northern troubles and save more lives.

This is the way to cut away one's own rotten flesh in order to preserve one's whole body!

A moment of pain can bring lasting peace to the world.

Fellow Daoist, you speak of compassion, yet why is your gaze limited to the tragic state of Yongzhou, unable to see the potential merit of this method in saving countless lives in the future?

Is this not the difference between small compassion and great compassion?

Upon hearing this, Qi Yun's laughter grew even colder, like a icy spring striking a stone: "Another round of high-sounding sophistry!"

Do not use the word "helplessness" to cover up the fact that you actively committed evil!

Incompetent in protecting the people, yet using them as resources—this is the first crime!
Using a hollow 'righteousness' to commit real evil deeds, deceiving one's conscience and heaven, this is the second sin!
Even if one has achieved a tiny bit of "merit," the foundation of such merit is boundless sin, which is intolerable to Heaven. This is the third sin!

What you are doing is no different from killing people to refine fat for lamps.
Fat and grease may provide temporary illumination, but the sin of harming people will be forever etched in the heavens!

Do not allow your demonic thoughts to tarnish the word 'compassion'!

Master Xuan Yin listened quietly, his face showing no anger, only a faint regret, as if he were looking at a stubborn fool.

"Fellow Daoist, you are deeply attached to your own desires, seeing only the small space in front of you and not the vastness of the world and the cycle of cause and effect."

"In the past, I was just like you, fellow Daoist. Fortunately, I received guidance from my master, which allowed me to understand the profound mysteries of the Great Dao, and step by step, I cultivated to this state."

He suddenly changed the subject and extended an invitation to Qi Yun: "Fellow Daoist, you have extraordinary talent and cultivation. Why be trapped by worldly views and waste your time?"
"Wouldn't it be better if I introduced you to my master, so you could jointly study the Great Dao and attain true freedom and longevity? Wouldn't that be far better than futilely wallowing in resentment and acting blindly here?"

Qi Yun flicked his wrist, and the Chengyun Sword emitted a deep hum, its sword intent chilling: "I may soon see your master."

Perhaps, it will be after I send you on your way?

Master Xuan Yin finally suppressed his smile and let out a long sigh: "Alas... Foolish child, foolish child."

Since you insist on defying the natural order and severing your own path to immortality, then this humble Daoist has no choice but to... see you off.

Before he could finish speaking, Qi Yun sensed something amiss behind him. He turned around abruptly and shouted, "This man is unfathomable. You two retreat immediately, I will..."

However, the words came to an abrupt end.

Behind him, there was nothing!
Not only were Yan Chifeng and the old Taoist Songfeng nowhere to be found, but even the moon gate through which he had just entered the courtyard had vanished!

Instead, there was a tall, cold, solid wall painted in vermilion, perfectly sealed, as if it had stood there for thousands of years without ever having a door.

In an instant, only Qi Yun remained in the entire fourth courtyard, along with the Xuan Yin Zhenren with a compassionate smile and the huge bronze incense burner that emitted a rich, sweet fragrance and was shrouded in smoke.

The air was deathly still, so quiet you could hear a pin drop, with only the silent flow of cigarette smoke creating an eerie, suffocating atmosphere.

(End of this chapter)