Zhang Kui's Journey to the West in the Investiture of the Gods

Chapter 48 Five Qi Gathering at the Origin

Time flies, spring comes and autumn goes, and Zhang Kui has been stationed in Youli for a year.

Throughout the year, Chaoge City was rife with intrigue and turmoil. King Zhou, under the influence of Daji, grew increasingly debauched and tyrannical, indulging in tortures such as the torture of burning alive and the infamous "wine pool and meat forest," while honest ministers dwindled and sycophants rose to power. In the southeast, the deaths of the Eastern Marquis Jiang Huanchu and the Southern Marquis E Chongyu stirred up undercurrents of rebellion, with sparks of simmering rebellion appearing intermittently. The Northern Marquis Chong Houhu, however, completely sided with King Zhou, aiding and abetting his cruelty. Only in the west, because the Western Marquis Ji Chang, though imprisoned, was not in immediate danger, the two hundred regional lords, though harboring resentment, maintained a semblance of peace.

Under Zhang Kui's command, Youli City became an isolated island in the chaotic world. The anticipated continuous assassination attempts against Ji Chang did not occur. Perhaps the disastrous defeat at Wild Boar Ridge made Fei Zhong and You Hun hesitant to act, or perhaps Chaoge's attention was drawn to other conflicts.

Zhang Kui's life is simple yet fulfilling.

Every day at dawn, without fail, he cultivated the Golden Elixir Path, breathing in the purple energy of the East to nurture the nearly perfected fourth-stage Golden Elixir within his dantian. In the mornings, he handled military affairs, listening to Wu Wenhua's reports on the new army's drills and defense patrols. In the afternoons, he would either practice martial arts on the training grounds, honing his Heavenly Divine Power, or disguise himself and visit markets and villages, observing the flow of goods and the lives of ordinary people, gaining insight into the principles of "trade" and "balancing." Every three to five days, he would bring some food and drink to visit Ji Chang in the Youli prison.

The prison conditions were far from ideal, but under Zhang Kui's covert care, Ji Chang was not mistreated. The two men, with a pot of wine and a few side dishes, chatted about everything under the sun, discussing philosophy and the I Ching.

Ji Chang shared his insights on interpreting the Book of Changes with Zhang Kui without reservation. Zhang Kui, in turn, frequently offered his own perspectives and spiritual experiences that transcended his time, leaving Ji Chang in awe and regarding him as his one and only true confidant. This exchange not only deepened their friendship but also enhanced Zhang Kui's understanding of the laws of heaven and earth and the principles of yin and yang, indirectly nurturing his Daoist heart.

Militarily, Zhang Kui strictly followed the central government's authorization, using the original 1,000 veteran Xuanjia soldiers as the backbone, recruiting refugees and respectable men from the surrounding areas, and rigorously selecting them to eventually train a new army of 30,000. He modeled the new army after modern military thought, combining it with the characteristics of this world, organizing the new army into 7,000 cavalry, 3,000 archers, and 20,000 heavy infantry, training them day and night in formation coordination and actual combat to suppress bandits.

Zhang Kui personally formulated the training outline, incorporating the simplified method of cultivating the "Dragon Subduing and Tiger Taming" divine power into basic physical training. Although it could not turn the soldiers into humanoid beasts like Wu Wenhua, it greatly improved their individual combat strength.

At the same time, Zhang Kui vigorously promoted the policy of military farming to support the people, using the army to protect the people and the people to support the army. He also cleared out bandits in the surrounding area and protected trade routes, which resulted in a rare scene of stability and prosperity around Youli. The people praised this "General Zhang" highly.

All of this was quietly transmitted to the court through specific information channels, and Huang Feihu, Bi Qian, and others held Zhang Kui's military and political abilities in even higher regard.

On this day, just as dawn was breaking, Zhang Kui, as usual, sat cross-legged in his quiet room, circulating his nine breaths to guide the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to refine his golden elixir. Suddenly, he sensed something; a slight tremor ran through his Niwan Palace, and some kind of opportunity quietly arrived. The five Five Elements Feathers, which had been quietly floating and nurturing around the golden elixir, obtained from Kong Xuan, emitted a soft yet intense light without warning, and began to vibrate and hum.

"This is..." Zhang Kui looked inward and was both surprised and delighted. He saw that the five feathers were no longer under his control and transformed into five streams of light, which shot towards his five internal organs respectively.

The crimson fire feather enters the heart, the blue wood feather merges into the liver, the white gold feather penetrates the lungs, the black water feather sinks into the kidneys, and the yellow earth feather returns to the spleen.

In an instant, Zhang Kui felt as if his internal organs had been thrown into a furnace, and an indescribable surge of vitality and the power of the Five Elements erupted. He dared not be negligent and immediately began to fully circulate the Golden Core Dao, guiding this violent power.

Within the inner vision, the scene changes dramatically. In the lungs, the Qi of Geng Metal condenses, faintly transforming into the majestic image of a white tiger, representing severity and strength. Within the liver, the Qi of Yi Wood rises, with the phantom of a green dragon coiling around, symbolizing vitality and expansiveness. Deep within the kidneys, the Qi of Ren Water swirls, with the form of Xuanwu hidden, representing downward flow and return to the source. Above the heart, the Qi of Li Fire blazes, with the light and shadow of the Vermilion Bird flapping its wings, signifying upward movement and brightness. In the center of the spleen, the Qi of Wu Earth is thick and heavy, with the auspicious image of a Qilin firmly seated, bearing and nurturing transformation.

Although the five divine beast forms were only in their initial stages, they had already stirred up the vital energy within Zhang Kui's five internal organs, causing it to surge and begin to converge towards the middle dantian (Crimson Palace), a sign of "Five Qi Returning to the Origin." This meant that his cultivation had broken through the peak of the Celestial Immortal realm, truly touching the threshold of the True Immortal realm.

"The Five Elements Converge... the Realm of True Immortals." Zhang Kui suppressed his excitement. Once the Five Elements completely converge, he could begin to condense the three flowers of essence, energy, and spirit at the top of his head, stepping into the realm of Profound Immortals. Above that was the Golden Immortal, which required comprehending one's own path and attaining the immortal Dao fruit. But that was still too far away for him at the moment.

At this moment, although the five elements within his chest had been activated and the initial momentum of the convergence of primordial energy had been formed, it still lacked the final step of consolidation and sublimation. Although the power of the Five Elements Feathers had helped him take a crucial step, if he could not refine and integrate them thoroughly in time to stabilize his realm, there was a risk of an unstable foundation.

To advance to the True Immortal realm, one must find an absolutely safe place with abundant spiritual energy to cultivate in seclusion and break through the barrier, without being disturbed in the slightest.

Zhang Kui slowly finished his practice, opened his eyes, and a flash of five-colored light appeared in his eyes. He was even more adept at sensing and controlling the spiritual energy of the five elements in the world.

"The time has come, we can't delay any longer." Zhang Kui understood this, and he immediately summoned Wu Wenhua.

"General!" Wu Wenhua arrived quickly.

Zhang Kui directly instructed, "Wenhua, my cultivation has reached a critical point, and I need to immediately go into seclusion to break through the bottleneck. During this period, you will be fully responsible for the military and defense affairs of Youli, and you can make decisions on your own in case of any matters. The army's training must not be neglected, and the defense of the surrounding area must be especially vigilant."

"Yes, General, rest assured!" Wu Wenhua patted his chest to assure him. "General, should we set up protective formations at the secluded cultivation location? Do you need me to protect you?"

Zhang Kui shook his head: "No need, I have my own place to go." He chose to leave alone, firstly because Youli City was too crowded and not an ideal place for seclusion; secondly, he could easily get away from trouble and find a secluded cave.

After arranging military affairs, Zhang Kui went to Youli Prison.

Ji Chang was divining with straw stalks on the prison cell floor when he saw Zhang Kui arrive. His face lit up with joy, but noticing that Zhang Kui's aura was different from usual, with a faint inner radiance, he couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "General, you look extraordinary today. I just cast a divination, and it seems you are about to break through?"

Zhang Kui cupped his hands and said, "Your Excellency is a master strategist. I have made some progress and need to find a place to go into seclusion immediately. I have come to bid you farewell and I am afraid I will not be able to visit you again in the near future."

Upon hearing this, Ji Chang not only didn't take it to heart, but instead said with delight, "This is a joyous occasion! General, please go ahead. Opportunities for breakthroughs in cultivation are rare and should not be missed. I am well here, so you need not worry." He paused, then said meaningfully, "The world is about to change. With each increase in your strength, General, you will have a greater chance of success in the future. I hope you will return victorious soon."

"Thank you for your kind words, Lord Marquis." Zhang Kui gave Ji Chang a deep look, then took his leave. This old man always seemed to have a knack for foresight.

Back at camp, Zhang Kui changed into civilian clothes and carefully hid the treasure coin on his body. When the night was deep and quiet, he quietly went to a secluded spot on the drill ground, silently recited the incantation, and used the Earth Movement Technique from the Five Elements Great Escape of the Heavenly Gang Divine Power.

With a flicker of his body, the ground beneath his feet seemed to transform into flowing water, and he sank silently into the earth like a fish entering water, disappearing without a trace. The next moment, he was already dozens of feet underground, following the guidance of the earth's spiritual energy, rapidly fleeing towards the deep mountains far from Youli City and rarely visited by humans.

Traversing the underground, surrounded by thick earth and rocks, Zhang Kui, who possessed the ability to use earth-遁 (earth-escaping techniques), moved as if on flat ground. He moved swiftly, sensing the concentration of spiritual energy around him. He sought a blessed land—a place where the five elements were balanced, spiritual energy abundant, and a secluded and safe haven—to serve as his retreat for attempting to break through to the True Immortal realm.

After an unknown amount of time, the local teleportation technique passed through a dense layer of rock, and suddenly the view opened up, with an incomparably pure spiritual energy rushing towards them. Zhang Kui's heart stirred, and he began to ascend.

Emerging from the ground, the scene before him was breathtaking. It was a secluded valley nestled among mountains, filled with blooming flowers and babbling brooks. In the center lay a clear pool, its water displaying a strange five-colored radiance, corresponding to the five elements. The valley was surrounded by sheer cliffs and shrouded in a natural mist formation, making it extremely difficult to discover unless one entered directly from underground.

"What a wonderful Five Elements Spiritual Cave! It's the perfect place for secluded cultivation." Zhang Kui was overjoyed. After carefully exploring the area and confirming that there were no powerful demonic beasts or cultivators lingering there, he carved out a simple cave dwelling on the cliff and set up concealment and defensive restrictions.

Sitting cross-legged in the cave, feeling the abundant and gentle spiritual energy of the five elements around him, Zhang Kui took a deep breath, his eyes becoming incredibly determined.

"The realm of true immortals awaits you today."

He slowly closed his eyes, focusing all his energy on circulating the Golden Core Dao, guiding the surging Qi of his five internal organs towards his middle dantian, officially beginning his attempt to break through to the profound realm of Five Qi Converging to the Origin. Outside the cave, the five elements of spiritual energy in the valley were drawn in, transforming into visible five-colored ribbons of light, flowing towards the cave like rivers flowing into the sea…