This "Mysterious Pearl Spirit Offering Art" far surpasses the "Taiyin Breathing and Wheel Nourishing Scripture," mainly explaining how to use the mirror to attract the Taiyin Moonlight and condense the Mysterious Pearl Talisman Seed.
Once this Talisman Seed is planted in another's Dantian, it can aid in their cultivation. When that person's cultivation level has advanced or upon their death, it can then nourish oneself, cultivating the Taiyin Profound Light...
It also contains a "Conduction Technique," used to guide the recipient in summoning the Mysterious Pearl Talisman Seed from the mirror and then nurture it within their Dantian.
Lu Jiangxian was stunned for a moment, feeling that this "Mysterious Pearl Spirit Offering Art" seemed somewhat malevolent, much like the demonic skills described in books. After pondering more carefully and reading through the spell thoroughly, he confirmed that the Mysterious Pearl Talisman Seed was not only harmless to the recipient but also offered many benefits.
The "Mysterious Pearl Spirit Offering Art" was the intrinsic spell of the awakened mirror. The number of Mysterious Pearl Talisman Seeds that could be condensed depended on the strength of his Divine Sense. Currently, he could only sustain six Talisman Seeds.
With this thought, Lu Jiangxian's Divine Sense stirred, sweeping through the interior and exterior of the Li family, from top to bottom, and couldn't help but exclaim,
"What great change!"
Having slept within the mirror for three years, the Li family had now dug a pond and built a large courtyard, thriving in prosperity! Li Changhu had even taken a wife and grown a beard, looking every part the new Manager of the Li family.
He activated the spell, scanning over the bodies of the members of the Li family, and, as expected but still disappointingly, found— not a single one possessed a "Spirit Aperture."
This meant that if nothing unexpected occurred, the members of the Li family were destined to live a life devoid of the immortal realm, succumbing to the mundane world and, with good fortune, might reach a full seventy years before dying of old age.
Looking at the members of the Li family beside him, Lu Jiangxian sighed deeply and activated the spell.
"Daddy, look quickly!" The Li brothers had already gathered around, and Li Chijin, with sharp eyes, called out.
Li Mutian hurriedly looked closely, and the mirror's surface flickered with white light, revealing a series of tiny characters. He patted Li Chijin's shoulder and repeatedly said,
"Bring cloth and writing materials!"
The brothers hurriedly went to fetch these items. Fortunately, the Li family had set up a study, equipped with the discarded Four Treasures of the Study from their tutor, or else they would have had no choice but to fetch them from the village.
Before long, Li Changhu brought the cloth, and Li Tongya adamantly carried over a wooden table fitted with ink and writing supplies. Thankfully, Li Chijin had already been waiting beside the mirror, memorizing the text that had appeared and then flitted across earlier.
Among them, Li Chijin was the youngest but had read the most books, so Li Mutian let him take the brush and copy all the tiny characters.
The "Conduction Technique" was quite lengthy. Li Chijin wrote with the brush for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, his wrist aching so much that Li Tongya had to take over the transcription, with everyone watching closely, fearing any mistake might be made in copying the characters.
They continued to alternate in this way, and it took a full hour before they finished transcribing.
Lu Jiangxian also feared that they might practice the skill incorrectly, so he manifested the text three times in total, along with detailed annotations of some hidden meanings in the Taoist spells and several diagrams of energy pathways, watching them carefully proofread before slowly dimming the light.
"The 'Conduction Technique'."
Li Xiangping looked at the characters on the cloth and slowly read,
"Mysterious Pearl True Elixir indeed. At the beginning of one cycle, the pill descends into the heart channels, hence it is said that the Pill Cavern is in the central palace, the pill descent marks one cycle... After the pill descends, halt the breath nine times as one round, until nine times nine, which makes eighty-one rounds. Thus, it is called the repeated nine numbers..."
"This is Immortal Law!"
Li Changhu was both shocked and elated, almost wanting to hold the mirror and kiss it.
The few of them contained their excitement, passing the spell around for careful reading, silently memorizing the annotations within the scroll.
Li Xiangping's gaze quickly swept over the cloth, settling on the final few sentences.
"To practice the learned Conduction Technique, wait for the days of Jiazi, Gengshen, one's birth year, the Three Epochs, the Three Assemblies, the Eight Festivals, the New Moon, and other auspicious times. These are the days when the heavens are lively, the bright wanes and the dark fades; place the Dharma Mirror under the moonlight, burn incense, bathe, and earnestly request, saying, 'Disciple of the so-and-so family, so-and-so, respectfully invites the wondrous and clear Immortal Law, to stabilize the spirit under Heaven's command, and to devoutly practice the Tao. With timely speech, I vow to fulfill the promises made, to follow the text, and to give thanks to Taiyin.' Completed, swallow the Qi thrice."
"To talk of progress is to be loyal to one's word, let the notes burn to ashes, and my body gives thanks to the Taiyin."
He repeated softly.
Li Mutian watched the silent child with his head bowed, touched his head soothingly, and spoke with a calm expression:
"Commanding destiny and pacifying the soul, worshiping the Tao and cultivating."
————
At dawn, wisps of cooking smoke floated above the rooftops of the village, and a gauzy mist pervaded the air.
"Uncle Li, is there some happy event today?" Li Mutian hummed and hawed as he crossed the field, listening to the laughter of the people in the field.
Li Mutian looked down and saw it was his nephew, Ye Chengfu, a child who looked honest and sincere but also had a knack for pleasing words.
"These green seedlings in the field are a delightful sight!" Li Mutian laughed heartily and replied promptly.
In Lijing Village, there were four major families: Ye, Tian, Li, Liu. The Ye Family was the largest clan in Lijing Village, with over thirty percent of the villagers bearing the Ye surname. If they joined forces, they were not to be underestimated.
"Whoa, that must be thanks to Brother Changhu's good luck!" Ye Chengfu leaned on his hoe, answering with respectful formality.
"You, lad, have a way with words!"
The old master knew he referred to Li Changhu's wedding a few days ago; Ren Clan's daughter, who was cute, sensible, attentive, and wholly devoted to Li Changhu.
Li Mutian intended to wait until Ren Clan's daughter bore offspring before revealing some news, as she was one who could keep her mouth shut. Living under the same roof, being overly secretive could cause unnecessary strife.
"But Tongya is unwilling to take a wife, and Xiangping has also reached the marrying age," Li Mutian said, stroking his beard and counting the households in the village.
"That old fellow's daughter, Tian Yun, is quite good, and her age is suitable. I'll ask Xiangping about it when I get back. If things are agreeable, we'll carry a goose to formally ask for her hand," he mused with a smile.
Li Tongya and his brothers were carefully studying the "Guidance Technique" in the courtyard, while Li Changhu had hurried back from inspecting the fields early in the morning to join his brothers in study.
Only he, the old man, feeling his years and not as sharp as before, had given up the Immortal Law for overseeing the fields.
First, because someone needed to tend to these worldly matters, or else there would be no provision for food and drink; second, to guard against any unseeing eye sneaking peeks over the walls.
Li Mutian was in a great mood today, leisurely sitting on the ridge of the field and chatting idly with the elders in the village.
————
At the Li Family.
Lu Jiangxian's Divine Sense rested upon the three figures of Li Tongya, who were sitting cross-legged with their eyes closed in the courtyard, and a faint white light suddenly appeared above their heads.
Li Chijin's white glow was the longest, about eight inches, shimmering brightly. Li Tongya and Li Xiangping's were six inches and five inches, respectively, while Li Changhu's was only three inches long.
The initial practice of the "Conduction Technique" reveals the compatibility with the Mysterious Pearl Talisman Seed through the white glow. A full foot of white glow would mean swallowing the Talisman Seed was as if one had a naturally formed Spirit Aperture.
With an eight-inch white glow, Li Chijin could reach eighty percent of the cultivation speed of someone with a naturally formed Spirit Aperture, while Li Changhu, with only three inches, could only reach thirty percent of such a person's cultivation speed.
In other words, a full day of cultivation for Li Changhu could not compare to merely four hours for someone else...