Journey to the West: Starting with the True Lord of the Pure Land

Although Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun once said that the opportunity for the birth of the Green Emperor Jianmu Palace should be during his tour of the four continents.

However, the reappearance of such ancient relics is of great importance. When it happens, the four directions will be in turmoil, and true immortals, demon immortals, and even other unknown beings may all come upon hearing the news.

Knowing more about changes in the landscape beforehand allows for better preparation, and it's always a good idea to be prepared.

The gray-robed old man took the jade slip imprinted with divine thoughts, closed his eyes for a moment, and seemed to be communicating with a certain place in the pavilion using a secret method.

After a short while, he opened his eyes and said:

"According to your inquiry, in the past year, there have been reports of abnormal earth veins in all four directions, which are consistent with the signs of wood energy and the manifestation of green flowers in the east. There are a total of four such cases."

They were recorded from two places in Dongsheng Shenzhou, one place in Xiniu Hezhou, and one place in Nanzhanbuzhou.

The origins of these items can all be traced back to local deities and mountains, but according to the rules of this organization, the specific individuals involved cannot be revealed to others.

After saying that, he turned around and took out four identical blue jade slips from a hidden compartment in an ancient shelf on the back wall, placing them on the table in a row.

The old man pointed to the jade slip and continued:

"The prices are similar, both calculated in the 'C' category."

According to custom, one can first read the first ten or so characters of each jade slip to get a general idea before making a decision.

Chen Jiao glanced at the four jade slips, nodded slightly, and said:

"Thank you for your trouble. We'll proceed with the inspection according to the rules."

The old man nodded slightly and gently touched the first jade slip. The surface of the jade slip glowed faintly, and a dozen or so small characters appeared before disappearing.

Then came the second, the third, and the fourth. He moved quickly, clearly doing this often.

"Eastern Continent, Part 1: On the shores of the East Sea, in March, a fleeting blue light suddenly shot into the sky where the sea and sky met, accompanied by a strange fragrance..."

"Eastern Divine Continent II: In the Tianhong River basin, a pillar of azure light appeared, connecting with the stars, continuing for seven nights before ceasing, with exceptionally rich spiritual energy of water and wood..."

"Xiniu Hezhou: Recently, there have been subtle disturbances in the earth's ley lines at the border of the Wusizang Kingdom, with occasional flashes of spiritual energy and suspected ancient tree roots..."

"Southern Jambudvipa: In the southwestern region, amidst the miasma-ridden forests, a refreshing mist suddenly arose. A woodcutter saw a rainbow appear in the ancient forest, its blue light like mist. Upon approaching, he was lost in the fog and only returned the next day..."

The old man stopped and waited for Chen Jiao to make a decision.

Chen Jiao withdrew his divine sense, pondered briefly, took out the corresponding resources from his sleeve, placed them on the table, and calmly said:

"I will take all four of them."

Since they are of comparable value and the clues are so vague, it's better to accept them all and then examine and compare them slowly.

In matters of such importance as the very foundation of one's path, a little bit of resources is not worth cherishing.

The old man in gray raised his head and lingered on the real person's face for a moment, as if trying to recognize him.

The store was dimly lit earlier, and he was busy with his work and hadn't looked closely.

Upon closer inspection, the old man's expression shifted slightly. He raised his hand and gently waved it, saying slowly:

"So it is the City Lord's distinguished guest, the Immortal Jiangxiao. I am blind and did not recognize you just now."

The old man paused, then gently pushed the four jade slips forward and said:

"The True Man recently helped the City Lord achieve his goal, and is truly a benefactor of Tongyou City."

These few idle chatter among the local deities are not worth mentioning. These four letters are my humble expression of gratitude on behalf of the city lord.

"Please accept this; there's no need for payment."

Chen Jiao was slightly taken aback, but then he understood.

King Yu Rong's attainment of the Heavenly Immortal realm naturally bestowed immense favor and reliance upon the people of Tongyou City. As his assistant, I naturally hold a different weight in this city.

He hesitated for a moment, then, without feigning refusal, nodded slightly to the old man and said:

"In that case, I would like to convey my gratitude to the city lord for his kindness. The author, Hengyang Yan, is waiting for you with 'Journey to the West: Starting from the True Lord Jingfa.' Thank you for your trouble, shopkeeper."

The old man lowered his head again, as if he had returned to being the silent guardian of the pavilion, and only gave a vague reply.

…………

…………

Back in the quiet room of the city lord's mansion, he closed the door and set up several simple restrictions to isolate himself from the noise of the outside world.

Chen Jiao was not in a hurry to explore the details in the four jade slips.

He has a more pressing matter at hand: to refine a elixir that strengthens the body's foundation, nourishes the nascent soul, and helps to cultivate the primordial spirit.

For ordinary Golden Core cultivators, condensing a Nascent Soul is a life-or-death chasm on their path to cultivation.

However, for Chen Jiao, this hurdle was not an obstacle.

The True Lord has already undergone tribulations and become an immortal. All the obstacles, changes in the timing and intensity, and disturbances of inner demons are as clear as lines on the palm of one's hand, deeply etched in one's original mind.

Xuan Ling was like this when he broke through, and Jiang Xiao is the same now. Everything is just following the old path, and things will fall into place naturally.

Once this pill is refined, one can calmly invoke the tribulation of the pill fire, using the tribulation fire to temper the golden pill and achieve the nascent soul stage.

After taking the elixir, not only can the newly formed nascent soul be stabilized, but the origin can also be nourished, the foundation of the Dao can be strengthened, and the path can be paved for future cultivation.

Chen Jiao did not immediately open the furnace. Instead, he took out an ancient scroll bound with an unknown silk ribbon from his sleeve, which was called "The Wonderful Scripture of the Rejuvenating Elixir Fire Pivot Explained by Immortal Master Ke Han".

It was personally presented to me by King Yu Rong the day before yesterday. He said it was a secret alchemical text that he had obtained by chance during his travels in his early years and had been treasured in his treasury for a long time.

Knowing that he was well-versed in fire magic and aspired to cultivate alchemy, King Yu Rong gifted him this alchemical text as a token of gratitude and to establish a good karmic connection.

"But Immortal Master Han..."

Chen Jiao brushed his hand over the ancient seal characters on the scroll, a slight ripple stirring in his heart.

He was naturally familiar with this "Master Ke Han".

His honorific title is Kehan ​​Zhangren Zhenjun, also known as Zhuling Duming Tianzun. He is an ancient immortal with a high status in the Heavenly Court.

Together with Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun and Huanghua Dangxing Tianzun, they are known as the "Three Saviors from Suffering". They are in charge of rescuing, saving lives, and refining forms. They possess great supernatural powers and boundless compassion.

It is somewhat unexpected that this Celestial Venerable has left behind alchemical texts. It is likely that these texts are remnants of his profound insights into the Dao of Alchemy before he ascended to the position of Celestial Venerable.

By sheer coincidence, it fell into the hands of the Yu Rong King, and today it has come before me again.

Chen Jiao gathered his thoughts, slowly unrolled the scroll, and immersed his mind in the words and sentences of the scripture.

The characters on it were handwritten with cinnabar mixed with some kind of spiritual gold powder, and each stroke subtly follows a certain rhythm.

Even when left still, it exudes a subtle sense of warmth and peace, naturally calming the mind.

The opening is not a lengthy introduction, but goes straight to the core.

"Dan means single, one."

The Dao arises from nothingness and primordial energy. This primordial energy is divided into Yin and Yang, which in turn give rise to the Five Elements. The Five Elements gather together to form the elixir.

However, tracing back to the source, it all boils down to the word "still".

"Replenishing essence to nourish the brain, returning to emptiness to unite with the Dao—this is the key to alchemy."

"Fire is not merely the flame of firewood in a furnace, but the spirit of the mind, the breath, and the workings of heaven and earth, all combined into one, which is called true fire..."

Fire is the mother of elixir; without fire, there is no elixir. Spirit is the sovereign of fire; without spirit, fire cannot be controlled. Therefore, refining elixir is refining the mind; regulating fire is regulating the spirit.

"The pivot is the key point and the gateway."

"Fire Pivot, that is, the mysterious key to the activation, ascent, descent, and refining of true fire..."

The text is profound yet simple, directly pointing to the ultimate principles of alchemy. It also states that alchemy is not merely the refining of external medicines, but rather the restoration of life and the essential pivot of the fire.

It lies in grasping the mechanisms of Yin and Yang rising and falling, and the mutual generation and restraint of the Five Elements, using the inner vision as a furnace and the divine will as firewood to refine the innate spiritual light.

Chen Jiao was so engrossed in the Daoist scriptures that he didn't notice the passage of time.