RNP Chapter 4 The Golden Toad Subdues the Elixir, the Flower of the Other Shore
Chapter 4 The Golden Toad Subdues the Elixir, the Flower of the Other Shore
"Table 93, General Tso's Chicken, spring rolls, dumplings, Kung Pao Chicken..."
Store manager Hu Bayi coordinated all parties in an orderly manner, and the smile on his face became much more confident.
Panda Express opened two months ago and became an instant hit, winning over locals with its affordable prices, delicious taste, and fast service.
Most Chinese people don't like this flavor, but locals rave about it.
They have already started working on opening a second branch.
Both Hu Bayi and Shirley Yang received a share of the shop's profits. A man gains confidence when he has a career, and Hu Bayi stopped avoiding Shirley Yang.
All of this was thanks to Huang Bai. Hu Bayi was extremely grateful to this fellow Chinese, as it was this benefactor who changed him and gave him the means to establish himself in America.
This time, I'm really going to retire from this life.
A middle-aged man came to the door.
"Mr. Hu, the domestic express delivery has arrived."
"it is good."
Hu Bayi drove his minivan to the detached villa in the suburbs.
This is Huang Bai's residence. Since opening this shop, Huang Bai no longer manages the shop's business. My usual task is to collect strange and unusual materials for Huang Bai.
As soon as he got close, Hu Bayi smelled a faint aroma of cooking.
A pavilion stands in the courtyard of the villa.
Inside the pavilion, Huang Bai sat cross-legged, with colorful materials burning in the three-legged, two-eared alchemical cauldron in front of him, the smoke and fumes faintly forming the shapes of dragons and tigers.
"The Five Ganoderma Pills of the Golden Male and Wooden Female... Golden refers to lead, and Wooden Female refers to mercury. This is the external alchemy of the Lead and Mercury School. The Five Ganoderma refers to stone Ganoderma, wood Ganoderma, grass Ganoderma, flesh Ganoderma, fungus Ganoderma, etc..."
This is the method for refining the external elixir of the Twin-Pupil World.
Beside Huang Bai was an iron cage containing several large toads. Each toad had a hole the size of a coin in its back, covered with verdigris.
This is a method of cultivating external elixirs called the "Golden Toad Elixir Subduing Technique." It utilizes the poison glands on the back of a toad to neutralize the elixir, making the medicinal properties of the external elixir milder.
This was Huang Bai's first attempt at refining pills on his own.
Soon, the cinnabar was refined. Huang Bai used a measuring tool similar to a knife to scoop out the pill from the hole on the toad's back, roasted it over a fire, and then consumed it.
This quantity is called "Dao Gui," a term used by ancient alchemists to measure elixirs.
Close your eyes, look inward at yourself, and feel the mysterious medicinal power flowing through your body.
Hu Bayi felt a strange sense of unease at the scene before him.
He had traveled all over the country, raided countless tombs, and seen many strange and unusual things, but he still felt that the gold and silver in front of him were too feudal and superstitious.
"You've arrived?" Huang Bai opened his eyes and smiled gently.
Hu Bayi voiced his doubts, saying, "Is this an elixir from ancient alchemists?"
"That's right, taking it grants incredible divine power."
"Is the specific effect of cultivation to become an immortal, or some incredible superpower?" Hu Bayi was now convinced that Huang Bai was a Taoist priest.
"The Way of External Alchemy, when cultivated to its deepest level, allows one to discard the physical body and ascend to immortality of the soul."
In Huang Bai's view, the Corpse-Dissolving Immortal in the Twin-Pupil World should be considered a high-level ghost. The gods worshipped by the supernatural forces in horror and fantasy films, or the evil gods possessed by spirits, should belong to this category.
These kinds of ghosts and spirits don't have much active influence on the real world. They may seem low-level, but they are still gods, which is better than wandering ghosts.
"Is it truly worth it to abandon the physical body and ascend to immortality without a physical form?"
Hu Bayi had seen the tombs of emperors and generals from all dynasties, all of whom pursued immortality but to no avail. Even if one could truly live forever after death, what would be the point without a physical body?
He didn't want Huang Bai to go astray. With Huang Bai's intelligence and talent, he was capable of enjoying a lifetime. Why should he pursue something so illusory?
Huang Bai covered the flames with the lid, extinguished them, and slowly walked to the pavilion.
"How can a brain with a limited lifespan comprehend the wonders of longevity?"
"In the eyes of a mayfly that lives only a day, a small pond is the whole world, and it has seen all the wonders of the world."
"Grasshoppers don't survive the autumn; what follows is a hellish winter, and living there is endless suffering."
"In the eyes of the immortals, what difference is there between the human perspective and that of mayflies and grasshoppers?"
"You laugh at the bat for being blind, but the bat laughs at you for being deaf. You laugh at the sparrow for being thin and weak, but the sparrow laughs at you for being too fat to fly and too deprived of freedom."
"Longevity is the measure of the value of life. Only by constantly sublimating and rising can one see all the beauty of the universe."
This is the answer to Hu Bayi's question, and also Huang Bai's own heartfelt words.
This is his ambition: the ultimate sublimation of life, to see all the world.
The external alchemy is not the focus. He does not necessarily have to abandon his physical body. If he can obtain the method of cultivating the physical body, wouldn't it be wonderful to cultivate both body and mind?
Hu Bayi was puzzled and didn't know that it was inappropriate to talk too much with someone he didn't know well. He put down the alchemy materials, exchanged a few pleasantries, and left.
hum!
After Hu Bayi left, Huang Bai drew his bronze magic sword, made a hand seal with his right hand, chanted a spell, and finally wiped the sword with his hand, adding a touch of sharpness to the divine sword.
Deep in the courtyard, the autumn wind was bleak. The Taoist priest moved like a crane, his sword shadow like a rainbow. Fallen leaves danced with the sword's momentum, a dazzling display tinged with a hint of killing intent.
Drink the essence of jade and knock on the gate; take the elixir of immortality and live forever.
The art of external alchemy has become increasingly refined.
Swordsmanship doesn't require fancy moves; in life-or-death battles, only speed, accuracy, and ruthlessness matter.
After practicing his sword moves, Huang Bai looked at his left arm, where the Heavenly Dao talisman shone brightly.
"I should have no problem retiring from this life; all that's left is to resolve my inner conflicts."
On the other side, there was a luxurious manor with a plaque outside that read "Global Spiritual Retreat".
Inside the manor, the meeting hall was packed with people, sitting cross-legged on the ground. A middle-aged woman with disheveled hair sat on a high platform, with devout believers listening attentively below.
This woman, named Ying Caihong, has one amber eye and is rumored to be able to communicate with ghosts and spirits. She is the head of a spiritual society.
"Alright, that concludes today's spiritual retreat. Go back and reflect on yourselves." Ying Caihong's expression was calm, her amber eyes reflecting the devout faces of everyone.
After the lecture ended, Ying Caihong slowly stood up and strolled leisurely to the back.
In a secluded place, her face turned pale, and her body swayed precariously. In front of the mirror, her long hair slipped down, revealing a bald head covered with hideous scars.
Yes, she's dying; she has a tumor on her head.
Despite using the most advanced methods available, Ying Caihong was unable to cure this incurable disease.
She was not the supernatural being people rumored to be; she was simply a religious leader skilled at bewitching people.
"I'm not reconciled, I can't die..." Ying Caihong touched the horrific knife scar, her face full of resentment at losing her life.
Footsteps sounded behind her. Ying Caihong put on her long hair and resumed her calm demeanor.
The newcomer was a short-haired woman holding an old, yellowed blueprint in her hand. It was a brightly blooming flower with petals radiating outwards like the sun, and its appearance was extremely aggressive.
"Yangzi, bring these over." Ying Caihong reached out and took the drawings from the woman's hand.
"Mother, what is this?" the woman asked, puzzled as to why her godmother had gone to such great lengths to search for this object.
"This is a red spider lily..." Ying Caihong's amber eyes kept looking at the painting. In the lower right corner of the painting was the author's information: Ding Sitian, 1964, Grassland Hundred-Eyed Cave.
"In the myths and legends of the Khitan people, the red spider lily blooms at the boundary between Yin and Yang. Every time Yin and Yang alternate at midnight, it can open the gate between life and death, and has the ability to turn death into life and reverse Yin and Yang."
"Yangzi, find professionals and head to the grasslands immediately to find the ancient tomb."