At this point, he suddenly thought of something, raised his eyebrows, and immediately shouted loudly towards outside the room:
"Rascal, why does taking a bath make you look like you’ve fallen into a cesspool? Hurry up, the auspicious time is near!"
A raucous response echoed from the yard as Ma Donghe shuffled in wearing slippers, bare-chested and only a towel wrapped around his waist, steam still rising from his body.
"Old man, why rush me? You’ve kept me locked in that cave for a week; I was starting to grow mushrooms, didn’t I deserve a good scrub?"
Ma Jianguo glared at him:
"No decorum, hurry up and get dressed!"
Fang Cheng sized up Ma Donghe.
He hadn’t seen him in a long time, and the guy seemed sleeker now; the muscles that once appeared slightly tubby were now more solid.
His gaze was particularly bright, a faint gleam flashing deep within his pupils.
He chuckled, ignoring his father’s scolding, and leaned closer to Fang Cheng, lowering his voice:
"Ah Cheng, why do I feel like you’re more like his own son than I am?"
Fang Cheng smiled slightly, not responding.
Ma Jianguo gave a heavy cough, interrupting their private conversation.
Once Ma Donghe had dressed, the worship ceremony officially began.
Ma Jianguo was solemn, holding three lit long incense sticks, and walked up to the altar.
He first bowed deeply three times towards the memorial tablet, then inserted the incense into the burner.
He filled three cups of rice wine, raised them above his head with both hands, and chanted phrases in a refined tone:
"To the ancestors of the Ma Family above, your unworthy descendant Jianguo, today brings my disciples Fang Cheng and Ma Donghe to offer our respects."
"Fang Cheng is exceptionally gifted and steadfast, a true talent for inheriting our Ma Family Martial Arts. Today, he will make his first attempt at the Visualization Method, a perilous process, like walking on thin ice."
"I implore the ancestors to bless this disciple with a clear spiritual altar, free from external demonic intrusion, give him assistance to safely pass through this trial."
"Jianguo here gives thanks to the benevolence of the ancestors."
With that, he poured one cup of wine on the ground, and respectfully placed the other two cups on the altar.
Then, he led Fang Cheng and Ma Donghe to pay respects and light incense one by one.
Once the ceremony was over, the three retreated from the incense hall, and sat down at a stone table in the yard for idle chat.
"Donghe, how do you feel after this seclusion? Confident about the retest?"
Fang Cheng causally brought up the topic, looking at Ma Donghe whose demeanor had noticeably become more robust.
"I feel alright, but it was goddamn torturous."
Ma Donghe gulped a big mouthful of cold tea and complained:
"There was no food or water in that cave, so dark you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face. If it weren’t for enduring with the Visualization Method, I would’ve gone mad."
"This is our Ma Family’s ancestral cultivation method – fasting and withholding water, cutting off the five senses, forcing the body’s and spirit’s potential in extreme conditions, and snatching a thread of vitality from heaven and earth."
"This method is high-risk and high-reward, a considerable test of mind and body. A single misstep could lead to mental deviation. If you weren’t my son, Ma Jianguo, I wouldn’t trust you to practice it."
Listening to Ma Jianguo’s words, Fang Cheng recalled his own experience in Yong’an Island, diving deep into sea trenches for breathless meditation.
The two were remarkably similar.
"How’s your power now? Have you started with the Visualization Method?"
Fang Cheng curiously asked Ma Donghe about his progress.
Ma Donghe pursed his lips, "Old man said I just barely touched the threshold, entering to train my spirit."
Ma Jianguo’s expression remained unchanged as he calmly said:
"With your current cultivation, you should first solidify your Qigong foundation, stabilize True Qi emission before talking about anything else."
Fang Cheng was somewhat surprised, looking at Ma Donghe with shining eyes:
"You can also achieve True Qi emission?"
Upon hearing this, Ma Donghe immediately shrank back warily:
"What do you intend to do? I’m not about to fight with a freak like you, my True Qi isn’t enough to withstand one punch from you."
Seeing his son’s cowardly demeanor, Ma Jianguo felt both exasperated and amused, deciding not to respond to him. Check latest chapters at NoveI★Fire.net
Instead, he turned to Fang Cheng, reaching the true focus of today’s ceremony.
"Ah Cheng, next I’ll be teaching you your sect’s Visualization Method, every word I say you must remember thoroughly."
Seeing Fang Cheng nod seriously, he adopted a solemn expression before slowly continuing:
"The so-called Visualization Method fundamentally differs from ordinary seated meditation."
"Meditation seeks ’stillness’, converging all thoughts, uniting mind and spirit as one."
"Whereas Visualization Method seeks ’movement’, based on entering stillness, using powerful spiritual will, to open up an ’inner scenery’ in your spiritual world from nothing."
"Creating inner scenery?"
Fang Cheng’s mind was stirred, unable to help but relate it to his usual sensory experiences during meditation practice.
Ma Jianguo nodded slightly, continuing to explain:
"Cultivating the Visualization Method is the process of creating and perfecting your own inner scenery, roughly divided into three steps."
He extended a finger, gesturing as he said:
"The first step is called ’Establishing Intent’. This is the most crucial and foundational step."
"In your void spiritual world, you must establish an eternal, unchanging core. It can be a mountain, a sea, a cauldron, or even a flame."
"Whatever it is, it must be the ultimate embodiment of your spiritual will, the place where your ’Dao’ resides. Without the establishment of intent, your spirit will scatter; at best, your effort will be wasted; at worst, you could suffer mental collapse."
Upon hearing this, Fang Cheng immediately thought of the Spiritual Fire in his mind that seemed to burn eternally in the dark ocean.