Courtyard House: Time Traveler Not Yet a Ghost

In the desolate Yanshan Mountains, time flows silently in an almost frozen stillness. Dawn and dusk alternate, mist gathers and disperses, and the steam from the hot springs rises day after day. In the medicinal fields, tender shoots unfurl their leaves undisturbed, quietly absorbing the thin yet pure essence of heaven and earth. In the blink of an eye, He Damin has been lingering here for nearly three months.

Inside the treehouse, the furnishings remained simple, yet they possessed a more homely atmosphere and the tranquil serenity characteristic of a cultivator. Neatly stacked herbs dried in the corner, homemade bows and arrows and several tanned animal hides (the occasional hunt spoils) hung on the wall, and several Taoist classics and Japanese materials were spread out on the desk, repeatedly studied. Most striking was the circular platform in the center of the treehouse, built of blue bricks and used for meditation, its surface worn smooth and warm from repeated use.

He Damin sat cross-legged on the platform, his eyes slightly closed, his breathing long and shallow, almost imperceptible. He was only wearing thin gray linen clothes, but in this valley where early spring was still chilly, he did not feel the slightest bit cold. On the contrary, there was a faint warm glow flowing under his skin, which was an external manifestation of his abundant blood and energy.

For nearly three months, he had been isolated from the world, abandoning most worldly affairs and devoting all his energy to the cultivation of the "Taoist Innate Alchemy." Although the spiritual energy here was thin, it was absolutely pure, free from worldly disturbances and conflicts, making it perfect for him to organize his knowledge, consolidate his foundation, and strive for a higher realm.

Taoist cultivation has its own rigorous order. Although He Damin did not engage in this path in his previous life, the inheritance he received in this life is clear. In addition, he has exceptionally high comprehension and has a foundation-building pill to solidify his foundation in Taoism. He already understands the path ahead.

Refining essence into qi is the beginning of cultivation. This stage focuses on transforming the "essence" of the body's flesh, blood, tendons, and bones into more subtle and active life energy—"qi"—through specific methods. This is further divided into minor realms such as Illumination (initial sensing and guiding of the body's primordial qi), Enlightenment (primordial qi flowing through the main meridians, opening the door to cultivation), and Fusion (primordial qi initially merging with the physical body, laying the foundation for the Dao). He Damin, after consuming the Foundation Building Pill, skipped Illumination and Enlightenment, directly reaching the pinnacle of the Fusion level, forging a foundation far exceeding that of ordinary cultivators—this is known as "Foundation Building."

He is currently in a critical period of transition from "refining essence into qi" to the next major stage of "refining qi into spirit".

"Refining Qi into Spirit," as the name suggests, involves further refining, purifying, and sublimating the initially cultivated life energy (Qi), gradually transforming it into a higher level of energy with spiritual attributes, capable of communicating with heaven and earth, and even giving birth to one's innate "divine" nature. This stage includes realms such as Heartbeat (abundant true Qi, stirring the mind and spirit, easily giving rise to distracting thoughts and demonic obstacles), Spiritual Tranquility (subduing inner demons, true Qi returning to stillness and condensation), and Golden Elixir (true Qi undergoing a high degree of condensation and qualitative change, forming an immortal golden elixir, greatly increasing lifespan, and the initial manifestation of supernatural powers).

He Damin's goal is the "Golden Core" realm! Only by condensing the Golden Core can one truly step into the gate of cultivation and longevity, and possess the foundational strength to establish oneself in this chaotic world and even influence the overall situation.

During his nearly three months of arduous practice, he mainly did three things:

First, consolidate the foundation and liquefy the true essence.

He repeatedly practiced the Qi-refining methods of the *Tai Chi Harmony Exercise* and the *Taoist Innate Elixir Method*, drawing upon the vast and pure Foundation Establishment stage true essence within his body, circulating it throughout the twelve regular meridians and eight extraordinary meridians. Each cycle was a purification and compression of the true essence. The true essence, which had previously surged and flowed like mist and clouds in the meridians, gradually became solidified and heavy under continuous and tireless tempering, showing signs of liquefaction. Wisps of milky-white true essence mist slowly rotated and settled in the center of his dantian, gathering into crystal-clear drops of liquid true essence containing surging energy. This process was slow and arduous, requiring extreme patience and precise control over energy. After three months, the liquid true essence in his dantian had gathered into a small puddle. Although it was far from filling the entire dantian, its quality had undergone a qualitative change, containing more than ten times the energy of its gaseous state for the same volume! This is one of the hallmarks of the Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment stage—the liquefaction of true essence!

Second, temper the spirit and soul, and understand one's true nature.

"Refining Qi into Spirit" emphasizes the importance of enhancing Qi, but the tempering of "Spirit" is even more crucial. He Damin possesses the Soul Refining Banner and tens of thousands of pure soul energies, giving him a unique advantage in this regard. Instead of rushing to absorb a large amount of soul energy to brute-force increase his soul strength, he controlled the pure soul energy fed back by the Soul Refining Banner, combining it with the visualization techniques and meditation methods from the "Taoist Innate Alchemy" to meticulously sculpt and refine his own soul.

He immersed his mind in his spiritual sea, visualizing the rotation of Tai Chi and the transformation of Yin and Yang. In absolute stillness, he saw the arising and ceasing of his thoughts, the rise and fall of his emotions, and even the lingering resentment and coldness accumulated deep within his subconscious from past and present lives' experiences of killing. He used his soul power as fire and his Dao heart as a furnace to slowly burn and refine these impurities of his mind. It was a painful and lengthy process, like polishing a rough jade with the finest sandpaper. Sometimes, inner demons would suddenly arise, and illusions would arise, as if he were back on a battlefield of corpses and blood, or facing the venomous gaze of Yoshiko Kawashima; at other times, he would feel lonely and desolate, and a sense of isolation from the world would overwhelm him.

But his resolve was unwavering, his will as firm as iron. Each time a demonic obstacle struck, he forcefully suppressed and resolved it with his purer soul power and unwavering faith in the "Dao." During his three months of seclusion, his soul hadn't expanded much, but it had become more refined, pure, and clear. His soul body sat cross-legged in his spiritual sea, a pale golden light flowing around him. His soul core between his brows shone like a star, with faint Tai Chi runes flowing naturally within, radiating a harmonious, flawless, and serene aura. This was a precursor to "Spiritual Tranquility" at the soul level—the agitation subsided, the spiritual platform clear, laying the most solid foundation of mind and character for the next step, "Heartbeat," and even the formation of the Golden Core.

Third, perceive the universe and harmonize yin and yang.

Although the forbidden land was isolated, it formed its own little world. In his spare time, He Damin would often sit quietly by the hot spring or under the ancient trees, either gazing up at the sliver of sky above the cliff or observing the rising and flowing air from the earth. He tried to extend his own liquid essence and soul perception outward to experience the "breathing" and "rhythm" of this little world.

He "heard" the vibrant life force contained in the gurgling underground water, "saw" the vicissitudes of time accumulated in the rings of ancient trees, "touched" the faint residual heat of the geothermal fire and the essence of sulfur minerals rising from the hot springs, and "smelled" the different kinds of herbal spirits emitted by the various medicinal herbs growing in the medicinal field. He could even vaguely sense the thin but relatively stable primordial energy of heaven and earth gathered by the surrounding cliffs, as well as the "sky light" above his head, which was different from the outside world and limited by the mountain mists and cliffs.

The essence of the Tai Chi Harmony Exercise lies in the balance of Yin and Yang, and the harmony of movement and stillness. He simulates the movement of Tai Chi with his own liquid true essence, absorbing the geothermal Yang energy of the hot springs to balance the Yin cold of the mountains; drawing upon the ever-renewing spiritual energy of ancient trees and plants to nourish his body and soul; and even attempting to guide the minuscule primordial energy of heaven and earth to refine his own true essence, adding a touch of natural spirituality to it. Although the spiritual energy here is far from sufficient to support his rapid breakthrough, this process of merging with nature is itself an important part of "refining Qi into spirit," making his power more rounded and free, and closer to the rhythm of the "Tao."

It was midnight on this day.

The valley was utterly silent; even the bubbling of the hot spring seemed to soften. The night sky was clear, and starlight filtered through the thin mist, draping the treehouse and herb fields in a silvery veil.

On the blue brick platform inside the treehouse, He Damin slowly opened his eyes.

There was no dazzling brilliance, no burst of energy. His eyes were calm and deep, like two ancient wells reflecting the faint starlight outside the window, yet seemingly reflecting a wider world. His aura was completely concealed; if one did not look closely, he would be almost indistinguishable from the blue bricks beneath him and the wooden walls around him.

He gently raised his right hand, a thought flickering in his mind.

A drop of crystal-clear, liquid-white essence slowly seeped from his fingertip, hovering above his palm. This drop of essence was no bigger than a soybean, yet incredibly heavy, with a misty, radiant glow flowing within it, emanating pure and gentle fluctuations of life energy. It floated silently, motionless, yet seemed to contain the potential to unleash a thunderous force at any moment.

"True essence liquefies, becoming perfectly round and unified, Foundation Establishment... is complete." He Damin murmured to himself, his voice echoing softly in the silent treehouse.

After nearly three months of arduous training, everything had come to fruition. In his dantian, the liquid true essence had firmly occupied the core, like a small, shimmering lake of spiritual liquid. His meridians had been widened and strengthened, flowing unimpeded and able to withstand even more violent energy flows. His blood and qi were as vigorous as a dragon, and his internal organs were full of vitality. Under the continuous nourishment of the true essence and the "Tai Chi Harmony Exercise," his physical strength had already surpassed that of an ordinary Grandmaster of Transformation, and he was moving towards the "Immaculate Body."

More importantly, it was his soul and temperament. His spiritual sea was clear, his soul was crystalline, no distracting thoughts arose, and demonic obstacles vanished. Three months of quiet cultivation had washed away much of the restlessness and violence tainted by frequent killing and scheming, making his Dao heart more stable and pure, and his control over his own power had reached a sublime level.

He slowly finished his practice, and the drop of liquid true essence silently disappeared back into his fingertip.

He stood up and walked to the window. Pushing open the wooden window, the cool night breeze, carrying the fragrance of herbs and the dampness of the hot spring, rushed in. He took a deep breath, and the thin, varied spiritual energy of the valley seemed to be drawn to him, slightly converging, though the effect was minimal, it was a clear sensation.

The foundation-building stage of "refining essence into qi" has come to an end, and is now complete and perfect.

The next step is to break through the core of the "Refining Qi into Spirit" stage—the Golden Core realm!

He could clearly sense that above his perfect Foundation Establishment realm, there seemed to be an invisible yet incredibly resilient barrier. Behind that barrier lay a vast ocean of energy, another leap in the level of life, and the profound realm of "swallowing a golden pill, only then do I realize that my fate is not determined by heaven."

However, to break through this barrier, mere accumulation of hard work is no longer sufficient. A catalyst is needed, a more powerful energy surge is required, a deeper level of spiritual enlightenment is needed, and even… one must undergo the test of “calamity.” The Daoist alchemy tradition vaguely mentions that condensing the Golden Core from the Foundation Establishment stage is defying the heavens, seizing the creation of heaven and earth, and is often accompanied by calamities—either inner demons or lightning and fire tribulations, varying from person to person and determined by fate.

He Damin felt no fear; on the contrary, he harbored a hidden anticipation. The path of cultivation was inherently like rowing against the current, a struggle against fate. Without trials and tribulations to hone one's skills, how could one forge the truly immortal Golden Elixir Dao?

"Only one last step left." He gazed out the window at the deep night and the blurry outline of the cliff in the distance, his eyes calm yet sharp.

Three months of secluded cultivation in the mountains not only greatly improved his cultivation, achieving the completion of Foundation Establishment, but also brought his body and mind to their optimal state. It was time to consider his next move. Simply remaining behind closed doors for arduous cultivation might not be enough to seize that breakthrough opportunity. Perhaps he needed to re-enter the world, amidst the chaos of life and death, to seek that sliver of opportunity and insight to condense his Golden Core.

He turned around and returned to the blue brick platform. Instead of continuing his cultivation immediately, he took out a blank notebook and began to organize his recent insights and plan his next move.

The Foundation Establishment stage was merely the beginning. The Golden Core path was his current goal. The night in the desolate land remained deep. Yet, the light inside the treehouse seemed brighter and more stable than ever, illuminating that figure, serene as a mountain, yet seemingly poised to unleash his power.