Chapter 40: Spring Has Arrived, and the Golden Elixir is Formed

The five elements guard and the trinity remains eternal. The dragon roars and the tiger howls, the foundation of the Dao is level.

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Fifteen days after the spring equinox, the Douwheel points to Ding, marking the Qingming Festival. At this time, all things become pure, harmonious, and clear. The name Qingming comes from the clarity of the season, with everything visibly flourishing.

In Daoist cultivation, when one reaches the state of the Golden Elixir, it is the transformation of decay into rebirth. By following one’s true nature and reversing the course of destiny, the cultivation of both the nature and the life essence is required to achieve the Dao. Hence, Daoism speaks of following the way of Heaven, yet transcending fate.

The Dao subtly governs the world, and the operation of the universe divides the five elements.

The Dao has creation and destruction, following the five elements. The five elements oppose the Elixir, but the Elixir remains eternal.

In alchemy, the furnace refines the Golden Elixir, transforming Yin and Yang into the Dragon and Tiger. In Daoist alchemy, Dragon and Tiger refer to lead and mercury, the hexagrams of Kan and Li, water and fire, and Yin and Yang. Daoist alchemy divides into internal and external elixirs. External elixirs are known as external medicines, while internal elixirs are internal medicines. The internal elixir, when discussing Yin-Yang and the five elements, refers to the Dragon (Yang), born from Li (Fire), and the Tiger (Yin), born from Kan (Water). The Dragon and Tiger are harmonized together, representing the fundamental energy of the universe and the primordial essence.

Another interpretation links wood to the Dragon, representing the East in the trigram Zhen, and metal to the Tiger, representing the West in the trigram Dui, symbolized by the white Tiger. Metal controls wood, hence it can deplete one's nature. However, when the true essence of the Dragon and Tiger is harmonized, the two elements come together, overcoming their oppositions and creating the elixir.

In the human body, the liver is the Dragon, and the kidneys are the Tiger. The external elixir still follows the principle of Yin-Yang, with the Dragon as lead and the Tiger as mercury.

In preparation for my soon-to-be-formed Golden Elixir, I have read numerous related books and gained insights from the memories of Master Chongxuan. I cannot say I fully understand the I Ching, the Eight Trigrams, and the Way of Heaven, but I have gained a rough understanding of what lies ahead in my cultivation.

During this period, my life has been peaceful. At school, I appear lazy and carefree, with others thinking I'm just muddling through, unaware that I am actually lost in the joy of cultivating and guarding my spirit.

I could say that I have reached a state of enlightenment, transcending the worldly distractions.

Since Classmate Cao Kui became obsessed with the martial arts techniques I taught him, he has constantly pestered me for more advanced teachings. I had only casually taught him the Yin-Yang Five Elements Hand one morning, on a whim, and had no intention of continuing to teach him further. I wonder what would happen if I gave him the 'Vitality-Replenishing Pills' I made... Hehe, just thinking about it reminds me of that overzealous dog from the past!

My intention was merely to help improve his physical fitness, so he could pass the physical exams for sports school, not to turn him into some martial arts master.

Classmate Zhang Yu has recently become more active. Ever since my desk-mate, Xiaoman, transferred schools, Zhang Yu has become the center of attention in our class.

To my frustration, this center of attention has shown great concern for my academic progress, often advising me to study harder and bring me occasional greetings from Xiaoman.

My cousin, Zhang Fuhong, has slowly recovered from the depression after Xiaoman’s departure, though he has become more silent. I hope that with spring approaching, he will find a new sense of purpose and rejuvenate his spirit.

Every year, three days before Qingming, the male members of the Zhang family gather for the tomb-sweeping ritual, which we call "Ya Zhi" in our local dialect.

"Ya Zhi" refers to the custom of placing yellow paper on the graves of ancestors, a tradition still followed in our hometown, Jiushizhang, where the custom of burial persists. During this time, my third uncle also deals in the sale of yellow ritual paper.

This year, as always, three days before Qingming, my third uncle, my cousin, and I returned to our hometown, Jiushizhang, driving a large truck laden with hundreds of sheets of yellow paper and boxes of paper money. Of course, half of it was for the Zhang family’s use.

In addition to the ritual papers and paper money, we also prepared a cow's head, two sheep's heads, five pig's heads, and twelve chickens. The Zhang family was once a large family, and although my grandfather's passing had caused the family to become less united, everyone was still enthusiastic about the tomb-sweeping ritual.

When my grandfather passed away, there was no Yin-Yang priest to conduct a proper ceremony, so my third uncle decided to make this year's tomb-sweeping event a grand affair, using his own money to cover most of the costs, with little objection from the rest of the family.

On the day of the ritual, the family prepared three enormous steamed buns, each the size of a basin. We placed the sacrificial offerings in front of my grandfather's grave, and my third uncle stood on the tombstone, rolling the buns toward us younger family members. Whoever caught the bun was believed to be the one most favored by our ancestors.

I wasn’t particularly inclined to use my cultivation powers during these rituals. In the end, I managed to catch two of the buns, while my cousin got the third one. Apart from me and my cousin, all the other younger members of the family were studying at the local high school in Jiushizhang.

Everyone said that my cousin and I were the lucky ones, destined for great success. My cousin was in high spirits, his recent depression seemingly lifted.

The entire morning was spent feasting in front of my grandfather's grave, but I quietly sat on a large rock, reflecting on my grandfather's kindness while he was alive, and now, with Yin and Yang separated, we would never meet again.

As a cultivator, I suddenly wondered if souls could reincarnate after death. Would my grandfather have already been reborn as someone else? If that were true... Unfortunately, my cultivation is not enough to know for sure. Hehe! But if I were powerful enough, and reincarnation were real, would I go looking for my grandfather's new incarnation?

Life and death, cause and effect, it all passes, yet I wonder if I would even want to search for him in the next life?

I stood there pondering these questions when a gentle breeze blew across the tomb, and the yellow ritual paper fluttered into the air.

My thoughts were gradually drawn toward the drifting paper and money. A thread of consciousness naturally attached itself to those fluttering pieces of paper…

Slowly, my mind relaxed, and I seemed to become the paper itself, rising and falling with the wind. Then, I felt as if I had become the wind, silently caressing everything in the world.

All my doubts were swept away. Although I follow the Dao, I do not wish to become an immortal. The ties of the mortal world are my fate in this life, whether they end or continue, it matters little. The Dao is within the heart, and I am the Dao. Why should I be troubled by what is not mine?

I felt my body lighten, and all confusion dispersed with the wind.

I raised my arms, feeling the softness of the breeze and the beauty of the world around me.

Suddenly, my consciousness expanded, spreading throughout Jiushizhang. It was as if I had countless eyes, observing the world: the willows sprouted buds, the peach blossoms bloomed, the earth was reborn in spring. Look! The little dog I had fed the Vitality-Replenishing Pills to was chasing after the little flower dog, and the birds in the sky were flying in pairs, while the horses in the village were calling out in heat...

I suddenly realized: Spring has come, the season has arrived, and all things carry the energy of spring. Flowers fall, seeds are born, and all is alive…

At that moment, I sensed a surge of energy throughout Jiushizhang, and the Qi in my body, like a tiger, became incredibly active. The inner elixir in my dantian seemed to transform into a dragon, soaring through the clouds.

A rush of rich, natural Qi shot directly into my brain, causing every pore in my body to open wide. The Qi inside and outside my body blended harmoniously.

"Roar...!"

"Howl...!"

Two distinct sounds echoed through my mind. In an instant, I felt a dragon and a tiger emerge from the entire Jiushizhang mountain, flowing with the natural Qi and entering my body. As they passed through my brain, the dragon pattern on the Xuanhuang flag came to life, the dragon appearing green and the tiger appearing white.

The green dragon coiled around the white tiger, the two energies harmonizing. My spiritual palace shone with golden light, and the feeling was indescribably euphoric.

"Ah... Oh...!"

I couldn't help but throw my head back and roar into the sky.