Zi Yang

  Mo Wen heard the words and nodded repeatedly, Xuan Yangzi's implicit meaning was that unintentionally inserting willows is not as good as intentionally planting flowers. When Baili Kuangfeng and others listened to the scriptures and fell asleep, they changed their breathing rhythm unintentionally, which undoubtedly fell into a lower level compared to active cultivation.

  Xuanyangzi saw that Mo Xun's heart knot had been untied and didn't say more, slowly getting up to walk out of the hall. Mo Xun bowed his head to see him off, but Xuanyangzi didn't return the courtesy, slightly raising his hand as he left the hall.

  After watching Xuan Yangzi walk away, Mo didn't ask him to stand up straight, but only felt that his spirit was calm and peaceful, and his whole body was comfortable. At this time, he had not yet cultivated the method of circulating Qi, so this feeling mainly came from his heart. He had solved the difficult problem that had been troubling himself for many days, and there was a kind of clarity after clearing away the clouds.

  "What did Xuan Yangzi say to you?" Mo Xiong walked out of the main hall, and Bai Li Kuangfeng and others surrounded him.

  "He also gave me some extra advice, it turned out that he had been using the speed of his lectures to help us adjust our breathing, all of you have unknowingly grasped it, I'm not clever enough and haven't fallen asleep yet." Mo didn't ask with a clear conscience and didn't hide anything, but in order to save everyone's face, he said it was for the lower level.

  Everyone had always felt extremely suspicious about the natural sleep during the sermon, and upon hearing Mo's question, they suddenly realized that they were all deeply moved by Xuan Yangzi's painstaking efforts.

  "Master Dao finally said, 'Although the Tao has no constant method, one must still seek it with the heart.' Perhaps he was hinting that we should later come to understand the method of breathing and exhaling on our own." Mo asked.

  "Yes, we should all cultivate our minds on our own and not always rely on Xuan Yangzi to teach us the scriptures. We should learn to practice qigong on our own before the lecture ends." Ye Xiao Yao nodded in agreement.

  Everyone nodded in agreement at his words. Just then, Mo Xiang suddenly heard a commotion coming from the south, and upon closer listening, it seemed to be Lao Wu's voice.

  "I'll go take a look." Mo asked turned around and walked out of the temple gate.

  After passing through the house in front of the main hall, Mo Xun found that Lao Wu was arguing with the lame Daoist at the door. The reason for the argument was that Lao Wu wanted to come in and find him, but the lame Daoist did not allow him to enter on the grounds that it was not a meal time.

  "How did you come at this time?" Mo asked as he walked out of the door and pulled over Lao Wu.

  "Master, I'm going on a long trip and came to tell you specifically." Lao Wu said with a hateful glance at the cripple.

  "Where are you going?" Mo asked doubtfully.

  The several Taoist priests in the temple want to go out and purchase medicinal herbs, let me help hurry the carriage. Old Five said.

  "What medicine do you need to buy a car for?" Mo Wen asked back.

  "Not clear, seems like a lot, I heard them say they want to buy over 700 varieties." The old man replied.

  Lao Wu's words had just fallen when the sound of Baili Kui Feng came from the doorway: "You have a rat-like head and mouse-like eyes, with eyebrows like a thief. One day we'll beat you half to death."

  These words were naturally directed at the lame Taoist priest who was eavesdropping on the side, and the lame Taoist priest did not expect Bai Li Kuang Feng to dare speak to him like this. After being stunned for a moment, he turned around and ran towards the main hall, and it goes without saying that he went to report again.

  "A noble gentleman would rather endure humiliation than provoke a petty person. Why must you provoke him?" Mo Xun furrowed his brow and looked at Baili Xiao Feng.

  "You don't know what's good for you, I'm avenging Old Five." Baili Kuangfeng walked to Old Five's side, "Old Five, what did you just say? What medicine are you buying?"

  "Returning to Second Master, the Taoist priests sent people out to buy herbs, wanting to buy over 700 varieties." Old Fifth rushed forward in the strong wind and cupped his hands, he and Mo Xiong's relationship everyone already knew about it, he was also very familiar with these people.

  "What's the Taoist temple doing buying so many medicines all of a sudden?" asked Baili Fengyi.

  "I'm not too clear either, it seems it's not for our Taoist temple, I heard it's being prepared for some kind of leader." Old Five scratched his head and said.

  "We want to learn medicine, didn't the master who taught us medicine inform us in advance and let the Taoist temple prepare first?" Liu Song not only looked like a woman, but also had delicate thoughts.

  "Maybe you can tell me when you're leaving and when you'll be back?" Mo asked looking at Lao Wu.

  "I'll leave immediately, I heard them say it's fine as long as everything is ready within three months." Lao Jia replied.

  Everyone frowned upon hearing this, according to Old Five's words, they might have to listen to the scriptures for more than three months. Although listening to Xuanyangzi's lectures was very beneficial to everyone, compared to other skills, listening to the scriptures was undoubtedly the most boring one.

  "Old master, a few masters, I'll go first, they're still waiting." Lao Wu gave everyone a greeting and turned to run westward.

  "Sixth Brother, why did they take your servant with them to buy herbs?" Ye Xiao Yao asked.

  "My family used to run a pharmacy, and Old Fifth worked in the pharmacy for many years, so he's knowledgeable about medicine. Moreover, our sect rules don't allow us to ride horses or sit in sedan chairs, and it wouldn't be dignified for a Taoist priest like me to drive a carriage either. Having Old Fifth drive is more suitable." Mo asked guessed as he spoke.

  "It's hard to get a half-day break, and now it's been ruined by Second Brother. Jia Zidao must have gone to report us." Liu Shaoying looked at Baili Kuangfeng with a worried expression.

  "It's me who scolded him, none of your business." Baili Kui Feng glared at Liu Shaoqian.

  "You said 'we'." Liu Shaoqing muttered.

  "What's wrong with you, you coward?" Ba Li Kuang Feng glared at him.

  "Let's go, take a bath, it's been some time since we last washed up. We'll all go together, even if he wants to scold us, he won't be able to find anyone." Ye Xiao Yao glanced at the tense atmosphere and quickly changed the subject.

  "I'm going back to my room to recite scriptures." Qian Sui heard this and immediately turned around and left after washing up.

  Everyone laughed and went to pull him, but Qian Sui was afraid of being teased again and refused to go. Five people held his hands and feet and lifted him up to run towards the East Mountain, but in the end, they couldn't lift him away. Although Qian Sui was usually slow and gentle, when he really used his strength, the five people were no match for this thousand-year-old turtle.

  Everyone's guess was correct, Jia Zidao indeed went to report the crime. However, when he brought Gongyangzi to the East Hall, only Ah Jiu and Qiansui were left. Ah Jiu was innocent and couldn't be blamed. Qiansui had a share in it and received a reprimand that lasted for an incense stick.

  The next day, everyone listened to the scriptures as usual. Thanks to Mo's reminder, everyone began to consciously adjust their breathing. At first, they were not adapted, and their breath was not smooth, coughing continuously. However, after a few days, the situation improved, and their breathing gradually became calm and peaceful, both physically and mentally.

  The Scripture of Supreme Clarity, after the completion of the I Ching, Xuan Yangzi began to expound the Scripture of the Hidden Talisman. This scripture mainly discusses the way of nurturing life, and also contains discussions on the method of exhalation and inhalation. However, since everyone had already learned Xuan Yangzi's tortoise breathing method, they no longer valued those superficial methods of exhalation and inhalation, but only remembered to ponder the scripture's teachings on nurturing life and prolonging longevity.

  The Yinfu Jing has relatively few words, only over a thousand, and can be taught in seven days. Afterwards is the last of the four great classics, the Cantong Qi, which teaches the art of external alchemy. The text mainly explains how to use a crucible to refine elixirs, swallow elixirs to add spiritual energy to oneself, and cultivate it to achieve longevity or even ascend to heaven in broad daylight.

  As one of the compulsory scriptures of Shangqing, Cantong Qi is more one-sided and less realistic. The scripture exaggerates the effect of external alchemy, and various medicinal elixirs can indeed enhance spiritual cultivation and have a miraculous effect in treating illnesses and saving people. However, it's still doubtful whether relying solely on taking external elixirs can lead to ascending to heaven in broad daylight.

  Although there were still doubts in their minds, Mo Xun and the others carefully comprehended it because the medical skills that everyone would learn later were undoubtedly derived from Wudangquan, and understanding the outline beforehand made it relatively easier to practice medicine.

  Apart from the four main scriptures, Xuan Yangzi also lectured on several other scriptures, mainly recited during morning and evening classes, as well as those used to transcend the dead and pray for blessings for the living. As a Taoist, one must be familiar with these.

  After the lecture, Mo asked discovered that at the current speed, the lecture could not last for four months, and it would take at most two months to finish. Moreover, everyone had already grasped the essentials of the Turtle Breathing Method. The greatest wonder of this method was that it could reduce unnecessary consumption of physical and mental energy. In a calm and peaceful state, breathing and heartbeat would slow down. Additionally, this method could increase the distance between movement and stillness. When full force was needed, the heartbeat and breathing could accelerate several times in a short period to enhance one's abilities. However, the time for accelerated breathing and heartbeat was not infinitely extended but was determined by the level of Turtle Breathing Method cultivation.

  In addition, the tortoise breathing method has a similar effect to bigu, and in a state of quiet meditation, one can go without food for a day without feeling hungry. This is only the level that ordinary people can achieve. Xuan Yangzi's tortoise breathing method is the most advanced, and it is said that during his closed-door meditation, he could go without eating for several years.

  Two months later, Xuanyangzi finished lecturing on all the scriptures. After finishing the lecture, he did not test the crowd, but instead recited all the scriptures again, and after finishing the recitation, it was already midnight.

  "Reciting scriptures can calm the mind and quiet the energy. You have already understood its meaning, obtained its benefits, and the old Dao's duty has been fulfilled well. From tomorrow on, Ling Tian Gong Xuan Yuan will come to teach you the method of practicing Qi. The method of practicing Qi is the foundation of all methods, and it is extremely important that you understand it thoroughly." After finishing speaking, Xuanyangzi stood up from his seat, "Recite scriptures in the morning and evening by yourself, don't be lazy or negligent."

  Everyone heard the words and stood up together, bowed their heads to see him off. After being together for two months, everyone had an unwillingness to part, but Xuan Yangzi simply raised his hand slightly and slowly left.

  The one who was most reluctant to part with the lecture was Mo Wen, because Xuan Yang Zi had given him extra explanations. According to Confucian etiquette, Xuan Yang Zi should have been their mentor, but he knew they were disciples of the Upper Clarity Sect, so although he had taught them wholeheartedly, he never assumed the role of a master.

  As it was already late at night, after Xuan Yangzi left, everyone returned to their rooms. The next morning, they gathered in the East Hall for early lessons and after breakfast, they went back to the East Hall to quietly wait for Ling Tian Gong's instructions.

  However, from morning till noon, and from afternoon till sunset, Xuanyuan did not show up...