Chapter 40: Controlling Fire and Guiding Pulses

  Wu Yun had made up his mind to accept Gan Ping as a disciple, but on the surface, he said expressionlessly: "Gan Ping, do you know why I have transferred you here?" "The disciple has already learned from Master Gu Senran that the disciple came to watch the furnace fire."

  "Alright, you're quite clever, come with me then." Yun turned around and walked away, heading straight for the third character of the "Geng" series. Gan Ping didn't dare to slow down and quickly followed behind him. However, his heart had already been stirred up, although he didn't know who wrote those characters, they must have been written by a highly enlightened person, perhaps even the legendary Mahayana cultivator. Originally, he thought that in this Fire Temple, he might be like Ming Fan, without a renowned master to guide him, and might end up being mediocre his whole life. But now, he realized that the Miao Cheng Sect's inheritance of thousands of years was not just an ordinary small sect, even the characters on the door had the enlightenment and understanding of their predecessors contained within them. If one couldn't make progress in cultivation, it must be due to their own laziness. Gan Ping felt that he had only absorbed and merged with the enlightenment from the "Geng" character, but was still far from fully comprehending it. He faintly felt that if he could fully comprehend the enlightenment within, his cultivation realm would definitely advance to a higher level.

  I only took a glance at the character, and on each floor there was a number, perhaps I should take some time to watch them one by one. If I can fully understand them... Gan Ping faintly felt that among these characters, there seemed to be a mixture of Buddhist scriptures, and his expectations for these characters grew.

  In this dan room, there was nothing else but a large dan furnace. The body of the furnace was dark and black, but it emitted a faint red glow, which seemed to be an extraordinary item used by Master Wuyun. Next to it were several meditation cushions. What caught Gan Ping's attention was that on the wall beside it, there were some books arranged in a row. Judging from their ancient appearance, they had been there for many years.

  Wu Yun saw Gan Ping's eager expression and smiled, saying: "From now on, you are my Furnace Fire Child. Over there is a book about alchemy, go take a look. When the time comes, I will test you, if you are perfunctory, you will be punished." Gan Ping heard this and his heart skipped a beat, repeatedly saying he didn't dare. Seeing Wu Yun not paying attention to him anymore, he walked over to the wall, picked up a book, and started reading. Behind him, Wu Yun's voice rang out, "If you want to understand thoroughly, you must proceed step by step. That book is not suitable for you now, go get the one on the far right." Gan Ping heard this and put down the book in his hand, walked over to the far right, and indeed found a thin little booklet with a worn-out cover that read "Dan Dao Zong Gang" (Alchemy Compendium). His heart felt a warmth, Wu Yun's strict appearance seemed to be just that, as he didn't hold anything back from him.

  Wu Yun glanced at Gan Ping, who was studying the scriptures, and stopped paying attention to him. He stretched out his hand and pointed, and a cluster of deep red flames suddenly burst forth from under the alchemical furnace. Due to the restrictive spell, although the flames were scorching hot, not a single thread of heat escaped, all of it being channeled onto the alchemical furnace. The Fire Boy, who had been feeling bored on the side, suddenly lit up and stopped paying attention to Gan Ping, who was completely absorbed in his book. With three steps and two leaps, he jumped to Wu Yun's side, looking up at him with wide eyes, his small paws mimicking the hand seals for controlling fire.

  This made Wu Yun look at it with a burst of laughter, this little monkey really understood human nature, and was actually drawing there with a serious expression, without any deviation. But gradually, Wu Yun couldn't help but stop laughing, as the flames shot out, he felt that the flames in front of him had changed slightly, and his control over them had also shifted to the small monkey's paws. This made Wu Yun secretly amazed.

  This Mihuo Monkey was indeed a spiritual beast born with the power to control fire, and it was just like drawing a picture, but it could actually interfere with its own control over the flames. Although this little bit of control didn't seem like much to him now, Wu Yun could see that the Mihuo Monkey in front of him was only a first-level spiritual beast, yet it had such incredible abilities. If its bloodline awakened again in the future, it would surely bring him great surprises.

  This man and monkey were both extraordinary individuals, Wu Yun thought to himself with a sigh.

  Gan Ping had long been aware of Huo Er's movements, but seeing that Wuyun Dao Ren did not seem to be annoyed, he put his mind at ease and devoted himself wholeheartedly to the "Dan Dao Zong Gang". Originally, he thought that only cultivating oneself was the right path, and refining elixirs and making equipment were just secondary matters. But now, looking at it, it wasn't as simple as he had imagined. This thin book, the "Dan Dao Zong Gang", not only recorded the secrets of refining external elixirs, but also subtly mentioned the internal elixir cultivation of those who practiced the Tao.

  Gan Ping's gaze involuntarily shifted to the Wuyun Daoist who was competing with Huo Er, his eyes filled with gratitude. Such a precious manual would probably be inaccessible to ordinary outer sect disciples, and yet he, a mere servant, was able to peruse such a valuable scripture. It seemed that Elder Wuyun had intentionally allowed him to come into contact with it.

  This alchemy is profound and has two kinds, internal and external. Cultivating the inner elixir is what Taoist practitioners often refer to as the Golden Elixir, where one's entire essence, energy, and spiritual soul are gathered into a single entity stored within the body, transformed into the Golden Elixir in the lower abdomen. This is the method of cultivating the inner elixir. The "General Outline of Alchemy" only briefly mentions this and does not delve deeply into it, but even this brief mention is not trivial.

  The path to cultivation depends entirely on one's own grasp. As the saying goes, a teacher can lead you to the door, but cultivation is up to the individual. This is the principle behind why, as a master, it's often not good to deliberately correct a disciple's cultivation, and instead, one can only provide guidance through indirect hints.

  Note: I've kept the translation as close to the original text as possible, while still conveying the meaning in English.

  This Golden Elixir Great Path seems to be just a juncture for becoming an immortal and attaining the Tao, yet it has caused countless people to become stuck. Who knows how many people have been stuck at the peak of transforming liquids due to their deviated understanding, until the end of their lifespan they are still only at the realm of a false elixir? The method of Golden Elixir cultivation mentioned in this book is concise and profound, with each word carefully chosen. It seems that only a great sect like the Miao Cheng Sect, with its long history and rich heritage, could have such a profound teaching passed down through generations, allowing its disciples to avoid many detours.

  As for the external elixir, it is the refining of the spiritual elixir. From the most basic low-grade spiritual elixirs such as Huiyuan Dan and Yinqi Dan to the highest grade Xian Dan, even the legendary Xian Dan are all refined from the dan furnace, only with different techniques and materials. Gan Ping looked at it seriously, and unknowingly finished reading a thin book, closing this thin "Dan Dao Zong Gang", Gan Ping's heart was full of emotions.

  The way of alchemy is indeed profound and intricate, with over a dozen procedures just for preparing the materials, not to mention the crucial steps of controlling fire and giving birth to the elixir. Gan Ping couldn't help but feel a deep longing for this art of alchemy, as the process of refining the elixir was also a process of self-cultivation, allowing one to temper their mind and gain insight into the medicinal properties within the furnace. Truly, it is a profound and esoteric discipline.

  On the other side, Wang Ping saw Gān Píng Hé's book for a long time without speaking, and couldn't help but smile slightly. He thought that when he first saw "Dān Dào Zǒng Gāng" back in the day, his shock was no less than this kid's now. Unfortunately, past events are like smoke - several hundred years of cultivation have made him forget what happened when he was still a child. Now he is already in the middle period of Yuányīng, with hundreds of years of life left, and this Yuánshén Dàchéng is not impossible to achieve. It's just that his innocent heart has faded a lot.

  He casually took out a piece of Soul Jade from the storage wrist ring and tossed it into Gan Ping's stunned chest, saying: "The Qi-guiding Decision is the lowest-level decision in the sect. If you don't practice it, this Controlling Fire and Qi Seven Methods is also a good introductory mental method. Since you serve in my Dan room, I won't treat you unfairly. At the end of the year when the assessment comes, you can report to me that I let you practice other techniques. It shouldn't be a big deal."

  He hastily caught the soul jade, and his spiritual power entered it. He was overjoyed to find that the Seven Methods of Controlling Fire were far superior to the introductory technique of Guiding Qi. Most importantly, this was a fire-attribute cultivation method, which could be used to conceal his own body's fusion of the Blazing Sun True Essence and the Taiyi Pure Yang Heart Scripture. What a timely acquisition! He thanked Wúyún Dàorén hastily and changed the subject: "Elder Wúyún, I have a question, may I ask?"

  That Daoist saw Gan Ping like this, smiled and said: "You don't say it out loud but I know, the art of alchemy and cultivation are not in conflict, they complement each other and have many benefits. It's just that...". He furrowed his brow here, "If one is skilled in alchemy, they may not be familiar with fighting, but this doesn't matter. If your cultivation is deep enough, ask the Tian Gong Temple disciples to refine a few defensive treasures for you, and going out into the world will be no problem."

  Gan Ping listened intently, and it turned out that the old man in front of him was indeed a high-ranking cultivator who had devoted himself to alchemy. He had never engaged in battles with others, and as a master of alchemy, his sect must have protected him strictly, not allowing him to be harmed in any way. This flaw was insignificant to Gan Ping, for he had gained countless battle experiences from the combined fire dragon yuan god of Xuan Mingzi. Those two fierce gods were born to kill, so how could they lack battle experience? Moreover, Gan Ping's body still nurtured a Heavenly Devil Blood God Knife, which would be able to fly out and slaughter gods and Buddhas after he cultivated the Great Vehicle in the future. Who could withstand it? Thinking of this, Gan Ping put his mind at ease and decided to follow Wuyan Daoist to learn the art of alchemy.