The Forbidden Path to Immortality - Chapter 26

Chapter 7 Opportunity

No one knew what Taoist Li was laughing about, but that didn’t stop them from joining in the fun. Thus, on Guantao Slope, laughter erupted, the sounds of both high and low mingling in harmony, a truly spectacular sight.

Li Xun ignored them, having laughed to his heart’s content, and with a flick of his robe sleeves, he stopped laughing. However, after the laughter, his perspective on the world changed completely.

Although the world remained the same, and the world remained the same, when you looked at it from a different angle, the new and subtle changes seemed like another world unfolding before you.

Looking up, the mountains, rivers, carriages, and people were no longer what they used to be. The sense of distance had blurred, and everything seemed very close to him, yet out of reach.

What else in this world was meaningful to him?

A sudden realization arose in his heart.

With a sound, a cloud of foul air in Li Xun’s chest faded away, replaced by a fresh breath that blended with the coolness of the jade talisman, making it almost impossible to distinguish one from the other.

This breath touched the “Golden Elixir True Breath Locking Structure” in his body lightly, and then they blended seamlessly, and with the flow of true breath, spread throughout his body.

In just a moment, the “Spiritual Resonance Technique”, which had already entered a steady accumulation stage, had another breakthrough! And Li Xun felt in his heart that the benefits seemed to be more than just that.

He just felt as if his body suddenly became three pounds lighter, and when the river breeze blew, he felt a lightness as if he wanted to ride the wind away.

He suddenly had an irresistible urge in his heart. He placed his fingers on the saddle and flicked them with a wonderful rhythm. Every change was the exquisite rise and fall of the true breath in his body.

This wonderful rhythm, with the sound of “puff” as the carrier, lingered around him, evoking a trace of familiar, yet strange feelings in his heart.

“Brother Li Dao? “

Li Cong on the side called him tentatively. After Li Xun’s laughter just now, there was another strange silence. The atmosphere on the slope was made very awkward by his fluctuating emotions. It was necessary to remind him.

Li Xun was awakened by the voice and knew that he had lost his composure, but his mood was not the same as before. He didn’t care much about these details. He just smiled when he heard the voice: “You guys go to see beauties by yourselves. Why do you accompany a Taoist priest like me? Do you want to see Feng Shui? “

No matter whether what he said was funny or not, everyone laughed again. A few impatient ones had already found a good family on the high slope, and they galloped down all the way to try their luck in love.

Those who stopped their horses at this time were all very scheming and mature, including Li Cong, Liu Tai and others.

Among them, Liu Tai had a higher rank and was older, so he became the leader of the group. He exchanged glances with a few people who had tacit understanding, drove his horse forward, and said with a smile: “There are beauties like clouds on the beach, but brother Taoist is not moved at all?”

Li Xun looked back at him, smiled slightly and said: “People who practice Taoism are indifferent! “

What he meant was that after seeing the peerless beauties like Qingyin, Mingji, and even Yaofeng and Yin Sanren in the Tongxuan Realm, he felt nothing when looking at these mortal beauties.

But Liu Tai and others thought that he was saying that he had no interest in women. It was okay for other people, but Li Cong, who knew Li Xun inside and out, didn’t believe what Li Xun said from the bottom of his heart.

“How old is he?” Li Cong sneered in his heart: “A seventeen-year-old man can say that he is indifferent to women? “

At this time, he and Li Xun were of the same mind, and he should not have agreed with what Liu Tai and others said. However, the subtle emotions in his heart surged up, and he was no longer able to control himself. The next moment, he blurted out: “Isn’t Brother Dao teaching Your Majesty the way of Yin and Yang in the palace…”

This was actually quite impolite, but at this time, it was said in a joking tone, and it could not be said to be too much. It was between the two.

Li Xun looked at him again after hearing this, nodded and smiled: “What the prince said is right. The way of Yin and Yang is nothing more than the affairs of men and women. This is of course not concealed. However, in the eyes of us outsiders, the way of men and women is also the way of Yin and Yang, isn’t it? “

As soon as these words with some mystery were spoken, the ambiguous atmosphere that everyone had worked hard to create was swept away. 6 Tai and others looked at each other, and finally rode away with laughter.

Since Li Cong had already dismounted, he was left behind. When he got on the horse and was about to leave, Li Xun behind him suddenly said, “You are still young, don’t spend too much time on matters between men and women! “

This was purely a warning from the perspective of an elder brother, and it hit Li Cong’s weak spot. No matter how mature Li Cong was, his face turned red. When he turned around, he saw Li Xun looking at the vast mountains and rivers. In the howling river breeze, his Taoist robe fluttered, unlike ordinary people, as if he was really going to be blown away by the wind.

Li Cong didn’t know what he felt at the moment, so he could only respond vaguely, then he whipped his horse hard and galloped away.

The outing for nearly a day was a happy one for everyone, but for some “conspirators”, Li Xun’s actions cast a layer of impenetrable fog on their future plans.

Li Xun didn’t care about the trouble he caused to others, he just cared about his own affairs. He returned to the Imperial Master’s Mansion.

According to convention, he should be meeting outside guests or going to the palace to see how Longqing is doing. In short, he should be busy. But he didn’t want to do that today.

He called the housekeeper in the mansion and told him that he was tired today and would not meet outside guests. Even if the emperor summoned him, he could refuse. After saying these words without any self-awareness of a minister, he hurried back to his room and immediately began to sit cross-legged in meditation, observing the changes in the true breath in his body.

How long has it been since he did this?

At least more than two months! Ever since Lin Ge died on Tiandu Peak, he has never formally practiced again. He only meditated to kill time when he was free, and in the past, Lin Ge stipulated that Not to mention the homework of swinging the sword a thousand times a day.

Even if this kind of thing has its external factors, the inner laziness and decadence are the real main reasons.

If it were a few hours ago, Li Xun might not have realized this, but now, the enlightenment on Guantaopo is like a strong wind under the fog, a bright lamp in the dark night, illuminating the road ahead clearly.

After understanding the difference between the giant Kun and the frog in the well, he felt extremely ashamed of his self-degradation.

But how can the giant Kun, who travels in the sea and turns into a roc to fly into the sky, sink into the mud and become a small frog hanging in the well to watch the sky?

The insurmountable gap between the two cannot be made up for by the so-called wealth and glory!

Perhaps in the world , he would have lived an easier, more comfortable life; perhaps in the Tongxuan Realm, he would have endured humiliation and fear for a long time. However, for this insurmountable level, a symbol of sublimity and greatness, he ultimately chose the latter.

True, he still hadn’t overcome the fear inflicted by the demon phoenix, nor had he escaped the two scattered people’s tight control. These difficulties might not be properly resolved for quite some time!

But so what?

He didn’t want to be an ordinary person, an ant in the eyes of others. He wanted to reach the pinnacle of this world, like Qingming, like Zhongyin, or even like Yin Sanren and Xue Sanren. It didn’t matter!

He only wanted this height!

Therefore, he must strive! He must become stronger! Extremely strong! He would try every possible means to become stronger. He had the conditions, and even more so, the conviction!

Sooner or later, he would be like those truly free-spirited cultivators, overlooking all life from the vast void, all at his fingertips!

This was him, Li Xun, a young man who had just begun cultivation, with his n*ked desires and wild fantasies.

Fortunately, he was the kind of person who could strive and pursue these desires and fantasies, step by step.

From this moment on—sensing the changes in his inner Qi, Li Xun breathed a sigh of relief.

Back in the mountains, he had heard countless times the saying, “Cultivation is like rowing against the current; if you don’t advance, you retreat.” Now, it seemed, this ancient wisdom wasn’t necessarily true. After

two months without systematic practice, the flow of his Qi might have been somewhat sluggish, but after several cycles of full-strength circulation within the “Golden Core Qi Locking Structure,” even this slight discord was completely smoothed out.

Furthermore, perhaps the momentary change of heart and mind he had experienced at Guantao Slope had taken effect, his mind and energy flowing smoothly. His Qi flow now possessed a more dynamic and agile quality than before, a precision and strictness that was more pronounced.

If his previous control of Qi resembled a scholar commanding his troops according to military manuals, his current Qi flow now resembled the ingenious style of a renowned general.

A single subtle change in detail transformed the “Golden Core Qi Locking Structure” entirely. It felt somewhat like Lin Ge’s initial guidance of the essentials, but since this was a completely spontaneous change, it possessed a more personal and precise approach.

The “Spiritual Harmony Technique” requires a long time to build a foundation, requiring immense effort. On this long journey, the most crucial qualities lie in two words: rigor and efficiency.

Rigor tests the practitioner’s will and conviction, while efficiency tests their ingenuity and understanding.

Li Xun’s will is undoubtedly strong, his convictions passable, and his intelligence is not a concern. His only concern is his understanding—he might possess a small degree of comprehension, capable of drawing inferences from one instance to ten, but he certainly doesn’t possess the grandeur of understanding that comprehends the universe.

He is cunning, intelligent, and thoughtful, which isn’t inherently flawed. However, during the path of cultivation, distraction is paramount. His many thoughts and thoughts easily distract him. With such a scattered mind, unable to focus, how can he perceive the subtle, seemingly elusive, and yet-to-be-there mysteries of the vast universe?

Perhaps he could proceed step by step, methodically, slowly building his cultivation and establishing a deep foundation. Ultimately, relying on an elusive opportunity, he could struggle forward on the path of immortality, never once again dreaming of the truly profound, boundless, and spiritual path of heaven!

Yet, the will of Heaven is unpredictable. Just as today, as Li Xun’s mind shifted and his state of mind shifted, a “spiritual seed,” or perhaps a “demon seed,” emerged from the boundless void, inspired by the spiritual inspiration, and penetrated the young man’s spiritual orifice!

In that moment, Li Xun experienced enlightenment!

He had finally attained enlightenment. No matter what he had realized, it could be explained by one phrase: the infinite Way of Heaven.

Heaven had given Li Xun an opportunity, a chance to break through his own barriers and bravely embark on the path of immortality. The profound enlightenment that Li Xun lacked was finally realized, clearing the most fundamental obstacle on his path.

The first step toward true cultivation was taken firmly at that moment.

Li Xun observed the flow of his true energy, not missing a single subtle change. The flow of true energy was not like an ordinary river or stream, visible and tangible.

The flow of true qi is actually the induction of the shifting “qi”—the constant “interaction between the human body and the primordial energy of heaven and earth.” This subtle sensation weaves through the body’s meridians and flesh, relentlessly and continuously, creating a sense of “flow.”

A truly wise cultivator must not be deceived by superficial phenomena; they must penetrate beyond the complexities and delve into the subtleties within.

Even Li Xun, at this moment, though he sensed only the vibrant flow of true qi, within his trance, he grasped a profound mystery deep within his being.

True qi circulated and shifted in a rhythmic pattern around the golden elixir within the Huangting. The complex transformations of qi within these processes, with their subtlety, must number in the billions. Trying to count them one by one would be utterly wishful thinking, let alone pinpointing the single most crucial point.

However, perhaps due to the aftermath of his sudden enlightenment, Li Xun, relying on the instantaneous spiritual power of his “mind’s eye,” seized this infinitesimal, tiny “opportunity”!

This was the most spiritual and refined essence within the body of a cultivator, a treasure prized by cultivators.

More importantly, it was the crucial “spiritual seed” in the foundation-building phase of the

“Spiritual Harmony Technique”! The foundation-building phase of the “Spiritual Harmony Technique” is broadly divided into four levels: nurturing, refining, transforming, and evolving. Li Xun was currently only in the gradual nurturing phase.

The unexpected discovery of the “spiritual seed” suddenly accelerated his progress significantly.

In Li Xun’s spiritual perception, that “spiritual seed” resembled a faint spark, wandering uncertainly within the Golden Core. Compared to this tiny spark, the Golden Core seemed as vast as the boundless void!

Its movement caused subtle changes in the internal Qi. Li Xun had never realized this kind of change before!

He didn’t know how long this mysterious sensation would last, so he didn’t dare to waste any more time. He used a special mental method in the “Lingxi Jue” to connect his mind with the “spiritual seed”. From then on, the “seed” could no longer escape his control.

Li Xun sighed and opened his eyes. It was completely dark outside and the room was pitch black.

He was thinking about lighting the lamp, but suddenly his eyes lit up. In the shining light, Yin Sanren was standing not far in front of him, looking at him with interest. When he saw him open his eyes wide, he gave him an intriguing smile.

“You are working very hard! “

After hearing her words, Li Xun felt a little guilty for some reason. Deep down, he didn’t want Yin Sanren to know about his progress and breakthrough at this time. This might be a kind of self-protection mentality, or there might be other thoughts mixed in.

In such a hasty situation, it was impossible for him to sort out his thoughts, and he just said by instinct: “Just practice casually…”

Yin Sanren didn’t seem to care, and nodded.

Li Xun didn’t dare to be careless. He stood up quickly and asked respectfully: “Uncle Master, what instructions do you have for me?”

Yin Sanren’s thoughts were always unpredictable. Her eyes turned to Li Xun, and the temperature of the air in the room suddenly dropped. At that moment, Li Xun was panicked. He didn’t know what was going on, but this feeling… The

strange thing was that Yin Sanren’s aura was only released at this point. Li Xun’s already highly nervous head only had this sentence in his mind: “Have there been any changes in the palace in the past few days?”

Yes! “Li Xun answered readily. In fact, the fat man Longqing had been very honest these days, just talking to him about health preservation every day. Li Xun also used the elixir given to him by Yin Sanren to bluff him, so his life was relatively easy.

“Pah!”

A resounding slap—Li Xun was stunned instantly.

Yin Sanren smiled faintly, pulled her hand back, turned around and walked out the door. When she reached the door, she said leisurely, “Do you want to know why you were beaten? Come with me!”

With that, she disappeared into the darkness outside the room. Li Xun followed her out like a fool, stroking his face.