Chapter 9: Seclusion

After saying goodbye to Tian Bo, Liu Xiaolou headed northeast up the mountain. But instead of taking the familiar Qianzhu Ridge trail, he slipped into the dense forest, weaving his way through tangled undergrowth and scattered rocks. Midway up, he reached a thick, old pine tree. With a quick leap, he climbed up and parted the pine needles at a fork in the branches, revealing a small hollow hidden in the trunk. The opening was tight, but still big enough to squeeze through. Liu Xiaolou slid his legs in first, then pulled the rest of his body through, inhaling and tucking his waist to fit. He raised his arms straight above his head and wriggled in. After dropping down about ten feet, his feet touched the ground. He snapped his fingers, and a three-inch flame flared to life, lighting up a narrow, uneven tunnel. He followed the tunnel downward at an angle for a good fifteen minutes, winding through six or seven sharp turns. Along the way, he had to swap out several finger-flames. Eventually, the tight passage opened up into a small cavern, roughly half a mǔ wide  (333 sq meters). At both ends of the cavern, narrow cracks and holes in the rock let in wisps of cool air from outside, keeping the place surprisingly comfortable. In the center was a small pool. The water was clear and deep, with a channel at the bottom that connected to the Wunest River. In an emergency, it could be used as an escape route. This place was the Sanxuan Sect’s hidden refuge. According to his teacher, the founder of their sect had discovered it while passing through Wulong Mountain. Only later was the Sanxuan Sect established on Qianzhu Ridge. So, in a way, the cave came before the sect. With a sudden splash, Big White popped his head up from the bottom of the pool. Using his webbed feet, he paddled and jumped out of the water, waddling over to Liu Xiaolou with a little sway. He let out two quick quacks. When the Sanxuan Sect had to go into hiding, Big White was never a worry for anyone. He always swam up from the bottom of the Wunest River and would often bring a few fat fish back to the cave. Truly a great helper during those times. Liu Xiaolou paid him no mind. He sat down cross-legged by the pool and began his cultivation. Qi refinement was for clearing the meridians. Foundation building was for unblocking the vessels. To open the Twelve Main Meridians and awaken the Eight Extraordinary Vessels, each step required steady, dedicated effort. Often taking months or even years. How could anyone afford to waste their youth? It had been half a year, and his cultivation hadn’t progressed an inch. At this rate, how could he afford to waste any more time? Sure, a Qi Refinement cultivator might live to be a hundred, but if he couldn’t break through to Foundation Building before sixty, it would only get harder with age. And even if he barely managed it late in life, where would he find the time to form a Golden Core? Let alone talk about attaining immortality. The twelve main meridians were divided into Hand Three Yang, Hand Three Yin, Foot Three Yang, and Foot Three Yin. Only after clearing three of these could one truly be said to have stepped onto the cultivation path and reached the first level of Qi Refinement. Without that, he was no more than a martial artist of the mortal world. Each additional meridian refined counted as one more level. Once all twelve were cleared and the Qi cycle flowed smoothly in a full loop, that marked the completion of the tenth level of Qi Refinement—at which point Foundation Building could begin. Every cultivation method had its own approach. Some started by linking all three Hand Yang meridians in one go. Others began with Hand Yin, or with one of the Foot groups. Most followed this pattern because the three of a kind shared similar pathways and compatible elemental affinities. Training that way made progress faster and easier. Take the Hand Three Yin, for example: the Lung Meridian (Hand Greater Yin), the Pericardium Meridian (Hand Faint Yin), and the Heart Meridian (Hand Lesser Yin)—they all ran from the chest to the hands, drawing from the same source of Qi. But the Sanxuan Sect’s technique that Liu Xiaolou practiced, the Three Mysteries Scripture, took a different route. Instead of sticking to one group, it started with a meridian from each: the Lung Meridian (Hand Greater Yin), the Large Intestine Meridian (Hand Yang Bright), and the Spleen Meridian (Foot Greater Yin). Only upon reaching the second level would he begin refining the Stomach Meridian (Foot Yang Bright) from the Foot Three Yang. Compared to other sects, this path was much harder. He had started cultivating at eight years old. Now, ten years later, he had only just reached the second level. According to his teacher, Master Sanxuan, this unusual method was meant to bring balance to the entire cultivation process. “With every meridian you open,” his teacher had once said, “you must think ahead, look behind, and proceed with caution. A balanced blend of Yin and Yang, of hands and feet. That’s the right way. Only then can the inside and outside truly align. If you open three from just one group; say, all Hand or all Foot, all Yin or all Yang. It’s like having a heavy head and weak legs, or one arm longer than the other. That’s not a stable foundation. Don’t worry. Our sect’s method may be slower, but it’s solid. You won’t have to worry about imbalance or backlash. Even when it’s time to break through in seclusion, you won’t lose control. It’s steady.” Those words still echoed in Liu Xiaolou's mind. They’d sounded convincing, and he had followed them to the letter. Not that he had much choice; he was already on this path, and there was no turning back. Liu Xiaolou was now at the second level of Qi Refinement, but he'd been stuck at the Foot Yang Bright Meridian for nearly three years. The problem was twofold: a lack of cultivation resources, and no real insight to speak of. This time, though, after taking part in the Heroes’ Gathering, things had changed. He’d walked away with three spirit stones, a rare spirit herb, and more than a few mouthfuls of spirit wine. More importantly, he'd gone through a brush with death, which was a powerful trigger for a breakthrough. In fact, the first signs of that shift had already started showing back when he escaped from Jinping Manor. Opening a meridian meant clearing the acupoints along its path. Each meridian had left and right branches, and the two sides were linked. One acting as “solid,” the other as “void.” If the left side was treated as the solid path, the right would naturally become void, and vice versa. You only needed to train one side; the other would respond on its own. Liu Xiaolou had tried both, but eventually chose to focus on the right-side meridians, which felt more natural to him. The Foot Yang Bright Meridian had 90 acupoints in total; 45 on each side. Since he was only working on the right side, clearing all 45 right-side points would naturally open the corresponding ones on the left. This meridian began at the Chengqi acupoint and ended at Lidui. Liu Xiaolou had just three acupoints left to clear: Xiangu, Neiting, and Lidui. With three spirit stones in hand, he planned to power through and break through in one go. He pulled out one of the spirit stones, smacked Big White away with a palm when it waddled over to sniff at it, then gripped the stone tightly in his hand. Thin threads of spiritual energy began seeping into his body through the skin of his palm. It felt unbelievably refreshing. Spiritual energy was gradually drawn from the spirit stone, converting into true qi that cultivators could use. Spirit stones were the condensed essence of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Not only did they contain densely packed spiritual energy, but it was also incredibly pure, making them ideal for cultivation. Most cultivators could refine 70 to 80% of a stone’s energy into true qi. As the spiritual energy entered his body, it circulated under the guidance of the Three Mysteries Scripture, cleansing him from within. A small amount of impurities was expelled; some through sweat, some as faint wisps of smoke rising from his scalp. The rest was refined into true qi, which gathered in his meridians and surged toward the Xiangu acupoint, ready to break through. The Xiangu acupoint, when open, it flows like a valley; when closed, it's sealed like a mountain. Right now, it was still unopened, caught in a half-closed, half-open state. Once fully cleared, it could dispel wind, release the exterior, clear heat, and open the sensory orifices. It also helped calm the mind. This acupoint was especially important because it’s where the energy of the Foot Yang Bright Meridian gathered, making it a key spot. Back at Jinping Manor, when the smoke was so thick you could barely see ten feet ahead, he’d managed to run at full speed through it, slipping past every obstacle at the last possible moment. What looked dangerously close had, in truth, been perfectly timed. His mind had remained steady the whole time. That steadiness had been an early sign that the Xiangu acupoint was already on the verge of opening. This was partly due to those few mouthfuls of spirit wine, rich with spiritual energy; partly from the mental clarity gained over six months of reflection; but most of all, it stemmed from that desperate, do-or-die resolve that only emerges when you're pushed to the brink. Right now, Liu Xiaolou sat cross-legged in meditation, guiding his true qi to strike at the acupoint. What once had been tightly sealed acupoint now began to show faint signs of loosening. He fought back his excitement, forcing himself to remain calm as if observing himself from the outside. Again and again, he directed true qi to batter the acupoint, gradually prying open its foundation. Each strike sent sharp jolts of pain radiating from the acupoint gate. When he was hungry, he’d eat the rice cake. When exhausted, he’d rest and clear his mind. Sometimes he’d roast a fat fish caught by Big White to soothe his thoughts. Days passed like this without him noticing, and the opening of the Xiangu acupoint grew wider and wider. More and more of his true qi began slipping through, flowing into the Primordial Pool where it could be stored and nourished. Then one day, when the Primordial Pool had filled to the brim with accumulated true qi, the acupoint gate suddenly burst wide open. True qi flowed in effortlessly, without any resistance or effort at all. At that moment, a wave of pure relief spread through the Xiangu acupoint. Liu Xiaolou felt his spirit soar, finally experiencing the true sense of “clearing heat and opening the sensory orifices.” The Xiangu acupoint was finally open.