At the hour of You, Zhang Yan returned to his residence.
Upon entering his cave mansion, he immediately moved the sealing stone slab to lock the door and prepared to enter seclusion.
As the light in front of him dimmed, Zhang Yan, seated in the dark chamber, could hardly conceal the joy in his heart. Who would have thought that the Foundation Establishment Dao Technique, the most crucial step before Opening Meridians, would come to him so easily? Even with his modest Qi Cultivation Technique, he couldn't help feeling a hint of excitement.
He did not rush into cultivation but instead washed his hands, changed his clothes, and lit the Qi Cultivation Incense Burner.
After calmly sitting for a moment, he took out a blank sheet of paper and meticulously rewrote the entire Dharma technique. As the words appeared one by one under his brush, his entire body slowly relaxed, and his emotions gradually settled.
When the entirety of the "Yongchuan Meridian Method" was rewritten, his physical and mental state had adjusted to optimal conditions.
Foundation Building involves gathering all the cultivated inner energy into the Shen Que acupoint and merging it flawlessly with the innate Primordial Qi one carries from the womb, thus planting the Immortal Root Spirit Seed.
A mantra states: "Inner energy merges completely, One Origin is born."
This is an essential prerequisite before Opening Immortal Meridians. Whether future achievements are within reach, this step is crucial.
Seated on the cushion, Zhang Yan cleared away all distracting thoughts one by one from his mind. He first initiated the entry-level Heart Mantra to sort out his breath. After sitting quietly for an hour, his heart was now tranquil and free of disturbances.
Once all preparations were complete, he began to silently chant the mantra, guiding his inner energy to flow gradually in accordance with the Meridian Flowing Skill.
However, it wasn't long before he stopped.
Zhang Yan furrowed his brow. In the past, his Qi circulation through the meridians had always been smooth and effortless—his will guiding his Qi with ease. But this time, something felt amiss; the breath wasn't continuous but intermittent, and its movement was rather sluggish, like a person stumbling forward with constant trips and stumbles along the way.
Fortunately, he had just begun cultivation, so he decisively dissipated the inner energy he had guided thus far, steadied his mind, and started anew from the beginning.
Yet this time, the same issue occurred, identical to the previous attempt.
Zhang Yan's expression turned resolute. He opened his eyes and decisively halted the practice.
The path of cultivation absolutely must not involve forceful exertion. Persisting recklessly would only damage his foundation.
Could it be that his aptitude was too poor, rendering him unable to cultivate this Dharma technique?
It might make sense if his aptitude prevented him from mastering an Upper Grade technique, but his struggles with basic Qi circulation through the meridians suggested the issue was not with his ability.
What, then, was the cause? Could the fault lie in the spell itself?
Zhang Yan glanced over the spell again, his heart heavy with doubt.
The spell contained no errors, such as reversed Qi mechanisms or deviations through unusual meridians—no counterflow, no anomalous maneuvers. It was clearly a textbook Xuanmen technique, with every step thoroughly explained: where to circulate Qi, how to coordinate the acupoints, how to align breathing. Every detail was laid out comprehensively, leaving no ambiguity—it was as though a teacher stood beside him, personally instructing. How could such a spell contain any flaws?
If neither of these reasons applied, then perhaps his method of cultivation was off.
With this thought in mind, Zhang Yan's spirit stirred. He picked up the Meridian Flowing Skill and reviewed it repeatedly, until his eyes came upon the eight characters: "Flowing water descends, its force is natural." Only then did he faintly sense where the problem might lie.
Perhaps it was because the spell was so explicitly detailed that his cultivation had become overly deliberate, causing him to neglect the true meaning of "natural flow" as described in the Daoist Books!
It must be understood that Xuanmen techniques—some emphasize Divine Intent, while others focus on Dharma methods—require both, with one taking precedence and the other following in harmony. This particular spell clearly prioritized intent over method. In his cultivation, however, he fixated on the "method" and overlooked the "intent," reversing their importance, and his efforts carried an overly contrived air, thus relegating his practice to the Lower Grade.
Zhang Yan set the Daoist formulas down, folded his sleeves, and fell into contemplative silence.
Despite identifying the crux of the problem, he found himself unable to proceed.
As long as he remained intent on cultivating this Dao technique, the fixation persisted, inherently opposing the natural alignment with Divine Intent. Thus, he was virtually incapable of forcing his way forward.
To put the technique aside would undoubtedly free him from this fixation, but abandoning the effort would mean his cultivation would remain stagnant, with no hope of progress.
It seemed like a circular problem trapping itself—a deadlock within a deadlock.
Zhang Yan rose to his feet, clasped his hands behind his back, and paced back and forth within the chamber, pondering how he might resolve this dilemma.
The path of cultivation is rife with a myriad of obstacles and perplexities; a single misstep could lead one astray. At best, progress grinds to a halt, and one's Dao Foundation suffers damage; at worst, one risks falling into the demon realm, jeopardizing one's very life.
This is where the guidance of a teacher would prove invaluable. Teachers not only admonish and guide their disciples but also lend critical aid at pivotal moments, their protective oversight considerably reducing the dangers of cultivation. However, Zhang Yan was merely a registered disciple—with neither a teacher nor peers to consult—forced to rely solely on himself to untangle his inner barriers and surmount each hurdle on his own.