Two Realms: Modern Invasion of Cultivation

Dragon and Tiger Palace.

Inside the tea room, Zhang Yuxuan and Yun Qingsong were drinking tea.

There was one more person: Zhang Jingchu, the current Celestial Master of Longhu Palace, a fifty-year-old man who was still vigorous and had a restrained aura.

now.

The three of them were taking turns looking at their phones.

Yun Qingsong's phone contained a message from Yun Qing and a video.

The video is a record of daily life at the Taoist temple, filmed by Bai Moli.

In the video, several people are practicing Tai Chi in the misty morning air, surrounded by rainbows, which looks quite mystical.

"This Daliyuan effect..."

Zhang Jing stared at the rainbow swirling in the video and mused, "That's interesting..."

Zhang Yuxuan coughed and said, "To be precise, it's the Tyndall effect. Yun Qing probably just misspoke."

Yun Qingsong nodded and said, "It's a scientific phenomenon related to changes in light."

Oh, not too much.

Zhang Jing nodded, skillfully swiped away the video, and carefully looked at the message content. She saw that it was sent by the disciple named Yun Qing, about the changes in a disciple named Yun Su in the past two days.

"Senior brother, what do you think of Yun Su's changes?"

Zhang Yuxuan inquired.

Yun Qingsong put down the tea, his expression turning serious.

Yun Su was his favorite and most promising disciple. She had the same temperament as him, and he practically doted on her like a daughter.

Therefore, he would naturally care.

"Oh, this..."

Zhang Jing put down her phone, took a sip of tea, and said calmly, "It does seem a bit like Huaiyun, but we'll have to wait and see."

Pregnant?

Yun Qingsong's hand holding the teacup trembled, and his expression changed.

"The 'yun' in 'huaiyun' (怀韵) refers to the 'yun' (韵) of 'daoyun' (道韵), not the 'pregnant woman' (孕孕) of 'pregnant woman' (孕孕)."

Zhang Yuxuan quickly explained, "Junior brother, please don't misunderstand."

As long as you're not pregnant, it's fine.

Yun Qingsong was relieved.

"It could also be due to a pregnant woman's pregnancy."

Zhang Jingchu laughed and said, "After all, pregnant women often feel sleepy."

Yun Qingsong bluntly said, "Which 'yun' is it? Senior Brother, give me a straight answer."

Zhang Yuxuan was helpless.

Zhang Jing shook his head and said, "Alright, I won't tease you anymore. Yun Su is a good child. Judging from Yun Qing's description, it seems that Yun Su has been inspired and is carrying the Daoist essence."

"But we'll have to wait another hundred days to find out for sure."

Why one hundred days?

And what about inspiration and Daoist principles?

Yun Qingsong frowned, puzzled.

Zhang Yuxuan slowly asked, "Junior brother, do you believe that there are cultivators in this world?"

Yun Qingsong casually replied, "Of course it doesn't exist."

Zhang Yuxuan nodded and said, "It doesn't exist now, but my Dragon Tiger Palace has been passed down for nearly two thousand years, and some miraculous events have indeed occurred during that time."

"These miraculous records are in the transmission of the Celestial Masters, and only the Celestial Masters of each generation know them. However, we live in a scientific age now, so my senior brother no longer hides the information from me and has shown it to me."

Is it really a divine miracle?

Yun Qingsong was surprised and became interested.

Zhang Jing smiled without saying a word as she sipped her tea, her expression relaxed.

"Of course, even if there are supernatural phenomena, they are not really anything amazing."

Zhang Yuxuan continued, "Let me tell you about it now, starting with our patriarch Zhang Daoling."

"Our founder of the Dragon Tiger Palace, Zhang Daoling, did indeed cultivate an inner elixir, but even with an inner elixir, it cannot be called cultivating immortality. At most, it can prolong life and he lived to be 122 years old."

122 years old is already amazing.

What was the average lifespan of people two thousand years ago?

Sixty or seventy?

The lifespan of the patriarch Zhang Daoling doubled, reaching 122 years, which is already quite extraordinary.

Even in today's world, there aren't many centenarians, let alone those who live to 122.

Yun Qingsong sighed.

"Aside from living a long time, the patriarch did not cultivate immortality, nor did he possess any extraordinary methods of cultivation, such as moving mountains and filling seas or roaming the world in his physical body."

Zhang Yuxuan emphasized the key points and continued, "However, even so, it can still be described as miraculous."

"Especially after the patriarch left, the inner core cultivated within his physical body still existed. And that inner core was passed down through the transmission of the Heavenly Master of the Dragon Tiger Palace and it still exists today."

"Only the Celestial Masters of each generation know these things, and only the Celestial Masters of each generation can access the ancestral master's inner elixir."

"As for the ancestral master's inner alchemy... it's also somewhat mystical..."

"By contacting the inner alchemy, one can cultivate inner energy and generate Dao energy. Once one has cultivated inner energy, it is only necessary to cultivate inner energy for one hundred days for Dao energy to be fully born."

"When the Daoist essence is born, it opens the mysterious gate within the body, allowing one to possess the Qi sensation and feel the existence of Qi."

Can cultivation truly produce true Qi?

Yun Qingsong paused, his eyes shining, waiting for what was to come.

"That Qi, you could say, is true Qi."

Zhang Yuxuan shook his head and said, "But it's not anything extraordinary. To be precise, the Qi that you sense is actually 'essence, energy, and spirit.'"

"Scientifically speaking, having Qi sensation simply means being able to more clearly perceive the state of one's own or others' Qi and spirit."

"Normally, you can tell a person's condition by looking in the mirror and seeing their complexion. Even if you have Qi, you can feel it more clearly and sense your inner state, but it's nothing special."

"Go to the hospital for a check-up; your physical condition will be clear at a glance."

"Therefore, Qi sensation is nothing special. At most, it allows you to be aware of your own state at all times, and you can adjust your state accordingly to keep your body healthy, live longer, and achieve the goal of prolonging life."

"This is why the patriarch was able to live for 122 years."

That's quite something.

Being constantly aware of one's own condition and being able to live a long time can already be considered as cultivating immortality.

Yun Qingsong understood immediately and took a deep breath, asking, "What about the inner core?"

Zhang Yuxuan pondered and said, "Inner core... According to the records left by the patriarch before his ascension, the inner core was something that the patriarch transformed into when his true qi broke through during his ascension after a lifetime of refining qi."

Saying it's an ascension is just for the sake of sounding nice.

In reality, it was at the moment of the patriarch's death that an unknown change occurred between life and death, causing the true qi he had cultivated throughout his life, and all his essence, energy, and spirit to converge into something.

Yun Qingsong seemed to be deep in thought.

Zhang Yuxuan took a sip of tea, exhaled, and continued, "The inner elixir possesses miraculous properties, enabling one to conceive of 'Daoist essence.' However, in the nearly two thousand years since then, including my senior brother, out of the 67 generations of Celestial Masters, only five have managed to conceive of Daoist essence through the ancestral master's inner elixir."

"My senior brother is the fifth one."

"After a hundred days of absorbing Qi, the Qi sensation will be born. During these hundred days, the person absorbing Qi will experience drowsiness and, as Yun Su mentioned, a mysterious feeling that something has been added to their body but cannot be found."

"But whether Yunsu is pregnant with Yun or not, we will have to wait until after 100 days to see."

It turned out to be the case.

Yun Qingsong pondered, "So, Yun Su's talent is extraordinary?"

Zhang Yuxuan exclaimed, "It's more than heaven-defying! To have acquired Daoist essence without even touching the ancestor's inner core—this talent alone is comparable to the ancestor's. Even my senior brother, the fifth Daoist master to acquire Daoist essence in the last two thousand years, is far inferior."

Yun Qingsong felt comfortable.

Although having Daoist charm and Qi perception is nothing special, it just means I can live a little longer. I don't have any of the legendary cultivation methods, but it's still better than nothing, and better than ordinary people.

Moreover, he was his own disciple; how could he not feel uncomfortable?

"Actually, there's another way, without having to wait a hundred days."

Zhang Jing smiled and slowly began to speak.

"What method?"

Yun Qingsong was curious.

Zhang Jing took out a small wooden box, opened it, and a stone the size of a walnut appeared before her eyes.

"This is the ancestral master's inner elixir."

"Qingsong, try touching it and see if you can feel its charm."

"If that's the case, then it's no coincidence that you and your disciple dreamed of the ancestral master's statue together a couple of days ago."

"The changes in Yun Su's body are indeed imbued with the Daoist spirit."

after all.

If it truly is the manifestation of the ancestral master, then since you've dreamt of it, there must be some positive influence.

In response to Zhang Jing's words.

Yun Qingsong looked at the ancestral master's inner core in the box, and apart from looking like a stone, he didn't find anything unusual about it.

"Junior brother."

Zhang Yuxuan laughed and said, "I also obtained the ancestral master's inner core, but after spending a month, I gained nothing except making the inner core a little rounder."

"Back then, my senior brother spent three days and three nights studying the ancestral master's inner core before he conceived Dao Yun."

"If you truly encounter the manifestation of the patriarch, you will surely receive benefits, but you will not be aware of them."

"Perhaps, we can also use the ancestral master's inner alchemy to cultivate the Daoist essence."

He knew his junior brother Yun Qingsong.

I believe it.

Therefore, he and Yun Qingsong have been staring at the statue of the ancestral master for the past two days without sleep, and yesterday they even dragged their senior brother, the contemporary celestial master, to watch it together.

Unfortunately, the statue of the patriarch remained completely still, which was unusual.

Now, the Ancestral Master's Inner Elixir is the last resort. If the Ancestral Master's statue truly manifests its power, then through the Ancestral Master's Inner Elixir, one will surely gain something.

Looking at the ancestral master's inner core inside the box.

Yun Qingsong slowly exhaled, and said in a slightly deep voice, "Then let's give it a try. We'll know if it's true or not once we try."

The words were spoken.

He stood up, straightened his clothes, and knelt down to pay homage to the ancestral master's inner elixir.

Zhang Yuxuan and Zhang Jing sat on either side of each other, their expressions becoming more solemn.

After the prayers were completed.

Yun Qingsong sat up straight again, slowly reached out, grasped the ancestral master's inner core, took it out, and made the "Midnight-Noon Seal" with both hands, bringing the ancestral master's inner core together in his lower dantian. He then closed his eyes and began to meditate.

See here.

Zhang Yuxuan and Zhang Jingchu moved their lips slightly and slowly recited the "Changshuo Qingjing Jing" as an aid.

There is an incense burner in the tea room.

Inside the incense burner, wisps of smoke drifted gently.

In front of the incense burner, the statues of the three patriarchs Zhang Daoling, Zhang Lu, and Zhang Heng, who were merged into one, are displayed.

The chanting was soft yet clear, and the smoke from the incense burner added to the Taoist atmosphere of the tea room.

And in such tranquility.

At one moment, Zhang Yuxuan and Zhang Jingchu's chanting stopped abruptly, and their breathing also stopped.

Yun Qingsong's lips trembled slightly, and he opened his mouth slightly, but remained silent.

It seems that the three of them encountered something astonishing.

This is true.

now.

While the three were meditating, they all vaguely "saw" a statue of a patriarch.

The statue of the ancestral master Zhang Daoling, Zhang Heng, and Zhang Lu, who were combined into one.

The statues are blurry, especially the faces.

But its essential features are immediately apparent.

So, it's true...

For a moment, the three of them were speechless, staring blankly at the statue of the ancestral master, remaining silent for a long time.

What left the three speechless was...

On the statue of the patriarch, the third eye between his eyebrows is always open.

seem.

They noticed the presence of the three people.

The divine eye on the statue looked over and gazed at the three of them, as if it could see right through them inside and out.

This caused the three of them to be deeply shaken, and they had the thought, "If I hear the Way in the morning, I can die content in the evening."

In response to this...

Yuncheng, antique street, in front of a stall.

Song Yu paused in his gaze at the stall, then closed his eyes and sent his mind to his sea of ​​consciousness.

Currently, three points of spiritual light have appeared in his sea of ​​consciousness.

Through the three points of spiritual light, he saw a tea room, and three Taoist priests dressed in Taoist robes sitting cross-legged inside.

So, what's going on?

Why did the "intentions" of these three people end up in my own sea of ​​consciousness?

He sensed the "intention" of the three people.

Patriarch?

Taoist priests from Longhu Palace?

Then, as if lost in thought, he looked at the Taoist priest in the middle of the tea room, who was sitting in meditation, and what he was holding in his hands.

The Patriarch's Inner Alchemy?

interesting.

It contains a very powerful "meaning", but unfortunately, he cannot absorb it.

At this juncture.

The "scripture" was touched and floated up on its own, unfolding in front of him.

See here.

His mind was completely absorbed into the divine image formed by divine will, and then he raised his hand and took the unfolded "scripture" in front of him, and his understanding came to him.

Although it cannot be absorbed, it is not entirely useless.

He can store his own "intentional object" within the ancestral master's inner elixir, allowing the "intention" of the ancestral master's inner elixir to nourish the stored "intentional object".

The so-called "objects" are things like demon-slaying swords, scriptures, talismans, crescent-shaped crowns, and so on.

nice one.

Try it and see for yourself how effective it is.

Immediately, he casually lifted the medicine gourd and sent it over, storing it inside his inner core.

The storage will not affect his ability to extract the elixir energy from the gourd; when needed, he can still extract it remotely.

I wonder if I could still draw items remotely if I were transported to another world...

Next time I travel through time, I'll try it and see.

After delivering the medicine gourd, he focused his attention back on the three Taoist priests in front of him.

That makes some sense.

One of the Taoist priests looked the oldest, but had the best complexion and even possessed true qi within his body.

True Qi also contains powerful "intent", but he still cannot absorb it. The answer he realized was that he did not yet possess True Qi, so he could not absorb the "intent" within it.

The problem is coming.

How did this Taoist priest generate true qi?

That's impressive, that's something.

Song Yu sighed, never expecting that there were actually people in this world who could cultivate true qi.

There hasn't been much research on it.

Without his true energy, he couldn't research anything.

After a sigh, he looked at the "scripture" in his hand again, paused, and then raised the other hand, pointing at the other two Taoists who had no true qi or spiritual energy.

Although these two do not yet possess spiritual essence, their cultivation over many years is sufficient. Whether they can develop spiritual essence is just one opportunity away.

He felt that he could use the enlightening power of the "scriptures" to give the two of them that one chance they were just about to have.

In fact, he did achieve that.

With a single finger strike, without expending his own essence, energy, or spirit, he merely used his divine power to unlock the connection between the two, causing a trace of spiritual energy to emerge from their bodies.

Within the newly born spiritual essence, the concept of "preservation of intention" emerged and was absorbed by his divine will, instantly bringing him a sense of comfort, and his divine will grew again.

not bad.

He was very satisfied. After thinking for a moment, he raised his hand and made another move.

From the talisman, a talisman that had fallen onto the five-colored silk thread fell into his hand.

This is a cultivation talisman called the "Yongquan Talisman." It is placed on the lower dantian to aid in cultivation and the refining of essence into qi.

There is also a "Crimson Palace Talisman" which can be placed on the chest or in the middle dantian to aid in cultivation and refine qi into spirit.

Finally, there is the "Huangting Talisman," which can be placed between the eyebrows, on the forehead, and in the upper dantian to aid in cultivation and refine the spirit to return to emptiness.

at the moment.

Although this Taoist possessed true qi, it had been stored in his lower dantian for countless years, yet it remained uncirculated.

With the "Springing Spring Talisman," one can further enhance the speed of cultivating true qi and circulate it sooner.

His purpose in doing this was twofold: first, to see how true qi ultimately circulates, so as to accumulate experience for his future cultivation; and second, to accumulate "preservation of intention".

The stronger this Taoist's cultivation, the stronger the intention behind the true energy he generates.

Once he is able to cultivate, he can directly harvest the "intent" within it.

At last.

Since you've already come all this way, how can we not give you a small gift?

Now that his divine will has materialized, he can be considered a senior no matter what. It would be too beneath him not to give him a little something in return.

Having done all this, he simply sent away the spiritual light of the three people within his sea of ​​consciousness.

My mind returned to normal.

He opened his eyes and continued to look at the stall in front of him, browsing it leisurely.

On the other side...

Inside the tea room of Longhu Palace.

Zhang Jingchu, Zhang Yuxuan, and Yun Qingsong also regained their senses and slowly opened their eyes.

Tears welled up in their eyes without them even realizing it, wetting the cheeks of the three of them.

These are tears of joy.

"I've got it! I've got it! Daoist Master, I've got it..."

Yun Qingsong muttered to himself, feeling a mysterious sensation that had appeared on his body, though it was not quite there.

"Ha, ha, I've succeeded, Daoist Master!!!"

Zhang Yuxuan laughed, tears welling in his eyes, as he too felt the subtle, profound Daoist aura emanating from his body. He rose, gesturing wildly, and staggered to Zhang Jing, leaping forward and exclaiming, "Senior brother, quick, let me see what the Ancestral Master just gave you..."

As he spoke, he started rummaging through it.

"How dare you! I'm your senior brother. Stop! Don't rummage around..."

"Stop! That's my lower dantian..."

Zhang Jing was tackled to the ground. After a struggle, he managed to break free. His Taoist robe was disheveled, his Taoist crown was askew, and his face was flushed with excitement. He hurriedly left, saying, "Get lost! I...I...this humble Taoist needs to cultivate in seclusion. Don't disturb me unless it's absolutely necessary."

After saying that, he put on his sneakers and took off running, moving with incredible speed.

"Senior brother...you actually ate alone..."

Zhang Yuxuan felt disappointed, regretful, dissatisfied, and resentful.

"It's alright, we still have our inner core."

Yun Qingsong carefully lifted the inner core, breathing rapidly, and said, "It seems that the patriarch also put something in the inner core just now."

Yes.

Zhang Yuxuan's eyes lit up, and she pounced on him again.

"Senior brother, stop! Let's study this together! Please stop..."

Yun Qingsong was tackled to the ground again, clutching his inner core tightly as he struggled.

In a short time.

The tea room was noisy and bustling, and it didn't stop for a long time.

at the same time.

Zhang Jingchu, who was walking briskly, also thought of the ancestral master's inner elixir and paused in her steps.

"Forget it, let them study the inner core first, lest they target me."

"If I hear the Way in the morning, I can die content in the evening."

"With the manifestation of the patriarch, the path to immortality is just around the corner."

"hey-hey..."

Zhang Jing covered her lower abdomen with both hands, grinned, and almost drooled with laughter.

Fortunately, I realized it and restrained myself.

Upon seeing the passing disciples, he frowned, straightened his clothes, coughed repeatedly, and quickly left.

The path to immortality through cultivation...

Daoist Master, here I come...