What Bi Zhen was talking about, Mei Qing had some knowledge of, such as the origins and development of Daoism. However, when it came to the distinction between internal and external alchemy and the methods of refining them, he was completely lost. In fact, in Mei Qing’s previous understanding, alchemy was simply about mixing mercury and minerals, burning them into pills, and then swallowing them and leaving everything to fate. If one had good luck and strong internal energy, one might expel the toxins and enhance resistance—like a certain senior sister in his memory named Mei Chaofeng. But if one was unlucky or lacked sufficient internal energy, nine times out of ten, one would soon depart this life and head straight to the underworld—as was the case with some emperors and generals in history who were obsessed with this practice.
After hearing Mei Qing’s explanation, Bi Zhen couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “Mei Chaofeng? Who is this master? Could you perhaps be a descendant of this Mei family? What you said isn’t entirely wrong. External alchemy, when truly mastered, can be extremely beneficial. But if there’s even the slightest mistake, it can be extremely harmful. The problem is that no one has truly grasped its essence for a long time. Besides, from what I’ve seen, many people who claim to be experts in external alchemy don’t even have the most basic skills in cultivating internal energy. You must know that external alchemy must be supported by internal alchemy. Do you really think that just lighting a fire and burning things will produce true Elixir? If that were the case, wouldn’t there be Elixirs everywhere?”
Mei Qing responded with some surprise, “So isn’t external alchemy just a matter of setting up a furnace and burning things? As long as you calculate the ingredients properly, control the temperature, and wait for the right time, won’t the transformation happen naturally?”
“Is it really that easy?” Bi Zhen smiled, shaking her head. “Even though it’s called external alchemy, it still involves spiritual intent and the gathering of vital energy. It concerns the interaction of energies, merely utilizing external methods. If it were truly just a matter of setting up a furnace and burning things, then why would anyone bother cultivating at all? Everyone would simply become charcoal burners! Anyway, let’s stop discussing external alchemy—for these days, it’s unlikely anyone will ever witness its genuine form again. Let’s instead speak of internal alchemy. The path of the Golden Elixir, though countless in its variations, begins with just two concepts: human nature and life essence. Some cultivate life essence without cultivating nature; others cultivate nature without cultivating life essence. Some begin with nature and then proceed to life essence; others start with life essence and then move on to nature. Each approach has its own strengths, and it’s difficult to say which is superior.”
“External cultivation usually begins with life—methods like energy circulation and guiding techniques. In contrast, Buddhist practitioners often begin with nature—like seeking enlightenment and understanding the source of the mind. However, since the time of Master Lü, the alchemical path has mostly followed the dual cultivation of both nature and life. As the saying goes: ‘Cultivating nature without life leads to a ghostly soul that can never reach sainthood; cultivating life without nature is like looking in a mirror without a precious mirror.'”
At this point, Bi Zhen’s expression gradually turned solemn. “Mei Qing, I know you are intelligent and well-read, perhaps even having ten thousand scrolls in your mind. But Daoist teachings have no fixed definitions. When you read the Dao De Jing or the Nan Hua Jing, you’ll often find words like ‘like’ or ‘as if.’ At their core, these teachings arise from the heart and cannot be fully expressed in words—they can only be described through metaphors. When we speak of ‘Kan and Li, Water and Fire, Infant and Tiger, Lead and Mercury, Sun and Moon,’ it’s all in this vein. Earlier, I mentioned that internal alchemy begins with the dual cultivation of nature and life. What exactly are ‘nature’ and ‘life’? Nature can be seen as the mind, life as the body; nature as spirit, life as vital energy; nature as Chan (Zen), life as alchemy. There are many such interpretations, and it all depends on one’s inner realization.”
Mei Qing seemed to grasp something and said thoughtfully, “So, if I understand correctly, when you smile at me and my blood starts to boil, that’s nature cultivation. When you practice energy circulation under the pine tree, that’s life cultivation. Similarly, if I focus my mind and remain unmoved, that’s nature cultivation; if my true energy flows and melts away negative energies, that’s life cultivation. Am I right?”
Bi Zhen laughed and replied, “Though your understanding may sound a bit rigid, like wooden statues, you’re basically not far off. These two aspects are meant to complement each other. A few days ago, when I tested you, you actually used life techniques to resist external influences—you were using life to confront nature. But today, for some unknown reason, you suddenly understood nature cultivation, realizing that words and thoughts can resist external influences. This shows your exceptional talent.”
When Bi Zhen called Mei Qing rigid and wooden, she meant that he was seeing things too narrowly, interpreting nature and life too narrowly. But overall, his direction was correct. Mei Qing had always cultivated in a confused, haphazard way, never really understanding what nature and life meant. Now, after hearing Bi Zhen’s explanation, he suddenly felt as if clouds had parted to reveal the sun—he understood much more clearly. Feeling a sense of clarity, he quickly thanked Bi Zhen.
Bi Zhen shook her head and said, “If you truly had no intention of cultivating the Dao, your natural, effortless approach was actually a rare opportunity. Today, because I’ve pointed it out to you, you’ve developed a deliberate mindset toward cultivation. This could become an obstacle in your future practice. Don’t blame me later on.”
Mei Qing quickly understood Bi Zhen’s meaning. The essence of nature lies in naturalness. Mei Qing had always cultivated in a confused, effortless way, without any artificial intent, which perfectly aligned with the true spirit of cultivation. That’s why his progress had been so rapid. Now, with a conscious intention to cultivate, he would inevitably face various difficulties and would no longer progress as easily as before.
Mei Qing smiled and said, “But how can one cultivate the Dao in confusion forever? As the saying goes, ‘One hears through knowing, not through ignorance.’ So, thank you, I must.”
Bi Zhen nodded and smiled. Mei Qing’s words came from the Zhuangzi, perfectly fitting the current discussion. Mei Qing’s confused, effortless cultivation had indeed allowed him to progress quickly at first, but he couldn’t keep cultivating like this forever. Otherwise, how could he form the Elixir? How could he give birth to the immortal embryo? Eventually, he would have to reach a point of conscious cultivation.
Bi Zhen continued, “When we talk about dual cultivation of nature and life, it doesn’t mean equal emphasis on both. Rather, one must be the primary focus, and the other the secondary. After all, everyone’s innate talent and interests differ, making perfect balance impossible. Mei Qing, no matter where your cultivation method comes from, have you ever chosen a path?”
“Chosen a path?” Mei Qing shook his head. “I’ve already told you how I started cultivating. How could I have chosen a path?”
Bi Zhen suppressed a smile and explained, “Choosing a path, also known as choosing an opportunity or affinity, is a test given by major sects when they recruit disciples. It helps determine the disciple’s innate nature and guide them toward suitable methods. But in smaller sects, they don’t care about your strengths—everyone gets the same method, whether you like it or not, so there’s no need to choose.”
Mei Qing smiled and said, “So I haven’t chosen. But now, having heard you expound the Dao, like celestial music and heavenly flowers falling, perhaps this can be considered my true beginning in hearing the Dao. Why not let you choose a path for me?”
Bi Zhen couldn’t help but laugh. “What ‘celestial maiden’ and ‘heavenly flowers’? You, a scholarly and refined gentleman, have been speaking more and more recklessly. Choosing a path should be natural and effortless, like a baby choosing objects at a ‘first birthday’ ceremony. If you want me to choose for you, why not give it a try? Different sects have various methods, and there’s no single standard. Since you just quoted from the Zhuangzi, I’ll give you a question: In the Zhuangzi, if you had to choose one word to represent your experience in cultivating the Dao, what would it be?”
Mei Qing was taken aback for a moment, then thought for a while and said, “If I had to choose, it would be ‘reluctantly’ or ‘out of necessity’—’bu de yi’.”
Bi Zhen couldn’t help but laugh again. “Indeed, ‘bu de yi’! Very well then, young master, since you’ve chosen this word, your talent is indeed remarkable. In the future, you’ll likely avoid many tribulations.”
The term ‘bu de yi’ (necessity) appears several times in the Zhuangzi, originally meaning going with the flow of nature, as in the phrase, “To dwell in a single dwelling and live in necessity—this is nearly perfect.” Mei Qing’s cultivation had always been passive and confused, so this word fit him perfectly.
Bi Zhen’s expression gradually turned serious again. “After observing your innate nature and talent, I can say you truly have an excellent foundation. Therefore, the right approach for you is to go against the usual path and focus on life cultivation. In major sects, when a disciple’s nature is stronger than their physical constitution, they often begin with nature cultivation—because it’s easier to enter the path through nature and then proceed to life. But in your case, you’ve already achieved the foundation of cultivation, so there’s no worry about entering the path. Moreover, your nature is naturally aligned. As long as you build a solid foundation, success will naturally follow. Therefore, there’s no need to follow conventional methods. Just focus on cultivating life through nature, and your path will be stable. When it comes to the study of the Golden Elixir, the Northern School emphasizes nature over life, while the Southern School takes a balanced approach. Since I’m here, why don’t I introduce you to the Southern School’s method of cultivation? Please feel free to offer your comments.”
Mei Qing knew that after all this talk, they were finally getting to the heart of the alchemical teachings. He had been cultivating in a confused way for so long, and even though he had supposedly achieved the foundation of cultivation, he didn’t even know how it happened. Now, with such a rare opportunity to receive instruction from a beautiful master, he naturally had to pay close attention.
The Southern School that Bi Zhen spoke of was the alchemical method passed down by Master Zi Yang, Zhang Boduan. It emphasized dual cultivation of nature and life, with nature cultivation rooted in the concept of “forgetting,” and life cultivation beginning with foundation-building, encompassing three stages and nineteen techniques.
“Forgetting” could be further divided into “forgetting the mind,” “seeking the mind,” and “true mind.” The nineteen techniques included gathering herbs, building the foundation, refining, sealing, forceful fire, gentle fire, cleansing, cinnabar, passing the gate, nurturing, preventing disasters, practice, union, great return, sacred embryo, nine transformations, changing the cauldron, and other stages.
“Although the methods of alchemy may differ, their underlying philosophy is the same. These nineteen techniques—just understand them in your heart, and never become overly attached to them. Whether it’s the Southern or Northern School, or even the talisman sects, the stages of cultivation are more or less the same. The differences lie only in how they are categorized and named. Generally speaking, after building the foundation comes the three stages: refining essence, refining energy, and refining spirit. Building the foundation means entering a state of inner chaos and stillness, where the first stirring of yang energy occurs. At that moment, one gathers the first spark of true energy as the foundation of cultivation. This spark is like the ‘starter’ in medicine, and practitioners often call it the ‘seed.’ Just as a towering tree grows from a single seed, this foundation of the Dao is the seed for your future cultivation. Once you have this seed, you simply nurture and cultivate it quietly, and your Dao practice will naturally grow. Without this seed within you, even if you practice daily until your hair turns white, it will be like water without a source or a tree without roots—just an illusion, never entering the true path of cultivation.”
“But… when I built my foundation, there was something strange…” Mei Qing wanted to explain the strange events during his foundation-building, but Bi Zhen stopped him with a wave of her hand.
“Please, don’t say more. There are rules in the Daoist tradition. Since you and I are not from the same sect and have no master-disciple relationship, it’s not appropriate for me to discuss such matters. I would never dare to comment on your cultivation. The path of cultivation must be guided by a teacher. Only a teacher can provide proper guidance; otherwise, there will surely be harm. Even the Dao teachings I’m sharing with you now are meant only as discussions between fellow cultivators. Please don’t misunderstand the rules.”
Actually, it wasn’t Mei Qing’s fault—he had never formally entered a sect, so how could he know the dangers involved? In Daoism, the importance of a teacher far surpasses that of the secular world. As the saying goes: “A teacher is a treasure. Without a teacher, the Dao cannot be attained. Without a teacher, one cannot be saved; without a teacher, one cannot become an immortal.” Unless one is a true disciple of a sect, no one will offer guidance in cultivation methods. There are two main reasons for this: first, sects have their own traditions and differences; second, without a teacher, one cannot understand the critical points, and such guidance could easily harm the practitioner. Therefore, for thousands of years, Daoism has always followed the tradition of master teaching disciple, with no exceptions.
Bi Zhen had no choice but to teach Mei Qing Daoist methods to help him understand the scriptures, but she dared not pass on the teachings of her sect. She had to frame it as a discussion between fellow cultivators—meaning she would explain the theory, but the specific details of actual cultivation were still left for Mei Qing to figure out on his own.
Seeing Mei Qing’s disappointed expression, Bi Zhen felt an inexplicable sense of loss and quickly added, “It’s not that I’m unwilling to share. The rules of cultivation are simply like this—they cannot be broken. In the future, when I have time, I will naturally explain the rules of the Daoist sects to you. After all, you are now a cultivator—you must be careful not to violate these rules, or you may commit grave mistakes. As for the key points of cultivation, although I cannot speak freely, many ancient cultivators have left writings. If you have the time, you should read more Daoist scriptures—they will naturally lead you to understanding.”
Mei Qing realized he had been too hasty just now, nodded, and continued listening to Bi Zhen’s explanation of the alchemical methods.
After building the foundation, the form of the Dao takes shape, followed by the three stages: refining essence, refining energy, and refining spirit. Once the form is established, one refines the body into essence; once the essence is harmonized, one refines essence into energy; once energy is obtained, one refines energy into spirit; and once spirit is attained, one refines spirit back into emptiness. When one truly reaches the stage of refining spirit into emptiness, one becomes a pure yang being and can ascend to immortality. The nineteen techniques only take one up to the stage of refining spirit. Beyond that, one needs even more advanced methods.
Of course, Mei Qing had not yet come anywhere near that level. What he was currently cultivating still lay at the stage before refining the body into essence. His energy had not yet condensed into an Elixir (Dan), and according to the nineteen techniques, he was still at the Cleansing and Cinnabar stages.
As previously mentioned, internal alchemy employs the body and mind as metaphors for the external alchemical furnace. The body is likened to the furnace, the heart and spirit represent the fire, and the kidneys correspond to the water. Spirit resides within the heart, symbolized by the trigram Li, positioned in the south, and associated with fire. Essence is stored in the kidneys, symbolized by the trigram Kan, positioned in the north, and associated with water. With a single seed, one circulates essence and energy, utilizing both gentle and intense fire to refine and consolidate until the elixir (dan) is formed. Only then can one complete the initial stage of refining essence and proceed to the subsequent stage of transforming essence into energy.
Though it had taken a long time to write all this down, Bi Zhen explained it in just a few sentences. Mei Qing stared at her with wide eyes and asked, “That’s it? Is that all?”
“Of course that’s all! What else did you expect cultivation to be? Don’t believe those long-winded novels that stretch it out into dozens of volumes. It’s really just this simple—once you understand, you’re done. As the saying goes, ‘True transmission is just one sentence; false transmission fills thousands of books.’ If you really try to follow the books, you’ll die of exhaustion before you understand anything. Even if you do understand, you’ll never succeed in cultivation. I’ve already explained this supreme Dao to you clearly—why don’t you start throwing your recommendation tickets at me now?”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage