5: Chapter 5 Experimenting with New Techniques

Wang An used his Incarnation for anonymous activities, planning to post trade information online.

"meteorite for sale, highest bidder takes it. Do not contact if offering less than 50,000. Private chat for interested parties. Images attached below."

meteorite images.jpg

He posted this on several meteorite forums and message boards.

That evening, Wang An was busy studying the more dangerous techniques online using his Incarnation.

Basic techniques, while safe, offered too little improvement. Wang An had been practicing them for over ten days.

He only felt slight changes in his body. If one had to quantify it, it would be like this:

[Name: Wang An

Essence: 1.20

Qi: 1.09

Spirit: 2.05

Talent: Incarnation

Profession: Intelligent Life, Student, Martial Artist

Skills: Basic Taijiquan (Proficient, 80/1000), Fitness Qigong Baduanjin (Beginner, 90/100), Mindfulness Meditation (Beginner, 90/100)]

Although [Fitness Qigong Baduanjin] was about to reach the Proficient stage, judging by the progress of [Basic Taijiquan], the physical benefits diminished significantly after reaching the Proficient level. He estimated that even if he trained it to the Mastery level, his Essence attribute wouldn't exceed 1.5 by much.

Furthermore, reaching the Proficient level in [Mindfulness Meditation] provided little boost to Wang An's Spirit attribute.

Therefore, more advanced cultivation techniques were becoming urgent.

Also, the higher the base attributes, the less effective the cultivation techniques became.

Wang An could take advantage of this time, while the Incarnation wasn't out, to experiment with techniques.

During this period, Wang An had also become well-versed in various Taoist classics.

Specifically, Taoism follows a sequential cultivation path: Refining Essence into Qi → Refining Qi into Spirit → Refining Spirit into Emptiness → Refining Emptiness into Dao.

For the early stages, although every step had specific methods and procedures, the 'dosage' (the 'old' or 'tender' medicine) and the state of 'Wu Wei' (where 'True Qi operates itself, uncollected yet collected') required a master's guidance on the timing.

His Incarnation could 'test the law with its own body,' allowing Wang An to understand exactly what each stage of timing felt like.

He would experiment step-by-step to see what 'old medicine' or 'tender medicine' meant and how to improve upon them.

Wang An's main body was preparing the foundation for the upcoming Refining Essence into Qi.

Because the human body is a universe, and due to various past experiences, the body inevitably had some depletion.

First, he used the [Precepts and Virtue Cultivation Method] to regulate his behavior:

Abstinence and Essence preservation: Restrain sexual activity to preserve innate Essence.

Regular daily routine: Must sleep before the Zi hour (23:00–01:00) and wake up during the Mao hour (05:00–07:00).

Light diet: Eat less meat and reduce dinner portions.

Mental cultivation: Stop thoughts: Practice 'Awaken the moment a thought arises, and it vanishes upon awakening' daily.

This would lead to reduced desires, deep sleep, and gradual recovery of energy.

[Dynamic Guidance Method]

Operation: Practice 1–2 times every morning.

Mental Method: Coordinate movements with breathing, use intent to observe movements and the flow of Qi and blood.

After practicing, the body should feel slightly warm and unblocked, with a pleasant mood.

[Standing Posture Qi Gathering Method]

Posture: Feet parallel and shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, body straight, hands embracing the abdomen.

Mental Method: Imagine being in a hot spring with waves gently caressing the body; or like an ancient tree taking root, with the top of the head reaching toward the void.

Breathing: Natural abdominal breathing.

Duration: Gradually increase from 15 minutes to over 45 minutes.

Hands and feet should remain warm, with a feeling of warmth and fullness in the Dantian, feeling refreshed after standing.

[Calming Spirit and Regulating Breath Method]

Counting breaths: Sit quietly, count only the exhalations, from 1 to 10, repeat in a cycle; if distracted, start over.

Listening to breath: Stop counting, use only hearing to perceive the subtle sound of breathing until 'mind and breath are interdependent'.

Initially achieve 'entering stillness,' where distracting thoughts significantly decrease and the sense of time disappears.

Finally, achieve a healthy state of 'Essence full, Qi sufficient, Spirit vigorous,' laying a solid material foundation for subsequent transformation.

In fact, Wang An was already doing these steps, just not as systematically.

Therefore, the Incarnation could first proceed with the first step of [Refining Essence into Qi]: Producing the Medicine.

Wang An focused his mind, sinking into the Incarnation within the space, and combined it with [Mindfulness Meditation] to enter a state of deep stillness.

This step was still simple for him.

However, the subsequent part of 'lightly observing the lower Dantian with an intent that is neither there nor not there,' combined with deep, long breathing—where the intent is heavier than the breath—was difficult.

"Do not forget, do not assist; seem to guard, yet not guard."

What does this 'neither there nor not there' mean? How to observe? What is 'do not forget, do not assist; seem to guard, yet not guard'?

Fortunately, Wang An had done his homework on this step.

It mainly consists of four steps.

Step 1: Preparation. Find a time and a quiet, well-ventilated room where you won't be disturbed, and turn off your phone.

Sit cross-legged or upright on a hard chair, or use the standing posture, until you forget the existence of your body.

Take three deep breaths first. When inhaling, imagine breathing in a clear spring; when exhaling, imagine blowing out all the tension and distracting thoughts from your body like dust. Let all muscles, especially the shoulders, face, and lower abdomen, relax completely.

Step 2: Enter the state. Start counting breaths, eyes slightly closed, focusing only on exhalation.

Count a number in your heart with each exhalation.

This isn't about how fast or accurately you count, but rather using the counting to slowly tether the 'monkey mind and horse intent' that runs everywhere.

When you can count for three to five cycles without wandering off, it means the 'surface of the lake' has begun to calm.

Step 3: Core operation. Switch from 'counting breaths' to 'observation.' When you feel mentally calm and your breathing naturally becomes deep, long, and fine, stop counting.

Gently shift your attention to the depths of your lower abdomen, observing the 'lower Dantian' position inside the body.

Imagine your attention is like faint moonlight at night, gently and softly spilling onto that area deep in the lower abdomen. Maintain a state of 'knowing'—knowing there is a space there, knowing the breath is entering and exiting naturally.

The final main task is to maintain this 'moonlight-like knowing' while breathing naturally accompanies it as a background.

Step 4: Grasp the mental method. This is the hardest and most crucial part.

One can use four scenarios to understand 'do not forget,' 'do not assist,' and 'seem to guard, yet not guard.'

Following these steps, he went through them. During the process, there were times when he got distracted while counting breaths, his mind wandering.

However, for Wang An, who had a certain foundation, after a few mistakes, he gradually moved through them and entered the realm of 'do not forget, do not assist; seem to guard, yet not guard.'

He didn't know how much time had passed, but he felt the Dantian gradually warming up, with a 'neither there nor not there' Qi movement, rising without evil thoughts.

"This feeling is truly wonderful." With this thought, Wang An gradually exited [Producing the Medicine].

Savoring the experience, Wang An truly felt a mysterious Taoist world opening up to him.

He withdrew his mind and opened his phone. It was 12 o'clock; three hours had passed.

"Indeed, there is no sense of time in cultivation!" Wang An remarked.