The Eternal Way

The discussion about defensive qi and nutritive qi left Li Qi utterly bewildered.

What was this? He couldn't understand...

He only understood that she had mentioned damaging her cultivation, losing all her powers.

No wonder she seemed so weak; it was because of this reason.

However, Shen Shuibei noticed the confusion in Li Qi's eyes and explained, "As stated in the Ling Shu chapter: 'It is derived from food and drink and circulates to transform substances.' This qi enters the five organs internally and connects to the limbs externally. The qi floating outside the meridians is defensive qi; the qi circulating within the meridians is nutritive qi. Yin and Yang follow each other, interconnecting inside and out, like an endless cycle. Who can fully comprehend its intricacies?"

"This means that the refined substances derived from food and drink enter the five organs internally and spread to the limbs externally. Defensive qi floats outside the meridians, while nutritive qi flows through them. Yang defensive qi and Yin nutritive qi coexist harmoniously, circulating endlessly within the body."

"The last sentence, 'Who can fully comprehend its intricacies?' implies that no one can completely understand the circulation of nutritive and defensive qi."

"Neither doctors nor Daoists know the exact rules governing nutritive and defensive qi," Shen Shuibei continued, "so they leave it as a question—'Who can fully comprehend its intricacies?' Therefore, with my defensive qi implanted, apart from damaging my cultivation, there was no other way."

"I feared they would find me and use me to locate Luo Fu Niangniang, so I chose to destroy my cultivation and expel both nutritive and defensive qi, reconstructing my circulation to rid myself of those things."

At this moment, the rabbit suddenly slapped her head, seemingly struck by a revelation, "Right! After that, I was caught by you! That Great Wu Zhu!"

Li Qi hadn't expected this turn of events.

How could she remember such a thing at this moment?!

"But wouldn't this mean Luo Fu Niangniang is safe now?" Li Qi quickly said.

"Why?" Shen Shuibei looked wary.

"You know Wu Deity Mountain is an enemy of Tang Dynasty. We wouldn't hand over Luo Fu Niangniang to Tang, right? On the contrary, Luo Fu Niangniang could take refuge on Wu Deity Mountain, where Tang cannot reach, right?"

"If we find Luo Fu Niangniang, she will be safe!" Li Qi said. "Miss Shen, isn't this the logic?"

"Yes... it seems so," Shen Shuibei pondered, finding it reasonable.

"So, let's rest tonight and set off to find Luo Fu Niangniang tomorrow. The sooner we find her, the safer she will be." Li Qi kept reinforcing this idea to Shen Shuibei.

After their earlier conversation and initial impressions, Shen Shuibei began to waver.

Li Qi continued to talk, weaving his tale.

Time slowly passed, and the moon rose.

In the end, just before the moon hung above the treetops, Shen Shuibei was finally persuaded to travel together.

This rabbit, though knowledgeable and well-read, was still quite simple-minded and easy to persuade.

Moreover, there was good news for Li Qi.

Because Shen Shuibei saw Li Qi had nowhere to sleep, she took him back to the inn.

It was Li Qi's first time staying at an inn.

Undeniably,

it felt great.

---

The next day.

Before dawn, with stars still covering the sky, Li Qi woke up.

Not because he was eager to depart or mooch off Ba Kwei's meals, but because the cultivation method recorded in the book "Wu" required practice at this time every day.

This book existed solely in his mind. Apart from not needing to hold it physically or worry about losing it, everything else was exactly like a real book.

It wasn't memory or a searchable database; it was simply an ordinary book.

Want to know the knowledge inside?

Sure, open it yourself and read slowly, memorize bit by bit.

Li Qi figured it would take him at least five years to finish reading it all.

However, the cultivation method was surprisingly concise, without much complexity. In summary, it involved extracting various types of qi from nature, integrating them into the human microcosm, nurturing divine energy within the body, and then performing self-sacrifice rituals.

Depending on the path chosen, the focus of the sacrifice differed.

There were three main categories: Heaven Gods, Earth Spirits, and Human Ghosts, representing different focuses in sacrificing to the divine energies within the human microcosm.

Due to Young Master Wu's influence, Li Qi naturally chose the Earth Spirits category.

However, it was merely a focus; in reality, he needed to practice all three paths, just allocating different amounts of effort.

The cultivation method was quite mystical.

Since it was spring, the current ritual should honor the Azure Dragon among the Twenty-Eight Mansions.

The Twenty-Eight Mansions are divided into four groups based on cardinal directions, forming the Four Symbols: Azure Dragon (East), White Tiger (West), Vermilion Bird (South), and Black Tortoise (North).

The mansions Jiao, Kang, Di, Fang, Xin, Wei, and Ji form a dragon-shaped constellation known as the Azure Dragon. Jiao represents the dragon's horns, Kang the throat, Di the claws, Xin the heart, and Wei and Ji the tail.

Records describe the dragon as being able to be hidden or revealed, small or large, short or long, rising in spring and descending in autumn. This refers to the changes in the Azure Dragon constellation.

The Azure Dragon constellation rises in the eastern sky during spring, aligning with agricultural cycles. As spring farming begins, the Azure Dragon appears in the eastern sky, marking the start of planting. By summer, it hangs in the southern sky, symbolizing crop growth. In autumn, it sets in the western sky, signaling harvest, and in winter, it disappears below the northern horizon, reflecting the dormancy of nature.

At this transitional time between winter and spring, the Azure Dragon begins to appear in the eastern sky, with Jiao, representing the dragon's horns, starting to emerge.

When the Azure Dragon fully appears in the sky, it marks the official start of spring plowing.

This is commonly known as "the second month, the dragon lifts its head."

This timing corresponds to the worship of the Azure Dragon, one of the Heavenly Gods, also called the Green Dragon.

"Heavenly Gods, none are more precious than the Green Dragon." As the leader of the Four Symbols, worshipping the Azure Dragon grants Eastern qi, filling the human microcosm and storing divine energy within the body.

Thus, Li Qi got up around three or four in the morning, struggling out of his warm bed.

Sleeping, how could it compare to cultivation?

This was cultivation!

A path to becoming superior, to no longer being a mere boatman!

So, he immediately prepared for the ritual, honoring the Azure Dragon.

This was the worship of Heavenly Gods.

Next, he needed to worship Earth Spirits.

Only after completing these steps would his daily cultivation be complete, officially making him part of the cultivators!

Finally, he could breathe a sigh of relief.

He watched his progress bar, thinking this.

But as he looked, Li Qi suddenly realized something.

After getting used to seeing progress bars appear anytime, he noticed that Young Master Wu never had a progress bar.