The wind rustles the grass, moonlight sinks beneath the mountains.
Keen, razor-like gazes cut through the rushing wind, pierced the swaying grass, and caught sight of Zhang Fan's figure.
"Go."
In almost an instant, Zhang Fan reacted, turned, and tried to leave.
He didn't know the origins of the Qian brothers, but from their words and actions, he could tell—these two were definitely not proper folk.
"A fine sacrificial lamb, trying to run!?"
Qian Shaokun let out a cold laugh, tilting his head as a strand of hair transformed into a black shadow, shooting fiercely toward Zhang Fan.
The next moment, that black shadow twisted like a rope, fiercely binding Zhang Fan, locking him as though sealed. With a dull "thud," Zhang Fan immediately lost all mobility and crashed to the ground.
In the ghostly moonlight, the "rope" twined around Zhang Fan was exposed—revealing a slender worm, flesh-colored throughout, writhing like an earthworm. Within moments, Zhang Fan felt all strength drain from his limbs, as if his entire essence qi were being sucked dry.
"So it's just Initial Movement... Not even a Qi Worker—how could you block my Tip Insect?" Qian Shaokun looked at Zhang Fan with a mocking gaze, letting out a cold laugh.
Hair is the tip of Kidney Water, born of Essence Qi from the kidneys.
So those with weak kidneys often show it in their hair: at best, brittle and yellowing, at worst, hair loss and balding.
The so-called Tip Insect is a Qian Family secret technique, rearing worms with Kidney Water; they dwell at the roots of hair, feeding solely on essence qi.
"Primordial Spirit Awakening—still counts as a Daoist Sect member, all the better for welcoming the Difficult Insect." Qian Shengwu walked up to Zhang Fan, looking down with a satisfied expression.
Right now, Zhang Fan felt as if all strength had been drawn from him, his limbs numb, like ten thousand ants devouring his body...
This kind of pain—unprecedented.
"Heh heh, nothing beats the feeling after the Tip Insect has eaten. Savor it well." Qian Shaokun stared at Zhang Fan like he was watching a piglet, relishing his own handiwork.
Between two thresholds, the Consciousness is most restless.
When love wounds the heart, life and death harm the body; scattered emotions lead to physical hardship. Only by emptying the mind, keeping stillness, subduing the heart, can one see the Primordial Spirit...
"Huh!?"
At that moment, Qian Shengwu's brow twitched, an unusual expression flickering across his cold, stern face.
Zhang Fan, bound by the Tip Insect and lying on the ground, was not swallowed by endless agony; instead, his eyes seemed half-closed, calmly adjusting his breath, his entire being slipping into a meditative quiet—even the mosquitoes around refused to land upon him.
"Is this brat brain-damaged? Still trying to meditate now?" Qian Shaokun said in a low voice.
"He's not brain-damaged..." Qian Shengwu studied Zhang Fan, a grave look unconsciously appearing on his face.
"Back in the day, Ancestor Master Chunyang wrote in the Taiyi Jinhua Principle, the secret of cultivation—just four words..."
"Return the Light, Reflect the Shadow!"
"Follow this Dao, all techniques arise from the heart; all tribulations shun the body..."
What is Return the Light?
Ancestor Master Chunyang said: Celestial Light is the true Qi of Innate Taiyi, also known as Spiritual Qi.
To Return the Light, Reflect the Shadow, is to draw Celestial Light into the body, illuminating the Primordial Spirit.
This is the singular, unerring path of cultivation.
Yet, only before birth can humans glimpse the Primordial Spirit; once born and tainted by the Postnatal, the body falls under the dominion of the Consciousness.
Beyond that, at death, consciousness fades, and the Primordial Spirit temporarily resurrects, drawing in Celestial Light, which brings fleeting lucidity.
This, too, is the common man's knowledge of "Return the Light, Reflect the Shadow."
What they don't know is that these four words about life and death conceal cultivation's greatest secret.
"Still not brain-damaged? Sharpening the blade only now... Is it not too late?" Qian Shaokun sneered.
Cultivation is no task of a day or night.
After Initial Movement comes Manifestation; even the lowest Qi Worker must toil like ox or horse,—hauling Spiritual Qi day and night, nourishing the Primordial Spirit. Only after long accumulation can the body develop all kinds of mysterious changes.
"Indeed, that's the principle," Qian Shengwu nodded, but slowly drew back his gaze.
"Take him."
As he spoke, Qian Shengwu turned, eyes on the vast night, upon the ancient thousand-year temple buried deep in the mountain forest.
"Qingwei Palace... There lies the seal..."
Boom—
Suddenly, a thunderous crash erupted, and Qian Shaokun was flung sideways like a cannonball, snapping ancient trees one after another.
"What's going on!?"
Qian Shengwu's expression changed dramatically; he spun around and found Zhang Fan already standing, eyes black as ink, body tensed, coiled with a fearsome power; on his right arm, his pores writhed, growing tiny, scale-like marks.
"This is..."
"Dragon and Snake Transformation!?"
At that moment, Qian Shaokun raced back, blood at his lips, dust falling from his body, face grim as he stared at the transforming Zhang Fan.
In Daoist cultivation, timing is paramount.
In the second month, with the startling of insects, when spring thunder cracks, the hibernating serpent spits out the earth clasped in its mouth; vitality awakens, some might even gaze heavenward and become dragons.
This is the most auspicious time to cultivate; at Initial Movement, one nurtures the Primordial Spirit, may attain the seat of Qi Worker, growing stronger, forging miraculous powers.
This, the Daoist Family calls "Dragon and Snake Transformation."
Thus, in the Book of Changes, there is a hexagram called Thunder Heaven Great Strength: thunder above heaven, spring thunder stirs, vitality surges, the Primordial Spirit swells in power.
Yet now, it is the height of summer...
Roar—
At that instant, Zhang Fan bowed his head and let out a muffled roar, the scale patterns on his right arm coming alive, terrifying strength surging wildly through his limbs...
The chainlike Tip Insect, under this brute force, twisted uncontrollably.
"His strength..." Qian Shaokun's pupils shrank sharply.
"Impossible!"
He had never seen anyone, helpless in the grip of the Tip Insect, still slip into meditation—let alone, missing the spring thunder of the Startling Insect, still undergo Dragon and Snake Transformation.
"This aura..."
"Profound Sect authentic!" Qian Shaokun choked out, shaken.
Boom—
At that moment, Zhang Fan stomped hard, a terrifying power rooting and bursting from underfoot, sending dust flying to the heavens.
Amid shattering sounds tearing through the night, the supposedly indestructible Tip Insect was forced apart by Zhang Fan's monstrous strength—blood and flesh exploded, splattering within ten steps.
"This brat..."
Qian Shaokun's face darkened; murderous intent finally roused. In one stride, he leapt into the dust cloud—but Zhang Fan was nowhere to be seen.
"Ran?"
Qian Shaokun swept the dust aside with a wave, scanning left and right—no trace of Zhang Fan.
"Impossible. Even if that brat managed Dragon and Snake Transformation, gained some Qi Worker abilities, before the two of us he's just a clown... how could he run?" Qian Shaokun's expression became extremely ugly.
He'd wanted to savor the cat-and-mouse game. Who'd have thought that mouse would slip away?
"Someone rescued him," Qian Shengwu said gravely.
"Who? Was it the Zhenwu Mountain people?" Qian Shaokun calmed, wary. If those Zhenwu Mountain experts had found them, it'd mean trouble.
"I don't know... probably not, otherwise we'd already be finished," Qian Shengwu murmured, lost in thought.
"Brother Wu, that kid was odd just now," Qian Shaokun, a bit steadied, couldn't help saying.
"Forget him for now—business first."
Qian Shengwu shook his head, turning back to gaze into the endless night.
...
Amid the mountain streams, water murmured, moonlight shimmering in waves like scales.
Zhang Fan leaned beneath a great tree, utterly drained, body feeling spent; the faint scale patterns on his arm had vanished.
"That feeling just now... Was it because I swallowed the snake's moonlight essence?" Zhang Fan's eyes glinted with thought.
"You shouldn't have run off."
At that moment, a cold, ethereal voice resounded from beside the stream. Zhang Fan looked up, and a familiar graceful figure entered his gaze.
"Jiang Lai!"