Chapter 16 - 15: Tai Su True Qi Contemplation
Tai Su is that which is formed from the transformation of the Great Beginning. With form comes substance, yet a body is not yet whole. This is called Tai Su.
This was the first sentence of every Tai Su True Inheritance Daoist Scripture. In Daoist philosophy, Tai Su is one of the "Five Greats of the Primordial Era"—the five stages before the universe’s creation. It represents the state of the primordial material universe, which possessed both form and substance.
This was hardly a profound secret, as it was recorded in many Daoist Scriptures, but it was the very origin of the Tai Su Daoist lineage.
Xuzhuang awoke from his deep immersion in the True Inheritance Daoist Scripture, his heart flooded with endless joy. It was the blissful feeling of attaining the Dao. ’The three great True Inheritances are truly exquisite, containing infinite Dao!’ More importantly, he finally understood the secret of the complete True Inheritance.
Take the Tai Su One Qi Classic, the technique he knew best. The half-scripture he had obtained was identical to the first half of the complete True Inheritance, covering everything from Qi Cultivation to the Golden Core Realm. Only by receiving the full inheritance could one know the world of difference between them. The greatest benefit the complete Tai Su One Qi Classic offered him wasn’t the subsequent cultivation methods, but rather a nebulous understanding that dawned on him naturally as the entire text settled in his mind.
It seemed to be words, then diagrams, then an ink wash painting, then nothing at all.
Xuzhuang put away the copy of the Daoist Scripture he had made and called out his farewell to the Book Immortal. He received no response, but thought nothing of it. Eager to leave, he departed Langhuan Tower and transformed into a brilliant streak of light, flying back to Chongyun Peak at his utmost speed.
Landing on the peak, Xuzhuang opened his Cave Abode and stepped inside. He saw numerous message talismans hovering within the abode’s protective wards, along with radiant streaks of light, Pill Bottles, Jade Boxes, and all sorts of congratulatory gifts.
Xuzhuang ignored them all. With a wave of his sleeve, he swept everything into storage to be dealt with later and headed straight for the meditation chamber in the deepest part of the Cave Abode.
This meditation chamber was where Xuzhuang cultivated and entered meditative states. The furnishings were spartan: a white jade platform, a single cattail cushion, a Pill Furnace in the center of the room, and several black stone locks lying in a corner.
With a flip of his hand, Xuzhuang produced a round, gleaming "Golden Core" and casually tossed it into the Pill Furnace. He channeled a breath of True Qi inside, and the furnace began to glow. A faint, fragrant smoke emanated from it, gently unfurling until it filled the chamber.
With his preparations complete, Xuzhuang delayed no longer. He flew onto the cattail cushion on the jade platform and sat cross-legged, his palms upturned on his knees. He closed his eyes, and in an instant, he became as still as a statue, utterly motionless.
The Five Greats of the Primordial Era were the stages at the dawn of the universe’s creation. Now, having received the complete Tai Su One Qi Classic, Xuzhuang had a nebulous feeling. It was as if, by simply willing it, he could return to that primordial dawn and truly experience its mysteries firsthand.
’So this is the real "True Inheritance,"’ he realized. ’It isn’t a cultivation method or a Divine Communication Technique. It’s an insight into the very essence of Tai Su, passed down through the Daoist Scripture—the Tai Su True Qi Contemplation.’
Upon entering the Tai Su True Qi Contemplation, Xuzhuang felt he had lost all concept of ’self.’ He adopted a peculiar perspective, experiencing the passage of eons reversing in a single moment. Mountains sank back into continents, continents dissolved into the boundless ocean, and heaven and earth reverted to primordial matter. Everything rewound with the flow of time, returning to the very beginning to start anew.
First came the Great Beginning, where Qi first appeared—the start of Qi, yet without form. Then came the Great Commencement, the advent of form—the start, yet without substance.
In Xuzhuang’s perception, time flowed back to its origin, then shot forward from the Great Change to the Great Beginning and through the Great Commencement. Once the omens of form appeared, the flow slowed for the Tai Su phase, allowing him to perceive the infinite mysteries of the birth and transformation of form and substance... Finally, it progressed to the Great Ultimate. The myriad things were born, yin and yang divided, the five elements emerged, and heaven and earth were parted.
—
The sun set over the Western Continent, two moons shared the sky, and violet qi once more heralded the dawn.
This cycle repeated an unknown number of times. Though Chongyun Peak remained lush and vibrant, a growing chill in the air suggested the seasons had also turned.
One day, an immortal crane carrying a Golden Talisman in its beak descended from high above the clouds. It circled the summit of Chongyun Peak for a moment, and, as if confirming its target, dropped the Golden Talisman into the protective wards of Xuzhuang’s Cave Abode.
Once inside the Cave Abode, the Golden Talisman refused to remain still. It immediately erupted in brilliant light, buzzing loudly as it darted up and down. It wasn’t attacking, merely activating the wards to draw attention.
Inside the meditation chamber, the Pill Furnace had gone quiet, and not a wisp of fragrant smoke remained in the air. Xuzhuang sat motionless upon the cattail cushion. The entire scene was as still as a painting, steeped in silence.
Then, with a slight twitch, Xuzhuang moved. It was as if a stone statue had been brought to life. Vitality flooded back into his form, and his body began to breathe once more.
Xuzhuang’s eyes snapped open. A silent thunderclap seemed to flash through the chamber, illuminating the empty room as brightly as day. He raised a hand to his chest, formed an incantation seal, and uttered a single, soft command: "Out!"
A brilliant white light shot out from the crown of his head. It was the Innate Tai Su Qi Grand Capture, but it looked vastly different from its previous, misty form. The moment the Divine Technique emerged, an astonishing ’presence’ filled the space, arresting the senses. It coalesced into a massive, tangible yet colorless hand that gently scooped up the black stone locks from the corner. It held them as if they were weightless feathers.
Xuzhuang’s brow furrowed slightly. ’These stone locks were for measuring my Magical Power back in the Dao Foundation Realm. Even though they’re refined heavy stones, they’re not suitable anymore.’ He immediately withdrew the Divine Technique. Then, beckoning with his hand, the Golden Talisman that had been triggering the wards appeared abruptly in his palm. A quick sweep of his Spiritual Sense told him everything. ’Ah, the Ministry of Affairs Hall.’
Now that Xuzhuang had been promoted to a True Inheritor, his status in the sect had risen dramatically. The sect would allocate him an assortment of equipment, Magical Artifacts, medicinal pills, and other cultivation resources. All these affairs were handled by the Ministry of Affairs Hall.
However, in the time since his True Inheritance ceremony, Xuzhuang had not yet found a free moment to visit the Ministry of Affairs Hall, which had prompted them to send a reminder.
’It’s about time I dealt with this,’ Xuzhuang thought. He tucked the Golden Talisman into his sleeve and strode out of the meditation chamber.
The Cave Abode was still quiet and peaceful, though a few more message talismans and congratulatory gifts had appeared among the wards. Xuzhuang stored them away before exiting his abode. He took to the air in a streak of light, flying up into the clouds. After a moment’s thought, he turned into a rainbow streak and shot straight out of the Tai Su Continent. He didn’t head for the Ministry of Affairs Hall. Instead, he sped toward Yunmeng Marsh, flying over countless islands until he gradually reached a remote and rarely traveled part of the great marsh.
A short while later, he spotted clusters of dark, gloomy clouds pressing down on the water’s surface, covering an area dozens of miles wide. Beneath the clouds, furious waves churned and massive waterspouts reached for the heavens. In stark contrast, the sky just beyond this tempest was a pristine, tranquil blue.
Xuzhuang slowed his descent and peered down. He could make out many huge, indistinct figures frolicking in the waves below. Each one was ferocious in appearance, with teeth like sharp blades and shimmering, square scales. Most peculiar of all, they had two pairs of large, wing-like fins on either side of their broad backs, one pair stacked above the other. The scales on these fins were long like feathers and sharp as swords.
’These must be the Feathered Whales,’ Xuzhuang nodded to himself. According to the sect’s records, these beasts were tyrants of the sea, suspected to be related to the primordial ’Kun.’ They were born with the innate ability to roil the waves and summon storms. ’Seeing them today, they’re truly extraordinary. Perfect for me to measure the might of my Divine Technique.’
He immediately unleashed the Divine Technique again. Unconstrained by the confines of the room, it swelled in the open air, instantly transforming into a colossal hand a thousand feet wide.
"Rise!" Xuzhuang commanded, directing the Innate Tai Su Qi Grand Capture to plunge down and scoop. A deafening SHRIEK echoed as a Feathered Whale was caught in the massive hand. In its panic, the beast began to thrash violently.