In pursuit of a grand plan and a bright future in the dual cultivation path, Mei Qing’s passion for learning had never been so intense.
Dual cultivation might sound alluring, ambiguous, and evocative—indeed, Mei Qing had imagined it as such—but in reality, it was a very serious practice, just as solemn as other cultivation methods, yet far more complex.
The Dao lies in the balance of Yin and Yang. Nearly all Daoist cultivation techniques are rooted in the transformation of Yin and Yang. Heaven has Yin and Yang; humans are divided into male and female. Daoist scriptures often use male and female as metaphors for Yin and Yang—Heavenly Dao produces male, Earthly Dao produces female, and male and female are essentially Yin and Yang.
However, in dual cultivation, one does not simply equate male with pure Yang or female with pure Yin. According to Daoist thought, both genders embody a union of Yin and Yang within themselves. As the saying goes, “Pure Yang becomes immortal, pure Yin becomes ghost, and balanced Yin and Yang form a human.”
Of course, there are differences between the sexes. In dual cultivation, the male represents Li (Fire), which, in terms of the trigrams, contains Yin within Yang. The female represents Kan (Water), which, in terms of the trigrams, contains Yang within Yin.
The alchemical method of dual cultivation is not far removed from that of solitary cultivation. The difference lies in the fact that the two practitioners serve as each other’s furnace and crucible. When Kan and Li interact, each maintains their position, resulting in purer Yin and Yang energies, thus accelerating cultivation progress.
However, the conditions required are much higher. Besides mutual affection and emotional resonance between the two practitioners, they must also be compatible in terms of temperament, cultivation foundation, and wisdom to successfully practice this method.
Therefore, Mei Qing now found himself forced into an intensive training period, which was truly a living hell compared to his previous minor struggles. The only consolation was the imagined bright future that lay ahead.
Yet this future seemed rather distant. According to Bi Zhen, dual cultivation must follow the completion of emotional trials; otherwise, attempting the practice during such trials would entail unpredictable dangers.
Thus, Mei Qing suffered greatly. Every day, he studied various postures, inner techniques, energy flows, and meridian pathways with Bi Zhen. Their research was intensely intimate, often stirring their emotions, yet they could only engage in theoretical discussions. The hardship was indescribable to outsiders.
The most difficult part was not even that, but rather the practice of the “Suchness Contemplation” method. The cultivation of loving thoughts came naturally, and Mei Qing already had some foundation from his own explorations. When Bi Zhen gradually revealed the key points to him, he quickly grasped the true subtleties of the method. The two of them now found great joy in their practice. Each day, they needed no words to communicate; their thoughts resonated, and their loving thoughts naturally understood by each other.
Unfortunately, other contemplative states were not so pleasant. Imagine seeing a lover who was just gazing lovingly at you suddenly shift their spiritual focus, becoming solemn and aloof, keeping you at arm’s length—it would be hard for anyone to adapt. If they then suddenly turned to intense hatred, as if wanting to kill you, even the mentally strong would struggle to remain sane.
But there was no choice. Mei Qing lacked magical artifacts to assist in his cultivation, so Bi Zhen herself had to serve as his training partner. Thus, Mei Qing often joked to Bi Zhen: “You are my magical artifact, a living magical artifact, or simply a living treasure.”
In fact, this practice was also a form of cultivation for Bi Zhen, who had already attained her Dao. Although she had experienced various life states within the treasure mirror, expressing hatred, anger, and resentment toward Mei Qing, her lover, was not easy. A clear Daoist mind does not mean the absence of emotions, only the ability to face them calmly.
Another benefit was the rapid development of their mutual feelings. Because of the trials of other states, they cherished the moments of loving contemplation even more. Their deep emotional bond grew stronger, and according to Bi Zhen, during these loving states, they nearly reached the Buddhist state of mutual understanding of minds.
Mei Qing knew Bi Zhen’s words were not mere flattery; he too felt the unspoken connection they shared during these loving moments. As a result, their progress in loving contemplation far surpassed other states. With internal states formed, external manifestations followed. Bi Zhen confidently told Mei Qing that with his current level of loving contemplation in the Suchness Contemplation method, he could easily ambush and defeat other cultivators of similar cultivation levels if they were unprepared.
“If you dare to use this method on any other female cultivators, I will use the wrathful state on you for the rest of your life!” Bi Zhen menacingly warned Mei Qing. Although her face was as beautiful as a celestial being, the aura of wrath she emitted was enough to scare ordinary people like ghosts and demons.
Besides being forbidden from using it on female cultivators, it was also strictly prohibited to use magical techniques on ordinary people. Using techniques on Yu Zhen, the guardian of the scripture pavilion, as Mei Qing had done previously, was a grave taboo in the cultivation world.
“Then what’s the point of learning these techniques if we can only use them against each other like this? Even if someone attacks me, I can’t even defend myself properly?” Mei Qing grumbled.
“You’re just being stubborn. That day, Yu Zhen was simply so engrossed in her reading that she spoke absentmindedly; she wasn’t actually going to attack you with an axe. If someone truly did attack you, it would be perfectly acceptable to use your techniques in self-defense, as long as you exercise restraint,” Bi Zhen explained.
“Ah, I see. No wonder I saw that fly buzzing around you the other day, and you were clearly annoyed but couldn’t do anything. I was wondering why you didn’t just unleash a wrathful state to scare him off for good,” Mei Qing exclaimed in realization.
Bi Zhen’s beauty naturally attracted many admirers, especially young and flirtatious ones. Previously, Mei Qing might not have cared much, but now that he considered Bi Zhen as his own, he couldn’t help but feel a surge of jealousy whenever someone else hovered around her.
“What fly? He’s actually the descendant of a noble family. He treats me with nothing but courtesy and kindness. How could I possibly treat him with hostility? Don’t try to provoke me,” Bi Zhen teased with a smile.
“Courtesy? Hmph, I bet it’s heading toward the rites of Duke Zhou!” Mei Qing retorted angrily. “Which side are you taking, woman? Are you helping me or siding with outsiders? If you keep arguing, be careful I don’t give you a lesson and spank you!”
“Alright, alright, my dear husband. Next time he comes, you can step in and defend your wife. Just scare him off with a wrathful state, okay? Or are you going to hide behind me like a coward while I, a poor woman, have to play the villain and scare him away?” Bi Zhen teased with a grin.
“Ugh… fine, fine. I suppose you wouldn’t dare do anything serious anyway. I’ll be magnanimous and let you off this time,” Mei Qing quickly relented.
Actually, Mei Qing’s jealousy wasn’t unfounded. The young nobleman did behave rather inappropriately. This young master came from a prestigious family, being the son of Minister Guo. Yet instead of managing his own family affairs, he constantly visited Ren Sheng Palace to learn Daoism from Bi Zhen, clearly with ulterior motives.
To make matters worse, the young nobleman’s appearance was overly effeminate. His skin was as delicate as flower petals, his eyes as soft and alluring as spring blossoms, and his voice was soft and gentle. Standing beside Bi Zhen, they truly looked like a pair of sisters.
“You’re being too harsh!” Bi Zhen laughed. “Although the young master lacks a bit of manly vigor, he’s still a nobleman from a wealthy family. What more do you expect? My dear, which family’s son are you angry about? I’ve seen many spoiled young nobles like him and know how to handle them. Besides, the young master may be like that, but his father, Lord Guo, is very powerful in court, so it’s not wise to provoke him. Next time, I’ll find an excuse to make him visit less often, so you won’t be annoyed anymore.”
Besides devouring professional knowledge, practicing various contemplative states, and occasionally dealing with jealousy from external admirers of Bi Zhen, Mei Qing gradually began to make progress in another important task: interpreting and annotating several ancient silk scrolls in Bi Zhen’s possession.
According to Bi Zhen, these scrolls had a rather mysterious origin, originally from the imperial palace. Tracing their roots, they were relics from the Yuan dynasty. During that time, the imperial court sought to unify all Daoist sects into two main schools: Zhengyi and Quanzhen. Zhengyi Dao especially was formed by merging the Three Mountains and Four Sects with two other Daoist schools, naturally leading to much internal conflict and competition. Most Daoist sects eventually submitted in various ways, except for the Shengxiao sect, which resisted most dramatically.
Most Daoist sects had clear lineages. For example, the Three Mountains’ talisman techniques were directly inherited from the Celestial Masters of Longhu Mountain, while Maoshan and Geyao Mountains followed the Shangqing and Lingbao traditions, respectively. Other sects like Tianxin originated from Longhu, and Donghua and Jingming came from Lingbao. However, the Shengxiao sect appeared as if out of nowhere, with no known origins.
The founder of the Shengxiao sect was the Song dynasty cultivator Chonghe Zi. Chonghe Zi, whose secular name was Wang Wenqing, had an unknown lineage but was renowned for his extraordinary Shengxiao Thunder Dao, which possessed unfathomable power. Chonghe Zi established his sect in Qingcheng Mountain, and his senior disciple, Sa Shoujian, surpassed even him in skill. The Shengxiao sect flourished and became a dominant force in the cultivation world.
Later, both master and disciple achieved Dao and ascended to immortality, which sent shockwaves through the cultivation community. Although many cultivators possessed profound skills, it was rare for two masters to ascend within a century. The Shengxiao sect gained unmatched fame, and their Shengxiao Thunder Dao became the focus of attention for cultivators across the land.
However, as the saying goes, “A tall tree invites the wind.” During the Yuan dynasty, the imperial court found the Daoist sects too fragmented and difficult to control, so they decided to reorganize them, merging the southern sects into Zhengyi. Although the court had the shamanistic religion as its state faith, with many powerful shamans, it still lacked the strength to control the entire Daoist community in Central China.
No matter how strong an external enemy may be, the real danger often comes from within. Just when the court was struggling to manage the situation, a legitimate disciple from Longhu Mountain, Zhang Liusun, defected to the Yuan Emperor Kublai Khan and offered to lead the effort to reorganize the Daoist sects.
Zhang Liusun was indeed a rare talent in the cultivation world. Although he was not the legitimate heir of the Celestial Master lineage, his cultivation surpassed even the contemporary Celestial Master Zhang Zongyan. However, he had to remain subordinate due to the established Daoist traditions. Unwilling to be overshadowed, he seized an opportunity to meet with Kublai Khan, gained the emperor’s trust, and was appointed as the Chief Daoist Administrator, overseeing all Daoist sects in the empire. Using this authority, Zhang Liusun established his own sect, the Xuanjiao (Mysterious Teachings).
With his newfound power, Zhang Liusun quickly gathered like-minded Daoists and, under the imperial mandate, issued an edict dividing all Daoist sects into two main branches: the northern Quanzhen sect, which had long been under imperial control, and the southern Zhengyi sect, which combined Longhu, Maoshan, Geyao, Tianxin, Shengxiao, Donghua, Jingming, and Taiyi sects under one banner, with its headquarters at Longhu Mountain.
The edict caused an uproar among Daoist sects, who accused Zhang Liusun of betraying his roots and serving as a puppet for foreign rulers. The most vocal critic was Mo Yueding, the then-leader of the Shengxiao sect.
At that time, although the Shengxiao sect had declined from its peak under Sa Shoujian, it was still a major sect with many talented cultivators. Its leader, Mo Yueding, had reached the threshold of the Spirit Transformation stage, and his mastery of the Shengxiao Thunder Dao was unmatched across the land. Unfortunately, Mo Yueding was known for his uncompromising nature. While other sects hesitated, Mo Yueding declared that the Shengxiao sect would rather be shattered like jade than survive like broken tiles, vowing never to submit to Zhang Liusun.
However, other sects, long envious of Shengxiao’s dominance, remained passive. Longhu Mountain, lured by Zhang Liusun’s promises, sided with the imperial court. When Zhang Liusun and his allies attacked the Shengxiao sect, few other sects came to its aid.
The ensuing battle was unprecedented in its ferocity. The Shengxiao sect’s protective Five Thunder Grand Array was breached, and Mo Yueding was utterly destroyed in a joint assault by Zhang Liusun and the three great shamans of the shamanistic religion. The sect’s foundation was shattered, and only a few disciples escaped westward, establishing a new sect in the Tianshan Mountains, known as the Tianshan Sect, or the Xihai Sect.
With the destruction of the Shengxiao sect, its Daoist techniques fell into Zhang Liusun’s hands. Indeed, one of Zhang Liusun’s motives for targeting the Shengxiao sect was his envy of their Thunder Dao. Finally obtaining it, he was overjoyed. However, he had not anticipated that the Shengxiao sect’s techniques, though also talisman-based, differed greatly from other sects. As Zhang Liusun forcefully cultivated the Shengxiao Thunder Dao, his cultivation advanced rapidly, but he unknowingly sowed the seeds of his own destruction. Eventually, during his ascension to immortality, the accumulated imbalance triggered a backlash of thunderfire, reducing him to ashes.
After Zhang Liusun’s death, the Xuanjiao sect declined, and the Shengxiao sect’s Daoist scriptures and techniques were lost to history.
Three years ago, a mysterious fire broke out in the Ming palace. After the fire, it was discovered that the palace had been robbed. Along with some porcelain treasures, a large chest of ancient books was stolen. During the subsequent inventory, it was realized that the stolen chest contained ancient texts inherited from the Yuan dynasty palace. Two chests had been recovered at the time, one stolen and one remaining. Unfortunately, the remaining chest had been partially burned.
When the remaining half was discovered and examined by the Jinyiwei, they were astonished. The chest contained various Daoist scriptures, including several scrolls of silk writings inscribed in strange characters, whose meanings were unknown. Upon examination by experts, it was determined that these scrolls were the lost cultivation secrets of the Shengxiao sect.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage