"Really, such a fuss!"
Yuan Ming shook his head and opened another memorial. It was a report from an assistant minister of the Ministry of Industry concerning the repair of the Heavenly Venerate Hall at Chang Chun Temple. It was similarly a lengthy discourse, and Yuan Ming read with waning interest.
Before finishing, he hastily closed the memorial and tossed it aside.
"It seems being an Emperor isn't so easy. If it were me, I would definitely have these verbose officials pulled out and given a good beating with a plank," Yuan Ming muttered to himself.
He rubbed his temples and tried to rejuvenate his spirit before opening the third memorial.
This memorial was different from the others; it was concise and to the point, beginning with a brief report to the Emperor about an attack on an envoy mission to the Southern Border.
"Turns out he's a military officer, indeed very different from those verbose civil servants." Yuan Ming noticed the signature at the end, General of the South, Yuan Zuochong.
"Yuan Zuochong? That name sounds familiar, I seem to have heard it somewhere?" He murmured to himself, intending to meticulously review the memorial for more clues when suddenly, that soft-spoken man's voice came from outside:
"Your Majesty, the State Preceptor, Immortal Master Yu Hu, requests an audience."
"Immortal Master Yu Hu, the name sounds like he is a practitioner of cultivation!" Yuan Ming's eyelids twitched, his first instinct was to refuse.
But then he thought that he didn't understand the relationship between this young Emperor and Immortal Master Yu Hu; a hasty refusal seemed improper.
Moreover, Divine Soul Possession in the young Emperor was quite inconceivable; this Immortal Master should not be able to detect it.
"Let him in." After a moment of consideration, Yuan Ming set down the memorial and said.
The effeminate man agreed with a word, and the palace doors were pushed open immediately.
An elderly man wearing a Purple Gold Taoist Robe stepped in, gave Yuan Ming a Daoist salute, and said:
"Unbounded blessings from the Heavenly Venerate."
Yuan Ming eyed the old Daoist, who had a lean face and though his features were gaunt, his skin shone with a healthy glow. Three strands of a long beard hung over his chest, giving him an air of immortal elegance.
Adorned in a Purple Gold Taoist Robe embroidered with the Eight Trigrams and clouds, and wearing a golden lotus crown, he exuded an aura of imperial nobility that commanded respect at a glance.
"State Preceptor, there is no need for formalities. What brings you here?" Yuan Ming raised his palm slightly and carefully chose his words as he spoke.
"I just heard from Eunuch Li that Your Majesty is not feeling well. I have come to visit," replied Master Yu Hu as he flicked his whisk.
"I'm quite well, State Preceptor. You are kind to be concerned," Yuan Ming replied, maintaining his tone.
"The health of Your Majesty's dragon body relates to the rise and fall of the nation. We cannot be careless, so please allow me to take your pulse," insisted Master Yu Hu, stepping forward.
Yuan Ming's eyes narrowed slightly. This person was quite presumptuous, but without clear understanding of their relationship, it would be difficult to refuse him outright. Reluctantly, he extended his wrist.
Master Yu Hu glanced at the empty porcelain container on the corner of the table and quickly withdrew his gaze, pinching Yuan Ming's wrist with his fingers.
A chill sensation permeated inward, rapidly flowing through his body.
"This old Daoist indeed practices cultivation!" Yuan Ming's pupils contracted slightly; he dared not breathe too heavily, regretting allowing this man to take his pulse and hoping nothing amiss would be discovered.
The old Daoist closed his eyes and concentrated, but after a moment, his expression changed.
"State Preceptor, how is it?" Yuan Ming asked, bracing himself.
"Have you not been resting well lately, Your Majesty? Your pulse shows that your Qi-Blood is good, yet your Divine Soul seems troubled," Master Yu Hu opened his eyes and said.
"Indeed, I have not slept well of late, sometimes even disturbed by nightmares. Surely there's no serious issue?" replied Yuan Ming vaguely.
"Your Majesty need not worry too much; these are minor matters. However, if Your Majesty would heed my advice and begin cultivating the 'Nine Elements Technique' early, with magic power by your side, such issues would not arise," Master Yu Hu said, stroking his beard.
"What did you just say, State Preceptor?" Yuan Ming blinked his eyes and asked again.
"The Nine Elements Technique is a secret cultivation technique of Chang Chun Temple, not taught to anyone but the most elite disciples. It bears no risks and even strengthens the body. Why do you persistently refuse, Your Majesty?" Master Yu Hu said with a sigh.
"Nine Elements Technique? Is this technique as miraculous as you claim?" Yuan Ming's eyes shifted as he probed further.
"Of course, the Nine Elements Technique is a Daoist secret passed down through generations. Chang Chun Temple's ancestral masters have spent countless efforts improving it. I do not exaggerate; it's unparalleled in stabilizing meridians and regulating Qi-Blood," Master Yu Hu stated proudly.
"How fast does the technique accumulate magic power?" Yuan Ming asked, his breath quickening.
"Daoist cultivation values gradual progress. Originally, the Nine Elements Technique was not known for speed, but the ninth generation Sect Leader, Master Wu Fang, dedicated immense efforts to integrate a Gathering Spirit Technique within it. This increased the speed of accumulating magic power significantly, on par with certain Demon Dao techniques but without any risks," Master Yu Hu explained with a smile, quite pleased with himself.
"Since the State Preceptor so highly recommends it, I shall undertake the cultivation of the Nine Elements Technique. Please guide me," Yuan Ming stood up and bowed to the old Daoist.
Master Yu Hu hesitated momentarily upon hearing this, surveying the young Emperor from head to toe, his eyes betraying surprise. However, his knitted brows quickly relaxed, and a comforting smile spread across his face.
"Very good, very good, very good. Your Majesty has finally seen reason. It is an act in accordance with the will of heaven, and I will certainly teach you with all my heart," Master Yu Hu said, his joy barely contained as he repeated the word "good" thrice.
As he spoke, he pulled out a purple cloud-patterned book titled "Nine Elements Technique - Upper Chapter" from his sleeve and handed it to "Yuan Ming."
Yuan Ming eagerly accepted it with both hands and couldn't wait to open it and start reading.
Unlike the mnemonic of the Blood Qi Technique, the content of the Nine Elements Technique - Upper Chapter was quite extensive, sprawling nearly a thousand words, ancient and grand in every line, clearly much more sophisticated than the Blood Qi Skill.
According to the text, the Upper Chapter of this cultivation technique consisted of thirteen layers, each corresponding to the Magic Power Cultivation of the Qi Refinement Realm.
Yuan Ming read quickly, his heart filled with great joy.
"Your Majesty, the pursuit of cultivation is no different from studying and nourishing one's spirit, it boils down to diligent study and practice. The Nine Elements Technique is an ancestral treasure of Chang Chun Temple, not to be lightly bestowed to anyone who is not a direct disciple of a Sect or a hereditary successor of Da Jin Country. Today, I transmit the Upper Chapter to Your Majesty, and I ask you to strictly abide by the Daoist codes and not to disclose it to others," Master Yu Hu cautioned.
Yuan Ming was so engrossed in the "Nine Elements Technique" that he didn't reply.
"Your Majesty, in the practice of Daoist skills, one must guard against arrogance and impatience, and one must not be too anxious. Now that you have acquired the spell, you should first become familiar with it and recite it. Once all the mnemonics are firmly in your memory, I will return to resolve any doubts you might have," seeing the Emperor so focused, Master Yu Hu stroked his beard, his heart reassured, and after reminding him, he rose to leave.
Just at that moment, a soft "snap" sound was heard, and Yuan Ming had already closed the purple book.
"State Preceptor, I have memorized the content of the Nine Elements Technique, but there are some parts that are not clear to me, please enlighten me," Yuan Ming said solemnly.
The old master's hand, stroking his beard, suddenly froze, and he looked incredulously at the Emperor.
"Your Majesty... you've memorized it all?"
"I have," Yuan Ming confirmed with a serious nod.
Having said this, he began to realize that his memory seemed to be somewhat extraordinary.
When he first learned the Blood Qi Skill, he was able to remember it instantly after listening to it only once, but at that time, it was only a mere two hundred words, and Yuan Ming had not thought much of it.
But now, it seemed he was capable of photographic memory.
"Your Majesty, what is the next line after 'Heavenly Mansion stores Yunmen, Lie Que enters Taiyuan'?" After a pause, Master Yu Hu asked.
"Fish travel through the passage, not returning until they leap over the Dragon Gate," Yuan Ming replied immediately.
"Divine thrusts into Taixu Garden?" Master Yu Hu persisted.
"With the mind guarded in the Dan Tian Palace," Yuan Ming answered lightly.
"What about 'Bo Yang does not change course, yet remains separate from Yin'?"
"Heaven is abundant, connecting to Earth's abundance," Yuan Ming replied.
...
After a series of questions and answers, Master Yu Hu's face showed increasing delight, and he couldn't help but praise, "Previously, I thought Your Majesty was just young and indulgent in play, but today I see it was an act of concealing one's capabilities. With such an ability to memorize at a glance, I believe your cultivation will advance smoothly, traveling a thousand miles in a day."
Hearing this, Yuan Ming thought inwardly, "That may not necessarily be the case."
"Master, I understand about the Heavenly Mansion, Yunmen, Lie Que, Taiyuan, and so on, which are just various acupoints in the human body, but what are Taixu Garden and Dan Tian Palace?" Yuan Ming seized the opportunity to ask.
Seeing the Emperor's eagerness to learn, the old master had no suspicions and immediately explained:
"The acupoints related to cultivation that Your Majesty knows of generally coincide with the ones used in cultivation, only their location is somewhat deeper. When you develop your mana, you will naturally become aware of them. As for Taixu Garden, it refers to the Sea of Consciousness, which is where one stores the Divine Soul and gathers the mind. Dan Tian Palace is also known as the Dantian; it is the place where you will store mana in the future, located in the lower abdomen."
"I see..." Yuan Ming measured on his own stomach and found it almost the same place where the warm currents had gathered when refining the Blood Qi Skill.
Yuan Ming seized the moment and posed all his questions one by one.
Master Yu Hu, although feeling that the Emperor was quite different, still answered patiently.
Soon, all of Yuan Ming's doubts were clarified, and he had no more questions about the Nine Elements Technique. He sat cross-legged on the dragon throne, ready to attempt cultivation.
Just then, the mark on his right arm suddenly twitched, and the warm flow within began to recede quickly.
Yuan Ming was about to examine it when suddenly a wave of indescribable fatigue struck him. His eyelids became too heavy to lift, everything went dark before his eyes, and he lost consciousness once more.
In a haze, Yuan Ming felt as if he had a long dream. It was only after an unknown amount of time that he slowly awoke.
He rubbed his eyes and found himself back in the dim cave, his body his own once again.
"I'm back..." Yuan Ming sighed with relief in his heart.
The ancient-looking green pottery incense burner was still placed in front of him, with two thin sticks of Black Incense in it. The third stick of incense had burned out, with only a tiny spark remaining unextinguished.
The fabric he had used to light the incense had also burned down to a stub, with a bit still clutched in his hand. The two fingers holding the cloth were blackened and emitted bursts of burning pain, evidently caused by the flames that had scorched them.
Yuan Ming shook his fingers, realizing that while his consciousness had descended upon the young Emperor, his own body had stayed motionless, unaware and unresponsive, even as it was burned by the fire.