No matter how things had happened at the time, in hindsight, it always seemed the man was in the wrong.
Therefore, as soon as the topic came up, Mei Qing wisely decided not to argue further, shifting instead to ask with concern about Bi Zhen’s emotional tribulation.
“Emotional tribulation?” Bi Zhen replied with a half-smile. “What emotional tribulation? Now that we’ve come this far, naturally it has dissipated.”
“Eh?” Mei Qing was astonished. “You mean that after we… well, you know, the tribulation just passed like that? If I had known it would be this easy…”
“Don’t be vulgar,” Bi Zhen blushed, “how could it be as simple as you imagine? Tribulations are serious matters, not easily overcome. Don’t you think about how we both barely survived the night before last? If even such a tribulation couldn’t be passed, there would be no one in the world who could!”
Mei Qing finally understood. No wonder Bi Zhen had mentioned that sincerity was the key to overcoming tribulations. After all, without experiencing storms, how could one see the rainbow? Thinking back, although the previous night had been tough, the rewards had also been substantial.
Regardless of how the events unfolded at the time, when it came to settling accounts afterward, the man was always at fault.
Thus, when the topic was brought up, Mei Qing immediately knew better than to argue and instead inquired with concern about Bi Zhen’s emotional ordeal and how it should be resolved.
“Emotional ordeal?” Bi Zhen replied with a half-smile, “What emotional ordeal? Since we’ve come this far, it naturally dissipates.”
“Ah?” Mei Qing found it utterly perplexing, “Are you saying that after we… did that, the emotional ordeal just passed? If I had known earlier…”
“Stop it, with your dirty talk!” Bi Zhen blushed deeply, “It’s not as simple as you think. Ordeals are not so easily overcome. Don’t forget, the other night we barely escaped with our lives. If we couldn’t overcome such an ordeal, then no one in the world could!”
Mei Qing then understood why Bi Zhen had said that the key to overcoming the ordeal lay in the word “truth.” Without experiencing the storm, one cannot see the rainbow. Reflecting on this, although the previous night was arduous, the rewards were equally substantial.
“So, you should be ready to condense your elixir soon, right? Since the ordeal is over,” Mei Qing asked.
Bi Zhen nodded, “Exactly. Having passed this ordeal and gained some benefits from our… dual cultivation the other night, the elixir imagery within me has begun to solidify. Can’t you feel it?”
“Me?” Mei Qing was surprised, “What should I be feeling?”
“Silly, you’ve memorized so much, how can you forget now? We were dual cultivating. In fact, during our dual cultivation the other night, the elixir began to condense, though it’s not fully solidified yet,” Bi Zhen said with a hint of amusement.
“Ah…” Mei Qing indeed recalled feeling something different at the time. However, his attention was mainly focused on other matters, so he hadn’t paid much attention.
In the world of cultivation, it’s rare to find someone like Mei Qing. Cultivation requires utmost focus and cannot be divided. Yet, strangely, Mei Qing’s body seemed to cultivate on its own. Once he entered that state, he could remain oblivious without any issues. Hence, the joke of him not even realizing that his elixir had already condensed.
This step is not easy. Since ancient times, only those who have formed their elixir can be called true cultivators, having truly stepped into the realm of spiritual practice. For most practitioners, even with diligent study, it takes twenty to thirty years to progress from foundation building to elixir formation. Those who manage to cross this threshold before fifty are considered fortunate. Many never make it, lingering outside the door, which is not uncommon.
In fact, Mei Qing was unaware that he had shattered records in an astonishing manner. Back in the day, the Plum Blossom Daoist Fan Wentai, hailed as a once-in-a-millennium genius, took ten years from foundation building to elixir formation, which was already awe-inspiring. For Mei Qing to form his elixir in just a few months was nothing short of monstrous.
Even Bi Zhen, who had been cultivating since childhood and was different from ordinary people, took fifteen years to form her elixir, which was already considered a rare talent.
However, in Bi Zhen’s mind, she suspected that Mei Qing must have had some extraordinary encounter in his youth. His seemingly dull years were likely due to someone secretly cleansing and unblocking his meridians, otherwise, it would be impossible for him to progress so rapidly upon entering the path of cultivation. But since Mei Qing couldn’t remember much from those years, it was hard to say for sure.
Mei Qing himself didn’t pay much attention to these details. Upon hearing Bi Zhen’s words, he quickly focused inward and noticed that, as described in the elixir scriptures, within his cauldron, a faint, round, and luminous light shimmered like a pearl on a crystal plate, indicating that his elixir had indeed begun to form.
“No wonder I feel so refreshed and energetic today. So, my elixir has condensed. Though I’m not entirely clear on the nuances. Perhaps we could delve deeper into this tonight?” Mei Qing said with a cheerful smile.
Bi Zhen lowered her head, slightly embarrassed, “Exactly. After we settle today’s matters, we’ll need to spend more time together. After dual cultivation and elixir condensation, nurturing and solidifying the cauldron offers additional benefits compared to solitary cultivation. I’ll explain more tonight.”
…If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have said anything, letting the beautiful Bi Zhen beg me to cultivate with her would have been even better—thought Mei Qing, his mind filled with fanciful ideas.
“Also, I’ve burned the annotations you made. Since we both remember them, we’ll compile the original manuscript and submit it, thus completing the task. Let’s not let a third person know about these matters,” Bi Zhen instructed Mei Qing as they were about to disembark.
Mei Qing nodded in agreement. The strange hand that had tried to steal the Daoist scriptures that day—Bi Zhen hadn’t mentioned who was behind it, and Mei Qing hadn’t asked. But Bi Zhen had a vague sense that it must involve significant figures.
On the way, the carriage stopped once at the entrance of the South Garden Palace. Bi Zhen didn’t get off, but the coachman had a brief exchange with someone before they continued. Mei Qing couldn’t help but marvel at how favored Bi Zhen was by the current emperor, able to enter the royal palace so freely.
After turning a couple of corners, the carriage slowly came to a halt, and the two of them got off. Looking up, they found themselves at the gate of a small garden.
Though the garden wasn’t large, it was exquisitely designed. A rockery at the entrance obscured a winding path. Willow trees swayed gently within the palace walls, reflecting off a pool of clear water outside, creating a serene atmosphere.
“Princess Bi, oh my, what brings you here today?” A high-pitched voice rang out, and Mei Qing noticed an elderly eunuch with a beaming smile hurrying over.
“It’s Eunuch Zheng, how have you been? Is His Majesty inside? And where is Minister Lu?” Bi Zhen asked with a smile.
“Oh, how kind of you to ask. Thanks to your blessings, this old servant is doing well. His Majesty is currently cultivating the golden elixir and should be done soon. Minister Lu was accompanying him, but he seemed to have some urgent matter and rushed back. Are you here to see Minister Lu today?” Perhaps aware of the discord between Bi Zhen and her father, Eunuch Zheng showed a hint of surprise when mentioning Lu Bing.
“No, no, I’m here to see His Majesty,” Bi Zhen said, secretly giving Mei Qing a triumphant smile upon hearing that Lu Bing wasn’t there. She then turned back to Eunuch Zheng, “Since His Majesty will be done soon, we’ll go in and wait.”
Eunuch Zheng looked somewhat hesitant, “Princess Bi, you may enter, but I’m not sure about this gentleman…” He glanced at Mei Qing.
“Him? His Majesty wants to see him too. I brought him here specifically for that. Don’t worry,” Bi Zhen said, pulling Mei Qing along as she stepped inside.
Eunuch Zheng made a slight movement but ultimately didn’t stop them. Bi Zhen was highly favored by the emperor, and since she said it was the emperor’s wish, it wasn’t his place to interfere.
As Bi Zhen and Mei Qing entered the garden, they couldn’t help but feel a sense of triumph. Just as they were about to achieve their goal, a voice suddenly called out, “Bi, what brings you here?”
They turned around to see two men approaching. The first was a middle-aged man in his forties, dressed in a pristine blue Daoist robe. His face was slightly gaunt, as if frail, but his demeanor was as noble as a crane, exuding an otherworldly aura. Behind him was a burly man with a beard as sharp as spears, wearing a brown short-sleeved shirt that revealed his bronze muscles, gleaming like polished copper.
“Oh no, wasn’t he supposed to be delayed? How did he return so quickly!” Bi Zhen’s face paled as she grabbed Mei Qing and hurried inside, loudly saying, “His Majesty wants to see me, so I came.”
This Daoist-robed man was actually Lu Bing? Mei Qing’s heart tightened, not understanding why Lu Bing had returned despite Bi Zhen’s efforts to divert him. He was also slightly puzzled—Lu Bing, as the commander of the Imperial Guards, why was he dressed in a Daoist robe?
Just as they were about to rush in, Lu Bing suddenly appeared before them, coldly saying, “When did His Majesty ask to see you? Mei Qing? Why is he here… Hmm? Bi… you’ve already… with this boy!?” With a quick glance, he noticed Bi Zhen’s condition, and his previously calm eyes suddenly flashed with a chilling light.
“None of your business!” Bi Zhen gritted her teeth and threw the bracelet on her wrist into the air, “Chaos without limits, sever the five elements, seal!” With this command, Bi Zhen herself became ethereal, like a mist, and drifted past the middle-aged man.
Lu Bing, instead of being angry, laughed, “Using this trick on me? Borrowing the power of heaven and earth, break!” Without moving, he simply drew a simple talisman in the air with two fingers and pointed forward.
The bracelet Bi Zhen had thrown somehow ended up in his hand. He then reached out with his left hand, and Bi Zhen’s form, which had been ethereal, was suddenly caught in his grasp.
“What are you doing? Let go…” Bi Zhen cried out in shock, but her body went limp, and she was gently held by Lu Bing, silent.
“Bi Zhen!” Mei Qing, seeing this, was filled with dread, not knowing what had happened to Bi Zhen. He stepped forward, reaching out to snatch her back.
“Boy, don’t move!” A voice as deep as a bronze bell rang out, and Mei Qing felt a tremendous weight on his shoulder, as if a mountain was pressing down on him, making it impossible to move.
Looking back, he saw the burly man had somehow appeared behind him, his hand pressing down on Mei Qing’s shoulder. Seeing Mei Qing’s gaze, the man grinned, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth.
Mei Qing tried to stand firm, but the pressure kept increasing, almost crushing him into the ground. Realizing the danger, he quickly focused his mind on the token on his chest, silently reciting the earth escape incantation, “Metal, wood, water, fire, earth spirit leads, escape!”
With a sudden movement, the burly man’s palm strike missed, and Mei Qing felt as if he could move freely through the earth. With a thought, he charged towards Lu Bing’s feet, reaching out to grab Bi Zhen from his hand.
The burly man grunted in surprise but didn’t stop. He transformed his palm into a fist and roared, “Hey!” as he punched the ground.
Mei Qing felt his entire body tighten, as if bound by something, unable to move. He suddenly fell to the ground, feeling a tremendous force invade his body, shutting down all his senses, and he knew no more.
Regardless of how things unfolded at the time, when it came to settling accounts afterward, the man was always at fault.
Thus, whenever the topic was brought up, Mei Qing immediately knew to stop arguing and instead inquired with concern about Bi Zhen’s ordeal of love.
“Ordeal of love?” Bi Zhen replied with a half-smile, “What ordeal? Since we’ve reached this point, that ordeal has naturally dissipated.”
“Ah?” Mei Qing found it utterly perplexing, “Are you saying that after we… did that, the ordeal just passed? If I had known earlier…”
“Stop it, you’re being vulgar!” Bi Zhen blushed deeply, “It’s not as simple as you think. Trials and tribulations aren’t so easily overcome. Don’t forget, the other night we barely escaped with our lives. If we couldn’t overcome that ordeal, then no one in the world could!”
Mei Qing finally understood why Bi Zhen had said the key to overcoming the ordeal lay in the word “truth.” As the saying goes, without enduring the storm, one cannot see the rainbow. Reflecting on this, although the previous night had been arduous, the rewards were equally substantial.
“So, you should be close to forming your Golden Core now, right? Since the ordeal is over,” Mei Qing asked.
Bi Zhen nodded, “Exactly. Having overcome this ordeal and gained some benefits from our… dual cultivation the other night, the signs of my Golden Core are already beginning to solidify. Can’t you feel it?”
“Me?” Mei Qing was surprised, “What should I be feeling?”
“Silly, you’ve memorized so much, how could you forget now? We were dual cultivating. In fact, during our dual cultivation the other night, the initial signs of the Golden Core appeared, though it hasn’t fully solidified yet,” Bi Zhen said with a hint of amusement.
“Ah…” Mei Qing indeed recalled feeling something different at the time. However, his attention had been focused on other matters, so he hadn’t paid much heed.
It was truly rare for someone like Mei Qing to cultivate in such a manner. The most crucial aspect of cultivation is maintaining pure focus; it’s impossible to split one’s attention. Yet, strangely, Mei Qing’s body seemed to cultivate on its own. Once he entered that state, he could remain indifferent and still progress. This led to the absurd situation where he had already formed his Golden Core without even realizing it.
This step was not easy. Since ancient times, only those who had formed their Golden Core could be called true cultivators, having truly stepped into the realm of cultivation. For most practitioners, even with diligent study, it would take twenty to thirty years to progress from the Foundation Establishment stage to the Golden Core stage. Those who could achieve this before the age of fifty were considered fortunate. Many, however, never crossed this threshold in their lifetime, remaining forever outside the door.
In fact, Mei Qing was unaware that he had shattered records in an astonishing manner. Back in the day, the Plum Blossom Daoist, Fan Wentai, was hailed as a once-in-a-millennium genius for forming his Golden Core in ten years, a feat that left people in awe. For Mei Qing to form his Golden Core in just a few months was nothing short of monstrous.
Even Bi Zhen, who had been cultivating since childhood and was different from ordinary people, took fifteen years to form her Golden Core, which was already considered a rare talent.
However, in Bi Zhen’s mind, she suspected that Mei Qing must have had some extraordinary encounter in his youth. His seemingly dull and unremarkable years were likely a result of someone secretly cleansing and refining his meridians, which would explain his rapid progress upon entering the path of cultivation. However, Mei Qing’s memories of those years were hazy, so it was hard to say for sure.
Mei Qing himself didn’t dwell much on these matters. Upon hearing Bi Zhen’s words, he quickly focused inward and noticed that, just as the alchemical texts described, within his cauldron, a faint, luminous orb shimmered like a pearl on a crystal plate. His Golden Core had indeed begun to form.
“No wonder I feel so refreshed and invigorated today. So, I’ve already formed my Golden Core. Though I’m not entirely clear on the nuances. Perhaps tonight, my dear wife, we could delve deeper into this?” Mei Qing said with a cheerful grin.
Bi Zhen, slightly embarrassed, lowered her head and replied, “Exactly. After we settle today’s matters, we’ll need to spend more time together. After dual cultivation and the formation of the Golden Core, nurturing and solidifying the cauldron offers additional benefits compared to solitary cultivation. We’ll discuss more tonight.”
…If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have said anything. It would have been better to let the beautiful Bi Zhen beg me to cultivate together—thoughts filled with fantasies.
“Also, I’ve burned the annotations you made. Since we both remember them, we’ll compile the original manuscript and submit it. That will be the end of it. Let’s not let a third person know about this,” Bi Zhen reminded Mei Qing as they were about to disembark.
Mei Qing nodded in agreement. As for who had sent the strange hand to snatch the Daoist texts that day, Bi Zhen hadn’t mentioned it afterward, and Mei Qing hadn’t asked. But Bi Zhen had a vague sense that Bi Zhen likely had some idea, and it probably involved significant implications.
On the way, the carriage stopped once at the entrance of the South Garden Palace. Bi Zhen didn’t get out, but the coachman had a brief exchange with someone before they continued. Mei Qing couldn’t help but marvel at how much favor Bi Zhen enjoyed with the current emperor, being able to enter the royal palace so freely.
After turning a couple of corners, the carriage slowly came to a halt, and the two of them got out. They looked up to find themselves at the entrance of a small garden.
Though the garden wasn’t large, it was exquisitely designed. A rockery at the entrance obscured a winding path. Inside the palace walls, weeping willows swayed gently, reflecting off a pool of emerald water outside the walls, creating a serene atmosphere.
“Princess Bi, oh, what wind has brought you here today?” A sharp voice rang out, and Mei Qing noticed an old eunuch with a beaming smile hurrying over.
“Isn’t this Eunuch Zheng? How have you been? Is the Emperor inside? And Minister Lu?” Bi Zhen asked with a smile.
“Oh, how could I deserve your concern? Thanks to your blessings, this old servant has been well. The Emperor is currently cultivating his Golden Elixir and should be done soon. Minister Lu was accompanying him, but he seemed to have some urgent matter and rushed back. Are you here to see Minister Lu today, Princess Bi?” Perhaps aware of the discord between Bi Zhen and her father, Eunuch Zheng showed a hint of surprise when mentioning Lu Bing.
“No, no, I’m here to see the Emperor,” Bi Zhen said, secretly giving Mei Qing a triumphant smile upon hearing that Lu Bing wasn’t there. She then turned back to Eunuch Zheng, “Since the Emperor will be done soon, we’ll go in and wait.”
Eunuch Zheng looked slightly troubled, “Princess Bi, you may enter, but I’m not sure about this gentleman…” He glanced at Mei Qing.
“Oh, him? The Emperor wants to see him too. I brought him specifically to meet the Emperor. Don’t worry,” Bi Zhen said, pulling Mei Qing along as she stepped inside.
Eunuch Zheng made a slight movement as if to stop them but ultimately didn’t. Bi Zhen was highly favored by the Emperor, and since she had said the Emperor wanted to see Mei Qing, it wasn’t his place to interfere.
As Bi Zhen and Mei Qing entered the garden, they couldn’t help but feel a sense of triumph. Just as they were about to achieve their goal, a voice suddenly called out, “Ah Bi, what brings you here?”
They turned around to see two men approaching. The first was a middle-aged man in his forties, dressed in a pristine blue Daoist robe. His face was slightly gaunt, as if he were frail, but his demeanor was as lofty as a crane, exuding an otherworldly aura. Behind him was a burly man with a beard as wild as spears, wearing a brown short robe that revealed his bronze muscles, which gleamed like polished copper.
“Oh no, wasn’t he supposed to be delayed? How did he return so quickly!” Bi Zhen’s face paled. She grabbed Mei Qing and hurried inside, loudly declaring, “The Emperor summoned me, so I came.”
The man in the Daoist robe was none other than Lu Bing? Mei Qing’s heart tightened, not understanding why Lu Bing had returned despite Bi Zhen’s efforts to divert him. He was also slightly puzzled—as the commander of the Imperial Guards, why was Lu Bing dressed in a Daoist robe?
Just as they were about to rush in, Lu Bing suddenly appeared before them, coldly saying, “Since when did the Emperor summon you? Mei Qing? Why is he here… Hmm? Ah Bi… you’ve already… is it because of this boy?!” His eyes, usually calm, suddenly flashed with a menacing light.
“None of your business!” Bi Zhen gritted her teeth and threw the bracelet on her wrist into the air, “Chaos and Infinity, sever the Five Elements, sever!” As she shouted, her form became ethereal, like a mist, and she drifted past the middle-aged man.
Lu Bing, instead of being angry, laughed, “You dare use such tricks on me? Borrowing the power of Heaven and Earth, break!” Without moving, he simply drew a simple symbol with two fingers and pointed forward.
The bracelet Bi Zhen had thrown somehow ended up in his hand. He then reached out with his left hand, and Bi Zhen’s form, which had been fading, was suddenly caught in his grasp.
“What are you doing? Let go…” Bi Zhen cried out in shock, but her body went limp, and she fell silent in Lu Bing’s hand.
“Bi Zhen!” Mei Qing, seeing this, was filled with panic, not knowing what had happened to Bi Zhen. He stepped forward, reaching out to snatch her back.
“Don’t move, boy!” A voice like a bronze bell rang out, and Mei Qing felt a tremendous pressure on his shoulder, as if a mountain were pressing down on him, rendering him immobile.
Looking back, he saw the burly man had somehow appeared behind him, his hand pressing down on Mei Qing’s shoulder. The man grinned, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth.
Mei Qing struggled to stand, but the pressure only increased, almost crushing him into the ground. Realizing the situation, Mei Qing quickly focused his mind, connecting with the token on his chest, and silently recited the Earth Escape incantation, “Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth Spirit leads the way, escape!”
His body shifted, and the burly man’s mountain-like pressure suddenly found no purchase. Mei Qing felt as if he could move freely through the earth. With a thought, he charged toward Lu Bing’s feet, reaching out to grab Bi Zhen from his hand.
The burly man grunted in surprise but didn’t stop. He transformed his palm into a fist and roared, “Hey!” before slamming it into the ground.
Mei Qing felt his entire body tighten, as if bound by something, and he could no longer move. Suddenly, he collapsed to the ground, feeling a tremendous force invade his body, shutting down his senses, and he knew no more.
“Me?” Mei Qing was surprised. “What should I notice?”
Regardless of how the incident unfolded at the time, when it came to settling accounts afterward, the man was always at fault.
Therefore, as soon as the topic was brought up, Mei Qing immediately knew better than to argue further and instead inquired with concern about Bi Zhen’s emotional ordeal and how it should be resolved.
“Emotional ordeal?” Bi Zhen said with a half-smile, “What emotional ordeal? Since we’ve reached this point, the ordeal has naturally dissipated.”
“Ah?” Mei Qing found it utterly perplexing, “Are you saying that after we… did that, the emotional ordeal just passed? If I had known earlier…”
“Stop it, what nonsense are you talking about!” Bi Zhen blushed deeply, “It’s not as simple as you think. Ordeals are not so easily overcome. Don’t you remember that just the other night, we narrowly escaped with our lives? If such an ordeal couldn’t be overcome, then no ordeal in the world could be!”
Mei Qing finally understood. No wonder Bi Zhen had said that the key to overcoming the ordeal lay in the word “truth.” Without experiencing the storm, one cannot see the rainbow. Reflecting on this, although the previous night had been arduous, the rewards were equally substantial.
“So, you should be ready to condense your elixir soon, right? Since the ordeal is over,” Mei Qing asked.
Bi Zhen nodded, “Exactly. Having overcome this ordeal and gained some benefits from our… dual cultivation the other night, the elixir image has already begun to solidify. Haven’t you noticed anything?”
“Me?” Mei Qing was surprised, “What should I have noticed?”
“Silly, you’ve memorized so much, how could you forget now? We were dual cultivating. In fact, during our dual cultivation the other night, the elixir had already begun to condense, though it wasn’t fully solidified yet,” Bi Zhen said with a hint of amusement.
“Ah…” Mei Qing indeed recalled feeling something different at the time. However, his attention had been primarily focused on other matters, so he hadn’t paid much heed.
In the world of cultivation, someone like Mei Qing was truly unique. The most crucial aspect of cultivation is single-minded focus; it’s impossible to split one’s attention. Yet, strangely, Mei Qing’s body seemed to cultivate on its own. Once he entered that state, he could remain unattentive without any issues. This led to the absurd situation where he had already condensed his elixir without even realizing it.
This step was not easy. Since ancient times, only those who had formed their elixir could be called true cultivators, having truly entered the threshold of cultivation. For most practitioners, even the most diligent, it would take twenty to thirty years to progress from foundation building to elixir formation. Those who could pass this barrier before fifty were considered fortunate. Many, however, would never cross this threshold in their lifetime, remaining outside the door, which was not uncommon.
In fact, Mei Qing was unaware that he had shattered records in an astonishing manner. Fan Wentai, the Plum Blossom Daoist, hailed as a once-in-a-millennium genius, took ten years from foundation building to elixir formation, which was already considered remarkable. For Mei Qing to achieve elixir formation in just a few months was nothing short of monstrous.
Even Bi Zhen, who had been cultivating since childhood and was different from ordinary people, took fifteen years to form her elixir, which was already a rare feat.
However, in Bi Zhen’s mind, she suspected that Mei Qing must have had some extraordinary encounter in his youth. His seemingly dull and unremarkable years were likely a result of someone secretly cleansing his meridians and refining his essence. Otherwise, there was no way Mei Qing could have progressed so rapidly upon entering the path of cultivation. However, since Mei Qing couldn’t recall much from those years, it was hard to say for sure.
Mei Qing himself wasn’t too concerned about these details. Upon hearing Bi Zhen’s words, he immediately turned his attention inward and noticed that, as described in the elixir scriptures, within the cauldron of his body, a faint, round, and luminous light shimmered like a pearl on a crystal plate. Indeed, the elixir had begun to form.
“No wonder I feel so refreshed and energetic today. So, I’ve already condensed my elixir. However, I’m still not entirely clear about the nuances. Perhaps we could engage in dual cultivation again tonight?” Mei Qing said with a cheerful smile.
Bi Zhen lowered her head, slightly embarrassed, “Exactly. After we settle today’s matters, we should spend more time together. After dual cultivation and elixir condensation, nurturing and solidifying the cauldron offers additional benefits compared to solitary cultivation. We’ll discuss it more tonight.”
…If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have said anything. It would have been better to let the beautiful Bi Zhen beg me to cultivate—thoughts filled with fantasies.
“Also, I’ve burned all the annotations you made. Since we both remember them, we’ll tidy up the original manuscript and submit it. That will be the end of it. Let’s not let a third person know about these matters,” Bi Zhen instructed Mei Qing as they were about to disembark.
Mei Qing nodded in agreement. As for the strange hand that had tried to seize the Daoist scriptures that day, Bi Zhen hadn’t mentioned it afterward, and Mei Qing hadn’t asked. However, Bi Zhen seemed to have some inkling, suggesting that the matter was likely far-reaching.
On the way, the carriage stopped once at the entrance of the South Garden Palace. Bi Zhen didn’t alight, but the coachman exchanged a few words with someone before they continued on their way. Mei Qing couldn’t help but marvel at how favored Bi Zhen was by the current emperor, as they were able to proceed directly into the royal palace without hindrance.
After turning a couple of corners, the carriage slowly came to a halt, and the two of them stepped out. Looking up, they found themselves at the entrance of a small garden.
Though the garden was not large, it was exquisitely designed. A rockery at the entrance obscured a winding path. Inside the palace walls, willow branches swayed gently, reflecting off a pool of clear water outside the walls, creating a serene atmosphere.
“Princess Bi, oh my, what wind has blown you here today?” A high-pitched voice rang out, and Mei Qing noticed an old eunuch with a beaming smile hurrying over.
“Isn’t this Eunuch Zheng? How have you been? Is His Majesty inside? And where is Minister Lu?” Bi Zhen asked with a smile.
“Oh, how can I deserve your concern? Thanks to your blessings, this old servant has been quite well. His Majesty is currently cultivating the golden elixir and should be done soon. Minister Lu was accompanying him, but he seemed to have some urgent matter and had to rush back. Are you here to see Minister Lu today, Princess Bi?” Perhaps aware of the discord between Bi Zhen and her father, Eunuch Zheng showed a hint of surprise when mentioning Lu Bing.
“No, no, I’m here to see His Majesty,” Bi Zhen said, secretly giving Mei Qing a triumphant smile upon hearing that Lu Bing was not present. She then turned back to Eunuch Zheng, “Since His Majesty will be done soon, we’ll go in and wait.”
Eunuch Zheng’s face showed a trace of hesitation, “Princess Bi, you may enter, but I’m not sure about this gentleman…” He glanced at Mei Qing.
“Oh, him? His Majesty wants to see him too. I brought him specifically to meet His Majesty today. Don’t worry,” Bi Zhen said, pulling Mei Qing along as she stepped inside.
Eunuch Zheng’s hand twitched, but he ultimately didn’t stop them. Bi Zhen was highly favored by the emperor, and since she had said that the emperor wanted to see Mei Qing, it wasn’t his place to interfere.
As Bi Zhen and Mei Qing entered the garden, they couldn’t help but feel a sense of triumph. Just as they were about to achieve their goal, a voice suddenly rang out, “Bi, what brings you here?”
They turned around to see two men approaching. The first was a middle-aged man in his forties, dressed in a pristine blue Daoist robe. Though his face was slightly gaunt, his demeanor was lofty, exuding an otherworldly aura. Behind him was a burly man with a beard like bristling spears, wearing a brown short robe that revealed his bronze muscles, which gleamed with a deep, metallic sheen.
“Oh no, wasn’t he supposed to be sent away? How did he return so quickly!” Bi Zhen’s face turned pale. She grabbed Mei Qing and hurried inside, loudly declaring, “His Majesty wants to see me, so I came.”
The man in the Daoist robe was none other than Lu Bing? Mei Qing’s heart tightened, not understanding why Lu Bing had returned despite Bi Zhen’s efforts to divert him. He was also slightly puzzled—why was Lu Bing, the commander of the Imperial Guards, dressed in a Daoist robe?
Just as they were about to rush in, Lu Bing suddenly appeared before them, coldly saying, “When did His Majesty say he wanted to see you? Mei Qing? Why is he here… Hmm? Bi… you’ve already… with this boy!?” With a quick glance, he noticed Bi Zhen’s condition, and his previously calm eyes suddenly flashed with a chilling light.
“None of your business!” Bi Zhen gritted her teeth and threw up the bracelet on her wrist, “Chaos without limits, sever the five elements, seal!” As she shouted, her own form became ethereal, like a mist, and she drifted past the middle-aged man.
Lu Bing, instead of being angry, laughed, “You’re using this trick on me? Borrowing the power of heaven and earth, break!” Without moving, he simply drew a simple talisman in the air with two fingers and pointed forward.
The bracelet Bi Zhen had thrown suddenly appeared in his hand. He then reached out with his left hand, seemingly grasping at the bracelet, and Bi Zhen’s form, which had been ethereal, suddenly solidified in his grasp.
“What are you doing? Let go…” Bi Zhen cried out in alarm, but her body went limp, and she fell silent in Lu Bing’s hand.
“Bi Zhen!” Mei Qing, seeing this, was filled with panic, not knowing what had happened to Bi Zhen. He stepped forward, reaching out to snatch her back.
“Don’t move, kid!” A voice like a bronze bell rang out, and Mei Qing felt a tremendous weight on his shoulder, as if a mountain was pressing down on him, making his entire body creak and rendering him immobile.
Looking back, he saw the burly man had somehow appeared behind him, his hand pressing down on Mei Qing’s shoulder. Seeing Mei Qing turn, the man grinned, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth.
Mei Qing tried to push back, but the pressure only increased, almost crushing him into the ground. Realizing the situation, Mei Qing quickly focused his mind, communicating with the token on his chest, and silently recited the earth escape mantra, “Metal, wood, water, fire, earth spirit leads the way, escape!”
His body shifted, and the burly man’s mountain-like pressure suddenly vanished. Mei Qing felt as if he could move freely through the earth’s energy, reaching anywhere he desired. With a thought, he surged toward Lu Bing’s feet, reaching out to snatch Bi Zhen from his grasp.
The burly man grunted in surprise but didn’t stop. He changed his palm into a fist and roared, “Hey!” as he punched the ground.
Mei Qing felt his entire body tighten, as if bound by something, and he could no longer move. Suddenly, he fell to the ground, feeling a tremendous force invade his body, sealing his senses, and he knew no more.
“Oh…” Mei Qing suddenly recalled that he had indeed felt something different at the time. However, at that moment, his attention had been focused elsewhere, so he hadn’t paid much attention.
Regardless of how things unfolded at the time, when it came to settling accounts afterward, the man was always at fault.
Thus, whenever the topic was brought up, Mei Qing immediately knew better than to argue and instead inquired with concern about Bi Zhen’s emotional tribulations.
“Emotional tribulation?” Bi Zhen said with a half-smile. “What emotional tribulation? Now that we’re like this, the tribulation naturally dissipates.”
“Ah?” Mei Qing found it utterly baffling. “Are you saying that after we… did that, the tribulation just passed? If I had known earlier…”
“Stop it, with all that nonsense!” Bi Zhen blushed deeply. “It’s not as simple as you think. Tribulations are not so easily overcome. Don’t forget that just the other night, we narrowly escaped with our lives. If such a tribulation couldn’t be overcome, then no tribulation in the world could be!”
Only then did Mei Qing understand why Bi Zhen had said that the key to overcoming the tribulation lay in the word “truth.” As the saying goes, without experiencing the storm, one cannot see the rainbow. Reflecting on this, although the previous night had been arduous, the rewards were equally substantial.
“Then you should be ready to condense your inner elixir, right? Since the tribulation has passed,” Mei Qing asked.
Bi Zhen nodded. “Exactly. Having overcome this tribulation and gained some benefits from our… dual cultivation the other night, the signs of the elixir are already beginning to solidify. Can’t you feel it?”
“Me?” Mei Qing was surprised. “What should I be feeling?”
“Silly, you’ve memorized so much, how can you forget now? We were dual cultivating. In fact, during the dual cultivation the other night, the elixir had already begun to condense, though it wasn’t fully solidified yet,” Bi Zhen said with a hint of amusement.
“Ah…” Mei Qing indeed recalled feeling something different at the time. However, his attention had been primarily focused on other matters, so he hadn’t paid much heed.
It was rare for someone like Mei Qing to cultivate in such a manner. In cultivation, the most crucial aspect is single-minded focus; it’s impossible to split one’s attention. Yet, strangely, Mei Qing’s body seemed to cultivate on its own. Once he entered that state, he could remain indifferent and still progress. This led to the absurd situation where he had already condensed his elixir without even realizing it.
Taking this step was no small feat. Since ancient times, only those who had formed their elixir could be called true cultivators, having truly entered the threshold of cultivation. For most practitioners, even the most diligent, it would take twenty to thirty years to progress from foundation building to elixir formation. Those who could pass this gate before fifty were considered fortunate. Many, however, would never cross it, lingering outside for their entire lives, which was not uncommon.
What Mei Qing didn’t know was that he had shattered records in an astonishing manner. Back in the day, Plum Blossom Daoist Fan Wentai, hailed as a once-in-a-millennium genius, took ten years to form his elixir from foundation building, which was already considered remarkable. For someone like Mei Qing to form his elixir in just a few months was nothing short of monstrous.
Even Bi Zhen, who had been cultivating since childhood and was different from ordinary people, took fifteen years to form her elixir, which was already a rare talent.
However, in Bi Zhen’s estimation, Mei Qing must have had some extraordinary encounter in his youth. His seemingly dull and unremarkable years were likely a result of someone secretly cleansing his meridians and refining his essence. Otherwise, there was no way he could have progressed so rapidly upon entering the path of cultivation. However, since Mei Qing couldn’t remember much from those years, it was hard to say for sure.
Mei Qing himself wasn’t too concerned about these details. Upon hearing Bi Zhen’s words, he immediately turned his attention inward and noticed that, just as the elixir scriptures described, within the cauldron of his body, a faint, round, and luminous light shimmered like a pearl on a crystal plate. His elixir had indeed begun to form.
“No wonder I feel so refreshed and energetic today. So, I’ve already condensed my elixir. Though I’m not entirely clear on the nuances. Perhaps we could cultivate together again tonight?” Mei Qing said with a cheerful grin.
Bi Zhen lowered her head, slightly embarrassed. “Exactly. After today’s matters are settled, we’ll need to spend more time together. After dual cultivation and elixir condensation, nurturing and solidifying the cauldron has additional benefits compared to solitary cultivation. I’ll explain more tonight.”
…If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have said anything. It would have been better to let the beautiful Bi Zhen beg me to cultivate—thought Mei Qing, his mind filled with fanciful imaginings.
“Also, I’ve burned the annotations you made. Since we both remember them, we’ll tidy up the original manuscript and submit it. That will be the end of it. Let’s not let a third person know about these matters,” Bi Zhen instructed Mei Qing as they were about to disembark.
Mei Qing nodded in agreement. As for the strange hand that had tried to seize the Daoist scriptures that day, Bi Zhen hadn’t mentioned it afterward, and Mei Qing hadn’t asked. But Bi Zhen had a vague sense that Bi Zhen had some idea, likely involving far-reaching implications.
On the way, the carriage stopped once at the gate of the Southern Garden Palace. Bi Zhen didn’t disembark, but the coachman had a brief exchange with someone before they continued on their way. Mei Qing couldn’t help but marvel at how deeply Bi Zhen was favored by the current emperor, to be able to enter the royal palace so freely.
After turning a couple of corners, the carriage slowly came to a halt, and the two of them got out. Looking up, they found themselves at the entrance of a small garden.
Though the garden was not large, it was exquisitely designed. A rockery at the entrance obscured a winding path. Inside the palace walls, weeping willows swayed gently, reflecting off a pool of clear water outside the wall, creating a serene atmosphere.
“Princess Bi, my, what brings you here today?” A high-pitched voice rang out, and Mei Qing noticed an old eunuch with a beaming smile hurrying over.
“Isn’t this Eunuch Zheng? How have you been? Is His Majesty inside? And where is Minister Lu?” Bi Zhen asked with a smile.
“Oh, how kind of you to ask. This old servant has been well, thanks to your blessings. His Majesty is currently cultivating the golden elixir and should be done soon. Minister Lu was accompanying him, but he seemed to have some urgent matter and rushed back. Does Princess Bi wish to see Minister Lu today?” Perhaps aware of the discord between Bi Zhen and her father, Eunuch Zheng showed a hint of surprise when mentioning Lu Bing.
“No, no, I’m here to see His Majesty,” Bi Zhen said, secretly giving Mei Qing a triumphant smile upon hearing that Lu Bing wasn’t there. She then turned back to Eunuch Zheng. “Since His Majesty will be done soon, we’ll go in and wait.”
Eunuch Zheng looked slightly troubled. “Princess Bi, of course, you may enter, but as for this gentleman…” He glanced at Mei Qing.
“Oh, him? His Majesty wants to see him too. I brought him specifically to meet His Majesty today. Don’t worry,” Bi Zhen said, pulling Mei Qing along as she stepped inside.
Eunuch Zheng made a slight movement but ultimately didn’t stop them. Bi Zhen was highly favored by the emperor, and since she had said that the emperor wanted to see Mei Qing, it wasn’t his place to interfere.
As Bi Zhen and Mei Qing entered the garden, they couldn’t help but feel a sense of triumph. Just as they were about to achieve their goal, a voice suddenly called out, “Ah Bi, what brings you here?”
They turned around to see two men approaching. The first was a middle-aged man in his forties, dressed in a pristine blue Daoist robe. His face was slightly gaunt, as if he were frail, but his demeanor was as lofty as a crane, exuding an otherworldly aura. Behind him was a burly man with a beard as wild as spears and halberds, wearing a brown short robe that revealed his bronze muscles, which gleamed like polished copper.
“Oh no, I thought we had him fooled. How did he get back so quickly!” Bi Zhen’s face paled as she grabbed Mei Qing and hurried inside, loudly declaring, “His Majesty wants to see me, so I came.”
The man in the Daoist robe was none other than Lu Bing? Mei Qing’s heart tightened, not understanding why Lu Bing had returned despite Bi Zhen’s efforts to divert him. He was also slightly puzzled—as the commander of the Imperial Guards, why was Lu Bing dressed in a Daoist robe?
Just as they were about to rush in, Lu Bing suddenly appeared before them, coldly saying, “Since when did His Majesty want to see you? Mei Qing? Why is he here… Hmm? Ah Bi… you’ve already… is it because of this boy?!” With a quick glance at the two of them, he immediately noticed Bi Zhen’s condition, and his previously calm eyes suddenly flashed with a chilling light.
“None of your business!” Bi Zhen gritted her teeth and threw the bracelet on her wrist into the air. “Chaos without limits, sever the five elements, seal!” With this command, Bi Zhen herself suddenly became ethereal, like a mist, and drifted past the middle-aged man.
Lu Bing, instead of being angered, laughed. “You dare use such tricks on me? Borrowing the power of heaven and earth, break!” Without moving, he simply drew a simple talisman in the air with two fingers of his right hand and pointed forward.
The bracelet Bi Zhen had thrown somehow appeared in his hand. With his left hand, he made a grasping motion toward the bracelet, and Bi Zhen’s faint figure suddenly fell into his left hand.
“What are you doing? Let go…” Bi Zhen cried out in alarm, but her body went limp and she fell silent, held gently by Lu Bing.
“Bi Zhen!” Mei Qing, shocked and not knowing what had happened to Bi Zhen, stepped forward and reached out to snatch her back.
“Don’t move, boy!” A voice as deep as bronze rang out, and Mei Qing felt a tremendous force press down on his shoulder, making his entire body creak and rendering him immobile.
Looking back, he saw the burly man had somehow appeared behind him, his hand pressing down on Mei Qing’s shoulder. Seeing Mei Qing turn, the man grinned, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth.
Mei Qing tried to resist, but the pressure only increased, almost crushing him into the ground. Realizing the danger, Mei Qing quickly communicated with the token on his chest, silently reciting the earth escape mantra: “Metal, wood, water, fire, earth spirit leads the way, escape!”
With a sudden movement, the man’s mountain-like pressure vanished, and Mei Qing felt as if he could move freely through the earth’s energy. With a thought, he rushed toward Lu Bing’s feet, reaching out to grab Bi Zhen from his hand.
The burly man let out a sound of surprise but didn’t stop. He changed his palm into a fist and roared, “Heh!” as he struck the ground.
Mei Qing felt his entire body tighten, as if bound by something, and he could no longer move. Suddenly, he fell to the ground, and a tremendous force invaded his body, shutting down all his senses, and he knew no more.
No matter how things unfolded at the time, when it came to settling accounts afterward, the man was always at fault.
Therefore, as soon as the topic was brought up, Mei Qing immediately knew better than to argue further. Instead, he showed concern by asking Bi Zhen how the matter of her emotional tribulation should be resolved.
“Emotional tribulation?” Bi Zhen replied with a half-smile. “What emotional tribulation? Since we’ve reached this point, the tribulation has naturally dissipated.”
“Ah?” Mei Qing found this utterly baffling. “Are you saying that after we… had that intimate moment, the tribulation just passed? If I had known that earlier…”
“Stop it! What kind of dirty talk is that?” Bi Zhen blushed deeply. “It’s not as simple as you think. Tribulations are not so easily overcome. Don’t forget, just the other night, we both narrowly escaped with our lives. If such a tribulation couldn’t be overcome, then no one in the world could ever pass through one!”
Only then did Mei Qing understand why Bi Zhen had emphasized that the key to overcoming a tribulation lay in the word “genuine.” As the saying goes, without enduring the storm, one cannot see the rainbow. Reflecting on this, although the previous night had been arduous, the rewards had been equally substantial.
“So, you should be ready to condense your inner elixir soon, right? Since the tribulation is over,” Mei Qing asked.
Bi Zhen nodded. “Exactly. Having passed this tribulation and gained some benefits from our… dual cultivation the other night, the signs of my elixir condensing are already becoming apparent. Haven’t you noticed anything?”
“Me?” Mei Qing was surprised. “What should I have noticed?”
“Silly, you’ve memorized so much, how could you forget now? We were dual cultivating. In fact, during the process the other night, the initial signs of elixir condensation had already appeared, though it wasn’t fully solidified yet,” Bi Zhen said with a hint of amusement.
“Ah…” Mei Qing indeed recalled feeling something different at the time. However, his attention had been primarily focused on other matters, so he hadn’t paid much heed.
It’s rare to find someone like Mei Qing in the world of cultivation. The most crucial aspect of cultivation is maintaining a pure and focused mind; it’s impossible to split one’s attention. Yet, strangely, Mei Qing’s body seemed to cultivate on its own. Once he entered that state, he could remain indifferent and still progress. This led to the absurd situation where he had already condensed his elixir without even realizing it.
Taking this step was no small feat. Since ancient times, only those who had successfully condensed their elixir could be called “true cultivators,” truly stepping into the realm of spiritual practice. For most practitioners, even with diligent study and effort, it would take twenty to thirty years to progress from the foundation stage to elixir condensation. Those who managed to cross this threshold before the age of fifty were considered fortunate. Many, however, would never achieve it, forever lingering outside the door.
What Mei Qing didn’t know was that he had shattered all records in an astonishing manner. Back in the day, the renowned Plum Blossom Daoist, Fan Wentai, was hailed as a once-in-a-millennium genius for condensing his elixir within ten years of laying his foundation. For Mei Qing to achieve this in just a few months was nothing short of monstrous.
Even Bi Zhen, who had been cultivating since childhood and was considered a prodigy, took fifteen years to condense her elixir.
In Bi Zhen’s mind, she suspected that Mei Qing must have had some extraordinary encounter in his youth. Those seemingly dull and uneventful years of his life might have been secretly spent undergoing profound transformations, such as having his meridians cleansed and unblocked by someone. Otherwise, it would be impossible for him to progress so rapidly upon entering the path of cultivation. However, since Mei Qing couldn’t clearly remember those years, it was hard to say for sure.
Mei Qing himself didn’t dwell much on these matters. Upon hearing Bi Zhen’s words, he immediately turned his attention inward and noticed that, just as the elixir scriptures described, within his inner cauldron, a faint, luminous orb had formed, resembling a pearl on a crystal plate. His elixir had indeed begun to take shape.
“No wonder I feel so refreshed and invigorated today. So, I’ve already condensed my elixir. Although I’m not entirely clear on the nuances, perhaps we could delve deeper into it tonight?” Mei Qing said with a cheerful smile.
Bi Zhen lowered her head, slightly embarrassed. “That’s right. After we settle today’s matters, we’ll need to spend more time together. After dual cultivation and elixir condensation, nurturing and solidifying the cauldron offers additional benefits compared to solitary cultivation. We’ll discuss it further tonight.”
…If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have said anything. It would have been better to let the beautiful Bi Zhen beg me to cultivate together—such were the whimsical thoughts running through someone’s mind.
“Also, I’ve burned all the annotations you made. Since we both remember them, we’ll compile the original manuscript and submit it. That will be the end of it. Let’s make sure no one else knows about these matters,” Bi Zhen instructed Mei Qing as they were about to disembark.
Mei Qing nodded in agreement. As for the mysterious hand that had tried to steal the Daoist scriptures that day, Bi Zhen hadn’t mentioned who was behind it, and Mei Qing hadn’t asked. But Bi Zhen seemed to have an inkling, suggesting that the matter was likely far-reaching in its implications.
On the way, the carriage stopped once at the entrance of the Southern Palace. Bi Zhen didn’t alight; instead, the coachman handled the interaction before they continued on their way. Mei Qing couldn’t help but marvel at how deeply favored Bi Zhen was by the Emperor, given that she could enter the royal palace so freely.
After turning a couple of corners, the carriage slowly came to a halt. The two of them stepped out and found themselves in front of a small, exquisitely designed garden. A rockery stood at the entrance, partially obscuring a winding path. Inside the palace walls, weeping willows swayed gently, their reflection dancing on the surface of a nearby pond, creating a serene atmosphere.
“Princess Bi, my, what brings you here today?” A high-pitched voice rang out, and Mei Qing noticed an elderly eunuch with a wide smile hurrying toward them.
“It’s Eunuch Zheng. How have you been? Is His Majesty inside? And where is Minister Lu?” Bi Zhen asked with a smile.
“Oh, how kind of you to ask. This old servant has been well, thanks to your blessings. His Majesty is currently refining his golden elixir and should be done soon. Minister Lu was accompanying him, but he had to leave in a hurry due to some urgent matter. Were you looking for Minister Lu today?” Perhaps aware of the strained relationship between Bi Zhen and her father, Eunuch Zheng’s expression showed a hint of surprise when mentioning Lu Bing.
“No, no, I’m here to see His Majesty,” Bi Zhen replied. Upon hearing that Lu Bing wasn’t present, she subtly flashed Mei Qing a triumphant smile before turning back to Eunuch Zheng. “Since His Majesty will be done soon, we’ll go in and wait.”
Eunuch Zheng’s face showed a trace of hesitation. “Princess Bi, of course, you may enter, but as for this gentleman…” He glanced at Mei Qing.
“Him? His Majesty wants to see him too. I brought him here specifically for that purpose. Don’t worry,” Bi Zhen said, pulling Mei Qing along as she stepped inside.
Eunuch Zheng’s hand twitched, but he ultimately didn’t stop them. Given Bi Zhen’s high favor with the Emperor, and since she had stated that the Emperor wanted to see Mei Qing, it wasn’t his place to interfere.
As Bi Zhen and Mei Qing entered the garden, they couldn’t help but feel a sense of triumph. Just as they were on the verge of success, a voice suddenly called out, “Bi, what brings you here?”
They turned around to see two men approaching. The first was a middle-aged man in his forties, dressed in a pristine blue Daoist robe. His slightly gaunt appearance gave him a frail look, but his demeanor was as noble as a crane, exuding an otherworldly aura. Behind him stood a burly man with a wild beard and a robust build, his exposed muscles gleaming like polished bronze.
“Oh no, wasn’t he supposed to be kept away? How did he return so quickly!” Bi Zhen’s face paled. She grabbed Mei Qing’s hand and hurried inside, loudly declaring, “His Majesty summoned me, so I came.”
The man in the Daoist robe was none other than Lu Bing? Mei Qing’s heart tightened. He didn’t understand why Bi Zhen had arranged for Lu Bing to be diverted, only for him to return so swiftly. He was also puzzled by the fact that Lu Bing, the commander of the Imperial Guards, was dressed in a Daoist robe.
Just as they were about to rush in, Lu Bing suddenly appeared before them, his voice cold. “Since when did His Majesty summon you? Mei Qing? Why is he here… Hmm? Bi… you’ve already… with this boy?!” His eyes, usually calm, suddenly flashed with a menacing light.
“None of your business!” Bi Zhen gritted her teeth and threw the bracelet from her wrist into the air. “Chaos of the Primordial, Sever the Five Elements, Seal!” As she chanted, her form became ethereal, like a wisp of mist, as she swiftly moved past the middle-aged man.
Lu Bing, instead of being angered, laughed. “You dare use such tricks on me? By the Power of Heaven and Earth, Break!” Without moving, he simply drew a simple symbol in the air with two fingers and pointed forward.
The bracelet Bi Zhen had thrown somehow ended up in his hand. With a casual gesture, he reached into the bracelet, and Bi Zhen’s form, which had been fading, suddenly solidified in his grasp.
“What are you doing? Let go…” Bi Zhen’s cry was cut short as her body went limp, and she fell silent in Lu Bing’s arms.
“Bi Zhen!” Mei Qing’s heart raced with fear, unsure of what had happened to her. He stepped forward, reaching out to snatch her back.
“Don’t move, boy!” A voice like booming bronze rang out, and Mei Qing felt an immense pressure on his shoulder, as if a mountain were pressing down on him, rendering him immobile.
Turning his head, he saw the burly man standing behind him, his hand firmly on Mei Qing’s shoulder. The man grinned, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth.
Mei Qing strained against the pressure, but it only increased, threatening to crush him into the ground. Realizing the danger, he quickly focused his mind and communicated with the token on his chest, silently reciting the earth escape incantation: “Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth Spirit Leads, Escape!”
His body shifted, and the man’s crushing grip suddenly found nothing but air. Mei Qing felt as if he could move freely through the earth’s energy, reaching anywhere he desired. With a thought, he surged toward Lu Bing’s feet, reaching out to grab Bi Zhen.
The burly man grunted in surprise but didn’t stop. He transformed his palm into a fist and roared, “Hah!” as he struck the ground.
Mei Qing felt his entire body constrict, as if bound by invisible chains, and he collapsed to the ground. A tremendous force invaded his body, sealing his senses, and he knew no more.
Regardless of how things unfolded at the time, when it came to settling accounts afterward, it was always the man who was at fault.
Thus, as soon as the topic was brought up, Mei Qing immediately knew better than to argue further. Instead, he turned his concern to Bi Zhen, asking how the matter of her “emotional tribulation” had been resolved.
“Emotional tribulation?” Bi Zhen replied with a half-smile. “What emotional tribulation? Now that we’re like this, it naturally dissipated.”
“Ah?” Mei Qing found this utterly perplexing. “Are you saying that after we… did that, the tribulation just passed? If I had known earlier…”
“Stop it! What nonsense are you spouting?” Bi Zhen blushed deeply. “It’s not as simple as you think. Tribulations are not so easily overcome. Don’t forget that just the other night, we narrowly escaped with our lives. If we couldn’t get through that, then no one in the world could!”
Only then did Mei Qing understand. No wonder Bi Zhen had said that the key to overcoming the tribulation lay in the word “truth.” As the saying goes, without enduring the storm, one cannot see the rainbow. Reflecting on this, although the previous night had been arduous, the rewards had been equally rich.
“So, you should be ready to form your core soon, right? Since the tribulation is over,” Mei Qing asked.
Bi Zhen nodded. “Exactly. Having passed this tribulation and gained some benefits from our… dual cultivation the other night, my core has already begun to solidify. Can’t you feel it?”
“Me?” Mei Qing was surprised. “What should I be feeling?”
“Silly, you’ve memorized so much, how could you forget now? We were dual cultivating. In fact, during the other night’s session, the core had already begun to form, though it wasn’t fully solidified yet,” Bi Zhen said with a hint of amusement.
“Ah…” Mei Qing finally recalled that he had indeed felt something different at the time. However, his attention had been… somewhat preoccupied with other matters, so he hadn’t paid much attention.
To say that there are cultivators like Mei Qing in the world is to say that they are virtually nonexistent. In cultivation, the most crucial aspect is single-minded focus; it’s impossible to split one’s attention. Yet, strangely, Mei Qing’s body seemed to cultivate on its own. Once he entered that state, he could leave it unattended without issue. Thus, it was only now that he realized he had already formed his core, a fact that he himself had been unaware of.
This step was not an easy one. Since ancient times, only those who had formed their core could be called “true cultivators,” having truly stepped into the threshold of cultivation. For most practitioners, even with diligent study, it would take twenty to thirty years to progress from foundation building to core formation. Those who managed to cross this threshold before the age of fifty were considered fortunate. Many, however, would never achieve it, forever lingering outside the door.
In fact, Mei Qing was unaware that he had shattered records in a truly astonishing manner. Back in the day, the Plum Blossom Daoist, Fan Wentai, hailed as a once-in-a-millennium genius, had taken ten years to form his core, a feat that had left people in awe. For Mei Qing to achieve it in just a few months was nothing short of monstrous.
Even Bi Zhen, who had been cultivating since childhood and was no ordinary talent, had taken fifteen years to form her core, a rare achievement in itself.
However, in Bi Zhen’s mind, she suspected that Mei Qing must have had some extraordinary encounter in his youth. His seemingly aimless years might have been a period when someone secretly refined his meridians and cleansed his marrow, which would explain his rapid progress upon entering the path of cultivation. But since Mei Qing couldn’t remember much from those years, it was hard to say for sure.
Mei Qing himself wasn’t too concerned about these details. Upon hearing Bi Zhen’s words, he immediately turned his attention inward and noticed that, just as the scriptures described, within his dantian, a faint, round, and luminous light had appeared, resembling a pearl on a crystal plate. His core had indeed begun to form.
“No wonder I feel so refreshed and full of energy today. So, I’ve already formed my core. Though I’m not entirely clear on the nuances. Perhaps we could delve deeper into it tonight?” Mei Qing said with a cheerful smile.
Bi Zhen lowered her head, slightly embarrassed. “Exactly. After we settle today’s matters, we’ll need to spend more time together. After dual cultivation and core formation, nurturing and solidifying the core has additional benefits compared to solitary cultivation. We’ll discuss it more tonight.”
…If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have said anything. It would have been better to let the beautiful Bi Zhen beg me to cultivate—thought the man, his mind filled with fanciful imaginings.
“Also, I’ve burned all the notes you annotated. Since we both remember them, we’ll just organize the original manuscript and submit it. That will be the end of it. Let’s not let a third person know about this,” Bi Zhen instructed Mei Qing as they were about to disembark.
Mei Qing nodded in agreement. As for who had sent the strange hand to snatch the Daoist scriptures that day, Bi Zhen hadn’t mentioned it afterward, and Mei Qing hadn’t asked. But Bi Zhen seemed to have some idea, likely involving significant connections.
On the way, the carriage stopped once at the gate of the Southern Garden Palace. Bi Zhen didn’t get out, but the coachman had a brief exchange with someone before they continued on their way. Mei Qing couldn’t help but marvel at how favored Bi Zhen was by the current emperor, to be able to enter the royal palace so freely.
After turning a couple of corners, the carriage slowly came to a halt, and the two of them got out. They found themselves standing before the entrance to a small garden.
Though the garden was not large, it was exquisitely designed. A rockery stood at the entrance, partially obscuring a winding path. Inside the palace walls, weeping willows swayed gently, their reflection dancing on the surface of a nearby pond, creating a serene atmosphere.
“Princess Bi, oh my, what brings you here today?” a high-pitched voice called out. Mei Qing noticed an elderly eunuch hurrying toward them, his face beaming with a smile.
“Ah, it’s Eunuch Zheng. How have you been? Is His Majesty inside? And where is Minister Lu?” Bi Zhen asked with a smile.
“Oh, you flatter me. Thanks to your blessings, this old servant has been well. His Majesty is currently cultivating his golden core and should be done soon. Minister Lu was accompanying him, but he seemed to have some urgent matter and had to leave in a hurry. Are you here to see Minister Lu today, Princess Bi?” Perhaps aware of the strained relationship between Bi Zhen and her father, Eunuch Zheng looked slightly puzzled when mentioning Lu Bing.
“No, no, I’m here to see His Majesty,” Bi Zhen replied. Hearing that Lu Bing wasn’t there, she flashed Mei Qing a triumphant smile before turning back to Eunuch Zheng. “Since His Majesty will be done soon, we’ll go in and wait.”
Eunuch Zheng’s face showed a hint of hesitation. “Princess Bi, of course, you may enter. But as for this gentleman…” He glanced at Mei Qing.
“Oh, him? His Majesty wants to see him too. I brought him here specifically for that. Don’t worry,” Bi Zhen said, pulling Mei Qing along as she stepped inside.
Eunuch Zheng’s hand twitched, but he ultimately didn’t stop them. Bi Zhen was highly favored by the emperor, and since she had said that the emperor wanted to see Mei Qing, it wasn’t his place to interfere.
As Bi Zhen and Mei Qing entered the garden, they couldn’t help but feel a sense of triumph. Just as they were about to achieve their goal, a voice suddenly called out, “Ah Bi, what brings you here?”
They turned around to see two men approaching. The first was a middle-aged man in his forties, dressed in a pristine blue Daoist robe. Though he appeared somewhat thin and frail, his demeanor was as lofty as a crane, exuding an otherworldly aura. Behind him was a burly man with a wild beard and a short brown robe, his bronze muscles gleaming with a deep, metallic sheen.
“Oh no, I thought we had him distracted. How did he return so quickly?” Bi Zhen’s face paled. She grabbed Mei Qing’s hand and hurried inside, loudly declaring, “His Majesty wanted to see me, so I came.”
The man in the Daoist robe was none other than Lu Bing? Mei Qing’s heart tightened. He didn’t understand why Bi Zhen had arranged for Lu Bing to be called away, only for him to return so soon. He was also slightly puzzled—why was Lu Bing, the commander of the Imperial Guards, dressed in a Daoist robe?
Just as they were about to rush in, Lu Bing suddenly appeared before them, his voice cold. “Since when did His Majesty want to see you? Mei Qing? Why is he here… Hmm? Ah Bi… you’ve already… is it because of this boy?” His eyes, usually calm, suddenly flashed with a menacing light.
“None of your business!” Bi Zhen gritted her teeth and threw the bracelet from her wrist into the air. “Chaos without limits, sever the five elements, seal!” As she shouted, her own form became ethereal, like a mist that swirled around the middle-aged man and drifted away.
Lu Bing, instead of being angry, laughed. “You dare use this trick on me? By the power of heaven and earth, break!” He didn’t move, but with two fingers of his right hand, he drew a simple symbol in the air and pointed forward.
The bracelet Bi Zhen had thrown suddenly appeared in his hand. With his left hand, he made a grasping motion toward the bracelet, and Bi Zhen’s form, which had been ethereal, suddenly solidified in his grasp.
“What are you doing? Let go…” Bi Zhen cried out, but her body went limp, and she fell silent in Lu Bing’s hand.
“Bi Zhen!” Mei Qing, seeing this, was filled with panic. He didn’t know what had happened to Bi Zhen, but he stepped forward, reaching out to snatch her back.
“Don’t move, boy!” A voice like a bronze bell rang out, and Mei Qing felt a tremendous weight on his shoulder, as if a mountain were pressing down on him. He couldn’t move an inch.
Looking back, he saw the burly man had somehow appeared behind him, his hand pressing down on Mei Qing’s shoulder. The man grinned, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth.
Mei Qing struggled to stand, but the pressure only increased, almost crushing him into the ground. Suddenly, he had an idea. He focused his mind on the token at his chest and silently recited the earth escape mantra: “Metal, wood, water, fire, earth spirit leads the way, escape!”
His body shifted, and the burly man’s hand, which had been pressing down like a mountain, suddenly found nothing to grasp. Mei Qing felt as if he could move freely through the earth, reaching anywhere he desired. With a thought, he rushed toward Lu Bing’s feet, reaching out to snatch Bi Zhen from his grasp.
The burly man grunted in surprise but didn’t stop. He changed his palm into a fist and roared, “Hey!” as he struck the ground.
Mei Qing felt his entire body tighten, as if bound by something, and he could no longer move. He suddenly fell to the ground, and a tremendous force invaded his body, sealing his five senses. He knew nothing more.
Regardless of how the events unfolded at the time, when it came to settling accounts afterward, the man was always at fault.
Therefore, as soon as the topic was brought up, Mei Qing immediately knew better than to argue further and instead inquired with concern about how Bi Zhen’s emotional tribulation should be resolved.
“Emotional tribulation?” Bi Zhen replied with a half-smile, “What emotional tribulation? Since we’ve come this far, it naturally dissipates.”
“Ah?” Mei Qing found it utterly perplexing, “Are you saying that after we… well, you know, the tribulation just passed? If I had known earlier…”
“Stop it, what nonsense are you spouting!” Bi Zhen blushed deeply, “It’s not as simple as you think. Tribulations are not so easily overcome. Don’t forget that just the other night, we narrowly escaped with our lives. If such a tribulation couldn’t be overcome, then no one in the world could ever pass one!”
Only then did Mei Qing understand why Bi Zhen had emphasized that the key to overcoming the tribulation lay in the word “truth.” As the saying goes, without enduring the storm, one cannot see the rainbow. Reflecting on this, although the previous night had been arduous, the rewards were equally substantial.
“So, you should be ready to condense your elixir soon, right? Since the tribulation is over,” Mei Qing asked.
Bi Zhen nodded, “Exactly. Having passed this tribulation and gained some benefits from our… dual cultivation the other night, the signs of elixir condensation are already becoming apparent. Haven’t you noticed anything?”
“Me?” Mei Qing was surprised, “What should I have noticed?”
“Silly, you’ve memorized so much, how could you forget now? We were dual cultivating. In fact, during the night… the initial signs of elixir condensation had already appeared, though it wasn’t fully solidified yet,” Bi Zhen said with a hint of amusement.
“Ah…” Mei Qing indeed recalled feeling something different at the time. However, his attention had been primarily focused on other matters, so he hadn’t paid much heed.
It’s rare to find someone like Mei Qing in the world of cultivation. The most crucial aspect of cultivation is single-minded focus; it’s impossible to split one’s attention. Yet, strangely, Mei Qing’s body seemed to cultivate on its own. Once he entered that state, he could remain oblivious and still progress. This led to the amusing situation where he had already condensed his elixir without even realizing it.
Taking this step was no small feat. Since ancient times, only those who had formed their elixir could be called true cultivators, having truly entered the threshold of cultivation. For most practitioners, even with diligent study, it would take twenty to thirty years to progress from foundation-building to elixir condensation. Those who managed to cross this barrier before the age of fifty were considered fortunate. Many, however, remained outside this gate their entire lives, which was not uncommon.
What Mei Qing didn’t know was that he had shattered records in an astonishing manner. In the past, the Plum Blossom Daoist, Fan Wentai, hailed as a once-in-a-millennium genius, took ten years to form his elixir after building his foundation, a feat that left people in awe. For someone like Mei Qing to achieve elixir condensation in just a few months was nothing short of monstrous.
Even Bi Zhen, who had been cultivating since childhood and was considered a prodigy, took fifteen years to form her elixir.
In Bi Zhen’s mind, she suspected that Mei Qing must have had some extraordinary encounter in his youth. His seemingly dull and unremarkable years were likely the result of someone secretly refining his meridians and cleansing his essence. Otherwise, there was no way he could have progressed so rapidly upon entering the path of cultivation. However, since Mei Qing couldn’t recall much from those years, it was hard to say for sure.
Mei Qing himself wasn’t too concerned about these details. Upon hearing Bi Zhen’s words, he immediately turned his attention inward and noticed that, just as the elixir scriptures described, within his cauldron, a faint, round, and luminous light shimmered like a pearl on a crystal plate. His elixir had indeed begun to form.
“No wonder I feel so refreshed and invigorated today. So, I’ve already condensed my elixir. Though I’m not entirely clear on the nuances. Perhaps we could delve deeper into it tonight?” Mei Qing said with a cheerful smile.
Bi Zhen lowered her head, slightly embarrassed, “Exactly. After today’s matters are settled, we’ll need to spend more time together. After dual cultivation and elixir condensation, nurturing and solidifying the cauldron offers additional benefits compared to solitary cultivation. I’ll explain more to you tonight.”
…If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have said anything. It would have been better to let the beautiful Bi Zhen beg me to cultivate—thought the man filled with fanciful ideas.
“Also, I’ve burned the annotations you made. Since we both remember them, we’ll compile the original manuscript and submit it. That will be the end of it. Let’s make sure no one else knows about this,” Bi Zhen instructed Mei Qing as they were about to disembark.
Mei Qing nodded in agreement. As for the strange hand that had tried to steal the Daoist scriptures that day, Bi Zhen hadn’t mentioned it afterward, and Mei Qing hadn’t asked. But Bi Zhen had a vague sense that the matter likely involved far-reaching implications.
Along the way, the carriage stopped once at the entrance of the Southern Palace. Bi Zhen didn’t get out, but the coachman had a brief exchange with someone before they continued on their way. Mei Qing couldn’t help but marvel at how deeply favored Bi Zhen was by the Emperor, to be able to enter the royal palace so freely.
After turning a couple of corners, the carriage slowly came to a halt, and the two of them got out. Looking up, they found themselves at the entrance of a small garden.
Though the garden was not large, it was exquisitely designed. A rockery stood at the entrance, partially obscuring a winding path. Within the palace walls, willow branches swayed gently, reflecting off a pool of clear water outside, creating a serene and tranquil atmosphere.
“Princess Bi, oh my, what brings you here today?” A high-pitched voice rang out, and Mei Qing noticed an elderly eunuch with a beaming smile hurrying over.
“Isn’t this Eunuch Zheng? How have you been? Is His Majesty inside? And Minister Lu?” Bi Zhen asked with a smile.
“Oh, how could I possibly deserve your concern? Thanks to your blessings, this old servant has been doing quite well. His Majesty is currently cultivating his golden elixir, and he should be done soon. Minister Lu was accompanying him, but he seemed to have some urgent matter and had to rush back. Are you here to see Minister Lu today, Princess Bi?” Perhaps aware of the strained relationship between Bi Zhen and her father, Eunuch Zheng looked slightly puzzled when mentioning Lu Bing.
“No, no, I’m here to see His Majesty,” Bi Zhen replied. Hearing that Lu Bing wasn’t there, she secretly flashed Mei Qing a triumphant smile before turning back to Eunuch Zheng, “Since His Majesty will be done soon, we’ll go in and wait.”
Eunuch Zheng looked somewhat hesitant, “Princess Bi, you may enter, of course, but I’m not sure about this gentleman…” He glanced at Mei Qing.
“Him? His Majesty wants to see him too. I brought him here specifically to meet His Majesty. Don’t worry,” Bi Zhen said, pulling Mei Qing along as she stepped inside.
Eunuch Zheng’s hand twitched, but he ultimately didn’t stop them. Bi Zhen was highly favored by the Emperor, and since she had said that His Majesty wanted to see Mei Qing, it wasn’t his place to interfere.
As Bi Zhen and Mei Qing entered the garden, they couldn’t help but feel a sense of triumph. Just as they were about to achieve their goal, a voice suddenly called out, “Bi, what are you doing here?”
They turned around to see two men approaching. The first was a middle-aged man in his forties, dressed in a pristine blue Daoist robe. His face was slightly gaunt, as if he were frail, but his demeanor was as lofty as a crane, exuding an otherworldly aura. Behind him was a burly man with a beard as wild as a hedgehog’s spines, wearing a brown short robe that revealed his bronze muscles, which gleamed like polished copper.
“Oh no, I thought we had him distracted. How did he get back so quickly!” Bi Zhen’s face turned pale. She grabbed Mei Qing’s hand and hurried inside, loudly declaring, “His Majesty wants to see me, so I came.”
The man in the Daoist robe was none other than Lu Bing? Mei Qing’s heart tightened. He didn’t understand why Bi Zhen had tried to divert Lu Bing, only for him to return so quickly. He was also slightly puzzled—Lu Bing was the commander of the Imperial Guards, so why was he dressed in a Daoist robe?
Just as they were about to rush in, Lu Bing suddenly appeared before them, coldly stating, “Since when did His Majesty want to see you? Mei Qing? Why is he here… Hmm? Bi… you’ve already… with this boy!?” After a quick glance at the two, he noticed something about Bi Zhen, and his previously calm eyes suddenly flashed with a menacing light.
“None of your business!” Bi Zhen gritted her teeth and threw the bracelet on her wrist into the air, “Chaos and infinity, sever the five elements, seal!” With this incantation, Bi Zhen herself suddenly became ethereal, like a mist, and drifted past the middle-aged man.
Lu Bing, instead of being angry, laughed, “You dare use this trick on me? Borrowing the power of heaven and earth, break!” Without moving, he simply drew a simple talisman in the air with two fingers and pointed forward.
The bracelet Bi Zhen had thrown somehow ended up in his hand. With a flick of his left hand, he grasped at the air, and Bi Zhen’s barely visible form suddenly materialized in his grasp.
“What are you doing? Let go…” Bi Zhen cried out in shock, but her body went limp and she fell silent in Lu Bing’s hand.
“Bi Zhen!” Mei Qing, seeing this, was filled with panic. He stepped forward, reaching out to snatch Bi Zhen back.
“Don’t move, boy!” A voice as deep as a bronze bell rang out, and Mei Qing felt a tremendous weight on his shoulder, as if a mountain were pressing down on him, making it impossible to move.
Looking back, he saw the burly man had somehow appeared behind him, his hand pressing down on Mei Qing’s shoulder. The man grinned, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth.
Mei Qing tried to resist, but the pressure only increased, almost crushing him into the ground. Realizing the danger, he quickly focused his mind on the token at his chest and silently recited the earth escape incantation, “Metal, wood, water, fire, earth spirit leads the way, escape!”
With a sudden shift, the burly man’s mountain-like pressure vanished. Mei Qing felt as if he could move freely through the earth’s energy, reaching anywhere he desired. With a thought, he rushed toward Lu Bing’s feet, reaching out to grab Bi Zhen from his grasp.
The burly man grunted in surprise but didn’t stop. He changed his palm into a fist and roared, “Hah!” as he struck the ground.
Mei Qing felt his entire body tighten, as if bound by something, and he suddenly collapsed to the ground. A powerful force invaded his body, shutting down all his senses, and he knew no more.
In Bi Zhen’s mind, she suspected that Mei Qing must have had some extraordinary encounter in his early years. Those seemingly dull and foolish years might actually have been when someone secretly helped him to cleanse his meridians and open his channels, otherwise there was no way he could have progressed so rapidly after entering the cultivation path. However, Mei Qing couldn’t remember much from those years, so it was hard to say for sure.
Regardless of how things unfolded at the time, when it came to settling accounts afterward, the man was always deemed at fault.
Thus, whenever the topic arose, Mei Qing immediately knew better than to argue and instead inquired with concern about Bi Zhen’s emotional ordeal and how it should be resolved.
“Emotional ordeal?” Bi Zhen said with a half-smile, “What emotional ordeal? Now that we’re like this, the ordeal has naturally dissipated.”
“Ah?” Mei Qing found it utterly baffling, “Are you saying that after we… did that, the ordeal just passed? If I had known earlier…”
“Stop it, what nonsense are you spouting!” Bi Zhen blushed deeply, “It’s not as simple as you think. Ordeals are not so easily overcome. Don’t forget that just the other night, we narrowly escaped with our lives. If such an ordeal couldn’t be overcome, then no ordeal in the world could be!”
Only then did Mei Qing understand why Bi Zhen had said that the key to overcoming the ordeal lay in the word “truth.” As the saying goes, without experiencing storms, one cannot see a rainbow. Reflecting on this, although the previous night had been arduous, the rewards were equally substantial.
“So, you should be close to forming your inner elixir now, right? Since the ordeal has passed,” Mei Qing asked.
Bi Zhen nodded, “Exactly. Having overcome this ordeal and gained some benefits from our… dual cultivation the other night, the signs of my inner elixir have already begun to solidify. Can’t you feel it?”
“Me?” Mei Qing was surprised, “What should I be feeling?”
“Silly, you’ve memorized so much, how can you forget now? We were dual cultivating. In fact, during our dual cultivation the other night, the initial signs of the inner elixir formation had already appeared, though it wasn’t fully solidified yet,” Bi Zhen said with a hint of amusement.
“Ah…” Mei Qing indeed recalled feeling something different at the time. However, his attention had been primarily focused on other matters, so he hadn’t paid much heed.
In the world of cultivation, someone like Mei Qing was truly unique. The most crucial aspect of cultivation is single-minded focus; it’s impossible to split one’s attention. Yet, strangely, Mei Qing’s body seemed to cultivate on its own. Once he entered that state, he could remain oblivious and still progress. This led to the amusing situation where he had already formed his inner elixir without even realizing it.
This step was not easy. Since ancient times, only those who had formed their inner elixir could be called true cultivators, having truly entered the threshold of cultivation. For most practitioners, even with diligent study, it would take twenty to thirty years to progress from foundation building to elixir formation. Being able to cross this threshold before the age of fifty was considered quite good. Many never managed it in their lifetime, remaining outside the door, which was not uncommon.
In fact, Mei Qing was unaware that he had shattered records in an astonishing manner. Back in the day, Plum Blossom Daoist Fan Wentai, hailed as a once-in-a-millennium genius, took ten years to form his inner elixir after building his foundation, which was already considered awe-inspiring. For Mei Qing to achieve this in just a few months could only be described as monstrous.
Even Bi Zhen, who had been cultivating since childhood and was different from ordinary people, took fifteen years to form her inner elixir, which was already a rare feat.
However, in Bi Zhen’s mind, she suspected that Mei Qing must have had some extraordinary encounter in his youth. His seemingly dull and unremarkable years were likely a result of someone secretly cleansing and refining his meridians and marrow. Otherwise, it would be impossible for Mei Qing to progress so rapidly upon entering the path of cultivation. However, Mei Qing couldn’t recall much from those years, so it was hard to say for sure.
Mei Qing himself didn’t pay much attention to these details. Upon hearing Bi Zhen’s words, he quickly turned his attention inward and noticed that, just as the elixir scriptures described, within his cauldron, a faint, round, and luminous light shimmered like a pearl on a crystal plate. His inner elixir had indeed begun to form.
“No wonder I feel so refreshed and energetic today. So, I’ve already formed my inner elixir. Though I’m not entirely clear on the nuances. Perhaps we could delve deeper into it tonight, my dear?” Mei Qing said with a cheerful grin.
Bi Zhen, slightly embarrassed, lowered her head and said, “Exactly. After we settle today’s matters, we’ll need to spend more time together. After dual cultivation and elixir formation, nurturing and solidifying the cauldron has additional benefits compared to solitary cultivation. We’ll discuss it more tonight.”
…If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have said anything. It would have been better to let the beautiful Bi Zhen beg me to cultivate—thought the man, his mind filled with fanciful imaginings.
“Also, I’ve burned all the annotations you made. Since we both remember them, we’ll compile the original manuscript and submit it. Consider it done. Let’s not let a third person know about these matters,” Bi Zhen instructed Mei Qing as they were about to disembark.
Mei Qing nodded in agreement. As for the mysterious hand that had tried to steal the Daoist scriptures, Bi Zhen hadn’t mentioned it afterward, and Mei Qing hadn’t asked. But Bi Zhen had a vague sense that Bi Zhen likely had some idea, and it probably involved significant implications.
On the way, the carriage stopped once at the gate of the Southern Palace. Bi Zhen didn’t get out, but the coachman had a brief exchange with someone before they continued. Mei Qing couldn’t help but marvel at how much Bi Zhen was favored by the current emperor, to be able to enter the royal palace so freely.
After turning a couple of corners, the carriage slowly came to a halt, and the two of them got out. Looking up, they found themselves at the entrance of a small garden.
Though the garden wasn’t large, it was exquisitely designed. A rockery at the entrance obscured a winding path. Inside the palace walls, weeping willows swayed gently, reflecting off a pool of clear water outside the walls, creating a serene atmosphere.
“Princess Bi, oh, what brings you here today?” A sharp voice rang out, and Mei Qing noticed a smiling old eunuch hurrying over.
“Ah, it’s Eunuch Zheng. How have you been? Is His Majesty inside? And where is Minister Lu?” Bi Zhen asked with a smile.
“Oh, how kind of you to ask. This old servant has been well, thanks to your blessings. His Majesty is currently cultivating his golden elixir and should be done soon. Minister Lu was accompanying him, but he seemed to have some urgent matter and had to leave in a hurry. Are you here to see Minister Lu today, Princess Bi?” Perhaps aware of the strained relationship between Bi Zhen and her father, Eunuch Zheng looked slightly puzzled when mentioning Lu Bing.
“No, no, I’m here to see His Majesty,” Bi Zhen said, secretly giving Mei Qing a triumphant smile upon hearing that Lu Bing wasn’t there. She then turned back to Eunuch Zheng, “Since His Majesty will be done soon, we’ll go in and wait.”
Eunuch Zheng looked somewhat hesitant, “Princess Bi, of course, you may enter, but I’m not sure about this gentleman…” He glanced at Mei Qing.
“Him? His Majesty wants to see him too. I brought him specifically to meet His Majesty today. Don’t worry,” Bi Zhen said, pulling Mei Qing along as she stepped inside.
Eunuch Zheng’s hand twitched, but he ultimately didn’t stop them. Bi Zhen was highly favored by the emperor, and since she had said the emperor wanted to see Mei Qing, it wasn’t his place to interfere.
As Bi Zhen and Mei Qing entered the garden, they couldn’t help but feel a sense of triumph. Just as they were about to achieve their goal, a voice suddenly called out, “Ah Bi, what brings you here?”
They turned to see two men approaching. The first was a middle-aged man in his forties, dressed in a pristine green Daoist robe. His face was slightly gaunt, as if he were frail, but his demeanor was as noble as a crane, exuding an otherworldly aura. Behind him was a burly man with a beard as wild as spears, wearing a brown short robe that revealed his bronze, muscle-bound arms, which gleamed like polished copper.
“Oh no, wasn’t he supposed to be delayed? How did he get back so quickly!” Bi Zhen’s face paled as she grabbed Mei Qing and hurried inside, loudly saying, “His Majesty wanted to see me, so I came.”
The man in the Daoist robe was none other than Lu Bing? Mei Qing’s heart tightened, not understanding why Lu Bing had returned despite Bi Zhen’s efforts to divert him. He was also slightly puzzled. As the commander of the Imperial Guards, why was Lu Bing dressed in a Daoist robe?
Just as they were about to rush in, Lu Bing suddenly appeared before them, coldly saying, “When did His Majesty ask to see you? Mei Qing? Why is he here… Hmm? Ah Bi… you’ve already… is it because of this boy?!” As he scrutinized them, he noticed something about Bi Zhen, and his previously calm eyes suddenly flashed with a menacing light.
“None of your business!” Bi Zhen gritted her teeth and threw up the bracelet on her wrist, “Chaos without limits, sever the five elements, seal!” With this command, Bi Zhen herself suddenly became ethereal, like a mist, and drifted past the middle-aged man.
Lu Bing, instead of being angry, laughed, “You dare use such tricks on me? Borrow the power of heaven and earth, break!” Without moving, he simply drew a simple symbol with two fingers of his right hand and pointed forward.
The bracelet Bi Zhen had thrown somehow ended up in his hand. With his left hand, he made a grasping motion toward the bracelet, and Bi Zhen’s ethereal form suddenly solidified in his left hand.
“What are you doing? Let go…” Bi Zhen cried out in shock, but her body went limp and fell silent in Lu Bing’s grasp.
“Bi Zhen!” Mei Qing, seeing this, was filled with panic, not knowing what had happened to Bi Zhen. He stepped forward, reaching out to snatch her back.
“Don’t move, boy!” A voice like booming bronze rang out, and Mei Qing felt a tremendous pressure on his shoulder, as if a mountain were pressing down on him, making it impossible to move.
Looking back, he saw the burly man had somehow appeared behind him, his hand pressing down on Mei Qing’s shoulder. Seeing Mei Qing look back, the man grinned, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth.
Mei Qing struggled to stand, but the pressure only increased, almost crushing him into the ground. Realizing the danger, Mei Qing quickly focused his mind on the token on his chest, silently reciting the earth escape incantation, “Metal, wood, water, fire, earth spirit leads the way, escape!”
With a sudden movement, the burly man’s mountain-like pressure vanished, and Mei Qing felt as if he could move freely through the earth’s energy. With a thought, he rushed toward Lu Bing’s feet, reaching out to grab Bi Zhen from his hand.
The burly man grunted in surprise but didn’t stop. He changed his palm into a fist and roared, “Hey!” as he punched the ground.
Mei Qing felt his entire body tighten, as if bound by something, and he could no longer move. Suddenly, he collapsed to the ground, feeling a tremendous force invade his body, shutting down all his senses, and he knew no more.
Regardless of how the incident unfolded at the time, when it came to settling the score afterward, the man was always at fault.
Therefore, as soon as the topic was brought up, Mei Qing immediately knew better than to argue further. Instead, he concernedly asked Bi Zhen how the matter of her “emotional tribulation” had been resolved.
“Emotional tribulation?” Bi Zhen replied with a half-smile, “What emotional tribulation? Since we’ve reached this point, it naturally dissipated.”
“Ah?” Mei Qing found it utterly baffling. “Are you saying that after we… you know, did that, the tribulation just passed? If I had known earlier…”
“Stop it! What nonsense are you spouting?” Bi Zhen blushed furiously. “It’s not as simple as you think. Tribulations are not so easily overcome. Don’t forget that just the other night, we barely escaped with our lives. If such a tribulation couldn’t be overcome, then no one in the world could ever pass one!”
Only then did Mei Qing understand why Bi Zhen had emphasized that the key to overcoming the tribulation lay in the word “truth.” As the saying goes, without enduring the storm, one cannot see the rainbow. Reflecting on this, although the previous night had been arduous, the rewards were equally substantial.
“So, you should be ready to condense your core now, right? Since the tribulation has passed,” Mei Qing asked.
Bi Zhen nodded. “Exactly. Having overcome this tribulation and gained some benefits from our… dual cultivation the other night, the core imagery within me has already begun to solidify. Haven’t you noticed anything?”
“Me?” Mei Qing was surprised. “What should I be feeling?”
“You fool! You’ve memorized so much, yet you forget it all now? We were dual cultivating. In fact, during the other night’s session, the initial signs of core condensation had already appeared, though it wasn’t fully solidified yet,” Bi Zhen said, somewhat amused.
“Ah…” Mei Qing indeed recalled feeling something different at the time. However, his attention had been focused on other matters, so he hadn’t paid much heed.
It’s rare to find someone like Mei Qing in the world of cultivation. The most crucial aspect of cultivation is maintaining a pure and focused mind; it’s impossible to split one’s attention. Yet, strangely, Mei Qing’s body seemed to cultivate on its own. Once he entered that state, he could remain oblivious and still progress. This led to the absurd situation where he had already condensed his core without even realizing it.
This step was no small feat. Since ancient times, only those who had successfully condensed their core could be called “True Practitioners,” truly stepping into the threshold of cultivation. For most practitioners, even the most diligent, it would take twenty to thirty years to progress from foundation building to core condensation. Those who managed to cross this barrier before the age of fifty were considered fortunate. Many, however, never achieved it in their lifetime, forever lingering outside the gate.
What Mei Qing didn’t know was that he had shattered all known records. Back in the day, the Plum Blossom Daoist, Fan Wentai, hailed as a once-in-a-millennium genius, took ten years to condense his core after building his foundation, which was already considered astonishing. For Mei Qing to achieve it in just a few months was nothing short of monstrous.
Even Bi Zhen, who had been cultivating since childhood and was far from ordinary, took fifteen years to condense her core, making her a rare prodigy.
However, in Bi Zhen’s mind, she suspected that Mei Qing must have had some extraordinary encounter in his youth. His seemingly dull and unremarkable years were likely the result of someone secretly cleansing his meridians and refining his essence, which would explain his rapid progress upon entering the path of cultivation. But since Mei Qing couldn’t clearly remember those years, it was hard to say for sure.
Mei Qing himself wasn’t too concerned about these details. Upon hearing Bi Zhen’s words, he quickly focused inward and noticed that, just as the cultivation scriptures described, within his dantian, a faint, luminous orb had formed, resembling a pearl on a crystal plate. His core had indeed begun to take shape.
“No wonder I feel so refreshed and energetic today. So, I’ve already condensed my core. Though I’m not entirely clear on the specifics. Perhaps we could delve deeper into it tonight?” Mei Qing said with a cheerful grin.
Bi Zhen, slightly embarrassed, lowered her head and replied, “Exactly. After we settle today’s matters, we’ll need to spend more time together. After dual cultivation and core condensation, nurturing and solidifying the core offers additional benefits compared to solitary cultivation. We’ll discuss it more tonight.”
…If I had known it would come to this, I wouldn’t have said anything. Wouldn’t it be better if the beautiful Bi Zhen had to beg me to cultivate with her? — Such were the whimsical thoughts running through a certain someone’s mind.
“Also, I’ve burned all the notes you annotated. Since we both remember them, we’ll just tidy up the original manuscript and submit it. That’ll be the end of it. Let’s not let a third person know about this,” Bi Zhen reminded Mei Qing as they were about to disembark from the carriage.
Mei Qing nodded in agreement. As for the mysterious hand that had tried to steal the Daoist scriptures that day, Bi Zhen hadn’t mentioned it afterward, and Mei Qing hadn’t asked. But Bi Zhen seemed to have some inkling, suggesting that the matter was likely far more complicated than it appeared.
On the way, the carriage stopped once at the entrance of the Southern Palace. Bi Zhen didn’t get out, but the coachman exchanged a few words with someone before they continued on their way. Mei Qing couldn’t help but marvel at how deeply favored Bi Zhen was by the Emperor, to be able to enter the royal palace so freely.
After turning a couple of corners, the carriage slowly came to a halt, and the two of them stepped out. They found themselves standing before the gate of a small garden.
Though the garden wasn’t large, it was exquisitely designed. A rockery stood at the entrance, partially obscuring a winding path. Willow trees swayed gently within the palace walls, their reflections dancing on the surface of a nearby pond, creating a serene and tranquil atmosphere.
“Princess Bi! Oh, what brings you here today?” A high-pitched voice called out, and Mei Qing noticed an elderly eunuch hurrying over with a wide smile.
“Ah, Eunuch Zheng! How have you been? Is the Emperor inside? And where is Minister Lu?” Bi Zhen asked with a smile.
“Oh, how kind of you to ask. Thanks to your blessings, this old servant has been doing quite well. The Emperor is currently refining his golden core and should be done soon. Minister Lu was accompanying him, but he seemed to have some urgent matter and had to rush back. Are you here to see Minister Lu today, Princess Bi?” Perhaps aware of the strained relationship between Bi Zhen and her father, Eunuch Zheng looked slightly puzzled when mentioning Lu Bing.
“No, no, I’m here to see the Emperor,” Bi Zhen replied. Hearing that Lu Bing wasn’t there, she secretly flashed Mei Qing a triumphant smile before turning back to Eunuch Zheng. “Since the Emperor will be done soon, we’ll go in and wait for him.”
Eunuch Zheng hesitated slightly. “Of course, Princess Bi, you may enter. But as for this gentleman…” He glanced at Mei Qing.
“Oh, him? The Emperor wants to see him too. I brought him along specifically for that. Don’t worry,” Bi Zhen said, pulling Mei Qing along as she stepped inside.
Eunuch Zheng made a slight motion as if to stop them but ultimately didn’t intervene. Bi Zhen was highly favored by the Emperor, and if she said the Emperor wanted to see Mei Qing, it wasn’t his place to question it.
As Bi Zhen and Mei Qing entered the garden, they couldn’t help but feel a sense of triumph. Just as they were about to achieve their goal, a voice suddenly called out, “Ah Bi, what brings you here?”
They turned to see two men approaching. The first was a middle-aged man in his forties, dressed in a pristine blue Daoist robe. Though he appeared somewhat thin and frail, his demeanor was as lofty as a crane, exuding an otherworldly aura. Behind him stood a burly man with a wild beard and a muscular build, his bronzed skin gleaming like polished copper.
“Oh no! I thought we had him distracted. How did he get back so quickly?” Bi Zhen’s face paled as she grabbed Mei Qing’s hand and hurried inside, loudly declaring, “The Emperor summoned me, so I came.”
The man in the Daoist robe was none other than Lu Bing? Mei Qing’s heart tightened. He didn’t understand why Bi Zhen had tried to divert Lu Bing, only for him to return so quickly. He was also slightly puzzled. As the head of the Imperial Guards, why was Lu Bing dressed in a Daoist robe?
Just as they were about to rush in, Lu Bing suddenly appeared before them, his eyes narrowing as he coldly said, “Since when did the Emperor summon you? Mei Qing? Why is he here… Hmm? Ah Bi… You’ve already… Is it because of this boy?!” With a quick glance, he noticed the changes in Bi Zhen and his eyes flashed with a menacing light.
“None of your business!” Bi Zhen gritted her teeth and threw up the bracelet on her wrist, chanting, “Chaos of the Infinite, sever the five elements, seal!” As she shouted, her form suddenly became ethereal, like a wisp of mist, as she tried to slip past the middle-aged man.
Lu Bing, instead of being angered, laughed. “You think such tricks will work on me? By the power of heaven and earth, break!” Without moving, he simply drew a simple sigil in the air with two fingers and pointed forward.
The bracelet Bi Zhen had thrown suddenly appeared in his hand. With a flick of his left hand, he seemed to grasp something from within the bracelet, and Bi Zhen’s ethereal form instantly solidified in his grip.
“What are you doing? Let go…” Bi Zhen cried out in shock before her body went limp in Lu Bing’s hand, falling silent.
“Bi Zhen!” Mei Qing, horrified and unsure of what had happened to Bi Zhen, stepped forward and reached out to grab her.
“Don’t move, boy!” A booming voice rang out as a heavy pressure descended on Mei Qing’s shoulder, pinning him in place with an overwhelming force.
Turning his head, Mei Qing saw the burly man standing behind him, his hand resting heavily on Mei Qing’s shoulder. The man grinned, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth.
Mei Qing tried to resist, but the pressure only increased, threatening to crush him into the ground. Realizing the danger, Mei Qing quickly focused his mind and silently chanted the earth escape mantra: “Metal, wood, water, fire, earth spirit leads the way, escape!”
His body shifted, and the burly man’s crushing grip suddenly found nothing but air. Mei Qing felt as if he could move freely through the earth itself. With a thought, he surged toward Lu Bing’s feet, reaching out to grab Bi Zhen from his hand.
The burly man grunted in surprise but didn’t stop. He clenched his fist and roared, “Hah!” before slamming it into the ground.
Mei Qing felt his body tighten as if bound by invisible chains, unable to move. He suddenly collapsed to the ground, a powerful force invading his body, shutting down his senses, and he knew no more.
Regardless of how the incident unfolded at the time, when it came to settling accounts afterward, the man was always at fault.
Thus, whenever the topic was brought up, Mei Qing immediately knew better than to argue and instead inquired with concern about Bi Zhen’s emotional tribulation and how it should be resolved.
“Emotional tribulation?” Bi Zhen replied with a half-smile, “What emotional tribulation? Since we’ve come this far, it naturally dissipates.”
“Ah?” Mei Qing found it utterly perplexing, “Are you saying that after we… did that, the tribulation just passed? If I had known earlier…”
“Stop it, you’re talking nonsense!” Bi Zhen blushed deeply, “It’s not as simple as you think. Tribulations are not so easily overcome. Don’t forget, just the other night, we narrowly escaped with our lives. If such a tribulation couldn’t be overcome, then no one in the world could ever pass one!”
Mei Qing finally understood why Bi Zhen had said the key to overcoming the tribulation lay in the word “truth.” Without enduring the storm, one could never see the rainbow. Reflecting on this, although the previous night had been arduous, the rewards were equally substantial.
“Then you should be ready to form your core soon, right? Since the tribulation has passed,” Mei Qing asked.
Bi Zhen nodded, “Exactly. Having overcome this tribulation and gained some benefits from our… dual cultivation with you the other night, my core has already begun to solidify. Haven’t you noticed anything?”
“Me?” Mei Qing was surprised, “What should I have noticed?”
“Silly, you’ve memorized so much, how could you forget now? We were dual cultivating. In fact, during the night… the core formation had already begun, though it wasn’t fully solidified yet,” Bi Zhen said with a hint of amusement.
“Ah…” Mei Qing indeed recalled feeling something different at the time. However, his attention had been primarily focused on other matters, so he hadn’t paid much heed.
It’s rare to find someone like Mei Qing in the world of cultivation. The most crucial aspect of cultivation is pure focus; one cannot split their attention. Yet, strangely, Mei Qing’s body seemed to cultivate on its own. Once he entered that state, he could leave it unattended without any issues. This led to the amusing situation where he had already formed his core without even realizing it.
This step was not easy. Since ancient times, only those who have formed their core could be called true cultivators, truly stepping into the threshold of cultivation. For most practitioners, it takes twenty to thirty years of diligent study and hard work to progress from foundation building to core formation. Those who manage to cross this threshold before the age of fifty are considered fortunate. Many never achieve it in their lifetime, remaining outside the door, which is not uncommon.
In fact, Mei Qing was unaware that he had broken a record in a shocking manner. Fan Wentai, known as the Plum Blossom Daoist and hailed as a once-in-a-millennium genius, took ten years from foundation building to core formation, which was already astonishing. For Mei Qing to achieve core formation in just a few months was nothing short of monstrous.
Even Bi Zhen, who had been cultivating since childhood and was different from ordinary people, took fifteen years to form her core, which was already a rare feat.
However, in Bi Zhen’s mind, she suspected that Mei Qing must have had some extraordinary encounter in his youth. His seemingly dull and unremarkable years were likely due to someone secretly cleansing his meridians and refining his body. Otherwise, there was no way Mei Qing could have progressed so rapidly upon entering the path of cultivation. However, since Mei Qing couldn’t remember much from those years, it was hard to say for sure.
Mei Qing himself didn’t pay much attention to these details. Upon hearing Bi Zhen’s words, he immediately focused inward and noticed that, just as the alchemy scriptures described, within his dantian, a faint, luminous orb had formed, resembling a pearl on a crystal plate. His core had indeed begun to take shape.
“No wonder I feel so refreshed and full of energy today. So, I’ve already formed my core. Though I’m not entirely clear on the process. Perhaps we should cultivate together again tonight?” Mei Qing said with a cheerful smile.
Bi Zhen lowered her head, slightly embarrassed, “Exactly. After we settle today’s matters, we’ll need to spend more time together. After dual cultivation and core formation, nurturing and solidifying the core has additional benefits compared to solitary cultivation. We’ll discuss it more tonight.”
…If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have said anything. It would have been better to let the beautiful Bi Zhen beg me to cultivate with her—such were the whimsical thoughts of a certain someone.
“Also, I’ve burned all the notes you annotated. Since we both remember them, we’ll compile the original manuscript and submit it. That will be the end of it. Let’s not let a third person know about these matters,” Bi Zhen reminded Mei Qing as they were about to leave the carriage.
Mei Qing nodded in agreement. As for who was behind the strange hand that tried to steal the Daoist scriptures that day, Bi Zhen hadn’t mentioned it afterward, and Mei Qing hadn’t asked. But Bi Zhen had a vague sense that it must involve significant connections.
On the way, the carriage stopped once at the gate of the South Garden Palace. Bi Zhen didn’t get out, but the coachman negotiated with someone before they continued. Mei Qing couldn’t help but marvel at how much the emperor favored Bi Zhen, allowing her to enter the royal palace so freely.
After turning a couple of corners, the carriage slowly came to a halt. The two got out and found themselves at the entrance of a small garden.
Though the garden was not large, it was exquisitely designed. A rockery at the entrance obscured a winding path. Inside the palace walls, weeping willows swayed gently, reflecting off a pool of clear water outside the wall, creating a serene atmosphere.
“Princess Bi, oh my, what brings you here today?” A sharp voice rang out, and Mei Qing noticed an old eunuch with a beaming smile hurrying over.
“Isn’t this Eunuch Zheng? How have you been? Is the emperor inside? Where is Minister Lu?” Bi Zhen asked with a smile.
“Oh, you flatter me. Thanks to your blessings, this old servant has been doing well. The emperor is currently cultivating his golden core and should be done soon. Minister Lu was accompanying him, but he had to leave in a hurry due to some urgent matter. Are you here to see Minister Lu today?” Knowing about the strained relationship between Bi Zhen and her father, Eunuch Zheng looked slightly surprised when mentioning Lu Bing.
“No, no, I’m here to see the emperor,” Bi Zhen said, secretly giving Mei Qing a triumphant smile upon hearing that Lu Bing wasn’t there. She then turned back to Eunuch Zheng, “Since the emperor will be done soon, we’ll go in and wait.”
Eunuch Zheng looked somewhat hesitant, “Princess Bi, you may enter, but I’m not sure about this gentleman…” He glanced at Mei Qing.
“Oh, him? The emperor wants to see him too. I brought him here specifically for that. Don’t worry,” Bi Zhen said, pulling Mei Qing along as she stepped inside.
Eunuch Zheng made a slight movement as if to stop them but ultimately didn’t. Bi Zhen was highly favored by the emperor, and if she said the emperor wanted to see Mei Qing, it wasn’t his place to question it.
As Bi Zhen and Mei Qing entered the garden, they couldn’t help but feel a sense of triumph. Just as they were about to succeed, a voice called out, “Bi, what are you doing here?”
They turned around to see two men approaching. The first was a middle-aged man in his forties, dressed in a pristine green Daoist robe. Though slightly thin and seemingly frail, he carried an air of nobility and detachment. Behind him was a burly man with a rugged beard and a muscular build, wearing a brown short robe that revealed his bronze, metallic-like muscles.
“Oh no, I thought we had him sent away. How did he get back so quickly!” Bi Zhen’s face turned pale. She grabbed Mei Qing and hurried inside, loudly saying, “The emperor wants to see me, so I came.”
The middle-aged man in the Daoist robe was none other than Lu Bing? Mei Qing’s heart tightened, not understanding why Lu Bing had returned despite Bi Zhen’s efforts to send him away. He was also slightly puzzled—Lu Bing was the commander of the Imperial Guards, so why was he dressed as a Daoist?
Just as they were about to rush in, Lu Bing suddenly appeared in front of them, coldly saying, “Since when did the emperor want to see you? Mei Qing? Why is he here… Hmm? Bi… you’ve already… with this boy!?” Upon closer inspection, Lu Bing noticed Bi Zhen’s condition, and his previously calm eyes suddenly flashed with a menacing light.
“None of your business!” Bi Zhen gritted her teeth and threw the bracelet on her wrist into the air, “Chaos and infinity, sever the five elements, seal!” As she shouted, her own form became ethereal, like a mist, and she floated past the middle-aged man.
Lu Bing, instead of being angry, laughed, “You dare use this trick on me? By the power of heaven and earth, break!” Without moving, he simply drew a simple symbol with his right hand and pointed forward.
The bracelet Bi Zhen had thrown suddenly appeared in his hand. He then reached out with his left hand, and Bi Zhen’s form, which had been ethereal, was now firmly in his grasp.
“What are you doing? Let go…” Bi Zhen cried out, but her body went limp, and she fell silent in Lu Bing’s hand.
“Bi Zhen!” Mei Qing, shocked and worried, stepped forward, reaching out to grab her.
“Don’t move, boy!” A deep, resonant voice rang out, and Mei Qing felt a tremendous pressure on his shoulder, as if a mountain was pressing down on him, making it impossible to move.
He turned to see the burly man standing behind him, his hand on Mei Qing’s shoulder. The man grinned, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth.
Mei Qing tried to resist, but the pressure only increased, almost crushing him into the ground. Realizing the situation, Mei Qing quickly communicated with the token on his chest, silently reciting the earth escape mantra, “Metal, wood, water, fire, earth spirit leads the way, escape!”
His body shifted, and the burly man’s hand missed its target. Mei Qing felt as if he could move freely through the earth. He focused his mind and rushed toward Lu Bing, reaching out to grab Bi Zhen.
The burly man grunted in surprise but didn’t stop. He changed his palm into a fist and roared, “Hey!” as he punched the ground.
Mei Qing felt his body tighten, as if bound by something, and he fell to the ground. A powerful force invaded his body, shutting down his senses, and he knew no more.
…If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have said anything, letting the beautiful Bi beg me to cultivate—this was the inner voice of someone with a mind full of romantic fantasies.
Regardless of how things unfolded at the time, when it came to settling accounts afterward, it was always the man who was at fault.
Thus, when the topic was brought up, Mei Qing immediately knew better than to argue further. Instead, he turned his concern to Bi Zhen, asking how the matter of her “emotional tribulation” had been resolved.
“Emotional tribulation?” Bi Zhen replied with a half-smile. “What emotional tribulation? Now that we’ve reached this point, it’s naturally dissipated.”
“Ah?” Mei Qing found this utterly baffling. “Are you saying that after we… well, after that, the tribulation just passed? If I had known earlier…”
“Enough of your nonsense!” Bi Zhen’s face flushed red. “It’s not as simple as you think. Tribulations aren’t so easily overcome. Don’t forget that just the other night, we both narrowly escaped with our lives. If that wasn’t enough to get through the tribulation, then no one in the world could ever overcome one!”
Mei Qing finally understood. No wonder Bi Zhen had emphasized that the key to overcoming the tribulation lay in the word “truth.” As the saying goes, without enduring the storm, one cannot see the rainbow. Reflecting on this, although the previous night had been arduous, the rewards had been equally substantial.
“So, you should be close to forming your Golden Core now, right? Since the tribulation has passed,” Mei Qing asked.
Bi Zhen nodded. “Exactly. Having overcome this tribulation, and with the benefits gained from our… dual cultivation the other night, the signs of my core formation are already solidifying. Can’t you feel it?”
“Me?” Mei Qing was surprised. “What should I be feeling?”
“You fool, you’ve memorized so much, yet you forget it all now? We were dual cultivating. In fact, during the other night… the initial signs of core formation were already appearing, though it wasn’t fully solidified yet,” Bi Zhen said with a hint of amusement.
“Ah…” Mei Qing indeed recalled feeling something different at the time. However, his attention had been focused on other matters, so he hadn’t paid much heed.
It’s rare to find someone like Mei Qing in the world of cultivation. The most crucial aspect of cultivation is maintaining a single-minded focus; it’s impossible to split one’s attention. Yet, strangely, Mei Qing’s body seemed to cultivate on its own. Once he entered that state, he could leave it unattended without issue. This led to the absurd situation where he had already formed his core without even realizing it.
This step was no small feat. Since ancient times, only those who had formed their Golden Core could be called “True Persons,” truly crossing the threshold of cultivation. For most practitioners, even the most diligent, it would take twenty to thirty years to progress from the Foundation Establishment stage to Core Formation. Those who managed to do so before the age of fifty were considered fortunate. Many, however, never achieved it in their lifetime, forever lingering outside the gate.
What Mei Qing didn’t know was that he had shattered all records in an astonishing manner. In the past, the Plum Blossom Daoist, Fan Wentai, was hailed as a once-in-a-millennium genius for forming his core in ten years. For someone like Mei Qing to achieve it in just a few months was nothing short of monstrous.
Even Bi Zhen, who had been cultivating since childhood and was far from ordinary, took fifteen years to form her core, which was already considered exceptional.
In Bi Zhen’s mind, she suspected that Mei Qing must have had some extraordinary encounter in his youth. Those seemingly lost years of his life might have been when someone secretly cleansed his meridians and refined his essence, allowing him to progress so rapidly upon entering the path of cultivation. However, since Mei Qing couldn’t clearly remember those years, it was hard to say for sure.
Mei Qing himself wasn’t too concerned about these details. Upon hearing Bi Zhen’s words, he quickly turned his attention inward and noticed that, just as the scriptures described, within his dantian, a faint, luminous orb had formed, resembling a pearl on a crystal plate. His core had indeed begun to take shape.
“No wonder I feel so refreshed and full of energy today. So, I’ve already formed my core. Though I’m not entirely clear on the nuances. Perhaps we could delve deeper into it tonight?” Mei Qing said with a cheerful grin.
Bi Zhen lowered her head, slightly embarrassed. “Exactly. After we settle today’s matters, we’ll need to spend more time together. After dual cultivation and core formation, nurturing and solidifying the core has additional benefits compared to solitary cultivation. We’ll discuss it more tonight.”
…If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have said anything. It would have been better to let the beautiful Bi Zhen beg me to cultivate with her—such were the whimsical thoughts running through Mei Qing’s mind.
“Also, I’ve burned all the annotations you made. Since we’ve both memorized them, we’ll just tidy up the original manuscript and submit it. That’ll be the end of it. Let’s make sure no one else finds out about this,” Bi Zhen instructed Mei Qing as they were about to disembark.
Mei Qing nodded in agreement. As for the strange hand that had tried to steal the Daoist scriptures that day, Bi Zhen hadn’t mentioned who was behind it, and Mei Qing hadn’t asked. But Bi Zhen seemed to have some idea, likely involving a complex web of connections.
The carriage stopped once at the entrance of the South Garden Palace, but Bi Zhen didn’t get out. The coachman exchanged a few words with someone, and they continued on their way. Mei Qing couldn’t help but marvel at how deeply favored Bi Zhen was by the Emperor, able to enter the royal palace so freely.
After turning a couple of corners, the carriage slowly came to a halt. The two of them got out and found themselves standing before the gate of a small garden.
Though the garden wasn’t large, it was exquisitely designed. A rockery stood at the entrance, partially obscuring a winding path. Inside the palace walls, willow branches swayed gently, reflecting off a pool of clear water outside, creating a serene atmosphere.
“Princess Bi, my, what brings you here today?” A high-pitched voice rang out, and Mei Qing noticed an elderly eunuch with a beaming smile hurrying toward them.
“Isn’t this Eunuch Zheng? How have you been? Is His Majesty inside? And where is Minister Lu?” Bi Zhen asked with a smile.
“Oh, how kind of you to ask. This old servant’s health has been quite good, thanks to your blessings. His Majesty is currently refining his Golden Core, so he should be done soon. Minister Lu was here earlier, but he seemed to have some urgent matter and had to leave in a hurry. Are you here to see Minister Lu today, Princess Bi?” Perhaps aware of the strained relationship between Bi Zhen and her father, Eunuch Zheng looked slightly puzzled when mentioning Lu Bing.
“No, no, I’m here to see His Majesty,” Bi Zhen replied. Upon hearing that Lu Bing wasn’t there, she secretly flashed Mei Qing a triumphant smile before turning back to Eunuch Zheng. “Since His Majesty will be done soon, we’ll go in and wait.”
Eunuch Zheng hesitated slightly. “Of course, Princess Bi, you may enter. But as for this gentleman…” He glanced at Mei Qing.
“Oh, him? He’s also here to see His Majesty. I brought him along specifically for that. Don’t worry,” Bi Zhen said, pulling Mei Qing along as she stepped inside.
Eunuch Zheng’s hand twitched, but he ultimately didn’t stop them. Bi Zhen was highly favored by the Emperor, and if she said the man was here to see His Majesty, it wasn’t his place to question it.
As Bi Zhen and Mei Qing entered the garden, they couldn’t help but feel a sense of triumph. Just as they were about to achieve their goal, a voice suddenly called out, “Ah Bi, what brings you here?”
They turned to see two men approaching. The first was a middle-aged man in his forties, dressed in a pristine blue Daoist robe. Though his face was slightly gaunt, his bearing was dignified, exuding an otherworldly aura. Behind him stood a burly man with a beard as wild as a thicket, wearing a brown short robe that revealed his bronzed, muscular arms, which gleamed like polished copper.
“Oh no, I thought we had him distracted. How did he return so quickly?” Bi Zhen’s face paled. She grabbed Mei Qing’s hand and hurried inside, loudly declaring, “His Majesty summoned me, so I came.”
The man in the Daoist robe was none other than Lu Bing? Mei Qing’s heart tightened. He didn’t understand why Lu Bing had returned despite Bi Zhen’s efforts to divert him. He was also slightly puzzled—why was Lu Bing, the commander of the Imperial Guards, dressed in a Daoist robe?
Just as they were about to rush in, Lu Bing suddenly appeared before them, coldly stating, “When did His Majesty summon you? Mei Qing? Why is he here… Hmm? Ah Bi… you’ve already… with this boy?!” His eyes, usually calm, suddenly flashed with a menacing light as he took in their condition.
“None of your business!” Bi Zhen gritted her teeth and threw the bracelet from her wrist into the air. “Chaos and Infinity, sever the Five Elements, seal!” As she shouted, her own form became ethereal, like a wisp of mist, as she tried to slip past the middle-aged man.
Lu Bing, however, laughed instead of getting angry. “You think such tricks will work on me? By the power of Heaven and Earth, break!” Without moving, he simply drew a simple symbol in the air with two fingers and pointed forward.
The bracelet Bi Zhen had thrown suddenly appeared in his hand. With a flick of his left hand, he seemed to grasp something from within the bracelet, and Bi Zhen’s form, which had been fading, suddenly solidified in his grip.
“What are you doing? Let go…” Bi Zhen cried out, but her body went limp, and she fell silent in Lu Bing’s grasp.
“Bi Zhen!” Mei Qing’s heart raced, unsure of what had happened to her. He stepped forward, reaching out to snatch her back.
“Don’t move, boy!” A deep, resonant voice boomed, and Mei Qing felt an immense pressure on his shoulder, as if a mountain were bearing down on him, making it impossible to move.
Turning his head, he saw the burly man had somehow appeared behind him, his hand pressing down on Mei Qing’s shoulder. The man grinned, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth.
Mei Qing tried to resist, but the pressure only increased, threatening to crush him into the ground. Realizing the danger, he quickly focused his mind, connecting with the token on his chest, and silently recited the Earth Escape incantation: “Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth Spirit leads the way, escape!”
His body shifted, and the man’s crushing grip suddenly found nothing but air. Mei Qing felt as if he could move freely through the earth itself. With a thought, he surged toward Lu Bing’s feet, reaching out to grab Bi Zhen from his grasp.
The burly man grunted in surprise but didn’t stop. He clenched his fist and roared, “Hah!” as he slammed it into the ground.
Mei Qing felt his body tighten, as if bound by invisible chains, and he suddenly collapsed to the ground. A powerful force invaded his body, sealing his senses, and he knew no more.
Mei Qing nodded in agreement. After the incident, Bi Zhen didn’t mention who had sent the strange hand that attacked them, and Mei Qing didn’t ask. But Bi Zhen seemed to have her suspicions, likely involving a far-reaching connection.
The carriage stopped once at the entrance of the Nanyuan Imperial Palace. Bi Zhen didn’t get off; the driver merely negotiated with someone before continuing on their way. Mei Qing couldn’t help but marvel at how favored Bi Zhen must be by the Emperor, to be able to enter and exit the imperial palace so freely.
After turning a couple of corners, the carriage slowly came to a stop. The two got out and looked up to find themselves at the gate of a small garden.
No matter how the events unfolded at the time, when it came to settling accounts afterward, the man was always at fault.
Thus, whenever the topic was brought up, Mei Qing immediately knew better than to argue and instead inquired with concern about Bi Zhen’s emotional ordeal and how it should be resolved.
“Emotional ordeal?” Bi Zhen replied with a half-smile, “What emotional ordeal? Now that we’re like this, that ordeal has naturally dissipated.”
“Ah?” Mei Qing found it utterly perplexing, “Are you saying that after we… well, you know, the ordeal just passed? If I had known earlier…”
“Stop it, what nonsense are you spouting? Such vulgar talk!” Bi Zhen blushed deeply, “It’s not as simple as you think. Ordeals are ordeals; they’re not so easily overcome. Don’t you remember how we narrowly escaped with our lives the other night? If such an ordeal couldn’t be overcome, then no ordeal in the world could be!”
Only then did Mei Qing understand why Bi Zhen had said that the key to overcoming the ordeal lay in the word “truth.” As the saying goes, without enduring the storm, one cannot see the rainbow. Reflecting on this, although the previous night had been arduous, the rewards were equally bountiful.
“So, you should be ready to condense your elixir soon, right? Since the ordeal is over,” Mei Qing asked.
Bi Zhen nodded, “Exactly. Having overcome this ordeal and gained some benefits from our… dual cultivation the other night, the signs of elixir condensation are already beginning to solidify. Haven’t you felt it yet?”
“Me?” Mei Qing was surprised, “What should I be feeling?”
“Silly, you’ve memorized so much, how could you forget now? We were dual cultivating. In fact, during our dual cultivation the other night, the initial signs of elixir condensation had already appeared, though they weren’t fully solidified yet,” Bi Zhen said with a hint of amusement.
“Ah…” Mei Qing indeed recalled feeling something different at the time. However, his attention had been primarily focused on other matters, so he hadn’t paid much heed.
It’s rare to find someone like Mei Qing in the world of cultivation. The most crucial aspect of cultivation is single-minded focus; it’s impossible to split one’s attention. Yet, strangely, Mei Qing’s body seemed to cultivate on its own. Once he entered that state, he could remain indifferent and still progress. This led to the absurd situation where he had already condensed his elixir without even realizing it.
Taking this step was no easy feat. Since ancient times, only those who had successfully condensed their elixir could be called “true cultivators,” truly stepping into the threshold of cultivation. For most practitioners, even with diligent study, it would take twenty to thirty years to progress from foundation-building to elixir condensation. Those who could cross this threshold before the age of fifty were considered fortunate. Many never managed it in their lifetime, forever lingering outside the gate, which was not uncommon.
What Mei Qing didn’t know was that he had shattered records in an astonishing manner. Back in the day, the Plum Blossom Daoist, Fan Wentai, hailed as a once-in-a-millennium genius, took ten years to condense his elixir after building his foundation, which was already considered extraordinary. For Mei Qing to achieve it in just a few months was nothing short of monstrous.
Even Bi Zhen, who had been cultivating since childhood and was different from ordinary people, took fifteen years to condense her elixir, which was already a rare feat.
However, in Bi Zhen’s mind, she suspected that Mei Qing must have had some extraordinary encounter in his youth. His seemingly dull and unremarkable years were likely a result of someone secretly cleansing and unblocking his meridians. Otherwise, there was no way Mei Qing could have progressed so rapidly upon entering the path of cultivation. But since Mei Qing couldn’t remember much from those years, it was hard to say for sure.
Mei Qing himself wasn’t too concerned about these details. Upon hearing Bi Zhen’s words, he immediately turned his attention inward and noticed that, just as the elixir scriptures described, within the cauldron of his body, a faint, round, and luminous light had formed, resembling a pearl on a crystal plate. His elixir had indeed begun to take shape.
“No wonder I feel so refreshed and invigorated today. So, I’ve already condensed my elixir. Though I’m not entirely clear on the nuances. Perhaps we could delve deeper into it tonight?” Mei Qing said with a cheerful smile.
Bi Zhen lowered her head, slightly embarrassed, “Exactly. After we settle today’s matters, we’ll need to spend more time together. After dual cultivation and elixir condensation, nurturing and solidifying the cauldron offers additional benefits compared to solitary cultivation. I’ll explain more to you tonight.”
…If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have said anything. It would have been better to let the beautiful Bi Zhen beg me to cultivate—thought Mei Qing, his mind filled with fanciful ideas.
“Also, I’ve burned the annotations you made. Since we both remember them, we’ll just tidy up the original manuscript and submit it. That will be the end of it. Let’s make sure no one else knows about these matters,” Bi Zhen reminded Mei Qing as they were about to disembark.
Mei Qing nodded in agreement. As for who had sent the strange hand that tried to steal the Daoist scriptures that day, Bi Zhen hadn’t mentioned it afterward, and Mei Qing hadn’t asked. But Bi Zhen seemed to have some idea, likely involving a complex web of connections.
On the way, the carriage stopped once at the entrance of the South Garden Palace. Bi Zhen didn’t get off, but the coachman had a brief exchange with someone before they continued. Mei Qing couldn’t help but marvel at how much favor Bi Zhen enjoyed with the Emperor, being able to enter the royal palace so freely.
After turning a couple of corners, the carriage slowly came to a halt, and the two of them got off. Looking up, they found themselves at the entrance of a small garden.
Though the garden wasn’t large, it was exquisitely designed. A rockery stood at the entrance, partially obscuring a winding path. Inside the palace walls, weeping willows swayed gently, their reflections dancing on the surface of a nearby pond, creating a serene and tranquil atmosphere.
“Princess Bi, oh my, what brings you here today?” A high-pitched voice rang out, and Mei Qing noticed an elderly eunuch with a beaming smile hurrying toward them.
“Isn’t this Eunuch Zheng? How have you been? Is the Emperor inside? And where is Minister Lu?” Bi Zhen asked with a smile.
“Oh, how kind of you to ask. This old servant has been quite well, thanks to your blessings. The Emperor is currently cultivating his golden elixir and should be done soon. Minister Lu was accompanying him, but he seemed to have some urgent matter and had to leave in a hurry. Are you here to see Minister Lu today?” Perhaps aware of the strained relationship between Bi Zhen and her father, Eunuch Zheng looked slightly surprised when mentioning Lu Bing.
“No, no, I’m here to see the Emperor,” Bi Zhen replied. Hearing that Lu Bing wasn’t there, she secretly flashed Mei Qing a triumphant smile before turning back to Eunuch Zheng, “Since the Emperor will be done soon, we’ll go in and wait for him.”
Eunuch Zheng looked somewhat hesitant, “Princess Bi, of course you may enter, but I’m not sure about this gentleman…” He glanced at Mei Qing.
“Him? The Emperor wants to see him too. I brought him here specifically to meet the Emperor. Don’t worry,” Bi Zhen said, pulling Mei Qing along as she stepped inside.
Eunuch Zheng made a slight movement as if to stop them but ultimately didn’t. Bi Zhen was highly favored by the Emperor, and if she said the Emperor wanted to see Mei Qing, it wasn’t his place to question it.
As Bi Zhen and Mei Qing entered the garden, they couldn’t help but feel a sense of triumph. Just as they were about to achieve their goal, a voice suddenly called out, “Bi, what are you doing here?”
They turned around to see two men approaching. The first was a middle-aged man in his forties, dressed in a pristine blue Daoist robe. His face was slightly gaunt, as if he were frail, but his demeanor was as noble as a crane, exuding an otherworldly aura. Behind him was a burly man with a beard as wild as a thicket of spears, wearing a brown short robe that revealed his bronzed muscles, which gleamed like polished copper.
“Oh no, I thought we had him distracted. How did he get back so quickly!” Bi Zhen’s face paled. She grabbed Mei Qing and hurried inside, loudly declaring, “The Emperor wants to see me, so I came.”
The man in the Daoist robe was none other than Lu Bing? Mei Qing’s heart tightened. He didn’t understand why Bi Zhen had tried to divert Lu Bing, only for him to return so quickly. He was also slightly puzzled. As the commander of the Imperial Guards, why was Lu Bing dressed in a Daoist robe?
Just as they were about to rush in, Lu Bing suddenly appeared before them, coldly stating, “Since when did the Emperor want to see you? Mei Qing? Why is he here… Hmm? Bi… you’ve already… with this boy?!” After a quick glance at the two of them, Lu Bing noticed something about Bi Zhen. His previously calm eyes suddenly flashed with a menacing light.
“None of your business!” Bi Zhen gritted her teeth and threw the bracelet from her wrist into the air, “Chaos without limits, sever the five elements, seal!” As she shouted, her own form suddenly became ethereal, like a mist that drifted around the middle-aged man and dispersed.
Lu Bing, instead of being angered, laughed, “You dare use this trick on me? Borrow the power of heaven and earth, break!” Without moving, he simply drew a simple talisman in the air with two fingers and pointed forward.
The bracelet Bi Zhen had thrown somehow appeared in his hand. With a flick of his left hand, he seemed to grasp something from within the bracelet, and Bi Zhen’s previously misty form suddenly solidified in his left hand.
“What are you doing? Let go…” Bi Zhen had barely cried out before her body went limp and she fell into Lu Bing’s grasp, unconscious.
“Bi Zhen!” Mei Qing, shocked and unsure of what had happened to Bi Zhen, stepped forward and reached out to grab her.
“Don’t move, boy!” A voice as deep as a bronze bell rang out, and Mei Qing felt a tremendous weight press down on his shoulder, as if a mountain had descended upon him, making it impossible to move.
Looking back, he saw the burly man in the brown robe standing behind him, his hand pressing down on Mei Qing’s shoulder. When Mei Qing turned to look, the man grinned, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth.
Mei Qing tried to push back, but the pressure only increased, threatening to crush him into the ground. Realizing the danger, he quickly focused his mind on the token at his chest and silently recited the earth escape mantra, “Metal, wood, water, fire, earth spirit leads the way, escape!”
His body shifted, and the man’s mountain-like pressure suddenly found no purchase. Mei Qing felt as if he could move freely through the earth’s energy, reaching anywhere he desired. With a thought, he rushed toward Lu Bing’s feet, reaching out to grab Bi Zhen from his grasp.
The burly man let out a grunt of surprise but didn’t stop. He changed his palm into a fist and roared, “Hey!” as he punched the ground.
Mei Qing felt his entire body tighten, as if bound by something, and he could no longer move. He suddenly fell to the ground, and a powerful force invaded his body, shutting down all his senses. He knew nothing more.
“Princess Bi, oh my, what a pleasant wind has blown you here,” a sharp, high-pitched voice called out. Mei Qing now noticed an elderly eunuch with a beaming smile hurrying forward to greet them.
“Isn’t this Master Zheng? How have you been lately? Is the Emperor inside? And Minister Lu?” Bi Zhen smiled and asked.
Regardless of how the events unfolded at the time, when it came to settling accounts afterward, the man was always at fault.
Thus, whenever the topic was brought up, Mei Qing immediately knew better than to argue further. Instead, he showed concern by asking Bi Zhen how she planned to deal with the so-called “emotional tribulation.”
“Emotional tribulation?” Bi Zhen replied with a half-smile, “What emotional tribulation? Since we’ve reached this point, it naturally dissipates.”
“What?” Mei Qing was utterly baffled. “Are you saying that after we… did that, the emotional tribulation just vanished? If I had known earlier…”
“Stop it! What nonsense are you spouting?” Bi Zhen blushed deeply. “It’s not as simple as you think. Tribulations are not so easily overcome. Don’t forget, just the other night, we narrowly escaped with our lives. If we couldn’t overcome this tribulation, then no one in the world could!”
Mei Qing finally understood. No wonder Bi Zhen had emphasized that the key to overcoming tribulation lay in the word “truth.” As the saying goes, without enduring storms, one cannot see the rainbow. Reflecting on this, although the previous night had been arduous, the rewards were equally substantial.
“So, you should be ready to condense your inner elixir now that the tribulation is over, right?” Mei Qing asked.
Bi Zhen nodded. “Exactly. Having overcome this tribulation, and after our… dual cultivation the other night, I’ve gained some benefits. The signs of my inner elixir are already beginning to solidify. Can’t you feel it?”
“Me?” Mei Qing was surprised. “What should I be feeling?”
“Silly, you’ve memorized so much, how could you forget now? We were dual cultivating. In fact, during the night… the initial signs of elixir condensation had already appeared, though it wasn’t fully solidified yet,” Bi Zhen said with a hint of amusement.
“Ah…” Mei Qing indeed recalled feeling something different at the time. However, his attention had been focused on other matters, so he hadn’t paid much heed.
It’s rare to find someone like Mei Qing in the world of cultivation. The most crucial aspect of cultivation is single-minded focus; it’s impossible to split one’s attention. Yet, strangely, Mei Qing’s body seemed to cultivate on its own. Once he entered that state, he could remain oblivious and still progress. This led to the amusing situation where he had already condensed his elixir without even realizing it.
Taking this step was no easy feat. Since ancient times, only those who had successfully condensed their elixir could be called “True Men,” truly stepping into the threshold of cultivation. For most practitioners, even the most diligent, it would take twenty to thirty years to progress from foundation-building to elixir condensation. Those who managed to cross this barrier before the age of fifty were considered fortunate. Many, however, would never achieve it, remaining forever outside the gate.
What Mei Qing didn’t know was that he had shattered the record in an astonishing manner. Back in the day, the Plum Blossom Daoist, Fan Wentai, was hailed as a once-in-a-millennium genius for condensing his elixir in ten years. For Mei Qing to achieve it in just a few months was nothing short of monstrous.
Even Bi Zhen, who had been cultivating since childhood and was considered a prodigy, took fifteen years to condense her elixir.
In Bi Zhen’s mind, she suspected that Mei Qing must have had some extraordinary encounter in his youth. His seemingly dull and unremarkable years were likely the result of someone secretly refining his meridians and cleansing his body. Otherwise, there was no way he could have progressed so rapidly upon entering the path of cultivation. However, since Mei Qing couldn’t clearly remember those years, it was hard to say for sure.
Mei Qing himself wasn’t too concerned about these details. Upon hearing Bi Zhen’s words, he immediately turned his attention inward and noticed that, just as the elixir scriptures described, within his inner cauldron, a faint, luminous orb was beginning to take shape, resembling a pearl on a crystal plate. His elixir had indeed begun to form.
“No wonder I feel so refreshed and energetic today. So, I’ve already condensed my elixir. Though I’m not entirely clear on the specifics. Perhaps we could delve deeper into it tonight, my dear?” Mei Qing said with a cheerful grin.
Bi Zhen lowered her head, slightly embarrassed. “Exactly. Once today’s matters are settled, we’ll need to spend more time together. After dual cultivation and elixir condensation, nurturing and solidifying the cauldron offers additional benefits compared to solitary cultivation. We’ll discuss it more tonight.”
…If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have said anything. It would have been better to let the beautiful Bi Zhen beg me to cultivate—thought the ever-imaginative Mei Qing.
“Also, I’ve burned the notes you annotated. Since we both remember them, we’ll compile the original manuscript and submit it. That will be the end of it. Let’s make sure no one else finds out about this,” Bi Zhen reminded Mei Qing as they were about to disembark.
Mei Qing nodded in agreement. As for the mysterious hand that had tried to steal the Daoist scriptures that day, Bi Zhen hadn’t mentioned it, and Mei Qing hadn’t asked. But Bi Zhen seemed to have some idea, suggesting that the matter was far more complex than it appeared.
On the way, the carriage stopped once at the gate of the South Garden Palace. Bi Zhen didn’t get out, but the coachman exchanged a few words with someone before they continued on their way. Mei Qing couldn’t help but marvel at how much favor Bi Zhen enjoyed with the Emperor, given that they could enter the royal palace so freely.
After turning a couple of corners, the carriage came to a gentle stop. The two of them got out and found themselves standing before the entrance to a small, exquisitely designed garden. A rockery stood at the entrance, partially obscuring a winding path. Inside the palace walls, willow branches swayed gently, reflecting off a pool of clear water outside the wall, creating a serene atmosphere.
“Princess Bi, oh my, what brings you here today?” A high-pitched voice called out, and Mei Qing noticed an elderly eunuch hurrying over with a wide smile.
“Ah, Eunuch Zheng, how have you been? Is His Majesty inside? And where is Minister Lu?” Bi Zhen asked with a smile.
“Oh, you flatter me. Thanks to your blessings, I’ve been quite well. His Majesty is currently refining his golden elixir, and he should be done soon. Minister Lu was here earlier, but he had to leave in a hurry due to some urgent matter. Are you here to see Minister Lu today?” Eunuch Zheng asked, a hint of surprise in his voice, likely aware of the strained relationship between Bi Zhen and her father.
“No, no, I’m here to see His Majesty,” Bi Zhen replied. Hearing that Minister Lu wasn’t there, she shot Mei Qing a triumphant smile before turning back to Eunuch Zheng. “Since His Majesty will be done soon, we’ll go in and wait.”
Eunuch Zheng hesitated slightly. “Of course, Princess Bi, you may enter. But as for this gentleman…” He glanced at Mei Qing.
“Oh, he’s also here to see His Majesty. I brought him specifically for that purpose. Don’t worry,” Bi Zhen said, pulling Mei Qing along as she stepped inside.
Eunuch Zheng made a slight movement as if to stop them but ultimately didn’t. Bi Zhen was highly favored by the Emperor, and if she said Mei Qing was here to see His Majesty, it wasn’t his place to question it.
As Bi Zhen and Mei Qing walked into the garden, they couldn’t help but feel a sense of triumph. Their plan was nearly complete. But just then, a voice called out, “Bi Zhen, what brings you here?”
They turned to see two men approaching. The first was a middle-aged man in his forties, dressed in a pristine blue Daoist robe. His face was slightly gaunt, as if he were frail, but his demeanor was dignified, exuding an otherworldly aura. Behind him was a burly man with a wild beard and a muscular build, wearing a brown short robe that revealed his bronzed, gleaming muscles.
“Oh no, I thought we had him distracted. How did he get back so quickly?” Bi Zhen’s face paled. She grabbed Mei Qing’s hand and hurried inside, calling out, “His Majesty wanted to see me, so I came.”
The man in the Daoist robe was none other than Minister Lu? Mei Qing’s heart tightened. He didn’t understand why Bi Zhen had tried to divert Minister Lu, only for him to return so quickly. He was also puzzled—why was Minister Lu, the head of the Imperial Guards, dressed in a Daoist robe?
Just as they were about to rush in, Minister Lu suddenly appeared before them, his eyes narrowing as he took in their presence. “His Majesty never summoned you. Mei Qing? What is he doing here…? Wait, Bi Zhen… you’ve already… with this boy!?” His eyes, usually calm, now flashed with a dangerous light.
“None of your business!” Bi Zhen gritted her teeth and threw the bracelet from her wrist into the air. “Chaos of the Primordial, Sever the Five Elements, Seal!” As she chanted, her form became ethereal, like a wisp of mist, as she tried to slip past Minister Lu.
Minister Lu laughed coldly. “You think such tricks will work on me? By the power of Heaven and Earth, break!” He didn’t move, but with a simple gesture of his right hand, he drew a symbol in the air and pointed forward.
The bracelet Bi Zhen had thrown suddenly appeared in his hand. With his left hand, he reached into the bracelet and, with a swift motion, Bi Zhen’s ethereal form solidified in his grasp.
“What are you doing? Let me go…” Bi Zhen cried out, but her body went limp, and she fell silent in Minister Lu’s arms.
“Bi Zhen!” Mei Qing’s heart raced with fear. He didn’t know what had happened to her, but he stepped forward, reaching out to snatch her back.
“Don’t move, boy!” A deep, resonant voice boomed, and Mei Qing felt a crushing weight on his shoulder, as if a mountain had descended upon him, immobilizing him completely.
He turned to see the burly man standing behind him, his hand pressing down on Mei Qing’s shoulder. The man grinned, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth.
Mei Qing struggled against the pressure, but it only grew heavier, threatening to crush him into the ground. In desperation, he focused his mind and silently chanted the earth-diving spell: “Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth Spirit leads the way, Dive!”
His body shifted, and the man’s crushing grip suddenly found nothing but air. Mei Qing felt as if he could move freely through the earth itself. With a thought, he surged toward Minister Lu, reaching out to grab Bi Zhen.
The burly man grunted in surprise but didn’t hesitate. He clenched his fist and slammed it into the ground with a roar.
Mei Qing felt his body constrict, as if bound by invisible chains. He collapsed to the ground, and a powerful force invaded his body, shutting down his senses. Everything went black.
“No, no, I’m here to see the Emperor,” Bi Zhen said. Upon hearing that Lu Bing was not present, she secretly flashed Mei Qing a triumphant smile before turning back to Zheng Gonggong and saying, “Since the Emperor will finish his cultivation soon, we’ll go in and wait for him.”
Zheng Gonggong hesitated slightly and said, “Of course, Princess Bi is welcome to enter, but I wonder about this gentleman…” He glanced at Mei Qing with some uncertainty.
“Oh, him? He’s someone the Emperor also wishes to see. I specially brought him along today. There’s no need to worry,” Bi Zhen said as she pulled Mei Qing along and stepped forward.
Zheng Gonggong raised his hand slightly but finally decided not to stop them. After all, Princess Bi was highly favored by the Emperor. If she said the Emperor wanted to see him, as a humble servant, there was no need to be too strict.
As Bi Zhen and Mei Qing entered the garden, they couldn’t help but wear expressions of triumph. Just as they were about to succeed, suddenly a voice came from behind them, “Ah Bi, what brings you here?”
Startled, the two turned around quickly and saw two people approaching. The one in front was a middle-aged man who looked no more than forty years old, dressed in a clean, light-blue Daoist robe. His face was slightly gaunt, as if too frail to bear his own weight, yet his demeanor was lofty and refined, exuding an ethereal aura. Behind him was a massive man, his face bristling with thick, wiry beard like spears and daggers sticking out, wearing a brown short robe that exposed his bronze-colored muscles, gleaming like polished copper.
“Oh no! Didn’t we arrange to keep him away? How did he come back so quickly!” Bi Zhen’s face changed dramatically. She quickly pulled Mei Qing and hurried forward, loudly declaring, “The Emperor wants to see me, so I came.”
This person in the Daoist robe was actually Lu Bing? Mei Qing’s heart also tightened, puzzled as to why Bi Zhen had arranged to divert Lu Bing away, only for him to return so soon. He was even more confused—Lu Bing, as the commander of the Jinyiwei, why was he dressed in Daoist robes?
As the two were about to rush in, suddenly Lu Bing appeared before them, coldly snorting, “When did the Emperor say he wanted to see you? Mei Qing? What are you doing here too… Hmm? Ah Bi… You’ve already… Did you do something with this kid!?” His eyes, usually gentle, suddenly flashed with a chilling light as he quickly noticed Bi Zhen’s condition.
Regardless of how the events unfolded at the time, when it came to settling accounts afterward, the man was always at fault.
Thus, when the topic was brought up, Mei Qing immediately knew better than to argue and instead inquired with concern about Bi Zhen’s emotional ordeal and how it should be resolved.
“Emotional ordeal?” Bi Zhen replied with a half-smile, “What emotional ordeal? Since we’ve come this far, it naturally dissipates.”
“Ah?” Mei Qing found it hard to believe, “Are you saying that after we… well, you know, the ordeal just passed? If I had known earlier…”
“Stop it, what nonsense are you talking about!” Bi Zhen blushed deeply, “It’s not as simple as you think. Ordeals are not so easily overcome. Don’t forget, just the other night, we barely escaped with our lives. If such an ordeal couldn’t be overcome, then no ordeal in the world could be!”
Only then did Mei Qing understand why Bi Zhen had said that the key to overcoming the ordeal lay in the word “truth.” As the saying goes, without experiencing storms, one cannot see a rainbow. Reflecting on this, although the previous night was arduous, the rewards were equally substantial.
“So, you should be close to forming your core now, right? Since the ordeal is over,” Mei Qing asked.
Bi Zhen nodded, “Exactly. Having overcome this ordeal and gained some benefits from our… dual cultivation the other night, the core imagery has already begun to solidify. Haven’t you noticed anything?”
“Me?” Mei Qing was surprised, “What should I have noticed?”
“Silly, you’ve memorized so much, how could you forget now? We were dual cultivating. In fact, during the dual cultivation the other night, the core had already begun to form, though it wasn’t fully solidified yet,” Bi Zhen said with a hint of amusement.
“Ah…” Mei Qing indeed recalled feeling something different at the time. However, his attention had been focused on other matters, so he hadn’t paid much attention.
It’s rare to find someone like Mei Qing in the world of cultivation. The most crucial aspect of cultivation is pure focus; it’s impossible to split one’s attention. Yet, Mei Qing was peculiar in that his body seemed to cultivate on its own. Once he entered that state, he could leave it unattended without any issues. This led to the amusing situation where he had already formed his core without even realizing it.
Taking this step was no easy feat. Since ancient times, only those who have formed their core could be called true cultivators, truly stepping into the threshold of cultivation. For most practitioners, even the diligent ones, it takes twenty to thirty years to progress from foundation building to core formation. Those who manage to cross this threshold before the age of fifty are considered fortunate. Many, however, never make it, lingering outside the door, which is not uncommon.
In fact, Mei Qing was unaware that he had broken records in a shocking manner. Back in the day, Plum Blossom Daoist Fan Wentai, hailed as a once-in-a-millennium genius, took ten years to form his core, which was already considered astonishing. For someone like Mei Qing to form his core in just a few months was nothing short of monstrous.
Even Bi Zhen, who had been cultivating since childhood and was different from ordinary people, took fifteen years to form her core, which was already a rare talent.
However, in Bi Zhen’s mind, she suspected that Mei Qing must have had some extraordinary encounter in his youth. His seemingly dull and unremarkable years were likely a result of someone secretly cleansing and unblocking his meridians, which explained his rapid progress upon entering the path of cultivation. However, since Mei Qing couldn’t recall much from those years, it was hard to be certain.
Mei Qing himself didn’t pay much attention to these details. Upon hearing Bi Zhen’s words, he quickly focused inward and noticed that, just as the alchemy scriptures described, within the cauldron of his body, a faint, round, and luminous core had formed, resembling a pearl on a crystal plate. His core had indeed begun to take shape.
“No wonder I feel so refreshed and energetic today. So, I’ve already formed my core. I just haven’t fully grasped the nuances yet. How about we delve deeper into this tonight, my dear?” Mei Qing said with a cheerful smile.
Bi Zhen lowered her head, slightly embarrassed, “Exactly. After we settle today’s matters, we’ll need to spend more time together. After dual cultivation and core formation, nurturing and solidifying the core has additional benefits compared to solitary cultivation. We’ll discuss it more tonight.”
…If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have said anything. It would have been better to let the beautiful Bi Zhen beg me to cultivate—thought Mei Qing, his mind filled with romantic fantasies.
“Also, I’ve burned the annotations you made. Since we both remember them, we’ll compile the original manuscript and submit it. That will be the end of it. Let’s not let a third person know about this,” Bi Zhen reminded Mei Qing as they were about to leave the carriage.
Mei Qing nodded in agreement. The strange hand that had tried to steal the Daoist scriptures that day—Bi Zhen hadn’t mentioned who was behind it, and Mei Qing hadn’t asked. But Bi Zhen had a vague sense that it must involve significant forces.
On the way, the carriage stopped once at the entrance of the South Garden Palace. Bi Zhen didn’t get out, but the coachman had a brief exchange with someone before they continued. Mei Qing couldn’t help but marvel at how much favor Bi Zhen enjoyed with the emperor, being able to enter the royal palace so freely.
After turning a couple of corners, the carriage slowly came to a halt, and the two got out. They found themselves at the entrance of a small garden.
Though the garden wasn’t large, it was exquisitely designed. A rockery stood at the entrance, partially concealing a winding path. Inside the palace walls, willow branches swayed gently, reflecting off a pool of clear water outside, creating a serene atmosphere.
“Princess Bi, what brings you here today?” a high-pitched voice called out. Mei Qing noticed an elderly eunuch with a wide smile hurrying toward them.
“Isn’t this Eunuch Zheng? How have you been? Is the emperor inside? What about Minister Lu?” Bi Zhen asked with a smile.
“Oh, how kind of you to ask. Thanks to your blessings, I’ve been doing well. The emperor is currently refining his golden core and should be done soon. Minister Lu was accompanying him, but he had to leave abruptly due to some urgent matter. Were you looking for Minister Lu today?” Perhaps aware of the discord between Bi Zhen and her father, Eunuch Zheng showed a hint of surprise when mentioning Lu Bing.
“No, no, I’m here to see the emperor,” Bi Zhen replied. Hearing that Lu Bing wasn’t there, she secretly flashed Mei Qing a triumphant smile before turning back to Eunuch Zheng, “Since the emperor will be done soon, we’ll go in and wait.”
Eunuch Zheng looked slightly hesitant, “Princess Bi, you may enter, but I’m not sure about this gentleman…” He glanced at Mei Qing.
“He’s also here to see the emperor. I brought him specifically for that purpose. Don’t worry,” Bi Zhen said, pulling Mei Qing along as she stepped inside.
Eunuch Zheng made a slight movement as if to stop them but ultimately didn’t. Bi Zhen was highly favored by the emperor, and if she said the emperor wanted to see Mei Qing, it wasn’t his place to question it.
As Bi Zhen and Mei Qing entered the garden, they couldn’t help but feel a sense of triumph. Just as they were about to achieve their goal, a voice called out, “Bi, what are you doing here?”
They turned to see two men approaching. The first was a middle-aged man in his forties, dressed in a pristine blue Daoist robe. His face was slightly gaunt, as if he were frail, but his demeanor was as noble as a crane, exuding an otherworldly aura. Behind him was a burly man with a beard as wild as spears, wearing a brown short robe that revealed his bronze muscles, which gleamed like polished copper.
“Oh no, I thought we had him distracted. How did he get back so quickly!” Bi Zhen’s face paled. She grabbed Mei Qing and hurried inside, loudly saying, “The emperor wants to see me, so I came.”
The man in the Daoist robe was none other than Lu Bing? Mei Qing’s heart tightened. He didn’t understand why Bi Zhen had tried to divert Lu Bing, only for him to return so quickly. He was also puzzled—Lu Bing was the commander of the Imperial Guards, so why was he dressed as a Daoist?
Just as they were about to rush in, Lu Bing suddenly appeared before them, coldly saying, “Since when did the emperor want to see you? Mei Qing? Why is he here… Hmm? Bi… you’ve already… with this boy!?” After a quick glance at them, Lu Bing noticed something about Bi Zhen, and his previously calm eyes suddenly flashed with a chilling light.
“None of your business!” Bi Zhen gritted her teeth and threw the bracelet on her wrist into the air, “Chaos and infinity, sever the five elements, sever!” As she shouted, her own form became ethereal, like a mist, and she floated past the middle-aged man.
Lu Bing, instead of being angry, laughed, “You dare use this trick on me? By the power of heaven and earth, break!” He didn’t move, but with his right hand, he drew a simple symbol in the air and pointed forward.
Suddenly, the bracelet Bi Zhen had thrown appeared in his hand. With his left hand, he made a grasping motion toward the bracelet, and Bi Zhen’s ethereal form solidified in his grasp.
“What are you doing? Let go…” Bi Zhen cried out, but her body went limp, and Lu Bing gently held her, now silent.
“Bi Zhen!” Mei Qing, seeing this, was filled with panic. He didn’t know what had happened to Bi Zhen and stepped forward, reaching out to grab her.
“Don’t move, boy!” A deep, resonant voice rang out, and Mei Qing felt a heavy pressure on his shoulder, as if a mountain were pressing down on him, making it impossible to move.
He turned to see the burly man had somehow appeared behind him, his hand pressing down on Mei Qing’s shoulder. The man grinned, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth.
Mei Qing tried to push back, but the pressure only increased, almost crushing him into the ground. Suddenly, he remembered the token on his chest and silently recited the earth escape incantation, “Metal, wood, water, fire, earth spirit leads the way, escape!”
His body shifted, and the burly man’s hand missed its target. Mei Qing felt as if he could move freely through the earth, reaching anywhere he desired. He focused his mind and charged toward Lu Bing’s feet, reaching out to grab Bi Zhen from his hand.
The burly man let out a surprised grunt but didn’t stop. He changed his hand into a fist and roared, “Hah!” as he punched the ground.
Mei Qing felt his body tighten, as if bound by something, and he fell to the ground. A powerful force invaded his body, and his senses shut down. He knew nothing more.
Regardless of how the events unfolded at the time, when it came to settling accounts afterward, the man was always at fault.
Therefore, as soon as the topic was brought up, Mei Qing immediately knew better than to argue and instead inquired with concern about Bi Zhen’s emotional ordeal and how it should be resolved.
“Emotional ordeal?” Bi Zhen replied with a half-smile, “What emotional ordeal? Now that we’ve reached this point, the ordeal has naturally dissipated.”
“Ah?” Mei Qing found it hard to believe, “Are you saying that after we… did that, the ordeal just passed? If I had known earlier…”
“Stop it, what nonsense are you talking about?” Bi Zhen blushed deeply, “It’s not as simple as you think. Ordeals are not so easily overcome. Don’t forget that just the other night, we narrowly escaped with our lives. If such an ordeal couldn’t be overcome, then no one in the world could ever overcome one!”
Only then did Mei Qing understand why Bi Zhen had said that the key to overcoming the ordeal lay in the word “truth.” As the saying goes, without experiencing storms, one cannot see a rainbow. Reflecting on this, although the previous night had been arduous, the rewards were equally substantial.
“So, you should be ready to form your core soon, right? Since the ordeal has passed,” Mei Qing asked.
Bi Zhen nodded, “Exactly. Having overcome this ordeal and gained some benefits from our… dual cultivation the other night, the core imagery has already begun to solidify. Haven’t you felt it yet?”
“Me?” Mei Qing was surprised, “What should I be feeling?”
“Silly, you’ve memorized so much, how can you forget now? We were dual cultivating. In fact, during the dual cultivation the other night, the core had already begun to form, though it wasn’t fully solidified yet,” Bi Zhen said with a hint of amusement.
“Ah…” Mei Qing indeed recalled feeling something different at the time. However, his attention had been focused on other matters, so he hadn’t paid much attention.
It’s rare to find someone like Mei Qing in the world of cultivation. The most crucial aspect of cultivation is maintaining a pure and focused mind; it’s impossible to split one’s attention. Yet, strangely, Mei Qing’s body seemed to cultivate on its own. Once he entered that state, he could remain indifferent and still progress. This led to the amusing situation where he had already formed his core without even realizing it.
Taking this step is no easy feat. Since ancient times, only those who have formed their core can be called true cultivators, having truly stepped into the realm of spiritual cultivation. For most practitioners, even with diligent study and hard work, it takes twenty to thirty years to progress from foundation building to core formation. Those who manage to cross this threshold before fifty are considered fortunate. Many never make it, lingering outside the door, which is not uncommon.
What Mei Qing didn’t know was that he had shattered records in an astonishing manner. Back in the day, Plum Blossom Daoist Fan Wentai, hailed as a once-in-a-millennium genius, took ten years to form his core after building his foundation, which was already considered remarkable. For someone like Mei Qing to form his core in just a few months, he could only be described as a monster.
Even Bi Zhen, who had been cultivating since childhood and was different from ordinary people, took fifteen years to form her core, which was already a rare talent.
However, in Bi Zhen’s mind, she suspected that Mei Qing must have had some extraordinary encounter in his youth. His seemingly dull and unremarkable years were likely a result of someone secretly cleansing and refining his meridians and marrow. Otherwise, it would be impossible for Mei Qing to progress so rapidly upon entering the path of cultivation. However, since Mei Qing couldn’t clearly remember those years, it was hard to say for sure.
Mei Qing himself didn’t pay much attention to these details. Upon hearing Bi Zhen’s words, he quickly turned his attention inward and noticed that, as described in the core scriptures, there was a faint, round, and luminous point within his dantian, resembling a pearl on a crystal plate. His core had indeed begun to form.
“No wonder I feel so refreshed and energetic today. So, I’ve already formed my core. However, I’m not entirely familiar with the nuances. Perhaps we could delve deeper into it tonight, my dear?” Mei Qing said with a cheerful smile.
Bi Zhen, slightly embarrassed, lowered her head and said, “Exactly. After we settle today’s matters, we’ll need to spend more time together. After dual cultivation and core formation, nurturing and solidifying the core has additional benefits compared to solitary cultivation. We’ll discuss it further tonight.”
…If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have said anything. It would have been better to let the beautiful Bi Zhen beg me to cultivate—this was the thought running through a certain someone’s mind, filled with fanciful imaginings.
“Also, I’ve burned the annotations you made. Since we both remember them, we’ll compile the original manuscript and submit it. That will be the end of it. Let’s not let a third person know about these matters,” Bi Zhen reminded Mei Qing as they were about to disembark.
Mei Qing nodded in agreement. As for the strange hand that had tried to seize the Daoist scriptures that day, Bi Zhen hadn’t mentioned who was behind it, and Mei Qing hadn’t asked. But Bi Zhen had a vague sense that it likely involved significant forces.
On the way, the carriage stopped once at the gate of the Southern Palace. Bi Zhen didn’t get off, but the coachman had a brief exchange with someone before they continued on their way. Mei Qing couldn’t help but marvel at how much Bi Zhen was favored by the current emperor, as they were able to enter the royal palace without hindrance.
After turning a couple of corners, the carriage slowly came to a halt, and the two of them got off. Looking up, they found themselves at the entrance of a small garden.
Though the garden was not large, it was exquisitely designed. A rockery stood at the entrance, obscuring a winding path. Inside the palace walls, weeping willows swayed gently, reflecting off a pool of clear water outside the wall, creating a serene atmosphere.
“Princess Bi, oh, what brings you here today?” a high-pitched voice rang out. Mei Qing noticed an elderly eunuch with a beaming smile hurrying over.
“It’s Eunuch Zheng, isn’t it? How have you been? Is His Majesty inside? And where is Minister Lu?” Bi Zhen asked with a smile.
“Oh, how can I accept your concern? Thanks to your blessings, this old servant has been doing well. His Majesty is currently cultivating his golden core and should be done soon. Minister Lu was accompanying him, but he seemed to have some urgent matter and had to leave in a hurry. Are you here to see Minister Lu today, Princess Bi?” Perhaps aware of the discord between Bi Zhen and her father, Eunuch Zheng showed a hint of surprise when mentioning Lu Bing.
“No, no, I’m here to see His Majesty,” Bi Zhen said. Hearing that Lu Bing wasn’t there, she secretly gave Mei Qing a triumphant smile before turning back to Eunuch Zheng, “Since His Majesty will be done soon, we’ll go in and wait.”
Eunuch Zheng showed a hint of hesitation, “Princess Bi, of course, you may enter, but I’m not sure about this gentleman…” He glanced at Mei Qing.
“Him? His Majesty wants to see him too. I brought him here specifically to meet His Majesty. Don’t worry,” Bi Zhen said, pulling Mei Qing along as she stepped inside.
Eunuch Zheng made a slight movement as if to stop them but ultimately didn’t. Bi Zhen was highly favored by the emperor, and since she had said that the emperor wanted to see Mei Qing, it wasn’t his place to interfere.
As Bi Zhen and Mei Qing entered the garden, they couldn’t help but feel a sense of triumph. Just as they were about to achieve their goal, a voice suddenly called out, “Ah Bi, what brings you here?”
They turned around to see two men approaching. The first was a middle-aged man in his forties, dressed in a pristine blue Daoist robe. His face was slightly gaunt, as if he were frail, but his demeanor was as noble as a crane, exuding an otherworldly aura. Behind him was a burly man with a wild beard like bristling spears, wearing a brown short robe that revealed his bronze muscles, which gleamed like polished copper.
“Oh no, wasn’t he supposed to be delayed? How did he get back so quickly!” Bi Zhen’s face turned pale. She grabbed Mei Qing and hurried inside, loudly saying, “His Majesty wants to see me, so I came.”
This Daoist-robed man was actually Lu Bing? Mei Qing’s heart tightened, not understanding why Bi Zhen had tried to divert Lu Bing only for him to return so quickly. He was also slightly puzzled—Lu Bing was the commander of the Imperial Guards, so why was he dressed as a Daoist?
Just as they were about to rush in, Lu Bing suddenly appeared before them, coldly saying, “When did His Majesty ask to see you? Mei Qing? Why is he here… Hmm? Ah Bi… you’ve already… is it because of this boy?” With a quick glance at the two of them, he immediately noticed Bi Zhen’s condition, and his previously calm eyes suddenly flashed with a chilling light.
“None of your business!” Bi Zhen gritted her teeth and threw the bracelet on her wrist into the air, “Chaos without limits, sever the five elements, seal!” With this command, Bi Zhen herself suddenly became ethereal, like a mist, and drifted past the middle-aged man.
Lu Bing, instead of being angry, laughed, “You dare use this trick on me? Borrow the power of heaven and earth, break!” Without moving, he simply drew a simple talisman in the air with two fingers of his right hand and pointed forward.
Somehow, the bracelet Bi Zhen had thrown suddenly appeared in his hand. With his left hand, he made a grabbing motion toward the bracelet, and Bi Zhen’s faint figure immediately fell into his left hand.
“What are you doing? Let go…” Bi Zhen had just started to scream when her body went limp and she fell unconscious in Lu Bing’s grasp.
“Bi Zhen!” Mei Qing, seeing this, was filled with panic, not knowing what had happened to Bi Zhen. He stepped forward, reaching out to snatch her back.
“Don’t move, boy!” A voice like booming bronze rang out, and Mei Qing felt a tremendous weight on his shoulder, as if a mountain were pressing down on him, making his body creak and preventing him from moving.
Turning his head, he saw the burly man had somehow appeared behind him, his hand pressing down on Mei Qing’s shoulder. Seeing Mei Qing look back, the man grinned, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth.
Mei Qing tried to stand firm, but the pressure only increased, almost crushing him into the ground. Realizing the danger, Mei Qing quickly focused his mind on the token at his chest and silently recited the earth escape incantation, “Metal, wood, water, fire, earth spirit leads the way, escape!”
With a sudden movement, the burly man’s mountain-like pressure was gone, and Mei Qing felt as if he could move freely through the earth’s energy, reaching anywhere he desired. With a thought, he rushed toward Lu Bing’s feet, reaching out to grab Bi Zhen from his hand.
The burly man let out a sound of surprise but didn’t stop. He changed his palm into a fist and roared, “Hah!” as he punched the ground.
Mei Qing felt his entire body tighten, as if bound by something, and he could no longer move. Suddenly, he fell to the ground, and a tremendous force invaded his body, shutting down all his senses, and he knew nothing more.
Bi Zhen’s thrown bracelet suddenly appeared in his hand. Then, raising his left hand, he reached into the bracelet and grabbed something. Instantly, Bi Zhen’s previously hazy figure solidified in his left hand.
“What are you doing? Let go of me…” Before Bi Zhen could finish her cry, her body suddenly went limp and she softly collapsed, held effortlessly in Lu Bing’s hand, making no sound.
“Bi Zhen!” Mei Qing was shocked, not knowing what had happened to her. He stepped forward and reached out to try to rescue her.
“Don’t move, kid!” came a thunderous voice like a bronze bell. A massive force pressed down on his shoulder, making his bones creak and rendering him completely immobile.
Looking back, he saw the brown-clad giant had somehow appeared behind him, his palm pressing down on his shoulder. Seeing Mei Qing turn, the giant grinned, revealing a row of gleaming white teeth.
Regardless of how things unfolded at the time, when it came to settling accounts afterward, the man was always at fault.
Thus, when the topic was brought up, Mei Qing immediately knew to stop arguing and instead inquired with concern about Bi Zhen’s emotional ordeal and how it should be resolved.
“Emotional ordeal?” Bi Zhen said with a half-smile, “What emotional ordeal? Since we’ve come this far, that ordeal has naturally dissipated.”
“Ah?” Mei Qing found it hard to believe, “Are you saying that after we… did that, the ordeal just passed? If I had known earlier…”
“Stop it, what nonsense are you talking about?” Bi Zhen blushed deeply, “It’s not as simple as you think. Trials and tribulations aren’t so easily overcome. Don’t forget that just the other night, we barely escaped with our lives. If such a trial couldn’t be overcome, then no one in the world could ever pass one!”
Only then did Mei Qing understand why Bi Zhen had emphasized that the key to overcoming the ordeal lay in the word “truth.” As the saying goes, without enduring the storm, one cannot see the rainbow. Reflecting on this, although the previous night had been arduous, the rewards were equally substantial.
“So, you should be ready to condense your core soon, right? Since the ordeal is over,” Mei Qing asked.
Bi Zhen nodded, “Exactly. Having passed this trial, and after our… dual cultivation the other night, I’ve gained some benefits, and the signs of core condensation are already becoming apparent. Haven’t you felt it yet?”
“Me?” Mei Qing was surprised, “What should I be feeling?”
“Silly, you’ve memorized so much, how could you forget now? We were in dual cultivation. In fact, during the night… the initial signs of core condensation appeared, though it hasn’t fully solidified yet,” Bi Zhen said with a hint of amusement.
“Ah…” Mei Qing indeed recalled feeling something different at the time. However, his attention had been primarily focused on other matters, so he hadn’t paid much heed.
In the world of cultivation, someone like Mei Qing was truly unique. The most crucial aspect of cultivation is single-minded focus; it’s impossible to split one’s attention. Yet, strangely, Mei Qing’s body seemed to cultivate on its own. Once he entered that state, he could remain indifferent and still progress. This led to the absurd situation where he had already begun condensing his core without even realizing it.
This step was not easy. Since ancient times, only those who had formed their core could be called true cultivators, having truly entered the threshold of cultivation. For most practitioners, even with diligent study, it would take twenty to thirty years to progress from foundation building to core formation. Those who could pass this barrier before the age of fifty were considered fortunate. Many, however, would never cross this threshold, remaining outside the door for their entire lives, which was not uncommon.
What Mei Qing didn’t know was that he had shattered all records in an astonishing manner. Back in the day, the Plum Blossom Daoist, Fan Wentai, was hailed as a once-in-a-millennium genius for forming his core in ten years, a feat that left people in awe. For Mei Qing to achieve core formation in just a few months was nothing short of monstrous.
Even Bi Zhen, who had been cultivating since childhood and was different from ordinary people, took fifteen years to form her core, which was already a rare talent.
However, in Bi Zhen’s mind, she suspected that Mei Qing must have had some extraordinary encounter in his youth. His seemingly dull and unremarkable years were likely the result of someone secretly cleansing and refining his meridians and marrow. Otherwise, there was no way he could have progressed so rapidly upon entering the path of cultivation. However, since Mei Qing couldn’t remember much from those years, it was hard to say for sure.
Mei Qing himself didn’t pay much attention to these details. Upon hearing Bi Zhen’s words, he quickly turned his attention inward and noticed that, just as the alchemical texts described, within the cauldron of his body, a faint, round, and luminous light had appeared, resembling a pearl on a crystal plate. His core had indeed begun to form.
“No wonder I feel so refreshed and energetic today. So, I’ve already started condensing my core. Though I’m not entirely clear on the process. Maybe we could cultivate together again tonight?” Mei Qing said with a cheerful smile.
Bi Zhen lowered her head, slightly embarrassed, “Exactly. After we settle today’s matters, we’ll need to spend more time together. After dual cultivation and core condensation, nurturing and stabilizing the core has additional benefits compared to solitary cultivation. I’ll explain more to you tonight.”
…If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have said anything. It would have been better to let the beautiful Bi Zhen beg me to cultivate with her—such were the whimsical thoughts running through someone’s mind.
“Also, I’ve burned the notes you made. Since we both remember them, we’ll just tidy up the original draft and submit it. That will be the end of it. Let’s not let anyone else know about these matters,” Bi Zhen reminded Mei Qing as they were about to disembark.
Mei Qing nodded in agreement. As for who had sent the strange hand to steal the Daoist texts that day, Bi Zhen hadn’t mentioned it afterward, and Mei Qing hadn’t asked. But Bi Zhen had a vague sense that Bi Zhen likely had some idea, and it probably involved significant forces.
On the way, the carriage stopped once at the entrance of the South Garden Palace. Bi Zhen didn’t get out, but the coachman exchanged a few words with someone before they continued on their way. Mei Qing couldn’t help but marvel at how deeply favored Bi Zhen was by the emperor, to be able to enter the royal palace so freely.
After turning a couple of corners, the carriage slowly came to a halt, and the two of them got out. Looking up, they found themselves at the entrance of a small garden.
Though the garden was not large, it was exquisitely designed. A rockery at the entrance obscured a winding path. Within the palace walls, willow trees swayed gently, their reflections dancing on the surface of a nearby pond, creating a serene atmosphere.
“Princess Bi, oh my, what brings you here today?” A sharp voice rang out, and Mei Qing noticed an old eunuch with a beaming smile hurrying over.
“Isn’t this Eunuch Zheng? How have you been? Is His Majesty inside? And where is Minister Lu?” Bi Zhen asked with a smile.
“Oh, how kind of you to ask. Thanks to your blessings, this old servant has been doing well. His Majesty is currently cultivating his golden core, and he should be done soon. Minister Lu was accompanying him, but he seemed to have some urgent matter and had to rush back. Are you here to see Minister Lu today, Princess Bi?” Perhaps aware of the discord between Bi Zhen and her father, Eunuch Zheng looked slightly surprised when mentioning Lu Bing.
“No, no, I’m here to see His Majesty,” Bi Zhen said, secretly giving Mei Qing a triumphant smile upon hearing that Lu Bing wasn’t there. She then turned back to Eunuch Zheng, “Since His Majesty will be done soon, we’ll go in and wait.”
Eunuch Zheng looked somewhat hesitant, “Of course, Princess Bi, you may enter, but I’m not sure about this gentleman…” He glanced at Mei Qing.
“Him? His Majesty wants to see him too. I brought him specifically to meet His Majesty today. Don’t worry,” Bi Zhen said, pulling Mei Qing along as she stepped inside.
Eunuch Zheng made a slight movement as if to stop them but ultimately didn’t. Bi Zhen was highly favored by the emperor, and since she had said that the emperor wanted to see Mei Qing, it wasn’t his place to interfere.
As Bi Zhen and Mei Qing entered the garden, they couldn’t help but feel a sense of triumph. Just as they were about to achieve their goal, a voice suddenly called out, “Bi, what are you doing here?”
They turned around to see two men approaching. The first was a middle-aged man in his forties, dressed in a pristine blue Daoist robe. His face was slightly gaunt, as if he were frail, but his demeanor was as lofty as a crane, exuding an otherworldly aura. Behind him was a burly man with a beard as bristly as spears, wearing a brown short robe that revealed his bronze muscles, which gleamed with a deep, metallic sheen.
“Oh no, I thought we had him fooled into leaving. How did he get back so quickly?” Bi Zhen’s face turned pale. She grabbed Mei Qing and hurried inside, loudly declaring, “His Majesty wants to see me, so I came.”
The man in the Daoist robe was none other than Lu Bing? Mei Qing’s heart tightened. He didn’t understand why Lu Bing had returned despite Bi Zhen’s efforts to divert him. He was also slightly puzzled—Lu Bing was the commander of the Imperial Guards, so why was he dressed in a Daoist robe?
Just as they were about to rush in, Lu Bing suddenly appeared before them, coldly saying, “Since when did His Majesty want to see you? Mei Qing? Why is he here… Hmm? Bi… you’ve already… with this boy?!” After a quick glance at the two, he noticed something about Bi Zhen, and his previously calm eyes suddenly flashed with a menacing light.
“None of your business!” Bi Zhen gritted her teeth and threw the bracelet on her wrist into the air, “Chaos without limits, sever the five elements, seal!” With this command, Bi Zhen herself suddenly became ethereal, like a mist, and floated around the middle-aged man.
Lu Bing, instead of being angry, laughed, “You dare use this trick on me? Borrow the power of heaven and earth, break!” Without moving, he simply drew a simple symbol with two fingers of his right hand and pointed forward.
The bracelet Bi Zhen had thrown somehow appeared in his hand. With his left hand, he made a grabbing motion toward the bracelet, and Bi Zhen’s ethereal form suddenly solidified in his grasp.
“What are you doing? Let go…” Bi Zhen cried out in shock, but her body went limp and she fell silent in Lu Bing’s hand.
“Bi Zhen!” Mei Qing, seeing this, was filled with panic, not knowing what had happened to Bi Zhen. He stepped forward, reaching out to snatch her back.
“Don’t move, kid!” A voice as deep as a bronze bell rang out, and Mei Qing felt a tremendous weight on his shoulder, as if a mountain were pressing down on him, making it impossible to move.
Looking back, he saw the burly man in the brown robe standing behind him, his hand pressing down on Mei Qing’s shoulder. Seeing Mei Qing look back, the man grinned, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth.
Mei Qing tried to push back, but the pressure only increased, almost crushing him into the ground. Realizing the danger, Mei Qing quickly focused his mind on the token on his chest and silently recited the earth escape mantra, “Metal, wood, water, fire, earth spirit leads the way, escape!”
With a sudden movement, the burly man’s mountain-like pressure vanished, and Mei Qing felt as if he could move freely through the earth. With a thought, he rushed toward Lu Bing’s feet, reaching out to grab Bi Zhen from his hand.
The burly man let out a surprised grunt but didn’t stop. He changed his palm into a fist and roared, “Hey!” as he punched the ground.
Mei Qing felt his entire body tighten, as if bound by something, and he could no longer move. He suddenly fell to the ground, feeling a tremendous force invade his body, shutting down all his senses, and he knew nothing more.
He felt his body move slightly, and the giant’s mountainous palm force suddenly missed its target. Mei Qing felt his body become free, as if flowing with the earth’s energy, able to reach anywhere. With a thought, he darted toward Lu Bing’s feet, reaching out to snatch Bi Zhen from his hand.
The giant let out a low “Hmm,” seemingly quite surprised, but his hand didn’t stop. Changing from a palm to a fist, he roared, “Hey!” and punched the ground.
Mei Qing suddenly felt his entire body tighten, as if bound by something, unable to move even an inch. He fell to the ground, and then a massive force surged into his body. His senses shut down, and he knew nothing more.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage