Chapter 23: Silent Light Buddha
"Elder... when I died, I saw a man who introduced himself as Wuji Xusheng."
"Hmm... Did he pass anything to you?" Elder Ge had seen only a being surrounded by a cloud of De, but could not pierce its essence with his Eye. Still, he knew the name — one of the Sect's Ancestors who had ascended to the Heavenly Realm.
"He showed me... the Void. After asking myself who am I, my sense of self disintegrated."
"Good. It seems he led you into the samadhi of the Hidden Gate of the Void. It is the first gate in our sect's secret practice. Its full name is the Void Refining Technique of Silent Light Buddha (寂光佛之炼虚术). According to legend, our sect originated on another planet called the Realm of Violet Rain (紫雨境). Silent Light Buddha gave this practice to the founders of our sect, who brought his Teaching to the Realm of the Emerald Sky over 300,000 years ago — even before the demon invasion. They say that Buddha foresaw the attack on this planet and instructed his emissaries to help mortals reach enlightenment and resist to the end. Whether this is true, I don't know. Over time, our sect ceased to be a monastic Buddhist order and became a Daoist sect, though our teachings and internal structure clearly retain Buddhist roots or influences."
"What kind of practice is it?" Zhen shifted uneasily, sensing something important was about to be said.
"This technique allows one to refine the Void into Dao — even without forming a core or practicing alchemy at all."
"I don't understand... What does it mean to refine the Void into Dao? How can you even refine the Void?"
"An alchemist refines Jing into Qi, Qi into Shen, Shen into Void, and Void into Dao. Refining Shen into Void means realizing the emptiness of one's Shen-spirit. That's what Wuji Xusheng gave you. Refining the Void into Dao is the next stage, when you realize that the Void is not empty. This cannot be explained — it must be practiced. The technique is passed heart-to-heart through De and cannot be expressed in words. The power of Silent Light Buddha's practice lies in allowing even novice alchemists to attain deep Dao-wisdom and accumulate De much faster than with traditional methods. There is a price for this, of course... But since the method is transmitted only heart-to-heart through De, I cannot pass you the next gate — I have not realized it myself. In our sect, it is no longer practiced at the core stage. Only the first gate is symbolically transmitted — which Wuji Xusheng already gave you. The following gates are practiced only after forming the Immortal Embryo—Nascent Soul stage, by the Sect Master and Great Elders."
Ge Xu Tong paused for a moment, considering whether to say more.
"I don't understand. Why doesn't our sect practice the core-secret technique it was founded on? Why don't we pass it to mortals, if it's meant for mortals?" Zhen clutched his head in confusion.
"Ha-ha. This technique depletes True Qi, which actively nourishes the Shen-spirit so it can comprehend the Void. That's why elders and sect leaders only practice it fully at the Fusion stage, even though it can theoretically be practiced from the very beginning. For mortals, such rapid depletion of Qi can cause death. On our ancestral planet, people lived for a thousand years and could afford to spend Qi equivalent to two hundred years of life. But here, under demonic oppression, people barely live to a hundred. Our ancestors used to teach it to mortals, but over time demons consumed more and more of their Qi, and lifespans shortened — mortals couldn't finish the practice before dying, often suffering severe damage. After the last mortal transmitters died out, the ancestors decided not to restore the tradition in the mortal world.
You were just a simple blacksmith not long ago — now you bear the responsibility of a sect of immortals with a millennia-long legacy, and even an entire planet... In time, your thoughts will settle. You must begin cultivation as soon as possible. The rest you'll understand yourself. That's enough for today. Get some rest."
Zhen Xu took a Jing-replenishing pill from a vial etched with patterns and laid down on the floor, resting his head on his backpack, trying to process all he had seen and heard. As he drifted into sleep, he noticed something odd — he remained aware through every stage of falling asleep, until he found himself fully conscious in the Void.
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Who is watching the Void? Who am I?
Flashes of light appeared here and there, forming familiar patterns and transforming the Void into something else.
"The Pre-Heaven Eight Trigrams." The realization burst forth with the next transformation.
Who am I?
The Void condensed and divided into Light and Shadow.
The world began to take shape... the shape of Zhen standing in a fruit orchard. Everything glowed from within — no shadows could be seen.
Zhen Xu saw Wuji Xusheng again, seated in lotus posture atop a massive turtle-shaped stone pedestal.
"Greetings, Ancestor." Zhen bowed respectfully.
"Ge Xu Tong is mistaken. Practice the Void Refining."
"Yes, Ancestor... But how?"
An aura of De light formed around Wuji and spread like flowing water. These waves engulfed Zhen Xu and the orchard faded back into Void. Understanding came without words. Remaining in the natural state of Void explained everything by itself. Zhen sensed the flow of Qi in his physical body lying on the cave floor begin to shift, how the body self-regulated under the influence of De, and how the movement of Qi and Jing affected thoughts and Shen — and how thought and Shen's tranquility affected the flow of Qi and Jing. All of it happened within the Void — and was Void. Nothing to worry about.
In this state of inner stillness, immersed in the Void and sensing the flow of Qi through hidden channels regulated by De, Zhen lay motionless until morning.
Ge Xu Tong watched Zhen's samadhi with his Eye — and had he been the type, he might have clicked his tongue in astonishment.
When Zhen emerged from samadhi, Elder Ge immediately contacted him telepathically:
"You practiced the Void Refining?"
"It seems so. I met Wuji Xusheng again."
"Hmm... Looks like the old men from the Heavenly Realm have plans for you. Well, I am your teacher, but I won't stop you. Still, I recommend you practice something that quickly replenishes Qi."
"Do you have anything else?"
"Ha! You haven't even looked in the chests — there are dozens of techniques in there. I also have a dozen more in my memory."
"What do you suggest, Master?"
"You've already successfully practiced the Hidden Yang Fire Burns Impurities to lay your foundation and create an internal alchemical Furnace. You should continue with the small elixir method from the same set — Hidden Yang Fire Forges Elixir. At the very least, it'll keep you from dying or falling ill from Qi depletion during refining the Void. Combined with external small elixir intake, you'll reach Human Immortal stage in 100 days."
"Human Immortal? What does that mean?"
"It means your microcosmic orbit will reopen and True Jing will replenish naturally. In theory, your lifespan will only be limited by the nature of this planet and your bodily kind. For our species and the Realm of the Emerald Sky, that's five hundred years."
"And what are the other stages?"
"Next is Earth Immortal — achieved by forming the Great Golden Elixir or Golden Core. Its lifespan isn't precisely calculated, but practically it's around two thousand years. Then comes True Immortal — with the formation of the Immortal Embryo. At that point, you may choose: remain on the planet or leave it by discarding your physical body. A Yang Immortal Embryo can travel through space without a fleshly vessel and, in theory, ascend to Heaven. In the gross material realm, the embryo lives ten thousand years. In Heaven, it can live much longer — though such a realm holds little for one at that level. On demon-free planets, the Embryo level is not even considered remarkable. Still, some choose to ascend and abandon the filth of this world. The next level — Embryo Fusion — is truly powerful and the last one on the base plane. Once you fuse your flesh with the body of True Yang, the only path left is ascent. By the Law of Heaven, those who reach this stage experience immense pressure and are forced to ascend whether they want to or not."
"Is that all I need to know?"
"For now, yes. You've laid your foundation — your body is strong, your Root and Furnace are formed, and your True Fire has awakened. Once your internal furnace produces the Medicine — the Small Inner Elixir — you'll reach the first level of the Small Elixir Stage, or Human Immortal. There are nine such levels before forming the Golden Core. These nine correspond to the dantian and the eight extraordinary meridians. But beyond these are hidden channels that govern the extraordinary ones. And there are different kinds of Qi, Jing, and Inner Fire. And that's not all. Alchemists don't follow one unified system — techniques come from many worlds and planets, some passed down wordlessly. So the same channels may have different names, and the same names may mean different things. Only someone who has practiced a specific method or deeply studied the texts can make sense of it all."
"Wow... but how can mortals begin practicing alchemy at all?"
"For mortals, it's almost impossible. They have poor memory and weak intellect due to lack of Jing in the brain, no Heavenly Eye, and often not even the animal-level perception of Qi. Don't worry about that yet. Focus on yourself."
"But... what about my parents?"
"You'll help them with your De. De from cultivation flows through the ancestral channel to all relatives. That's why geniuses are often born in the families of successful cultivators. That De also supports the souls of the dead. So cultivate — that alone will help your parents."
"You passed Bai Xiao a cultivation method..."
"His chances are slim. Despite being an experienced mortal alchemist with authority, resources, and even a small Spiritual Root. Normally we wouldn't do it, but given the extreme circumstances, I took the risk. If you wish, you may one day give your relatives the same chance. But soon... you'll understand everything yourself.
By the way, you'll need another martial technique. You've got a good sword — now you should learn to wield it. Since you've chosen to practice Void Refining, you might as well study the Blade Empties Ten Thousand Worlds technique. In the past, this was part of the foundational training of future sect leaders."