nyslfriends Chapter 44: Having achieved minor success in the Dao at level 7, four more years? That's enough
Chapter 44: Having achieved minor success in the Dao at level 7, four more years? That's enough
At this point, the three old men on the stone platform burst into even louder laughter.
They seemed to see the day they achieved their goal, when Wudang would gain a new Golden Core cultivator with the potential to become an immortal.
The three of them were so engrossed in the "Wind After the Painting" that they spent their lives in a daze in the back mountains. Now, this was the only way they could contribute to the cultural heritage of Wudang.
Zhou Meng detected a sense of pride and generosity in their laughter. "But the Golden Palace and the Sumeru Throne are destroyed. With your nearly decaying mortal bodies, trying to draw upon the Yang Qi of Heaven and Earth will only lead to your death!"
"Moreover, this action seizes the power of heaven and earth; it would not be an exaggeration to say that it defies fate."
"Senior brother, junior brother, stop..."
Zhou Meng staggered two steps toward the three men, carrying an oil lamp. He looked in horror at the three crazed fellow disciples on the opposite stone platform; their insane thoughts made Zhou Meng break out in a cold sweat.
He vaguely understood the three madmen's plan.
Wudang is the Taoist temple of the True Martial Emperor of the North.
On Tianzhu Peak in Wudang Mountain stands a Golden Hall, which was built during the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty. It has a long history and exquisite craftsmanship.
Moreover, since its construction, this golden palace has also possessed a unique ancient spectacle—the palace forged by thunder and fire.
Whenever a major thunderstorm arrives, enormous fireballs appear around the Golden Palace, rolling back and forth, and when they collide with anything, they produce a deafening roar that shakes the heavens and the earth.
Sometimes, lightning would rip through the sky like a sharp sword cleaving the golden palace, and the golden summit of Wudang Mountain would be illuminated with countless rays of golden light, shooting straight into the sky. From dozens of miles away, one could see the red light soaring into the sky above the peak of Wudang Mountain.
Add to that the torrential rain, and the clash of water and fire, thunder and lightning, all showcasing the wonders of nature.
To the average person, this is simply a testament to the superb craftsmanship of ancient artisans and the profound cultural heritage of ancient times.
But for the extraordinary, this is one of the indispensable aspects of Wudang Mountain's heritage.
In the Five Elements, the North belongs to Xuan Water, and Metal generates Water.
Taoism believes that "Heaven generates water," meaning that water has infinite creative power.
Besides, ordinary fire harms the body, while true fire nourishes the spirit.
Practitioners ignite their own life force with their own yang energy, thereby providing fuel and energy for the circulation of qi throughout the body.
For those who cultivate themselves, kidney water and heart fire are indispensable raw materials, which Taoists call gold, silver, lead, and mercury.
In layman's terms, the method of internal alchemy is to allow the water element (Kan) and the fire element (Li) to converge within the body, seizing the creative energy between water and fire in harmony, thereby refining one's own life force.
In Taoism, thunder holds a special place, as it is considered a manifestation of Yang energy in the universe, capable of commanding spirits and ghosts, and eliminating evil spirits.
Thunder is the pivot of heaven and earth.
Besides representing the majestic power of heaven, thunder also represents the creation and vitality of all things.
The "Thunder and Fire Refining Hall" on Tianzhu Peak of Wudang Mountain combines water, fire, and thunder in one place, along with the methods set up by the founder of Wudang.
The wonders and mysteries contained within are truly unique.
Unfortunately, all of our good fortune has been destroyed.
The stone chamber inside the cave was brightly lit by the surrounding flames. Upon hearing this, the three old men on the stone platform stopped laughing and looked at Zhou Meng with their dark pupils.
"Going with the flow can avoid calamity, while going against the tide can bring great success!"
The elderly man surnamed Lu, with large earlobes, murmured softly, "Junior Brother Zhou Meng, the three of us will only have a moment of peace before we are plunged back into the inner realm."
"Time is running out, so we'll cut to the chase."
The old man surnamed Fang nodded slightly. "Junior brother, the three of us were greedy for the Feng Hou Qi Men technique back then and fell into the inner realm. Over the years, we have wasted our lives in this cave and are now almost exhausted. We don't have much time left to live."
"The big monkey went up the mountain a second time to try to take Feng Hou away, but we threatened to kill ourselves, and we got deeper and deeper into trouble, with no way to turn back."
Hong Yin was silent for a moment, then said, "Hehehe, Senior Brother, perhaps what you and that boy Lü said before was right, my cultivation is not up to par. But I'm still not convinced. Now I want to create a Golden Core cultivator for Wudang, to prove that I, Hong Yin, am no worse than you brothers!"
"Not bad!"
"My voice is just as good!"
As he spoke, Hong Yin revealed his withered face. He looked at Zhou Meng with a somewhat ferocious expression, "So what if I, Hong Yin, am trapped in this cave and can't get out of the inner realm? When I see my master, I'll have the guts to say that he misjudged me!"
"Today, I used the Feng Hou Qi Men Dun Jia method to communicate with my inner vision, briefly waking my two senior brothers and explaining my plan to them. They agreed, didn't they?"
As he spoke, he turned to look at Fang and Lu, who were sitting on either side of him.
The two nodded to Zhou Meng. "Junior brother, our minds are made up!"
Zhou Meng held a kerosene lamp in one hand and pointed tremblingly at the three people with the other, "You...you..."
His body trembled, and he didn't know what to say for a moment.
Seeing his expression, Hong Yin scolded, "Stop being so wishy-washy. The three of us will soon fall silent again. Consider this your agreement."
"We've never even stepped out of the inner realm of Feng Hou Qi Men in our entire lives. Wouldn't it be better to sacrifice three of our old bones to exchange for the future of Wudang?"
"The Tao begins with one, is born from three, unites with five, is partially perfected at seven, and is fully perfected at nine."
"We'll give him another four years. During these four years, you need to properly train that Lu family brat. Achieving inner core cultivation depends not only on cultivation level but also on character."
"But......"
"But, but my foot! I just can't stand your personality..."
"Clatter!"
Before Hong Yin could finish cursing, his head drooped back to his chest, and he fell silent once more.
"call--"
The flames around the stone chamber went out as Hongyin fell silent, leaving only the oil lamp in Zhou Meng's hand emitting a dim yellow light.
"It's time!"
The two elders, Fang and Lu, also lowered their heads again as Hongyin fell silent, and the stone chamber returned to the silence and indifference that had persisted for decades.
Zhou Meng carried the oil lamp and approached the three of them again. The dim light shone on them, making it difficult to see them clearly.
"Senior brother! Junior brother!"
He tried calling out twice, but no one responded.
After confirming that the three had truly fallen silent, Zhou Meng turned and walked out, sighing.
"Sometimes I really wish you guys could stay crazy forever, at least not make these kinds of decisions when you're sober."
Before leaving the stone chamber, Zhou Meng glanced back at the three people who had once again disappeared into the darkness, then turned and left.
"Da da da..."
The sound of Zhou Meng's footsteps echoed in the empty cave, gradually fading into the distance.
Zhou Meng, carrying a lantern, slowly approached the cave entrance. He looked at the bright sunlight outside, recalled the dark road he had traveled, and made a decision in his heart.
"This sunshine is so lovely!"
Stepping out of the cave and feeling the sunlight on his body, Zhou Meng felt a long-lost sense of relaxation.
He blew out the oil lamp in his hand and walked towards his room.
"Four years? That's enough!"