Chapter 90: Viewing the Inner Landscape, Drawing Kan to Fill Li

At this thought, Wang Ping's mind instantly grew active.

"I see."

A second later, a look of deep admiration appeared on his face. "In that case, Book Mountain is indeed an orthodox sect. I was too rash before."

Wang Ping cupped his hands in salute as he finished.

This attitude clearly pleased Chen Luoyan. Her beautiful eyes narrowed slightly as she smiled. "So you're willing to return to Book Mountain with me?"

"Of course."

Wang Ping nodded. "I refused earlier mainly out of concern for the danger. But since Book Mountain is an orthodox sect, it's clear my worries were unfounded."

Chen Luoyan was even more satisfied to hear this. "Rest assured. If you truly are one of the three thousand karmic ties left behind by Book Mountain's founder, the sect master will absolutely take you in, teach you spells, and grant you a flying sword. With your cultivation talent, never mind becoming a Loose Immortal—you might even have hope of breaking through this world and ascending."

"When that time comes, you might even end up as my little junior brother."

"Then I must thank you in advance, Senior Sister."

Knowing exactly how to climb an offered branch, Wang Ping immediately changed his address. The words hit exactly the right spot for Chen Luoyan.

"Ahem... it's a bit early to be calling me that."

Although Chen Luoyan quickly caught herself and waved her hands in refusal, Wang Ping's eyes were sharp as torches. How could he not see that her refusal was exactly what she wanted?

He immediately struck while the iron was hot. "Senior Sister, you mentioned Loose Immortals earlier, but the Three Corpses and Nine Worms Tribulation-Resolving Secret Record I received seems rather vague about this step."

This was the main reason his cultivation had stalled.

The Borrowed Manifestation Method was the final hurdle of the Tribulation Transcending First Layer. Unlike the first three, this step could not be achieved simply by devouring vitality.

It required some sort of trick.

Yet Wang Ping had nearly flipped the cultivation method to shreds without finding the secret. It only told him that doing it would lead to a breakthrough, without telling him how.

Now that he had finally encountered a cultivator with an orthodox Immortal Gate education, Wang Ping naturally had to milk the opportunity. He immediately voiced his doubts.

"Please give me some guidance, Senior Sister."

"Hmm..."

Chen Luoyan looked conflicted for a moment before lowering her voice. "Actually, it wouldn't hurt to tell you. The key to becoming a Loose Immortal is never written down in a cultivation method anyway."

"As the saying goes, true methods are not passed to a third pair of ears."

"When cultivation methods are set on paper, they inevitably risk leaking out. So, for the sake of the sect's legacy, some crucial parts are simply not written down."

"Instead, they are passed down by word of mouth."

"It's exactly as the saying goes: false teachings fill ten thousand volumes, while a true transmission is a single sentence. This step of the Borrowed Manifestation Method is actually just four words."

Wang Ping put on a look of profound shock, but inwardly he was grinding his teeth to dust—why did these damn Immortal Gates have so many tricks? No wonder that guy Guo Huan had handed the cultivation method over so casually. He had calculated that without a true transmission, Wang Ping would never amount to anything.

Fuming with resentment, Wang Ping cursed the Immortal Gates for being inhumane, yet he didn't dare let a trace of emotion slip onto his face. He simply lowered his voice and asked, "Which four words?"

"This..." Chen Luoyan knit her elegant brows.

Seeing this, Wang Ping swallowed his urgency and actively took a step back, sighing. "I apologize. I was too eager and made things difficult for you, Senior Sister."

"Please do not blame me, Senior Sister. During the incident in Longxing County, Madam Su was nearly killed. Because my cultivation was lacking, I almost failed to protect her in the chaos. That's why I've been in seclusion this past half-month, trying to refine magic power, which only caused me to neglect her. It seems this matter truly cannot be rushed..."

Wang Ping decisively pulled Madam Su in as an excuse.

At those words, the already wavering Chen Luoyan wavered even more. "So that's how it is. But in matters of cultivation, haste makes waste."

"I understand."

Seeing that his moral kidnapping seemed effective, Wang Ping immediately pressed his advantage. "But if I go to Book Mountain with you this time, what will happen to Madam Su?"

"Ugh."

Chen Luoyan grew even more conflicted. She hadn't thought about it deeply before, but she now realized she was planning to forcibly take her brother-in-law away from her cousin.

If her cousin found out, wouldn't she be unhappy?

Right then, Wang Ping's voice continued. "I was thinking of that too, which is why I was anxious. After all, I can't live at Book Mountain permanently."

"But my cultivation is also truly hard to compromise on."

Wang Ping sighed. "If there's no other way, I'll just have to apologize to Madam Su. I'll go to Book Mountain with you first, Senior Sister, and return to see her once I've become a Loose Immortal..."

Chen Luoyan drew a sharp breath at his words.

That wouldn't do at all!

She knew better than anyone how difficult the Borrowed Manifestation Method was. In Book Mountain, there were many cultivators who finished the first three steps by their thirties or forties.

Only to get stuck on this fourth step for the rest of their lives.

Not to mention a true transmission was hard to come by. Her brother-in-law hadn't been taken into Book Mountain since childhood; if he wanted to obtain a true transmission, he would inevitably have to undergo the sect master's trials.

All that back and forth would take over a decade.

This amount of time was nothing to an extraordinary person, but for an ordinary Mortal like Madam Su, it was a massive problem. She would likely be kept waiting until her youth withered away.

Her cousin had already suffered so much over the years because of her. If she caused her to sleep in an empty bed, how could she ever look her in the eye again?

With that thought, Chen Luoyan finally made up her mind.

"...Come closer."

It worked!

Wang Ping was ecstatic inwardly, but his face remained perfectly stoic as he immediately leaned in. A soft, warm fragrance brushed his ear, wrapped in a gentle breath. "Those four words are: Drawing Kan to Fill Li."

"The human body has Yin and Yang, and Yin and Yang divide into water and fire. The true Yang in water is called Kan, and the true Yin in fire is called Li. Drawing Kan to Fill Li allows Yin and Yang to unite."

"True Yin and True Yang are the true essence of life and nature."

"Cultivating to this point means you have refined a thread of true essence from your false body. Relying on this to sense the Twenty-Four Solar Terms of Heaven and Earth will allow you to transform spiritual qi into magic power."

A single sentence woke the dreamer.

As Chen Luoyan's voice fell, it instantly unravelled the mystery that had plagued Wang Ping for days, bringing him to a sudden realization. He half-closed his eyes and sank into deep thought.

'So that's how it is! No wonder the Borrowed Manifestation Method is the threshold dividing Immortal Gate disciples and independent cultivators. It's because this step encompasses the fundamental logic of the Immortal Gate system.'

'And that is Truth!'

In the end, the cultivation of the Immortal Gates was entirely for the sake of seeking Truth—to cultivate oneself to be increasingly true. If he had to describe it—

At this thought, eight words suddenly surfaced in Wang Ping's mind:

'All things are false; only I am true!'

Exactly. This was the common goal pursued by all cultivators under the Immortal Gate system, and the Borrowed Manifestation Method was the first step to achieving it!

That explained why magic power had such a massive impact on a cultivator. Without it, they were still Mortals and might even lose to martial artists; with it, they could fly through the sky, dive into the earth, and transcend the mundane... No wonder the Immortal Gates despised independent cultivators. In the eyes of true Immortal Gate members, an independent cultivator was probably no different from a Mortal.

A long time passed before Wang Ping opened his eyes and let out a long breath. "I have learned much."

A true transmission is a single sentence. Wang Ping had never understood the meaning of this phrase so clearly. It truly took only a single sentence to resolve all his doubts.

Including his future cultivation direction.

'True Yin and True Yang are within the human body, but finding them with spiritual sense is like gathering puzzle pieces. Cultivators probably spend decades on this step alone...'

'How troublesome.'

'Decades. I can't even get a loan for that long with a promise worth a thousand gold. This completely prevents me from utilizing my talent. Isn't there a simpler, more convenient method?'

Wang Ping looked over at Chen Luoyan.

Seeing the eager look in Wang Ping's eyes, how could Chen Luoyan not understand what he was thinking? In all fairness, she really shouldn't say anything more.

However... she had already spoken.

Saying a little more wouldn't matter, right?

At this thought, Chen Luoyan even felt a slight thrill of excitement.

After all, this kind of rule-breaking behavior was actually quite novel to her, having grown up in Book Mountain strictly abiding by the sect rules.

"There is... a shortcut."

Chen Luoyan instinctively lowered her voice. "The sect master's lineage has a scripture passed down by word of mouth through the generations called the Inner Landscape Scripture. It allows one to view the inner landscape with the mind, making it faster to find Yin and Yang."

"According to the records, after finishing the first three steps, nearly all past sect masters refined their magic power and achieved the status of a Loose Immortal within ten years. The fastest among them successfully broke through in just three years. That sect master was hailed as the one with the highest talent since the founding ancestor."

Wang Ping stared fixedly as he listened.

"Senior Sister, do you... know this Inner Landscape Scripture?"

As he spoke, his gaze fell onto Chen Luoyan, sweeping significantly across vital areas like her neck, chest, abdomen, and dantian. His qi and blood gradually began to gather.

However, a second later, Chen Luoyan shook her head. "No."

"Although I am of the sect master's lineage, my cultivation is still shallow. I have only reached the second step and cultivated a Flawless True Body. It is not yet time for me to be taught this method."

"Is that so..."

Wang Ping disappointedly dispersed his qi and blood.

Completely oblivious to this, Chen Luoyan continued, "But if you join Book Mountain, I could put in a few good words for you in front of the sect master."

"Right, when do you plan to go to Book Mountain with me?"

"There is no time to lose, so we should leave right now. That way, we can also return sooner. After all, you were right earlier—I can't let my cousin wait for you too long..."

Before she could finish speaking, Wang Ping waved a hand. "Let's leave it at this for now. I still have some things to do. We'll talk later."

Chen Luoyan: "???"

By now, no matter how little worldly experience Chen Luoyan had, she could tell she was being brushed off. Her pretty face instantly flushed red with anger.

"Did you... trick me just now?"

"You misunderstand, Senior Sister."

Wang Ping smiled. "Don't worry, Senior Sister, I will definitely go to Book Mountain. It's just that I really do have things to do. You go outside and wait first, and we'll talk in a bit."

Chen Luoyan looked at him with half-belief and half-doubt.

Wang Ping reasoned with her every which way, and then directly called Madam Su in. Only in front of her cousin did she refrain from flying into a rage, forcibly suppressing her anger as she left the Drill Ground.

"Is the matter resolved?"

As soon as Chen Luoyan left, Chenlong walked in with Xugou, a smile on his face. "Even an upright official finds it hard to settle family disputes. You certainly have quite the luck with women, young friend Wang."

Wang Ping didn't respond. Instead, his face was serious. "Sir, there is something I do not understand."

"The imperial court has Fangxian Dao, an organization of extraordinary persons, but what is going on with the extraordinary person doing evil in Longxing County? Are the two kinds of extraordinary persons different?"

Chenlong stared blankly for a moment before sudden realization dawned on him. "You actually found out... Miss Chen told you? I was wondering why she suddenly dismissed everyone. In that case, could it be that you are also an extraordinary person?"

"It was just obtained from a fortuitous encounter."

Wang Ping did not hide it, confessing frankly.

Chenlong wasn't surprised; rather, he seemed quite pleased. "I see. Well, that saves me a lot of effort explaining... Your question is actually very simple."

"Because it is just a matter of what they are called."

"We call those in Fangxian Dao extraordinary persons primarily because, even though they are vastly different from us, their roots are ultimately still human."

"However, the one in Longxing County... is already no longer human."

Chenlong pointed a finger toward his head. "Those existences come from the sky. If you could say there is still a possibility of recruiting and uniting with extraordinary persons, then there is absolutely no room for compromise between us and the sky."

Wang Ping instantly understood.

'The sky... that must refer to the Immortal Gates. Just as I suspected, the Martial Dao Grandmaster Rank experts standing at the pinnacle of Great Shun aren't entirely ignorant of the Immortal Gates' existence.'

If that was the case, things would be much easier to handle.

At this thought, Wang Ping finally revealed his true intentions, decisively cupping his hands in report. "Sir, the Shuzhong extraordinary person sect, Book Mountain, has explicitly colluded with the sky."

"Leaving them unchecked poses a massive hidden danger."

"Why don't we just wipe them out!"