Rain on the Summer Solstice was worth its weight in gold.
A misty drizzle tapped across the fields, bare and giving off the scent of moist earth. In the south, wheat ripened early; the new crop had already been harvested, bound into bundles, and staked across the fields.
Farmers called out greetings to one another from the balks, preparing to sow oilseed, turnips, and broad-leaf mustard for harvest at the end of autumn.
The Li family.
Li Tongya, Li Changhu, and the others had counted the stars, the moon, and the days on their fingers, and at long last, the Summer Solstice had arrived.
When the sky had only just begun to turn a dim gray, the two carried out an altar table and knelt before it together with Li Xiangping.
The magical mirror rested on its stand carved with hornless dragon motifs. Laid out upon the table were the first stalk of new wheat harvested for the Summer Solstice, several varieties of melons and fruit, and three cups of clear tea brewed with summer rainwater.
The three exchanged a glance and spoke in unison:
"Disciples of the Li family, Li Changhu, Li Tongya, and Li Xiangping, respectfully request the wondrous methods of Xuanming to govern destiny, calm our spirits, and uphold the Dao in cultivation."
"We shall report our deeds in due season and never betray the pact of faith; burned alongside the talismans, our bodies shall offer thanks to the Taiyin."
A radiant luster swirled across the mirror, white light flashing again and again, and three white pellets abruptly leapt from its surface, flying toward the trio.
The three hurriedly sat cross-legged, using the mnemonics of the Reception Method to guide the talisman seeds and accept the formulas.
Watching the white pellets enter their Niwan palaces, Li Chijing withdrew his gaze. He sat cross-legged and sank his breath into meditation, gazing at the gleaming white pool of moon essence in his Qihai acupoint as he thought:
"Thanks entirely to the magical mirror's refinement, all eighty-one strands of moon essence have been completed. On the Summer Solstice, the heavenly qi proclaims new life while yang clarity banishes darkness. This is the perfect moment to break through!"
A newborn calf does not fear tigers. With a shift of Li Chijing's will, his hands formed a seal. Waves surged within his Qihai acupoint as the eighty-one strands of moon essence spiritual energy rapidly gathered, chasing one another and swimming head to tail.
"Entering the crown of the Niwan palace to fuse as one, descending through the twelve rings of the heavy tower... hence rising in steam, vital qi curling softly, ascending through the twelve rings of the heavy tower, rising from the aperture beneath the tongue..."
Li Chijing silently recited the method for condensing the Xuanjing Wheel from the Taiyin Breathing and Wheel Nourishing Scripture. The moon essence bounded across the twelve-tiered tower, pooling in his Niwan palace to condense into liquid, then flowed down in streams to gather into a clear pool within his Qihai acupoint.
"Rise!"
He gave a low shout, and a bright silver arc emerged from the clear pool like a moon reflected in water. The arc was crystalline and translucent, resembling an exquisitely slender crescent moon of stunning beauty.
"The twelve-tiered tower pierces the sea of qi; from the clear pool emerges the Xuanjing Wheel."
Gazing upon this sight, Li Chijing could not help but marvel, immediately driving his technique to solidify the Xuanjing Wheel and striving to rein in its form.
Yet as time trickled by, the Xuanjing Wheel was slow to truly settle. The crystalline crescent moon drifted gently in the pool, shimmering with ripples, floating unstably as though it might disperse at any second.
Li Chijing was already exhausted, straining with all his might to hold the Xuanjing Wheel together. Heavy drops of sweat rolled down his handsome face, dampening his pale blue robes.
Just as he was caught in this dilemma, the clear pool in his Qihai acupoint parted with a rush, and a white talisman pellet abruptly took flight.
Round and brilliantly luminous, the pellet pressed down onto the Xuanjing Wheel. At once, the translucent crescent stabilized its form, and the magical power in the clear pool steadily settled. Li Chijing exhaled a long breath and circulated his qi to conclude the exercise.
The Xuanjing stage was complete! The moon essence spiritual energy in his body had transformed into moon essence magical power—Li Chijing was now an immortal cultivator of the Embryonic Breathing realm!
He slowly opened his eyes, looked toward the magical mirror dimly visible within its lunar halo on the altar, and bowed deeply.
"You have bestowed the immortal methods and refined the moon essence, bringing the Xuanjing Wheel to completion. The Li family is boundless in its gratitude. From this time forward, year after year and month after month, the incense shall burn unbroken and the offerings never cease."
Li Chijing's voice, though still somewhat tender, sounded remarkably solemn. The boy who had always lived beneath the sheltering wings of his elder brothers had grown into a young man.
"Jing'er."
Li Mutian stood quietly in the moonlight, looking gently at his youngest son.
"Father, I have condensed the Xuanjing Wheel."
Li Chijing rose and smiled at his father, lightly opening his left hand. A wisp of milky-white magical power appeared in his palm.
"The first step of cultivation is called Embryonic Breathing. The Embryonic Breathing realm requires the condensation of six wheels, called Xuanjing, Chengming, Zhouxing, Qingyuan, Yujing, and Lingchu. This Xuanjing Wheel is the gateway into the Dao."
"Good, good," Li Mutian said repeatedly, deeply gratified.
Waving a hand to disperse the magical power, Li Chijing sat cross-legged once more to consolidate his cultivation.
***
"What a marvelous technique!"
Li Xiangping was the first to open his eyes. With a laugh, he stretched his arms, got up, grabbed the teapot from the table, and took a deep swig.
"I received that wheel nourishing scripture and a technique called the Water Evading Technique."
The moment his voice fell, Li Tongya awakened from his meditation. Raising an eyebrow, he said with satisfaction:
"I received a technique called the Evil Dispelling Technique."
After the two had chatted for a brief spell, Li Changhu finally opened his eyes. Looking helplessly at his three younger brothers staring intently at him, he said:
"My technique is called the Clothes Cleansing Technique."
Once all three of his elder brothers were awake, Li Chijing, who had held back for so long, finally spoke up excitedly:
"I have already condensed the Xuanjing Wheel!"
"So quickly?"
Li Xiangping gasped in amazement, tilting his head with some confusion.
"It was all thanks to the power of the magical mirror."
Li Chijing glanced at the mirror on the altar and said with heartfelt sincerity:
"This mirror naturally condenses moon essence. Using it to temper lunar energy truly yields twice the results with half the effort."
Only then did Li Tongya and the others understand. Li Changhu patted Li Chijing on the head and said with a smile:
"I have heard the books say that the human body possesses spirit apertures, and once magical power courses through the body, one can tell where they lie. Jing'er, why don't you check for us?"
Li Changhu had found the reception process exceptionally grueling, nowhere near as natural as his two younger brothers had, and had secretly begun to doubt his own aptitude for immortal cultivation.
Sweeping his gaze over his three elder brothers, Li Chijing placed his left hand on the shoulder of Li Xiangping, who was closest, and closed his eyes to search for the spirit apertures.
"Its qi rises, breathing ceaselessly, leaping like a fish..."
Li Chijing silently recited the descriptions from the breathing method as his magical power circulated through Li Xiangping's meridians.
After about the time it took an incense stick to burn, he opened his eyes in shock and muttered to himself:
"There are none..."
Stunned, he hurried to place his hands on the shoulders of his other two brothers, probing with his magical power.
"There are none. How could there be none?!"
Li Chijing's face turned pale. Sitting cross-legged on the spot, he closed his eyes and sank into meditation, letting magical power run through his entire body. Sure enough, there were no so-called spirit apertures.
"The Taiyin Breathing and Wheel Nourishing Scripture clearly states that spirit apertures are the foundation of the Great Dao. No matter how miraculous an immortal formula may be, without spirit apertures, cultivation is out of the question..."
"This... this..."
Li Chijing's mind was in turmoil, so much so that he could not even sustain his meditation. His lips trembling, he looked toward Li Mutian, who was poking at the tea leaves, and whispered:
"Father!"
"You were right. This magical mirror could bring the destruction of our entire clan."
"If a true cultivator were to learn of this artifact, not only would we die and have our souls captured in another's hands, but the whole of Lijing Village—even all the villages across the Guli Road—would be reduced to ashes."
"I have already formed the Xuanjing Wheel and magical power flows throughout my body; unless I cripple my own cultivation, those Qi Refinement cultivators will not be able to probe with their magical power to determine whether I possess spirit apertures."
Li Chijing stood up in horror and gave a solemn warning:
"As for the disciples of our Li family, once granted the Xuanzhu talisman seed, before forming the Xuanjing Wheel, they must never parade themselves in public!"
"Indeed," Li Mutian said, taking a sip of tea and looking gravely at his sons.
"When Jing'er was able to cultivate back then, I thought it was simply because he was exceptionally gifted. Han Wenxu once said that those with spirit apertures are one in a thousand, and perhaps Jing'er was that one."
With a self-deprecating smile, he continued:
"Looking at it now, this magical mirror is truly an extraordinary immortal artifact. It can turn the ordinary into the miraculous. Once granted this talisman seed, even mortals can catch a glimpse of the immortal Dao."
Filled with both relief and terror, the young men looked silently at their father.
"Enough. Go on and cultivate. I will head out to the fields to take a look," Li Mutian said after a long silence.
"Yes."
The brothers naturally bowed in assent and returned to their respective rooms to cultivate.
Li Mutian respectfully retrieved the magical mirror, cleared the altar table, and walked out to the fields with his hands behind his back.
Chapter 11