61: Returning to the mountains to seek enlightenment and inquire about the elixir of immortality

On the evening of the third day after leaving the Quiet Garden, Li Muchen finally caught sight of the familiar silhouette of Yuntai Mountain.

He hadn't taken any form of transportation, choosing instead to travel on foot. To him, these hundreds of miles were not a simple trek, but a proactive pursuit of a brand-new cultivation journey.

He immersed his mind in the rise and fall of every step, feeling the subtlest feedback as the soles of his feet touched the earth. He listened to the most primitive sounds of the mountain forests and wilderness, visualizing every fusion and cycle between his own True Essence and the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi through his breathing.

On the first day, he walked through the plains. In the late summer fields, the waves of rice were just beginning to turn golden. Farmers were busy with the harvest, and children played on the ridges. He was like the most ordinary traveler, asking for a bowl of fresh water when passing through villages, resting briefly under the shade of trees, and listening to the elders chat in dialect about the harvest and domestic matters.

The mundane bustle of the Mortal World was brimming with vitality; this was the aura of 'life,' the power of all things growing. His True Essence flowed slowly within his Dantian's Qi Sea, absorbing this flourishing vitality. His Foundation, which had been slightly worn down by consecutive days of casting spells and mental exhaustion, unknowingly became thicker and more solid, faintly emitting a warm, jade-like luster.

On the second day, he entered the hilly mountain regions. The roads began to wind and rise, and signs of human habitation grew sparse. He specifically chose secluded paths, and sometimes, when there was no path at all, he would circulate his Qi to leap between rugged rocks and the tips of verdant trees.

The mountain wind was piercing, making his Daoist robes rustle loudly; the mountain springs were clear, washing away the dust of his journey. He sensed the weight and stillness of the mountains, experiencing the resilience and vicissitudes of the ancient trees. This was the power of 'Stillness' and 'Stability,' the eternal endurance of the earth. In such an environment, his Divine Sense was tempered and polished again and again, becoming more condensed and sharp. When projected outward, both its range and degree of precision saw significant improvements.

He could even 'hear' the gurgling flow of underground water veins deep within the rock layers beneath his feet and 'see' tiny dew drops condensed on the back of a leaf dozens of yards away.

On the third day, he entered the primitive forest area on the outskirts of Yuntai Mountain. This place was sparsely populated, with towering ancient trees and tangled vines. The air was filled with a rich Wood Spiritual Qi and the faint scent of humus. Tracks of wild beasts appeared and disappeared, and the cries of birds and apes made the mountains seem even more secluded.

Here, he no longer deliberately controlled his pace or breathing. Instead, he completely opened his mind, allowing himself to merge with this ancient forest. He seemed to transform into a wisp of wind, a beam of light, a drop of water, or a stone within the woods. The circulation of his True Essence became nearly instinctive, reaching an unprecedented harmony and fluidity in its exchange with the surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi.

Within this profound and mysterious state, he touched upon that threshold.

It was the gateway to the next level beyond the Peak Foundation Establishment—a sliver of opportunity for the Golden Core Realm.

It wasn't a concrete Breakthrough, but more like glimpsing an extremely faint, pale white light at the edge of the sky during a long night, signaling the coming dawn.

It was a feeling, a realization: his Three Treasures of Essence, Qi, and Spirit had been tempered to the absolute limit of his current Realm through his recent experiences in the Mortal World and his trek through the mountains. They were now harmonious, flawless, and whole. Within his Dantian's Qi Sea, the core of his True Essence—which was originally gaseous but had been compressed into a semi-liquid vortex—now faintly transmitted a strange sensation of 'fullness' and 'pulsation,' as if something was gestating inside, yearning for a complete qualitative change.

A Golden Core was not an actual physical 'pill' formed in the abdomen. It was a symbol of a higher level of energy, an 'Indestructible Seed' formed by the high condensation and sublimation of True Essence, Divine Sense, physical body, and even a sliver of dao rhyme comprehension.

Only by successfully forming a core could one truly be considered to have stepped onto the first solid threshold of the Great Dao of Longevity. From then on, one would shed their mortal coil, their Lifespan would increase greatly, and their Divine Abilities and methods would undergo earth-shattering changes.

Li Muchen stopped walking and stood by a cliff with a wide view. The setting sun was slowly sinking into the embrace of the distant mountains, dyeing the clouds at the horizon a magnificent golden-red. The afterglow spilled over the rolling verdant mountains, plating them with a warm border of light.

The mountain wind was vast and powerful, blowing his slightly messy hair and sleeves, which he hadn't cared for in several days.

He closed his eyes and looked inward.

Inside his Dantian, the pale golden True Essence vortex was rotating slowly with a mysterious rhythm. Every rotation seemed to resonate with some deeper Law of Heaven and Earth, drawing the sparse surrounding Spiritual Qi to gather spontaneously. Although it wasn't enough to support an immediate Breakthrough, it made the sensation of that 'Golden Core Seed' clearer.

His Sea of Divine Sense was also clearer and brighter than ever before. All his past experiences and insights, including the entire process of resolving Chen Shuyi's resentment during this trip down the mountain, transformed into streams of realization. They merged into this Sea of Divine Sense, making it deeper and more vast.

"So that's how it is..." Realization dawned in Li Muchen's heart.

Cultivation was never something that could be achieved by working behind closed doors or sitting in meditation deep in the mountains. Especially for a Breakthrough in Realm, one needed a combination of 'Entering the world' and 'Leaving the world,' as well as the accumulation and precipitation of experiences and insights. This trip down the mountain to settle a Karma spanning ninety years—witnessing and participating in a complete Reincarnation of love, hate, life, death, and karmic retribution—was a great tempering and baptism for his Heart-Nature.

He had witnessed extreme malice and tragedy, but also felt the final release and forgiveness. He had experienced the complexity and weakness of human nature, but also seen through the despicableness and hopelessness of certain Souls. He had seen the heavy shackles imposed on individuals by an era, but also saw the hope of change quietly brought by a new era.

These sights, insights, and emotions seemed unrelated to increasing Dharmic power or breaking through Realms, but they subtly influenced his Dao Heart.

Only with a clear Dao Heart can one carry a higher level of power. It was precisely this experience that completed the final 'Mortal World experience' and 'Karmic insight' required for the Peak Foundation Establishment, allowing him to naturally touch upon the opportunity for the Golden Core.

Furthermore, the deliberate walk back over these past few days, placing himself completely within nature, was also a total relaxation and reintegration of body and mind.

Moving away from the clamor of the world and returning to simplicity allowed the impetuousness picked up in the city to be fully washed away, letting his mind receive the best rest and nourishment amidst the mountains and waters.

His body was exercised during the long trek, his True Essence became purer through constant consumption and recovery, and his Divine Sense expanded through its fusion with all things in nature.

Right time, right place, and right people—only when these three gathered could this precious sliver of opportunity be birthed.

Li Muchen slowly opened his eyes. The divine light in his pupils was restrained, yet deeper and brighter than before. He was in no hurry to try and charge through that barrier.

An opportunity was just an opportunity, a road sign, a lighthouse telling him the direction was there. But to truly push open that door and step into a brand-new Realm, he still needed more thorough preparation, more substantial accumulation, and a truly appropriate moment. Acting prematurely would only be counterproductive.

"Golden Core..." he whispered to himself, a very faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth. Since his Rebirth, this was the first time he clearly felt that the Realm once far out of reach on the road to longevity was now truly laid out before him. As long as he moved forward steadily, he would reach it one day.

This feeling was good.

The sunset finally vanished completely, and the sky darkened rapidly. On the deep blue canopy, stars began to emerge one by one. Night in the mountains brought a sudden chill and the sound of insects.

Li Muchen stayed no longer. With a slight movement, he became like a wisp of green smoke merging into the night, drifting toward the depths of Yuntai Mountain, toward Qingfeng Temple. His steps were now light, appearing slow but actually fast. Treading on the moonlight and starlight in the forest, he seemed to walk on the wind, crossing several mountain ridges in a few leaps, a far cry from his quiet and slow pace while walking earlier. This was a manifestation of the more refined control over his own power after touching upon a higher Realm.

When he finally stood before the familiar, slightly dilapidated Mountain Gate of Qingfeng Temple, the moon was already high in the sky. The cold moonlight spilled over the blue stone steps and the mottled vermilion gates. The temple was silent, save for the faint tinkling of the copper bells on the eaves blown by the wind and the occasional cry of an unknown night bird in the distant forest.

He pushed open the unlatched gate, the creaking sound carrying far in the quiet night. Everything in the temple was as before. Having been vacant for several days, a few leaves had fallen in the courtyard, and a thin layer of ash had accumulated in the incense burner before the hall, yet it only added to the sense of tranquility far from the world's clamor.

He didn't go to rest immediately. Instead, he first went into the Main Hall, lit three sticks of incense, and bowed respectfully to the statues. The incense smoke rose in curls, swirling in the dim candlelight of the hall.

Li Muchen stood quietly for a moment, his mind free of stray thoughts, silently reporting the events of his trip down the mountain. Afterward, he briefly cleaned the Main Hall and his own quiet room, dusting them off.

Only after finishing this did he return to his quiet room and sit cross-legged on a prayer mat.

He didn't immediately enter meditative cultivation. Instead, he completely relaxed his mind, letting everything he had seen, heard, and realized over the past few days flow slowly through his mind like water, without judgment, only observation. Gradually, these chaotic thoughts settled, and his mind entered a state of empty, serene clarity.

Only then did he begin to slowly circulate his Qi through the Microcosmic Orbit, guiding the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi into his body. Although Yuntai Mountain was not a blessed land, its advantage lay in its natural purity; the Spiritual Qi was sparse but upright and peaceful. With his breathing, strands of Spiritual Qi gathered from all directions, entering through his pores, into his Meridians, and finally merging into the pale golden True Essence vortex in his Dantian.

The rotation speed of the vortex seemed to increase slightly and became more stable. That ethereal sense of the Golden Core Realm did not disappear; instead, it was like a seed buried deep in fertile soil. Though it hadn't broken through the earth, it had already taken root, quietly waiting for the time to sprout.

Li Muchen knew that in the days to come, what he needed to do was continue to solidify his Foundation, constantly refine his True Essence, expand his Divine Sense, and deepen his comprehension of the 'Dao.' Perhaps he would also need the assistance of external items, or another perfectly timed opportunity... But regardless, the path was beneath his feet, and the direction was clear.

That night, Spiritual Qi permeated Qingfeng Temple. Though not thick, it was continuous. Li Muchen sat as still as a clock, his breathing long and deep. His body and mind reached an unprecedented harmony and unity with the forest he protected and the starry sky and bright moon above.

When he opened his eyes again, the dim light of dawn was showing outside the window. Morning mist curled through the mountains, birds chirped, and a new day had begun.

Li Muchen stood up and pushed open the wooden window of his quiet room. The cold, moist air brushed against his face, carrying the fragrance of plants. He looked as far as the eye could see; the mountains were faintly visible in the morning mist, like an ink wash painting.

"Time to prepare for morning lessons," he whispered to himself, turning to straighten his clothes and hat.

Touching upon the opportunity for the Golden Core was an important milestone on the path of cultivation, but it was not the end, nor was it a reason to slacken. On the contrary, it meant that an even longer and more difficult climb was about to begin. The Great Dao is long; there is only diligence and practice.

He calmly walked out of the quiet room, picked up a broom, and began to sweep the courtyard as usual. The fallen leaves made a soft rustling sound under the broom, sounding exceptionally clear in the morning silence.

For Qingfeng Temple, for Yuntai Mountain, and for the complex yet vibrant Mortal World below, his protection and cultivation would continue.