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

The Han family mansion's quiet room was bright and clean.

A young woman of about sixteen years old was sitting cross-legged on a futon, her eyes slightly closed, her expression serene.

She wore a light apricot-colored belted dress, her features were delicate and pretty, still retaining a touch of childishness, yet her expression was serene, already possessing an otherworldly air.

With each breath, a faint golden-red light seemed to flow between the mouth and nose, mixed with wisps of warm fire.

Like the first blush of dawn, or the fire in a furnace, it gradually seeps into the limbs and bones as it circulates throughout the body.

This is precisely the unique aura of the [Jinhua Liudan Lingshu] in its practice.

After a long while, Han Liyan slowly finished her practice, exhaled a long breath, opened her eyes, and a spark seemed to flash in her clear pupils.

Han Liyan looked down at her fair palm, then inwardly observed the increasingly solidified and scorching fire-element true qi in her dantian. A trace of emotion appeared on her face as she murmured to herself:

"Every time I practice, I feel that the [Golden Flower Flowing Elixir Spirit Book] is more profound and mysterious, as if I am looking up to the heavens and man expounding the Dao. Every word is a gem and it is captivating."

The deeper one delves, the more one realizes how shallow one's knowledge is and how vast the path ahead is.

Senior Xuanling... truly possesses profound and mysterious Taoist arts.

She couldn't help but recall several years ago when she practiced the ancestral "Crimson Furnace Fire Nourishing Technique." Despite her tireless practice day and night, her progress was extremely slow.

She was only a young girl, barely at the fourth level of Qi Refining, and her path to enlightenment was shrouded in mystery.

Now, thanks to the true method bestowed by the senior, in just a few years, I have already reached the perfection of Qi Refining and am in sight to Foundation Establishment.

Thinking of this, Han Liyan couldn't help but sigh softly, her eyes dimming slightly, and she murmured to herself:

"Your kindness is like a second life, Li Yan... How can I ever repay even a fraction of your kindness in this lifetime?"

After a moment of silence, the girl took a deep breath, and the trace of melancholy in her eyes, like morning dew meeting the sun, quietly dissipated, turning back into clarity and determination.

She clenched her fist slightly and muttered to herself:

"Daydreaming is useless. The most urgent task at hand is to break through the foundation-building barrier."

The stronger the foundation, the greater the opportunity to repay kindness in the future. This will happen within these four or five days.

She calmed herself down again and carefully pondered the essential points of the "Golden Flower Flowing Elixir Spirit Book" regarding the breakthrough from Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment.

Senior Xuanling's annotations beside the scrolls were few words, yet they always hit the nail on the head, giving her moments of sudden enlightenment.

Unconsciously, he murmured a passage concerning the crucial considerations of establishing a foundation in the Fire element:

"Fire resides in the center, its brilliance contained within."

The key to foundation building is not merely gathering spiritual energy and tempering the body, but rather understanding one's true nature and using genuine intention to activate the fire elements, transforming ordinary fire into true flame.

Its spirit flows like golden splendor, its intent settles like a cauldron of elixir. Its additions and subtractions are measured, its literary and martial aspects perfectly balanced.

Once the fire in the furnace is sufficiently heated, a wisp of Dao seed will sprout from the Niwan point, descend through the Chonglou point, and return to the Dantian Jianggong point, marking the beginning of the successful foundation building.

Only then can one control fire with one's mind, nourish the Tao with fire, and gradually glimpse the Samadhi within fire…

Her voice trailed off, and the thoughtful look between Han Liyan's brows deepened.

After meditating quietly for about half an hour, I felt my mind was clear and my grasp of the Foundation Establishment stage had increased.

Han Liyan then slowly got up, straightened her wrinkle-free dress, and pushed open the door to the quiet room.

Outside the door, a maid in green who had been waiting for some time immediately bowed respectfully upon seeing her emerge and said softly:

"Miss, you have emerged from seclusion. The Ancestor is speaking with the Imperial Preceptor in the Waterside Pavilion in the front courtyard. He instructed me that once you have completed your cultivation, he would like to invite you to come and see him."

Upon hearing this, Han Liyan's eyes flickered slightly, and she nodded gently, saying, "I understand. I'll go right away."

…………

The waterside pavilion fell silent for a moment, with only the faint echoes of distant clamor lingering in the background.

The Taoist priest in plain robes smiled, lowered his eyes, and sipped his tea.

The Han family patriarch opposite him had a changing expression, from surprise and doubt to overwhelming joy and excitement.

Ever since the Dragon King intervened and saved the Han family from annihilation, he has never set foot in Aolai Kingdom again.

However, Han Chengzong never dared to forget his kindness for a moment.

Han Chengzong took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, and asked seriously:

"Imperial Preceptor, please forgive my intrusion, but I do not know what has happened in the court that requires His Majesty's personal presence to handle it?"

Upon hearing this, Master Yu Jin gently put down his teacup, his smile vanished, and his expression turned solemn.

He paused for a moment, as if carefully choosing his words, before speaking slowly:

"To be honest, Fellow Daoist Han, there have indeed been uninvited guests in the palace recently. As for the details, I am not fully aware of them."

All that is known is that a demon, using the art of transformation, has usurped the throne. The power and influence were intended to disrupt the court.

His whereabouts are elusive, and his methods of transformation are quite sophisticated. I, this humble Taoist, once secretly investigated him, but it was like looking at flowers through fog; I couldn't find his origins and was instead controlled by him.

Upon hearing this, Han Chengzong's expression darkened further, and he stroked his beard without saying a word.

Having experienced the ways of the world, he naturally knew that such a demonic entity, capable of changing the ruler and lurking in the court, was not someone to be trifled with.

Master Yu Jin continued, "I know my magical powers are shallow, and I fear I cannot subdue this fiend on my own."

Therefore, they had no choice but to burn talismans and send a message, respectfully requesting the King to move his presence to settle the matter.

"That roar and the tremor of the palace just now must have been the King's doing. But..."

Master Yu Jin frowned slightly and shook his head, saying:

"But what kind of demon is it, what its origins are, that it was able to deceive the heavens and seize the throne? I truly do not know the secrets behind this."

Now that His Majesty has arrived in person, the outcome will surely be clear soon. Let us await good news.

Upon hearing Master Yujin's words, Han Chengzong frowned deeply, his expression growing increasingly worried, and said:

"So strange indeed? Could it also be a Nascent Soul Great Demon Lord, like the Great King? Should the Han family gather their disciples or take some precautions?"

Master Yu Jin glanced at him, thinking to himself that although the Han family had become prominent through a series of coincidences,

Ultimately, having risen to prominence so suddenly, their vision is inevitably confined to the territory of one country, making it difficult to see the scenery from a higher perspective.

He didn't show it on his face, only shaking his head slightly as he said:

"Fellow Daoist Han, please rest assured. Such matters are beyond our control."

We will simply await His Majesty's decision.

Han Chengzong remained silent, knowing that what he said was true, and could only suppress his worries and slowly nod.

Master Yujin seemed to remember something and asked again:

"Where is that young friend of yours? Is he still diligently studying in his quiet room?"

Mentioning his great-granddaughter, Han Chengzong's worried expression eased slightly, and he revealed a genuine smile, saying:

"Your Majesty, Grand Preceptor, have a keen eye. That child, Li Yan, has been diligently practicing day and night since receiving the true teachings from the King, and her progress has been quite rapid."

He told me the day before yesterday that he felt his Qi was at its peak and was currently regulating his breathing and calming his mind, planning to attempt to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage soon.

"Oh?"

Master Yu Jin raised an eyebrow slightly and offered his congratulations:

"In that case, I would like to offer my congratulations to Fellow Daoist Han."

Foundation building is the beginning of the path, and the foundation is of utmost importance. By enabling my great-granddaughter to have a resilient spirit and to receive the true Dharma, her future achievements will be limitless.

Upon hearing this, Han Chengzong chuckled and said, "The Han family's current prosperity is truly due to the boundless grace of Your Majesty and the merits of the Imperial Preceptor. I am deeply grateful."

As the two were sitting and talking, they suddenly saw a figure in plain clothes walking slowly towards them from the end of the corridor. The figure's steps were light and graceful, and its demeanor gradually became elegant.

It was Han Liyan.

Master Yu Jin squinted and examined him, a thought stirring in his heart.