"It's good to know the stakes. Don't try to be clever. Once you know your path, you should walk it honestly. I won't let you take shortcuts. You weren't trapped too deeply just now, so I can still enlighten you. If you were truly trapped, even the Heart Purification Mantra wouldn't be able to save you. You would be trapped there for the rest of your life!"
What Zhang Zhiwei said was not an exaggeration. Those old men in Wudang were trapped at this level for their entire lives.
Zhuge Yunhui nodded and said, "Brother Zhang, what you taught me is that after this journey through the mysteries of life and death, I have learned a lot and have thought things through. Perhaps the things passed down by my Zhuge family are not wrong. They actually align with the principles you taught, Brother Zhang. But it is us, your unworthy descendants, who are wrong!"
"What do you mean?" Zhang Zhiwei asked.
Zhuge Yunhui said, "My Wuhou Sect has a unique technique called Samadhi True Fire. However, this unique skill has not been mastered in my Wuhou Sect for nearly a hundred years. Those who have forced themselves to practice it have all died. Recently, the clan has been discussing sealing this unique skill and not teaching it anymore."
"And the requirements for practicing this unique skill are to be proficient in Qimen knowledge, and at the same time, to practice some methods that have nothing to do with magic, such as oil hammering, iron ruler hitting the ribs, and chest breaking large stones."
"No one knows why we sorcerers bother to practice this crude horizontal training. The elders guess it's to sharpen our minds, so we don't really put any effort into practicing or learning it."
"But now I think this is only one aspect. The other aspect is to better control myself and understand the larger structure of the human body."
"The essence of this Samadhi True Fire is actually the same as that of ordinary Qimen magic. However, the difference is that ordinary Qimen magic is performed with the help of the structure of heaven and earth, while Samadhi True Fire is performed with the help of the structure of the human body."
"It turns out our ancestors had already planned everything. They were just worried that we would take shortcuts like we did just now and go astray, so they didn't point it out clearly."
"But as long as we don't cheat or make subjective changes, and just follow the method he sets out and work diligently, we can learn it."
"But the irony is that we are being too clever and making the wrong choices along the path planned by our ancestors!"
"I'm so stupid, really. I can even stray from the path planned by our ancestors, yet I still dream of reaching the sky overnight. The fortune I read for myself before was really accurate. I'm trying to stop a chariot with a mantis arm. I'm overestimating my own abilities!"
There is great terror between life and death. Perhaps because he had been to the gates of hell, Zhuge Yunhui seemed to have become enlightened and understood many truths in an instant.
His whole temperament suddenly relaxed, and he was no longer as impetuous as before. He was less obsessed with the strange magic that he had practiced so hard but could not obtain, and became more open-minded.
"I'm glad you understand. Is there anything else? If not, dismantle the strange situation and leave!" Zhang Zhiwei said.
Zhuge Yunhui looked at Zhang Zhiwei and said, "One more thing. I just noticed that Senior Brother Zhang has been coughing a lot. This should be the backlash after the fourth round!"
Zhang Zhiwei nodded: "Yes, it was my first time using it, and I didn't control it well. I used too much force, and my heart and lungs took a bit of a hit, but it's nothing serious!"
Zhang Zhiwei's method of moving the four plates is somewhat similar to the Fenghou Qimen in the Eight Wonders of later generations, but there are also differences.
He called upon the innate fire and gold energy cultivated by Yang Wu Lei, returned it to the spine, and then spread it out to attack the four-plate pattern.
This is pretty crude and simple.
Fenghou Qimen should have a special calculation formula. After deduction, it can slightly adjust a solar term to trigger an effect similar to the collapse of dominoes.
Compared with the sophistication of Fenghou Qimen, what Zhang Zhiwei did was no less than a crow overturning a table. Only he dared to do so because he relied on his high level of cultivation. If it were someone else, he would probably die on the spot.
However, it is not a big problem. The main reason for this is that Zhang Zhiwei does not understand the calculation method of Qimen Dunjia, so he can only act brute force. If he studies the method and understands the deduction method, he can find a fulcrum that saves effort, just like the principle of leverage, and control everything at will.
"Even with Senior Brother Zhang's life and cultivation, this kind of situation would happen. You can imagine how dangerous it is. Senior Brother Zhang risked his life to guide me. This kind of kindness, plus the life-saving grace later, Yunhui really has no way to repay him!" Zhuge Yunhui said with gratitude.
Zhang Zhiwei waved his hand: "I have benefited a lot from guiding you, you don't owe me anything!"
"Senior Brother Zhang is so open-minded, but Yun Hui can't think like that. If he ignores the kindness of his guidance and the grace of saving his life, wouldn't that be worse than pigs and dogs? However, Yun Hui's means are shallow, and he has nothing to give in return, so..."
Having said this, Zhuge Yunhui paused, and then said in a secret voice:
"Yun Hui, please give this Samadhi True Fire to Senior Brother Zhang!"
"Samadhi True Fire?" Zhang Zhiwei glanced at Zhuge Yunhui. "This is your family's unique skill. There's no need to do this!"
Zhuge Yunhui quickly transmitted a message, "It's necessary. Although it's a family secret, no one in my Zhuge family has mastered it for many years. This unique skill is like a pearl gathering dust in the hands of our unworthy descendants. So, it's better to give it to someone with virtue and ability."
"Senior Brother Zhang is a pseudonymous disciple of the Tianshi Mansion, the leader of the righteous Dao sect. He is a candidate for the next Tianshi Master. His character and strength are beyond reproach. More importantly, I'm afraid that in this world, Senior Brother Zhang is the only one who can master this unique skill. Only in your hands can this skill shine!"
"My ancestor, Zhuge Wuhou, rose to prominence during the chaotic Three Kingdoms era, which is so similar to the world we live in today. I believe that even if he were still alive, he would be happy to see this!"
Without waiting for Zhang Zhiwei to speak, Zhuge Yunhui used the secret method of telepathy to cram all the knowledge into his head.
"Abandoning those strange techniques, as well as horizontal training methods such as pouring oil hammers on the head, hitting the ribs with iron bars, and breaking stones on the chest, the method of cultivating this Samadhi True Fire is actually very simple. It requires the spirit of the upper elixir, the qi of the middle elixir, and the essence of the lower elixir. Using a special method, these three treasures are ignited to form a life-saving fire that burns the spirit and soul. This method is to maintain an indestructible state of mind, without thoughts or desires, and refine the essence of the lower elixir into fire, which flows through the meridians and ignites the qi of the middle elixir..."
After Zhuge Yunhui finished explaining the secret, he said nothing more, dismantled the Qimen Bureau, bowed deeply to Zhang Zhiwei, turned around and left, his steps looking particularly relaxed.
During this exchange, he not only gained insight into the profound mysteries of the sorcerer, but also experienced the mystery of life and death, letting go of many of his previous delusions that he had not been able to obtain. He felt refreshed and relieved.
As for violating the sect rules and passing on the family secrets...
Zhuge Yunhui didn't take it to heart. He was not a very law-abiding person. He had violated the family rules to teach Tian Xiaodie the Wu Hou Qi Men of the Thirty-Six Thieves.
If the time was not too short and he was worried that Zhang Zhiwei would not accept it, he would even want to teach him the Wu Hou Qi Men as well.