The Immortal Seeker: Legend of Bronze Mirror
Chapter 86 - 69 Alchemy Dao_2

Chapter 86: Chapter 69 Alchemy Dao_2

There is no other reason, the profit is too large.

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"Uncle, just stay here with me, and others will handle the rest." Xu Qing finally breathed a sigh of relief when Inspector Li arrived.

He had been on edge from last night until now, occasionally entering a state of Absolute Focus as if in battle.

Even for a young man, his energy was not unlimited.

He desperately needed deep sleep to recover his physical and mental strength.

But considering the earlier situation, Xu Qing dared not fall asleep.

After all, he simply didn’t trust people like Fayue enough.

In this world, he only trusted Mr. and Mrs. Li Gongpu not to harm him.

It’s lonely at the top.

The higher you climb, the harder it is to discern whether the people around you are sincere or deceitful.

Of course, Xu Qing was also somewhat mentally overreactive, as the Evil Qi within his Qi Fortune showed no changes, indicating no imminent life-threatening events.

But the fact that the Evil Qi existed kept Xu Qing from feeling completely at ease.

Actually, this is also a manifestation of post-combat stress disorder. Having killed quite a few people last night, even Xu Qing would instinctively have some psychological reactions.

With Inspector Li by his side, Xu Qing fell into a deep sleep, though it was less peaceful than usual.

In a hazy state, he had a nightmare.

He saw flames, then one face after another rushed at him, each one ferocious, like a debt-collecting ghost.

They bit and tore at Xu Qing.

"Bronze mirror!"

Xu Qing instinctively called for the bronze mirror, but then realized he was inside the mirror.

"These evil spirits are actually manifestations of my own thoughts," Xu Qing suddenly realized.

Annoying!

Harassed by his own evil thoughts, Xu Qing was quite irritated yet somewhat helpless.

He emitted a Crane Call to force himself awake, touched his forehead, and found it covered in cold sweat. Inspector Li, seeing Xu Qing waking up, quickly asked, "Xu Qing, did you have a nightmare?"

Xu Qing nodded, "It’s nothing serious."

His rest wasn’t good, yet his physical strength had recovered.

Then, Xu Qing sank into deep thought.

Knowing that Xu Qing sometimes suddenly contemplates, Inspector Li did not disturb him and stayed with his nephew. His heart ached for his young nephew, who carried so many burdens at such a young age.

But such is life; many things are beyond our control.

All he could do was to not hold Xu Qing back.

"A normal person, having killed too many, would be troubled too. If one is strong-willed or naturally malevolent, it might not bother them much, even making them look fearsome and intimidate ordinary people. I am not afraid that these evil thoughts will affect my sanity, but due to the strength of my Divine Soul, I am overly sensitive, making it impossible to ignore them entirely."

Xu Qing realized why many ancient records of Cultivation claim that those who have attained the Dao often refrain from killing; there seems to be a related disturbance involved.

"Alas, it’s still lacking in Cultivation methods for the Divine Soul; many pitfalls one wouldn’t be aware of unless stepped into," Xu Qing joked about himself fortunate for not having joined the army or engaged in battle; otherwise, these evil thoughts would be terribly bothersome.

The battle at the Zhao residence last time, he ended up killing only one cultist, barely noticeable.

The disadvantages of mass killing became apparent last night after killing too many.

Indeed, this issue also becomes noticeable due to the strength of one’s Divine Soul.

Previously, Xu Qing’s Divine Soul was not as strong, and that’s why he hadn’t noticed it after the Zhao residence incident, but it should dissipate over time.

It’s like the pain in one’s heart, however heart-wrenching at the moment, will naturally fade over time.

"Only cultivating life without cultivating one’s nature is the first illness in Cultivation; only cultivating ancestral nature without cultivating the Golden Core makes it difficult for the spirit to attain sanctity. The words of the ancients truly provoke deep reflection. Currently, I am practicing Dual Cultivation of Life and Spirit, but lacking an orthodox Golden Core Method to integrate my being, I am groping my way forward, only understanding the obstacles when faced with them directly," Xu Qing reflected deeply, his longing for a proper method of Cultivation growing more urgent.

Bull Demon Strong Fist and Eight Diagram Wandering Palm are ultimately external methods focusing on the physical body, and do not touch upon the fundamental Dao of life and the higher Alchemy Dao.

Alchemy Dao is not a specific term but a concept.

What is the Golden Core?

The core mentioned in ancient Cultivation refers to the Golden Core, gold being indestructible and core representing completion.

This type of completion is actually about more systematically integrating all aspects of oneself.

Thinking it over, Xu Qing still felt irritated and simply got up to practice boxing on the deck.

The official ship was large enough, and the deck was very spacious.

He performed the movement technique of the Eight Diagram Wandering Palm and practiced the Bull Demon Strong Fist.

Last night’s real combat experience was perfectly integrated into his martial arts.

Guard Wang had mentioned that deep practice in Martial Arts should connect with "intention," what "intention" is was something Guard Wang couldn’t explain.

Xu Qing, however, felt a bit of insight.

As he punched, he imagined himself as a great Bull Demon, killing countless beings. The evil thoughts within him seemed to find a way to vent, making his punches terrifyingly powerful.

After a series of punches, Xu Qing felt not only not tired but rather exhilarated.

Indeed, clearing one’s thoughts is key to cultivating the Divine Soul.

"If I had just sat still earlier, with no outlet for the internal evil thoughts, I would have become increasingly irritable, leading to internal consumption and even harming my Divine Soul," Xu Qing thought, feeling much more enlightened after finishing his punches.

The open river and distant mountains like smoke also enhanced his mood.

The scenery created by nature also has a healing effect on the mind.

Seeing Xu Qing look more uplifted, Inspector Li finally felt relieved. Meanwhile, the interrogation of the Clerk on the official ship had yielded results, and Inspector Wu had ordered the helmsman brought by Inspector Li to navigate the ship to the delivery point for the smuggled salt on board.