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

Xuan Ling kept his eyes closed, letting the three women serve him, and said calmly upon hearing this:

"Though my intentions are sincere, the path ahead is arduous."

Both of them have shallow foundations and are among the most common of the aquatic creatures, inherently flawed. Reaching the Foundation Establishment stage can still be achieved through diligent, gradual effort.

If one wishes to advance further, one must attain the Golden Elixir and undergo a complete transformation; otherwise, I, the King, will be unable to help one refine one's foundation and replenish one's essence.

Forcing it would be like pulling up seedlings to help them grow, only to cause them to explode and die.

This principle applies to those two, and it also applies to you.

As he spoke, his gaze shifted slightly, landing on Shan Tao, who was lightly punching him with her fist beside him, and he said:

"The wisteria has a solid foundation and has reached the mid-stage of foundation building. The pear blossom is diligent and is only a step away from the mid-stage. But you, mountain peach..."

"Before I went into seclusion, you had already established your foundation. Now that you have come out of seclusion, judging from your aura, why are you still lingering in the early stage of foundation establishment?"

What is the reason for this progress?

Today, Shan Tao is dressed in a pale yellow ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), with peach blossoms adorning her hair; she is naturally beautiful and lively.

Upon hearing this, her pretty face flushed pink, and the fists that were pounding her legs slowed down.

She secretly glanced at Xuan Ling's profile, then quickly lowered her eyes, only sticking out the tip of her tongue slightly, her voice barely audible:

"Master...I...I..."

Wisteria, who had been frowning beside her, felt both heartache and annoyance upon seeing her younger sister's state. She couldn't help but glare at Shantao and answered for her:

"My lord, you are wise. Shan Tao is restless and has little patience when it comes to quiet meditation and enlightenment."

The maid and Pear Blossom have been constantly urging her on, and only recently have they begun to study harder.

At this point, Zi Teng's tone carried a hint of earnestness and helplessness.

"It is my fault for not disciplining my children properly. Please punish me, sir."

Xuan Ling was not angry, he only said:

"Cultivation is a personal matter; the encouragement from others is ultimately an external factor."

The journey is long and depends entirely on one's own will. Today's laziness will become tomorrow's obstacle.

"Since the three of you are serving by my side, your opportunities surpass those of ordinary cultivators by a hundredfold. You should constantly reflect on yourselves and lest you squander this good fortune."

Seeing that the master did not reprimand her, Shan Tao felt a little relieved and hurriedly nodded in agreement.

"This servant knows her mistake and will certainly be diligent in the future, and will never be playful again!"

As she spoke, her hands became more attentive, her body pressed closer, and she tilted her head back, her eyes sparkling with a touch of coquettishness, as she whispered:

"Rest assured, Master, Shan Tao knows her mistake. If her progress is truly too slow, Shan Tao will drink more of the immortal wine bestowed upon her by Master..."

After speaking, her face flushed even more, and she quickly lowered her head, leaving only a hint of blush on the tips of her ears.

Upon hearing this, a faint blush crossed Zi Teng's usually cool face. She coughed lightly and turned her face away.

Pear Blossom's neck even turned pink, and the fingers massaging her trembled slightly.

Upon hearing this, Xuan Ling glanced at her, a hint of helplessness flashing in his eyes. He then raised his hand and flicked her forehead with a flick.

"Nonsense."

He withdrew his hand, no longer looking at Shan Tao's pained, pouting face, and instead asked:

"Has Xiaoyue returned from Xiniu Hezhou?"

Wisteria stopped smiling and replied seriously:

"Reporting to the master, the Demon Lord Xiaoyue returned to the old mountain of Xiniu Hezhou before the new year as ordered, and reunited his old troops."

They have already communicated with Jin Guang Zhenren's Huanghua Temple and are working together to open up trade routes.

Exchanges between the two places became increasingly smooth, and annual offerings were sent to the granary in the mountains, with clear accounts kept.

Xuan Ling nodded slightly and said:

"Trading across continents is difficult and involves huge losses. When the time is right, I will sort out the key points to achieve success."

With a flick of the finger, one is instantly transported to the wonderful world of Chapter 358, "Guiding the Maid to Seek Immortal Wine, Xuan Yin Originally Came from Taiyin."

As they were speaking, Venerable Xuan Gu hurried over from the stone path, stopped a few steps away from the pavilion, bowed respectfully, and said in a deep voice:

"Your Majesty, those few traitorous Golden Core cultivators who secretly colluded with foreign enemies and betrayed their own people have all been captured and brought to justice."

His cave dwellings and private possessions have been seized and inventoried.

Xuan Ling's expression remained unchanged; he simply said:

"The elixir was extracted and sent to the alchemy room. The corpse was hung at the mountain gate as a warning to others."

"Yes." Master Xuan Gu replied and was about to take his leave.

"Wait a minute."

Master Xuangu stopped upon hearing the sound and lowered his head, saying:

"Does Your Majesty have any further orders?"

Xuan Ling's gaze fell on him, and he sized him up briefly.

Although the mysterious yin energy around him was abundant, it seemed to be faintly steamed by an invisible fire, no longer as pure and profound as before.

A hint of restlessness lingered between his brows, like firewood about to ignite.

Xuan Ling asked, "I observe that your Golden Core is at its peak, and the aura of tribulation within your core is faintly visible in your brows. When will you shatter your core and condense your Nascent Soul? Is there a predetermined timeframe?"

Master Xuangu raised his head, his face solemn, and answered truthfully:

"Your Majesty, in recent years I have felt my Golden Core had reached perfection and my magical power was overflowing. However, that spark of the elixir fire has always been elusive."

My subordinates have been immersed in the Dao of Profound Yin for too long. I fear that when the time comes, Yin and Yang will clash, and we will be attacked from within and without. If we forcefully break through the barrier, I fear that our foundation will be unstable, and we will be consumed by the flames of calamity.

I have no real confidence in my abilities, therefore I dare not act rashly.

Xuan Ling nodded slightly and said, "The Tribulation of Dan Fire is not an external tribulation of heavenly thunder and earthly fire, but rather the ultimate golden core, where the extreme of yang gives rise to a transformation, and a wisp of innate true fire emanates from within, which is called Pure Yang Dan Fire."

To overcome this tribulation, one must use the tribulation fire as a furnace and the golden elixir as medicine, refining it both internally and externally until the golden elixir breaks through its shell and a spark of true spirit is born, only then can one achieve the nascent soul and reside in the Niwan Palace.

"This fire not only burns the physical body and the furnace, but also scorches the cultivator's mind and spirit."

All seven emotions and six desires can be fuel for the fire. If the fire of the heart ignites and combines with external fire, then the five internal organs will be burned, and even a god cannot save them.

Upon hearing this, Xuan Gu's expression became even more solemn, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

This was his biggest worry. The Xuan Yin Scripture he practiced was inherently more focused on killing and yin energy, and was not good at harmonizing the mind or suppressing inner demons.

But then Xuan Ling took out a dark jade slip from his sleeve, handed it to him, and said:

"What you sought in the past was the killing and offensive techniques of the Xuan Yin Qi lineage, hoping to defeat your enemies with cold and yin energy. But the wonders of Xuan Yin Qi are not limited to killing and offensive."

Master Xuangu respectfully accepted the jade slip.

Xuan Ling continued, "This [True Explanation of Gui Water Transforming Yin and Absorbing Qi] is the orthodox cultivation path of the Xuan Yin Qi lineage, pointing directly to the Great Dao."

The mysterious Yin energy originates from the Taiyin (Great Yin) and inherently possesses the virtues of nourishing all things, being profound and tranquil, and harmonizing Yin and Yang.

To pursue only brutal killing is to miss the point and pursue the trivial; one will ultimately find it difficult to grasp its profound mysteries.

"The essence of this method is to use the nature of Gui water to generate the Yin energy, harmonize the dragon, tiger, Kan and Li in the body, achieve balance and tranquility, and establish a long-lasting foundation."

As for how much you can comprehend, that depends on your own affinity and aptitude.

He looked at the Mysterious Bone Immortal, his voice filled with expectation, and said slowly:

"You have served me for many years and have always been diligent and cautious. At present, there is not a single Nascent Soul cultivator in the mountains."

"I sincerely hope that you can overcome this obstacle and achieve enlightenment."

Upon hearing this, Master Xuangu was startled.

The Xuan Yin Qi he inherited was incomplete to begin with, and he had been exploring and persevering for many years, knowing the hardships he had faced.

With just a slight perception, he knew that the true insights and profound principles in this jade slip were indeed the supreme and orthodox teachings!

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