Zhang Yan understood that this was not the time to rush things. Instead, he needed to maintain a calm and tranquil state of mind; otherwise, if his Spirit Platform became clouded by inner demons, he would only sink deeper into the mire.
After contemplating for a long time, he realized there was indeed a feasible method.
That method was to venture out on a journey.
To immerse himself in the majesty of renowned mountains and the beauty of scenic landscapes, to observe the essence of nature, and to wait for the right moment through Forget Sorrow and Calm Heart. Once the time was ripe, everything would naturally fall into place, and his cultivation would reach perfection. This, too, could be considered the Daoist approach most aligned with True Nature.
However, Zhang Yan quickly dismissed this method. For one, it was too time-consuming; for another, it involved too many uncertainties.
This was just before Opening Meridians. If he were to obtain similarly profound Dharma techniques in the future, would he need to travel and sightsee each time before he began cultivation? That would be far too inefficient. Moreover, he had chosen to enter seclusion immediately because he had a vague sense that tonight was the optimal time to start Foundation Building. If he let this opportunity slip away, who knew how long he would have to wait for the next one?
He couldn't help but close his eyes and think deeply. Since he had already discerned the spell from the annotations, this confirmed he was one of the "fortunate ones." A predecessor who left behind such techniques wouldn't have intentionally planted an obvious flaw within them.
There must be a solution, and it was undoubtedly hidden within the book!
Staring at the dense text on the pages, he scanned them over and over again until his eyes began to ache. Suddenly, his back stiffened, and a flash of insight surged within his mind!
Of course! How could he forget that this Daoist Book was originally written in Erosion Text?
Erosion Text, though appearing simple, is profoundly complex, encompassing countless universal principles. With just a few strokes, it could articulate the cycles of life and death and the rise and fall of all things under the heavens. After decoding this Daoist Book, the Dharma technique spanned thousands of words, but written in Erosion Text, it amounted to merely six hundred characters.
Those six hundred characters had already elucidated the principles of the spell thoroughly and transparently. The predecessor who wrote the book used the most straightforward and accessible form of Erosion Text. Yet Zhang Yan had referenced the decoded copy for cultivation—wasn't that akin to using a mirror to observe the moon, abandoning what was near in favor of what was far?
Zhang Yan's eyes gleamed sharply. Without hesitation, he picked up a brush, dipped it in ink, and retrieved a blank sheet of paper to rewrite the entire "Yongchuan Meridian Method" in Erosion Text.
As soon as he finished transcribing the entire Meridian Flowing Skill, the previously stagnant energy within his body stirred inexplicably.
Zhang Yan couldn't help but feel invigorated, knowing he had found the right method. Without stopping, he continued to write out the complete Dharma technique in one breath. When he finished, he didn't pause but instead pulled out another blank sheet of paper and transcribed it all over again.
Gradually, the thick, lifeless Inner Qi within his body started to move, as though a hidden dragon had awakened, spreading and surging through his Hundred Veins, circulating dynamically. After completing one circulation of the energy flow around his body, it gathered again at his Dantian, forming a cohesive cluster. This cycle repeated, endlessly and incessantly.
The entire process proceeded naturally and was driven entirely by the spontaneous movement of True Qi. Zhang Yan did not pursue it deliberately; his heart and spirit were wholly immersed in the Erosion Text beneath his brush.
At first, the energy coursing through his body resembled a faint, trickling stream—delicate and continuous. As he transcribed the Meridian Flowing Skill over and over again, the energy grew increasingly vigorous. By the end, it surged like a mighty river, rising like waves and tumbling turbulently throughout his body.
Yet Zhang Yan remained devoid of joy or sorrow, paying no attention to the turbulent energy. He wrote until the ink in his brush ran dry. Even then, in his vision, Erosion Text continued to flow naturally from his brushstroke. The Inner Qi within his body followed the principles of the spell, circulating throughout his Qi Veins autonomously, clearing blockages in his meridians one by one.
After three hundred and sixty-five complete circulations, the energy within his body surged like tidal waves, ebbing and flowing, compressing acupoints throughout his entire being.
When this immense energy reached its peak, the acupoint deep within his navel, tightly sealed since birth, suddenly trembled and opened a faint sliver. The torrential Inner Qi, finally finding an outlet, rushed inside and instantly disappeared entirely. For a moment, his body felt empty, and he experienced a sense of disorientation, as though drifting within the Void.
Without the guidance of an enlightened master, cultivators who encounter such situations might succumb to panic and doubt, unsettling their hearts and minds, which could cause them to fail entirely. But Zhang Yan, having endured the cycle of life and death, remained resolute and composed, his mind unwavering and calm. He paid no attention to what was happening within his body and allowed nature to take its course.
Sure enough, it wasn't long before the vanished Inner Qi was drawn out again by the Dan Acupoint, albeit mixed with a hint of Innate Primordial Qi. Once more, the Inner Qi was absorbed by the Dan Acupoint. This repeated back and forth eight times until the Inner Qi and Innate Primordial Qi merged seamlessly, indistinguishable from one another. When the Inner Qi returned to the Dan Acupoint for the ninth cycle, the Shen Que acupoint within the navel suddenly quivered!