Chapter 11 : Elder Qingyuan Gives a Lecture
Chapter 11: Elder Qingyuan Gives a Lecture!
Gu Yan’s gaze swept across the three lecture halls—Hundred Herbs Hall, Hidden Edge Hall, and Taiyi Hall. Recalling what that senior sister had said earlier, he suddenly noticed a problem.
Lectures began at the hour of Si each day. Once the elder entered the hall, the lecture would immediately start, and no one could enter after the doors were closed.
But if no one informed them in advance which branch elder would be teaching that day, how were the disciples supposed to know which hall to enter?
This rule carried a rather “Schrödinger’s classroom” sort of meaning.
At this moment, quite a few disciples were already hurrying back and forth.
Gu Yan was not in a rush to follow the crowd. Instead, he stood quietly to the side and observed.
Some people stepped into Hundred Herbs Hall without hesitation; others headed straight for Hidden Edge Hall.
There were also those who lingered briefly before entering Taiyi Hall.
It seemed that among the inner sect disciples, there existed some kind of unreliable method of judgment—or perhaps they were simply relying on luck.
After a moment’s thought, Gu Yan ultimately stepped into Hundred Herbs Hall.
The hall was spacious, capable of accommodating a hundred people, yet at this moment only a dozen or so were seated, making it appear especially empty.
He found a seat by the window and sat down, recalling that there were no fewer than five hundred outer sect disciples.
As for the inner sect… it was likely much more selective.
Not long after, an elderly man dressed in a Daoist robe embroidered with azure cloud-mist patterns slowly walked into Hundred Herbs Hall.
Almost at the same time, several disciples hurried over from the direction of the other two halls.
But just as they reached the entrance, they heard a creak from inside—the wooden door had already been shut.
Their footsteps froze instantly.
“Elder Qingyuan has already gone in…”
“Sigh, another wasted trip.”
“Forget it, let’s go back.”
They looked at each other, their faces filled with helplessness at having gambled wrong again.
No one dared to knock. The rule that the lecture began as soon as the elder entered, and that the hall must not be disturbed once closed, was something no inner sect disciple dared to break.
Eavesdropping from outside was even more impossible. Not only was it disrespectful, but under the faint aura enveloping the area, nothing outside the door could be heard clearly.
Gu Yan took all of this in, understanding inwardly.
It seemed that this randomness of the three halls’ lectures was intentionally arranged by the sect.
It was likely meant to train disciples to observe, infer, and even cultivate a sense of going with the flow amidst uncertainty.
Daoism spoke of following the natural way—this lecture rule indeed carried a hint of that natural philosophy.
The old man stood on the platform. Though his hair and beard were completely white, his complexion was ruddy, and his voice rang out as clear as a spring striking stone:
“This old Daoist is the acting elder of the Hundred Herbs Branch of Pill Glow Peak. My Daoist title is Qingyuan.
Today, I will speak to you about the distribution of acupoints in the human body, the principles of the circulation of qi and blood, and the identification and usage of several basic medicinal herbs.”
Upon hearing this, Gu Yan’s spirit lifted.
Back in the outer sect, he had relied entirely on the brief descriptions in Taiyi Dao Virtue Scripture · First Revolution Chapter to explore these topics himself, often encountering obscure and difficult passages.
Now that an elder was systematically explaining them, it was the perfect opportunity to fill in the gaps.
At the same time, some disciples already showed delighted expressions.
Gu Yan heard quiet whispers around him: “It’s actually Elder Qingyuan!”
“This elder usually stays at Pill Glow Peak refining pills—he rarely comes out to teach.”
“Today’s luck is really good!”
Elder Qingyuan paid no attention to the murmurs and began directly:
“The human body has three hundred sixty-five acupoints, corresponding to the number of days in a full cycle.
Among them, there are one hundred eight major acupoints, seventy-two intermediate acupoints, and one hundred eighty-five minor acupoints.
In the first revolution of martial cultivation, nine acupoints are opened. In the second revolution, eighteen more are opened…”
Gu Yan listened quietly.
Although these were recorded in the Taiyi Dao Virtue Scripture · Second Revolution Chapter, the text was obscure and relied heavily on personal comprehension.
Having an elder explain it was entirely different.
For each acupoint he discussed, Elder Qingyuan clearly explained its location, characteristics, and relationship with surrounding meridians.
“The Baihui Acupoint, located at the top center of the head, is the meeting point of all yang.
If this acupoint is opened, the mind becomes clear and vision sharp, and internal force can ascend without obstruction.
However, if one forcibly breaks through it, at best one will suffer splitting headaches; at worst, mental faculties may be damaged.”
A disciple raised his hand. “Elder, when is the appropriate time to break through the Baihui Acupoint?”
“After the Shenque Acupoint is stabilized, internal force will naturally rise, and success will come as a matter of course,” Qingyuan replied.
“In martial cultivation, the greatest taboo is haste. Acupoints are like containers—they must be nourished with internal force. Only when they are full and naturally break open is it the correct path.”
After finishing with acupoints, Elder Qingyuan transitioned to herbal knowledge.
“Our Taiyi Dao Sect is founded upon the Dao of alchemy. Even if disciples do not specialize in alchemy, they must recognize basic medicinal herbs.”
With a flick of his sleeve, three herbs were lifted by internal force, floating before everyone.
“This is Qi-Gathering Grass, which grows in places abundant with yang energy.
Leaves with three veins indicate ten years of growth; six veins indicate fifty years; nine veins indicate a hundred years.
Taking the middle section and refining it with morning dew can produce Qi-Gathering Pills, which help second-revolution martial artists stabilize their acupoints.”
Then came Blood-Congealing Flower, Meridian-Connecting Vine, Spirit-Nourishing Ganoderma…
A total of twenty-seven basic herbs were explained one by one—their forms, properties, and uses.
Half an hour passed, and Elder Qingyuan finally arrived at the most crucial method of breaking through from the first to the second revolution.
“To advance from the first to the second revolution, one must form a qi vortex based on the nine already opened acupoints.
When internal force can be released externally, one naturally enters the early stage of the second revolution.
To reach the mid-stage, nine more acupoints must be opened, forming a cycle of eighteen acupoints that create an internal circulation.”
“The choice of these nine acupoints varies from person to person. Some choose the extremities of hands and feet, resulting in swift internal force circulation but lacking endurance.
Others choose key acupoints in the chest and abdomen, resulting in powerful internal force but sluggish circulation.”
“I recommend that the new nine acupoints balance all directions—select one each from the hands and feet, three from the chest and abdomen, and four from the back.
This forms a three-dimensional circulation, allowing internal force to flow without stagnation, making it easier to break through to the later stage of the second revolution in the future.”
The disciples below busily took notes.
But Gu Yan’s thoughts stirred slightly.
The eighteen acupoints he had opened with Spiritual Energy last night had not followed this sequence at all!
Still, it did not matter—after all, he had already directly reached the late stage of the second revolution.
“After opening new acupoints, one must nourish them with internal force for seven days. Only after they stabilize can internal force be guided into them to generate a qi vortex.”
Qingyuan explained in detail the methods of nourishment, the techniques of guiding internal force, and the key points of forming the vortex.
Another disciple asked, “Elder, if the formation of the qi vortex fails, will it damage the acupoints?”
“Yes,” Qingyuan answered bluntly.
“In minor cases, the acupoints are damaged and require several months of nourishment.
In severe cases, the acupoints collapse, and the path of martial cultivation is cut off.
Therefore, when breaking through, one must have a senior protector or prepare sufficient meridian-protecting pills.”
At these words, many disciples showed troubled expressions.
Meridian-protecting pills were expensive. Although inner sect disciples were wealthier than outer sect ones, not everyone could afford them.
Seeing this, Qingyuan added, “If you lack pills, you may choose a place abundant in yang energy for your breakthrough.
Within the sect, there are three such locations available for disciples. Entry can be obtained by exchanging sect contribution points.”
Gu Yan silently took note.
Though he did not need it, knowing more was never a bad thing.
Another half hour passed, and the lecture concluded.
Elder Qingyuan said finally, “On the path of cultivation, the master leads you to the door, but cultivation depends on the individual.
What I have taught today merely points out the direction. How you walk it depends on your own comprehension.”
With that, he flicked his sleeve and drifted away.
Most of the disciples left Hundred Herbs Hall with pleased expressions, discussing their gains in small groups.
Gu Yan, however, was not in a hurry to leave.
He sat alone for a moment, contemplating his next steps.
Cultivation was important, but sect contribution points were equally essential.
In Taiyi Dao Sect, contribution points could be exchanged for cultivation techniques, pills, and even access to the deeper levels of the Scripture Pavilion.
“Better go take a look at the mission hall first.”