Chapter 61: Guiding Qi

With a gesture from Longevity Daoist, the nearby monkey promptly retrieved a small iron box from a cabinet and placed it beside Chen Luo.

“Open it,” Longevity Daoist indicated.

Chen Luo opened the iron box, revealing a yellowed book within.

As he held the volume, similar to the Record of Hundred Immortals, it felt warm to the touch. Upon flipping through its pages, Chen Luo discovered that it described a unique cultivation method—one that forsakes the physical body! This method had significant limitations; although it did not grant hope for the immortal path, it bypassed the restriction of life force, allowing qi refiners nearing their end to survive by alternative means.

Setting the book aside, Chen Luo looked deeper into the box. At the bottom lay a specially crafted memorial tablet resembling those on the altar, but with notable differences, primarily in terms of spiritual essence.

Ordinarily, ancestral tablets honor deceased forebears, serving as a connection to the departed.

However, this tablet dedicated by Longevity Daoist commemorated himself, acting as an anchor for his soul after death.

Having taken Chen Luo under his guidance and introduced him to the path of cultivation, Longevity Daoist’s request likely pertained to this very matter.

He hoped that when Chen Luo escapes the Great Mausoleum, he would carry his memorial tablet to the outside world.

The Divine Dao Art cannot be cultivated within the confines of the Great Mausoleum, as it is expressly forbidden.

This restriction was clearly stated in the Divine Dao Art itself. If Longevity Daoist wished to prevent his divine soul from being absorbed by the mausoleum after death, he had to escape this area. Only then could he truly cultivate the Divine Dao Art and evade his inevitable demise.

“The favor I ask of you is, when the time comes to leave the Great Mausoleum, take this memorial tablet with you. Once outside its boundaries, you need not concern yourself further.”

As Chen Luo suspected, Longevity Daoist’s request indeed involved taking the memorial tablet out.

No one willingly accepts death, and Longevity Daoist was no exception.

“Agreed.” Chen Luo nodded, accepting the condition.

A hint of a smile appeared on Longevity Daoist’s face. He stood up and walked towards a nearby stone wall, gently tapping it twice. An immortal script emerged in his palm, which he pressed against the wall, revealing a hidden compartment that sprang open.

Inside was a rectangular jade box adorned with gold trimmings, looking exceptionally valuable.

“This spirit-locking box, crafted by me, seals leaking spiritual energy. It is among the rare treasures in the Yue Kingdom capable of storing spiritual energy.”

As he spoke, Longevity Daoist handed the box to Chen Luo, effectively gifting him both the box and the spirit stones inside.

Considering the gratitude Chen Luo owed to Longevity Daoist, there was no need for this transaction; he would not have refused any direct request. However, with his steadfast and principled nature, similar to the strict rules of accepting disciples at the White Immortal Cave, even if it meant standing alone, he upheld them unwaveringly.

“If you encounter anything unclear, feel free to ask me anytime. For now, I will be refining spirit tablets here, preparing for my subsequent cultivation shift.”

As Longevity Daoist spoke, a hint of envy flickered in his eyes while gazing at Chen Luo.

The aura emanating from him felt like the first light of dawn, momentarily transporting Longevity Daoist back to when he, too, had been filled with boundless aspirations for the future, just as Chen Luo was now. Alas, time is merciless; in what seemed like an instant, more than half of his life had passed, yet his distance from the immortal path only grew greater.

Now, nearing old age, the remaining days of his life could be counted on one hand.

“Devote yourself to your cultivation,” Longevity Daoist advised solemnly. “Become a true cultivator, explore the mythical cultivation world, and pursue the elusiveness of eternal freedom that I never achieved.”

The Divine Dao Art merely prolonged existence, but the immortal path held the true promise.

“I assure you, teacher, I won’t disappoint you,” Chen Luo responded earnestly.

With these words, Longevity Daoist smiled, then returned to his work, head bowed. Time was running out, and there remained much to accomplish. This sense of urgency intensified even further after emerging from seclusion this time.

Chen Luo opened the box, and a faint aura of spiritual energy escaped.

The familiar scent immediately revealed its contents—the same blue mineral he had encountered in the mine.

After confirming the effectiveness of the spirit stones, Chen Luo swiftly rose to his feet, ready to bid farewell to his teacher and return for further seclusion.

Having wasted so much time, he could finally embark on the true path of cultivation.

“Once you enter the cultivation realm, remember to come back. I’ll guide you to the passage that leads out of the Great Mausoleum,” Longevity Daoist reminded him as Chen Luo was about to leave.

“The passage out?”

Chen Luo paused, looking puzzled.

If there truly was a way to escape, why hadn’t Longevity Daoist left himself?

“It’s because the timing is not right.” Longevity Daoist seemed to anticipate Chen Luo’s question.

“I discovered that passage fifty years ago, but unfortunately, the timing was incorrect, making it impassable even upon discovery. According to calculations by my two old friends and myself, the passage opens only once every three hundred years. Moreover, entry requires specific qualifications; qi refiners who have not yet entered the cultivation realm will be barred.”

So that’s how it is.

No wonder Longevity Daoist firmly believed Chen Luo could leave the Great Mausoleum—it reflected his confidence in Chen Luo’s aptitude.

“Where exactly is this passage?” Chen Luo already had a suspicion.

“It lies within the Great Mausoleum beneath our feet. The details will become clear when you investigate it yourself.”

As Longevity Daoist spoke, he retrieved a book from a nearby cabinet and tossed it to Chen Luo, containing detailed information about the passages.

This was typical of Longevity Daoist’s meticulous nature, always precise and error-free in his actions.

“Many thanks, Master.”

Without further ado, Chen Luo accepted the book and returned to the Tiger Might Escort Agency.

In his room, Chen Luo closed the book detailing the passages and let out a long sigh.

Indeed, there were passages within the Great Mausoleum, and their viability for escape had been confirmed by previous generations’ records. Clues left behind by these predecessors could be found near the passages. However, the book did not mention where the other side leads or if one could return after leaving. Even Longevity Daoist and others were unaware, as they had never ventured through themselves.

“In that case, I must bid farewell to Third Uncle and my parents before departing.”

Chen Luo thought of his family members.

Fortunately, with some time remaining after entering the path, he could make all necessary arrangements then.

Gathering his thoughts, Chen Luo took out the spirit-locking box received from Longevity Daoist. To prevent any unexpected intrusion from Ruan Xiaohu, he carefully locked both doors and windows.

Setting aside the Record of Hundred Immortals, Chen Luo sat on the bed, crossed his legs, and closed his eyes, beginning his usual breathing exercises to calm his mind.

After a short while, Chen Luo’s mind reached complete tranquility.

He opened the box, and instantly, blue light filled the room. With the spiritual energy no longer confined by the box, it began to rapidly dissipate. Extracted spirit stones were akin to fruits severed from their stems; they could not maintain their state indefinitely.

Fortunately, Chen Luo was prepared. He gently parted his lips and drew in a breath.

A small whirlwind surged within the room, drawing all the dispersing spiritual energy into his chest.

In his mind, passages from the True Immortal Classic spontaneously surfaced:

“Breathe deeply, exhale the old, inhale the new.”

Line after line of text clearly manifested in Chen Luo’s thoughts.

Typically, during a qi refiner’s first entry into cultivation, most of their focus is on guiding the flow of energy. Consequently, only the initial phrases of Qi Refinement techniques can be effectively utilized, with some even managing just the term ‘breathing exercises.’ Remembering more than three lines is considered a sign of genius.

The greater the memorization, the better the effect of Qi Refinement.

This memory isn’t solely about mental capacity but rather depends on the strength of one’s spiritual roots.

Stronger spiritual roots facilitate easier guidance of energy. Conversely, allocating excessive concentration on guiding the energy leaves less mental bandwidth for utilizing Qi Refinement techniques, significantly diminishing their effectiveness.