Chapter 127: The Arrival of Great Heat and the Convergence of Fire

Time flew like an arrow, and days passed like a shuttle; three cycles of spring, summer, autumn, and winter had come and gone.

Cao Kong had attained the state of Samadhi, mastering the "immovable dwelling of a virtuous heart." His cultivation of the Fire Convergence had become as smooth as walking on level ground. Originally, he had expected it to take a decade to refine the Fire Convergence, but in just over three years, he had already reached a bottleneck.

On this day, the Great Heat arrived—the peak of the four seasons, when the fire energy is at its most ferocious. Cao Kong first sought the "Yellow Dame" to refine the yin dregs within his soul, achieving the harmony of dragon and tiger, and the art of capturing the Kan to fill the Li, bringing his soul closer to pure yang. Suddenly, a realization struck him: the day of his Fire Convergence had arrived.

He opened his mouth and drank in the fire qi of the world like a whale. In an instant, the fire energy surged, gathering drop by drop until it became a vast, churning ocean. The sheer scale of the fire qi illuminated the mountain mists like red clouds, and Cao Kong swallowed it all in one breath.

"What is this sight? Has Mountain Master Cao achieved another breakthrough in his cultivation?"

At the foot of Hidden Mist Mountain, a withered voice spoke. It was the Willow Immortal, standing beside the Mountain God of Funiu Mountain. Cao Kong did not have many friends, so they had agreed to gather every few years when they had leisure. They were supposed to meet during the Start of Spring, but the Willow Immortal had been delayed by affairs, dragging the meeting until the Great Heat. Upon their arrival, they were greeted by this miraculous spectacle and could not help but marvel.

The Willow Immortal, feeling the fire qi that made even his own heart tremble, looked on with envy. "The Mountain Master’s talent is enough to rival the enlightened immortals of the heavens. Truly, his cultivation grows with every passing day."

The Funiu Mountain God smiled. "I believe that even among the heavenly immortals, few could compare to the Mountain Master in terms of raw talent." He had always maintained that as a person recognized by the Wordless Heavenly Book as one who possesses the clarity of spirit and the mastery of mystery, Cao Kong’s potential was world-class. The Willow Immortal remained silent, harboring some doubt; after all, he was merely a snake spirit who had practiced for years and had never seen an immortal, so he dared not judge too readily.

At the summit, Cao Kong felt his heart-governing center swell until it could hold no more. He ceased his breathing exercises. At this moment, the fire qi within his heart-center burned with such ferocity that it caused his mind to become restless and agitated. Externally, it felt as if his heart were scorching, like an unruly heart-ape trying to pierce the very heavens. This stage of cultivation was far more perilous than the Wood Convergence; the slightest carelessness would result in shattered spirits and damaged essence.

If one were lucky, medicine might heal the wounds over several years, but if one were unlucky, it would mean the destruction of one's foundations and a regression in cultivation.

Cao Kong sat with his five centers facing the sky, entering the state of Samadhi. His heart remained unmoved, sitting in oblivion and selflessness. He abandoned physical form and intellectual knowledge, losing awareness of his own body. Gradually, the restless fire within his heart-center calmed, becoming warm and peaceful. Then, with an unmoved heart and solidified qi, he employed the method of the "Great Yi Golden Elixir Immeasurable Source Scripture" to return the heart-fire to its place, hiding the spirit and solidifying the qi.

Spirit and qi merged, drawing upward to the golden elixir—perfect, immortal, and flawless—resting in the Mud-Pill Palace at the crown of his head. It was as natural as water flowing into a channel.

In an instant, the red clouds on Hidden Mist Mountain vanished, and the fire qi disappeared. Cao Kong stood alone, his head touching the heavens and his feet upon the earth. He opened his eyes, contemplating this profound mystery and the vast Daoist energy within his body. He smiled; he had taken another step on the path to immortality.

"Congratulations, Mountain Master, on your further progress. Longevity is now well within reach."

The voices of the Willow Immortal and the Funiu Mountain God drifted over. Cao Kong smiled slightly. "I had a sudden epiphany and took the opportunity to cultivate. My apologies for not greeting you sooner."

The two waved their hands repeatedly, signaling it was of no concern. Cao Kong noticed that the Willow Immortal’s complexion was dark and his aura floating; there was a hidden melancholy in his voice as he offered his congratulations. "Willow Immortal, are you injured?"

The Willow Immortal smiled bitterly. "I will not hide it from you, Mountain Master. These years, I have searched in vain for a way to transform into a dragon. Thinking that my lifespan is but two or three hundred years, I wished to make a desperate attempt while my essence was still full, rather than waiting for old age to wither and die. Thus, I attempted to condense the Silver Flower, but my talent is limited and my cultivation insufficient. Not only did I fail to condense the flower, but I also damaged my foundations."

Cao Kong pondered this. "My younger brother’s skills in alchemical medicine have improved significantly of late. Perhaps he could examine you, friend."

The Willow Immortal bowed in shame and sighed. "Then I thank you, friend."

Cao Kong nodded. "Follow me. Xiao Xiang has been practicing medicine among the mortals lately and should return shortly. The Seven Lion brothers should also be on their way back."

The three went to the summit and sat at a stone table, drinking tea and discussing recent events. The Funiu Mountain God was quite cheerful; ever since he had established the village seal, he had been content, performing his duties as a Mountain God, and the incense offerings had grown increasingly thick. As for the Willow Immortal, though he joined the conversation, his face remained clouded with worry.

The two little demons, Deer and Crane, served tea and water. Their cultivation was not yet enough to take human form, so they rarely left the mountain.

The Mountain God asked curiously, "Hey, Mountain Master, what about Hu Yan and the others? Surely they are not still in the Qindao Kingdom?"

Cao Kong smiled. "They have returned. Ah, Xiao Xiang is here as well."

They saw the four foxes led by Hu Yan running over with Cao Xiang, arriving just in time. Cao Kong smiled and beckoned Cao Xiang over, explaining the Willow Immortal’s injury. Three years had passed, and Cao Xiang had read extensively through medical texts; he had already finished nearly half of the collection in the Qinghua Changle. Now, dressed in Taoist robes and carrying a medicine basket, he appeared quite steady.

However, the moment he saw familiar faces, Cao Xiang broke into a grin, his steadiness giving way to a lively, innocent nature. After hearing the sequence of events, he reached out to probe the Willow Immortal’s meridians and acupoints with his Daoist energy. The Willow Immortal allowed it without hesitation. To let another probe one's meridians is to invite death if the other has any ill intent; this gesture was a testament to the Willow Immortal’s trust in Cao Xiang.

On the other side, the Funiu Mountain God stared with wide eyes at the four foxes, who each held an object gifted to them by Taibai Jinxing, which also possessed the ability to store incense.

"Is the incense in Qindao Kingdom that nourishing? And what are those things in your hands? Why can they store incense?" the Mountain God asked, his tone laced with envy. People were often frustrated by comparisons; he had worked as a Mountain God for years, yet the incense aura he carried was barely on par with that of Hu Yan and his companions.

Hu Yan and the others laughed. "Mountain God, Qindao City is thriving with people, so naturally, there is plenty of incense. As for what we hold, heh, these were gifts from the heavenly envoy who descended to the mortal realm."

When the Mountain God heard the first half, he sighed, thinking that big cities offered more opportunities, unlike his small village. But when he heard the second half, his eyes nearly popped out of his head. "What? The heavenly envoy gave them to you?"

Hu Yan and the others recounted the descent of Taibai Jinxing. The Funiu Mountain God was filled with such envy that he began to consider abandoning his position as Mountain God to become a temple keeper at the True Lord’s temple, just to bask in the reflected glory. The Willow Immortal, listening nearby, sighed at the unfathomable nature of Cao Kong, who had actually had the heavens send someone to seal him as a True Lord—what an extraordinary honor that was.