Under One Person: Sincerity Moves the Gods

Chapter 26 Reverse Rebirth: 3 Subdivisions into 9 Stages

Years are like a shuttle.

In the blink of an eye, three days had passed since Li Cunzhen went down the mountain to visit Li Muxuan.

That morning, Zuo Ruotong delivered a message.

He wanted Li Cunzhen to go see him.

A gentle breeze blows as I walk along the cobblestone path.

Not long after, Li Cunzhen arrived at the courtyard where Zuo Ruotong lived.

"Master, you wanted to see me?"

Zuo Ruotong sat upright on a futon, her white hair casually draped over her shoulders.

He saw Li Cunzhen arrive, nodded, and then pointed to a prayer mat in front of him.

"sit."

When his master spoke, Li Cunzhen naturally sat down obediently.

Zuo Ruotong spoke again.

"How's your practice of the lightning technique you asked me for three days ago coming along?"

Li Cunzhen answered truthfully.

"Replying to Master, the disciple of Thunder Magic should have already grasped the basics."

As he spoke, a thought flashed through his mind, and several powerful white lightning bolts appeared in his eyes.

Zuo Ruotong was not surprised by this and nodded slightly.

The Thunder Magic of the Sanyi School is different from the Five Thunder Orthodox Method of Longhu Mountain.

The latter is called the Five Thunders, but it is actually the Five Qi, which is the energy generated from the five internal organs of the human body.

The former is the path of the interaction between heaven and man.

The so-called "law" is to follow the great principles of heaven and earth, and to do so by using one's own primordial spirit.

It uses the human body's structure to correspond one-to-one with all things in the universe, and the microcosmic orbit of the human body interacts with the macrocosmic orbit of the universe, thereby influencing lightning.

In fact, it's quite similar to the principle of reversing the eight directions.

Li Cunzhen was already highly perceptive, and this was further enhanced by the foundation he had built through his previous practice of the Reversal of Eight Directions.

To say that he had only grasped the basics in three days was already an understatement on Li Cunzhen's part.

Then he asked:

"What about the cultivation techniques for the Refining Essence into Qi stage? Did you encounter any difficulties in understanding them during your practice?"

Upon hearing this, Li Cunzhen thought for a moment and shook his head.

"No, things are going smoothly for now."

The Xuanmen school divides cultivation after Foundation Establishment into three stages.

Refine essence into qi, refine qi into spirit, refine spirit to return to emptiness.

Its purpose is to unify the three treasures of the human body—essence, energy, and spirit—leaving only the original spiritual light.

From then on, he was both alive and well, and his body and spirit remained intact.

Li Cunzhen is currently in a relatively simple stage of refining essence into qi.

The process of refining essence into qi involves guiding the essence in the lower dantian into the qi in the middle dantian and allowing the two to combine.

Simply follow the steps to guide the true qi in the dantian to circulate throughout the body.

Li Cunzhen quickly learned all the auxiliary methods, such as meditation, contemplation, breath control, and chanting.

There are no levels, just a lot of patience and time.

Seeing this, Zuo Ruotong couldn't help but shake her head and smile.

No master doesn't want their disciple to be exceptionally talented.

But now, this apprentice is truly exceptionally talented, learning everything in no time, and he is actually feeling somewhat troubled.

I'm almost at a loss for what to teach him anymore.

Fortunately, the Trinity Sect has a deep foundation and still has something to stop him.

Thinking of this, Zuo Ruotong's expression suddenly became solemn.

"Now that you have learned a technique and have no doubts about the Refining Essence into Qi stage, according to the rules, I will pass on the Reverse Life Triple Technique to you."

Upon hearing this, Li Cunzhen immediately sat up straight and became equally solemn.

He didn't have much affection for this technique, but he knew what the Reverse Life Triple Stage meant to Zuo Ruotong.

Since you've already become Zuo Ruotong's disciple, you should at least show him this much respect.

Thinking of this, Li Cunzhen raised his hands above his head, bowed deeply to the ground, and slowly spoke:

"Please, Master, transmit the Dharma!"

When Zuo Ruotong saw Li Cunzhen's attitude, a fleeting look of relief crossed her eyes.

Good boy.

But he quickly regained his solemn expression.

"Although you already know this, I still want to remind you again."

"This method of reversing the cycle of life is like climbing a mountain with bare hands. It is extremely dangerous. If you are not careful, your path will be cut off. You should think it over carefully."

Li Cunzhen bowed deeply again and said:

"This disciple is single-mindedly pursuing the Dao, and whatever the outcome may be, I will have no regrets!"

"good!"

Zuo Ruotong was quite satisfied with Li Cunzhen's attitude, her eyes gleaming as she loudly praised him.

Then, he began to formally teach the content of the Threefold Reversal of Life.

The method of reversing birth is the very foundation of the Trinity School, and is therefore of utmost importance; hence, no scriptures on it have been passed down to posterity.

The tradition has been passed down orally from generation to generation of masters.

Zuo Ruotong's gaze became calm and profound, as if afraid of being distracted and leading Li Cunzhen astray.

"Reversal of life is divided into three levels, and below the three levels are nine stages. You must memorize them carefully."

Li Cunzhen knelt on the prayer mat, his expression respectful.

Opposite him, Zuo Ruotong sat upright with her eyes closed, her white hair as white as snow, her breath long and deep, like still water in a deep pool.

"The first level is called Genbei." Zuo Ruotong's voice was not loud, but extremely clear:

"Gen means mountain and stillness. The cultivator must stop delusions and seek the original mind, gathering the scattered mind into one place and concentrating the intention on the back. This is the foundation of building the foundation. If the mind is not locked, everything else is just empty talk."

"For someone who has already established their foundation, this stage is not a difficult one."

Li Cunzhen nodded and listened attentively.

"The second stage, Xing Ting, involves using intention to guide the primordial yang energy to circulate along the entire body's energy pathway. Circulating the qi is like strolling leisurely in a courtyard, without haste or impatience."

Zuo Ruotong drew a circle in the air with his finger: "The third stage, opening the gate, after the qi is sufficient, it will naturally circulate throughout the body, clear the meridians, and make the flow of qi unobstructed."

He paused, then continued:

"This third stage is already quite difficult, but even if you pass all three stages, you still won't be considered to have entered the first level. You could say that the next stage is where the real journey begins."

"Please enlighten me, Master."

Zuo Ruotong continued, "The fourth stage, An Tu Dunren, involves condensing one's own essence to form a Yin Pill. This pill belongs to your inner life energy and is your very foundation."

"Upon reaching this point, one has entered the first stage of Reverse Life, where one can rely on the energy of the Yin Pill to repair one's damaged flesh."

"However, because the body's vital energy has not been fully condensed, it is not yet possible to regenerate severed limbs."

Next, Zuo Ruotong began to talk about the fifth level.

"In the fifth stage, one must gather the power of heaven and earth to collect medicinal herbs, and begin to borrow the power of heaven and earth, and absorb the essence of the sun and moon, in preparation for the sixth stage."

"The sixth stage is to concentrate the spirit and acupoints to combine the Yang Pill. This is the fusion of Yin and Yang energies, and the Yang Pill is formed. At this point, the body begins to transform Qi and enters the second stage of reverse life, which is considered a qualitative change."

Li Cunzhen listened intently and couldn't help but ask, "Master, what about the seventh step?"

Zuo Ruotong smiled slightly:

"Seventh stage: transcending life and death, becoming one with heaven and earth, the spirit transcends the limitations of the physical body, becoming one with heaven and earth, able to regenerate severed limbs, unless you are completely exhausted, otherwise, the harm from water, fire and sharp blades can no longer restrain you."

"The eighth stage transcends heaven and earth, transforming the body into the vast emptiness. The body is almost completely transformed into Qi, and the consciousness merges with the vast emptiness, allowing the three dantian to be reshaped."

He paused, his gaze lingering on the distance.

"As for the ninth level, the void is shattered to prove the ultimate principle. That is the state where the body returns to the primordial Qi, forgetting both self and other, and seeing the true nature of reality."

"I have devoted half my life to this, and I have only just begun to understand the basics."

Li Cunzhen was deeply shaken and bowed his head, saying, "This disciple will certainly strive to improve and live up to Master's teachings."

"Let's begin, starting from the northeast."

Zuo Ruotong gently placed her hand on her disciple's head, her tone mild.

"True cultivation is when no thought arises."