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

Chapter 171 The Second Stage of Magic, Enlightenment Through Cause and Effect!
Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.

At the foot of Mount Qingcheng, the quiet courtyard was utterly silent, save for the occasional chirping of autumn insects that broke the stillness of the night.

Inside, Qi Yun sat cross-legged on the couch, his aura calm and still, blending into the darkness.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in them before returning to the calm of a deep pool.

He didn't make any extra movements, only raising his right hand and pointing his fingers like a sword, seemingly casually tapping the whitewashed wall in front of him.

Without a sound, a sudden change occurred!

The air in front of his fingertips seemed to distort slightly, and three completely transparent thin lines shot out!

"Puff puff!"

Three extremely faint yet crystal clear piercing sounds rang out almost simultaneously.

Three tiny holes appeared on the solid brick wall, through which moonlight shone, casting three faint points of light on the floor.

The edges of the hole were perfectly smooth, as if it had been instantly melted through by extremely fine and hot high-energy rays, without a single speck of stone or powder splashing out.

The second level of the Nine Netherworld Silk Seal is complete!

Qi Yun slowly withdrew his fingers, feeling the depletion of his internal energy.

The simultaneous condensation and release of three strands of true qi consumed twice as much as in the first level. A full six streams of milky-white true qi instantly surged into the meridians of the fingertips, unleashing this invisible yet incomparably sharp strike.

"The power has indeed increased significantly," Qi Yun silently assessed to himself.

Previously, the first layer of connecting threads could only be driven deep into the brick wall, but could not penetrate through it.

Now, in the second layer, the number of connecting threads has increased to three, and their condensation and penetrating power have undergone a qualitative change, piercing through this ordinary brick wall as easily as breaking through rotten wood.

If used for ambush, the enemy may fall victim before even realizing it; if used for immobilization, the combined force of the three binding threads will far exceed that of the past, enough to severely hinder the movements of a powerful enemy. However, how long it can immobilize a Transcendent Realm expert still needs to be tested in actual combat.

He looked inward at his dantian and saw that the previous attack had depleted six of his qi, leaving thirty-six.

"If we calculate it this way, even if we exert all our strength, we can only use it seven times. This seal is wonderful, but the consumption is also astonishing."

Slightly shifting his thoughts away from the silken imprint, Qi Yun sensed the progress of his transformation into the Transcendent Realm. After thoroughly cleansing his gallbladder, stomach, and small intestine, he began to work on refining his large intestine.

The large intestine is the organ of transmission, from which transformation occurs.

One of the six viscera, it connects to the small intestine above and the anus below, and is responsible for transmitting waste.

Its nature belongs to metal, and it is internally and externally related to the lungs. It prefers moisture and dislikes dryness, and is the last barrier for the separation of pure and impure substances in the human body.

In the practice of cultivation, the purpose of cleansing the large intestine is to remove the accumulated filth and stagnation within it, so that the path of transformation can be unobstructed. Only when all the filth is removed can the pure energy truly circulate freely.

This process is about the purification of the physical body, and it also symbolizes the practitioner discarding the last impurities in the body, taking a step closer to perfection.

At this moment, Qi Yun's large intestine had been mostly cleansed, and an unprecedented sense of clarity rose from his abdomen, as if his insides had been thoroughly cleansed and washed, leaving him feeling light and comfortable.

Recalling his master Xuanji's undisguised pride after claiming to have reached the peak of the Transformation Realm, and saying that his cultivation speed had far surpassed his peers, Qi Yun now vaguely felt that this state of cleansing the six internal organs seemed... not as difficult and arduous as he had imagined.

In the blink of an eye, he understood.

It's not that it's easy to shed impurities and cultivate oneself, but rather that one's own foundation is far too terrifying!
Firstly, his own true qi was repeatedly forged and refined by the domineering and divine Crimson Hunting Fire, reaching the ultimate purity without any impurities.

Using this pure and genuine Qi to cleanse the six internal organs is like using a peerless divine weapon to cut iron into mud, naturally achieving twice the result with half the effort and greatly reducing resistance.

Secondly, he himself is burdened with the "Black Laws of Fengdu in the Northern Underworld". Although he is still a "lower-level student", he can draw on the power of merit in advance to bless himself.

Such a position and privileges are a great fortune and opportunity that ordinary cultivators can only dream of but never obtain.

With these two extraordinary advantages, many obstacles on his path of cultivation naturally became much smoother for him.

“Fate can be both capricious and helpful,” Qi Yun thought to himself. “I just wonder how long it will take for me to be promoted from my current position as a ‘junior examiner’?” The path to promotion for this black-clad judge seemed to be longer and more secretive than he had imagined.

In addition, another gain from these ten days of meditation was that I finally comprehended the transformation of sword intent from "earth to metal".

Earth, with its inherent strength and rich essence, gathers to form minerals. Only after enduring the pressures of time and the tempering of the earth's fire can it transform into the hardest and sharpest gold.

He practiced repeatedly, compressing and internalizing the heavy aura of the Zhenyue Sword to the extreme, and in the midst of this calming stillness, he gave birth to a sharp, indestructible golden light.

Although it still needs further refinement, the power of the Five Elements Thunderclap Sword Technique has undoubtedly reached a new level.

Immediately, he recalled the third level of the "Nine Netherworld Pulling Silk Seal" technique imprinted in his memory.

Upon seeing it, even with his current state of mind, he couldn't help but be slightly moved.

The complexity of the third level of the Dharma seal is several times greater than that of the second level!
Its rune structure has actually jumped from a two-dimensional plane to a three-dimensional solid, intertwined and entwined, which is extremely mysterious.

Most importantly, the location for drawing this three-dimensional mudra is directly designated as the ancestral aperture between the eyebrows!

Those who fail to open their ancestral aperture, even if they have sufficient cultivation and abundant true qi, can only sigh in despair at this profound cultivation method.

Although Qi Yun had already opened up his ancestral aperture and initially opened up his inner realm by relying on the power of the illusory image of the alchemy furnace in his body, he still decided to postpone his cultivation because he sensed the complex structure of the three-dimensional Dharma seal and the extreme requirements for the control of his divine sense.

"This seal is no ordinary object. It would be best to wait until we enter the inner realm next time and try it again, taking advantage of the clear and serene environment there."

Speaking of the inner landscape, Qi Yun has already discovered its extraordinary nature.

He devoted himself to cultivation for ten days, while only three days passed in the outside world!

The difference in flow rate over time far exceeded expectations.

Moreover, within the inner realm, the primordial spirit is clear and lucid, and the speed of thinking and comprehension are greatly enhanced, making the efficiency of cultivating spells and comprehending techniques far superior to that of the outside world.

"The inner realm is truly a treasure trove for cultivation," Qi Yun thought to himself again.

At this moment, the night outside the window is still dark.

Tomorrow is the day the Five Organs Temple of Youxian Palace will be completed. The high-ranking officials of Bureau 749 and Xuanyi Alliance arrived at Qingcheng Mountain yesterday. Knowing that he was in seclusion, they did not come to disturb him.

However, he has yet to begin carving the statues he intends to sculpt himself for the inner courtyard of the Five Organs Temple.

"It must be finished tonight." Qi Yun's gaze sharpened, and he stood up.

Pushing open the door, the chilly air of late autumn rushed in, and the mountain night wind was even more biting, enough to make an ordinary person shiver.

However, Qi Yun had his own true qi flowing around him, so he was impervious to heat and cold. This chill was nothing more than a gentle breeze to him.

With a flicker of his body, he darted out of the courtyard like a ghost, disappearing into the thick darkness of the night behind the mountain in a few leaps.

Arriving at a cliff, he pointed his fingers like a sword. Although the Chengyun Sword was not drawn, an incomparably sharp sword intent emanated from his body.

"Gold born from native soil will destroy evil spirits!"

He silently recited the command and then slashed down with his sword.

No dazzling sword light was seen; only a faint, highly concentrated golden glint flashed from the fingertip and disappeared silently into the mountain rock. The next moment, a soft "crack" was heard, and a huge blue stone, over ten feet tall and requiring several people to encircle, slowly separated from the mountain along a smooth, mirror-like cut.

Qi Yun stepped forward, and with a single hand, he unleashed his immense power, holding the massive boulder weighing several thousand kilograms firmly in his palm as if it were nothing.

He exerted force with his feet, lifting the boulder into a wisp of green smoke, and sped up the steep mountain path. His steps were as light as feathers, and he landed silently, quickly disappearing into the night, heading straight for the Tai Chi platform at the top of Qingcheng Mountain.

Mountain top platform.

Qi Yun gently placed the boulder down, making a muffled "thump" that broke the silence of the night.

He looked up and saw that the autumn night sky was as clear as if it had been washed, and the dark, jade-like night sky was studded with glittering stars, with the Milky Way hanging obliquely, vast and deep.

A full moon, not quite full, hung in the sky, its clear light casting a serene glow that outlined the mountains and palaces. In the distance, the lights of the Sichuan plains shone like stars falling to earth, reflecting against the backdrop of the sky.

A night breeze swept by, bringing with it the fresh scent of distant pine trees and nearby vegetation.

Qi Yun stood still for a moment, his mind gradually becoming clear and tranquil.

The reason he carved this statue by hand was because of the eight-character mantra on the altar in the inner landscape.

"The idol is sculpted by itself, and the consequences are borne by itself."

Initially, he understood it as needing to create his own idol for worship and bear the consequences of that.

But he had a feeling that the matter was not so simple and superficial.

The key lies in the profound meaning of "self-shaping" and "self-acceptance".

During his recent period of seclusion, he suddenly had an epiphany.

"Self-shaping" may not refer to the process of sculpting, but rather to recognizing the true nature of "self"; "self-acceptance of cause and effect" is not about passively enduring, but about actively sorting out, clarifying, and even controlling one's causal connections with the universe.

A deity's statue is not a clay or wood sculpture, but rather the condensation and outward manifestation of one's own spiritual path, cause and effect, and vows; it is a symbol and an anchor.

"To bear the consequences, one must first understand them," Qi Yun murmured to himself.

Without further hesitation, he took a deep breath, clearing his mind of all distractions and entering a state of divine illumination, where his mind reached a state of clear and bright "dazed and confused".

At the same time, he focused his mind on his body, stimulating the illusory image of the alchemy furnace.

Although he could not directly manifest the golden threads of cause and effect in the outside world, the alchemy furnace trembled slightly, and many of the causal threads related to him inside the furnace seemed to be drawn by an invisible force, turning into streams of warmth and wisps of enlightenment, rushing straight up along the meridians and converging into his mind.

In an instant, scenes, faces, and connections from the beginning of his journey through time flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern, colliding and intertwining:
The initial confusion of the journey, the fear encountered on Immortal Mountain, the thrill of obtaining the jade slip in the Five Viscera Temple, the opportunity to become Xuanji's disciple, the various events of Bureau 749, the mountains of corpses and seas of blood in Hongnong Prefecture of Yongzhou...

Joy, anger, sorrow, fear, worry, the cycle of life and death, the entanglement of cause and effect... countless images, emotions, and insights surge and converge, ultimately condensing into an indescribable, mysterious feeling and enlightenment.

Misfortune and fortune have no fixed gate; they are summoned by oneself. The retribution for good and evil follows like a shadow.

Qi Yun felt deeply that these words were not untrue, but even more profound.

It is not only "self-invitation" but also the interweaving and co-creation of countless external "conditions".

Every small choice can lead to huge future consequences; and every seemingly external outcome is inevitably linked to deeper and more distant causes.

Every karmic connection, every person (even those enemies and souls amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood) is not a chance occurrence. They are all nodes in a vast network of cause and effect, intertwined, entangled, and collided with each other's own karmic threads.

Because of this, there is that; because this arises, that arises.

Everything exists in relationships, and cause and effect is the most fundamental rhythm in these relationships.

Good causes lead to good results, and bad causes lead to bad results; these are just the most superficial level. At a deeper level, there is the mutual transformation of cause and effect, the accumulation and dissipation of karma, and the impermanence and inevitability of the coming together and parting of conditions.

This network is complex, intricate, vast, and precise.

At that moment, Qi Yun suddenly had a sudden realization:

These causal lines may not be just simple "connections"; they are more like an omnipresent, vibrating "string".

Every cause is an initial vibration; every effect is a resonance and echo after the vibration has propagated. The frequency, intensity, and direction of the vibration determine the nature of cause and effect—good, evil, neither good nor evil—and the depth of its influence.

Everything vibrates on the "web of cause and effect," interfering with, superimposing, and waxing and waning with each other.

If one can perceive or even adjust the vibration of one's own causal string, one may be able to more skillfully integrate into the rhythm of the great net of heaven and earth, avoid the resonance peak of bad karma, and match the harmonious frequency of good karma, thereby achieving the wonderful state of "seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune" and "seizing opportunities".

They may even eventually "transcend the constraints" and escape certain fateful cycles of cause and effect.

Countless images, emotions, and insights eventually settle down, no longer a chaotic revolving lantern, but condensed into a profound tranquility and a clear understanding.

Qi Yun's understanding of the "Great Dao of Cause and Effect" underwent a qualitative leap at this moment.

Without even thinking, the Chengyun Sword in his hand was already drawn. The tip of the sword trembled slightly, transforming into streaks of clear, cold light that landed precisely and nimbly on the giant rock.

"Shh! Shh! Shh!"

Stone chips flew everywhere, like snowflakes falling.

The hard bluestone was easily cut and sculpted by the Chengyun Sword, just like soft tofu.

The swordplay is sometimes as smooth as flowing clouds and water, sometimes as swift as thunder, sometimes as delicate as a meticulous brush painting, and sometimes as freehand as splashed ink on mountains and rivers.

His movements were natural and effortless, as if he were not carving, but slowly imprinting the already formed "Dao Self" scroll from the depths of his heart onto the stubborn stone.

Each sword strike corresponds to an understanding of cause and effect; each turning point coincides with the trajectory of a rule.

This is not only a review, but also clear evidence.

To prove one's own path and understand the cause and effect of one's own life.

After an unknown amount of time, as the sky began to lighten and the turbid air settled and the clear air rose, and the mountain wind became increasingly crisp and turbulent, Qi Yun suddenly withdrew his sword.

The Chengyun Sword clattered as it returned to its sheath.

He took a step back and stared intently.

In the soft light of dawn, a statue of a deity stood in the center of the Tai Chi Square.

The statue was about twelve feet tall. It did not look exactly like Qi Yun, but only about seven-tenths similar. However, its charm, temperament, and the calm, dignified, indifferent yet compassionate expression between its brows were perfectly in line with Qi Yun's current state, as if it were a high concentration and externalization of his spirit!
The statue's lines are fluid and powerful, and its robes seem to flutter in the wind, making it incredibly lifelike.

It gazes into the distance, its eyes as deep as the starry sea, as if it has seen through the vast world and understood the cause and effect of the past and present.

Bathed in the dawn light, the entire stone statue exudes an indescribable, tranquil yet majestic aura, forming a profound and intimate connection with the summit of Qingcheng Mountain, the newly formed Five Organs View, and Qiyun himself.

“The statue was sculpted by itself, and the cause and effect are borne by itself…” Qi Yun looked at the statue, which was carved from his own understanding of cause and effect, and felt a sense of clarity and peace in his heart.

At this point, everything at the Five Organs Temple of Youxian Palace is ready, awaiting only the auspicious time.

(End of this chapter)