Detailed Explanation of the True Self-Nourishing Method in Sitting in Meditation, Cultiva

Contemplation Meeting

The plaque bearing the inscription "The sacred and unknowable are called gods" still exudes an aura of timeless grandeur.

A middle-aged scholar, who was reading a newspaper while wearing old-fashioned black-rimmed glasses, thought that Li Xijun had come to buy more incense to calm his nerves. However, he heard something that he could not believe.

"What! Nine......."

Mr. Jia subconsciously stood up, but realizing the surrounding environment, he quickly looked around.

Seeing that there weren't many people on the first floor of the Cunsi Club, he quickly pulled Li Xijun to a corner upstairs and whispered:

"Young man, are you here today to play a joke on me?"

Li Xijun has been frequently coming to buy incense for nourishing the spirit for the past few months, buying more than a dozen boxes at a time. Over time, the two have discussed the structure of the meditation society.

As an organization established by the Dasheng government after the world war between the East and West continents in order to discover more people with the talent for refining spirits.

The Cunsi Society mainly sells Buddhist scriptures from the three religions (Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism) that can help people achieve enlightenment.

Secondly, the fifth floor contains introductory books on breaking through to the Concentration Realm and low-level visualization techniques.

And on the top floor, the ninth floor, is placed...

This is the last bit of help that the entire Cunsi Society can provide to the vast number of folk cultivators.

This is a detailed explanation of the secrets to breaking through to the Forgetfulness Realm, which was taught only to the personal disciples of the three major sects before the world war between the East and West. If it were revealed to outsiders, all those who knew about it would be killed.

It's like the difference between martial artists in the Skin and Flesh Realm, the Tendon and Bone Realm, and those who have entered the Transcendent Realm.

From the moment when spiritual power could be projected outwards and cultivators began to influence external matter with their spirit, the Spirit Refining system entered a new stage.

Judging from Su Nianyi's performance in the previous arena battles, even without magic weapons, she is still a human weapon capable of causing terrifying damage.

With just a thought, she could have wiped out everyone in the arena in an instant.

A martial artist at the Refining Realm merely holds the title of a martial arts examinee.

Once a cultivator at the peak of the Meditation Realm submits to the imperial court, their starting position is that of a seventh-rank county magistrate.

If one holds the official seal of the county government, one is allowed to mobilize the power of the people to bless oneself on a small scale. One can summon clouds and rain, drive away disasters and evil spirits, and kill those who practice dirty martial arts with ease. In some small places, one's authority is even greater than that of the emperor.

For many ordinary cultivators who don't have much ambition,

Breaking through the state of "sitting in oblivion" is like Fan Jin passing the imperial examination.

A life of wealth and prosperity in the second half of your life is assured!

"Mr. Jia, I am not one to joke around."

Li Xijun had dealt with the other party quite a bit over the past few months, especially spending thousands of taels of silver on incense for nourishing the spirit, and the other party had never had any ulterior motives.

Having a direct understanding of the middle-aged scholar's character, Li Xijun spoke frankly without concealing anything:

"Thanks to a stroke of luck and the daily incense I've been burning for spiritual nourishment over the past few months, I have achieved a high level of spiritual concentration."

"I have come to the Cunsi Society to go up to the ninth floor and purchase the introductory method for the state of forgetting oneself."

Even if there were already vague suspicions in my mind.

However, when Mr. Jia heard Li Xijun admit that he had achieved mastery of the Concentration Technique, he unconsciously plucked several hairs from his beard while stroking it to calm himself down.

"You...you actually..."

At this moment, the middle-aged scholar wanted to say, as usual, things like encouraging the other person to join the government, be loyal to the emperor and serve the country, and enjoy wealth and honor.

But having come to understand the young man's ambition and personality over the past few months, he could only sigh softly in the end:

"In my early years, I only heard that among the three major sects, there are peerless geniuses every hundred years who can refine their spirit and forget themselves before they even reach the age of twenty, and their future is destined to become the Manifestation Saint True Lord."

"I never imagined I'd meet such a genius as you in my lifetime. Truly, the younger generation is formidable, truly formidable..."

Li Xijun replied, "It was just luck. I was able to make such progress thanks to the nourishing incense I've been using these past few days."

"That's due to your own financial resources; you don't need to be modest."

The middle-aged scholar shook his head and turned to walk towards the stairs.

"Follow me... It's been a long time since any independent cultivator from the Jinmen Cunsi Society has reached the ninth level."

Li Xijun followed them up, and on the seventh and eighth floors they saw many rare and unique copies of the three religions' classics, until finally they entered the ninth floor.

The space on the top floor suddenly became much smaller, about the size of an ordinary room.

It has a driftwood window, a dark wood desk, and several rows of bookshelves. It looks like an ordinary study.

Mr. Jia stepped forward and opened the window. Looking out, he could see the magnificent scene of the dense network of waterways in Tianjin flowing into the distance, which made him feel much more open-minded.

The middle-aged scholar took out a snow-white, smooth scroll of paper from behind a hidden compartment on a nearby bookshelf and placed it on the black wooden desk.

He pointed to the pen holder and scrap paper on the desk and said to Li Xijun:

"The secret method for breaking through to the Silent Realm can only be memorized and read here. If you can't remember it, you can copy it down and recite it from memory several times."

"But remember, you must not take any piece of paper containing the secret recipe out of the house."

Li Xijun, who had studied the secret methods of purification, readily agreed.

"I wonder how much this classic text on the path to meditation is worth?"

"No need, just consider it a small act of kindness I'm doing for the common people of Dasheng."

Mr. Jia waved his hand, turned and walked towards the study door. Before leaving, he paused and said:

"The Realm of Sitting in Oblivion does not depend on talent, but on one's character and opportunities. If you can successfully break through this realm and truly become a Manifestation Saint True Lord in the future, I hope you will speak up for the common people of the world."

After speaking, without waiting for Li Xijun's reply, the middle-aged scholar cupped his hands in greeting, closed the study door, and went downstairs.

This caused Li Xijun to remain silent for a moment before she composed herself and carefully opened the pure white, precious paper scroll.

At the top is the title: "Detailed Explanation of the Method of Nourishing the True Self in Sitting Meditation," followed by lines of text describing the key points and techniques for breaking through to the state of sitting meditation.

Half an hour later,

Li Xijun stared thoughtfully at the snow-white paper scroll in front of him.

Zhuangzi, "The Great Master": "Abandon your limbs, discard your intelligence, separate yourself from form and knowledge, and become one with the Great Void; this is called sitting in oblivion."

The most basic requirement for breaking through the state of "sitting in oblivion" is to enter a state of "forgetting both self and things".

Because only in a state of emptiness and stillness where one is unaware of one's own body and the universe, one is in harmony with the Dao and all thoughts are dispelled, can one truly achieve enlightenment.

Only then can one see their 'true self,' which contains the 'heart' of a cultivator who has refined their spirit, without the slightest concealment, lie, or retreat.

As mentioned above, each cultivator at this level has a different "heart".

The cultivators who initially entered the Dao through Confucian classics were mostly those who understood the "simple and honest mind" described in the Doctrine of the Mean as "following one's nature is called the Dao".

Those who initially entered the Dao through the enlightenment of Daoist classics often experienced the "joyful heart" described in Zhuangzi's "attaining the Dao and being happy".

Many of the spiritual cultivators who initially entered the Dao through Buddhist scriptures possessed the "courageous mind" described in the Diamond Sutra as "one should abide nowhere and yet give rise to the mind."

Of course, this is not absolute. It is just that cultivators of the three religions who are well-versed in the classics of various schools often develop such a "heart" when they see their "true self" due to the influence of various things they have experienced and the knowledge they have learned since childhood.

Ultimately, it depends on the individual; what exactly is that unseen "heart"?

This breakthrough approach, which has a touch of metaphysics and philosophical exploration,

Li Xijun gradually came to understand that the breakthrough to this level did not depend on talent, but on a person's own character and temperament.

This method of questioning one's "true self" in a state of meditation, and of accepting, developing, and nurturing the "heart,"

It certainly requires a person to have the right opportunity, luck, and chance.

Li Xijun tried for a moment, but for the first time felt completely confused.

"Let's put this breakthrough in spiritual cultivation on hold for now."

With no ideas in mind, Li Xijun looked up at the window and saw that the night had already deepened. She stood up, tidied up the things on her desk, and then left.

"Let's go to the black market and get more demon flesh and blood to improve our martial arts refining realm cultivation."

......................

Dark clouds obscure the moon

"Knock!"

The bamboo pole made a crisp sound when it touched the stones on the bank, which echoed through the river.

"Guests, we've arrived."

When the dark-faced man punting the boat looked into the cabin, there was no one there, only a tael of silver left on the small table.

Using a nano-protective suit to change her shape and conceal her face, Li Xijun did not wander around the black market this time.

As soon as he landed, he walked straight through the crowd of people who were also hiding their faces with black cloths and pockets, and entered the business association belonging to the Libra and Fairness Goddess Church.

"Is there any demonic flesh or blood today?"

When Li Xijun saw the flaxen-colored maid approaching, he went straight to ask her.

"Yes, a few days ago, our Libra Church bishop and the abbot of the Wusheng Dao Temple explored the Nine Nether Pool together and gained a lot."

The flaxen-haired maid spoke with a proud expression.

"Among them is a hundred-year-old juvenile Cold Water Dragon. Its flesh and blood are a great tonic for martial arts practitioners, 40% more effective than the flesh and blood of ordinary demons. However, it is more expensive, costing 130 taels of silver per pound. May I ask, sir..."

Li Xijun's eyes lit up immediately.

All rare and precious materials related to the dragon, and even dragon-related demons, are strictly prohibited by the Great Sheng Dynasty.

Previously, when he was practicing the "Azure Dragon Heaven-Reaching Technique," he couldn't find any relevant materials in any of the major merchant guilds.

Surprisingly, it was actually sold on the black market.

In this way, not only can one's cultivation level be improved, but even the basic cultivation methods can be enhanced significantly.

only...........

"The confrontation between the abbot of the Wusheng Temple and the bishop of the Libra Church was quite interesting."

"Will they explore the areas near Tianjin where demons are said to roam, and perhaps even start a business together?"

"What they're selling are dragon-like demonic creatures that slap the face of the Dasheng royal family..."

"This religion, which was never a good thing to begin with, is it really going to become a guide for foreign powers...?"

Thoughts flashed through my mind one by one.

Without hesitation, Li Xijun looked around and, seeing no one nearby, stepped forward and whispered:

"I need a large quantity, do you have any private rooms here?"

Upon hearing this, the flaxen-haired maid immediately broke into a warm and bright smile, stepped forward, embraced the other woman with her rather full bosom, and whispered in her ear:

"This way, sir. Our Libra Church's Chamber of Commerce has always guaranteed fair transactions. We not only have private spaces, but also multiple back doors for you to use..."

A moment later,

Li Xijun, dressed in Western attire, with a metal mask covering her face and carrying a black briefcase, walked out of a back door of the Libra Church.

Aside from the extremely fresh dragon-type demon flesh and blood worth thousands of taels of silver in the alley, his attire was similar to that of a merchant from the continent of Dorsey who came to purchase goods.

With his calm and collected demeanor, he showed no unusual behavior throughout the journey, simply weaving through the crowds and returning to the boarding point on the black market island.

Li Xijun sat quietly to one side after boarding the ship, not moving at all. In fact, out of caution, he was using the nanosuit eye display to connect to the Mockingbird drone and observe the surroundings from the sky.

After all, he bought several thousand taels of demon flesh and blood at once, and they were all of the dragon type, which was basically enough for a filthy martial artist to cultivate to the great level of filthy refining.

He was genuinely worried that someone might... with such a huge expenditure.

"Hmm, someone really is eyeing me!" Li Xijun cursed inwardly.

His gaze suddenly became fixed on the images transmitted from the Mockingbird drone.

As he passed through the market, a middle-aged Taoist priest suddenly stood up and hung from a great distance.

As he boarded the small boat and gradually reached the middle of the river, the middle-aged Taoist priest summoned an invisible, five-colored, seemingly transparent flying sword. He then flew into the air on the sword and began to accelerate his pursuit.

Wusheng Dao Temple, a place for cultivators in the state of meditation and spiritual refinement!

Li Xijun instantly realized the identity of the person who had come.

It was the same Taoist priest who had fished with a straight hook on his first visit to the black market.

"The local gangs are so rude!"

"This entire Wusheng Taoist Temple is now a path to certain death; you'll all just have to wait!"

Li Xijun was no longer thinking at this moment.

It was the Wusheng Taoist Temple that tampered with the teachings of the Libra Goddess regarding the flesh and blood of the Cold Water Dragon.

Or, after hunting them down, what methods or techniques could be used to detect the large amount of blood and flesh of the Cold Water Dragons in this alley?

While mentally making a deep impression on this Taoist priest and the entire Wusheng Taoist Temple,

He suddenly sprang up, smashing the bottom of the small boat. He was like a boulder crashing into the water, and he and his suitcase sank rapidly toward the bottom of the river.

Having witnessed Su Nianyi's actions and read the various descriptions of the Sitting-in-Forgetfulness Realm cultivators in the "Detailed Explanation of the True Self-Nourishing Mind Method,"

Li Xijun had absolutely no intention of challenging a cultivator at the Forgetfulness Realm.

Especially if the opponent is likely at least at the Lesser Completion stage of the Meditation Realm and possesses a magical flying sword capable of flying on it.

Li Xijun was well aware that even if she wore a nano-protective suit, she would most likely be instantly killed.

At the same time, he couldn't use ordinary means of escape.

As a martial artist in the Refining Realm, his speed is absolutely not within the range of a cultivator in the Sitting Meditation Realm's mental scanning. For a cultivator in the Refining Spirit Realm who can project their mental power, the electromagnetic pistol may not have much of a hit rate.

so............

Li Xijun's internal energy circulated again, and he struck out with a backhand strike of Void Tremor, which increased his speed in the water. Just as his opponent accelerated down from the sky, he crashed into the muddy bed at the bottom of the river.

"Bang!"

The muddy bed at the bottom of the river trembled, and for a moment, countless turbid muddy waters surged, causing the middle-aged Taoist priest, who had landed on a wooden plank on the water's surface, to intensify his spiritual scan in order to find a figure among them.

But as the muddy water, a mixture of sand and silt, gradually subsided, there was no sign of anyone in the riverbed where a large crater had just been created.

"Hmph!" The middle-aged Taoist priest, whose face turned extremely ugly, snorted coldly.

The silent sword light turned the entire wrecked boat and the boatman into fragments of blood mist, which sank into the slowly flowing river as the waves surged.