Chapter 241: Chapter 236: Jiang Li’s Filial Piety, The Principles of the Demon Suppressing True Technique
"Things are roughly as such; you may go back now."
About half a mile from the ancestral land, Tianxuan stopped and said, "Come here to see me at the Si hour tomorrow."
She was not suited to enter the Jiang’s Ancestral Land, so she and Jiang Li agreed on a time to meet again tomorrow.
Jiang Li glanced at the ancestral land not far away, saw the buildings inside, and replied, "Please wait a moment, Master."
After saying that, he quickly soared, his legs automatically revealing the patterns of the Godspeed Talisman, entering the ancestral land like a bolt of lightning.
Then, in less than a quarter of an hour, Tianxuan saw Jiang Li hurriedly returning.
"How can it be that the master stays outdoors while the disciple lives in comfort indoors?"
Jiang Li spoke righteously, "Such actions go against the filial piety of a disciple; I cannot do this. I have already asked the clan elder to choose families going to the Sect, and I will stay outside to serve by Master’s side."
Even with the marriage line as a safety net, it was unrealistic to think of lying flat and waiting for Tianxuan to come to him on her own.
Thus, Jiang Li had to take the initiative.
Even if Tianxuan might still be upset and might give him a hard time, it didn’t matter.
As the saying goes, no venture, no gain; for the sake of gains, a little difficulty is nothing.
"Filial piety?"
Tianxuan looked at Jiang Li with a half-smile and said, "Well, let’s just say you have filial piety. So, as a reward for your filial piety, what do you want?"
This disciple wasn’t one to rise early if there was nothing to gain; his attentiveness now was definitely purposeful.
However, his actions did indeed cheer her up a bit. Having someone to chat with was a nice experience, better than meditating in the wilderness.
Tianxuan was not in the mood to meditate after what had just happened.
"The disciple dares not ask for a reward," Jiang Li followed Tianxuan’s lead and replied, "I just have some questions about cultivation that I’d like to ask Master."
That’s it?
Tianxuan heard this and couldn’t help but laugh, "To resolve doubts about cultivation is a master’s duty. Just ask directly. However, don’t focus solely on cultivation all the time. You are grown up now; you should take care of your own life’s significant matters too, and when you have time, try to develop a closer relationship with your senior sister."
Better than this disciple constantly thinking about rebellion.
Thinking this, Jiang Li suddenly seemed much more agreeable.
His heart was set on cultivation; he even ventured into her private quarters in the middle of the night for the sake of cultivation, going several nights without rest.
He was indeed too focused on cultivation, which made his progress with Qing Yue slow; he probably hadn’t even genuinely held hands yet, at most accidentally a few times.
Thinking this, Tianxuan finally felt relieved.
Because although Jiang Li was sharp-minded and very astute, since his heart was set on cultivation, there was no need to worry about him harboring rebellious thoughts like a schemer.
However, the reality was...
’I am currently worrying about my own significant life matters.’
Jiang Li looked steadily at Tianxuan, thinking to himself.
Of course, cultivation needed effort, but significant life matters could not be neglected either. Enjoying good fortune was promising, and having Tianxuan...
Would be a life without worries.
Of course, Jiang Li indeed had cultivation questions to ask, and they were quite profound; if they were too trivial, he wouldn’t be able to keep talking with Tianxuan.
"Thank you, Master."
Jiang Li bowed, then said, "During the dispute over Ghost Gate, I fought with a disciple of Daoist Lord from the Daode Sect and noticed that this person could transform the Five Vile Qi into Spiritual Energy. The essence is seeing Five Vile Qi as Yin and Spiritual Energy as Yang, using Yin to stimulate Yang and Yang to invade Yin, and seizing the Evil Qi to convert it into a spiritual mechanism. What I want to ask is how to transform Evil Qi into Spiritual Energy using the principles of Yin and Yang."
Although the past few days had been eventful, Jiang Li had never forgotten Zhang Daoyi’s "Nine Heavens Demon Clearing True Technique."
Once Jiang Li learned how to transform Spiritual Energy, the powerful aspects of the "Qi Tomb" would truly come into play, coupled with the stacking of the Uniqueness Dao Fruit, Jiang Li would truly soar.
Regrettably, the Nine Heavens Demon Clearing True Technique, created by Daoist Lord, was too profound. Jiang Li had started cultivating only about three and a half years ago; with his abilities, attempting to reverse engineer and clandestinely learn this technique was still beyond his reach.
But no matter, Jiang Li had his master.
Elder Tianxuan listened and revealed a contemplative expression. "The ’Qi Tomb’ is the very root of Qi Dao. If you can understand the principles of Yin Yang Transformation in the ’Nine Heavens Demon Clearing True Technique,’ indeed there’s a chance to thoroughly comprehend the transformation of Spiritual Energy."
She found a spacious area nearby and with a gentle point of her fingers, which were as pale as white jade, two auspicious clouds slowly formed, supporting her and Jiang Li.
"Focus your mind, concentrate your spirit, and recall the battle with Zhang Daoyi."
Elder Tianxuan sat cross-legged on the auspicious cloud, her jade hands facing each other, alternating Seal Techniques. Ziwei and Tianfu, two stars, gradually appeared and hovered between them, simultaneously reflected in their pupils.
Ziwei and Tianfu, the function of assistance.
Elder Tianxuan once again performed the Magic Technique of the ’Taiwei Fu,’ with both stars shining together, using the function of assistance to connect with Jiang Li’s spirit.
This time, it was not as rushed as before. Jiang Li could clearly sense a Divine Sense, cool and profound like moonlight, slowly connecting with his own, and in his Sea of Consciousness, it felt like a stream was flowing.
Could this be considered a divine communion?
The thought popped up in his mind but was quickly suppressed by him. Then he switched to Wise Man Mode, his mind clear and free from worldly desires, responding only to Elder Tianxuan’s request and reminiscing about the battle with Zhang Daoyi.
From the debate with Zhang Daoyi to eventually defeating him with the ’Divine Sword Thunder Protection High-frequency Technique,’ apart from stealing a strand of Qi from the Dantian, Jiang Li recalled every detail and transmitted them to Elder Tianxuan through the bond of minds.
"So that’s how it is."
Elder Tianxuan closely examined Jiang Li’s memory, getting to know every change in Qi mechanism and move made by Zhang Daoyi, and said, "The fundamental of Yin Yang Transformation lies in Taiji. Taiji, the state of chaos before division, its movement is Yang, and its stillness is Yin. Yin and Yang are essentially its motion and stillness, originally one entity. As such, mutual transformation is only natural. If I am not mistaken, the essence of the ’Nine Heavens Demon Clearing True Technique’ is actually about the unity of Yin and Yang."
"Integrate one’s own Qi with the Five Vile Qi and transform it into Taiji. Only then does one let Yang invade Yin, by making Taiji become active, bringing out the form of Yang, which can transform into True Qi."
Elder Tianxuan herself was also a master in Essence Qi transformation. Her creation, "Life in Desolate Places, Flowers Yet Undying," was a masterpiece of this path. With her high-level perspective, combined with Jiang Li’s insights into the ’Nine Heavens Demon Clearing True Technique,’ she pointed out the essence immediately.
But this was just the metaphysical reasoning. To actualize it into a Magic Door still required slow contemplation and continuous validation.
"Five Vile Qi enters the body and tarnishes the Three Elements. Fundamentally speaking, True Qi, like Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy, counteracts the Five Vile Qi. To merge with it rather than neutralizing it is tremendously difficult," Jiang Li pondered and said.
"Not just that," Elder Tianxuan added, "Even if you achieve unity, how can you ensure that your own Yang will dominate over the Yin of the Five Vile Qi, making Taiji active as Yang rather than settling as Yin? The essence of this holds deep significance. To achieve this step, one needs to observe the transformation process of the spiritual mechanism into the Five Vile Qi."
"In the Sect’s secret place, there is still Spiritual Energy..."
"That’s merely contamination," Elder Tianxuan gently shook her head and said, "What I’m talking about is the transformation of spiritual mechanism into Five Vile Qi during the time when the world transforms into the Five Turbid Evil World, not the current transformation of Spiritual Energy into Evil Qi. Only from such significant changes in the world can we gain the unfathomable technique."
"If that’s the case..." Jiang Li had an incredible speculation in his mind.
The ’Nine Heavens Demon Clearing True Technique’ was created by the Daoist Lord. Could this indicate that the Daoist Lord had lived through that period, the time when the Five Turbid Evil World began!
"It’s possible," Elder Tianxuan nodded, confirming Jiang Li’s thought, "but it’s also possible that there are memories and insights left by predecessors in the Daode Sect. The Daoist Lord, through these memories, might have vicariously experienced that period and derived the relevant Magic Door from it."
"At the onset of the Five Turbid Evil World, as the spiritual mechanism decays, those with higher cultivation perished more tragically, even Immortal Gods fell and transformed into Dao Fruits, let alone others. It’s more plausible that the Daoist Lord found the memory of some powerful being before the End of Dharma, from which he derived the ’Nine Heavens Demon Clearing True Technique.’"
In short, the latter possibility was much more likely.
But it wasn’t impossible.
This, both Elder Tianxuan and Jiang Li could think of, but they just hadn’t spoken it aloud.
"Is there no other way to learn the ’Nine Heavens Demon Clearing True Technique’?" Jiang Li couldn’t help but ask.
"There is."
Elder Tianxuan said, "There are two ways, one is to have the Daoist Lord and Zhang Daoyi teach the cultivation technique directly, and the other is to extract the True Qi of Zhang Daoyi for deconstruction and decryption."
"Taiji gives rise to the Two Elements, which give rise to the Four Symbols, and then the Four Symbols give rise to the Eight Trigrams. This progression can also be discussed through Yi Dao."
"The number for Da Yan’s evolution is fifty, but forty-nine are used. Divide it into two to symbolize the two, suspend one to symbolize the three, join them by four to symbolize the four seasons, return the odd to the thirteen to symbolize the intercalary. Every five years comes another intercalary, hence two thirteens before hanging again. Using the principle of Da Yan to deconstruct its Qi and meticulously investigate its principle, there should be a possibility or two to fully understand the method of Taiji separation. What’s left is just to make Essence Qi and Evil Qi unify, and then you can master the true technique."
Elder Tianxuan looked deeply at Jiang Li, "This method, not just I am aware of, others might guess it as well. I expect that Zhang Daoyi will face continuous troubles soon. The Daoist Lord sending him out must have planned this. You must not act recklessly, rushing into these troubled waters."
Jiang Li hastily replied with a smile, "As a disciple, I still have to honor my master, how could I possibly seek my own demise. Master, rest assured, my greatest strength is self-awareness."
He had already obtained a thread of Zhang Daoyi’s True Qi. Although it was just a slight strand, with the Innate Qi to nourish and strengthen, it was as though he was carrying a Zhang Daoyi study with him. How could he possibly wade further into those muddy waters?
A Daoist Lord, suspected to have lived through significant changes in the world, even if the possibility was minuscule, Jiang Li would show the utmost respect and avoid touching even the slightest bit.
"That’s best," Elder Tianxuan said indifferently, "If there are any more questions, just raise them all."
"Yes."
Jiang Li changed the subject, asking about the Wind Queen’s Strange Gate and especially about the Essence Qi transformation in "Life in Desolate Places, Flowers Yet Undying." Through indirect probing, he did gain quite a bit of insight.
Time unknowingly passed, and as the sun set and then rose again, Jiang Li spent the entire night with Elder Tianxuan.